As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 9, 2023

Registration No. 333-    

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

44 West Gay Street, Suite 400

West Chester, PA 19380

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

2018 Equity Incentive Plan

(Full title of the plan)

Ted White

President and Chief Executive Officer

Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc.

44 West Gay Street, Suite 400

West Chester, PA 19380

(484) 453-3300

(Name and address of agent for service) (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copies to:

Darren DeStefano

Mark Ballantyne

Cooley LLP

11951 Freedom Drive

Reston, VA 20190-5640

(703) 456-8000

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act.  ☒

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Pursuant to General Instruction E of Form S-8, Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc. (the “Registrant”) is filing this Registration Statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) to register 1,643,762 additional shares of Common Stock under the 2018 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2018 Plan”), pursuant to the provisions of the 2018 Plan providing for an automatic increase in the number of shares of Common Stock reserved and available for issuance under the 2018 Plan on January 1, 2023. In accordance with the instructional note to Part I of Form S-8 as promulgated by the Commission, the information specified by Part I of the Form S-8 has been omitted from this Registration Statement.

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PART II

The contents of the earlier registration statement related to the 2018 Plan, previously filed with the Commission on July 13, 2018 (File No. 333-226153) are incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this Registration Statement.

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(a) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act;

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20% change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement.

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

Provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(i) and (a)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to section 13 or section 15(d) of the Exchange Act that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

(b) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered herein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(c) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of West Chester, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, on this 9th day of May, 2023.

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POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Ted White and P. Terence Kohler Jr., and each or any one of them, his true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them, or their or his substitutes or substitute, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

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Exhibit 5.1

May 9, 2023

Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc.

44 West Gay Street, Suite 400

West Chester, PA 19380 Ladies and Gentlemen:

You have requested our opinion, as counsel to Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the filing by the Company of a Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) relating to the offering of up to 1,643,762 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, pursuant to the Company’s 2018 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2018 Plan”).

In connection with this opinion, we have examined and relied upon (a) the Registration Statement and the related prospectus, (b) the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws, each as currently in effect, (c) the 2018 Plan, and (d) originals or copies certified to our satisfaction of such records, documents, certificates, memoranda and other instruments as in our judgment are necessary or appropriate to enable us to render the opinion expressed below. We have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to originals of all documents submitted to us as copies, the accuracy, completeness and authenticity of certificates of public officials and the due authorization, execution and delivery of all documents by all persons other than the Company where authorization, execution and delivery are prerequisites to the effectiveness thereof. As to certain factual matters, we have relied upon a certificate of an officer of the Company and have not independently verified such matters.

Our opinion is expressed only with respect to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. We express no opinion to the extent that any other laws are applicable to the subject matter hereof and express no opinion and provide no assurance as to compliance with any federal or state securities law, rule or regulation.

On the basis of the foregoing, and in reliance thereon, we are of the opinion that the Shares, when sold and issued in accordance with the 2018 Plan, the Registration Statement and the related prospectuses, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable (except as to shares issued pursuant to deferred payment arrangements, which will be fully paid and nonassessable when such deferred payments are made in full).

We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

Sincerely,

COOLEY LLP

RESTON TOWN CENTER, 11951 FREEDOM DRIVE, RESTON, VIRGINIA 20190-5640 T: (703) 456-8000 WWW.COOLEY.COM

Exhibit 23.1

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

We consent to the use of our report dated March 6, 2023, with respect to the financial statements of Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc., incorporated herein by reference.

/s/ KPMG LLP

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

May 9, 2023

Exhibit 107

Calculation of Filing Fee Table

Form S-8

(Form Type)

Verrica Pharmaceuticals Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Table 1: Newly Registered Securities