Edmund P. Harrigan
About Edmund P. Harrigan
Edmund P. Harrigan, M.D. (age 72) has served on ACADIA’s Board since November 2015. He is Principal at Harrigan Consulting, LLC (since July 2015) and previously held senior leadership roles at Pfizer, including SVP Worldwide Safety & Regulatory (2012–2015), SVP Head of Worldwide Business Development, SVP Head of Worldwide Regulatory Affairs & Quality Assurance, and VP Head of Neuroscience & Ophthalmology; earlier, he was a practicing neurologist for seven years. He holds a B.A. in chemistry from St. Anselm College and an M.D. from the University of Massachusetts at Worcester .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pfizer Inc. | SVP, Worldwide Safety & Regulatory | 2012–2015 | Led 3,500-person safety and regulatory organization across 80 countries; oversight of safety reporting for >600 products and global regulatory interactions |
| Pfizer Inc. | SVP, Head of Worldwide Business Development | Not disclosed | Business development leadership for global portfolio |
| Pfizer Inc. | SVP, Head of Worldwide Regulatory Affairs & Quality Assurance | Not disclosed | Regulatory and QA leadership |
| Pfizer Inc. | VP, Head of Neuroscience & Ophthalmology | Not disclosed | Therapeutic area leadership |
| Pfizer Inc. | VP, Clinical Development; Therapeutic Area Head, CNS & Pain | Not disclosed | Clinical development leadership |
| Private Practice | Neurologist | ~7 years | Clinical practice prior to entering industry in 1990 |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Status | Tenure/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incyte Corp. | Director | Current | Public company board service |
| Modulo Inc. | Director | Current | Privately held company |
| PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Director | Past 5 years | Public company; past service |
| Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Director | Past 5 years | Public company; past service |
| Karuna Therapeutics, Inc. | Director | Past 5 years | Public company; past service |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: Audit Committee member (joined Nov 13, 2024) and Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee .
- Independence: The Board affirmatively determined all directors are independent except the CEO; Dr. Harrigan is independent under Nasdaq standards .
- Attendance/engagement: Board met 16 times in 2024; all directors attended at least 75% of Board and committee meetings; independent directors hold executive sessions at least quarterly .
- Risk oversight: Audit Committee oversees financial and cybersecurity risk; Scientific Advisory Committee oversees discovery and development programs—his chair role positions him centrally in R&D oversight .
Fixed Compensation
| 2024 Director Compensation (USD) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | $122,083 |
| Option Awards (grant-date fair value) | $138,894 |
| Stock Awards (RSUs, grant-date fair value) | $137,238 |
| Total | $398,215 |
| 2024 Equity Grant Details | Data |
|---|---|
| Annual Option grant | 15,959 options @ $14.62 (granted May 29, 2024) |
| Annual RSU grant | 9,387 RSUs (granted May 29, 2024) |
| Director equity policy | Annual dollar-denominated awards: $150,000 option + $150,000 RSU; options vest quarterly over 1 year; RSUs vest in full by 1 year or next annual meeting; initial director inducement awards vest over 2 years |
| Cash retainer framework | $50,000 Board; committee chair/member retainers: Audit ($20k/$10k), Compensation ($20k/$10k), NCG ($10k/$5k), Scientific Advisory ($20k/$10k); no meeting fees |
Performance Compensation
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Performance-based equity (PSUs) | Not provided to non-employee directors; annual director equity is time-based options and RSUs only |
| Cash incentives tied to metrics | None; directors paid via fixed annual retainers and committee retainers |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- Shared directorships/interlocks: Dr. Harrigan and fellow ACAD director Julian C. Baker both serve on the board of Incyte Corporation, creating a network interlock that can facilitate information flow across boards .
- Significant shareholder context: Baker Bros. Advisors LP beneficially owns ~25.9% of ACAD; two Baker-affiliated directors (Stephen R. Biggar as Chair; Julian C. Baker) serve on ACAD’s board, which heightens influence but is mitigated by formal independence determinations and committee oversight .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Regulatory/safety leadership (global scope), clinical development, neuroscience domain expertise; prior business development leadership at Pfizer .
- Scientific governance: Chairs Scientific Advisory Committee, aligning skills with oversight of pipeline and clinical programs .
- Education: B.A. chemistry (St. Anselm), M.D. (UMass Worcester) .
Equity Ownership
| Ownership As Of Feb 15, 2025 | Shares/Units | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Common shares owned directly | 25,654 | Footnote (11) |
| Options exercisable within 60 days | 164,598 | Included in beneficial ownership |
| Total beneficial ownership | 190,252 (<1%) | Beneficial ownership per SEC rules; <1% of 166,788,517 shares |
| Outstanding options (total) | 168,588 | As of Dec 31, 2024 |
| Outstanding RSUs (unvested) | 9,387 | As of Dec 31, 2024 |
| Director stock ownership guideline | 5× regular annual cash retainer ($50,000); counts owned shares and unvested RSUs; retention requirement until met; all non-employee directors in compliance or on track as of Dec 31, 2024 | |
| Hedging/pledging | Prohibited for officers/directors under Insider Trading Policy |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent director with deep regulatory/safety expertise; chairs Scientific Advisory Committee and serves on Audit, reinforcing board coverage across R&D and financial/cyber oversight; independence affirmed; attendance standards met; director equity/retainer program follows peer-informed design; director ownership guidelines enhance alignment .
- Alignment & incentives: Fixed cash retainers and time-based equity avoid short-termism; ownership guidelines and hedging/pledging prohibitions strengthen long-term alignment .
- Conflicts/related-party exposure: Proxy does not disclose any related-person transactions involving Dr. Harrigan; the related-person transactions section outlines review/approval procedures and indemnification agreements, but no specific transactions tied to him are reported .
- Interlock considerations: Shared Incyte board seat with Julian C. Baker plus Baker Bros.’ large ACAD stake merits ongoing monitoring for potential information advantages or influence; mitigated by independence confirmations and committee structures .
- Engagement: Board held 16 meetings; independent director executive sessions at least quarterly; committee activity (Audit 4 meetings; Scientific Advisory 6) indicates active governance cadence .
Overall signal: Governance profile is supportive of investor confidence—independent status, robust committee roles, and alignment policies. Key watch items are large shareholder influence via Baker-affiliated directors and the Incyte interlock; no direct related-party transactions are disclosed for Dr. Harrigan in 2024–2025 .