---
schema_version: "secwatch.filing_event.v1"
accession: "0001193125-24-262556"
form_type: "8-K"
ticker: "ACAD"
cik: "0001070494"
company_name: "ACADIA PHARMACEUTICALS INC"
filed_at: "2024-11-20T23:59:59+00:00"
generated_at: "2026-05-29T21:33:59.642521+00:00"
event_type: "leadership"
sentiment: "neutral"
materiality_score: 0.55
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.55
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# Acadia Pharma terminates COO Brendan Teehan without cause; CEO assumes duties

## Summary
- Brendan Teehan, EVP, COO and Head of Commercial, involuntarily terminated without Cause effective Nov 18, 2024.
- Teehan will remain a non-executive employee until Dec 31, 2024 to assist transition.
- CEO Catherine Owen Adams, with 30+ years pharma commercial experience, will assume his responsibilities until a successor is appointed.
- No successor has been named; search for replacement is underway.

## SEC filing metadata
- accession: 0001193125-24-262556
- form_type: 8-K
- ticker: ACAD
- cik: 0001070494
- company_name: ACADIA PHARMACEUTICALS INC
- filed_at: 2024-11-20T23:59:59+00:00
- event_type: leadership
- sentiment: neutral
- materiality_score: 0.55
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.55
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 5.02
- EDGAR index: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1070494/000119312524262556/0001193125-24-262556-index.htm
- EDGAR primary document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1070494/000119312524262556/d98060d8k.htm

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001193125-24-262556
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001193125-24-262556.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001193125-24-262556.txt

## Key facts
- Executive change
  Brendan Teehan departed as Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Commercial at ACADIA PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
  - Action: involuntarily terminated without Cause
  - Role: Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Commercial
  source text: On November 18, 2024, Acadia Pharmaceuticals Inc. (the “Company”) agreed with Brendan Teehan, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Commercial that he would be involuntarily terminated without Cause (as such term is defined in the Company’s Management Severance Benefit Plan (the “Severance Plan”)) from his position, effective immediately.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1070494/000119312524262556/0001193125-24-262556-index.htm

This AI-assisted summary is a reading aid. Review the linked SEC EDGAR filing before relying on any specific claim.