The Company is a biopharmaceutical company with a portfolio of four product candidates, including pimavanserin, which is in Phase IV development as a treatment for Parkinson's disease psychosis. It is also developing AGN XX/YY, a product candidate in Phase II for chronic pain; and AC-262271, a product candidate in Phase I for glaucoma, both in collaboration with Allergan, as well as AM-831, a product candidate in IND-track development for schizophrenia in collaboration with Meiji Seika Kaisha. The product candidates in the company's pipeline emanate from discoveries made using its proprietary drug discovery platform.
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the development and commercialization of small molecule drugs that address unmet medical needs in central nervous system disorders. Its lead product candidate, NUPLAZID, has completed the Phase III pivotal trials for the treatment of Parkinson's disease psychosis and the Phase II trial for the treatment of schizophrenia, as well as is in Phase II study for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease psychosis. The company has a collaboration with Allergan, Inc. for the development of product candidates related to chronic pain. ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.
(Summary) (Company) (Chart)
13 August 2017 Price $31.21 1yr Target $44.20 Analysts 10 Dividend $0.00 Payout Ratio 0.00% 1yr Cap Gain 41.62% Yield 0.00% 1yr Tot Return 41.62% P/E --- PEG --- Beta 3.93 | EPS (ttm) $-2.61 EPS next yr $-2.05 Forward P/E --- EPS next 5yr 28.90% 1yr Price Support --- Market Cap $3.67 Bil Revenues $32.60 Mil Earnings $-309.50 Mil Profit Margin --- Quick Ratio 10.70 Current Ratio 10.80 Debt/Equity 0.00 | 1yr RevGR 28,411.47% 3yr RevGR 145.13% 5yr RevGR 153.00% 1yr EarnGR --- 3yr EarnGR --- 5yr EarnGR --- 1yr DivGR --- 3yr DivGR --- 5yr DivGR --- ROA -58.40% ROE -63.10% |
Acadia Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative medicines to address unmet medical needs in central nervous system, or CNS, disorders. The Company has a portfolio of product opportunities led by our novel drug, NUPLAZID® (pimavanserin), which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on April 29, 2016 for the treatment of hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson’s disease psychosis, and is the only drug approved in the United States for this condition.
NUPLAZID is a selective serotonin inverse agonist, or SSIA, preferentially targeting 5-HT2A receptors. Through this novel mechanism, NUPLAZID demonstrated significant efficacy in reducing the hallucinations and delusions associated with PD Psychosis in the Company's Phase III pivotal trial and has the potential to avoid many of the debilitating side effects of existing antipsychotics, none of which are approved by the FDA in the treatment of PD Psychosis. Acadia holds the worldwide commercialization rights to pimavanserin. They launched NUPLAZID in the United States in May 2016.
Acadia believes that pimavanserin has the potential to address important unmet medical needs in neurological and psychiatric disorders in addition to PD Psychosis and they plan to continue to study the use of pimavanserin in multiple disease states.
Alzheimer’s disease represents one of the Company's most important opportunities for further exploration. In December 2016, Acadia announced positive top-line results from their Phase II study exploring the utility of pimavanserin for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease psychosis, or AD Psychosis, a disorder for which no drug is currently approved by the FDA. Acadia plans to continue to advance the evaluation of pimavanserin in this patient population in a Phase III study planned to begin in the second half of 2017. Additionally, in October 2016, the Company announced that they initiated another study, SERENE, for Alzheimer’s disease patients. SERENE is a Phase II study evaluating pimavanserin for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease agitation and aggression, a debilitating condition for which there is no drug approved by the FDA.
Schizophrenia represents a disease with multiple unmet or ill-served needs and Acadia is are currently exploring the utility of pimavanserin in this area. Despite a large number of FDA-approved therapies for schizophrenia, current drugs do not adequately address some very important symptoms of schizophrenia, such as the inadequate response to current antipsychotic treatment of psychotic symptoms and negative symptoms. In November 2016, we announced that we initiated two studies evaluating the adjunctive use of pimavanserin in patients with schizophrenia. ENHANCE-1 is a Phase III study evaluating pimavanserin for adjunctive treatment of schizophrenia in patients with an inadequate response to their current antipsychotic therapy. ADVANCE is a Phase II study evaluating pimavanserin for adjunctive treatment in patients with negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
Depression is another disorder with a high unmet need that we believe represents an attractive development opportunity for pimavanserin. Preclinical and clinical studies have shown that patients with depression often do not receive adequate relief from an antidepressant medication, and, due to side effects of currently available therapies, many patients discontinue their medication, significantly increasing their chance of relapse. Preclinical and clinical evidence suggests 5-HT2A antagonism may be an effective adjunctive therapy to currently prescribed antidepressants. In December 2016, the Company announced that they had initiated CLARITY, a Phase II study evaluating pimavanserin for adjunctive treatment in patients with major depressive disorder who have an inadequate response to standard antidepressant therapy.
Acadia Pharmaceuticals was originally incorporated in Vermont in 1993 as Receptor Technologies, Inc. They then reincorporated in Delaware in 1997 and moved their headquarters to San Diego, California. The Company owns or has the rights to various trademarks, copyrights and trade names used in the business, including ACADIA® and NUPLAZID®. Logos and trademarks are the property of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc.
My Path Forward
The interesting thing about Acadia Pharmaceuticals is the fact that they have the first and only treatment approved by the FDA for Parkinson's Psychosis. That puts them in a singular position for controlling and potentially curing this disease. That also creates a large moat for the company. The fact that they have additional drugs in Phase 2 and 3 trials is just a plus.
But as anyone who has invested in the pharmaceutical industry knows, this can be a rather risky investment. It can also be very rewarding investment is the company can execute its strategies.
My path forward will be to start a position in Acadia at a price as close to $30 as I can with the anticipation of holding it for 12-18 months. I expect the shares of this company will at that time be worth near $45 per share for a +50% return on investment. That's a return I just can't pass up.