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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
(Mark One)
☒ |
|
QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2024
or
☐ |
|
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
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For the transition period from |
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to |
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Commission File Number: 001-40407
Vera Therapeutics, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware |
81-2744449 |
|
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
|
8000 Marina Boulevard, Suite 120 Brisbane, California |
94005 |
(Address of principal executive offices) |
(Zip Code) |
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (650) 770-0077
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
|
Title of each class
|
Trading Symbol(s)
|
Name of each exchange on which registered
|
Class A common stock, $0.001 par value per |
VERA |
The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer |
☐ |
Accelerated filer |
☐ |
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Non-accelerated filer |
☒ |
Smaller reporting company |
☒ |
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Emerging growth company |
☒ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
As of May 3, 2024, the registrant had 54,701,217 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share, outstanding, consisting solely of Class A common stock, $0.001 par value per share.
Table of Contents
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Page Number |
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2 |
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4 |
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4 |
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4 |
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5 |
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6 |
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7 |
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8 |
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Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
19 |
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Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk |
26 |
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26 |
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27 |
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27 |
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27 |
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Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds |
78 |
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78 |
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78 |
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78 |
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80 |
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81 |
In this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, unless otherwise stated or as the context otherwise requires, references to “Vera,” “the Company,” “we,” “us,” “our” and similar references refer to Vera Therapeutics, Inc.
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q also contains registered marks, trademarks and trade names of other companies. All other trademarks, registered marks and trade names appearing in this report are the property of their respective holders. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names, trademarks or service marks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, these other companies.
1
SUMMARY OF RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR BUSINESS
An investment in shares of our Class A common stock involves a high degree of risk. Below is a list of some of the material risks associated with our business. This summary does not address all of the risks that we face. Additional discussion of the risks listed in this summary, as well as other risks that we face, are set forth under Part II, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q:
2
3
PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1. Financial Statements
VERA THERAPEUTICS, INC.
Condensed Balance Sheets
(in thousands, except share amounts)
|
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March 31, |
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December 31, |
|
||
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2024 |
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2023 |
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||
|
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(unaudited) |
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Assets |
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Current assets: |
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|
|
|
|
|
||
Cash and cash equivalents |
|
$ |
69,105 |
|
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$ |
45,681 |
|
Marketable securities |
|
|
334,559 |
|
|
|
115,035 |
|
Prepaid expenses and other assets, current |
|
|
12,706 |
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|
|
11,307 |
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Total current assets |
|
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416,370 |
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|
172,023 |
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Property and equipment, net |
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|
81 |
|
|
|
92 |
|
Operating lease right-of-use assets |
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|
2,432 |
|
|
|
2,949 |
|
Prepaid expenses and other assets, noncurrent |
|
|
473 |
|
|
|
482 |
|
Total assets |
|
$ |
419,356 |
|
|
$ |
175,546 |
|
Liabilities and stockholders’ equity |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Current liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Accounts payable |
|
$ |
5,209 |
|
|
$ |
11,118 |
|
Operating lease liabilities |
|
|
2,275 |
|
|
|
2,436 |
|
Accrued expenses and other liabilities, current |
|
|
7,059 |
|
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|
8,749 |
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Total current liabilities |
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14,543 |
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|
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22,303 |
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Long-term debt |
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50,066 |
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49,877 |
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Operating lease liabilities, noncurrent |
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|
919 |
|
|
|
1,395 |
|
Accrued expenses and other liabilities, noncurrent |
|
|
286 |
|
|
|
286 |
|
Total liabilities |
|
|
65,814 |
|
|
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73,861 |
|
Stockholders’ equity |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value; 10,000,000 authorized |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
Class A common stock, $0.001 par value; 500,000,000 shares |
|
|
54 |
|
|
|
44 |
|
Additional paid-in capital |
|
|
691,146 |
|
|
|
410,492 |
|
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) |
|
|
(173 |
) |
|
|
251 |
|
Accumulated deficit |
|
|
(337,485 |
) |
|
|
(309,102 |
) |
Total stockholders’ equity |
|
|
353,542 |
|
|
|
101,685 |
|
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity |
|
$ |
419,356 |
|
|
$ |
175,546 |
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.
4
VERA THERAPEUTICS, INC.
Condensed Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss
(unaudited)
(in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
|||||
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2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Research and development |
|
$ |
23,200 |
|
|
$ |
25,108 |
|
General and administrative |
|
|
7,912 |
|
|
|
6,150 |
|
Total operating expenses |
|
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31,112 |
|
|
|
31,258 |
|
Loss from operations |
|
|
(31,112 |
) |
|
|
(31,258 |
) |
Other income (expense): |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Interest income |
|
|
4,186 |
|
|
|
1,623 |
|
Interest expense |
|
|
(1,906 |
) |
|
|
(874 |
) |
Other income |
|
|
453 |
|
|
|
441 |
|
Change in fair value of non-marketable equity securities |
|
|
(4 |
) |
|
|
(1 |
) |
Total other income |
|
|
2,729 |
|
|
|
1,189 |
|
Net loss |
|
$ |
(28,383 |
) |
|
$ |
(30,069 |
) |
Other comprehensive income (loss): |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Change in unrealized (loss) gain on marketable securities |
|
|
(424 |
) |
|
|
220 |
|
Comprehensive loss |
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$ |
(28,807 |
) |
|
$ |
(29,849 |
) |
Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted |
|
$ |
(0.56 |
) |
|
$ |
(0.80 |
) |
Weighted-average shares used in computing net loss per share |
|
|
50,971,933 |
|
|
|
37,667,566 |
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.
5
VERA THERAPEUTICS, INC.
Condensed Statements of Stockholders’ Equity
(unaudited)
(in thousands, except share amounts)
|
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Class A Common Stock |
|
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Additional |
|
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Accumulated Other |
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Accumulated |
|
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Total |
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|||||||||
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Shares |
|
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Amount |
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Capital |
|
|
Comprehensive Income (Loss) |
|
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Deficit |
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Equity |
|
||||||
Balance as of December 31, 2023 |
|
|
44,452,161 |
|
|
$ |
44 |
|
|
$ |
410,492 |
|
|
$ |
251 |
|
|
$ |
(309,102 |
) |
|
$ |
101,685 |
|
Issuance of common stock from underwritten follow-on offering, net of offering costs |
|
|
9,274,194 |
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9 |
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269,583 |
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|
|
— |
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|
— |
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269,592 |
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Issuance of common stock pursuant to exercise of options |
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|
708,897 |
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|
1 |
|
|
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6,612 |
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|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
6,613 |
|
Issuance of common stock upon vesting of restricted stock units |
|
|
938 |
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|
— |
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— |
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|
— |
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|
|
— |
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|
|
— |
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Issuance of common stock pursuant to employee stock purchase plan |
|
|
21,181 |
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|
|
— |
|
|
|
298 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
298 |
|
Proceeds from short swing settlement |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
37 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
37 |
|
Stock-based compensation |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
4,124 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
4,124 |
|
Unrealized loss on marketable securities |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(424 |
) |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(424 |
) |
Net loss |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(28,383 |
) |
|
|
(28,383 |
) |
Balances as of March 31, 2024 |
|
|
54,457,371 |
|
|
$ |
54 |
|
|
$ |
691,146 |
|
|
$ |
(173 |
) |
|
$ |
(337,485 |
) |
|
$ |
353,542 |
|
|
|
Class A Common Stock |
|
|
Additional |
|
|
Accumulated Other |
|
|
Accumulated |
|
|
Total |
|
|||||||||
|
|
Shares |
|
|
Amount |
|
|
Capital |
|
|
Comprehensive Income (Loss) |
|
|
Deficit |
|
|
Equity |
|
||||||
Balance as of December 31, 2022 |
|
|
27,800,861 |
|
|
$ |
28 |
|
|
$ |
290,216 |
|
|
$ |
(224 |
) |
|
$ |
(213,112 |
) |
|
$ |
76,908 |
|
Issuance of common stock from underwritten follow-on offering, net of offering costs |
|
|
16,428,572 |
|
|
|
16 |
|
|
|
107,727 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
107,743 |
|
Issuance of common stock pursuant to exercise of options |
|
|
3,750 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
65 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
65 |
|
Issuance of common stock pursuant to employee stock purchase plan |
|
|
27,926 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
175 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
175 |
|
Stock-based compensation |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
2,667 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
2,667 |
|
Unrealized loss on marketable securities |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
220 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
220 |
|
Net loss |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
(30,069 |
) |
|
|
(30,069 |
) |
Balances as of March 31, 2023 |
|
|
44,261,109 |
|
|
$ |
44 |
|
|
$ |
400,850 |
|
|
$ |
(4 |
) |
|
$ |
(243,181 |
) |
|
$ |
157,709 |
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.
6
VERA THERAPEUTICS, INC.
Condensed Statements of Cash Flows
(unaudited)
(in thousands)
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
|||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||
Cash flows from operating activities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Net loss |
|
$ |
(28,383 |
) |
|
$ |
(30,069 |
) |
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Depreciation, amortization and accretion |
|
|
(1,469 |
) |
|
|
(506 |
) |
Reduction in the carrying amount of operating lease right-of-use assets |
|
|
517 |
|
|
|
579 |
|
Stock-based compensation |
|
|
4,124 |
|
|
|
2,667 |
|
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Prepaid expense and other current assets |
|
|
(392 |
) |
|
|
3,749 |
|
Other assets |
|
|
9 |
|
|
|
(4 |
) |
Accounts payable |
|
|
(5,909 |
) |
|
|
(6,665 |
) |
Accrued and other current liabilities |
|
|
(1,690 |
) |
|
|
4,637 |
|
Operating lease liabilities |
|
|
(637 |
) |
|
|
(680 |
) |
Net cash used in operating activities |
|
|
(33,830 |
) |
|
|
(26,292 |
) |
Cash flows from investing activities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Purchase of marketable securities |
|
|
(254,967 |
) |
|
|
(34,209 |
) |
Proceeds from maturities of marketable securities |
|
|
31,681 |
|
|
|
36,900 |
|
Proceeds from sale of marketable securities |
|
|
4,000 |
|
|
|
9,543 |
|
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities |
|
|
(219,286 |
) |
|
|
12,234 |
|
Cash flows from financing activities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Proceeds from exercise of stock options and employee stock purchase plan |
|
|
6,911 |
|
|
|
240 |
|
Proceeds from short swing settlement |
|
|
37 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Proceeds from issuance of common stock in follow-on offering |
|
|
287,500 |
|
|
|
115,000 |
|
Payment of costs and underwriting discounts and commissions related to follow-on offering |
|
|
(17,908 |
) |
|
|
(7,256 |
) |
Net cash provided by financing activities |
|
|
276,540 |
|
|
|
107,984 |
|
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash |
|
|
23,424 |
|
|
|
93,926 |
|
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period |
|
|
45,681 |
|
|
|
43,752 |
|
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period |
|
$ |
69,105 |
|
|
$ |
137,678 |
|
Reconciliation of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash to the balance sheets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Cash and cash equivalents |
|
$ |
69,105 |
|
|
$ |
137,385 |
|
Restricted cash |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
293 |
|
Total cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash |
|
$ |
69,105 |
|
|
$ |
137,678 |
|
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information |
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Cash paid for interest expense |
|
$ |
1,520 |
|
|
$ |
3,253 |
|
Cash paid for operating leases |
|
$ |
764 |
|
|
$ |
746 |
|
Receivable on exercise of stock options |
|
$ |
13 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these unaudited condensed financial statements.
7
VERA THERAPEUTICS, INC.
Notes to Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements
1. ORGANIZATION AND DESCRIPTION OF THE BUSINESS
Description of Business
Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (the Company) is a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing treatments for patients with serious immunological diseases. The Company was incorporated in May 2016 in Delaware. The Company’s headquarters and operations are located in Brisbane, California. The Company operates in one segment.
Initial Public Offering
On May 13, 2021, the Company’s registration statement on Form S-1 for its initial public offering (the IPO) was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), and the shares of its Class A common stock commenced trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on May 14, 2021. The IPO closed on May 18, 2021. Prior to the completion of the IPO, all shares of redeemable convertible preferred stock then outstanding were converted into shares of Class A and Class B common stock.
Liquidity
Since inception, the Company devoted substantially all of its resources to its research and development efforts, pre-clinical studies and clinical trials, establishing and maintaining its intellectual property portfolio, hiring personnel, raising capital, and providing general and administrative support for these operations. The Company has incurred recurring net operating losses and has not generated positive cash flow from operations since its inception and had an accumulated deficit of $337.5 million as of March 31, 2024. The Company had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $403.7 million as of March 31, 2024. The Company has funded its operations primarily through the issuance of common stock, redeemable convertible preferred stock, debt financing and convertible notes. Management expects to continue to incur losses and negative cash flows from operations for at least the next several years.
Management believes that the Company’s cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of March 31, 2024 will be sufficient to fund its operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements for at least 12 months subsequent to the issuance date of these financial statements. The Company intends to raise additional capital through public or private equity offerings or debt financing or other capital sources, which may include strategic collaborations or other arrangements with third parties in order to achieve its long-term business objectives. If the Company fails to obtain necessary capital when needed on acceptable terms, or at all, it could force the Company to delay, limit, reduce or terminate its product development programs, commercialization efforts or other operations.
2. BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying unaudited condensed financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) and applicable rules and regulations of the SEC regarding interim financial reporting. The U.S. dollar is the Company’s functional and reporting currency.
Unaudited Condensed Financial Statements
In the opinion of management, the unaudited condensed financial statements reflect all adjustments of a normal recurring nature that are necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the period presented. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for a full year. The information included in this Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and related notes in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on March 27, 2024.
Emerging Growth Company Status
The Company is an emerging growth company as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (JOBS Act). Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can delay adopting new or revised accounting standards issued subsequent to the enactment of the JOBS Act until such time as those standards apply to private companies. The Company has elected to use this extended transition period for complying with certain new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until the earlier of the date that it (1) is no longer an emerging growth company or (2) affirmatively and irrevocably opts out of the extended transition period provided in the JOBS Act.
8
As a result, these financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with the new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of the Company’s financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the unaudited condensed financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. Management estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities include the accrual of research and development expenses, stock-based compensation expense, determination of incremental borrowing rate for operating leases, the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets, and fair value of marketable and non-marketable securities. The Company evaluates and adjusts its estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis using historical experience and other factors. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.
Concentrations of Credit Risk and Other Risks and Uncertainties
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. The Company maintains bank deposits in a federally insured financial institution and these deposits may exceed federally insured limits. The Company is exposed to credit risk in the event of default by the financial institution holding its cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities to the extent recorded in the balance sheet. The Company has not experienced any losses to date related to these concentrations.
The Company’s future results of operations involve a number of other risks and uncertainties. Factors that could affect the Company’s future operating results and cause actual results to vary materially from expectations include, but are not limited to, uncertainty of results of clinical trials and reaching milestones, uncertainty of regulatory approval of the Company’s current and potential future product candidates, uncertainty of market acceptance of the Company’s product candidates, competition from substitute products and larger companies, securing and protecting proprietary technology, strategic relationships and dependence on key individuals or sole-source suppliers. The Company relies on one supply chain for each of its product candidates. If any of the single source suppliers in any of the supply chains fails to satisfy the Company’s requirements on a timely basis, it could suffer delays in its clinical development programs and activities, which could adversely affect operating results.
The Company’s product candidates require approvals from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and comparable foreign regulatory authorities prior to commercial sales in their respective jurisdictions. There can be no assurance that any product candidates will receive the necessary approvals. If the Company was denied approval, approval was delayed, or the Company was unable to maintain approval for any product candidate, it could have a materially adverse impact on the Company.
Significant Accounting Policies
There have been no material changes to the Company’s significant accounting policies from the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
In June 2022, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2022-03, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions. This standard update clarifies the guidance in Topic 210, related to measuring the fair value of an equity security subject to contractual sale restrictions that prohibit the sale of an equity security and introduces new disclosure requirements for equity securities subject to contractual sale restrictions that are measured at fair value in accordance with Topic 820. The guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2023, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted this standard on January 1, 2024, and it did not have a material impact on the Company’s condensed financial statements or related disclosures.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures. This update improves reportable segment disclosure requirements and requires enhanced disclosures related to significant segment expenses regularly provided to chief operating decision maker (CODM) and included within each reported measure of segment profit or loss, an amount and description of its composition for other segment items, and interim disclosures of a reportable segment’s profit or loss and assets. Amendments in this update are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024. This ASU will result in the required additional disclosures being included in the Company’s financial statements upon adoption.
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures. The ASU requires disaggregated information about a reporting entity’s effective tax rate reconciliation as well as additional information on income taxes paid.
9
The ASU is effective on a prospective basis for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is also permitted for annual financial statements that have not yet been issued or made available for issuance. This ASU will result in the required additional disclosures being included in the Company’s financial statements upon adoption.
3. OTHER FINANCIAL STATEMENT INFORMATION
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets
Prepaid expenses and other current assets consist of the following (in thousands):
|
|
March 31, |
|
|
December 31, |
|
||
Prepaid clinical trial costs |
|
$ |
4,837 |
|
|
$ |
5,273 |
|
Prepaid drug manufacturing costs |
|
|
3,610 |
|
|
|
2,578 |
|
Interest income receivable |
|
|
1,631 |
|
|
|
512 |
|
Prepaid commercial planning |
|
|
1,044 |
|
|
|
789 |
|
Prepaid rent |
|
|
277 |
|
|
|
257 |
|
Prepaid insurance |
|
|
268 |
|
|
|
597 |
|
Prepaid professional services fees |
|
|
250 |
|
|
|
198 |
|
Prepaid software license fees |
|
|
221 |
|
|
|
237 |
|
Other |
|
|
568 |
|
|
|
866 |
|
Total prepaid expenses and other current assets |
|
$ |
12,706 |
|
|
$ |
11,307 |
|
Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities consist of the following (in thousands):
|
|
March 31, |
|
|
December 31, |
|
||
Accrued payroll |
|
$ |
1,280 |
|
|
$ |
3,932 |
|
Accrued clinical and drug manufacturing expenses |
|
|
3,470 |
|
|
|
2,213 |
|
Accrued professional services fees |
|
|
739 |
|
|
|
59 |
|
Related party payable |
|
|
464 |
|
|
|
1,926 |
|
Other accrued expenses |
|
|
1,106 |
|
|
|
619 |
|
Total accrued expenses and other current liabilities |
|
$ |
7,059 |
|
|
$ |
8,749 |
|
Related party payable represents amounts due to Ares Trading S.A. (Ares), an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, related to manufacturing technology and know-how transfer services performed for atacicept pursuant to the license agreement between the Company and Ares (see Note 10).
10
4. CASH EQUIVALENTS AND MARKETABLE SECURITIES
The Company’s cash equivalents and available-for-sale investment securities are classified within the fair value hierarchy as defined by authoritative guidance. Level 1 securities consist of highly liquid money market funds for which the carrying amount approximates the fair value of identical assets as quoted in the active markets. Level 2 securities, consisting of U.S. Treasuries, U.S. agency securities and corporate debt securities, are measured based on other observable inputs, including broker or dealer quotations or other valuations using observable market data. The Company’s debt securities are accounted for as available-for-sale securities.
Unrealized gains and losses are reported as a component of other comprehensive income (loss). Fair value of the debt securities was $351.5 million and $115.0 million as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.
The following table presents the Company’s financial assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis by level within the fair value hierarchy (in thousands):
|
|
March 31, 2024 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Fair Value Hierarchy Level |
|
Amortized Cost |
|
|
Unrealized Gains |
|
|
Unrealized Losses |
|
|
Estimated Fair Value |
|
|
Cash and Cash Equivalents |
|
|
Marketable Securities |
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
Money market funds |
|
Level 1 |
|
$ |
48,782 |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
48,782 |
|
|
$ |
48,782 |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
U.S. Government bonds |
|
Level 2 |
|
|
230,349 |
|
|
|
10 |
|
|
|
(129 |
) |
|
|
230,230 |
|
|
|
16,935 |
|
|
|
213,295 |
|
U.S. Government agency securities |
|
Level 2 |
|
|
15,988 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
(9 |
) |
|
|
15,981 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
15,981 |
|
Corporate debt securities |
|
Level 2 |
|
|
105,330 |
|
|
|
84 |
|
|
|
(131 |
) |
|
|
105,283 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
105,283 |
|
Total cash equivalents and marketable securities |
|
|
|
|
400,449 |
|
|
|
96 |
|
|
|
(269 |
) |
|
|
400,276 |
|
|
|
65,717 |
|
|
|
334,559 |
|
Cash |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3,388 |
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total |
|
|
|
$ |
400,449 |
|
|
$ |
96 |
|
|
$ |
(269 |
) |
|
$ |
400,276 |
|
|
$ |
69,105 |
|
|
$ |
334,559 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
December 31, 2023 |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Fair Value Hierarchy Level |
|
Amortized Cost |
|
|
Unrealized Gains |
|
|
Unrealized Losses |
|
|
Estimated Fair Value |
|
|
Cash and Cash Equivalents |
|
|
Marketable Securities |
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
Money market funds |
|
Level 1 |
|
$ |
44,650 |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
44,650 |
|
|
$ |
44,650 |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
U.S. Government bonds |
|
Level 2 |
|
|
63,619 |
|
|
|
70 |
|
|
|
(6 |
) |
|
|
63,683 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
63,683 |
|
U.S. Government agency securities |
|
Level 2 |
|
|
19,665 |
|
|
|
7 |
|
|
|
(14 |
) |
|
|
19,658 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
19,658 |
|
Corporate debt securities |
|
Level 2 |
|
|
31,500 |
|
|
|
194 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
31,694 |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
31,694 |
|
Total cash equivalents and marketable securities |
|
|
|
|
159,434 |
|
|
|
271 |
|
|
|
(20 |
) |
|
|
159,685 |
|
|
|
44,650 |
|
|
|
115,035 |
|
Cash |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1,031 |
|
|
|
|
|||||
Total |
|
|
|
$ |
159,434 |
|
|
$ |
271 |
|
|
$ |
(20 |
) |
|
$ |
159,685 |
|
|
$ |
45,681 |
|
|
$ |
115,035 |
|
Marketable debt securities that had been in unrealized loss positions as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 were in an unrealized loss position for less than 12 months. Unrealized losses from marketable debt securities are primarily attributable to changes in interest rates. Management does not believe any remaining unrealized losses represent impairments based on evaluation of available evidence.
The following table classifies the estimated fair value of investments in available-for-sale marketable debt securities by effective contractual maturity dates (in thousands):
|
|
March 31, 2024 |
|
|
Due within one year |
|
$ |
226,517 |
|
Due after one year to two years |
|
|
108,042 |
|
Total marketable securities |
|
$ |
334,559 |
|
5. LEASES
11
Net lease cost recognized is as follows (in thousands):
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
|||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||
Operating lease cost |
|
$ |
644 |
|
|
$ |
644 |
|
Sublease income |
|
|
(482 |
) |
|
|
(482 |
) |
Net lease cost |
|
$ |
162 |
|
|
$ |
162 |
|
As of March 31, 2024, the maturities of the lease liabilities based on minimum lease commitment amount are as follows (in thousands):
2024 (remaining) |
|
|
2,258 |
|
2025 |
|
|
1,880 |
|
2026 |
|
|
- |
|
2027 |
|
|
- |
|
Total minimum lease payments |
|
|
4,138 |
|
Less: Imputed interest |
|
|
(944 |
) |
Present value of operating lease liabilities |
|
|
3,194 |
|
Less: Current portion of operating lease liabilities |
|
|
(2,275 |
) |
Non-current operating lease liabilities |
|
$ |
919 |
|
In November 2020, the Company entered into a non-cancellable sublease agreement for the leased facilities in South San Francisco, California, which ends concurrently with the original lease in September 2025.
As of March 31, 2024, under the terms of the sublease agreement, the Company is entitled to receive future annual sublease payments as follows (in thousands):
2024 (remaining) |
|
|
1,466 |
|
2025 |
|
|
1,496 |
|
Total sublease payments |
|
$ |
2,962 |
|
The subtenant of the leased facilities in South San Francisco, California, has disclosed in public filings that there is substantial doubt regarding its ability to continue as a going concern. As tenant, the Company remains responsible for minimum lease commitments of $3.7 million as of March 31, 2024, on the South San Francisco facilities.
In November 2021, the Company entered into a lease agreement that was amended in July 2022 for its headquarters office space in Brisbane, California. The lease term is through November 2024 with renewal options for the Company.
As of March 31, 2024, the Company had not executed any finance leases that were yet to commence. As of March 31, 2024, the weighted-average remaining operating lease term was 1.3 years and the weighted-average discount rate was 9.1% for operating leases recognized in the condensed financial statements.
6. NOTE PAYABLE
Note payable consists of the following ($ in thousands):
12
|
|
|
|
March 31, 2024 |
|
|
December 31, 2023 |
|
||||||
|
|
Maturity |
|
Effective |
|
Amount |
|
|
Effective Interest Rate |
|
Amount |
|
||
Collateralized note 2021-12 |
|
2027 |
|
14.71% |
|
$ |
5,000 |
|
|
14.73% |
|
$ |
5,000 |
|
Collateralized note 2022-11 |
|
2027 |
|
14.85% |
|
|
20,000 |
|
|
14.87% |
|
|
20,000 |
|
Collateralized note 2023-12 |
|
2027 |
|
15.36% |
|
|
25,000 |
|
|
15.37% |
|
|
25,000 |
|
Total borrowings |
|
|
|
|
|
|
50,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
50,000 |
|
Unamortized premium and debt issuance costs |
|
|
|
|
|
|
66 |
|
|
|
|
|
(123 |
) |
Net carrying amount of debt |
|
|
|
|
|
$ |
50,066 |
|
|
|
|
$ |
49,877 |
|
The carrying amount of debt approximates fair value due to its variable interest rate.
In December 2021, the Company entered into a non-revolving loan and security agreement (the Loan Agreement) with Oxford Finance. The Loan Agreement has a borrowing capacity of up to $50.0 million, which was scheduled to expire in December 2022. In November 2022, the Company entered into an amendment of the Loan Agreement. Among other changes, the amendment extended the scheduled expiration of the Loan Agreement to December 2023 and modified the reference rate from the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) to the Secured Overnight Financial Rate (SOFR). In conjunction with the amendment, the Company borrowed an additional $20.0 million from the Loan Agreement. In December 2023, the Company borrowed the remaining $25.0 million from the Loan Agreement. As of March 31, 2024, the Company’s outstanding borrowing under the Loan Agreement was $50.0 million.
In March 2023, upon achievement of a clinical data milestone, the Company elected to exercise a borrower option to extend the maturity of the outstanding loan by 12 months, from December 2026 to December 2027. The end date of the interest-only payment period was also extended by 12 months, from December 2025 to December 2026. The Company is permitted to prepay the loan, subject to certain conditions. Upon the maturity date or prepayment of the loan, the Company is required to pay an exit fee equal to 7% of the aggregate principal amount of the loan.
The variable interest rate on the drawn amount is adjusted SOFR plus 825 basis points, subject to a per annum floor rate of 8.25%. The Loan Agreement contains a subjective acceleration clause in the case of an event of default. If such a matter occurs and is continuing, the lender may legally demand the outstanding principal and interest immediately due and payable. There are no financial covenants associated with the Loan Agreement and the loan is secured by the Company’s assets. The Loan Agreement is available for working capital, capital expenditures, and other general corporate purposes.
Principal installments due on the notes are as follows (in thousands):
Remainder of 2024 |
|
|
— |
|
2025 |
|
|
— |
|
2026 |
|
|
— |
|
2027 |
|
|
50,000 |
|
Total long-term debt |
|
$ |
50,000 |
|
7. COMMON STOCK
As of March 31, 2024, the Company’s amended and restated certificate of incorporation authorized the Company to issue 500,000,000 shares of Class A common stock and 14,600,000 shares of Class B common stock, each with a par value of $0.001 per share. Each share of Class A common stock entitles the holder to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of the Company’s stockholders. Class B common stock is non-voting. There are no shares of Class B common stock outstanding as of March 31, 2024. Common stockholders are entitled to receive dividends, as may be declared by the board of directors. Through March 31, 2024, no cash dividends have been declared or paid.
In June 2022, the Company filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-265408) with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which permits the offering, issuance, and sale of up to a maximum aggregate offering price of $400.0 million of the Company’s common stock, preferred stock, debt securities and warrants. Up to a maximum of $150.0 million of the maximum aggregate offering price of $400.0 million may be issued and sold pursuant to an at-the-market financing facility under a sales agreement dated June 3, 2022, between the Company and Cowen and Company, LLC (Sales Agreement). In January 2024, the Company suspended and terminated the prospectus (the ATM Prospectus) related to the sale of its Class A common stock in an “at-the-market” offering pursuant to the terms of the Sales Agreement. As a result, the Company will not make any sales of its Common Stock pursuant to the Sales Agreement unless and until a new prospectus, prospectus supplement or registration statement is filed. Deferred costs of $0.3 million were recognized as general and administrative expense upon termination of the ATM Prospectus.
13
In February 2023, the Company completed a follow-on public offering pursuant to which the Company issued and sold 16,428,572 shares of its Class A common stock at a public offering price of $7.00 per share, including 2,142,857 shares of Class A common stock pursuant to the full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares.
In February 2024, the Company completed a follow-on public offering pursuant to which the Company issued and sold 9,274,194 shares of its Class A common stock at a public offering price of $31.00 per share, including 1,209,677 shares of Class A common stock pursuant to the full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares.
8. STOCK COMPENSATION
In April 2021, the Company adopted the 2021 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) and the 2021 Equity Incentive Plan (2021 EIP), each of which became effective in connection with the IPO. The Company has reserved 1,152,463 and 6,873,404 shares of Class A common stock for issuance under the ESPP and 2021 EIP, respectively.
The Company may not grant any additional awards under the 2017 Equity Incentive Plan (2017 EIP). The 2017 EIP will continue to govern outstanding equity awards granted thereunder. As of March 31, 2024, there were 747,367 shares available for issuance under the 2021 EIP.
2017 EIP and 2021 EIP
Stock option activity under the 2017 EIP and 2021 EIP was as follows:
|
|
NUMBER OF |
|
|
WEIGHTED- |
|
|
WEIGHTED- |
|
|
AGGREGATE |
|
||||
Outstanding as of December 31, 2023 |
|
|
5,762,236 |
|
|
$ |
9.42 |
|
|
|
7.66 |
|
|
$ |
39,197 |
|
Granted |
|
|
1,782,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Exercised |
|
|
(708,897 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Cancelled and forfeited |
|
|
(359,568 |
) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Outstanding as of March 31, 2024 |
|
|
6,475,771 |
|
|
$ |
11.51 |
|
|
|
8.43 |
|
|
$ |
204,699 |
|
Options exercisable as of March 31, 2024 |
|
|
2,183,086 |
|
|
$ |
8.50 |
|
|
|
7.33 |
|
|
$ |
75,573 |
|
Vested and expected to vest as of March 31, 2024 |
|
|
6,475,771 |
|
|
$ |
11.51 |
|
|
|
8.43 |
|
|
$ |
204,699 |
|
The aggregate intrinsic value of stock options exercised during the three months ended March 31, 2024, was approximately $20.5 million. The weighted-average grant date fair value of options granted during the three months ended March 31, 2024 was $11.85 per share.
ESPP
The ESPP enables eligible employees to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock at the end of each offering period at a price equal to 85% of the fair market value of the shares on the first trading day or the last trading day of the offering period, whichever is lower. Eligible employees generally include all employees. Share purchases are funded through payroll deductions of at least 1% and up to 15% of an employee’s eligible compensation for each payroll period. The number of shares reserved for issuance under the ESPP increase automatically on the first day of each fiscal year, beginning on January 1, 2022, by a number equal to the lesser of 440,502 shares, 1% of the total number of shares of the Company’s capital stock (including all classes of the Company’s common stock) outstanding on the last day of the calendar month prior to the date of the increase, or such lower number of shares (including no shares) approved by the Company’s board of directors. As of March 31, 2024, 80,989 shares have been issued pursuant to the ESPP. The ESPP generally provides for six-month consecutive offering periods beginning on September 14, 2021. The ESPP is a compensatory plan as defined by the authoritative guidance for stock compensation. Stock-based compensation expense related to the ESPP for the three months ended March 31, 2024, was $0.1 million.
Stock-Based Compensation Expense
The following tables summarize the stock-based compensation expense for stock options, restricted stock awards, and restricted stock units granted to employees and nonemployees and for ESPP stock-based compensation that was recorded in the Company’s condensed statements of operations and comprehensive loss for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023.
14
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
|||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||
Research and development |
|
$ |
1,728 |
|
|
$ |
1,134 |
|
General and administrative |
|
|
2,396 |
|
|
|
1,533 |
|
Total stock-based compensation expense |
|
$ |
4,124 |
|
|
$ |
2,667 |
|
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
|||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||
Employees |
|
$ |
3,871 |
|
|
$ |
2,324 |
|
Nonemployees |
|
|
253 |
|
|
|
343 |
|
Total stock-based compensation expense |
|
$ |
4,124 |
|
|
$ |
2,667 |
|
As of March 31, 2024, the Company had $35.7 million of unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to unvested stock options, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 2.9 years.
The fair value of stock options granted during the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, was estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model based on the following weighted-average assumptions.
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
|
|
2024 |
2023 |
Expected term (in years) |
|
6.0 – 6.1 |
6.0 – 6.1 |
Expected volatility |
|
67.7% – 67.8% |
79.5% – 80.1% |
Risk-free rate |
|
3.8% – 4.0% |
3.9% – 4.0% |
Dividend yield |
|
— |
— |
Restricted Stock Units
The Company grants restricted stock units (RSU) pursuant to the 2021 EIP and satisfies such grants through the issuance of its common stock. The following table shows RSU activity for the period ending March 31, 2024.
|
|
NUMBER OF |
|
|
WEIGHTED- |
|
||
Unvested balance at December 31, 2023 |
|
|
131,679 |
|
|
$ |
18.36 |
|
Granted |
|
|
358,250 |
|
|
|
16.80 |
|
Vested |
|
|
(938 |
) |
|
|
15.46 |
|
Cancelled and forfeited |
|
|
(16,666 |
) |
|
|
18.60 |
|
Unvested balance at March 31, 2024 |
|
|
472,325 |
|
|
$ |
17.18 |
|
For the three months ended March 31, 2024, the Company recognized $0.6 million of stock-based compensation for restricted stock units.
As of March 31, 2024, the Company had $6.6 million of unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to unvested RSUs, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 3.1 years.
Inducement Plan
In February 2024, the Company adopted the 2024 Inducement Plan (Inducement Plan). The Inducement Plan was adopted by the compensation committee of the Company’s board of directors without stockholder approval pursuant to Nasdaq Marketplace Rule 5635(c)(4) (Rule 5635(c)4)). In accordance with Rule 5635(c)(4), awards made under the Inducement Plan, including stock options and restricted stock units, may only be granted to newly hired employees as a material inducement to accept employment with the Company. Awards granted under the Inducement Plan expire no later than ten years from the date of grant. An aggregate of 500,000 shares of common stock were reserved for issuance under the Inducement Plan. No shares were granted under the plan during the three months ended March 31, 2024.
15
9. EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
The Company sponsors a qualified 401(k) defined contribution plan covering eligible employees. Participants may contribute a portion of their annual compensation limited to a maximum annual amount set by the Internal Revenue Service. The Company contributed $138,000 and $109,000 to the plan for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
10. LICENSES AND COLLABORATIONS
Ares Trading S.A.
In October 2020, the Company entered into a license agreement with Ares (the Ares Agreement), pursuant to which the Company obtained an exclusive worldwide license to certain patents and related know-how to research, develop, manufacture, use and commercialize therapeutic products containing atacicept, a recombinant fusion protein used to inhibit B cell growth and differentiation, which could potentially treat some autoimmune diseases.
As consideration for the Ares Agreement, the Company paid a non-refundable license issue fee to Ares in the form of shares of redeemable convertible preferred stock valued at $13.1 million, resulting in Ares becoming a related party to the Company. The redeemable convertible preferred stock subsequently converted into 1,913,501 shares of Class A common stock in connection with the IPO.
In December 2020, the Company paid Ares a milestone payment of $25.0 million upon delivery and initiation of the transfer of specified information and materials. The Company is obligated to pay Ares aggregate milestone payments of up to $176.5 million upon the achievement of specified BLA filing or regulatory approval milestones and up to $515.0 million upon the achievement of specified commercial milestones. The non-refundable license issue fee and milestone payment were recorded to research and development expense in the period incurred.
Subsequent to the effective date of the Ares Agreement, Ares is performing manufacturing technology and know-how transfer to the Company. The Company recorded related party expense of $0.1 million and $0.9 million to Ares for these services during the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. These amounts are included in research and development expenses on the statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
Commencing on the first commercial sale of licensed products, the Company is obligated to pay Ares tiered royalties of low double-digit to mid-teen percentages on annual net sales of the licensed products covered by the license. The Company is obligated to pay royalties on a licensed product-by-licensed product and country-by-country basis from the first commercial sale of a product in a country until the latest of (i) 15 years after the first commercial sale of such licensed product in such country; (ii) the expiration of the last valid claim of a licensed patent that covers such licensed product in, or its use, importation or manufacture with respect to, such country; and (iii) expiration of all applicable regulatory exclusivity periods, including data exclusivity, in such country with respect to such product. If the Company were to sublicense its rights under the Ares Agreement, the Company would be obligated to pay Ares a percentage ranging from the mid-single-digit to the low double-digits of specified sublicensing income received.
Amplyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
In December 2021, the Company entered into an asset purchase agreement (the Amplyx Agreement) with Amplyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Amplyx), a wholly owned subsidiary of Pfizer Inc. Pursuant to the terms of the Amplyx Agreement, the Company paid $5.0 million to Amplyx to purchase assets relating to an anti-BKV monoclonal antibody referred to as MAU868 for the treatment of BKV infection pursuant to a License Agreement between Amplyx and Novartis International Pharmaceutical AG (Novartis). In addition, the Company recognized a $2.0 million contingent milestone obligation as an assumed liability related to the asset purchase. The acquisition cost of $7.0 million was recorded as research and development expense in the statement of operations and comprehensive loss on the acquisition date.
In connection with the Amplyx asset purchase, Amplyx assigned the Exclusive License Agreement between Amplyx and Novartis (the Novartis License) and Manufacturing and Supply Agreements to the Company. Under the Novartis License, the Company has exclusive worldwide rights from Novartis to develop, manufacture and commercialize MAU868. The Company will be solely responsible for all research, development, regulatory, manufacturing and commercialization activities of MAU868.
Under the Amplyx Agreement, the Company is obligated to make future milestone payments to Amplyx and Novartis upon the achievement of specified development, regulatory and commercial milestones. In September 2022, the Company and Novartis entered into an amendment to the Novartis License to modify the terms of future milestone payments.
16
Pursuant to this amendment, the Company issued 283,034 shares of Class A common stock to Novartis in exchange for a reduction of $7.0 million in contingent future development milestones, including the $2.0 million contingent milestone obligation accrued by the Company in December 2021. The value of the shares issued was $5.7 million based on the closing market value of the Company’s Class A common stock as of the effective date of the amendment, and as a result of the amendment the Company recognized $3.7 million of research and development expense in the year ended December 31, 2022.
The Company is obligated to make future milestone payments of up to $7.0 million and $62.0 million to Amplyx and Novartis, respectively, contingent upon the achievement of specified development, regulatory and commercial milestones. In the event that MAU868 is commercialized, the Company will be obligated to pay royalties to Amplyx and Novartis based on net sales by country and by product.
11. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Legal Proceedings
The Company believes that there are no actions pending which would have a material adverse effect on its results of operations, financial condition, or cash flows.
Indemnifications
As of March 31, 2024, the Company did not have any material indemnification claims that were probable or reasonably possible, and consequently no related liabilities have been recorded.
Employee Agreements
The Company has signed employment agreements with certain key employees pursuant to which, if their employment is terminated following a change of control of the Company, the employees are entitled to receive certain benefits, including severance and accelerated vesting of equity incentives.
Development and Manufacturing Services Agreements
The Company enters into development and manufacturing contracts with vendors in the conduct of our business. Contracts with these vendors may be terminated at the Company’s option, with varying provisions regarding termination. If a contract with a specific vendor were to be terminated, the Company would be obligated to pay for the products or services that had been provided or received at the time the termination became effective, and potentially additional compensation based upon the period of time remaining between the date of notice of cancellation and the scheduled manufacturing.
12. NET LOSS PER SHARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO COMMON STOCKHOLDERS
The following outstanding potentially dilutive shares were excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders for the periods presented, because including them would have been anti-dilutive (on an as-converted basis).
|
|
Three Months Ended March 31, |
|
|||||
|
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||
Class A common stock options issued and outstanding |
|
|
6,475,771 |
|
|
|
5,649,255 |
|
Unvested RSUs |
|
|
472,325 |
|
|
|
203,500 |
|
Total |
|
|
6,948,096 |
|
|
|
5,852,755 |
|
13. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
In October 2020, the Company entered into the Ares Agreement with Ares, pursuant to which the Company obtained an exclusive worldwide license to certain patents and related know-how to research, develop, manufacture, use and commercialize therapeutic products containing atacicept, a recombinant fusion protein used to inhibit B cell growth and differentiation, which could potentially treat some autoimmune diseases.
17
Related party transactions and balances in the current periods presented are described in Note 3 and Note 10.
Sofinnova Venture Partners X, L.P. (SVP X) is an investment fund in which Maha Katabi (Dr. Katabi), a member of the Company’s board of directors, has a pecuniary interest. SVP X completed transactions in the Company’s common stock within a six-month period ended March 25, 2024. The transactions included both purchases and sales of shares of the Company’s common stock that may be matchable for purposes of Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These transactions could be deemed to have resulted in short-swing profits to Dr. Katabi of $36,620. Dr. Katabi voluntarily agreed to disgorge the profits and has paid $36,620 to the Company as a result of these transactions.
18
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our unaudited condensed financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and our audited financial statements and notes thereto and the related Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on March 27, 2024 (the Annual Report).
Forward-Looking Statements
In addition to historical financial information, this discussion contains forward-looking statements based upon current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth in the section titled “Risk Factors” under Part II, Item 1A below. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potentially,” “predict,” “should,” “will” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions.
In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements.
Overview
We are a late clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing transformative treatments for patients with serious immunological diseases. Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) is a B cell disorder with a kidney pathology. Our lead product candidate, atacicept, is an at home, self-administered transmembrane activator and CAML interactor (TACI)-Fc fusion protein that blocks both B-cell activating factor (BAFF) and a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) with best-in-class potential for the treatment of IgAN. The Phase 2b ORIGIN clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of atacicept in participants with IgAN reported positive results at three timepoints: 24-week topline results in January 2023, 36-week results in June 2023, and 72-week results in January 2024. The trial remained blinded through 36 weeks, after which all participants were eligible for the open label extension portion of the study and received atacicept 150 mg through 96 weeks. At 24 and 36 weeks, respectively, atacicept met its primary endpoint with statistically significant reductions in urine protein creatinine ratio (UPCR) on atacicept 150 mg, and stable estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was observed for participants on atacicept, with clinically meaningful and statistically significant difference versus placebo. Participants treated with atacicept demonstrated reductions in galactose-deficient IgA1 (Gd-IgA1), the autoantigen produced by B cells in patients with IgAN, and a reduction in hematuria. The improvements in Gd-IgA1, hematuria, UPCR and eGFR represent the quartet of findings consistent with IgAN disease modification. The 72-week open label extension results showed consistent and sustained reductions in Gd-IgA1, hematuria, UPCR and continued eGFR stabilization. Additionally, atacicept’s safety profile was comparable to placebo. We advanced atacicept 150 mg in a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial in IgAN in the second quarter of 2023. We believe that atacicept has pipeline in a molecule potential, with potential application in additional indications including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and lupus nephritis (LN), a severe renal manifestation of SLE. We have designed and are poised to conduct a Phase 3 clinical trial of atacicept in LN, based on feedback from the FDA’s review of clinical results in a Phase 2 clinical trial of atacicept in SLE patients with HDA. We also hold worldwide, exclusive development and commercial rights to MAU868, a potentially first-in-class monoclonal antibody to treat reactivated BK virus (BKV) infections, for which we completed a Phase 2 clinical trial in 2022. In January 2023, we delayed enrollment in the pivotal Phase 3 trial for LN and commitment of resources to the MAU868 program. We believe that our current pipeline programs leverage the deep expertise of our team and have strong potential commercial synergies. We hold global developmental and commercial rights to all of our pipeline molecule.
Since our inception, we have devoted substantially all of our resources to our research and development efforts, pre-clinical studies and clinical trials, establishing and maintaining our intellectual property portfolio, hiring personnel, raising capital, and providing general and administrative support for these operations.
We do not have any product candidates approved for commercial sale, and we have not generated any revenue from product sales. Our ability to generate revenue sufficient to achieve profitability, if ever, will depend on the successful development and eventual commercialization of one or more of our product candidates, which we expect will take a number of years. We also do not own or operate, and currently have no plans to establish, any manufacturing facilities. We rely, and expect to continue to rely, on third parties for the manufacture of our product candidates for nonclinical and clinical testing, as well as for commercial manufacturing if any of our product candidates obtain marketing approval. We believe that this strategy allows us to maintain a more efficient infrastructure by eliminating the need for us to invest in our own manufacturing facilities, equipment, and personnel while also enabling us to focus our expertise and resources on the development of our product candidates.
19
To date, we have funded our operations primarily through proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock, redeemable convertible preferred stock, debt financing and convertible promissory notes. As of March 31, 2024, we had $403.7 million in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, compared to $160.7 million as of December 31, 2023.
We have incurred significant operating losses since the commencement of our operations. Our net losses were $28.4 million and $30.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and we expect to incur significant and increasing losses for the foreseeable future as we continue to advance our product candidates, atacicept and MAU868, to commercialization. Our net losses may fluctuate significantly from period to period, depending on the timing of expenditures on our research and development activities. As of March 31, 2024, we had an accumulated deficit of $337.5 million, compared to $309.1 million as of December 31, 2023. Our primary use of cash is to fund operating expenses, which consist of research and development and general and administrative expenditures. Cash used to fund operating expenses depends on the timing of when we pay these expenses, as reflected in the changes in our working capital balances.
We expect to continue to incur net operating losses for at least the next several years, and we expect our research and development expenses, general and administrative expenses, and capital expenditures will continue to increase. We expect our expenses and capital requirements will increase significantly in connection with our ongoing activities as we:
We also expect to increase the size of our administrative function to support the growth of our business. Our net losses may fluctuate significantly from quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year, depending on the timing of our clinical trials and our expenditures on other research and development activities.
We will require substantial additional funding to develop our product candidates and support our continuing operations. Until such time that we can generate significant revenue from product sales or other sources, if ever, we expect to finance our operations through the sale of equity, debt financings, or other capital sources, which could include income from collaborations, strategic partnerships, or marketing, distribution, licensing or other strategic arrangements with third parties, or from grants. We may be unable to raise additional funds or to enter into such agreements or arrangements on favorable terms, or at all. Our ability to raise additional funds may be adversely impacted by potential worsening global economic conditions and the disruptions to, and volatility in, the credit and financial markets in the United States and worldwide. Our failure to obtain sufficient funds on acceptable terms when needed could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition, including requiring us to have to delay, reduce or eliminate our product development or future commercialization efforts. Insufficient liquidity may also require us to relinquish rights to product candidates at an earlier stage of development or on less favorable terms than we would otherwise choose. The amount and timing of our future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including the pace and results of our development efforts. We cannot provide assurance that we will ever be profitable or generate positive cash flow from operating activities.
20
Geopolitical and Macroeconomic Developments
Due to geopolitical and macroeconomic events, bank failures, supply chain challenges, ongoing military conflicts, related sanctions, changes in U.S.-China relations, increasing inflation rates and the responses by central banking authorities to control such inflation, the U.S. and global financial markets experienced volatility, which has led to disruptions to trade, commerce, pricing stability, credit availability and supply chain continuity globally. As a result of these factors and other geopolitical and macroeconomic developments described in this Quarterly Report, our business and results of operations may be adversely affected.
Although we did not see a significant financial impact to our business operations as a result of recent geopolitical and macroeconomic developments during the three months ended March 31, 2024, there may be potential impacts to our business in the future that are highly uncertain and difficult to predict such as disruptions or restrictions in our supply chain, disruption or restrictions on our employees’ ability to travel, disruptions to or delays in ongoing non-clinical trials, clinical trials, third-party manufacturing supply and other operations, adverse geopolitical and macroeconomic concerns, interruptions or delays in the operations of the FDA or other regulatory authorities, continued increases in inflation and interest rates, or changes in availability and cost of credit and our ability to raise capital and conduct business development activities. The ultimate impact of these geopolitical and macroeconomic developments, as well as any lasting effects on our business, is highly uncertain and subject to continued change, and we recognize that macroeconomic and geopolitical factors may continue to present unique challenges for us.
We believe that our existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities held as of March 31, 2024, will be sufficient to fund our operations for at least the next 12 months from the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. However, should adverse geopolitical and macroeconomic events, bank failures, supply chain challenges, ongoing military conflicts, related sanctions, changes in U.S.-China relations, increasing inflation rates and the responses by central banking authorities to control such inflation, any recession or depression associated with those events or other events described herein, continue for a prolonged period, our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and cash flows could be materially impacted as a result of a lower likelihood of effectively and efficiently developing and successfully commercializing our product candidates.
Results of Operations
Comparison of the Three Months Ended March 31, 2024 and 2023
The following table summarizes our results of operations for the periods presented.
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
|
CHANGE |
|
||||||||||
(dollars in thousands) |
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
|
AMOUNT |
|
|
% |
|
||||
Operating expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Research and development |
|
$ |
23,200 |
|
|
$ |
25,108 |
|
|
$ |
(1,908 |
) |
|
|
(8 |
)% |
General and administrative |
|
|
7,912 |
|
|
|
6,150 |
|
|
|
1,762 |
|
|
|
29 |
% |
Total operating expenses |
|
|
31,112 |
|
|
|
31,258 |
|
|
|
(146 |
) |
|
|
(0 |
)% |
Loss from operations |
|
|
(31,112 |
) |
|
|
(31,258 |
) |
|
|
146 |
|
|
|
(0 |
)% |
Other income (expense): |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Interest income |
|
|
4,186 |
|
|
|
1,623 |
|
|
|
2,563 |
|
|
|
158 |
% |
Interest expense |
|
|
(1,906 |
) |
|
|
(874 |
) |
|
|
(1,032 |
) |
|
|
118 |
% |
Other income |
|
|
453 |
|
|
|
441 |
|
|
|
12 |
|
|
|
3 |
% |
Change in fair value of non-marketable equity securities |
|
|
(4 |
) |
|
|
(1 |
) |
|
|
(3 |
) |
|
|
300 |
% |
Total other income, net |
|
|
2,729 |
|
|
|
1,189 |
|
|
|
1,540 |
|
|
|
130 |
% |
Net loss |
|
$ |
(28,383 |
) |
|
$ |
(30,069 |
) |
|
$ |
1,686 |
|
|
|
(6 |
)% |
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses represent a substantial portion of our operating expenses. Our research and development expenses consist primarily of direct and indirect expenses incurred in connection with the research and development of our product candidates. Direct expenses include costs incurred under agreements with third parties, including contract research organizations, contract drug manufacturing organizations and consultants directly related to our research and development of product candidates, and license and milestone fees incurred as a result of our contractual obligations for our development candidates. Indirect expenses include employee compensation and other personnel-related expenses, including stock-based compensation, facilities and depreciation related to buildings and equipment used by research and development personnel and activities and other expenses.
Research and development expenses are recorded as expense in the period in which the related activities occurred, and payments we make prior to the receipt of goods or services to be used in research and development efforts are deferred as prepaid expenses until the goods or services are received and used.
21
We accrue expenses for contract research and development as the related services are performed by monitoring the status of specified activities and billings received from our external service providers. These expenses are accrued based on estimates and are adjusted as actual expenses become known. The cost incurred in obtaining technology licenses, including initial and subsequent milestone payments incurred under our licensing agreements, are recorded as expense in the period in which they are incurred, as the licensed technology, method or process has no alternative future uses other than for our research and development activities. Where contingent milestone payments are due to third parties under license or other agreements, the milestone payment obligations are recognized as expense when achievement of the contingent milestone is probable, which is generally upon achievement of the milestone.
The following table summarizes our research and development expenses incurred during the respective periods.
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
|
CHANGE |
|
||||||||||
(dollars in thousands) |
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
|
AMOUNT |
|
|
% |
|
||||
Direct research and development expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Contract drug manufacturing |
|
$ |
7,748 |
|
|
$ |
15,494 |
|
|
$ |
(7,746 |
) |
|
|
(50 |
)% |
Clinical trial expenses |
|
|
6,780 |
|
|
|
4,736 |
|
|
|
2,044 |
|
|
|
43 |
% |
Consulting and professional services |
|
|
2,195 |
|
|
|
642 |
|
|
|
1,553 |
|
|
|
242 |
% |
Indirect research and development expenses |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||
Compensation and related benefits |
|
|
5,967 |
|
|
|
3,999 |
|
|
|
1,968 |
|
|
|
49 |
% |
Facilities and other |
|
|
510 |
|
|
|
237 |
|
|
|
273 |
|
|
|
115 |
% |
Research and development expenses |
|
$ |
23,200 |
|
|
$ |
25,108 |
|
|
$ |
(1,908 |
) |
|
|
(8 |
)% |
Research and development expenses decreased by $1.9 million, or 8%, to $23.2 million in the three months ended March 31, 2024, from $25.1 million in the three months ended March 31, 2023. Contract drug manufacturing expenses decreased by $7.7 million primarily due to the timing of the production of clinical drug supply in the first quarter of 2023 for our Phase 3 clinical trial of atacicept in IgAN, called ORIGIN 3, which initiated in the second quarter of 2023. Clinical trial expenses increased by $2.0 million due to increasing numbers of sites initiated and participants enrolled in ORIGIN 3 during the first quarter of 2024. Consulting and professional services increased by $1.6 million primarily due to increases in expenses for consultants, recruiting and placement fees for the hire of research and development personnel, and market research and other expenses incurred to prepare atacicept for approval application and commercial launch. Compensation and related benefits for research and development employees, including stock-based compensation, increased by $2.0 million due to growth in research and development headcount.
We expect our research and development expenses to increase in future periods as we continue to initiate additional sites and enroll participants in ORIGIN 3 and prepare for applications for regulatory approval of atacicept in IgAN, and if we resume development of other indications or product candidates.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses consist primarily of compensation and personnel-related expenses, including stock-based compensation, for our personnel in executive management, legal, finance, human resources, and other administrative functions. General and administrative expenses also include professional fees paid for accounting, auditing, legal, tax and consulting services, and other general overhead costs to support our operations. General and administrative expenses are recorded as expense in the period in which they are incurred, and payments we make prior to the receipt of goods or services to be used for general and administrative purposes efforts are deferred as prepaid expenses until the goods or services are received and used.
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
|
CHANGE |
|
||||||||||
(dollars in thousands) |
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
|
AMOUNT |
|
|
% |
|
||||
General and administrative |
|
$ |
7,912 |
|
|
$ |
6,150 |
|
|
$ |
1,762 |
|
|
|
29 |
% |
General and administrative expenses increased by $1.8 million, or 29%, to $7.9 million in the three months ended March 31, 2024, from $6.2 million in the three months ended March 31, 2023, due primarily to a $1.2 million increase in payroll and related expenses, including stock-based compensation, as a result of increased general and administrative employee headcount in the current period. Professional services, including legal expenses, recruiting and placement fees, audit and tax services, increased by $0.9 million, in aggregate. These increases were partially offset by a decrease of $0.3 million in insurance premium expenses.
22
Other Income, Net
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
|
CHANGE |
|
||||||||||
(dollars in thousands) |
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
|
AMOUNT |
|
|
% |
|
||||
Other income, net |
|
$ |
2,729 |
|
|
$ |
1,189 |
|
|
|
1,540 |
|
|
|
130 |
% |
Other income, net, increased by $1.5 million, to $2.7 million in the three months ended March 31, 2024, from $1.2 million in the three months ended March 31, 2023, due to an increase of $2.6 million in interest income from higher yields on marketable securities held in the current period, partially offset by an increase of $1.0 million in interest expense due to higher outstanding loan balances in the current period.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
To date, we have funded our operations primarily through proceeds from the sale of shares of our common stock, redeemable convertible preferred stock, debt financing and convertible notes. From our inception through March 31, 2024, we have raised aggregate net cash proceeds of approximately $697.0 million from the issuance and sale of redeemable convertible preferred stock, convertible notes and common stock, and proceeds from our Loan Agreement with Oxford Finance LLC (Oxford). Since the date of our incorporation, we have not generated any revenue from product sales and have incurred substantial operating losses and negative cash flows from operations.
In February 2024, we completed a follow-on public offering and issued 9,274,194 shares of common stock for net proceeds of approximately $269.6 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering related expenses.
We use our cash to fund operations, primarily to fund our research and development efforts, clinical trials, establishing and maintaining our intellectual property portfolio, hiring personnel, raising capital, and providing general and administrative support for these operations. Cash used to fund operating expenses is affected by the timing of when we pay these expenses, as reflected in the change in our outstanding accounts payable, accrued expenses and prepaid assets.
We anticipate that we will continue to incur net losses for the foreseeable future as we continue research and development activities of atacicept and MAU868, hire additional staff, including clinical, operational, administrative and management personnel, and incur additional expenses associated with operating as a public company. We expect to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future as we advance our clinical development activities and our product candidate portfolio. We expect that our research and development and general and administrative costs will increase substantially in connection with conducting additional clinical trials and clinical trials for our research programs and product candidates, contracting with third parties to support nonclinical studies and clinical trials, expanding our intellectual property portfolio, and providing general and administrative support for our operations. As a result, we will need additional capital to fund our operations, which we may obtain from additional equity or debt financings, collaborations, licensing arrangements, or other sources.
As of March 31, 2024, we had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $403.7 million, as compared to $160.7 million as of December 31, 2023. We believe, based on our current operating plan, that our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of March 31, 2024 will be sufficient to fund our operations and capital expenditure requirements for at least 12 months subsequent to the issuance date of the financial statements appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Cash Flows
The following table summarizes our cash flows for the periods indicated.
|
|
Three Months Ended |
|
|||||
(dollars in thousands) |
|
2024 |
|
|
2023 |
|
||
Net cash used in operating activities |
|
$ |
(33,830 |
) |
|
$ |
(26,292 |
) |
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities |
|
|
(219,286 |
) |
|
|
12,234 |
|
Net cash provided by financing activities |
|
|
276,540 |
|
|
|
107,984 |
|
Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash |
|
$ |
23,424 |
|
|
$ |
93,926 |
|
Operating Activities
In the three months ended March 31, 2024, we used $33.8 million of cash in operating activities, attributable to a net loss of $28.4 million and a net change in our net operating assets and liabilities of $8.6 million, partially offset by non-cash charges of $3.2 million. Non-cash charges primarily consisted of $4.1 million of stock-based compensation, $1.5 million of depreciation, amortization and accretion and a $0.5 million reduction in the carrying amount of operating lease right-of-use assets.
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The change in our net operating assets and liabilities was primarily due to a decrease of $0.6 million in operating lease liabilities, a decrease of $1.7 million in accrued and other current liabilities, a decrease of $5.9 million in accounts payable and an increase of $0.4 million in prepaid expense and other current assets.
In the three months ended March 31, 2023, we used $26.3 million of cash in operating activities, attributable to a net loss of $30.1 million and a $6.7 million decrease in accounts payable, partially offset by a $4.6 million increase in accrued and other current liabilities, a $3.7 million decrease in prepaid expenses and other current assets and $2.7 million of non-cash stock-based compensation expense.
Investing Activities
In the three months ended March 31, 2024, our investing activities used $219.3 million of cash, primarily resulting from $255.0 million for purchase of marketable securities, offset by $35.7 million provided by sales and maturities of marketable securities
In the three months ended March 31, 2023, our investing activities provided $12.2 million of cash, primarily resulting from $46.4 million of sales and maturities of marketable securities, partially offset by $34.2 million for purchases of marketable securities.
Financing Activities
In the three months ended March 31, 2024, our financing activities provided $276.5 million of cash, resulting from $287.5 million gross proceeds from our February 2024 follow-on offering, $6.9 million proceeds from exercise of stock options and issuance of shares under our employee stock purchase plan, partially offset by payment of $17.9 million in offering costs related to our February 2024 follow-on offering.
In the three months ended March 31, 2023, our financing activities provided $108.0 million of cash, resulting from $115.0 million gross proceeds from our February 2023 follow-on offering, partially offset by the payment of $7.3 million of related offering costs during the period.
Contractual Obligations
During the three months ended March 31, 2024, there were no material changes to our contractual obligations and commitments from those described under “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Loan and Security Agreement
On December 17, 2021, we entered into the Loan Agreement with Oxford, a Delaware limited liability company, as lender (Lender) and collateral agent. The Loan Agreement provides for a term loan (the Loan) in an aggregate maximum principal amount of $50.0 million, of which $5.0 million was funded on December 17, 2021, $20.0 million was funded on November 4, 2022, and the remaining $25.0 million was funded on December 22, 2023.
In March 2023, we opted to extend the final maturity date of the Loan from December 2026, to December 2027, based on positive Phase 2b clinical trial data of atacicept in IgAN, as provided in the Loan Agreement. We are required to make monthly interest-only payments for 60 months followed by full amortization through maturity.
Initially, through December 30, 2021, the Loan incurred interest at a per annum rate of 8.254%. Thereafter, the Loan bears interest at a floating per annum rate (based on the actual number of days elapsed divided by a year of 360 days) equal to the greater of (i) 8.25% and (ii) the sum of (a) 1-Month CME Term SOFR as reported by CME Group Benchmark Administration Limited on the last business day of the month that immediately precedes the month in which the interest will accrue, and (b) 8.25%.
We are permitted to prepay the Loan in full or in part at any time upon 10 business days’ written notice to the Lender, subject to the applicable Prepayment Fee (as defined below). Upon the earliest to occur of the maturity date, acceleration of the Loan or prepayment of the Loan, we are required to make a final payment equal to 7.0% of the aggregate principal amount of the Loan (the Final Fee). Any prepayments of the Loan, whether mandatory or voluntary, must include an amount equal to the sum of (a) the portion of the outstanding principal of the Loan being prepaid plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon through the prepayment date, (b) the Final Fee, (c) the Lender’s expenses and all other obligations that are due and payable to the Lender, and (d) a prepayment fee of (i) 3.0% of the portion of the Loan being prepaid if the repayment is on or before the first anniversary of the funding date of such term loan or (ii) 2.0% of the portion of the Loan being prepaid if the repayment is after the first anniversary of the funding date but on or before the second anniversary of the funding date of such term loan (the Prepayment Fee). There is no Prepayment Fee for any prepayments occurring after the second anniversary of the funding date of such term loan.
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Our obligations under the Loan Agreement are secured by a security interest in all of our assets, other than our intellectual property, which is subject to a negative pledge. The Loan Agreement does not contain any financial related covenants. Included in the Loan Agreement are customary representations and covenants that, subject to exceptions, restrict our ability to, among other things: declare dividends or redeem or repurchase equity interests; incur additional liens; make loans and investments; incur additional indebtedness; engage in mergers, acquisitions and asset sales; transact with affiliates; undergo a change in control; add or change business locations; and engage in businesses that are not related to our existing business.
Upon the occurrence of an event of default, a default interest rate of an additional 5.0% may be applied to the outstanding loan balances, and the Lender may declare all outstanding obligations immediately due and payable and take such other actions as set forth in the Loan Agreement. Events of default under the Loan Agreement include customary events of default, including, but not limited to: (i) failure to (a) make any payment of principal or interest on its due date, or (b) pay any other obligations within three business days after such obligations are due and payable; (ii) failure to perform any obligation under specified covenants; (iii) the occurrence of a material adverse change; (iv) we or any of our subsidiaries being or becoming insolvent, beginning an insolvency proceeding, or becoming subject to an insolvency proceeding that is not dismissed or stayed within 45 days; (v) a default under any agreement with a third party resulting in a right by such third party to accelerate the maturity of any indebtedness in an amount in excess of $500,000 or that could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse change; (vi) the rendering of judgments, orders, or decrees for the payment of money in an amount, individually or in the aggregate, of at least $500,000 that remain unsatisfied, unvacated, or unstayed for a period of 10 days after the entry thereof; (vii) revocation, rescission, suspension or adverse modification of any governmental approval, or non-renewal of a governmental approval in the ordinary course for a full term, that could reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse change; and (viii) failure of a lien created under the Loan Agreement or any other loan document to constitute a valid and perfected lien on any of the collateral purported to be secured thereby, subject to no prior or equal lien, other than permitted liens.
At-the-Market Offering
In June 2022, we entered into a sales agreement with Cowen and Company LLC (Cowen) as sales agent, pursuant to which we may issue and sell shares of our common stock for an aggregate maximum offering price of $150.0 million under an at-the-market offering program (ATM). We will pay Cowen up to 3.0% of gross proceeds of the common stock sold through the ATM. Effective January 29, 2024, we suspended and terminated the prospectus related to the sale of common stock under the ATM. As a result, we will not make any sales of common stock pursuant to the ATM unless and until a new prospectus, prospectus supplement or registration statement is filed.
Emerging Growth Company Status
We are an emerging growth company, as defined in the JOBS Act. We have elected to use the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until the earlier of the date that (i) we are no longer an emerging growth company or (ii) we affirmatively and irrevocably opt out of the extended transition period provided in the JOBS Act. As a result, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with the new or revised accounting pronouncements as of public company effective dates.
We will remain an emerging growth company under the JOBS Act until the earliest of (i) the last day of our first fiscal year in which we have total annual gross revenue of $1.235 billion or more, (ii) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion of non-convertible debt instruments during the previous three fiscal years, (iii) the date on which we are deemed a “large accelerated filer” under the rules of the SEC with at least $700.0 million of outstanding equity securities held by non-affiliates, or (iv) December 31, 2026. Based on our current public float, we anticipate that when we reevaluate our filer status on December 31, 2024, we will determine that we qualify as a “large accelerated filer.”
Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgments and Estimates
The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based on our financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these unaudited condensed financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, at the date of the financial statements, as well as expenses incurred during the reporting periods. Our estimates are based on our historical experience and on various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
Our critical accounting policies are described in the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgments and Estimates” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and the notes to our unaudited condensed financial statements appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
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During the three months ended March 31, 2024, there were no material changes to our critical accounting policies and estimates from those discussed in our Annual Report.
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Not required.
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the participation of our chief executive officer (CEO) and chief financial officer (CFO), evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act)). Our management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives, and management necessarily applies its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures.
Based upon such evaluation, our CEO and CFO concluded that, as of March 31, 2024, our disclosure controls and procedures are effective to provide reasonable assurance that information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our CEO and CFO, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We identified no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) during the quarter ended March 31, 2024, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
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PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1. Legal Proceedings
From time to time, we may become involved in litigation relating to claims arising from the ordinary course of business. We are not currently a party to any material legal proceedings. Regardless of outcome, litigation can have an adverse impact on us due to defense and settlement costs, diversion of management resources, negative publicity, reputational harm and other factors.
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
An investment in shares of our Class A common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below, as well as the other information in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including our unaudited condensed financial statements and the related notes and the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” before deciding whether to purchase, hold or sell shares of our Class A common stock. The occurrence of any of the risks described below could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations, growth prospects, and/or stock price or cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements we have made in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and those we may make from time to time. You should consider all of the risk factors described when evaluating our business.
Risks related to our financial position and need for additional capital
We have completed a limited number of clinical trials for our lead product candidate, atacicept, and have no products approved for commercial sale, which may make it difficult to evaluate our current business and predict our future success and viability.
We are a late clinical-stage biotechnology company and we have no products approved for commercial sale, have not generated any revenue from product sales and have incurred losses since inception. To date, we have devoted substantially all of our resources to our research and development efforts, pre-clinical studies and clinical trials, establishing and maintaining our intellectual property portfolio, hiring personnel, raising capital and providing general and administrative support for these operations. We have not yet demonstrated our ability to successfully obtain marketing approvals, manufacture a commercial-scale product or arrange for a third party to do so on our behalf, or conduct sales and marketing activities necessary for successful product commercialization. As a result, it may be more difficult to accurately predict our future success or viability than it could be if we had a longer operating history.
In addition, we may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other known and unknown factors and risks frequently experienced by late-stage biotechnology companies in rapidly evolving fields. We may face difficulty transitioning from a company with a research focus to a company capable of successfully executing drug development activities and supporting commercial operations. If we do not adequately address these risks and difficulties or successfully make such a transition, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects will be significantly harmed.
We will require substantial additional capital to finance our operations. If we are unable to raise such capital when needed, or on acceptable terms, we may be forced to delay, reduce and/or eliminate one or more of our research and drug development programs of our product candidates or future commercialization efforts.
Developing treatments for immunological and inflammatory diseases, including conducting nonclinical studies and clinical trials, is a very time-consuming, expensive and uncertain process that takes years to complete. Our operations have consumed substantial amounts of cash since inception, and we expect our expenses will increase in connection with our ongoing activities, particularly as we continue to conduct clinical trials of, and seek marketing approval for, our product candidates. We anticipate incurring significant costs associated with the development of our product candidates. Our expenses could increase beyond expectations if we are required by the FDA, or any comparable foreign regulatory authority to perform clinical trials or nonclinical studies in addition to those that we currently anticipate. Other unanticipated costs may also arise. In addition, if we obtain marketing approval for atacicept or MAU868, we expect to incur significant commercialization expenses related to drug sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution. Because the design and outcome of our planned and anticipated clinical trials are highly uncertain, we cannot reasonably estimate the actual amounts necessary to successfully complete the development and commercialization of any product candidate we develop. We also will continue to incur costs associated with operating as a public company. Accordingly, we will need to obtain substantial additional funding in order to maintain our continuing operations.
As of March 31, 2024, we had $403.7 million in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. We expect that our existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities will be sufficient to fund our operations for at least the next 12 months from the date of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Our estimate is based on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect. Changing circumstances, some of which may be beyond our control, could cause us to consume capital significantly faster than we currently anticipate, and we may need to seek additional funds sooner than planned. Moreover, it is particularly difficult to estimate with certainty our future expenses given the dynamic nature of our business and the macroeconomic and geopolitical environment generally.
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We anticipate that our expenses will increase substantially if, and as, we:
Advancing the development of atacicept, MAU868 and any future product candidates we may develop will require a significant amount of capital. Our working capital and available credit will not be sufficient to fund all of the activities that are necessary to complete the development of our product candidates through approval and commercial launch.
In January 2023, we delayed enrollment in the pivotal Phase 3 trial for LN and commitment of resources to the MAU868 program.
We will be required to obtain further funding through public or private equity offerings, debt financings, collaborations and licensing arrangements or other sources, which may dilute our stockholders or restrict our operating activities. Adequate additional financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. Adverse geopolitical and macroeconomic developments, such as the recent and potential future disruptions in access to bank deposits and lending commitments due to bank failures, ongoing military conflicts, related sanctions, actual and anticipated changes in interest rates, economic inflation and the responses by central banking authorities to control such inflation, could affect our ability to access capital as and when needed. Our failure to raise capital as and when needed, or on acceptable terms, would have a negative impact on our financial condition and our ability to pursue our business strategy, and we may have to delay, reduce the scope of, suspend or eliminate one or more of our research-stage programs, clinical trials or future commercialization efforts.
We have incurred net losses since inception, and we expect to continue to incur net losses for the foreseeable future. In addition, we may be unable to continue as a going concern over the long-term.
We have incurred net losses in each reporting period since the commencement of our operations and have not generated any revenue from product sales to date. We had net losses of $28.4 million and $30.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. We had an accumulated deficit of $337.5 million as of March 31, 2024. Our losses have resulted principally from expenses incurred in research and development and from management and administrative costs and other expenses that we have incurred while building our business infrastructure, a significant portion of which were incurred resulting from our efforts to develop gamma-PNA chemistry and triplex gene editing for therapeutic use, which we discontinued in September 2020. Our product candidates are in clinical development. As a result, we expect that it will be several years, if ever, before we have a commercialized product and generate revenue from product sales. Even if we succeed in receiving marketing approval for and commercializing our product candidates in one or more indications, we expect that we will continue to incur substantial research and development and other expenses as we continue the clinical development programs for our product candidates in other indications.
We expect to continue to incur increased expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future as we continue our research and development efforts and seek to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates. The net losses we incur may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter such that a period-to-period comparison of our results of operations may not be a good indication of our future performance. The size of our future net losses will depend, in part, on the rate of future growth of our expenses and our ability to generate revenue. Our prior losses and expected future losses have had, and will continue to have, an adverse effect on our working capital.
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In any particular period, our operating results could be below the expectations of securities analysts or investors, which could cause our stock price to decline.
We have incurred losses and negative cash flows from operations. As a development stage company, we expect to incur significant and increasing losses until regulatory approval is granted for our product candidates. Regulatory approval is not guaranteed and may never be obtained. As a result, these conditions raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern over the long-term.
We have never generated revenue from product sales and may never be profitable.
Our ability to generate revenue from product sales and achieve profitability depends on our ability, alone or with our collaboration partners, to successfully complete the development of, and obtain the regulatory approvals necessary to commercialize, atacicept, MAU868 and any future product candidates we may develop. We do not anticipate generating revenue from product sales for the next several years, if ever. Our ability to generate revenue from product sales depends heavily on our and our current and potential future collaborators’ success in:
Even if atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidate that we may develop is approved for commercial sale, we anticipate incurring significant costs associated with commercializing any approved product candidate. Our expenses could increase beyond expectations if we are required by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities to perform clinical trials or nonclinical studies in addition to those that we currently anticipate. Even if we are able to generate revenue from the sale of any approved products, we may not be able to reach or sustain profitability, and may need to obtain additional funding to continue operations.
The terms of our loan agreement place restrictions on our operating and financial flexibility. If we raise additional capital through debt financing, the terms of any new debt could further restrict our ability to operate our business.
As of March 31, 2024, the Company’s outstanding borrowing under the Loan Agreement was $50.0 million. Our overall leverage and certain obligations and affirmative and negative covenants contained in the related documentation could adversely affect our financial health and business and future operations by limiting our ability to, among other things, satisfy our obligations under the Loan Agreement, refinance our debt on terms acceptable to us or at all, plan for and adjust to changing business, industry and market conditions, use our available cash flow to fund future acquisitions and make dividend payments, and obtain additional financing for working capital, to fund growth or for general corporate purposes, even when necessary to maintain adequate liquidity.
If we default under the Loan Agreement, Oxford may accelerate all of our repayment obligations and exercise all of their rights and remedies under the Loan Agreement and applicable law, potentially requiring us to renegotiate our agreement on terms less favorable to us. Further, if we are liquidated, the lenders’ right to repayment would be senior to the rights of the holders of our common stock to receive any proceeds from the liquidation.
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Oxford could declare a default upon the occurrence of customary events of default, including events that they interpret as a material adverse change as delineated in the Loan Agreement, payment defaults or breaches of certain affirmative or negative covenants, thereby requiring us to repay the loan immediately. Any declaration by the lender of an event of default could significantly harm our business and prospects and could cause the price of our common stock to decline. Additionally, if we raise any additional debt financing, the terms of such additional debt could further restrict our operating and financial flexibility.
Risks related to the discovery, development and commercialization of our product candidates
We are substantially dependent on the success of our product candidates, atacicept and MAU868, which are currently in the clinical development stage. If we are unable to complete development of, obtain regulatory approval for and commercialize our product candidates in one or more indications and in a timely manner, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects will be significantly harmed.
Our future success is heavily dependent on our ability to timely complete clinical trials, obtain marketing approval for and successfully commercialize our product candidates. We expect that a substantial portion of our efforts and expenses over the next several years will be devoted to the development of atacicept in our ongoing clinical trials of atacicept in patients with IgAN and LN, as well as our efforts to evaluate atacicept in MAU868 in kidney transplant recipients. In the near-term, we plan to prioritize and focus our current resources on our pivotal Phase 3 trial of atacicept in IgAN. As a result, we are delaying enrollment in the pivotal Phase 3 trial for LN and any commitment of resources to the MAU868 program.
We plan to invest significant efforts and financial resources in the research and development of our product candidates, which will require additional clinical development, evaluation of clinical, nonclinical and manufacturing activities, marketing approval from regulatory authorities, and significant marketing efforts before we can generate any revenues from product sales. We are not permitted to market or promote our product candidates before we receive marketing approval from the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities, and we may never receive such marketing approvals. Should our planned clinical development of atacicept in patients with IgAN and LN or MAU868 in kidney transplant recipients fail to be completed in a timely manner or at all, we will need to rely on clinical development of atacicept or MAU868 in additional indications, which will require more time and resources to obtain regulatory approval and proceed with commercialization, and may ultimately be unsuccessful. We cannot assure you that our planned clinical development programs for our product candidates will be completed in a timely manner, or at all, or that we will be able to obtain approval for atacicept or MAU868 from the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities. If we are unable to complete development of, obtain regulatory approval for and commercialize our product candidates in one or more indications and in a timely manner, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects will be significantly harmed.
Clinical development is a lengthy and expensive process with an uncertain outcome, and results of earlier studies and trials may not be predictive of future trial results. Failure can occur at any stage of clinical development. We have never completed a clinical trial or submitted a BLA to the FDA or similar drug approval filings to comparable foreign authorities. If we are ultimately unable to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates, we will be unable to generate product revenue and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects will be significantly harmed.
Clinical testing is expensive and can take many years to complete, and its outcome is inherently uncertain. Failure can occur at any time during the clinical trial process. The results of nonclinical studies and early clinical trials may not be predictive of the results of subsequent clinical trials. We have a limited operating history and to date have not demonstrated our ability to complete large scale clinical trials.
Product candidates in later stages of clinical trials may fail to show the desired safety and efficacy traits despite having progressed through nonclinical studies and initial clinical trials. For example, atacicept has been the subject of clinical trials by prior sponsors, including a Phase 2 trial in SLE, that missed its primary endpoint in the overall study population. In the future, clinical trial failures may result from a multitude of factors including flaws in trial design, dose selection, placebo effect and patient enrollment criteria. A number of companies in the biotechnology industry have suffered significant setbacks in advanced clinical trials due to lack of efficacy or adverse safety profiles, notwithstanding promising results in earlier trials. Based upon negative or inconclusive results, we or any potential future collaborator may decide, or regulators may require us, to conduct additional clinical trials or nonclinical studies. In addition, data obtained from trials and studies are susceptible to varying interpretations, and regulators may not interpret our data as favorably as we do, which may delay, limit or prevent regulatory approval. Any future delays or abandonment could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Even if our clinical trials are completed as planned, we cannot be certain that their results will support our proposed indications.
Our future clinical trials may not be successful. If any product candidate is found to be unsafe or lack efficacy, we will not be able to obtain regulatory approval for it and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be significantly harmed. In some instances, there can be significant variability in safety and/or efficacy results between different trials of the same product candidate due to numerous factors, including changes in trial protocols, differences in composition of the patient populations, adherence to the dosing regimen and other trial protocols and the dropout rate among clinical trial participants.
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Patients treated with our product candidates may also be undergoing surgical, radiation and chemotherapy treatments and may be using other approved products or investigational new drugs, which can cause side effects or adverse events that are unrelated to our product candidates. As a result, assessments of efficacy can vary widely for a particular patient, and from patient to patient and site to site within a clinical trial. This subjectivity can increase the uncertainty of, and adversely impact, our clinical trial outcomes. We do not know whether any clinical trials we may conduct will demonstrate consistent or adequate efficacy and safety sufficient to obtain marketing approval to market our product candidates.
We do not know whether our clinical trials will demonstrate consistent or adequate efficacy and safety to obtain regulatory approval to market our product candidates. Most product candidates that begin clinical trials are never approved by regulatory authorities for commercialization. If we are unable to bring our product candidates to market, our ability to create long-term shareholder value will be limited.
In addition, we may rely in part on nonclinical, clinical and quality data generated by CROs and other third parties for regulatory submissions. While we have or will have agreements governing these third parties’ services, we have limited influence over their actual performance. If these third parties do not make data available to us, or, if applicable, make regulatory submissions in a timely manner, our development programs may be significantly delayed, and we may need to conduct additional studies or collect additional data independently. In either case, our development costs would increase.
Moreover, nonclinical and clinical data are often susceptible to varying interpretations and analyses and many companies that believed their product candidates performed satisfactorily in nonclinical studies and clinical trials nonetheless failed to obtain FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authority approval. We cannot guarantee that the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities will interpret trial results as we do, and more trials could be required before we are able to submit an application seeking approval of our product candidates. To the extent that the results of the trials are not satisfactory to the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities for support of a marketing application, we may be required to expend significant resources, which may not be available to us, to conduct additional trials in support of potential approval of our product candidates. Even if regulatory approval is secured, the terms of such approval may limit the scope and use, which may also limit commercial potential. Furthermore, the approval policies or regulations of the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may significantly change in a manner rendering our clinical data insufficient for approval, which may lead to the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities delaying, limiting or denying approval of a product candidate.
Delays in clinical trials are common and have many causes, and any delay could result in increased costs to us and jeopardize or delay our ability to obtain regulatory approval and commence product sales.
We may experience delays in clinical trials of our product candidates. Our planned clinical trials may not begin on time, have an effective design, enroll a sufficient number of participants, or be completed on schedule, if at all. Our clinical trials can be delayed for a variety of reasons, including delays related to:
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Further, conducting clinical trials in foreign countries, as we may do for our product candidates, presents additional risks that may delay completion of our clinical trials. These risks include the failure of enrolled participants in foreign countries to adhere to clinical protocol as a result of differences in healthcare services or cultural customs, managing additional administrative burdens associated with foreign regulatory schemes, as well as political and economic risks relevant to such foreign countries.
If we experience delays in the completion of, or termination of, any clinical trial, the commercial prospects of our product candidates will be harmed, and our ability to generate product revenues will be delayed. Moreover, any delays in completing our clinical trials will increase our costs, slow down development and approval processes and jeopardize our ability to commence product sales and generate revenues.
In addition, many of the factors that cause, or lead to, termination or suspension of, or a delay in the commencement or completion of, clinical trials may also ultimately lead to the denial of regulatory approval.
Any delays in our clinical trials that occur as a result could shorten any period during which we may have the exclusive right to commercialize atacicept, MAU868 or any other product candidates and our competitors may be able to bring products to market before we do, and the commercial viability of atacicept, MAU868 or other product candidates could be significantly reduced. Any of these occurrences may significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Enrollment and retention of participants in clinical trials is an expensive and time-consuming process and could be made more difficult or rendered impossible by multiple factors outside our control, including difficulties in identifying patients with IgAN, the availability of competitive products, and significant competition for recruiting participants in clinical trials.
Identifying and qualifying patients to participate in our clinical trials is critical to our success. We may encounter delays in enrolling, or be unable to enroll, a sufficient number of participants to complete any of our clinical trials, and even once enrolled we may be unable to retain a sufficient number of participants to complete any of our trials. In particular, as a result of the inherent difficulties in diagnosing IgAN, the availability of competitive products such as TARPEYO and FILSPARI, and the significant competition for recruiting the limited number of patients who have the diseases for which our product candidates are being developed, there may be delays in enrolling the participants we need to complete clinical trials on a timely basis, or at all. Although we have engaged certain third-party investigators to assist with participant enrollment, there can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain our relationships with such third parties or that such third parties will be successful in helping us identify patients.
Factors that may generally affect participant enrollment include:
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In addition, if any significant adverse events or other side effects are observed in any of our future clinical trials or other sponsor development programs of similar mechanism of action that may result in a drug class effect, it may make it more difficult for us to recruit patients to our clinical trials and participants may drop out of our trials, or we may be required to abandon the trials or our development efforts of one or more product candidates altogether. Our inability to enroll a sufficient number of participants for our clinical trials would result in significant delays, which would increase our costs and have an adverse effect on our company.
We may expend our limited resources to pursue a particular product candidate or indication and fail to capitalize on product candidates or indications that may be more profitable or for which there is a greater likelihood of success.
We have limited financial and human resources, which has in the past and may in the future cause us to make prioritization and resource allocation decisions. For example, in January 2023, we announced our plan to prioritize and focus our current resources on the advancement of our pivotal Phase 3 trial of atacicept in IgAN. As a result, we delayed enrollment in the pivotal Phase 3 trial for LN and any commitment of resources to the MAU868 program. Our resource allocation decisions may cause us to fail to capitalize on viable commercial products or profitable market opportunities. Our spending on current and future research and development programs and product candidates for specific indications may not yield any commercially viable products. If we do not accurately evaluate the commercial potential or target market for a particular product candidate, we may relinquish valuable rights to that product candidate through collaboration, licensing or other royalty arrangements in cases in which it would have been more advantageous for us to retain sole development and commercialization rights to such product candidate.
We may develop atacicept, MAU868 and potentially future product candidates, in combination with other therapies, which exposes us to additional risks.
We may develop atacicept, MAU868 and future product candidates in combination with one or more currently approved therapies. Even if atacicept, MAU868 or any product candidate we develop, were to receive marketing approval or be commercialized for use in combination with other existing therapies, we would continue to be subject to the risks that the FDA or similar regulatory authorities outside of the United States could revoke or modify approval of the therapy used in combination with our product candidate or that safety, efficacy, manufacturing or supply issues could arise with these existing therapies. This could result in our own products being removed from the market or being less successful commercially.
We may also evaluate atacicept, MAU868 or any other future product candidates in combination with one or more other therapies that have not yet been approved for marketing by the FDA or similar regulatory authorities outside of the United States. We will not be able to market and sell atacicept, MAU868 or any product candidate we develop in combination with any such unapproved therapies that do not ultimately obtain marketing approval. If the FDA or similar regulatory authorities outside of the United States do not approve these other drugs or revoke their approval of, or if safety, efficacy, manufacturing, or supply issues arise with, the drugs we choose to evaluate in combination with atacicept, MAU868 or any other product candidate we develop, we may be unable to obtain approval of or market atacicept, MAU868 or any other product candidate we develop.
The incidence and prevalence for target patient populations of our product candidates in specific indications are based on estimates and third-party sources. If the market opportunities for atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidate we may develop, if and when approved, are smaller than we estimate or if any approval that we obtain is based on a narrower definition of the patient population, our revenue and ability to achieve profitability might be materially and adversely affected.
Periodically, we make estimates regarding the incidence and prevalence of target patient populations for particular diseases based on various third-party sources and internally generated analysis and use such estimates in making decisions regarding our drug development strategy, including acquiring or in-licensing product candidates and determining indications on which to focus in nonclinical or clinical trials.
The incidence and prevalence for target patient populations of our product candidates in specific indications are based on estimates and third-party sources. These estimates may be inaccurate or based on imprecise data. For example, the total addressable market opportunity will depend on, among other things, acceptance of our drugs by the medical community and patient access, drug pricing and reimbursement. The number of patients in the addressable markets may turn out to be lower than expected, patients may not be otherwise amenable to treatment with our drugs, or new patients may become increasingly difficult to identify or gain access to.
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If the market opportunities for atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidate we may develop, if and when approved, are smaller than we estimate or if any approval that we obtain is based on a narrower definition of the patient population, our revenue and ability to achieve and sustain profitability might be materially and adversely affected.
Interim, initial, “top-line” and preliminary data from our clinical trials that we announce or publish from time to time may change as more participant data become available and are subject to audit and verification procedures that could result in material changes in the final data.
From time to time, we may publicly disclose preliminary or top-line data from our nonclinical studies and clinical trials, which is based on a preliminary analysis of then-available data, and the results and related findings and conclusions are subject to change following a more comprehensive review of the data related to the particular study or trial. We also make assumptions, estimations, calculations and conclusions as part of our analyses of data, and we may not have received or had the opportunity to fully and carefully evaluate all data. As a result, the top-line or preliminary results that we report may differ from future results of the same studies, or different conclusions or considerations may qualify such results, once additional data have been received and fully evaluated. Top-line data also remain subject to audit and verification procedures that may result in the final data being materially different from the preliminary data we previously published. As a result, top-line data should be viewed with caution until the final data are available.
From time to time, we may also disclose interim data from our clinical trials. Interim data from clinical trials that we may complete are subject to the risk that one or more of the clinical outcomes may materially change as patient enrollment continues and more participant data become available or as participants from our clinical trials continue other treatments for their disease. Adverse differences between preliminary or interim data and final data could significantly harm our business prospects. Further, disclosure of interim data by us or by our competitors could result in volatility in the price of our common stock.
Further, others, including regulatory authorities, may not accept or agree with our assumptions, estimates, calculations, conclusions or analyses or may interpret or weigh the importance of data differently, which could impact the value of our particular program, the approvability or commercialization of our particular product candidate or product and our company in general. In addition, the information we choose to publicly disclose regarding a particular study or clinical trial is based on what is typically extensive information, and you or others may not agree with what we determine is material or otherwise appropriate information to include in our disclosure.
If the interim, top-line, or preliminary data that we report differ from actual results, or if others, including regulatory authorities, disagree with the conclusions reached, our ability to obtain approval for, and commercialize, our product candidates may be harmed, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We face significant competition, which may result in others discovering, developing or commercializing products before or more successfully than us.
The biotechnology industry is intensely competitive and subject to rapid and significant technological change. Our competitors include multinational pharmaceutical companies, specialized biotechnology companies and universities and other research institutions. The current standard-of-care for IgAN consists of treatment with off-label use of RAAS inhibitors, including ACE inhibitors and ARBs, to control blood pressure, or steroids with or without other immunosuppressive agents to non-specifically reduce inflammation. SGLT2 inhibitors, including AstraZeneca’s Farxiga, which is approved for chronic kidney disease, is becoming the standard-of-care in some geographies including the United States. Among emerging therapies, we consider our most direct competitors with respect to atacicept in IgAN to be approved products: the reformulated steroid from Calliditas Therapeutics AB, and endothelin and angiotensin II receptor antagonist from Travere Therapeutics, Inc.; programs in Phase 3 clinical development: Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co, Ltd., Novartis, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Roche/Ionis; and the following companies with programs in Phase 2 of clinical development: Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc., AstraZeneca, HI-Bio. Inc., Eladon Pharmaceuticals and DiaMedica Therapeutics, Inc.
In LN, prior to December 2020, there had been no approved therapies, and the standard-of-care has consisted of a number of non-specific therapies, including MMF, steroids, cyclophosphamide, rituximab, calcineurin inhibitors, azathioprine, and hydroxychloroquine, dependent on class of disease and whether a patient was cycling through the induction or maintenance phase of therapy. Paradigms are evolving with the FDA approvals of GlaxoSmithKline plc’s Benlysta (belimumab) and Aurinia Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s Lupkynis (voclosporin), both of which we consider to be direct competitors. Our competitors include: Roche Holding AG, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, and AstraZeneca, each of which have programs in Phase 3 clinical development; and BeiGene Ltd., Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., AstraZeneca, Alexion, Omeros Corporation, Kezar Life Science Inc., Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer, Amgen Inc. and Novartis, each of which have programs in Phase 2 clinical development.
In the kidney transplant or HSCT setting, there are currently no anti-BKV therapies approved. The standard of care in both settings is to reduce immunosuppression as a first line, and potentially to offer intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) in kidney transplant recipients or antivirals with limited clinical evidence, including leflunomide and cidofovir, in either setting. There are few industry sponsored programs in development for these indications; for example, Memo Therapeutics AG’s MTX-005, a monoclonal antibody targeting BKV is in Phase 1 clinical trials.
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Many of our competitors have significantly greater financial, technical, human and other resources than we do and may be better equipped to develop, manufacture and market technologically superior products. In addition, many of these competitors have significantly greater experience than we have in undertaking nonclinical studies and human clinical trials of new pharmaceutical products and in obtaining regulatory approvals of human therapeutic products. Accordingly, our competitors may succeed in obtaining FDA or comparable approval for superior products. Many of our competitors have established distribution channels for the commercialization of their products, whereas we have no such channel or capabilities. In addition, many competitors have greater name recognition and more extensive collaborative relationships. 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 or early stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large and established companies.
Our competitors may obtain regulatory approval of their products more rapidly than we do or may obtain patent protection or other intellectual property rights that limit our ability to develop or commercialize our product candidates or any future product candidates. Our competitors may also develop drugs that are more effective, more convenient, more widely used and less costly or have a better safety profile than our products and these competitors may also be more successful than we are in manufacturing and marketing their products. If we are unable to compete effectively against these companies, then we may not be able to commercialize our product candidates or any future product candidates or achieve a competitive position in the market. This would adversely affect our ability to generate revenue. Our competitors also compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific, management and commercial personnel, establishing clinical trial sites and participant registration for clinical trials, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our programs.
Changes in methods of manufacturing or formulation of our product candidates may result in additional costs or delays.
As our product candidates progress through preclinical to late-stage clinical trials to marketing approval and commercialization, it is common that various aspects of the development program, such as manufacturing methods and formulation, and manufacturing sites are altered along the way in an effort to optimize yield, manufacturing batch size, minimize costs and achieve consistent quality and results. Such changes carry the risk that they will not achieve these intended objectives. Any of these changes could cause our product candidates to perform differently and affect the results of planned clinical trials or other future clinical trials conducted with the altered materials. This could delay completion of clinical trials, require the conduct of bridging clinical trials or the repetition of one or more clinical trials, increase clinical trial costs, delay approval of our product candidates and jeopardize our ability to commercialize our product candidates, if approved, and generate revenue.
Risks related to regulatory approval and other legal compliance matters
The regulatory approval processes of the FDA and comparable foreign authorities are lengthy, time consuming and inherently unpredictable, and if we are ultimately unable to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects will be significantly harmed.
The time required to obtain approval by the FDA and comparable foreign authorities typically takes many years following the commencement of clinical trials. In addition, approval policies, regulations, or the type and amount of clinical data necessary to gain approval may change during the course of a product candidate’s clinical development and may vary among jurisdictions.
Applications for atacicept or MAU868 could fail to receive regulatory approval for many reasons, including the following:
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This lengthy approval process, as well as the unpredictability of the results of clinical trials, may result in our failing to obtain regulatory approval to market our product candidates, which would significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
In addition, even if we obtain approval of our product candidates for a lead indication, regulatory authorities may not approve them for other indications, may impose significant limitations in the form of narrow indications, warnings, or a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). Certain regulatory authorities may grant approval contingent on the performance of costly post-marketing clinical trials or may approve them with a label that does not include the labeling claims necessary or desirable for successful commercialization of our product candidates. In addition, if we are unable to obtain regulatory approval, or if regulatory approval results in a limited label, our business, financial condition, results of operation and prospects will be significantly harmed.
Even if approved, our product candidates may not achieve adequate market acceptance among physicians, patients, healthcare payors and others in the medical community necessary for commercial success.
Even if our product candidates receive regulatory approval, they may not gain adequate market acceptance among physicians, patients, healthcare payors and others in the medical community. The degree of market acceptance of any of our product candidates would depend on a number of factors, including:
Sales of medical products also depend on the willingness of physicians to prescribe the treatment, which is likely to be based on a determination by these physicians that the products are safe, therapeutically effective and accessible to patients. In addition, the inclusion or exclusion of products from treatment guidelines established by various physician groups and the viewpoints of influential physicians can affect the willingness of other physicians to prescribe the treatment. We cannot predict whether physicians, physicians’ organizations, hospitals, other healthcare professionals, government agencies, regulatory authorities or private insurers will determine that our product is safe, therapeutically effective and cost effective as compared with competing treatments. If any product candidate is approved but does not achieve an adequate level of acceptance by such parties, we may not generate or derive sufficient revenue from such product candidate and may not be able to achieve or sustain profitability.
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Our business entails a significant risk of product liability and if we are unable to obtain sufficient insurance coverage, such inability could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our business exposes us to significant product liability risks inherent in the development, testing, manufacturing and marketing of therapeutic 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 or other regulatory authority investigation of the safety and effectiveness of our product, our manufacturing processes and facilities or our marketing programs. FDA or other regulatory authority investigations could potentially lead to a recall of our product or more serious enforcement action, limitations on the approved indications for which it 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 product, injury to our reputation, costs to defend the related litigation, a diversion of management’s time and our resources and substantial monetary awards to trial participants or patients. We currently have product liability insurance that we believe is appropriate for our stage of development and may need to obtain higher levels prior to marketing any product candidate, if approved. 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, we may be unable to obtain sufficient insurance at a reasonable cost to protect us against losses caused by product liability claims that could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our product candidates may cause significant adverse events, toxicities or other undesirable side effects when used alone or in combination with other approved products or investigational new drugs that may result in a safety profile that could inhibit regulatory approval, prevent market acceptance, limit their commercial potential or result in significant negative consequences.
As is the case with pharmaceuticals generally, it is likely that there may be side effects and adverse events associated with the use of atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidates we may develop. Results of our clinical trials could reveal a high and unacceptable severity and prevalence of side effects or unexpected characteristics. Undesirable side effects caused by our product candidates could cause us or 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 comparable foreign regulatory authorities. For example, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany previously conducted APRIL-LN, a study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of atacicept in patients with active LN, receiving newly initiated CS and MMF. Two weeks before the initiation of atacicept, significant decreases in immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels began unexpectedly with initiation of MMF and high-dose CS, and persisted upon initiation of atacicept, which led to trial termination. The drug-related side effects could affect participant recruitment or the ability of enrolled participants to complete the trial or result in potential product liability claims. Any of these occurrences may significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
If product candidates we develop are associated with undesirable side effects or have unexpected characteristics in nonclinical studies or clinical trials when used alone or in combination with other approved products or investigational new drugs, we may need to interrupt, delay or abandon their development or limit development to more narrow uses or subpopulations in which the undesirable side effects or other characteristics are less prevalent, less severe or more acceptable from a risk-benefit perspective. Treatment-related side effects could also affect participant recruitment or the ability of enrolled subjects to complete a trial, or result in potential product liability claims. Any of these occurrences may prevent us from achieving or maintaining market acceptance of the affected product candidate and may significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Participants in our ongoing and planned clinical trials may in the future suffer significant adverse events or other side effects not observed in our nonclinical studies or previous clinical trials. Our product candidates may be used as chronic therapies or be used in pediatric populations, for which safety concerns may be particularly scrutinized by regulatory authorities. In addition, if atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidates we may develop, are used in combination with other therapies, atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidates we may develop may exacerbate adverse events associated with the therapy and it may not be possible to determine whether it was caused by our product or the one with which it was combined. Patients treated with our product candidates may also be undergoing surgical, radiation, chemotherapy or other treatments, which can cause side effects or adverse events that are unrelated to our product candidates, but may still impact the success of our clinical trials. The inclusion of patients with advanced disease in our clinical trials may result in deaths or other adverse medical events due to other therapies or medications that such patients may be using or due to the gravity of such patients’ illnesses.
If significant adverse events or other side effects are observed in any of our current or future clinical trials, we may have difficulty recruiting participants to the clinical trials, participants may drop out of our trials, or we may be required to abandon the trials or our development efforts of that product candidate altogether. We, the FDA, other comparable regulatory authorities or an IRB or Ethics Committee may suspend clinical trials of a product candidate at any time for various reasons, including a belief that subjects in such trials are being exposed to unacceptable health risks or adverse side effects. Some potential therapeutics developed in the biotechnology industry that initially showed therapeutic promise in early-stage trials have later been found to cause side effects that prevented their further development.
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Even if the side effects do not preclude the product candidate from obtaining or maintaining marketing approval, undesirable side effects may inhibit market acceptance due to its tolerability versus other therapies. Any of these developments could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Further, toxicities associated with our products not seen during clinical testing may also develop after any approval, if obtained, and lead to a requirement to conduct additional clinical safety trials, additional contraindications, warnings and precautions being added to the drug label, significant restrictions on the use of the product or the withdrawal of the product from the market. We cannot predict whether our product candidates will cause toxicities in humans that would preclude or lead to the revocation of regulatory approval based on nonclinical studies or early-stage clinical trials.
Obtaining and maintaining regulatory approval of our product candidates in one jurisdiction does not mean that we will be successful in obtaining regulatory approval in other jurisdictions.
Obtaining and maintaining regulatory approval of our product candidates in one jurisdiction does not guarantee that we will be able to obtain or maintain regulatory approval in any other jurisdiction. For example, even if the FDA or other foreign regulatory authority grants marketing approval of a product candidate, comparable regulatory authorities in foreign jurisdictions must also approve the marketing approval of the product candidate in their countries. However, a failure or delay in obtaining regulatory approval in one jurisdiction may have a negative effect on the regulatory approval process in others. Approval procedures vary among jurisdictions and can involve requirements and administrative review periods different from those in the United States, including additional nonclinical studies or clinical trials as clinical trials conducted in one jurisdiction may not be accepted by regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions. In many jurisdictions outside the United States, a product candidate must be approved for reimbursement before it can be approved for sale in that jurisdiction. In some cases, the price that we intend to charge for our product is also subject to approval.
Obtaining foreign regulatory approvals and establishing and maintaining compliance with foreign regulatory requirements could result in significant delays, difficulties and costs for us and could delay or prevent the introduction of our product in certain countries. If we or any future collaborator fail to comply with the regulatory requirements in international markets or fail to receive applicable marketing approvals, our target market will be reduced and our ability to realize the full market potential of our product candidates will be harmed.
Even if any product candidate we develop receives regulatory approval, it could be subject to significant post-marketing regulatory requirements and will be subject to continued regulatory oversight.
Any regulatory approvals that we may receive for our product candidates will require the submission of reports to regulatory authorities and surveillance to monitor the safety and efficacy of the marketed product, may contain significant limitations related to use restrictions for specified age groups, warnings, precautions or contraindications, and may include burdensome post-approval study or risk management requirements. For example, the FDA may require a REMS in order to approve atacicept or MAU868, which could entail requirements for a medication guide, physician training and 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 applicable foreign regulatory authorities approve atacicept, MAU868 or any product candidate we develop in the future, the manufacturing processes, labeling, packaging, distribution, adverse event reporting, storage, advertising, promotion, import, export and recordkeeping will be subject to extensive and ongoing regulatory requirements. These requirements include submissions of safety and other post-marketing information and reports, registration, as well as on-going compliance with cGMPs and GCP for any clinical trials that we conduct post-approval. In addition, manufacturers of drug products and their facilities are subject to continual review and periodic, unannounced inspections by the FDA and other regulatory authorities for compliance with cGMP regulations and standards. If we or a regulatory authority discover previously unknown problems with a product, such as adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or problems with the facilities where the product is manufactured, a regulatory authority may impose restrictions on that product, the manufacturing facility or us, including requiring recall or withdrawal of the product from the market or suspension of manufacturing. In addition, failure to comply with FDA and other comparable foreign regulatory requirements may subject our company to administrative or judicially imposed sanctions, including:
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The occurrence of any event or penalty described above may inhibit our ability to commercialize atacicept, MAU868, or any product candidate we may develop in the future, and generate revenue and could require us to expend significant time and resources in response and could generate negative publicity.
The FDA’s and other regulatory authorities’ policies may change, and additional government regulations may be enacted that could prevent, limit or delay regulatory approval of atacicept, MAU868 or any product candidate we may develop in the future. 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 be able to achieve or sustain profitability.
We also 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. If these actions impose constraints on FDA’s or foreign regulatory authorities’ ability to engage in oversight and implementation activities in the normal course, it may significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We are currently seeking orphan drug designation for atacicept for the treatment of IgAN, but even if designated we may not ultimately realize the potential benefits of orphan drug designation.
We are currently seeking orphan drug designation from the FDA for atacicept for the treatment of IgAN. We are required to provide evidence that IgAN meets the orphan criteria as specified by the FDA and the EU. Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may designate a drug product as an orphan drug if it is intended to treat a rare disease or condition, defined as a patient population of fewer than 200,000 in the United States, or a patient population greater than 200,000 in the United States but where there is no reasonable expectation to recover the costs of developing and marketing a treatment drug in the United States. In the United States, orphan drug designation entitles a party to financial incentives such as opportunities for grant funding towards clinical trial costs, tax advantages, and application fee waivers. After the FDA grants orphan drug designation, the generic identity of the drug and its potential orphan use are disclosed publicly by the FDA. However, orphan drug designation neither shortens the development time nor regulatory review time of a product candidate nor gives the candidate any advantage in the regulatory review or approval process.
In addition, if a product receives the first FDA approval for the indication for which it has orphan designation, the product is entitled to orphan drug exclusivity, which means the FDA may not approve any other application to market the same drug for the same indication for a period of seven years, except in limited circumstances, such as a showing of clinical superiority over the product with orphan exclusivity or where the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient product quantity for the orphan patient population. Exclusive marketing rights in the United States may also be unavailable if we or our collaborators seek approval for an indication broader than the orphan designated indication and may be lost if the FDA later determines that the request for designation was materially defective. Even if we obtain orphan drug designation, we may not be the first to obtain marketing approval for any particular orphan indication due to the uncertainties associated with developing pharmaceutical products. Further, even if we obtain orphan drug exclusivity for a product candidate, that exclusivity may not effectively protect the product from competition because different drugs can be approved for the same condition. Even after an orphan drug is approved, the FDA can subsequently approve the same drug for the same condition if the FDA concludes that the later drug is clinically superior in that it is safer, more effective, or makes a major contribution to patient care.
Similarly, in the EU, a medicinal product may receive orphan designation under Article 3 of Regulation (EC) 141/2000. This applies to products that are intended for a life-threatening or chronically debilitating condition and either (1) such condition affects no more than five in 10,000 persons in the EU when the application is made, or (2) the product, without the benefits derived from orphan status, would be unlikely to generate sufficient returns in the EU to justify the necessary investment in its development. Moreover, in order to obtain orphan designation in the EU it is necessary to demonstrate that there exists no satisfactory method of diagnosis, prevention or treatment of such condition authorized for marketing in the EU or, if such a method exists, the product will be of significant benefit to those affected by the condition. Orphan medicinal product designation entitles an applicant to incentives such fee reductions or fee waivers, protocol assistance, and access to the centralized marketing authorization procedure. Marketing authorization for an orphan drug leads to a 10-year period of market exclusivity for the approved therapeutic indication, which means that the EMA cannot accept another marketing authorization application or accept an application to extend for a similar product and the European Commission cannot grant a marketing authorization for the same indication for a period of ten years. A “similar medicinal product” is defined as a medicinal product containing a similar active substance or substances as contained in an authorized orphan medicinal product, and which is intended for the same therapeutic indication. The period of market exclusivity is extended by two years for orphan medicinal products that have also complied with an agreed PIP. No extension to any supplementary protection certificate can be granted on the basis of pediatric studies for orphan indications.
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Orphan medicinal product designation does not convey any advantage in, or shorten the duration of, the regulatory review and approval process. This period may, however, be reduced to six years if, at the end of the fifth year, it is established that the product no longer meets the criteria for orphan drug designation, for example because the product is sufficiently profitable not to justify continued market exclusivity. In addition, a marketing authorization may be granted to a similar medicinal product with the same orphan indication during the 10 year period of market exclusivity on an individual basis in very select cases, such as with consent from the marketing authorization holder, if the manufacturer of the original orphan medicinal product is unable to supply sufficient quantities of the authorized product or if the second applicant can establish that its product, although similar, is safer, more effective or otherwise clinically superior to the original orphan medicinal product. A company may voluntarily remove a product from the register of orphan products.
If we do not receive or maintain orphan drug designation for atacicept for the treatment of IgAN, it could limit our ability to realize revenues.
Even though MAU868 has Fast Track designation from FDA for the prevention of BK viremia in renal transplant and hematopoietic stem cell transplant, it may not lead to a faster development or regulatory review or approval process, and will not increase the likelihood that MAU868 will receive marketing approval.
If a drug or biologic is intended for the treatment of a serious or life-threatening condition or disease, and nonclinical or clinical data demonstrate the potential to address an unmet medical need, the product may qualify for FDA Fast Track designation, for which sponsors must apply. The FDA has broad discretion whether or not to grant this designation. Although we have received Fast Track designation for the investigation of MAU868 for the prevention of BK viremia in renal transplant and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients, we may not experience a faster development process, review or approval compared to conventional FDA procedures. In addition, the FDA may withdraw Fast Track designation if it believes that the designation is no longer supported by data from our clinical development program.
We may attempt to secure approval from the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities through the use of accelerated approval pathways. If we are unable to obtain such approval, we may be required to conduct additional nonclinical studies or clinical trials beyond those that we contemplate, which could increase the expense of obtaining, and delay the receipt of, necessary marketing approvals. Even if we receive accelerated approval from the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities, if our confirmatory trials do not verify clinical benefit, or if we do not comply with rigorous post-marketing requirements, the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may seek to withdraw any accelerated approval.
We may in the future seek an accelerated approval for atacicept, MAU868 or future product candidates we may develop. For example, if the results from our Phase 3 trial of atacicept in patients with IgAN are positive, we may seek accelerated approval with the FDA based on this trial, which we may not be granted. 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. For example, UPCR is an accepted surrogate primary endpoint for clinical trials in IgAN, which could allow for a faster path to commercialization than rate of change/slope in eGFR. We may seek accelerated approval based on the UPCR endpoint. 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. Use of the accelerated approval pathway would entail submission of a BLA under Subpart E of the FDA regulations with week 36 UPCR surrogate endpoint data while completing the Phase 3 trial to collect eGFR data to demonstrate improvement in kidney function. If granted, accelerated approval is usually contingent on the sponsor’s agreement to complete ongoing trials and/or conduct, in a diligent manner, additional post-approval confirmatory studies to verity and describe the drug’s clinical benefit and to report regulatory to the FDA on progress on such trials. Additionally, unless and until converted to full approval at the time of satisfying the conditions of any accelerated approval letter, the sponsor must submit any promotional materials for the accelerated approval drug to FDA at least 30 days prior to use. Third-party payors may refuse to provide coverage or reimbursement for the drug until the confirmatory studies are complete. Additionally, if such post-approval studies fail to confirm the drug’s clinical benefit, the FDA may withdraw its approval of the drug.
Prior to seeking accelerated approval for atacicept or MAU868, 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 the feedback and other factors we will decide to pursue or submit a BLA, for accelerated approval or any other form of expedited development, review or approval. Similarly, there can be no assurance that after subsequent FDA feedback we will continue to pursue or apply for accelerated approval or any other form of expedited development, review or approval, even if we initially decide to do so.
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Furthermore, if we decide to submit an application for accelerated approval or receive an expedited regulatory designation (e.g., breakthrough therapy designation) for atacicept, there can be no assurance that such submission or 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 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 atacicept or MAU868 would result in a longer time period to commercialization of such product candidate, could increase the cost of development of atacicept or MAU868 and could harm our competitive position in the marketplace.
Biosimilars to our product candidates may provide competition sooner than anticipated.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively, the Affordable Care Act), signed into law on March 23, 2010, includes a subtitle called the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009 (BPCIA), which created an abbreviated approval pathway for biological products that are biosimilar to or interchangeable with an FDA-licensed reference biological product. Under the BPCIA, an application for a biosimilar product may not be submitted to the FDA until four years following the date that the reference product was first licensed by the FDA. In addition, the approval of a biosimilar product may not be made effective by the FDA until 12 years from the date on which the reference product was first licensed. During this 12-year period of exclusivity, another company may still market a competing version of the reference product if the FDA approves a full BLA for the competing product containing the sponsor’s own preclinical data and data from adequate and well-controlled clinical trials to demonstrate the safety, purity and potency of their product. The law is complex and is still being interpreted and implemented by the FDA. As a result, its ultimate impact, implementation, and meaning are subject to uncertainty.
We believe that any of our product candidates approved as a biological product under a BLA should qualify for the 12-year period of exclusivity. 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 product candidates to be reference products for competing products, potentially creating the opportunity for generic competition sooner than anticipated. Other aspects of the BPCIA, some of which may impact the BPCIA exclusivity provisions, have also been the subject of recent litigation. Moreover, the extent to which a biosimilar, 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.
In the European Union, upon receiving a marketing authorization, innovative medicinal products are generally entitled to receive eight years of data exclusivity and ten years of market exclusivity. Data exclusivity, if granted, prevents regulatory authorities in the European Union from referencing the innovator’s data to assess a generic application or biosimilar application for eight years from the date of authorization of the innovative product, after which a generic or biosimilar marketing authorization application can be submitted, and the innovator’s data may be referenced. The market exclusivity period prevents a successful generic or biosimilar applicant from commercializing its product in the European Union until ten years have elapsed from the initial marketing authorization of the reference product in the European Union. The overall ten-year period may, occasionally, be extended for a further year to a maximum of eleven years if, during the first eight years of those ten years, the marketing authorization holder obtains an authorization for one or more new therapeutic indications which, during the scientific evaluation prior to their authorization, are held to bring a significant clinical benefit in comparison with existing therapies. However, there is no guarantee that a product will be considered by the European Union’s regulatory authorities to be a new chemical/biological entity, and products may not qualify for data exclusivity. In the EU, there is a special regime for biosimilars, or biological medicinal products that are similar to a reference medicinal product but that do not meet the definition of a generic medicinal product. For such products, the results of appropriate preclinical or clinical trials must be provided in support of an application for marketing authorization. Guidelines from the EMA detail the type of quantity of supplementary data to be provided for different types of biological product.
If any approved products are subject to biosimilar competition sooner than we expect, we will face significant pricing pressure and our commercial opportunity will be limited.
Any product candidate we develop may become subject to unfavorable third-party coverage and reimbursement practices, as well as pricing regulations.
We intend to seek approval to market atacicept and MAU868 in both the United States, in the EU and in certain foreign jurisdictions. If we obtain approval in one or more foreign jurisdictions for atacicept or MAU868, we will be subject to rules and regulations in those jurisdictions. In some foreign countries, particularly those in the EU, the pricing of drugs is subject to governmental control and other market regulations which could put pressure on the pricing and usage of atacicept or MAU868. In these countries, pricing negotiations with governmental authorities can take considerable time after obtaining marketing approval of a product candidate. In addition, market acceptance and sales of a product candidate will depend significantly on the availability of adequate coverage and reimbursement from third-party payors for the product candidate and may be affected by existing and future healthcare reform measures.
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The availability and extent of coverage and adequate reimbursement by third-party payors, including government health administration authorities, private health coverage insurers, managed care organizations and other third-party payors is essential for most patients to be able to afford expensive treatments. If we obtain marketing approval of a product candidate, sales of such product will depend substantially, both in the United States and internationally, on the extent to which the costs of the product will be covered and reimbursed by third-party payors. If reimbursement is not available, or is available only at inadequate levels, we may not be able to successfully commercialize any product candidates we develop. Even if coverage is provided, the approved reimbursement amount may not be high enough to allow us to establish or maintain pricing sufficient to realize an adequate return on our investment. Coverage and reimbursement may impact the demand for, or the price of, any product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval. If coverage and reimbursement are not available or reimbursement is available only to limited levels, we may not successfully commercialize any product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval.
There is significant uncertainty related to third-party payor coverage and reimbursement of newly approved products. In the United States, for example, principal decisions about reimbursement for new products are typically made by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). CMS decides whether and to what extent a new product will be covered and reimbursed under Medicare, and private third-party payors often follow CMS’s decisions regarding coverage and reimbursement to a substantial degree. However, one third-party payor’s determination to provide coverage for a product candidate does not assure that other payors will also provide coverage for the product candidate. Moreover, eligibility for reimbursement does not imply that any drug will be paid for in all cases or at a rate that covers our costs, including research, development, manufacture, sale and distribution. Interim reimbursement levels for new drugs, if applicable, may also not be sufficient to cover our costs and may not be made permanent. Reimbursement rates may vary according to the use of the drug and the clinical setting in which it is used, may be based on reimbursement levels already set for lower cost drugs and may be incorporated into existing payments for other services. As a result, the coverage determination process is often time-consuming and costly. This process will require us to provide scientific and clinical support for the use of our product to each third-party payor separately, with no assurance that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be applied consistently or obtained in the first instance. Factors payors consider in determining reimbursement are based on whether the product is:
A primary trend in the U.S. healthcare industry and elsewhere is cost containment. Governmental payors, as well as other third-party payors, including pharmacy benefit managers, have attempted to control costs by limiting coverage and the amount of reimbursement for particular products and requiring substitutions of generic products and/or biosimilars. Increasingly, third-party payors are requiring that drug companies provide them with predetermined discounts from list prices and are challenging the prices charged for medical products. Further, such payors are increasingly examining the medical necessity and reviewing the cost effectiveness of medical product candidates. There may be especially significant delays in obtaining coverage and reimbursement for newly approved drugs. Third-party payors may limit coverage to specific product candidates on an approved list, known as a formulary, which might not include all FDA-approved drugs for a particular indication. We may need to conduct expensive pharmaco-economic studies to demonstrate the medical necessity and cost effectiveness of our product. Nonetheless, atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidates we may develop may not be considered medically necessary or cost effective. We cannot be sure that coverage and reimbursement will be available for any product that we commercialize and, if reimbursement is available, what the level of reimbursement will be.
Outside the United States, international operations are generally subject to extensive governmental price controls and other market regulations, and we believe the increasing emphasis on cost containment initiatives in Europe, Canada and other countries has and will continue to put pressure on the pricing and usage of therapeutics such as atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidates we may develop. In many countries, particularly the countries of the EU, medical product prices are subject to varying price control mechanisms as part of national health systems. In these countries, pricing negotiations with governmental authorities can take considerable time after a product receives marketing approval. To obtain reimbursement or pricing approval in some countries, we may be required to conduct a clinical study that compares the cost-effectiveness of atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidates we may develop to other available therapies. The Health Technology Assessment (HTA) of medicinal products is becoming an increasingly common part of the pricing and reimbursement procedures in some EU Member States, including those representing the larger markets. The HTA process is the procedure to assess therapeutic, economic and societal impact of a given medicinal product in the national healthcare systems of the individual country. The outcome of an HTA will often influence the pricing and reimbursement status granted to these medicinal products by the competent authorities of individual EU Member States. The extent to which pricing and reimbursement decisions are influenced by the HTA of the specific medicinal product currently varies between EU Member States.
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In December 2021, Regulation No 2021/2282 on HTA, amending Directive 2011/24/EU, was adopted in the EU. This Regulation, which entered into force in January 2022 will apply as of January 2025. It is intended to boost cooperation among EU Member States in assessing health technologies, including new medicinal products, and providing the basis for cooperation at EU level for joint clinical assessments in these areas. The Regulation will permit EU Member States to use common HTA tools, methodologies, and procedures across the EU to identify promising technologies early, and continuing voluntary cooperation in other areas. Individual EU Member States will continue to be responsible for assessing non-clinical (e.g., economic, social, ethical) aspects of health technologies, and making decisions on pricing and reimbursement. If we are unable to maintain favorable pricing and reimbursement status in EU Member States for product candidates that we may successfully develop and for which we may obtain regulatory approval, any anticipated revenue from and growth prospects for those products in the EU could be negatively affected. In general, product prices under such systems are substantially lower than in the United States. Other countries allow companies to fix their own prices for products, but monitor and control company profits. Additional foreign price controls or other changes in pricing regulation could restrict the amount that we are able to charge for atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidates we may develop. Accordingly, in markets outside the United States, the reimbursement for any product that we commercialize may be reduced compared with the United States and may be insufficient to generate commercially reasonable revenue and profits.
If we are unable to establish or sustain coverage and adequate reimbursement for any product candidates that we commercialize from third-party payors, the adoption of those products and potential sales revenue would be adversely affected, which, in turn, could adversely affect the ability to market or sell those product candidates, if approved. Coverage policies and third-party payor reimbursement rates may change at any time. Even if favorable coverage and reimbursement status is attained for a product for which we receive regulatory approval, less favorable coverage policies and reimbursement rates may be implemented in the future.
We may face difficulties from changes to current regulations and future legislation.
Existing regulatory policies may change and additional government regulations may be enacted that could prevent, limit or delay regulatory approval of atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidates we may develop. 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 be able to achieve or sustain profitability.
For example, the Affordable Care Act was passed in March 2010, which, among other things, subjected biologic products to potential competition by lower-cost biosimilars; addressed a new methodology by which rebates owed by manufacturers under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program are calculated for drugs that are inhaled, infused, instilled, implanted or injected; increased the minimum Medicaid rebates owed by most manufacturers under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program; extended the Medicaid Drug Rebate program to utilization of prescriptions of individuals enrolled in Medicaid managed care organizations; subjected manufacturers to new annual fees and taxes for certain branded prescription drugs; created a new Medicare Part D coverage gap discount program, in which manufacturers must agree to offer 50% (increased to 70% pursuant to the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, effective as of January 1, 2019) point-of-sale discounts off negotiated prices of applicable brand drugs to eligible beneficiaries during their coverage gap period, as a condition for the manufacturer’s outpatient drugs to be covered under Medicare Part D; and provided incentives to programs that increase the federal government’s comparative effectiveness research.
Since its enactment, there have been numerous judicial, administrative, executive, and legislative challenges to certain aspects of the Affordable Care Act. For example, on June 17, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed a challenge on procedural grounds that argued the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional in its entirety because the “individual mandate” was repealed by Congress. Moreover, prior to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, on January 28, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order that initiated a special enrollment period coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace, which began on February 15, 2021 and remained open through August 15, 2021. The executive order also instructed certain governmental agencies to review and reconsider their existing policies and rules that limit access to healthcare, including among others, reexamining Medicaid demonstration projects and waiver programs that include work requirements, and policies that create unnecessary barriers to obtaining access to health insurance coverage through Medicaid or the Affordable Care Act. Further, on August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) into law, which among other things, extends enhanced subsidies for individuals purchasing health insurance coverage in Affordable Care Act 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 through a newly established manufacturer discount program. It is possible that the Affordable Care Act will be subject to judicial or congressional challenges in the future. It is also unclear how any healthcare reform measures of the Biden administration will affect the Affordable Care Act and our business.
In addition, other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted in the United States since the Affordable Care Act was enacted. These changes include aggregate reductions to Medicare payments to providers of 2% per fiscal year pursuant to the Budget Control Act of 2011, which began in 2013, and due to subsequent legislative amendments to the statute, including the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, the Infrastructure Investments and JOBS Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, will remain in effect until 2032, unless additional congressional action is taken. Additionally, on March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 into law, which eliminates the statutory Medicaid drug rebate cap, currently set at 100% of a drug’s average manufacturer price, for single source and innovator multiple source drugs, beginning January 1, 2024.
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The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, among other things, further reduced Medicare payments to several providers and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years. These laws may result in additional reductions in Medicare and other healthcare funding, which could have an adverse effect on customers for our product candidates, if approved, and, accordingly, our financial operations. In addition, Congress is considering additional health reform measures.
Moreover, there has been heightened governmental scrutiny in the United States of pharmaceutical pricing practices in light of the rising cost of prescription drugs and biologics. Such scrutiny has resulted in several recent congressional inquiries and proposed and enacted federal and state legislation designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to product pricing, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for products. For example, in July 2021, the Biden administration released an executive order, “Promoting Competition in the American Economy,” with multiple provisions aimed at prescription drugs. In response to Biden’s executive order, on September 9, 2021, HHS released a Comprehensive Plan for Addressing High Drug Prices that outlines principles for drug pricing reform and sets out a variety of potential legislative policies that Congress could pursue as well as potential administrative actions HHS can take to advance these principles. In addition, the IRA, among other things, (1) directs HHS to negotiate the price of certain single-source drugs and biologics covered under Medicare and (2) imposes rebates under Medicare Part B and Medicare Part D to penalize price increases that outpace inflation. These provisions will take effect progressively starting in fiscal year 2023, although the Medicare drug price negation program is currently subject to legal challenges. The IRA permits HHS to implement many of these provisions through guidance, as opposed to regulation, for the initial years. HHS has issued and will continue to issue and update guidance as these programs are implemented. It is currently unclear how the IRA will be implemented but it is likely to have a significant impact on the pharmaceutical industry. On February 14, 2023, in response to the Biden administration’s October 2022 executive order, HHS released a report outlining three new models for testing by the CMS 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. Further, 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. At the state level, legislatures have increasingly passed legislation and implemented regulations designed to control pharmaceutical and biological 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.
We expect that the Affordable Care Act, the IRA, as well as other healthcare reform measures that may be adopted in the future, may result in more rigorous coverage criteria and in additional downward pressure on the price that we receive for any approved product. Any reduction in reimbursement from Medicare or other government programs may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payors. The implementation of cost containment measures or other healthcare reforms may prevent us from being able to generate revenue, achieve and sustain profitability or commercialize atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidates we may develop.
Legislative and regulatory proposals have been made to expand post-approval requirements and restrict sales and promotional activities for biotechnology products. We cannot be sure whether additional legislative changes will be enacted, or whether FDA regulations, guidance or interpretations will be changed, or what the impact of such changes on the marketing approvals of any product candidates we develop, may be. In addition, increased scrutiny by Congress of the FDA’s approval process may significantly delay or prevent marketing approval, as well as subject us to more stringent product labeling and post-marketing testing and other requirements.
In addition, FDA and comparable foreign regulations and guidance may be revised or reinterpreted by the competent authorities in ways that may significantly affect our business and our products. Any new regulations or guidance, or revisions or reinterpretations of existing regulations or guidance, may impose additional costs or lengthen review times for atacicept, MAU868 or future product candidates we may develop. We cannot determine how changes in regulations, statutes, policies, or interpretations when and if issued, enacted or adopted, may affect our business in the future. Such changes could, among other things, require:
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As an example, the regulatory landscape related to clinical trials in the EU has evolved. The CTR, which was adopted in April 2014 and repeals the EU Clinical Trials Directive, became applicable on January 31, 2022. The CTR allows sponsors to make a single submission to both the competent authority and an ethics committee in each EU Member State, leading to a single decision for each EU Member State. The assessment procedure for the authorization of clinical trials has been harmonized as well, including a joint assessment by all EU Member States concerned, and a separate assessment by each EU Member State with respect to specific requirements related to its own territory, including ethics rules. Each EU Member State’s decision is communicated to the sponsor via the centralized EU portal. Once the clinical trial approved, clinical study development may proceed. The CTR foresees a three-year transition period. The extent to which ongoing and new clinical trials will be governed by the CTR varies. For clinical trials in relation to which application for approval was made on the basis of the Clinical Trials Directive before January 31, 2023, the Clinical Trials Directive will continue to apply on a transitional basis until January 31, 2025. By that date, all ongoing trials will become subject to the provisions of the CTR. The CTR will apply to clinical trials from an earlier date if the related clinical trial application was made on the basis of the CTR or if the clinical trial has already transitioned to the CTR framework before January 31, 2025. Compliance with the CTR requirements by us and our third-party service providers, such as CROs, may impact our developments plans. In light of the entry into application of the CTR on January 31, 2022, we may be required to transition clinical trials for which we have obtained regulatory approvals in accordance with the CTD to the regulatory framework of the CTR. Transition of clinical trials governed by the CTD to the CTR will be required for clinical trials which will have at least one site active in the E.U. on January 30, 2025. A transitioning application would need to be submitted to the competent authorities of E.U. Member States through the Clinical Trials Information Systems and related regulatory approval obtained to continue the clinical trial past January 30, 2025. This would require financial, technical and human resources. If we are unable to transition our clinical trials in time, the conduct of those clinical trials may be negatively impacted. It is currently unclear to what extent the UK will seek to align its regulations with the EU in the future. The UK regulatory framework in relation to clinical trials is derived from existing EU legislation (as implemented into UK law, through secondary legislation). On January 17, 2022, the UK MHRA launched an eight-week consultation on reframing the UK legislation for clinical trials. The UK Government published its response to the consultation on March 21, 2023 confirming that it would bring forward changes to the legislation. These resulting legislative amendments will determine how closely the UK regulations will align with the CTR. Failure of the UK to closely align its regulations with the EU may have an effect on the cost of conducting clinical trials in the UK as opposed to other countries and/or make it harder to seek a marketing authorization for the Company's product candidates on the basis of clinical trials conducted in the United Kingdom.
In addition, on April 26, 2023, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a new Directive and Regulation to revise the existing pharmaceutical legislation. If adopted in the form proposed, the recent European Commission proposals to revise the existing EU laws governing authorization of medicinal products may result in a decrease in data and market exclusivity opportunities for our product candidates in the EU and make them open to generic or biosimilar competition earlier than is currently the case with a related reduction in reimbursement status.
Such changes would likely require substantial time and impose significant costs, or could reduce the potential commercial value of atacicept, MAU868 or future product candidates we may develop, and could materially harm our business and our financial results. In addition, delays in receipt of or failure to receive regulatory clearances or approvals for any other products would harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our relationships with healthcare professionals, clinical investigators, CROs and third-party payors in connection with our current and future business activities may be subject to federal, state and foreign healthcare fraud and abuse laws, false claims laws, transparency laws, government price reporting, and health information privacy and security laws, which could expose us to, among other things, criminal sanctions, civil penalties, contractual damages, exclusion from governmental healthcare programs, reputational harm, administrative burdens and diminished profits and future earnings.
Healthcare professionals and third-party payors play a primary role in the recommendation and prescription of our product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval. Our current and future arrangements with healthcare professionals, clinical investigators, CROs, third-party payors and customers may expose us to broadly applicable fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations that may constrain the business or financial arrangements and relationships through which we research, market, sell and distribute our product for which we obtain marketing approval. Restrictions under applicable federal and state healthcare laws and regulations include the following:
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Some state and foreign laws require biotechnology companies to comply with the biotechnology industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the government and may require drug manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare professionals or marketing expenditures. Some state and foreign laws require biotechnology companies to report information on the pricing of certain drug products. Some state and local laws require the registration of pharmaceutical sales representatives.
Outside the United States, interactions between pharmaceutical companies and health care professionals are also governed by strict laws, such as national anti-bribery laws of European countries, national sunshine rules, regulations, industry self-regulation codes of conduct and physicians’ codes of professional conduct. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in reputational risk, public reprimands, administrative penalties, fines or imprisonment.
Much like the federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibition in the United States, the provision of benefits or advantages to physicians and other healthcare professionals to induce or encourage the prescription, recommendation, endorsement, purchase, supply, order or use of medicinal products is also prohibited in the EU. Interactions between pharmaceutical companies and health care professionals are governed by strict laws, such as national anti-bribery laws of European countries, national sunshine rules, regulations, industry self-regulation codes of conduct and physicians’ codes of professional conduct. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in reputational risk, public reprimands, administrative penalties, fines or imprisonment. Infringement of related laws could result in substantial fines and imprisonment.
Payments made to physicians and other healthcare professionals in certain EU Member States must be publicly disclosed. Moreover, agreements with physicians and other healthcare professionals may require prior notification or approval by the physician’s or other health care professional’s employer, his or her competent professional organization and/or the regulatory authorities of the individual EU Member States. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in reputational risk, public reprimands, administrative penalties, fines or imprisonment.
Efforts to ensure that our current and future business arrangements with third parties will comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations will involve on-going substantial costs. It is possible that governmental authorities will conclude that our business practices may not comply with current or future statutes, regulations 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 of these laws or any other governmental regulations that may apply to us, we may be subject to significant penalties, including civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, imprisonment, exclusion from participation in government funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, or comparable foreign programs, integrity oversight and reporting obligations, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations. Defending against any such actions can be costly, time-consuming and may require significant financial and personnel resources. Therefore, even if we are successful in defending against any such actions that may be brought against us, our business may be impaired.
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Further, if any of the physicians or other healthcare professionals or entities with whom we expect to do business is found to be not in compliance with applicable laws, they may be subject to criminal, civil or administrative sanctions, including exclusions from government funded healthcare programs.
We 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 actual or perceived failure to comply with such obligations could lead to regulatory investigations or actions; litigation (including class claims) and mass arbitration demands; fines and penalties; disruptions of our business operations; reputational harm; loss of revenue or profits; and other adverse business consequences.
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 data and other sensitive information, including proprietary and confidential business information, trade secrets, intellectual property, information we collect about trial participants in connection with clinical trials, and sensitive third-party information (collectively, sensitive information). Our data processing activities subject us to numerous obligations relating to data privacy and security, such as various laws, regulations, guidance, industry standards, external and internal privacy and security policies, contractual obligations and other obligations relating to data privacy and security.
Outside the United States, an increasing number of laws, regulations and industry standards govern data privacy and security. For example, the EU GDPR and UK GDPR (collectively, GDPR), Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), Australia’s Privacy Act, India’s Information Technology Act, China’s Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) and South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Act impose strict requirements for processing of personal data, including clinical trials participants and other individuals. For instance, companies that violate the GDPR can face private litigation related to processing of personal data brought by classes of data subjects or consumer protection organizations authorized at law to represent their interests, temporary or definitive prohibitions on data processing and other corrective actions, fines of up to the greater of 20 million Euros under the EU GDPR / 17.5 million pounds under the UK GDPR, or 4% of their worldwide annual revenue, whichever is higher. Furthermore, China’s PIPL imposes a set of specific obligations on covered businesses in connection with their processing and transfer of personal data and imposes fines of up to RMB 50 million or 5% of the prior year’s total annual revenue of the violator.
In addition, we may be unable to transfer personal data from Europe and other jurisdictions to the United States or other countries due to data localization requirements or limitations on cross-border data flows. Europe and other jurisdictions have enacted laws requiring data to be localized or limiting the transfer of personal data to other countries. In particular, the EEA and the 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, the UK’s International Data Transfer Agreement / Addendum, and the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework and the UK extension thereto (which allows for transfers to relevant U.S.-based organizations who self-certify compliance and participate in the Framework). These mechanisms are subject to legal challenges, and there is no assurance that we can satisfy or rely on these measures to lawfully transfer personal data to the United States. If there is 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 the EEA and/or UK) 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. Some European regulators have ordered certain companies to suspend or permanently cease certain transfers of personal data out of the EEA for allegedly violating the EU GDPR’s cross-border data transfer limitations. Additionally, companies that transfer personal data out of the EEA and/or UK to other jurisdictions, particularly to the United States, are subject to increased scrutiny from regulators individual litigants and activist groups. Regulators in the United States are also increasingly scrutinizing certain personal data transfers and may impose certain personal data localization requirements.
In the United States federal, state and local governments have enacted numerous data privacy and security laws, including data breach notification laws, personal data privacy laws, consumer protection laws (e.g. Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act), other similar laws (e.g. wiretapping laws). For example, HIPAA, as amended by HITECH, imposes specific requirements relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information.
Additionally, 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 data. As applicable, such rights may include the right to access, correct, or delete certain personal data, 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.
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Certain states also impose stricter requirements for processing certain personal data, 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 (CPRA), (collectively, the CCPA), applies to personal data of consumers, business representatives, and employees who are California residents, and requires covered businesses to provide specific disclosures in privacy notices and honor requests of such individuals to exercise certain privacy rights. The CCPA also provides for fines of up to $7,500 per violation and allows private litigants affected by certain data breaches to recover significant statutory damages. Although there are limited exemptions for clinical trial data under the CCPA, the CCPA increases compliance costs and potential liability with respect to other personal data we maintain about California residents. 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. While these states, like the CCPA, also exempt some data processed in the context of clinical trials, these developments may further complicate compliance efforts, and increase legal risk and compliance costs for us and the third parties with whom we work.
Our employees and personnel use generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to perform their work, and the disclosure and use of personal data 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.
In addition to data privacy and security laws, we are contractually subject to industry standards adopted by industry groups and may become subject to such obligations in the future. We are also bound by other contractual obligations related to data privacy and security, and our efforts to comply with such obligations may not be successful.
We also 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. All of these evolving compliance and operational requirements impose significant costs that are likely to increase over time, may require us to modify our information processing practices and policies, divert resources from other initiatives and projects, including increased costs related to insurance, cybersecurity and information technology, and could restrict the way products and services involving data are offered, all of which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We may at times fail (or be perceived to have failed) in our effort to comply with our data privacy and security obligations. Moreover, despite our efforts, our personnel or third-party partners (such as contract research organizations and clinical trial sites) may fail (or be perceived to have failed) to comply with such obligations, which could negatively impact our business operations. If we or our third-party partners fail, or are perceived to have failed, to address or comply with applicable data privacy and security obligations, we could face significant consequences. These consequences may include, but are not limited to, government enforcement actions (e.g., investigations, fines, penalties, audits, inspections, and similar); litigation (including class-related claims) and mass arbitration demands; additional reporting requirements and/or oversight; bans on processing personal data; orders to destroy or not use personal data; and imprisonment of company officials. In particular, 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 these events could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, or financial condition, including but not limited to: interruptions or stoppages in our business operations (including, as relevant, clinical trials); inability to process sensitive 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.
If we fail to comply with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, we could become subject to fines or penalties or incur costs that could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects.
We are subject to numerous environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including those governing laboratory procedures and the handling, use, storage, treatment and disposal of hazardous materials and wastes. Our operations involve the use of hazardous and flammable materials, including chemicals and biological materials. Our operations also produce hazardous waste products. We generally contract with third parties for the disposal of these materials and wastes. We cannot eliminate the risk of contamination or injury from these materials. In the event of contamination or injury resulting from our use of hazardous materials, we could be held liable for any resulting damages, and any liability could exceed our resources. We also could incur significant costs associated with civil or criminal fines and penalties.
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Although we maintain workers’ compensation insurance to cover us for costs and expenses we may incur due to injuries to our employees resulting from the use of hazardous materials, this insurance may not provide adequate coverage against potential liabilities. We do not maintain insurance for environmental liability or toxic tort claims that may be asserted against us in connection with our storage or disposal of hazardous and flammable materials, including chemicals and biological materials.
In addition, we may incur substantial costs in order to comply with current or future environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. These current or future laws and regulations may impair our research, development or commercialization efforts. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations also may result in substantial fines, penalties or other sanctions.
Our business activities may be subject to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and similar anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws of other countries in which we operate, as well as U.S. and certain foreign export controls, trade sanctions, and import laws and regulations. Compliance with these legal requirements could limit our ability to compete in foreign markets and subject us to liability if we violate them.
If we expand our operations outside of the United States, we must dedicate additional resources to comply with numerous laws and regulations in each jurisdiction in which we plan to operate. Our business activities may be subject to the FCPA and similar anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws, regulations or rules of other countries in which we operate. The FCPA generally prohibits companies and their employees and third-party intermediaries from offering, promising, giving or authorizing the provision of anything of value, either directly or indirectly, to a non-U.S. government official in order to influence official action or otherwise obtain or retain business. The FCPA also requires public companies to make and keep books and records that accurately and fairly reflect the transactions of the corporation and to devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls.
Our business is heavily regulated and therefore involves significant interaction with public officials, including officials of non-U.S. governments. Additionally, in many other countries, hospitals owned and operated by the government, and doctors and other hospital employees would be considered foreign officials under the FCPA. Recently the SEC and Department of Justice have increased their FCPA enforcement activities with respect to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. There is no certainty that all of our employees, agents or contractors, or those of our affiliates, will comply with all applicable laws and regulations, particularly given the high level of complexity of these laws. Violations of these laws and regulations could result in fines, criminal sanctions against us, our officers or our employees, disgorgement, and other sanctions and remedial measures, and prohibitions on the conduct of our business. Any such violations could include prohibitions on our ability to offer our product in one or more countries and could materially damage our reputation, our brand, our international activities, our ability to attract and retain employees and our business.
In addition, our product and activities may be subject to U.S. and foreign export controls, trade sanctions and import laws and regulations. Governmental regulation of the import or export of our product, or our failure to obtain any required import or export authorization for our product, when applicable, could harm our international sales and adversely affect our revenue. Compliance with applicable regulatory requirements regarding the export of our product may create delays in the introduction of our product in international markets or, in some cases, prevent the export of our product to some countries altogether. Furthermore, U.S. export control laws and economic sanctions prohibit the shipment of certain products and services to countries, governments, and persons targeted by U.S. sanctions. If we fail to comply with export and import regulations and such economic sanctions, penalties could be imposed, including fines and/or denial of certain export privileges. Moreover, any new export or import restrictions, new legislation or shifting approaches in the enforcement or scope of existing regulations, or in the countries, persons, or product targeted by such regulations, could result in decreased use of our product by, or in our decreased ability to export our product to existing or potential customers with international operations. Any decreased use of our product or limitation on our ability to export or sell access to our product would likely significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We are subject to various laws relating to foreign investment and the export of certain technologies, and our failure to comply with these laws or adequately monitor the compliance of our suppliers and others we do business with could subject us to substantial fines, penalties and even injunctions, the imposition of which on us could have a material adverse effect on the success of our business.
We are subject to U.S. laws that regulate foreign investments in U.S. businesses and access by foreign persons to technology developed and produced in the United States. These laws include Section 721 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended by the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018, and the regulations at 31 C.F.R. Parts 800 and 801, as amended, administered by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States; and the Export Control Reform Act of 2018, which is being implemented in part through Commerce Department rulemakings to impose new export control restrictions on “emerging and foundational technologies” yet to be fully identified. Application of these laws, including as they are implemented through regulations being developed, may negatively impact our business in various ways, including by restricting our access to capital and markets; limiting the collaborations we may pursue; regulating the export our products, services, and technology from the United States and abroad; increasing our costs and the time necessary to obtain required authorizations and to ensure compliance; and threatening monetary fines and other penalties if we do not.
Risks related to employee matters, managing our growth and other risks related to our business
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Unfavorable geopolitical and global economic conditions could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our results of operations could be adversely affected by general conditions in the global economy, the global financial markets, and adverse geopolitical and macroeconomic developments. U.S. and global market and economic conditions have been, and continue to be, volatile due to many factors, including recent and potential future disruptions in access to bank deposits and lending commitments due to bank failures, supply chain challenges, ongoing military conflicts, related sanctions, changes in U.S.-China relations, increasing inflation rates and the responses by central banking authorities to control such inflation, among others. General business and economic conditions that could affect our business, financial condition or results of operations include fluctuations in economic growth, debt and equity capital markets, bank failures, liquidity of the global financial markets, the availability and cost of credit, investor and consumer confidence, and the strength of the economies in which we, our manufacturers and our suppliers operate.
A severe or prolonged global economic downturn could result in a variety of risks to our business. For example, inflation rates, particularly in the United States, have increased recently to levels not seen in years, and increased inflation may result in increases in our operating costs (including our labor costs), reduced liquidity and limits on our ability to access credit or otherwise raise capital on acceptable terms, if at all. In addition, the U.S. Federal Reserve has raised, and may again raise, interest rates in response to concerns about inflation, which, coupled with reduced government spending and volatility in financial markets may have the effect of further increasing economic uncertainty and heightening these risks. Recent bank failures have caused significant disruption in certain companies’ access to bank deposits and lending commitments and may continue to do so. Any of the foregoing could harm our business and we cannot anticipate all of the ways in which the current economic climate and financial market conditions could adversely impact our business.
In response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the United States, United Kingdom and EU, along with others, imposed significant new sanctions and export controls against Russia, Russian banks and certain Russian individuals and may implement additional sanctions or take further punitive actions in the future. The full economic and social impact of the sanctions imposed on Russia (as well as possible future punitive measures that may be implemented), as well as the counter-measures imposed by Russia, in addition to the ongoing military conflict between Ukraine and Russia, which could conceivably expand into the surrounding region, remains uncertain; however, both the conflict and related sanctions have resulted and could continue to result in disruptions to trade, commerce, pricing stability, credit availability, supply chain continuity and reduced access to liquidity in both Europe and globally, and has introduced significant uncertainty into global markets. As a result, our business and results of operations, including conduct of global clinical trials with sites in eastern Europe and western Asia, may be adversely affected by the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia and related sanctions, particularly to the extent it escalates to involve additional countries, further economic sanctions or wider military conflict.
Tensions between the United States and China have increased over the past few years as a result of disputes in areas including trade policy, intellectual property, cybersecurity and data privacy, as well as due to geopolitical conflicts such as the war between Ukraine and Russia. We conduct manufacturing and clinical development activities in China. Any unfavorable government policies on cross-border relations or international trade, changes to law, executive orders, tariffs, treaties or trade agreements, or deterioration in U.S.-China relations or international trade may adversely affect the import or export of our drug candidates and materials required for manufacturing or otherwise delay our product development activities, which could in turn have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our success is highly dependent on our ability to attract and retain highly skilled executive officers and employees and key consultants.
To succeed, we must recruit, retain, manage and motivate qualified clinical, scientific, technical and management personnel, and we face significant competition for experienced personnel. We are highly dependent on the management, research and development, clinical, financial and business development expertise of our executive officers, as well as the other members of our scientific and clinical teams, including certain key consultants.
Furthermore, although we have employment offer letters with each of our executive officers, each of them may terminate their employment with us at any time. We do not maintain “key person” insurance for all of our executives or employees. If we do not succeed in attracting and retaining qualified personnel, particularly at the management level, it could adversely affect our ability to execute our business plan and harm our operating results. In particular, the loss of one or more of our executive officers could be detrimental to us if we cannot recruit suitable replacements in a timely manner. The competition for qualified personnel in the biotechnology field is intense and as a result, we may be unable to continue to attract and retain qualified personnel necessary for the future success of our business. We could in the future have difficulty attracting experienced personnel to our company and may be required to expend significant financial resources in our employee recruitment and retention efforts.
Many of the other biotechnology companies that we compete against for qualified personnel have greater financial and other resources, different risk profiles and a longer history in the industry than we do. They also may provide more diverse opportunities and better prospects for career advancement.
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Some of these characteristics may be more appealing to high-quality candidates than what we have to offer. If we are unable to continue to attract and retain high-quality personnel, the rate and success at which we can discover, develop and commercialize atacicept, MAU868 or any other product candidate will be limited and the potential for successfully growing our business will be harmed.
If we are unable to establish sales or marketing capabilities or enter into agreements with third parties to sell or market atacicept, MAU868 or any product candidate we may develop in the future, we may not be able to successfully sell or market atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidate we may develop in the future that obtained regulatory approval.
In order to commercialize any product candidates, if approved, we must build marketing, sales, distribution, managerial and other non-technical capabilities or make arrangements with third parties to perform these services for each of the territories in which we may have approval to sell or market atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidate we may develop. We may not be successful in accomplishing these required tasks.
Establishing an internal sales or marketing team with technical expertise and supporting distribution capabilities to commercialize atacicept, MAU868 or any product candidate we may develop in the future will be expensive and time-consuming, and will require significant attention of our executive officers to manage. Any failure or delay in the development of our internal sales, marketing and distribution capabilities could adversely impact the commercialization of atacicept, MAU868 or any product candidate we may develop in the future that we obtain approval to market, if we do not have arrangements in place with third parties to provide such services on our behalf. Alternatively, if we choose to collaborate, either globally or on a territory-by-territory basis, with third parties that have direct sales forces and established distribution systems, either to augment our own sales force and distribution systems or in lieu of our own sales force and distribution systems, we will be required to negotiate and enter into arrangements with such third parties relating to the proposed collaboration. If we are unable to enter into such arrangements when needed, on acceptable terms, or at all, we may not be able to successfully commercialize atacicept, MAU868 or any product candidate we may develop in the future which may receive regulatory approval or any such commercialization may experience delays or limitations. If we are unable to successfully commercialize our approved product candidates, either on our own or through collaborations with one or more third parties, our future product revenue will suffer and we may incur significant additional losses.
We have never commercialized a product candidate before and may lack the necessary expertise, personnel and resources to successfully commercialize any products on our own or together with suitable collaborators.
As an organization, we have never commercialized a product candidate, and we currently have limited marketing and no sales force, market access or distribution capabilities. To achieve commercial success for a product candidate, which we may license to others, we will rely on the assistance and guidance of those collaborators. For any product candidates for which we retain commercialization rights, we will have to develop our own sales, marketing and supply organization or outsource these activities to a third party.
Factors that may affect our ability to commercialize our current or any future product candidate we may develop, on our own include recruiting and retaining adequate numbers of effective sales and marketing personnel, obtaining access to or educating adequate numbers of physicians on the benefits of our current or any future product candidates we may develop and other unforeseen costs associated with creating an independent sales and marketing organization. Developing a sales and marketing organization will be expensive and time-consuming and could delay the launch of atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidate we may develop. We may not be able to build an effective sales and marketing organization. If we are unable to build our own distribution and marketing capabilities or to find suitable partners for the commercialization of our current or any future product candidate we may develop, we may not generate revenues from such product candidate or be able to achieve or sustain profitability.
In order to successfully implement our plans and strategies, we will need to grow the size of our organization, and we may experience difficulties in managing this growth.
As of March 31, 2024, we had 55 full-time employees, including 38 employees engaged in research and development. In order to successfully implement our development and commercialization plans and strategies, and as we continue to operate as a public company, we expect to need additional managerial, operational, sales, marketing, financial and other personnel. Future growth would impose significant added responsibilities on members of management, including:
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In addition, we plan to conduct multiple clinical trials of atacicept for several different indications concurrently, as well as MAU868 for the treatment of BKV disease in kidney transplant recipients. Given the small size of our organization, we may encounter difficulties managing multiple clinical trials at the same time, which could negatively affect our ability to manage growth of our organization, particularly as we take on additional responsibility associated with being a public company. Our future financial performance and our ability to successfully develop and, if approved, commercialize, atacicept, MAU868 and any other future product candidates will depend, in part, on our ability to effectively manage any future growth, and our management may also have to divert a disproportionate amount of its attention away from day-to-day activities in order to devote a substantial amount of time to managing these growth activities.
We currently rely, and for the foreseeable future will continue to rely, in substantial part on certain independent organizations, advisors and consultants to provide certain services, including key aspects of clinical development and manufacturing. We cannot assure you that the services of independent organizations, advisors and consultants will continue to be available to us on a timely basis when needed, or that we can find qualified replacements. In addition, if we are unable to effectively manage our outsourced activities or if the quality or accuracy of the services provided by third-party service providers is compromised for any reason, our clinical trials may be extended, delayed or terminated, and we may not be able to obtain marketing approval of atacicept, MAU868 and any other future product candidates we may develop or otherwise advance our business. We cannot assure you that we will be able to manage our existing third-party service providers or find other competent outside contractors and consultants on economically reasonable terms, or at all.
If we are not able to effectively expand our organization by hiring new employees and/or engaging additional third-party service providers, we may not be able to successfully implement the tasks necessary to further develop and commercialize atacicept, MAU868 and any other future product candidates we may develop and, accordingly, may not achieve our research, development and commercialization goals.
We or the third parties upon whom we depend may be adversely affected by earthquakes, fires or other natural disasters and our business continuity and disaster recovery plans may not adequately protect us from a serious disaster.
Our headquarters is located in Brisbane, California, in a region which in the past has experienced severe earthquakes and fires. If these earthquakes, fires, other natural disasters, terrorism and similar unforeseen events beyond our control prevented us from using all or a significant portion of our research facility, it may be difficult or, in certain cases, impossible for us to continue our business for a substantial period of time. We do not have a disaster recovery or business continuity plan in place and may incur substantial expenses as a result of the absence or limited nature of our internal or third-party service provider disaster recovery and business continuity plans, which, particularly when taken together with our lack of earthquake insurance, could have a material adverse effect on our business. Furthermore, integral parties in our supply chain are operating from single sites, increasing their vulnerability to natural disasters or other sudden, unforeseen and severe adverse events. If such an event were to affect our supply chain, it could have an adverse effect on our ability to conduct our clinical trials, our development plans and business.
Comprehensive tax reform legislation could adversely affect our business and financial condition.
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, the Tax Cuts and JOBS Act of 2017 (Tax Act) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020 (CARES 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 the Tax Act may affect us, and certain aspects of such legislation could be repealed or modified in future legislation. More recently, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 was enacted which includes provisions that will affect the U.S. federal income taxation of corporations, including imposing a minimum tax on the book income of certain large corporations and an excise tax on certain corporate stock repurchases that would be imposed on the corporation repurchasing such stock. In addition, it is uncertain if and to what extent various states will conform to such legislation or any newly enacted 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 under the Tax Act or future reform legislation 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. Among the changes made by the Tax Act was a reduction of the business tax credit for certain clinical testing expenses incurred in the testing of certain drugs for rare diseases or conditions generally referred to as “orphan drugs”. We continue to examine the impact this tax reform legislation may have on our business. We urge investors to consult with their legal and tax advisers regarding the implications of the Tax Act and other past and potential future changes in U.S. tax laws on an investment in our common stock.
Our ability to utilize our net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes may be limited.
We have incurred losses during our history, we expect to continue to incur significant losses for the foreseeable future, and we may never achieve profitability. As of December 31, 2023, we had federal and state net operating loss (NOL) carryforwards of $118.9 million and $35.7 million, respectively, that will begin expiring in the year 2032 and 2036, respectively, if not utilized. We also have $109.0 million of federal NOL carryforwards as of December 31, 2023, that do not expire as a result of recent tax law changes.
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Our NOL carryforwards are subject to review and possible adjustment by the U.S. and state tax authorities. Our NOL carryforwards could expire unused and be unavailable to offset future taxable income because of their limited duration or because of restrictions under U.S. tax law. NOLs generated in tax years ending on or prior to December 31, 2017 are only permitted to be carried forward for 20 taxable years under applicable U.S. federal tax law. NOLs arising in tax years beginning after December 31, 2017, and before January 1, 2021 may be carried back to each of the five tax years preceding the tax year of such loss, and NOLs arising in tax years beginning after December 31, 2020 may not be carried back. Federal NOLs generated in tax years ending after December 31, 2017 may be carried forward indefinitely, but the deductibility of such federal NOLs is limited to 80% of current year taxable income. At the state level, there may be periods during which the use of NOLs is suspended or otherwise limited, which could accelerate or permanently increase state taxes owed. It is generally uncertain if and to what extent various states will conform to federal tax laws.
In addition, under Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change” (generally defined as a cumulative change in our ownership by “5-percent shareholders” that exceeds 50 percentage points over a rolling three-year period), the corporation’s ability to use its pre-change NOLs and certain other pre-change tax attributes to offset its post-change income and taxes may be limited. Similar rules may apply under state tax laws. We may have experienced such ownership changes in the past, and we may experience ownership changes in the future as a result of subsequent shifts in our stock ownership, some of which are outside our control. We have not conducted any studies to determine annual limitations, if any, that could result from such changes in the ownership. Our ability to utilize those NOLs could be limited by an “ownership change” as described above and consequently, we may not be able to utilize a material portion of our NOLs and certain other tax attributes, which could have an adverse effect on our cash flows and results of operations.
A variety of risks associated with marketing our current or any future product candidate we may develop internationally could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We plan to seek regulatory approval of our current or any future product candidates we may develop outside of the United States and, accordingly, we expect that we will be subject to additional risks related to operating in foreign countries if we obtain the necessary approvals, including:
These and other risks associated with our international operations may significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Risks related to our intellectual property
Our success depends on our ability to protect our intellectual property and our proprietary technologies.
Our commercial success depends in part on our and our current or future licensors’, licensees’ or collaborators’ ability to obtain and maintain proprietary or intellectual property protection in the United States and other countries for atacicept, MAU868, and any future product candidates that we may develop and technologies related to their various uses. We generally seek to protect our proprietary position by, among other things, filing patent applications in the United States and abroad related to our proprietary technologies, and their manufacture and uses that are important to our business, as well as inventions and improvements that are important to the development and implementation of our business.
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Our owned and in-licensed patents and patent applications in both United States and certain foreign jurisdictions relate to atacicept, MAU868, and other products. There can be no assurance that the claims of our owned or in-licensed patents, or any patent application that issues as a patent, will exclude others from making, using or selling our product candidates or any future product candidates or products that are substantially similar to our product candidates or any future product candidates. We also rely on trade secrets, know-how and continuing technological innovation to develop and maintain our proprietary and intellectual property position. We may seek to protect our proprietary position by acquiring or in-licensing additional relevant issued patents or pending applications from third parties. If we or our potential licensors, licensees or collaborators are unable to obtain or maintain patent protection with respect to atacicept, MAU868, and our other products, proprietary technologies and their uses, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be significantly harmed.
Pending patent applications cannot be enforced against third parties practicing the technology claimed in such applications unless, and until, patents issue from such applications, and then only to the extent the issued claims cover the technology. There can be no assurance that our owned or in-licensed patent applications or our current or future licensors’, licensees’ or collaborators’ patent applications will result in additional patents being issued or that issued patents will afford sufficient protection against competitors with similar technology, nor can there be any assurance that the patents issued will not be infringed, designed around or invalidated by third parties.
Moreover, in the future, some of our owned or in-licensed patents and patent applications may be co-owned with third parties. If we are unable to obtain exclusive licenses to any such co-owners’ interest in such patents or patent applications, then such co-owners may be able to license their rights to other third parties, including our competitors, and our competitors could market competing products and technology. In addition, we may need the cooperation of any such co-owners in order to enforce such patents against third parties, and such cooperation may not be provided to us.
Even issued patents may later be found invalid or unenforceable or may be modified or revoked in proceedings instituted by third parties before various patent offices or in courts. Thus, the degree of future protection for our proprietary rights is uncertain. Only limited protection may be available and may not adequately protect our rights or permit us to gain or keep any competitive advantage. These uncertainties and/or limitations in our ability to properly protect the intellectual property rights relating to atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We cannot be certain that the claims in our U.S. pending patent applications and corresponding international applications will be considered patentable by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) courts in the United States or by the patent offices and courts in foreign countries, nor can we be certain that the claims in our issued patent(s) will not be found invalid or unenforceable if challenged.
The patent application process is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that we or any of our potential future collaborators will be successful in protecting atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop by obtaining and defending patents. These risks and uncertainties include the following:
The patent prosecution process is also expensive, time-consuming and complex, and we may not be able to file, prosecute, maintain, enforce or license all necessary or desirable patent applications at a reasonable cost or in a timely manner or in all jurisdictions where protection may be commercially advantageous. It is also possible that we will fail to identify patentable aspects of our research and development output before it is too late to obtain patent protection, for example, if patentable aspects are publicly disclosed, by us or a third party, such as by public use, sale or offer for sale, or publication.
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In addition, although we enter into non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements with parties who have access to confidential or patentable aspects of our research and development output, such as our employees, outside scientific collaborators, CROs, third-party manufacturers, consultants, advisors and other third parties, any of these parties may breach such agreements and disclose such output before a patent application is filed, thereby jeopardizing our ability to seek patent protection. Further, although we require our employees, commercial contractors, and certain consultants and investigators to enter into invention assignment agreements that grant us ownership of any discoveries or inventions made by them while in our employ, we cannot guarantee that we have entered into such agreements with each party, we cannot provide any assurances that all such agreements have been duly executed, and any of these parties may breach such agreements and claim ownership in intellectual property that we believe is owned or in-licensed by us. In addition, publications of discoveries in the scientific literature often lag behind the actual discoveries, and patent applications in the United States and other jurisdictions are typically not published until 18 months after filing, or in some cases not at all. Therefore, we cannot be certain that we were the first to make the inventions claimed in our owned or any licensed patents or pending patent applications, or that we were the first to file for patent protection of such inventions.
Given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of new product candidates, patents protecting such candidates might expire before or shortly after such candidates are commercialized. As a result, our intellectual property may not provide us with sufficient rights to exclude others from commercializing products similar or identical to ours. Should any of the above events occur, it could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
If we breach our license agreement with Ares, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, related to atacicept, or the license agreement with Novartis related to MAU868, we could lose the ability to continue the development and commercialization of atacicept or MAU868, respectively.
We are dependent on patents, know-how and proprietary technology licensed or sublicensed to us from Ares and Novartis. Our commercial success depends upon our ability to develop, manufacture, market and sell our product candidates and use our and our licensor’s proprietary technologies without infringing the proprietary rights of third parties. Either Ares or Novartis may have the right to terminate the applicable license agreement in full in the event we materially breach or default in the performance of any of the obligations under the applicable license agreement. A termination of either license agreement could result in the loss of significant rights and could harm our ability to commercialize our product candidates. Additionally, certain patents, know-how and proprietary technology of third parties, including certain composition of matter patents, are sublicensed to us and in the event the applicable license agreement terminates, expires or is in dispute, it could result in the loss of significant rights and could harm our ability to commercialize our product candidates.
Disputes may also arise between us and Ares, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, Novartis, or any future potential licensors, regarding intellectual property subject to a license agreement, including:
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 product candidates.
In addition, we acquired worldwide, exclusive rights to atacicept pursuant to the Ares Agreement, and worldwide, exclusive rights to develop, manufacture and commercialize MAU868 pursuant to the Amplyx Agreement, pursuant to which we acquired Amplyx’s right, title and interest in the license agreement between Amplyx and Novartis related to MAU868 (the Novartis Agreement). The Ares Agreement and Novartis Agreement are complex, and certain provisions may be susceptible to multiple 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 increase what we believe to be our financial or other obligations under such agreement, either of which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects. Moreover, if disputes over intellectual property that we have licensed prevent or impair our ability to maintain our current licensing arrangement on commercially acceptable terms, we may be unable to successfully develop and commercialize the affected product candidates, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial conditions, results of operations, and prospects.
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We are generally also subject to all of the same risks with respect to protection of intellectual property that we license, as we are for intellectual property that we own, which are described below. If we or our licensors fail to adequately protect this intellectual property, our ability to commercialize products could suffer.
We may be required to make significant payments under our license agreements related to atacicept and MAU868.
Under the Ares Agreement, in consideration for the license, we issued shares of our Series C redeemable convertible preferred stock to Ares at the time of the initial closing of our Series C redeemable convertible preferred stock financing, which automatically converted into 1,913,501 shares of our common stock upon the closing of our IPO. As additional consideration for the license, we paid Ares $25.0 million upon delivery and initiation of the transfer of specified information and materials and we are required to pay Ares aggregate milestone payments of up to $176.5 million upon the achievement of specified BLA filing or regulatory approval and aggregate milestone payments of up to $515.0 million upon the achievement of specified commercial milestones. Commencing on the first commercial sale of licensed products, we are obligated to pay tiered royalties of low double-digit to mid-teen percentages on annual net sales of the products covered by the license. In the event we sublicense our rights under the Ares Agreement, we are obligated to pay Ares a percentage ranging from the mid-single-digit to the low double-digits of specified sublicensing income received.
Under the Amplyx Agreement, we made an upfront initial payment of $5.0 million. We are also obligated to make certain milestone payments to Amplyx in an aggregate amount of up to $7.0 million based on the achievement of certain regulatory milestones. Further, we are required to pay Amplyx low single digit percentage royalties on net sales of MAU868 on a country-by-country and product-by-product basis. In addition, pursuant to the Novartis Agreement, we are obligated to make certain milestone payments to Novartis in an aggregate amount of up to $62.0 million based on the achievement of certain clinical development, regulatory and sales milestones. Further, we are required to pay Novartis mid-to high-single digit percentage royalties based on net sales of MAU868 on a country-by-country and product-by-product basis. If milestone or other non-royalty obligations become due, we may not have sufficient funds available to meet our obligations, which will adversely affect our business operations and financial condition.
If the scope of any patent protection we obtain is not sufficiently broad, or if we lose any of our patent protection, our ability to prevent our competitors from commercializing similar or identical product candidates would be adversely affected.
The patent positions of biotechnology companies generally are highly uncertain, involve complex legal and factual questions for which important legal principles remain unsolved and have been the subject of much litigation in recent years. As a result, the issuance, scope, validity, enforceability and commercial value of our patent rights are highly uncertain. Our pending and future patent applications may not result in patents being issued which protect atacicept or MAU868 or which effectively prevent others from commercializing competitive technologies and product candidates. In addition, the laws of foreign countries may not protect our rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. For example, many countries restrict the patentability of methods of treatment of the human body.
Moreover, the coverage claimed in a patent application can be significantly reduced before a patent is issued, and its scope can be reinterpreted after issuance. Legal standards relating to valid and enforceable claim scope are unsettled in the United States and elsewhere and disputes challenging or re-defining scope are common in the biopharmaceutical industry. Even if patent applications we own or in-license currently or in the future issue as patents, they may not issue in a form that will provide us with any meaningful protection, prevent competitors or other third parties from competing with us, or otherwise provide us with any competitive advantage. Any patents that we own or in-license may be challenged or circumvented by third parties or may be narrowed or invalidated as a result of challenges by third parties. Consequently, we do not know whether atacicept, or MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop will be protectable or remain protected by valid and enforceable patents. Our competitors or other third parties may be able to circumvent our patents by developing similar or alternative technologies or products in a non-infringing manner which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
The issuance of a patent is not conclusive as to its inventorship, scope, validity or enforceability, and our patents may be challenged in the courts or patent offices in the United States and abroad.
The process by which patent applications are examined and considered for issuance as patents involves consideration by the relevant patent office of “prior art” relative to the invented technology. Different countries have different rules about what information or events can be considered “prior art,” and different requirements regarding when a patent application must be filed relative to any particular piece of potential prior art. Moreover, legal decisions can re-interpret or change whether particular information or events are considered to be “prior art.” Still further, in the United States, patent applicants are required to notify the USPTO of any material “prior art” of which they are aware for the patent examiner to consider in addition to independent searches that the patent examiner is required to do. Also, in the United States and certain other jurisdictions, third parties are entitled to submit prior art to patent offices for consideration during examination.
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We may not be aware of certain relevant prior art, may fail to identify or timely cite certain prior art, or may not be able to convince a patent examiner that our patent(s) should issue in light of the art. Also, we cannot be certain that all relevant art will be or was identified during examination of a patent application so that, even if a patent issues, it may be susceptible to challenge that it is not valid over art that was not considered during its examination.
We may be subject to a third-party pre-issuance submission of prior art to the USPTO or other jurisdictions, or become involved in post-grant challenges such as opposition, derivation, revocation, reexamination, post-grant review (PGR) and inter partes review (IPR), or other similar proceedings, or in litigation, challenging our patent rights, including by challenging the validity or the claim of priority of our patents. An adverse determination in any such submission, proceeding or litigation could reduce the scope of, or invalidate or render unenforceable, our patent rights, allow third parties to commercialize atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop and compete directly with us, without payment to us. Such challenges may result in loss of patent rights, loss of exclusivity or in patent claims being narrowed, invalidated or held unenforceable, which could limit our ability to stop others from using or commercializing similar or identical technology and products, or limit the duration of the patent protection of atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop. The outcome following legal assertions of invalidity and unenforceability is unpredictable. With respect to the validity question, for example, we cannot be certain that there is no invalidating prior art, including art of which we were unaware, and art which was not raised during prosecution of any of our patents or patent applications. If a third party were to prevail on a legal assertion of invalidity or unenforceability, we would lose at least part, and perhaps all, of the patent protection on our technology or platform, or any product candidates that we may develop. Such a loss of patent protection would significantly impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Such proceedings also may result in substantial cost and require significant time from our scientists and management, even if the eventual outcome is favorable to us. In addition, if the breadth or strength of protection provided by our patents and patent applications is threatened, regardless of the outcome, it could dissuade companies from collaborating with us to license, develop, or commercialize current or future product candidates or could embolden competitors to launch products or take other steps that could disadvantage us in the marketplace or draw us into additional expensive and time consuming disputes. Should any of these events occur, it could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Intellectual property rights do not necessarily address all potential threats to our competitive advantage.
The degree of future protection afforded by our intellectual property rights is uncertain because intellectual property rights have limitations, and may not adequately protect our business or permit us to maintain our competitive advantage. For example:
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Should any of these events occur, it could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our commercial success depends significantly on our ability to operate without infringing, misappropriating or otherwise violating the patents and other proprietary rights of third parties. Claims by third parties that we infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate their proprietary rights may result in liability for damages or prevent or delay our developmental and commercialization efforts.
Our commercial success depends in part on avoiding infringement, misappropriation or other violations of the patents and 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. A finding by a court or administrative body that we infringe the claims of issued patents owned by third parties could preclude us from commercializing atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop.
Other entities may have or obtain patents or proprietary rights that could limit our ability to make, use, sell, offer for sale or import atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop and products that may be approved in the future, or impair our competitive position. There is a substantial amount of litigation, both within and outside the United States, involving patent and other intellectual property rights in the biotechnology industry, including patent infringement lawsuits, and proceedings, such as oppositions, reexaminations, IPR proceedings and PGR proceedings, before the USPTO and/or corresponding foreign patent offices. In addition, many companies in intellectual property-dependent industries, including the biotechnology industry, have employed intellectual property litigation as a means to gain an advantage over their competitors. Numerous third-party U.S. and foreign issued patents and pending patent applications may exist in the fields in which we are developing atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop. There may be third-party patents or patent applications with claims to compositions, formulations, methods of manufacture or methods for treatment related to the use or manufacture of atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop.
It is possible that one or more organizations will hold patent rights to which we will need a license. If those organizations refuse to grant us a license to such patent rights on reasonable terms, we may be unable to develop, manufacture, market, sell and commercialize products or services or perform research and development or other activities covered by these patents. In the event that any of these patents were to issue and be asserted against us, we believe that we would have defenses against any such assertion, including that such patents are not valid. However, if such defenses to such assertion were unsuccessful, we could be liable for damages, which could be significant and include treble damages and attorneys’ fees if we are found to willfully infringe such patents. We could also be required to obtain a license to such patents, which may not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all. If we are unable to obtain such a license, we could be precluded from commercializing any product candidates that were ultimately held to infringe such patents.
As the biotechnology industry expands and more patents are issued, the risk increases that atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop, may be subject to claims of infringement of the patent rights of third parties. Because patent applications are maintained as confidential for a certain period of time, until the relevant application is published, we may be unaware of third-party patents that may be infringed by commercialization of atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop, and we cannot be certain that we were the first to file a patent application related to a product candidate or technology. Moreover, because patent applications can take many years to issue, there may be currently pending patent applications that may later result in issued patents that atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop may infringe. In addition, identification of third-party patent rights that may be relevant to our technology is difficult because patent searching is imperfect due to differences in terminology among patents, incomplete databases and the difficulty in assessing the meaning of patent claims. There is also no assurance that there is not prior art of which we are aware, but which we do not believe is relevant to our business, which may, nonetheless, ultimately be found to limit our ability to make, use, sell, offer for sale or import our products that may be approved in the future, or impair our competitive position. In addition, third parties may obtain patents in the future and claim that use of our technologies infringes upon these patents. Still further, we cannot rely on our experience that third parties have not so far alleged that we infringe their patent rights, as provisions of U.S. patent laws provide a safe harbor from patent infringement for therapeutic products under clinical development.
Any claims of patent infringement, misappropriation or other violations asserted by third parties would be time consuming and could:
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Any patent-related legal action against us claiming damages or seeking to enjoin commercial activities relating to our products, or processes could subject us to significant liability for damages, including treble damages if we were determined to willfully infringe, and require us to obtain a license to manufacture or market atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop. Defense of these claims, regardless of their merit, would involve substantial litigation expense and would be a substantial diversion of employee resources from our business. We cannot predict whether we would prevail in any such actions or that any license required under any of these patents would be made available on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. Moreover, even if we or a future strategic partner were able to obtain a license, the rights may be nonexclusive, which could result in our competitors gaining access to the same intellectual property. In addition, we cannot be certain that we could redesign atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop processes to avoid infringement, if necessary.
An adverse determination in a judicial or administrative proceeding, or the failure to obtain necessary licenses, could prevent us from developing and commercializing atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition and operating results. In addition, intellectual property litigation, regardless of its outcome, may cause negative publicity and could prohibit us from marketing or otherwise commercializing atacicept, MAU868, and future product candidates and technologies.
Parties making claims against us may be able to sustain the costs of complex patent litigation more effectively than we can. 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 an adverse effect on our ability to raise additional funds or otherwise significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We may not be successful in obtaining or maintaining necessary rights from third parties that we identify as necessary for future product candidates we may develop through acquisitions and in-licenses.
Because our development programs may in the future require the use of proprietary rights held by third parties, the growth of our business may depend in part on our ability to acquire, in-license, or use these third-party proprietary rights.
While we may have in-licensed patents that cover atacicept and MAU868, it is possible that third parties may have blocking patents that prevent us from marketing, manufacturing or commercializing our patented products and practicing our in-licensed patented technology.
We may be unsuccessful in acquiring or in-licensing compositions, methods of use, processes, or other intellectual property rights from third parties that we identify as necessary for practicing inventions claimed by our patents, including the manufacture, sale and use of atacicept, MAU868, and any future product candidates we may develop. 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 or necessary. These established companies may have a competitive advantage over us due to their size, capital resources and greater clinical development and commercialization capabilities. In addition, companies that perceive us to be a competitor may be unwilling to assign or license rights to us. We also may be unable to license or acquire third-party intellectual property rights on terms that would allow us to make an appropriate return on our investment or at all. If we are unable to successfully obtain rights to required third-party intellectual property rights or maintain the existing intellectual property rights we have, we may have to abandon development of the relevant program or product candidate, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We may be involved in lawsuits to protect or enforce our patents, which could be expensive, time consuming and unsuccessful. Further, our issued patents could be found invalid or unenforceable if challenged in court.
Competitors or other third parties may infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate our intellectual property rights. To prevent infringement or unauthorized use, we may be required to file infringement or other intellectual property claims, which can be expensive and time-consuming. In addition, in a patent infringement proceeding, a court may decide that a patent we may in-license in the future or own is not valid, is unenforceable, and/or is not infringed, or may refuse to stop the other party from using the technology at issue on the grounds that our owned or in-licensed patents do not cover the technology in question. If we or any of our potential future collaborators were to initiate legal proceedings against a third party to enforce a patent directed at atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop, the defendant could counterclaim that our patent is invalid and/or unenforceable in whole or in part. In patent litigation in the United States, defendant counterclaims alleging invalidity and/or unenforceability are commonplace.
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Grounds for a validity challenge include an alleged failure to meet any of several statutory requirements, including lack of novelty, obviousness, written description, non-enablement, or obviousness-type double patenting. Grounds for an unenforceability assertion could include an allegation that someone connected with prosecution of the patent withheld relevant information from the USPTO or made a misleading statement during prosecution.
If a defendant were to prevail on a legal assertion of invalidity and/or unenforceability, we may lose at least part, and perhaps all, of the patent protection on such product candidate. In addition, if the breadth or strength of protection provided by our patents and patent applications is threatened, it could dissuade companies from collaborating with us to license, develop or commercialize current or future product candidates. Such a loss of patent protection would significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We may not be able to prevent, alone or with our licensors, misappropriation of our intellectual property rights, particularly in countries where the laws may not protect those rights as fully as in the United States. Our business could be harmed if in litigation the prevailing party does not offer us a license on commercially reasonable terms.
Even if resolved in our favor, litigation or other legal proceedings relating to our intellectual property rights may cause us to incur significant expenses, and could distract our technical and management personnel from their normal responsibilities. Such litigation or proceedings could substantially increase our operating losses and reduce the resources available for development activities or any future sales, marketing or distribution activities. We may not have sufficient financial or other resources to conduct such litigation or proceedings adequately. Our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of such litigation or proceedings more effectively than we can because of their greater financial resources. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of patent litigation or other proceedings could compromise our ability to compete in the marketplace.
Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation or other legal proceedings relating to our intellectual property rights, there is a risk that some of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure during this type of litigation or other proceedings.
Should any of these events occur, it could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Intellectual property litigation may lead to unfavorable publicity that harms our reputation and causes the market price of our common shares to decline.
During the course of any intellectual property litigation, there could be public announcements of the initiation of the litigation as well as results of hearings, rulings on motions, and other interim proceedings in the litigation. If securities analysts or investors regard these announcements as negative, the perceived value of our existing products, programs or intellectual property could be diminished. Accordingly, the market price of shares of our common stock may decline. Such announcements could also harm our reputation or the market for our future products, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Derivation proceedings may be necessary to determine priority of inventions, and an unfavorable outcome may require us to cease using the related technology or to attempt to license rights from the prevailing party.
Derivation proceedings provoked by third parties or brought by us or declared by the USPTO may be necessary to determine the priority of inventions with respect to our patents or patent applications. An unfavorable outcome could require us to cease using the related technology or to attempt to license rights to it from the prevailing party. Our business could be harmed if the prevailing party does not offer us a license on commercially reasonable terms. Our defense of derivation proceedings may fail and, even if successful, may result in substantial costs and distract our management and other employees. In addition, the uncertainties associated with such proceedings could have an adverse effect on our ability to raise the funds necessary to continue our clinical trials, continue our research programs, license necessary technology from third parties or enter into development or manufacturing partnerships that would help us bring atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates to market. Should any of these events occur, it could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Patent reform legislation could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our patent applications and the enforcement or defense of our patents.
As is the case with other biotechnology companies, our success is heavily dependent on intellectual property, particularly patents. Obtaining and enforcing patents in the biotechnology industry involve a high degree of technological and legal complexity. Therefore, obtaining and enforcing biopharmaceutical patents is costly, time consuming and inherently uncertain. Our ability to obtain patents is highly uncertain because, to date, some legal principles remain unresolved, and there has not been a consistent policy regarding the breadth or interpretation of claims allowed in patents in the United States. Furthermore, the specific content of patents and patent applications that are necessary to support and interpret patent claims is highly uncertain due to the complex nature of the relevant legal, scientific, and factual issues.
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Changes in either patent laws or interpretations of patent laws in the United States and other countries may diminish the value of our intellectual property or narrow the scope of our patent protection.
Further, the United States has enacted and implemented wide-ranging patent reform legislation and the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled on several patent cases in recent years, either narrowing the scope of patent protection available in certain circumstances or weakening the rights of patent owners in certain situations. In addition to increasing uncertainty with regard to our ability to obtain patents in the future, this combination of events has created uncertainty with respect to the value of patents, once obtained. Depending on decisions by the U.S. Congress, the U.S. federal courts, the USPTO, or similar authorities in foreign jurisdictions, 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 patent and the patents we might obtain or license in the future. For example, recent decisions raise questions regarding the award of patent term adjustment (“PTA”) for patents in families where related patents have issued without PTA. Thus, it cannot be said with certainty how PTA will or will not be viewed in the future and whether patent expiration dates may be impacted. An inability to obtain, enforce, and defend patents covering our proprietary technologies (including atacicept and MAU868) would adversely affect our business prospects and financial condition.
Similarly, changes in patent laws and regulations in other countries or jurisdictions, changes in the governmental bodies that enforce them or changes in how the relevant governmental authority enforces patent laws or regulations may weaken our ability to obtain new patents or to enforce patents that we may obtain in the future. Further, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect proprietary rights to the same extent or in the same manner as the laws of the United States and Europe. As a result, we may encounter significant problems in protecting and defending our intellectual property both in the United States and abroad. For example, if the issuance in a given country of a patent covering an invention is not followed by the issuance in other countries of patents covering the same invention, or if any judicial interpretation of the validity, enforceability or scope of the claims or the written description or enablement, in a patent issued in one country is not similar to the interpretation given to the corresponding patent issued in another country, our ability to protect our intellectual property in those countries may be limited. Changes in either patent laws or in interpretations of patent laws in the United States and other countries may materially diminish the value of our intellectual property or narrow the scope of our patent protection. For example, the complexity and uncertainty of European patent laws have also increased in recent years. In Europe, a new unitary patent system took effect on June 1, 2023, which will significantly impact European patents, including those granted before the introduction of such a system. Under the unitary patent system, European applications have the option, upon grant of a patent, of becoming a Unitary Patent which will be subject to the jurisdiction of the Unitary Patent Court (UPC). As the UPC is a new court system, there is no precedent for the court, increasing the uncertainty of any litigation. Patents granted before the implementation of the UPC have the option of opting out of the jurisdiction of the UPC and remaining as national patents in the UPC countries. Patents that remain under the jurisdiction of the UPC will be potentially vulnerable to a single UPC-based revocation challenge that, if successful, could invalidate the patent in all countries who are signatories to the UPC. We cannot predict with certainty the long-term effects of any potential changes.
We may be subject to claims challenging the inventorship or ownership of our patents and other intellectual property.
It is possible that we do not transfer or perfect ownership of all patents, patent applications or other intellectual property. This possibility includes the risk that we do not identify all inventors, or identify incorrect inventors, which may lead to claims disputing inventorship or ownership of our patents, patent applications or other intellectual property by former employees or other third parties. There is also a risk that we do not establish an unbroken chain of title from inventors to us. Errors in inventorship or ownership can sometimes also impact priority claims. If we were to lose ability to claim priority for certain patent filings, intervening art or other events may preclude us from issuing patents.
Litigation may be necessary to defend against these and other claims challenging inventorship or ownership. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights. Such an outcome could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and distraction to management and other employees.
Patent terms may be inadequate to protect our competitive position on atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop for an adequate amount of time.
Patents have a limited lifespan. Generally, issued patents are granted a term of 20 years from the earliest claimed non-provisional filing date. Various extensions may be available, but there can be no assurance that any such extensions will be obtained, and the life of a patent, and the protection it affords, is limited. In certain instances, patent term can be adjusted to recapture a portion of delay by the USPTO in examining the patent application (patent term adjustment) or extended to account for term effectively lost as a result of the FDA regulatory review period (patent term extension), or both. There is a risk that we may take action that detracts from any accrued patent term adjustment. Even if patents covering atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop are obtained, once the patent life has expired, we may be open to competition from competitive products. Given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of new product candidates, patents protecting such candidates might expire before or shortly after such candidates are commercialized. As a result, our patent portfolio may not provide us with sufficient rights to exclude others from commercializing products similar or identical to ours.
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Our earliest in-licensed patents may expire before, or soon after, our first product achieves marketing approval in the United States or foreign jurisdictions. Upon the expiration of our current patents, we may lose the right to exclude others from practicing these inventions. The expiration of these patents could also have a similar material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
Any of the foregoing could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Patent terms may be inadequate to protect our competitive position on our products for an adequate amount of time, and if we do not obtain protection under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments and similar non-United States legislation for extending the term of patents covering each of our product candidates, our business may be significantly harmed.
Given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of new product candidates, patents protecting such candidates might expire before or shortly after such candidates are commercialized. Depending upon the timing, duration and conditions of FDA marketing approval of our product candidates, one or more of our United States patents may be eligible for limited patent term extension under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, referred to as the Hatch-Waxman Amendments, and similar legislation in the EU. The Hatch-Waxman Amendments permit a patent term extension of up to five years for a patent covering an approved product as compensation for effective patent term lost during product development and the FDA regulatory review process. A patent term extension cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the date of product approval. Only one patent may be extended per approved drug product, and only those claims covering the approved drug product, a method for using it, or a method for manufacturing it may be extended. However, we may not receive an extension if we fail to apply within applicable deadlines, fail to apply prior to expiration of relevant patents or otherwise fail to satisfy applicable requirements. Moreover, the length of the extension could be less than we request. If we are unable to obtain patent term extension or the term of any such extension is less than we request, the period during which we can enforce our patent rights for that product will be impacted and our competitors may obtain approval to market competing products sooner. As a result, our revenue from applicable products could be reduced and could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We will not be able to protect our intellectual property rights throughout the world.
Filing, prosecuting and defending patents in all countries throughout the world would be prohibitively expensive, and our intellectual property rights in some countries outside the United States may be less extensive than those in the United States. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as federal and state laws in the United States. Consequently, we will not be able to prevent third parties from practicing our inventions in all countries outside the United States or from selling or importing products made using our inventions in and into the United States or other jurisdictions. Competitors may use our technologies in jurisdictions where we have not obtained patent protection to develop their own products and, further, may export otherwise infringing products to territories where we have patent protection, but enforcement is not as strong as that in the United States. These infringing products may compete with atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates we may develop, without any available recourse.
The laws of some other countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. Patent protection must ultimately be sought on a country-by-country basis, which is an expensive and time-consuming process with uncertain outcomes. Accordingly, we may choose not to seek patent protection in certain countries, and we will not have the benefit of patent protection in such countries. In addition, the legal systems of some countries, particularly developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents and other intellectual property protection, especially those relating to biopharmaceuticals. As a result, many companies have encountered significant problems in protecting and defending intellectual property rights in foreign jurisdictions. Because the legal systems of many foreign countries do not favor the enforcement of patents and other intellectual property protection, particularly those relating to biopharmaceutical products, it could be difficult for us to stop the infringement, misappropriation or violation of our patents or our licensors’ patents or marketing of competing products in violation of our proprietary rights. Proceedings to enforce our intellectual property and other proprietary rights in foreign jurisdictions could result in substantial costs and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business, could put our patents or the patents of our licensors at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly, could put our patent applications or the patent applications of our licensors at risk of not issuing and could 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. Accordingly, our efforts to enforce our intellectual property rights around the world may be inadequate to obtain a significant commercial advantage from the intellectual property that we develop or license.
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine and related sanctions could significantly devalue our Russian and Eurasian patents. Recent Russian decrees may significantly limit our ability to enforce Russian patents. We cannot predict when or how this situation will change.
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 such patent.
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If we are forced to grant a license to third parties with respect to any patents relevant to our business, our competitive position may be impaired, and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be significantly harmed.
In addition, recordation of licenses with respect to exclusively licensed patent rights outside of the United States is potentially costly and we might fail to record such rights timely. If we fail to timely record our patent rights, third parties may try to seek licenses from the patent owners, or we may not be able to recover full damages for patent infringement in jurisdictions where we have no such recordations, any of which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Obtaining and maintaining our patent protection depends on compliance with various procedural, documentary, fee payment, and other requirements imposed by regulations and governmental patent agencies, and our patent protection could be reduced or eliminated for non-compliance with these requirements.
Periodic maintenance fees, renewal fees, annuity fees and various other governmental fees on patents and/or applications will be due to the USPTO and various foreign patent offices at various points over the lifetime of our patents and/or patent applications. We have systems in place to remind us to pay these fees, and we rely on our outside patent annuity service to pay these fees when due. Additionally, the USPTO and various foreign patent offices require compliance with a number of 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, and in many cases, an inadvertent lapse can be cured by payment of a late fee or by other means in accordance with rules applicable to the particular jurisdiction. However, there are situations in which noncompliance 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. If such an event were to occur, potential competitors might be able to enter the market with similar or identical products or technology, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
If our trademarks and trade names are not adequately protected, then we may not be able to build name recognition in our markets of interest and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be significantly harmed.
We intend to use registered or unregistered trademarks or trade names to brand and market ourselves and our products. Our trademarks or trade names may be challenged, infringed, circumvented or declared generic or determined to be infringing on other marks. We may not be able to protect our rights to these trademarks and trade names, which we need to build name recognition among potential partners or customers in our markets of interest. At times, competitors may adopt trade names or trademarks similar to ours, thereby impeding our ability to build brand identity and possibly leading to market confusion. In addition, there could be potential trade name or trademark infringement claims brought by owners of other registered trademarks or trademarks that incorporate variations of our registered or unregistered trademarks or trade names. Over the long term, if we are unable to establish name recognition based on our trademarks and trade names, then we may not be able to compete effectively, and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be significantly harmed. Our efforts to enforce or protect our proprietary rights related to trademarks, trade secrets, domain names, copyrights or other intellectual property may be ineffective and could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
In addition, any proprietary name we propose to use with our current or future products in the United States must be approved by the FDA, regardless of whether we have registered it, or applied to register it, as a trademark. The FDA typically conducts a review of proposed product names, including an evaluation of the potential for confusion with other product names. If the FDA objects to any of our proposed proprietary product names, we may be required to expend significant additional resources in an effort to identify a suitable proprietary product name that would qualify under applicable trademark laws, not infringe the existing rights of third parties and be acceptable to the FDA.
If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets, our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects and competitive position would be significantly harmed.
In addition, we rely on the protection of our trade secrets, including unpatented know-how, technology and other proprietary information to maintain our competitive position. Although we have taken steps to protect our trade secrets and unpatented know-how, including entering into confidentiality agreements with third parties, and confidential information and inventions agreements with employees, consultants and advisors, we cannot guarantee that we have entered into such agreements with each party that may have or have had access to our trade secrets or proprietary technology or processes. Further, we cannot provide any assurances that all such agreements have been duly executed, and any of these parties may breach the agreements and disclose our proprietary information, including our trade secrets, or claim ownership in intellectual property that we believe is owned or in-licensed by us. Monitoring unauthorized uses and disclosures of our intellectual property is difficult, and we do not know whether the steps we have taken to protect our intellectual property will be effective. In addition, we may not be able to obtain adequate remedies for such breaches. Enforcing a claim that a party illegally disclosed or misappropriated a trade secret is difficult, expensive and time-consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition, some courts inside and outside the United States are less willing or unwilling to protect trade secrets.
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Moreover, if any of our trade secrets were to be lawfully obtained or independently developed by a competitor or other third party, we would have no right to prevent them from using that technology or information to compete with us. If any of these events occurs or if we otherwise lose protection for our trade secrets, the value of this information may be greatly reduced, and our competitive position would be harmed. If we do not apply for patent protection prior to such publication or if we cannot otherwise maintain the confidentiality of our proprietary technology and other confidential information, then our ability to obtain patent protection or to protect our trade secret information may be jeopardized. Any of the foregoing could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We may be subject to claims that we or our employees have wrongfully used or disclosed alleged confidential information or trade secrets.
We have entered into and may enter in the future into non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements to protect the proprietary positions of third parties, such as outside scientific collaborators, CROs, third-party manufacturers, consultants, advisors, potential partners, lessees of shared multi-company property and other third parties. Many of our employees and consultants were previously employed at, may have previously provided or may be currently providing consulting services to, other biotechnology companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. Although we seek to protect our ownership of intellectual property rights by ensuring that our agreements with our employees, collaborators and other third parties with whom we do business include provisions requiring such parties to assign rights in inventions to us, we may be subject to claims that we or our employees, consultants or independent contractors have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed confidential information of our employees’ former employers or other third parties. We may also be subject to claims that former employers or other third parties have an ownership interest in our future patents or patent applications. Defense of such matters, regardless of their merit, could involve substantial litigation expense and be a substantial diversion of employee resources from our business. We cannot predict whether we would prevail in any such actions. Moreover, intellectual property litigation, regardless of its outcome, may cause negative publicity and could prohibit us from marketing or otherwise commercializing atacicept, MAU868, or any future product candidates or technologies we may develop. Failure to defend against any such claim could subject us to significant liability for monetary damages or prevent or delay our developmental and commercialization efforts, and cause us to lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Even if we are successful in defending against these claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to our management team and other employees.
Parties making claims against us may be able to sustain the costs of complex intellectual property litigation more effectively than we can. Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation, 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 an adverse effect on our ability to raise additional funds or otherwise significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our rights to develop and commercialize our technology and product candidates may be subject, in part, to the terms and conditions of licenses granted to us by others.
We may enter into license agreements in the future with others to advance our research or allow commercialization of our product candidates. These and other licenses may not provide exclusive rights to use such intellectual property and technology in all relevant fields of use and in all territories in which we may wish to develop or commercialize our technology and products in the future. As a result, we may not be able to prevent competitors from developing and commercializing competitive products in territories included in our licenses.
If we fail to comply with our obligations under any such license agreements, including obligations to make various milestone payments and royalty payments and other obligations, the licensor may have the right to terminate the license. If these agreements are terminated, we could lose intellectual property rights that are important to our business, be liable for any damages to such licensors or be prevented from developing and commercializing our product candidates, and competitors could have the freedom to seek regulatory approval of, and to market, products identical to ours. Termination of these agreements or reduction or elimination of our rights under these agreements may also result in our being required to negotiate new or reinstated agreements with less favorable terms, cause us to lose our rights under these agreements, including our rights to important intellectual property or technology, or impede, delay or prohibit the further development or commercialization of one or more product candidates that rely on such agreements. It is possible that we may be unable to obtain any additional licenses at a reasonable cost or on reasonable terms, if at all. In that event, we may be required to expend significant time and resources to redesign our product candidates or the methods for manufacturing them or to develop or license replacement technology, all of which may not be feasible on a technical or commercial basis.
In addition, subject to the terms of any such license agreements, we may not have the right to control the preparation, filing, prosecution, maintenance, enforcement and defense of patents and patent applications covering the technology that we license from third parties. In such an event, we cannot be certain that these patents and patent applications will be prepared, filed, prosecuted, maintained, enforced and defended in a manner consistent with the best interests of our business, including the payment of all applicable fees for patents covering our product candidates.
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If our licensors fail to prosecute, maintain, enforce and defend such patents, or lose rights to those patents or patent applications, the rights we have licensed may be reduced or eliminated, and our right to develop and commercialize any of our products that are subject of such licensed rights could be adversely affected. Further, we may not be able to prevent competitors from making, using and selling competing products. In addition, even where we have the right to control the prosecution of patents and patent applications we have licensed to and from third parties, we may still be adversely affected or prejudiced by the actions or inactions of our licensees, our licensors and their counsel that took place prior to the date upon which we assumed control over patent prosecution.
Our licensors may have relied on third-party consultants or collaborators or on funds from third parties such that our licensors are not the sole and exclusive owners of the patents we in-licensed. If other third parties have ownership rights to our in-licensed patents, they may be able to license such patents to our competitors, and our competitors could market competing products and technology. This could have an adverse effect on our competitive position, business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We may need to obtain additional licenses from existing licensors and others to advance our research or allow commercialization of product candidates we develop. It is possible that we may be unable to obtain additional licenses at a reasonable cost or on reasonable terms, if at all. Even if we are able to obtain a license, it may be non-exclusive, thereby giving our competitors access to the same technologies licensed to us. In that event, we may be required to expend significant time and resources to redesign our technology, product candidates, or the methods for manufacturing them or to develop or license replacement technology, all of which may not be feasible on a technical or commercial basis. If we are unable to do so, we may be unable to develop or commercialize the affected product candidates, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects significantly. We cannot provide any assurances that third-party patents do not exist which might be enforced against our current technology, manufacturing methods, product candidates, or future methods or products resulting in either an injunction prohibiting our manufacture or future sales, or, with respect to our future sales, an obligation on our part to pay royalties and/or other forms of compensation to third parties, which could be significant. Should any of these events occur, it could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
If we fail to comply with our obligations in the agreements under which we license intellectual property rights from third parties or otherwise experience disruptions to our business relationships with our licensors, we could lose license rights that are important to our business.
Disputes may arise between us and our past, current or future licensors regarding intellectual property subject to a license agreement, including:
In addition, the agreements under which we license intellectual property or technology from third parties are complex, and certain provisions in such agreements may be susceptible to multiple 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 significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. 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 the affected product candidates, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition and prospects.
In spite of our best efforts, our licensors might conclude that we have materially breached our license agreements and might therefore terminate the license agreements, thereby removing our ability to develop and commercialize products and technology covered by these license agreements. If these in-licenses are terminated, or if the underlying patents fail to provide the intended exclusivity, competitors would have the freedom to seek regulatory approval of, and to market, products identical to ours. This could significantly harm our competitive position, business, financial condition and prospects.
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Intellectual property discovered through government funded programs may be subject to federal regulations such as “march-in” rights, certain reporting requirements and a preference for U.S.-based companies. Compliance with such regulations may limit our exclusive rights and limit our ability to contract with non-U.S. manufacturers.
We may develop, acquire, or license intellectual property rights that have been generated through the use of U.S. government funding or grants. Pursuant to the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980, the U.S. government has certain rights in inventions developed with government funding. These U.S. government rights include a non-exclusive, non-transferable, irrevocable worldwide license to use inventions for any governmental purpose. In addition, the U.S. government has the right, under certain limited circumstances, to require us to grant exclusive, partially exclusive, or non-exclusive licenses to any of these inventions to a third party if it determines that: (1) adequate steps have not been taken to commercialize the invention; (2) government action is necessary to meet public health or safety needs; or (3) government action is necessary to meet requirements for public use under federal regulations (also referred to as march-in rights). If the U.S. government exercised its march-in rights in our future intellectual property rights that are generated through the use of U.S. government funding or grants, we could be forced to license or sublicense intellectual property developed by us or that we license on terms unfavorable to us, and there can be no assurance that we would receive compensation from the U.S. government for the exercise of such rights. The U.S. government also has the right to take title to these inventions if the grant recipient fails to disclose the invention to the government or fails to file an application to register the intellectual property within specified time limits. Intellectual property generated under a government funded program is also subject to certain reporting requirements, compliance with which may require us to expend substantial resources. In addition, the U.S. government requires that any products embodying any of these inventions or produced through the use of any of these inventions be manufactured substantially in the United States. This preference for U.S. industry may be waived by the federal agency that provided the funding if the owner or assignee of the intellectual property can show that reasonable but unsuccessful efforts have been made to grant licenses on similar terms to potential licensees that would be likely to manufacture substantially in the United States or that under the circumstances domestic manufacture is not commercially feasible. This preference for U.S. industry may limit our ability to contract with non-U.S. product manufacturers for products covered by such intellectual property. Any exercise by the government of any of the foregoing rights could harm our competitive position, business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Risks related to our dependence on third parties
We rely, and expect to continue to rely, on third parties, including independent clinical investigators and CROs, to conduct certain aspects of our nonclinical studies and clinical trials. If these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties, comply with applicable regulatory requirements or meet expected deadlines, we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for or commercialize atacicept, MAU868 or future product candidates we may develop and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be significantly harmed.
We have relied upon and plan to continue to rely upon third parties, including independent clinical investigators and third-party CROs, to conduct certain aspects of our nonclinical studies and clinical trials and to monitor and manage data for our ongoing nonclinical and clinical programs. We rely on these parties for execution of our nonclinical studies and clinical trials, and control only certain aspects of their activities. Nevertheless, we are responsible for ensuring that each of our studies and trials is conducted in accordance with the applicable protocol, legal, regulatory and scientific standards, and our reliance on these third parties does not relieve us of our regulatory responsibilities. We and our third-party contractors and CROs are required to comply with GCP requirements, which are regulations and guidelines enforced by the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities for atacicept and MAU868 in clinical development. Regulatory authorities enforce these GCPs through periodic inspections of trial sponsors, principal investigators and trial sites. If we or any of these third parties or our CROs fail to comply with applicable GCPs, the clinical data generated in our clinical trials may be deemed unreliable and the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may require us to perform additional clinical trials before approving our marketing applications. We cannot assure you that upon inspection by a given regulatory authority, such regulatory authority will determine that any of our clinical trials comply with GCP regulations. In addition, our clinical trials must be conducted with product produced under cGMP regulations. Failure to comply and maintain adequate documentation with these regulations may require us to repeat clinical trials, which would delay the regulatory approval process. Moreover, our business may be adversely affected if any of these third parties violates federal or state fraud and abuse or false claims laws and regulations or healthcare privacy and security laws.
Further, these investigators and CROs are not our employees and we will not be able to control, other than by contract, the amount of resources, including time, which they devote to atacicept or MAU868 and clinical trials. These third parties may also have relationships with other commercial entities, including our competitors, for whom they may also be conducting clinical trials or other product development activities, which could affect their performance on our behalf. If independent investigators or CROs fail to devote sufficient resources to the development of atacicept or MAU868, or if CROs do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or obligations or meet expected deadlines, if they need to be replaced or if the quality or accuracy of the clinical data they obtain is compromised due to the failure to adhere to our clinical protocols, regulatory requirements or for other reasons, our clinical trials may be extended, delayed or terminated and we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for or successfully commercialize atacicept or MAU868. As a result, our results of operations and the commercial prospects for atacicept and MAU868 would be harmed, our costs could increase and our ability to generate revenues could be delayed or precluded entirely, and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be significantly harmed.
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Our CROs have the right to terminate their agreements with us in the event of an uncured material breach. In addition, some of our CROs have an ability to terminate their respective agreements with us if it can be reasonably demonstrated that the safety of the subjects participating in our clinical trials warrants such termination, if we make a general assignment for the benefit of our creditors or if we are liquidated. In addition, our CROs could fail to perform, we could terminate their agreements or they could go out of business. If our relationships with our CROs terminate, we may not be able to enter into arrangements with alternative CROs or do so on commercially reasonable terms. Switching or adding CROs involves substantial cost and requires management time and focus, and could delay development and commercialization of atacicept, MAU868 or any future product candidate we may develop. In addition, there is a natural transition period when a new CRO commences work. As a result, delays occur, which can negatively impact our ability to meet our desired clinical development timelines. Though we intend to carefully manage our relationships with our CROs, there can be no assurance that we will not encounter challenges or delays in the future or that these delays or challenges will not have a negative impact on our business and financial condition.
If any of our relationships with these third-party CROs terminate, we may not be able to enter into arrangements with alternative CROs or do so on commercially reasonable terms. Switching or adding additional CROs involves additional cost and requires management time and focus. In addition, there is a natural transition period when a new CRO commences work. As a result, delays occur, which can materially impact our ability to meet our desired clinical development timelines. Additionally, CROs may lack the capacity to absorb higher workloads or take on additional capacity to support our needs. There can be no assurance that we will not encounter challenges or delays with CROs in the future or that these delays or challenges will not significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Prior to obtaining the rights to MAU868 from Amplyx, third parties had been responsible for all development activities. Although we believe the historical development activities were conducted in accordance with applicable rules and regulations in material respects, we cannot assure you that we will not discover inaccuracies or noncompliance in prior development activities that have an adverse effect on the future development of MAU868. For example, a regulatory authority may choose to inspect an investigational site and/or vendor such as a CRO for an MAU868 study that was previously conducted by Amplyx. Findings from such inspections could have an impact on the review of any future marketing applications by the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities.
In connection with our acquisition of MAU868, we have assumed the responsibility for ongoing clinical studies with MAU868, including related expenses and manufacturing and regulatory activities, which were previously managed and funded by Amplyx. This includes responsibility for the Phase 2 clinical trial of MAU868 for the treatment of BKV infection in kidney transplant recipients previously conducted by Amplyx. Any adverse events or reactions experienced by subjects in the trial may be attributed to MAU868 and may limit our ability to obtain regulatory approval with labeling that we consider desirable, or at all.
We contract with third parties for the manufacture of atacicept and MAU868 drug products for our ongoing clinical trials, and expect to continue to do so for additional clinical trials of our product candidates and ultimately for commercialization. This reliance on third parties increases the risk that we will not have sufficient quantities of atacicept, MAU868 or other product candidates necessary for the development or commercialization of atacicept, MAU868 or such other product candidates or such quantities at an acceptable cost, which could delay, prevent or impair our development or commercialization efforts.
We do not currently have the infrastructure or internal capability to manufacture supplies of our product candidates for use in development and commercialization. We rely, and expect to continue to rely, on third-party manufacturers for the production of our product candidates for clinical trials under the guidance of members of our organization. We do not have long-term commercial supply agreements for atacicept or MAU868. Furthermore, the raw materials for our product candidates are sourced, in some cases, from a single-source supplier. If we were to experience an unexpected loss of supply of our product candidates for any reason, whether as a result of manufacturing, supply or storage issues or otherwise, we could experience delays, disruptions, suspensions or terminations of, or be required to restart or repeat, any pending or ongoing clinical trials.
We expect to continue to rely on third-party manufacturers for the commercial supply of our product candidates, if we obtain marketing approval. We may be unable to maintain or establish required agreements with third-party manufacturers or to do so on acceptable terms. Even if we are able to establish agreements with third-party manufacturers, reliance on third-party manufacturers entails additional risks, including:
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We have limited control over the manufacturing process of, and are dependent on, our contract manufacturing partners for compliance with cGMP regulations for manufacturing both active drug substances and finished drug products. Third-party manufacturers may not be able to comply with cGMP regulations or similar regulatory requirements outside of the United States. If our contract manufacturers cannot successfully manufacture material that conforms to our specifications and the strict regulatory requirements of the FDA or other regulatory authorities, they will not be able to secure and/or maintain marketing approval for their manufacturing facilities. In addition, have limited control over the ability of our contract manufacturers to maintain adequate quality control, quality assurance and qualified personnel. If the FDA or a comparable foreign regulatory authority does not approve these facilities for the manufacture of our product candidates, or if it withdraws any such approval in the future, we may need to find alternative manufacturing facilities, which would significantly impact our ability to develop, obtain marketing approval for or market our product candidates, if approved. We, or our contract manufacturers, any future collaborators and their contract manufacturers could be subject to periodic unannounced inspections by the FDA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities, to monitor and ensure compliance with cGMP. Despite our efforts to audit and verify regulatory compliance, one or more of our third-party manufacturing vendors may be found on regulatory inspection by the FDA or other comparable foreign regulatory authorities to be noncompliant with cGMP regulations. Our failure, or the failure of our third-party manufacturers, to comply with applicable regulations could result in sanctions being imposed on us, including shutdown of the third-party vendor or invalidation of drug product lots or processes, fines, injunctions, civil penalties, delays, suspension, variation or withdrawal of approvals, license revocation, seizures or recalls of product candidates or drugs, operating restrictions and criminal prosecutions, any of which could significantly and adversely affect supplies of our product candidates or other drugs necessary for the development or commercialization of our product candidates and significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Furthermore, if the third-party providers of therapies or therapies in development used in combination with our product candidates are unable to produce sufficient quantities for clinical trials or for commercialization of our product candidates, or if the cost of combination therapies are prohibitive, our development and commercialization efforts would be impaired, which would significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our current and anticipated future dependence upon others for the manufacture of our product candidates or other drugs necessary for the development or commercialization of our product candidates may adversely affect our future profit margins and our ability to commercialize any product candidates that receive marketing approval on a timely and competitive basis.
The manufacture of drugs is complex and our third-party manufacturers may encounter difficulties in production. If any of our third-party manufacturers encounter such difficulties, our ability to provide adequate supply of our product candidates for clinical trials or our product for patients, if approved, could be delayed or prevented.
Manufacturing drugs, especially in large quantities, is complex and may require the use of innovative technologies. Each lot of an approved drug product must undergo thorough testing for identity, strength, quality, purity and potency. Manufacturing drugs requires facilities specifically designed for and validated for this purpose, and sophisticated quality assurance and quality control procedures are necessary. Slight deviations anywhere in the manufacturing process, including filling, labeling, packaging, storage and shipping and quality control and testing, may result in lot failures, product recalls or spoilage. When changes are made to the manufacturing process, we may be required to provide nonclinical and clinical data showing the comparable identity, strength, quality, purity or potency of the products before and after such changes. If microbial, viral or other contaminations are discovered at the facilities of our manufacturer, such facilities may need to be closed for an extended period of time to investigate and remedy the contamination, which could delay clinical trials and significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. The use of biologically derived ingredients can also lead to allegations of harm, including infections or allergic reactions, or closure of product facilities due to possible contamination. If our manufacturers are unable to produce sufficient quantities for clinical trials or for commercialization as a result of these challenges, or otherwise, our development and commercialization efforts would be impaired, which would significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
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If we engage in future acquisitions or strategic partnerships, this may increase our capital requirements, dilute our stockholders, cause us to incur debt or assume contingent liabilities, and subject us to other risks.
From time to time, we may evaluate various acquisition opportunities and strategic partnerships, including licensing or acquiring complementary products, intellectual property rights, technologies or businesses. Any potential acquisition or strategic partnership may entail numerous risks, including:
In addition, if we undertake acquisitions or pursue partnerships in the future, we may issue dilutive securities, assume or incur debt obligations, incur large one-time expenses and acquire intangible assets that could result in significant future amortization expense. Moreover, we may not be able to locate suitable acquisition opportunities, and this inability could impair our ability to grow or obtain access to technology or products that may be important to the development of our business.
We may enter into collaborations with third parties for the development and commercialization of our product candidates. If those collaborations are not successful, we may not be able to capitalize on the market potential of atacicept or MAU868.
In the future, we may partner with third-party collaborators for the development and commercialization of our product candidates. Our likely collaborators for any future collaboration arrangements would likely include large and mid-size pharmaceutical companies, regional and national pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies.
We will likely have limited control over the amount and timing of resources that our collaborators dedicate to the development or commercialization of our product candidates. Our ability to generate revenues from these arrangements will depend on our collaborators’ abilities and efforts to successfully perform the functions assigned to them in these arrangements. Collaborations involving our product candidates could pose numerous risks to us, including the following:
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If we decide to establish collaborations in the future, but are not able to establish those collaborations on commercially reasonable terms, we may have to alter our development and commercialization plans.
Our drug development programs and the potential commercialization of our current or any future product candidates we may develop will require substantial additional cash to fund expenses. We may continue to seek to selectively form collaborations to expand our capabilities, potentially accelerate research and development activities and provide for commercialization activities by third parties. Any of these relationships may require us to incur non-recurring and other charges, increase our near and long-term expenditures, issue securities that dilute our existing stockholders, or disrupt our management and business.
If we seek collaborations in the future, we will face significant competition in seeking appropriate collaborators and the negotiation process is time-consuming and complex. Whether we reach a definitive agreement for a collaboration will depend, among other things, upon our assessment of the collaborator’s resources and expertise, the terms and conditions of the proposed collaboration and the proposed collaborator’s evaluation of a number of factors. Those factors may include the design or results of clinical trials, the likelihood of approval by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities, the potential market for the subject product candidate, the costs and complexities of manufacturing and delivering such product candidate to patients, the potential of competing drugs, the existence of uncertainty with respect to our ownership of intellectual property and industry and market conditions generally. The potential collaborator may also consider alternative product candidates or technologies for similar indications that may be available to collaborate on and whether such collaboration could be more attractive than the one with us for our product candidates. Further, we may not be successful in our efforts to establish a collaboration or other alternative arrangements for future product candidates because they may be deemed to be at too early of a stage of development for collaborative effort and third parties may not view them as having the requisite potential to demonstrate safety and efficacy.
In addition, there have been a significant number of recent business combinations among large pharmaceutical companies that have resulted in a reduced number of potential future collaborators. Even if we are successful in entering into a collaboration, the terms and conditions of that collaboration may restrict us from entering into future agreements on certain terms with potential collaborators.
If and when we seek to enter into additional collaborations, we may not be able to negotiate collaborations on a timely basis, on acceptable terms, or at all. If we are unable to do so, we may have to curtail the development of a product candidate, reduce or delay its development program or one or more of our other development programs, delay its potential commercialization or reduce the scope of any sales or marketing activities, or increase our expenditures and undertake development or commercialization activities at our own expense. If we elect to increase our expenditures to fund development or commercialization activities on our own, we may need to obtain additional capital, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms or at all. If we do not have sufficient funds, we may not be able to further develop our product candidates or bring them to market and generate product revenue.
Risks related to ownership of our Class A common stock
The price of our common stock may be volatile, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
The trading price of our common stock has been, and is likely to be, highly volatile and subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which we cannot control. For example, the closing price of our common stock from January 1, 2023 to May 3, 2024, has ranged from a low of $5.41 to a high of $49.14. The stock market in general, and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in particular, have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of these companies.
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Broad market and industry factors may negatively affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. In addition to the factors discussed in this “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in this Quarterly Report, these factors include:
In addition, the trading prices for common stock of other biotechnology companies have been highly volatile as a result of factors unrelated to the specific company or its technology. Broad market and industry factors may negatively affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance.
The realization of any of the above risks or any of a broad range of other risks, including those described in this “Risk Factors” section, could have a dramatic and adverse impact on the market price of our common stock.
Our business could be negatively affected as a result of actions of activist stockholders, and such activism could impact the trading value of our securities.
Stockholders may, from time to time, engage in proxy solicitations or advance stockholder proposals, or otherwise attempt to effect changes and assert influence on our board of directors and management. Activist campaigns that contest or conflict with our strategic direction or seek changes in the composition of our board of directors could have an adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition. A proxy contest would require us to incur significant legal and advisory fees, proxy solicitation expenses and administrative and associated costs and require significant time and attention by our board of directors and management, diverting their attention from the pursuit of our business strategy. Any perceived uncertainties as to our future direction and control, our ability to execute on our strategy, or changes to the composition of our board of directors or senior management team arising from a proxy contest could lead to the perception of a change in the direction of our business or instability which may result in the loss of potential business opportunities, make it more difficult to pursue our strategic initiatives, or limit our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel and business partners, any of which could adversely affect our business and operating results.
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If individuals are ultimately elected to our board of directors with a specific agenda, it may adversely affect our ability to effectively implement our business strategy and create additional value for our stockholders. We may choose to initiate, or may become subject to, litigation as a result of the proxy contest or matters arising from the proxy contest, which would serve as a further distraction to our board of directors and management and would require us to incur significant additional costs. In addition, actions such as those described above could cause significant fluctuations in our stock price based upon temporary or speculative market perceptions or other factors that do not necessarily reflect the underlying fundamentals and prospects of our business.
If we experience material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting in the future or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls in the future, we may not be able to accurately or timely report our financial condition or results of operations, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and, as a result, the value of our common stock.
As a public company, we are required to maintain internal control over financial reporting and to report any material weaknesses in such internal controls. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (Section 404) requires that we evaluate and determine the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting and provide a management report on internal control over financial reporting. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act also requires that our management report on internal control over financial reporting be attested to by our independent registered public accounting firm, to the extent we are no longer an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, and are not a non-accelerated filer. We do not expect our independent registered public accounting firm to attest to our management report on internal control over financial reporting for so long as we are an emerging growth company.
We have in the past and may in the future identify material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting. If we identify any such material weaknesses, if we are unable to comply with the requirements of Section 404 in a timely manner, if we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or when required in the future, if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an opinion as to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and the market price of our common stock could be adversely affected, and we could become subject to investigations by the stock exchange on which our securities are listed, the SEC, or other regulatory authorities, which could require additional financial and management resources.
Our principal stockholders and management own a significant percentage of our outstanding voting stock and will be able to exert significant control over matters subject to stockholder approval.
Our executive officers and directors, combined with our stockholders who own more than 5% of our outstanding capital stock, beneficially own a significant percentage of our outstanding voting stock. Therefore, these stockholders are able to significantly influence us through this ownership position. These stockholders may be able to determine all matters requiring stockholder approval. For example, these stockholders 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. This may prevent or discourage unsolicited acquisition proposals or offers for our common stock that you may feel are in your best interest as one of our stockholders. The interests of this group of stockholders may not always coincide with your interests or the interests of other stockholders and they may act in a manner that advances their best interests and not necessarily those of other stockholders, including seeking a premium value for their shares, and might affect the prevailing market price for our common stock.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market could cause our stock price to fall.
Our common stock price could decline as a result of sales of a large number of shares of common stock in the future or the perception that these sales could occur. These sales, or the possibility that these sales may occur, might also make it more difficult for us to sell equity securities in the future at a time and price that we deem appropriate.
As of March 31, 2024, there were 54,457,371 shares of Class A common stock outstanding and held of record by 20 stockholders. The number of record holders of our common stock does not include DTC participants or beneficial owners holding shares through nominee names.
Further, certain holders of our common stock have rights, subject to certain conditions, to require us to file registration statements covering the sale of their shares or to include their shares in registration statements that we may file for ourselves or our other stockholders. We have also registered all shares of common stock that we may issue under our equity compensation plans. Such shares can be freely sold in the public market upon issuance, subject to volume limitations applicable to affiliates.
In addition, in the future, we may issue additional shares of common stock, or other equity or debt securities convertible into common stock, in connection with a financing, acquisition, employee arrangement or otherwise. Any such issuance could result in substantial dilution to our existing stockholders and could cause the price of our common stock to decline.
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Raising additional capital may cause dilution to our existing stockholders, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to atacicept, MAU868 or future product candidates we may develop on unfavorable terms to us.
We may seek additional capital through a variety of means, including through public or private equity, debt financings or other sources, including up-front payments and milestone payments from strategic collaborations. For example, since our initial public offering, we have completed three follow-on public offerings of our common stock. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt or equity securities, your ownership interest will be diluted, and the terms may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect your rights as a stockholder. Such financing may result in dilution to stockholders, imposition of debt covenants, increased fixed payment obligations or other restrictions that may affect our business. If we raise additional funds through up-front payments or milestone payments pursuant to strategic collaborations with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to atacicept, MAU868 or future product candidates we may develop, or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us. In addition, we may seek additional capital due to favorable market conditions or strategic considerations even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans.
We are an “emerging growth company,” and a “smaller reporting company” and we cannot be certain if the reduced reporting requirements applicable to emerging growth companies and smaller reporting companies will make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act. For as long as we continue to be an emerging growth company, we intend to take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies, including:
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 stock price may be more volatile.
We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest to occur of: (1) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have more than $1.235 billion in annual revenue; (2) the date we qualify as a “large accelerated filer,” with at least $700 million of equity securities held by non-affiliates; (3) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities during the prior three-year period; and (4) December 31, 2026. Based on our current public float, we anticipate that when we re-evaluate our filer status on December 31, 2024, we will determine that we qualify as a “large accelerated filer.”
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 taken advantage of the extended transition period for adopting new or revised accounting standards under the JOBS Act as an emerging growth company. As a result of this election, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates.
Pursuant to Section 404, we are required to furnish a report by our management on our internal control over financial reporting, including, if required by our filing status, an attestation report on internal control over financial reporting issued by our independent registered public accounting firm. However, while we remain an emerging growth company or a non-accelerated filer, we will not be required to include an attestation report on internal control over financial reporting issued by our independent registered public accounting firm. To achieve compliance with Section 404 within the prescribed period, we performed an evaluation to allow management to report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, as required by Section 404(a) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. If our filing status changes, we will need to incur additional professional fees to comply with Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. Despite our efforts, there is a risk that neither we nor our independent registered public accounting firm will be able to conclude within the prescribed timeframe that our internal control over financial reporting is effective as required by Section 404. This could result in an adverse reaction in the financial markets due to a loss of confidence in the reliability of our financial statements.
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Additionally, we are also a “smaller reporting company,” as defined in the Exchange Act. We may continue to be a smaller reporting company even after we are no longer an emerging growth company. We may take advantage of certain of the scaled disclosures available to smaller reporting companies and will be able to take advantage of these scaled disclosures for so long as our voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $250 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter, or our annual revenue is less than $100 million during the most recently completed fiscal year and our voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates is less than $700 million measured on the last business day of our second fiscal quarter. Based on our current public float, we anticipate that we will no longer qualify a smaller reporting company for the year ending December 31, 2025.
Investors may find our common stock less attractive as a result of our reliance 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 stock price may be more volatile.
We do not currently intend to pay dividends on our common stock and, consequently, your ability to achieve a return on your investment will depend on appreciation of the value of our common stock.
We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our equity securities. We currently anticipate that we will retain future earnings for the development, operation and expansion of our business and do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends for the foreseeable future. In addition, the terms of the Loan Agreement restrict our ability to declare and pay dividends without the prior written consent of Oxford. Any return to stockholders will therefore be limited to any appreciation in the value of our common stock, which is not certain.
Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws and Delaware law could make an acquisition of us, which may be beneficial to our stockholders, more difficult and may prevent attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control of us that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which you might otherwise receive a premium for your shares. These provisions also could limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock, thereby depressing the market price of our common stock. In addition, because our board of directors is responsible for appointing the members of our management team, 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. Among other things, these provisions:
Moreover, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL), which prohibits a person who owns 15% or more 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 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock, unless the merger or combination is approved in a prescribed manner. These provisions could discourage potential acquisition proposals and could delay or prevent a change in control transaction. They could also have the effect of discouraging others from making tender offers for our common stock, including transactions that may be in your best interests. These provisions may also prevent changes in our management or limit the price that investors are willing to pay for our stock.
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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 are 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 (or, if and only if the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware lacks subject matter jurisdiction, any state court located within the State of Delaware or, if and only if all such state courts lack subject matter jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware) and any appellate court therefrom is the sole and exclusive forum for the following claims or causes of action under the Delaware statutory or common law:
This choice of forum provision would not apply to claims or causes of action brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Securities Act, the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction.
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 or causes of action arising under the Securities Act, including all causes of action asserted against any defendant to such complaint. For the avoidance of doubt, this provision is intended to benefit and may be enforced by us, our officers and directors, the underwriters to any offering giving rise to such complaint, and any other professional entity whose profession gives authority to a statement made by that person or entity and who has prepared or certified any part of the documents underlying such offering. While the Delaware courts have determined that such choice of forum provisions are facially valid, a stockholder may nevertheless seek to bring a claim in a venue other than those designated in the exclusive forum provisions. In such instance, 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.
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, which may discourage lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other employees. If a court were to find the exclusive forum provision contained 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 resolving the dispute in other jurisdictions, all of which could seriously harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
General risk factors
If our information technology systems, or those of any of our third-party partners (such as contract research organizations and clinical trial sites), or our data are or were compromised, we could experience adverse consequences resulting from such compromise, including but not limited to regulatory investigations or actions; litigation; fines and penalties; disruptions of our business operations; reputational harm; additional costs; loss of revenue or profits; and other adverse consequences.
In the ordinary course of business, we and our third-party partners (such as contract research organizations and clinical trial sites) process sensitive information.
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As a result, we and our third-party partners are vulnerable to a variety of evolving threats that could cause security incidents. Cyberattacks, malicious internet-based activity, online and offline fraud and other similar activities threaten the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our sensitive information and information technology systems, and those of our third-party partners. These 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 our third-party partners (such as contract research organizations and clinical trial sites) 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 produce, sell and distribute our services.
We and our third-party partners may also be subject to a variety of evolving threats, including but not limited to errors or malfeasance by personnel, malware (including as a result of advanced persistent threat intrusions), malicious code (such as viruses and worms), software vulnerabilities, hacking, denial of service attacks, credential stuffing, social-engineering attacks (including deep fakes, which may be increasingly more difficult to identify as fake, and phishing attacks), ransomware attacks, supply-chain attacks, software bugs, server malfunctions, software or hardware failures, loss of data or other information technology assets, adware, attacks enhanced or facilitated by AI, telecommunications failures, earthquakes, fires, floods 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 information 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 sensitive information, 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. Additionally, 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.
In addition, our reliance upon third-party partners and technologies to operate critical business systems and to process sensitive information could introduce new cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities, including supply-chain attacks, and other threats to our business operations. We rely on third-party partners in a variety of contexts, including, without limitation, third-party providers of cloud-based infrastructure, encryption and authentication technology, employee email, content delivery to customers, and other functions. We also rely on third-party partners to provide other products, services, parts, or otherwise to operate our business. Our ability to monitor these third parties’ cybersecurity practices is limited, and these third parties may not have adequate information security measures in place. If our third-party partners experience a security incident or other interruption, we could experience adverse consequences. While we may be entitled to damages if our third-party partners 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 our third-party partners’ supply chains have not been compromised.
While we have implemented security measures designed to protect against security incidents, there can be no assurance that these measures will be effective. We take steps to detect, mitigate, and remediate vulnerabilities in our information systems (such as our hardware and/or software, including that of our third-party partners). We may not, however, detect 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. Vulnerabilities could be exploited and result in a security incident.
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 information or our information technology systems, or those of the third-party partners. A security incident or other interruption could disrupt our ability (and that of our third-party partners (such as contract research organizations and clinical trial sites)) to provide our products or services. We may expend significant resources or modify our business activities (including our clinical trial activities) in an effort to protect against security incidents. Additionally, certain data privacy and security obligations may require us to implement and maintain specific security measures, industry-standard or reasonable security measures to protect our information technology systems and sensitive information.
Applicable data privacy and security obligations may require us to notify relevant stakeholders, including affected individuals, customers, regulators and investors, of security incidents. Such disclosures are costly, and the disclosures or the failure to comply with such requirements could lead to adverse consequences. If we or our third-party partners (such as contract research organizations and clinical trial sites) experience a security incident or are perceived to have experienced a security incident, we may experience adverse consequences.
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These consequences may include: government enforcement actions (for example, investigations, fines, penalties, audits, and inspections); additional reporting requirements and/or oversight; restrictions on processing information (including personal data); substantial remediation costs; litigation (including class claims); indemnification obligations; negative publicity; reputational harm; monetary fund diversions; diversion of management attention; interruptions in our operations (including availability of data); financial loss; and other similar harms.
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. We cannot be certain that our insurance coverage will be adequate or sufficient to protect us from or mitigate liabilities arising out of our privacy and security practices, that such coverage will continue to be available to us on economically reasonable terms, or at all, or that such coverage will pay future claims.
In addition to experiencing a security incident, third parties may gather, collect, or infer sensitive information about us from public sources, data brokers, or other means that reveals competitively sensitive details about our organization and could be used to undermine our competitive advantage or market position. Additionally, sensitive information of the Company could be leaked, disclosed or revealed as a result of or in connection with our employees’, personnel’s or third-party partners’ use of generative AI technologies.
Our disclosure controls and procedures may not prevent or detect all errors or acts of fraud.
We designed our disclosure controls and procedures to reasonably assure that information we must disclose in reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management, and 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 due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.
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.
The requirements of being a public company may strain our resources, result in more litigation and divert management’s attention.
As a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act the listing requirements of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC and other applicable securities rules and regulations. Complying with these rules and regulations has increased and will increase our legal and financial compliance costs, make some activities more difficult, time consuming or costly and increase demand on our systems and resources. The Exchange Act requires, among other things, that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and operating results. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. We are required to disclose changes that have materially affected, or are likely to materially affect, our internal control and procedures on a quarterly basis. In order to maintain and, if required, improve our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting to meet this standard, significant resources and management oversight may be required. As a result, management’s attention may be diverted from other business concerns, which could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. We may also need to hire additional employees or engage outside consultants to comply with these requirements, which will increase our costs and expenses.
In addition, changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure are creating uncertainty for public companies, increasing legal and financial compliance costs and making some activities more time consuming. These laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations, in many cases due to their lack of specificity and, as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies.
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This could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. We intend to invest resources to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards, and this investment may result in increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management’s time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. If our efforts to comply with new laws, regulations and standards differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies due to ambiguities related to their application and practice, regulatory authorities may initiate legal proceedings against us and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may be harmed.
These rules and regulations may make it more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance and, in the future, we may be required to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain coverage. These factors could also make it more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified members of our board of directors, particularly to serve on our audit committee and compensation committee, and qualified executive officers.
By disclosing information in SEC filings required of a public company, our business and financial condition will become more visible, which we believe may result in threatened or actual litigation, including by competitors and other third parties. If those claims are successful, our business could be seriously harmed. Even if the claims do not result in litigation or are resolved in our favor, the time and resources needed to resolve them could divert our management’s resources and seriously harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We may be subject to securities litigation, which is expensive and could divert management attention.
The market price of our common stock may be volatile and, in the past, companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their stock have been subject to securities class action litigation and shareholder derivative actions. We may be the target of these types of litigation and claims in the future. These claims and litigation against us could result in substantial costs and divert our management’s attention from other business concerns, which could seriously harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports, or if they publish adverse or misleading research or reports, regarding us, our business or our market, our stock price and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our common stock is influenced by the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us, our business or our market. If few securities or industry analysts commence coverage of us, the stock price would be negatively impacted. If any of the analysts who cover us issue adverse or misleading research or reports regarding us, our business model, our intellectual property, our stock performance or our market, or if our operating results fail to meet the expectations of analysts, our stock price would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of us or fail to publish reports on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
The terms of the Loan Agreement restrict our ability to declare and pay dividends without the prior written consent of Oxford.
Item 3. Defaults Upon Senior Securities
Not applicable.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
Item 5. Other Information
Trading Arrangements
During the quarter ended March 31, 2024, our directors and officers (as defined in Rule 16a-1(f) under the Exchange Act) adopted or terminated the contracts, instructions or written plans for the purchase or sale of our securities set forth in the table below.
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Type of Trading Arrangement |
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Name |
Position |
Action |
Adoption/ Termination Date |
Rule 10b5-1* |
Non- Rule 10b5-1** |
Total Shares of Class A Common Stock to be Sold*** |
Total Shares of Class A Common Stock to be Purchased |
Expiration Date |
Celia Lin, M.D. |
Chief Medical Officer (former) |
Termination |
January 19, 2024 |
X |
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Up to 134,401 |
N/A |
December 19, 2024 |
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* Contract, instruction or written plan intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c) under the Exchange Act. |
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** “Non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” as defined in Item 408(c) of Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act. |
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*** Represents the maximum number of shares that may be sold pursuant to the 10b5-1 trading arrangement. The number of shares to be sold was dependent on the satisfaction of certain conditions as set forth in the written plan. |
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Item 6. Exhibits
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Exhibit Number
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Description
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3.1 |
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3.2 |
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10.1 |
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10.2*¥ |
Offer Letter, by and between the Registrant and Robert Brenner, M.D., dated January 3, 2024. |
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10.3*¥ |
Offer Letter, by and between the Registrant and William Turner, dated December 19, 2023. |
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10.4 |
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10.5 |
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10.6 |
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31.1* |
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31.2* |
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32.1*# |
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32.2*# |
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101.INS* |
Inline XBRL Instance Document |
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101.SCH* |
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema With Embedded Linkbase Documents |
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104* |
Cover Page Interactive Data File – the cover page interactive data file does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document |
* Filed herewith.
¥ Schedules have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K. The registrant undertakes to furnish supplemental copies of any of the omitted schedules upon request by the SEC.
# The information in Exhibits 32.1 and 32.2 shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (including this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q), unless the Registrant specifically incorporates the foregoing information into those documents by reference.
80
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.
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Vera Therapeutics, Inc. |
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Date: May 9, 2024 |
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By: |
/s/ Marshall Fordyce |
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Marshall Fordyce, M.D. |
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Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) |
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Date: May 9, 2024 |
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By: |
/s/ Sean Grant |
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Sean Grant |
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Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) |
81
Exhibit 10.2
January 3, 2024 Robert Brenner, M.D.
Re: Employment Terms
Dear Robert:
On behalf of Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”), I am pleased to offer you employment at the Company on the terms set forth in this offer letter agreement (this “Agreement”). As discussed, the terms of this Agreement govern with respect to your employment, which shall commence no later than January 8, 2024 (such actual date of your commencement of employment, which shall be mutually agreed upon, shall be referred to herein as the “Start Date”).
$480,000 per year, less standard payroll deductions and tax withholdings. Your base salary will be paid on the Company’s ordinary payroll cycle. As an exempt salaried employee, you will be required to work the Company’s normal business hours, and such additional time as appropriate for your work assignments and position, and you will not be entitled to overtime compensation.
Robert Brenner, M.D. January 3, 2024
Page 2
If your employment with the Company is terminated by the Company for Cause or you resign without Good Reason, in either case, prior to the second anniversary of your Start Date, you agree to repay, within 30 days of your last day of employment with the Company, the after-tax portion of the Commencement Advance paid to you by the Company in advance of becoming earned.
Robert Brenner, M.D. January 3, 2024
Page 3
You represent that you are able to perform your job duties within these guidelines, and you are not in unauthorized possession of any unpublished documents, materials, electronically recorded information, or other property belonging to any former employer or other third party to whom you have a contractual obligation to protect such property. In addition, you represent and warrant that your employment by the Company will not conflict with any prior employment or consulting agreement or other agreement with any third party, that you will perform your duties to the Company without violating any such agreement(s), and that you have disclosed to the Company in writing any contract you have signed that may restrict your activities on behalf of the Company.
Robert Brenner, M.D. January 3, 2024
Page 4
(b) increase the amount of Severance described in Section 9(a) and COBRA Severance described in Section 9(b) to twelve months, and add to the cash component, as an additional severance benefit, an amount equal to your target Annual Bonus for the year of your Qualifying Termination, with such cash component to be paid in a single lump sum within ten business days after the effective date of the Release (the “CIC Severance Benefits”).
(a) the Company terminates your employment for Cause, (b) you resign your employment without Good Reason, or (c) either party terminates your employment as a result of your death or disability, then in any such case you will receive only your base salary accrued through your last day of employment, as well as any unused vacation (if applicable) accrued through your last day of employment. Under these circumstances, you will not be entitled to any other form of compensation from the Company, including the Non-CIC Severance Benefits, the CIC Severance Benefits, or any other severance benefits, other than your rights to the vested portion of any equity and any other rights to which you are entitled under the Company’s benefit programs.
Robert Brenner, M.D. January 3, 2024
Page 5
You further agree that you will make a diligent search to locate any such documents, property and information and return them to the Company within the timeframe provided above. In addition, if you have used any personally-owned computer, server, or e-mail system to receive, store, review, prepare or transmit any confidential or proprietary data, materials or information of the Company, then within five business days after your Separation from Service Date you will make best efforts to permanently delete and expunge such confidential or proprietary information from those systems without retaining any reproductions (in whole or in part). You shall deliver to the Company a signed statement certifying compliance with this Section 14 prior to the receipt of the Non-CIC Severance Benefits or CIC Severance Benefits.
During your employment by the Company, except on behalf of the Company, you will not directly or indirectly serve as an officer, director, stockholder, employee, partner, proprietor, investor, joint venturer, associate, representative or consultant of any other person, corporation, firm, partnership or other entity whatsoever known by you to compete with the Company (or is planning or preparing to compete with the Company), anywhere in the world, in any line of business engaged in (or planned to be engaged in) by the Company; provided, however, that you may purchase or otherwise acquire up to (but not more than) 1% of any class of securities of any enterprise (but without participating in the activities of such enterprise) if such securities are listed on any national or regional securities exchange.
For purposes of this Agreement, “Cause” for termination will mean your: (a) commission or conviction (including a guilty plea or plea of nolo contendere) of any felony or any other crime involving fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude; (b) your commission or attempted commission of or participation in a fraud or act of dishonesty or misrepresentation against the Company; (c) material breach of your duties to the Company;
(d) intentional damage to any property of the Company; (e) misconduct, or other violation of Company policy that causes harm; provided that the parties cannot agree in good faith to a reasonable cure of such misconduct or violation; (f) your material violation of any written and fully executed contract or agreement between you and the Company, including without limitation, material breach of your Confidentiality Agreement, or of any Company policy, or of any statutory duty you owe to the Company; or (g) conduct by you which in the good faith and reasonable determination of the Company demonstrates gross unfitness to serve.
For purposes of this Agreement, you shall have “Good Reason” for resigning from employment with the Company if any of the following actions are taken by the Company without your prior written consent:
Robert Brenner, M.D. January 3, 2024
Page 6
a material reduction in your base salary, which the parties agree is a reduction of at least 10% of your base salary (unless pursuant to a salary reduction program applicable generally to the Company’s similarly situated employees); (b) a material reduction in your duties (including responsibilities, authorities, and/or, except in the case of a material change to the Company, reporting structure), provided, however, that a change in job position (including a change in title) shall not be deemed a “material reduction” in and of itself unless your new duties are materially reduced from the prior duties; or (c) relocation of your principal place of employment to a place that increases your one-way commute by more than 50 miles as compared to your then-current principal place of employment immediately prior to such relocation, provided that if you work remotely during any period in which your regular principal place of employment at a Company office is closed, then neither your relocation to remote work or back to the office from remote work will be considered a relocation of your principal place of employment with the Company for purposes of this definition. In order to resign for Good Reason, you must provide written notice to the Chief Executive Officer or the Board within 30 days after each occurrence of the event giving rise to Good Reason setting forth the basis for your resignation, allow the Company at least 30 days from receipt of such written notice to cure such event, and if such event is not reasonably cured within such period, you must resign from all positions you then hold with the Company not later than 30 days after the expiration of the cure period.
For purposes of this Agreement, “Change in Control” shall mean: (a) any consolidation or merger of the Company with or into any other corporation or other entity or person, or any other corporate reorganization, other than any such consolidation, merger or reorganization in which the stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such consolidation, merger or reorganization, continue to hold a majority of the voting power of the surviving entity (or, if the surviving entity is a wholly owned subsidiary, its parent) immediately after such consolidation, merger or reorganization; (b) any transaction or series of related transactions to which the Company is a party in which in excess of 50% of the Company’s voting power is transferred; provided that the foregoing shall not include any transaction or series of transactions principally for bona fide equity financing purposes in which cash is received by the Company or indebtedness of the Company is cancelled or converted or a combination thereof; or (c) a sale, lease, exclusive license or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company.
Robert Brenner, M.D. January 3, 2024
Page 7
The Non-CIC Severance Benefits and CIC Severance Benefits are intended to qualify for an exemption from application of Section 409A or comply with its requirements to the extent necessary to avoid adverse personal tax consequences under Section 409A, and any ambiguities herein shall be interpreted accordingly.
(2) but for this sentence, be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code (the “Excise Tax”), then any such 280G Payment provided pursuant to this Agreement (a “Payment”) shall be equal to the Reduced Amount. The “Reduced Amount” shall be either (x) the largest portion of the Payment that would result in no portion of the Payment (after reduction) being subject to the Excise Tax or (y) the largest portion, up to and including the total, of the Payment, whichever amount (i.e., the amount determined by clause (x) or by clause (y)), after taking into account all applicable federal, state and local employment taxes, income taxes, and the Excise Tax (all computed at the highest applicable marginal rate), results in your receipt, on an after-tax basis, of the greater economic benefit notwithstanding that all or some portion of the Payment may be subject to the Excise Tax. If a reduction in a Payment is required pursuant to the preceding sentence and the Reduced Amount is determined pursuant to clause (x) of the preceding sentence, the reduction shall occur in the manner (the “Reduction Method”) that results in the greatest economic benefit for you. If more than one method of reduction will result in the same economic benefit, the items so reduced will be reduced pro rata (the “Pro Rata Reduction Method”).
Robert Brenner, M.D. January 3, 2024
Page 8
For the avoidance of doubt, if the Reduced Amount was determined pursuant to clause
(y) of Section 18(a), you shall have no obligation to return any portion of the Payment pursuant to the preceding sentence.
Robert Brenner, M.D. January 3, 2024
Page 9
Nothing in this letter agreement is intended to prevent either you or the Company from obtaining injunctive relief in court to prevent irreparable harm pending the conclusion of any such arbitration. Any awards or orders in such arbitrations may be entered and enforced as judgments in the federal and state courts of any competent jurisdiction.
Please sign and date this Agreement and the enclosed Confidentiality Agreement and return them to me on or before January 5, 2024 if you wish to accept employment at the Company under the terms described above. The offer of employment herein will expire if I do not receive this signed letter by that date. I would be happy to discuss any questions that you may have about these terms.
We are delighted to be making this offer and the Company looks forward to your favorable reply and to a productive and enjoyable work relationship.
Sincerely,
Marshall W. Fordyce, M.D. Chief Executive Officer
Reviewed, Understood, and Accepted:
Robert Brenner, M.D. Date
Robert Brenner, M.D. January 3, 2024
Page 10
Exhibit A: Employee Confidential Information and Inventions Assignment Agreement Exhibit B: Form of Release
Exhibit A
EMPLOYEE CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION AND INVENTIONS ASSIGNMENT AGREEMENT
PROPRIETARY INFORMATION, INVENTIONS ASSIGNMENT, NON-COMPETITION AND NON-SOLICITATION AGREEMENT
In consideration of my employment or continued employment by VERA THERAPEUTICS, INC. its subsidiaries, parents, affiliates, predecessors, successors and assigns (together, the “Company”) and the compensation and benefits provided to me now and during my employment with the Company, I hereby enter into this Proprietary Information, Inventions Assignment, Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement (the “Agreement”) and agree as follows:
Nondisclosure.
Recognition of Company’s Rights; Nondisclosure. I understand and acknowledge that my employment by the Company creates a relationship of confidence and trust with respect to the Company’s Proprietary Information (defined below) and that the Company has a protectable interest therein. At all times during my employment and thereafter, I will hold in strictest confidence and will not disclose, use, lecture upon or publish any of the Company’s Proprietary Information, except as such disclosure, use or publication may be required in connection with my work for the Company, or unless an authorized officer of the Company expressly authorizes such in writing. I will obtain the Company’s written approval before publishing or submitting for publication any material (written, verbal, or otherwise) that relates to my work at the Company and/or incorporates any Proprietary Information. I hereby assign to the Company any rights I may have or acquire in such Proprietary Information and recognize that all Proprietary Information shall be the sole property of the Company and its assigns. I will take all reasonable precautions to prevent the inadvertent or accidental disclosure of Proprietary Information. Notwithstanding the foregoing, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1833(b), I shall not be held criminally or civilly liable under any Federal or State trade secret law for the disclosure of a trade secret that:
(1) is made in confidence to a Federal, State, or local government official, either directly or indirectly, or to an attorney, and solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law; or (2) is made in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal.
Proprietary Information. The term “Proprietary Information” shall mean any and all confidential and/or proprietary knowledge, data or information of the Company, its affiliates, parents and subsidiaries, whether having existed, now existing, or to be developed during my employment. By way of illustration but not limitation, “Proprietary Information” includes (a) trade secrets, inventions, mask works, ideas, processes, formulas, source and object codes, data, programs, other works of authorship, know-how, improvements, discoveries, developments, designs and techniques and any other proprietary
technology and all Proprietary Rights therein (hereinafter collectively referred to as “Inventions”);
(b) information regarding research, development, new products, marketing and selling, business plans, budgets and unpublished financial statements, licenses, prices and costs, margins, discounts, credit terms, pricing and billing policies, quoting procedures, methods of obtaining business, forecasts, future plans and potential strategies, financial projections and business strategies, operational plans, financing and capital-raising plans, activities and agreements, internal services and operational manuals, methods of conducting Company business, suppliers and supplier information, and purchasing; (c) information regarding customers and potential customers of the Company, including customer lists, names, representatives, their needs or desires with respect to the types of products or services offered by the Company, proposals, bids, contracts and their contents and parties, the type and quantity of products and services provided or sought to be provided to customers and potential customers of the Company and other non-public information relating to customers and potential customers; (d) information regarding any of the Company’s business partners and their services, including names; representatives, proposals, bids, contracts and their contents and parties, the type and quantity of products and services received by the Company, and other non-public information relating to business partners; (e) information regarding personnel, employee lists, compensation, and employee skills; and
(f) any other non-public information which a competitor of the Company could use to the competitive disadvantage of the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, it is understood that, at all such times, I am free to use information which was known to me prior to employment with the Company or which is generally known in the trade or industry through no breach of this Agreement or other act or omission by me. Further, notwithstanding the foregoing or anything to the contrary in this Agreement or any other agreement between the Company and the Employee, nothing in this Agreement shall limit my right to discuss my employment (including my salary, benefits, job description or other related particulars of my employment with the Company) or report possible violations of law or regulation with any federal government agency or similar state or local agency or to discuss the terms and conditions of my employment with others to the extent expressly permitted by Section
7 of the National Labor Relations Act or to the extent that such disclosure is protected under the applicable provisions of law or regulation.
Third Party Information. I understand, in addition, that the Company has received and in the future will receive from third parties their confidential and/or proprietary knowledge, data, or information from third parties (“Third Party Information”). During my employment and thereafter, I will hold Third Party Information in the strictest confidence and will not disclose to anyone (other than Company personnel who need to know such information in connection with their work for the Company) or use, except in connection with my work for the Company, Third Party Information unless expressly authorized by an authorized officer of the Company in writing.
Term of Nondisclosure Restrictions. I understand that Proprietary Information and Third Party Information is never to be used or disclosed by me, as provided in this Section 1. If, however, a court decides that this Section 1 or any of its provisions is unenforceable for lack of reasonable temporal limitation and the Agreement or its restriction(s) cannot otherwise be enforced, I agree and the Company agrees that the two (2) year period after the date my employment ends shall be the temporal limitation relevant to the contested restriction, provided, however, that this sentence shall not apply to trade secrets protected without temporal limitation under applicable law.
No Improper Use of Information of Prior Employers and Others. During my employment by the Company I will not improperly use or disclose any confidential information or trade secrets, if any, of any former employer or any other person to whom I have an obligation of confidentiality, and I will not bring onto the premises of the Company any unpublished documents or any property belonging to any former employer or any other person to whom I have an obligation of confidentiality unless consented to in writing by that former employer or person.
Assignment of Inventions.
Proprietary Rights. The term “Proprietary Rights” shall mean all trade secrets, patents, copyrights, trade marks, mask works and other intellectual property rights throughout the world.
Prior Inventions. Inventions, if any, patented or unpatented, which I made prior to the commencement of my employment with the Company are excluded from the scope of this Section 2. To
preclude any possible uncertainty, I have set forth on Exhibit A (Prior Inventions) attached hereto a complete list (except as noted) of all Inventions that I have, alone or jointly with others, conceived, developed or reduced to practice or caused to be conceived, developed or reduced to practice prior to the commencement of my employment with the Company, that I consider to be my property or the property of third parties, and that I wish to have excluded from the scope of this Agreement (collectively referred to as “Prior Inventions”). If disclosure of any such Prior Invention would cause me to violate any prior confidentiality agreement, I understand that I am not to list such Prior Inventions in Exhibit A but am only to disclose a cursory name for each such invention, a listing of the party(ies) to whom it belongs and the fact that full disclosure as to such inventions has not been made for that reason. A space is provided on Exhibit A for such purpose. If no such disclosure is attached, I represent that there are no Prior Inventions. If, in the course of my employment with the Company, I incorporate a Prior Invention into a Company product, process or machine, to the extent I am contractually prohibited from granting such right pursuant to a binding contract executed prior to the start of my employment with the Company or to the extent I have not assigned all of my right, title and interest in and to such Prior Invention to a third party prior to start of my employment with the Company (in each case, as documented on Exhibit A), the Company is hereby granted and shall have a nonexclusive, royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual, fully- paid, worldwide license (with rights to sublicense through multiple tiers of sublicensees) to make, have made, modify, make derivative works of, publicly perform, use, sell, import, and exercise any and all present and future rights in such Prior Invention. Notwithstanding the foregoing, I agree that I will not incorporate, or permit to be incorporated, Prior Inventions in any Company Inventions without the Company’s prior written consent.
Assignment of Inventions. Subject to Subsections 2.2 and 2.4, I hereby assign, grant and convey to the Company all my right, title and interest in and to any and all Inventions (and all Proprietary Rights with respect thereto) whether or not patentable or registrable under copyright or similar statutes, made or conceived or reduced to practice or learned by me, either alone or jointly with others, during the period of my employment with the Company. Inventions assigned to the Company or its designee are hereinafter referred to as “Company Inventions.”
Unassigned or Nonassignable Inventions. I recognize, and the Company agrees, that this Agreement will not be deemed to require assignment of any Invention that I developed entirely on my own time
without using the Company’s equipment, supplies, facilities, trade secrets, or Proprietary Information, except for those Inventions that either (i) relate to the Company’s actual or anticipated business, research or development, or (ii) result from or are connected with work performed by me for the Company. In addition, this Agreement does not apply to any Invention which qualifies fully for protection from assignment to the Company under any specifically applicable state law, regulation, rule, or public policy (“Specific Inventions Law”).
Obligation to Keep Company Informed. During the period of my employment, I will promptly disclose to the Company fully and in writing all Inventions authored, conceived or reduced to practice by me, either alone or jointly with others. In addition, I will promptly disclose to the Company all patent applications filed by me or on my behalf during the period of my employment. At the time of each such disclosure, I will advise the Company in writing of any Inventions that I believe fully qualify for protection under the provisions of a Specific Inventions Law; and I will at that time provide to the Company in writing all evidence necessary to substantiate that belief. The Company will keep in confidence and will not use for any purpose or disclose to third parties without my consent any confidential information disclosed in writing to the Company pursuant to this Agreement relating to Inventions that qualify fully for protection under a Specific Inventions Law. I will preserve the confidentiality of any Company Invention that does not fully qualify for protection under a Specific Inventions Law.
Ownership of Work Product.
I acknowledge that all original works of authorship which are made by me (solely or jointly with others) within the scope of my employment and which are protectable by copyright are “works made for hire,” pursuant to United States Copyright Act (17 U.S.C., Section 101).
I agree that the Company will exclusively own all work product that is made by me (solely or jointly with others) within the scope of my employment, and I hereby irrevocably and unconditionally assign to the Company all right, title, and interest worldwide in and to such work product. I understand and agree that I have no right to publish on, submit for publishing, or use for any publication any work product protected by this Section, except as necessary to perform services for the Company or as otherwise permitted by the Company in writing prior to each such instance.
Enforcement of Proprietary Rights. I will assist the Company in every proper way to obtain, and from time to time enforce, United States and foreign Proprietary Rights relating to Company Inventions in any and all countries. To that end I will execute, verify and deliver such documents and perform such other acts (including appearances as a witness) as the Company may reasonably request for use in applying for, obtaining, perfecting, evidencing, sustaining and enforcing such Proprietary Rights and the assignment thereof. In addition, I will execute, verify and deliver assignments of such Proprietary Rights to the Company or its designee, including the United States or any third party designated by the Company. My obligation to assist the Company with respect to Proprietary Rights relating to such Company Inventions in any and all countries shall continue beyond the termination of my employment, but the Company shall compensate me at a reasonable rate after my termination for the time actually spent by me at the Company’s request on such assistance.
In the event the Company is unable for any reason, after reasonable effort, to secure my signature on any document needed in connection with the actions specified in the preceding paragraph, I hereby irrevocably designate and appoint the Company and its duly authorized officers and agents as my agent and attorney in fact, which appointment is coupled with an interest, to act for and in my behalf to execute, verify and file any such documents and to do all other lawfully permitted acts to further the purposes of the preceding paragraph with the same legal force and effect as if executed by me. I hereby waive and quitclaim to the Company any and all claims, of any nature whatsoever, which I now or may hereafter have for infringement of any Proprietary Rights assigned under this Agreement to the Company.
Records. I agree to keep and maintain adequate and current records (in the form of notes, sketches, drawings and in any other form that may be required by the Company) of all Proprietary Information developed by me and all Inventions made by me during the period of my employment at the Company, which records shall be available to and remain the sole property of the Company at all times.
Duty of Loyalty During Employment. I agree that
during the period of my employment by the Company I will not, without the Company’s express written consent, directly or indirectly engage in any employment or business activity which is directly or indirectly competitive with, or would otherwise conflict with, my employment by the Company.
No Solicitation of Employees, Consultants, Contractors, or Customers or Potential
Customers. I agree that during the period of my employment and for the six (6) month period after the date my employment ends for any reason, including but not limited to voluntary termination by me or involuntary termination by the Company, I will not, as an officer, director, employee, consultant, owner, partner, or in any other capacity, either directly or through others, except on behalf of the Company:
solicit, induce, encourage, or participate in soliciting, inducing, or encouraging any employee of the Company to terminate his or her relationship with the Company;
hire, employ, or engage in business with or attempt to hire, employ, or engage in business with any person employed by the Company or who has voluntarily left the employment of the Company within the preceding three (3) months of any such prohibited activity or discuss any potential employment or business association with such person, even if I did not initiate the discussion or seek out the contact;
solicit, induce or attempt to induce any Customer or Potential Customer, or any consultant or independent contractor with whom I had direct or indirect contact during my employment with the Company or whose identity I learned as a result of my employment with the Company, to terminate, diminish, or materially alter in a manner harmful to the Company its relationship with the Company; or
solicit, perform, provide or attempt to perform or provide any Conflicting Services (as defined in Section 6 below) for a Customer or Potential Customer.
The parties agree that for purposes of this Agreement, a “Customer or Potential Customer” is any person or entity who or which, at any time during the one (1) year prior to the date my employment with the Company ends, (i) contracted for, was billed for, or received from the Company any product, service or process with which I worked during my employment by the Company or about which I acquired Proprietary Information; or (ii) was in contact with me or in contact with any other employee, owner, or agent of the Company, of which contact I was aware, concerning any product, service or process with which I worked during my employment with the Company or about which I acquired Proprietary Information; or (iii) was solicited by the Company in an effort in which I was involved or of which I was aware.
Non-Compete Provision. I agree that for the six (6) month period after the date my employment ends for any reason, including but not limited to voluntary termination by me or involuntary termination by the Company, I will not, directly or indirectly, as an officer, director,
employee, consultant, owner, manager, member, partner, or in any other capacity solicit, perform, or provide, or attempt to perform or provide Conflicting Services anywhere in the world where the Company conducts business, including but not limited to locations where the Company performs research or development activities related to the Company’s products, services or processes, nor will I assist another person to solicit, perform or provide or attempt to perform or provide Conflicting Services anywhere in the world where the Company conducts business, including but not limited to locations where the Company performs research or development activities related to the Company’s products, services or processes.
The parties agree that for purposes of this Agreement, “Conflicting Services” means any product, service, or process or the research and development thereof, of any person or organization other than the Company that (a) relates to peptide nucleic acids for therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic uses, (b) is directly competitive with the business as conducted by the Company at any point during the term of my employment or (c) is directly competitive with, to my knowledge, the manner in which the Company plans to conduct business following the term of my employment; provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, the parties recognize and agree that I am a trained nephrologist and may continue to develop and commercialize therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic products in the field of nephrology for academic, non-profit, and/or commercial biotechnology organizations.
REASONABLENESS OF RESTRICTIONS.
I agree that I have read this entire Agreement and understand it. I agree that this Agreement does not prevent me from earning a living or pursuing my career and that I have the ability to secure other non- competitive employment using my marketable skills.
I agree that the restrictions contained in this Agreement are reasonable, proper, and necessitated by the Company’s legitimate business interests, including without limitation, the Company’s Proprietary Rights, Proprietary Information and the goodwill of its customers. I represent and agree that I am entering into this Agreement freely and with knowledge of its contents with the intent to be bound by the Agreement and the restrictions contained in it.
In the event that a court finds this Agreement, or any of its restrictions, to be ambiguous, unenforceable, or invalid, the Company and I agree that the court shall read the Agreement as a whole and interpret the restriction(s) at issue to be enforceable and valid to the maximum extent allowed by law.
No Conflicting Agreement or Obligation. I
represent that my performance of all the terms of this Agreement and as an employee of the Company does not and will not breach any agreement or obligation of any kind to keep in confidence information acquired by me in confidence or in trust prior to my employment by the Company. I have not entered into, and I agree I will not enter into, any agreement either written or oral in conflict with this Agreement.
Return of Company Property. Upon termination of my employment or upon Company’s request at any other time, I will deliver to Company all of Company’s property, equipment, and documents, together with all copies thereof, and any other material containing or disclosing any Inventions, Third Party Information or Proprietary Information and certify in writing that I have fully complied with the foregoing obligation. I agree that I will not copy, delete, or alter any information contained upon my Company computer or Company equipment before I return it to Company. In addition, if I have used any personal computer, server, or e-mail system to receive, store, review, prepare or transmit any Company information, including but not limited to, Proprietary Information, I agree to provide the Company with a computer-useable copy of all such Proprietary Information and then permanently delete and expunge such Proprietary Information from those systems. I further agree that any property situated on Company’s premises and owned by Company is subject to inspection by Company’s personnel at any time with or without notice. Prior to the termination of my employment or promptly after termination of my employment, I will cooperate with Company in attending an exit interview and certify in writing that I have complied with the requirements of this section.
Legal and Equitable Remedies.
I agree that it may be impossible to assess the damages caused by my violation of this Agreement or any of its terms. I agree that any threatened or actual violation of this Agreement or any of its terms will constitute immediate and irreparable injury to the Company and the Company shall have the right to enforce this Agreement and any of its provisions by injunction, specific performance or other equitable relief, without bond and without prejudice to any other rights and remedies that the Company may have for a breach or threatened breach of this Agreement.
In the event the Company enforces this Agreement through a court order, I agree that the restrictions of Sections 5 and 6 shall remain in effect for a period of six (6) months from the effective date of the Order enforcing the Agreement.
Notices. Any notices required or permitted under this Agreement will be given to the Company at its headquarters location at the time notice is given, labeled “Attention Chief Executive Officer,” and to me at my address as listed on the Company payroll, or at such other address as the Company or I may designate by written notice to the other. Notice will be effective upon receipt or refusal of delivery. If delivered by certified or registered mail, notice will be considered to have been given five (5) business days after it was mailed, as evidenced by the postmark. If delivered by courier or express mail service, notice will be considered to have been given on the delivery date reflected by the courier or express mail service receipt.
PUBLICATION OF THIS AGREEMENT TO SUBSEQUENT EMPLOYERS OR BUSINESS ASSOCIATES OF EMPLOYEE.
If I am offered employment or the opportunity to enter into any business venture as owner, partner, consultant or other capacity while the restrictions described in Sections 5 and 6 of this Agreement are in effect, I agree to inform my potential employer, partner, co-owner and/or others involved in managing the business with which I have an opportunity to be associated of my obligations under this Agreement. I and Company agree that if I am requested to do so, I may, without violation of the restrictions set forth in Section 1 of this Agreement, provide a copy of this Agreement to any said potential employer, partner, co-owner and/or others involved in managing the business with which I have an opportunity to be associated.
I agree to inform the Company of all employment and business ventures which I enter into while the restrictions described in Sections 5 and 6 of this Agreement are in effect. If requested to do so by a third party, I authorize the Company to provide copies of this Agreement to any employer, partner, co-owner or others involved in managing the business with which I am employed or associated.
General Provisions.
Governing Law; Consent to Personal Jurisdiction. This Agreement will be governed by and construed according to the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as such laws are applied to agreements entered into and to be performed entirely within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts between Massachusetts residents. I hereby expressly consent to the personal jurisdiction and venue of the state and federal courts located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for any lawsuit filed there against me by Company arising from or related to this Agreement.
Severability. In case any one or more of the provisions, subsections, or sentences contained in this Agreement shall, for any reason, be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect the other provisions of this Agreement, and this Agreement shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision had never been contained in this Agreement. If moreover, any one or more of the provisions contained in this Agreement shall for any reason be held to be excessively broad as to duration, geographical scope, activity or subject, it shall be construed by limiting and reducing it, so as to be enforceable to the extent compatible with the applicable law as it shall then appear.
Successors and Assigns. This Agreement is for my benefit and the benefit of the Company, its successors, assigns, parent corporations, subsidiaries, affiliates, and purchasers, and will be binding upon my heirs, executors, administrators and other legal representatives.
Survival. The provisions of this Agreement shall survive the termination of my employment, regardless of the reason, and the assignment of this Agreement by the Company to any successor in interest or other assignee. I understand that my obligations under this Agreement will continue in accordance with its express terms regardless of any change in my title, position, status, role, duties, salary, compensation or benefits or other terms and conditions of employment or service.
Employment At-Will. I agree and understand that nothing in this Agreement shall change my at-will employment status or confer any right with respect to continuation of employment by the Company, nor shall it interfere in any way with my right or the Company’s right to terminate my
employment at any time, with or without cause or advance notice.
Waiver. No waiver by the Company of any breach of this Agreement shall be a waiver of any preceding or succeeding breach. No waiver by the Company of any right under this Agreement shall be construed as a waiver of any other right. The Company shall not be required to give notice to enforce strict adherence to all terms of this Agreement.
Advice of Counsel. I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, IN EXECUTING THIS AGREEMENT, I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK THE ADVICE OF INDEPENDENT LEGAL COUNSEL, AND I HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD ALL OF THE TERMS AND PROVISIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AGAINST ANY PARTY BY REASON OF THE DRAFTING OR PREPARATION OF THIS AGREEMENT.
Entire Agreement. The obligations pursuant to Sections 1 and 2 (except Subsection 2.6) of this Agreement shall apply to any time during which I was previously engaged, or am in the future engaged, by the Company as an employee or consultant if no other agreement governs nondisclosure and assignment of inventions during such period. This Agreement constitutes the final, complete and exclusive agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement and supersedes and merges all prior discussions between us. No modification of or amendment to this Agreement, nor any waiver of any rights under this Agreement, will be effective unless in writing and signed by the party to be charged. Any subsequent change or changes in my title, position, status, role, duties, salary, compensation or benefits or other terms and conditions of employment or service will not affect the validity or scope of this Agreement.
[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]
This Agreement shall be effective as of the first day of my employment with the Company.
EMPLOYEE:
I have read, understand, and Accept this agreement and have been given the opportunity to Review it with independent legal counsel.
COMPANY:
Accepted and agreed:
By: Title:
(Signature)
By:
Title:
Date:
Address:
Exhibit A Prior Inventions
TO: Vera Therapeutics, Inc.
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT: Prior Inventions
No inventions or improvements.
See below:
Additional sheets attached.
Invention or Improvement |
Party(ies) |
Relationship |
1. |
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2. |
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3. |
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Additional sheets attached. |
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EXHIBIT B FORM OF RELEASE
In exchange for the severance benefits to be provided to me by Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) pursuant to my employment offer letter agreement between me and the Company, dated [DATE] (the “Employment Agreement”), I hereby provide the following release.
I hereby generally and completely release the Company and its parents, subsidiaries, successors, predecessors, and affiliates, and each of their respective current and former directors, officers, employees, stockholders, shareholders, agents, attorneys, insurers, and assigns, from any and all claims, liabilities and obligations, both known and unknown, that arise out of or are in any way related to events, acts, conduct, or omissions occurring at any time prior to and including the date I sign this release. This general release includes, but is not limited to: (a) all claims arising out of or in any way related to my employment or the termination of that employment; (b) all claims related to my compensation or benefits, including salary, bonuses, commissions, vacation pay, expense reimbursements, severance pay, fringe benefits, stock, stock options, or any other ownership interests; (c) all claims for breach of contract, wrongful termination, and breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing; (d) all tort claims, including claims for fraud, defamation, emotional distress, and discharge in violation of public policy; and (e) all federal, state, provincial and local statutory claims, including claims for discrimination, harassment, retaliation, attorneys’ fees, or other claims arising under the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 (as amended), the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (as amended), the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (as amended), the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (as amended) (“ADEA”), the California Labor Code, and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (as amended). Notwithstanding the foregoing, I understand that the following claims are not included in my release: (a) any rights or claims for indemnification I may have pursuant to any written indemnification agreement; the charter, bylaws, or operating agreements of the Company; or under applicable law; (b) any rights I have to file or pursue a claim for workers’ compensation or unemployment insurance; or
(c) any rights which cannot be waived as a matter of law.
I acknowledge that I have been advised, pursuant to California Government Code Section 12964.5(b)(4), that I have a right to consult an attorney regarding this release and that I was given a reasonable time period of not less than five business days in which to do so. I further acknowledge and agree that, in the event I sign this release prior to the end of the reasonable time period, my decision to accept such shortening of time is knowing and voluntary and is not induced by the Company through fraud, misrepresentation, or a threat to withdraw or alter the offer prior to the expiration of the reasonable time period, or by providing different terms to employees who sign such an agreement prior to the expiration of the time period.
I acknowledge that I am knowingly and voluntarily waiving and releasing any rights I may have under the ADEA, and that the consideration for the waiver and release in the preceding paragraph hereof is in addition to anything of value to which I was already entitled. I further acknowledge that I have been advised by this writing, as required by the ADEA, that: (a) my waiver and release do not apply to any rights or claims that may arise after the date I sign this release; (b) I should consult with an attorney prior to signing this release (although I may choose voluntarily not do so); (c) I have 21 days to consider this release (although I may choose voluntarily to sign this release earlier); (d) I have seven days following the date I sign this release to revoke it by providing written notice to the Board of Directors; and (e) this release will not be effective until the date upon which the revocation period has expired, which will be the eighth day after I sign this release.
I acknowledge that I have read and understand Section 1542 of the California Civil Code which reads as follows: “A general release does not extend to claims which the creditor or releasing party does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release and that, if known by him or her, would have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor or released party.” I hereby expressly
A-1
waive and relinquish all rights and benefits under that section and any law of any jurisdiction of similar effect with respect to my release of any claims hereunder.
In addition, I understand that nothing in this release limits my ability to file a charge or complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, the National Labor Relations Board, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission or any other federal, state or local governmental agency or commission (“Government Agencies”). I further understand this release does not limit my ability to communicate with any Government Agencies or otherwise participate in any investigation or proceeding that may be conducted by any Government Agency, including providing documents or other information, without notice to the Company. While this Agreement does not limit my right to receive an award for information provided to the Securities and Exchange Commission, I understand and agree that, to maximum extent permitted by law, I am otherwise waiving any and all rights I may have to individual relief based on any claims that I have released and any rights I have waived by signing this release. I further understand that nothing in this release prevents me from discussing or disclosing information about unlawful acts in the workplace, such as harassment or discrimination or any other conduct that I have reason to believe is unlawful, or waives any rights I may have under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (subject to the release of claims set forth herein).
I hereby represent that I have been paid all compensation owed and for all hours worked; I have received all the leave and leave benefits and protections for which I am eligible pursuant to the Family and Medical Leave Act, the California Family Rights Act, or otherwise; and I have not suffered any on-the-job injury for which I have not already filed a workers’ compensation claim. I further acknowledge that, other than the severance benefits that will be provided to me pursuant to the Employment Agreement upon the effectiveness of this release, among other required conditions, I have not earned and will not receive from the Company any additional compensation, severance, or benefits, with the exception of any vested right I may have under the express terms of a written ERISA-qualified benefit plan (e.g., 401(k) account). By way of example, I acknowledge that I have not earned and am not owed any bonus, vacation, incentive compensation, severance, commissions or equity.
I further acknowledge my continuing obligations under my Employee Confidential Information and Inventions Assignment Agreement.
I hereby agree not to disparage the Company or any of its officers, directors, employees, shareholders, and agents, in any manner likely to be harmful to its or their business, business reputations or personal reputations; provided that I may respond accurately and fully to any question, inquiry or request for information when required by the legal process or in connection with a government investigation. In addition, nothing in this release is intended to prohibit or restrain me in any manner from making disclosures that are protected under the whistleblower provisions of federal law or regulation or under other applicable law or regulation.
I acknowledge that to become effective, I must sign and return this release to the Company so that it is received not later than 21 days following the date it is provided to me.
Robert Brenner, M.D.
Date:
Exhibit 10.3
December 19, 2023 William Turner
Re: Employment Terms
Dear William:
On behalf of Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”), I am pleased to offer you employment at the Company on the terms set forth in this offer letter agreement (this “Agreement”). As discussed, the terms of this Agreement govern with respect to your employment, which shall commence no later than January 8, 2024 (such actual date of your commencement of employment, which shall be mutually agreed upon, shall be referred to herein as the “Start Date”).
$455,000 per year, less standard payroll deductions and tax withholdings. Your base salary will be paid on the Company’s ordinary payroll cycle. As an exempt salaried employee, you will be required to work the Company’s normal business hours, and such additional time as appropriate for your work assignments and position, and you will not be entitled to overtime compensation.
William Turner December 19, 2023
Page 2
discretion. Bonus payments, if any, will be subject to applicable payroll deductions and withholdings. Following the close of each calendar year, the Board (as defined below) will determine whether you have earned an Annual Bonus, and the amount of any such bonus, based on the achievement of such goals. No amount of Annual Bonus is guaranteed, and you must be an employee on the Annual Bonus payment date to be eligible to receive an Annual Bonus. The Annual Bonus, if earned, will be paid no later than March 15 of the calendar year after the applicable bonus year.
William Turner December 19, 2023
Page 3
(b) increase the amount of Severance described in Section 9(a) and COBRA Severance described in Section 9(b) to twelve months, and add to the cash component, as an additional severance benefit, an amount equal to your target Annual Bonus for the year of your Qualifying Termination, with such cash component to be paid in a single lump sum within ten business days after the effective date of the Release (the “CIC Severance Benefits”).
William Turner December 19, 2023
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(a) the Company terminates your employment for Cause, (b) you resign your employment without Good Reason, or (c) either party terminates your employment as a result of your death or disability, then in any such case you will receive only your base salary accrued through your last day of employment, as well as any unused vacation (if applicable) accrued through your last day of employment. Under these circumstances, you will not be entitled to any other form of compensation from the Company, including the Non-CIC Severance Benefits, the CIC Severance Benefits, or any other severance benefits, other than your rights to the vested portion of any equity and any other rights to which you are entitled under the Company’s benefit programs.
William Turner December 19, 2023
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The Company may rescind its consent to your service as a director of all other corporations or participation in other business or public activities, if the Company, in its sole discretion, determines that such activities compromise or threaten to compromise the Company’s business interests or conflict with your duties to the Company.
During your employment by the Company, except on behalf of the Company, you will not directly or indirectly serve as an officer, director, stockholder, employee, partner, proprietor, investor, joint venturer, associate, representative or consultant of any other person, corporation, firm, partnership or other entity whatsoever known by you to compete with the Company (or is planning or preparing to compete with the Company), anywhere in the world, in any line of business engaged in (or planned to be engaged in) by the Company; provided, however, that you may purchase or otherwise acquire up to (but not more than) 1% of any class of securities of any enterprise (but without participating in the activities of such enterprise) if such securities are listed on any national or regional securities exchange.
For purposes of this Agreement, “Cause” for termination will mean your: (a) commission or conviction (including a guilty plea or plea of nolo contendere) of any felony or any other crime involving fraud, dishonesty or moral turpitude; (b) your commission or attempted commission of or participation in a fraud or act of dishonesty or misrepresentation against the Company; (c) material breach of your duties to the Company;
(d) intentional damage to any property of the Company; (e) misconduct, or other violation of Company policy that causes harm; (f) your material violation of any written and fully executed contract or agreement between you and the Company, including without limitation, material breach of your Confidentiality Agreement, or of any Company policy, or of any statutory duty you owe to the Company; or (g) conduct by you which in the good faith and reasonable determination of the Company demonstrates gross unfitness to serve.
For purposes of this Agreement, you shall have “Good Reason” for resigning from employment with the Company if any of the following actions are taken by the Company without your prior written consent:
(a) a material reduction in your base salary, which the parties agree is a reduction of at least 10% of your base salary (unless pursuant to a salary reduction program applicable generally to the Company’s similarly situated employees); (b) a material reduction in your duties (including responsibilities and/or authorities), provided, however, that a change in job position (including a change in title) shall not be deemed a “material reduction” in and of itself unless your new duties are materially reduced from the prior duties; or (c) relocation of your principal place of employment to a place that increases your one-way commute by more than 50 miles as compared to your then-current principal place of employment immediately prior to such relocation, provided that if you work remotely during any period in which your regular principal place of employment at a Company office is closed, then neither your relocation to remote work or back to the office from remote work will be considered a relocation of your principal place of employment with the Company for purposes of this definition. In order to resign for Good Reason, you must provide written notice to the Chief Executive Officer or the Board within 30 days after each occurrence of the event giving rise to Good Reason setting forth the basis for your resignation, allow the Company at least 30 days from receipt of such written notice to cure such event, and if such event is not reasonably cured within such period, you must resign from all positions you then hold with the Company not later than 30 days after the expiration of the cure period.
William Turner December 19, 2023
Page 6
For purposes of this Agreement, “Change in Control” shall mean: (a) any consolidation or merger of the Company with or into any other corporation or other entity or person, or any other corporate reorganization, other than any such consolidation, merger or reorganization in which the stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such consolidation, merger or reorganization, continue to hold a majority of the voting power of the surviving entity (or, if the surviving entity is a wholly owned subsidiary, its parent) immediately after such consolidation, merger or reorganization; (b) any transaction or series of related transactions to which the Company is a party in which in excess of 50% of the Company’s voting power is transferred; provided that the foregoing shall not include any transaction or series of transactions principally for bona fide equity financing purposes in which cash is received by the Company or indebtedness of the Company is cancelled or converted or a combination thereof; or (c) a sale, lease, exclusive license or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company.
(2) but for this sentence, be subject to the excise tax imposed by Section 4999 of the Code (the “Excise Tax”), then any such 280G Payment provided pursuant to this Agreement (a “Payment”) shall be equal to the Reduced Amount. The “Reduced Amount” shall be either (x) the largest portion of the Payment that would result in no portion of the Payment (after reduction) being subject to the Excise Tax or (y) the largest portion, up to and including the total, of the Payment, whichever amount (i.e., the amount determined by clause (x) or by clause (y)), after taking into account all applicable federal, state and local employment taxes, income taxes, and the Excise Tax (all computed at the highest applicable marginal rate), results in your receipt, on an after-tax basis, of the greater economic benefit notwithstanding that all or some portion of the Payment may be subject to the Excise Tax.
William Turner December 19, 2023
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If a reduction in a Payment is required pursuant to the preceding sentence and the Reduced Amount is determined pursuant to clause (x) of the preceding sentence, the reduction shall occur in the manner (the “Reduction Method”) that results in the greatest economic benefit for you. If more than one method of reduction will result in the same economic benefit, the items so reduced will be reduced pro rata (the “Pro Rata Reduction Method”).
(y) of Section 18(a), you shall have no obligation to return any portion of the Payment pursuant to the preceding sentence.
William Turner December 19, 2023
Page 8
You acknowledge that by agreeing to this arbitration procedure, both you and the Company waive the right to resolve any such dispute through a trial by jury or judge. This provision shall not be mandatory for any claim or cause of action to the extent applicable law prohibits subjecting such claim or cause of action to mandatory arbitration and such applicable law is not preempted by the Federal Arbitration Act or otherwise invalid (collectively, the “Excluded Claims”), including claims or causes of action alleging sexual harassment or a nonconsensual sexual act or sexual contact, or unemployment or workers’ compensation claims brought before the applicable state governmental agency. In the event you or the Company intend to bring multiple claims, including one of the Excluded Claims listed above, the Excluded Claims may be filed with a court, while any other claims will remain subject to mandatory arbitration. Nothing herein prevents you from filing and pursuing proceedings before a federal or state governmental agency, although if you choose to pursue a claim following the exhaustion of any applicable administrative remedies, that claim would be subject to this provision. In addition, with the exception of Excluded Claims arising out of 9 U.S.C., chapter 4, all claims, disputes, or causes of action under this section, whether by you or the Company, must be brought in an individual capacity, and shall not be brought as a plaintiff (or claimant) or class member in any purported class or representative proceeding, nor joined or consolidated with the claims of any other person or entity. The arbitrator may not consolidate the claims of more than one person or entity, and may not preside over any form of representative or class proceeding. To the extent that the preceding sentences regarding class or representative claims or proceedings are found to violate applicable law or are otherwise found unenforceable, any claim(s) alleged or brought on behalf of a class or in a representative capacity shall proceed in a court of law rather than by arbitration. You will have the right to be represented by legal counsel at any arbitration proceeding. Questions of whether a claim is subject to arbitration under this agreement shall be decided by the arbitrator, unless applicable law provides otherwise. Likewise, procedural questions which grow out of the dispute and bear on the final disposition are also matters for the arbitrator, provided however, that if required by applicable law, a court and not the arbitrator may determine the enforceability of this paragraph with respect to Excluded Claims. The arbitrator shall: (a) have the authority to compel adequate discovery for the resolution of the dispute and to award such relief as would otherwise be permitted by law; and (b) issue a written statement signed by the arbitrator regarding the disposition of each claim and the relief, if any, awarded as to each claim, the reasons for the award, and the arbitrator’s essential findings and conclusions on which the award is based. The arbitrator shall be authorized to award all relief that you or the Company would be entitled to seek in a court of law. The Company shall pay all arbitration administrative fees in excess of the administrative fees that you would be required to pay if the dispute were decided in a court of law. Each party is responsible for its own attorneys’ fees, except as may be expressly set forth in your employee confidential information and inventions assignment agreement or as otherwise provided under applicable law. Nothing in this letter agreement is intended to prevent either you or the Company from obtaining injunctive relief in court to prevent irreparable harm pending the conclusion of any such arbitration. Any awards or orders in such arbitrations may be entered and enforced as judgments in the federal and state courts of any competent jurisdiction.
William Turner December 19, 2023
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This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of California without regard to conflicts of law principles. Any ambiguity in this Agreement shall not be construed against either party as the drafter. Any waiver of a breach of this Agreement, or rights hereunder, shall be in writing and shall not be deemed to be a waiver of any successive breach or rights hereunder. This Agreement may be delivered via facsimile, electronic mail (including pdf or any electronic signature complying with the U.S. federal ESIGN Act of 2000, Uniform Electronic Transactions Act or other applicable law (e.g., www.docusign.com)) or other transmission method and shall be deemed to have been duly and validly delivered and be valid and effective for all purposes, and may be executed in counterparts which shall be deemed to be part of one original, and facsimile and electronic signatures shall be equivalent to original signatures.
Please sign and date this Agreement and the enclosed Confidentiality Agreement and return them to me on or before December 22, 2023 if you wish to accept employment at the Company under the terms described above. The offer of employment herein will expire if I do not receive this signed letter by that date. I would be happy to discuss any questions that you may have about these terms.
We are delighted to be making this offer and the Company looks forward to your favorable reply and to a productive and enjoyable work relationship.
Sincerely,
Marshall W. Fordyce, M.D. Chief Executive Officer
Reviewed, Understood, and Accepted:
William Turner
Date
Exhibit A: Employee Confidential Information and Inventions Assignment Agreement Exhibit B: Form of Release
Exhibit A
EMPLOYEE CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION AND INVENTIONS ASSIGNMENT AGREEMENT
PROPRIETARY INFORMATION, INVENTIONS ASSIGNMENT, NON-COMPETITION AND NON-SOLICITATION AGREEMENT
In consideration of my employment or continued employment by VERA THERAPEUTICS, INC. its subsidiaries, parents, affiliates, predecessors, successors and assigns (together, the “Company”) and the compensation and benefits provided to me now and during my employment with the Company, I hereby enter into this Proprietary Information, Inventions Assignment, Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement (the “Agreement”) and agree as follows:
Nondisclosure.
Recognition of Company’s Rights; Nondisclosure. I understand and acknowledge that my employment by the Company creates a relationship of confidence and trust with respect to the Company’s Proprietary Information (defined below) and that the Company has a protectable interest therein. At all times during my employment and thereafter, I will hold in strictest confidence and will not disclose, use, lecture upon or publish any of the Company’s Proprietary Information, except as such disclosure, use or publication may be required in connection with my work for the Company, or unless an authorized officer of the Company expressly authorizes such in writing. I will obtain the Company’s written approval before publishing or submitting for publication any material (written, verbal, or otherwise) that relates to my work at the Company and/or incorporates any Proprietary Information.
I hereby assign to the Company any rights I may have or acquire in such Proprietary Information and recognize that all Proprietary Information shall be the sole property of the Company and its assigns. I will take all reasonable precautions to prevent the inadvertent or accidental disclosure of Proprietary Information. Notwithstanding the foregoing, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1833(b), I shall not be held criminally or civilly liable under any Federal or State trade secret law for the disclosure of a trade secret that:
(1) is made in confidence to a Federal, State, or local government official, either directly or indirectly, or to an attorney, and solely for the purpose of reporting or investigating a suspected violation of law; or (2) is made in a complaint or other document filed in a lawsuit or other proceeding, if such filing is made under seal.
Proprietary Information. The term “Proprietary Information” shall mean any and all confidential and/or proprietary knowledge, data or information of the Company, its affiliates, parents and subsidiaries, whether having existed, now existing, or to be developed during my employment. By way of illustration but not limitation, “Proprietary Information” includes (a) trade secrets, inventions, mask works, ideas, processes, formulas, source and object codes, data, programs, other works of authorship, know-how, improvements, discoveries, developments, designs and techniques and any other proprietary technology and all Proprietary Rights therein
(hereinafter collectively referred to as “Inventions”);
(b) information regarding research, development, new products, marketing and selling, business plans, budgets and unpublished financial statements, licenses, prices and costs, margins, discounts, credit terms, pricing and billing policies, quoting procedures, methods of obtaining business, forecasts, future plans and potential strategies, financial projections and business strategies, operational plans, financing and capital-raising plans, activities and agreements, internal services and operational manuals, methods of conducting Company business, suppliers and supplier information, and purchasing; (c) information regarding customers and potential customers of the Company, including customer lists, names, representatives, their needs or desires with respect to the types of products or services offered by the Company, proposals, bids, contracts and their contents and parties, the type and quantity of products and services provided or sought to be provided to customers and potential customers of the Company and other non-public information relating to customers and potential customers; (d) information regarding any of the Company’s business partners and their services, including names; representatives, proposals, bids, contracts and their contents and parties, the type and quantity of products and services received by the Company, and other non-public information relating to business partners; (e) information regarding personnel, employee lists, compensation, and employee skills; and
(f) any other non-public information which a competitor of the Company could use to the competitive disadvantage of the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, it is understood that, at all such times, I am free to use information which was known to me prior to employment with the Company or which is generally known in the trade or industry through no breach of this Agreement or other act or omission by me. Further, notwithstanding the foregoing or anything to the contrary in this Agreement or any other agreement between the Company and the Employee, nothing in this Agreement shall limit my right to discuss my employment (including my salary, benefits, job description or other related particulars of my employment with the Company) or report possible violations of law or regulation with any federal government agency or similar state or local agency or to discuss the terms and conditions of my employment with others to the extent expressly permitted by Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act or to the extent that such disclosure is protected under the applicable provisions of law or regulation.
Third Party Information. I understand, in addition, that the Company has received and in the future will receive from third parties their confidential and/or proprietary knowledge, data, or information from third parties (“Third Party Information”). During my employment and thereafter, I will hold Third Party Information in the strictest confidence and will not disclose to anyone (other than Company personnel who need to know such information in connection with their work for the Company) or use, except in connection with my work for the Company, Third Party Information unless expressly authorized by an authorized officer of the Company in writing.
Term of Nondisclosure Restrictions. I understand that Proprietary Information and Third Party Information is never to be used or disclosed by me, as provided in this Section 1. If, however, a court decides that this Section 1 or any of its provisions is unenforceable for lack of reasonable temporal limitation and the Agreement or its restriction(s) cannot otherwise be enforced, I agree and the Company agrees that the two (2) year period after the date my employment ends shall be the temporal limitation relevant to the contested restriction, provided, however, that this sentence shall not apply to trade secrets protected without temporal limitation under applicable law.
No Improper Use of Information of Prior Employers and Others. During my employment by the Company I will not improperly use or disclose any confidential information or trade secrets, if any, of any former employer or any other person to whom I have an obligation of confidentiality, and I will not bring onto the premises of the Company any unpublished documents or any property belonging to any former employer or any other person to whom I have an obligation of confidentiality unless consented to in writing by that former employer or person.
Assignment of Inventions.
Proprietary Rights. The term “Proprietary Rights” shall mean all trade secrets, patents, copyrights, trade marks, mask works and other intellectual property rights throughout the world.
Prior Inventions. Inventions, if any, patented or unpatented, which I made prior to the commencement of my employment with the Company are excluded from the scope of this Section 2. To preclude any possible uncertainty, I have set forth on Exhibit A (Prior Inventions) attached hereto a complete list (except as noted) of all Inventions that I have, alone or jointly with others, conceived, developed or reduced
to practice or caused to be conceived, developed or reduced to practice prior to the commencement of my employment with the Company, that I consider to be my property or the property of third parties, and that I wish to have excluded from the scope of this Agreement (collectively referred to as “Prior Inventions”). If disclosure of any such Prior Invention would cause me to violate any prior confidentiality agreement, I understand that I am not to list such Prior Inventions in Exhibit A but am only to disclose a cursory name for each such invention, a listing of the party(ies) to whom it belongs and the fact that full disclosure as to such inventions has not been made for that reason. A space is provided on Exhibit A for such purpose. If no such disclosure is attached, I represent that there are no Prior Inventions. If, in the course of my employment with the Company, I incorporate a Prior Invention into a Company product, process or machine, to the extent I am contractually prohibited from granting such right pursuant to a binding contract executed prior to the start of my employment with the Company or to the extent I have not assigned all of my right, title and interest in and to such Prior Invention to a third party prior to start of my employment with the Company (in each case, as documented on Exhibit A), the Company is hereby granted and shall have a nonexclusive, royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual, fully- paid, worldwide license (with rights to sublicense through multiple tiers of sublicensees) to make, have made, modify, make derivative works of, publicly perform, use, sell, import, and exercise any and all present and future rights in such Prior Invention. Notwithstanding the foregoing, I agree that I will not incorporate, or permit to be incorporated, Prior Inventions in any Company Inventions without the Company’s prior written consent.
Assignment of Inventions. Subject to Subsections 2.2 and 2.4, I hereby assign, grant and convey to the Company all my right, title and interest in and to any and all Inventions (and all Proprietary Rights with respect thereto) whether or not patentable or registrable under copyright or similar statutes, made or conceived or reduced to practice or learned by me, either alone or jointly with others, during the period of my employment with the Company. Inventions assigned to the Company or its designee are hereinafter referred to as “Company Inventions.”
Unassigned or Nonassignable Inventions. I recognize, and the Company agrees, that this Agreement will not be deemed to require assignment of any Invention that I developed entirely on my own time without using the Company’s equipment, supplies, facilities, trade secrets, or Proprietary Information, except for those Inventions that either (i) relate to the Company’s actual or anticipated business, research or
development, or (ii) result from or are connected with work performed by me for the Company. In addition, this Agreement does not apply to any Invention which qualifies fully for protection from assignment to the Company under any specifically applicable state law, regulation, rule, or public policy (“Specific Inventions Law”).
Obligation to Keep Company Informed. During the period of my employment, I will promptly disclose to the Company fully and in writing all Inventions authored, conceived or reduced to practice by me, either alone or jointly with others. In addition, I will promptly disclose to the Company all patent applications filed by me or on my behalf during the period of my employment. At the time of each such disclosure, I will advise the Company in writing of any Inventions that I believe fully qualify for protection under the provisions of a Specific Inventions Law; and I will at that time provide to the Company in writing all evidence necessary to substantiate that belief. The Company will keep in confidence and will not use for any purpose or disclose to third parties without my consent any confidential information disclosed in writing to the Company pursuant to this Agreement relating to Inventions that qualify fully for protection under a Specific Inventions Law. I will preserve the confidentiality of any Company Invention that does not fully qualify for protection under a Specific Inventions Law.
Ownership of Work Product.
I acknowledge that all original works of authorship which are made by me (solely or jointly with others) within the scope of my employment and which are protectable by copyright are “works made for hire,” pursuant to United States Copyright Act (17 U.S.C., Section 101).
I agree that the Company will exclusively own all work product that is made by me (solely or jointly with others) within the scope of my employment, and I hereby irrevocably and unconditionally assign to the Company all right, title, and interest worldwide in and to such work product. I understand and agree that I have no right to publish on, submit for publishing, or use for any publication any work product protected by this Section, except as necessary to perform services for the Company or as otherwise permitted by the Company in writing prior to each such instance.
Enforcement of Proprietary Rights. I will assist the Company in every proper way to obtain, and from time to time enforce, United States and foreign Proprietary Rights relating to Company Inventions in
any and all countries. To that end I will execute, verify and deliver such documents and perform such other acts (including appearances as a witness) as the Company may reasonably request for use in applying for, obtaining, perfecting, evidencing, sustaining and enforcing such Proprietary Rights and the assignment thereof. In addition, I will execute, verify and deliver assignments of such Proprietary Rights to the Company or its designee, including the United States or any third party designated by the Company. My obligation to assist the Company with respect to Proprietary Rights relating to such Company Inventions in any and all countries shall continue beyond the termination of my employment, but the Company shall compensate me at a reasonable rate after my termination for the time actually spent by me at the Company’s request on such assistance.
In the event the Company is unable for any reason, after reasonable effort, to secure my signature on any document needed in connection with the actions specified in the preceding paragraph, I hereby irrevocably designate and appoint the Company and its duly authorized officers and agents as my agent and attorney in fact, which appointment is coupled with an interest, to act for and in my behalf to execute, verify and file any such documents and to do all other lawfully permitted acts to further the purposes of the preceding paragraph with the same legal force and effect as if executed by me. I hereby waive and quitclaim to the Company any and all claims, of any nature whatsoever, which I now or may hereafter have for infringement of any Proprietary Rights assigned under this Agreement to the Company.
Records. I agree to keep and maintain adequate and current records (in the form of notes, sketches, drawings and in any other form that may be required by the Company) of all Proprietary Information developed by me and all Inventions made by me during the period of my employment at the Company, which records shall be available to and remain the sole property of the Company at all times.
Duty of Loyalty During Employment. I agree that
during the period of my employment by the Company I will not, without the Company’s express written consent, directly or indirectly engage in any employment or business activity which is directly or indirectly competitive with, or would otherwise conflict with, my employment by the Company.
No Solicitation of Employees, Consultants, Contractors, or Customers or Potential
Customers. I agree that during the period of my employment and for the six (6) month period after the date my employment ends for any reason, including but not limited to voluntary termination by me or involuntary
termination by the Company, I will not, as an officer, director, employee, consultant, owner, partner, or in any other capacity, either directly or through others, except on behalf of the Company:
solicit, induce, encourage, or participate in soliciting, inducing, or encouraging any employee of the Company to terminate his or her relationship with the Company;
hire, employ, or engage in business with or attempt to hire, employ, or engage in business with any person employed by the Company or who has voluntarily left the employment of the Company within the preceding three (3) months of any such prohibited activity or discuss any potential employment or business association with such person, even if I did not initiate the discussion or seek out the contact;
solicit, induce or attempt to induce any Customer or Potential Customer, or any consultant or independent contractor with whom I had direct or indirect contact during my employment with the Company or whose identity I learned as a result of my employment with the Company, to terminate, diminish, or materially alter in a manner harmful to the Company its relationship with the Company; or
solicit, perform, provide or attempt to perform or provide any Conflicting Services (as defined in Section 6 below) for a Customer or Potential Customer.
The parties agree that for purposes of this Agreement, a “Customer or Potential Customer” is any person or entity who or which, at any time during the one (1) year prior to the date my employment with the Company ends, (i) contracted for, was billed for, or received from the Company any product, service or process with which I worked during my employment by the Company or about which I acquired Proprietary Information; or (ii) was in contact with me or in contact with any other employee, owner, or agent of the Company, of which contact I was aware, concerning any product, service or process with which I worked during my employment with the Company or about which I acquired Proprietary Information; or (iii) was solicited by the Company in an effort in which I was involved or of which I was aware.
Non-Compete Provision. I agree that for the six (6) month period after the date my employment ends for any reason, including but not limited to voluntary termination by me or involuntary termination by the Company, I will not, directly or indirectly, as an officer, director, employee, consultant, owner, manager, member, partner, or in any other capacity solicit, perform, or provide, or attempt to perform or provide Conflicting Services anywhere in the world where the Company conducts
business, including but not limited to locations where the Company performs research or development activities related to the Company’s products, services or processes, nor will I assist another person to solicit, perform or provide or attempt to perform or provide Conflicting Services anywhere in the world where the Company conducts business, including but not limited to locations where the Company performs research or development activities related to the Company’s products, services or processes.
The parties agree that for purposes of this Agreement, “Conflicting Services” means any product, service, or process or the research and development thereof, of any person or organization other than the Company that (a) relates to peptide nucleic acids for therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic uses, (b) is directly competitive with the business as conducted by the Company at any point during the term of my employment or (c) is directly competitive with, to my knowledge, the manner in which the Company plans to conduct business following the term of my employment.
REASONABLENESS OF RESTRICTIONS.
I agree that I have read this entire Agreement and understand it. I agree that this Agreement does not prevent me from earning a living or pursuing my career and that I have the ability to secure other non- competitive employment using my marketable skills. I agree that the restrictions contained in this Agreement are reasonable, proper, and necessitated by the Company’s legitimate business interests, including without limitation, the Company’s Proprietary Rights, Proprietary Information and the goodwill of its customers. I represent and agree that I am entering into this Agreement freely and with knowledge of its contents with the intent to be bound by the Agreement and the restrictions contained in it.
In the event that a court finds this Agreement, or any of its restrictions, to be ambiguous, unenforceable, or invalid, the Company and I agree that the court shall read the Agreement as a whole and interpret the restriction(s) at issue to be enforceable and valid to the maximum extent allowed by law.
No Conflicting Agreement or Obligation. I
represent that my performance of all the terms of this Agreement and as an employee of the Company does not and will not breach any agreement or obligation of any kind to keep in confidence information acquired by me in confidence or in trust prior to my employment by the Company. I have not entered into, and I agree I will not enter into, any agreement either written or oral in conflict with this Agreement.
Return of Company Property. Upon termination of my employment or upon Company’s request at any other time, I will deliver to Company all of Company’s property, equipment, and documents, together with all copies thereof, and any other material containing or disclosing any Inventions, Third Party Information or Proprietary Information and certify in writing that I have fully complied with the foregoing obligation. I agree that I will not copy, delete, or alter any information contained upon my Company computer or Company equipment before I return it to Company. In addition, if I have used any personal computer, server, or e-mail system to receive, store, review, prepare or transmit any Company information, including but not limited to, Proprietary Information, I agree to provide the Company with a computer-useable copy of all such Proprietary Information and then permanently delete and expunge such Proprietary Information from those systems. I further agree that any property situated on Company’s premises and owned by Company is subject to inspection by Company’s personnel at any time with or without notice. Prior to the termination of my employment or promptly after termination of my employment, I will cooperate with Company in attending an exit interview and certify in writing that I have complied with the requirements of this section.
Legal and Equitable Remedies.
I agree that it may be impossible to assess the damages caused by my violation of this Agreement or any of its terms. I agree that any threatened or actual violation of this Agreement or any of its terms will constitute immediate and irreparable injury to the Company and the Company shall have the right to enforce this Agreement and any of its provisions by injunction, specific performance or other equitable relief, without bond and without prejudice to any other rights and remedies that the Company may have for a breach or threatened breach of this Agreement.
In the event the Company enforces this Agreement through a court order, I agree that the restrictions of Sections 5 and 6 shall remain in effect for a period of six (6) months from the effective date of the Order enforcing the Agreement.
Notices. Any notices required or permitted under this Agreement will be given to the Company at its headquarters location at the time notice is given, labeled “Attention Chief Executive Officer,” and to me at my address as listed on the Company payroll, or at such other address as the Company or I may designate by written notice to the other. Notice will be effective upon receipt or refusal of delivery. If delivered by certified or registered mail, notice will be considered to have been given five (5) business days after it was mailed, as
evidenced by the postmark. If delivered by courier or express mail service, notice will be considered to have been given on the delivery date reflected by the courier or express mail service receipt.
PUBLICATION OF THIS AGREEMENT TO SUBSEQUENT EMPLOYERS OR BUSINESS ASSOCIATES OF EMPLOYEE.
If I am offered employment or the opportunity to enter into any business venture as owner, partner, consultant or other capacity while the restrictions described in Sections 5 and 6 of this Agreement are in effect, I agree to inform my potential employer, partner, co-owner and/or others involved in managing the business with which I have an opportunity to be associated of my obligations under this Agreement. I and Company agree that if I am requested to do so, I may, without violation of the restrictions set forth in Section 1 of this Agreement, provide a copy of this Agreement to any said potential employer, partner, co-owner and/or others involved in managing the business with which I have an opportunity to be associated.
I agree to inform the Company of all employment and business ventures which I enter into while the restrictions described in Sections 5 and 6 of this Agreement are in effect. If requested to do so by a third party, I authorize the Company to provide copies of this Agreement to any employer, partner, co-owner or others involved in managing the business with which I am employed or associated.
General Provisions.
Governing Law; Consent to Personal Jurisdiction. This Agreement will be governed by and construed according to the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as such laws are applied to agreements entered into and to be performed entirely within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts between Massachusetts residents. I hereby expressly consent to the personal jurisdiction and venue of the state and federal courts located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for any lawsuit filed there against me by Company arising from or related to this Agreement.
Severability. In case any one or more of the provisions, subsections, or sentences contained in this Agreement shall, for any reason, be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect the other provisions of this Agreement, and this Agreement shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision had never been contained in this Agreement. If moreover, any one or more of the provisions
contained in this Agreement shall for any reason be held to be excessively broad as to duration, geographical scope, activity or subject, it shall be construed by limiting and reducing it, so as to be enforceable to the extent compatible with the applicable law as it shall then appear.
Successors and Assigns. This Agreement is for my benefit and the benefit of the Company, its successors, assigns, parent corporations, subsidiaries, affiliates, and purchasers, and will be binding upon my heirs, executors, administrators and other legal representatives.
Survival. The provisions of this Agreement shall survive the termination of my employment, regardless of the reason, and the assignment of this Agreement by the Company to any successor in interest or other assignee. I understand that my obligations under this Agreement will continue in accordance with its express terms regardless of any change in my title, position, status, role, duties, salary, compensation or benefits or other terms and conditions of employment or service.
Employment At-Will. I agree and understand that nothing in this Agreement shall change my at-will employment status or confer any right with respect to continuation of employment by the Company, nor shall it interfere in any way with my right or the Company’s right to terminate my employment at any time, with or without cause or advance notice.
Waiver. No waiver by the Company of any breach of this Agreement shall be a waiver of any preceding or succeeding breach. No waiver by the Company of any right under this Agreement shall be construed as a waiver of any other right.
The Company shall not be required to give notice to enforce strict adherence to all terms of this Agreement.
Advice of Counsel. I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, IN EXECUTING THIS AGREEMENT, I HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK THE ADVICE OF INDEPENDENT LEGAL COUNSEL, AND I HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD ALL OF THE TERMS AND PROVISIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AGAINST ANY PARTY BY REASON OF THE DRAFTING OR PREPARATION OF THIS AGREEMENT.
Entire Agreement. The obligations pursuant to Sections 1 and 2 (except Subsection 2.6) of this Agreement shall apply to any time during which I was previously engaged, or am in the future engaged, by the Company as an employee or consultant if no other agreement governs nondisclosure and assignment of inventions during such period. This Agreement constitutes the final, complete and exclusive agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter of this Agreement and supersedes and merges all prior discussions between us. No modification of or amendment to this Agreement, nor any waiver of any rights under this Agreement, will be effective unless in writing and signed by the party to be charged. Any subsequent change or changes in my title, position, status, role, duties, salary, compensation or benefits or other terms and conditions of employment or service will not affect the validity or scope of this Agreement.
[Remainder of page intentionally left blank]
This Agreement shall be effective as of the first day of my employment with the Company.
EMPLOYEE:
I have read, understand, and Accept this agreement and have been given the opportunity to Review it with independent legal counsel.
COMPANY:
Accepted and agreed:
Vera Therapeutics, Inc.
By:
Title:
(Signature)
By:
Title:
Date:
Address:
Exhibit A Prior Inventions
TO: Vera Therapeutics, Inc.
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT: Prior Inventions
X
No inventions or improvements.
See below:
Additional sheets attached.
Invention or Improvement |
Party(ies) |
Relationship |
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2. |
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3. |
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Additional sheets attached. |
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EXHIBIT B FORM OF RELEASE
In exchange for the severance benefits to be provided to me by Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) pursuant to my employment offer letter agreement between me and the Company, dated [DATE] (the “Employment Agreement”), I hereby provide the following release.
I hereby generally and completely release the Company and its parents, subsidiaries, successors, predecessors, and affiliates, and each of their respective current and former directors, officers, employees, stockholders, shareholders, agents, attorneys, insurers, and assigns, from any and all claims, liabilities and obligations, both known and unknown, that arise out of or are in any way related to events, acts, conduct, or omissions occurring at any time prior to and including the date I sign this release. This general release includes, but is not limited to: (a) all claims arising out of or in any way related to my employment or the termination of that employment; (b) all claims related to my compensation or benefits, including salary, bonuses, commissions, vacation pay, expense reimbursements, severance pay, fringe benefits, stock, stock options, or any other ownership interests; (c) all claims for breach of contract, wrongful termination, and breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing; (d) all tort claims, including claims for fraud, defamation, emotional distress, and discharge in violation of public policy; and (e) all federal, state, provincial and local statutory claims, including claims for discrimination, harassment, retaliation, attorneys’ fees, or other claims arising under the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 (as amended), the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (as amended), the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (as amended), the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (as amended) (“ADEA”), the California Labor Code, and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (as amended). Notwithstanding the foregoing, I understand that the following claims are not included in my release: (a) any rights or claims for indemnification I may have pursuant to any written indemnification agreement; the charter, bylaws, or operating agreements of the Company; or under applicable law; (b) any rights I have to file or pursue a claim for workers’ compensation or unemployment insurance; or
(c) any rights which cannot be waived as a matter of law.
I acknowledge that I have been advised, pursuant to California Government Code Section 12964.5(b)(4), that I have a right to consult an attorney regarding this release and that I was given a reasonable time period of not less than five business days in which to do so. I further acknowledge and agree that, in the event I sign this release prior to the end of the reasonable time period, my decision to accept such shortening of time is knowing and voluntary and is not induced by the Company through fraud, misrepresentation, or a threat to withdraw or alter the offer prior to the expiration of the reasonable time period, or by providing different terms to employees who sign such an agreement prior to the expiration of the time period.
I acknowledge that I am knowingly and voluntarily waiving and releasing any rights I may have under the ADEA, and that the consideration for the waiver and release in the preceding paragraph hereof is in addition to anything of value to which I was already entitled. I further acknowledge that I have been advised by this writing, as required by the ADEA, that: (a) my waiver and release do not apply to any rights or claims that may arise after the date I sign this release; (b) I should consult with an attorney prior to signing this release (although I may choose voluntarily not do so); (c) I have 21 days to consider this release (although I may choose voluntarily to sign this release earlier); (d) I have seven days following the date I sign this release to revoke it by providing written notice to the Board of Directors; and (e) this release will not be effective until the date upon which the revocation period has expired, which will be the eighth day after I sign this release.
I acknowledge that I have read and understand Section 1542 of the California Civil Code which reads as follows: “A general release does not extend to claims which the creditor or releasing party does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release and that, if known by him or her, would have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor or released party.” I hereby expressly
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waive and relinquish all rights and benefits under that section and any law of any jurisdiction of similar effect with respect to my release of any claims hereunder.
In addition, I understand that nothing in this release limits my ability to file a charge or complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Labor, the National Labor Relations Board, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission or any other federal, state or local governmental agency or commission (“Government Agencies”). I further understand this release does not limit my ability to communicate with any Government Agencies or otherwise participate in any investigation or proceeding that may be conducted by any Government Agency, including providing documents or other information, without notice to the Company. While this Agreement does not limit my right to receive an award for information provided to the Securities and Exchange Commission, I understand and agree that, to maximum extent permitted by law, I am otherwise waiving any and all rights I may have to individual relief based on any claims that I have released and any rights I have waived by signing this release. I further understand that nothing in this release prevents me from discussing or disclosing information about unlawful acts in the workplace, such as harassment or discrimination or any other conduct that I have reason to believe is unlawful, or waives any rights I may have under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (subject to the release of claims set forth herein).
I hereby represent that I have been paid all compensation owed and for all hours worked; I have received all the leave and leave benefits and protections for which I am eligible pursuant to the Family and Medical Leave Act, the California Family Rights Act, or otherwise; and I have not suffered any on-the-job injury for which I have not already filed a workers’ compensation claim. I further acknowledge that, other than the severance benefits that will be provided to me pursuant to the Employment Agreement upon the effectiveness of this release, among other required conditions, I have not earned and will not receive from the Company any additional compensation, severance, or benefits, with the exception of any vested right I may have under the express terms of a written ERISA-qualified benefit plan (e.g., 401(k) account). By way of example, I acknowledge that I have not earned and am not owed any bonus, vacation, incentive compensation, severance, commissions or equity.
I further acknowledge my continuing obligations under my Employee Confidential Information and Inventions Assignment Agreement.
I hereby agree not to disparage the Company or any of its officers, directors, employees, shareholders, and agents, in any manner likely to be harmful to its or their business, business reputations or personal reputations; provided that I may respond accurately and fully to any question, inquiry or request for information when required by the legal process or in connection with a government investigation. In addition, nothing in this release is intended to prohibit or restrain me in any manner from making disclosures that are protected under the whistleblower provisions of federal law or regulation or under other applicable law or regulation.
I acknowledge that to become effective, I must sign and return this release to the Company so that it is received not later than 21 days following the date it is provided to me.
William Turner
Date:
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Exhibit 31.1
CERTIFICATIONS
I, Marshall Fordyce, certify that:
Date: May 9, 2024 |
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By: |
/s/ Marshall Fordyce
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Marshall Fordyce, M.D. |
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Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) |
Exhibit 31.2
CERTIFICATIONS
I, Sean Grant, certify that:
Date: May 9, 2024 |
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By: |
/s/ Sean Grant
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Sean Grant |
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Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) |
Exhibit 32.1
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Quarterly Report of Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2024 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to the best of my knowledge:
Date: May 9, 2024 |
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By: |
/s/ Marshall Fordyce
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Marshall Fordyce, M.D. |
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Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) |
Exhibit 32.2
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Quarterly Report of Vera Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2024 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to the best of my knowledge:
Date: May 9, 2024 |
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By: |
/s/ Sean Grant
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Sean Grant |
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Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) |