Crinetics Pharmaceuticals
Crinetics Pharmaceuticals works on 4 rare diseases tracked on Trial Friend, including Acromegaly, Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, Cushing Disease and 1 more, with 6 active clinical trials (5 recruiting) and 1 FDA-approved rare disease drug.
Crinetics Pharmaceuticals is a San Diego biotech with one clear focus. They build oral pills for rare hormone diseases that, for decades, have been treated mostly with injections or imprecise hormone replacement. The company was started in 2008 by four scientists who left Neurocrine Biosciences (Scott Struthers, Stephen Betz, Frank Zhu, and Ana Kusnetzow) and went public on the NASDAQ in 2018 under the ticker CRNX. On July 6, 2026, Crinetics agreed to be acquired by Vertex Pharmaceuticals for $85.00 per share in cash (approximately $10 billion equity value). The transaction closed on September 1, 2026, and Crinetics is now part of Vertex. Its medicines and pipeline programs described below continue under Vertex.
Their first FDA approval came in September 2025, when Palsonify (the brand name for paltusotine) was approved for acromegaly. Acromegaly is a rare disorder where the body makes too much growth hormone, usually because of a small tumor on the pituitary gland. For most adult patients, the standard treatment had been monthly injections at a doctor's office for years on end. Palsonify is the first oral once-daily pill that works the same way the injections do, and in the Phase 3 PATHFNDR-1 trial, 83% of patients on Palsonify kept their hormone levels in the normal range compared to 4% on placebo. Crinetics runs a patient support program called CrinetiCARE that helps with insurance, copays, and getting started on treatment.
The next major drug in development is atumelnant, which is being studied for two related rare hormone diseases. Both classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome have historically forced patients to take very high doses of steroids to keep their disease under control. The high steroid doses do their job but they also cause serious long-term problems including heart disease, weight gain, weakened bones, and metabolic issues. Atumelnant takes a different approach by blocking the signal that tells the adrenal glands to overproduce, which could give patients a way to lower their steroid doses safely. The pivotal Phase 3 CALM-CAH adult trial dosed its first patient in December 2025, a Phase 2/3 pediatric trial called BALANCE-CAH started in January 2026, and the FDA has granted atumelnant Orphan Drug Designation for CAH.
Earlier in the pipeline, Crinetics is also developing an oral pill for congenital hyperinsulinism (a rare cause of dangerously low blood sugar in babies and young children) and has preclinical programs in hyperaldosteronism, thyroid eye disease, and polycystic ovary syndrome. The throughline across the company is consistent: find rare endocrine diseases where today's treatments rely on injections or blunt hormone replacement, and give patients a precise daily oral alternative that they can take at home instead of in a clinic.
Crinetics Pharmaceuticals Drug Pipeline
Crinetics Pharmaceuticals has 6 active clinical trials across 2 development stages, with 5 currently recruiting participants. Clinical trials advance through phases: Phase 1 tests safety in a small group, Phase 2 evaluates effectiveness and side effects, Phase 3 confirms benefit in a larger population, and Phase 4 monitors long-term safety after FDA approval.
Note: This pipeline counts the active and recruiting trials listed on this page, from ClinicalTrials.gov. For companies that work outside rare disease, we list only trials for rare diseases we track, so the company's full pipeline may be larger.
Crinetics Pharmaceuticals Clinical Trials (6)
Active and recruiting clinical trials sponsored by Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, sourced live from ClinicalTrials.gov. Each trial card shows the study phase, current recruitment status, conditions under investigation, study locations, eligibility criteria, and a direct link to the full ClinicalTrials.gov record. You can also download a one-page PDF summary to share with your doctor.
Note: Recruitment statuses on ClinicalTrials.gov may not immediately reflect recent FDA decisions, sponsor announcements, or enrollment changes. Always confirm a trial's current status directly with the study coordinator.
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Crinetics Pharmaceuticals FDA-Approved Drugs (1)
Medications developed or marketed by Crinetics Pharmaceuticals that have received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. Drug data is sourced from the openFDA database and includes brand names, generic names, approval dates, and matched rare disease indications. Where a drug treats a condition covered by Trial Friend, the disease name links directly to that disease page.
| Drug Name | Brand Name | Rare Diseases | Approval Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| PALTUSOTINE | PALSONIFY oral | Sep 25, 2025 |
Crinetics Pharmaceuticals Trial Locations
Crinetics Pharmaceuticals clinical trials are running at 235 sites in 21 countries. Click any country to drill down by state, city, and individual research facility. Proximity to a trial site is one of the most important factors in deciding whether to participate.
Rare Disease Focus Areas (4)
Diseases targeted by Crinetics Pharmaceuticals's clinical trial and drug development programs
Acromegaly is a rare hormonal disorder caused by excessive growth hormone production, typically from a pituitary adenoma, resulting in abnormal growth of hands, feet, and facial features. It also caus...
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia comprises rare autosomal recessive disorders of cortisol synthesis. Over 90% result from 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Salt-wasting and virilizing forms present with differ...
Cushing Disease is a rare endocrine disorder caused by an ACTH-secreting pituitary adenoma that leads to excessive cortisol production. It causes distinctive changes including central obesity with pur...
Paragangliomas are rare neuroendocrine tumors arising from chromaffin tissue outside the adrenal medulla. Often hereditary with SDH mutations, they can produce catecholamines or other hormones. Treatm...
Patient Resources
Organizations and resources related to Crinetics Pharmaceuticals's rare disease focus areas
Frequently Asked Questions About Crinetics Pharmaceuticals
Common questions about Crinetics Pharmaceuticals's rare disease programs, clinical trials, and treatments.