ACADIA Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ACAD) Faces Price Target Cut Amidst Mixed Clinical Trial Results

Font: Financial Modeling Prep  • Sep 24, 2026

• Citigroup lowered its price target for ACADIA Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ACAD) to $33.00 from $40.00 but maintained a "Buy" rating, indicating a cautious short-term but positive long-term investment outlook.
• The biopharmaceutical company's drug, remlifanserin, for Alzheimer's disease psychosis, missed its primary goal in a mid-stage clinical trial, impacting its share price.
• Despite the primary miss, a secondary measure showed promise, leading ACADIA Pharmaceuticals to continue late-stage drug development with a 60 mg dose, supported by a positive safety profile.

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ACAD) is a biopharmaceutical company that focuses on developing and selling medicines. Its work centers on treatments for central nervous system disorders, which affect the brain and spinal cord. The company operates in a competitive field where clinical trial results heavily influence its stock performance and future outlook.

On September 24, 2026, analyst firm Citigroup (NYSE: C) lowered its price target for ACADIA Pharmaceuticals to $33.00 from a previous target of $40.00. A price target is an analyst's projection of a stock's future price. This adjustment occurred while the stock was trading at $22.84, reflecting a more cautious short-term outlook from the firm.

Despite the lower price target, Citigroup maintained its "Buy" rating on the company. A "Buy" rating indicates that the analyst believes the stock is a good investment and is likely to increase in value. This positive long-term view exists even with recent challenges that caused the stock to fall 10.5%.

The rating change followed ACADIA Pharmaceuticals' announcement of mixed results from a mid-stage clinical trial. The trial for its drug remlifanserin, a treatment for Alzheimer's disease psychosis, missed its primary goal, as highlighted by Thomson Reuters (NYSE: TRI). This news led to a significant drop in the company's share price.

While the trial missed its main objective, a secondary measure showed the 60 mg dose significantly outperformed a placebo. Based on this, ACADIA Pharmaceuticals will proceed with late-stage studies using only the 60 mg dose. The drug's positive safety profile also supports the decision to continue its development.