Aclaris Therapeutics Announces Positive Top-Line Phase 3 Results for A-101 In Treating Seborrheic Keratosis, a Common Undertreated Skin Condition

SK lesions are common, non-cancerous skin lesions that impact more than 83 million Americans and frequently appear in highly visible locations such as the face or neck.  The lesions are typically characterized by a waxy, scaly, elevated appearance and can vary in color from light tan to dark brown or black.  SK lesions can have an adverse physical and emotional impact on patients.  Existing treatments are invasive, often painful, or have undesirable outcomes like scarring or dyspigmentation.

"We are extremely pleased by these top-line results," said Aclaris President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Neal Walker.  "We had a productive pre-NDA meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier this year and look forward to submitting a New Drug Application to the FDA in the first quarter of 2017.  We are committed to bringing this important new treatment to patients and their physicians."  If approved, A-101 would be the first FDA-approved topical treatment for SK. 

Safety Results

There were no treatment-related serious adverse events among patients treated with A-101.  The most common adverse events were nasopharyngitis and sinusitis which were determined to be unrelated to A-101.  

Local skin reactions, if present, were predominantly classified as mild.  The rates of hypopigmentation, hyperpigmentation, and scarring classified as greater than mild were less than one percent in all groups in both trials.   

Additionally, Aclaris announced that initial safety results from an open-label safety trial of A-101 (SEBK-303) were consistent with the SEBK-301 and SEBK-302 trials.  The SEBK-303 trial enrolled 147 patients at 10 sites across the United States.

"This safety profile in these trials is compelling since there has been a significant need for an effective, non-invasive SK treatment without long-term pigmentary changes," said Dr. Walker. 

Aclaris plans to present this data at a future medical meeting and also for consideration for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Management will conduct a conference call at 5:00 PM ET on November 15, 2016 to discuss these results.  The conference will be webcast live over the Internet and can be accessed by logging on to the "Investors" section of the Aclaris Therapeutics website, www.aclaristx.com, prior to the event.  A replay of the webcast will be archived on the Company's website for 30 days following the call.

To participate on the live call, please dial (844) 776-7782 (domestic) or (661) 378-9535 (international), and reference conference ID 21069052 prior to the start of the call. 

About A-101
A-101 (40% topical solution) is a proprietary, high-concentration hydrogen peroxide formulation in late-stage development for the treatment of seborrheic keratosis (SK). It is being developed as a non-invasive, in-office therapy, able to be administered by physicians or non-physician health care providers. In clinical trials, A-101 showed statistically and clinically significant results in clearing SK lesions with an adverse event profile similar to placebo. A-101 is designed to work by penetrating into the SK lesion and causing oxidative damage, which can ultimately result in the sloughing of the SK cells. A-101 has been the focus of a robust clinical development program in which over 700 patients have been treated with A-101. Aclaris plans to submit a New Drug Application (NDA) for A-101 in the first quarter of 2017. If approved, A-101 would be the first FDA-approved topical treatment for SK. A higher concentration of A-101 is also in clinical development for the treatment of common warts (verruca vulgaris). 

About Seborrheic Keratosis
Seborrheic keratosis (SK) is a skin condition that affects more than 83 million Americans and is characterized by non-cancerous lesions with a waxy, scaly, slightly elevated appearance that can vary in color from light tan to dark brown or black. SK lesions frequently appear in highly visible locations, such as the face or neck, and can have an adverse physical and emotional impact on people who have them. SK sufferers may be affected with just one lesion or dozens and often have a family history of SK. Prevalence of SK increases with advancing age and over three-quarters of patients seeking treatment from dermatologists are aged 40 to 69. SK is one of the most frequent diagnoses made by dermatologists, yet it remains undertreated. There are currently no FDA-approved medications for SK, and existing treatment procedures are often painful, invasive and can have undesirable outcomes like scarring or dyspigmentation.

About Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc.
Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage dermatologist-led pharmaceutical company focused on identifying, developing and commercializing innovative and differentiated therapies to address significant unmet needs in medical and aesthetic dermatology. Aclaris is based in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

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", "may", "plan," "potential," "will," and similar expressions, and are based on Aclaris' current beliefs and expectations. These forward-looking statements include expectations regarding Aclaris' clinical development and potential commercialization of A-101 for the treatment of SK and common warts. 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, 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, 2015, Aclaris' Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2016, and other filings Aclaris makes with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. These documents are available under the "Financial Information" section of the Investors page of Aclaris' website at http://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.

Contact:
Aclaris Contact
Michael Tung, M.D. 
Investor Relations
484-329-2140
mtung@aclaristx.com

Media Contact
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