MALVERN, Pa., Nov. 16, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACRS), a clinical-stage specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced that it intends to offer and sell, subject to market conditions, up to $65,000,000 of shares of its common stock in an underwritten public offering. All of the shares of common stock to be sold in the offering will be offered by Aclaris. Aclaris also intends to grant the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional $9,750,000 of shares of its common stock sold in the public offering on the same terms and conditions. The offering is subject to market conditions, and there can be no assurance as to whether or when the offering may be completed, or the actual size or terms of the offering.

Aclaris intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to fund the submissions for regulatory approval of its drug candidate A-101 Topical Solution (A-101) for the treatment of seborrheic keratosis (SK), to develop a commercial sales force to market A-101 for the treatment of SK, if approved, to fund the continued research and development of A-101 for the treatment of common warts and its JAK inhibitor drug candidates ATI-50001 and ATI-50002 for the treatment of alopecia areata, to fund preclinical development and formulation of a JAK inhibitor drug candidate for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia and vitiligo, and for working capital and general corporate purposes.

Jefferies LLC, Leerink Partners LLC and Guggenheim Securities LLC are acting as joint book-running managers for the offering. William Blair & Company, L.L.C. and JMP Securities LLC are acting as co-managers for the offering.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities being offered, nor shall there be any sale of the securities being offered in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.

About Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc.

Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage specialty pharmaceutical company focused on identifying, developing, and commercializing innovative and differentiated drugs to address significant unmet needs in dermatology. Aclaris is based in Malvern, Pennsylvania.