Neurocrine Biosciences
American biopharmaceutical company developing and commercializing medicines for neurological, psychiatric and endocrine-related disorders.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Neurocrine Biosciences is a San Diego-based American biopharmaceutical company focused on diseases and disorders affecting the nervous and endocrine systems. Founded in 1992, the company originated from research associated with the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and Stanford University, and was organized with backing from Avalon Ventures and other investors. Its scientific programs have historically centered on neuroendocrinology, receptor pharmacology and disorders for which treatment options were limited or inadequate. The company became a public issuer in May 1996, raising approximately $34.2 million in its initial public offering on Nasdaq under the symbol NBIX. During its early research period, Neurocrine entered collaborations with large pharmaceutical companies including Janssen Pharmaceutica, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer. These relationships covered corticotropin-releasing factor research, obesity and Alzheimer’s disease programs, and the investigational insomnia medicine indiplon. Indiplon ultimately encountered regulatory obstacles in the United States, and Pfizer ended its agreement after the Food and Drug Administration issued differing responses to immediate-release and modified-release formulations. Neurocrine later discontinued US development of the medicine. A major transformation came through the company’s work on valbenazine, marketed as Ingrezza. The US Food and Drug Administration approved valbenazine in 2017 for adults with tardive dyskinesia, a movement disorder that can arise after prolonged exposure to certain psychiatric medicines. The approval made Ingrezza the first FDA-approved treatment specifically indicated for tardive dyskinesia at that time and gave Neurocrine a commercially important proprietary product. The company has also investigated valbenazine in other movement and psychiatric disorders, including Tourette syndrome. Neurocrine expanded beyond its internally discovered programs through licensing and partnerships. In 2017 it licensed North American rights to opicapone from Portugal’s Bial. Opicapone, marketed in the United States as Ongentys, is a once-daily catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitor used with levodopa and carbidopa in adults with Parkinson’s disease experiencing off episodes. The company also partnered with AbbVie on elagolix, an oral gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist for endometriosis and uterine fibroids. AbbVie subsequently developed and commercialized the medicine, while Neurocrine retained economic and collaboration interests under the agreement. The company’s research portfolio includes programs in Parkinson’s disease, Tourette syndrome, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, schizophrenia and other neurological or endocrine conditions. Its investigational assets have included NBI-74788, a corticotropin-releasing factor receptor antagonist, and NBI-1117568, a muscarinic receptor agonist licensed from Japan’s Nxera Pharma for schizophrenia development. A Phase 2 readout for NBI-1117568 in 2024 produced a smaller-than-expected improvement on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and lacked a clear dose-response pattern, contributing to a sharp decline in the company’s share price after the announcement. Neurocrine remains an active, research-oriented specialty biopharmaceutical company. Its commercial identity is anchored by Ingrezza and Ongentys, while its longer-term strategy depends on expanding indications for marketed products, advancing internal discovery programs and using licensing partnerships to obtain differentiated medicines in neurological and endocrine disease areas.
History
Neurocrine Biosciences was established in San Diego in 1992 around academic research associated with Wylie Vale of the Salk Institute and Lawrence Steinman of Stanford University. Venture investor Larry Bock of Avalon Ventures helped organize and support the company. Neurocrine’s early scientific identity was built around neuroendocrine signaling and corticotropin-releasing factor pathways, which were being investigated for applications in psychiatric, neurological, gastrointestinal and metabolic diseases. In 1995 the company began a collaboration with Janssen Pharmaceutica to investigate corticotropin-releasing factor antagonists. The following year Neurocrine completed an initial public offering on Nasdaq under the symbol NBIX, raising approximately $34.2 million. It also entered a development arrangement with Eli Lilly covering research based on CRF-binding protein-ligand inhibitors and potential treatments for obesity and Alzheimer’s disease. In 2001, GlaxoSmithKline became a further research and development partner in a worldwide CRF-receptor antagonist program. Neurocrine’s most prominent early clinical and commercial effort was indiplon, an investigational treatment for insomnia. Pfizer acquired rights in 2002 in a transaction that included an upfront payment and potential milestone payments. Regulatory review later produced an unfavorable response to a modified-release formulation and a conditional response to immediate-release versions. Pfizer terminated its agreement, and although Neurocrine continued regulatory work and later licensed Japanese rights to Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma, US development was eventually abandoned. Gary Lyons, who had led the company since its founding, was succeeded as chief executive by Kevin Gorman in January 2008. In 2010 Neurocrine granted AbbVie worldwide rights to elagolix, an oral GnRH antagonist being developed for endometriosis and uterine fibroids. AbbVie advanced the program through late-stage development and regulatory submission, creating an important example of Neurocrine’s partnership-led approach to drug development. The company’s decisive commercial turning point was valbenazine. After years of development, the FDA approved the medicine in April 2017 for adults with tardive dyskinesia. Neurocrine commercialized it as Ingrezza, establishing a proprietary franchise in a movement-disorder market with significant unmet need. That same year the company licensed North American rights to opicapone from Bial. The medicine, subsequently sold in the United States as Ongentys, broadened Neurocrine’s commercial presence into Parkinson’s disease. Neurocrine has continued to combine internal discovery with external licensing. In Japan, the company obtained rights to develop NBI-1117568, an investigational muscarinic-receptor medicine for schizophrenia, from Nxera Pharma. It has also maintained research programs involving Tourette syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, congenital adrenal hyperplasia and CRF-related biology. In 2024, Phase 2 data for NBI-1117568 failed to show a dose-dependent response and produced a smaller numerical PANSS improvement than some competing investigational medicines. The resulting investor disappointment led to a substantial one-day decline in the company’s share price. As of the latest cited company description, Neurocrine is led by Kyle Gano and remains headquartered in San Diego. Its business combines marketed specialty medicines with a pipeline of clinical-stage programs, relying on regulatory execution, lifecycle expansion and strategic partnerships to address neurological, psychiatric and endocrine conditions.
- 2024
NBI-1117568 Phase 2 readout
[1]The investigational schizophrenia program produced results that disappointed investors and prompted a sharp share-price decline.
- 2020
Ongentys enters the US Parkinson’s market
[1]Opicapone received US regulatory approval and was commercialized by Neurocrine as Ongentys.
- 2017
Ingrezza approved in the United States
[1]The FDA approved valbenazine for adult tardive dyskinesia, launching Neurocrine’s leading commercial product.
- 2010
Worldwide elagolix partnership with AbbVie
[1]Neurocrine granted AbbVie worldwide rights to develop and commercialize elagolix for endometriosis and uterine fibroids.
- 2002
Pfizer obtains indiplon rights
[1]Pfizer entered an agreement covering Neurocrine’s investigational insomnia medicine indiplon.
- 1996
Initial public offering
[1]The company listed on Nasdaq under NBIX and raised approximately $34.2 million.
- 1992
Company founded in San Diego
[1]Neurocrine Biosciences was founded around academic neuroendocrine research associated with the Salk Institute and Stanford University.
Products and positioning
Specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on neurological, psychiatric and endocrine disorders, with an emphasis on medicines for underserved patient populations.
Movement-disorder medicine · 2017
Ingrezza
Ingrezza is the brand name for valbenazine, a vesicular monoamine transporter 2 inhibitor. The FDA approved it in 2017 for adults with tardive dyskinesia, a persistent involuntary-movement disorder associated with exposure to certain dopamine-blocking medicines. It is Neurocrine’s principal proprietary commercial product and has also been studied in additional movement and psychiatric indications, including Tourette syndrome.
Parkinson’s disease medicine · 2020
Ongentys
Ongentys is the US brand for opicapone, a once-daily catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitor used as an adjunct to levodopa and carbidopa in adults with Parkinson’s disease who experience off episodes. Neurocrine obtained North American rights from Bial and developed the medicine for the US market.
Endocrine and reproductive-health medicine
Elagolix
Elagolix is an oral gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist developed through Neurocrine’s partnership with AbbVie. The program addressed endometriosis-associated pain and uterine fibroids. AbbVie led later-stage development and commercialization under the companies’ worldwide rights agreement.
Investigational schizophrenia medicine
NBI-1117568
NBI-1117568 is an investigational muscarinic-receptor medicine licensed from Japan’s Nxera Pharma for development in schizophrenia. A Phase 2 study reported in 2024 did not show a dose-dependent response, creating uncertainty around the program’s clinical prospects.
Investigational CRF-receptor antagonist
NBI-74788
NBI-74788 is an investigational corticotropin-releasing factor receptor antagonist associated with Neurocrine’s long-running interest in CRF biology. Publicly cited pipeline descriptions identify it as a research-stage program rather than a marketed medicine.
Controversies
Brand decisions
2024
Response to NBI-1117568 Phase 2 resultsOtherBackground
The schizophrenia study showed a 7.5-point PANSS improvement and no dose-dependent response, below the results reported for some competing investigational medicines.
Action taken
Neurocrine continued evaluating the program while investors reassessed its clinical and commercial potential.
Aftermath
The company’s stock price fell approximately 19% on the following day, according to the cited reference.
2017
North American opicapone licensing agreement with BialM&ABackground
Neurocrine sought a commercial-stage or late-stage Parkinson’s disease product to complement its neurological focus.
Action taken
The company obtained exclusive North American development and commercialization rights to opicapone and agreed to fund US development.
Aftermath
Opicapone was later approved in the United States and marketed as Ongentys.
Potential transaction value. Up to $145 million in upfront and milestone payments, plus royalties; $30 million upfront (2017 agreement)
2010
Worldwide elagolix licensing agreement with AbbVieM&ABackground
Neurocrine sought a large pharmaceutical partner to advance elagolix, an oral GnRH antagonist for endometriosis and uterine fibroids.
Action taken
The company granted AbbVie worldwide development and commercialization rights under a partnership that included an upfront payment and potential milestone economics.
Aftermath
AbbVie advanced the medicine into late-stage trials and regulatory review.
Potential transaction value. Up to $575 million, including a $75 million upfront payment (2010 agreement)
2006
Discontinuation of US indiplon development after FDA reviewOtherBackground
FDA correspondence differentiated between indiplon formulations and requested additional work before approval.
Action taken
After Pfizer ended its agreement, Neurocrine continued limited regulatory efforts but ultimately discontinued development of indiplon in the United States.
Aftermath
The program became an early example of the regulatory and commercial risk associated with Neurocrine’s clinical pipeline.
Recent events
Neurocrine sues Lupin over Ingrezza patents[2]
Reported:
Neurocrine Biosciences filed suit against Lupin, alleging infringement of three patents protecting Ingrezza. Lupin disputed infringement in its ANDA, while Neurocrine sought a judgment and an injunction.
Sources2 sources
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