SAN DIEGO—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Aug. 5, 2015—ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ACAD), a biopharmaceutical companyfocused on the development and commercialization of innovative medicinesthat address unmet medical needs in neurological and related centralnervous system disorders, today announced the following seniormanagement appointments:
- James A. Nash, Senior Vice President, Technology Development andOperations
- Ryan E. Brown, Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer
- Fred W. Manak, Jr., Vice President, Access and Reimbursement
- Bob Mischler, Vice President, Strategy and Business Development
“We are pleased to have these strong and experienced leaders join theACADIA team,” said Steve Davis, ACADIA’s Interim Chief ExecutiveOfficer. “We look forward to their contributions as we prepare for ourNew Drug Application submission and planned commercial launch ofNUPLAZID™ (pimavanserin) for Parkinson’s disease psychosis in the UnitedStates, and as we seek to optimize the opportunities for pimavanserin inother disease states.”
James A. Nash, Senior Vice President, Technology Development andOperations
Mr. Nash joins ACADIA as Senior Vice President, Technology Developmentand Operations. In this new role, he is responsible for pharmaceuticaldevelopment, manufacturing and GMP quality assurance. Mr. Nash bringsover 30 years of executive level experience in these key technicalfunctions. Prior to joining ACADIA, Mr. Nash served as Vice President,Technology Development and Operations at ViroPharma Inc. from 2008 to2014, where he established supply chain, quality assurance and processdevelopment organizations in a rapidly growing specialty pharmaceuticalcompany and supported the successful launch of Cinryze® forthe treatment of hereditary angioedema. Previously, Mr. Nash served asExecutive Vice President, Technical Operations at Watson Laboratories,Inc. where he led manufacturing, quality, and sourcing, managing sevenmanufacturing locations worldwide, and significantly enhancing thecompany’s operating efficiencies for delivering commercial products. Healso has held executive positions in manufacturing at ChironCorporation, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and SearlePharmaceuticals, Inc. Mr. Nash received his Bachelor of Arts degree inZoology from the University of California, Berkeley and a Master ofBusiness Administration from Northwestern University.
Ryan E. Brown, Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer
Mr. Brown joins ACADIA as Vice President, Chief Compliance Officer. Inthis new role, he is responsible for developing, implementing, andmanaging the Company’s corporate compliance program to support theplanned commercialization of NUPLAZID and other future productopportunities. Prior to joining ACADIA, he served as Vice President,Chief Compliance Officer at Allergan, Inc. where he was responsible forthe strategic vision and management of the global corporate complianceprogram and held other senior positions including General Counsel forsubsidiary SkinMedica and Chief of Staff to the Office of the President.Mr. Brown received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science fromLoyola Marymount University and his Juris Doctor degree from Harvard LawSchool.
Fred W. Manak, Jr., Vice President, Access and Reimbursement
Mr. Manak joins ACADIA as Vice President, Access and Reimbursement. Inthis new role, he is responsible for establishing ACADIA’s access andreimbursement strategy to support the planned commercialization ofNUPLAZID and other future product opportunities. In addition, Mr. Manakis responsible for managing the Company’s government affairs efforts.Mr. Manak brings over 25 years of industry experience, primarily inpharmaceutical access, reimbursement, pricing, and contracting.Previously, Mr. Manak served as Vice President, Market Access atInterMune, Inc. where he led the market access strategy for the launchof Esbriet® in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Prior tojoining InterMune, he served as Vice President, Reimbursement, Accessand Value at Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and as Executive Director,Trade, Pricing and Contract Management at Amgen, Inc. Mr. Manak receivedhis Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Muhlenberg College.
Bob Mischler, Vice President, Strategy and Business Development
Mr. Mischler joins ACADIA as Vice President, Strategy and BusinessDevelopment. In this new role, he is responsible for strategic planningand business development initiatives. Prior to joining ACADIA, Mr.Mischler served as Vice President, Scientific Affairs and BusinessDevelopment at Ardea Biosciences, a member of the AstraZeneca Group,where he led the development and implementation of its lifecyclemanagement strategy for the global gout franchise. Previously, he servedas Vice President, Commercial Planning and Analytics at ArdeaBiosciences, where he was significantly involved in business developmentand led commercial activities. Earlier in his career, he worked invarious roles focused on product and portfolio strategy at CovX ResearchLLC, Pfizer Inc. and Eli Lilly and Company. Mr. Mischler received hisBachelor of Science in Biologic Sciences from Indiana University and hisMaster of Business Administration from the UCLA Anderson School ofManagement.
About ACADIA Pharmaceuticals
ACADIA is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development andcommercialization of innovative medicines to address unmet medical needsin neurological and related central nervous system disorders. ACADIA hasa pipeline of product candidates led by NUPLAZID™ (pimavanserin), forwhich we have reported positive Phase III trial results in Parkinson’sdisease psychosis and which has the potential to be the first drugapproved in the United States for this disorder. Pimavanserin is also inPhase II development for Alzheimer’s disease psychosis and hassuccessfully completed a Phase II trial in schizophrenia. ACADIA alsohas clinical-stage programs for chronic pain and glaucoma incollaboration with Allergan, Inc. All product candidates are smallmolecules that emanate from internal discoveries. ACADIA maintains awebsite at www.acadia-pharm.comto which we regularly post copies of our press releases as well asadditional information and through which interested parties cansubscribe to receive e-mail alerts.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical innature are forward-looking statements. These statements include but arenot limited to statements related to the progress and timing of ACADIA’sdrug discovery and development programs, either alone or with a partner,including clinical trials, the benefits to be derived from ACADIA’sproduct candidates, in each case including NUPLAZID (pimavanserin), thepotential for NUPLAZID to be the first drug approved in the UnitedStates for Parkinson’s disease psychosis, our ability to optimizeopportunities for pimavanserin, and the benefits of contributions fromour senior management appointments. These statements are onlypredictions based on current information and expectations and involve anumber of risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results may differmaterially from those projected in any of such statements due to variousfactors, including the risks and uncertainties inherent in drugdiscovery, development, approval and commercialization, andcollaborations with others, and the fact that past results of clinicaltrials may not be indicative of future trial results. For a discussionof these and other factors, please refer to ACADIA’s annual report onForm 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 as well as ACADIA’ssubsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You arecautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-lookingstatements, which speak only as of the date hereof. This caution is madeunder the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities LitigationReform Act of 1995. All forward-looking statements are qualified intheir entirety by this cautionary statement and ACADIA undertakes noobligation to revise or update this press release to reflect events orcircumstances after the date hereof, except as required by law.
Source: ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc.
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Steve Davis, Interim ChiefExecutive Officer
Lisa Barthelemy, Director of InvestorRelations
858-558-2871