Aclaris Therapeutics, a Chester County specialty pharmaceutical company focused on treating skin disorders, is seeking to raise up to $86.25 million in its IPO, and become the next life sciences company from the Philadelphia area to go public.

Aclaris filed its S-1 form with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 17, but it did not specify the number of shares that will be offered, and has not yet announced the initial share price. The Malvern-based company is looking to get listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol ACRS.

As interest nationwide grows in the life science sector, ten local Philadelphia region drug developers have gone public in the past two years. As recently as earlier this month Devon based Zynerba, a company focused on developing cannabinoid-based therapies for a variety of medical conditions, sold 3.45 million shares at $14 per share, managing to raise $48.3 million.

Aclaris, which is focused on identifying, developing and commercializing innovative and differentiated drugs, to address often disregarded types of skin disorders, was founded in 2012 and is led by Dr. Neal Walker, the company’s president and CEO.

Since its inception, the company has managed to raise $42 million from private investors. NeXeption, a biopharmaceutical management company headquartered in Malvern, has started a portfolio of biopharmaceutical companies which already includes Aclaris.

The company’s leading drug candidate is A-101, is a proprietary highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide topical solution that is being developed as a prescription treatment for the common non-malignant skin tumor, seborrheic keratosis.

Three phase 2 clinical trials of A-101 in over 300 patients with seborrheic keratosis have already been successfully completed showing the treatment has potential.

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