Company Description
Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ACAD) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on neurological and rare diseases. According to company disclosures, Acadia is advancing drug candidates and commercial medicines that address unmet medical needs in central nervous system disorders and neuro-rare conditions. The company describes its work as turning scientific promise into meaningful innovation for underserved neurological and rare disease communities.
Acadia’s commercial portfolio is centered on two franchises in neuroscience and neuro-rare diseases. Its neuroscience franchise is anchored by NUPLAZID (pimavanserin), a selective serotonin inverse agonist and antagonist that preferentially targets 5-HT2A receptors, which are thought to play an important role in neuropsychiatric disorders. NUPLAZID is approved in the United States for the treatment of hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson’s disease psychosis. Acadia reports that NUPLAZID was the first FDA-approved drug to treat hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson’s disease psychosis.
The company’s neuro-rare disease franchise is anchored by DAYBUE (trofinetide), a synthetic analog of the N‑terminal tripeptide of insulin-like growth factor 1. DAYBUE is approved in the United States for the treatment of Rett syndrome in adults and pediatric patients 2 years of age and older. Acadia states that DAYBUE is the first and only approved drug in the United States for the treatment of Rett syndrome, and that its commercial portfolio includes the first and only FDA-approved treatments for Parkinson’s disease psychosis and Rett syndrome.
Acadia is also developing DAYBUE STIX (trofinetide) for oral solution, a dye- and preservative-free powder formulation of trofinetide. The company has announced that DAYBUE STIX is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of Rett syndrome in adult and pediatric patients 2 years of age and older. This formulation is described as providing additional flexibility and choice for patients and caregivers, while being expected to deliver the same efficacy and safety profile as the DAYBUE oral solution based on a bioequivalence study.
Beyond its commercial products, Acadia highlights a pipeline that includes mid- to late-stage programs in Alzheimer’s disease psychosis and Lewy body dementia psychosis, as well as earlier-stage programs targeting other neuroscience and neuro-rare indications. The company has disclosed development of remlifanserin (formerly ACP‑204), a 5‑HT2A inverse agonist/antagonist, in Alzheimer’s disease psychosis and Lewy body dementia psychosis, and ACP‑711, described as a GABAA subunit α3 selective modulator under development for essential tremor. It has also reported work on ACP‑101 (intranasal carbetocin) in Prader‑Willi syndrome, although a Phase 3 trial in hyperphagia in Prader‑Willi syndrome did not meet its primary endpoint and Acadia has stated it does not intend to investigate intranasal carbetocin further.
Acadia’s disclosures emphasize that it operates in neurological and rare disease areas where patients often have limited or no approved treatment options. In Rett syndrome, the company notes that DAYBUE and DAYBUE STIX are the only FDA-approved treatments and that it has also obtained approval for DAYBUE oral solution from the Ministry of Health in Israel for adults and pediatric patients meeting specified age and weight criteria. In Parkinson’s disease psychosis, Acadia points to NUPLAZID as a treatment option for hallucinations and delusions associated with this condition.
The company reports that it is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker symbol ACAD. Press releases and SEC filings show that Acadia regularly participates in major healthcare investor conferences and provides financial updates, including quarterly results and guidance ranges for total revenues and net product sales of NUPLAZID and DAYBUE. An 8‑K filing dated November 5, 2025, references a press release announcing financial results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2025, and another 8‑K dated August 6, 2025, references a press release announcing results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025.
Acadia also reports ongoing clinical and real‑world evidence work around its products. For DAYBUE, the company has highlighted interim results from the LOTUS study, an observational, caregiver‑reported, online, open-label study evaluating long-term outcomes in patients with Rett syndrome treated under routine clinical care in the United States. These results include caregiver-reported improvements in Rett syndrome symptoms and insights into managing gastrointestinal symptoms over periods of up to 12 months of treatment, while also noting limitations such as lack of a placebo arm and reliance on caregiver reports.
For NUPLAZID, Acadia has presented clinical and post‑hoc analyses at scientific meetings, including data on duration of illness and response in Parkinson’s disease psychosis and mechanistic and safety findings from its broader neuroscience pipeline. The company has also described a robust and diverse pipeline with plans to initiate additional Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies and to deliver multiple Phase 2 or Phase 3 readouts over a multiyear period, including programs in Alzheimer’s disease psychosis, Lewy body dementia psychosis, essential tremor, and other neuroscience and neuro‑rare indications.
According to multiple company communications, Acadia characterizes its overall strategy as building for sustained growth through a combination of commercial execution for NUPLAZID and DAYBUE (including DAYBUE STIX) and advancement of a pipeline that targets underserved neurological and rare disease populations.
Business focus and therapeutic areas
Based on the company’s own descriptions, Acadia’s core business activities include:
- Commercialization of NUPLAZID for hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson’s disease psychosis.
- Commercialization of DAYBUE for Rett syndrome in adults and pediatric patients 2 years of age and older in the United States, and DAYBUE STIX as a powder formulation for oral solution for the same indication.
- Development of additional formulations and geographic expansion for trofinetide, including regulatory interactions in regions such as Europe and Japan, and approval in Israel.
- Clinical development of remlifanserin (ACP‑204) in Alzheimer’s disease psychosis and Lewy body dementia psychosis.
- Clinical and preclinical development of ACP‑711 for essential tremor and other disclosed and undisclosed neuroscience and neuro‑rare programs.
Regulatory and safety information
Acadia’s communications include detailed prescribing and safety information for its marketed products. For NUPLAZID, the company notes a boxed warning regarding increased mortality in elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with antipsychotic drugs, and states that NUPLAZID is not approved for the treatment of patients with dementia who experience psychosis unless their hallucinations and delusions are related to Parkinson’s disease. It also highlights warnings related to QT interval prolongation, contraindications in patients with hypersensitivity to pimavanserin or its components, and information on adverse reactions and drug interactions.
For DAYBUE and DAYBUE STIX, Acadia provides warnings and precautions related to diarrhea, vomiting, and weight loss, along with information on adverse reactions, drug interactions involving CYP3A and P‑gp substrates, and use in specific populations such as patients with severe renal impairment. The company specifies that DAYBUE and DAYBUE STIX are indicated for the treatment of Rett syndrome in adults and pediatric patients 2 years of age and older.
Stock and regulatory reporting
Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. files reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including current reports on Form 8‑K that address financial results and changes in board composition. For example, an 8‑K filed on November 3, 2025, discloses the resignation of a member of the Board of Directors and notes that the resignation was not the result of any dispute or disagreement with the company or the Board on matters relating to operations, policies or practices.
Investors researching ACAD stock can review these SEC filings, along with company press releases, to understand Acadia’s financial performance, commercial progress with NUPLAZID and DAYBUE (including DAYBUE STIX), and the status of its clinical development programs in neurological and rare diseases.
Stock Performance
Latest News
SEC Filings
Insider Radar
Financial Highlights
Upcoming Events
Q4 and FY2025 results release
Earnings conference call
Broad DAYBUE STIX launch
DAYBUE STIX broader launch
RADIANT Phase 2 readout
Japan Phase 3 readout
Four study readouts target
Five key trial readouts
Short Interest History
Short interest in Acadia Pharmaceuticals (ACAD) currently stands at 8.4 million shares, down 3.1% from the previous reporting period, representing 5.0% of the float. Over the past 12 months, short interest has decreased by 41.6%. The 6.5 days to cover indicates moderate liquidity for short covering.
Days to Cover History
Days to cover for Acadia Pharmaceuticals (ACAD) currently stands at 6.5 days, up 16.3% from the previous period. This moderate days-to-cover ratio suggests reasonable liquidity for short covering, requiring about a week of average trading volume. The ratio has shown significant volatility over the period, ranging from 3.5 to 11.0 days.