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ACAD Q1 Earnings & Revenues Miss Estimates Despite Y/Y Sales Growth

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Key Takeaways

  • Acadia reported Q1 EPS of 2 cents and revenues of $268.1M, both below consensus estimates.
  • ACAD posted 10% total revenue growth as Daybue sales rose 20% and Nuplazid sales increased 5%.
  • Acadia reaffirmed 2026 sales guidance of $1.22-$1.28B despite the Q1 revenue miss.

Acadia Pharmaceuticals (ACAD - Free Report) reported first-quarter 2026 earnings per share (EPS) of 2 cents, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 4 cents. In the year-ago quarter, the company had reported EPS of 11 cents.

In the first quarter, Acadia recorded total revenues of $268.1 million, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $282 million. ACAD’s net product revenues comprise sales of its two marketed products, Nuplazid (pimavanserin) and Daybue (trofinetide).

Acadia’s first drug, Nuplazid, is approved in the United States for the treatment of hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson’s disease psychosis. ACAD’s second product, Daybue, received approval in 2023 for treating Rett syndrome in adult and pediatric patients aged two years and older. The drug was launched in the United States in April 2023.

Total revenues increased 10% year over year, driven by contributions from Daybue and continued growth in Nuplazid's market share.

Year to date, Acadia shares have plunged 19.6% compared with the industry’s 1.6% decline.

Zacks Investment Research
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

ACAD’s Q1 Earnings in Detail

Revenues from Nuplazid increased 5% year over year to $167 million in the first quarter of 2026, driven primarily by volume growth. Nuplazid sales missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $179.7 million.

Daybue recorded net product sales of $101 million in the reported quarter, up 20% year over year, driven by the growth in the drug’s unit sales as Acadia shipped to more unique patients. The reported figure, however, missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $105.6 million.

Research and development (R&D) expenses were $76.9 million, down 2% year over year.

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses were $171 million, up 35% year over year, due to increased marketing investments to support the continued growth of Nuplazid and Daybue.

Acadia had cash, cash equivalents and investments worth $851 million as of March 31, 2026, compared with $820 million as of Dec. 31, 2025.

ACAD Reaffirms 2026 Financial Outlook

Acadia continues to expect total revenues from the U.S. sales of its products to be in the range of $1.22-$1.28 billion in 2026. Nuplazid net product sales are expected to be in the range of $760-$790 million, while U.S. sales of Daybue are expected to be between $460 million and $490 million.

R&D expenses in 2026 are projected to be in the range of $385-$410 million, while SG&A expenses are expected to be between $660 million and $700 million.

ACAD's Recent Pipeline Updates

In early March, Acadia announced that the advisory committee to the regulatory body in the EU had formally adopted a negative opinion recommending against the approval of trofinetide for the treatment of Rett syndrome in patients aged two years and older.

The decision was expected as the advisory committee had informed ACAD of a negative trend vote on its marketing application for trofinetide to treat Rett syndrome in February. Following the formal adoption of the opinion, Acadia reviewed the grounds for refusal in detail and plans to request a re-examination. The regulatory setback has delayed the potential approval of trofinetide in the EU.

In late 2025, the FDA approved Daybue Stix (trofinetide) for oral solution, a dye- and preservative-free powder formulation for the treatment of Rett syndrome in adults and pediatric patients aged two years and older. The new product expands the Daybue franchise, which remains the only FDA-approved treatment option for this indication.

Per Acadia, the full U.S. launch of Daybue STIX is underway, with nearly 30% of patients using STIX either new to treatment or resuming therapy after previously discontinuing the liquid formulation. The company will continue to offer both formulations in the United States, strengthening its positioning in the Rett syndrome treatment market.

Acadia also anticipates a data readout from the phase II RADIANT study of ACP-204 (remlifanserin) for Alzheimer’s disease psychosis, which is on track for the August to October 2026 timeframe and represents a potential catalyst for the company this year.

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. Quote

ACAD's Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider

Acadia currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Some better-ranked stocks in the biotech sector are Catalyst Pharmaceuticals (CPRX - Free Report) , Immatics (IMTX - Free Report) and Inovio Pharmaceuticals (INO - Free Report) , each carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Over the past 60 days, estimates for Catalyst Pharmaceuticals’ 2026 EPS have declined from $2.82 to $2.79. CPRX shares have gained 30.8% year to date.

Catalyst Pharmaceuticals’ earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 35.19%.

Over the past 60 days, estimates for Immatics’ 2026 loss per share have narrowed from $1.61 to $1.49. IMTX shares have gained 9.6% year to date.

Immatics’ earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed on the remaining occasion, delivering an average negative surprise of 8.06%.

Over the past 60 days, estimates for Inovio Pharmaceuticals’ 2026 loss per share have narrowed from $1.26 to $1.06. INO shares have plunged 28.8% year to date.

Inovio Pharmaceuticals’ earnings beat estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 57.94%.

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