Better Health for All

Aclaris Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company entirely focused on developing novel drug candidates for immuno-inflammatory diseases and cancer.

Its entire business is devoted to health improvement, addressing significant treatment gaps and conditions affecting large populations, such as Atopic Dermatitis (15-30% of children, 2-10% of adults), Alopecia Areata (160 million worldwide), and Asthma (25 million in the U.S. with an annual economic cost of $50 billion). The company's proprietary KINect drug discovery platform aims to identify and advance potential drug candidates, representing 100% of its R&D and capital allocation towards health innovation.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company. The provided articles discuss the company's studies program

, charitable contributions , and employee benefits . None of the evidence indicates that the company offers lending, insurance, money movement, or storage services, or any other financial products to consumers. Therefore, the company's core business and activities do not fall under the scope of the 'Fair Money & Economic Opportunity' value.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

For fiscal year 2023, Aclaris Therapeutics reported a CEO-to-median employee pay ratio of 34:1

, with the CEO's total compensation at $7,157,681 and median employee compensation at $208,679 . The company has no public record of substantiated labor-law or human-rights violations. It maintains a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics , a compliance program , a 24/7 compliance hotline , a web-reporting tool , and a non-retaliation policy for good-faith reporting . The company offers health benefits, including medical, dental, and vision plans, covering the majority of the monthly premium , along with employer-paid life, short-term, and long-term disability insurances . Employees also receive a 401(K) savings plan with an employer match , a generous time-off policy , and paid holidays . The company undertook significant workforce reductions, laying off approximately 86 employees (half its staff) in August 2019 , and approved a 46% workforce reduction in December 2023 , completed by December 31, 2024 , with cash severance payments made to impacted employees . The company acknowledged fraudulent activity involving false job opportunities and requests for money or personal information, advising reporting such incidents .

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

Aclaris Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with limited direct exposure to fair trade and ethical sourcing issues. The company's primary activities revolve around research, development, and clinical trials, which have a limited direct impact on fair trade and ethical sourcing compared to companies involved in large-scale manufacturing or agriculture. The provided article from Aclaris's website describes the company's compliance program, focusing on its commitment to ethical sourcing and corporate compliance within the pharmaceutical industry; however, it does not contain any quantitative data relevant to the specified KEY METRICS for ACRS.US and Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing.

Therefore, there is insufficient evidence to provide a score other than neutral.

Kind to Animals

Aclaris Therapeutics conducts animal testing, using preclinical murine (mouse) models to assess the efficacy of drug candidates such as ATI-2138 for conditions like alopecia universalis and alopecia areata.

The company tests some of its products on animals. While Aclaris also employs "lesional skin tape strip analyses" as a minimally invasive human method, animal testing remains a primary method for efficacy assessment. The number of animals used in these tests is not specified.

No War, No Weapons

Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. operates in the biopharmaceutical industry, focusing on therapies for immuno-inflammatory diseases.

The provided articles contain no information indicating the company's involvement in arms manufacturing, military contracts, or conflict facilitation. While the KINect drug discovery platform is mentioned as potentially dual-use, there is no evidence of any military applications for this technology. Consequently, all relevant KPIs are assessed as N/A.

Planet-Friendly Business

Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. has no reported environmental compliance violations.

The company is ISCC Plus certified since 2024 and holds the Swiss Made label. It uses 100% recyclable bio-based plastics for filter housings and implements climate-positive initiatives, such as utilizing residual heat from production to heat its new headquarters and generating electricity via a photovoltaic system. However, specific quantitative data for most Planet-Friendly Business KPIs, including Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, renewable energy percentage, water use per revenue, waste diversion rate, and the existence of SBTi-aligned targets, is not available in the provided articles.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

Aclaris Therapeutics does not report any formal partnerships with indigenous or local community groups, nor do its biopharmaceutical operations appear to necessitate them. There are no reported cultural appropriation incidents, and no explicit cultural impact assessment protocol is detailed, as company operations do not explicitly impact cultural contexts. The company provides multiple general grievance mechanisms for compliance concerns, including an Open Door Policy, a 24/7 Compliance Hotline ((844) 735-7386), a web-reporting tool (www.AclarisComplianceHotline.com), direct contact with a Compliance Officer ((484) 324-7933), and an email for fraudulent job offers (HRComplaints@aclaristx.com).

These concerns are reviewed, investigated in a timely manner, and resolved, but these are standard processes and not specifically tailored as community-specific mechanisms for broader cultural concerns. Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) processes, indigenous supplier engagement, and documented social licenses to operate are not applicable to the company's operations. While Aclaris engages in charitable giving to support educational, humanitarian, and social projects in local communities, there is no specific mention of cultural preservation investment or donations to cultural heritage organizations. No specific cultural incident response framework is detailed beyond general compliance procedures.

Safe & Smart Tech

The company has no documented data breaches or incidents of unauthorized data use.

Its privacy policy states that data is collected only as needed and with user consent, and users can decline cookies. No bug bounty program is mentioned. There are no specific details provided regarding AI use, cybersecurity investment, privacy certifications, security training, encryption, authentication, vulnerability management, privacy by design, security testing, or regulatory compliance.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

ACLARIS's packaging is exclusively made of homogenous materials that can be easily separated and recycled.

Its filter housings are made of 100% recyclable bio-based plastics. ACLARIS filters made of bio-based plastics can be recycled. The company integrates circular design principles through a "cradle-to-cradle" recycling concept, with ion exchangers that can be regenerated as often as needed, creating a true recycling loop. Aclaris has implemented 7 waste reduction initiatives, including the use of bio-based plastics, regeneration of ion exchangers, recycling of materials, heat generation from active carbon, and the MINTEC system which can replace several thousand plastic bottles. Additional initiatives include using residual heat from production to heat its new headquarters and a ventilation system for heat recovery. The use of water filters reduces or eliminates descaling chemicals, demonstrating excellent hazardous waste management. No waste disposal violations or fines have been reported in the past three years. Water filters for the food service industry have a higher capacity despite their smaller size, requiring fewer raw materials. The water filters also extend the operating life of appliances by preventing limescale buildup, reducing the need for replacements.