Aclaris Therapeutics Announces Leadership Transition
- Roland Kolbeck, Ph.D. Appointed as Chief Scientific Officer -
- Joe Monahan, Ph.D. will Continue to Support Aclaris as Special Scientific Advisor to the Chief Executive Officer through March 2026 as Part of Planned Retirement -
WAYNE, Pa., July 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:ACRS), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel product candidates for immuno-inflammatory diseases, today announced that Roland Kolbeck, Ph.D. has been appointed as Chief Scientific Officer, replacing Joe Monahan, Ph.D. who will remain with the Company as Special Scientific Advisor to the Chief Executive Officer through the first quarter of 2026 as part of his planned retirement. Dr. Kolbeck's extensive experience in areas including inflammation and antibody development will be important as the Company develops its growing portfolio of immuno-inflammatory product candidates, including its next generation kinase and cytokine signaling pathway inhibitors and potential first-in-class bispecific antibodies.
"On behalf of the executive team, I'm glad to welcome Roland to Aclaris as our incoming Chief Scientific Officer," said Dr. Neal Walker, Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board of Directors of Aclaris. "His reputation as an inspirational scientific leader is unmatched, as is his expertise stemming from his time leading Respiratory, Inflammation and Autoimmune (RIA) research at MedImmune. This expertise will be important to the Company as we progress."
Dr. Walker continued, "I also thank Joe for his steady leadership and dedication to scientific excellence. He has been central to Aclaris' resilience and evolution, including successfully building a renowned discovery team in St. Louis that we expect to continue to fuel the Company's pipeline. Joe will remain heavily involved with Aclaris as a scientific advisor during this transitional period as he moves toward retirement in 2026."
"Under Joe's leadership, Aclaris has developed world-class expertise in kinase small molecule discovery, including a proprietary development platform that is expected to deliver new INDs starting as soon as next year," said Dr. Kolbeck. "The Company has a growing pipeline of small and large molecules and the experience to lead therapeutic innovation in I&I – along with the cash reserves needed to accomplish its goals. This is a great time to join the Aclaris team, and I look forward to contributing to the Company's continued success."
Roland Kolbeck, Ph.D., brings nearly three decades of senior R&D leadership in small and large biopharmaceutical companies and a proven track record of successful drug development to Aclaris. He joins the team from Spirovant Sciences, where he served as Chief Scientific Officer and directed the company's strategy related to new indications, targets, and investments. Previously, Dr. Kolbeck was Vice President, Head of Respiratory, Inflammation and Autoimmune Research (RIA) at MedImmune, AstraZeneca's global biologics organization, where he provided strategic direction as Chair of the RIA Research Committee and as a member of the Research Leadership Team and Early-Stage Portfolio Committee. Six monoclonal antibodies originating from the RIA portfolio have since been approved by the FDA. Prior to Medimmune, he served in senior scientific roles at Peptimmune and Millennium Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Kolbeck has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals such as Nature, Immunity and New England Journal of Medicine. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. at the University of Regensburg and Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology (now the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence), in Munich, Germany.
About Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc.
Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a pipeline of novel product candidates to address the needs of patients with immuno-inflammatory diseases who lack satisfactory treatment options. The company has a multi-stage portfolio of product candidates powered by a robust R&D engine. For additional information, please visit www.aclaristx.com and follow Aclaris on X (formerly Twitter) at @AclarisTx and on LinkedIn.
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 "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "will," and similar expressions, and are based on Aclaris' current beliefs and expectations. These forward-looking statements include expectations regarding the Company's pipeline, including that the discovery platform will expand the Company's pipeline, the potential to have first-in-class bispecific antibodies, that new INDs will be filed in 2026, that the Company has the cash reserves it needs to accomplish its goals, and regarding the future contributions of Dr. Kolbeck. 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 macroeconomic environment 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, 2024, 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 Therapeutics Contact:
Will Roberts
Senior Vice President
Corporate Communications and Investor Relations
(484) 329-2125
[email protected]
