YCANTH®'s Israeli Debut: A Strategic Partnership for Dermatological Care

WEST CHESTER, PA & TEL AVIV, ISRAEL – July 21, 2026 – In a move that signals a significant step forward for pediatric dermatology in the Middle East, Verrica Pharmaceuticals has entered into an exclusive agreement with Medomie Pharma Ltd. to bring its novel skin treatment, YCANTH®, to Israel. The partnership is designed to commercialize the first and only FDA-approved therapy for molluscum contagiosum, a common and highly contagious viral skin infection that primarily affects children.

The agreement grants Medomie, a prominent Israeli pharmaceutical company, the exclusive rights to seek regulatory approval for and distribute YCANTH® in the country. Verrica, the U.S.-based therapeutics company that developed the treatment, will manufacture the product and receive 60% of the net selling price from Israeli sales. The deal also includes up to $8.2 million in potential regulatory and commercial milestone payments for Verrica, underscoring the confidence both parties have in the product's potential.

“We are pleased to partner with Medomie to make YCANTH available in Israel so that more patients have access to treatment for molluscum,” said Jayson Rieger, PhD, MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer of Verrica. “Medomie is a pharmaceutical company focused on providing access to and commercializing innovative treatments, and improving health and quality of life of patients in Israel. We look forward to working with them as we seek to establish YCANTH as the standard of care for molluscum in Israel.”

This collaboration is more than a standard distribution deal; it represents a carefully constructed strategy to introduce an innovative, U.S.-approved medical solution into a sophisticated and receptive healthcare market, promising a tangible difference for thousands of families.

A Strategic Entry into a Dynamic Market

The decision to launch YCANTH® in Israel is a calculated move, leveraging the strengths of both Verrica and its local partner, Medomie Pharma. Israel's pharmaceutical market is a mature and dynamic environment, characterized by advanced medical infrastructure, a culture of innovation, and a population that values high-quality healthcare. With pharmaceutical exports reaching approximately $1.8 billion in 2024, the nation is a key player in the global health landscape.

For Verrica, partnering with a local expert like Medomie is a strategically sound approach to market entry. Medomie has built a reputation as an agile and well-connected distributor, specializing in bringing innovative brand-name, biosimilar, and niche products to the Israeli market. Their comprehensive services—spanning regulatory affairs, market access, and a nationwide distribution network that includes pharmacies, hospitals, and health funds—provide Verrica with an established pathway to commercialization, mitigating the risks associated with entering a new international territory.

From Medomie’s perspective, the addition of YCANTH® to its portfolio is a significant win. The company actively seeks to enhance its offerings with first-in-class treatments that address clear unmet medical needs. YCANTH®, with its unique FDA-approved status for molluscum, fits this profile perfectly. It allows Medomie to strengthen its dermatology franchise and reinforce its commitment to improving healthcare options for patients in Israel. This partnership is a textbook example of symbiotic growth, where an innovator with a breakthrough product joins forces with a local powerhouse that possesses the market knowledge and infrastructure to ensure its success.

Addressing a Persistent Pediatric Problem

At the heart of this business agreement is a public health issue that has long frustrated parents and physicians: molluscum contagiosum. This viral skin infection manifests as small, raised bumps on the skin and is highly contagious, spreading easily through direct contact or contaminated objects in places like schools, swimming pools, and homes. While not typically dangerous, the condition can be persistent, cosmetically distressing, and can lead to social stigma, particularly for the children who are most affected. In the United States alone, an estimated six million people, mostly children, are affected by the virus.

Until now, the treatment landscape in Israel, much like in the U.S. before YCANTH®'s approval, has been a patchwork of off-label options. These often include painful or invasive procedures like cryotherapy (freezing), curettage (scraping), or the application of blistering agents and topical retinoids not specifically approved for the condition. These methods can be frightening for young patients and may lead to scarring or pigmentation issues, with inconsistent results.

YCANTH® is designed to change this paradigm. It is a proprietary drug-device combination product containing a controlled formulation of cantharidin, a substance derived from blister beetles that has been used in dermatology for decades. The single-use applicator allows a healthcare professional to administer a precise, targeted dose directly onto each lesion, offering a standardized and controlled treatment. As the first and only product specifically approved by the FDA for molluscum in patients two years and older, it offers a level of safety and efficacy that off-label alternatives cannot match. For Israeli families, its arrival promises a more reliable, less traumatic solution to a common childhood affliction.

Navigating the Path to Patient Access

A key factor enabling this partnership's potential for rapid impact is Israel's evolving regulatory environment. The Israeli Ministry of Health (MOH) recently implemented significant reforms to its drug registration process, which became effective in March 2025. These reforms introduced new reliance-based tracks designed to accelerate the approval of drugs that have already been greenlit by recognized international bodies like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Under these new guidelines, a product like YCANTH®, which secured FDA approval based on positive results from two large-scale Phase 3 clinical trials, is eligible for an expedited review. Depending on the specifics of the submission, the evaluation period could be as short as 70 to 120 working days. This streamlined pathway dramatically shortens the timeline from application to availability, ensuring that Israeli patients can benefit from this innovative treatment much sooner.

This regulatory efficiency is part of a broader national strategy. A senior official from the Ministry of Health recently noted that the goal of these reforms is to "increase drug availability in Israel, making the country a more attractive destination for drug registration," and to "expand the supply of medications to patients and help reduce prices through market competition." Medomie's experienced regulatory affairs team is well-positioned to navigate this new, faster process, managing the submission of the comprehensive clinical data required to secure marketing authorization from the MOH.

A Blueprint for Global Expansion

The agreement with Medomie is a critical piece of Verrica's broader global vision for YCANTH®. Having already secured approval and launched in the United States and Japan, Verrica is methodically building a global presence for its flagship product. The company's strategy appears to be focused on establishing YCANTH® as the universal standard of care for molluscum contagiosum by targeting key international markets with well-defined unmet needs and sophisticated healthcare systems. By maintaining exclusive global rights outside of Japan and Israel, Verrica retains control over its long-term expansion strategy.

This focused approach is complemented by the company's ongoing research and development efforts. Verrica is currently studying YCANTH® in a global Phase 3 program for the treatment of common warts, another widespread dermatological condition with a significant unmet need. Furthermore, the company is advancing other pipeline candidates, such as VP-315 for non-melanoma skin cancers, demonstrating a deep commitment to becoming a leader in medical dermatology. This Israeli partnership, therefore, is not an isolated event but a strategic execution within a larger plan to leverage its core technology to address multiple dermatological diseases on a global scale.

The collaboration between Verrica and Medomie provides a compelling model for how innovative therapies can cross borders to address universal health challenges, creating value for patients, providers, and the companies bringing these solutions to market.