What Happened to Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc.?

Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc., established in San Diego, California, in 1992, has evolved into a prominent biopharmaceutical company dedicated to addressing complex neurological, neuroendocrine, and neuropsychiatric disorders. The company's foundational work initially focused on stress hormones and the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) pathway.

A pivotal moment in Neurocrine's history occurred on April 11, 2017, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of INGREZZA (valbenazine) for the treatment of tardive dyskinesia (TD), a movement disorder. This approval transformed Neurocrine into a profitable, revenue-generating entity. Subsequently, INGREZZA also received approval for the treatment of chorea associated with Huntington's disease. The commercial success of INGREZZA has been a cornerstone of the company's financial performance, with patent litigation resolved in November 2023, providing exclusivity through at least March 2038.

Neurocrine continued its strategic expansion and diversification. In December 2024, the FDA approved CRENESSITY (crinecerfont) as an adjunctive treatment for classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency in adults and pediatric patients aged four years and older. This marked a significant milestone, opening a second commercial franchise in rare endocrine diseases and representing the first new CAH treatment in approximately seven decades. The company has since presented positive two-year data for CRENESSITY, demonstrating durable hormone control and reduced glucocorticoid exposure in pediatric CAH patients.

Leadership at Neurocrine also saw a change in October 2024, when Kyle W. Gano, Ph.D., succeeded longtime CEO Kevin Gorman. Under Dr. Gano's leadership, Neurocrine has continued its aggressive growth strategy. A major development in 2026 was the acquisition of Soleno Therapeutics for $2.9 billion in May. This acquisition added VYKAT XR (diazoxide choline) to Neurocrine's portfolio, a first-in-class FDA-approved therapy for hyperphagia in Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), further solidifying its presence in rare diseases.

As of August 27, 2026, Neurocrine Biosciences operates with a robust commercial portfolio of three first-in-class medicines: INGREZZA, CRENESSITY, and VYKAT XR. The company reported total product sales of $2.83 billion for the full year 2025 and $959 million for the second quarter of 2026, prompting an increase in INGREZZA's full-year 2026 sales guidance to between $2.825 billion and $2.875 billion. Neurocrine maintains a deep and diversified pipeline with over 15 clinical programs, including Phase 3 studies for osavampator in major depressive disorder and direclidine in schizophrenia, with key data readouts anticipated in 2027. The company also initiated a Phase 2 study for crinecerfont in infants and toddlers with CAH in July 2026 and received FDA IND acceptance for a Phase 2 study of NBI-1117567 for Alzheimer's cognition in August 2026, underscoring its commitment to scientific discovery and addressing unmet medical needs.