Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:VRCA) is a dermatology therapeutics company focused on developing and commercializing treatments for skin diseases. The company is known for its lead product candidate, VP-102, which targets molluscum contagiosum, a common skin condition. In the competitive landscape, Verrica faces peers like Y-mAbs Therapeutics, Scholar Rock Holding Corporation, Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, and Kezar Life Sciences, all of which are involved in developing innovative therapies.
In evaluating the financial efficiency of VRCA, the company's Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) is -166.93%, which is significantly lower than its Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) of 17.69%. This indicates that VRCA is not generating sufficient returns to cover its cost of capital, highlighting inefficiencies in its capital utilization. The ROIC to WACC ratio of -9.44 further emphasizes this challenge.
Comparatively, Y-mAbs Therapeutics (YMAB) has a ROIC of -27.64% and a WACC of 6.11%, resulting in a ROIC to WACC ratio of -4.53. Although still negative, YMAB's ratio is the least inefficient among its peers, suggesting it is closer to covering its cost of capital than others. This positions YMAB as relatively more efficient in capital utilization compared to VRCA.
Scholar Rock Holding Corporation (SRRK) presents a ROIC of -109.48% against a WACC of 5.32%, leading to a ROIC to WACC ratio of -20.57. This indicates a significant gap between the returns generated and the cost of capital, reflecting inefficiencies similar to those seen in VRCA. Crinetics Pharmaceuticals (CRNX) and Kezar Life Sciences (KZR) also show negative ROIC to WACC ratios of -6.99 and -10.94, respectively, underscoring the broader challenge within the sector.
Overall, while all companies in this analysis are currently operating at a loss relative to their cost of capital, Y-mAbs Therapeutics stands out as the least inefficient. This suggests that despite the negative returns, YMAB is managing its capital more effectively than its peers, including VRCA.
