In its first M&A deal to date, Acadia Pharmaceuticals has acquired CerSci Therapeutics for US$52.5 M upfront. With the deal, Acadia gained access to ACP-044, a non-opioid treatment for acute post-operative and chronic neuropathic pain; Acadia plans to initiate a Phase II trial in the first half of 2021. Interestingly, the deal comes three months after Acadia’s sole marketed asset Nuplazid® (pimavanserin) faced setbacks in its expansion plans which caused the company share price to fall 19% following the news.