UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): June 14, 2016

Minerva Neurosciences, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code): (617) 600-7373

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement

On June 14, 2016, Minerva Neurosciences, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into an underwriting agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with Jefferies LLC, as representative of the several underwriters named therein (the “Underwriters”), to issue and sell 5,263,158 shares of common stock of the Company (“Common Stock”) in an underwritten public offering pursuant to a Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-205764) and a related prospectus and prospectus supplement, in each case filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Offering”). The offering price to the public is $9.50 per share of Common Stock. In addition, the Company granted the Underwriters an option to purchase, for a period of 30 days, up to an additional 789,473 shares of Common Stock. The Company estimates that the net proceeds from the Offering will be approximately $46.6 million, or approximately $53.6 million if the Underwriters exercises in full their option to purchase additional shares of Common Stock, in each case after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses. The offering is scheduled to close on June 17, 2016, subject to customary closing conditions.

The Underwriting Agreement contains customary representations, warranties, covenants and agreements by the Company, customary conditions to closing, indemnification obligations of the Company and the Underwriters, including for liabilities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, other obligations of the parties and termination provisions. The representations, warranties and covenants contained in the Underwriting Agreement were made only for purposes of such agreement and as of specific dates, were solely for the benefit of the parties to such agreement, and may be subject to limitations agreed upon by the contracting parties. A copy of the Underwriting Agreement is filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference. The foregoing description of the Underwriting Agreement is qualified in its entirety by reference to such exhibit.

A copy of the legal opinion as to the legality of the shares of Common Stock to be issued and sold in the Offering is filed as Exhibit 5.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.

Item 8.01 Other Events

On June 13, 2016, the Company issued a press release announcing the Offering. On June 14, 2016, the Company issued a second press release announcing that it had priced the Offering. Copies of the press releases are filed herewith as Exhibits 99.1 and 99.2, respectively, to this Current Report on Form 8-K and are incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements contained in this report regarding matters that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements with respect to the completion, timing and net proceeds of the offering. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results or events may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Words such as “believe,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “expect,” “intend,” “will,” “goal,” “potential” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements necessarily contain these identifying words. These forward-looking statements are based upon the Company’s current expectations and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation, risks associated with market conditions and the satisfaction of closing conditions related to the public offering. These and other risks concerning the Company are described in additional detail in the Company’s filings with the SEC, including under the “Risk Factors” captions in those filings. All forward-looking statements contained in this report speak only as of the date on which they were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Date: June 14, 2016

INDEX OF EXHIBITS