Aclaris Therapeutics Expands Leadership Team

• Appoints James Loerop as Chief Business Officer

WAYNE, Pa., Feb. 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ACRS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel drug candidates for immuno-inflammatory diseases, today announced the appointment of James Loerop as Chief Business Officer, effective January 31, 2022.

“We are excited to welcome Jim to Aclaris,” said Dr. Neal Walker, President and CEO of Aclaris. “His experience as a business development leader in the life sciences industry will be extremely valuable in executing our global business development strategy for our drug development pipeline.”

Mr. Loerop brings over two decades of experience leading global business development in the life sciences industry. Mostly recently, he served as Executive Vice President, Business Development and Strategic Planning at Anika Therapeutics, Inc. Prior to that, Mr. Loerop held senior leadership roles at various companies in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industry, including Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline, and Stiefel Laboratories, Inc. prior to its acquisition by GSK.

“I am thrilled to join the Aclaris team,” said Mr. Loerop. “Aclaris has done a tremendous job at developing a pipeline of novel drug candidates for immuno-inflammatory diseases, and I look forward to leveraging my experience to assist in furthering Aclaris’ overall corporate strategy.”

Aclaris also welcomes the addition of John Schindler, Ph.D., as Senior Director, Discovery Research. Dr. Schindler will be leading efforts to identify and develop early stage discovery targets. Dr. Schindler has over 20 years of research experience building and directing drug discovery teams in immunology, cancer, diabetes, immunology-oncology, and neurodegeneration. Dr. Schindler has previously held scientific leadership positions at Eli Lilly and Company and Pfizer Inc., most recently serving as a director at Eli Lilly where he led its early portfolio discovery efforts.

About Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc.

Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a pipeline of novel drug candidates to address the needs of patients with immuno-inflammatory diseases who lack satisfactory treatment options. The company has a multi-stage portfolio of drug candidates powered by a robust R&D engine exploring protein kinase regulation. For additional information, please visit www.aclaristx.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements contained in this press release that do not describe historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by words such as “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “will,” and similar expressions, and are based on Aclaris’ current beliefs and expectations. These forward-looking statements include the future contributions of Mr. Loerop and Dr. Schindler. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected in such statements. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially include uncertainties inherent in the conduct of clinical trials, Aclaris’ reliance on third parties over which it may not always have full control, Aclaris’ ability to enter into strategic partnerships on commercially reasonable terms, the uncertainty regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and other risks and uncertainties that are described in the Risk Factors section of Aclaris’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 and other filings Aclaris makes with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. These documents are available under the “SEC Filings” page of the “Investors” section of Aclaris’ website at www.aclaristx.com. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and are based on information available to Aclaris as of the date of this release, and Aclaris assumes no obligation to, and does not intend to, update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Aclaris Contact

investors@aclaristx.com