Drug Pipeline & Clinical Trials at AACAP Annual Meeting 2026
23 sessions on drug pipeline & clinical trials · October 26–31, 2026, Atlanta, GA. Compare drug pipeline & clinical trials at other meetings →
Monday, October 26
16:00–18:00 · Lecture
Treatment Frontiers in Autism and Associated Psychopathology: The Role of Glutamate Modulators
Explores glutamate-modulating treatments for autism and associated psychiatric conditions.
Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders · Ketamine & Esketamine
Tuesday, October 27
08:00–10:00 · Lecture · Clinical Perspectives
Harmonizing Outcome Selection and Measurement: Shaping the Future of Youth Mental Health Trials and Practice
Addresses harmonizing outcome selection and measurement across youth mental health trials and clinical practice.
11:30–13:30 · Lecture
Is It Prevention or Treatment? Methodological Issues Behind the Clinical Update
Discusses methodological questions in distinguishing prevention from treatment in psychiatric prevention research.
Lecture · Plenary Session
James C. Harris, MD, Developmental Neuropsychiatry Forum: Translational Frontiers in Autism: Advancing Discovery from Gene Pathways to Patients
Rana Elmaghraby · Suma Jacob · Alexandra L. Bey · Pankhuree Vandana · Natasha Marrus · Matthew State · Alison T. Singer
Matthew State presents how the identification of more than 100 high-confidence autism risk genes is being turned into therapeutic programs, with profound autism as a tractable starting point, while Alison Singer brings the family perspective on genetic testing and trial participation.
Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders · Neuroscience & Mechanisms · Pharmacogenomics & Precision Psychiatry
Wednesday, October 28
14:30–16:30 · Lecture
Pharmaco-Behavioral Profiling Identifies Suppressors of Autism Gene-Associated Phenotypes in Zebrafish
Zebrafish pharmaco-behavioral screening to find compounds that suppress phenotypes tied to autism risk genes.
Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders · Neuroscience & Mechanisms
Posters (4)
- The Safety and Effect of Ecopipam During the First 8 Weeks of Tourette’s Disorder Treatment: A Post-Hoc Analysis — Kinga K. Tomczak et al.
- Long-Term Safety and Effect of Ecopipam, a Selective Dopamine D1 Receptor Antagonist, in Children, Adolescents, and Adults With Tourette's Disorder — Donald L. Gilbert et al.
- The Presence of Common Psychiatric Diagnoses Did Not Impact the Efficacy or Safety of Ecopipam in Individuals With Tourette’s Disorder — Joseph F. McGuire et al.
- Emotional Dysregulation and Treatment Response in Adolescent Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Secondary Analysis of a Placebo-Controlled Trial — Jeffrey A. Mills et al.
Thursday, October 29
08:00–10:00 · Lecture
GLP-1 Receptor Agonists In Youth with Mental Disorders: Evidence-Based Application and Development/Repurposing as Psychiatric Drugs
Reviews evidence for using GLP-1 receptor agonists in youth with mental disorders and their potential repurposing as psychiatric treatments.
08:30–10:30 · Lecture
The Pragmatic Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial (SMART) Study of Medication and CBT Sequencing in Pediatric Anxiety Disorders
Bradley S. Peterson · Amy West · V. Robin Weersing · Robert L. Findling
Covers a pragmatic SMART trial testing how to sequence medication and CBT in pediatric anxiety disorders.
10:00–12:00 · Lecture
Evidence-Based and Emerging Pharmacological Treatments of Tic Disorders
Surveys established and emerging medication options for tic disorders.
11:30–13:00 · Session
Research Pipeline: New Findings on Therapeutics
Robyn P. Thom · Paul E. Croarkin · Ann C. Childress · Fenil Patel · Camilla N. Regalia · Shaun Kohli · Eleanor J. Cole
Brief oral presentations of new research on diagnostics, monitoring and treatment relevant to child and adolescent psychiatry, including pharmacokinetic, clinical trial, device and digital health studies, followed by Q&A.
11:30–13:00 · Lecture · Research Pipeline: New Findings on Therapeutics
Impact of Centanafadine in Children and Adolescents With Severe Baseline ADHD: Pooled Subgroup Analysis of Two Phase III Clinical Trials
Caroline L. Ward · Zhen Zhang · Gregory Parks · Taisa Skubiak · Ann C. Childress
Pooled subgroup analysis of two phase III trials of centanafadine in children and adolescents with severe baseline ADHD.
11:30–13:00 · Oral abstract
Longitudinal Stability of Intertrial Phase Coherence-Based Biomarkers in Idiopathic ASD and Phelan-McDermid Syndrome
Shaun Kohli · Alexander Kolevzon · Shlomit Beker
Examines how stable intertrial phase coherence-based biomarkers are over time in idiopathic autism and Phelan-McDermid syndrome.
Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders · Neuroscience & Mechanisms
Friday, October 30
09:30–11:30 · Lecture
Results in Context: Comparison of Partners in Caring for Anxious Youth (PCAY) and Other Large Treatment Trials of Youth With Anxiety Disorders
Compares PCAY results with other large treatment trials in youth with anxiety disorders.
10:00–12:00 · Lecture · Clinical Perspectives
Managing ADHD From Youth to Young Adulthood: Clinical Insights From the Multimodal Treatment Study of ADHD
Reviews clinical lessons from the Multimodal Treatment Study of ADHD for managing the disorder from childhood into young adulthood.
14:30–16:30 · Lecture
Innovative Pharmacological Trials Targeting Restricted Repetitive Behaviors in Autism
Covers newer pharmacological trials aimed at restricted and repetitive behaviors in autism.
14:30–16:30 · Lecture
Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial ( SMART) Study for Pediatric Anxiety: Study Conceptualization and Design
Describes the conceptual basis and design of a pragmatic SMART trial comparing sequencing of medication and CBT for pediatric anxiety.
14:30–16:30 · Lecture
Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial ( SMART) Study for Pediatric Anxiety: Methods
Covers the methods used in the pediatric anxiety SMART trial of medication and CBT sequencing.
14:30–16:30 · Lecture
Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial ( SMART) Study for Pediatric Anxiety: Results
Presents results from the pediatric anxiety SMART trial.
Posters (1)
- A Phase 4 Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy Study of Serdexmethylphenidate/Dexmethylphenidate in Children With ADHD — Ann C. Childress et al.
Saturday, October 31
10:00–12:00 · Lecture
Stimulants or Nonstimulants for ADHD: Introducing the PATH-ADHD Study
Jeffrey H. Newcorn · Stephen V. Faraone
Introduces the PATH-ADHD study comparing stimulant and nonstimulant treatment choices for ADHD.
Other topics at this meeting
Child & Adolescent 1361Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders 272Diverse & Underserved Populations 231Practice, Policy & Workforce 171Psychotherapy 166Education & Training 156Digital Psychiatry & AI 149Measurement-Based Care & Diagnosis 145ADHD 135Neuroscience & Mechanisms 124PTSD & Trauma 114Suicide & Self-Harm 110