San Diego, California, U.S., October 26, 2026
Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. has announced new research establishing a benchmark for clinically meaningful improvement in overall health among people living with tardive dyskinesia (TD) who receive treatment with INGREZZA® (valbenazine) capsules. The analysis identified a six-point increase on the EQ Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS) as the minimum threshold representing a meaningful improvement in patients’ self-reported health status. The findings provide additional context for evaluating treatment outcomes beyond changes in involuntary movements alone. The company announced the results on October 26, 2026, ahead of presentations at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) Nexus 2026 conference in San Diego, California. The research builds on findings from the Phase 4 KINECT-PRO study, in which patients treated with INGREZZA reported a mean 13.1-point improvement in overall health scores at Week 24 compared with baseline. By establishing a threshold for meaningful change, Neurocrine aims to help healthcare professionals better interpret patient-reported improvements and understand how treatment may affect quality of life. The findings also complement established measures of TD-related impact and involuntary movement severity.
New EQ-VAS Benchmark Measures Meaningful Improvement
The new analysis evaluated data from two Phase 4 clinical studies, KINECT-PRO and TD-4002, to determine the level of improvement in overall health that patients might consider meaningful. Researchers used the EQ-VAS, a patient-reported assessment in which individuals rate their overall health on a scale from zero to 100. A score of zero represents the worst health a person can imagine, while 100 represents the best health imaginable. The primary anchor-based analysis used KINECT-PRO data to examine changes in EQ-VAS scores among participants classified as minimally improved according to patient-reported and clinician-reported global assessments. A supplementary distribution-based analysis incorporated data from both studies. Based on these methods, researchers established a six-point increase as the minimum clinically important within-patient change. The threshold was also consistent with previously reported estimates of meaningful change on the EQ-VAS. This benchmark provides a practical reference for interpreting patient-reported outcomes in TD research and may help clinicians distinguish numerical changes in health scores from improvements that patients are more likely to perceive as meaningful.
KINECT-PRO Reports Improvements With INGREZZA
The newly established benchmark helps contextualize previously reported results from KINECT-PRO, a Phase 4 study evaluating patient-reported outcomes among adults with TD receiving INGREZZA. At Week 24, participants reported a mean 13.1-point improvement in EQ-VAS scores, exceeding the newly established six-point threshold. The study also assessed changes in the physical, social, and emotional burden of TD using the Tardive Dyskinesia Impact Scale (TDIS), alongside clinician-rated involuntary movement severity measured using the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS). According to Neurocrine, improvements in these measures exceeded their respective minimal clinically important difference thresholds as early as Week 8 for TDIS and Week 4 for AIMS, with improvements maintained through Week 24. These findings indicate that treatment outcomes can be assessed across multiple dimensions, including movement severity, daily functioning, and overall health-related quality of life. Patient-reported outcomes provide important information about how a condition affects everyday life, complementing clinical assessments of symptoms. However, the six-point EQ-VAS benchmark is an interpretive measure rather than an independent demonstration of treatment efficacy, and the reported results do not guarantee that every patient will experience a similar improvement.
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Research Supports Broader Assessment of Tardive Dyskinesia
Tardive dyskinesia is a movement disorder characterized by involuntary, repetitive movements that can affect the face, tongue, torso, and other body parts. It is associated with certain medicines that influence dopamine signaling, including some antipsychotic treatments. Symptoms can interfere with communication, social interactions, daily activities, and emotional well-being. Neurocrine estimates that at least 800,000 adults in the United States live with the condition. INGREZZA (valbenazine) is FDA-approved for treating tardive dyskinesia in adults, as well as chorea associated with Huntington’s disease. Its specific mechanism in treating these movement disorders is not fully understood, and its use requires consideration of the prescribing information and potential adverse effects. The new EQ-VAS benchmark adds another measurement tool to the evaluation of treatment outcomes, alongside movement assessments and TD-specific quality-of-life measures. Neurocrine plans to present the findings alongside two additional analyses at AMCP Nexus 2026. Collectively, the research highlights the importance of incorporating patient perspectives into clinical evidence and treatment evaluation. Further research may help determine how these measures can support clinical decision-making and health outcomes assessment across broader patient populations.
Source: Neurocrine Biosciences press release
