Episode summary
Acadia CEO on the Fight Against Rare Diseases | Bloomberg Businessweek
Bloomberg Businessweek Daily
· · 7 min · Hosts: Tim Stenovec, Carol Massar, Emily Graffeo · Guests: Catherine Owen Adams
Summary
Acadia Pharmaceuticals CEO Catherine Owen Adams argued that neuroscience and rare disease remain attractive areas for investment because the unmet medical need is so large. She pointed to Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body disease dementia, and rare diseases more broadly, saying 95% of rare diseases still have no therapies associated with them. She framed Acadia’s strategy as staying focused on patient need in areas where patients have few options, including its first and only FDA-approved treatments for Parkinson’s disease psychosis and Rett syndrome.
Adams said Acadia has not seen its pipeline disrupted by U.S. government research cuts, but she worries the knock-on effects could hurt smaller biotechs that rely on academic innovation. She said the company is active in policy discussions through BIO and other groups, pressing for carveouts and more tailored legislation rather than a “peanut butter approach” that treats small biotech like large pharmaceutical companies.
On affordability, Adams said Acadia works to keep rare-disease therapies accessible through patient support, insurance help, and ongoing communication with advocacy groups. She said that feedback from patients helped shape a new formulation for debut that was approved in December.
Key takeaways
- Adams said Acadia’s investment case rests on huge unmet need in neuroscience and rare disease, especially where patients still lack options.
- She said Acadia has not been disrupted by U.S. research funding cuts, but smaller biotechs could feel the longer-term damage.
- Adams urged policymakers to avoid a one-size-fits-all approach and to consider carveouts for rare disease and smaller biotech.
- She said patient support services and advocacy feedback are central to affordability and access for Acadia’s therapies.
Notable quotes
“What makes neuroscience and rare investable? I think primarily it's the huge unmet medical need that still remains for these populations”
“95% of rare diseases don't have any therapies associated with them”
“I think the short answer is no. We have a strong focus on neurological and rare disease”
“small biotech is the lifeblood of future innovation for patients”
“we really do a lot to ensure that our patient services are thorough especially in the rare disease space”
How the episode opens
Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio, news. — You're listening to Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Masser and Tim Stenc on Bloomberg Radio.
And shifting policy, affordability pressures, and innovation and therapeutics are just some of the key themes shaping the global healthcare industry right now. One publicly traded company emerging as a key player in the space is $4.5 billion Acadia Pharmaceuticals, which specializes in neuroscience and rare disease and has the first and only FDA approved treatments for Parkinson's disease psychosis and Rhett syndrome. We're going back right now to the JP Morgan Healthc Care Conference in San Francisco to speak with Katherine Owen Adams, CEO of Acadia Pharmaceuticals.
Katherine, thanks for joining us. Let's start by talking about kind of investing in neuroscience and rare disease. What makes this category an investable one?
Yeah, great. Thanks for having me. I'm really delighted to be with you here today.
What makes neuroscience and rare investable? I think primarily it's the huge unmet medical need that still remains for these populations. As we know in neuroscience, it's a it's a big load of disease areas.
Alzheimer's, um, Louisi body disease, dementia, all huge unmet areas of unmet need. And rare disease, I think it goes without saying, 95% of rare diseases don't have any therapies associated with them. And so for us, putting those two things together, it's a great place to be in terms of bringing innovation to patients.
Katherine, one thing that we're trying to understand is the effect of some of the cuts that the US government has made when it comes to research at universities across the United States. Often times the you know the research takes years to actually then go into some sort of medication or treatment that then has to get approved by the FDA and then that has to get to patients.
From the episode’s captions: roughly the first two minutes, lightly cleaned. Keep watching on YouTube →
Topics
- rare disease therapies
- parkinson’s disease psychosis
- rett syndrome
- alzheimer’s disease psychosis
- lewy body dementia psychosis
Companies and tickers mentioned
- ACAD
- Acadia Pharmaceuticals
Watch the episode
Watch “Acadia CEO on the Fight Against Rare Diseases | Bloomberg Businessweek” on YouTube
Summary, takeaways and quote selection by Octagon. Quotes are short excerpts; the full conversation is in the episode.
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