[4] The company is also developing treatments that are in various stages of clinical research for Parkinson's disease, Tourette syndrome, and congenital adrenal hyperplasia[5] and with a partner for endometriosis and uterine fibroids.

The company's academic founders were Wylie Vale of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies,[7] and Lawrence Steinman of Stanford University.

[8] In 1995, the company collaborated with Belgium-based Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V. to develop treatments for psychiatric disorders utilizing corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) antagonists, a class of compounds to treat psychiatric, neurological and gastrointestinal diseases including anxiety, depression and irritable bowel syndrome.

[11] In October 1996, Eli Lilly and Company agreed to pay Neurocrine $74 million over five years to develop drugs for obesity and Alzheimer's disease based on its research of CRF-binding protein-ligand inhibitors.

The deal paid Neurocrine $20 million up front with the ability to receive milestone payments and royalties based on the commercialization of indiplon in Japan.

In October 2017, Neurocrine announced that it had been granted orphan drug designation status from the FDA for valbenazine for the treatment of pediatric patients with Tourette syndrome.

[25] In February 2017, Neurocrine announced an exclusive licensing agreement for the development and commercialization of the Parkinson's disease drug, opicapone, in North America with the Portugal-based pharmaceutical company Bial.

As part of the agreement, Neurocrine provided an upfront payment of $30 million and agreed to fund development activities for FDA approval in the United States.