US-based Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel drugs for immuno-inflammatory diseases, has announced an exclusive patent license agreement with Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc.

Under the license agreement, Aclaris granted Sun Pharma exclusive rights under certain patents for the use of deuruxolitinib, Sun Pharma’s JAK inhibitor, or other isotopic forms of ruxolitinib, to treat alopecia areata (AA) or androgenetic alopecia (AGA).

The agreement includes an upfront payment of $15 million, regulatory and commercial milestones, and royalties. Aclaris exclusively licenses the patents from a third party, and has separate contractual obligations under which it owes a portion of the consideration received from Sun Pharma.

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common form of hair loss consisting of a characteristic receding frontal hairline in men and diffuse hair thinning in women, with frontal hairline retention, and can impact an individual's quality of life.