Case 3:15-cv-00575-BTMDHB Document 43 FUeci 11/16/15 Page 1 of 87 2 3 4 5 6 7 10 11 12 13 14 15 David E. Bower SBN 119546 Email: dbower?tfamqilaw. com FARUOI & FARUQTI, LLP 10866 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1470 Los Angeles, CA 90024 Telephone: 424-256-2884 Facsimile: 424-256-2885 Lubna Famcij (admitted pro hac vice) (NYS Bar 2183770) Richard W. (ionnello (admittedpro hac vice) (NYS Bar 3067303) MeganM. Sullivan (admitted pro hac vice) (NYS Bar 5053103) Katherine M. Lenahan (admitted pro hac vice) (NYS Bar 5102116) FARUQI & FARUQI, LLP 369 Lexington Avenue, 10th Floor New York, NY 10017 Telephone: 212-983-9330 Facsimile: 212-983-9331 Email: lfamqifamqilaw. com rgonneiofamqilaw. com msullivaitartiqlWaw.com famlaw. com klenahan Attorneys for Lead Plaintiffs Paul and Sharyn Levine UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA 16 11 JEFF RIHIN, Individually and on Behalf of All Others Similarly Situated, 17 Plaintiff, 18 vs. 19 ACADIA PHARMACEUTICALS 20 INC., DLI HACKSELL and STEPHEN R. DAVIS, 21 Defendants. 22 23 24 (captions continue on next page) 25 26 Case No. 3:15-cv-00575-BTM-DHB CONSOLIDATED CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT CLASS ACTION Judge: Hon. Barry Ted Moskowitz DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL CONSOLIDATED CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT 3:15-cv-00575-BTM-DHB 27 28
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INC., DLI HACKSELL and STEPHEN Defendants.securities.stanford.edu/filings-documents/1053/API... · 20 INC., DLI HACKSELL and STEPHEN R. DAVIS, 21 Defendants. 22 23 24 (captions continue
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Case 3:15-cv-00575-BTMDHB Document 43 FUeci 11/16/15 Page 1 of 87
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David E. Bower SBN 119546 Email: dbower?tfamqilaw. com FARUOI & FARUQTI, LLP 10866 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1470 Los Angeles, CA 90024 Telephone: 424-256-2884 Facsimile: 424-256-2885
Lubna Famcij (admitted pro hac vice) (NYS Bar 2183770) Richard W. (ionnello (admittedpro hac vice) (NYS Bar 3067303) MeganM. Sullivan (admitted pro hac vice) (NYS Bar 5053103) Katherine M. Lenahan (admitted pro hac vice) (NYS Bar 5102116) FARUQI & FARUQI, LLP 369 Lexington Avenue, 10th Floor New York, NY 10017 Telephone: 212-983-9330 Facsimile: 212-983-9331 Email: lfamqifamqilaw. com
rgonneiofamqilaw. com
msullivaitartiqlWaw.comfamlaw. com
klenahan
Attorneys for Lead Plaintiffs Paul and Sharyn Levine
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
16 11 JEFF RIHIN, Individually and on Behalf of All Others Similarly Situated,
17 Plaintiff,
18 vs.
19 ACADIA PHARMACEUTICALS 20 INC., DLI HACKSELL and STEPHEN
R. DAVIS, 21
Defendants. 22
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Case No. 3:15-cv-00575-BTM-DHB
CONSOLIDATED CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT
CLASS ACTION
Judge: Hon. Barry Ted Moskowitz
DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL
CONSOLIDATED CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT 3:15-cv-00575-BTM-DHB
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Case 3:15-cv-00575-BTMDHB Document 43 FUeci 11/16/15 Page 2 of 87
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2 STEVE A. WRIGHT AND VICKI G. WRIGHT, Individually and on Behalf of
4 All Others Similarly Situated,
5 Plaintiffs,
6 vs.
7 ACADIA PHARMACEUTICALS INC., DLI HACKSELL and STEPHEN
8 R.DAVIS,
9 Defendants.
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Case No. 3:15-cv-00593-BTM-DHB
CONSOLIDATED CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT 3:15-cv-00575-BTM-DHB
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'S
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INATURE OF THE ACTION ....................................................................................1
I PARTIES .................................................................................................................. 10
A. Background Of The Company, PDP, And NUPLAZID .....................13
B. The FDA Approval Process and Current Good Manufacturing Requirements.......................................................................................16
C. ACADIA Focuses on Remaining NDA-Preparation Activities..........21
D. The First Delay ....................................................................................21
E. The Second Delay ...............................................................................24
RELEVANT PRE-CLASS PERIOD STATEMENTS ............................................26
CLASS PERIOD STATEMENTS...........................................................................29
POST CLASS PERIOD EVENTS ..........................................................................36
A. Core Operations...................................................................................47
B. Education, Experience, and Training of the Individual Defendants.. .48
C. Bonuses and Other Incentive Compensation ......................................50
ACADIA' s Incentive Bonus Plan Caused the Individual Defendants To Be Aware of the Challenges Facing Filing the NDA..........................................................................................54
ACADIA' s Stock Options Plan Incentivized the Individual Defendants to Misrepresent the Timing of the NDA Filing .....54
D. InsiderTrading ....................................................................................55
E. Hacksell's Resignation ........................................................................58
F. Failure to Disclose Contracts with Third-Party Manufacturers ..........59
G. Rolling NDA Review ..........................................................................61
H. In-House Experts Hired To "Bolster" the Company's "Internal Capabilities' Were Already "on board ................................................ 63
CLASS ACTION ALLEGATIONS ........................................................................63
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i CONSOLIDATED CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT
3:15-cv-00575-BTM-DHB
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LOSS CAUSATION ................................................................................................ 66
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CONTROL PERSON LIABILITY .......................................................................... 67
3 THE FRAUD ON THE MARKET PRESUMPTION ............................................. 68
4 THE AFFILIATED UTE PRESUMPTION ............................................................ 70
5 NO STATUTORY SAFE HARBOR ...................................................................... 70
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CAUSES OF ACTION ............................................................................................ 71
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PRAYER FOR RELIEF .......................................................................................... 77
CONSOLIDATED CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT 3:15-cv-00575-BTM-DHB
Case 3:15-cv-00575-BTMDHB Document 43 FUeci 11/16/15 Page 5 of 87
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Terms A C A DI A
API
BASF
Biuv au
BTD
CEO
CEO
CGMIPs or cGMIPs
Cliss
Class Period
TABLE OF DEFINED TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
Definitions ACA] )IA itharniacenticals Inc.
Active I huriuuceuticul I nwedient
I iASF Flmrnia (.1 ViOflhiI/) SA
I 1O\LI1l I LIb01LItOlieS I ntelnLItiOnLIl SItU
I realdhrouh 1 herup\ I )esimution
Chier I \ecuti\e ( icel
Chier I:inUnciUl Officer
Current Good Manufacturing Practices
All persons or entiue thut purchased or ohcn iso acquired the publicl\ traded common stock and/or cal options of A('AI )i A in the I Jnited States or on the NASDAQ Global Select Market ut arti!iciallv influted prices bek\ ecu November 1 14 and as or We close or the NAS])AQ Ulobal Select Mai ce on March II 20! i iflClflSi\C and \\1li) sulicied damages as a rUsLUL scekin to pLirs LIC remedies LEIKICI Sccions I b) and 20u 0! the Sec nfl Ucs I \CIYIUOC Act or I 34 and 5]U Rule I ()b-5 prom Lr]Ltted t1lerel inder
November 10, 2014 through March 11, 2015, inclusive
C MC C hem i sU\ - N/Jun Lilac t Lrrin aiRI Col thol 111
3:15-cv-00575-BTM-DHB 28 CONSOLIDATED CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT
Case 3:15-cv-00575-BTMDHB Document 43 FUeci 11/16/15 Page 6 of 87
1 Company
2 coo
4 CMO
5 Mna is
6
7
8
9 IDDI
10
11 Defendants
12
13 Exchange Act
14
15 Expedited Guidance
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17
18 First Delay 19
20
21 FDA
22
23 FDCA
24
25 GIVIP
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc.
(hi of ( )pc ni U ug ()flic or
Contract Manufacturing (Jrgamzation
I )avis, d il ector and I \CCUti\e Vice ]PicsidenL (hic! 1IIIIHC1LII ()fficer dUd Chic r I LFSiUCSS Officer oI ACA] )IA and sd sequen lv Chief I \CCLFti\C Officer
I )nri-I )iwj I Ut01LIctioU studies
/\C/\I )IA Pliumiaccuticuk Inc.: I T]j
I lacksell: te\e I )a\ is and Roger Mdls
ecwities I \ChIU°C Act oF I
FDA- U LEI3UHUC 101 JikIuSt1v I \pedited 1 rogiiiin s lot Sclious Conditions - I )rngs and I io1ogics FDA, G nuance br I1uILrtr\ (Mu\ 2() 14)
ACADIA s first delay in its submission of its NUPLAZID NDA announced on November 10, 2014
T)n i wd S tLttes I ood and D ILIU \din inisiration
Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1938
Uood MLtnLr!iicflrrin I rLictices
1-lacksell IJli Hacksell, director and Chief 27
iv 28 CONSOLIDATED CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT
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1 2 Kaplan
3 Lead Plaintiffs
4
Levines
6 Mills
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8
9 DA
ii Patheon
12 PDP
13 P1W Fact Sheet
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15 Plaintiffs
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17 Q
18 SEC 19
20 Second Delay
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22
23 SOPs
24 SOX
25 26 020 Stu (IV
Executive Officer of ACADIA during the Class Period lorliler I oard member I ester Kaplan
Paul and Sharyn Levine
I eud 1 la mU us 1 ki ul and Hllhr\ U I eine
Roger Mills, F 'cecutive Vice President, Development and Chief Medical Officer of ACADIA during the Class Period
Ne\\ I )rr Application
Padieon Pharmaceuticals Inc.
PLIIlcinsons Disease Psychosis
Parkinson's Disease Psychosis Fact Sheet
I eud 1 la mi ITs 1 ki ul and Slllhr\ U I eine
)uulit\ Assuiunce
)nned stLltc ,, Sec LIII [1C aIRI I \Clliifl{LC
('oimuission
ACADIA s second delay in its submission of its NUPLAZID NDA, announced on March 11, 2015
Standard Opera hug ioce(I ures
I he Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2uu2
AC,\])J/\s sLiceesslid pivotal Phase III study of the e!l1cuc\ - tolerabilit\ and
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021 Stud
2014 Form 10-K
a bk of
\(AI )I A s COflbllllliItOl\ I III trial
ALAI )I A S UUHUUI IC1)O1t lot 2014 11cd on I onn 1()-K filed \\ i ifi We SI C on lcbnLIn 2(. 2015
vi CONSOLIDATED CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT
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The allegations in this Consolidated Class Action Complaint are based on
the personal knowledge of Lead Plaintiffs Paul and Sharyn Levine (the "Levines"
or "Lead Plaintiffs" or "Plaintiffs") as to Plaintiffs' own acts, and are based upon
information and belief as to all other matters alleged herein. Plaintiffs' information
and belief is based upon the investigation by Plaintiffs' counsel into the facts and
circumstances alleged herein, including, the following: (i) review and analysis of
those public filings ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Inc. ("ACADIA" or the
"Company") made with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission
("SEC") that are referenced herein; (ii) review and analysis of those press releases,
analyst reports, public statements, news articles, and other publications
disseminated by or concerning ACADIA that are referenced herein; (iii) review
and analysis of those Company conference calls, press conferences, and related
statements and materials that are referenced herein; and (iv) review and analysis of
those documents made publicly available by the United States Food and Drug
Administration ("FDA") that are referenced herein. Many additional facts
supporting the allegations herein are known only to Defendants (defined below)
and/or are within their exclusive custody or control of the FDA. Plaintiffs believe
that additional evidentiary support for the allegations herein will emerge after a
reasonable opportunity to conduct discovery.
NATURE OF THE ACTION
1. This is a federal class action on behalf of all persons or entities that
purchased or otherwise acquired the publicly traded common stock and/or call
options of ACADIA in the United States or on the NASDAQ Global Select Market
at artificially inflated prices between November 10, 2014 and as of the close of the
NASDAQ Global Select Market on March 11, 2015, inclusive (the "Class
Period"), and who suffered damages as a result, seeking to pursue remedies under
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Case 3:15-cv-00575-BTM-DHB Document 43 FUeci 11/16/15 Page 10 of 87
Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange
Act") and SEC Rule lob-S promulgated thereunder (the "Class"). These claims
are asserted against ACADIA and certain of its officers and directors who made
materially false and/or misleading statements and/or omissions during the Class
Period in, inter a/ia, press releases, analyst conference calls, and filings with the
SEC.
2. ACADIA is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the
I development and commercialization of medicines to address unmet medical needs
in neurological and related central nervous system disorders. ACADIA has a
pipeline of product candidates led by NIIPLAZIDTM (pimavanserin), for which the
Company has reported positive Phase III pivotal trial results in Parkinson's Disease
Psychosis ("PDP").
3. In April 2013, ACADIA announced that the FDA agreed that the data
from the Company's pivotal Phase III -020 study evaluating the efficacy,
tolerability, and safety of pimavanserin in patients with PDP (the "020 Study"),
together with supportive data from other studies with pimavanserin, were sufficient
to support the filing of a New Drug Application ("NDA") to the FDA for the
treatment of PDP. On this news, the Company announced that it was "currently
targeting an NDA submission near the end of 2014."
4. On November 10, 2014, the first day of the Class Period, ACADIA
I unexpectedly announced that it was delaying its submission of its New Drug
Application ("NDA") to the FDA for NUPLAZID to the first quarter of 2015, i.e.,
by March 31, 2015 (the "First Delay").
5. That same day, then-Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") Uli Hacksell
I ("Hacksell") told investors during a conference call that "the decision to move
back the planned submission was based on additional time required to complete
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preparations needed to support the FDA's review of NUPLAZID."' Hacksell
emphasized that the First Delay "was related to the fact that we have the decent
preparations that are required to support the FDA's review of NUFLAZID, and
that is not really related to any kind of major hurdles." He also confirmed that the
Company completed its "drug-drug interaction program" and has "stability as
required in [its] registration program," and that the Company has "not [had] any
kind of interactions with the FDA that pushes this."
6. In order for a new drug to be approved by the FDA, "[flhe methods to
be used in, and the facilities and controls used for, the manufacture, processing,
packing, or holding of the drug substance or the drug product" must "comply with
the current good manufacturing practice regulations in parts 210 and 211." 21
C.F.R. § 314.125(b)(13).
7. The current good manufacturing practice regulations, "cGMIPs" or
"CGMIPs," set forth in 21 C.F.R. §§ 210, 211 are extensive, requiring drug
manufacturers "to establish and follow scientifically sound and appropriate written
controls for specifications, plans and procedures that direct operational and quality
system activities and to ensure that these directives are accurate, appropriately
reviewed and approved, and available for use (see the CGMPs at § 211.22 (c) and
(d))." Ex. A at 14, FDA, Quality Systems Approach to Pharmaceutical CGMP
Regulations (Sept. 2006).
8. According to ACADIA's public filings at that time, ACADIA
disclosed that it contracted with third-party manufacturers to produce NUPLAZID
for its clinical trials, but had not yet entered into any "long-term agreements" with
these manufacturers for the purposes of commercial production of NUPLAZID.
1 All internal citations are omitted and all emphases are added unless otherwise noted.
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9. Indeed, ACADIA was aware of the importance of its manufacturers'
I compliance with CGMPs for NDA approval, acknowledging in the risk factors in
its Form 10-Q for the second quarter of 2013:
The manufacturers of our product candidates are obliged to operate in accordance with FDA-mandated current good manufacturing practices, or cGIVIPs. In addition, the facilities used by our contract manufacturers or other third party manufacturers to manufacture our product candidates must be approved by the FDA pursuant to inspections that will be conducted after we request regulatory approval from the FDA : A failure by any of our contract manufacturers to establish and follow c&IVIPs or to document their adherence to such practices may lead to significant delays in clinical trials or in obtaining regulatory approval of product candidates or the ultimate launch of products based on our product candidates into the market.
10. Throughout the Class Period, the Company assured the market that it
remained "on track" to submit its NDA by its revised deadline of March 31, 2015.
Defendants knew or recklessly disregarded, but failed to inform investors, that the
Company had not completed the preparation of systems required by the CGMPs to
support the commercial manufacturing and supply systems needed to support the
FDA's review of the NUPLAZID NDA, and consequently ACADIA would not
submit its NDA on time.
11. Nevertheless, throughout the Class Period, Defendants violated the
federal securities laws by disseminating false and misleading statements and/or
omissions to the investing public concerning the timing of the Company's planned
submission of the NDA for NUPLAZID to the FDA. As a result of these false
and/or misleading statements and/or omissions, ACADIA's stock and call options
traded at artificially inflated prices during the Class Period.
12. Indeed, on February 26, 2015, just thirty-three days before the
Company's revised NDA submission deadline of March 31, 2015, Hacksell and
Roger G. Mills ("Mills"), Executive Vice President, Development and Chief
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Medical Officer, again told investors that ACADIA "remainFedi on track" to
Isubmit its NDA by March 31, 2015.
13. Soon thereafter, the Company cancelled at the last minute its March 3,
2015 appearance at the Cowen and Company 35th Annual Health Care
Conference, and did the same a week later for the Company's March 10, 2015
appearance at the 27th Annual ROTH Conference. These cancellations fueled
speculation that ACADIA would be acquired, causing ACADIA' s stock price to
surge 18% to $45.88 per share on March 10, 2015. At no time during the Class
Period did the Company inform the market that it did not have the requisite
systems in place and thus was not "on track" to submit its NDA by March 31,
2015.
14. On March 11, 2015, less than two weeks after Hacksell and Mills
stated that ACADIA remained "on track" to meet that deadline, ACADIA issued a
press release announcing a second delay (the "Second Delay") in the timing of its
planned NDA submission to the FDA. The Company now planned to submit its
NDA for the treatment of PDP in the second half of 2015 (i.e., by December 31,
2015).
15. In a separate press release that same day, ACADIA announced the
shocking resignation of Hacksell, who had been with the ACADIA since 1999 and
served as the Company's CEO since September 2000. The Company also
announced the appointment of Steve Davis ("Davis"), who was then sewing as
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer ("CFO") and Chief Business
Officer, as ACADIA's interim CEO.
16. The Company explained that the Second Delay in the submission of
the NDA was "based on additional time required to complete the preparation of
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systems to support commercial manufacturing and supply and, in turn, to support
the [FDA's] review of NUPLAZID."
17. That same day, the Company hosted a conference call during which
defendant Davis commented on the reasons for the Second Delay, explaining that
the Company "completed an assessment" of its "manufacturing, quality systems
and procedures," and "determined that we need to do additional work to prepare
our systems to support commercial-scale manufacturing and supply" to be ready
for the FDA's review of those systems. The systems to which Davis was referring
"include things such as robust quality assurance systems, documentation and
record-keeping systems, commercial-oriented Standard Operating Procedures or
SOPs, systems to monitor activities of third-party suppliers, and simply the
management of materials through the supply chain." These "manufacturing and
supply systems," Davis explained, "are subject to inspection as part of the NDA
review process."
18. Indeed, establishing the systems that Davis described is an integral
part of ensuring that the Company's commercial manufacture of NUPLAZID met
the CGMP requirements necessary for approval of the NDA.
19. The FDA recommends that any contractor hired to help manufacture a
drug be "evaluate[d] . . . for CGMP compliance" which includes "auditing the
contractor's facilities." Ex. B at 38, FDA, Draft Guidance for Industry, Contract
Manufacturing Arrangements for Drugs: Quality Agreements (May
2013). Moreover, "control and review of any outsourced activities is ultimately
the responsibility of the pharmaceutical company." Id. Hence, the pharmaceutical
company's quality unit is "ultimately responsible for approving and rejecting drug
product manufactured by the contract manufacturer." Id. at 39. A contractor's
CGIVIP failures may negatively impact the pharmaceutical company. See id. at 45.
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The FDA further recommends that pharmaceutical companies "evaluate and audit
I [contractors] to ensure GIVIP compliance for specific operations occurring at
contract sites . . . routine[ly] as well as for-cause audits." Id. at 41-42.
20. As Davis thither described on the March 11, 2015 conference call,
establishing these systems requires "close coordination" between the Company's
"internal manufacturing resources, external third-party suppliers and the quality
assurance functions within each organization." Davis further explained that to be
ready for the FDA's review of those systems, the Company needed to test and
evaluate them, which "requires coordination of our schedule with the schedules
and availability of others and the logistics, quite frankly, can be challenging."
21. As a result of this news, ACADIA common stock plummeted $9.94
per share to close at $34.82 per share on March 12, 2015, a one-day decline of 22%
on higher than usual volume of 15 million shares.
22. Since announcing the Second Delay of the NDA submission, the
Company has provided limited additional details about the reasons for the Second
Delay. For example, on March 26, 2015, Cowen & Company published an analyst
report in which it discussed its "takeaways" from a lunch it hosted the day before
with ACADIA management. 2 The report stated that some of the "deficiencies
involve SOPs for various functions, supply chain, training documentation,
protocols for product release etc." in reference to "the outstanding quality
assurance issues that ACAD intends to rectify/complete before NDA submission."
23. Davis further commented on the issues leading to the delay during a
conference on April 14, 2015, noting that after miming a "mock inspection" the
Company determined that it "had more work to do" on the manufacturing
2 No information about this meeting other than the analyst report itself has been made publicly available.
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component of the NDA. Surprisingly, on a September 29, 2015 conference call,
Davis acknowledged that the Company "recognized" this in March or February,
stating that the Company did not "start soon enough in building out the Quality
Assurance system or making that transition to a commercial-grade QA system on
the GIVIIP 4 front."
24. Davis's initial assessment on March 11, 2015 of the reasons for the
delay—"the Company should have been better prepared"—was an understatement,
to say the least. In fact, the magnitude of the manufacturing and quality issues that
the Company claimed contributed to the delay were so great that the Company did
not file its NDA until September 3, 2015, afull five months after the Company's
revised March 31, 2015 submission deadline.
25. The true facts, which were known and/or recklessly disregarded by
Defendants but concealed from the investing public during the Class Period, were
as follows:
(a) The Company was not on track to submit its NDA for
NUPLAZID by March 31, 2015;
(b) The Company did not have robust quality assurance systems,
documentation and record-keeping systems, commercial-
oriented standard operating procedures ("SOPs"), or systems in
place to monitor the activities of third-party suppliers and
manage materials through the supply chain, and therefore
lacked the systems necessary to support the commercial
manufacturing and supply of NUPLAZID and approval of the
Company's NUPLAZID NDA; and
3
"QA" refers to quality assurance.
4
"GMIP" refers to good manufacturing practices. 8
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(c) The Company had not yet conducted a mock inspection of its
commercial manufacturing and supply systems to determine
whether they were sufficient to support approval of the
Company's NUPLAZID NDA.
26. As a result of Defendants' wrongful acts, statements, and omissions,
I and the resulting precipitous decline in the market value of the Company's
common stock and call options when the wrongdoing was revealed, Plaintiffs and
other Class members have suffered significant damages.
JURISDICTION AND VENUE
27. This action arises under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Exchange
lAct, as amended, 15 U.S.C. §§ 78j(b) and 78t, and SEC Rule lOb-5, 17 C.F.R.
§ 240.1 Ob-5, promulgated thereunder.
28. This Court has jurisdiction over the action pursuant to 28 U.S.C.
I § 1331 and Section 27 of the Exchange Act, 15 U.S.C. § 78aa.
29. Venue is proper in this District pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1391(b) and
Section 27 of the Exchange Act, 15 U.S.C. § 78aa. During the Class Period,
ACADIA maintained its principal place of business in this District. Certain of the
acts and conduct complained of herein, including dissemination of materially false
and misleading information to the investing public, occurred in this District.
30. In connection with the acts and statements alleged in this Complaint,
Defendants, directly or indirectly, used the means and instrumentalities of
interstate commerce, including, but not limited to, the mails, interstate telephone
communications, and the facilities of the national securities markets.
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PARTIES
Lead Plaintiffs
31. Plaintiffs, Paul and Sharyn Levine, as set forth in their shareholder
certification and incorporated by reference herein (ECF No. 15-8), purchased
ACADIA common stock at artificially inflated prices during the Class Period and
have been damaged thereby.
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
32. Defendant ACADIA is a Delaware corporation with its principal
executive offices located at 3611 Valley Centre Drive, Suite 300, San Diego,
California, 92130.
The Individual Defendants
33. Defendant Hacksell was, until his abrupt resignation on March 11,
2015, the CEO and a director of ACADIA. Hacksell continues to serve the
Company as a consultant. In 2014, Hacksell received a salary of $580,000, a
bonus of $208,800, and an options award worth $5,074,725 for his various roles at
the Company. Because of his positions with the Company, Hacksell had access to
undisclosed information concerning the timing of the submission of NUPLAZID's
NDA to the FDA, including the manufacturing, supply, and quality assurance
issues that resulted in the Second Delay. Hacksell directly participated in and
controlled the management of the Company, including, without limitation, day-to-
day decisions concerning the submission of the NUPLAZID NDA to the FDA,
publication of statements made to the investing public, the SEC, and the FDA
concerning the submission of the NUPLAZID NDA to the FDA and publication of
statements by and on behalf of ACADIA concerning NUPLAZID in the
Company's press releases, SEC filings, and other public statements.
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34. Defendant Davis became a director and the CFO, Executive Vice
President, and Chief Business Officer of ACADIA in July 2014. Davis currently
remains in those positions and was appointed interim CEO on March 11, 2015 and
CEO on September 3, 2015. In 2014, Davis received a salary of $191,805, a bonus
of $53,802, and an options award worth $4,963,008 for his various roles at the
Company. In 2015, Davis received a salary of $436,178. Because of his positions
with the Company, Davis had access to undisclosed information concerning the
timing of the submission of NUPLAZID' s NDA to the FDA, including the
manufacturing, supply, and quality assurance issues that resulted in the Second
Delay. Davis directly participated in and controlled the management of the
Company, including, without limitation, day-to-day decisions concerning the
submission of the NUPLAZID NDA to the FDA, publication of statements made
to the investing public, the SEC, and the FDA concerning the submission of the
NUPLAZID NDA to the FDA and publication of statements by and on behalf of
ACADIA concerning the submission of the NUPLAZID NDA to the FDA in the
Company's press releases, SEC filings, and other public statements.
35. Defendant Mills was, until his sudden resignation on November 4,
2015, the Executive Vice President, Development and Chief Medical Officer of
ACADIA. In 2014, Mills received a salary of $425,000, a bonus of $119,000, and
an options award worth $3,146,330. In 2015, Mills received a salary of $440,725.
Because of his positions with the Company, Mills had access to undisclosed
information concerning the timing of the submission of NUPLAZID's NDA to the
FDA, including the manufacturing, supply, and quality assurance issues that
resulted in the Second Delay. Mills directly participated in and controlled the
management of the Company, including, without limitation, day-to-day decisions
concerning the development of NUPLAZID, submission of the NDA to the FDA,
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publication of statements made to the investing public, the SEC, and the FDA
concerning the manufacture of NUPLAZID and publication of statements by and
on behalf of ACADIA concerning NUPLAZID in the Company's press releases,
SEC filings, and other public statements.
36. Defendants Hacksell, Davis, and Mills are referred to herein as the
"Individual Defendants" (collectively, with ACADIA, "Defendants").
37. The Individual Defendants, because of their positions with the
Company, had the authority to control, correct, and/or update the contents of their
and ACADIA' s public disclosures to the market. Each of the Individual
Defendants had the duty to exercise due care and diligence and the duty of full and
candid disclosure of all material facts relating to the timing of the submission of
the NDA. The Individual Defendants further had the duty to correct prior
misstatements and/or update any previously issued statements that became
materially misleading or untrue, so that the market price of the Company's publicly
traded common stock and call options would be based upon truthful, complete, and
accurate information. To discharge their duties, the Individual Defendants were
required to exercise reasonable and prudent supervision over the dissemination of
information concerning the Company's NUPLAZID NDA. By virtue of such
duties, these officers and directors were required, inter a/ia, to:
a) conduct and supervise the business of ACADIA in accordance
with federal laws;
b) supervise the preparation of the Company's SEC filings and
approve any reports concerning ACADIA' s financial reporting
and results; and
C)
ensure that ACADIA established and followed adequate
internal and disclosure controls.
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38. As officers, directors, and/or controlling persons of a publicly-held
company, which is registered with the SEC under the federal securities laws and
the securities of which were traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market during
the Class Period and governed by the provisions of the federal securities laws, the
Individual Defendants each had a duty to do the following: (i) promptly
disseminate accurate, complete, and truthful information with respect to the status
and timing of the submission of ACADIA's NDA for NUPLAZID; (ii) correct any
previously issued statements that were materially misleading or untrue so that the
market could accurately price the Company's publicly traded common stock and
call options based upon truthful, accurate, and complete information; and (iii)
update any previously issued statements that became materially misleading or
untrue so that the market could accurately price the Company's publicly traded
common stock and call options based upon truthful, accurate, and complete
information.
39. The Individual Defendants are each primarily liable for the false and
misleading statements alleged herein, and are also liable as controlling persons of
ACADIA. The scheme deceived the investing public regarding the timing of
ACADIA' s submission of the NUPLAZID NDA to the FDA, which caused
Plaintiffs and other members of the Class to purchase ACADIA common stock
and/or call options at artificially inflated prices during the Class Period and suffer
damages as a result.
FACTUAL BACKGROUND
VA! Background Of The Company, PDP, And NUPLAZID
40. ACADIA is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the
I development and commercialization of innovative medicines to address unmet
medical needs in neurological and related central nervous system disorders.
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ACADIA has a pipeline of product candidates led by NUPLAZID (pimavanserin),
for which the Company reported positive Phase III trial results as a treatment for
PDP and which has the potential to be the first drug approved in the United States
for this disorder. The Company is also developing pimavanserin for Alzheimer's
Disease Psychosis and schizophrenia. See About, http://www.acadia-
phanmcom/aboutl.
41. Parkinson's Disease is a central nervous system disorder that involves
the death of neurons in a region of the brain that controls movement, creating a
shortage of dopamine, an important neurotransmitter, which renders patients
unable to direct or control their movements in a normal manner. It is characterized
by a variety of motor symptoms, including rest tremor, rigidity, and disturbances of
balance and posture, and non-motor symptoms such as psychosis, depression, sleep
disturbances, compulsive behaviors, and dementia. See Parkinson's Disease
Psychosis Fact Sheet ("PDP Fact Sheet"), available at http://www.acadia-
49. After an NDA is submitted to the FDA, the FDA has 60 days to
decide whether to file it so that the application can be reviewed. See FDA's Drug
Review Process: Continued, available at http ://www. fda.gov/Drugs/
ResourcesForYotVConstnuers/ucm289601.htm.
50. Pursuant to 21 C.F.R. § 314. 101(d)(3), the FDA may refuse to file an
application if it "is incomplete because it does not on its face contain information
required under section 505(b), section 5050), or section 507 of the act and
§ 314.50 or § 314.94."
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51. The requirements for the content and format of an NDA are set forth
in 21 C FR. § 314.50. Pursuant to the regulation, each NDA must contain several
technical sections, each of which "is required to contain data and information in
sufficient detail to permit the agency to make a knowledgeable judgment about
whether to approve the application or whether grounds exist under section 505(d)
of the FFDCAI to refuse to approve the application." 21 C.F.R. § 314.50.
52. The required technical sections of an NDA include, among others, the
(a) chemistry, manufacturing, and controls ("CMC") section; (b) the nonclinical
pharmacology and toxicology section, including in vitro and animal studies (21
CFR § 314.50(d)(2)) -, (c) the human pharmacokinetics and bioavailability section
(21 CFR §314.50(d)(3)) -, and (d) the clinical data section, including controlled
human studies (21 C.F.R. § 314.50(d)).
53. The CMC section of an NDA describes "the composition,
manufacture, and specification of the drug substance and the drug product." 21
C.F.R. § 314.50(d)(1). This section must include analytical test methods for the
drug product, specifications of the drug product and drug components, and a
description of the product's manufacturing and control procedures. See Ex. C at
54, FDA, Compliance Program Guidance Manual 7346.832, Chapter 46-New Drug
Evaluation (2012).
54. As part of the NDA approval process for NTJPLAZID, the Company
was required to demonstrate that its manufacturing and quality assurance systems,
or those of its third-party contract manufacturers and suppliers, complied with
CGMPs, which are set forth in 21 C.F.R. §§ 210,211.
55. The CGIVIP regulations require drug manufacturers "to establish and
follow scientifically sound and appropriate written controls for specifications,
plans and procedures that direct operational and quality system activities and to
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ensure that these directives are accurate, appropriately reviewed and approved, and
available for use (see the CGIVIP[s] at § 211.22 (c) and (d))." See Ex. A at 14. Per
21 CFR §211.22(a)-(d), the manufacturer's quality control unit must follow
"responsibilities and procedures . . . . [which] shall be in writing."
56. The applicable regulations provide that the "FDA may refuse to
approve an application" if "[flhe methods to be used in, and the facilities and
controls used for, the manufacture, processing, packing, or holding of the drug
substance or the drug product do not comply with the current good manufacturing
practice regulations in parts 210 and 211." 21 C.F.R. § 314. 125(b)(I 3).
57. According to FDA guidance, "[implementing a robust quality system
can help ensure compliance with CGIVIP regulations related to drug safety, identity,
strength, quality, and purity." Ex. A at 13. The FDA notes "that implementing an
effective quality system in a manufacturing organization will require a significant
investment of time and resources." Id. at 12. "Under a quality system, written
procedures are followed and deviations from them are justified and documented
(CGIVIP requires this; see § 211.100(b)) to ensure that the manufacturer can trace
the history of the product, as appropriate, concerning personnel, materials,
equipment and chronology and that processes for product release are complete and
recorded." Id. at 22.
58. These "written procedures" are required under the CGIVIPs. As the
I FDA has noted:
Writtenprocedures (standard operating procedures - SOPs), are required for many Part 211 records. The current SOP requirements were initially provided in a final rule published in the Federal Register of September 29, 1978 (43 FR 45014), and are now an integral and familiar part of the drug manufacturing process.
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FDA, Notice Announcing Proposed Collection of Information Submitted to
63. If the manufacturing facilities are not ready for inspection, the FDA
I may refuse to file the application. See FDA, Center for Drug Evaluation and
Research, Office of New Drugs, MAPP 6025.4, Policies and Procedures: Good
Review Practice: Refuse to File (2013), at 18.
64. Thus, even before the FDA accepts an NDA for review, the failure of
an applicant to ensure that its manufacturing facilities are prepared for inspection
can cause significant delays in the NDA approval process.
65. Furthermore, FDA guidance on quality systems, which is "intended to
help manufacturers implementing modem quality systems and risk management
approaches to meet the requirements of the Agency's current good manufacturing
practice (CGIVIP) regulations (21 CFR parts 210 and 211)," "calls for [internal]
audits" of a manufacturer's operations to "be conducted at planned intervals to
evaluate effective implementation and maintenance of the quality system and to
determine if processes and products meet established parameters and
specifications." Ex. A at 5, 25.
66. The FDA emphasizes that "audit procedures should be developed and
I documented to ensure that the planned audit schedule takes into account the
relevant risks of the various quality system activities, the results of previous audits
and corrective actions, and the need to audit the complete system." Id. at 25-26.
67. The FDA recommends that any contractor hired to help manufacture a
drug be "evaluate [d] . . . for CGMP compliance" which includes "auditing the
contractor's facilities." Ex. B at 38. The FDA further recommends that
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I pharmaceutical companies "evaluate and audit [contractors] to ensure GMP
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Iwell as for-cause audits." Id. at 41-42.
68. The industry standard for a pharmaceutical company's audit of its
I third-party manufacturers is one audit per year conducted over the course of two
I days by two auditors.
C. ACADIA Focuses on Remaining NDA -Preparation Activities
69
On a conference call held on April 11, 2013, the Company
summarized what was left to be done before it could file its NDA. As Chief
Medical Officer Mills explained on the call, before the Company could file the
NDA, the Company needed to complete "drug-drug interaction studies and final
aspects of CMC development, including stability testing of pimavanserin
registration batches."
70. Information concerning "drug-drug interaction studies" are part of the
I non-manufacturing sections of the NDA, while stability testing ,5 is part of the
CMC section, see 21 C.F.R. 314.50(d)(1)(i), (ii).
The First Delay
71
On November 10, 2014, the Company announced in a press release
that it would not be submitting its NDA by December 31, 2014, as it previously
stated, and instead planned to submit the NDA by March 31, 2014. The Company
cryptically explained that the decision to move back the submission was "based on
The purpose of stability testing "is to provide evidence on how the quality of a drug substance or drug product varies with time under the influence of a variety of environmental factors, such as temperature, humidity, and light, to establish a retest period for the drug substance or a shelf life for the drug product and recommended storage conditions." See FDA, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Guidance for Industry: Q1A (R2) Stability Testing of New Drug Substances and Products (Nov. 2003).
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additional time required to complete preparations needed to support the [FDA's]
review of NUPLAZID." After months of describing the drug-drug interaction
studies and stability testing of registration batches as the barrier to submitting the
NUPLAZID NDA, Hacksell explained on a conference call that day that the
Company had "completed the drug-drug interaction program," and had the
"stability as required in our registration program" but "need[s] some more time to
complete the preparations."
72. Several analysts covering the Company noted their confusion with the
I abrupt change in timing. For example, in an analyst report published on November
11, 2014, JIVIIP Securities noted:
However, given the time available to prepare for the NDA filing during the generation of commercial manufacturmg stability data we are somewhat confounded by management's error in estimating t1ie submission timing and that it was not able to foresee and disclose that additional time would be needed earlier than within —8 weeks of the anticipated milestone.
73. Similarly, in a November 13, 2014 analyst report, Ladenburg
I Thalmann observed:
Stability and drug interaction studies have been the rate limiting work remaining for the NDA, but the company now states it will need until 2015 in order to "complete the preparation" of the NDA, a slight delay from the prior 4Q14 target. We do not read too much into the delay, but at the same time wrestle with its cause (not disclosed), wonderiRg what thither characterization may be being asked (perhaps trial endmts, concomitant drug use, etc). Nevertheless, we contmue
trd priority review, estimating Nuplazid's US approval m
74. Shortly after announcing the First Delay, the Company assured the
market that it was "on track" to submit its NDA by March 31, 2015. For example,
in response to a question from an analyst about the timing of the NDA at the
December 2, 2014 Piper Jaffray Healthcare Conference, CFO Davis stated that
"what we've guided is the first quarter of 2015, and we remain on track for that."
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75. A little over a month later, Hacksell confirmed that the Company was
"comfortable" with this timeline at the January 13, 2015 IPMorgan Healthcare
Conference. During that conference, an audience member noted that the Company
reiterated its guidance about submitting the NDA by March 31, 2015 and asked,
"considering we are in the first quarter, is it safe to assume no more obstacles with
whatever the issue was that pushed it off? And do you feel comfortable it has been
addressed?" Hacksell responded, "[t]he question is if we feel comfortable with
submitting the NDA this quarter and the answer is yes, we do."
76. Shortly thereafter, on February 24, 2015, ACADIA announced in a
press release that it would be presenting at two upcoming investor conferences in
March, the Cowen and Company 35th Annual Health Care Conference on March
3, 2015 and the 27th Annual ROTH Conference on March 10, 2015.
77. Two days later, on February 26, 2015, the Company issued a press
release in which Hacksell stated that ACADIA "remain[s] on track to submit our
New Drug Application to the FDA in the first quarter of 2015."
78. Hacksell stated the same on a conference call held that day, telling
investors that "we remain on track to submit our NDA this quarter" and noting
again that the Company had "successfully completed" its "drug-drug interaction
program and our stability program for registration batches," and that it has "held
successful pre-NDA meetings with the FDA." Mills echoed Hacksell's statements
later on in the same call: "As Uli mentioned at the beginning of the call, we are
diligently completing preparations to support the FDA review of NUPLAZID and
remain on track to submit our NDA this quarter." Hacksell also noted during the
call that the Company is "expanding its infrastructure to support the planned
launch and commercialization of NUPLAZID, including adding to our commercial
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structure, commercial level manufacturing, medical affairs, quality control and
I compliance."
79. Despite this positive update in the Company's February 26, 2015
public statements, less than a week later the Company cancelled its March 3, 2015
appearance at the last minute for the Cowen and Company 35th Annual Health
Care Conference. The Company then cancelled its scheduled appearance at the
27th Annual ROTH Conference on March 10, 2015, also at the last minute.
80. These cancellations fueled rumors that ACADIA would be acquired,
causing ACADIA' s stock price to surge 18% to $45.88 per share on March 10,
2015. See Stock Markets Daily, ACADIA Pharmaceuticals an Acquisition Target
(Mar. 10, 2015). At this time, the Company did not inform the market of the
problems with the NDA.
E. The Second Delay
81
The Company issued no explanation for cancelling the conferences
and did not issue any further public statements about the timing of its NDA
submission until March 11, 2015. That day, ACADIA announced that it was
delaying its NDA submission yet again, this time to the second half of 2015 (i.e.,
by December 31, 2015), and that Hacksell was resigning. The Company also
announced the appointment of CFO Davis as Interim CEO. ACADIA explained in
the press release that the decision to delay the NDA submission this time was
"based on additional time required to complete the preparation of systems to
support commercial manufacturing and supply and, in turn, to support the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) review of NUPLAZID." Davis
commented in the release that "[w]e have concluded that additional time is needed
to complete the readiness of our commercial manufacturing systems."
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82. On a conference call that day, Davis further explained the reasons for
the delay, stating that ACADIA "completed an assessment" of its "manufacturing,
quality systems and procedures," which "is a customary, but important step in
preparing for an NDA review and the inspections that are part of that review":
In preparation for submission of the NDA, we completed an assessment of our manufacturing, quality systems and procedures. This is a customary, but important step in preparing for an NDA review and the inspections that are part of that review. Based upon this assessment, we've determined that we need to do additional work toprepare our systems to support commercial-scale manufacturing and supply.
I'm going to pause here and just take a second to provide some context around the system that I'm describing. Moving from a clinical-stage company to a commercial-stage company, as we are doing, requires buildmg infrastructure to accommodate commercial-scale operations. These systems include things such as robust quality assurance systems, documentation and record-keeping systems, commercial-oriented Standard Operating Procedures or SOPs, systems to monitor activities of third-party suppliers, and simply the management of materials through the supply chain.
Many of these systems exist when you're a clinical-stage coipany, but have to be significantly expanded and much more robust for commercial-scale production. Establishing the infrastructure I've described requires close coordination between our internal manufacturing resources, external third-party suppliers and the quality assurance functions within each organization. Because these manufacturing and supply systems are subject to inspection as part of the NDA review process, it is an important that our systems be robust and ready for FDA review and of course for commercial launch.
To be ready for that review, the systems need to be established, they have to be tested and evaluated, and frequently, they need to be tested in connection with actual production runs completed by your third-party suppliers, in other words, it's not just a paper exercise. You sometimes need to test them in real production runs.
So, this requires coordination of our schedule with the schedules and availability of others and the logistics, quite frankly, can be challenging. With that context, the assessment we've recently concluded indicates that the network of systems needed to support commercial manufacturing and supply, and again importantly, the review of our NUPLAZID NDA, requires further implementation and additional testing, work that was not part of the company's original plan. As a result of information from this assessment, we've decided to move back the planned NDA submission of NUPLAZID to the second half of 2015.
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83. As a result of this news, ACADIA common stock dropped $9.94 per
2 share to close at $34.82 per share on March 12, 2015, a one-day decline of 22% on
unusually high volume of 15 million shares.
4
RELEVANT PRE-CLASS PERIOD STATEMENTS
84. On April 11, 2013, ACADIA held a conference call with investors
6 and analysts, announcing that the FDA agreed that data from ACADIA' s pivotal
7 Phase III -020 study, with supportive data from other pimavanserin studies, was
sufficient to support the filing of an NDA for the treatment of PDP. During the
conference call Defendants stated in relevant part:
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there is a chance or any potential for the filmg to happen sooner.
gating items are that need to be completed before NDA submission. It [Analyst: Just wondering if you could talk about what the time-
EHacksel]]: Yes, we have a number of things remaining that needs to 13 e done, which are standard studies. We need to do additional NDA-
enabling studies, including drug-drug interactions studies, and we also
14 need to do CMC studies that are required for approval. These things take time. We still save a lot of time compared to the previous
15 scenario, where we would have had to conduct the 021 study as well. So we are very excited about this expedited path to NDA submission.
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17 [Analyst: Thanks. Just a couple of follow-up items on the last
18 question. So drug-drug interaction studies are relatively quick to complete, so is it the manufacturing stuff that is now the rate-limiting
19 step?
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[Hacksel]]: Yes, clearly what we have to do is additional stability testing of regulatory batches, and that takes some time.
21 [Analyst: And so it sounds like -- have you actually completed the
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three validation batches on commercial manufacturing, and you are just waiting for stability now?
23 [Mills]: I think what it is reasonable to say is that we are well
24 underway in the preparations to run the stability studies.
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[Analyst: So that actually sounds like you have the material in hand, and it is really the stability study that needs to be started and
26 completed.
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CONSOLIDATED CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT
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[Mills]: There are a number of preparatory studies -- small studies in setting these batches up, and the program is well underway.
[Analyst: I guess what I am confused about is that if you are talking about a filmg in late 2014, you know, a good 21 months from now, I thought that these stability studies lasted for a much shorter period of time than that, that because you are also testing at accelerated conditions, that those things are usually less than like 12 months. What am I missing about the timeline?
[Hackselfl : I think, first of all, there are a number of things that you need to do in order to conduct the stability testing of these batches properly, both in preparation of the batches and the analytical testing of the batches. In addition to that, you know, it takes a while to put the NDA together.
I think the important thing for us is that we are well ahead on putting everything together that is needed for the NDA submission. And again, the fact that we saved a considerable amount of time, perhaps up to a year, by having this expedited path to the NDA.
[Mills]: I think it is also fair to say that we have had extended experience with not only the drug for its effects, but also importantly in manufacturing multiple lots of the drug for our clinical trials. We are very comfortable with the chemical characteristics of the drug. We have made many batches in the past, and we know that this -- that the drug is very stable in multiple conditions. We are not anticipating any problems in the program, but we want to ensure that it is done smoothly and we don't run into problems at the NDA from the CMC program.
[Analyst : Maybe just in a slightly different tweak of the question, what is the kind of standard minimum amount of stability testing typically desired or required by the Agency to approve a drug with a decent shelf life? Is it six months at accelerated conditions, nine months, 12 months? Maybe that would be helpful to give us a sense.
[Mills]: Between six to 12 months.
[Analyst]: . . . [Jjust a couple of quick Questions regarding the study, the CML and the drug-drug interactions. Because you were going to run the 021 trial starting fairly soon, were you going to mn those in parallel anyway or you are accelerating the timeline for those studies?
[Mills]: So our drug-drug interactions studies have been planned and are actually underway, and that was part of the orjginal planning. Those aren't influenced by the 021 timing or efforts. I think it is also fair to say that in terms of those, they are very standard studies, they are what we expected to do planned to do and will do. And it is worthwhile bearing in mind that all our patients in the PDP program are on multiple other therapeutics, managing their Parkinson's
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disease, and obviously many of the other aspects of the lives of elderly people with multiple issues ongoing.
2 [Hacksel]]: And when it comes to the CMC program, that was started clearly before we knew of the outcome of the FDA meeting.
4 [Analyst] Okay, so that was all already in the works.
[Mills]:
Absolutely.
[Analyst]: With regard to manufacturing, do have redundancy built into that? Do you have multiple manufacturers? Is the batch and the CMC going to be solely to one manufacturer? And I imagine these are all contracted out.
[Hacksel]]: It is all contracted out to one manufacturer, correct.
[MillsI: I think it is -- just to note that obviously we have made multiple batches of this drug through our clinical program, and we have worked with our manufacturers throughout in a very consistent and good manner.
85. On April 30, 2013, ACADIA presented at the Needham Healthcare
Conference, during which defendant Hacksell stated, in relevant part:
So, with this outcome of our FDA discussion, we can now move aggressively forward towards assembling the NDA. We hope to be able to submit the NDA near the end of 2014. What remains to be done for us is CMC activities, including assessment of stability of regulatory batches. I should mention to you that the CMC area, we have thmgs remaining to do, but we don't see any risks in the remaining activities, because we have already done a lot of stability work.
When it comes to a submission of an NDA, you need to do certain things, and to check the boxes and that's what we're doing here. We also need to do some standard drug-drug interaction studies. Those are also essentially checking the remaining boxes. So we feel very confident about the remaining develqpment program of
n pimavansen. But it will take some time. The good thing for us is that we can move forward much quicker than we would have done otherwise, if we had been required to do an additional clinical study --an additional pivotal study, I should say.
[Audience Member]: Can you talk about additional things that you have to do and the time line -
[Hacksel]]: Yes, what remains to be dope for us is basically completing the CMC program, and that includes stability testing of the regulatory batches. Just to make sure that you understand, there is
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a lot of formality that you do, complete the CMC program. And so that's what we have as a critical timeline to NDA submission. To check all the boxes that are required for that.
86. On August 5, 2014, the Company hosted a second quarter earnings
call during which Defendants stated in relevant part:
[Mills]: During the second quarter, we held routine pre-NDA meetings with the FDA. These interactions are positive and enabled us to outline and discuss our planned submission and how the NDA would be organized. Based on these positive interactions, we remain on track for the planned NDA submission to the end of 2014.
Importantly, our team has remained focused on completing the remaining activities in our pimavanserin PDP development program that are needed for the submission of our NDA. This includes aspects of the CMC development, including stability testing of the pimavanserin registration batches and supported studies including drug-drug interaction studies.
I am pleased to report that our CMCprogram has continued to advance as planned. You may recall that our three required registration batches of pimavansenn were successfully manufactured at the commercial launch scale and registration of stability testing on these drug product batches was initiated last October.
During the second quarter, we completed an assessment on the first six months of stability data from these registration lots and, importantly, confirmed that these data are consistent with historical data observed with our clinical trials formulation. We are continuing to accumulate data in our registration stabilityprogram, which is designed to comply with the ICH guidelines of 12-month stability of regulatory batches and to meet the regulatory filing requirements for major markets worldwide.
[Analyst: So the only remaining gating event is finishing up the one year with the stability testing.
[Mills]: That has been the key -- sort of the key event through this program. So -- and obviously, 12-month stability takes 12 months.
CLASS PERIOD STATEMENTS
87. On the first day of the Class Period, November 10, 2014, ACADIA
issued a press release reporting its third quarter 2014 financial results and updating
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the timing of its submission of the NUPLAZID NDA. The press release stated in
relevant part:
ACADIA plans to submit its NUPLAZID NDA for Parkinson's disease psychosis in the first quarter of 2015. The company had previously planned to submit the NDA near the end of 2014. The decision to move back the planned submission is based on additional time required to complete preparations needed to support the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) review of NIJPLAZID. The change in submission timing is not a result of any change to NUPLAZID's clinical or safety profile, nor is it a result of any interaction with or request for intormation from the FDA. Additionally, ACADIA reported that it has successfully completed its drug-drug interaction program and its registration stability program.
"While we had hoped to submit our NDA for NUPLAZID near the end of this year, we believe it is prudent to push back our planned submission to the first quarter of 2015," said Uli Hacksell, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of ACADIA. "We are confident in our safety and efficacy data package supporting the NUPLAZID NDA and are working diligently on completing preparations for the NDA submission and review."
88. On a conference call that day, defendants ACADIA and Hacksell
stated in relevant part:
[Hacksel]]: In summary, we are working diligently on moving the NUPLAZIDprogram toward registration, preparing for submission of the NDA in the first quarter of 2015, followed by a submission of an IVIAA in Europe six to nine months thereafter.
We continue to make important progress in building our commercial capabilities, and on the development side, we are actively pursuing a number of indications in which pimavanserin may represent a novel approach to treating certain disorders. We continue to make important additions to our team and are putting significant effort into hiring high quality and experienced leaders as we build out key areas of the organization to manage the planned launch and commercialization on NTITPLAZID.
[Analyst: Thanks for taking the questions. The first one I have for you is regarding NDA timing. And this is something that has been in the works with a similar timeline on it for quite a while now. So I guess I'm trying to get a little bit of a better understanding of why do you need this extra time at this point, even though it's still a relatively short amount of time. Are there additional analyses that you decided to do after meeting with the FDA or as part of the submission you sent them to get the breakthrough designation?
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[Hacksell]: So what we really can say is that the timing change is related to the fact that we have additional preparations that are required to support the FDA's review ofNUPLAZID, and that is not really related to any kind of major hurdles. We have completed the drug-drug intertion program. We have stability as required in our registratioipr
0iam. We have not any kind of interactions with the
FDA that ushthis. It's just that we need some more time to complete e preparations. It is just a timing issue, nothing else.
'Analyst]: . . . It doesn't appear to be a big deal in the grand scheme of thmgs, but I am wondering if the timing with regard to the NDA is related to any new observation with regard to that drug-drug interaction study or the sability work that you have been doing, or is this simply a Gantt chart thing whereon are preparing the submission for making the submission?
[Mills]: . . . So I think you probably hit it in the last bit there. With regard to the data, we have got no data that would suggest we have developed any problem with the clinical data with the dmg product. All those thin have gone according to plan, not just the dmg-dmg interactions, but the stability program, all have gone pretty smoothly.
Importantly, looking at the safety profile of the dmg, it really continues to be very consistent with everything we have seen in the past and, obviously, with the basis of that was really the submission that we made to FDA, and there is nothing changed in terms of the risk-benefit of the drug.
[Hackselfl: So I think you expressed it pretty well. It's just a matter of timing. You can call it a Gantt chart, if you wish.
89. On December 2, 2014, ACADIA presented at the Piper Jaffray
Healthcare Conference, during which defendants ACADIA and Davis stated in
relevant part:
[Analyst: . . . NDA filing is soon?
[Davis]: Yes. "at we've guided is the first quarter of 2015, and we remain on track for that
6 A Gantt chart is a "visual representation of a project schedule" that "show[sJ the start and finish dates of the different requirement elements of a project.' Investopedia. com , Gantt Chart, http://www.investopedia.com/terms /g/gantt-chart.asp.
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90. On January 13, 2015, ACADIA presented at the IPMorgan Healthcare
2 Conference, during which defendants ACADIA and Hacksell stated in relevant
3 part:
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[Audience Member]: . . . You reiterate our guidance in your talk just now about filing the pimavanserin MA this first quarter. So considering we are in the first quarter, is it safe to assume no more obstacles with whatever the issue was that pushed it off? And do you feel comfortable it has been addressed?
[Hacksell]: Yes. The question is if we feel comfortable with submitting the NDA this quarter and the answer is yes, we do.
91. On February 26, 2015, ACADIA issued a press release announcing its
2014 fourth quarter and year-end financial results (for the year ended December
31, 2014). The Company reported anet loss of $28.4 million, or ($0.28) diluted
earnings per share and collaborative revenue of $47,000 for the fourth quarter of
2014. Additionally, the Company reported a net loss of $92.5 million, or ($0.95)
diluted EPS, and collaborative revenue of $120,000 for the year ended December
31, 2014. The release stated in pertinent part as follows:
"Our accomplishments in 2014, highlighted by NIIPLAZIDTM receiving Breakthrough Therapy designation from the FDA, our strengthened balance sheet, and our commercial prçparations, set the stage for a promismg 2015," said Uli Hacksell, Chief Executive Officer of ACADIA. "Importantly, we continue to advance our Parkinson's disease psychosis program towards registration and remain on track to submit our New Drug Application to the FDA in the first quarter of 201 5."
92. That same day, after releasing its financial results for its 2014
fourth quarter and year end, ACADIA hosted a conference call for analysts,
media representatives and investors during which defendants ACADIA,
Hacksell, and Mills stated in relevant part:
[Hacksel]]: Our performance in 2014 was highlighted by a number of important achievements. During 2014, we continued to advance our NUPLAZID program for the treatment of Parkinson's disease
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psychosis, or PDP, towards registration and we remain on track to submit our NDA this quarter.
We successfully completed our drug-drug interaction program and our stability program for registration batches. We also held successful pre-NDA meetings with the FDA.
[Mills] . ...As Uli mentioned at the beginning of the call, we are diligently completing preparations to support the FDA review of N IJPLALID and remain on track to submit our NDA this quarter.
EHacksel]]: Thank you Terry. The stage is set for what I believe will e a very exciting year at ACADIA and we're off to a strong start in
2015. Our priorities are clear. We plan to submit our NDA for NUPLAZID during the first quarter of 2015, continue to build out our commercial capabilities to prepare for the planned launch of NUPLAZID, and we will pursue the development of pimavanserin for other neurological and psychiatric disorders that are underserved by currently available antipsychotic drugs. We also will prepare a submission for NUPLAZID in Europe.
As far as our organization, we are expanding our existing infrastructure to support the planned launch and commercialization of NUPLAZID including adding to our commercial structure, commercial level manufacturing, medical affairs, quality control and compliance. We have brought in highly qualified individuals with extensive experience in their ftinctional domain and in CNS products. I am thrilled to see the high level of collaboration across functions.
93. That day, ACADIA filed its annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal
year 2014 ("2014 Form 10-K"), signed by defendants Hacksell and Davis. In
regard to the timeline for submitting the NUPLAZID NDA and the Company's
manufacturers, the 2014 Form 10-K stated in relevant part:
We plan to submit the NDA to the FDA in the first quarter of 2015.
We currently outsource 2 and plan to continue to outsource, manufacturing responsibilities for our existing and future product candidates, including NUPLAZID, for development and commercial purposes. Until recently, NUPLAZID has been manufactured in small quantities for preclmical studies and clinical trials. If NUPLAZID is approved for commercial sale, we will need to manufacture the product in larger quantities. Significant scale-up of manufacturing requires additional process development and validation studies, which will be subject to FDA review as part of our NDA
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submission. Our active pharmaceutical ingredient, or API, has been manufactured in Switzerland for over ten years and we anticipate continuing to use this manufacturer as we transition to a commercial organization.
We plan to retain third-party service providers to perform a variety of functions related to the distribution of NUPLAZID, including warehousing, customer service, ,order-taking, invoicing, collections, and shipment and returns processing.
94. Moreover, the 2014 Form 10-K contained certifications pursuant to
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2001 ("SOX") signed by CEO Hacksell and CFO Davis
stating that the 2014 Form 10-K "fully complies with the requirements of Section
13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934" and "the
information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the
financial condition of the Company at the end of the period covered by the Report
and results of operations of the Company for the period covered by the report.
Defendants Hacksell and Davis further signed a separate certification stating, in
relevant part:
1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 of ACADIA Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a materialfact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined m Exchange Act Rules 1 3a- 15(e) and 1 Sd- 15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material mformation relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made
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known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
b) designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
c) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
d) disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.
95. Defendants' statements in ¶ 87-94 above were materially false and
misleading when made because Defendants knowingly or recklessly failed to disclose
the following:
(a) The Company was not on track to submit its NDA for
NUPLAZID by March 31, 2015;
(b) The Company did not have robust quality assurance systems,
documentation and record-keeping systems, commercial-
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oriented SOPs, or systems in place to monitor the activities of
third-party suppliers and manage materials through the supply
chain, and therefore lacked the systems necessary to support the
commercial manufacturing and supply of NUPLAZID and
approval of the Company's NUPLAZID NDA; and
(c) The Company had not yet conducted a mock inspection of its
commercial manufacturing and supply systems to determine
whether they were sufficient to support approval of the
Company's NUPLAZID NDA.
96. At no point during the Class Period did Defendants correct or update
the aforementioned false or misleading statements listed in ¶87-94.
POST CLASS PERIOD EVENTS
97. Then, on March 11, 2015, ACADIA issued a press release announcing
a change in the timing of its planned NDA submission to the FDA for NUPLAZID.
After the First Delay, the Company planned to submit the NDA by March 31,
2015. Now, however, it planned to submit its NDA nine to ten months later, in the
second half of 2015. The release stated in part:
"We have concluded that additional time is needed to complete the readiness of our commercial manufacturing systems," said Steve Davis, Interim Chief Executive Officer at ACADIA. "While we are very disappointed with the change in timing, we believe that this is the prudent course of action to take. We are working expeditiously to ensure that our systems are robust and ready for 1iDA review and commercial launch. Importantly, we remain confident in the safety and efficacy package spportmg the NDA of NUPLAZID, which received Breakthrough I herapy designation from the FDA last year."
98. Later that day, ACADIA hosted a conference call for analysts,
investors, and media representatives during which Defendants stated in relevant
Ipart:
[Davis]: In preparation for submission of the NDA, we completed an assessment of our manufacturing and quality systems and
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procedures. This is a customary but important step in preparing for an NDA review and the inspections that are part of that review. Based uponthis assessment we determined that we needed to do additional work to prepare our systems to support commercial scale manufacturing and supply.
I'm going to pause here and just take a second to provide some context around the system that I am describing.
Moving from a clinical stage company to a commercial stage company as we are doing requires building infrastructure to accommodate commercial scale operations. These systems include things such as robust quality assurance systems, documentation and record-keeping systems, commercial oriented standard operating procedures or SOPs, systems to monitor activities of third-party suppliers and simply the management of materials through the supply chain.
Many of these systems exist when you are a clinical stage company but have to be significantly expanded and much more robust for commercial scale production. Establishing the infrastructure I have described requires close coordination between our internal manufacturing resources external third-party suppliers and the quality assurance functions within each organization. Because these manufacturing and supply systems are subject to inspection as part of the NDA review process, it is important that our systems be robust and ready for FDA review and of course for commercial launch.
To be ready for that review, the systems need to be established, they have to be tested and evaluated and frequently they need to be tested in connection with actual production runs completed by your third-party suppliers. In other words, it is not just a paper exercise; you sometimes need to test them in real production runs.
So this requires coordination of our schedule with the schedules and availability of others and the logistics quite frankly, can be challenging. With that context, the assessment we recently concluded indicates that the network of systems needed to support commercial manufacturing and supply and again importantly 2 the review of our NUPLAZID NDA, requires further implementation and additional testing, work that was not part of the Company's original plan.
As a result of information from this assessment, we have decided to move back the planned NDA submission of NUPLAZID to the second half of 2015.
[Davis]: . . . Now let me address the corporate release we issued today regarding the change in management. As you are aware, we announced today that Uli Hacksell has retired as Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board of Directors effective today. We thank Uli for his many contributions to ACADIA taking the
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Company from a small start-up to a significant biopharmaceutical company with significant growth potential. Uli's dedication, his tenacity, his deep knowledge of the CNS space and lifelong passion to deliver new dmgs that can improve the lives of patients with CNS disorders have benefited ACADIA greatly.
During this transition period, our Board of Directors has appointed me as interim Chief Executive Officer. As many of you on the call are aware, I recently joined ACADIA eight months ago as its Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Business Officer. For those of you that I haven't connected with as much, by way of background I have an extensive operational experience with over 20 years at the executive level and have worked as CEO and COO at other biopharmaceutical companies. I also have over 20 years of collective experience sitting on the Boards of Directors of public biopharmaceutical companies including three companies in the last year that are at similar stages of commercial preparations as ACADIA.
T have an extensive network in the industry. I have seen these types of issues before and I am fully confident we will solve them. I look forward to working with our senior leadership team to put our full weight and resources behind advancing NUPLAZID towards registration and preparing the drug for its planned launch.
[Analyst: .. . Sol guess just wondering, your 4Q call was two weeks ag and obviously you were confident in the 1Q timeline then. Can you just help us understand what has happened between then and now and how can we be at all confident in the new timeline you guys have given?
[Davis]: It is fair question. I will just start by saying that preparing and filing an NDA is a huge amount of work across many functions of the Company and as we got closer to the final submission date and diverse functions of the Company became coordinated, the group of us sitting around this table became aware that we had more work to do to be prepared in the areas that I mentioned. And we collectively decided that the best approach to filing a successful NDA would be to take more time prior to the filing. Ultimately it is a judgment call when to file but we are confident that the right balance is to take some more time to best position the Company for a successful NDA review.
Look, I'm going to be honest. Obviously mistakes were made. The Company should have been better prepared but we have taken decisive steps to address those missteps and I am very confident in the team here.
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[Analysfl: Can you remind us again who your third-party manufacturers are?
[Davis]: We have not disclosed the identity of those companies. What F can tell you is they are name brand third-party manufacturers, CMOs, that are extensively used in the biopharmaceutical industry and perhaps more importantly used by the major pharmaceutical companies.
[Analysts: And the particular plants of the third parties that you are using, are they currently all GMP certified and completely basically passed through inspection?
[Davis]: They are and without talking specifically about individual companies, they have all been inspected by multiple regulatory agencies in the recent past.
[Analyst]: And you mentioned just a breadth of things that are involved in these quality systems and procedures, things like standards, SOPs, raw material, supply chain. Is there one or two particular areas that are the focus of the ongomg activity? I can't imagine that every single one of these would need work.
[Davis]: No, quite frankly as I mentioned, you do a lot of these things at a clinical stage level and when you go to commercial stage, they frankly need to be more robust, there are some things that you do that are new but most of the things just have to be done at a much more industrial scale. And again speaking quite frankly, the Company didn't start the process early enough to really get those things in place. We have made very good progress I think m the last few months but this recent assessment we had indicates that we've got more work to do.
We have identified the areas that we think need most work. We have very clear plan to address them and again in this business, you always worry about the things you don't know and those things can always happen but based upon everything we know today, we are very confident in our projection of being ready to submit in the second half.
b [Analyst: . . . And then just last and this is maybe a bit subjective ut management -- occasionally programs do slip in terms of the filing
and management changes in conjunction with such timelines may seem appropriate but may to some also seem a bit Draconian. And I wrestle with that word. Can you comment a little more on why they were necessary or specific in this instance?
[Davisi: Well, let me start by saying Uli has discussed with the Board for some time retiring from the Company. So look, this is in the short term, this is a very painful process for the Company. We don't like missing timelines. In the long run, it has no bearing whatsoever
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on the ultimate potential of this drug. Again, I am quite confident that we will resolve these issues and I am very, very confident that as we move forward here, that we will continue to explore the full range of potential that the molecule has.
We really very much appreciate the significant contributions that Uli has made to the Company. He brought the Company from a very small and very challenged company to one that has tremendous promise today. Operationally, we know exactly what we need to do. We are dedicated to doing it and we have a very clear plan and I think a very cohesive management team executing that plan.
[Analyst: ... You also mentioned you would be bringing on additional in-house experts to bolster capabilities? Iguess are those people already on board or when are you planning to do that?
[Davis]
They are on board.
[Analyst] How long have they been on board?
[Davis]: As we have moved through the last year, we have continued to build our capabilities and so as we have advanced on a number of fronts, number of infrastructure fronts, we have continued to build out the capabilities and I would say that we are on track with where we need to be and expected to be.
[Analyst: . . . Just following on to Whitney's questions, the additional, the expert consults, the in-house experts and the management changes that you referred to, is this a function of new people being cycled into existingpositions, especially at the management level or will you be bolting on and creating new positions?
FDavisl: I am not sure I understood the question. Let me answer what I think you asked and if I don't get it exactly right please let me know.
So as we have progressed through the lastyear, we have continued to grow at a healthy rate. So we have mapped out over a year ago and then we have continued to refine this. The positions that we need, the functions that we need, the resources we need, so we have a very, very detailed plan that we are continuing to execute on in that regard.
I think in terms of changes in management from existing roles, obviously Uli has retired and as I mentioned, he has made great, great contributions to the Company. I think the team that we have here is --our responsibilities other than mine have all continued on the same track and same plan that we have been on for some period of time. The buildout of the organization at the thither senior level and middle management level is completely on track and going according to plan.
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And so I think from that perspective, the overall plan is moving forward as we would have expected. We have made some course corrections here. We have made some course corrections in terms of personnel, realigning responsibilities. One of the things that we have done for instance is we have moved our quality function under our regulatory function. We have a very highly seasoned professional overseeing that area that has deep knowledge m this area so we've made some of those kinds of changes to make certain that we have the very best people executing the plan.
[Analyst: Got it. Right now, who at the senior level is the ultimate report for manufacturing and CMC? Is that you?
[Davis]: Yes, at the moment that reports into me. We have an experienced manufacturing person that oversees the manufacturing portion. I mentioned that the quality function is reportmg into our head of regulatory and again, this entire system is complemented by a very extensive network of consultants that we have worked with for some time and I have coincidentally worked with them at other compames as well. We have also brought in additional resources on that front as well.
[Analyst]: And a couple of questions coming in from clients and then I will stop. Why did Uli have to come off the Board? I mean we know Uli has contributed in an executive capacity but that seems like a strategic shift or disagreement on a fundamental basis.
[Davis]: Yes, so let me address that. First, I would just say that When a CEO leaves the organization, it is very common for them to also step off of the Board. You mentioned strategic direction and maybe alluded to is there a change in strategic direction. Let me just be very clear, there is no change in strategy at all. Everything that we are focused on today is simply an operational set of issues that will resolve.
So the strategic direction of the Company, our intent to launch this drug independently in the United States, maintaining options to possi partner outside of the United States or possibly launch ourselves particularly in Europe remain the same. There is no change in strategy or direction of the Company.
[Analyst: And just last confirmatory question, can you just confirm that there was no issue with the actual drug product rather than quality assurance systems or supply?
'Davis' .There is no issue with the drug product itself. No issue
with drug substance, the drug product, the formulation, synthesis. There is no issues on that front at all.
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[Analyst]: Thanks for taking the follow-up. Again just another confirmatory question. Can you just confirm or I guess -- other then the manufacturing and quality control side of things, would you have been in a position to file the MA this month as previously expected?
[Davis]: Yes.
99. As a result of this news, ACADIA common stock dropped $9.94 per
share to close at $34.82 per share on March 12, 2015, a one-day decline of 22% on
volume of 15 million shares.
100. Since announcing the Second Delay of the NDA, the Company has
disclosed additional information about the delay. On March 17, 2015, Cowen &
Company published an analyst report titled, "Behind the 8 Ball, But Catching Up:
Highlights From Meeting With ACAD Mgmt," in which it described its meeting
with ACADIA's management the day before. The report stated in relevant part:
We met ACAD's mgmt team yesterday to thither discuss details of the pimavanserin NDA delay. We understand that non-ND A package in-house quality assurance protocols/documentation are not ready and will not be ready for up to 9 months, (but possibly sooner). We think pima's clmicial profile continues to be very positive, and have little to no doubt on its approvability.
We think ACAD is significantly behind in finalizing its manufacturing quality assurance protocols, having likely started developing the protocols too late in the NDA process. We think is especially true as, anecdotally, FDA inspections (both clinical and manufacturing) are now sometimes occurring very early in the NDA review process. Importantly, these protocols are not part of an NDA. AC AD believes the pima NDA is complete, and now only needs to be updated until time of submission. However, failure to have protocols ready for inspections could result in a Refuse-To-File letter or Complete Response Letter, delaying approval.
101. On March 26, 2015, Cowen & Company published another analyst
report titled, "Group Lunch Takeaways: Playing Catch-Up With Quality
Assurance," which provided additional details about the delay from another
meeting with ACADIA management. The report stated in relevant part:
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We hosted agroup lunch with ACAD yesterday where overall the major topic of discussion was the outstanding quality assurance issues that ACAD intends to rectify/complete before NDA submission. Most key points discussed were covered in the note detailing our previous note with takeaways from Cowen's meeting with ACAD on March 16th. Deficiencies involve SOPs for various functions, supply chain, training documentation, protocols for product release etc. Some of these issues require test manufacturing runs to evaluate, which require reserving manufacturing suites for test runs, which in turn, force ACAD to schedule around their CMOs schedule (costing time), reserving additional manufacturing line time slots (costing money), or both.
ACAD is reserving the right to start a rolling NDA, but believes initiating one may either trigger or start the clock on an inspection even before all modules (even CMC) are submitted.
The responsibilities previously handled by ACAD's head of quality assurance were recently assumed by the same consulting agency that was retained to assist ACAD in a supportive quality assurance role in Fall 2014. The engagement of this firm shortly preceded the recognition of preliminary deficiencies that resulted in the first NDA delay to 1Q15. ACAD is actively conducting a search for an internal head of quality assurance and will be hiring more members of that department. ACAD is also currently conducting a permanent CEO search, in which the acting CEO Steve Davis is a candidate.
102. On an April 14, 2015, ACADIA presented at the Needham Healthcare
Conference, during which Davis commented on the issues leading to the delay,
stating in relevant part:
So Alan has asked if I could elaborate a little bit more on NDA submission, CMC-related activities, etc.
I think, as everyone in the room is aware, we pushed the submission back to the second half. We were planning to submit at the end of the first quarter and determine that we have just more work that we need to do to be ready to submit.
We gave a fairly broad range of the second half of the year. That was conscious and intentional, and the reason for that is the work that we need to do really revolves around making certain that we are ready for preapproval inspections. In order to get to that state of readiness, there's a certain amount of work that needs to be done in collaboration with our third-party suppliers, and because we are relying on other people's schedules, it's important -- I felt like it was important to make certain that we had factored in a certain degree of uncertainty regarding just what their schedules will entail.
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Just to give the broader context, to get a drug approved you need to do three things, right? One is the NDA is the primary focus of the drug approval. Our NDA is ready to go, so we can check that box. We could push the button tomorrow and submit the NDA. It's about 700,000 pages, so as you can see it's a very substantial document. That's not atypical, by the way. The other two buckets that are required to get a drng approved are passing what's referred to as preapproval mspections, and they come in two forms. One is on the climcal side and we've done what most companies do. We did an extensive amount of preparation, getting ourselves ready for those inspections, and we did again what most compames do. We hired former FDA inspectors, had them come in and do a mock inspection and do the same kind of inspection that we expect FDA to do. The results of that were that we are ready to go on the clinical side.
We did the same thing on the third bucket and that is on your preapproval inspections associated with manufacturing. We determined then that we have more work to do and so that's the subject of the work that we're doing now. I have said many times, I am not aware of any company that has failed to get their drugapproved because they couldn't get a quality assurance system in place that passes a preapproval inspection.
So we will do that. It's a process that we need to get in place. I'm highly confident that we willget that in place. I think we've got the right team. We've got the right plan. It's an extensive plan and a very robust team working on this, and based on everything 17 know today, I'm confident that we will submit the NDA in the second half.
The remaining bucket that we need to address is getting the quality assurance system in place on the GIVIP side of the equation. Qnce we have that in place, which again every company does -- I'm highly confident we will -- the commercial group is ready to go.
103. ACADIA finally submitted its NDA on September 3, 2015, aboutflve
months after March 31, 2015. That day, the Company also announced the
appointment of Davis as CEO. Soon thereafter, on September 29, 2015, ACADIA
presented at the Ladenburg Thalmann Healthcare Conference, during which Davis
answered a question from an analyst about the "manufacturing issues" that
contributed to the delay in submitting the NDA. Davis disclosed that the Company
recognized in March or February 2015 that it was not prepared to submit the
NDA:
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[Analyst]: . . . I want to lead with a significant focus of investors over the past several quarters,
, uarters,just a manufacturing issue. I know it's
been something that's been a focus. How confident are you that you have that buttoned-up completely at this point?
[Davis]: . . . I would start by saying, the issue that we've addressed is not a manufacturing issue per se. It s a quality assurance issue. And quite simply, as you move from a clinical stage company into a commercial stage company, there are a number of systems that need to be enhanced and significantly built to make that transition. The quality assurance system is one of them.
And so, on - the company just didn't start soon enough in building out the Quality Assurance system or making that transition to a commercial-grade QA system on the GMP front. We recognized that in March of this year or February this year, and began the process of building that out. At the time that we made the transition, when I moved into the Interim CEO role, I indicated that we would - we plan to - we were going to do it right. We're going to finish the work there and we plan to submit the NDA in the second half of this year.
104. On August 6, 2015, ACADIA filed a quarterly report on Form 10-Q
for the second quarter of 2015 ("Q2 Form 10-Q"). The Q2 Form 10-Q provided
that the Company "licensed worldwide intellectual property rights related to
pimavanserin in certain indications to ACADIA Pharmaceuticals GmbH,"
ACADIA's "wholly-owned Swiss subsidiary," which "will manage the worldwide
supply chain of pimavanserin."
105. The Q2 Form 10-Q also disclosed that on August 3, 2015, ACADIA
entered into a master manufacturing services agreement and product agreement
with Patheon Pharmaceuticals Inc. ("Pathcon"). Pursuant to the agreement,
Patheon will manufacture and supply NUPLAZID for ACADIA's commercial use
in the United States, and ACADIA will purchase from Patheon a certain
percentage of its commercial requirements of NUPLAZID for the United States.
Patheon will manufacture the drug using the API supplied by another third-party
manufacturer. With respect to ACADIA's ability to inspect Patheon's facilities,
paragraph 7.5 of the agreement provides:
Patheon will give Client reasonable access at agreed times to procedures and documentation relevant to the Product, and to the
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areas of the Manufacturing Site in which the Products are manufactured, stored, handled, or shipped, to permit Client to verify that the Manufacturing Services are being performed in accordance with the Specifications, cGMPs, Applicable Laws and the Quality Agreement. But, with the exception of "For Cause" Audits, Client will be limited each Year to one c&MP type audit, lasting no more than F... ]days, and involving no more than [... ... auditors. Client may request additional cGMPtype audits, additional audit days, or the participation of additional auditors subject to payment to Patheon of a fee of $5,000 for each additional audit day and $1,000 per audit day for each additional auditor. The right of access set forth in this Section 7.5 will not include a right to access or inspect Patheon's financial records. In addition, upon the request of any Regulatory Authority havmgjunsdiction over the manufacture of Products hereunder, the Regulatory Authority will have access to observe, audit and inspect any Manufacturing Site and Patheon' s procedures used for the manufacture, release and stability testing, and/or warehousing of Products and to audit those facilities and procedures for compliance with cGMP and/or other regulatory requirements. Patheon specifically agrees to cooperate with any inspection by a Regulatory Authority, whether prior to or after Regulatory Approval of a Product, and to provide Client a copy of any inspection or audit report resulting from the inspection within three Bus' ess Days from receiving the report. Client may be present at the Facility for consultation during any such inspection.
106. Shortly thereafter, on August 21, 2015 ACADIA filed a Form 8-K
with the SEC announcing that its Swiss subsidiary entered into an agreement with
BASF Pharma (Evionnaz) SA ("BASF"), pursuant to which BASF will
manufacture and supply pimavanserin tartrate, the API of NUPLAZID, for the
Company's commercial use.
107. The Company filed the manufacturing agreements with Patheon and
I BASF as exhibits to its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the third quarter of 2015.
108. On September 3, 2015, the Company issued a Press Release
announcing that it had submitted its NDA for NUPLAZID.
109. On November 2, 2015, the Company issued a Press Release
announcing that its NDA for NUPLAZID was granted Priority Review. As the
Company explained in the release, Priority Review "accelerates the review
timeline from 10 months to six months from the date of acceptance of filing."
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110. Two days later, on November 6, 2015, the Company filed a Form 8-K
with the SEC announcing the resignations of Mills and Board member Lester
Kaplan ("Kaplan"). No further information was provided, and both resignations
were described as "effective immediately." According to ACADIA's website,
Mills had been with the Company as Executive Vice President, Development and
Chief Medical Officer since June 2006, while Kaplan has sewed as a director since
November 1997.
ADDITIONAL SCIENTER ALLEGATIONS
111. As alleged herein, Defendants acted with scienter because at the time
that they issued public documents and made other public statements in ACADIA's
name, they knew or recklessly disregarded the fact that such statements, when
made, were materially false and misleading and/or omitted material facts
concerning the manufacturing and quality assurance processes that would prevent
the Company from submitting its NDA by March 31, 2015. Defendants (a) knew
that such documents and statements would be issued or disseminated to the
investing public, (b) knew that persons were likely to rely upon those
misrepresentations and omissions, and (c) knowingly and/or recklessly participated
in the issuance and/or dissemination of such statements and/or documents as
primary violators of the federal securities laws. Defendants' materially false and
misleading statements and omissions of material fact artificially inflated
ACADIA's stock price during the Class Period.
A. Core Operations
112. Because the fraud alleged herein relates to the core business of
ACADIA, knowledge of the facts underlying the fraudulent scheme may be
imputed to the Individual Defendants. Indeed, ACADIA acknowledged in its 2014
Form 10-K that the Company was "highly dependent on the success of
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pimavanserin, our most advanced product candidate" and therefore the Individual
Defendants, as senior level executives and/or directors were in such positions at the
Company to access all material, non-public information concerning the status of
the manufacturing and quality assurance systems and their impact on the timing of
ACADIA's submission of its NDA on a real-time basis. Notably, on a November
6, 2013 conference call, Hacksell stated that the company had only 48 employees.
That number increased to only 97 full-time employees by December 31, 2014. See
2014 Form 10-K). Thus, the Individual Defendants were aware, or recklessly
disregarded, that statements about the Company's readiness to submit the NDA by
March 31, 2015, made contemporaneously with knowledge of contradictory
information, were materially false and/or misleading when made.
113. In fact, in response to the question "[right now, who at the senior
level is the ultimate report for manufacturing and CMC? Is that you?" on the
March 11, 2015 conference call, Davis, who was sewing as CFO and interim CEO
at the time, stated, "[yes, at the moment that reports into me." Accordingly, it is
highly likely that the issues with manufacturing and quality assurance that plagued
the submission of the NUPLAZID NDA during the relevant period would have
been directly reported from the person responsible for manufacturing and CMC to
defendant Hacksell while he sewed as CEO.
RI
Education, Experience, and Training of the Individual Defendants
114 The Individual Defendants were highly educated, trained, and
experienced. For example, Defendant Hacksell was highly educated and had
extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry. Hacksell received a Master
of Pharmacy and a Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry from Uppsala University. See
ACADIA, Definitive Proxy Statement (Form DEF 14A) (Apr. 24, 2014) at 8. He
joined ACADIA in February 1999 as Executive Vice President of Drug Discovery
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and was appointed CEO shortly thereafter in September 2000. See id. Prior to
joining ACADIA, Hacksell held senior executive positions at Astra, a
pharmaceutical company, including Vice President of Drug Discovery Technology
and President of Astra Draco, one of Astra's largest research and development
subsidiaries, and Vice President of CNS Preclinical R&D at Astra Arcus. See id.
Before his time at Astra, Hacksell was a professor of Organic Chemistry and
Department Chairman at Uppsala University and sewed as Chairman and Vice
Chairman of the European Federation of Medicinal Chemistry. See id.
115. Defendant Davis earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting
from Southern Nazarene University and his J.D. from Vanderbilt University. See
Davis joined ACADIA in July 2014 as Executive Vice President, CFO, and Chief
Business Officer with over 20 years of executive-level experience in the
pharmaceutical industry. See id. at 10-11. In 2013, prior to joining ACADIA,
Davis sewed as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Heron
Therapeutics, Inc., where he led core business and finance functions. See id. at 11.
Before joining Heron, Davis sewed as Executive Vice President and Chief
Operating Officer at Ardea Biosciences, Inc. from 2010 to 2013. See id. In that
capacity, he oversaw business functions, including finance, commercial planning,
and corporate development. See id. Earlier in his career, Davis sewed in
numerous executive roles at Neurogen Corporation from 1994 to 2010, including
CFO, Chief Operating Officer, and CEO, completing multiple collaborations and
product acquisitions with global pharmaceutical companies. See id.
116. Davis summarized his relevant experience on the March 11, 2015
I conference call:
I have an extensive operational experience with over 20 years at the executive level and have worked as CEO and COO at other
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biopharmaceutical companies. I also have over 20 years of collective experience sitting on the Boards of Directors of public S biopharmaceutical companies, including three companies in the last year that are at similar stages of commercial preparations as ACADIA.
I have an extensive network in the industry. I have seen these types of issues before and I am fully confident we will solve them. I look forward to working with our Senior Leadership Team to put our full weight and resources behind advancing NUPLAZID towards registration and preparing the drug for the planned - for its planned launch.
117. Defendant Mills received his medical degree at the Charing Cross
Hospital Medical School in London and his specialized training at the Royal
College of General Practitioners in London. See ACADIA, Definitive Proxy
Statement (Form DEF 14A) (Apr. 29, 2015) at 11. Mills joined ACADIA in June
2006 as Executive Vice President, Development and Chief Medical Officer. Prior
to joining the Company, Mills sewed as Vice President, Development at Pfizer
Global R&D, a division of Pfizer Inc. See id. At Pfizer, Mills was responsible for
the management and direction of drug development activities, playing a key role in
the development of Sutent®, a treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma and
gastrointestinal stromal tumors. See id. Before coming to Pfizer, Mills held senior
clinical management positions at Gilead Sciences, where he sewed as project
leader in the development of Tamiflu®, and at Abbott Laboratories, where he
played an important role in the development of antiviral drugs. See id. Earlier in
his career, Mills held several senior positions at the Wellcome Foundation,
including Scientific Advisor for Group Marketing and Therapeutic Area Head,
Cardiovascular Marketing. See id.
C. Bonuses and Other Incentive Compensation
118. Although the Individual Defendants knew, or recklessly disregarded,
that the NDA was not on track for submission by March 31, 2015, they were
motivated to rush the NDA submission forward and represent its readiness to the
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public to maximize the value of their lucrative performance-based executive
I compensation.
119. According to ACADIA's SEC filings, the Company's executive
compensation program included base salary, performance-based annual incentive
bonuses, and performance-based incentive stock options. See ACADIA, Definitive
Proxy Statement (Form DEF 14A) (Feb. 14, 2015) at 42-45. In making executive
compensation decisions the Compensation Committee of ACADIA' s Board of
Directors evaluates the performance of each executive in relation to a set of
corporate performance goals for the current year prepared by management. See id.
at 43. The details of the components of ACADIA' s executive compensation
program during the Class Period were as follows:
a) Base Salary: Base salaries were reviewed annually and adjustments
were made based upon an assessment of (i) the Company's
performance; (ii) the performance of each executive officer; (iii) the
impact of the performance on the Company's business results; and
(iv) the financial position of the Company, among other things. See
id. In 2014 the executive salaries were increased to be in line with the
50th percentile of salaries for similar positions. See id.
b) Incentive Bonuses: The Company believes that "performance-based
cash bonuses play an important role in providing incentives to our
executives to achieve defined annual corporate goals." Id. Each year,
the Compensation Committee reviews a detailed set of overall
corporate performance goals for the current year provided by
management. See id. Since the Company was "preparing to become a
commercial entity, with the first submission of an [NDA] for
pimavanserin[,]" during the Class Period, the corporate goals
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reviewed by the Compensation Committee were comprised "of annual
goals rather than specific financial measures." See id. In 2014, the
corporate performance goals reviewed by the Committee related to the
pimavanserin program, business development, financing and investor
relations, and administration and infrastructure. Id. at 44. The
pimavanserin program goals included the following: (i) conducting
pre-NDA meetings with the FDA; (ii) submitting the NDA for
pimavanserin; (iii) continuing progress with the pimavanserin
Alzheimer's disease study; (iv) managing the ongoing Phase III trial
for PDP; (v) evaluating other indications to be considered for
development; (vi) continuing other ongoing studies; and (vii)
conducting pre-commercialization planning and preparation. See id.
The Committee then based bonuses upon an average of (i) the
Company's overall performance in achieving the corporate goals; and
(ii) the overall performance of the executive's functional area,
including his individual contributions. See id. at 43. In 2014, the
target annual bonuses for the Individual Defendants were updated "to
reflect the growth and evolution of the Company" as follows: (i) 60%
of base salary for Hacksell; (ii) 40% of base salary for IVlills; and (iii)
40% of base salary for Davis. See id.
C)
Incentive Options Awards: According to the Company, the
objective of options awards is to "advance our longer-term interests
and those of our stockholders and to complement incentives tied to
annual performance by providing incentives for longevity with the
Company." Id. at 45. Indeed, since "[s]tock options produce value to
our executives only if the price of our stock appreciates, thereby
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directly linking the interests of executives with those of stockholders
• . they have been an invaluable piece of the executive compensation
program." Id. The number of stock options granted to each executive
is based upon the following: (1) the executive's position; (ii) the
executive's performance in the prior year; (iii) the Company's overall
performance; (iv) the executive's potential for continued contributions
to the Company's success; and (v) competitive market information.
See id.
120. The following chart shows the Individual Defendants' executive
I compensation for 2013 and 2014, which was largely dependent upon the
Stephen Davis 2014 $191,805 $53,802 $4,963,008 $308 $5,208,923
See id. at 47.
121. Notably, since the Company did not achieve the goal of submitting the
I NDA to the FDA in 2014, the bonuses that were awarded "were generally below
the target bonus for each executive." Id. at 44. Thus, the bonuses actually
awarded to the Individual Defendants were calculated as follows: (i) 36% of base
The monetary value of the options awards was determined by multiplying the number of securities underlying the options granted by the exercise price for each option granted. The exercise price is set at the market closing price of Acadia common stock on the date of grant. See ACADIA, Definitive Proxy Statement (Form DEF 14A) (Feb. 14, 2015) at 48.
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pay for Hacksell (60% of his target bonus); (ii) 28% of base pay for Mills (70% of
his target bonus); and (iii) 13.6% of base pay for Davis (70% of his target bonus).
15cc id.
1. ACADIA's Incentive Bonus Plan Caused the Individual Defendants To Be Aware of the Challenges Facing Filing the NDA
122. Given that the incentive bonuses constituted large percentages of the
Individual Defendants' cash compensation, and the value of the bonuses
themselves were closely tied to the submission of the NDA for pimavanserin, the
Individual Defendants were self-interested in the progress of the NDA submission.
The Individual Defendants' personal stake in the NDA submission certainly would
have caused them to monitor the progress of the application and to be aware of the
numerous issues that eventually caused an additional five-month delay, after the
First Delay, in the submission, putting their bonuses and personal compensation in
jeopardy. Indeed, this vigilance only would have increased after the First Delay in
the NDA submission caused the Individual Defendants to lose out on 30% to 40%
of their targeted bonuses in 2014.
2. ACADIA's Stock Options Plan Incentivized the Individual Defendants to Misrepresent the Timing of the NDA Filing
123. The stock options awards constituted a massive portion,
approximately 85%, of the Individual Defendants' annual compensation, causing
the Individual Defendants to be highly motivated to increase the value of the
Company's common stock during the Class Period. As the Company itself
admitted, the stock option awards were a valuable tool to motivate Company
executives to drive up the price of ACADIA' s stock because the awards are only
valuable to the executives when the stock price remains high. See id. at 45.
Therefore, Defendants artificially inflated the price of ACADIA stock during the
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Class Period by misrepresenting to the public that the NDA was on track for
submission by March 31, 2015, when in fact, the NDA was far behind schedule—
a second time! The Individual Defendants, along with numerous ACADIA
directors, then took advantage of this price inflation by selling millions of dollars
of ACADIA common stock, as set forth below.
D. Insider Trading
124. According to Forms 4 filed with the SEC by ACADIA insiders, the
I Individual Defendants and members of ACADIA' s Board of Directors took
advantage of their inside information regarding the Company's inability to file the
NDA by March 31, 2015 and made stock sales that were highly suspicious in both
timing and amount as follows:
a) Hacksell: On November 24, 2014, Hacksell sold 30,000 shares of
common stock at $29.28 per share for proceeds of $878,397 and a
profit of $818,397.8 On December 15, 2014, Hacksell sold 30,000
shares of common stock at $31.00 per share for proceeds of $929,916
and a profit of $869,916. On January 14, 2015, Hacksell sold 30,000
shares of common stock at $33.98 per share for proceeds of
$1,019,430 and a profit of $959,430. Finally, on February 17, 2015,
Hacksell sold 30,000 shares of common stock at $34.30 per share for
proceeds of $1,028,868 and a profit of $982,368. These Class Period
sales resulted in total proceeds of $3,856,611 and a total profit of
$3,630,111 in four short months.
b) Mills: On November 26, 2014, Mills sold 25,000 shares of common
stock at $30.09 per share for total proceeds and a profit of $752,265.
This sale was not conducted according to any pre-established pattern
8 For each sale, after Hacksell exercised his stock options, he gifted the shares to his family trust which in turn sold the shares.
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as Mills only sold common stock on two occasions in 2013 prior to
this sale. Mills has also not sold a single share of ACADIA common
stock since the Class Period ended.
C)
Director Michael Borer: On November 26, 2014, Borer sold 15,000
shares of common stock at $30.05 per share for proceeds of $450,765
and a profit of $285,765. On January 15, 2015, Borer sold 27,973
shares of common stock at $33.02 per share for proceeds of $923,766
and a profit of $593,174. These Class Period sales resulted in total
proceeds of $1,374,531 and a total profit of $878,939 in four months,
constituted 20% of Borer's holdings as of February 14, 2015, and
resulted in a profit 20 times greater than his annual director salary.
The sales were not conducted according to any pre-established pattern
as Borer had never sold a single share of ACADIA stock prior to the
Class Period. Borer has also not sold a single share of stock since the
Class Period ended.
d)
Director Torsten Rasmussen: On January 13, 2015, Rasmussen sold
11,905 shares of common stock at $35.00 per share for proceeds of
$416,676 and a profit of $285,009. On February 17, 2015, Rasmussen
sold 19,847 shares of common stock at $35.05 per share for proceeds
of $695,544 and a profit of $598,343. These Class Period sales
resulted in total proceeds of $1,112,220 and a total profit of $833,352
in four months, constituted 40% of Rasmussen's holdings as of
February 14, 2015, and resulted in a profit 16 times greater than his
annual director salary. These sales were also not conducted according
to any pre-established pattern and Rasmussen has not sold a single
share of ACADIA stock since the Class Period ended.
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e)
Director Mary Ann Gray: On December 15, 2014, Gray sold 12,250
shares of common stock at $31.74 per share for proceeds of $388,815
and a profit of $273,035. On January 13, 2015, Gray sold 4,250
shares of common stock at $35.00 per share for proceeds of $148,750
and a profit of $102,000. These Class Period sales resulted in total
proceeds of $537,565 and a total profit of $375,035 in four months.
These sales were not conducted according to any pre-established
pattern as Gray only sold shares of ACADIA stock on one other
occasion prior to the beginning of the Class Period. Gray has also not
sold a single share since the Class Period ended.
125. While Defendants were repeatedly insisting to the public that the
NDA was on track for submission by March 31, 2015, the Individual Defendants
and insiders Borer, Rasmussen, and Gray, were selling ACADIA stock in record
numbers for combined proceeds of $7,633,192 and a combined profit of
$6,519,702 in four short months. Indeed, defendants Hacksell's and Mills' trades
were out of line with prior trading, as were those of directors Michael Borer,
Torsten Rasmussen, and Mary Ann Gray, as demonstrated by the chart below, as
the Class Period sales far exceeded the value of the sales in the preceding four
months:
57 3:15-cv-00575-BTM-DHB 28 CONSOLIDATED CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT
Four \1onth, Prior to ( Ia P U I Itid
S2333ft)6
$1,972,996
0
SC)
$0
0
SC)
$0
0
SO
$0
0
SO
$0
lass Period
120000
S3K5ft61 1
$3,630,111
25,000
S722(c
$752,265
42,973
S1J745fl
$878,939
31,752
si1 11220
$883,352
16,500
$375,035
Case 3:15-cv-00575-BTM-DHB Document 43 FUeci 11/16/15 Page 66 of 87
1 Insider I .% In
2 Uli Hacksell Sliarcs
3 Irocccd
4 Profits
Roger Mills Shares
Iro2ccd 6
Profits 7
Michael Borer Shares 8
Procccd
Profits
10 Torsten Rasmussen Shares
11 Prcccd
12 Profits
13 Mary Ann Gray Shares
14 Procccd
15 Profits
16
17 E. Hacksell's Resignation
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19 126. Furthermore, the timing of Hacksell' s resignation suggests that the
20 problems plaguing the NDA had been in place for a while. According to the
21 Company's Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 11, 2015, the day the second
22 NDA delay was announced, Hacksell entered into an "executive employment
23 transition agreement." Pursuant to the agreement, Hacksell would serve as a
24 consultant for the Company for the next 18 months, "collecting $580,000, payable
25 in equal monthly installments over the consulting term." These terms suggest that
26 9 The four-month period prior to the Class Period begins on July 11, 27 2014 and ends on November 9, 2014.
58 CONSOLIDATED CLASS ACTION COMPLAINT
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this agreement required some negotiation, and would not have been drafted and
agreed upon overnight and suggest that Hacksell was terminated, and that the plan
had been in the works for some time—meaning the Defendants knew of the
manufacturing deficiencies sooner than they had announced. Indeed, Hacksell
came out of "retirement" only three months later to join Glionova Therapeutics as
Chairman of the Board. See, Press Release, Glionova Therapeutics, Uli Hacksell,
Ph.D., Joins Glionova as Chairman of the Board (June 1, 2015).
F
Failure to Disclose Contracts with Third-Party Manufacturers
127 The Company disclosed in its SEC filings during the Class Period and
prior thereto that it entered into contracts with third-party manufacturers to produce
NUPLAZID for its clinical trials. See 2014 Form 10-K. ACADIA, however,
never filed a Form 8-K with the SEC disclosing these contracts. This is strange for
two reasons.
128. First, it is a seemingly needless violation of the SEC's reporting
requirements for material definitive contracts. The SEC requires that "[any
material definitive agreement of the registrant not made in the ordinary course of
the registrant's business must be disclosed under this Item 1.01." Under Item 1.01,
a "material definitive agreement" is one "that provide [s] obligations that are
material to and enforceable against the Company, or rights that are material to the
Company and enforceable by the Company against one or more parties to the
agreement." As ACADIA has repeatedly stated in its public filings, the Company
is "highly dependent" on the success of pimavanserin. Thus, any agreement for the
manufacture of the finished drug product or its components, would appear to fit the
criteria for a "material definitive agreement" that requires disclosure with the SEC
on Form 8-K. Indeed, manufacturing was so important to NUPLAZID's success
that the Company admitted that the Second Delay in submitting its NDA was
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necessary "to complete the preparation of systems to support commercial
manufacturing and supply and, in turn, to support the [FDA's] review of
NUPLAZID." The SEC has made clear that a failure to properly file a Form 8-K
may be considered prima facie evidence of a lack of sufficient disclosure controls.
Morrison & Foerster LLP, Edward M. Welch, Frequently Asked Questions About
Form 8-K, at 5 (2015), available at http://media.mofo.com/files/Uploads/Images/
FAQ-Form-8-K.pdf; see also SEC, Final Rule: Additional Form 8-K Disclosure
Requirements and Acceleration of Filing Date, at II. C.1 (Aug. 23, 2004)
(discussing SOX's creation of new item 1.01), available athttps://www.sec.gov/
mles/final/33-8400.htmflsecii; SEC, Division of Corporate Finance, Current Report
on Form 8k Frequently Asked Questions (Nov. 23, 2004) ("Registrants. . . should
ensure that they have implemented appropriate disclosure controls and procedures
in order to ensure [Form 8-K information] ... is brought to the attention of
management" and timely disclosed.), available at http ://www. see.gov/divisions/
corpfinlf6rm8kfaq.htm.
129. Second, it is strange that ACADIA did not file the third-party
manufacturing contracts that were allegedly in place during the Class Period but
filed other such contracts it entered into with third-party manufacturers before and
after the Class Period. For example, in 2009, ACADIA disclosed on a Form 8-K
filed with the SEC that it entered into an agreement with Biovail Laboratories
International SRL ("Biovail") pursuant to which Biovail would be responsible for
manufacturing and supplying pimavanserin in the U.S. and Canada. See Current
Report (Form 8-K) (May 1, 2009). On October 28, 2010, ACADIA disclosed on a
Form 8-K filed with the SEC that it entered into an agreement with Biovail
pursuant to which the Company regained its rights to develop and commercialize
pimavanserin in the U. S. and Canada. See Current Report (Form 8-K) (Oct. 28,
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2009). In August 2015, the Company filed with the SEC on Forms 8-K that it had
entered into manufacturing agreements with Patheon and BASF. Between October
2010 and August 2015, however, the Company did not disclose the identity of its
third-party manufacturers, let alone disclose any of its contracts with them on a
Form 8-K. Indeed, in response to a direct question by an analyst on the March 11,
2015 conference call about who the Company's third-party manufacturers are,
Davis stated, "[w]e have not disclosed the identity of those companies."
G. Rolling NDA Review
130 On September 2, 2014, the FDA granted NTJPLAZID breakthrough
therapy designation for the treatment of PDP. See Press Release, ACADIA,
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals Receives FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for
NIIPLAZIDTM (Pimavanserin) for Parkinson's Disease Psychosis (Sept. 2, 2014).
"The Breakthrough Therapy designation was created by the FDA to expedite the
development and review of drugs that are intended to treat serious or life-
threatening conditions." Id. A feature of NUPLAZID's breakthrough therapy
designation, however, is that it allows the sponsor to obtain rolling review of the
NDA for the drug. See FDA, Guidance for Industry, Expedited Programs for
Serious Conditions - Drugs and Biologics ("Expedited Guidance") (May 2014),
at 35. Through rolling review, sponsors can submit portions of their NDA to the
FDA for review before all portions of the NDA are complete. See id. In general,
the FDA accepts only a complete section of an NDA for review, "such as the entire
CMC section, toxicology section, or clinical section." Id. As Davis stated in the
March 11, 2015 conference call, the reason for the Second Delay was "to do
additional work to prepare our systems to support commercial-scale manufacturing
and supply." As these issues appear to concern only the CMC section of the NDA,
it is strange that the Company chose to delay its NDA a second time rather than
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1
seek rolling review from the FDA and submit the completed non-CMC sections of
131. After meeting with ACADIA management, Cowen & Co. reported the
Company's explanation for choosing not to file its NDA on a rolling basis in its
March 26, 2015 analyst report as follows: "ACAD is reserving the right to start a
rolling NDA, but believes initiating one may either trigger or start the clock on
an inspection even before all modules (even CMC) are submitted." ACADIA's
explanation, however, is inconsistent with the FDA's guidance on the subject. The
FDA has 60 days from the sponsor's submission of an NDA to determine whether
the application is sufficiently complete to file and review. See White Paper
Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA): Adding Resources and Improving
Performance in FDA Review of New Drug Applications, available at
m. If a sponsor submits its NDA on a rolling basis, the 60-day review period will
not start to run until the sponsor informs the FDA that a complete application (i.e.,
all sections of the NDA) has been submitted. See id. Accordingly, by submitting
the complete non-manufacturing sections of the NDA, the Company would not be
risking an inspection of its manufacturing facilities.
132. By choosing not to seek rolling review of its NDA, ACADIA insiders
had a chance to cash out before submitting the non-manufacturing sections of its
NDA and giving the FDA a chance to evaluate the drug's safety and efficacy.
Indeed, before the successful 020 Study, in late 2009, pimavanserin failed to
produce clinically significant results to prove treatment efficacy in the first Phase
III trial for PDP. See Press Release, ACADIA, ACADIA Pharmaceuticals
Announces Results from Phase III Trial of Pimavanserin in Parkinson's Disease
Psychosis (Sept. 1, 2009).
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In-House Experts Hired To "Bolster" the Company's "Internal Capabilities' t Were Already "on board"
On the March 11, 2015 conference call, Davis stated that the
Company took certain steps, "to ensure" that it was "on the right track going
forward." Those steps included hiring "additional in-house experts to bolster our
internal capabilities." Davis also stated that "with the assistance of this team, we
are working expeditiously to ensure that our manufacturing systems are ready."
When asked on the conference call whether those "in-house experts" were already
on board, Davis responded that they were "already on board." When the analyst
asked Davis "how long have they been on board?" Davis responded:
As we have moved through the last year, we have continued to build our capabilities and so as we have advanced on a number offronts, number of infrastructure fronts, we have continued to build out the capabilities and I would say that we are on track with where we need to be and expected to be.
The fact that the "in-house experts" were with the Company at that
point and had been working with the Company to ready the manufacturing
systems suggests that they were likely in place before Hacksell and Mills
stated that the Company was "on track" to submit the NDA for NUPLAZID
by March 31, 2015 two weeks prior.
CLASS ACTION ALLEGATIONS
134. Lead Plaintiffs bring this action pursuant to Rule 23(a) and 23(b)(3) of
the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure on behalf of themselves and a putative class
consisting of all persons or entities that purchased or otherwise acquired the
publicly traded common stock and/or call options of ACADIA in the United States
or on the NASDAQ Global Select Market at artificially inflated prices during the
Class Period, and who suffered damages as a result, seeking to pursue remedies
under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Exchange Act and SEC Rule lob-S
promulgated thereunder. Excluded from the Class are the Defendants named
H.
133
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herein, members of their immediate families, any firm, trust, partnership,
corporation, officer, director or other individual or entity in which a Defendant has
a controlling interests or which is related to or affiliated with any of the
Defendants, and the legal representatives, heirs, successors-in-interest or assigns of
such excluded persons. Also excluded are those investors who purchased stock
during the Class Period but sold the shares prior to the corrective disclosures and
disclosure events set forth herein.
135. The members of the Class are so numerous that joinder of all
members is impracticable. While the exact number of Class members is unknown
to Lead Plaintiffs at this time and can only be ascertained through appropriate
discovery, Lead Plaintiffs believe that there are thousands of members in the
proposed class. Throughout the Class Period, ACADIA common stock and call
options were actively traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. As of
December 31, 2014, ACADIA had 100,047,331 shares of common stock
outstanding. See ACADIA, Definitive Proxy Statement (Form DEF 14A) (Apr.
29, 2015) at 20. Record owners and other members of the Class may be identified
from records maintained by ACADIA or its transfer agent and may be notified of
the pendency of this action by mail, using the form of notice similar to that
customarily used in securities class actions.
136. Lead Plaintiffs' claims are typical of the other members of the Class
I because Lead Plaintiffs and all of the Class members sustained damages that arose
out of the Defendants' unlawful conduct complained of herein.
137. Lead Plaintiffs will fairly and adequately protect the interests of the
I members of the Class, and Lead Plaintiffs have no interests that are contrary to, or
in conflict with, the interests of the Class members that they seek to represent.
Lead Plaintiffs have retained competent counsel experienced in class action
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litigation under the federal securities laws to ensure such protection and intends to
I prosecute this action vigorously.
138. The prosecution of separate actions by individual Class members
would create a risk of inconsistent and varying adjudications, which could
establish incompatible standards of conduct for Defendants. Questions of law and
fact common to members of the Class predominate over any questions that may
affect only individual members in that Defendants have acted on grounds generally
applicable to the entire Class. The questions of law and fact common to the Class
include, but are not limited to, the following:
a. whether Defendants' acts violated the federal securities laws as alleged
herein;
b. whether Defendants' publicly disseminated statements during the Class
Period omitted and/or misrepresented material facts;
c whether Defendants acted with scienter in omitting and/or
misrepresenting material facts;
d. whether the price of ACADIA common stock and call options was
artificially inflated during the Class Period as a result of the material
misrepresentations and omissions complained of herein;
whether the Individual Defendants were controlling persons as alleged
herein; and
f
whether members of the Class sustained damages and, if so, the proper
measure of such damages.
139 A class action is superior to other methods for the fair and efficient
I adjudication of this controversy since joinder of all members of the Class is
I impracticable. Furthermore, as the damages suffered by individual members of the
Class may be relatively small, the expense and burden of individual litigation make
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lit impossible for members of the Class to individually seek redress for wrongs
I done to them. There will be no difficulty in the management of this action as a
I class action.
LOSS CAUSATION
140. During the Class Period, as detailed herein, Defendants engaged in a
scheme to deceive the market and a course of conduct that artificially inflated
ACADIA's stock price and operated as a fraud or deceit on Class Period
purchasers of ACADIA common stock and call options by misrepresenting the
Company's business and prospects. During the Class Period, Defendants
misrepresented and concealed the true facts regarding the timing of its submission
of its NDA to the FDA. Later, however, as Defendants' prior misrepresentations,
omissions, and scheme were disclosed and became apparent to the market, the
price of ACADIA common stock and call options fell precipitously. As a result of
their purchases of ACADIA common stock and call options during the Class
Period at artificially inflated prices, Lead Plaintiffs and other Class Members
suffered damages as the truth was revealed.
141. Defendants' wrongful conduct, as alleged herein, directly and
proximately caused the damages suffered by Lead Plaintiffs and the Class.
Defendants' false and misleading statements and omissions in their SEC filings
and other public statements during the Class Period directly caused losses to Lead
Plaintiffs and the Class. On the strength of these statements, the Company's stock
price was artificially inflated to a Class period high of $45.88 per share on March
10, 2015. Those misrepresentations and omissions that were not immediately
followed by an upward movement in the Company's stock price sewed to maintain
the share price at artificially inflated levels by maintaining and supporting a false
positive perception of ACADIA's business, operations, performance, and
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prospects. The allegations herein suffice under a corrective disclosure or
I materialization of the risk theory of loss causation.
142. When the truth emerged regarding the Second Delay in the timing of
ACADIA' s submission of its NDA for NUPLAZID, the price of ACADIA' s stock
and call options declined as the market processed this previously undisclosed fact.
This disclosure removed a portion of the artificial inflation in the price of
ACADIA' s common stock and call options and directly and proximately caused
Lead Plaintiffs and other Class members to suffer damages. For example, on
March 11, 2015, when ACADIA announced inter a/ia that the NDA would not be
filed by March 31, 2015, ACADIA stock declined $9.94 per share to close at
$34.82 per share on March 12, 2015, a one-day decline of 22% on unusually high
volume of 15 million shares.
143. Until shortly before Lead Plaintiffs filed this Complaint, they were
unaware of the facts alleged herein and could not have reasonably discovered
Defendants' misrepresentations and omissions by the exercise of reasonable
diligence.
CONTROL PERSON LIABILITY
144. The Individual Defendants are liable as direct participants with
respect to the wrongs complained of herein. In addition, the Individual
Defendants, by reason of their status as senior executive officers, were "controlling
persons" within the meaning of Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act, and each had
the power and influence to cause the Company to engage in the unlawful conduct
complained of herein. Because of their positions of control, the Individual
Defendants were able to and did, directly or indirectly, control the conduct of
ACADIA's business and the disclosures made by ACADIA and themselves.
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145. Specifically, because of their positions within the Company, the
Individual Defendants possessed the power and authority to control the contents of
ACADIA's annual and quarterly reports, press releases, and presentations to
securities analysts, money and portfolio managers, and institutional investors, i.e.,
the market, including those containing the materially misleading statements and
omissions of material fact alleged herein. Each of the Individual Defendants, by
reason of his respective management position, had the ability and opportunity to
review copies of the Company's SEC filings, reports, press releases, and other
public statements alleged herein to be false and misleading, prior to, or shortly
after their issuance or to cause them to be corrected.
146. By virtue of their positions, the Individual Defendants had access to
material nonpublic information. Each of the Individual Defendants knew or
recklessly disregarded the fact that the adverse facts specified herein had not been
disclosed and were being concealed from the public, and that the positive
representations which were being made were then materially false and misleading.
ii; i a tate ixsx• u; u a r ti ti iun usu wi
147. At all relevant times, the market for ACADIA' s publicly traded
common stock and call options was an efficient market for the following reasons,
among others:
a. ACADIA' s common stock was listed and actively traded on the
NASDAQ Global Select Market (symbol ACAD), a highly efficient
market;
[I,
As a registered and regulated issuer of securities, ACADIA filed
periodic reports with the SEC, in addition to the frequent voluntary
dissemination of information;
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ACADIA regularly communicated with public investors through
established market communication mechanisms, including through
regular dissemination of press releases on the national circuits of
major newswire services and through other wide-ranging public
disclosures such as communications with the financial press and other
similar reporting services;
d. The market reacted to public information disseminated by ACADIA;
e. At least 7 analysts followed ACADIA' s business and wrote reports
which were publicly available and affected the public marketplace;
f. The material misrepresentations and omissions alleged herein would tend
to induce a reasonable investor to overvalue ACADIA' s stock; and
g. Without knowledge of the misrepresented or omitted facts, Lead
Plaintiffs and other members of the Class purchased or otherwise
acquired publicly traded ACADIA stock between the time that the
truth was revealed, during which time the price of ACADIA stock was
artificially inflated by Defendants' misrepresentations and omissions.
148. As a result of the above, the market for ACADIA securities promptly
digested current information with respect to the Company from all publicly
available sources and reflected such information in the common stock and call
options prices. The historical daily trading prices and volumes of ACADIA
publicly traded stock and call options are incorporated herein by reference. Under
these circumstances, all purchasers of ACADIA common stock during the Class
Period suffered similar injuries through their purchases of shares at prices which
were artificially inflated by Defendants' misrepresentations and omissions. Thus,
a presumption of reliance applies.
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THE AFFILIATED UTE PRESUMPTION
149. At all relevant times, Lead Plaintiffs and the Class reasonably relied
upon Defendants to disclose material information as required by law and in the
Company's SEC filings. Lead Plaintiffs and the Class would not have purchased
or otherwise acquired ACADIA common stock and/or call options at artificially
inflated prices if Defendants had disclosed all material information as required.
Thus, to the extent Defendants wrongfully failed to disclose material facts and
information concerning the timing of its submission of its NDA for NUPLAZID,
or otherwise omitted material facts and information, Lead Plaintiffs and the Class
are presumed to rely on Defendants' omissions as established by the Supreme
Court in Affiliated Ute Citizens v. U.S., 406 U.S. 128 (1972).
NO STATUTORY SAFE HARBOR
150. The safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements under the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 are applicable only under certain
circumstances that do not apply to any of the materially false and misleading
statements and omissions alleged in this Complaint.
151. First, many of the identified false and misleading statements and
omissions herein are not forward-looking statements, but instead are statements of
current or historic fact.
152. Second, to the extent there were any forward-looking statements that
were identified as such at the time made, there were no meaningful cautionary
statements identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those in the purportedly forward-looking statements.
153. Third, such false and misleading statements were not accompanied by
cautionary language that was meaningful because any such warnings or "risk"
factors contained in, or incorporated by reference in, the relevant press release,
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SEC filings, earnings class, or other public statements described herein were
general, "boilerplate" statements of risk that would affect any pharmaceutical
development company, and misleadingly contained no factual disclosure of any of
the specific details of the endemic problems affecting the Company during the
Class Period, or similar important factors that would give investors adequate notice
of such risks.
154. Fourth, to the extent there were any forward-looking statements that
were identified as such at the time made, Defendants are liable for those false and
misleading forward-looking statements because at the time each of those forward-
looking statements was made, the particular speaker knew that the particular
forward-looking statement was false, or, by reason of what the speaker failed to
note, was materially false and/or misleading, and/or that each such statement was
authorized and/or approved by a director and/or executive officer of ACADIA who
actually knew that each such statement was false or misleading when made.
CAUSES OF ACTION
COUNT I
(For Violations of Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act and Rule lob-S Against All Defendants)
155. Lead Plaintiffs re-allege each allegation above as if fully set forth
I herein.
156. This claim is brought under Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act, 15
U.S.C. §78j(b) and Rule lob-S promulgated thereunder by the SEC, 17 C.F.R. §
1240.1 Ob-S, against ACADIA and the Individual Defendants.
157. During the Class Period, Defendants violated Section 10(b) of the
Exchange Act and Rule lOb-S(b) promulgated thereunder by disseminating and/or
approving the false and misleading statements specified herein, including
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statements in SEC filings, presentations, and press releases, and on conference
calls concerning the timing of ACADIA' s submission of its NDA for NUPLAZID
to the FDA, whose truth they knowingly or recklessly disregarded when they failed
to disclose material facts necessary to make the statements made, in light of the
circumstances under which they were made, not false and misleading.
158. During the Class Period, Defendants violated Section 10(b) of the
Exchange Act and Rule lOb-5(a) & (c) promulgated thereunder by employing
devices, schemes, and artifices to defraud and engaging in acts, practices, and a
course of conduct that operated as a fraud or deceit upon Lead Plaintiffs and other
members of the Class in that Defendants concealed the manufacturing, supply, and
quality assurance issues that would prevent the Company from submitting its NDA
to the FDA by March 31, 2015 from the investing public.
159. Defendants, individually and in concert, directly and indirectly, by the
use, means, instrumentalities of interstate commerce and/or the mails, engaged and
participated in a continuous course of conduct that operated as a fraud and deceit
upon Lead Plaintiffs and the Class; made various false and/or misleading
statements of material facts and omitted to state material facts necessary to make
their statements made, in light of the circumstances in which they were made, not
misleading; made the above statements with actual knowledge of their false and
misleading nature or a severely reckless disregard for the truth -, and employed
devices and artifices to defraud in connection with the purchase or sale of
securities, which were intended to, and did (i) deceive the investing public,
including Lead Plaintiffs and the Class, regarding, among other things, the timing
of ACADIA's submission of its NDA for NUPLAZID; (ii) artificially inflate and
maintain the market price of ACADIA common stock and/or call options; and (iii)
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cause Lead Plaintiffs and other members of the Class to purchase ACADIA
common stock and call options at artificially inflated prices.
160. Defendant ACADIA is liable for the false and misleading statements
made by its officers in press releases, during conference calls, and at conferences
with investors and analysts, and for the acts, practices, and course of conduct
employed by its officers and agents that operated as a fraud or deceit, as alleged
above, under the principle of respondeat superior. The Individual Defendants, as
top executive officers and/or directors of the Company, are liable as direct
participants in the wrongs complained of herein. Through their positions of control
and authority as officers of the Company, each of the Individual Defendants was
able to and did control the content of the communications with the FDA and the
public statements disseminated by ACADIA. The Individual Defendants had
direct involvement in the daily business of the Company and participated in the
preparation and dissemination of their and ACADIA's false and misleading
statements in addition to their and ACADIA' s fraudulent scheme, as set forth
above.
161. As described above, Defendants acted with scienter throughout the
Class Period in that their conduct was undertaken knowingly and intentionally, or
in such an extremely reckless manner as to constitute willful deceit and fraud upon
Lead Plaintiffs and other members of the Class who purchased ACADIA common
stock and call options during the Class Period.
162. Lead Plaintiffs and the Class purchased ACADIA common stock and
call options without knowing that Defendants had misstated or omitted material
facts about, inter a/ia, the timing of the submission of the NDA for NUPLAZID.
Lead Plaintiffs and the Class would not have purchased ACADIA common stock
and call options at the prices they paid, or at all, if they had been aware that the
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market price had been artificially and fraudulently inflated by Defendants' false
and misleading statements and deceptive devices and acts. In purchasing the stock,
Lead Plaintiffs and the Class relied directly or indirectly on false and misleading
statements made by Defendants, and/or an absence of material adverse information
that was known to Defendants or recklessly disregarded by them but not disclosed
in Defendants' public statements. Lead Plaintiffs and the Class were damaged as a
result of their reliance on Defendants' false and misleading statements and
omissions of material facts.
163. Lead Plaintiffs and the Class are filing this action within two years
after discovery of the facts constituting the violation, including facts establishing
scienter and other elements of Lead Plaintiffs' claims, and within five years after
the violations with respect to the investments of the Lead Plaintiffs and the Class.
164. By virtue of the foregoing, Defendants have violated § 10(b) of the
I Exchange Act and Rule lob-S promulgated thereunder.
165. As a direct and proximate result of Defendants' wrongful conduct,
I statements and omissions, Lead Plaintiffs and the other members of the Class
suffered damages in connection with their purchases of ACADIA common stock
and call options during the Class Period.
COUNT II
(For Violations of Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act Against the Individual Defendants)
166. Lead Plaintiffs re-allege each allegation above is if fully set forth
I herein.
167. This Count is asserted against Defendants Hacksell, Davis, and Mills,
the Individual Defendants, for violations of Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act, 15
I U.S.C. §78t(a), on behalf of Lead Plaintiffs and all members of the Class.
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168. As alleged in detail above, ACADIA committed a primary violation
of Section 10(b) of the Exchange Act by knowingly and/or recklessly
disseminating materially false and misleading statements and/or omissions
throughout the Class Period as well as by participating in a scheme to conceal the
manufacturing, supply, and quality assurance issues which would ultimately
prevent ACADIA from submitting its NDA for NUPLAZID by March 31, 2015
from the investing public.
169. During their tenures as officers and directors of ACADIA, each of the
Individual Defendants was a controlling person of ACADIA within the meaning of
Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act. By reason of their positions of control and
authority as officers and/or directors of ACADIA, these Defendants had the power
and authority to cause ACADIA not to engage in the wrongful behavior
complained of herein. As set forth in detail above, the Individual Defendants
named in this Count were able to and did control, directly and indirectly, and exert
control over ACADIA, thereby causing the dissemination of the false and
misleading statements and omissions of material facts as alleged herein.
Therefore, the Individual Defendants are jointly and severally liable for the
Company's fraud, as alleged herein.
170. In their capacities as senior corporate officers of ACADIA, and as
more fully described above, the Individual Defendants had direct involvement in
the day-to-day operations of the Company and in its financial reporting functions.
Each of the Individual Defendants was also directly involved in providing false or
misleading information and signing and/or approving the false or misleading
statements disseminated by ACADIA during the Class Period. Further, as
described above, the Individual Defendants had direct involvement in the
presentation and/or manipulation of false or misleading statements including
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within the Company's press releases and statements to the SEC. Thus, the
Individual Defendants knew or recklessly disregarded the fact that ACADIA's
representations were materially false and misleading and/or omitted material facts
when made. In so doing, the Individual Defendants did not act in good faith.
171. As alleged in detail above, the Individual Defendants controlled and
I managed ACADIA's overall business and controlled and/or possessed the
authority to control the contents of the Company's reports, press releases, and
presentations to securities analysts and, through them, the investing public.
172. By reason of their positions as officers of ACADIA, and more
specifically as controlling officers—as can be seen by their corresponding ability
to influence and control ACADIA—each of the Individual Defendants is a
"controlling person" within the meaning of Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act and
had the power and influence to direct the management and activities of the
Company and its employees, and to cause the Company to engage in the unlawful
conduct complained of herein. Because of their positions, the Individual
Defendants had access to adverse nonpublic information about the Company and
acted to conceal the same, or knowingly or recklessly authorized and approved the
concealment of the same. Moreover, each of the Individual Defendants was also
involved in providing false information and certifying and/or approving the false
and misleading statements disseminated by ACADIA during the Class Period.
Each of the Individual Defendants was provided with or had access to copies of
ACADIA's reports, press releases, public filings, and other statements alleged by
Lead Plaintiffs and the Class to be misleading prior to and/or shortly after these
statements were issued and the ability to prevent the issuance of the statements or
cause the statements to be corrected.
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173. By virtue of their positions as controlling persons of ACADIA and as
a result of their own aforementioned conduct, the Individual Defendants named in
this Count are liable pursuant to Section 20(a) of the Exchange Act, jointly and
severally with, and to the same extent as the Company is liable under Section 10(b)
of the Exchange Act and Rule lob-S promulgated thereunder, to Lead Plaintiffs
and the other members of the Class who purchased or otherwise acquired
ACADIA common stock and/or call options. Moreover, as detailed above, during
the Class Period the Individual Defendants sewed as officers of ACADIA and each
of these Defendants is culpable for the material misstatements and omissions made
by ACADIA, including such misstatements in the Company's press releases and
SEC filings.
174. As a direct and proximate result of the Individual Defendants'
conduct, Lead Plaintiffs and the other members of the Class suffered damages in
connection with their purchase of ACADIA common stock and/or call options.
PRAYER FOR RELIEF
WHEREFORE, Lead Plaintiffs on behalf of themselves and the Class, pray
for relief and judgment including:
A. Determining that Counts I and II of this action are a proper class
action under Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and certifying Lead
Plaintiffs' counsel as Class Counsel;
B. Awarding compensatory damages in favor of Lead Plaintiffs and the
other Class members against all Defendants, jointly and severally, for all damages
sustained as a result of Defendants' wrongdoing, in an amount to be determined at
trial, including pre-judgment and post-judgment interest, as allowed by law;
C. Awarding extraordinary, equitable and/or injunctive relief as
I permitted by law (including, but not limited to, rescission);
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D. Awarding Lead Plaintiffs and the Class their costs and expenses
incurred in this action, including reasonable counsel fees and expert fees; and
E. Awarding such other and further relief as may be just and proper.
JURY TRIAL DEMANDED
Lead Plaintiffs hereby demand a trial by jury on all triable claims.
Dated: November 16, 2015 By: s/Richard W. Gonnello Richard W. Gonnello
Lubna Famqi (admitted pro hac vice) Richard W. Gonnello (admitted pro hac vice) Megan. M. Sullivan (admitted pro hac vice) Katherine M. Lenahan (admitted pro hac vice) FARUQI & FARUQI, LLP 369 Lexington Avenue, 10th Floor New York, NY 10017 Telephone: 212-983-9330 Facsimile: 212-983-9331
Email: lfamqifamqilaw.com rgonnelIoçfamqilaw. com msullivanfamqilaw. com klenahanfamqi1aw. com
David E. Bower SBN 119546 FARUOI & FARUQI, LLP 10866 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1470 Los Angeles, CA 90024 Telephone: 424-256-2884 Facsimile: 424-256-2885 Email: dbowerfamqilaw. com
Attorneys for Lead Plaintiffs Paul and Sharyn Levine
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that on November 16, 2015, I authorized the electronic filing
of the foregoing with the Clerk of the Court using the CIVI/ECF system which sent
notification of such filing to counsel of record.
By: s/ Richard W. Gonnello Richard W. (Jonnello
Attorney for Lead Plaintiffs Paul and Sharyn Levine
E-mail: rgonnellofamqilaw.com
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