Neurocrine Biosciences (NASDAQ:NBIX) on Thursday announced new expert consensus recommendations aimed at improving the screening, diagnosis and treatment of tardive dyskinesia (TD) among older adults living in long-term care settings.
The recommendations were developed through a multidisciplinary Delphi panel and presented at the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association (PALTmed) PALTC26 Annual Conference in Anaheim, California. They represent the first guidance specifically tailored to managing TD in residents of long-term care facilities, a population considered at elevated risk for the movement disorder.
Neurocrine also presented results from a post-hoc analysis of its KINECT PRO™ study, showing meaningful improvements in patient-reported TD impact among adults aged 65 and older treated with INGREZZA® (valbenazine) capsules. The company said the findings add to the evidence supporting the treatment’s efficacy, tolerability and safety profile in older patients.
“To date, there has been limited practical guidance tailored specifically to the screening, diagnosis and treatment of tardive dyskinesia in the long-term care setting,” said Sanjay Keswani, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Neurocrine Biosciences. “The consensus recommendations provide structured guidance for clinicians caring for residents in these environments, and the KINECT-PRO findings demonstrate clinically meaningful patient-reported improvements in the impact of tardive dyskinesia with INGREZZA in adults aged 65 years and older. Together, this guidance and evidence help support more informed treatment decisions in this population that may be at higher risk for tardive dyskinesia.”
Older adults in long-term care facilities face heightened TD risk due to prolonged exposure to dopamine receptor-blocking medications, advanced age, polypharmacy and multiple underlying health conditions. Identifying and managing TD can be especially challenging in patients who are non-ambulatory, cognitively impaired or unable to clearly report symptoms.
To address these challenges, the Delphi panel developed practical recommendations designed to help clinicians apply a more consistent and structured approach to TD evaluation and treatment in long-term care environments.
“Residents in long-term care settings often present with overlapping medical and psychiatric complexities that can make tardive dyskinesia difficult to consistently recognize and manage,” said Amita Patel, M.D., the poster’s lead author and psychiatrist at the Joint Township District Memorial Hospital in St. Mary’s, Ohio. “Through this process, the panel reached clear consensus on practical, implementable recommendations that support evidence-based diagnosis and appropriate use of VMAT2 inhibitors. These recommendations provide clinicians with a structured framework to guide screening and treatment decisions to help improve outcomes for this especially vulnerable population.”
More about Neurocrine Biosciences
Neurocrine Biosciences is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing treatments for neurological, endocrine, psychiatric and immunological disorders. Its portfolio includes approved therapies for tardive dyskinesia, Huntington’s disease-related chorea, classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and women’s health conditions such as endometriosis and uterine fibroids.
The company is also advancing a pipeline of mid- and late-stage clinical programs across several therapeutic areas. Over the past three decades, Neurocrine has focused on applying neuroscience insights to develop treatments aimed at addressing complex diseases affecting both the brain and broader physiological systems.