Acadia Pharmaceuticals names new R&D head

Acadia Pharmaceuticals named Srdjan (Serge) Stankovic as its executive vice president and head of Research and Development Monday.

In his new role at Acadia, Stankovic will help the biopharmaceutical company with its leading drug Nuplazid, which treats central nervous system disorders. The drug was recently granted priority review by the Food and Drug Administration for Parkinson's disease psychosis, and if approved, it would become the first approved drug for the condition.

“There is a strong need for continued innovation in the treatment of CNS disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia,” Stankovic said. "Acadia is at the forefront in developing groundbreaking medicines to treat debilitating symptoms associated with these diseases. I look forward to leading the team in advancing the promising development programs with Nuplazid."

Stankovic has more than two decades of experience holding executive positions in the areas of drug development and clinical affairs at various companies, including Teva Pharmaceuticals and Johnson & Johnson. He was most recently senior vice president of clinical development and medical affairs at Alkermes, an Ireland-based developer of CNS disorder drugs.

“I am delighted to welcome Serge to our team,” Acadia President and CEO Steve Davis said. “Serge has a track record of transforming promising research into important medicines that address unmet needs of patients. We look forward to his contributions as we advance Nuplazid."