ACADIA Pharmaceuticals NASDAQ: ACAD reported second-quarter 2026 revenue of $308 million, representing 17% year-over-year growth on an adjusted basis, as sales of its Rett syndrome therapy DAYBUE and Parkinson’s disease psychosis treatment NUPLAZID increased.
Chief Executive Officer Catherine Owen Adams said the quarter reflected strong commercial execution across both brands, while the company also advanced its pipeline, led by remlifanserin for Alzheimer’s disease psychosis.
DAYBUE generated $125 million in second-quarter net sales, up 30% from a year earlier. NUPLAZID produced $183 million in net sales, up 10% year over year on an adjusted basis. ACADIA raised its full-year DAYBUE sales outlook while maintaining its NUPLAZID guidance.
DAYBUE STIX Drives Growth
DAYBUE growth was driven primarily by volume, including adoption of DAYBUE STIX, the company’s powder-for-oral-solution formulation. Chief Commercial Officer Thomas Garner said approximately 40% of U.S. DAYBUE patients were receiving STIX by the end of the quarter.
Garner said the expanded launch beyond Centers of Excellence helped engage new patients and bring previously discontinued patients back to therapy. The number of patients returning to DAYBUE reached a record during the quarter, he said.
Of referrals during the quarter across DAYBUE formulations, about 60% came from treatment-naive patients and 40% from returning patients, according to Garner. Looking specifically at STIX users, he said 55% of existing patients were switching from the oral solution, while 45% were new or returning patients. Among that latter group, approximately 60% were new patients and 40% were returning patients.
ACADIA raised its 2026 DAYBUE net sales guidance to $480 million to $510 million, from a prior range of $460 million to $490 million. The outlook includes expected initial European commercial sales in the fourth quarter.
The company recently received a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, for trofinetide, the active ingredient in DAYBUE, following a re-examination process. ACADIA expects a European Commission decision later in the third quarter and plans to launch in Germany in early fourth quarter, followed by other European markets as reimbursement approvals are obtained.
Garner said ACADIA expects less than 50% of its stated $700 million DAYBUE sales target for 2028 to come from Europe. The company said it currently expects roughly 15% of 2028 DAYBUE sales to come from outside the U.S., subject to reimbursement decisions and pricing negotiations.
NUPLAZID Prescription Momentum Continues
NUPLAZID’s adjusted 10% sales growth was primarily volume-driven, with volume up 8% year over year. Garner said new patient prescriptions increased 20% from a year earlier and reached their highest quarterly level since the first quarter of 2018.
The company has expanded its commercial field force and said it is beginning to see benefits from that investment, which it had expected to take six to nine months to ramp. Since February, the expanded team has reached more than 12,000 priority healthcare providers, according to Garner.
ACADIA also cited direct-to-consumer awareness efforts, including its “Mind Your Mind” and “More to Parkinson’s” campaigns during Parkinson’s Awareness Month in April. Garner said the campaigns produced record audience reach and increased branded and unbranded patient conversion sequentially.
NUPLAZID refill and restart rates were in line with the company’s expectations, Garner said in response to an analyst question. ACADIA maintained its 2026 NUPLAZID net sales guidance of $760 million to $790 million and expects stronger year-over-year growth in the fourth quarter than in the third quarter as the field-force expansion gains traction.
Remlifanserin Data Expected This Fall
ACADIA completed enrollment in the phase II portion of its RADIANT study of remlifanserin in Alzheimer’s disease psychosis. Executive Vice President and Head of Research and Development Elizabeth Thompson said top-line results are now expected between September and October.
The Food and Drug Administration granted Fast Track designation to remlifanserin for Alzheimer’s disease psychosis. ACADIA has also begun screening and enrollment in its phase III studies under an operationally seamless phase II/phase III program design.
Thompson said the phase II portion enrolled 363 patients and is powered at 80% to detect a 0.4 effect size on the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms Hallucinations and Delusions, or SAPS H&D. The phase III studies are currently enrolling placebo, 30-milligram, and 60-milligram dosing arms, with the company retaining the ability to modify the phase III program after reviewing phase II data.
ACADIA estimates remlifanserin could have $4 billion in peak sales potential across Alzheimer’s disease psychosis and Lewy body dementia psychosis. Management said it currently views that opportunity as roughly 60% attributable to Alzheimer’s disease psychosis and 40% to Lewy body dementia psychosis, though the split will depend on clinical data and the competitive environment.
Elsewhere in the pipeline, ACADIA expects phase III trofinetide data from Japan between September and November and plans a potential regulatory submission in Japan in 2027. The Japanese trial includes roughly 20 patients and is intended primarily to provide experience in Japanese patients, with ACADIA’s prior LAVENDER data expected to serve as the primary basis of a future filing package.
Expenses, Cash and Updated Outlook
Research and development expense was $82 million in the quarter, compared with $78 million a year earlier. Selling, general and administrative expense rose to $160 million from $134 million, reflecting investments in the DAYBUE and NUPLAZID field forces and marketing support for both brands.
Chief Financial Officer Mark Schneyer said ACADIA ended the quarter with $956 million in cash. The company now expects 2026 total revenue of $1.24 billion to $1.3 billion.
ACADIA lowered its expected 2026 R&D expense range to $355 million to $380 million, from prior guidance of $385 million to $410 million. Schneyer said the reduction reflected a business-development milestone shifting to 2027 and selected portfolio prioritization decisions. Other fiscal-year guidance ranges were unchanged.
About ACADIA Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ACAD)
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Established in 1993 and headquartered in San Diego, California, ACADIA's research centers concentrate on conditions with significant unmet medical needs, including Parkinson's disease psychosis, Alzheimer's disease psychosis, and schizophrenia. The company utilizes a range of scientific platforms, including selective receptor modulation and precision-targeted compounds, to advance its portfolio of small-molecule therapeutics.
The company's flagship product, NUPLAZID® (pimavanserin), received U.S.
This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.
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