Alkermes Announces Inaugural Alkermes Pathways APN Research Awards™ Program

Key Terms

advanced practice nurses medical

Advanced practice nurses are registered nurses who have extra graduate-level training and authority to perform higher-level clinical tasks such as diagnosing conditions, ordering tests, managing treatment plans and, in many places, prescribing medications. Think of them as senior clinicians who extend a doctor’s reach—this matters to investors because their use changes how healthcare is delivered, affects provider staffing costs, patient access, service volumes and regulatory risk, all of which influence revenue and margins in health-related businesses.

psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners medical

Psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners are advanced licensed clinicians who assess, diagnose and treat mental health conditions, often prescribing medications and providing therapy under state rules. For investors they matter because they expand clinical capacity, influence demand for psychiatric drugs and telehealth services, and affect operating costs and revenue in healthcare businesses much like adding skilled staff can boost a restaurant’s ability to serve more customers.

schizophrenia medical

A chronic brain disorder that changes how a person thinks, perceives reality, feels and interacts with others, often causing hallucinations, false beliefs and trouble organizing thoughts or daily life. It matters to investors because the condition creates demand for long‑term treatments, diagnostics and support services; developing effective therapies can be costly, risky and highly regulated, but successful drugs or devices can open large, steady markets—think of it like fixing a deep, complex software bug that many users rely on.

bipolar I disorder medical

A mental health condition marked by at least one episode of mania—periods of unusually high energy, impulsive behavior and racing thoughts—often alternating with episodes of depression. Investors watch it because treatments, diagnostic tools and care models for this condition shape pharmaceutical and medical-device markets, clinical trial activity, insurance costs and workplace productivity; think of it as a visible driver of healthcare spending and regulatory risk in mental-health-related investments.

— Competitive Grant Program to Offer Individual Grants of Up to $10,000 per Project —

— Inaugural Application Cycle Open to Licensed Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioners Across Multiple Clinical Settings —

— Application Period to Run From March 16, 2026 Through June 1, 2026 —

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Alkermes plc (Nasdaq: ALKS) today announced that it will begin accepting applications for its inaugural Alkermes Pathways APN Research Awards™ program on Monday, March 16, 2026. This competitive grant program is designed to support research conducted by advanced practice nurses (APN), specifically licensed psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners who are actively engaged in clinical, academic and/or community health center settings and who possess a commitment to advancing treatment of schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder. The application period will run through June 1, 2026.

“Psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners bring deep, real‑world insight from the front lines of care,” said Craig Hopkinson, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President of Research and Development at Alkermes. “Over the last eight years, Alkermes has demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting early‑career investigators through the Alkermes Pathways Research Awards^® program, helping to foster innovative research at pivotal stages in scientific careers. The launch of the Alkermes Pathways APN Research Awards program represents an important evolution of that commitment – expanding our support to advanced practice nurses whose unique perspectives can further inform clinical practice and deepen understanding of serious mental illness, including schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder. We are especially proud to launch this innovative program ahead of this spring’s International Society of Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses and Psych Congress Nurse Practitioner Institute annual meetings.”

“This program creates a meaningful opportunity for nurse practitioners to advance research questions grounded in clinical reality,” said Professor Cynthia Handrup, DNP, Director of the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program at the University of Illinois Chicago and chair of the Alkermes Pathways APN Research Awards review committee. “I’m honored to work with Alkermes and the review committee to help identify projects with the potential to strengthen evidence and improve patient care.”

The inaugural Alkermes Pathways APN Research Awards program will offer grants in amounts up to $10,000 per project. To qualify, psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners must be engaged in clinical, academic and/or community health settings and possess a doctoral degree (Ph.D, DNP, etc.) or have a co-investigator or mentor who does. Applications will be formally reviewed by an independent review committee comprised of prominent researchers in the relevant field. For more information on the Alkermes Pathways APN Research Awards program, including full eligibility criteria and how to apply for the inaugural edition of the program, visit http://www.alkermes.com/pathways-apn.

About Alkermes plc
Alkermes plc (Nasdaq: ALKS), a mid-cap growth and value equity, is a global biopharmaceutical company that seeks to develop innovative medicines in the field of neuroscience. The company has a portfolio of proprietary commercial products for the treatment of alcohol dependence, opioid dependence, schizophrenia, bipolar I disorder and narcolepsy. Alkermes’ pipeline includes late-stage clinical candidates in development for narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia, and orexin 2 receptor agonists in early clinical development for other neurological disorders, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and fatigue associated with multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. Headquartered in Ireland, Alkermes also has a corporate office and research and development center in Massachusetts and a manufacturing facility in Ohio. For more information, please visit Alkermes’ website at www.alkermes.com.

Alkermes Pathways APN Research Awards™ is a registered service mark of Alkermes, Inc.
Alkermes Pathways Research Awards^® is a registered service mark of Alkermes, Inc. The Alkermes Pathways Research Awards logo is a service mark of Alkermes, Inc.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260310230842/en/

Alkermes Contacts:

For Investors: Sandy Coombs, +1 781 609 6377

For Media: Gretchen Murphy, +1 781 609 6419

Source: Alkermes plc