The San Diego 500, The Book of Influential Business Leaders, is the market’s most comprehensive product of people you should know in the business community. The 500 includes business leaders and executives who have founded or are running significant companies in terms of number of jobs, key products and services, experts who raise the level of the industry here and beyond and those who lead in the business community. The 500 is selected by the San Diego Business Journal newsroom.

Stephen Davis

President and CEO, Acadia Pharmaceuticals

Stephen Davis joined Acadia as CFO and chief business officer in 2014 and became CEO in 2015. The company, which focuses on central nervous system disorders, has a market cap of about $4.7 billion. The company is working to expand the use of its lead product, Nuplazid, which fights psychotic episodes. It is entering the final stage of human trials in a Phase 3 study that could mean significant boost to revenue. It received a special status from the FDA called “breakthrough therapy designation,” which means regulators will expedite review of the drug to speed its entry to the market. Acadia hopes the drug will treat dementia-related psychosis. Davis previously was an executive at Ardea Biosciences and Neurogen Corp. He serves on the board of several other life science companies.

ALMA MATER : Southern Nazarene University, Vanderbilt University Law School

VARIED BACKGROUND: He was a CPA and a practicing attorney before becoming a life science executive in 1994.