Targeting Psychosis in Alzheimer’s Disease

Targeting Psychosis in Alzheimer’s Disease

From The Bio Report by Levine Media Group

April 1, 2026 · 22 min · Episode 168

About this episode

The episode discusses the under-recognized issue of psychosis in Alzheimer's disease and features an interview with Elizabeth Thompson about potential therapies.

Alzheimer’s disease drug development has long focused on slowing memory loss, but for many families, the tipping point that makes home care impossible is not cognition—it is psychosis. Hallucinations and delusions in Alzheimer’s are a distinct, prevalent, and under-recognized target for therapy. We spoke to Elizabeth Thompson, executive vice president and head of R&D at Acadia Pharmaceuticals, about the biology behind psychosis in dementia, the company’s experimental therapy to treat the condition in people with Alzheimer’s disease, and the forces reshaping the drug development landscape to enable the development of such treatments.

People in this episode

Guest: Elizabeth Thompson

Topics covered

  • Alzheimer's disease
  • psychosis
  • drug development
  • dementia
  • therapy

Keywords

  • Alzheimer's
  • psychosis
  • drug development
  • Acadia Pharmaceuticals
  • dementia
  • therapy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Acadia Pharmaceuticals

Books & works: Alzheimer’s disease

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