美国
证券和交易委员会
华盛顿特区 20549
表格
(Mark One)
截至季度结束日期的财务报告
或者
过渡期从 至
委托文件编号:001-39866
(根据其章程规定的注册人准确名称)
(国家或其他司法管辖区) | (IRS雇主 |
,(主要行政办公地址) | (邮政编码) |
(
(注册人电话号码,包括区号)
不适用。
(如自上次报告以来发生更改,则包括更名、更改地址及更改财政年度)
根据证券法第12(b)条注册的证券:
每一类的名称 |
| 交易标的 |
| 在其上注册的交易所的名称 |
该 |
在过去的12个月内(或者在公司被要求提交这些报告的较短时间内),是否已提交交易所法规中第13或15(d)条陈述所要求的所有报告,并且在过去90天中是否一直遵守这些报告要求。
请在注册表中标明,公司是否在过去12个月中通过电子方式提交了根据S-t法规第405条规定必须提交的每个互动式数据文件(或在公司被要求提交此类文件的更短期间内)。
请在标记上打√,以表明注册人是大型加速备案人、加速备案人、非加速备案人、小型报表公司还是新兴增长公司。有关“大型加速备案人”、“加速备案人”、“小型报表公司”和“新兴增长公司”的定义,请参见1934年证券交易法的规则120亿.2。
大型加速文件申报人 | ☐ | 加速文件申报人 | ☐ | ||
☒ | 更小的报告公司 | 成长型公司 |
如果是新兴成长型企业,请勾选是否选择不使用按照《证券交易法》第13(a)条规定的新或修订财务会计准则的过渡期。
请在选项前打勾表示该注册公司是外壳公司(定义在《证券交易法》规则120亿.2条款中)。是
截至2023年7月31日,续借贷款协议下未偿还的借款额为
第一部分 - 财务信息
项目1:财务报表。
IMMUNOME,INC。
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(以千为单位,除非另有说明)
(未经审计)
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| 2024年9月30日 |
| 2023年12月31日 | |||
资产 |
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流动资产: |
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现金及现金等价物 | $ | | $ | | ||
有价证券 | | | ||||
预付费用及其他流动资产 |
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总流动资产 |
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房地产和设备,净额 |
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租赁权资产 | | | ||||
受限现金 |
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其他长期资产 | | | ||||
总资产 | $ | | $ | | ||
负债和股东权益 |
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流动负债: |
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应付账款 | $ | | $ | | ||
应计费用及其他流动负债 |
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递延收入,流动 | | | ||||
流动负债合计 |
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递延收入,非流动 | — | | ||||
经营租赁负债,净值超过流动资产 |
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总负债 |
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股东权益: |
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优先股,$0.0001 | ||||||
普通股,每股面值为 $0.0001; | | | ||||
其他资本公积 |
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累计其他综合收益 | | | ||||
累积赤字 |
| ( |
| ( | ||
股东权益总额 |
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负债和股东权益总额 | $ | | $ | |
随附说明是这些未经审计的简明合并财务报表的一部分.
3
IMMUNOME, INC.
浓缩 合并经营报表和综合亏损表
(以千计,股票和每股数据除外)
(未经审计)
截至9月30日的三个月 | 截至9月30日的九个月 | |||||||||||
| 2024 |
| 2023 |
| 2024 |
| 2023 | |||||
协作收入 | $ | | $ | | $ | | $ | | ||||
运营费用: |
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正在进行的研究和开发 | | — | | — | ||||||||
研究和开发 | | | | | ||||||||
一般和行政 |
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运营费用总额 |
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运营损失 |
| ( |
| ( |
| ( |
| ( | ||||
利息收入 |
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净亏损 | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||||
基本和摊薄后的每股净亏损 | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||||
加权平均已发行股票、基本股和摊薄后股票 |
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综合损失: | ||||||||||||
净亏损 | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||||
有价证券的未实现收益 | | — | | — | ||||||||
综合亏损 | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( | $ | ( |
随附附注是这些未经审计的简明合并财务报表不可分割的一部分。.
4
IMMUNOME,INC。
董事股东权益变动简明合并财务报表
(单位:千美元,以股份数据为单位)
(未经审计)
累积 | |||||||||||||||||
额外 | 其他 | 总共 | |||||||||||||||
普通股 | 实缴 | 综合 | 累计 | 股东权益 | |||||||||||||
| 股份 |
| 金额 |
| Capital |
| 收入 |
| 赤字 |
| 股权 | ||||||
2023年12月31日的余额 | | $ | | $ | | $ | | $ | ( | $ | | ||||||
基于股份的薪酬支出 | — | — | | — | — | | |||||||||||
根据Zentalis许可协议发行普通股 |
| | — | | — | — | | ||||||||||
根据阿亚拉资产购买协议发行普通股 |
| | — | | — | — | | ||||||||||
发行普通股进行公开募股,扣除佣金和发行成本$ | | | | — | — | | |||||||||||
行使股票期权 | | — | | — | — | | |||||||||||
行使普通股权证 | | — | | — | — | | |||||||||||
可供出售证券未实现减值损失 | — | — | — | ( | — | ( | |||||||||||
净损失 |
| — | — | — | — | ( | ( | ||||||||||
2024年3月31日结存余额 | | | | | ( | | |||||||||||
基于股票的补偿费用 | — | — | | — | — | | |||||||||||
行使股票期权 | | — | | — | — | | |||||||||||
行使普通股权证 | | — | | — | — | | |||||||||||
可供出售证券未实现减值损失 | — | — | — | ( | — | ( | |||||||||||
净损失 | — | — | — | — | ( | ( | |||||||||||
2024年6月30日余额 | | | | | ( | | |||||||||||
基于股份的薪酬支出 | — | — | | — | — | | |||||||||||
与bms系统许可协议修订相关的普通股发行 | | — | | — | — | | |||||||||||
行使股票期权 | | — | | — | — | | |||||||||||
市场证券未实现收益 | — | — | — | | — | | |||||||||||
净亏损 | — | — | — | — | ( | ( | |||||||||||
2024年9月30日的余额 |
| | $ | | $ | | $ | | $ | ( | $ | |
5
IMMUNOME,INC。
董事股东权益变动简明合并财务报表
(单位:千美元,以股份数据为单位)
(未经审计)
额外 | 总共 | |||||||||||||
普通股 | 实缴 | 累积 | 股东权益 | |||||||||||
| 股份 |
| 金额 |
| Capital |
| 赤字 |
| 股权 | |||||
2022年12月31日余额 |
| | $ | | $ | | $ | ( | $ | | ||||
基于股份的薪酬支出 |
| — | — | | — | | ||||||||
根据以前的ATM方式发行普通股,净额为$ | | — | | — | | |||||||||
普通股发行 | | — | | — | | |||||||||
限制性股票奖励的解禁 | | — | | — | | |||||||||
净损失 |
| — | — | — | ( | ( | ||||||||
2023年3月31日的余额 | | | | ( | | |||||||||
以股份为基础的报酬费用 | — | — | | — | | |||||||||
受限股票奖励的解禁 | | — | | — | | |||||||||
净损失 | — | — | — | ( | ( | |||||||||
2023年6月30日的余额 | | | | ( | | |||||||||
基于股份的薪酬支出 | — | — | | — | | |||||||||
限制性股票奖励的解禁 | | — | | — | | |||||||||
净损失 | — | — | — | ( | ( | |||||||||
2023年9月30日余额 |
| | $ | | $ | | $ | ( | $ | |
随附说明是这些未经审计的简明合并财务报表的一部分.
6
IMMUNOME,INC。
简明的综合现金流量表
(单位为千)
(未经审计)
截至9月30日的九个月 | ||||||
| 2024 |
| 2023 | |||
经营活动现金流量: |
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净损失 | $ | ( | $ | ( | ||
调整使净亏损转为经营活动产生的现金流量: |
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折旧和摊销 |
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租赁权资产摊销 | | | ||||
Accretion of discounts on marketable securities | ( | | ||||
以股份为基础的报酬费用 |
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对正在进行的研究和开发资产的购买收取费用 | | — | ||||
运营资产和负债的变化: |
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预付款项和其他资产 |
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应付账款 |
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应计费用及其他流动负债 |
| |
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递延营收 | ( | | ||||
经营租赁负债 | ( | ( | ||||
经营活动中提供的净现金流量(流出) |
| ( |
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投资活动现金流量: |
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在研开发资产的购买 | ( | — | ||||
购买有市场流通的证券 | ( | — | ||||
有价证券到期收益 | | — | ||||
购买固定资产 |
| ( |
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投资活动使用的净现金 |
| ( |
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筹集资金的现金流量: |
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公开发行的收益 | | — | ||||
支付发行费用 | ( | ( | ||||
PIPE交易中的预付款被记录为存入资金负债 | — | | ||||
行使股票期权所得 |
| |
| — | ||
行使普通股认股权的收益 | | — | ||||
在之前的ATM下发行普通股的收益,净额 | — | | ||||
筹资活动产生的现金净额 |
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现金及现金等价物和限制性现金净增加额 |
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期初的现金及现金等价物和受限制的现金 |
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期末现金及现金等价物和受限现金 | $ | | $ | | ||
现金及现金等价物和受限现金的调节: | ||||||
现金及现金等价物 | $ | | $ | | ||
受限现金 | | | ||||
总现金、现金等价物和受限制现金 | $ | | $ | |
7
IMMUNOME,INC。
简明的综合现金流量表
(单位为千)
(未经审计)
截至9月30日的九个月 | ||||||
2024 |
| 2023 | ||||
非现金投资和筹资活动的补充披露: |
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以普通股发行作为正在进行的研发资产的对价 | $ | | $ | — | ||
从购买在研研发 资产 中承担的净负债 | $ | | $ | — | ||
应付账款中在研研发资产的购买 | $ | | $ | — | ||
在交换运营租赁负债获得的使用权资产 | $ | | $ | — | ||
由于租赁延长对使用权资产和租赁负债的重新计量 | $ | — | $ | | ||
向部分董事会成员发行普通股以替代应计补偿 | $ | — | $ | | ||
应付账款和应计费用及其他流动负债的发行成本 | $ | — | $ | | ||
应付账款和应计费用以及其他流动负债中的地产及设备采购 | $ | | $ | |
附注是这些未经审计的简明综合财务报表的组成部分。
8
IMMUNOME,INC。
压缩合并财务报表附注
(未经审计)
1. 业务性质
组织形式
Immunome, Inc.,或简称为公司或Immunome,是一家专注于开发靶向肿瘤疗法的生物技术公司。公司认为追求新颖或未充分开发的靶点将是新一代变革性疗法的核心,并致力于开发具有一流和最佳潜力的靶向癌症疗法。 公司的目标是建立广泛的临床前和临床资产管道,并将这些资产开发为已批准的产品以便商业化。为了支持这一目标,公司在业务发展和内部创新项目上投入巨资。
Immunome正在推进包括临床和临床前资产在内的流水线。
于2023年10月2日,公司完成了与Morphimmune Inc.的合并,Morphimmune是一家专注于开发靶向肿瘤治疗的临床前生物技术公司,Morphimmune成为了Immunome的全资子公司。
流动性
自成立以来,公司已招致重大营业亏损,并预计在可预见的将来继续因推进治疗候选药物及其他项目的开发而出现营业亏损。截至2024年9月30日,公司累计赤字为$
截至2024年9月30日,公司主要通过 销售 证券和战略合作伙伴关系以及交易,以及 费用报销s 从于2022年结束的政府合同中获得支持公司预计截至2024年9月30日的现金、现金等价物和可变现证券足以支持其当前和计划的营业费用和资本支出,至少从本季度10-Q表格提交日起的12个月。在该日期之后,公司可能需要通过股本发行、债务融资、合作、战略联盟和许可安排的组合筹集额外资本,以实现 其长期业务目标。
9
2。重要会计政策摘要
列报依据
随附的未经审计的中期财务报表是根据美国普遍接受的会计原则(GAAP)编制的,并遵循美国证券交易委员会(SEC)对中期报告的要求。根据公认会计原则编制的财务报表中通常包含的某些信息和披露已被压缩或省略。因此,这些未经审计的简明合并财务报表和附注应与公司于2024年3月28日向美国证券交易委员会提交的10-k表年度报告中包含的公司年度财务报表和相关附注一起阅读,这些报告对公司的会计政策和某些其他信息进行了更完整的讨论。2023年12月31日的简明合并资产负债表来自公司的年度财务报表。这些未经审计的简明合并财务报表是在与年度财务报表相同的基础上编制的,其中包括管理层认为公允列报公司财务信息所需的所有调整。中期业绩不一定代表全年或任何未来中期的业绩。
整合原则
简明的合并财务报表包括公司及其全资子公司的账目。在合并中,所有公司间账户和交易均已清除。
估计数的使用
根据公认会计原则编制财务报表要求管理层做出影响未经审计的简明合并财务报表及附注中报告的金额的估计和假设。公司使用历史经验和其他因素持续评估其估计和假设,并在事实和情况需要时调整这些估计和假设。实际结果可能与这些估计有重大差异。公司的重要会计估计包括但不一定限于收入确认、股票奖励的估计公允价值、应计研发费用以及收购的在建研发资产的公允价值。
区段和地理信息
运营部门被定义为一个实体的组成部分,在决定如何分配资源和评估绩效时,可获得有关该实体的独立信息,并由首席运营决策者即首席执行官定期进行审查。该公司已确定其运营方式为
信用风险的集中
可能使公司面临信用风险高度集中的金融工具主要包括现金和现金等价物以及有价证券。公司在金融机构的存款超过政府保险限额。管理层认为,公司没有面临重大信用风险,因为公司的存款存放在管理层认为信贷质量很高的金融机构,而且公司的这些存款没有遭受任何损失。管理层还认为,该公司在有价证券方面不面临重大信用风险,因为该公司仅投资于美国政府证券。
受限制的现金
限制性现金是指为与公司租赁设施之一相关的作为保证金签发的信用证提供的抵押品。租约终止后,现金将解除限制。受限现金为 $
10
资产收购
收购不符合业务定义的资产或一组资产被视为资产收购,采用成本累积模型来判断收购成本。在资产收购中作为对价发行的普通股一般根据收购日期所发行的权益的公允价值进行计量。直接交易成本被确认为资产收购成本的一部分。 在资产收购中获得的用于研究和开发活动的无形资产如果具有替代未来使用,将作为研发中的资本化项目,或称为IPR&D。获得的IPR&D如果没有替代未来使用,则会立即作为研发费用的一部分,在压缩合并的经营和综合损失报表中列支。
除前期对价外,资产收购还可能包括为未来里程碑事件或未来产品的净销售所支付的或有对价付款。公司评估此类或有对价是否应归类为负债及公允价值计量,或是否符合衍生品的定义。在资产收购中不需要按公允价值作为负债核算的或有对价付款在或有事项得到解决且对价支付或变得应付款时确认。在获得监管批准之前支付的或有对价付款作为产生的费用列支。
研发费用
研发费用包括在执行研究和开发活动中产生的费用,包括工资和奖金、基于股份的薪酬、员工福利、设施成本、实验室用品、折旧和摊销,以及前临床和临床开发费用,包括工艺开发、验证、药品供应制造、临床试验费用,以及根据许可协议、咨询协议和其他合同服务所发生的费用。研发费用在发生时列支。用于未来研究和开发活动的商品或服务的不可退还预付款被递延并资本化为预付款,直到相关商品交付或服务完成。这种付款根据预计接受这些服务的时间评估为当前或长期分类。
公司根据与研究机构、合同制造机构和第三方服务提供商签订的合同中所提供的服务,估计临床前、临床试验和其他研发费用,这些第三方机构负责进行和管理临床前研究和临床试验,并代表公司执行研究服务。公司根据估算的尚未开票的服务记录这些研发活动的费用,并将这些费用包含在合并资产负债表中的应计费用和其他流动负债中,以及在合并损益表中的研发费用中。
公司根据多个因素累计这些费用,例如根据与第三方服务提供商签订的协议预估的工作完成情况、实际的患者入组水平和临床试验地点报告的活动。公司在判断和估算应计费用余额时会进行判断和估算。随着实际成本的明晰,公司会调整其应计费用。公司没有发现应计费用与实际发生费用之间存在重大差异。然而,实际服务执行的状态和时间可能与公司估算的不一致,从而导致未来期间费用的调整。这些估算的变化如果导致公司应计费用的重大变化,可能会对公司的经营业绩产生重大影响。
每股净亏损
基本每股净亏损是通过将净亏损除以期间流通的普通股加权平均股数计算的,不考虑可能会稀释股份的证券。稀释每股净亏损是通过将净亏损除以期间流通的普通股加权平均股数计算的,包括稀释证券的影响。
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由于公司在截至2024年和2023年9月30日的三个季度和九个月中处于净亏损地位,稀释每股净亏损与基本每股净亏损相同,因为潜在稀释证券的影响造成反稀释。
由于包括这些潜在稀释证券将使其具有抗稀释效果,故已从呈现周期的稀释每股净亏损计算中排除下列潜在稀释证券(按换股基础计算)。
九月三十日, | ||||
| 2024 |
| 2023 | |
未行权股票期权 | | | ||
普通股认股权证 | — | | ||
| |
最近还未采纳的会计准则
2023年12月,财务会计准则委员会(Financial Accounting Standards Board, 或FASB)发布了会计准则更新,即ASU 2023-09, 所得税披露改进更新了与税率调节及所支付所得税信息相关的所得税披露。此更新还包括某些其他修订以提高所得税披露的效果。本更新中的修订适用于2024年12月15日后开始的年度期间。允许对尚未发布或可提供的年度财务报表进行提前采纳。公司仍在确定此ASU将对简明综合财务报表产生何种影响。
2023年11月,FASB发布了ASU 2023-07,分部报告—改善可报告分部披露。 ASU 2023-07要求在中期和年度基础上披露增量分部信息,并为只有一个可报告分部的实体提供新的分部披露要求。ASU 2023-07适用于所有在2023年12月15日后开始的财政年度的上市公司,并适用于在2024年12月15日后开始的财政期间内的中期,并要求对财务报表中呈现的所有先前期间采用追溯性应用。 公司于2024年1月1日采纳了ASU 2023-07的年度要求,并计划于2025年1月1日采纳ASU 2023-07的中期要求。公司将开始按照ASU 2023-07的规定在截至2024年12月31日的年度10-K表中包含财务报表披露。
3. 公允价值衡量
公司利用最大化使用可观察输入和最小化使用不可观察输入的估值技术,在可能的情况下根据主要或最有利市场的资产或负债的定价参与方所使用的假设来确定公允价值。在进行公允价值测量时,考虑市场参与方的假设时,以下公允价值层次结构区分可观察输入和不可观察输入,这些输入分为以下级别:
一级-在活跃市场上的、与相同资产或负债券配对的报价价格。
2级 – 除级别1价格外的可观察输入,例如类似资产或负债的报价价格,非活跃市场的报价价格,或其他可观察到或可通过可观察市场数据为资产或负债的全部期限提供协作证据的输入。
级别3 -由几乎没有市场活动支持的不可观察输入支持并对资产或负债的公允价值具有重大影响。
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以下表格总结了公司按照公允价值层次分类衡量的具有重复性的财务资产(以千为单位):
2024年9月30日 | |||||||||||||
等级 |
| 摊销成本 |
|
|
| 未实现损失 |
| 公平价值 | |||||
现金等价物: | |||||||||||||
货币市场基金 | 1 | $ | | $ | — | $ | — | $ | | ||||
美国国债证券 | 2 | | | — | | ||||||||
可转换证券: | |||||||||||||
美国国债证券 | 2 | | | — | | ||||||||
所有财务资产 | $ | | $ | | $ | — | $ | | |||||
2023年12月31日 | |||||||||||||
级别 | 摊销成本 |
| 未实现收益 |
| 未实现损失 |
| 公允价值 | ||||||
现金及现金等价物: | |||||||||||||
货币市场基金 | 1 | $ | | $ | — | $ | — | $ | | ||||
美国国债证券 | 2 | | — | — | | ||||||||
有市场的证券: | |||||||||||||
美国国债证券 | 2 | | | — | | ||||||||
所有财务资产 | $ | | $ | | $ | — | $ | |
公司的可变现证券包括最长期限为美国国债到期日的债务证券
与艾伯维公司的合作协议
In , 公司与艾伯维全球企业有限公司签订了《合作与选择协议》(Collaboration and Option Agreement,或称为合作协议),根据该协议,公司利用其发现平台发现和验证来自患有三种特定肿瘤类型的患者的靶标以及与这些靶标结合的抗体,这些靶标和抗体可能成为艾伯维进一步开发和商业化的对象。根据合作协议的条款,公司授予艾伯维独家购买每个符合一定约定标准的新颖靶标-抗体对(Validated Target Pair 或 VTP)的全部权利的选择权,总共最多为10个,适用于全球所有人类和非人类的诊断、预防和治疗用途,包括开发和商业化相关产品,或简称为由指定VTP衍生的产品。
艾伯维公司向该公司支付了不可退款的预付款,金额为 $
艾伯维公司支付版税的义务将在产品和国家的基础上终止,以先到者为准(a)在该国首次商业销售该产品之后的
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公司确定,《合作协议》代表与客户的合同,并包含一项履约义务,即向艾伯维公司提供研究和开发服务或研发服务。公司评估了继续提供研发服务的期权以及购买每个VTP的许可证的期权,并得出结论,这些期权并不代表重要权利。
公司确定单一履约义务的初始交易价格为 $
来自《合作协议》的营业收入将根据预计的研发服务的绩效,通过成本对成本的投入法进行确认,公司认为这种方法最能反映控制权的转移给客户。在成本对成本的投入法下,完成进度的程度是基于实际发生的成本与满足履约义务时预期的总估计成本之间的比例来衡量的。公司确认的合作收入为$
下表总结了递延营业收入的变化(以千为单位):
| 2024年9月30日止九个月 | ||
期初余额 | $ | | |
收入递延 | — | ||
营业收入的确认 |
| ( | |
期末余额 | $ | |
截至2024年9月30日,公司预计将在大约的研发估计期间内确认与不可退还的预付款相关的递延营业收入。
5. 资产负债表元件
应计费用及其他流动负债
应计费用和其他流动负债如下(以千为单位):
| 2024年9月30日 |
| 2023年12月31日 | |||
研发费用 | $ | | $ | | ||
薪酬和相关福利 | | | ||||
遣散费的计提 | | | ||||
专业服务和咨询 | | | ||||
经营租赁负债,当前部分 | | | ||||
其他 |
| |
| | ||
累计费用及其他流动负债总计 | $ | | $ | |
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6。员工福利计划
公司根据《美国国税法》第401(k)条维持固定缴款计划或401(k)计划。401(k)计划涵盖所有符合规定的最低年龄和服务要求的员工,并允许参与者在税前基础上推迟部分年度薪酬。公司承担401(k)计划的所有管理费用,并按照401(k)计划文件的定义缴纳相应的缴款。公司向401(k)计划提供了相应的捐款,金额为美元
7。资产收购
Atreca
2024年5月17日,公司与Atreca, Inc.(Atreca)完成了最初于2023年12月签订的资产购买协议或Atreca收购协议,根据该协议,公司收购了某些与抗体相关的资产和材料。
根据Atreca收购协议, 公司将被要求向Atreca支付最高$的款项
阿亚拉制药
2024年3月25日,公司与阿亚拉制药公司(Ayala)完成了2024年2月签订的资产购买协议或阿亚拉收购协议,根据该协议,公司收购了阿亚拉的 AL101 和 AL102 计划,并承担了与收购资产相关的某些负债。前期对价包括 (i) 支付约美元
该公司将此次交易视为资产收购,因为收购的总资产的公允价值几乎都集中在两个项目中,这两个项目被归类为单一可识别的知识产权与开发资产。交易中收购的资产是根据支付的对价的估计公允价值计量的
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支付的对价以及所收购资产和承担负债的相对公允价值如下(以千为单位):
金额 | |||
向Ayala发行的普通股 | $ | | |
支付给Ayala的预付款 | | ||
交易成本 | | ||
支付对价 | $ | | |
获得的资产: | |||
研发中的项目 | $ | | |
其他长期资产 | |||
获取的总资产 | $ | | |
负债承担: | |||
应计费用 | $ | | |
承担的总负债 | $ | | |
已收购净资产 | $ | |
与知识产权研发相关的费用在截至2024年9月30日的九个月内计入公司的简明合并运营和综合损失表中,因为收购的知识产权研发没有其他未来使用价值。
根据阿雅拉购置协议,公司将根据特定的发展、监管和商业里程碑事件的实现,向阿雅拉支付最高至$
Morphimmune
在2023年10月2日,公司完成了与Morphimmune的合并,或称为合并,并获得了Morphimmune所有未偿还的股权。
公司将对Morphimmune的收购视为资产收购,因为所收购资产的公允价值基本上集中在两个被归为单一可识别的知识产权与研发资产的项目中。 交易中所收购的资产按支付对价总额的估计公允价值进行计量,金额为$
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8. 许可安排
施贵宝
关于2024年3月艾亚拉购买协议的结案,公司承担了施贵宝许可协议,即施贵宝公司或BMS的许可协议,根据该协议,公司获得了全球范围内的、不可转让的、带有专利技术许可费用的、独家的、可转让的许可,用于研究、发现、开发、制造、委托制造、使用、销售、提供销售、出口、进口和推广AL101和AL102,即施贵宝授权化合物,以及含有AL101或AL102的产品,即施贵宝授权产品,用于包括针对任何人类或动物疾病、紊乱或控制的所有用途,包括预防、治疗。
根据施贵宝许可协议,公司有义务尽商业上的努力开发至少一种施贵宝授权产品。公司还必须尽商业上的努力在某些主要市场国家获得至少一种施贵宝授权产品的监管批准,以及在获得此类监管批准后,实现第一项商业销售和推广每种施贵宝授权产品。
公司必须在实现对于AL101和AL102在多个适应症的某些临床开发或监管里程碑时向施贵宝支付总额高达$
bms系统有权在公司未能在施贵宝发出书面通知后的一定时间内履行开发和商业化义务的情况下,终止施贵宝许可协议的全部内容。公司有权在提前书面通知施贵宝的情况下,因方便而终止施贵宝许可协议。在公司因方便或施贵宝终止施贵宝许可协议时,公司将向施贵宝授予一项专有的、不可转让的、可转许可的、全球性的专利权,以便开发、制造或商业化施贵宝许可化合物或施贵宝许可产品。作为这项许可的交换,施贵宝将有义务根据特定发展里程碑支付公司BMS 许可化合物和/或施贵宝授权产品的净销售额的低个位数百分比的专利权使用费,该终止发生在特定发展里程碑之后的BMS许可化合物和/或施贵宝许可产品。
在2024年8月7日Ayala Purchase Agreement结束后,公司和施贵宝签署了对施贵宝许可协议的第2次修正,即施贵宝许可协议修正。作为签署施贵宝许可协议修正的考虑,公司向施贵宝发行了未经注册的普通股,总公允价值为$百万。发行给施贵宝的普通股的公允价值是基于2024年8月7日公司普通股的收盘价,在每股$下降一个与未经注册股份限制相关的折扣百分比。用于修正施贵宝许可协议支付给施贵宝的对价被立即列入了公司2024年9月30日结束的三个和九个月的损益表和综合损益表的IPR&D开支之中。发行给施贵宝的股份随后通过在2024年10月向SEC提交的S-3表格进行了注册,以便转售。
zentalis pharmaceuticals
2024年1月5日,公司与zentalis pharmaceuticals, inc.签订了许可协议,即zentalis许可协议,根据该协议,公司收到了关于zentalis专有抗体药物共轭物或adc平台技术、ror1抗体和adc以及利用包含或涵盖许可知识产权的产品的排他性、全球范围内的、可转让的、需支付专利费的许可。
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作为许可的预付款,公司向Zentalis支付了$
2024年10月25日,与公司收购Zentalis授权资产同时,Immunome和Zentalis同意终止Zentalis许可协议的全部内容,包括终止公司的所有潜在里程碑和版税支付义务。请参阅注释12, 后续事件,以获取更多信息。
普渡大学研究基金会
在并购完成后,公司承担了Morphimmune在并购前就已签订的某些许可协议。2022年1月,Morphimmune与普渡大学研究基金会签订了一项主许可协议,即普渡许可协议,简称PRF。根据普渡许可协议,PRF向Morphimmune授予了一项轴承、可转让、全球独家许可,可通过多层次转许可,在PRF拥有的特定知识产权下进行研究、开发、制造和商业化许可产品,在受限制的例外情况下。
根据普渡许可协议,公司有义务根据销售许可产品的总收入支付给PRF一位数较低的版税,从首次销售许可产品开始,从较低到中等六位数区间的阶梯式最低年度版税中扣除未来年度的单位版税。此外,公司有义务根据特定的开发和商业化里程碑支付给PRF高达美元
普渡许可协议根据每个许可产品和每个国家的版税期限终止。公司可以提前至少一个月书面通知PRF解除普渡许可协议。如果公司未能在PRF的书面通知后清除支付违约或其他重大违约普渡许可协议,或者公司破产,PRF可以终止普渡许可协议及其授予的许可。
其他许可协议
公司已经签署了各种其他许可协议,以进一步发现、开发和商业化某些技术和治疗方案。在截至2024年9月30日的三个月和九个月内,公司根据这些许可协议分别承担了$百万的预付费用,这些费用在公司的综合损益简明合并财务报表中被确认为研发费用,因为取得的研发项目没有替代未来用途。截至2023年9月30日的三个月和九个月内,这些协议下没有研发费用。
根据这些协议的条款,如果适用,公司可能需要支付某些发展、监管和商业里程碑付款以及产品销售的专利费。任何潜在的未来里程碑支付金额将在相关不确定性解决并且里程碑考虑变得可付时计提。专利费将在相关收入产生的期间支出。
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9. 租赁
公司目前在华盛顿博塞尔租赁大约
有关租赁的附加资产负债表信息如下(以千美元为单位):
2024年9月30日 | 2023年12月31日 | ||||
经营租赁: | |||||
经营租赁使用权资产 | $ | | $ | | |
经营租赁负债,当前部分 | $ | | $ | | |
经营租赁负债,净值超过流动资产 | | | |||
总操作租赁负债 | $ | | $ | |
运营租赁负债的当前部分已包括在附带的简明合并资产负债表中的应计费用和其他流动负债中。
公司记录的运营租赁费用为$
与公司经营租赁相关的其他信息如下:
2024年9月30日 | 2023年12月31日 | ||||
加权平均剩余租赁期限(年) | |||||
加权平均折扣率 |
与公司经营租赁相关的补充现金流信息如下(单位:千美元):
截至9月30日的九个月 | |||||
2024 |
| 2023 | |||
经营租赁负债的现金支付 | $ | | $ | |
截至2024年9月30日,公司未来的最低租赁付款如下(单位:千):
截至12月31日的年份, |
| 金额 | |
2024(代表2024年剩余的三个月) | $ | | |
2025 |
| | |
2026 | | ||
2027 | | ||
2028年及以后 | | ||
总租赁支付 | | ||
少:推定利息 | ( | ||
减:尚未收到的租户改善津贴 | ( | ||
营业租赁负债现值 | $ | |
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10. 普通股票
普通股
普通股持有人有权投票。每股普通股有一票,没有累积投票权。
公司已保留以下股份用于发行,按折算基础如下:
2024年9月30日 | 2023年12月31日 | ||
根据计划发行和现有的股票期权 | | | |
未行使的普通股权证 | — | | |
计划下尚未发行的剩余股份 | | | |
员工股票购买计划下尚未发行的剩余股份 | | | |
总共预留的普通股 | | |
续发公开募股
2024年2月,公司完成了一项续发公开募股,发行
2024 ATm 协议
2024年5月14日,公司与TD证券(美国)有限责任公司,即TD Cowen签订了一项“市价”销售协议,即2024 ATm 协议,根据该协议,公司可以不时提供并出售总额高达$的普通股股票
Warrants 以购买普通股股票的期权
公司
11. 基于股份的薪酬
2020年股权激励计划
2020年9月,公司实施了2020年股权激励计划,即2020计划,取代了以往的所有股权激励计划。不会再在2018年股权激励计划(2018计划)下授予额外奖励。从上述计划中被放弃、取消或回购的奖励将返还到2020计划下用于发行的普通股股份池中。截至2024年1月1日,根据2020计划授权发行的普通股数增加了??股。截至2024年9月30日,有??股可用于根据2020计划发行。
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在2023年10月2日,Morphimmune 2020年股权激励计划,或称Morphimmune计划,由公司在与合并相关联的情况下承接(注释7)。
授予首席执行官的股票期权
在2023年6月28日,Clay Siegall被授予
2020员工股票购买计划
公司在2020年9月采用了2020员工股票购买计划(ESPP)。到2024年1月1日,ESPP下授权发行的普通股增至
股票期权
截至2024年9月30日的九个月内,计划下的期权活动总结如下:
| 加权 |
| ||||||||
加权 | 平均 | 合计 | ||||||||
平均 | 剩余期限 | 截至2023年7月29日的余额 | ||||||||
数量 | 行使价格 | contractual | 价值 | |||||||
| 股份 |
| 每股收益 |
| 期限(年) | (以千计) | ||||
2023年12月31日未行使的股票期权 |
| | $ | | $ | | ||||
已批准 | | | ||||||||
已行使 |
| ( | | |||||||
已注销 | ( | | ||||||||
到期 |
| ( | | |||||||
2024年9月30日为止未清偿 |
| | $ | | $ | | ||||
可在2024年9月30日行使 |
| | $ | | $ | |
上述表格中,内在价值的总和是通过期权的执行价格与截至期末公司普通股的公允价值之间的差额计算得出的。
截至2024年和2023年9月30日的九个月内授予的股票期权的加权平均授予日期的公允价值为$
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在授予的股票期权中使用的Black-Scholes期权定价模型的加权平均假设为:
截至9月30日的九个月 |
| ||||||
| 2024 |
| 2023 |
| |||
预期波动率 |
| | % | | % | ||
无风险利率 |
| | % | | % | ||
预期期限(年) |
|
| |||||
预期股息率 |
| — | % | — | % |
在综合损益表中记录的股份补偿费用如下(以千计):
截至9月30日的三个月 | 截至九月三十日的九个月 | |||||||||||
2024 | 2023 | 2024 |
| 2023 | ||||||||
研发费用 | $ | | $ | | $ | | $ | | ||||
General and administrative |
| |
| |
| |
| | ||||
股份授予的全部补偿费用 | $ | | $ | | $ | | $ | |
与期权相关的未认可的股份报酬为$
12. 后续事项
Zentalis购买协议
2024年10月25日,公司与Zentalis签署了资产购买协议,即Zentalis购买协议,根据该协议,公司购买了Zentalis已授权的资产,这些资产在当时存在的Zentalis许可协议下授权给公司,包括所有惯常的所有者的权利和义务,即Zentalis资产购买。在Zentalis资产购买的完成后,Zentalis许可协议将以其全部内容终止,包括终止公司的所有待决里程碑和版税支付义务。各方的一定权利和义务将在Zentalis资产购买完成后继续存在。作为Zentalis资产购买的对价,公司向Zentalis发行了其普通股未经注册股票。公司还有义务在实现Zentalis许可协议下先前的一个发展里程碑时向Zentalis支付一次性现金支付$
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项目2.财务状况与经营结果的管理讨论与分析
您应与我们在本季度报告10-Q表格中包含的精简合并财务报表及相关附注一起阅读以下关于我们财务状况和经营成果的讨论与分析,以及我们经审计的财务报表及其附注,以及在截至2023年12月31日的年度报告10-K表格中包含的管理层对财务状况和经营成果的讨论与分析。除非另有说明,本季度报告10-Q表格中对“immunome”、“公司”、“我们”、“我们的”、“我们”或类似术语的所有引用均指Immunome, Inc.及其子公司。
前瞻性声明
除历史财务信息外,本讨论包含基于当前预期的前瞻性陈述,这些陈述涉及风险和不确定性。由于多种因素,我们的实际结果可能与这些前瞻性陈述中预期的结果存在重大差异,包括下文第II部分,项目1A标题为“风险因素”的部分中列出的因素。在某些情况下,您可以通过术语如“预期”、“相信”、“继续”、“可能”、“估计”、“期望”、“打算”、“可能”、“计划”、“潜在”、“预测”、“应该”、“将”或这些术语的否定形式或其他类似表达来识别前瞻性陈述。
此外,“我们相信”等类似语句反映出我们对相关主题的信念和意见。这些语句是基于我们掌握的信息于本季度10-Q报告发布日期的基础上做出的,我们认为这些信息是这些语句的合理依据,但这些信息可能是有限或不完整的,我们的语句不应被视为表明我们进行了对所有可能可用的相关信息进行详尽的调查或审查。这些语句本质上是不确定的,投资者应当谨慎地依赖这些语句。
概述
我们是一家专注于开发靶向肿瘤治疗的生物技术公司。我们认为,追求新型或未被充分探索的靶点将是下一代变革性疗法的核心,我们致力于开发具有首创和最佳潜力的靶向癌症疗法。我们的目标是建立一个广泛的临床前和临床资产管道,并将这些资产开发成可商业化的批准产品。为了支持这一目标,我们将业务开发活动与对内部发现项目的大量投资相结合。
我们正在推进一个包括一个临床和两个临床前资产的管道。临床资产是AL102,一种正在开发的伽马分泌酶抑制剂,或称GSI,目前正在进行针对腱膜肿瘤的3期试验。临床前资产为Im-1021,一种受体酪氨酸激酶样孤儿受体1(ROR1)抗体-药物偶联物(ADC),和Im-3050,一种纤维母细胞激活蛋白(FAP)靶向放射性配体治疗。
2023年10月2日,我们完成了与Morphimmune Inc.(或称Morphimmune)的合并,Morphimmune是一家专注于开发靶向肿瘤治疗的临床前生物技术公司,Morphimmune成为了immunome的全资子公司。
我们当前的项目
AL-102(伽马分泌酶抑制剂)
我们的临床资产是AL102,这是一种我们于2024年3月25日从Ayala Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(或称Ayala)处收购的正在开发的GSI,依据资产收购协议,或称Ayala收购协议。AL102目前正在针对腱膜肿瘤进行3期试验评估。
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AL102的临床活动在之前两项招募了成人腱膜肿瘤患者的临床试验中被观察到。在施贵宝(Bristol-Myers Squibb,简称BMS)进行的一项第一阶段剂量递增临床试验中,招募了患有实体肿瘤的患者,然后Ayala从BMS手中获得了该资产。在这项试验中,一名患有腱膜纤维瘤的患者被招募。该患者在研究期间肿瘤缩小了16.5%。基于这些数据以及其他GSI显示的反应,Ayala设计了一项称为RINGSIDE的无缝第二/第三阶段研究,以特别评估AL102在需要治疗的进展性腱膜肿瘤患者中的活动性。RINGSIDE A部分招募了42名患者,使用三种不同剂量方案的AL102:每周两天每天2mg,或每周两天每天4mg,或每日1.2mg。总的来说,独立放射科医师使用RECISt v1.1测量的可评估患者的ORR为所有测试剂量的61%。1.2mg每日剂量组在可评估人群中的ORR为75%。整体上,AL102耐受良好,其安全性特征与其他GSI报告的一致。这些数据在2023年的ESMO会议上进行了报告。
基于在RINGSIDE A部分观察到的1.2mg每日一次给药的临床活动,并在与美国食品和药物管理局(FDA)咨询后,Ayala于2022年11月启动了第三阶段随机注册试验RINGSIDE B(NCT04871282)。招募于2024年2月完成。
RINGSIDE B部分是一项注册性的第三阶段,全球性,双盲,随机,安慰剂对照临床试验,在北美、欧洲、亚洲和澳大利亚的61个临床地点进行。该研究正在评估AL102与安慰剂相比在进展性腱膜肿瘤患者中的疗效、安全性和耐受性。招募了156名组织学确认的进展性腱膜肿瘤患者(定义为最近12个月内肿瘤生长至少20%,以RECISt v1.1为准)。患者要么为未接受过治疗的腱膜肿瘤患者,无法手术,要么为在至少一条治疗线后具有耐药或复发性疾病的患者。研究中的患者随机分配接受每日一次1.2mg的AL102或安慰剂,并使用RECISt v1.1评估肿瘤进展。研究期间若患者出现进展,有资格进入开放标签扩展,届时他们可以接收每日一次1.2mg的AL102,直至疾病进展或不可接受的毒性。RINGSIDE B的主要终点是无进展生存期,次要终点为ORR、反应持续时间和特定患者自我报告结果。
我们预计将于2025年下半年发布RINGSIDE Part b的顶线数据。同时,我们正在评估并进行额外的制造和药理学工作,以支持新药申请(NDA)的提交。
Im-1021 (ROR1 ADC)
我们正在开发Im-1021,这是一种针对ROR1的临床前阶段ADC,我们于2024年1月独家从Zentalis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(Zentalis)获得许可,并于2024年10月与Zentalis进行资产购买时收购。
在临床前研究中,Im-1021在三阴性乳腺癌的小鼠模型中显示出持续的肿瘤缩小。在该模型中,Im-1021以2.5 mg/kg或5.0 mg/kg的剂量每周给药三周,与竞争对手vedotin载体的ROR1 ADC相比,肿瘤体积的缩减效果更为显著,并且没有观察到明显的体重下降。
在获得IND的前提下,我们的Im-1021临床策略旨在有效评估固态肿瘤或淋巴瘤患者的剂量递增,随后可能将固态肿瘤临床项目扩展到靶向适应症,这可能包括下列任何或所有病症:非小细胞肺癌、乳腺癌、前列腺癌、胰腺癌和胃癌,以及可能将淋巴瘤项目扩展到弥漫性大B细胞淋巴瘤、mantle细胞淋巴瘤或其他适合的适应症。与剂量递增和扩展研究同时进行,我们计划进行非临床研究,评估Im-1021与其他疗法联合使用,并评估和开发潜在的伴随诊断,以帮助识别最有可能对Im-1021作出反应的患者。我们的策略是追求在早期试验中已显示出有说服力的临床结果的适应症中进行关键临床研究,这些适应症呈现出显著的商业机会,有可能通过伴随诊断改善结果,并有加速批准的潜力。我们预计将在2025年第一季度向FDA提交Im-1021项目的IND。
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Im-3050(FAP放射配体疗法)
我们正在开发Im-3050,这是针对FAP的Lu-177放射性配体疗法候选药物,用于治疗实体瘤。FAP在大约75%的实体瘤中表达。FAP主要由癌相关成纤维细胞表达,是最常见的肿瘤基质细胞。Im-3050旨在将放射性Lu-177直接传递给表达FAP的细胞,在那里辐射的“旁观者”效应可能损坏或杀死附近的肿瘤细胞。我们认为这种RLt方法可以克服FAP作为ADCs不适宜的目标的局限性,比如在肿瘤细胞内的内化不良和低表达。
Im-3050具有四个功能域:一种小分子FAP特异性配体;一个调节为驱动肿瘤特异性摄取的连接物;一个白蛋白结合结构域以提高肿瘤滞留;以及一个螯合剂用于释放放射性核素。
我们预计将于2025年第一季度向FDA提交Im-3050项目的IND。
其他项目和平台
除了已描述的当前项目外,我们预计将继续投资于旨在扩展我们的项目组合的发现工作。附加的ADC项目是这些努力的主要重点。我们相信,针对新颖或未充分开发的靶点的高质量抗体,无论是通过我们的专有平台生成,还是通过业务发展获得,都是差异化疗法的起点。通过将这些抗体与适合每个靶点生物学特性的连接剂和荷载剂配对,我们相信最终可以开发出为患者带来巨大益处的疗法。我们预计未来将向我们的项目组合中添加几个这样的候选药物。我们也可能选择收购额外的临床阶段项目。
此外,我们计划扩大我们的知识产权领域和发现以及推进我们的平台和项目所需的基础设施。根据需要,我们可以继续收取或收购补充的知识产权,并且可以继续积累我们的专业技能和商业秘密。例如,我们可能设计和评估具有潜在用途于多个项目的专有ADC元件。我们认为建立一个广泛的ADC相关技术工具箱支持潜在头号或最佳类癌症疗法的开发。
我们的运营结果组件
合作收入
我们尚未从产品销售中产生任何营业收入,并且不希望在可预见的未来通过产品销售产生任何营业收入。迄今为止,我们的营业收入主要是通过与艾伯维公司的合作和选择协议,或合作协议,而产生的。截至目前,在这份协议下,我们所获得的合作收入包括从艾伯维公司获得的款项,我们在协议约定的预期履行期内确认为收入。 我们预计可预见的未来收入将主要来源于这一协议,以及我们可能进入的任何额外合作关系。迄今为止,根据与艾伯维公司的合作协议,我们尚未获得任何专利权使用费。
进行中的研发费用
通过资产收购获取用于研发活动的无替代未来用途的无形资产,在收购日期作为进行中研发或IPR&D费用支出。截至2024年9月30日的九个月,IPR&D费用主要与根据Zentalis许可协议收购许可证和从Ayala和atreca收购某些资产有关。
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研发费用
研发费用包括进行研究和开发活动产生的成本,其中包括:
● | 人员相关费用,包括从事研发功能的员工的工资、奖金、福利和基于股票的补偿。 |
● | 与推进我们的项目和开发候选者有关的费用,包括在与顾问、承包商、医药外包概念或CRO等机构以及其他第三方厂商和供应商签订的协议下产生的费用; |
● | 用于进行临床试验的费用,包括监管和质量保证; |
● | 工艺开发、验证以及制造用于我们的临床前研究和临床试验中使用的药品供应的成本; |
● | 实验室用品和研究材料以及其他与基础设施相关的费用;以及 |
● | 设施、折旧和摊销费用以及其他包括直接和分摊费用的费用。 |
我们在发生时记入研究和开发成本。我们为未来接收用于研究和开发活动的货物或服务进行的预付款项被记录为预付费用。随着效益的消耗,预付金额被支出。
研究和开发活动是我们业务模式的核心。我们预计,随着我们活动的继续和新协议的签订,我们的研发费用将大幅增加。
一般和行政费用
一般和行政费用主要包括工资和其他相关成本,包括为我们的高管、业务拓展和行政职能人员提供的股权补偿。一般和行政费用还包括与知识产权和公司事务有关的法律费用,会计、审计、税务和咨询服务等专业费用,保险费用,差旅费,直接和分配的设施相关费用以及其他运营成本。
我们预计我们的一般和行政费用将在未来增加,以支持不断增长和进展的研发活动,并作为一家上市公司运营。
利息收入
利息收入包括我们在市场证券上获得的利息收入,以及存放在金融机构的现金及现金等价物余额所获得的利息。
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运营结果
2024年9月30日和2023年同期三个月的比较
以下表格总结了我们 presented 时期的营业额(千元):
| 截至9月30日的三个月 | ||||||||
| 2024 |
| 2023 |
| 变化 | ||||
合作收入 | $ | 2,910 | $ | 3,565 |
| $ | (655) | ||
营业费用: | |||||||||
研发中的项目 | 6,706 | — | 6,706 | ||||||
研发(1) | 37,200 | 3,823 | 33,377 | ||||||
一般和行政(1) |
| 9,526 |
| 4,375 |
| 5,151 | |||
总营业费用 |
| 53,432 |
| 8,198 |
| 45,234 | |||
营运亏损 |
| (50,522) |
| (4,633) |
| (45,889) | |||
利息收入 |
| 3,422 |
| 288 |
| 3,134 | |||
净亏损 | $ | (47,100) | $ | (4,345) | $ | (42,755) |
(1) | 金额包括以下的非现金股份奖励支出(以千为单位): |
截至9月30日的三个月 | |||||||||
| 2024 |
| 2023 |
| 变化 | ||||
研发 | $ | 1,820 | $ | 466 | $ | 1,354 | |||
一般和行政管理 | 3,072 | 617 | 2,455 | ||||||
股份授予的全部补偿费用 | $ | 4,892 | $ | 1,083 | $ | 3,809 |
合作收入
合作收入从2023年9月30日结束的三个月的360万美元减少了70万美元,到2024年9月30日结束的三个月的290万美元。主要是由于2024年9月30日结束的三个月内与2023年同期相比,分配给AbbVie的某些研究和开发活动减少而导致的减少。
进行中的研发费用
截至2024年9月30日三个月的IPR&D支出涉及26,000,000美元,用于摊销已确定没有替代未来用途的已收购IPR&D资产,以及27,000,000美元用于发行我们普通股的未注册股票,以修订BMS许可协议。截至2023年9月30日结束的三个月,没有IPR&D支出。 与BMS许可协议修订有关的截至2024年9月30日的三个月的IPR&D支出涉及4,000,000美元。
研发费用
研究与开发费用从2023年9月30日结束的三个月的380万美元增加了3340万美元,到2024年9月30日结束的三个月的3720万美元。
我们记录直接的研发费用主要包括制造业相关的外部成本,特定产品开发相关的成本,以及包括支付给研究人员、顾问、中心实验室和CROs的临床试验费用,用于特定产品开发和临床项目。我们不将与购买实验室材料、与雇员相关的成本以及与设施费用(包括折旧或其他间接成本)相关的成本分配给特定产品候选者和临床项目,因为这些成本支持多个产品项目。
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下表显示了我们在每个活跃项目上 incurred 的研发费用。
截至9月30日的三个月 | |||||||||
| 2024 |
| 2023 |
| 变化 | ||||
AL102 (1) | $ | 9,621 | $ | — | $ | 9,621 | |||
临床前项目 (2) | 8,581 | 42 | 8,539 | ||||||
其他研发活动 (3) | 10,872 | 727 | 10,145 | ||||||
间接研发 (4) | 8,126 | 3,054 | 5,072 | ||||||
Total | $ | 37,200 | $ | 3,823 | $ | 33,377 |
(1) | 截至2024年9月30日的三个月与截至2023年9月30日的三个月相比的增长,主要是由于与AL102相关的制造业-半导体活动和临床试验活动。 |
(2) | 截至2024年9月30日的三个月的增长相比于截至2023年9月30日的三个月,主要是由于与Im-1021和Im-3050相关的外包研究和制造业-半导体活动的增加。 |
(3) | 截至2024年9月30日的三个月与截至2023年9月30日的三个月相比的增长,主要是由于ADC发现活动的增加。 |
(4) | 截至2024年9月30日的三个月与截至2023年9月30日的三个月相比的增长,主要是由于与支持更大开发管道和进行更多发现工作相关的人力及人力相关成本的增加。 |
一般和行政费用
一般和管理费用增加了$520万,从截至2023年9月30日的$440万增加到截至2024年9月30日的$950万。增加主要是由于与人员相关的成本增加$410万,原因是人员增加,包括$250万的股份激励补偿增加。
利息收入
截至2023年9月30日的三个月内,利息收入从30万美元增加了310万美元,至截至2024年9月30日的三个月内的340万美元。增加的主要原因是现金及现金等价物和可出售证券余额的增加。
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2024年9月30日和2023年结束的九个月的比较
以下表格总结了我们 presented 时期的营业额(千元):
截至九月三十日的九个月 | |||||||||
| 2024 |
| 2023 |
| 变化 | ||||
合作收入 | $ | 6,303 |
| $ | 10,192 |
| $ | (3,889) | |
营业费用: | |||||||||
研发中的项目 | 124,972 | — | 124,972 | ||||||
研发(1) | 81,652 | 13,452 | 68,200 | ||||||
一般和行政(1) |
| 22,509 |
| 11,617 |
| 10,892 | |||
总营业费用 |
| 229,133 |
| 25,069 |
| 204,064 | |||
营运亏损 |
| (222,830) |
| (14,877) |
| (207,953) | |||
利息收入 |
| 10,116 |
| 705 |
| 9,411 | |||
净亏损 | $ | (212,714) | $ | (14,172) | $ | (198,542) |
(1) | 金额包括以下非现金股份奖励费用(以千为单位): |
截至9月30日的九个月 | |||||||||
| 2024 |
| 2023 |
| 变更 | ||||
研究与开发 | $ | 3,244 | $ | 1,323 | $ | 1,921 | |||
General and administrative | 7,034 | 2,017 | 5,017 | ||||||
股份授予的全部补偿费用 | $ | 10,278 | $ | 3,340 | $ | 6,938 |
协作收入
在2023年9月30日至2024年9月30日的九个月中,协作收入减少了390万美元,从1020万美元降至630万美元。这一减少主要是由于2024年9月30日结束的九个月中分配给艾伯维的某些研发活动减少,相比于2023年同期。
进行中的研发费用
截至2024年9月30日的九个月,与已确认没有替代未来用途的收购IPR&D资产的冲销相关的IPR&D费用为主要费用。在2023年9月30日结束的九个月中没有IPR&D费用。
研发费用
研发费用从2023年9月30日结束的九个月的1350万美元增加了6820万美元,至2024年9月30日结束的九个月的8170万美元。
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下表显示了我们针对每个活跃项目发生的研发费用。
截至九月三十日的九个月 | |||||||||
| 2024 |
| 2023 |
| 变化 | ||||
AL102 (1) | $ | 14,397 | $ | — | $ | 14,397 | |||
临床前项目 (2) | 24,743 | 1,618 | 23,125 | ||||||
其他研发活动 (3) | 24,774 | 3,891 | 20,883 | ||||||
间接研发 (4) | 17,738 | 7,943 | 9,795 | ||||||
Total | $ | 81,652 | $ | 13,452 | $ | 68,200 |
(1) | 2024年9月30日结束的九个月相比2023年9月30日结束的九个月增长主要是由于与AL102相关的制造业活动和临床试验活动,AL102在2024年3月从阿亚拉收购。 |
(2) | 2024年9月30日结束的九个月的增长与2023年9月30日结束的九个月主要是由于Im-1021和Im-3050的外包研究和制造活动增加。 |
(3) | 截至2024年9月30日的九个月,与截至2023年9月30日的九个月相比,主要是由于ADC发现活动增加导致的增加。 |
(4) | 截至2024年9月30日的九个月,与截至2023年9月30日的九个月相比,主要是由于人员增加以及与支持更大的研发流水线并进行更多发现工作相关的人员和人员相关成本增加。 |
一般和行政费用
管理和行政费用增加了1090万美元,从2023年9月30日结束的九个月的1160万美元增加到了2024年9月30日结束的九个月的2250万美元。增加主要是由于人员成本增加了840万美元,这是由于人员总数增加,其中包括500万美元的股份补偿增加。此外,与会计、法律和专利费以及其他间接费用相关的费用增加了250万美元。
利息收入
截至2023年9月30日结束的九个月,利率期货收入从70万美元增加到截至2024年9月30日结束的九个月的1010万美元。增长主要是由于利率期货上升以及现金、现金等价物和可变现安防-半导体余额增加。
偿付能力和资本资源
流动性来源
自2006年创立以来,我们将几乎所有资源投入到研发、筹集资本、建立管理团队、建立知识产权组合,以及进行和执行合作和战略交易。迄今为止,我们主要通过出售股权证券、合作安排、战略伙伴关系和交易来融资我们的业务,同时在较小程度上还通过政府合同结束后在2022年收到的费用补偿来融资。
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截至目前,我们从产品的商业销售中尚未产生任何营业收入,并且不指望在可预见的未来从商业销售中产生营业收入。自成立以来,我们经历了重大的营运亏损和经营性现金流出。我们的净亏损分别为2024年9月30日结束的三个月为4710万美元和430万美元,2023年同期分别为21270万美元和1420万美元,截至2024年9月30日结束的九个月为43550万美元。 截至2024年9月30日,我们的现金、现金等价物和有价证券共计24010万美元,累计赤字为43550万美元。
2024年2月,我们完成了一项跟随公开发行,并以每股20.00美元发行了1150万股普通股,净收益21540万美元,扣除承销折扣、佣金和我们支付的发行费用后,即2024年融资。
2024年5月,我们与TD证券(美国)有限责任公司即TD Cowen签订了一项“市场”销售协议,即2024年ATM协议,TD Cowen作为销售代理人,根据该协议,我们可以不时提供和卖出总额高达20000万美元的普通股,即ATM股。我们同意向TD Cowen支付多达从2024年ATM协议下出售的任何ATM股的总募集毛收入的3.0%的佣金。我们尚未根据2024年ATM协议出售任何ATM股。
现金流量
下表总结了我们截至2024年9月30日结束的九个月的现金来源和运用情况(以千元为单位):
截至九月三十日的九个月 | ||||||
| 2024 |
| 2023 | |||
经营活动产生的现金流量净额 | $ | (68,734) | $ | 9,891 | ||
投资活动使用的现金 |
| (94,821) |
| (482) | ||
融资活动提供的现金流量 |
| 220,444 |
| 60,909 | ||
现金及现金等价物和限制性现金净增加额 | $ | 56,889 | $ | 70,318 |
经营活动
2024年9月30日止九个月的经营活动中使用的净现金为6870万美元,主要包括我们2.127亿美元的净亏损,部分偿还非现金费用13440万美元以及运营资产和负债的净变化960万美元。非现金费用主要包括以12500万美元收购未来没有替代用途的正在进行的研究与开发资产,以及1030万美元的股份补偿。运营资产和负债的变动主要包括应计费用和其他流动负债增加1350万美元,应付账款增加30万美元,预付费用和其他资产减少230万美元,部分偿还递延收入减少630万美元。
Net cash provided by operating activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $990万, consisting primarily of our net loss of $1420万, partially offset by noncash charges of $410万 and a net change in operating assets and liabilities of $1990万. The noncash charges primarily consisted of $330万 of share-based compensation expense. The change in operating assets and liabilities primarily consisted of an increase in deferred revenue of $1980万 and a decrease in prepaid expenses and other assets of $160万, partially offset by a decrease in accrued expenses and other current liabilities of $150万.
投资活动
Net cash used in investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 was $94.8 million, consisting primarily of $11270万 of purchases of marketable securities, $4610万 of purchases of IPR&D assets and $600万 of purchases of property and equipment, partially offset by $7000万 from maturities of marketable securities.
Net cash used in investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $50万, consisting of purchases of property and equipment.
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筹资活动
2024年9月30日结束的九个月期间,融资活动提供的净现金为22040万元,其中包括来自2024年融资的23000万元和来自期权和普通股权证的530万元,部分偿还来自我们2024年融资和2024年ATm协议的1480万元的发行成本。
2023年9月30日结束的九个月期间,融资活动提供的净现金为6090万元,主要包括2023年10月与合并交易结束相关的预付款所得6100万元。 公司在合并完成前收到了这些资金,并在附表资产负债表中将此交易记录为存款负债。截至2023年9月30日。 融资活动还提供了3.4万美元的净收益。 通过我们在2013年11月终止的以前的ATm销售协议出售普通股的净收益,减去与PIPE交易相关的递延发售成本的10万美元支付。
资金要求
我们预计与我们正在进行和未来的活动相关的支出将大幅增加,特别是随着我们推进和扩大AL102的临床开发、寻求AL102的监管批准、继续Im-1021和Im-3050的临床前和潜在临床开发以及任何其他未来产品候选者的开发,并继续执行我们的业务发展策略。我们预计我们资本的主要使用将用于临床开发服务、非临床研究、战略交易、制造业、法律和其他监管遵从支出、薪酬及相关支出、风险管理和总部费用。
我们预计截至2024年9月30日的现金、现金等价物和可市场出售证券将使我们能够资助我们当前和计划中的营业费用和资本支出,至少延续12个月,从此《第10-Q表格》的申报日期计算。我们将需要额外融资来支持我们的持续运营并推进我们的研发策略。我们基于可能被证明不精确的假设作出这些估计,并且我们可能会比目前预期的更早耗尽可用的资本资源。由于与我们项目开发相关的众多风险和不确定性,我们无法估计与完成研究和发展项目以及开发候选者的研发相关的资本支出和营业支出金额。
我们未来的资金需求将取决于许多因素,包括:
● | 我们收购或授权内涵产品、知识产权和其他技术的程度以及我们收购或授权这些资产的条款; |
● | 我们目前拥有的项目和开发候选者的发现、临床前开发、制造和临床试验的范围、进展、结果和成本,以及我们未来可能获得权利的项目和开发候选者的发现、临床前开发、制造和临床试验的范围、进展、结果和成本; |
● | 继续运营和推进我们的发现和ADC平台的成本; |
● | 准备、提交和起诉专利申请,维护和执行我们的知识产权和专有权利,以及捍卫与知识产权相关的索赔的成本和我们知识产权组合的成功; |
● | 可能开发的项目和开发候选者的监管审查成本、时间和结果; |
● | 未来活动的费用,包括产品销售、医学事务、市场营销、制造、分销、覆盖范围和任何获得监管批准的项目或开发候选者的报销费用; |
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● | 我们现有和任何未来的许可协议、合作以及其他战略交易的成功,以及达到触发根据这些协议和交易向我们支付或从我们支付款项的里程碑或其他发展;和 |
● | 公开公司的经营成本。 |
在我们能够产生实质性的产品营业收入之前,我们预计通过股本发行、债务融资、合作、战略联盟和许可安排的组合来满足现金需求。由于俄罗斯和乌克兰之间的战争、中东地区的冲突、银行破产、通货膨胀对经济的压力以及政府机构采取的货币政策应对措施以及其他宏观经济和政治因素,全球信贷和金融市场经历了极端的波动,包括流动性减弱和信贷供应减少、消费者信心下降、经济增长减速以及对经济稳定性的不确定性。目前无法保证信贷和金融市场恶化以及对经济状况的信心不会发生。如果股本和信贷市场恶化,可能会使所需要的债务或股权融资更难获得、更昂贵和/或更具稀释性。如果我们通过股本发行(包括根据2024年ATm协议)或可转换债务证券筹集额外资本,任何购买者的所有权利将会或可能会被稀释,而这些证券的条款可能包括对我们普通股东权益造成不利影响的清偿或其他优先权。债务融资和股权融资(如有)可能包括限制或限制我们采取特定行动的契约,如增加附加债务、进行并购或资本支出或宣布分红。如果我们通过与第三方的合作、战略联盟或市场、分销或许可安排筹集额外资金,我们可能不得不放弃对我们技术、未来营业收入、研究项目或候选药物的有价值权利,或者授予许可的条款可能对我们不利。如果我们无法通过股权或债务融资或其他安排在需要时筹集额外资金,我们可能需要延迟、限制、减少或终止我们的研究、产品开发或未来的商业化努力,或授予开发和营销计划和开发候选人的权利,而我们本来希望自己开发和营销。如果我们不能以有利条件或根本无法获得必要的资金支持这些活动,我们将需要延迟、削减或取消部分或全部的研发项目,包括我们的产品候选者的临床和临床前开发。
合同义务和应急情况
我们与服务提供商没有重大的不可取消的购买承诺,因为我们通常是根据可取消的采购订单约定的。我们预计的重大现金需求不包括我们可能根据资产收购和许可协议的开发、监管或商业里程碑的实现而需要支付的潜在的有条件支付,也不包括我们可能需要根据我们已签订或可能与各种实体签订的许可协议之下的开发、监管和商业里程碑或专利权支付的有条件支付,在这些许可协议中,我们已经按照或将要按照获取了某些知识产权。有关与资产收购和许可协议相关的潜在有条件支付的详细信息,请参阅我们在本季度报告表10-Q的第I部分第1条所载的简明结算财务报表的附注7和8。
重要会计政策和估计
我们对我们的财务状况和运营结果的管理讨论和分析基于我们按照美国通用会计准则编制的财务报表。编制这些财务报表需要我们做出影响资产和负债报告金额以及揭示负债和资产的有条件性的估计和假设,并且需要报告在报告期间发生的费用。我们的估计是基于我们的历史经验和我们认为在情况下合理的各种其他因素,结果构成对不容易从其他来源明显看出的资产和负债的账面价值作出判断的基础。实际结果可能会在不同假设或条件下与这些估计不同,任何这种不同可能是重大的。
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虽然我们的显著会计政策在本季度报告第10-Q表格第一部分的附注2中描述,但我们认为下面讨论的会计政策对于理解我们历史和未来的业绩至关重要,因为这些政策涉及到涉及显著估计不确定性的更重要领域,并且对我们的财务状况或运营结果产生或可能合理地产生重大影响。
研究与开发费用及应计费用
研究与开发成本包括进行研究与开发活动中发生的费用,包括工资和奖金、基于股份的补偿、员工福利、设施费用、实验室耗材、折旧和摊销,以及临床前和临床开发费用,包括工艺开发、验证、药物供应的制造、进行临床试验的费用,以及根据许可协议、咨询协议和其他合同服务所发生的费用。研究与开发成本于发生时作为费用处理。
作为准备我们的基本报表的一部分,我们需要估算和应计费用。我们根据与研究机构、合同制造组织和第三方服务提供商签订的合同中执行的服务,估算临床前、临床试验和其他研究与开发费用。我们根据估算的尚未开票但已提供的研究与开发活动费用进行记录,并将这些费用计入我们合并资产负债表中应计费用及其他流动负债,并在我们的合并运营报表中列为研究与开发费用。我们在确定每个报告期的应计余额时需要做出重大判断和估算。随着实际费用的出现,我们会调整我们的应计估算。尽管我们不期望我们的估算与实际发生的金额有重大差异,但我们对所执行服务的状态和时间的理解可能与我们的估算有所不同,可能导致我们在特定期间报告的金额过高或过低。我们的应计费用在一定程度上取决于外部第三方服务提供商的及时和准确的报告。在报告日期,这些服务的应计金额最终发生的费用可能大大高于或低于我们的估算。
我们所有的临床试验都在来自CRO和其他供应商的支持下进行,我们根据这些第三方在每个试验中完成的工作量的估算来累积临床试验活动的成本。用于估算累积的主要因素包括注册的患者数量、为每位患者要进行的活动、活跃临床地点的数量以及患者将在试验中注册的时间。我们通过内部审查、与CRO的通信以及对合同条款的审核,尽可能监控患者的注册水平和相关活动。我们的估算基于当时可用的最佳信息。然而,可能会有额外信息提供给我们,这可能使我们能够在未来的期间内做出更准确的估算。如果我们未能识别已开始产生的成本,或者低估或高估所提供的服务的水平或这些服务的成本,我们的实际支出可能与我们的估算有所不同。
除上述披露的研发费用和累积外,我们的关键会计政策和估算自2023年12月31日结束的财政年度的10-K表格中披露的内容没有发生重大变化。有关我们关键会计政策和估算的讨论,请参阅“管理层的财务状况及经营成果的讨论与分析—关键会计政策和重要判断”在我们2023年12月31日结束的财政年度的10-K表格第二部分第7项中。
最近的会计准则解释。
参见注释2 显著会计政策摘要有关最近发布的会计公告的更多信息,请参阅本季度报告10-Q第一部分第1项中的我们浓缩合并基本报表。
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《JOBS法案》
根据2012年初创企业振兴法案或JOBS法案的定义,我们符合“新兴成长公司”的资格。作为一个新兴成长公司,我们可以利用特定的减少披露以及其他要求,这些要求通常适用于公共公司,包括有关我们的行政薪酬安排的减少披露、免除行政薪酬的非约束性咨询表决要求以及黄金降落伞支付的要求,以及免除在评估我们的财务报告内部控制时的审计人士确认要求。
在我们首次公开募股的第五周年之后的财政年度最后一天之前或我们不再是新兴成长公司的更早时间,我们可以利用这些豁免措施。如果我们在我们最近完成的财政年度中的年度营业收入超过12.35亿美元,或者我们持有的股票市值由非关联方在最近完成的第二个财政季度最后一个工作日超过70000万美元,或者我们在三年期内发行的非可转换债务证券超过10亿美元,我们将较早地停止成为新兴成长公司。 只要我们仍然是一个新兴成长公司,我们被允许并打算依赖于适用于其他不是新兴成长公司的公共公司的某些披露要求的豁免。我们可能选择利用某些但不是所有可用的豁免措施。此外,JOBS法案规定,新兴成长公司可以利用延长的过渡期来符合新的或修订后的会计准则。这使得新兴成长公司可以推迟采纳某些会计准则,直到这些准则适用于私营公司。我们已选择不“选择退出”这种延长的过渡期,这意味着当一个标准发布或修订并且对公共公司或私人公司有不同的适用日期时,我们将在私人公司采纳新标准的时间采用新的或修订后的标准,直到我们不再有资格作为新兴成长公司或不再选择不可撤销地放弃此类延长的过渡期。因此,我们财务报表中包含的经营业绩结果可能无法直接与其他公共公司进行比较。
项目 3. 关于市场风险的定量和定性披露
此项下信息并不要求由较小的报告公司提供。
项目4. 控制与程序
披露控件和程序的评估
我们的管理层,在我们的首席执行官和首席财务官参与下,已经评估了我们的信息披露控制和程序的有效性(如《证券交易法》第13a-15(e)条和15d-15(e)条下所定义)至本季度报告期末。管理层认识到,无论控制和程序设计得多么完善和运作良好,都只能提供合理的保证来实现其目标,并且管理层必然要在评估可能的控制和程序的成本效益关系中运用其判断。根据这样的评估,我们的首席执行官和首席财务官已经得出结论,截至2024年9月30日,我们的信息披露控制和程序是有效的,确保及时披露我们SEC报告所需的信息。
关于财务报告内控的变化
截至2024年9月30日季度结束,我们的内部财务报告控制没有发生重大影响或有可能重大影响我们的内部财务报告的更改。
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第二部分——其他信息
项目1. 法律诉讼
我们目前并非涉及任何重大法律诉讼。我们可能会不时卷入业务常规过程中产生的法律诉讼。
项目1A :风险因素
风险因素概要
下面是使投资我们的普通股变得投机或风险的主要因素摘要. 此摘要不涉及我们面临的所有风险. 关于此风险因素摘要中总结的风险以及我们面临的其他风险的进一步讨论,请参阅以下“风险因素”标题下的内容,并应仔细考虑我们的此份季度报告和我们提交给SEC的其他文件中的其他信息后,再决定投资我们的普通股。
● | 我们是一家具有亏损历史的生物制药公司。我们预计未来将继续承担重大亏损,并可能永远无法实现或保持盈利能力。 |
● | 我们的经营历史有限,这可能会使得评估我们的药物研发能力和预测未来表现变得困难。 |
● | 我们尚未证明成功完成临床开发,提交新药申请,获得FDA批准进行市场营销,或成功商业化药物产品,我们可能无法做到这一点。此外,我们最近收购的AL102目前处于第3阶段开发阶段,但这种收购和先前的临床成功并不能表明我们实现新药申请或NDA批准或成功商业化AL102的能力。 |
● | 我们可能无法成功利用并扩展我们的发现和ADC平台,以建立和推进管线。 |
● | 我们可能无法将任何开发候选药物推进到临床开发阶段,获得监管批准并最终实现商业化,或者我们可能会在这方面遇到重大延误。 |
● | 我们可能选择推进特定项目或开发候选者,而不是其他项目;这些决策可能被证明是错误的,可能对我们的业务产生不利影响。 |
● | 我们可能未能实现因已完成或待完成的战略交易而预期的业务利益。 |
● | 临床试验昂贵、耗时且难以设计和实施。 |
● | 如果我们或其他人发现开发候选药物在临床试验中产生不良副作用,我们营销和从该项目或开发候选药物中获取营业收入的能力可能会受到影响。 |
● | 如果我们打算依赖的第三方未能按照合同要求进行我们目前和未来的临床前和临床研究,未能满足监管或法律要求,或未能按预期时间完成,我们的项目可能会延迟,对我们的业务和财务状况造成重大不利影响。 |
● | 由于我们可能依赖于第三方进行制造、供应和测试,其中一些可能是唯一的供应商,用于临床前和临床研发材料和商业供应,我们的供应可能会供应不足或中断,或数量或质量不尽如人意。 |
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● | 保护我们的知识产权和专有技术是困难且成本高昂的,我们可能无法确保它们的保护。 |
● | 其他人可能会质疑发明权或声称对我们的知识产权拥有所有权,这可能使我们面临诉讼,并对我们的前景产生重大不利影响。 |
● | 如果我们无法保护商业机密的机密性,我们的业务和竞争地位将会受到损害。 |
● | 我们的普通股市场价格预计会波动,购买我们普通股的投资者可能会遭受重大损失。 |
风险因素
正如本季度10-Q表格中的季度报告所述,我们面临许多风险和不确定性。您应认真考虑并仔细阅读以下描述的所有风险和不确定性,以及本季度报告中包括的其他信息,包括我们的简明合并基本报表及相关附注,这些信息出现在本季度报告的其他地方,及我们的“管理层对财务状况和运营结果的讨论与分析”。以下描述的风险和不确定性并不是我们面临的唯一风险。以下任何风险或当前我们认为不重要的其他风险和不确定性的发生,可能会对我们的业务、财务状况或运营结果产生重大和不利的影响。在这种情况下,我们普通股的交易价格可能会下跌,您可能会失去全部或部分投资。本季度报告还包含前瞻性陈述和估计。我们的实际结果可能与前瞻性陈述中预期的结果有重大差异,这可能是由于下面描述的特定因素,包括风险和不确定性。 我们已用星号 (*) 标记那些未作为单独风险因素包含的风险因素,或反映与我们于2024年3月28日提交给SEC的10-K年度报告的第1A项中包含的同类标题风险因素的变化。 本节中提到的“我们”、“我们”和“我们的”是指immunome及其子公司。
由于我们有很少的运营历史来评估我们的公司,因此必须考虑早期阶段公司经常遇到的问题、支出、困难、复杂性和延迟等问题。
我们是一家生物制药公司,历史上曾出现亏损。我们预计在可预见的未来将继续遭受重大亏损,并可能永远无法实现或维持盈利。*
我们是一家生物技术公司,历史上曾出现亏损。自成立以来,我们几乎将所有资源投入到研究和开发、融资、追求战略交易、建设管理团队和建立知识产权组合中,因此我们遭受了重大经营亏损。截至2024年9月30日,我们的累计亏损达到43550万美元。到2023年12月31日止年度,我们的净亏损为10680万,2024年9月30日止九个月的净亏损为21270万。迄今为止,我们尚未通过产品销售产生任何营业收入,也没有识别、寻求或获得任何产品的市场营销或销售的监管批准。此外,在可预见的未来,我们可能无法通过产品销售产生任何收入,并且由于研发活动和我们开发候选者的监管批准过程的成本,我们预计在可预见的未来将继续遭受重大经营亏损。
我们预计随着我们继续运营,净亏损将大幅增加;然而,我们未来亏损的程度尚不确定。我们实现或维持盈利的能力(如果可能的话)将取决于以下因素:成功识别和开发我们的开发候选者,获得市场营销和商业化的监管批准,以商业合理的条件进行制造,按照我们供应商的预期进行表现,进入额外的潜在未来战略合作伙伴关系,并在战略合作伙伴关系中达到关键里程碑,为任何获批产品建立销售和营销组织或合适的第三方替代方案,以及筹集足够的资金以资助业务活动。如果我们或我们目前或潜在的未来合作伙伴无法将我们的一个或多个项目或开发候选者商业化,或者如果获得批准的任何项目或开发候选者的销售收入不足,我们将无法实现或维持盈利,这可能对我们的业务、财务状况、经营成果和前景产生重大不利影响。
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我们的经营历史有限,这可能会使得评估我们的药物研发能力和预测未来表现变得困难。
除了我们最近收购的AL102,一个处于临床试验晚期的产品候选,我们尚未启动任何药物候选的临床试验。我们没有获得商业销售批准的药物,也没有从药物销售中产生任何营业收入。我们能否产生药物收入,这可能需要很长时间,甚至永远不会发生,这将取决于我们的药物候选成功的研发和最终的商业化,这也可能永远不会实现。我们可能永远无法开发或商业化一种有市场价值的药物。
我们当前和未来的药物候选需要额外的发现研究、临床前开发、临床开发、在多个司法管辖区获得监管批准、制造验证、获取当前良好制造规范或GMP、制造供应、能力和专业知识、构建商业和分销组织、大量投资和重要的市场营销努力,才能在药物销售中产生任何营业收入。
我们有限的经营历史可能会使得评估我们的药物候选变得困难,无法预测未来表现。我们作为一家运营公司的短历史使得对我们未来成功或生存能力的任何评估都受到重大不确定性的影响。我们将经历早期临床阶段公司在不断发展的领域中经常遇到的风险和困难。如果我们不能成功应对这些风险,我们的业务将受到影响。同样,我们预计由于众多不受我们控制的因素,我们的财务状况和经营结果将因各种因素每季度和每年出现大幅波动。因此,我们的股东不应依赖于任何季度或年度期间的结果作为未来经营绩效的指标。
此外,我们可能会遇到意外费用、困难、复杂性、延迟和其他已知和未知的情况。随着我们推进包括AL102在内的药物候选,我们将需要从具有研究重点的公司转变为能够支持临床开发并如有成功则进行商业活动的公司。我们可能无法成功完成这种过渡。
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我们尚未证明成功完成临床开发、提交新药申请、获得FDA批准用于营销,或成功商业化药物产品,我们可能无法做到这一点。此外,我们最近收购的AL102目前正处于第3阶段的开发阶段,但此类收购和之前的临床成功并不表明我们能够获得新药申请或NDA批准,或成功商业化AL102。
作为一家组织,我们尚未证明成功完成临床开发、获得监管批准、制造商业规模产品、进行必要的销售和营销活动以成功商业化,或为我们安排第三方代表我们进行任何前述活动的能力。在获得在美国或其他地方商业化产品候选品的批准之前,我们或我们的合作伙伴必须通过有充分证据的良好控制的临床试验,向FDA或其他类似的外国监管机构证明这些产品候选者对其预期用途是安全和有效的,并得到满意。2022年,我们将IMm-BCP-01推进至用于治疗SARS-CoV-2的第1期临床试验,但后来决定停止进一步开发IMm-BCP-01。因此,AL102目前是我们唯一的临床试验候选品。我们收购了这项资产,并尚未对我们其他目前的研发候选品之一进行任何临床试验。我们作为一家公司在准备和提交营销申请方面经验有限,并且以前从未针对任何产品候选品提交过NDA或其他类似的外国监管提交。此外,我们与FDA或其他类似的外国监管机构的互动有限,并且无法确定我们的研发候选品将需要多少额外的临床试验,也不确定这些额外的试验应如何设计。因此,我们可能无法成功和有效地执行和完成必要的临床试验,推动提交申请并获得任何研发候选品的监管批准。值得注意的是,AL102的先前开发不是由我们进行的。因此,我们对AL102的发展潜力的假设在很大程度上是基于由艾拉进行的临床试验生成的数据,我们可能观察到进行中或将来的临床试验产生明显和不利的不同结果。此外,来自非临床研究和临床试验的结果可以有不同的解读方式。即使我们认为AL102的非临床或临床数据很有前景,合规性或数据完整性问题可能会在以后出现,即使没有,数据也可能不足以支持FDA或其他类似的外国监管机构的批准。AL102或我们可能提交的任何其他申请的营销批准可能会延迟数年,或者可能需要我们花费比我们有的资源更多。
此外,即使获得营销批准,监管机构可能会批准我们的任一产品候选品的适应症比我们要求的更少或更有限,可能会以狭窄适应症、警告或后市场风险管理策略的重大限制形式批准,如风险评估和减轻策略(Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy,REMS),或者在其他司法管辖区中等值得的。监管机构可能会根据昂贵的后市场临床试验的表现而授予批准,也可能会批准一个不包括对该产品候选品的成功商业化所必要或理想的标签声明的产品候选品。上述任何一种情况都可能对AL102或我们的早期产品候选品的商业前景造成实质性损害。
我们将需要筹集大量额外资金来推进我们的开发候选品和我们的发现和ADC平台的开发,我们无法保证我们将来会有足够的资金可用来开发和商业化我们的任一开发候选品。
生物技术产品的研发资金密集。如果我们的开发候选品继续通过临床前研究和临床试验,我们将需要大量额外资金来扩展我们的开发、监管、制造、营销和销售能力。我们已经用了大量资金来开发和收购我们的开发候选品,将需要大量资金来继续推进我们的发现和ADC平台,进行进一步的研究和开发,包括临床前研究和临床试验,以寻求监管批准,并生产和销售获得商业销售批准的任何产品。此外,我们还会承担作为一家公开公司运营所带来的额外成本。
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根据我们目前的营运计划,预计截至2024年9月30日,我们手头现金、现金等价物和可市场出售证券将足以支持当前和计划中的营运费用和资本支出,至少可以覆盖本季度10-Q表格的提交日期起的12个月。我们未来的资本需求和我们现有资源支持我们业务的时间可能会与我们预期的大相径庭。我们的月度支出水平会根据新的和持续的研发以及其他公司活动而有所波动。由于生物技术产品的研发所需时间和活动变化极不确定,我们无法准确估算开发和任何获得批准的营销和商业化活动所需的具体资金。
任何额外的筹资努力可能会使我们的管理层分散精力,影响我们开发、如果获准,推广当前和未来任何开发候选药物的能力。额外资金可能无法以可接受的条款获得,甚至完全无法获得。由于俄乌之间的战争、中东冲突、银行倒闭、通货膨胀对经济的压力以及政府机构采取的货币政策措施和其他宏观经济和政治因素,全球信贷和金融市场已经经历并可能在未来经历极端波动和混乱,包括极度降低的流动性和信贷供应、消费者信心下降、经济增长下滑以及对经济稳定的不确定性。如果股权和信贷市场恶化,包括最近或未来银行倒闭的结果,可能会导致任何必要的债务或股权融资难以及时以优惠条件获得,或者干脆无法获得。
我们的营业费用的时间和金额将在很大程度上取决于我们控制之外的因素,其中包括本部分讨论的一些因素,包括以下:
● | 范围, 临床前和临床开发活动的范围、数量、时间和进展; |
● | 我们能够从第三方合同制造商处获得的价格和定价结构,用于制造我们的临床前研究和临床试验材料和供应品以及其他与推进项目相关的供应商; |
● | 我们能够保持当前的许可证、开展研究和发展项目并建立新的战略合作伙伴关系和合作的能力; |
● | 与获得、维护、执行和捍卫专利和其他知识产权以及追求监管批准所需的资源相关的成本; |
● | 合并及与整合业务、运营、网络、系统、技术、政策和程序相关的成本;和 |
● | 我们努力增强运营系统、确保足够的实验室空间、聘请额外人员,包括支持开发我们的项目和开发候选者并满足作为一家上市公司的义务所需的人员公司。 |
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To date, we have primarily financed our operations through the sale of equity securities and convertible debt, and through our collaborations. We may seek to raise any necessary additional capital through a combination of public or private equity offerings, including pursuant to the 2024 ATM Agreement, debt financings, additional collaborations, strategic alliances, licensing arrangements, government contracts and other arrangements. We cannot assure you that we will be successful in acquiring additional funding at levels sufficient to fund our operations on terms favorable to us or at all. If we are unable to obtain adequate financing when needed, we may have to delay, reduce the scope of or suspend one or more of our preclinical studies, clinical trials, research and development programs or commercialization efforts. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with the development and commercialization of our development candidates and the extent to which we may enter into collaborations with third parties to participate in their development and commercialization, we are unable to estimate the amounts of increased capital outlays and operating expenditures associated with our current and anticipated preclinical studies and clinical trials. To the extent that we raise additional capital through additional collaborations, strategic alliances or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights, future revenue streams or research programs or to grant licenses on terms that may not be as favorable to us. If we do raise additional capital through public or private equity, including pursuant to the 2024 ATM Agreement, or convertible debt offerings, the ownership interest of our existing stockholders will be diluted, and the terms of certain securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect our stockholders’ rights. If we raise additional capital through debt financing, we may be subject to covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends.
We do not expect to realize revenue from product sales (either directly or through our collaborators) in the foreseeable future, if at all, unless and until our drug candidates complete clinical testing, are approved for commercialization and are successfully marketed.
Risks Related to Our Discovery, Development and Regulatory Approval of Development Candidates
We may not be successful in our efforts to use and expand our discovery and ADC platforms to build and progress a pipeline.
A key element of our strategy is to use and expand our discovery and ADC platforms to build a pipeline and progress the pipeline through preclinical and clinical development for the treatment of various diseases. Our scientific research that forms the basis of our discovery and ADC platforms is ongoing. Further, the scientific evidence to support the feasibility of discovering and developing products based on our technologies has not been established. In addition, our discovery and ADC platforms are not proven to be superior to competing technologies. Even if we are successful in building our pipeline, the development candidates that we identify may not be suitable for clinical development or generate acceptable clinical data, including as a result of being shown to have unacceptable effects or other characteristics that indicate that they are unlikely to be products that will receive marketing approval from regulatory authorities or achieve market acceptance. If we or our collaborators do not successfully develop and commercialize development candidates, we will not be able to generate product revenue.
We may be unable to advance any of our development candidates into and through clinical development, obtain regulatory approvals and ultimately commercialize them, or we could experience significant delays in doing so.*
Some of our candidates are in the early stages of development efforts and we will need to continue to progress our development candidates through preclinical studies and submit INDs to the FDA or appropriate regulatory documents to applicable foreign authorities prior to initiating their clinical development. Additionally, we acquired AL102, a Phase 3 clinical asset, which requires additional clinical data before we can submit an NDA to the FDA and other applicable foreign authorities before we can receive regulatory approval, if at all. We have no products on the market that have gained regulatory approval. Our ability to generate revenue and achieve and sustain profitability depends on our ability to continue to identify programs and nominate development candidates, advance them into preclinical and clinical development and obtain regulatory approvals for and successfully commercializing them, either alone or through a collaboration.
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Before obtaining regulatory approval for the commercial distribution of any programs or development candidates, we, either alone or with or through a collaborator, must conduct extensive preclinical studies, followed by clinical trials to demonstrate their safety and efficacy in humans. We cannot be certain of the timely completion or outcome of our research and development activities or our planned clinical studies and cannot predict if the FDA or other regulatory authorities will ultimately support the further advancement of our development candidates. Most of our development candidates are in the early stages of development, other than AL102, which is a Phase 3 clinical asset, and we are subject to the risks of failure inherent in the development of candidates based on novel approaches, targets and mechanisms of action.
We anticipate submitting INDs for IM-1021 and IM-3050 in the first quarter of 2025. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to do so as anticipated or that we will not face regulatory or other hurdles, including the requirement to provide additional data.
If we do not advance IM-1021 or IM-3050 to IND as anticipated, or if the FDA does not accept or delays our IND submission or puts a submission on hold, we may incur significant delays and expense identifying another development candidate, if any. Accordingly, you should consider our prospects in light of the costs, uncertainties, delays, and difficulties frequently encountered by biotechnology companies such as ours.
We may not have the financial resources to continue development of, or to enter into new collaborations for, our development candidates. This may be exacerbated by one or more of the following:
● | negative or inconclusive results from our preclinical studies or clinical trials or the preclinical studies or clinical trials of others for development candidates similar to ours, leading to a decision or requirement to conduct additional preclinical studies or clinical trials or abandon a program; |
● | product-related side effects experienced by participants in our clinical trials or by individuals using drugs or therapeutic antibodies similar to ours; |
● | product-related side effects experienced by participants in our clinical trials or by individuals using drugs or therapeutic antibodies similar to ours; |
● | delays in IND submissions or comparable foreign applications, or delays or failure in obtaining the necessary approvals from regulators to commence a clinical trial, or a suspension or termination of a clinical trial once commenced; |
● | inadequate supply or quality of components or materials or other supplies necessary for the conduct of our preclinical studies or clinical trials; |
● | poor effectiveness of our development candidates during preclinical studies or clinical trials; |
● | capital expenditures used to expand our current pipeline; |
● | unfavorable FDA or other regulatory agency inspection and review of a clinical trial or manufacture site; failure of our third-party contractors or investigators to comply with regulatory requirements or otherwise meet their contractual obligations in a timely manner, or at all; or |
● | the FDA or other regulatory agencies interpreting our data differently than we do. |
Further, we and any existing or potential future partners may never receive necessary marketing and commercialization approvals from regulatory authorities. Even if we or a potential future partner obtains regulatory approval, the approval may be delayed, or may be for targets, disease indications or patient populations not as broad as we intended or desired or may require labeling that includes significant use or distribution restrictions or safety warnings. We or a potential future partner may be subject to post-marketing testing requirements to maintain regulatory approval.
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我们可能会优先考虑某些项目或开发候选者,而放弃其他项目;这些决定可能是错误的,并可能对我们的业务产生不利影响。*
在推进我们的开发候选者的自然过程中,我们可能会做出优先级决策,这些决策可能被证明是错误的。此外,由于我们财务和其他资源有限,我们在追求所有潜在的感兴趣的开发候选者方面可能受到限制,包括Im-1021、Im-3050和AL102,即使在没有这些限制的情况下我们会选择这样做。因此,我们可能会未能利用可行的机会。如果我们没有准确评估一个项目或开发候选者的商业潜力或目标市场,我们可能会通过合作、许可或其他版税安排放弃对其的宝贵权利,而在这种情况下,保留单独的开发和商业化权利对我们来说更为有利。
我们可能未能实现因已完成或待完成的战略交易而预期的业务利益。
我们追求资产收购的商业策略的成功将部分依赖于我们成功整合、开发和推进所收购的资产的能力。如果我们在完成该交易后无法做到这些,预期的交易收益可能不会完全实现,甚至根本无法实现,或者可能需要比预期更长的时间才能实现。未能及时实现战略交易的预期收益可能会对我们的业务、运营结果、财务状况和股票价格产生重大不利影响。此外,关于该交易的完成,我们可能会承担未知或或有的负债。这些负债可能包括意外的合规和监管违规及问题、临床试验设计或合同制造和供应问题或延误,这些可能影响提交监管批准申请的时机,意外的对供应商和其他债权人的义务以及可能导致我们面临重大成本和延误的其他问题。
所有这些因素可能会减少或延迟交易预期的增值效果,负面影响我们的股价,或对我们的业务、财务控件和经营结果产生重大不利影响。
作为一种靶向放射性配体治疗,我们的Im-3050项目可能面临额外且潜在不可预测的挑战。*
铥-177(177Lu)或Lu-177的肿瘤治疗相对较新;在美国或欧盟只批准了两种Lu-177治疗,且基于Lu-177治疗的产品临床试验数量有限。因此,很难准确预测我们在推进Im-3050候选提名、临床前研究和临床试验过程中可能会遇到的开发挑战,尤其是如果有的话。Im-3050项目面临上述风险以及其他可能包括的风险:
● | 中断我们及时获得和交付足够的原材料、同位素和临床试验材料的能力,支持我们的临床前需求和未来潜在的商业需求; 商业需求; |
● | 我们可能无法找到并保留合适的供应商,包括医药外包概念或CRO和临床制造组织,由于合格处理放射性材料的供应商数量有限,或者我们可能与供应商建立单一来源关系,这可能带来与单一来源关系固有的额外风险; |
● | 如果我们启动临床试验,我们招募患者的能力可能会因能够提供放射配体疗法的地点数量有限而受到负面影响; |
● | 如果我们的产品成功批准用于商业销售,我们的营业收入可能会因能够提供放射配体疗法的地点数量有限而受到负面影响;并且 |
● | 由于Lu-177的短半衰期,我们可能会在开发有效及时地将药品分发到临床地点所需的手段过程中产生重大费用,如果获得批准,还会分发到供患者使用的地点。 |
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我们与艾伯维全球企业有限公司或艾伯维的合作并不能保证将会成功发现和验证进一步开发和商业化的目标。
与艾伯维于2023年1月4日签订的艾伯维合作和选择协议或合作协议有关,我们的发现平台并不能保证成功发现和验证目标,或者这些目标可能成为艾伯维进一步成功开发和商业化的对象。另外,如果在合作协议下,我们与艾伯维之间就我们在合作协议下的权利或义务出现任何冲突、纠纷、分歧或不履行问题时,艾伯维可能有权终止协议或减少应支付给我们的款项。
我们已获得使用人体样本以推进研究和发展的权利。然而,如果我们未能获得适当的使用许可或超出所获许可的范围,我们的项目可能会受到不利影响。
关于我们某些开发候选药物,我们的发现过程涉及从人类中获取组织样本。虽然我们努力确保我们及供应商已经获得了这些样本的所有必要许可,但存在这样的风险,即被采集样本的一个或多个个人,或其代表可能声称我们未能获得适当的许可或超出获得的许可范围。在这种情况下,我们可能需要支付货币赔偿,对通过分析这个人样本而创造或发明的任何产品支付持续的版税,甚至停止使用该样本以及通过样本分析衍生或创造出的所有材料,这些都可能导致我们的业务计划发生变化,并严重损害我们的业务、财务状况、经营业绩和前景。此外,在某些情况下,这些处罚可能严重影响我们或代表我们进行的研究的表现、可用性或有效性。即使没有造成处罚的违规行为,监管部门和其他机构也可能因监管或伦理原因拒绝授权进行或接受研究结果,这可能影响我们推进计划进入或通过临床试验的能力,同行评议期刊也可能拒绝发表科学发现,这可能限制我们传播与该计划相关信息的能力。
临床试验昂贵、耗时且难以设计和实施。
人体临床试验昂贵且难以设计和实施,部分原因是因为它们受到严格的监管要求。例如,由于收购AL102并进行其第3阶段临床试验,我们将产生额外费用。此外,由于我们的其他开发候选药物基于新技术和发现方法,我们预计它们将需要大量的研究和开发,并具有重大的制造和加工成本。此外,为研究参与者提供治疗以及治疗可能由我们的开发候选药物引起的潜在副作用的成本可能很大。因此,我们的临床试验成本可能很高,并可能对我们的业务、财务状况、经营业绩和前景产生重大不利影响。
我们不时公布或发布的临床前研究和临床试验的初步结果可能会随着更多数据的可用性以及数据经过审计和验证程序而发生变化。此外,临床开发具有不确定的结果,早期研究和试验的结果可能无法预测未来试验的结果。
我们可能不时公布临床前研究和临床试验的初步结果。临床试验的中期结果可能存在一个或多个临床结果在招募继续和更多数据可用时发生重大变化的风险。初步或首要结果也仍需经过可能导致最终数据与我们先前公布或发布的数据有重大差异的审计和验证程序。因此,初步和中期数据应谨慎对待,直到最终数据可用。初步或中期数据与最终数据之间的差异可能会显着影响我们的业务前景。
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我们无法预测我们的任何计划项目或开发候选药物何时是否会在人体中证明有效和安全,或获得监管批准。在从监管机构获得上市批准之前,我们必须根据情况完成临床前研究,然后进行广泛的临床试验证明在人体中的安全性和有效性。临床试验可能需要多年才能完成,其结果本质上是不确定的。任何开发候选药物的临床前研究和早期临床试验的结果可能无法预测后期临床试验的结果。此外,处于后期临床试验阶段的开发候选药物可能会未能展现出期望的安全性和有效性特征,尽管它们已通过临床前研究和初期临床试验。许多药品公司在爱文思控股的临床试验中遭受了重大挫折,原因是缺乏有效性或安全性概况,尽管在早期试验中取得了有望的结果。此外,AL102的先前发展不是由我们进行的,我们也没有为最初从Zentalis收取许可的ROR1 ADC的临床前研究进行任何工作,也没有在2024年10月从Zentalis收购此项目。因此,我们对这些项目潜力的假设在很大程度上基于由这些第三方进行的临床前研究和临床试验产生的数据。非临床研究和临床试验的结果可能有不同的解释。在任何正在进行或未来的临床前研究或临床试验中,我们可能会观察到实质性及严重不同的结果,或者后来发现这些第三方所产生数据的错误或其他问题。
我们不知道计划中的临床前研究和临床试验是否会按计划完成,甚至是否会完成,或计划中的临床试验是否会按时开始,需要重新设计,按时招募参与者或按计划完成,甚至是否会完成。我们的开发计划可能会因各种原因而延迟,包括与以下延迟相关的延迟:
● | 无法生成足够的临床前、毒理学或其他体内或体外数据,以支持临床试验的启动; |
● | 在足够开发、表征或控制适用于临床试验的制造工艺方面存在延迟; |
● | 延误开发适合用于筛选参与者是否符合某些开发候选药物试验资格的合适实验; |
● | 与FDA、欧洲药品管理局或其他监管机构就我们的临床试验设计或实施达成一致存在延迟; |
● | 与拟定CROs和临床试验地点达成可接受条件的协议,这些条件可能需要进行广泛谈判,并且在不同的CROs和临床试验地点之间可能存在显著差异; |
● | 在每个临床试验地点获得机构审查委员会(IRB)的批准; |
● | 招募合适的参与者参与临床试验,让参与者完成临床试验或返回进行治疗后的随访; |
● | 临床试验地点、CROs或其他第三方偏离试验方案或退出试验; |
● | 未按照FDA的良好临床实践规范(GCP)要求执行,或适用其他国家的监管指南; |
● | 在将患者纳入临床试验而非开具已建立安全性和疗效概况的现有治疗方案之际,存在未解决的伦理问题; |
● | 在试验过程中出现的参与者安全性问题,包括被视为超过潜在益处的不良事件的处理; |
● | 外部因素,如防止研究的执行或招募研究对象参加试验或多项试验的流行病或大流行病; 或 |
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● | 组件或材料的供应或质量不足,或进行我们临床前研究或临床试验所需的其他供应不足。 试验。 |
此外,我们预计将依赖于CRO、临床试验地点和其他供应商,以确保我们的临床试验的适当和及时进行,尽管我们预计将签订协议来规范他们的承诺活动,但我们对他们的实际表现影响有限。
临床试验可能会因多种因素暂停或终止,包括我们、我们的合作伙伴、进行试验的机构的伦理审查委员会(IRB)、该试验的数据安全监测委员会或FDA或其他监管机构。原因包括未按监管要求或我们的临床协议进行临床试验、FDA或其他监管机构对临床试验操作或试验地点的检查导致临床持有、不可预见的安全问题或不良副作用、无法招募合适的受试者或足够数量的受试者、未能证明使用药物或治疗性生物制品的益处、政府法规或管理措施的变化或缺乏足够的资金来继续临床试验。如果我们在完成或终止任何项目的临床试验方面遇到延误,商业前景将受到损害,我们产生产品营业收入的能力将被延迟。此外,任何完成临床试验的延误将增加我们的成本,减缓我们的产品开发和审批过程,并危及我们开始产品销售和产生收入的能力。这些事件中的任何一个都可能对我们的业务、财务状况、运营结果和前景产生重大和不利的影响。此外,导致临床试验开始或完成延误的许多因素可能最终也会导致监管批准的拒绝。
如果我们在招募临床试验参与者时遇到困难,我们的临床开发活动可能会受到延迟或以其他方式受到不利影响。*
如果我们无法找到并招募足够数量的符合条件的参与者参加这些试验,以满足FDA或其他监管机构的要求,我们可能无法启动或继续我们项目或开发候选者的临床试验。参与者的招募取决于许多因素,包括:
● | 研究的疾病的严重程度; |
● | 临床试验方案中定义的资格标准和分析试验主要终点所需的人群规模; |
● | 存在已批准的疗法,或根据紧急使用授权提供的可用于治疗类似人群的疗法,可能会限制临床试验的招募; |
● | 合格个体参与我们临床试验的意愿或可用性; |
● | 临床试验地点的接近性和可用性; |
● | 医生的转诊实践; |
● | 我们招募具有适当能力和经验的临床试验研究人员的能力; |
● | 关于所研究候选者相对于其他可用治疗方法(包括我们正在研究的适应症可能批准的任何新药)潜在优势的看法; |
● | 我们获得和维持参与者同意的能力;以及 |
● | 已注册临床试验的受试者在完成前退出试验的风险。 |
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In addition, our future clinical trials will compete with other clinical trials for development candidates that are in the same therapeutic areas as those being pursued by us, and this competition will reduce the number and types of participants available to us, because some participants who might have opted to enroll in our trials may instead opt to enroll in a trial being conducted by one of our competitors. Since the number of qualified clinical investigators is limited, we expect to conduct some of our clinical trials at the same clinical trial sites that some of our competitors use, which will reduce the number of participants who are available for our clinical trials at such clinical trial sites. Additionally, because we anticipate that some of our oncology clinical trials will be in patients with advanced solid tumors or lymphomas, the patients are typically in the late stages of the disease and may experience disease progression or adverse events independent from our development candidates, making them unevaluable for purposes of the trial and requiring additional enrollment. Delays in enrollment may result in increased costs or may affect the timing or outcome of the planned clinical trials, which could prevent completion of these trials and adversely affect our ability to advance the development of our pipeline.
We may experience delays in completion of our clinical trials based on study design.
The clinical trial for AL102, RINGSIDE Part B is an event-driven study, which means that the study can end only when a certain pre-specified number of events have occurred. It is not possible to predict accurately when the requisite events will occur and, given this inherent uncertainty, there can be no assurance that timing for completion of the study and reporting of data will be achieved as and when anticipated by the Company. Any delays in our clinical programs could significantly harm our business, financial condition and prospects.
We face substantial competition, which may result in others discovering, developing or commercializing products more quickly or marketing them more successfully than us. If their product candidates are shown to be safer or more effective than ours, then our commercial opportunity will be reduced or eliminated.*
The development and commercialization of new product candidates is highly competitive. We compete in the segments of the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and other related markets that develop therapies for the treatment of cancer, which is highly competitive with rapidly changing standards of care. As such, our commercial opportunity could be reduced or eliminated if our competitors develop and commercialize products that are safer, more effective, have fewer or less severe side effects, are more convenient, or are less expensive than any products that we may develop or that would render any products that we may develop obsolete or non-competitive. Our competitors also may obtain marketing approval for their products more rapidly than we may obtain approval for ours, which could result in our competitors establishing a strong market position before we are able to enter the market.
We expect to compete with oncology companies advancing small molecules, ADCs, targeted radiotherapies, antibodies, and other therapeutic modalities. This may include large, multinational pharmaceutical companies such as Immunogen (acquired by AbbVie Inc.), AstraZeneca; Amgen; Bayer AG, BMS; Eli Lilly and Company; Genentech, Inc. (a member of Roche group); Merck & Co. Inc.; Novartis; Seagen (acquired by Pfizer) and Johnson & Johnson. If any of our current or future product candidates are eventually approved for sale, they will likely compete with a range of treatments that are either in development or currently marketed for use in those same disease indications.
With respect to AL102, we expect to compete with companies advancing treatments for desmoid tumors, including SpringWorks Therapeutics, Inc. In November 2023, Springworks received FDA approval for its oral gamma secretase inhibitor, OGSIVEO® (nirogacestat), for the treatment of adult patients with progressing tumors who require systemic treatment. Desmoid tumors treatments also include surgery, hormonal therapy, cryotherapy, targeted therapy and chemotherapy.
There are several other companies developing FAP-targeted radioligand therapies which may represent the most direct competition to our IM-3050 program. Novartis is advancing a FAP-targeted radioligand therapy (177Lu-FAP-2286) that was acquired from Clovis Oncology and is currently in Phase 1/2. In December 2023, Eli Lilly and Company acquired POINT Biopharma, which is developing a FAP-targeted radioligand therapy (PNT2004) that is currently in Phase 1. Yantai LNC Biotechnology has also initiated a Phase 1 trial for another FAP-targeted radioligand therapy (LNC1004.) Perspective Therapeutics lead pre-clinical candidate is a FAP- targeted radiopharmaceutical (RPT), PSV 359, with a Phase I expected in 2025. Additionally, our IM-3050 program faces competition from competitors who may have superior access to a consistent supply of radioactive isotopes.
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In January 2023, we exclusively licensed a preclinical ROR1 ADC program from Zentalis with the potential to address hematologic and solid tumor indications, and acquired this program in October 2024. There are several other companies developing antibodies, ADCs, and CAR-T therapies targeting ROR1, and they may represent the most direct competition to our ROR1 ADC program. Merck has an ADC program (Zilovertamab vedotin) in a Phase 2/3 clinical trial for B-cell lymphoma. CStone Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has an ADC program in a Phase I trial. Lyell Immunopharma has a pre-clinical CAR-T program (LYL119).
Many of our competitors have significantly greater financial resources and expertise in research and development, manufacturing, performing preclinical studies, conducting clinical studies, integrating assets into their portfolio, obtaining regulatory approvals and marketing approved products than we have. These competitors also compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific and management personnel and establishing clinical study sites and patient registration for clinical studies, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our programs. In addition, these larger companies may be able to use their greater market power to obtain more favorable supply, manufacturing, distribution and sales-related agreements with third parties, which could give them a competitive advantage over us.
Further, as more product candidates within a particular class of drugs proceed through clinical development to regulatory review and approval, the amount and type of clinical data that may be required by regulatory authorities may increase or change. Consequently, the results of our clinical trials for product candidates in that class will likely need to show a risk benefit profile that is competitive with or more favorable than those products and product candidates in order to obtain marketing approval or, if approved, a product label that is favorable for commercialization. If the risk benefit profile is not competitive with those products or product candidates, or if the approval of other agents for an indication or patient population significantly alters the standard of care with which we tested our product candidates, we may have developed a product that is not commercially viable, that we are not able to sell profitably or that is unable to achieve favorable pricing or reimbursement. In such circumstances, our future product revenue and financial condition would be materially and adversely affected.
Mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries may result in even more resources being concentrated among a smaller number of our competitors. Smaller and other early-stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large and established companies. These third parties compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific and management personnel, establishing clinical study sites and subject enrollment for clinical studies, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our current or future products or programs.
The market may not be receptive to our development candidates, and we may not generate any revenue from their sale, partnering or licensing.
Even if regulatory marketing approval is obtained, we may not generate or sustain revenue from sales of the corresponding product. Market acceptance will depend on, among other factors:
● | the timing of our receipt of any marketing and commercialization approvals and the terms of such approvals; |
● | safety and efficacy; |
● | limitations or warnings contained in any labeling approved by the FDA or other regulatory authority; |
● | relative convenience and ease of administration; |
● | the availability of coverage and adequate government and third-party payor reimbursement and the pricing of our products, particularly as compared to alternative treatments; and |
● | availability of alternative effective treatments for the disease indications that our programs or development candidates are intended to treat and the relative risks, benefits and costs of those treatments. |
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If any program or development candidate we commercialize fails to achieve market acceptance, it could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
If the market opportunities for our development candidates are smaller than we believe they are, our future product revenues may be adversely affected, and our business may suffer.
Our understanding of the number of people who suffer from certain types of medical conditions that may be able to be treated by our current and future potential development candidates is based on estimates. These estimates may prove to be incorrect, and new studies may reduce the estimated incidence or prevalence of these diseases. The number of patients in the United States or elsewhere may turn out to be lower than expected or may not be otherwise amenable to treatment. Additionally, patients may become increasingly difficult to identify and access, all of which would adversely affect our business prospects and financial condition. In particular, the treatable population for various oncology indications may further be reduced if our estimates of addressable populations are erroneous or sub-populations of patients do not derive benefit from our development candidates.
Further, there are several factors that could contribute to making the actual number of participants in clinical studies less than the potentially addressable market. These include the lack of widespread availability of, and limited reimbursement for, new therapies in many underdeveloped markets.
If we or others identify undesirable side effects caused by any of our current or future development candidates undergoing clinical trials, our ability to market and derive revenue from the program or development candidate could be compromised.
Undesirable side effects caused by any development candidates could cause regulatory authorities to interrupt, delay or halt clinical trials and could result in a more restrictive label or the delay or denial of regulatory approval by the FDA or other regulatory authorities. Results of our clinical trials could reveal a high and unacceptable severity and prevalence of these side effects. In such an event, our trials could be suspended or terminated, and the FDA or other regulatory authorities could order us to cease further development of or deny approval of a development candidate for any or all targeted indications. Such side effects could also affect recruitment or the ability of enrolled participants to complete the trial or result in potential product liability claims. Any of these occurrences may materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition and impair our ability to generate revenues.
Further, clinical trials by their nature utilize a sample of the potential population. With a limited number of participants and limited duration of exposure, rare and severe side effects of a program or development candidate may only be uncovered when a significantly larger number of participants are exposed to the development candidate or when participants are exposed for a longer period of time.
In the event that any of our development candidates receive regulatory approval and we or others identify undesirable side effects caused by one of these products, any of the following adverse events could occur, which could result in the loss of significant revenue to us and materially and adversely affect our results of operations and business:
● | regulatory authorities may withdraw their approval of the product, seize the product or impose additional restrictions on the marketing of the particular product or the manufacturing processes for the product or any component thereof; |
● | we may be required to recall the product, change the way the product is administered, conduct additional preclinical studies or clinical trials or change the labeling of the product; |
● | we may be sued, subject to fines, injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties; and |
● | regulatory authorities may require the addition of labeling statements, such as a “black box” warning or a contraindication or a limitation on the indications for use or impose restrictions on the distribution in the form of a REMS in connection with approval. |
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If any of our development candidates is approved for marketing and commercialization in the future and we are unable to develop sales, marketing and distribution capabilities on our own or enter into agreements with third parties to perform these functions on acceptable terms, we will be unable to successfully commercialize any such future products.
We currently have no sales, marketing or distribution capabilities, which are necessary in order to commercialize each program and development candidate that gains FDA approval. It would be expensive and time-consuming to build these capabilities or enter into strategic partnerships with third parties to perform these services. If we decide to market any approved products directly, we will need to commit significant financial and managerial resources to develop a marketing and sales force with technical expertise and supporting distribution, administration and compliance capabilities. If we rely on third parties with such capabilities to market any approved products or decide to co-promote products with partners, we will need to establish and maintain marketing and distribution arrangements with third parties, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to enter into such arrangements on acceptable terms or at all. In entering into third-party marketing or distribution arrangements, any revenue we receive will depend upon the efforts of the third parties and we cannot assure you that such third parties will establish adequate sales and distribution capabilities or be successful in gaining market acceptance for any approved product. If we are not successful in commercializing any product approved in the future, either on our own or through third parties, our business and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
A Fast Track Designation from the FDA, even if granted for any of our product candidates, may not lead to a faster development or regulatory review or approval process, and does not increase the likelihood that our product candidates will receive regulatory approval.
The FDA has granted Fast Track designation for AL102 for progressing desmoid tumors. We intend to seek such designation for some or all of our additional product candidates. The Fast Track program is intended to expedite or facilitate the process for reviewing new product candidates that meet certain criteria. Specifically, drugs and biologic are eligible for Fast Track designation if they are intended, alone or in combination with one or more drugs or biologics, to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition and demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs for the disease or condition. Fast Track designation applies to the combination of the product candidate and the specific indication for which it is being studied. The sponsor of a Fast Track product candidate has opportunities for more frequent interactions with the applicable FDA review team during product development and, once a biologics license application, or biologics license applications, or BLA, or NDA is submitted, the application may be eligible for priority review. An NDA or BLA submitted for a Fast Track product candidate may also be eligible for rolling review, where the FDA may consider for review sections of the NDA or BLA on a rolling basis before the complete application is submitted. If the sponsor provides a schedule for the submission of the sections of the NDA or BLA, the FDA agrees to accept sections of the NDA or BLA, as applicable, and determines that the schedule is acceptable, and the sponsor pays any required user fees upon submission of the first section of the application.
The FDA has broad discretion whether or not to grant this designation. Even if we believe a particular product candidate is eligible for this designation, we cannot assure you that the FDA would decide to grant it. Even if we do receive Fast Track Designation for any of our product candidates, such product candidates may not experience a faster development process, review or approval compared to conventional FDA procedures. The FDA may also withdraw Fast Track Designation if it believes that the designation is no longer supported by data from our clinical development program. Furthermore, such a designation does not increase the likelihood that AL102 or any other product candidate that may be granted Fast Track designation will receive regulatory approval in the United States. Many product candidates that have received Fast Track Designation have ultimately failed to obtain regulatory approval.
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We may attempt to secure approval from the FDA through the use of the accelerated approval pathway. If we are unable to obtain such approval, we may be required to conduct additional preclinical studies or clinical trials beyond those that we contemplate, which could increase the expense of obtaining, and delay the receipt of, necessary regulatory approvals. Even if we receive accelerated approval from the FDA, if our confirmatory trials do not verify clinical benefit, or if we do not comply with rigorous post-marketing requirements, the FDA may seek to withdraw any accelerated approval we have obtained.*
We may in the future seek accelerated approval for one or more of our product candidates. Under the accelerated approval program, the FDA may grant accelerated approval to a product candidate designed to treat a serious or life-threatening condition that provides meaningful therapeutic benefit over available therapies upon a determination that the product candidate has an effect on a surrogate endpoint or intermediate clinical endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit. The FDA considers a clinical benefit to be a positive therapeutic effect that is clinically meaningful in the context of a given disease, such as irreversible morbidity or mortality. For the purposes of accelerated approval, a surrogate endpoint is a marker, such as a laboratory measurement, radiographic image, physical sign, or other measure that is thought to predict clinical benefit but is not itself a measure of clinical benefit. An intermediate clinical endpoint is a clinical endpoint that can be measured earlier than an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality that is reasonably likely to predict an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical benefit.
The accelerated approval pathway may be used in cases in which the advantage of a new drug over available therapy may not be a direct therapeutic advantage but is a clinically important improvement from a patient and public health perspective. If granted, accelerated approval is usually contingent on the sponsor’s agreement to conduct, in a diligent manner, additional confirmatory studies to verify and describe the drug’s clinical benefit. If such post-approval studies fail to confirm the drug’s clinical benefit or are not completed in a timely manner, the FDA may withdraw its approval of the drug on an expedited basis. In addition, the FDA may require a sponsor of a product seeking accelerated approval to have a confirmatory trial underway prior to such approval being granted.
Prior to seeking accelerated approval for any of our product candidates, we intend to seek feedback from the FDA and will otherwise evaluate our ability to seek and receive accelerated approval. There can be no assurance that after our evaluation of any feedback and other factors we will decide to pursue or submit an NDA for accelerated approval or any other form of expedited development, review or approval. Furthermore, if we decide to submit an application for accelerated approval for any of our product candidates, there can be no assurance that such application will be accepted or that any expedited development, review or approval will be granted on a timely basis, or at all. The FDA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities could also require us to conduct further studies prior to considering our application or granting approval of any type. A failure to obtain accelerated approval or any other form of expedited development, review or approval for any of our product candidates would result in a longer time period to commercialization of such product candidate, if any, could increase the cost of development of such product candidate and could harm our competitive position in the marketplace.
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We may fail to obtain orphan drug designations from the FDA for our product candidates, and even if we obtain such designations, we may be unable to maintain the benefits associated with orphan drug designation, including the potential for market exclusivity.
Regulatory authorities in some jurisdictions, including the United States, may designate biologics or drugs designed to address relatively small patient populations as “orphan drugs.” Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may grant orphan drug designation to a drug or biologic intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is defined as one occurring in a patient population of fewer than 200,000 in the United States, or a patient population greater than 200,000 in the United States, where there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing the drug or biologic will be recovered from sales in the United States. In the United States, orphan designation entitles a party to financial incentives such as opportunities for grant funding for clinical trial costs, tax advantages and user-fee waivers. In addition, if a product candidate that has orphan designation subsequently receives the first FDA approval for the disease or condition for which it has such designation, the product is entitled to orphan drug exclusivity, which means that the FDA may not approve any other applications, including an NDA, to market the same drug for the same disease or condition for seven years, except in limited circumstances, such as a showing of clinical superiority to the product with orphan drug exclusivity or where the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient product quantity.
In November 2023, the FDA granted Orphan Drug Designation to AL102 for the treatment of desmoid tumors, and we may seek additional Orphan Drug Designations for our other product candidates. There can be no assurances that we will be able to obtain such designations. Even if we, or any future collaborators, obtain orphan drug designation for a product candidate, we, or they, may not be able to obtain or maintain orphan drug exclusivity for that product candidate. Further, even if we, or any future collaborators, obtain orphan drug exclusivity for a product, that exclusivity may not effectively protect the product from competition because different drugs with different active ingredients may be approved for the same disease or condition. Even after an orphan drug is approved, the FDA can subsequently approve the same drug or biologic for the same disease or condition if the FDA concludes that the later drug is clinically superior in that it is shown to be safer, more effective or makes a major contribution to patient care, or the manufacturer of the product with orphan exclusivity is unable to maintain sufficient product quantity. Orphan drug designation neither shortens the development or regulatory review time of a drug nor gives the drug or biologic any advantage in the regulatory review or approval process.
If we are required by the FDA to obtain approval of a companion diagnostic in connection with approval of any of our product candidates, and we do not obtain, or face delays in obtaining, FDA approval of such companion diagnostic, we will not be able to commercialize such product candidate and our ability to generate revenue will be materially impaired.
According to FDA guidance, if the FDA determines that a companion diagnostic device is essential to the safe and effective use of a novel therapeutic product or indication, the FDA generally will not approve the therapeutic product or new therapeutic product indication if the companion diagnostic is not also approved or cleared for that indication. Depending on the data from our clinical trials, we may decide to collaborate with diagnostic companies during our clinical trial enrollment process to help identify patients with characteristics that we believe will be most likely to respond to our product candidates. If a satisfactory companion diagnostic is not commercially available in this situation, we may be required to develop or obtain such diagnostic, which would be subject to regulatory approval requirements. The process of obtaining or creating a diagnostic is time consuming and costly.
Companion diagnostics are developed in conjunction with clinical programs for the associated product and are subject to regulation as medical devices by the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities, and the FDA has generally required premarket approval of companion diagnostics for cancer therapies. The approval or clearance of a companion diagnostic as part of the therapeutic product’s further labeling limits the use of the therapeutic product to only those patients who express the specific characteristic that the companion diagnostic was developed to detect.
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If the FDA or a comparable foreign regulatory authority requires approval or clearance of a companion diagnostic for any of our product candidates, whether before or after the product candidate obtains regulatory approval, we and/or third-party collaborators may encounter difficulties in developing and obtaining approval or clearance for these companion diagnostics. Any delay or failure by us or third-party collaborators to develop or obtain regulatory approval or clearance of a companion diagnostic could delay or prevent approval or continued marketing of the relevant product. We or our collaborators may also experience delays in developing a sustainable, reproducible and scalable manufacturing process for the companion diagnostic or in transferring that process to commercial partners or negotiating insurance reimbursement plans, all of which may prevent us from completing our clinical trials or commercializing our product candidates, if approved, on a timely or profitable basis, if at all.
Additional regulatory burdens and other risks and uncertainties in foreign markets may limit our growth.
Our future growth may depend, in part, on our ability to engage in development and commercialization efforts in foreign markets for which we may rely on strategic partnership with third parties. We will not be permitted to market or promote any program or development candidate before we receive regulatory approval from the applicable regulatory authority in a foreign market, and we may never receive such regulatory approval. To obtain separate regulatory approval in foreign markets, we generally must comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements of such countries regarding safety and efficacy and governing, among other things, clinical trials and commercial sales, pricing and distribution of a program or development candidate, and we cannot predict success in these jurisdictions. If we obtain approval of any of our programs or development candidates and ultimately commercialize any such program or development candidate in foreign markets, we would be subject to risks and uncertainties, including the burden of complying with complex and changing foreign regulatory, tax, accounting and legal requirements and the reduced protection of intellectual property rights in some foreign countries. Pricing flexibility may be limited in foreign markets which may further limit revenue.
Our business entails a significant risk of product liability, which may not be sufficiently covered by our insurance.
As we continue to engage in preclinical studies and clinical trials, we will be exposed to significant product liability risks inherent in the development, testing, manufacturing and marketing of antibody treatments. Product liability claims could delay or prevent completion of our development programs. If we succeed in marketing products, such claims could result in an FDA investigation of the safety and effectiveness of our products, our manufacturing processes and facilities or our marketing programs and potentially a recall of our products or more serious enforcement action, limitations on the approved indications for which they may be used or suspension or withdrawal of approvals. Regardless of the merits or eventual outcome, liability claims may also result in decreased demand for our products, injury to our reputation, costs to defend the related litigation, a diversion of management’s time and our resources, substantial monetary awards to trial participants or patients and a decline in our stock price. Any insurance we have or may obtain may not provide sufficient coverage against potential liabilities. Furthermore, clinical trial and product liability insurance is becoming increasingly expensive. As a result, our partners or we may be unable to obtain sufficient insurance at a reasonable cost to protect us against losses caused by product liability claims that could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
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Risks Related to Government Regulation
We and the third parties with whom we work are subject to stringent and evolving U.S. and foreign laws, regulations, and rules, contractual obligations, industry standards, policies and other obligations related to data privacy and security. Our (or the third parties with whom we work) actual or perceived failure to comply with such obligations could lead to regulatory investigations or government enforcement actions; private litigation (including class claims) and mass arbitration demands; fines and penalties; disruptions of our business operations; adverse publicity; and other consequences that could negatively affect our operating results and business.*
In the ordinary course of business, we collect, receive, store, process, generate, use, transfer, disclose, make accessible, protect, secure, dispose of, transmit, and share (collectively, process) personal information and other sensitive information, including proprietary and confidential business data, trade secrets, intellectual property, data we collect about trial participants in connection with clinical trials, and sensitive third-party data. Due to these data processing activities, we and the third parties with whom we work, including our current and potential collaborators are or may become subject to numerous data privacy and security obligations, such as federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations, guidance, industry standards, external and internal privacy and security policies, contractual requirements, and other obligations related to data privacy and security.
In the United States, numerous federal, state and local laws and regulations, including federal health information privacy laws (e.g., the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, or HITECH, state data breach notification laws, state health information privacy laws, federal and state consumer protection laws (e.g., Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act), and other similar laws (e.g., wiretapping laws), that govern the collection, use, disclosure and protection of health-related and other personal information could apply to our operations or the operations of the third parties with whom we work. For example, HIPAA imposes specific requirements relating to the privacy, security, and transmission of individually identifiable protected health information. We may obtain health information from third parties (including research institutions from which we obtain clinical trial data) that are subject to privacy and security requirements under HIPAA, or other data privacy and security laws. Depending on the facts and circumstances, we could be subject to criminal penalties if we knowingly obtain, use, or disclose protected health information maintained by a HIPAA-covered entity in a manner that is not authorized or permitted by HIPAA. However, determining whether protected health information has been handled in compliance with applicable privacy standards and our contractual obligations can be complex and may be subject to changing interpretation. Many state laws govern the data privacy and security of personal information and data in specified circumstances, are often not pre-empted by HIPAA, and may have a more prohibitive effect than HIPAA, thus complicating compliance efforts. In the past few years, numerous U.S. states—including California, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, and Utah—have enacted comprehensive privacy laws that impose certain obligations on covered businesses, including providing specific disclosures in privacy notices and affording residents with certain rights concerning their personal information. As applicable, such rights may include the right to access, correct, or delete certain personal information, and to opt-out of certain data processing activities, such as targeted advertising, profiling, and automated decision-making. The exercise of these rights may impact our business and ability to provide our products and services. Certain states also impose stricter requirements for processing certain personal information, including sensitive information, such as conducting data privacy impact assessments. These state laws allow for statutory fines for noncompliance. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020, or CPRA (collectively, CCPA) applies to personal information of consumers, business representatives, and employees who are California residents. The CCPA provides for fines of up to $7,500 per intentional violation and allows private litigants affected by certain data breaches to recover significant statutory damages. While there is currently an exception for protected health information that is subject to HIPAA and clinical trial regulations in the CCPA and certain other U.S. state privacy laws, these laws increase compliance costs and potential liability with respect to other personal information we maintain. Similar laws are being considered in several other states, as well as at the federal and local levels, and we expect more states to pass similar laws in the future.
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Outside the United States, an increasing number of laws, regulations, and industry standards govern data privacy and security. For example, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, or EU GDPR, and the United Kingdom’s GDPR, or UK GDPR, (collectively, GDPR) impose strict requirements for processing personal information. For example, under the GDPR, companies subject to these laws and in the event of non-compliance may experience temporary or definitive bans on data processing and other corrective actions; fines of up to 20 million Euros under the EU GDPR, 17.5 million pounds sterling under the UK GDPR or, in each case, 4% of annual global revenue, whichever is greater; or private litigation related to processing of personal information brought by classes of data subjects or consumer protection organizations authorized at law to represent their interests. In Canada, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, or PIPEDA, and various related provincial laws, as well as Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation, or CASL, may apply to our operations. Compliance with foreign data privacy and security laws and regulations could require us to take on more onerous obligations in our contracts, restrict our ability to collect, use and disclose data, or in some cases, impact our ability to operate in certain jurisdictions.
In the ordinary course of business, we may transfer personal data from Europe and other jurisdictions to the United States or other countries. Europe and certain other jurisdictions have enacted laws requiring data to be localized or limiting the transfer of personal data to other countries. In particular, the European Economic Area (EEA) and the United Kingdom (UK) have significantly restricted the transfer of personal data to the United States and other countries whose privacy laws it generally believes are inadequate. Other jurisdictions may adopt similarly stringent interpretations of their data localization and cross-border data transfer laws.
Although there are currently various mechanisms that may be used to transfer personal data from the EEA and UK to the United States in compliance with law, such as the EEA standard contractual clauses, these mechanisms are subject to legal challenges, and there is no assurance that we can satisfy or rely on these mechanisms to lawfully transfer personal data to the United States.
If there were no lawful manner for us to transfer personal data from the EEA, the UK or other jurisdictions to the United States, or if the requirements for a legally-compliant transfer are too onerous, we could face significant adverse consequences, including the interruption or degradation of our operations, the need to relocate part of or all of our business or data processing activities to other jurisdictions (such as Europe) at significant expense, increased exposure to regulatory actions, substantial fines and penalties, the inability to transfer data and work with partners, vendors and other third parties, and injunctions against our processing or transferring of personal data necessary to operate our business. Additionally, companies that transfer personal data out of the EEA and UK to other jurisdictions, particularly to the United States, are subject to increased scrutiny from regulators, individual litigants, and activist groups. Some European regulators have ordered certain companies to suspend or permanently cease certain transfers out of Europe for allegedly violating the GDPR’s cross-border data transfer limitations. Regulators in the United States are also increasingly scrutinizing certain personal data transfers and have and may further impose personal data localization requirements or restrictions on cross-border personal data transfers.
Our employees and personnel have used, and may in the future use, generative artificial intelligence, or AI, technologies to perform their work, and the disclosure and use of personal information in generative AI technologies is subject to various privacy laws and other privacy obligations. Governments have passed and are likely to pass additional laws regulating generative AI. Our use of this technology could result in additional compliance costs, regulatory investigations and actions, and lawsuits. If we are unable to use generative AI, it could make our business less efficient and result in competitive disadvantages.
We also have used, and may in the future use, AI and machine learning, or ML, technologies to assist us in making certain decisions, which is regulated by certain data privacy and security laws. Due to inaccuracies or flaws in the inputs, outputs, or logic of the AI/ML, the model could be biased and could lead us to make decisions that could bias certain individuals (or classes of individuals), and adversely impact their rights, employment, and ability to obtain certain pricing, products, services, or benefits.
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In addition to data privacy and security laws, we are contractually subject to industry standards adopted by industry groups, and we may become subject to such obligations in the future. We are also bound by contractual obligations related to data privacy and security, and our efforts to comply with such obligations may not be successful. For example, clinical trial sites who share data about clinical trial participants may contractually limit our ability to use and disclose personal information.
We publish privacy policies, marketing materials and other statements, such as compliance with certain certifications or self-regulatory principles, regarding data privacy and security. If these policies, materials or statements are found to be deficient, lacking in transparency, deceptive, unfair, or misrepresentative of our practices, we may be subject to investigation, enforcement actions by regulators or other adverse consequences.
Obligations related to data privacy and security (and consumers’ data privacy expectations) are quickly changing, becoming increasingly stringent, and creating uncertainty. Additionally, these obligations may be subject to differing applications and interpretations, which may be inconsistent or conflict among jurisdictions. Preparing for and complying with these obligations requires us to devote significant resources, which may necessitate changes to our services, information technologies, systems, and practices and to those of any third parties with whom we work.
We may at times fail (or be perceived to have failed) in our efforts to comply with our data privacy and security obligations. Moreover, despite our efforts, our personnel or third parties with whom we work may fail to comply with such obligations, which could negatively impact our business operations. If we or the third parties with whom we work fail, or are perceived to have failed, to address or comply with applicable U.S. and foreign data privacy and security laws and regulations, we could face government enforcement actions (e.g., investigations, fines, penalties, audits, inspections, and similar); litigation (including class claims) or mass arbitration demands; additional reporting requirements and/or oversight; bans on processing personal information; orders to destroy or not use personal information; and imprisonment of company officials. Claims that we or the third parties with whom we work have violated individuals’ privacy rights, failed to comply with data privacy and security laws, or breached our contractual obligations, even if we are not found liable, could be expensive and time consuming to defend and could result in adverse publicity that could harm our business. Plaintiffs have become increasingly more active in bringing privacy-related claims against companies, including class claims and mass arbitration demands. Some of these claims allow for the recovery of statutory damages on a per violation basis, and, if viable, carry the potential for monumental statutory damages, depending on the volume of data and the number of violations.
Any of the aforementioned events could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, or financial condition, including: interruptions or stoppages in our business operations (including, as relevant, clinical trials); inability to process personal information or to operate in certain jurisdictions; limited ability to develop or commercialize our products; expenditure of time and resources to defend any claim or inquiry; adverse publicity; or substantial changes to our business model or operations.
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Health care legislative reform measures may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.*
In the United States, there have been and continue to be a number of legislative initiatives to contain health care costs. For example, in March 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or ACA, was signed into law. This legislation changed the system of health care insurance and benefits and was intended to broaden access to health care coverage, enhance remedies against fraud and abuse, add transparency requirements for the health care and health insurance industries, impose taxes and fees on the health care industry, impose health policy reforms, and control costs. This law also contains provisions that would affect companies in the pharmaceutical industry and other health care related industries by imposing additional costs and changes to business practices. Since its enactment, there have been judicial and congressional challenges to certain aspects of the ACA. For example, on June 17, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed a challenge on procedural grounds that argued the ACA is unconstitutional in its entirety because the individual mandate was repealed by the U.S. Congress. In addition, on August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, or the IRA, into law, which among other things, extends enhanced subsidies for individuals purchasing health insurance coverage in ACA marketplaces through plan year 2025. The IRA also eliminates the “donut hole” under the Medicare Part D program beginning in 2025 by significantly lowering the beneficiary maximum out-of-pocket cost and creating a new manufacturer discount program. The uncertainty around the future of the ACA and other health reform measures, and in particular the impact to reimbursement levels, may lead to uncertainty or delay in the purchasing decisions of our customers, which may in turn negatively impact our product sales. We continue to evaluate the effect that the ACA and any other health reform measures could have on our business. Additional federal and state legislative and regulatory developments are likely, and we expect ongoing initiatives in the United States to increase pressure on drug and biologic pricing and reimbursement. Such reforms could have an adverse effect on anticipated revenues from development candidates that we may successfully develop and for which we may obtain regulatory approval and may affect our overall financial condition and ability to develop development candidates.
Further, among other things, the IRA has multiple provisions that may impact the prices of drug products that are both sold into the Medicare program and throughout the United States. Starting in 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, began to implement the program in which a manufacturer of a drug or biological product covered by Medicare Parts B or D must pay a rebate to the federal government if the drug product’s price increases faster than the rate of inflation. This calculation is made on a drug product by drug product basis and the amount of the rebate owed to the federal government is directly dependent on the volume of a drug product that is paid for by Medicare Parts B or D. Additionally, starting in payment year 2026, CMS will begin to reimburse negotiated drug prices annually for a select number of single source Part D drugs without generic or biosimilar competition. On August 15, 2024, CMS announced the agreed-upon reimbursement prices of the first ten drugs that were subject to price negotiations, although the Medicare drug price negotiation program is currently subject to legal challenges. CMS will select up to fifteen additional drugs covered under Part D for price negotiation in 2025. CMS will also negotiate drug prices for a select number of Part B drugs starting for payment year 2028. If a drug product is selected by CMS for negotiation, it is expected that the revenue generated from such drug will decrease. CMS has and will continue to issue and update guidance as these programs are implemented. The IRA permits the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, to implement many of these provisions through guidance, as opposed to regulation, for the initial years. HHS has and will continue to issue and update guidance as these programs are implemented. It is unclear how the IRA will be implemented but is likely to have a significant impact on the pharmaceutical industry.
Further, on February 14, 2023, HHS released a report outlining three new models for testing by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Innovation Center which will be evaluated on their ability to lower the cost of drugs, promote accessibility, and improve quality of care. It is unclear whether the models will be utilized in any health reform measures in the future. Additionally, on December 7, 2023, the Biden administration announced an initiative to control the price of prescription drugs through the use of march-in rights under the Bayh-Dole Act. On December 8, 2023, the National Institute of Standards and Technology published for comment a Draft Interagency Guidance Framework for Considering the Exercise of March-In Rights which for the first time includes the price of a product as one factor an agency can use when deciding to exercise march-in rights. While march-in rights have not previously been exercised, it is uncertain if that will continue under the new framework.
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Individual states in the United States have also increasingly passed legislation and implemented regulations designed to control pharmaceutical product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, and, in some cases, designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing. For example, on January 5, 2024, the FDA approved Florida’s Section 804 Importation Program, or SIP, proposal to import certain drugs from Canada for specific state healthcare programs. It is unclear how this program will be implemented, including which drugs will be chosen, and whether it will be subject to legal challenges in the United States or Canada. Other states have also submitted SIP proposals that are pending review by the FDA. Any such approved importation plans, when implemented, may result in lower drug prices for products covered by those programs.
Those new laws and initiatives may result in additional reductions in Medicare and other health care funding, which could have a material adverse effect on our future customers and accordingly, our financial operations. If we are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we may lose any marketing approval that we otherwise may have obtained and we may not achieve or sustain profitability, which would adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative or executive action, either in the United States or abroad. We expect that additional state and federal health care reform measures will be adopted in the future, any of which could limit the amounts that federal and state governments will pay for health care products and services, which could result in reduced demand for our development candidates or additional pricing pressures, or otherwise adversely impact our operations.
If we or our existing or potential future partners, manufacturers or other service providers fail to comply with health care laws and regulations, we or they could be subject to enforcement actions, which could affect our ability to develop, market and sell our products and may harm our reputation.
Health care providers and third-party payors, among others, will play a primary role in the prescription and recommendation of any programs or development candidates for which we obtain marketing approval. Our current and future arrangements with third-party payors, providers and customers, among others, may expose us to broadly applicable fraud and abuse and other health care laws and regulations that may constrain the business or financial arrangements and relationships through which we market, sell and distribute our development candidates for which we obtain marketing approval. These laws and regulations, include:
● | the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, which prohibits, among other things, knowingly and willfully offering, paying, soliciting or receiving remuneration to induce, or in return for, purchasing, leasing, ordering or arranging for the purchase, lease or order of any healthcare item or service reimbursable under Medicare, Medicaid or other federally financed healthcare programs. This statute has been interpreted to apply to arrangements between pharmaceutical manufacturers on the one hand and prescribers, purchasers and formulary managers on the other. Although there are several statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbors protecting certain common activities from prosecution, the exceptions and safe harbors are drawn narrowly, and practices that involve remuneration intended to induce prescribing, purchasing or recommending may be subject to scrutiny if they do not qualify for an exception or safe harbor. Further, a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it in order to have committed a violation; |
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● | federal civil and criminal false claims laws, including the federal False Claims Act, which prohibit any person from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, a false claim for payment to the federal government or knowingly making, or causing to be made, a false statement to get a false claim paid. Over the past few years, several pharmaceutical and other healthcare companies have been prosecuted under these laws for a variety of alleged promotional and marketing activities, including: allegedly providing free items and services, sham consulting fees and grants and other monetary benefits to prescribers; reporting to pricing services inflated average wholesale prices that were then used by federal programs to set reimbursement rates; engaging in off-label promotion that caused claims to be submitted to government healthcare programs for non-covered, off-label uses; and submitting inflated best price information to the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program to reduce liability for Medicaid rebates. In addition, the government may assert that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the federal False Claims Act; |
● | HIPAA, which prohibits, among other things, knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program or obtain, by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises, of any of the money or property owned by, or under the custody or control of, any healthcare benefit program, regardless or the payor (e.g., public or private), willfully obstructing a criminal investigation of a healthcare offense, and knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services; like the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it in order to have committed a violation; |
● | HIPAA, as amended by HITECH, and their respective implementing regulations, including the Final Omnibus Rule which impose requirements relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information on certain health care providers, health care clearinghouses, and health plans, known as covered entities, as well as independent contractors, or agents of covered entities that create, receive or obtain individually identifiable health information in connection with providing a service on behalf of a covered entity, known as a business associates, and their covered subcontractors; |
● | the federal transparency requirements known as the federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act, created as part of the ACA, which requires manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (with certain exceptions) to report annually to the government information related to payments or other “transfers of value” made to physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists and chiropractors), other healthcare professionals (such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners) and teaching hospitals, as well as ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members; and |
● | analogous local, state and foreign laws and regulations such as state anti-kickback and false claims laws, that may apply to sales or marketing arrangements and claims involving healthcare items or services reimbursed by non-governmental third-party payors, including private insurers; some state laws that require biotechnology companies to comply with the industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government and may require drug manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare providers or marketing expenditures; some state laws that require biotechnology companies to report information on the pricing of certain drug products; and some state and local laws require the registration or pharmaceutical sales representatives. |
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Ensuring that our future business arrangements with third parties comply with applicable health care laws and regulations could involve substantial costs. The shifting compliance environment and the need to build and maintain robust and expandable systems to comply with multiple jurisdictions with different compliance or reporting requirements increases the possibility that a health care company may run afoul of one or more of the requirements. It is possible that governmental authorities will conclude that our business practices, including certain advisory agreements we have entered into with physicians who are paid, in part, in the form of stock or stock options, do not comply with current or future statutes, regulations, agency guidance or case law involving applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations. If our operations are found to be in violation of any such requirements, we may be subject to significant penalties, including criminal and civil monetary penalties, damages, fines, individual imprisonment, disgorgement, contractual damages, reputational harm, exclusion from participation in government health care programs, integrity obligations, injunctions, recall or seizure of products, total or partial suspension of production, denial or withdrawal of pre-marketing product approvals, private qui tam actions brought by individual whistleblowers in the name of the government, refusal to allow us to enter into supply contracts, including government contracts, additional reporting requirements and oversight if subject to a corporate integrity agreement or similar agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, any of which could adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our results of operations.
We intend to develop and implement a comprehensive corporate compliance program prior to the commercialization of our development candidates. Although effective compliance programs can mitigate the risk of investigation and prosecution for violations of these laws, these risks cannot be entirely eliminated. Any action against us for an alleged or suspected violation could cause us to incur significant legal expenses and could divert our management’s attention from the operation of our business, even if our defense is successful. In addition, achieving and sustaining compliance with applicable laws and regulations may be costly to us in terms of money, time and resources. Moreover, federal, state or foreign laws or regulations are subject to change, and while we, our collaborators, manufacturers and/or service providers currently may be compliant, that could change due to changes in interpretation, prevailing industry standards or for other reasons.
Any programs or development candidates for which we intend to seek approval as biologic products may face competition sooner than anticipated.*
Even if we are successful in achieving regulatory approval to commercialize a program or development candidate ahead of our competitors, our development candidates may face competition from biosimilar or generic products. In the United States, our antibody-based programs and development candidates are expected to be regulated by the FDA as biological products, and we intend to seek approval for these development candidates pursuant to the BLA pathway. The Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009, or BPCIA, created an abbreviated pathway for FDA approval of biosimilar and interchangeable biological products based on a previously licensed reference product. Under the BPCIA, an application for a biosimilar biological product cannot be approved by the FDA until 12 years after the original reference biological product was approved under a BLA.
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We believe that any of our development candidates approved as a biological product under a BLA should qualify for the 12-year period of exclusivity available to reference biological products. However, there is a risk that this exclusivity could be shortened due to congressional action or otherwise, or that the FDA will not consider our development candidates to be reference biological products pursuant to its interpretation of the exclusivity provisions of the BPCIA for competing products, potentially creating the opportunity for generic follow-on biosimilar competition sooner than anticipated. Moreover, the extent to which a biosimilar product, once approved, will be substituted for any one of our reference products in a way that is similar to traditional generic substitution for non-biological products is not yet clear, and will depend on a number of marketplace and regulatory factors that are still developing including whether a future competitor seeks an interchangeability designation for a biosimilar of one of our products. Under the BPCIA as well as state pharmacy laws, only interchangeable biosimilar products are considered substitutable for the reference biological product without the intervention of the health care provider who prescribed the original biological product. However, as with all prescribing decisions made in the context of a patient-provider relationship and a patient’s specific medical needs, health care providers are not restricted from prescribing biosimilar products in an off-label manner. In addition, a competitor could decide to forego the abbreviated approval pathway available for biosimilar products and to submit a full BLA for product licensure after completing its own preclinical studies and clinical trials. In such a situation, any exclusivity for which our development candidates may be eligible under the BPCIA would not prevent the competitor from marketing its biological product as soon as it is approved.
In Europe, the European Commission has granted marketing authorizations for several biosimilar products pursuant to a set of general and product class-specific guidelines for biosimilar approvals issued over the past few years. In addition, companies may be developing biosimilar products in other countries that could compete with our products, if approved. If competitors are able to obtain marketing approval for biosimilars referencing our development candidates, if approved, our future products may become subject to competition from such biosimilars, whether or not they are designated as interchangeable, with the attendant competitive pressure and potential adverse consequences. Such competitive products may be able to immediately compete with us in each indication for which our development candidates may have received approval.
If the FDA, the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities approve generic versions of any of our small molecule drug candidates that receive marketing approval, or such authorities do not grant our products appropriate periods of exclusivity before approving generic versions of those products, the sales of our products, if approved, could be adversely affected.
Once an NDA is approved, the product covered thereby becomes a “reference listed drug” in the FDA’s publication, “Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations,” commonly known as the Orange Book. Manufacturers may seek approval of generic versions of reference listed drugs through submission of abbreviated new drug applications, or ANDAs, in the United States. In support of an ANDA, a generic manufacturer need not conduct clinical trials to assess safety and efficacy. Rather, the sponsor generally must show that its product has the same active ingredient(s), dosage form, strength, route of administration and conditions of use or labelling as the reference listed drug and that the generic version is bioequivalent to the reference listed drug, meaning it is absorbed in the body at the same rate and to the same extent. Generic products may be significantly less costly to bring to market than the reference listed drug and companies that produce generic products are generally able to offer them at lower prices. Thus, following the introduction of a generic drug, a significant percentage of the sales of any branded product or reference listed drug is typically lost to the generic product.
The FDA may not approve an ANDA for a generic product until any applicable period of non-patent exclusivity for the reference listed drug has expired. The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act provides a period of five years of non-patent exclusivity for a new drug containing a new chemical entity. Specifically, in cases where such exclusivity has been granted, an ANDA may not be submitted to the FDA until the expiration of five years unless the submission is accompanied by a Paragraph IV certification that a patent covering the reference listed drug is either invalid or will not be infringed by the generic product, in which case the sponsor may submit its application four years following approval of the reference listed drug.
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Generic drug manufacturers may seek to launch generic products following the expiration of any applicable exclusivity period we obtain if our small molecule product candidates are approved, even if we still have patent protection for such products. Competition that our products could face from generic versions of our products could materially and adversely affect our future revenue, profitability, and cash flows and substantially limit our ability to obtain a return on the investments we have made in those product candidates.
Disruptions at the FDA, the SEC and other government agencies caused by funding shortages or global health concerns could hinder their ability to hire and retain key leadership and other personnel, or otherwise prevent new or modified products from being developed, approved or commercialized in a timely manner or at all, or otherwise prevent those agencies from performing normal business functions on which the operation of our business may rely, which could negatively impact our business.
The ability of the FDA to review and approve new products can be affected by a variety of factors, including government budget and funding levels, ability to hire and retain key personnel and accept the payment of user fees, and statutory, regulatory, and policy changes, and other events that may otherwise affect the FDA’s ability to perform routine functions. Average review times at the agency have fluctuated in recent years as a result. In addition, government funding of the SEC and other government agencies on which our operations may rely, including those that fund research and development activities is subject to the political process, which is inherently fluid and unpredictable.
Disruptions at the FDA and other agencies may also slow the time necessary for new drugs to be reviewed and/or approved by necessary government agencies, which would adversely affect our business. For example, in recent years, including beginning on December 22, 2018, the U.S. government shut down several times and certain regulatory agencies, such as the FDA and the SEC, had to furlough critical employees and stop critical activities.
If a prolonged government shutdown occurs, or if global health concerns prevent the FDA or other regulatory authorities from conducting their regular inspections, reviews, or other regulatory activities, it could significantly impact the ability of the FDA to timely review and process our regulatory submissions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Further, in our operations as a public company, future government shutdowns or delays could impact our ability to access the public markets and obtain necessary capital in order to properly capitalize and continue our operations.
Even if we receive regulatory approval of our development candidates, we will be subject to ongoing regulatory obligations and continued regulatory review, which may result in significant additional expense, and we may be subject to penalties if we fail to comply with regulatory requirements.
If our development candidates are approved, they will be subject to ongoing regulatory requirements for manufacturing, labeling, packaging, storage, advertising, promotion, sampling, record-keeping, conduct of post- marketing studies, and submission of safety, efficacy, and other post-market information, including both federal and state requirements in the United States and requirements of comparable foreign regulatory authorities.
Manufacturers and manufacturers’ facilities must comply with extensive FDA, and comparable foreign regulatory authority, requirements, including ensuring that quality control and manufacturing procedures conform to cGMP regulations. As such, we and our contract manufacturers will be subject to continual review and inspections to assess compliance with cGMP and adherence to commitments made in any BLA, other marketing applications, and previous responses to inspection observations. Accordingly, we and others with whom we work must continue to expend time, money, and effort in all areas of regulatory compliance, including manufacturing, production, and quality control.
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Any regulatory approvals that we receive for our development candidates may be subject to limitations on the approved indicated uses for which the product may be marketed or to the conditions of approval, or contain requirements for potentially costly post-marketing testing, including Phase 4 clinical trials, and surveillance to monitor the safety and efficacy of the program and development candidate. The FDA may also require a REMS program as a condition of approval of our development candidates, which could entail requirements for long-term patient follow-up, a medication guide, physician communication plans or additional elements to ensure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries and other risk minimization tools. In addition, if the FDA or a comparable foreign regulatory authority approves our development candidates, we will have to comply with requirements, including submissions of safety and other post-marketing information and reports, and registration, as well as continued compliance with cGMP and GCP for any clinical trials that we conduct post-approval.
The FDA strictly regulates marketing, labeling, advertising, and promotion of products that are placed on the market. Drugs may be promoted only for the approved indications and in accordance with the provisions of the approved label. The FDA and other agencies actively enforce the laws and regulations prohibiting the promotion of off-label uses, and a company that is found to have improperly promoted off-label uses may be subject to significant liability.
Failure to comply with regulatory requirements, may result in revisions to the approved labeling to add new safety information; imposition of post-market studies or clinical studies to assess new safety risks; or imposition of distribution restrictions or other restrictions under a REMS program. Other potential consequences include, among other things:
● | restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of the product, complete withdrawal of the product from the market or product recalls; |
● | fines, warning letters or other enforcement-related letters or clinical holds on post-approval clinical trials; |
● | refusal of the FDA to approve pending BLAs or supplements to approved BLAs, or suspension or revocation of product approvals; |
● | product seizure or detention, or refusal to permit the import or export of products; |
● | injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties; and |
● | consent decrees, corporate integrity agreements, debarment, or exclusion from federal health care programs; or mandated modification of promotional materials and labeling and the issuance of corrective information. |
The policies of the FDA and of other regulatory authorities may change and additional government regulations may be enacted that could prevent, limit or delay regulatory approval of our development candidates. We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative action, either in the United States or abroad. If we are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we may lose any marketing approval that we may have obtained and we may not achieve or sustain profitability.
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Even if we are able to commercialize any program or development candidate, the program and development candidate may become subject to unfavorable pricing regulations or third-party coverage and reimbursement policies, which would harm our business.
We cannot be sure that coverage and reimbursement will be available for, or accurately estimate the potential revenue from, our development candidates or assure that coverage and reimbursement will be available for any product that we may develop. The regulations that govern marketing approvals, pricing and reimbursement for new drug and biological products vary widely from country to country. Some countries require approval of the sale price of a drug or biologic before it can be marketed. In many countries, the pricing review period begins after marketing or product approval is granted. In some foreign markets, prescription pharmaceutical pricing remains subject to continuing governmental control even after initial approval is granted. We are monitoring these regulations as several of our programs move into later stages of development, including AL102 which is in Phase 3 clinical development; however, a majority of our programs are currently in the earlier stages of development and we will not be able to assess the impact of price regulations for a number of years. As a result, we might obtain regulatory approval for a product in a particular country, but then be subject to price regulations that could delay our commercial launch of the product and negatively impact any potential revenues we may be able to generate from the sale of the product in that country and potentially in other countries due to reference pricing.
Our ability to commercialize any products successfully will also depend in part on the extent to which coverage and adequate reimbursement/payment for these products and related treatments will be available from government health administration authorities, private payors and other organizations. Even if we succeed in bringing one or more products to the market, these products may not be considered medically necessary and/or cost-effective, and the amount reimbursed for any products may be insufficient to allow us to sell our products on a competitive basis. At this time, we are unable to determine their cost effectiveness or the likely level or method of reimbursement for our development candidates. Increasingly, third-party payors, such as government and private insurance plans, are requiring that biotechnology companies provide them with predetermined discounts from list prices and are seeking to reduce the prices charged or the amounts paid for biotechnology products. If the price we are able to charge for any products we develop, or the payments provided for such products, is inadequate in light of our development and other costs, our return on investment could be adversely affected.
We currently expect that any drugs we develop may need to be administered under the supervision of a physician on an outpatient basis. Under currently applicable U.S. law, certain therapeutic products that are not usually self-administered (such as most injectable drugs and biologics) may be eligible for coverage under the Medicare Part B program if:
● | they are incident to a physician’s services; |
● | they are reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of the illness or injury for which they are administered according to accepted standards of medical practice; and |
● | they have been approved by the FDA and meet other requirements of the statute. |
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There may be significant delays in obtaining coverage for newly approved biologics, and coverage may be more limited than the indications for which the biologic is approved by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities. Patients who are prescribed medications for the treatment of their conditions, and their prescribing physicians, generally rely on third-party payors to pay all or part of the costs associated with their prescription medications. Patients are unlikely to use our products unless coverage is provided, and payment is adequate to cover all or a significant portion of the cost of our products. Therefore, coverage and adequate payment is critical to new product acceptance. Coverage decisions may depend upon clinical and economic standards that disfavor new products when more established or lower cost therapeutic alternatives are already available or subsequently become available. Moreover, eligibility for coverage does not imply that any of our products, if approved, will be paid for in all cases or at a rate that covers our costs, including research, development, manufacture, sale and distribution. Interim payments for new drugs or biologics, if applicable, may also not be sufficient to cover our costs and may not be made permanent. Reimbursement may be based on payments allowed for lower-cost products that are already reimbursed, may be incorporated into existing payments for other services and may reflect budgetary constraints or imperfections in Medicare data. Net prices for drugs or biologics may be reduced by mandatory discounts or rebates required by government health care programs or private payors and by any future relaxation of laws that presently restrict imports of medicines from countries where they may be sold at lower prices than in the United States. Third-party payors often rely upon Medicare coverage policy and payment limitations in setting their own reimbursement rates. However, no uniform policy requirement for coverage and reimbursement for drug or biologic products exists among third-party payors in the United States. Therefore, coverage and reimbursement for drug and biologic products can differ significantly from payor to payor. As a result, the coverage determination process is often a time-consuming and costly process that will require us to provide scientific and clinical support for the use of our products to each payor separately, with no assurance that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be applied consistently or obtained in the first instance. Additionally, we or our collaborators may develop companion diagnostic tests for use with our current and future potential development candidates. We or our collaborators will be required to obtain coverage and reimbursement for these tests separately and apart from the coverage and reimbursement we may seek for our current and future potential development candidates. Our inability to promptly obtain coverage and adequate reimbursement rates from both government-funded and private payors for new products we develop and for which we obtain regulatory approval could adversely affect our operating results, our ability to raise capital needed to commercialize products, and our overall financial condition.
A number of legislative and regulatory changes in the health care system in the United States and other major health care markets have been proposed and/or adopted in recent years, and such efforts have expanded substantially in recent years. We believe that the efforts of governments and third-party payors to contain or reduce the cost of health care and legislative and regulatory proposals to broaden the availability of health care will continue to affect the business and financial condition of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
We are subject to U.S. and foreign anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws with respect to our operations and non-compliance with such laws can subject us to criminal or civil liability and harm our business.
We are subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or the FCPA, the U.S. domestic bribery statute contained in 18 U.S.C. § 201, the U.S. Travel Act, the USA PATRIOT Act, and possibly other state and national anti-bribery and anti-money laundering laws in countries in which we conduct activities. Anti-corruption laws are interpreted broadly and prohibit companies and their employees, agents, third-party intermediaries, joint venture partners and collaborators from authorizing, promising, offering or providing, directly or indirectly, improper payments or benefits to recipients in the public or private sector. We interact with officials and employees of government agencies and government-affiliated hospitals, universities and other organizations. In addition, we may engage third-party intermediaries to promote our clinical research activities abroad or to obtain necessary permits, licenses and other regulatory approvals. We can be held liable for the corrupt or other illegal activities of these third-party intermediaries, our employees, representatives, contractors, partners and agents, even if we do not explicitly authorize or have actual knowledge of such activities.
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We adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and implemented training programs, policies and procedures to ensure compliance with such code. The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics mandates compliance with the FCPA and other anti-corruption laws applicable to our business throughout the world. However, we cannot assure you that our employees and third-party intermediaries will comply with this code or such anti-corruption laws. Noncompliance with anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws could subject us to whistleblower complaints, investigations, sanctions, settlements, prosecution, other enforcement actions, disgorgement of profits, significant fines, damages, other civil and criminal penalties or injunctions, suspension or debarment from contracting with certain persons, the loss of export privileges, reputational harm, adverse media coverage and other collateral consequences. If any subpoenas, investigations or other enforcement actions are launched, or governmental or other sanctions are imposed, or if we do not prevail in any possible civil or criminal litigation, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially harmed. In addition, responding to any action will likely result in a materially significant diversion of management’s attention and resources and significant defense and compliance costs and other professional fees. In certain cases, enforcement authorities may even cause us to appoint an independent compliance monitor which can result in added costs and administrative burdens.
Risks Related to Manufacturing, Commercialization and Reliance on Third Parties
If we choose to continue to pursue collaborations and other strategic transactions, we may not be able to enter into such transactions on acceptable terms, if at all, which could adversely affect our development and commercialization activities, impact our cash position, increase our expenses, and present significant distractions to our management.*
We have, and may continue to consider and engage in strategic transactions, asset purchases, collaborations, joint ventures and out- or in-licensing. The competition for partners is intense, and the negotiation process is time-consuming and complex. If we desire to enter into strategic transactions but are not able to do so, we may not have access to the required liquidity or expertise to further develop our development candidates and our discovery and ADC platforms. Any such collaboration, or other strategic transaction, may require us to incur non-recurring or other charges, increase our near- and long-term expenditures and pose significant integration or implementation challenges or disrupt our management or business. We may acquire additional technologies and assets, form strategic alliances or create joint ventures with third parties that we believe will complement or augment our existing business, but we may not be able to realize the benefit of acquiring such assets. Conversely, any new collaboration that we do enter into may be on terms that are not optimal for us. These transactions would entail numerous operational and financial risks, including:
● | exposure to unknown liabilities and higher-than-expected collaboration, acquisition or integration costs, write-downs of assets or goodwill or impairment charges, increased amortization expenses; and |
● | disruption of our business and diversion of our management’s time and attention in order to manage a collaboration or develop acquired products, programs or technologies, including impairment of relationships with key suppliers, manufacturers or customers of any acquired business due to changes in management and ownership. |
Accordingly, although there can be no assurance that we will undertake or successfully complete any transactions of the nature described above, any transactions that we do complete may be subject to the foregoing or other risks and our business could be materially harmed by such transactions. Conversely, any failure to enter into any collaboration or other strategic transaction that would be beneficial to us could delay the development and potential commercialization of our development candidates and have a negative impact on the competitiveness of any program or development candidate that reaches market.
In addition, to the extent that any of our current or potential future partners were to terminate a collaboration agreement, we may be forced to independently develop our development candidates, including funding preclinical studies or clinical trials, assuming marketing and distribution costs and maintaining, enforcing and defending intellectual property rights, or, in certain instances, abandoning any program or development candidate altogether, any of which could result in a change to our business plan and materially harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
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If third parties on which we intend to rely to conduct our current and future preclinical studies and clinical trials do not perform as contractually required, fail to satisfy regulatory or legal requirements or miss expected deadlines, our programs could be delayed with material and adverse impacts on our business and financial condition.
We intend to rely on third-party clinical investigators, CROs, clinical data management organizations and consultants to design, conduct, supervise and monitor certain preclinical studies and any clinical trials, including the Phase 3 clinical trial of AL102. Because we intend to rely on these third parties and will not have the ability to conduct certain preclinical studies or clinical trials independently, we will have less control over the timing, quality and other aspects of such preclinical studies and clinical trials than we would have had we conducted them on our own. These investigators, CROs and consultants will not be our employees and we will have limited control over the amount of time and resources that they dedicate to our programs. These third parties may have contractual relationships with other entities, some of which may be our competitors, which may draw time and resources from our programs. The third parties with which we may contract might not be diligent, careful or timely in conducting our preclinical studies or clinical trials, resulting in the preclinical studies or clinical trials being delayed or unsuccessful.
The FDA requires certain preclinical studies to be conducted in accordance with good laboratory practices and clinical trials must be conducted in accordance with GCPs, including for designing, conducting, recording and reporting the results of preclinical studies and clinical trials to ensure that data and reported results are credible and accurate and that the rights, integrity and confidentiality of clinical trial participants are protected. Our reliance on third parties that we do not control will not relieve us of these responsibilities and requirements. Any adverse development or delay in our clinical trials could have a material and adverse impact on our commercial prospects and may impair our ability to generate revenue.
Because we may rely on third parties for manufacturing, supply and testing, some of which may be sole source vendors, for preclinical and clinical development materials and commercial supplies, our supply may become limited or interrupted or may not be of satisfactory quantity or quality.
We may rely on third-party contract manufacturers for our preclinical and future clinical trial product materials and commercial supplies, including our Phase 3 clinical trial of AL102. We do not intend to produce any meaningful quantity of materials needed for preclinical and clinical development through our internal resources, and we do not currently own manufacturing facilities for producing such supplies. While we intend to try to avoid sole-source arrangements with any of our manufacturing, supply and testing vendors, it may not always be possible to do so. We cannot assure you that our preclinical or future clinical development product supplies and commercial supplies will not be limited or interrupted, especially with respect to any sole source third-party manufacturing and supply partners or will be of satisfactory quality or continue to be available at acceptable prices. In particular, any replacement of our manufacturers could require significant effort and expertise because there may be a limited number of qualified replacements.
The manufacturing process for a program or development candidate is subject to FDA and other regulatory authority review. Suppliers and manufacturers must meet applicable manufacturing requirements and undergo rigorous facility and process validation tests required by regulatory authorities in order to comply with regulatory standards, such as cGMP. In the event that any of our future manufacturers fails to comply with such requirements or to perform its obligations to us in relation to quality, timing or otherwise, or if our supply of components or other materials becomes limited or interrupted for other reasons, we may be forced to manufacture the materials ourselves, for which we currently do not have the capabilities or resources, or enter into an agreement with another third party, which we may not be able to do on reasonable terms, or at all. In some cases, the technical skills or technology required for manufacture may be unique or proprietary to the original manufacturer and we may have difficulty transferring such skills or technology to another third party and a feasible alternative may not exist. These factors would increase our reliance on such manufacturer or require us to obtain a license from such manufacturer in order to have another third party manufacture our materials. If we are required to change manufacturers for any reason, we will be required to verify that the new manufacturer maintains facilities and procedures that comply with quality standards and with all applicable regulations and guidelines. The delays associated with the verification of a new manufacturer could negatively affect our ability to develop in a timely manner or within budget.
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Certain Chinese biotechnology companies, CROs and contract development and manufacturing organizations may become subject to trade restrictions, sanctions, other regulatory requirements, or proposed legislation by the U.S. government, which could potentially impact services available for our research and development or our ability to secure the materials we need for our development candidates. For example, the BIOSECURE Act recently passed in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as a substantially similar bill in the U.S. Senate, target U.S. government contracts, grants, and loans for entities that use equipment and services from certain named Chinese biotech companies, and would authorize the U.S. government to name additional Chinese biotechnology companies of concern. The current version of the BIOSECURE Act includes a grandfathering provision allowing biotechnology equipment and services provided or produced by named biotechnology companies of concern under a contract or agreement entered into before the effective date until January 1, 2032. Depending on whether the BIOSECURE Act becomes law, what the final language of the BIOSECURE Act includes, and how the law is interpreted by U.S. federal agencies, we could be potentially restricted from pursuing U.S. federal government business or funding if we use suppliers or partners identified as “biotechnology companies of concern” beyond the grandfathering period. Such disruption could have adverse effects on our research and development activities. In addition to the BIOSECURE Act, any additional U.S. executive action, legislative action, or potential sanctions with China could materially impact our business and activities. U.S. executive agencies have the ability to designate entities and individuals on various governmental prohibited and restricted parties lists. Depending on the designation, potential consequences can range from a comprehensive prohibition on all transactions or dealings with designated parties, or a limited prohibition on certain types of activities, such as exports and financing activities, with designated parties.
If we are unable to obtain or maintain third-party manufacturing for any program or development candidate, or to do so on commercially reasonable terms, we may not be able to complete our development and commercialization efforts successfully. Our or a third party’s failure to execute on our manufacturing requirements and comply with cGMP could adversely affect our business in a number of ways, including:
● | an inability to initiate or continue clinical trials; |
● | delay in submitting regulatory applications, or receiving regulatory approvals; |
● | loss of the cooperation of a potential future partner; |
● | subjecting third-party manufacturing facilities or our potential future manufacturing facilities to additional inspections by regulatory authorities; |
● | requirements to cease distribution or to recall batches; and |
● | in the event of approval to market and commercialize a product, an inability to meet commercial demands. |
We may be unable to successfully scale manufacturing in sufficient quality and quantity, which would delay or prevent us from completing our development and commercialization efforts, if any.
In order to conduct our research and development efforts, including clinical trials, for our development candidates, we will need to manufacture large quantities. If any programs or development candidates are commercialized, we will need to scale up manufacturing efforts even further. We currently expect to continue to use third parties for our manufacturing needs, as we do not currently have, nor do we currently intend to establish, our own manufacturing capacity. Our manufacturing partners may be unable to successfully increase the manufacturing capacity for any program or development candidate in a timely or cost-effective manner, or at all. In addition, quality issues may arise during scale-up activities and our manufacturers may fail to perform under their contracts with us, which could result in an unexpected need to change manufacturers. If we or our manufacturing partners are unable to successfully scale the manufacture at any stage, in sufficient quality and quantity, the development, testing and clinical trials of that program or development candidate may be delayed or infeasible, and regulatory approval or commercial launch of any potential resulting product may be delayed or not obtained, which could significantly harm our business.
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Our significant reliance on third-party vendors could impair our ability to implement our business plan.
We rely on, and expect to continue to rely on, third-party vendors for many aspects of our business. We depend on these third parties, and likely will continue to depend on them, to perform their obligations in a timely manner consistent with contractual and regulatory requirements. We also at times need to rely, and may continue to need to rely, on certain vendors as our sole source for research, development, manufacturing or other services. Establishing additional or replacement sole source vendors, if required, may not be accomplished quickly. In addition, these vendors may now or in the future partner with and conduct services for third parties developing in enabling technologies that are competitive with our discovery and ADC platforms and/or current or future development candidates. If we are unable to make arrangements with a vendor for a particular need, or maintain our relationship with that vendor, on commercially reasonable terms, we may not be able to develop and commercialize our programs or development candidates successfully or operate our business as we intend, which could harm our business, result of operations, financial condition and prospects.
A cyber-attack or breach of our information technology systems, or those of the third parties with whom we work, could cause adverse consequences, including regulatory investigations or actions; litigation; fines and penalties; disruptions of our business operations; reputational harm; and other adverse consequences.*
In the ordinary course of business, we, our collaborators, and our vendors may collect, receive, store, process, generate, use, transfer, disclose, make accessible, protect, secure, dispose of, transmit, and share, or collectively, process, proprietary, confidential, and sensitive data, including our clinical trial data or personal information, or collectively, sensitive data.
Cyber-attacks, malicious internet-based activity, online and offline fraud, and other similar activities threaten the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our sensitive data and information technology systems, and those of the third parties with whom we work. Such threats are prevalent and continue to rise, are increasingly difficult to detect, and come from a variety of sources, including traditional computer “hackers,” threat actors, “hacktivists,” organized criminal threat actors, personnel (such as through theft or misuse), sophisticated nation states, and nation-state-supported actors.
Some actors now engage and are expected to continue to engage in cyber-attacks, including without limitation nation-state actors for geopolitical reasons and in conjunction with military conflicts and defense activities. During times of war and other major conflicts, we and the third parties with whom we work may be vulnerable to a heightened risk of these attacks, including retaliatory cyber-attacks, that could materially disrupt our systems and operations, supply chain, and ability to conduct our business as presently conducted.
We and the third parties with whom we work are subject to a variety of evolving threats, including social-engineering attacks (including through deep fakes, which may be increasingly more difficult to identify as fake, and phishing attacks), malicious code (such as viruses and worms), malware (including as a result of advanced persistent threat intrusions), denial-of-service attacks, credential stuffing, credential harvesting, personnel misconduct or error, ransomware attacks, supply-chain attacks, software bugs, server malfunctions, software or hardware failures, loss of data or other information technology assets, adware, telecommunications failures, earthquakes, fires, floods, attacks enhanced or facilitated by AI, and other similar threats.
In particular, severe ransomware attacks are becoming increasingly prevalent and can lead to significant interruptions in our operations, ability to provide our products or services, loss of sensitive data and income, reputational harm, and diversion of funds. Extortion payments may alleviate the negative impact of a ransomware attack, but we may be unwilling or unable to make such payments due to, for example, applicable laws or regulations prohibiting such payments.
Remote work has become more common and has increased risks to our information technology systems and data, as more of our employees utilize network connections, computers and devices outside our premises or network, including working at home, while in transit and in public locations.
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Future or past business transactions (such as acquisitions or integrations) could expose us to additional cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities, as our systems could be negatively affected by vulnerabilities present in acquired or integrated entities’ systems and technologies. Furthermore, we may discover security issues that were not found during due diligence of such acquired or integrated entities, and it may be difficult to integrate companies into our information technology environment and security program.
We rely on third parties and technologies to operate critical business systems to process sensitive data in a variety of contexts, including cloud-based infrastructure, data center facilities, encryption and authentication technology, employee email, and other functions. Our ability to monitor these third parties’ information security practices is limited, and these third parties may not have adequate information security measures in place. If the third parties with whom we work experience a security incident or other interruption, we could experience adverse consequences. While we may be entitled to damages if the third parties with whom we work fail to satisfy their privacy or security-related obligations to us, any award may be insufficient to cover our damages, or we may be unable to recover such award. In addition, supply-chain attacks have increased in frequency and severity, and we cannot guarantee that third parties’ infrastructure in our supply chain or third-parties’ with whom we work supply chains have not been compromised.
While we have implemented security measures designed to protect against and recover from security incidents, there can be no assurance that these measures will be effective. We take steps designed to detect, mitigate and remediate vulnerabilities in our information security systems (such as our hardware and/or software, including that of third parties with whom we work), but we may not be able to detect, mitigate, and remediate all such vulnerabilities including on a timely basis. Further, we may experience delays in developing and deploying remedial measures and patches designed to address identified vulnerabilities.
Any of the previously identified or similar threats could cause a security incident or other interruption that could result in unauthorized, unlawful, or accidental acquisition, modification, destruction, loss, alteration, encryption, disclosure of, or access to our sensitive data or our information technology systems, or those of the third parties upon whom we rely. A security incident or other interruption could disrupt our ability (and that of third parties upon whom we rely) to conduct our business as presently conducted. We may expend significant resources or modify our business activities (including our clinical trial activities) to try to protect against security incidents. Certain data privacy and security obligations may require us to implement and maintain specific security measures or industry-standard or reasonable security measures to protect our information technology systems and sensitive data.
Applicable data privacy and security obligations may require us, or we may voluntarily choose, to notify relevant stakeholders, including affected individuals, customers, regulators, and investors, of security incidents, or to take other actions, such as providing credit monitoring and identity theft protection services. Such disclosures and related actions can be costly, and the disclosure or the failure to comply with such requirements could lead to adverse consequences. If we (or a third party with whom we work) experience a security incident or are perceived to have experienced a security incident, we may experience adverse consequences, such as government enforcement actions (for example, investigations, fines, penalties, audits, and inspections); additional reporting requirements and/or oversight; restrictions on processing sensitive data (including personal information); litigation (including class claims) and mass arbitration demands; indemnification obligations; negative publicity; reputational harm; monetary fund diversions; diversion of management attention; interruptions in our operations (including availability of data); disputes with physicians and other healthcare providers, clinical trial participants and our partners; increases in operating expenses; expenses or lost revenues or other adverse consequences, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, prospects and cash flows.
Further, our contracts may not contain limitations of liability, and even where they do, there can be no assurance that limitations of liability in our contracts are sufficient to protect us from liabilities, damages, or claims related to our data privacy and security obligations.
Although we have insurance coverage, including cybersecurity insurance, in place, we cannot be sure that our insurance coverage will be adequate or sufficient to protect us from or to mitigate liabilities arising out of our privacy and security practices, that such coverage will continue to be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all, or that such coverage will pay future claims by third parties or losses that we directly incur.
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In addition to experiencing a security incident, third parties may gather, collect, or infer sensitive data about us from public sources, data brokers, or other means that reveal competitively sensitive details about our organization and could be used to undermine our competitive advantage or market position. Additionally, sensitive data of the Company could be leaked, disclosed, or revealed as a result of or in connection with the use of generative AI technologies by our employees, our personnel, or third parties with whom we work.
Our current laboratory operations are concentrated in one location, and we or the third parties upon whom we depend may be adversely affected by natural or other disasters and our business continuity and disaster recovery plans may not adequately protect us from a serious disaster.*
Our current business operations are concentrated in the greater Seattle area. Any unplanned event, such as flood, fire, explosion, extreme weather condition, medical epidemics, including any potential effects from a pandemic, such as power shortage, telecommunication failure or other natural or manmade accidents or incidents that result in us being unable to fully utilize our facilities or the manufacturing facilities of our third-party contract manufacturers, or lose our repository of blood-based and other valuable laboratory samples, may have a material and adverse effect on our ability to operate our business, particularly on a daily basis, and have significant negative consequences on our financial and operating conditions. Loss of access to these facilities may result in increased costs, delays in the development efforts or interruption of our business operations. If a natural disaster, power outage or other event occurred that prevented us from using all or a significant portion of our locations, that damaged critical infrastructure, such as our research facilities or the manufacturing facilities of our third-party contract manufacturers, or that otherwise disrupted operations, it may be difficult or, in certain cases, impossible, for us to continue our business for a substantial period of time. In addition, terrorist acts or acts of war targeted at the United States, and specifically the greater Seattle area, could cause damage or disruption to us, our employees, facilities, partners and suppliers. The disaster recovery and business continuity plan we have in place may prove inadequate in the event of a serious disaster or similar event. We may incur substantial expenses as a result of the limited nature of our disaster recovery and business continuity plans, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. As part of our risk management policy, we maintain insurance coverage at levels that we believe are appropriate for our business. However, in the event of an accident or incident at these facilities, we cannot assure you that the amounts of insurance will be sufficient to satisfy any damages and losses. If our facilities, or the manufacturing facilities of our third-party contract manufacturers, are unable to operate because of an accident or incident or for any other reason, even for a short period of time, any or all of our research and development programs may be harmed. Any business interruption may have a material and adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property
It is difficult and costly to protect our intellectual property and our proprietary technologies, and we may not be able to ensure their protection.*
Our success will depend in part on obtaining and maintaining patent protection and trade secret protection for our discovery and ADC platforms and/or targeted therapeutics, as well as on successfully defending these patents against potential third-party challenges. Our ability to protect our technologies from unauthorized making, using, selling, offering to sell or importing by third parties is dependent on the extent to which we have rights under valid and enforceable patents that cover these activities.
The patent positions of pharmaceutical, biotechnology and other life sciences companies can be highly uncertain and involve complex legal and factual questions for which important legal principles remain unresolved and have in recent years been the subject of much litigation. Changes in either the patent laws or in interpretations of patent laws in the United States and other countries may diminish the value of our intellectual property. Over the past decade, U.S. federal courts have increasingly invalidated pharmaceutical and biotechnology patents during litigation often based on changing interpretations of patent law. Further, the determination that a patent application or patent claim meets all the requirements for patentability is a subjective determination based on the application of law and jurisprudence. The ultimate determination by the U.S. Patent and Trademark office, or USPTO, or by a court or other trier of fact in the United States, or corresponding foreign national patent offices or courts, on whether a claim meets all requirements of patentability cannot be assured. We cannot be certain that all relevant information has been identified. Accordingly, we cannot predict the breadth of claims that may be allowed or enforced in our own patent portfolio.
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We cannot provide assurances that any of our patent applications will be found to be patentable, including over our own prior art publications or patent literature, or will issue as patents. Neither can we make assurances as to the scope of any claims that may issue from our pending and future patent applications nor to the outcome of any proceedings by any potential third parties that could challenge the patentability, validity or enforceability of our patent portfolio in the United States or foreign jurisdictions. Any such challenge, if successful, could limit patent protection for our targeted therapeutics and/or materially harm our business.
In addition to challenges during litigation, third parties can challenge the validity of our patents in the United States using post-grant review and inter partes review proceedings, which some third parties have been using to cause the cancellation of selected or all claims of issued patents of competitors. For a patent filed March 16, 2013 or later, a petition for post-grant review can be filed by a third party in a nine-month window from issuance of the patent. For a patent filed before March 16, 2013, a petition for inter partes review can be filed immediately following the issuance of the patent. A petition for inter partes review can be filed after the nine-month period for filing a post-grant review petition has expired for a patent with an effective filing date of March 16, 2013 or later. Post-grant review proceedings can be brought on any ground of invalidity, whereas inter partes review proceedings can only raise an invalidity challenge based on published prior art and patents. These adversarial actions at the USPTO review patent claims without the presumption of validity afforded to U.S. patents in lawsuits in U.S. federal courts and use a lower burden of proof than used in litigation in U.S. federal courts. Therefore, it is generally considered easier for a competitor or third party to have a U.S. patent invalidated in a USPTO post-grant review or inter partes review proceeding than invalidated in a litigation in a U.S. federal court. If any of our patents are challenged by a third party in such a USPTO proceeding, there is no guarantee that we will be successful in defending the patent, which may result in a loss of the challenged patent right to us.
The degree of future protection for our proprietary rights is uncertain because legal means afford only limited protection and may not adequately protect our rights or permit us to gain or keep our competitive advantage. For example:
● | we may not be able to generate sufficient data to support full patent applications that protect the entire breadth of developments in one or more of our targeted therapeutics programs; |
● | it is possible that one or more of our pending patent applications will not become an issued patent or, if issued, that the patent(s) claims will have sufficient scope to protect any one of our targeted therapeutics, provide us with commercially viable patent protection or provide us with any competitive advantages; |
● | if our pending applications issue as patents, they may be challenged by third parties as invalid or unenforceable under United States or foreign laws; |
● | we may not successfully commercialize our targeted therapeutics, if approved, before our relevant patents expire; |
● | we may not be the first to make the inventions covered by our patent portfolio; or |
● | we may not develop additional proprietary technologies or targeted therapeutics that are separately patentable. |
In addition, to the extent that we are unable to obtain and maintain patent protection for our targeted therapeutics, or in the event that such patent protection expires, it may no longer be cost-effective to extend our portfolio by pursuing additional development of any of our targeted therapeutics for follow-on indications.
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Obtaining and maintaining our patent protection depends on compliance with various procedural, document submission, fee payment and other requirements imposed by government patent agencies, and our patent protection could be reduced or eliminated for non-compliance with these requirements.
In order to obtain and maintain our patents, we are required to pay application fees, periodic maintenance fees, renewal fees, annuity fees and various other government fees on patents or applications to the USPTO and various government patent agencies outside of the United States over the lifetime of our owned and in-licensed patents or applications and any patent rights we may own or in-license in the future. The USPTO and various non-U.S. government patent agencies require compliance with several procedural, documentary, fee payment and other similar provisions during the patent application process. We employ reputable law firms and other professionals to help us comply with these requirements, and we are also dependent on our licensors to take the necessary action to comply with these requirements with respect to our in-licensed intellectual property. In many cases, an inadvertent lapse can be cured by payment of a late fee or by other means in accordance with the applicable rules. There are situations, however, in which non-compliance can result in abandonment or lapse of the patent or patent application, resulting in partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction. In such an event, potential competitors might be able to enter the market with similar or identical products or platforms, which could have a material adverse effect on our business prospects and financial condition.
Patent terms may not be able to protect our competitive position for an adequate period of time with respect to our current or future targeted therapeutics.
Patents have a limited lifespan. In the United States, if all maintenance fees are timely paid, the natural expiration of a patent is generally 20 years from its earliest U.S. non-provisional or international Patent Corporation Treaty filing date. The patent term of a U.S. patent may be lengthened by patent term adjustment, which compensates a patentee for administrative delays by the USPTO in granting a patent, or may be shortened if a patent is terminally disclaimed over an earlier-filed patent.
Various extensions may be available, but the life of a patent, and the protection it affords, is limited. Given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of new commercial products arising from our discovery and ADC platforms, patents protecting such products might expire before or shortly after such products are commercialized.
In the United States, the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984 permits a Patent Term Extension, or PTE, of up to five years beyond the normal expiration of the patent to compensate patent owners for loss of an enforceable patent term due to the lengthy regulatory approval process. A PTE grant cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the date of the product approval. Further, PTE may only be applied once per product, and only with respect to an approved indication - in other words, only one patent (for example, covering the product itself, an approved use of said product, or a method of manufacturing said product) can be extended by PTE. We anticipate applying for PTE in the United States. Similar extensions may be available in other countries where we are prosecuting patents, and we likewise anticipate applying for such extensions.
The granting of a PTE is not guaranteed and is subject to numerous requirements. We might not be granted an extension because of, for example, failure to apply within applicable periods, failure to apply prior to the expiration of relevant patents or otherwise failure to satisfy any of the numerous applicable requirements. In addition, to the extent we wish to pursue a PTE based on a patent that we in-license from a third party, we would need the cooperation of that third party. Moreover, the applicable authorities, including the FDA and the USPTO in the United States, and any equivalent regulatory authority in other countries, may not agree with our assessment of whether such extensions are available, and may refuse to grant extensions to our patents, or may grant more limited extensions than we request. If this occurs, our competitors may be able to obtain approval of competing products following our patent expiration by referencing our clinical and preclinical data and launch their product earlier than might otherwise be the case. If this were to occur, it could have a material adverse effect on our ability to generate revenue.
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Changes in U.S. patent law or the patent law of other countries or jurisdictions could diminish the value of patents in general, thereby impairing our ability to protect our current or any future targeted therapeutics.
The U.S. Congress is responsible for passing laws establishing patentability standards. As with any laws, implementation is left to federal agencies and the federal courts based on their interpretations of the laws. Interpretation of patent standards can vary significantly within the USPTO and across the various federal courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on several patent cases, generally limiting the types of inventions that can be patented. Further, there are open questions regarding interpretation of patentability standards that the U.S. Supreme Court has yet to decisively address. Absent clear guidance from the U.S. Supreme Court, the USPTO has become increasingly conservative in its interpretation of patent laws and standards.
In addition to increasing uncertainty with regard to our ability to obtain patents in the future, the legal landscape in the United States has created uncertainty with respect to the value of patents. Depending on any actions by the U.S. Congress, and future decisions by the lower federal courts and the U.S. Supreme Court, along with interpretations by the USPTO, the laws and regulations governing patents could change in unpredictable ways and could weaken our ability to obtain new patents or to enforce our existing patents and patents that we might obtain in the future.
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on several patent cases in recent years; these cases often narrow the scope of patent protection available to inventions in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical spaces. For example, in Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc., or Myriad, the Supreme Court ruled that a “naturally occurring DNA segment is a product of nature and not patent eligible merely because it has been isolated,” and invalidated Myriad Genetics’ claims on the isolated BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. To the extent that any of our patent application claims are deemed to be directed to natural products, or to lack an inventive concept above and beyond an isolated natural product, a court may decide the claims are directed to patent-ineligible subject matter and are invalid. The application of Myriad to biotechnology inventions has continued to develop and may continue to change over time. Subsequent rulings in cases or guidance or procedures issued by the USPTO relating to patent eligibility may have a negative impact on our business.
In Amgen Inc. v. Sanofi, or Amgen, the U.S. Supreme Court held that certain of Amgen’s patent claims defined a class of antibodies by their function of binding to a particular antigen. The Court further wrote that because the patent claims defined the claimed class of antibodies only by their function of binding to a particular antigen, a skilled artisan would have to use significant trial and error to identify and make all of the molecules in that class. The Court ultimately held that Amgen failed to properly enable its patent claims. Certain claims of our patent portfolio relate to broad classes of therapeutic agents, antibodies or antigen binding fragments. To the extent that a court finds that the skilled artisan would need significant trial and error to identify all the species in that class, the court may find the claims invalid under Amgen. Depending on future actions by the U.S. Congress, the U.S. courts, the USPTO and the relevant law-making bodies in other countries, the laws and regulations governing patents could change in unpredictable ways that would weaken our ability to obtain new patents or to enforce our existing patents and patents that we might obtain in the future.
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Further, a new court system recently became operational in the European Union. The Unified Patent Court, or UPC, began accepting patent cases on June 1, 2023. The UPC is a common patent court with jurisdiction over patent infringement and revocation proceedings effective for multiple member states of the European Union. The broad geographic reach of the UPC could enable third parties to seek revocation of any of our European patents in a single proceeding at the UPC rather than through multiple proceedings in each of the individual European Union member states in which the European patent is validated. Under the UPC, a successful revocation proceeding for a European Patent under the UPC would result in loss of patent protection in those European Union countries. Accordingly, a single proceeding under the UPC could result in the partial or complete loss of patent protection in numerous European Union countries. Such a loss of patent protection could have a material adverse impact on our business and our ability to commercialize our technology and product candidates and, resultantly, on our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations. Moreover, the controlling laws and regulations of the UPC will develop over time and we cannot predict what the outcomes of cases tried before the UPC will be. The case law of the UPC may adversely affect our ability to enforce or defend the validity of our European patents. Patent owners have the option to opt-out their European patents from the jurisdiction of the UPC, defaulting to pre-UPC enforcement mechanisms. We have decided to opt out certain European patents and patent applications from the UPC. However, if certain formalities and requirements are not met, our European patents and patent applications could be subject to the jurisdiction of the UPC. We cannot be certain that our European patents and patent applications will avoid falling under the jurisdiction of the UPC, if we decide to opt out of the UPC.
We may not be able to protect our intellectual property rights throughout the world, which could negatively impact our business.
Filing, prosecuting, enforcing and defending patents protecting our current or future targeted therapeutics in all countries throughout the world would be prohibitively expensive, and our intellectual property rights in some countries outside the United States can be less extensive than those in the United States. The requirements for patentability may differ in certain countries, particularly in developing countries; thus, even in countries where we do pursue patent protection, there can be no assurance that any patents will issue with claims that cover our targeted therapeutics.
Moreover, our ability to protect and enforce our intellectual property rights may be adversely affected by unforeseen changes in foreign intellectual property laws. Additionally, the laws of some foreign jurisdictions do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws in the United States and Europe. Many companies have encountered significant difficulties in protecting and defending such rights in such jurisdictions. The legal systems of certain countries, including certain developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents and other intellectual property protection, particularly those relating to biotechnology, which could make it difficult for us to stop the infringement of our owned and in-licensed patents or the marketing of competing products in violation of our intellectual property and proprietary rights generally. Proceedings to enforce our owned or in-licensed intellectual property and proprietary rights in foreign jurisdictions could result in substantial costs and could divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business. Such proceedings could also put our owned or in-licensed patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly, could put our owned or in-licensed patent applications at risk of not issuing, and could provoke third parties to assert claims against us or our licensors. We or our licensors may not prevail in any lawsuits or other adversarial proceedings that we or our licensors initiate, and the damages or other remedies awarded, if any, may not be commercially meaningful. Accordingly, our and our licensors’ efforts to enforce such intellectual property and proprietary rights around the world may be inadequate to obtain a significant commercial advantage from the intellectual property that we develop or in-license.
Further, many countries have compulsory licensing laws under which a patent owner may be compelled to grant licenses to third parties. In addition, many countries limit the enforceability of patents against government agencies or government contractors. In these countries, the patent owner may have limited remedies, which could materially diminish the value of its patents. If we or any of our licensors are forced to grant a license to third parties with respect to any patents relevant to our business, our competitive position in the relevant jurisdiction may be impaired and our business prospects may be materially adversely affected.
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Proceedings to enforce our patent rights, whether successful or not, could result in substantial costs and divert our efforts and resources from other aspects of our business. Further, such proceedings could put our patents at risk of being invalidated, held unenforceable or interpreted narrowly; put our pending patent applications at risk of not issuing; and provoke third parties to assert claims against us. We may not prevail in any lawsuits that we initiate, and the damages or other remedies awarded, if any, may not be commercially meaningful. Furthermore, while we intend to protect our intellectual property rights in major markets for our targeted therapeutics, we cannot ensure that we will be able to initiate or maintain similar efforts in all jurisdictions in which we may wish to market our products, if approved. Accordingly, our efforts to protect our intellectual property rights in such countries may be inadequate.
In order to protect our competitive position around our future products, we may become involved in lawsuits to enforce our patents or other intellectual property, which could be expensive, time consuming and unsuccessful and which may result in our patents being found invalid or unenforceable.
Competitors may seek to commercialize competitive products to our current or future targeted therapeutics. In order to protect our competitive position, we may become involved in lawsuits asserting infringement of our patents, or misappropriation or other violations of our intellectual property rights. Litigation is expensive and time-consuming and would likely divert the time and attention of our management and scientific personnel. There can be no assurance that we will have sufficient financial or other resources to file and pursue such infringement claims, which typically last for years before they are concluded. Even if we ultimately prevail in such claims, the monetary cost of such litigation and the diversion of the attention of our management and scientific personnel could outweigh any benefit we receive as a result of the proceedings.
If we or our licensors file a patent infringement lawsuit against a perceived infringer, such a lawsuit could provoke the defendant to counterclaim that we infringe their patents and/or that our patents are invalid and/or unenforceable. In patent litigation in the United States, it is commonplace for a defendant to counterclaim alleging invalidity and/or unenforceability. In any patent litigation there is a risk that a court will decide that the asserted patents are invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, and that we do not have the right to stop the defendant from using the invention at issue. With respect to a counterclaim of invalidity, we cannot be certain that there is no invalidating prior art of which we and the patent examiner were unaware during prosecution. There is also a risk that, even if the validity of such patent is upheld, the court will construe the patent claims narrowly or decide that we do not have the right to stop the other party from using the invention at issue on the grounds that our patent claims do not cover the invention. If any of our patents are found invalid or unenforceable, or construed narrowly, our ability to stop the other party from launching a competitive product would be materially impaired. Further, such adverse outcomes could limit our ability to assert those patents against future competitors. Loss of patent protection would have a material adverse impact on our business.
Even if we establish infringement of any of our patents by a competitive product, a court may decide not to grant an injunction against further infringing activity, thus allowing the competitive product to continue to be marketed by the competitor. It is difficult to obtain an injunction in U.S. litigation and a court could decide that the competitor should instead pay us a “reasonable royalty” as determined by the court, and/or other monetary damages. A reasonable royalty or other monetary damages may or may not be an adequate remedy. Loss of exclusivity and/or competition from a related product would have a material adverse impact on our business.
Litigation often involves significant amounts of public disclosures. Such disclosures could have a materially adverse impact on our competitive position or our stock prices. During any litigation we would be required to produce voluminous records related to our patents and our research and development activities in a process called discovery. The discovery process may result in the disclosure of some of our confidential information. There could also be public announcements of the results of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments. If securities analysts or investors perceive these results to be negative, it could adversely affect the price of our common stock.
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Litigation is inherently expensive, and the outcome is often uncertain. Any litigation likely would substantially increase our operating losses and reduce our resources available for development activities. Further, we may not have sufficient financial or other resources to adequately conduct such litigation or proceedings. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of such litigation or proceedings more effectively than we can because of their substantially greater financial resources. As a result, we may conclude that even if a competitor is infringing any of our patents, the risk-adjusted cost of bringing and enforcing such a claim or action may be too high or not in the best interest of our company or our stockholders. In such cases, we may decide that the more prudent course of action is to simply monitor the situation or initiate or seek some other non-litigious action or solution.
If in the future, we in-license any patent rights, we may not have the right to file a lawsuit for infringement and may have to rely on a licensor to enforce these rights for us. If we are not able to directly assert our licensed patent rights against infringers or if a licensor does not vigorously prosecute any infringement claims on our behalf, we may have difficulty competing in certain markets where such potential infringers conduct their business, and our commercialization efforts may suffer as a result.
Concurrently with an infringement litigation, third parties may also be able to challenge the validity of our patents before administrative bodies in the United States or abroad. Such mechanisms include re-examination, post grant review and equivalent proceedings in foreign jurisdictions, e.g., opposition proceedings. Such proceedings could result in revocation or amendment of our patents in such a way that they no longer cover our products, potentially negatively impacting any concurrent litigation.
We may need to acquire or license additional intellectual property from third parties, and such licenses may not be available or may not be available on commercially reasonable terms.
A third party may hold intellectual property, including patent rights, that are important or necessary to the development of our targeted therapeutics. It may be necessary for us to use the patented or proprietary technology of one or more third parties to commercialize our current and future targeted therapeutics.
The licensing and acquisition of third-party intellectual property rights is a competitive area, and a number of more established companies may pursue strategies to license or acquire third-party intellectual property rights that we may consider attractive. These established companies may have a competitive advantage over us due to their size, cash resources and greater clinical development. If we are unable to acquire such intellectual property outright, or obtain licenses to such intellectual property from such third parties when needed or on commercially reasonable terms, our ability to commercialize any of our targeted therapeutics, if approved, would likely be delayed or we may have to abandon development of that targeted therapeutic and our business and financial condition could suffer. Further, we may be required to expend significant time and resources to redesign our targeted therapeutics or the methods for manufacturing them, or to develop or license replacement technology, all of which may not be commercially or technically feasible. In such events, there could be a material adverse effect on our ability to commercialize and on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
If we in-license additional targeted therapeutics in the future, we might become dependent on proprietary rights from third parties with respect to those targeted therapeutics. Any termination of such licenses could result in the loss of significant rights and would cause material adverse harm to our ability to develop and commercialize any targeted therapeutics subject to such licenses. Even if we are able to in-license any such necessary intellectual property, it could be on nonexclusive terms, including with respect to the use, field or territory of the licensed intellectual property, thereby giving our competitors and other third parties access to the same intellectual property licensed to us. In-licensing intellectual property rights could require us to make substantial licensing and royalty payments. Patents licensed to us could be put at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly in litigation filed by or against our licensors or another licensee or in administrative proceedings. If any in-licensed patents are invalidated or held unenforceable, we may not be able to prevent competitors or other third parties from developing and commercializing competitive products.
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We may not have the right to control the prosecution, maintenance, enforcement or defense of patents and patent applications that we license from third parties. In such cases, we would be reliant on the licensor to take any necessary actions. We cannot be certain that such licensor would act with our best interests in mind, or in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, or that their actions would result in valid and enforceable patents. For example, it is possible that a licensor’s actions in enforcing and/or defending a patent licensed by us may be less vigorous than had we conducted them ourselves. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Disputes may also arise between us and our licensors regarding intellectual property subject to a license agreement, including:
● | the scope of rights granted under the license agreement and other interpretation-related issues; |
● | our financial or other obligations under the license agreement; |
● | whether and the extent to which our technology and processes infringe intellectual property of the licensor that is not subject to the licensing agreement; |
● | our right to sublicense patent and other rights to third parties under collaborative development relationships; |
● | our diligence obligations with respect to the use of licensed technology in relation to our development and commercialization of our targeted therapeutics and what activities satisfy those diligence obligations; |
● | the ownership of inventions and know-how resulting from the joint creation or use of intellectual property by our licensors and us and our partners; and |
● | the priority of invention of patented technology. |
If disputes over intellectual property that we have licensed prevent or impair our ability to maintain our current licensing arrangements on acceptable terms, we may be unable to successfully develop and commercialize the affected targeted therapeutics.
The risks described elsewhere pertaining to our intellectual property rights also apply to the intellectual property rights that we may own or in-license now or in the future, and any failure by us or our licensors to obtain, maintain, defend and enforce these rights could have an adverse effect on our business. In some cases we may not have control over the prosecution, maintenance, defense or enforcement of the patents that we license, and may not have sufficient ability to provide input into the patent prosecution, maintenance and defense process with respect to such patents, and potential future licensors may fail to take the steps that we believe are necessary or desirable in order to obtain, maintain, defend and enforce the licensed patents.
If we fail to comply with our obligations under any license, collaboration or other intellectual property-related agreements, we may be required to pay damages and could lose intellectual property rights that may be necessary for developing, commercializing and protecting our current or future targeted therapeutics, or we could lose certain rights to grant sublicenses.*
We are reliant upon in-licenses to certain patent rights and proprietary technologies from third parties that are or may become important or necessary to our discovery and ADC platforms and/or targeted therapeutics pipeline.
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Our current license agreements impose, and any future license agreements we enter into are likely to impose, various development, commercialization, funding, milestone, royalty, diligence, sublicensing, insurance, patent prosecution, and enforcement or other obligations on us. In addition, certain of our license agreements require us to bear the costs of filing and maintaining patent applications. If we are in breach of our license agreements, we may be required to pay damages and the licensor may have the right to terminate the license. Termination of any of our license agreements could result in a material adverse effect on our ability to use our discovery and ADC platforms and/or targeted therapeutics and our ability to develop, manufacture, and sell products that are discovered using or are otherwise covered by technology licensed under those agreements, or could enable a competitor to gain access to the licensed technology.
Under our current and future license agreements, we may not have all intellectual property rights necessary for developing, commercializing, and protecting our current or future targeted therapeutics.*
We may not have the right to control the preparation, filing, prosecution, maintenance, enforcement and defense of patents and patent applications that we license from third parties. For example, pursuant to certain of our license agreements, while we may comment on patent applications and may lead enforcement of the patents and patent applications, the licensing institution is responsible for the preparation, filing, prosecution and maintenance and defense of the patents and patent applications. While we may provide input on patent strategy, including strategy relating to patent drafting and prosecution, we cannot be certain that the in-licensed patents and patent applications will be prepared, filed, prosecuted, maintained, and defended in a manner consistent with the best interests of our business. If our licensors and future licensors lose rights to licensed patents or patent applications, our right to develop and commercialize any of our targeted therapeutics that is the subject of such licensed rights could be materially adversely affected.
Moreover, our licensors may own or control intellectual property that has not been licensed to us and, as a result, we may be subject to claims, regardless of their merit, that we are infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating the licensor’s intellectual property rights. In addition, while we cannot currently determine the amount of the royalty obligations we would be required to pay on sales of future products if infringement or misappropriation were found, those amounts could be significant. The amount of our future royalty obligations will depend on the technology and intellectual property we use in products that we successfully develop and commercialize, if any. Therefore, even if we successfully develop and commercialize products, we may be unable to achieve or maintain profitability.
In addition, the agreements under which we currently license intellectual property or technology from third parties are complex, and certain provisions in such agreements may be susceptible to disagreement regarding interpretations. The resolution of any contract interpretation disagreement that may arise could narrow what we believe to be the scope of our rights to the relevant intellectual property or technology or increase what we believe to be our financial or other obligations under the relevant agreement, either of which could have a material adverse impact on our business and ability to achieve profitability. Moreover, if disputes over intellectual property that we have licensed prevent or impair our ability to maintain our current licensing arrangements on commercially acceptable terms, we may be unable to successfully develop and commercialize any affected targeted therapeutics, which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial conditions.
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Intellectual property rights of third parties could adversely affect our ability to commercialize our targeted therapeutics, and we might be required to obtain licenses from third parties to engage in development or marketing efforts, which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all.
Our commercial success depends, in part, on our ability to develop, manufacture, market and sell our targeted therapeutics without infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating the intellectual property and other proprietary rights of third parties. However, our research, development and commercialization activities may be subject to claims that we infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate patents or other intellectual property rights owned or controlled by third parties. Third parties may have U.S. and non-U.S. issued patents and pending patent applications relating to targeted therapeutics or components thereof, methods of manufacturing our targeted therapeutics or components thereof, and/or methods of use for the treatment of the disease indications for which we are developing our targeted therapeutics. If any third-party patents or patent applications are found to cover any of our targeted therapeutics, or their methods of use or manufacture, we may not be free to manufacture or market such targeted therapeutics as planned without obtaining a license, which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. We or our licensors, or any future strategic partners, may be party to, or be threatened with, adversarial proceedings or litigation regarding intellectual property rights. In some instances, we may be required to indemnify our licensors for the costs associated with any such adversarial proceedings or litigation.
There is a substantial amount of intellectual property litigation in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, and we may become party to, or threatened with, litigation or other adversarial proceedings regarding intellectual property rights with respect to our targeted therapeutics, including patent infringement lawsuits in the U.S. or abroad. There may be third-party patents or patent applications with claims to materials, formulations, methods of manufacture or methods for treatment related to the composition, use or manufacture of our targeted therapeutics. Our competitive position may materially suffer if patents issued to third parties or other third-party intellectual property rights cover our targeted therapeutics or elements thereof or our manufacture or uses relevant to our development plans. In such cases, we may not be in a position to develop or commercialize current or future targeted therapeutics unless we successfully pursue litigation to nullify or invalidate the third-party intellectual property right concerned or enter into a license agreement with the intellectual property right holder, if available on commercially reasonable terms. There may be issued patents of which we are not aware, held by third parties that, if found to be valid and enforceable, could be alleged to be infringed by our current or future targeted therapeutics. There also may be pending patent applications of which we are not aware that may result in issued patents, which could be alleged to be infringed by our current or future targeted therapeutics. Additionally, claims in pending patent applications, subject to certain limitations, can be amended in a manner that could cover our targeted therapeutics. If a third-party infringement claim should successfully be brought, we may be required to pay substantial damages or be forced to abandon our current or future targeted therapeutics or to seek a license from any patent holders. No assurances can be given that a license will be available on commercially reasonable terms, if at all.
Third parties may assert infringement claims against us based on patents that exist now or may arise in the future, regardless of the merit of such patents or infringement claims. The outcome of intellectual property litigation is subject to uncertainties that cannot be adequately quantified in advance. The pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries have produced a significant number of patents, and it may not always be clear to industry participants, including us, which patents cover various types of products or methods of use or manufacture. The scope of protection afforded by a patent is subject to interpretation by the courts, and the interpretation is not always uniform. If we were sued for patent infringement, we would need to demonstrate that the relevant product or methods of using the product either do not infringe the patent claims of the relevant patent or that the patent claims are invalid or unenforceable, and we may not be able to do this. Proving invalidity is difficult. For example, in the United States, proving invalidity requires a showing of clear and convincing evidence to overcome the presumption of validity enjoyed by issued patents. Even if we are successful in these proceedings, we may incur substantial costs and the time and attention of our management and scientific personnel could be diverted in pursuing these proceedings, which could significantly harm our business and operating results. In addition, parties making claims against us may be able to sustain the costs of complex patent litigation more effectively than we can because they have substantially greater resources, and we may not have sufficient resources to bring these actions to a successful conclusion.
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While we perform periodic searches for relevant patents and patent applications with respect to our programs and development candidates, and uses thereof, we cannot guarantee the completeness or thoroughness of any of our patent searches or analyses including, but not limited to, the identification of relevant patents, the scope of patent claims or the expiration of relevant patents, nor can we be certain that we have identified each and every patent and pending application in the United States and abroad that is relevant to or necessary for the commercialization of any of our targeted therapeutics in any jurisdiction. Because patent applications can take many years to issue, there may be currently pending patent applications which may later result in issued patents that any of our targeted therapeutics may be accused of infringing. In addition, third parties may obtain patents in the future and claim that use of our technologies infringes upon these patents. Accordingly, third parties may assert infringement claims against us based on intellectual property rights that exist now or arise in the future.
Numerous third-party U.S. and foreign issued patents and pending patent applications exist which are related to our targeted therapeutics or components of our targeted therapeutics. For example, we are aware of patent portfolios related to compounds containing FAP targeting ligands that are owned by 3B Pharmaceuticals, Cornell University, Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and Johns Hopkins University. There may also be third-party patents or patent applications with claims to materials, formulations, methods of manufacture or methods for treatment related to the use or manufacture of our targeted therapeutics.
If our defenses to such assertions of infringement were unsuccessful, we could be liable for a court-determined reasonable royalty on our existing sales and further damages to the patent owner (or licensee), such as lost profits. Such royalties and damages could be significant. If we are found to have willfully infringed the claims of a third party's patent, the third party could be awarded treble damages and attorney's fees. Further, if we are found to infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate a third party’s intellectual property rights, we could be forced, including by court order, to cease developing, manufacturing or commercializing the infringing product. We might, if possible, also be forced to redesign current or future targeted therapeutics so that we no longer infringe, misappropriate or violate the third-party intellectual property rights. Alternatively, we may be required to obtain a license from such third party in order to use the infringing technology and continue developing, manufacturing or marketing the infringing product. If we were required to obtain a license to continue to manufacture or market the affected product, we may be required to pay substantial royalties or grant cross-licenses to our patents. Even if we were able to obtain a license, it could be nonexclusive, thereby giving our competitors and other third parties access to the same technologies licensed to us. We cannot assure you that any such license will be available on acceptable terms, if at all. Ultimately, we could be prevented from commercializing a product, or be forced to cease some aspect of our business operations as a result of claims of patent infringement or violation of other intellectual property rights, Further, the outcome of intellectual property litigation is subject to uncertainties that cannot be adequately quantified in advance, including the demeanor and credibility of witnesses and the identity of any adverse party. This is especially true in intellectual property cases that may turn on the testimony of experts as to technical facts upon which experts may reasonably disagree. Furthermore, we may not be able to obtain any required license on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Even if we were able to obtain a license, it could be non-exclusive, thereby giving our competitors access to the same technologies licensed to us; alternatively or additionally, it could include terms that impede or destroy our ability to compete successfully in the commercial marketplace. In addition, we could be found liable for significant monetary damages, including treble damages and attorneys’ fees if we are found to have willfully infringed a patent. A finding of infringement could prevent us from commercializing a product or force us to cease some of our business operations, which could harm our business. Claims that we have misappropriated the confidential information or trade secrets of third parties could have a similar negative impact on our business. Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation or administrative proceedings, there is a risk that some of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure. In addition, any uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of any litigation could have material adverse effects on our ability to raise additional funds or otherwise have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects.
Any of these events, even if we were ultimately to prevail, could require us to divert substantial financial and management resources that we would otherwise be able to devote to our business, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
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其他人可能会质疑发明权或声称对我们的知识产权拥有所有权,这可能使我们面临诉讼,并对我们的前景产生重大不利影响。*
关于发明权的判断可能是主观的。尽管我们努力准确识别由我们的员工、顾问和承包商代表我们所做的发明的正确发明权,但员工、顾问或承包商可能不同意我们对发明权的判断并主张发明权。任何关于发明权的分歧都可能导致我们被迫在法律诉讼中捍卫我们的发明权判断,这可能导致巨大的费用并分散我们高级管理人员和科学人员的注意力。
虽然我们通常要求可能代表我们开发知识产权的员工、顾问和承包商签署协议,将此类知识产权转让给我们,但我们可能无法成功获得与每个实际上开发被我们视为自己知识产权的各方签署转让协议。此外,即使我们获得了将知识产权转让给我们的协议,知识产权的转让可能并非自动生效,或者转让协议可能被违反。在这两种情况下,我们可能被迫对第三方提起索赔,或捍卫他们可能对我们提起的索赔,以确定我们认为的知识产权的所有权。此外,与我们签署协议的个人可能对第三方(例如学术机构)有预先存在或竞争的义务,因此与我们的协议可能在完善该个人开发的发明的所有权方面无效。如果我们未能从代表我们开发知识产权的员工、顾问或承包商那里获得转让协议,该员工、顾问或承包商可能会随后声称对该发明拥有所有权。任何对知识产权所有权的分歧都可能导致我们失去对争议知识产权的所有权或独占所有权,支付经济赔偿和/或被禁止进行临床测试、制造和营销受到影响的产品候选。即使我们在起诉或辩护此类索赔方面成功,诉讼也可能导致巨大的费用,并分散我们高级管理人员和科学人员的注意力。
如果我们无法保护商业机密的保密性,我们的业务和竞争地位将会受到损害。
我们认为商业秘密,包括机密和未专利的专有技术,对维护我们的竞争地位至关重要。我们可能依赖商业秘密或机密的专有技术来保护我们科技的某些方面,特别是在我们认为专利保护价值有限的情况下。我们预计将依赖第三方进行我们目标治疗药物以及未来任何目标治疗药物的制造。我们还预计将在我们的目标治疗药物以及未来任何目标治疗药物的开发中与第三方合作。由于上述合作关系,我们有时必须与我们的合作伙伴分享商业秘密。我们还进行联合研究和开发项目,这可能需要我们根据研究和开发合作伙伴关系或类似协议的条款分享商业秘密。
商业秘密或机密的科技可能难以保持机密。我们部分通过签订保密协议以及在开始研究或向我们的员工、企业合作伙伴、外部科学合作者、CROs、代工厂商、顾问、顾问及其他第三方披露专有信息之前,如适用,签订物料转让协议、顾问协议或其他类似协议来保护和计划保护商业秘密和机密的专有技术。我们还与我们的员工和顾问签订保密及发明或专利转让协议,其中他们有义务保持机密并将其发明转让给我们。这些协议通常限制第三方使用或披露我们的机密信息,包括我们的商业秘密的权利。然而,当前或前任的员工、顾问、承包商和顾问可能会无意或故意将我们的机密信息披露给竞争对手,而保密协议在未经授权披露机密信息的情况下可能无法提供足够的补救措施。分享商业秘密和其他机密信息的需要增加了这些商业秘密被我们的竞争对手所知、被不经意地纳入他人科技中,或在违反这些协议的情况下被披露或使用的风险。鉴于我们的专有地位部分基于我们的专有知识和商业秘密,竞争对手发现我们的商业秘密或其他未经授权的使用或披露将削弱我们的竞争地位,并可能对我们的业务和运营结果产生不利影响。如果发生争议,强制主张一方非法披露或侵占商业秘密或确保雇员或顾问开发的发明的所有权是困难的、昂贵的且耗时的,结果是不可预测的。
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保密协议的可执行性可能因管辖区而异。此外,这些协议通常限制我们的顾问、员工、第三方承包商和咨询师公开可能与我们的商业秘密有关的数据,尽管我们的协议可能包含某些有限的出版权。尽管我们努力保护我们的商业秘密,但我们的竞争对手可能会通过违反与第三方的协议、独立开发或任何我们的第三方合作者公开信息来发现我们的商业秘密。竞争对手发现我们的商业秘密将损害我们的竞争地位,并对我们的业务产生不利影响。
我们可能会面临第三方的索赔,称我们或我们的员工或顾问错误使用或披露了他们的所谓商业秘密或其他专有信息。*
我们当前或之前的许多员工或顾问以及我们许可方的当前或之前的员工或顾问,包括我们的高级管理人员,之前在高校、生物技术或生物制药公司工作过,其中一些可能是竞争对手或潜在竞争对手。尽管我们采取了商业上合理的措施以确保我们的员工和顾问在为我们工作时不使用他人的专有信息、知识或商业秘密,包括将这些知识产权纳入我们的平台和项目中,但我们可能会面临索赔,称我们或这些员工或顾问挪用了第三方的知识产权或违反了其他义务。可能需要进行诉讼或仲裁以对抗这些索赔。
如果我们未能成功应对这些索赔,除了支付金钱赔偿外,我们还可能遭受声誉损害,失去有价值的知识产权或关键人员,或可能被禁止使用这些知识产权。此外,我们可能需要从第三方获取许可证以商业化我们的任何产品。这样的许可证可能不会在商业上合理的条件下提供,或者根本无法获得。任何此类诉讼和可能的后果都可能会显著分散我们核心业务的资源,包括分散我们的技术和管理人员从事正常职责。关键人员的流失或他们的工作成果可能限制我们商业化的能力,或阻止我们商业化当前或未来的靶向治疗药物,这可能会严重损害我们的业务。即使我们在对抗这些索赔时取得成功,诉讼或仲裁也可能导致巨大的费用,并可能成为我们管理层的干扰。
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如果我们的商标和商业名称没有得到充分保护,那么我们可能无法在我们感兴趣的市场上建立良好的知名度,我们的业务可能受到不利影响。
我们的商标或商业名称可能会受到挑战,侵权,被规避,被宣布为通用名称,或被判定侵犯他人商标。我们依靠注册和普通法来保护我们的商标。为了执行我们的商标权利并防止侵权,我们可能需要对第三方提起商标诉讼或发起商标反对程序。这可能会耗费大量资金和时间,尤其对于我们这样规模的公司。我们可能无法保护这些商标和商业名称的权利,或被迫停止使用这些我们需要用于潜在合作伙伴或客户认知的名称。有时,竞争对手可能采用类似于我们的商业名称或商标,从而妨碍我们建立品牌识别,可能导致市场混乱。此外,其他已注册商标的所有人或商标包含我们已注册或未注册商标或商业名称变体的商标可能提出潜在的商业名称或商标侵权索赔。从长远来看,如果我们不能建立基于商标和商业名称的知名度,我们可能无法有效竞争,我们的业务可能受到不利影响。在商标注册过程中,我们可能会收到拒绝通知。尽管我们将有机会回应这些拒绝通知,但我们可能无法克服这些拒绝。此外,在美国专利商标局和许多外国司法管辖区的类似机构中,第三方有机会反对待定商标申请和寻求取消注册商标。我们的商标可能会受到反对或取消诉讼的影响,并且我们的商标可能无法在此类程序中维持下去。此外,我们在美国提出的任何产品名称必须经FDA批准,无论是否已经将其注册或申请注册为商标。FDA通常会审查拟议的产品名称,包括与其他产品名称混淆的潜在性的评估。如果FDA反对我们提出的任何产品名称,我们可能需要耗费大量额外资源来确定符合适用商标法,不侵犯第三方现有权利且FDA可接受的可用替代名称。如果我们不能建立基于商标和商业名称的知名度,我们可能无法有效竞争,我们的业务可能受到不利影响。
知识产权并不一定能解决我们业务面临的所有潜在威胁。
未来知识产权所提供的保护程度存在不确定性,因为知识产权是有限的,可能无法充分保护我们的业务,或无法使我们保持竞争优势。以下例子是说明性的:
● | 其他公司可能会生产类似或具有竞争性的产品或配方,但这些产品不在我们拥有、许可或控制的任何专利权范围之内; |
● | 我们或我们的许可人或战略合作伙伴可能并非首次创造所拥有、许可或控制的已授予专利或待批专利申请所覆盖的发明; |
● | 我们或我们的许可人或战略合作伙伴可能并非首次为我们拥有的和在许可中获得的某些发明提交专利申请; |
● | 其他人可能会在不侵犯、侵占或违反我们拥有或获得许可的知识产权的情况下独立开发相同、相似或替代性技术; |
● | 我们拥有或获得许可的待批专利申请有可能不会转化为已颁发专利; |
● | 其他人可能将来也能够以非排他性基础访问授权给我们的同样知识产权; |
● | 我们拥有、获得许可或控制的已颁发专利可能不会给予我们任何竞争优势,也有可能因法律诉讼等原因被缩小范围或被认定为无效或不可执行; |
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● | our competitors might conduct research and development activities in the United States and other countries that provide a safe harbor from patent infringement claims for certain research and development activities, as well as in countries where we do not have patent rights, and may then use the information learned from such activities to develop competitive products for sale in our major commercial markets; |
● | we may choose not to file a patent in order to maintain certain trade secrets or know-how, and a third party may subsequently file a patent covering such trade secrets or know-how; |
● | ownership of our patent portfolio may be challenged by third parties; |
● | patent enforcement is expensive and time-consuming and difficult to predict; thus, we may not be able to enforce any of our patents against a competitor; and |
● | the patents of third parties or pending or future patent applications of third parties, if issued, may have an adverse effect on our business. |
Should any of these events occur, they could have a material adverse impact on our business and financial condition.
Risks Related to Our Business Operations and Industry
Any inability to attract and retain qualified key management, technical personnel and employees would impair our ability to implement our business plan.*
Our success largely depends on the continued service of key management, advisors, consultants and other specialized personnel. While we have written employment agreements with our management team and each of our key employees, those employment arrangements are at-will and could be terminated at any time. The loss of one or more members of our management team or other key employees, advisors or consultants could delay our research and development programs and have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. We do not currently maintain “key man” insurance on any of our executive officers.
The relationships that our key management team members have cultivated within our industry make us particularly dependent upon their continued employment with us. We are dependent on the continued service of our technical personnel because of the highly technical nature of our programs, development candidates and technologies and the specialized nature of the regulatory approval process. Our future success will depend in large part on our continued ability to attract and retain other highly qualified scientific, technical and management personnel, as well as personnel with expertise in clinical testing, manufacturing, governmental regulation and commercialization. Our future success is also dependent on our ability to retain qualified advisors and consultants. We face competition for personnel from other companies, universities, public and private research institutions, government entities and other organizations.
As of September 30, 2024, we had 105 full-time employees. The continued operation of our business and execution of our plans will require material additional staffing within the next twelve months. We cannot provide assurance that we will be able to hire or retain adequate staffing levels to advance our discovery and ADC platforms, develop our programs or development candidates or run our operations or to accomplish our objectives.
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We may experience difficulties in managing our growth and expanding our operations.
As our development candidates enter and advance through preclinical studies and any clinical trials, including our Phase 3 clinical trial of AL102, we will need to expand our development, regulatory and manufacturing capabilities or contract with other organizations to provide these capabilities for us. We may also experience difficulties in the discovery and development of new development candidates using our discovery and ADC platforms if we are unable to meet demand as we grow our operations. In the future, we also expect to have to manage additional relationships with collaborators, suppliers and other organizations. Our ability to manage our operations and future growth will require us to continue to improve our operational, financial and management controls, reporting systems and procedures and secure adequate facilities for our operational needs. We may not be able to implement improvements to our management information and control systems in an efficient or timely manner and may discover deficiencies in existing systems and controls.
Our employees, principal investigators, vendors and commercial partners may engage in misconduct or other improper activities, including noncompliance with regulatory standards and requirements.
We are exposed to the risk of fraud or other misconduct by our employees, principal investigators, vendors and commercial partners. Misconduct by employees could include intentional failures to comply with FDA regulations, provide accurate information to the FDA, comply with manufacturing standards we may establish, comply with federal and state health care fraud and abuse laws and regulations, report financial information or data accurately or disclose unauthorized activities to us. In particular, sales, marketing and business arrangements in the health care industry are subject to extensive laws and regulations intended to prevent fraud, kickbacks, self-dealing and other abusive practices. These laws and regulations may restrict or prohibit a wide range of pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, sales commission, customer incentive programs and other business arrangements. Such misconduct could also involve the improper use of information obtained in the course of clinical trials, which could result in regulatory sanctions and serious harm to our reputation. For example, individuals conducting the non-interventional clinical studies that we sponsor through which we obtain antibodies for development into potential antibody-based therapeutics may violate applicable laws and regulations regarding personal information. It is not always possible to identify and deter misconduct, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent this activity may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risks or losses or in protecting us from governmental investigations or other actions or lawsuits stemming from a failure to be in compliance with such laws or regulations. If any such actions are instituted against us, and we are not successful in defending ourselves or asserting our rights, those actions could have a material and adverse effect on our business and financial condition, including the imposition of significant criminal, civil, and administrative fines or other sanctions, such as monetary penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, imprisonment, exclusion from participation in government-funded health care programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, integrity obligations, reputational harm and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations.
Risks Related to our Common Stock
An active trading market for our common stock may not be sustained, which may make it difficult for you to sell your shares.
The trading market for our common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market has been limited and an active trading market for our shares may not be sustained. If an active market for our common stock is not sustained, it may be difficult for you to sell your shares at a price that is attractive to you, or at all.
The market price of our common stock is expected to be volatile, and purchasers of our common stock could incur substantial losses.*
The market price of our common stock could be subject to significant fluctuations. Market prices for securities of biotechnology, early-stage pharmaceutical and other life sciences companies have historically been particularly volatile. Some of the factors that may cause the market price of our common stock to fluctuate include:
● | our ability to successfully develop and obtain regulatory approvals for our development candidates, and delays or failures to obtain such approvals; |
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● | failure of any of our development candidates, if approved, to achieve commercial success; |
● | failure by us to maintain our existing third-party license and supply agreements; |
● | failure by us or our licensors to prosecute, maintain, or enforce our intellectual property rights; |
● | changes in laws or regulations applicable to our development candidates; |
● | any inability to obtain adequate supply of our development candidates or the inability to do so at acceptable prices; |
● | adverse regulatory authority decisions; |
● | introduction of new products, services or technologies by our competitors; |
● | failure to meet or exceed any projections we may provide to the public; |
● | failure to meet or exceed the financial and development projections of the investment community; |
● | the perception of the pharmaceutical industry by the public, legislatures, regulators and the investment community; |
● | the effects of the Merger and our financing transactions, which materially increase our public float; |
● | announcements of significant acquisitions, strategic collaborations, joint ventures or capital commitments by us or our competitors; |
● | disputes or other developments relating to proprietary rights, including patents, litigation matters, and our ability to obtain patent protection for our technologies; |
● | additions or departures of key personnel; |
● | significant lawsuits, including patent or stockholder litigation; |
● | if securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or if they issue an adverse or misleading opinion regarding our business and stock; |
● | changes in the market valuations of similar companies; |
● | general market or macroeconomic conditions; |
● | sales of our common stock by us, including pursuant to the 2024 ATM Agreement, or our stockholders in the future; |
● | trading volume of our common stock; |
● | failure to maintain compliance with the listing requirements of The Nasdaq Capital Market; |
● | announcements by commercial partners or competitors of new commercial products, clinical progress or the lack thereof, significant contracts, commercial relationships or capital commitments; |
● | adverse publicity generally, including with respect to other products and potential products in such markets; |
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● | the introduction of technological innovations or new therapies that compete with our potential products; |
● | changes in the structure of healthcare payment systems; and |
● | period-to-period fluctuations in our financial results. |
Moreover, the stock markets in general have experienced substantial volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of individual companies. These broad market fluctuations may also adversely affect the trading price of our common stock.
In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, stockholders have often instituted class action securities litigation against those companies. Such litigation, if instituted, could result in substantial costs and diversion of management attention and resources, which could significantly harm our profitability and reputation.
Our principal stockholders and management own a significant percentage of our stock and will be able to exert significant control over matters subject to stockholder approval.
Certain of our executive officers, directors and large stockholders own a significant percentage of our outstanding capital stock. As a result of their share ownership, these stockholders will have the ability to influence us through their ownership positions. These stockholders may be able to determine all matters requiring stockholder approval. For example, these stockholders, acting together, may be able to control elections of directors, amendments of our organizational documents, or approval of any merger, sale of assets, or other major corporate transaction. These stockholders’ interests may not always coincide with our corporate interests or the interests of other stockholders, and these stockholders may exercise their voting and other rights in a manner with which you may not agree or that may not be in the best interests of our other stockholders. This may prevent or discourage unsolicited acquisition proposals or offers for our common stock that you may believe are in your best interest as one of our stockholders.
Future sales and issuances of our common stock or rights to purchase common stock, including pursuant to our equity incentive plans, could result in additional dilution of the percentage ownership of our stockholders and could cause our stock price to fall.*
We expect that significant additional capital may be needed in the future to continue our planned operations, including further development of our programs and development candidates, preparing IND filings, conducting clinical trials, commercialization efforts, expanded research and development activities and costs associated with operating a public company. To raise capital, we may sell common stock, preferred stock, convertible securities or other equity securities in one or more transactions at prices and in a manner we determine from time to time. In this regard, we filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-3, which was declared effective by the SEC on October 14, 2021, pursuant to which we may issue from time to time securities with an aggregate value of up to $200.0 million in one or more offerings at prices and terms to be determined at the time of sale. In October 2023, we completed our Merger and concurrent PIPE transaction for gross proceeds of approximately $125.0 million before deducting fees and offering expenses. An aggregate of 21,690,871 shares of our common stock at $5.75 per share were issued pursuant to the subscription agreements and have been registered for resale pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-3 filed with the SEC and made effective on November 27, 2023. In February 2024, we raised $230.0 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us, through a public offering of our common stock. In connection with the closing of the public offering, we issued and sold 11,500,000 shares of our common stock.
We issued 2,298,586 shares to Zentalis in connection with the Zentalis License Agreement, 2,175,489 shares to Ayala in connection with the Ayala Asset Purchase Agreement and 230,415 shares to BMS in connection with the BMS License Agreement Amendment, all of which are registered for resale on Forms S-3 filed with the SEC in April 2024 and October 2024. In October 2024, we also issued 1,805,502 shares to Zentalis as consideration for the Zentalis Asset Purchase, and we agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to register the shares for resale within 30 days of the closing of the Zentalis Asset Purchase, The shares issued to Zentalis and Ayala are subject a to (i) a six-month lock-up with respect to half of the shares and (ii) an orderly market disposition. Notwithstanding these contractual protections, any sales of these shares may cause our stock price to fall.
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Additionally, on February 13, 2024, we filed an automatic shelf registration statement on Form S-3, pursuant to which we may issue from time-to-time securities in one or more offerings at prices and terms to be determined at the time of sale. For example, in May 2024, we entered into the 2024 ATM Agreement with TD Cowen, pursuant to which we may offer and sell, from time to time through TD Cowen, at our option, shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $200.0 million. If we sell shares of common stock, preferred stock, convertible securities or other equity securities, including pursuant to sales under the 2024 ATM Agreement, investors may be materially diluted. Such sales may also result in material dilution to our existing stockholders, and new investors could gain rights, preferences and privileges senior to the holders of our common stock.
Pursuant to our 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, or 2020 Plan, our board of directors or committee thereof or, in accordance with applicable law, designated members of management are authorized to grant stock options to our employees, directors and consultants. In addition, pursuant to our 2024 Inducement Plan, our board of directors, or a committee thereof, is authorized to grant inducement awards to new hires as a material inducement to their employment with us. The aggregate number of shares of our common stock that may be issued pursuant to stock awards under our 2020 Plan shall not exceed 8,080,286 shares, and the aggregate number of shares of our common stock that may be issued pursuant to stock awards under our 2024 Inducement Plan shall not exceed 2,000,000 shares.
Additionally, the number of shares of our common stock reserved for issuance under our 2020 Plan will automatically increase on January 1 of each year, beginning on January 1, 2021 and continuing through and including January 1, 2030, by 4% of the total number of shares of our capital stock outstanding on December 31 of the preceding calendar year, or a lesser number of shares determined by our board of directors. Unless our board of directors elects not to increase the number of shares available for future grant each year, our stockholders may experience additional dilution, which could cause our stock price to fall. Additionally, pursuant to Morphimmune Inc.’s 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, or the Morphimmune Plan, the aggregate number of shares that may be issued pursuant to stock awards under the Morphimmune Plan is 2,429,630 shares. Although we did not initially anticipate issuing awards under the Morphimmune Plan, depending on our needs, we may in the future issue awards under the Morphimmune Plan.
We are an “emerging growth company” and our election of reduced reporting requirements applicable to emerging growth companies may make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We are an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, or JOBS Act. For as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, or Section 404, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in this Quarterly Report and our periodic reports and proxy statements and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. In addition, as an emerging growth company, we are only required to provide two years of audited financial statements and two years of selected financial data in this Quarterly Report. We could be an emerging growth company for up to five years following the completion of our initial public offering, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status earlier, including if we are deemed to be a “large accelerated filer,” which occurs when the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of the prior June 30, or if we have total annual gross revenue of $1.235 billion or more during any fiscal year before that time, in which cases we would no longer be an emerging growth company as of the following December 31, or if we issue more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during any three-year period before that time, in which case we would no longer be an emerging growth company immediately. Even after we no longer qualify as an emerging growth company, we could still qualify as a “smaller reporting company,” which would allow us to take advantage of many of the same exemptions from disclosure requirements including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 and reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in this Quarterly Report and our other periodic reports and proxy statements. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our share price may be more volatile.
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Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can also delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. We have elected to avail ourselves of an exemption that allows us to delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those standards apply to private companies. As a result, we will not be subject to the same new or revised accounting standards as other public companies that comply with the public company effective dates, including but not limited to the new lease accounting standard. We have also elected to take advantage of certain of the reduced disclosure obligations in this Quarterly Report and may elect to take advantage of other reduced reporting requirements in future filings. As a result of these elections, the information that we provide to our stockholders may be different than you might receive from other public reporting companies. However, if we later decide to opt out of the extended period for adopting new accounting standards, we would need to disclose such decision and it would be irrevocable.
Our ability to use net operating loss carryforwards and other tax attributes may be limited.*
We have incurred losses during our history, and we do not expect to become profitable in the near future and may never achieve profitability. To the extent that we continue to generate taxable losses, unused losses will carry forward to offset future taxable income, if any, until such unused losses expire, if at all. Under current law, U.S. federal net operating loss, or NOL, carryforwards generated in taxable periods beginning after December 31, 2017, may be carried forward indefinitely, but the deductibility of such NOL carryforwards is limited to 80% of taxable income. In addition, under Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, federal NOL carryforwards and other tax attributes may become subject to an annual limitation in the event of certain cumulative changes in ownership. An “ownership change” pursuant to Section 382 of the Code generally occurs if one or more stockholders or groups of stockholders who own at least 5% of a company’s stock increase their ownership by more than 50 percentage points over their lowest ownership percentage within a rolling three-year period. Our ability to utilize our NOL carryforwards and other tax attributes to offset future taxable income or tax liabilities may be limited as a result of ownership changes, including changes in connection with the Merger and potential changes due to other transactions. Similar rules may apply under state tax laws. In addition, there may be other limitations under state law on our ability to utilize NOLs, including temporary suspensions or other limitations on the use of NOLs to offset taxable income. If we earn taxable income, such limitations could result in increased future income tax liability to us, and our future cash flows could be adversely affected.
Capital appreciation, if any, will be a stockholder’s sole source of gain.
We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain all of our future earnings, if any, to finance the growth and development of our business. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our common stock will be our stockholder’s sole source of gain for the foreseeable future.
Anti-takeover provisions in our charter documents and under Delaware law could make an acquisition of our company, which may be beneficial to our stockholders, more difficult and may prevent attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management.
Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our amended and restated bylaws may delay or prevent an acquisition of our company or a change in our management. In addition, these provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our board of directors. Because our board of directors is responsible for appointing the members of our management team, these provisions could in turn affect any attempt by our stockholders to replace current members of our management team. These provisions include:
● | a prohibition on actions by our stockholders by written consent; |
● | a requirement that special meetings of stockholders, which our company is not obligated to call more than once per calendar year, be called only by the chairman of our board of directors, our chief executive officer, or our board of directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of authorized directors; |
● | advance notice requirements for election to our board of directors and for proposing matters that can be acted upon at stockholder meetings; |
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● | division of our board of directors into three classes, serving staggered terms of three years each; and |
● | the authority of the board of directors to issue preferred stock with such terms as the board of directors may determine. |
Moreover, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended, or the DGCL, which prohibits a person who owns in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock from merging or combining with us for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person acquired in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock, unless the merger or combination is approved in a prescribed manner. These provisions would apply even if the proposed merger or acquisition could be considered beneficial by some stockholders.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware and the federal district courts of the United States will be the exclusive forums for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation provides that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware is the exclusive forum for the following types of actions or proceedings under Delaware statutory or common law: (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty; (iii) any action or proceeding asserting a claim against us or any of our current or former directors, officers or other employees, arising out of or pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our amended and restated bylaws; and (iv) any action asserting a claim against us or any of our directors, officers or other employees, governed by the internal affairs doctrine; provided, that, this provision would not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act, or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.
Furthermore, Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all such Securities Act actions. Accordingly, both state and federal courts have jurisdiction to entertain such claims. To prevent having to litigate claims in multiple jurisdictions and the threat of inconsistent or contrary rulings by different courts, among other considerations, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation further provides that the federal district courts of the United States will be the exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act.
These exclusive-forum provisions may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees and may discourage these types of lawsuits against us and our directors, officers, and other employees. While the Delaware courts have determined that such choice of forum provisions are facially valid, and several state trial courts have enforced such provisions and required that suits asserting Securities Act claims be filed in federal court, there is no guarantee that courts of appeal will affirm the enforceability of such provisions and a stockholder may nevertheless seek to bring a claim in a venue other than those designated in the exclusive forum provisions. In such instances, we would expect to vigorously assert the validity and enforceability of the exclusive forum provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation. This may require significant additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions and there can be no assurance that the provisions will be enforced by a court in those other jurisdictions. If a court were to find either exclusive forum provision in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur further significant additional costs associated with litigating Securities Act claims in state court, both state and federal court, or other jurisdictions which could seriously harm our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.
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We could be subject to securities class action litigation or stockholder derivative litigation.
Securities litigation or stockholder derivative litigation frequently follows the announcement of certain significant business transactions, such as the sale of a business division or announcement of a business combination transaction. Additionally, in the past, securities class action litigation has often been brought against a company following a decline in the market price of its securities. This risk is especially relevant for us because pharmaceutical companies have experienced significant stock price volatility in recent years. If we face any litigation, it could result in substantial costs and a diversion of management’s attention and resources, which could harm our business.
General Risk Factors
Unfavorable global economic and political conditions could adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.*
The results of our operations could be adversely affected by general conditions in the global economy, the global financial markets and the global political conditions. The United States and global economies are facing growing inflation, higher interest rates and potential recession. Furthermore, uncertainties associated with a severe or prolonged economic downturn, recessions or depressions, or political disruption such as the war between Ukraine and Russia and the conflicts in the Middle East, and other macroeconomic developments could result in a variety of risks to our business, including weakened demand for our development candidates, if approved, relationships with any vendors or business partners located in affected geographies and our ability to raise additional capital when needed on acceptable terms, if at all. A weak or declining economy or political disruption, including any international trade disputes, could also strain our manufacturers or suppliers, possibly resulting in supply disruption, or cause our customers to delay making payments for our potential products. Any of the foregoing could seriously harm our business, and we cannot anticipate all of the ways in which the political or economic climate and financial market conditions could seriously harm our business.
In addition, actual events involving limited liquidity, defaults, non-performance or other adverse developments that affect financial institutions, transactional counterparties or other companies in the financial services industry or the financial services industry generally, or concerns or rumors about any events of these kinds or other similar risks, have in the past and may in the future lead to market-wide liquidity problems. Furthermore, concerns regarding the U.S. or international financial systems could result in less favorable commercial financing terms, including higher interest rates or costs and tighter financial and operating covenants, or systemic limitations on access to credit and liquidity sources, thereby making it more difficult to acquire financing on acceptable terms or at all. Any decline in available funding or access to cash and liquidity resources could, among other risks, adversely impact our and our vendors’, collaborators’ and other business relations’ ability to meet operating expenses, financial obligations or fulfill other obligations, potentially resulting in breaches of financial and/or contractual obligations and/or result in violations of federal or state wage and hour laws. Any of these impacts could have material adverse impacts on our business operations, financial condition and results of operations.
Future changes in financial accounting standards or practices may cause adverse and unexpected revenue fluctuations and adversely affect our reported results of operations.
Future changes in financial accounting standards may cause adverse, unexpected revenue fluctuations and affect our reported financial position or results of operations. Financial accounting standards in the United States are constantly under review and new pronouncements and varying interpretations of pronouncements have occurred with frequency in the past and are expected to occur again in the future. As a result, we may be required to make changes in our accounting policies. Those changes could affect our financial condition and results of operations or the way in which such financial condition and results of operations are reported. We intend to invest resources to comply with evolving standards, and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management time and attention from business activities to compliance activities. See the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II of this Quarterly Report.
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Changes in tax laws or regulations that are applied adversely to us or our customers may have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flow, financial condition or results of operations.
New income, sales, use or other tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations or ordinances could be enacted at any time, which could adversely affect our business operations and financial performance. Further, existing tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations or ordinances could be interpreted, changed, modified or applied adversely to us. For example, legislation informally titled the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act; the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act; and the Inflation Reduction Act enacted many significant changes to the U.S. tax laws. Future guidance from the Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities with respect to such legislation may affect us, and certain aspects of such legislation could be repealed or modified in future legislation. The Biden administration and the U.S. Congress could also enact other tax law changes that could have an adverse effect on our operations, cash flows and results from operations and contribute to overall market volatility. In addition, it is uncertain if and to what extent various states will conform to federal tax legislation. Changes in corporate tax rates, the realization of net deferred tax assets relating to our operations, the taxation of foreign earnings, and the deductibility of expenses could have a material impact on the value of our deferred tax assets, could result in significant one-time charges, and could increase our future U.S. tax expense.
If we unable to maintain an effective system of disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting, our ability to produce timely and accurate financial statements or comply with applicable regulations could be impaired.
As a public company, we are subject to requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the regulations of The Nasdaq Capital Market, the rules and regulations of the SEC, expanded disclosure requirements, accelerated reporting requirements and more complex accounting rules. Company responsibilities required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act include, among other things, that we maintain corporate oversight and adequate internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures. This will require that we incur substantial professional fees and internal costs to expand our accounting and finance functions and that we expend significant management efforts. We may experience difficulty in meeting these reporting requirements in a timely manner.
Our current controls and any new controls that we develop may become inadequate because of changes in conditions in our business. Further, weaknesses in our disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting may be discovered in the future. Any failure to develop or maintain effective controls or any difficulties encountered in their implementation or improvement could harm our results of operations or cause us to fail to meet our reporting obligations and may result in a restatement of our consolidated financial statements for prior periods. Any failure to implement and maintain effective internal control over financial reporting could also adversely affect the results of periodic management evaluations and annual independent registered public accounting firm attestation reports regarding the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting that we will eventually be required to include in our periodic reports that will be filed with the SEC. Ineffective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting could also cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial and other information, which would likely have a negative effect on the trading price of our common stock. In addition, if we are unable to continue to meet these requirements, we may not be able to remain listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market.
If we cannot provide reliable financial reports or prevent fraud, our business and results of operations could be harmed, investors could lose confidence in our reported financial information and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by Nasdaq, the SEC or other regulatory authorities. Any failure to maintain effective disclosure controls and internal control over financial reporting could have a material and adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition and could cause a decline in the trading price of our common stock.
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Our disclosure controls and procedures may not prevent or detect all errors or acts of fraud.
We are subject to certain reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to reasonably assure that information required to be disclosed by us in reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management, recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC. We believe that any disclosure controls and procedures or internal controls and procedures, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people or by an unauthorized override of the controls. Accordingly, because of the inherent limitations in our control system, misstatements or insufficient disclosures due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.
We incur significant costs as a result of operating as a public company, and our management is required to devote substantial time to public company reporting and compliance initiatives.
As a public company listed on The Nasdaq Capital Market, we incur significant expenses for director and officer insurance, legal services, accounting services and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, as well as rules subsequently implemented by the SEC, and The Nasdaq Capital Market have imposed various requirements on public companies. In July 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, or the Dodd-Frank Act, was enacted. There are significant corporate governance and executive compensation related provisions in the Dodd-Frank Act that required the SEC to adopt rules and regulations in these areas such as “say on pay” and proxy access. Recent legislation permits smaller “emerging growth companies” to implement many of these requirements over a longer period and up to five years from the pricing of our initial public offering. We intend to continue to take advantage of this legislation but cannot guarantee that we will not be required to implement these requirements sooner than budgeted or planned and thereby incur unexpected expenses. Stockholder activism, the current political environment and the current high level of government intervention and regulatory reform may lead to substantial new regulations and disclosure obligations, which may lead to additional compliance costs and impact the manner in which we operate our business in ways we cannot currently anticipate. Our management and other personnel will need to devote a substantial amount of time to these compliance initiatives. Moreover, these rules and regulations increase our legal and financial compliance costs and make some activities more time-consuming and costlier. For example, these rules and regulations make it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance and we are required to incur substantial costs to maintain our current levels of such coverage.
If securities or industry analysts publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our stock price and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our common stock will depend in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. If only very few securities analysts commence coverage of us, or if industry analysts cease coverage of us, the trading price for our common stock would be negatively affected. If one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our common stock or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our common stock price would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of us or fail to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our common stock could decrease, which might cause our common stock price and trading volume to decline.
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If we do not comply with laws regulating the protection of the environment and health and human safety, our business could be adversely affected.
Our research, development and manufacturing involve the use of hazardous and radioactive materials and various flammable and toxic chemicals. We are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations governing the use, manufacture, storage, handling and disposal of these hazardous and radioactive materials and waste products. Although we believe our procedures for storing, handling and disposing of these materials in our facilities comply with the relevant guidelines of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the State of Washington and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor, the risk of accidental contamination or injury from these materials cannot be eliminated. If an accident occurs, we could be held liable for substantial resulting damages. We are also subject to numerous environmental, health and workplace safety laws and regulations, including those governing laboratory procedures, exposure to blood-borne pathogens and the handling of animals and biohazardous materials. Our workers’ compensation insurance may not provide adequate coverage against costs and expenses we may incur due to injuries to our employees resulting from the use of these materials. Our current environmental liability insurance covering certain of our facilities could be inadequate for all environmental liability or toxic tort claims that may be asserted against us in connection with our storage or disposal of biological, hazardous or radioactive materials and waste products. Additional federal, state and local laws and regulations affecting our operations may be adopted in the future. We may incur substantial costs to comply with, and substantial fines or penalties if we violate, any of these laws or regulations.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
On August 7, 2024, in connection with entering into the BMS License Agreement Amendment, we entered into a stock issuance agreement, or the BMS Stock Issuance Agreement, pursuant to which we issued BMS 230,415 shares of our common stock as consideration for entering into the BMS License Agreement Amendment. The BMS License Agreement Amendment amends the BMS License Agreement.
Pursuant to the BMS Stock Issuance Agreement, we filed a resale registration statement with the SEC on October 8, 2024, registering the shares issued to BMS for resale. Subject to complying with applicable securities laws, BMS is not subject to any restrictions with respect to the disposition of the shares. Additionally, BMS is not subject to any standstill restrictions.
The securities issued to BMS were sold in reliance on the exemption from registration requirements of the Securities Act provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and/or Regulation D promulgated thereunder as a transaction by an issuer not involving a public offering.
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
None.
Item 4. Mine and Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
Item 5. Other Information
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Item 6. Exhibits
EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit No. |
| Description of Exhibit | |
---|---|---|---|
2.1 | |||
2.2+† | |||
3.1 | |||
3.2 | |||
3.3 | |||
3.4 | |||
4.1 | |||
4.2 | |||
4.3 | |||
4.4 | |||
4.5 | |||
10.1# | |||
10.2†* | |||
31.1* | Certification of Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | ||
31.2* | Certification of Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. | ||
32.1* | |||
32.2* | |||
101 | Interactive Data File (Form 10-Q for the Quarterly Period ended September 30, 2024 filed in XBRL). The financial information contained in the XBRL-related documents is “unaudited” and “unreviewed.” The instance document does not appear in the interactive file because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document. | ||
104 | Cover Page Interactive File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document). |
* | Filed or furnished herewith. |
# Management contracts or compensatory plans or arrangements
+ | Schedules and exhibits to the agreement have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K. A copy of any omitted schedule and/or exhibit will be furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission upon request. |
† | Certain portions of this exhibit (indicated by asterisks) have been omitted because they are not material and would likely cause competitive harm to Immunome, Inc. if publicly disclosed. |
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SIGNATURES
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 thereunto duly authorized.
IMMUNOME, INC. | ||
(Registrant) | ||
Date: November 13, 2024 | By: | /s/ Clay B. Siegall, Ph. D. |
Name: | Clay B. Siegall, Ph. D. | |
Title: | President and Chief Executive Officer | |
(Principal Executive Officer) | ||
Date: November 13, 2024 | By: | /s/ Max Rosett |
Name: | Max Rosett | |
Title: | Chief Financial Officer | |
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
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