Anacor Pharmaceutical
Anacor Pharmaceutical was a Palo Alto-based biopharmaceutical company that developed small-molecule therapeutics from a proprietary boron chemistry platform, targeting dermatological and infectious diseases with FDA-approved products including Kerydin and Eucrisa.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1849
- HeadquartersPalo Alto, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Anacor Pharmaceutical does
Anacor Pharmaceutical is a biopharmaceutical company that developed small-molecule therapeutics derived from a proprietary boron chemistry platform. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Palo Alto, California, the company leveraged the unique properties of the boron atom as a chemical scaffold for drug design, producing clinical-stage and commercial-stage assets targeting dermatological and infectious disease indications. Anacor's portfolio included tavaborole (Kerydin), an FDA-approved topical antifungal for onychomycosis, and crisaborole (Eucrisa), an FDA-approved topical treatment for mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis that became a strategic asset in the dermatitis therapeutics market, which is projected to reach $8.94 billion globally by 2030 at a 5.0% CAGR.
The company's revenue model centered on prescription pharmaceutical sales of FDA-approved products distributed through pharmacy and healthcare provider channels, supplemented by milestone payments and royalties from strategic pharmaceutical partnerships. Capital formation included multiple venture rounds from 2002 through 2009 (with investors including Aberdare Ventures, Rho Ventures, Care Capital, Venrock, and Schering AG), strategic investments from GSK (2010), debt financing from Hercules Capital (2013), and a U.S. Department of the Treasury award (2010), with a final $250 million financing event in April 2016.
Anacor's operational scale was modest, with 51-100 employees and leadership including Paul L. Berns as Chief Executive Officer and President, Lucy Shapiro as Chairman and Co-Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board, Carmen R. Rodriguez as Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Quality, and James R. Marconi as Vice President of Finance and Controller. The company was listed on NASDAQ under ticker ANAC and is currently delisted, reflecting its acquisition by a strategic acquirer in 2016.
Anacor Pharmaceutical firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Anacor Pharmaceutical
- Legal name
- Pfizer Inc.
- Website
- https://anacor.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1849
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Anacor Pharmaceutical was a Palo Alto-based biopharmaceutical company that developed small-molecule therapeutics from a proprietary boron chemistry platform, targeting dermatological and infectious diseases with FDA-approved products including Kerydin and Eucrisa.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Anacor Pharmaceutical industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Dermatology Pharmaceuticals
- NAICS
- Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing (325412), Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411)
- SIC
- Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834), Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Dermatology Specialty Pharmaceuticals (HLAIACAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Bio-based Pharmaceuticals, Nutraceuticals & Specialty Bioactives (EUAAAIAK)
Keywords
Where Anacor Pharmaceutical is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Palo Alto
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Anacor Pharmaceutical business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Distribution channels1 record
Anacor Pharmaceutical product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Anacor Pharmaceutical is a biopharmaceutical company that develops small-molecule therapeutics derived from its proprietary boron chemistry platform, with a primary focus on dermatology indications including onychomycosis (toenail fungus) and atopic dermatitis. Its lead commercial product is tavaborole topical solution (Kerydin), an FDA-approved boron-based antifungal for onychomycosis, with the crisaborole program (later approved as Eucrisa) for atopic dermatitis representing a key pipeline asset.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Kerydin (tavaborole) Topical Solution, 5%
Companies that use Anacor Pharmaceutical
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles1 record
Anacor Pharmaceutical technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Anacor Pharmaceutical partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Anacor Pharmaceutical competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Arcutis Biotherapeutics: Dermatology-focused biopharma commercializing topical roflumilast (Zoryve) for psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis with an atopic dermatitis program in development. Directly comparable small-molecule, topical dermatology strategy mirroring Anacor's approach.
- Dermavant Sciences: Emerging dermatology company developing topical therapeutics for atopic dermatitis and psoriasis, including the aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist tapinarof (Vtama). Highly comparable to Anacor's crisaborole as a topical small-molecule entrant in the same indication space.
- Galderma: Nestlé Health Science- and L'Oréal-backed pure-play dermatology company with prescription and consumer skincare products across acne, rosacea, eczema, and psoriasis. Directly comparable as a dermatology specialty pharma peer to Anacor's therapeutic focus, though at materially larger commercial scale.
- Dermira: Was a dermatology-focused biopharma developing lebrikizumab for atopic dermatitis before being acquired by Eli Lilly for ~$1.1B in 2020. Closely comparable to Anacor in therapeutic focus (atopic dermatitis) and in outcome (strategic acquisition by a large pharma).
- Aclaris Therapeutics: Clinical-stage dermatology company developing small-molecule therapies for immuno-inflammatory skin diseases. Comparable to Anacor's specialty dermatology positioning, though with a broader JAK kinase focus rather than boron chemistry.
Emerging players
- Brickell Biotech: Clinical-stage dermatology company developing sofpironium bromide for primary axillary hyperhidrosis. Comparable as a smaller, dermatology-focused emerging player with a specialty small-molecule asset, similar in scale and stage to Anacor's pre-acquisition profile.
- Incyte Corporation: Develops and commercializes ruxolitinib cream (Opzelura) for atopic dermatitis and vitiligo — a topical JAK inhibitor directly competitive with Anacor's crisaborole in the mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis segment.
Broad incumbents
- LEO Pharma: Privately held Danish dermatology specialist with prescription products across psoriasis, eczema, and actinic keratosis. Comparable as a focused dermatology incumbent operating at much larger scale than Anacor.
- Pfizer: Anacor's acquirer; a top-tier global biopharma with an inflammation & immunology franchise that absorbed Anacor's platform and crisaborole. Relevant as the strategic counterparty that validates the platform and the most direct benchmark for value capture post-acquisition.
- Bausch Health (formerly Valeant Pharmaceuticals): Large diversified specialty pharma with a meaningful dermatology franchise (Bausch + Lomb, Ortho Dermatologics) covering acne, psoriasis, and actinic keratosis. Comparable as a broad incumbent in dermatology pharma against Anacor's narrower specialty focus.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Anacor Pharmaceutical social profiles
Digital presenceAnacor Pharmaceutical financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Anacor Pharmaceutical leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Anacor Pharmaceutical funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds10 records
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Anacor Pharmaceutical M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Anacor Pharmaceutical
What does Anacor Pharmaceutical do?
Anacor Pharmaceutical is a biopharmaceutical company that develops small-molecule therapeutics derived from its proprietary boron chemistry platform, with a primary focus on dermatology indications including onychomycosis (toenail fungus) and atopic dermatitis. Its lead commercial product is tavaborole topical solution (Kerydin), an FDA-approved boron-based antifungal for onychomycosis, with the crisaborole program (later approved as Eucrisa) for atopic dermatitis representing a key pipeline asset.
Is Anacor Pharmaceutical a public or private company?
Anacor Pharmaceutical is a public company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Anacor Pharmaceutical founded?
Anacor Pharmaceutical was founded in 1849. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Anacor Pharmaceutical based?
Anacor Pharmaceutical is headquartered in Palo Alto, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Anacor Pharmaceutical's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Dermavant Sciences, Galderma, Dermira and Aclaris Therapeutics. Emerging players are Brickell Biotech and Incyte Corporation. Broad incumbents are LEO Pharma, Pfizer and Bausch Health (formerly Valeant Pharmaceuticals).
Does Anacor Pharmaceutical have an API?
No public API is recorded for Anacor Pharmaceutical.
What industry is Anacor Pharmaceutical in?
Anacor Pharmaceutical's product category is Dermatology Pharmaceuticals. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAIACAL, Dermatology Specialty Pharmaceuticals, with a secondary code of EUAAAIAK, Bio-based Pharmaceuticals, Nutraceuticals & Specialty Bioactives. Its NAICS code is 325412 and its SIC code is 2834.