ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Appoints Gudarz Davar, M.D., as Executive Vice President and Head of Research and Development

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: ACAD) today announced the appointment of Dr. Gudarz Davar as Executive Vice President and Head of Research and Development. Dr. Davar will be responsible for leading research and development activities at ACADIA and will serve as a member of the company’s Executive Management Committee. In this role, he will report to Serge Stankovic, M.D., M.S.P.H., President of ACADIA. Dr. Stankovic will continue to oversee research and development, regulatory, medical affairs, external innovation and pharmacovigilance functions for the company.

“We are thrilled to welcome Gudarz to ACADIA’s executive team as a senior neurologist and neuroscientist with strong scientific, academic and corporate leadership experience,” said Steve Davis, ACADIA’s Chief Executive Officer. “As we prepare for the potential approval and launch in the U.S. of our second indication for pimavanserin, the treatment of hallucinations and delusions associated with dementia-related psychosis, we continue to focus on developing innovative new treatments to address unmet needs. Gudarz will be a valuable addition to our executive team as we execute and grow our pipeline to drive long-term growth.”

“I share ACADIA’s passion for improving the lives of patients with central nervous system disorders and am particularly excited to use my experience to strengthen the breadth and depth of ACADIA’s pipeline,” said Dr. Davar.

Dr. Davar joins ACADIA from Eli Lilly where he was Vice President, Head of Global Neurology Clinical Development, the senior leadership role responsible for the global development of all neuroscience and core Lilly biomedicines assets through clinical testing and life of the product. Under his leadership were the recent global approvals of Emgality^® for migraine prevention and U.S. approval for the treatment of cluster headache, as well as the U.S. approval of REYVOW^® as a first-in-class, novel, acute treatment for migraine.

Prior to Eli Lilly, he served in senior leadership roles in neurology and clinical development at Allergan, Biogen Idec and Amgen. At Allergan, he led a global research and development and commercialization partnership focused on cognitive impairment and neurobehavioral symptoms in Alzheimer's disease.

Dr. Davar received his medical degree from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He completed residency at University of Michigan Hospitals, Ann Arbor, Michigan and is board certified in Neurology.

About ACADIA Pharmaceuticals

ACADIA is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative medicines to address unmet medical needs in central nervous system disorders. ACADIA has developed and commercialized the first and only medicine approved for the treatment of hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson’s disease psychosis. ACADIA’s development efforts are focused on pimavanserin for additional neuropsychiatric conditions, trofinetide for Rett syndrome, ACP-044 for pain management and an early-stage muscarinic receptor program. This press release and further information about ACADIA can be found at: www.acadia-pharm.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical in nature are forward-looking statements. These statements include but are not limited to statements regarding the timing of future events. These statements are only predictions based on current information and expectations and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in any of such statements due to various factors, including the risks and uncertainties inherent in drug development, approval and commercialization. For a discussion of these and other factors, please refer to ACADIA’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 as well as ACADIA’s subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. This caution is made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement and ACADIA undertakes no obligation to revise or update this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof, except as required by law.