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UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 10-K
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ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025
OR
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TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from to .
Commission File No. 000-26770
NOVAVAX, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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| Delaware |
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22-2816046 |
| (State of incorporation) |
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(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
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| 21 Firstfield Road, |
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| Gaithersburg, |
Maryland |
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20878 |
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(Zip Code) |
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (240) 268-2000
N/A
(Former Name, Former Address and Former Fiscal Year, if Changed Since Last Report)
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| Title of each class |
Trading Symbol |
Name of each exchange on which registered |
| Common Stock, Par Value $0.01 per share |
NVAX |
The Nasdaq Global Select Market |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: Not Applicable
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
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.
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| Large accelerated filer |
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Accelerated filer |
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| Non-accelerated filer |
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Smaller reporting company |
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| Emerging growth company |
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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 has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial
statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to § 240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant (based on the last reported sale price of registrant’s common stock on June 30, 2025 on the Nasdaq Global Select Market) was approximately $1,018,000,000.
As of February 16, 2026, there were 162,935,945 shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding.
Documents incorporated by reference: Portions of the registrant’s Definitive Proxy Statement to be filed no later than 120 days after the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 in connection with the registrant’s 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K to the extent indicated herein.
NOVAVAX, INC.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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PART II |
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PART III |
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PART IV |
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CERTAIN DEFINITIONS
All references in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to “Novavax,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Novavax, Inc. including its wholly-owned subsidiaries (unless the context otherwise indicates). All references in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to “NuvaxovidTM” or “COVID-19 Vaccine” refer to the Nuvaxovid™ COVID-19 vaccine; all references to "JN.1 COVID-19 Vaccine" refer to the NuvaxovidTM COVID-19 Vaccine for the 2025-2026 vaccination season.
NOTE REGARDING TRADEMARKS
Novavax™, Nuvaxovid™, Matrix-M™, Matrix-A™, Matrix-C™, Matrix-V™, Prepare™, Resolve™, and ResVax™ are trademarks of Novavax. Any other trademarks referred to in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are the property of their owners. All rights reserved. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names or trademarks to imply an endorsement or sponsorship of us by such companies, or any relationship with any of these companies.
FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. As a result of many factors, such as those set forth under “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements. Please also see the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
SUMMARY OF RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR BUSINESS
Our business is subject to numerous risks. The following is a summary of the principal risk factors described in this section:
•We have a history of losses and our future profitability is uncertain.
•We will continue to require significant funding to maintain our current level of operations and fund the further development of our vaccine candidates.
•Our existing collaboration, funding and supply agreements, including the Sanofi CLA and our APAs, do not assure success of our vaccine candidates or vaccines or that we will be able to fully fund our vaccine candidates or vaccines or our operations, and if we are unable to satisfy the performance obligations under such agreements, we may not be eligible to receive milestone payments under such agreements, the agreements may be terminated, the purchase commitments may be reduced or we may be required to refund advance payments.
•Limitations on the use of our net operating losses and other tax attributes could adversely affect our financial condition.
•Because our vaccine product development and commercialization efforts depend on new and rapidly evolving technologies we cannot be certain that our efforts will be successful.
•Clinical and preclinical development involves a lengthy and expensive process with an uncertain outcome, and the results of prior clinical trials are not necessarily predictive of our future results.
•Any difficulties or delays in the commencement or completion, or the termination or suspension, of our current or planned clinical trials could result in increased costs to us, delay or limit our ability to generate revenue or adversely affect our commercial prospects.
•We may find it difficult to enroll subjects in our clinical trials. If we encounter difficulties enrolling subjects in our clinical trials, our clinical development activities could be delayed or otherwise adversely affected.
•Use of our vaccine candidates could be associated with adverse side effects, adverse events or other safety risks, which could delay or preclude approval, cause us to suspend or discontinue clinical trials, abandon a vaccine candidate, limit the commercial profile of an approved label or result in other significant negative consequences that could severely harm our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition.
•We are a biotechnology company and face significant risk in developing, manufacturing, and commercializing our products and vaccine candidates.
•We must identify vaccines for development with our technologies and establish successful third-party relationships.
•We rely on third parties to conduct preclinical 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, our development programs and our ability to seek or obtain regulatory approval for or commercialize our vaccine candidates may be delayed.
•We currently rely on third parties for the manufacture of our vaccine candidates for clinical development and expect to continue to rely on third parties for the foreseeable future. This reliance on third parties increases the risk that we will not have sufficient quantities of our vaccine candidates or such quantities at an acceptable cost, which could delay, prevent or impair our development or potential commercialization efforts.
•Because we depend on third parties to conduct some of our laboratory testing and clinical trials, and a significant amount of our vaccine manufacturing and distribution, we may encounter delays in or lose some control over our efforts to develop and supply products and vaccine candidates.
•Many of our competitors have significantly greater resources and experience, which may negatively impact our commercial opportunities and those of our current and future licensees.
•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 vaccine candidates, our business will be substantially harmed.
•Our business may be adversely affected if we do not successfully execute our business development initiatives.
•Servicing our 2031 Notes and our 2027 Notes requires a significant amount of cash, and we may not have sufficient cash flow resources to pay our debt.
•Because our stock price has been and will likely continue to be highly volatile, the market price of our common stock may be lower or more volatile than expected.
•Litigation or regulatory investigations could have a material adverse impact on our results of operation and financial condition.
•We or the third parties upon whom we depend may be adversely affected by natural or man-made disasters or public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
PART I
Item 1. BUSINESS
Overview
Novavax, Inc., together with our wholly owned subsidiaries, tackles some of the world’s most pressing health challenges with its scientific expertise in vaccines and its proven technology platform, including its Matrix-M™ adjuvant and protein-based nanoparticles.
Our corporate growth strategy focuses on maximizing the impact of our cutting-edge technology by forging partnerships for our Matrix-M adjuvant and research and development (R&D) assets while maintaining a lean and focused operating model.
Our technology platform, combined with our deep vaccine expertise, is the fuel for innovation and partnerships, and we believe it has the potential to create significant value. Our proprietary Matrix-M™ adjuvant when added to vaccines, has been shown to help induce a stronger and longer-lasting immune response. Our recombinant protein-based nanoparticle technology has been shown to be highly immunogenetic. Together, we believe that our technology platform can induce potent, durable and broad immune responses, with the potential to be antigen-sparing. Our Matrix-M™ adjuvant can increase both antibody and cell-mediated immune responses to the vaccine and it has demonstrated a favorable tolerability profile in clinical trials. Our technology platform is used in our authorized COVID-19 Vaccine (Nuvaxovid) and the R21/Matrix-M™ adjuvant malaria vaccine (as defined below).
Additionally, we are advancing our pipeline programs with a focus on potentially high-value assets in areas with unmet medical need, compelling scientific rationale and strong commercial opportunity.
Furthermore, we provide our Matrix-M™ adjuvant for use in collaborations. These include the R21/Matrix-M™ adjuvant malaria vaccine, a malaria vaccine developed by our partner, the Jenner Institute, University of Oxford (“R21/Matrix-M™ adjuvant malaria vaccine”) and manufactured by Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. (“SII”). R21/Matrix-M™ adjuvant malaria vaccine is authorized in several countries. Additionally, we provide Matrix-M™ adjuvant for use in various programs in preclinical and clinical stage, as well as preclinical investigations. Examples include, several material transfer agreements with global pharmaceutical companies for exploration of Matrix-M™ adjuvant used as a potential advancement in their pipeline, including a pre-clinical collaboration in oncology.
We were incorporated in 1987 under the laws of the State of Delaware. Our principal executive offices are located at 21 Firstfield Road, Gaithersburg, Maryland, 20878, and our telephone number is (240) 268-2000. Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “NVAX.”
Technology Overview
We believe our recombinant nanoparticle vaccine technology and our proprietary Matrix-M™ adjuvant are well suited for the development and commercialization of vaccine candidates targeting areas both within and beyond the infectious disease space.
Recombinant Nanoparticle Vaccine Technology
Once a target of interest has been identified, the genetic sequence encoding an antigen is selected for developing the vaccine construct. The genetic sequence may be optimized to enhance protein stability or confer resistance to degradation. This genetic construct is inserted into the baculovirus Spodoptera frugiperda (“Sf-/BV”) insect cell-expression system, which enables efficient, large-scale expression of the optimized protein. The Sf-/BV system produces protein-based antigens that are properly folded and modified, which can be critical for functional, protective immunity. Our testing shows this results in a highly immunogenic nanoparticle that is ready to be formulated with Matrix-M™ adjuvant.
Matrix-M™ Adjuvant
Our proprietary Matrix-M™ adjuvant is a key differentiator within our platform. This adjuvant has enabled potent, well tolerated, and durable efficacy by stimulating the entry of antigen presenting cells (“APCs”) into the injection site and enhancing antigen presentation in local lymph nodes. This in turn activates APCs, T-cell and B-cell populations, and plasma cells, which promote the production of high affinity antibodies, an immune boosting response. This potent mechanism of action enables a lower dose of antigen to achieve the desired immune response, thereby contributing to increased vaccine supply and manufacturing capacity. These immune-boosting and dose-sparing capabilities contribute to the adjuvant’s highly unique profile.
We continue to evaluate commercial opportunities for the use of our Matrix-M™ adjuvant alongside vaccine antigens produced by other manufacturers. Matrix-M™ adjuvant is being evaluated in combination with several partner-led malaria vaccine candidates, including for R21/Matrix-M™ adjuvant malaria vaccine. The R21Matrix-M™ adjuvant malaria vaccine has been licensed to SII for commercialization. In May 2024, pursuant to the Sanofi CLA, Sanofi received a non-exclusive license to develop and commercialize other vaccine products that include our Matrix-M™ adjuvant. In 2025, we signed three material transfer agreements with other pharmaceutical companies to explore the use of our Matrix-M™ adjuvant for the potential advancement of their pipeline candidates, with the latest material transfer agreement signed in the fourth quarter of 2025. In January 2026, we entered into a non-exclusive license agreement with Pfizer for use of Matrix-M adjuvant in up to two infectious disease areas.
APAs
We have entered into APAs (also referred to as “supply agreements” throughout this Annual Report on Form 10-K) with various countries globally. The APAs typically contain terms that include upfront payments intended to assist us in funding investments related to building out and operating our manufacturing and distribution network, among other expenses, in support of our global supply commitment. As of December 31, 2025, we have $0.4 billion of remaining obligations under APAs with certain countries globally. These obligations include $133.9 million related to an APA with the Commonwealth of Australia (“Australia”) for the purchase of doses of COVID-19 Vaccine (the “Australia APA”), $225.0 million under our APA with the Vaccine Alliance (“Gavi”), and $73.3 million related to various other countries. In December 2024, we entered into an amendment to the Australia APA pursuant to which, among other things, we acknowledged the cancellation by Australia of the delivery of certain doses of our COVID-19 Vaccine scheduled for delivery between the fourth quarter of 2023 and the fourth quarter of 2025 and we agreed to credit approximately $31 million of the advanced payment paid by Australia to us against outstanding invoices and invoices for the future delivery of approximately three million doses of COVID-19 Vaccine without requiring additional cash payments.
In addition, the amendment provides for certain remedies for Australia, including return of unused credit, cancellation of doses, or termination of the Australia APA, in the event we are unable to gain regulatory approval of a variant COVID-19 Vaccine or supply doses per the terms of the agreement Specifically, Australia did not take delivery of doses that were due to be delivered in 2025 and may seek to cancel the future delivery of the 2025 as well as 2026 doses. If we are unable to provide doses per the supply schedule as amended, after six months, Australia may seek to terminate the APA. The amendment also provides Australia with the right to cancel doses if we fail to timely notify Australia of changes to our commercialization plans. In the event that we do not, on or before the relevant contractual deadlines, receive regulatory approval for, and deliver, the seasonally updated COVID-19 Vaccine, up to $92.5 million of deferred revenue may become refundable. As of December 31, 2025, $48.4 million was classified as current Deferred revenue and $85.4 million was classified as non-current Deferred revenue with respect to the Australia APA on our consolidated balance sheet, which will be recognized in product revenue as doses are delivered to Australia. In the third quarter of 2025 we withdrew our application for our COVID-19 Vaccine based on recommendations made by the TGA. The parties are in ongoing discussions and have agreed to a meeting to discuss outstanding issues and obligations under the APA. In light of these developments, we may seek to further amend the Australian APA, which amendment may not be achievable on acceptable terms or at all.
We had an APA with His Majesty the King in Right of Canada as represented by the Minister of Public Works and Government Services, as successor in interest to Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Public Works and Government Services (the “Canadian government”), for the purchase of doses of COVID-19 Vaccine (as amended, the “Canada APA”). As of December 31, 2024, we had $555.7 million of current deferred revenue and $48.0 million of other current liabilities related to advanced payments and other commitments previously made under the Canada APA on our consolidated balance sheet. In March 2025, we received a communication (the “Notice”) terminating, with immediate effect, the Canada APA on the basis of us not receiving regulatory approval for our COVID-19 Vaccine using bulk antigen produced at Biologics Manufacturing Centre Inc. on or before December 31, 2024, pursuant to the terms of the Canada APA. As a result of the Notice, we have no remaining obligations to the Canadian government under the Canada APA. Therefore, during the year ended December 31, 2025, we recognized $575.7 million, previously recorded in deferred revenue and other current liabilities, as Product sales. Under the terms of the Canada APA, $28.0 million in advanced purchase payments previously received by us were refundable to the Canadian government within 30 days of receipt of the Notice. We repaid the $28.0 million in March 2025. The Canada APA also contemplated we and the Canadian government would endeavor to enter into a memorandum of understanding (the “MOU”) related to certain in-country commitments, including a $20.0 million escrow funding. The Notice also acknowledged that such MOU is no longer feasible and that the related funds may be released to us.
In March 2025, the Pharmaceutical Management Agency (“Pharmac”), a New Zealand Crown entity, and we executed a Deed of Settlement and Release (“New Zealand Settlement Agreement”) of our APA with New Zealand (the “New Zealand APA”). As part of the New Zealand Settlement Agreement, we paid Pharmac a refund of previously received upfront payments of $4.0 million. Under the New Zealand Settlement Agreement, we have no remaining obligation to Pharmac under the New Zealand APA. Therefore, during the year ended December 31, 2025, we recognized $27.3 million, previously in other current liabilities, as Product sales. As of December 31, 2024, we had $31.3 million included in Other current liabilities in our consolidated balance sheet related to the New Zealand APA.
Commercial Products and Product Pipeline
Commercial Products
In 2025 and continuing during the term of the Sanofi CLA, Sanofi will lead commercialization efforts for our COVID-19 Vaccine (Nuvaxovid™). Our COVID-19 Vaccine has received authorizations from the U.S. FDA, the European Commission (“EC”), and several other countries for both adult and adolescent populations.
COVID-19 Vaccine Regulatory and Licensure
In May 2025, the U.S. FDA approved the BLA for Nuvaxovid™ for active immunization to prevent COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in adults 65 years and older and individuals 12 through 64 years who have at least one underlying condition that puts them at high risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19 (e.g. asthma, cancer, diabetes, obesity, smoking). The BLA approval was based on pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial data that showed Nuvaxovid™ was safe and effective for the prevention of COVID-19. The BLA approval triggered a $175 million milestone payment under the Sanofi CLA.
In August 2025, the U.S. FDA approved the JN.1 COVID-19 Vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 in individuals 65 years of age and older, or 12 years through 64 years of age with at least one underlying condition that puts them at high risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19.
In November 2025, we announced that we completed the transfer of the Nuvaxovid™ BLA to Sanofi, who remains responsible for further development and commercialization of this product.
Novavax Pipeline
We are advancing our pipeline programs with a focus on potentially high-value assets in areas with unmet medical need, compelling scientific rationale and strong commercial opportunity. Development and advancement of our in-house pipeline leverages our core expertise and our experience in respiratory and infectious diseases and vaccines, and we intend to explore new opportunities with the potential to expand beyond infectious diseases.
Additionally, we intend to develop our early-stage pipeline using a disciplined and capital-efficient approach. Our R&D investment strategy seeks to place targeted investments on the programs with the highest potential value, both within infectious disease and beyond, with the intent of partnering these programs at proof of concept. We would consider advancing a program ourselves where data and commercial landscape indicate a unique high-value opportunity. We are conducting early-stage research in diseases such as, C. Diff, shingles and RSV combinations. In addition, we are developing a pandemic influenza vaccine candidate and pursuing funding opportunities to join preparedness options. Lastly, we are evaluating potential expansion beyond infectious diseases, where we believe our technology has the potential to augment and improve upon current therapies. In the first quarter of 2025, we entered into a preclinical collaboration with a partner to explore the application and utility of Matrix-M™ adjuvant with their cancer vaccine candidate.
Partner Pipeline
In addition to our own pipeline, we have several ongoing partnerships.
Under our Sanofi agreement, we have also provided a sole license to Sanofi for the independent development of a COVID-19 and influenza combination product using our COVID-19 Vaccine in combination with two of Sanofi’s separately marketed influenza vaccines, Fluzone High-Dose and Flublok. These two combination vaccine candidates were granted Fast Track designation by the U.S. FDA in December 2024 to prevent influenza and COVID-19 infections in individuals aged 50 and older. In October 2025, Sanofi reported positive Phase 1/2 results with their combination vaccine candidates and will engage with regulatory authorities on next steps. Sanofi also has a non-exclusive license to develop and commercialize combination products containing both our COVID-19 Vaccine and one or more non-influenza vaccines, and a non-exclusive license to develop and commercialize other vaccine products selected by Sanofi that include our Matrix-M™ adjuvant.
In September 2025, we amended the Sanofi CLA to expand Sanofi's license to include use of Novavax's Matrix-M™ adjuvant in Sanofi's pandemic influenza vaccine candidate program. Sanofi received funding from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority within the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, for early-stage work on this vaccine candidate including the Matrix-M™ adjuvant.
In January 2026, we entered into a License and Option Agreement with Pfizer Inc. (“Pfizer”) for use of our Matrix-M™. Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer will obtain a non-exclusive license for Matrix-M™ for use with Pfizer's products in two infectious disease areas. The agreement provides for an upfront payment of $30 million and we have the potential to receive up to $500 million in development and sales milestone payments. In addition to milestone payments, we are eligible to receive tiered high mid-single digit percentage royalty payments on sales of any product by Pfizer that includes Matrix-M™.
Coronavirus Vaccine Clinical Development
We continue to evaluate vaccine safety, immunogenicity, and effectiveness through ongoing clinical trials and collaborative evidence-generating real-world studies.
Phase 4 Postmarketing Commitments
In May 2025, we announced that the U.S. FDA, as a part of its BLA approval of Nuvaxovid, requested that we conduct as one of our post-marketing commitments (“PMCs”) a Phase 4 prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled efficacy and safety trial in individuals aged 50 through 64 without high-risk conditions for severe COVID-19. Although the BLA has since been transferred to Sanofi, we are currently conducting the PMC trial on behalf of Sanofi which will reimburse us for 70% of the PMC costs, capped at the currently agreed upon cost estimates. We updated our total expected costs and the amounts of variable consideration for research and development transition services that support further regulatory approval and development of the COVID-19 Vaccine (“Sanofi Transition Services”) for costs and reimbursements from the PMC. Revenue related to the PMC will be recognized in Licensing, royalties, and other revenue over time using an input method, consistent with Sanofi Transition Services.
In addition, in October 2025, we initiated an additional PMC study evaluating the safety and immunogenicity of Nuvaxovid in the population of individuals for which Nuvaxovid is approved in the U.S., i.e., individuals 12 through 64 years of age with at least one underlying condition that puts them at high risk for severe outcomes from COVID‑19 and in adults ≥ 65 years of age. Following the transfer of the U.S. marketing authorization, Sanofi is now responsible for the conduct of this study.
COVID-Influenza Combination and Stand-alone Influenza Program
Phase 3 Clinical Trial of COVID-19 Influenza (“CIC”) and Stand-alone Influenza Vaccine Candidates
In December 2024, we initiated a Phase 3 immunogenicity and safety trial for our CIC and stand-alone influenza vaccine candidates to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety compared to our COVID-19 Vaccine and a licensed seasonal influenza vaccine comparator in adults aged 65 and older. Our Phase 3 immunogenicity and safety trial completed enrollment with an initial cohort of approximately 2,000 participants. In June 2025, we reported data from this initial cohort, which showed both vaccine candidates induced robust immune responses across all antigens tested. Both vaccine candidates were well tolerated with reactogenicity profiles that were comparable to authorized comparators. After consultation with the U.S. FDA, we determined that seeking an accelerated approval pathway for our CIC and stand-alone influenza candidates would not be feasible. While the Phase 3 immunogenicity and safety trial is not a pivotal study, the data will inform a future registrational Phase 3 program. We do not intend to make additional investments in these programs and are seeking a partner to advance both vaccine candidates.
Malaria
Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by a parasite that infects mosquitos and is subsequently transmitted to humans. According to the 2024 WHO World Malaria Report, in 2023, there were an estimated 263 million malaria cases and 597,000 malaria-related deaths worldwide. We believe malaria has the potential to be preventable through our partner-led R21/Matrix-M™ adjuvant malaria vaccine, which in 2024 the first doses were distributed and administered across the African region after in 2023 having received authorization in several countries and prequalification by the WHO.
R21/Matrix-M™ Adjuvant Malaria Vaccine
R21/Matrix-M™ adjuvant malaria vaccine, formulated with our Matrix-M™ adjuvant is developed by our partner, the Jenner Institute, University of Oxford, and manufactured by SII. We have an agreement with SII related to its manufacture of R21/Matrix-M™ adjuvant malaria vaccine under which SII purchases our Matrix-M™ adjuvant for use in development activities at cost and for commercial purposes at a tiered commercial supply price, and pays a royalty in the single- to low-double digit range based on vaccine sales for a period of 15 years after the first commercial sale of the vaccine in each country.
In July 2024, first commercial doses of R21/Matrix-M™ adjuvant malaria vaccine were administered to children in Cote d’Ivoire and South Sudan. As of February 2026, R21/Matrix-M™ adjuvant malaria vaccine is available in 24 countries.
R21/Matrix-M™ Adjuvant Malaria Vaccine Regulatory and Licensure
In December 2023, the WHO announced it prequalified the R21/Matrix-M™ adjuvant malaria vaccine to prevent malaria disease in children caused by the P. falciparum parasite in endemic areas. Prequalification status enables United Nations agencies to procure the vaccine for eligible countries and enabled rollout of the vaccine in mid-2024. The WHO recommended that the R21/Matrix-M™ adjuvant malaria vaccine be administered in a four-dose schedule beginning at five months of age.
License and Collaboration
A summary of our license and collaboration agreements follows:
Sanofi
In May 2024, we entered into the Sanofi CLA, to co-commercialize our COVID-19 Vaccine, including future updated versions that address seasonal COVID-19 variants. Under the terms of the agreement, we continued to commercialize our COVID-19 Vaccine through the end of the 2024-2025 vaccination season. Beginning in 2025 and continuing during the term of the Sanofi CLA, we and Sanofi will commercialize the COVID-19 Vaccine worldwide in accordance with a commercialization plan agreed by the parties, under which we will continue to supply certain of our existing APA customers and strategic partners, including Takeda and SII. Upon completion of the existing APAs, we and Sanofi will jointly agree on commercialization activities of each party in each jurisdiction. Sanofi has the right to develop novel influenza-COVID-19 combination vaccines utilizing our COVID-19 Vaccine and Sanofi’s seasonal influenza vaccine, combination products containing our COVID-19 Vaccine and one or more non-influenza vaccines, and multiple new vaccines utilizing our Matrix-M™ adjuvant. We are also responsible for performing services related to Sanofi Technology Transfer.
Until the successful completion of such transfer, we will supply Sanofi with both COVID-19 Vaccine products and Matrix-M™ intermediary components for Sanofi’s use and we are eligible for reimbursement of such costs from Sanofi. In addition, we are responsible for Sanofi Transition Services and, in certain cases, are eligible for reimbursement of such costs from Sanofi.
Pursuant to the Sanofi CLA, we are eligible to receive development, technology transfer, launch, and sales milestone payments for COVID-19 Vaccine products, CIC products, and Adjuvant products. We are also eligible to receive royalty payments on Sanofi’s sales of such licensed products.
We are eligible to receive milestone payments totaling up to $350 million in the aggregate with respect to the COVID-19 Vaccine products, of which $75 million remains outstanding, and royalty payments in the high teens to low twenties percent on Sanofi’s sales of such licensed products. As of December 31, 2025, the remaining milestone payment is $75 million upon the completion of the technology transfer of the Company’s manufacturing process for the COVID-19 Vaccine products to Sanofi.
We are eligible to receive milestone payments totaling up to $125 million with respect to CIC products upon achievement of certain CIC Product-related development milestones and $225 million in CIC Product-related launch milestones. We are eligible to receive royalty payments in the high teens to low twenties percent on Sanofi’s sales of such licensed products.
We are also eligible to receive development, launch, and sales milestone payments of up to $200 million for each of the first four Adjuvant Products and $210 million for each Adjuvant Product thereafter, and mid-single digit sales royalties for 20 years on Sanofi’s sales of all such licensed products. In addition, a portion of the technology transfer costs and R&D costs incurred by us will be reimbursed by Sanofi in accordance with agreed upon plans and budgets.
Pfizer
On January 15, 2026, we entered into a License and Option Agreement with Pfizer Inc. (“Pfizer”) for use of our Matrix-M™. Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer will obtain a non-exclusive license for Matrix-M™ for use with Pfizer's products in up to two disease areas. The agreement provides for an upfront payment of $30 million and we have the potential to receive up to $500 million in development and sales milestone payments. In addition to milestone payments, we are eligible to receive tiered high mid-single digit percentage royalty payments on sales of any product by Pfizer that includes Matrix-M™.
Takeda
On April 29, 2025, we entered into a collaboration and exclusive license agreement, as amended (“Amended Takeda CLA”), with Takeda "Pharmaceutical Company Limited (“Takeda”) which amended and superseded our collaboration and exclusive license agreement with Takeda, dated February 24, 2021 (“Original Takeda CLA”). The Original Takeda CLA, which granted Takeda an exclusive license to develop, manufacture, and commercialize the COVID-19 Vaccine in Japan, was amended so that Takeda may develop and commercialize a strain for the COVID-19 Vaccine that is different from the strain that we select for the year, provided such Takeda selected strain must be procured from us. Under the Amended Takeda CLA, Takeda will continue to purchase our Matrix-M™ adjuvant to manufacture doses of finished COVID-19 Vaccine with updated adjuvant forecast and other supply terms.
We determined the initial transaction price at inception of the Amended Takeda CLA to be $27.5 million, consisting of (i) $19.5 million of a non-refundable upfront payment, (ii) $4.0 million of non-cancelable annual support payments within the 18 month notice period for contract termination, and (iii) $4.0 million of previously unrecognized consideration from the Original Takeda CLA. We allocated $26.9 million of fixed consideration to the Updated Takeda License performance obligations and $0.6 million to Takeda Support Services.
We recognized revenue of $40.9 million related to the Updated Takeda License in 2025. The Takeda Support Services are recognized as revenue over time using an input method to measure progress by utilizing costs incurred to-date relative to total expected costs. Revenue recognized related to Takeda Support Services for the year ended December 31, 2025 was $0.8 million.
Under the Amended Takeda CLA, we received a non-refundable upfront payment of $19.5 million of which $5.0 million is creditable against royalties owed by Takeda for its fiscal year 2024. In addition, on an annual basis, we will receive $2.0 million to compensate us for services provided by us under the Takeda CLA, and we will receive an additional $8.0 million annual milestone payment, of which $5.0 million is creditable against royalties owed by Takeda in its fiscal year 2025 or thereafter, if Takeda receives marketing approval of the COVID-19 Vaccine in that year or such approval is not necessary for such year.
The parties have also updated the financial terms to replace the share of operating profits and, instead, provide us with a tiered royalty as a percentage of Takeda’s, its affiliates’ and sublicensees’ total net sales in the mid to high-teen percentages (subject to certain capped royalty reductions), which commenced on April 1, 2024 and will continue until the later of (a) twenty years after April 29, 2025, (b) all our know-how licensed under the Amended Takeda CLA has become publicly available through no fault of Takeda, and (c) the expiration of the last valid claim in the intellectual property rights licensed by us to Takeda under the Amended Takeda CLA covering COVID-19 Vaccine in Japan.
In connection with the Amended Takeda CLA, on April 29, 2025, we entered into a release agreement with Takeda under which we released Takeda and Takeda released us from all claims that were asserted or could have been asserted by either party against the other party that related to the Original Takeda CLA and the activities thereunder.
Serum
We previously granted SII exclusive and non-exclusive licenses for the development, co-formulation, filling and finishing, registration, and commercialization of our COVID-19 Vaccine and our CIC vaccine candidate. SII agreed to purchase our Matrix-M™ adjuvant and we granted SII a non-exclusive license to manufacture the antigen drug substance component of our COVID-19 Vaccine in SII’s licensed territory solely for use in the manufacture of COVID-19 Vaccine. We and SII equally split the revenue from SII’s sale of COVID-19 Vaccine in its licensed territory, net of agreed costs. In March 2020, we entered into an agreement with SII that granted SII a non-exclusive license for the use of Matrix-M™ adjuvant supplied by us to develop, manufacture, and commercialize R21/Matrix-M™ adjuvant (“SII R21 Agreement”), a malaria vaccine created by the Jenner Institute, University of Oxford (“R21/Matrix-M”). In December 2023, R21/Matrix-M™ received prequalification by the World Health Organization (“WHO”). In August 2022, we and SII entered into an influenza license agreement under which we granted SII licenses to develop, manufacture, and commercialize certain vaccine products including influenza vaccine products and influenza and coronavirus combination vaccine products (“CIC”) and are obligated to purchase up to approximately $34 million of certain raw materials under related agreements with SII. In May 2024, we and SLS entered into a supply agreement (the “SLS Supply Agreement”) under which SLS agreed to supply us with antigen drug substance and finished COVID-19 Vaccine doses. The SLS Supply Agreement includes the general terms and conditions of supply orders between us and SLS. We and SLS execute firm purchase orders, which include specific quantities to be delivered under the SLS Supply Agreement. We agreed to supply SLS with all Matrix-M™ adjuvant needed to manufacture finished COVID-19 Vaccine doses. In June 2025, we announced results of the initial cohort of our clinical study for its influenza and CIC vaccine candidates with the intent of partnering these programs. Under the SII R21 Agreement, SII purchases our Matrix-M™ adjuvant for use in development activities at cost and for commercial purposes at a tiered commercial supply price, and pays a royalty in the single-to low- double-digit range based on vaccine sales for a period of 15 years after the first commercial sale of the vaccine in each country.
Manufacturing and Supply
We are committed to discovering, developing, and commercializing innovative vaccines to prevent serious infectious diseases directly and by leveraging our strategic global partnerships. In 2025, our global manufacturing footprint was consistent with our contractual obligations to supply, and anticipated demand for COVID-19 Vaccine and Matrix-M™ adjuvant, and expected supply needs of Sanofi for both COVID-19 Vaccine products and Matrix-M™ intermediary components for use under the Sanofi CLA.
A summary of our key manufacturing and supply arrangements follows:
Matrix-M™ Adjuvant
We manufacture our proprietary saponin-based Matrix-M™ adjuvant at our Novavax AB facility in Uppsala, Sweden. We also have contract manufacturing arrangements with AGC Biologics and the Polypeptide Group to provide contract development and manufacturing services, supplying us with large-scale production of Matrix-M™ adjuvant.
Antigen Component of COVID-19 Vaccine
We have a supply agreement with SII and SLS for the manufacture of the antigen component of COVID-19 Vaccine and the co-formulation, fill, and finishing of the finished vaccine product. In May 2024, we entered into the SLS Supply Agreement under which SLS agreed to supply us with antigen drug substance and finished COVID-19 Vaccine doses.
The SLS Supply Agreement includes the general terms and conditions of supply orders between us and SLS. We and SLS execute firm purchase orders, which include specific quantities to be delivered under the SLS Supply Agreement. We agreed to supply SLS with all Matrix-M™ adjuvant needed to manufacture finished COVID-19 Vaccine doses. Currently, we depend primarily on this supply agreement for co-formulation, filling and finishing of COVID-19 Vaccine doses.
Competition
The vaccine market is intensely competitive, characterized by rapid technological progress. Our technology is based upon utilizing the baculovirus expression system in insect cells to make recombinant vaccines. Our Matrix-M™ adjuvant has demonstrated a potent and well-tolerated effect by stimulating the entry of antigen presenting cells into the injection site and enhancing antigen presentation in local lymph nodes, boosting immune response. We believe this baculovirus expression system with our nanoparticle configuration formulated with our Matrix-M™ adjuvant offers many advantages compared to other technologies, such as enabling dose-sparing effects and refrigerator temperature storage. We believe our technology platform is well suited for developing COVID-19 and combination vaccines, as well as vaccines against a number of other infectious diseases and potentially beyond the infectious disease area into other therapeutic areas where we believe our technology has the capability to augment and improve on current approaches. We face competition in the development of our COVID-19 Vaccine, seasonal influenza vaccine candidate, CIC vaccine candidate and the other vaccine candidates in our pipeline, including our early-stage vaccine candidates.
A number of vaccine manufacturers, research institutions, and other organizations have developed a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. A variety of different vaccine technologies are being studied, including nucleic acid (RNA/DNA), viral vectors, live attenuated or inactivated, and protein-based vaccines. Nuvaxovid is the first protein-based COVID-19 Vaccine that was approved by the U.S. FDA and by the European Commission based on European Medicines Agency (“EMA”) in the European Union. As of February 2026, Nuvaxovid is one of three COVID-19 vaccines that have been approved by the U.S. FDA for the 2025-2026 vaccination season, with the other vaccines being marketed by Pfizer and Moderna.
Furthermore, a number of companies are selling vaccines for seasonal influenza employing a number of vaccine technologies including inactivated, recombinant and live attenuated technologies. Starting in the 2024-2025 season, all flu vaccines in the U.S. were trivalent vaccines designed to protect against three different influenza viruses, including two influenza A viruses and an influenza B / Victoria virus. Many seasonal influenza vaccines are currently approved and marketed, and most of these are marketed by major pharmaceutical companies such as Sanofi, GSK, and Seqirus. Competition in the sale of seasonal influenza vaccines is intense. For the older adult segment in the U.S., the CDC preferentially recommends Fluzone-HD®, an egg-based high-dose flu vaccine, Flublok®, a recombinant flu vaccine manufactured by Sanofi and Fluad®, an egg-based adjuvanted flu vaccine manufactured by Seqirus. Therefore, newly developed and approved products must be differentiated from existing vaccines in order to have commercial success. In order to show differentiation in the seasonal influenza market, a product may need to be more efficacious or be less expensive and quicker to manufacture, all while still showing a comparable or improved tolerability profile. Many of our competitors are working on new products and new generations of current products, some by adding an adjuvant that is used to increase the immunogenicity of that product, each of which is intended to be more efficacious than currently marketed products. Several competitors are working on developing seasonal influenza vaccines using different technologies than those in existing marketed vaccines, the most notable being mRNA from companies including Moderna and Pfizer. Despite the significant competition and advancing technologies, based on our completed Phase 2 trial results, we believe that our stand-alone influenza vaccine, our adjuvanted nanoparticle seasonal influenza product, has the potential to be at least as efficacious as current products or products being developed by our competitors. Additionally, we believe that our platform is well suited for combination vaccines, for example influenza and COVID-19. In December 2024, we initiated a Phase 3 immunogenicity and safety trial for our CIC and stand-alone influenza vaccine candidates to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety compared to our COVID-19 Vaccine and a licensed seasonal influenza vaccine comparator in adults aged 65 and older. Our Phase 3 immunogenicity and safety trial completed enrollment with an initial cohort of approximately 2,000 participants. In June 2025, we reported data from this initial cohort, which showed both vaccine candidates induced robust immune responses across all antigens tested. Both vaccine candidates were well tolerated with reactogenicity profiles that were comparable to authorized comparators.
Additionally, under the Sanofi CLA, our COVID-19 Vaccine is being used in combination with two Sanofi vaccines that are separately marketed influenza vaccines, Fluzone High-Dose and Flublok, to evaluate immunogenicity and safety in Phase 1/2 combination trials. These two combination vaccine candidates were granted Fast Track designation by the U.S. FDA to prevent influenza and COVID-19 infections in individuals aged 50 and older. In October 2025, Sanofi reported positive Phase 1/2 results with their combination vaccine candidates and will engage with regulatory authorities on next steps. Another manufacturer who is actively developing a COVID-19-influenza combination vaccine candidate is Moderna and are working with the U.S FDA for regulatory approval and commercialization.
In general, competition among pharmaceutical products is based in part on product efficacy, safety, reliability, availability, price, and patent position. An important factor is the relative timing of the market introduction of our products and our competitors’ products. Accordingly, the speed with which we can develop products, complete the clinical trials and approval processes, and supply commercial quantities of the products to the market is an important competitive factor. Our competitive position also may depend upon our ability to show differentiation with a product that is more efficacious and/or less expensive and quicker to manufacture. Other factors affecting our competitive position include our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel, obtain and maintain patent protection or otherwise develop proprietary products or processes, and secure sufficient capital resources for the lengthy period between technological conception and commercial sale.
Intellectual Property Rights
We generally seek patent protection in the US and in select international countries to protect inventions that we or our partners consider important for our business interests. Patent protection in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals is uncertain and involved complex legal and factual questions, and we may be unable to protect and/or enforce our intellectual property. Our success will depend, in part, on whether we can:
•obtain and maintain patents to protect our own technologies, products, and product candidates;
•obtain and maintain licenses to use the technologies of third-parties, which may be protected by patents; and
•protect and maintain our trade secrets and know-how.
Patent Rights; Licenses
We have intellectual property (patents, licenses, know-how) related to our vaccines, manufacturing processes, and other technologies. Currently, we have or have rights to over 830 U.S. and foreign patents and patent applications relating to vaccines and vaccine-related technologies, including:
•RSV: We have more than 200 combined patents and pending applications in the US and internationally relating to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) glycoproteins, compositions, and methods of treatment. These patents will expire from 2029 to beyond 2041.
•Clostridium Difficile: We have more than 20 combined patents and pending applications in the US and internationally relating to methods and compositions for treating or preventing C. Difficile infection. These patents will expire from 2038 to beyond 2039.
•Influenza: We currently have 27 U.S. patents and pending US and international applications related to multivalent influenza compositions. These patents are anticipated to expire in 2039 and beyond
•COVID/Influenza: We have more than 40 combined patents and pending applications in the US and internationally related to compositions and methods for inducing immune responses against both influenza and coronaviruses that will expire beyond 2042 when issued.
•COVID-19: We currently have more than 50 combined patents and pending applications directed to our COVID vaccine technology that are anticipated to expire beyond 2040.
In addition to protecting our vaccine programs, we are pursuing further protections for our Matrix-M™ Adjuvant program, with expiration dates potentially extending to 2044 and beyond.
We continue to prepare, file, and prosecute patent applications to provide broad and strong protection of our proprietary rights related to our vaccine products and our adjuvant program.
The Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986 and related statutory guidance encourages the dissemination of science and technology innovation. While our expired contract with the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services (“DHHS”), Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority provided us with the right to retain ownership in our inventions that may have arisen during performance of that contract, with respect to certain other collaborative research efforts with the U.S. government, certain developments and results that may have commercial potential are to be freely published, not treated as confidential, and we may be required to negotiate a license to developments and results in order to commercialize products. There can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully obtain any such license at a reasonable cost, or that such development and results will not be made available to our competitors on an exclusive or non-exclusive basis.
Trade Secrets
We also rely significantly on trade secret protection and confidentiality agreements to protect our interests. It is our policy to require employees, consultants, contractors, manufacturers, collaborators, and other advisors to execute confidentiality agreements upon the commencement of employment, consulting, or collaborative relationships with us. We also require confidentiality agreements from any entity that is to receive confidential information from us. With respect to employees, consultants, and contractors, the agreements generally provide that all inventions made by the individual while rendering services to us shall be assigned to us as our property. In any of the above mentioned scenarios, we require trade secrets be protected in perpetuity, or until certain exceptions arise.
Human Capital
Employees
We have a team of approximately 749 employees as of December 31, 2025. Our highly qualified and experienced team, which includes scientists, physicians, and professionals across research, development, manufacturing activities, executive, business development, commercial, finance and accounting, legal, and administrative functions and other essential functions is critical to our success. We also leverage temporary workers to provide flexibility for our business needs. We continually evaluate our business needs and opportunities and balance in-house with external expertise and capacity.
Compensation and Benefits; Health and Wellness
Our total rewards package is designed to attract, engage, motivate, and retain top talent. We strive to provide compensation, benefits and services that help meet the varying needs of our employees. Our total rewards package for employees in the U.S. includes competitive market pay and comprehensive benefits, including insurance to protect and maintain health; income protection through our short- and long-term disability programs and life insurance; adoption assistance and paid parental leave programs; and services to assist in balancing work and personal life, such as backup child, adult and elder care, and financial well-being programs, including monthly financial wellness seminars, one-on-one financial planning sessions, and debt and credit management support.
Our wellness initiatives include a monthly newsletter, which highlights organizations and partners, tools, and resources intended to enrich and improve our employees’ physical and mental well-being. We offer several digital apps that allow our employees to connect to an online licensed therapist or to access activities that are designed to reduce stress and anxiety and increase mindfulness and emotional well-being. We have a robust employee assistance program that allows employees to access support for a variety of life events.
In addition, we offer the majority of employees the benefit of equity ownership in the Company through equity grants or participation in our employee stock purchase plan. We believe that equity compensation has been, and will continue to be, a critical component of our compensation package because it develops a culture of ownership among our employees and aligns their interests with the interests of our stockholders.
Recruitment, Development, and Training
The attraction, development, and retention of employees is a critical factor for our success. We utilize a variety of recruitment vehicles to source top talent, including strategic partnerships with search firms, leveraging social media channels, and a robust employee referral program. Our Leading@Novavax competency model defines great leadership. At Novavax, everyone is leader, and this model and associated tools, resources, and programs are designed to develop leadership skills at all levels of the organization.
To support the growth and advancement of our employees, we offer tuition and continuing education reimbursement as well as a wide range of training and professional development opportunities, including executive coaching engagements and access to the LinkedIn Learning library of over 16,000 on‑demand video tutorials covering skills, knowledge, and behaviors related to business, leadership, technology, and innovation. In the last 12 months, our employees have viewed and completed videos over 20,000 times. In addition, approximately 35 employees have participated in spot coaching. Professional development learning series are available to all employees and focus on self-awareness, collaboration, hybrid working, leadership and business acumen.
We also offer a company‑wide mentoring program that enables employees to connect with colleagues across functions, build professional networks, and support their development through mentoring relationships.
We provide an Executive Development Program for employees identified as having high potential and for employees who have been identified as potential successors to leadership positions through our talent review and succession planning process. Our Executive Development Program includes executive coaching engagements and leadership development programs designed to strengthen our leadership bench and accelerate and prepare our top talent for future growth. The Executive Development Program includes a diverse and global group of 20 employees annually. Professional development learning series are available to all employees and focus on self-awareness, collaboration, hybrid working, leadership, and business acumen.
Our Commitment to Sustainability
We focus our sustainability impact on four strategic pillars, which guide our efforts to make a positive impact on global health and operate in a sustainable and inclusive manner.
•GOVERNANCE | Meeting our high standards of governance.
•ENVIRONMENT | Mitigating our environmental impact.
•SOCIAL | Creating a culture that can hire and retain the best employees.
•ACCESS | Maximizing access to our products to improve global health.
Governance
We are committed to operating with integrity, transparency and accountability in all that we do.
•Our policies remain in place so that we may comply with all government and regulatory agency requirements and industry standards with good laboratory practices, current good manufacturing practices and good distribution practices.
•Our pharmacovigilance system supports comprehensive safety monitoring and signal detection for products and clinical programs.
•Our Quality Management System supports compliance with national and international reporting requirements and special reporting obligations.
•Our employees and contractors must complete adverse event (“AE”) training and understand how to report AEs.
•We collect, evaluate and report AEs in line with mandates from worldwide health authorities (e.g., the U.S. FDA, European Medicines Agency).
•We practice responsible animal welfare practices including searching for non-animal alternatives whenever possible, abiding by the 3R-principle (Reduce, Refine, Replace), and working with accredited animal facilities with regional independent animal experimentation ethical review boards approving all experiments.
•We maintain “The NovaCode,” a robust handbook of written standards and business ethics policies.
•We maintain a global hotline for reporting compliance concerns with established internal investigation protocols.
•We maintain a Strategic Compliance Governance Committee to help our partners comply with U.S. regulations.
•We hold company-wide business ethics training, guidance and raw materials review.
•We maintain an anti-bribery and anti-corruption policy to foster a transparent and ethical business model.
•We abide by robust cybersecurity standards.
•We maintain an ongoing employee training on our Safety Policy.
Environment
We aim to operate in a sustainable manner that reduces our environmental impact.
•We are committed to engaging with material sustainability topics to drive long-term value creation and positive societal impact.
•We align our efforts with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (“SASB”), Global Reporting Initiative (“GRI”) and Sweden Non-Financial Reporting Directive (“NFRD”) frameworks to provide that our sustainability reporting accurately reflects the most pertinent topics within the biotechnology industry.
•We disclose greenhouse gas emissions globally.
•We abide by and require our suppliers to abide by our Novavax Environmental Sustainability Policy and Novavax Human Rights Policy.
Social
We seek to build a company and culture that attracts and retains the best talent.
•We offer a number of employee training opportunities.
•We maintain employee health and safety measures, including U.S. Environmental Health and Safety (“EHS”) management system as well as Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”)-required assessments and immunizations.
•We offer a number of employee well-being, satisfaction, charitable and financial benefit programs.
Access
We innovate through R&D and seek to increase access to our products and technology through strategic collaborations.
•R21/Matrix-M™ malaria vaccine offered by Oxford University and Serum Institute of India.
•Nuvaxovid® COVID-19 Vaccine offered by Sanofi.
•We also work to ensure that the products we develop are safe and effective for people of all races, ethnicities and genders. We have adopt the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and abide by our Clinical Research Policy.
Government Regulations
The FDA and other regulatory authorities at federal, state, and local levels, as well as in foreign countries, extensively regulate, among other things, the research, development, testing, manufacture, quality control, import, export, safety, effectiveness, labeling, packaging, storage, distribution, record keeping, approval, advertising, promotion, marketing, post-approval monitoring, and post-approval reporting of vaccines such as those we are developing. We, along with third-party contractors, will be required to navigate the various preclinical, clinical and commercial approval requirements of the regulatory agencies of the countries in which we wish to conduct studies or seek approval or licensure of our vaccine candidates. The process of obtaining regulatory approvals and the subsequent compliance with applicable federal, state, local and foreign statutes and regulations require the expenditure of substantial time and financial resources.
U.S. Biologics Regulation
In the United States, biological products, or biologics, such as vaccines are subject to regulation under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the Public Health Service Act, and other federal, state, local and foreign statutes and regulations. The process required by the FDA before biologics may be marketed in the United States generally involves the following:
•completion of preclinical laboratory tests and animal studies performed in accordance with the FDA’s Good Laboratory Practice requirements (“GLPs”);
•submission to the FDA of an investigational new drug application (“IND”), which must become effective before clinical trials may begin;
•approval by an institutional review board (“IRB”) or ethics committee at each clinical site before the trial is commenced;
•performance of adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials to establish the safety, purity and potency of the proposed biologic candidate for its intended use;
•preparation of and submission to the FDA of a biologics license application (BLA), after completion of all pivotal clinical trials and other necessary studies;
•satisfactory completion of an FDA Advisory Committee review, if applicable;
•a determination by the FDA within 60 days of its receipt of a BLA to file the application for review;
•satisfactory completion of an FDA pre-approval inspection of the manufacturing facility or facilities at which the proposed product is produced to assess compliance with cGMP, and to assure that the facilities, methods and controls are adequate to preserve the biological product’s continued safety, purity and potency, and of selected clinical investigation sites to assess compliance with Good Clinical Practice requirements (GCPs); and
•FDA review and approval of the BLA to permit commercial marketing of the product for particular indications for use in the United States.
The preclinical developmental stage generally involves laboratory evaluations of chemistry, formulation and stability, as well as studies to evaluate the candidate’s toxicity in animals, in an effort to support subsequent clinical testing. The conduct of preclinical studies is subject to federal regulations and requirements, including GLP regulations.
Prior to beginning the first clinical trial with a vaccine candidate in the United States, the trial sponsor must submit an IND to the FDA. An IND is a request for allowance from the FDA to administer an investigational drug to humans. The central focus of an IND submission is on the general investigational plan and the protocol(s) for clinical studies. The IND also includes results of animal and in vitro studies assessing the toxicology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, and pharmacodynamic characteristics of the vaccine candidate, chemistry, manufacturing, and controls information, and any available human data or literature to support the use of the vaccine candidate. An IND must become effective before human clinical trials may begin. The IND automatically becomes effective 30 days after receipt by the FDA, unless the FDA, within the 30-day time period, raises safety concerns or questions about the proposed clinical trial. In such a case, the IND may be placed on full or partial clinical hold and the IND sponsor and the FDA must resolve any outstanding concerns or questions before the clinical trial can begin or begin as planned. Submission of an IND therefore may or may not result in FDA allowance to begin a clinical trial.
Clinical trials involve the administration of the investigational product to human subjects under the supervision of qualified investigators, generally physicians not employed by or under the trial sponsor’s control, in accordance with GCPs, which include, among other things, the requirement that all research subjects provide their informed consent for their participation in any clinical study. Clinical trials are conducted under protocols detailing, among other things, the objectives of the study, the parameters to be used in monitoring subject safety and the effectiveness criteria to be evaluated. A separate submission to the existing IND must be made for each successive clinical trial conducted during product development and for any subsequent protocol amendments. While the IND is active, progress reports summarizing the results of the clinical trials and nonclinical studies performed since the last progress report, among other information, must be submitted at least annually to the FDA, and written IND safety reports must be submitted to the FDA and investigators for serious and unexpected suspected adverse events, findings from other studies suggesting a significant risk to humans exposed to the same or similar drugs, findings from animal or in vitro testing suggesting a significant risk to humans, and any clinically important increased incidence of a serious suspected adverse reaction compared to that listed in the protocol or investigator brochure.
Furthermore, an independent IRB for each site proposing to conduct the clinical trial must review and approve the plan for any clinical trial and its informed consent form before the clinical trial begins at that site, and must monitor the study until completed. Regulatory authorities, the IRB or the sponsor may suspend a clinical trial at any time on various grounds, including a finding that the subjects are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk or that the trial is unlikely to meet its stated objectives. Some studies also include oversight by an independent group of qualified experts organized by the clinical study sponsor, known as a data safety monitoring board, which provides authorization for whether or not a study may move forward at designated check points based on access to certain data from the study, and may halt the clinical trial if it determines that there is an unacceptable safety risk for subjects or on other grounds, such as failure to demonstrate efficacy.
There are also requirements governing the reporting of ongoing clinical studies and clinical study results to public registries, including clinicaltrials.gov.
For purposes of BLA approval, human clinical trials are typically conducted in three sequential phases that may overlap or be combined:
•Phase 1—The investigational product is initially introduced into healthy human subjects or patients with the target disease or condition. These studies are designed to test the safety, dosage tolerance, absorption, metabolism and distribution of the investigational product in humans, the side effects associated with increasing doses, and, if possible, to gain early evidence on effectiveness.
•Phase 2—The investigational product is administered to a limited patient population with a specified disease or condition to evaluate the preliminary efficacy, optimal dosages and dosing schedule and to identify possible adverse side effects and safety risks. Multiple Phase 2 clinical trials may be conducted to obtain information prior to beginning larger and more expensive Phase 3 clinical trials.
•Phase 3—The investigational product is administered to an expanded patient population to further evaluate dosage, to provide substantial evidence of clinical efficacy and to further test for safety, generally at multiple geographically dispersed clinical trial sites. These clinical trials are intended to establish the overall risk/benefit ratio of the investigational product and to provide an adequate basis for product approval.
In some cases, the FDA may require, or sponsors may voluntarily pursue, additional clinical trials after a product is approved to gain more information about the product. These so-called Phase 4 studies may also be made a condition to approval of the BLA.
Concurrent with clinical trials, companies may complete additional animal studies and develop additional information about the biological characteristics of the vaccine candidate, and must finalize a process for manufacturing the product in commercial quantities in accordance with cGMP requirements. The manufacturing process must be capable of consistently producing quality batches of the vaccine candidate and, among other things, must develop methods for testing the identity, strength, quality and purity of the final product. Additionally, appropriate packaging must be selected and tested and stability studies must be conducted to demonstrate that the candidate does not undergo unacceptable deterioration over its shelf life.
BLA submission and review by the FDA
Assuming successful completion of all required testing in accordance with all applicable regulatory requirements, the results of product development, preclinical studies and clinical trials are submitted to the FDA as part of a BLA requesting approval to market the product candidate for one or more indications. The BLA must include all relevant data available from preclinical and clinical studies, including negative or ambiguous results as well as positive findings, together with detailed information relating to the product’s chemistry, manufacturing, controls, and proposed labeling, among other things. Data can come from company-sponsored clinical studies intended to test the safety and effectiveness of a use of the product candidate, or from a number of alternative sources, including studies initiated by independent investigators. The submission of a BLA requires payment of a substantial application user fee to the FDA, unless a waiver or exemption applies.
In addition, the Pediatric Research Equity Act (“PREA”), requires a sponsor to conduct pediatric clinical trials for most drugs and biologics, for a new active ingredient, new indication, new dosage form, new dosing regimen or new route of administration. Under PREA, original BLAs and certain supplements must contain a pediatric assessment unless the sponsor has received a deferral or waiver. The required assessment must evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the product for the claimed indications in all relevant pediatric subpopulations and support dosing and administration for each pediatric subpopulation for which the product is deemed safe and effective. The sponsor or FDA may request a deferral of pediatric clinical trials for some or all of the pediatric subpopulations. A deferral may be granted for several reasons, including a finding that the candidate is ready for approval for use in adults before pediatric clinical trials are complete or that additional safety or effectiveness data needs to be collected before the pediatric clinical trials begin. The FDA must send a non-compliance letter to any sponsor that fails to submit the required assessment, keep a deferral current or fails to submit a request for approval of a pediatric formulation.
Within 60 days following submission of the application, the FDA reviews a BLA submitted to determine if it is substantially complete before the FDA accepts it for filing. The FDA may refuse to file any BLA that it deems incomplete or not properly reviewable at the time of submission and may request additional information.
In this event, the BLA must be resubmitted with the additional information. Once a BLA has been accepted for filing, the FDA’s goal is to review standard applications within ten months after the filing date, or, if the application qualifies for priority review, six months after the FDA accepts the application for filing. In both standard and priority reviews, the review process may also be extended by FDA requests for additional information or clarification. The FDA reviews a BLA to determine, among other things, whether the vaccine candidate is safe, pure and potent for the proposed indication, and the facility in which it is manufactured, processed, packed or held meets standards designed to assure the product’s continued safety, purity and potency. The FDA may also convene an advisory committee to provide clinical insight on application review questions. The FDA is not bound by the recommendations of an advisory committee, but it considers such recommendations carefully when making decisions.
Before approving a BLA, the FDA will typically inspect the facility or facilities where the product is manufactured. The FDA will not approve an application unless it determines that the manufacturing processes and facilities are in compliance with cGMP and adequate to assure consistent production of the product within required specifications. Additionally, before approving a BLA, the FDA will typically inspect one or more clinical sites to assure compliance with GCP. If the FDA determines that the application, manufacturing process or manufacturing facilities are not acceptable, it will outline the deficiencies in the submission and often will request additional testing or information.
After the FDA evaluates a BLA and conducts inspections of manufacturing facilities where the investigational product and/or its drug substance will be produced, the FDA may issue an approval letter or a Complete Response Letter (“CRL”). An approval letter authorizes commercial marketing of the product with specific prescribing information for specific indications. A CRL indicates that the review cycle of the application is complete, and the application will not be approved in its present form. A CRL usually describes the specific deficiencies in the BLA identified by the FDA and may require additional clinical data, including additional clinical trials, or other significant and time-consuming requirements related to clinical trials, nonclinical studies or manufacturing. If a CRL is issued, the sponsor must resubmit the BLA or, addressing all of the deficiencies identified in the letter, or withdraw the application. Even if such data and information are submitted, the FDA may decide that the BLA does not satisfy the criteria for approval.
If regulatory approval of a product is granted, such approval will be granted for particular indications and may include limitations on the indicated uses for which such product may be marketed. For example, the FDA may approve the BLA with a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (“REMS”), to ensure the benefits of the product outweigh its risks. A REMS is a safety strategy implemented to manage a known or potential serious risk associated with a product and to enable patients to have continued access to such medicines by managing their safe use, and could include medication guides, physician communication plans, or elements to assure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries and other risk minimization tools. The FDA also may condition approval on, among other things, changes to proposed labeling or the development of adequate controls and specifications. The FDA may also require one or more Phase 4 post-market studies and surveillance to further assess and monitor the product’s safety, purity and potency after commercialization, and may limit further marketing of the product based on the results of these post-marketing studies.
Expedited development and review programs
The FDA offers a number of expedited development and review programs for qualifying product candidates. For example, the fast track program is intended to expedite or facilitate the process for reviewing product candidates that are intended to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition and demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs for the disease or condition. Fast track designation applies to the combination of the product candidate and the specific indication for which it is being studied. The sponsor of a fast track product candidate has opportunities for more frequent interactions with the applicable FDA review team during product development and, once a BLA is submitted, the product application may be eligible for priority review. A fast track product candidate may also be eligible for rolling review, where the FDA may consider for review sections of the BLA on a rolling basis before the complete application is submitted, if the sponsor provides a schedule for the submission of the sections of the BLA, the FDA agrees to accept sections of the BLA and determines that the schedule is acceptable, and the sponsor pays any required user fees upon submission of the first section of the BLA.
A product candidate intended to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition may also be eligible for breakthrough therapy designation to expedite its development and review. A product candidate can receive breakthrough therapy designation if preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the product candidate, alone or in combination with one or more other drugs or biologics, may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints, such as substantial treatment effects observed early in clinical development. The designation includes all of the fast track program features, as well as more intensive FDA interaction and guidance beginning as early as Phase 1 and an organizational commitment to expedite the development and review of the product candidate, including involvement of senior managers.
Any marketing application for a biologic product candidate submitted to the FDA for approval, including a product candidate with a fast track designation and/or breakthrough therapy designation, may be eligible for other types of FDA programs intended to expedite the FDA review and approval process, such as priority review. A BLA is eligible for priority review if the product candidate is designed to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition, and if approved, would provide a significant improvement in safety or effectiveness compared to available alternatives for such disease or condition. For original BLAs, priority review designation means the FDA’s goal is to take action on the marketing application within six months of the 60-day filing date (as compared to ten months under standard review).
Additionally, depending on the design of the applicable clinical trials, candidates studied for their safety and effectiveness in treating serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions may receive accelerated approval upon a determination that the candidate has an effect on a surrogate endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit, or on a clinical endpoint that can be measured earlier than irreversible morbidity or mortality, that is reasonably likely to predict an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical benefit, taking into account the severity, rarity, or prevalence of the condition and the availability or lack of alternative treatments. As a condition of accelerated approval, the FDA will generally require the sponsor to perform adequate and well-controlled post-marketing clinical studies to verify and describe the anticipated effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical benefit, and may require that such studies be underway before granting any accelerated approval. Products receiving accelerated approval may be subject to expedited withdrawal procedures if the sponsor fails to conduct the required post-marketing studies or if such studies fail to verify the predicted clinical benefit. In addition, the FDA requires as a condition for accelerated approval pre-approval of promotional materials, which could adversely impact the timing of the commercial launch of the product.
Fast track designation, breakthrough therapy designation, priority review, and accelerated approval do not change the standards for approval but may expedite the development or approval process. Even if a candidate qualifies for one or more of these programs, the FDA may later decide that the product no longer meets the conditions for qualification or decide that the time period for FDA review or approval will not be shortened.
Post-approval requirements
Biologics are subject to pervasive and continuing regulation by the FDA, including, among other things, requirements relating to record-keeping, reporting of adverse experiences, periodic reporting, product sampling and distribution, and advertising and promotion of the product. After approval, most changes to the approved product, such as adding new indications or other labeling claims, are subject to prior FDA review and approval. There also are continuing, annual program fees for any marketed products. Biologic manufacturers and their subcontractors are required to register their establishments with the FDA and certain state agencies, and are subject to periodic unannounced inspections by the FDA and certain state agencies for compliance with cGMP, which impose certain procedural and documentation requirements up. Changes to the manufacturing process are strictly regulated, and, depending on the significance of the change, may require prior FDA approval before being implemented. FDA regulations also require investigation and correction of any deviations from cGMP and impose reporting requirements. Accordingly, manufacturers must continue to expend time, money and effort in the area of production and quality control to maintain compliance with cGMP and other aspects of regulatory compliance.
The FDA may withdraw approval if compliance with regulatory requirements and standards is not maintained or if problems occur after the product reaches the market. Later discovery of previously unknown problems with a product, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or with manufacturing processes, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements, may result in revisions to the approved labeling to add new safety information; imposition of post-market studies or clinical studies to assess new safety risks; or imposition of distribution restrictions or other restrictions under a REMS program. Other potential consequences include, among other things:
•restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of the product, complete withdrawal of the product from the market or product recalls;
•fines, warning letters, or untitled letters;
•clinical holds on clinical studies;
•refusal of the FDA to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications, or suspension or revocation of product license approvals;
•product seizure or detention, or refusal to permit the import or export of products;
•consent decrees, corporate integrity agreements, debarment or exclusion from federal healthcare programs;
•mandated modification of promotional materials and labeling and the issuance of corrective information;
•the issuance of safety alerts, Dear Healthcare Provider letters, press releases and other communications containing warnings or other safety information about the product; or
•injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.
The FDA closely regulates the marketing, labeling, advertising and promotion of biologics. A company can make only those claims that are in accordance with the provisions of the approved label. The FDA and other agencies actively enforce the laws and regulations prohibiting the promotion of off-label uses. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in, among other things, adverse publicity, warning letters, corrective advertising and potential civil and criminal penalties. Physicians may prescribe legally available products for uses that are not described in the product’s labeling and that differ from those tested and approved by the FDA. Such off-label uses are common across medical specialties. Physicians may believe that such off-label uses are the best treatment for many patients in varied circumstances. The FDA does not regulate the behavior of physicians in their choice of treatments. The FDA does, however, restrict a manufacturer’s communications on the subject of off-label use of their products.
Biosimilars and reference product exclusivity
The Affordable Care Act, signed into law in 2010, includes a subtitle called the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act (“BPCIA”), which created an abbreviated approval pathway for biological products that are biosimilar to or interchangeable with an FDA-licensed reference biological product.
Biosimilarity, which requires that the biological product be highly similar to the reference product notwithstanding minor differences in clinically inactive components and that there be no clinically meaningful differences between the biological product and the reference product in terms of safety, purity, and potency, can be shown through analytical studies, animal studies, and a clinical study or studies. Interchangeability requires that a product is biosimilar to the reference product and the product can be expected to produce the same clinical results as the reference product in any given patient and, for products that are administered multiple times to an individual, the biologic and the reference biologic may be alternated or switched after one has been previously administered without increasing safety risks or risks of diminished efficacy relative to exclusive use of the reference biologic.
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 that applicant’s own preclinical data and data from adequate and well-controlled clinical trials to demonstrate the safety, purity and potency of its product. The BPCIA also created certain exclusivity periods for biosimilars approved as interchangeable products.
A biological product can also obtain pediatric market exclusivity in the United States. Pediatric exclusivity, if granted, adds six months to existing exclusivity periods and patent terms. This six-month exclusivity, which runs from the end of all existing exclusivity protection or patent terms, may be granted based on the voluntary completion of a pediatric study in accordance with an FDA-issued “Written Request” for such a study.
Coverage and Reimbursement
In both domestic and foreign markets, sales of any products for which we receive regulatory approval for commercial sale will depend in part on the availability of reimbursement from third-party payers. Third-party payers include government authorities or programs, private health insurers (including managed care plans), and other organizations. These third-party payers are increasingly challenging the price and examining the cost-effectiveness of medical products and services. In addition, significant uncertainty exists as to the reimbursement status of newly approved healthcare products. We may need to conduct expensive pharmacoeconomic studies in order to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of our products. There may be significant delays in obtaining coverage and reimbursement for newly approved drugs, and coverage may be more limited than the indications for which the product is approved by the U.S. FDA or similar regulatory authorities outside the United States. Our product candidates may not be considered cost-effective at certain prices. Adequate third-party reimbursement may not be available in certain markets to enable us to maintain price levels sufficient to realize an appropriate return on our investment in product development. Third-party payors may also control access to, or manage utilization of, our products with various utilization management techniques.
Decreases in third-party reimbursement for our product candidates or a decision by a third-party payer to not cover our product candidates could reduce physician utilization of our products and have a material adverse effect on our sales, results of operations, and financial condition.
Within the U.S., if we obtain appropriate approval in the future to market any of our product candidates, those products could potentially be covered by various government health benefit programs, as well as purchased by government agencies. The participation in such programs or the sale of products to such agencies is subject to regulation. In exchange for coverage, we may be obligated to provide rebates or offer discounts under government health programs or to government and private purchasers. Certain Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (collectively, the “ACA”) marketplace and other private payor plans are required to include coverage for certain preventative services, including vaccinations recommended by the ACIP without cost share obligations (i.e., co-payments, deductibles or co-insurance) for plan members. For Medicare beneficiaries, vaccines may be covered under either the Part B program or Part D depending on several criteria, including the type of vaccine and the beneficiary’s coverage eligibility. Medicare Part B vaccine coverage includes vaccines to prevent influenza, pneumococcal disease, hepatitis B for beneficiaries who are at medium or high risk, and COVID-19. Vaccines for such conditions do not have any cost-sharing requirements. Effective January 1, 2023, the Inflation Reducation Act (“IRA”) modified the legal requirements to provides access to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) and ACIP-recommended vaccines covered under Medicare Part D, Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (“CHIP”) without cost-sharing. At the state level, payment rates for covered vaccines and their administration are set by the states or their contracted managed care plans. Children through 18 years of age without health insurance coverage for vaccines may also be eligible to receive such vaccinations free-of-charge through the CDC’s Vaccines for Children program (“VFC”).
Further, no uniform policy for coverage and reimbursement exists in the United States, and coverage and reimbursement can differ significantly from payor to payor. Third-party payors often rely upon Medicare coverage policy and payment limitations in setting their own reimbursement rates, but also have their own methods and approval process apart from Medicare determinations. As such, one third-party payor’s decision to cover a particular medical product or service does not ensure that other payors will also provide coverage for the medical product or service or will provide coverage at an adequate reimbursement rate. Further, coverage policies and third party reimbursement rates may change at any time. Even if favorable coverage and reimbursement status is attained for one or more products that receives regulatory approval, less favorable coverage policies and reimbursement rates may be implemented in the future.
Healthcare Reform
The U.S. and state governments continue to propose and pass legislation designed to reform delivery of, or payment for, health care, including initiatives to reduce the cost of healthcare. In March 2010, the U.S. Congress enacted the ACA, which included changes to the coverage and reimbursement of drug products under government health care programs. Since its enactment, there have been several executive, judicial and Congressional challenges to certain aspects of the ACA, and additional challenges and amendments to the ACA may reduce the profitability of drug products. Adoption of price controls and cost-containment measures and adoption of more restrictive policies in jurisdictions with existing controls and measures could further limit our net revenue and results. Other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted in the United States since the ACA was enacted that impact drug pricing. For example, through the process created by the Budget Control Act of 2011, there are automatic reductions of Medicare payments to providers, which went into effect in April 2013 and will remain in effect through 2032.
In addition, the current Presidential administration’s policies have resulted in changes to vaccine mandates and recommendations and public perception of vaccine importance. Because recommendations by the ACIP of a vaccine has significant impacts on the coverage and reimbursement of the vaccine from commercial and governmental payers, changes to the composition of the committee could, among other things, result in adverse recommendations from ACIP or delay ACIP decisions or other elements of the approval pathway, potentially adversely impacting vaccine availability and recommendations. By way of example, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“DHHS”) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. populated ACIP with members who generally have voiced negative views regarding COVID-19 vaccines. The CDC removed the COVID-19 vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women from the CDC recommended immunization schedules, and the DHHS Secretarial Directives ratifying CDC recommendations for use of COVID-19 vaccines for children ages six months to 17 years were also rescinded. The FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee makes recommendations to FDA regarding novel vaccine products, and the Trump administration has so far removed at least one member from the committee. The Trump administration’s changes to the immunization schedule for children and adolescents and vaccine recommendations to date, and similar changes that could be adopted in the future could have a material adverse effect on the industry.
There has been considerable public and government scrutiny in the U.S. of pharmaceutical pricing and proposals to address the perceived high cost of pharmaceuticals. There have also been several recent state legislative efforts to address drug costs, which generally have focused on increasing transparency around drug costs or limiting drug prices or price increases. Adoption of new legislation at the federal or state level could affect demand for, or pricing of, our product candidates if approved for sale. We cannot predict the ultimate content, timing, or effect of any federal and state reform efforts. There is no assurance that federal or state health care reform will not adversely affect our future business and financial results.
Similarly, in many countries outside the U.S., pharmaceutical pricing is subject to regulatory market access control, particularly in countries where healthcare is provided mainly through government funding or government backed insurers. In such countries governmental organizations will generally determine firstly if a medicinal product might be adopted for use in the national health systems and reimbursed and secondly the maximum price payable.
Other Healthcare Laws
In addition to FDA restrictions on marketing of pharmaceutical and biological products, other healthcare regulatory laws restrict business practices in the biotechnology industry, which include, but are not limited to, anti-kickback, false claims, and transparency laws regarding drug pricing and payments and other transfers of value made to physicians and other healthcare providers.
The federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits the offer, receipt, or payment of remuneration in exchange for or to induce the referral of patients or the use of products or services that would be paid for in whole or part by Medicare, Medicaid or other federal healthcare programs. Remuneration has been broadly interpreted to include anything of value, including cash, improper discounts and free or reduced-price items and services. Further, a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it to have committed a violation. Many states have similar laws that apply to their state healthcare programs as well as private payors.
The False Claims Act, or FCA, imposes liability on persons who, among other things, knowingly present or cause to be presented, a false, fictitious or fraudulent claim for payment to, or approval by, the federal government, knowingly make, use, or cause to be made or used a false record or statement material to a false or fraudulent claim to the federal government, or knowingly make a false statement to avoid, decrease or conceal an obligation to pay money to the U.S. federal government. The FCA has been used to prosecute persons submitting claims for payment that are inaccurate or fraudulent, that are for services not provided as claimed, or for services that are not medically necessary. In addition, the government may assert that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the False Claims Act. Actions under the FCA may be brought by the Attorney General or as a qui tam action by a private individual in the name of the government. The federal government is using the FCA, and the accompanying threat of significant liability, in its investigation and prosecution of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies throughout the country, and has obtained multi-million and multi–billion-dollar settlements under the FCA in addition to individual criminal convictions under applicable criminal statutes. In addition, companies have been forced to implement extensive corrective action plans and have often become subject to consent decrees or corporate integrity agreements, severely restricting the manner in which they conduct their business. Given the significant size of actual and potential settlements, it is expected that the government authorities will continue to devote substantial resources to investigating healthcare providers’ and manufacturers’ compliance with applicable fraud and abuse laws.
In addition, a person who offers or transfers to a Medicare or Medicaid beneficiary any remuneration, including waivers of co-payments and deductible amounts (or any part thereof), that the person knows or should know is likely to influence the beneficiary’s selection of a particular provider, practitioner or supplier of Medicare or Medicaid payable items or services may be liable for civil monetary penalties for each wrongful act. Moreover, in certain cases, providers who routinely waive copayments and deductibles for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries can also be held liable under the Anti-Kickback Statute and civil False Claims Act, which can impose additional penalties associated with the wrongful act. One of the statutory exceptions to the prohibition is non-routine, unadvertised waivers of copayments or deductible amounts based on individualized determinations of financial need or exhaustion of reasonable collection efforts. The Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services emphasizes, however, that this exception should only be used occasionally to address special financial needs of a particular patient. Although this prohibition applies only to federal healthcare program beneficiaries, the routine waivers of copayments and deductibles offered to patients covered by commercial payers may implicate applicable state laws related to, among other things, unlawful schemes to defraud, excessive fees for services, tortious interference with patient contracts and statutory or common law fraud.
The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, created additional federal criminal statutes that prohibit, among other actions, knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private third-party payors, knowingly and willfully embezzling or stealing from a healthcare benefit program, willfully obstructing a criminal investigation of a healthcare offense, and knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services. Similar to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it in order to have committed a violation.
In addition, there has been a recent trend of increased federal and state regulation of payments made to physicians and other healthcare providers. The ACA, among other things, imposed new reporting requirements through the Physician Payments Sunshine Act on certain manufacturers of drugs covered by a federal healthcare program for payments made by them to physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists and chiropractors), certain non-physician practitioners (physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists, anaesthesiology assistants, and certified nurse midwives) and teaching hospitals, as well as ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members. Failure to submit required information may result in civil monetary penalties for all payments, transfers of value or ownership or investment interests that are not timely, accurately and completely reported in an annual submission. Manufacturers must submit reports by the 90th day of each calendar year. Certain states also mandate implementation of compliance programs, impose restrictions on drug manufacturer marketing practices and/or require the tracking and reporting of gifts, compensation and other remuneration to physicians, and pricing information and marketing expenditures.
The shifting commercial compliance environment and the need to build and maintain robust systems to comply with different compliance and/or reporting requirements in multiple jurisdictions increase the possibility that a healthcare company may violate one or more of the requirements. Violations of any of such laws or any other governmental regulations that apply to drug manufacturers may result in significant penalties, including, without limitation, administrative, civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, the curtailment or restructuring of operations, exclusion from participation in federal and state healthcare programs, reporting obligations and integrity oversight, and imprisonment.
Within the EU and the UK, payments made to healthcare professionals are subject to public disclosure governed by either national statutory or non-statutory industry self-regulatory rules. Moreover, agreements with healthcare professionals and organizations must in some countries be the subject of prior notification and approval by healthcare professionals’ employer, their competent professional organization, or the regulatory authorities of the individual country. These requirements are provided in the national laws, industry codes, or professional codes of conduct, applicable in the EU member states. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in reputational risk, public reprimands, administrative penalties, fines, or imprisonment.
In addition, in the United States, the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (the “PREP Act”), when applicable, provides immunity for manufacturers from all claims under state or federal law for “loss” arising out of the administration or use of a “covered countermeasure.” However, injured persons may still bring a suit for “willful misconduct” against the manufacturer under some circumstances. “Covered countermeasures” include “security countermeasures,” “qualified pandemic or epidemic products,” which include products intended to diagnose or treat pandemic or epidemic disease, such as pandemic vaccines and treatments intended to address conditions caused by such products, and drugs and biological products authorized for emergency use in accordance with sections 564, 564A, and 564B of the FDCA. For these immunities to apply, the Secretary of DHHS must invoke the PREP Act by issuing a declaration that a public health emergency or “credible risk” of a future public health emergency exists. On March 17, 2020, the Secretary of DHHS issued a declaration under the PREP Act for medical countermeasures against COVID-19, effective as of February 4, 2020, and has issued subsequent amendments since then to provide liability immunity for activities related to certain countermeasures against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. On December 11, 2024, the Secretary of DHHS issued the 12th amendment to the PREP Act declaration to extend time period of PREP Act coverage to December 31, 2029. While we believe our products are Covered Countermeasures under the current PREP Act declaration, coverage cannot be assured. Further, it remains possible that the HHS Secretary will amend the PREP Act declaration for medical countermeasures against COVID-19 to, among other things, shorten the duration of its coverage. Certain members of Congress have also sought to amend or repeal the PREP Act in effort to restrict or eliminate PREP Act immunity. As a result, the PREP Act remains subject to significant uncertainty.
Availability of Information
Our website address is www.novavax.com. We make available, free of charge and through our website, our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and our other filings with the SEC, and any amendments to any such reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as soon as reasonably practicable after filed with or furnished to the SEC. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy, and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at www.sec.gov.
We use our website (www.novavax.com) as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation Fair Disclosure promulgated by the SEC. These disclosures are included on our website (www.novavax.com) in the “Investors” or “News” sections. Accordingly, investors should monitor these portions of our website (www.novavax.com), in addition to following our press releases, SEC filings, and public conference calls and webcasts.
Also available on our website is information relating to corporate governance at Novavax and our Board of Directors, including our Code of Conduct. We intend to disclose on our website any future amendments to and waivers from this code that apply to our Chief Executive Officer, Principal Financial Officer, Principal Accounting Officer and Controller, and persons performing similar functions, as promptly as practicable, as may be required under applicable SEC and Nasdaq rules.
We webcast our earnings calls and certain events we participate in or host with members of the investment community on the investor relations section of our website. Additionally, we provide notifications of news or announcements regarding press and earnings releases as part of the investor relations section of our website. The contents of our website are not part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, or any other report we file with, or furnish to, the SEC.
Item 1A. RISK FACTORS
You should carefully consider the following risk factors in evaluating our business. A number of risks could cause our actual results to differ materially from those that are indicated by forward-looking statements. Some risks relate principally to our business and the industry in which we operate. Others relate principally to the securities market and ownership of our common stock. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties of which we are unaware, or that we currently deem immaterial, also may become important factors that affect us. Any of the following risks could result in material adverse impacts on our business, financial condition, or results of operations. You also should consider the other information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K as well as our other filings with the SEC.
Summary of Risk Factors
Our business is subject to numerous risks. The following is a summary of the principal risk factors described in this section:
•We have a history of losses and our future profitability is uncertain.
•We will continue to require significant funding to maintain our current level of operations and fund the further development of our vaccine candidates.
•Our existing collaboration, funding and supply agreements, including the Sanofi CLA and our APAs, do not assure success of our vaccine candidates or vaccines or that we will be able to fully fund our vaccine candidates or vaccines or our operations, and if we are unable to satisfy the performance obligations under such agreements, we may not be eligible to receive milestone payments under such agreements, the agreements may be terminated, the purchase commitments may be reduced or we may be required to refund advance payments.
•Limitations on the use of our net operating losses and other tax attributes could adversely affect our financial condition.
•Because our vaccine product development and commercialization efforts depend on new and rapidly evolving technologies we cannot be certain that our efforts will be successful.
•Clinical and preclinical development involves a lengthy and expensive process with an uncertain outcome, and the results of prior clinical trials are not necessarily predictive of our future results.
•Any difficulties or delays in the commencement or completion, or the termination or suspension, of our current or planned clinical trials could result in increased costs to us, delay or limit our ability to generate revenue or adversely affect our commercial prospects.
•We may find it difficult to enroll subjects in our clinical trials. If we encounter difficulties enrolling subjects in our clinical trials, our clinical development activities could be delayed or otherwise adversely affected.
•Use of our vaccine candidates could be associated with adverse side effects, adverse events or other safety risks, which could delay or preclude approval, cause us to suspend or discontinue clinical trials, abandon a vaccine candidate, limit the commercial profile of an approved label or result in other significant negative consequences that could severely harm our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition.
•We are a biotechnology company and face significant risk in developing, manufacturing, and commercializing our products and vaccine candidates.
•We have limited marketing capabilities, and if we are unable to enter into collaborations with marketing partners or develop our own sales and marketing capability, we may not be successful in commercializing any approved products.
•Current or future regional relationships may hinder our ability to engage in larger transactions.
•We must identify vaccines for development with our technologies and establish successful third-party relationships.
•We rely on third parties to conduct preclinical 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, our development programs and our ability to seek or obtain regulatory approval for or commercialize our vaccine candidates may be delayed.
•We currently rely on third parties for the manufacture of our vaccine candidates for clinical development and expect to continue to rely on third parties for the foreseeable future. This reliance on third parties increases the risk that we will not have sufficient quantities of our vaccine candidates or such quantities at an acceptable cost, which could delay, prevent or impair our development or potential commercialization efforts.
•Because we depend on third parties to conduct some of our laboratory testing and clinical trials, and a significant amount of our vaccine manufacturing and distribution, we may encounter delays in or lose some control over our efforts to develop and supply products and vaccine candidates.
•Many of our competitors have significantly greater resources and experience, which may negatively impact our commercial opportunities and those of our current and future licensees.
•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 vaccine candidates, our business will be substantially harmed.
•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 vaccine candidates, our business will be substantially harmed
•Our business may be adversely affected if we do not successfully execute our business development initiatives.
•Servicing our 2031 Notes and our 2027 Notes requires a significant amount of cash, and we may not have sufficient cash flow resources to pay our debt.
•Our Credit Agreement contains restrictions that limit our flexibility in operating our business.
•Because our stock price has been and will likely continue to be highly volatile, the market price of our common stock may be lower or more volatile than expected.
•Litigation or regulatory investigations could have a material adverse impact on our results of operation and financial condition.
•We or the third parties upon whom we depend may be adversely affected by natural or man-made disasters or public health emergencies.
Risks Related to Our Financial Condition and Capital Requirements
We have a history of losses and our future profitability is uncertain.
Our expenses have exceeded our revenue since our formation in 1987, and our accumulated deficit at December 31, 2025 was $4.6 billion. Our revenue and expenses have historically fluctuated significantly from period to period, and we believe our revenue and expenses will continue to fluctuate in the future. For most of our history our expenses have exceeded our revenue, which may occur during most periods in the foreseeable future. Our net income (loss) for the last three fiscal years were $440.3 million of income in 2025, $187.5 million of losses in 2024, and $545.1 million of losses in 2023.
Historically, our losses have resulted predominantly from research and development expenses for our vaccine candidates, manufacturing-related expenses, expenses associated with efforts to obtain regulatory approvals, costs related to protection of our intellectual property, and other general and administrative operating expenses, a significant portion of which have been noncash. We believe our research and development expenses may substantially increase in some years as a result of continuing efforts to develop, test, manufacture and make regulatory filings for our vaccine candidates.
As of the end of fiscal year 2025, our investment in the development and manufacture of our COVID-19 Vaccine and our vaccine candidates has been substantial. As we evolve our operating model to focus on our partnership with Sanofi, the development of our late-stage pipeline, including our CIC and stand-alone influenza vaccine candidates, leveraging our Matrix-M™ technology to drive additional partnerships and deals, and our emerging, early-stage pipeline, we expect to continue to incur significant operating expenses and anticipate significant losses over time as we seek to:
•conduct additional clinical trials and continue to seek regulatory approvals for our vaccine candidates;
•conduct preclinical studies for other potential vaccine candidates;
•evaluate commercial opportunities for the use of our Matrix-M™ adjuvant alongside vaccine antigens produced by other manufacturers; and
•maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio.
As a result, we expect our cumulative operating losses to increase until such time, if ever, that product sales, licensing fees, royalties, milestones, contract research and other sources generate sufficient revenue to fully fund our operations. We may never achieve profitability and may not sustain profitability, if achieved.
We will continue to require significant funding to maintain our current level of operations and fund the further development of our vaccine candidates.
We do not currently generate sufficient revenue from product sales, licensing fees, royalties, milestones, contract research or other sources to fully fund our operations. We, therefore, will use our cash resources, and expect to require additional funds, to maintain our operations, continue our research and development programs, advance preclinical studies and clinical trials, seek regulatory approvals and manufacture and market any of our vaccine candidates that are approved for commercialization.
To date, we have financed our operations primarily through the sale of equity and debt securities, government funding and grant agreements, non-refundable upfront payment under the Sanofi CLA, revenue from product sales, and upfront payments under APAs for our COVID-19 Vaccine. Although we have entered into APAs for our COVID-19 Vaccine that include prepayments from the purchasers, until we can generate sufficient product revenue from such agreements to fully fund our operations, which we may never do, we expect to finance our cash needs through a combination of milestone payments, royalties, and payments for transition services and technology transfer under the Sanofi CLA, revenue from product sales, additional public or private equity or debt financings, which may include at the market offerings, existing cash and cash equivalents, investments in marketable securities, potential collaborations, strategic alliances, marketing, distribution or licensing arrangements, funding from governmental and non-governmental funding entities, and potentially other sources. While we may continue to apply for contracts or grants from academic institutions, non-profit organizations and governmental entities, we may not be successful. Adequate additional funding may not be available to us on favorable terms, or at all. Furthermore, negative interpretations of clinical trial data or setbacks, or perceived setbacks, with respect to manufacturing ability and/or capacity or regulatory filing timelines for our vaccine candidates, as well as the competitive landscape posed by other vaccines, may impair our ability to raise additional financing on favorable terms, or at all. If we cannot raise the additional funds required for our anticipated operations, we may be required to delay significantly, reduce the scope of or eliminate one or more of our research or development programs, downsize our organization, or seek alternative measures to avoid insolvency, including arrangements with collaborative partners or others that may require us to relinquish rights to certain of our technologies or vaccine candidates. If we raise additional funds through future offerings of shares of our common stock or other securities, such offerings would cause dilution of current stockholders’ percentage ownership in the Company, which could be substantial. Future offerings also could have a material and adverse effect on the price of our common stock.
Economic and political uncertainty may adversely affect our access to capital, cost of capital and ability to execute our business plan as scheduled.
Generally, worldwide economic conditions remain uncertain, particularly due to the impact of increased interest rates, and inflation. In addition, our operations and performance may be affected by changes in diplomatic and trade relationships, tariffs, trade protection measures, import or export licensing requirements, new or different customs duties, trade embargoes and sanctions and other trade barriers, political or civil unrest or military action, including conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and Israel and Hamas as well as hostilities elsewhere in the Middle East. Access to capital markets is critical to our ability to operate. Traditionally, biotechnology companies have funded their research and development expenditures by raising capital in the equity markets. Declines and uncertainties in these markets in the past have severely restricted raising new capital and have affected companies’ ability to continue to expand or fund existing development, manufacturing, regulatory and commercialization efforts. We require significant capital for our current and expected operations. The general economic and capital market conditions, both in the U.S. and worldwide, have been volatile in the past and at times have adversely affected our access to capital and increased the cost of capital. The capital and credit markets may not be available to support future capital raising activity on favorable terms. If economic conditions decline, our future cost of equity or debt capital and access to the capital markets could be adversely affected. In addition, if we are unable to access the capital markets on favorable terms, our ability to execute our business plan as contemplated would be compromised. Moreover, we rely and intend to rely on third parties, including clinical research organizations, contract manufacturing organizations and other important vendors and consultants. Global economic conditions may result in a disruption or delay in the performance of our third-party contractors and suppliers. If such third parties are unable to adequately satisfy their contractual commitments to us in a timely manner, our business could be adversely affected.
Our existing collaboration, funding and supply agreements, including the Sanofi CLA and our APAs, do not assure success of our vaccine candidates or vaccines or that we will be able to fully fund our vaccine candidates or vaccines or our operations, and if we are unable to satisfy the performance obligations under such agreements, we may not be eligible to receive milestone payments under such agreements, the agreements may be terminated, the purchase commitments may be reduced or we may be required to refund advance payments.
We have entered into, and may in the future enter into, collaboration, funding, supply and other agreements for our vaccines or vaccine candidates to help fund the development, manufacture and/or commercialization of our vaccines or vaccine candidates. Certain of these agreements may contain development, technology transfer, launch, sales and other milestones related to our vaccines or vaccine candidates pursuant to which we may be eligible to receive milestone payments upon the achievement of the requisite milestone. For example, we are eligible to receive future milestone payments under the Sanofi CLA totaling up to $350 million in the aggregate with respect to COVID-19 Vaccine products, of which $75 million remains outstanding for the completion of the technology transfer of the Company’s manufacturing process for the COVID-19 Vaccine products to Sanofi, as well as up to $350 million in CIC Product-related development and launch milestones. We may experience challenges in satisfying our obligations under these agreements, including as a result of delayed performance of our third-party contractors and suppliers, which may impact our ability to achieve such milestones, potentially expose us to damages or other liability pursuant to these agreements, including the Sanofi CLA, and have a material and adverse effect on our financial condition.
Under certain APAs, if we do not timely achieve requisite regulatory milestones for our COVID-19 Vaccine in the relevant jurisdictions, obtain supportive recommendations from governmental advisory committees, and/or achieve product volume or delivery timing obligations, purchasers may seek to terminate such agreements, reduce their purchase commitments, require us to refund all or some prepayments we have received, or renegotiate such agreements, each of which could have a material and adverse effect on our financial condition. For example, in the first quarter of 2025, the Company received written notice of a $23.0 million claim related to certain performance obligations under an APA agreement with a customer. The Company believes it has fulfilled the requirements related to this matter and is evaluating the merits of the claim. The timing to fulfill performance obligations related to supply agreements will depend on timing of product manufacturing, receipt of marketing authorizations for additional indications, delivery of doses based on customer demand, and the ability of the customer to request variant vaccine in place of COVID-19 Vaccine under certain of our supply agreements. The supply agreements typically contain terms that include upfront payments intended to assist us in funding investments related to building out and operating our manufacturing and distribution network, among other expenses, in support of our global supply commitment, and are applied to billings upon delivery of a qualifying COVID-19 Vaccine. Such upfront payments generally become non-refundable upon our achievement of certain development, regulatory and commercial milestones. We may not achieve such milestones, which could have a material and adverse effect on our financial condition.
For example, in December 2024, we entered into an amendment to the Australia APA pursuant to which, among other things, we acknowledged the cancellation by Australia of the delivery of certain doses of our COVID-19 Vaccine scheduled for delivery between the fourth quarter of 2023 and the fourth quarter of 2025 and we agreed to credit approximately $31 million of the advanced payment paid by Australia to us against outstanding invoices and invoices for the future delivery of approximately three million doses of COVID-19 Vaccine without requiring additional cash payments. In addition, the amendment provides for certain remedies for Australia, including return of unused credit, cancellation of doses, or termination of the Australia APA, in the event we are unable to gain regulatory approval of a variant COVID-19 vaccine or supply doses per the terms of the agreement Specifically, Australia did not take delivery of doses that were due to be delivered in 2025 and may seek to cancel the future delivery of the 2025 as well as 2026 doses. If we are unable to provide doses per the supply schedule as amended, after six months, Australia may seek to terminate the APA. The amendment also provides Australia with the right to cancel doses if we fail to timely notify Australia of changes to our commercialization plans. In the event that we do not, on or before the relevant contractual deadlines, receive regulatory approval for, and deliver, the seasonally updated COVID-19 Vaccine, up to $92.5 million of deferred revenue may become refundable. As of December 31, 2025, $48.4 million was classified as current Deferred revenue and $85.4 million was classified as non-current Deferred revenue with respect to the Australia APA on our consolidated balance sheet, which will be recognized in product revenue as doses are delivered to Australia. In the third quarter of 2025 we withdrew our application for our COVID-19 Vaccine based on recommendations made by the TGA. The parties are in ongoing discussions and have agreed to a meeting to discuss outstanding issues and obligations under the APA. In light of these developments, we may seek to further amend the Australian APA, which amendment may not be achievable on acceptable terms or at all.
If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results and current and potential stockholders may lose confidence in our financial and other public reporting, which would harm our business and have a negative effect on the trading price of our common stock.
We are required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to establish and maintain adequate internal control over financial reporting that provides reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of our financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP. We are likewise required, on an annual basis, to evaluate the effectiveness of our internal controls and to disclose on a quarterly basis any material changes in those internal controls.
As initially disclosed in Item 9A - Controls and Procedures in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, in connection with the audit of our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024, we identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting with regard to deficiencies specifically related to ineffective change management review and periodic access review controls, with respect to our human resources information system (“HRIS”), which was implemented in 2024. As a result of the deficiencies, certain change management and user access controls, as well as the related process-level IT dependent manual controls and automated application controls across various processes impacted by the HRIS were also determined to be ineffective.
While this material weakness was remediated in 2025, we may have additional material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting in the future. Any failure to maintain such internal controls, or to timely remediate any additional material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in the future, could adversely impact our ability to report our financial results on a timely and accurate basis and could restrict our future access to the capital markets. If our financial statements are not accurate, investors may not have a complete understanding of our operations or may lose confidence in our reported financial information. Likewise, if our financial statements are not filed on a timely basis as required by the SEC and Nasdaq, we could face severe consequences from those authorities. In either case, it could result in a material adverse effect on our business or have a negative effect on the trading price of our common stock.
Limitations on the use of our net operating losses and other tax attributes could adversely affect our financial condition.
As of December 31, 2025, we had federal and state net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards of $ $2.6 billion and $824.1 million, respectively, a portion of which were generated in taxable years before December 31, 2017. Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, as modified by the CARES Act, U.S. federal NOL carryforwards generated in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017, may be carried forward indefinitely, but the deductibility of such NOL carryforwards is limited to 80% of taxable income. A portion of our NOL carryforwards (including federal NOL carryforwards generated in taxable years prior to 2018) are subject to a limited carryforward period, and if we are unable to earn sufficient income or profits to utilize these NOL carryforwards before they expire, they will not be available to offset future taxable income. To the extent that we generate future taxable losses in the United States, unused losses will carry forward to offset future taxable income (subject to any applicable limitations), if any.
Our NOL carryforwards are subject to review and possible adjustment by the appropriate taxing authorities.
In addition, our ability to utilize our NOL carryforwards and other tax attributes to offset future taxable income or tax liabilities may be limited as a result of certain ownership changes. Under Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), our federal NOL carryforwards and other tax attributes may become subject to an annual limitation in the event of certain cumulative changes in our ownership that constitute an “ownership change” pursuant to Section 382 of the Code. An “ownership change” pursuant to Section 382 of the Code generally occurs if one or more stockholders or groups of stockholders who own at least 5% of a company’s stock increase their ownership by more than 50 percentage points over their lowest ownership percentage within a rolling three-year period. Similar provisions of state tax law may also apply to limit the use of our state NOL carryforwards. We may have experienced ownership changes in the past and could experience ownership changes in the future, including as a result of future changes in our stock ownership, some of which changes may be outside our control.
For these reasons, we may not be able to realize a tax benefit from the use of our NOL carryforwards and certain other tax attributes, whether or not we attain or maintain profitability. If our ability to use our NOL carryforwards or other tax attributes is limited or deferred, we may incur greater than expected tax liabilities and cash outflows, which could adversely affect our results of operations, liquidity, and overall financial condition. As of December 31, 2025, we maintain a full valuation allowance over our deferred tax assets for financial reporting purposes.
Risks Related to Product Development and Commercialization
Because our vaccine product development and commercialization efforts depend on new and rapidly evolving technologies, our efforts may not succeed.
Our vaccine development efforts depend on new, rapidly evolving technologies and on the marketability and profitability of our current and future products. The payments received from Sanofi for their commercialization of our COVID-19 Vaccine and the development and, if successful, commercialization efforts of our other vaccine candidates could fail for a variety of reasons, including if:
•our recombinant nanoparticle vaccine technologies, any or all of the products based on such technologies or our proprietary manufacturing process prove ineffective or unsafe;
•we or our third-party manufacturer facilities fail to reproducibly scale-up and maintain manufacturing with sufficiently high yields at reasonable cost and on projected timelines, or such manufacturing fails to generate product that consistently satisfies purity, potency, quality, stability, and shelf-life standards necessary for obtaining regulatory approvals or achieving commercial viability;
•the products are uneconomical to market or manufacture;
•some or all of the products that we or our third-party partners have manufactured may be determined to be unsalable based on criteria imposed by regulators in connection with potential regulatory approvals;
•our in-house or third-party manufacturing facilities fail regulatory inspections;
•proprietary rights of third-parties prevent us or our collaborators from exploiting technologies, and manufacturing or marketing products; or
•third-party competitors achieve and maintain greater market share due to earlier approvals or superior marketing capabilities.
Clinical and preclinical development involves a lengthy and expensive process with an uncertain outcome, and the results of prior clinical trials are not necessarily predictive of our future results.
Clinical and preclinical development is expensive and can take many years to complete, and its outcome is inherently uncertain. We cannot guarantee that any preclinical studies or clinical trials will be conducted as planned or completed on schedule, if at all, and failure can occur at any time during the trial or study process. Despite promising preclinical or clinical results, any vaccine candidate can unexpectedly fail at any stage of preclinical or clinical development.
The historical failure rate for vaccine candidates in our industry is high, particularly in the early stages of development.
The results from preclinical studies or clinical trials of a vaccine candidate or a competitor’s vaccine candidate in the same class may not predict the results of later clinical trials of such vaccine candidate, and interim, topline, or preliminary results of a clinical trial are not necessarily indicative of final results. Vaccine candidates in later stages of clinical trials may fail to show the desired safety and efficacy characteristics despite having progressed through preclinical studies and initial clinical trials. It is not uncommon to observe results in clinical trials that are unexpected based on preclinical studies and early clinical trials. Many vaccine candidates fail in clinical trials despite very promising early results, and a number of companies in the biopharmaceutical and biotechnology industries have suffered significant setbacks in clinical development even after achieving promising results in earlier preclinical studies and clinical trials.
Based upon negative or inconclusive results, we or any future collaborator may decide, or regulators may require us, to conduct additional preclinical studies or clinical trials, which would cause us to incur additional operating expenses. In addition, if our collaborators conduct clinical trials that generate negative results or results that conflict with the results of our clinical trials, the FDA or other regulatory authorities may delay, limit, or deny approval of our vaccine candidates, require us to conduct additional clinical trials as a condition to regulatory approval. As a result, we cannot be certain that our planned preclinical studies and clinical trials will be successful. Any safety concerns observed in any one of our clinical trials in our targeted indications could limit the prospects for regulatory approval of our vaccine candidates, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, the FDA’s and other regulatory authorities’ policies with respect to clinical trials may change and additional government regulations may be enacted. For instance, the regulatory landscape related to clinical trials in the EU recently evolved. The EU Clinical Trials Regulation (“CTR”), which was adopted in April 2014 and repeals the EU Clinical Trials Directive, became applicable on January 31, 2022. While the EU Clinical Trials Directive required a separate clinical trial application (“CTA”), to be submitted in each member state in which the clinical trial takes place, to both the competent national health authority and an independent ethics committee, the CTR introduces a centralized process and only requires the submission of a single application for multi-center trials. The CTR allows sponsors to make a single submission to both the competent authority and an ethics committee in each member state, leading to a single decision per member state. The assessment procedure of the CTA has been harmonized as well, including a joint assessment by all member states concerned, and a separate assessment by each member state with respect to specific requirements related to its own territory, including ethics rules. Each member state’s decision is communicated to the sponsor via the centralized EU portal. Once the CTA is approved, clinical study development may proceed. The CTR transition period ended on January 31, 2025, and all clinical trials (and related applications) are now fully subject to the provisions of the CTR. Furthermore, on April 28, 2025, the UK adopted an amendment to the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations 2004 intended to support a more streamlined and flexible regulation of clinical trials, removing unnecessary administrative burdens on trial sponsors, whilst protecting the interests of trial participants. It also intends to bring the UK regulatory framework for clinical trials, which is still based on the EU Clinical Trials Directive, into closer alignment with the CTR. The amendment will become applicable on April 28, 2026 following a one-year transition period. If we, or our third-party providers, such as CRO, are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies governing clinical trials, our development plans may be impacted.
Any difficulties or delays in the commencement or completion, or the termination or suspension, of our current or planned clinical trials could result in increased costs to us, delay or limit our ability to generate revenue or adversely affect our commercial prospects.
Before obtaining regulatory approval from regulatory authorities for the sale of our vaccine candidates, we must conduct extensive clinical trials to demonstrate the safety, purity, potency, immunogenicity and efficacy of the vaccine candidates in humans. Before we can initiate clinical trials for our vaccine candidates, we must submit the results of preclinical studies to the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities along with other information, including information about vaccine candidate chemistry, manufacturing and controls and our proposed clinical trial protocol, as part of an Investigational New Drug Application (“IND”) to the FDA or as part of any similar regulatory submission required for allowance to proceed with clinical development. The FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may require us to conduct additional preclinical studies, or added clinical evaluation under any IND, clinical trial application or similar regulatory submission, which may lead to delays and increase the costs of our clinical development program. Moreover, even if we commence clinical trials, issues may arise that could cause regulatory authorities to suspend or terminate such clinical trials. Any such delays in the commencement or completion of our preclinical studies and planned clinical trials for our vaccine candidates could significantly affect our product development timelines and product development costs.
We do not know whether our planned clinical trials will begin on time or be completed on schedule, if at all. The commencement, data readouts and completion of clinical trials can be delayed for a number of reasons, including delays related to:
•inability to generate sufficient preclinical, toxicology, or other in vivo or in vitro data to support the initiation or continuation of clinical trials;
•obtaining regulatory authorizations or allowances to commence a trial or reaching a consensus with regulatory authorities on trial design;
•the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities disagreeing as to the implementation of our clinical trials;
•any failure or delay in reaching an agreement with contract research organizations (“CROs”) and clinical trial sites, the terms of which can be subject to extensive negotiation and may vary significantly among different CROs and trial sites;
•delays in identifying, recruiting and training suitable clinical investigators;
•obtaining approval from one or more institutional review boards (“IRBs”) or ethics committees at clinical trial sites;
•IRBs refusing to approve, suspending or terminating the trial at an investigational site, precluding enrollment of additional subjects, or withdrawing their approval of the trial;
•major changes or amendments to the clinical trial protocol;
•clinical sites deviating from the trial protocol or dropping out of a trial;
•failure by our CROs to perform in accordance with good clinical practice (“GCP”) requirements or applicable regulatory guidelines in other countries;
•manufacturing sufficient quantities of our vaccine candidates and placebo for use in clinical trials, which could be materially impacted by supply chain disruption or other issues;
•expiration of the shelf life of clinical material for use in clinical trials prior to the enrollment of any of our clinical trials;
•subjects failing to enroll or remain in our trials at the rate we expect, or failing to return for post-treatment follow-up, including subjects failing to remain in our trials;
•insufficient incidence of infection with the applicable disease or condition that would allow us to evaluate the endpoints in our clinical trials of our vaccine candidates;
•individuals choosing an alternative product for the indication for which we are developing our vaccine candidates, or participating in competing clinical trials;
•lack of adequate funding to continue the clinical trial;
•subjects experiencing severe or serious unexpected vaccine-related adverse effects;
•occurrence of vaccine-related serious adverse events in trials of other vaccine candidates conducted by other companies that could be considered similar to our vaccine candidates;
•selection of clinical endpoints that require prolonged periods of clinical observation or extended analysis of the resulting data;
•transfer of manufacturing processes to larger-scale facilities operated by a contract manufacturing organization (“CMO”), delays or failure by our CMOs or us to make any necessary changes to such manufacturing process, or failure of our CMOs to produce clinical trial materials in accordance with current good manufacturing practice (“cGMP”) regulations or other applicable requirements; and
•third parties being unwilling or unable to satisfy their contractual obligations to us in a timely manner.
We could also encounter delays if a clinical trial is suspended or terminated by us, by the IRBs of the institutions in which such trials are being conducted, by a Data Safety Monitoring Board for such trial or by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities. Such authorities may impose such a suspension or termination due to a number of factors, including failure to conduct the clinical trial in accordance with regulatory requirements or our clinical protocols, inspection of the clinical trial operations or trial site by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities resulting in the imposition of a clinical hold, unforeseen safety issues or adverse side effects, failure to demonstrate a benefit from using a vaccine, changes in governmental regulations or administrative actions or lack of adequate funding to continue the clinical trial. In addition, changes in regulatory requirements and policies may occur, and we may need to amend clinical trial protocols to comply with these changes. Amendments may require us to resubmit our clinical trial protocols to IRBs for reexamination, which may impact the costs, timing or successful completion of a clinical trial.
Further, conducting clinical trials in foreign countries, as we have in the past and may do for our vaccine candidates, presents additional risks that may delay completion of our clinical trials. These risks include the failure of enrolled subjects in foreign countries to adhere to clinical protocols as a result of differences in healthcare services or cultural customs, managing additional administrative burdens associated with foreign regulatory schemes, and political and economic risks, including war, relevant to such foreign countries.
In addition, many of the factors that cause, or lead to, the 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 of a vaccine candidate. We may make formulation or manufacturing changes to our vaccine candidates, in which case we may need to conduct additional preclinical studies to bridge our modified vaccine candidates to earlier versions. Any resulting delays to our clinical trials could shorten any period during which we may have the exclusive right to commercialize our vaccine candidates. In such cases, our competitors may be able to bring products to market before we do, and the commercial viability of our vaccine candidates could be significantly reduced. Any of these occurrences may harm our business, financial condition and prospects.
We may find it difficult to enroll subjects in our clinical trials. If we encounter difficulties enrolling subjects in our clinical trials, our clinical development activities could be delayed or otherwise adversely affected.
Successful and timely completion of clinical trials will require that we identify and enroll a specified number of subjects for each of our clinical trials. We may not be able to initiate or continue clinical trials for our vaccine candidates if we are unable to identify and enroll a sufficient number of eligible subjects to participate in these trials as required by the FDA or similar regulatory authorities outside the United States.
Subject enrollment, a significant factor in the timing of clinical trials, is affected by many factors, including the size and nature of the subject population, the risks and severity associated the disease under investigation, the proximity of subjects to clinical sites, the eligibility and exclusion criteria for the trial, the design of the clinical trial, the ability to obtain and maintain informed consents, the ability to co-administer a vaccine candidate with other vaccines, the risk that enrolled subjects will not complete a clinical trial, our ability to recruit clinical trial investigators with the appropriate competencies and experience, and competing clinical trials and clinicians’ and subjects’ perceptions as to the potential advantages and risks of the vaccine candidate being studied in relation to other available vaccines or therapies, including any new products that may be approved for the indications we are investigating as well as any vaccine candidates under development.
We cannot assure you that our assumptions used in determining expected clinical trial timelines are correct or that we will not experience delays in enrollment, which would result in the delay of completion of such trials beyond our expected timelines.
Use of our vaccine candidates could be associated with adverse side effects, adverse events or other safety risks, which could delay or preclude approval, cause us to suspend or discontinue clinical trials, abandon a vaccine candidate, limit the commercial profile of an approved label or result in other significant negative consequences that could severely harm our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition.
Results of our clinical trials could reveal a high and unacceptable severity and prevalence of expected or unexpected side effects. Vaccine-related side effects could affect subject recruitment or the ability of enrolled subjects to complete the trial or result in potential product liability claims. Undesirable side effects caused by our vaccine candidates when used alone or in combination with approved drugs, biologics or vaccines could cause us or regulatory authorities to interrupt, delay or halt clinical trials and could result in a more restrictive label or lead to the delay or denial of regulatory approval by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities. For example, in October 2024, the U.S. FDA placed a clinical hold on the IND for our CIC and stand-alone influenza vaccine candidates from a spontaneous report of a serious adverse event in a participant who received the CIC vaccine candidate in a Phase 2 trial that completed in 2023.
After providing the FDA with the requested additional information, this event was assessed as not related to vaccination. The information provided to the FDA supported our assessment that the serious adverse event was not related to our CIC vaccine candidate, and the FDA removed the clinical hold in November 2024. Any of these occurrences could severely harm our business, prospects, operating results and financial condition.
Moreover, if our vaccine candidates are associated with undesirable side effects in clinical trials or demonstrate characteristics that are unexpected, we may elect to abandon their development or limit their 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, which may limit the commercial expectations for the vaccine candidate if approved. We may also be required to modify our development and clinical trial plans based on findings after we commence clinical trials. Many compounds that initially showed promise in early-stage testing have later been found to cause side effects that prevented further development of the compounds. In addition, regulatory authorities may draw different conclusions or require additional testing to confirm these determinations.
It is possible that as we test our vaccine candidates in larger, longer and more extensive clinical trials, or if the use of these vaccine candidates becomes more widespread following regulatory approval, more illnesses, injuries, discomforts and other adverse events than were observed in earlier trials, as well as new conditions that did not occur or went undetected, may be discovered. If such side effects become known later in development or upon approval, if any, such findings may harm our business, financial condition and prospects significantly.
In addition, if our vaccine candidates receive regulatory approval, and we or others later identify undesirable side effects caused by such vaccine, a number of potentially significant negative consequences could result, including:
•regulatory authorities may withdraw, suspend or limit approvals of such vaccine or seek an injunction against its manufacture or distribution;
•we may be required to recall a vaccine or change the way such vaccine is administered to individuals;
•regulatory authorities may require additional warnings on the label, such as a “black box” warning or a contraindication;
•we may be required to implement a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (“REMS”) or create a medication guide outlining the risks of such side effects for distribution to individuals;
•we may be required to change the way a vaccine is distributed or administered, conduct additional clinical trials or change the labeling of a vaccine or be required to conduct additional post-marketing studies or surveillance;
•we could be sued and held liable for harm caused to vaccine recipients;
•sales of the vaccine may decrease significantly or the vaccine could become less competitive; and
•our reputation may suffer.
Any of these events could prevent us from achieving or maintaining market acceptance of the particular vaccine candidate, if approved, and could significantly harm our business, results of operations and prospects.
Interim, “topline” and preliminary data from our clinical trials and preclinical studies that we announce or publish from time to time may change as more patient 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 interim, topline, or preliminary data from our clinical trials and preclinical studies, 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 interim, topline, or preliminary results that we report may differ from future results of the same studies or trials, or different conclusions or considerations may qualify such results, once additional data have been received and fully evaluated. Topline and preliminary data also remain subject to audit and verification procedures that may result in the final data being materially different from the topline or preliminary data we previously published.
As a result, topline and preliminary data should be viewed with caution until the final data are available.
Interim data from clinical trials are further subject to the risk that one or more of the clinical outcomes may materially change as patient enrollment continues and more patient data become available. Adverse differences between interim, topline, or preliminary data and final data could significantly harm our business prospects. Further, disclosure of such data by us or by our competitors could result in volatility in the price of our common stock.
Further, others, including regulatory agencies, 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 the particular program, the approvability or commercialization of the particular vaccine 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, and any information we determine not to disclose may ultimately be deemed significant with respect to future decisions, conclusions, views, activities or otherwise regarding a particular vaccine candidate or our business. If the interim, topline, 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 vaccine candidates may be harmed, which could harm our business, operating results, prospects or financial condition.
The emergence and transmissibility of variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus may affect market acceptance or sales of our COVID-19 Vaccine.
As the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to evolve, new strains of the virus, or those that are already in circulation, have in the past (in the cases of the Alpha, Beta, Delta and Omicron, including subvariants such as XBB.1.5 and JN.1, variants) and may in the future prove more transmissible or cause more severe forms of COVID-19 disease than the predominant strains to date.
Our 2026 revenue depends on Sanofi’s ability to successfully manufacture, distribute, and market in accordance with the Sanofi CLA, an updated monovalent formulation of our COVID-19 Vaccine, marketed as Nuvaxovid™ in the U.S., for the 2025-2026 vaccination season. This product may not be as effective in protecting against these or other future variant strains, and it may fail to achieve market acceptance or significant sales, despite gaining any regulatory approval, which may lead to reputational harm, loss of market share, and adverse financial results.
Further, counterparties to certain of our existing APAs may request variant-specific vaccines in place of our COVID-19 Vaccine and, depending on when we are able to offer such variant-specific vaccines, if at all, such counterparties may seek to delay, reduce or otherwise renegotiate their purchase commitments, which may adversely impact our ability to realize the full financial benefit of such APAs.
We are a biotechnology company and face significant risk in developing, manufacturing and commercializing our products.
We focus our research and development activities on vaccines, an area in which we believe we have particular strengths and a technology that appears promising. The outcome of any research and development program is highly uncertain. Only a small fraction of biopharmaceutical development programs ultimately result in commercial products or even vaccine candidates and a number of events could delay our development efforts and negatively impact our ability to make regulatory submissions or obtain regulatory approval for, and to manufacture, market and sell, our vaccine candidates or any other vaccine on our projected timelines, if at all. Vaccine candidates that initially appear promising often fail to yield successful products, and we may not ultimately be able to demonstrate the safety, potency, purity, stability and efficacy necessary to obtain or maintain regulatory authorization to market our vaccine candidates. In many cases, preclinical studies or clinical trials will show that a vaccine candidate is not efficacious or that it raises safety concerns or has other side effects that outweigh its intended benefit. Success in preclinical or early clinical trials may not translate into success in large-scale clinical trials. Further, success in clinical trials often leads to increased investment, accelerating cumulative losses. Even if clinical trial results appear positive, regulatory approval may not be obtained if the FDA, or a foreign equivalent, does not agree with our interpretation of the results. Even after a product is approved and launched, general usage or post-marketing clinical trials may identify safety or other previously unknown problems with the product, or manufacturing issues may emerge, either of which may result in regulatory approvals being suspended, limited to narrow the scope of the approval, or revoked, which may otherwise prevent successful commercialization. Intense competition in the vaccine industry could also limit the successful commercialization of any products for which we receive commercial approval.
We will require approval from the FDA of any name we intend to use for our products regardless of whether we have secured a trademark registration from the USPTO. The FDA typically conducts a review of proposed product names, including an evaluation of potential for confusion with other product names. The FDA may object to any product name we submit if it believes the name inappropriately implies medical claims. If the FDA objects to any of our proposed product names, we may be required to adopt an alternative name for our proposed products. If we adopt an alternative name, we would lose the benefit of any existing trademark applications for such developmental candidate and may be required to expend significant additional resources in an effort to identify a suitable product name that would qualify under applicable trademark laws, not infringe the existing rights of third parties and be acceptable to the FDA. We may be unable to build a successful brand identity for a new trademark in a timely manner or at all, which would limit our ability to commercialize our products, if approved.
We may have product liability exposure.
The administration of drugs or vaccines to humans, whether in clinical trials or after marketing approval, can result in product liability claims. We maintain product liability insurance coverage for our current clinical programs, and for commercialization of NuvaxovidTM. However, we may not be able to obtain additional insurance coverage or maintain insurance coverage on commercially reasonable terms, at a reasonable cost or in sufficient amounts to protect us against losses due to liability. Furthermore, such insurance coverage and our resources may not be sufficient to satisfy all liabilities that result from product liability claims. A successful claim may prevent us from obtaining adequate product liability insurance in the future on commercially desirable terms, if at all. Even if a claim is not successful, defending such a claim would be time-consuming and expensive, may damage our reputation in the marketplace and would likely divert management’s attention.
In addition, regardless of any authorizations we have received supporting the development or commercialization of our vaccine candidates, unexpected safety issues could lead to product liability claims and our existing insurance may not be adequate for such claims.
Regardless of merit or eventual outcome, liability claims may result in:
•decreased demand for our products;
•withdrawal of regulatory authorizations and approvals;
•voluntary or mandatory recalls of our products;
•necessity for additional nonclinical or clinical studies, changes in labeling, or changes to manufacturing processes, specifications and/or facilities;
•impairment of our business reputation and negative media attention;
•withdrawal of clinical trial participants;
•costs of related litigation;
•substantial monetary awards to participants or other claimants;
•loss of revenue; and
•inability to commercialize our vaccine candidates.
In addition, in the United States, the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (the “PREP Act”), when applicable, provides immunity for manufacturers from all claims under state or federal law for “loss” arising out of the administration or use of a “covered countermeasure.” However, injured persons may still bring a suit for “willful misconduct” against the manufacturer under some circumstances. “Covered countermeasures” include “security countermeasures,” “qualified pandemic or epidemic products,” which include products intended to diagnose or treat pandemic or epidemic disease, such as pandemic vaccines and treatments intended to address conditions caused by such products, and drugs and biological products authorized for emergency use in accordance with sections 564, 564A, and 564B of the FDCA. For these immunities to apply, the Secretary of DHHS must invoke the PREP Act by issuing a declaration that a public health emergency or “credible risk” of a future public health emergency exists.
On March 17, 2020, the Secretary of DHHS issued a declaration under the PREP Act for medical countermeasures against COVID-19, effective as of February 4, 2020, and has issued subsequent amendments since then to provide liability immunity for activities related to certain countermeasures against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. On December 11, 2024, the Secretary of DHHS issued the 12th amendment to the PREP Act declaration to extend time period of PREP Act coverage to December 31, 2029. While we believe our products are Covered Countermeasures under the current PREP Act declaration, coverage cannot be assured. Further, it remains possible that the HHS Secretary will amend the PREP Act declaration for medical countermeasures against COVID-19 to, among other things, shorten the duration of its coverage. Certain members of Congress have also sought to amend or repeal the PREP Act in effort to restrict or eliminate PREP Act immunity. As a result, the PREP Act, and any associated immunity, remains subject to significant uncertainty.
Even if we successfully commercialize any of our vaccine candidates, either alone or in collaboration, we face uncertainty with respect to pricing, third-party reimbursement and healthcare reform, all of which could be subject to change and could adversely affect any commercial success of our vaccine candidates.
Our ability to collect revenue from the commercial sale of our vaccines may depend on our ability, and that of any current or potential future collaboration partners or customers, to obtain and if obtained, maintain adequate levels of approval, coverage and reimbursement for such products from third-party payers including: government health administration authorities such as the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“ACIP”), private health insurers, managed care organizations, pharmacy benefit management companies, and other healthcare related organizations.
Third-party payers are increasingly challenging the prices charged for medical products and may deny coverage or offer inadequate levels of reimbursement if they determine that a product has not received appropriate clearances from the FDA, or foreign equivalent, or other government regulators; is not used in accordance with cost-effective treatment methods as determined by the third-party payer; or is experimental, unnecessary or inappropriate. Prices could also be driven down by managed care organizations that control or significantly influence utilization of healthcare products.
In both the U.S. and some foreign jurisdictions, there have been a number of legislative and regulatory proposals and initiatives to change the health care system in ways that could affect our ability to sell vaccines and could adversely affect the prices that we receive for our vaccine candidates, if approved. Some of these proposed and implemented reforms could result in reduced drug pricing or reimbursement rates for medical products. The impact of such reform could adversely affect our business strategy, operations and financial results. Our exposure to price-related regulation could depend on whether our products are reimbursed by Medicare under Part B or Part D. Medicare Part B vaccine coverage includes vaccines to prevent influenza, pneumococcal disease, hepatitis B for beneficiaries who are at medium or high risk, and COVID-19. Vaccines for such conditions do not have any cost-sharing requirements. Meanwhile, Medicare Part D vaccine coverage includes all other commercially available vaccines that are determined to be reasonable and necessary to prevent illness. Part D vaccine coverage historically included cost-sharing requirements, but, effective January 1, 2023, the IRA provides access to CDC and ACIP-recommended vaccines covered under Medicare Part D without cost-sharing.
Recommendation by ACIP of a vaccine has significant impacts on the coverage and reimbursement of the vaccine from commercial and governmental payers, such as Medicaid and Medicare. For example, vaccines that receive ACIP recommendations benefit from enhanced coverage requirements under the Affordable Care Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the Social Security Act, among other statutes. ACIP’s recommendations therefore directly influence coverage and reimbursement decisions by governments and private payers, in turn influencing healthcare providers and individual decision making. Similarly, the absence or withdrawal of an ACIP recommendation for a vaccine can result in increased beneficiary cost-sharing obligations and absence or limitations of coverage and reimbursement.
For example, under the Trump administration, the COVID-19 vaccine for healthy children and healthy pregnant women was removed from the CDC recommended immunization schedules, and the DHHS Secretarial Directives ratifying CDC recommendations for use of COVID-19 vaccines for children ages six months to 17 years were rescinded. Currently, CDC recommends a 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine for people ages 6 months and older based on individual-based decision-making, noting that parents of children ages 6 months to 17 years should discuss the benefits of vaccination with a healthcare provider. CDC states that it is especially important to get a 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccine for individuals aged 65 and older, individuals at high risk for severe COVID-19, or individuals who have never received a COVID-19 vaccine. It is possible that ACIP may withdraw or further limit its recommendation for COVID-19 vaccines. The revised CDC recommendations, as well as any possible future negative actions by ACIP regarding vaccination schedules, may adversely affect demand for our vaccine candidates and have material adverse effects on our business and results of operations.
We cannot predict the ultimate content, timing or effect of any healthcare reform legislation or the impact of potential legislation on us. We also cannot predict if the Trump administration’s policies might adversely impact funding for vaccine research and development, reimbursement for vaccines and their administration, vaccine mandates and recommendations, and public perception of vaccine importance. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“DHHS”) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has populated ACIP with members who generally have voiced negative views regarding COVID-19 vaccines. The FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee makes recommendations to FDA regarding novel vaccine products, and the Trump administration has so far removed at least one member from the committee. It is possible that further changes to the composition of the committee could result in additional adverse recommendations that negatively affect the development and commercialization of our vaccine candidates.
The Trump administration’s changes to the immunization schedule for children and adolescents and vaccine recommendations to date, and similar changes that could be adopted in the future, could, among other things, result in adverse recommendations from ACIP or delay ACIP decisions or other elements of the approval pathway, potentially adversely impacting vaccine availability and recommendations, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
Additionally, the pharmaceutical industry has also been the subject of significant publicity in recent years regarding the pricing of pharmaceutical products, including publicity and pressure resulting from prices charged by pharmaceutical companies for new products as well as price increases by pharmaceutical companies on older products that some people have deemed excessive. As a result, pharmaceutical product prices have been the focus of increased scrutiny by the United States government, including certain state attorneys general, members of Congress, the Trump administration, and the United States Department of Justice. If reforms in the healthcare industry limit or reduce reimbursement for our vaccine candidates, the market for such vaccine candidates will be reduced, and we could lose potential sources of revenue. The existence or threat of cost control measures could cause our corporate collaborators to be less willing or able to pursue research and development programs related to our vaccine candidates.
Our vaccine candidates may never achieve market acceptance even if we obtain regulatory approvals.
Even if we receive regulatory approvals for the commercial sale of our vaccine candidates, the commercial success of these vaccine candidates will depend on, among other things, their acceptance by physicians, patients and third-party payers, such as health insurance companies and other members of the medical community, as a vaccine and cost-effective alternative to competing products. If our vaccine candidates fail to gain market acceptance, we may be unable to earn sufficient revenue to continue our business. Market acceptance of, and demand for, any product that we may develop and commercialize will depend on many factors, including:
•our ability to provide acceptable evidence of safety and efficacy;
•the prevalence and severity of adverse side effects;
•whether our vaccines candidates are differentiated from other vaccines;
•availability, relative cost and relative efficacy of alternative and competing treatments;
•the effectiveness of our marketing and distribution strategy;
•publicity concerning our products or competing products and treatments; and
•our ability to obtain sufficient third party insurance coverage or reimbursement.
If our vaccine candidates do not become widely accepted by physicians, patients, third-party payers and other members of the medical community as well as the relevant public health authorities responsible for scheduling immunizations, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
We may not be able to secure sufficient supplies of a key component of our adjuvant technology.
Because an important component of our adjuvant technology is extracted from a species of soap-bark tree (Quillaja saponaria) grown in Chile, we need long term access to quillaja extract with a consistent and sufficiently high quality in order to maintain a secure supply of raw material for the development and manufacture of our adjuvant products. We rely on a single source supplier for quillaja extract, so if we are unable to secure long term access to quillaja extract with a consistent and sufficiently high quality, or to secure back-up suppliers, the development and manufacture of our adjuvant products may be delayed and we may not be able to meet our obligations under our various collaboration and supply agreements.
Our vaccine candidates are sensitive to shipping and storage conditions, which could subject our vaccine candidates to risk of loss or damage.
Our vaccine candidates are sensitive to storage and handling conditions. Loss in vaccine candidates could occur if the product or product intermediates are not stored or handled properly. It is possible that our vaccine candidates could be lost due to expiration prior to use. If we do not effectively maintain our supply logistics, then we may experience an unusual number of returned or out of date products. Failure to effectively maintain our supply logistics, by us or third parties, could lead to additional manufacturing costs and delays in our ability to supply required quantities for clinical trials or otherwise.
Fast Track Designation by the FDA may not actually lead to a faster development or regulatory review or approval process and does not assure approval.
The FDA granted Fast Track Designation for our recombinant quadrivalent seasonal influenza vaccine candidate in January 2020 and prototype vaccine in November 2020, and also granted Fast Track Designation to the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine . Depending on the data from our preclinical and clinical studies, we may decide to seek such designation for some or all of our other vaccine candidates. The Fast Track program is intended to expedite or facilitate the process for reviewing candidates that meet certain criteria. Specifically, biologics are eligible for Fast Track designation if they are intended, alone or in combination with one or more drugs or biologics, to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition and demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs for the disease or condition. With respect to our programs, Fast Track Designation would apply to the combination of the vaccine candidate and the specific indication for which it is being studied. The sponsor of a Fast Track vaccine candidate has opportunities for more frequent interactions with the applicable FDA review team during product development and, once a BLA is submitted, the application may be eligible for priority review. A BLA submitted for a Fast Track candidate may also be eligible for rolling review, where the FDA may consider for review sections of the BLA on a rolling basis before the complete application is submitted, if the sponsor provides a schedule for the submission of the sections of the BLA, the FDA agrees to accept sections of the BLA and determines that the schedule is acceptable, and the sponsor pays any required user fees upon submission of the first section of the application.
The FDA has broad discretion whether or not to grant this designation. Even if we believe a particular vaccine candidate is eligible for this designation, we cannot assure you that the FDA would decide to grant it. Even if we do receive Fast Track Designation for any of our vaccine candidates, such vaccine candidates may not experience a faster development process, review or approval compared to conventional FDA procedures. The FDA may also withdraw Fast Track Designation if it believes that the designation is no longer supported by data from our clinical development programs. Furthermore, such a designation does not increase the likelihood that any vaccine candidate that may be granted Fast Track Designation will receive regulatory approval in the U.S. Many candidates that have received Fast Track Designation have ultimately failed to obtain approval.
Risks Related to Our Dependence on Third Parties
We need to partner with a collaborator to handle marketing activities, and if we are unable to enter into collaborations with marketing partners, we may not be successful in commercializing any approved products.
Although we commercialized our COVID-19 Vaccine for the last three vaccination seasons, we have transitioned the commercialization of this product to Sanofi for the 2025-2026 vaccination season and for the duration of the Sanofi CLA and we otherwise currently have limited dedicated sales, marketing or distribution capabilities. As a result, we depend on collaborations with third parties that have established distribution systems and sales forces, including our collaborations with Sanofi and SII, among others. To the extent that we enter into co-promotion or other licensing arrangements, such as the Sanofi CLA, our revenue will depend upon the efforts of third parties, over which we may have little or no control. If we are unable to reach and maintain agreements with one or more pharmaceutical companies or collaborators, we may be required to market our products directly. Developing a marketing and sales force is expensive and time-consuming and could delay a product launch. We may not be able to attract and retain qualified sales personnel or otherwise develop this capability, which may adversely affect our business.
Current or future regional relationships may hinder our ability to engage in larger transactions.
We have entered into regional collaborations to develop, manufacture and distribute our vaccine candidates in certain parts of the world, and we anticipate entering into additional regional collaborations. Our relationships with SII, Takeda, and SK bioscience are examples of these regional relationships. These relationships often involve the licensing of our technology to our partner or entering into a distribution agreement, frequently on an exclusive basis. Generally, exclusive agreements are restricted to certain territories. Because we have entered into exclusive license and distribution agreements, larger companies may not be interested, or able, to enter into collaborations with us on a worldwide-scale. Also, these regional relationships may make us an unattractive target for an acquisition.
We must identify vaccines for development with our technologies and establish successful third-party relationships.
The near and long-term viability of our other vaccine candidates, including our CIC vaccine candidate, depends in part on our ability to successfully establish, operationalize and maintain strategic collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and government agencies. Establishing, operationalizing and maintaining strategic collaborations and obtaining government funding is difficult and time-consuming. Potential collaborators may reject collaborations based upon their assessment of our financial, regulatory or intellectual property position or based on their internal pipelines; government agencies may reject contract or grant applications based on their assessment of public need, the public interest, our products’ ability to address these areas, or other reasons beyond our expectations or control. Collaborators also may seek to modify or terminate relationships. Past success in establishing strategic collaborations with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, non-profit organizations and government agencies is no guarantee of future success in entering into new relationships or in performing under existing relationships. If we fail to establish a sufficient number of collaborations or government relationships on acceptable terms, or fail to perform under collaborations or relationships to the satisfaction of counter-parties, we may not be able to commercialize our vaccine candidates or generate sufficient revenue to fund further research and development efforts.
•The collaborations we have established or may establish may not result in the successful development or commercialization of any vaccine candidates for several reasons, including the fact that:
•we may not have the ability to control the activities of our partners and cannot provide assurance that they will fulfill their obligations to us, including with respect to the license, development and commercialization of any approved vaccines or our vaccine candidates, in a timely manner or at all;
•such partners may not devote sufficient resources to any approved vaccines or our vaccine candidates or properly maintain or defend our intellectual property rights;
•our partners could independently develop, or develop with third parties, products that compete directly or indirectly with any approved vaccines or our vaccine candidates if such partners believe that competitive products are more likely to be successfully developed or can be commercialized under terms that are more economically attractive than ours;
•any failure on the part of our partners to perform or satisfy their obligations to us could lead to delays in the development or commercialization of any approved vaccines or our vaccine candidates and affect our ability to realize product revenue; and
•disagreements, including disputes over the ownership of technology developed with such collaborators, could result in litigation, which would be time consuming and expensive, and may delay or terminate research and development efforts, regulatory approvals and commercialization activities.
If we or our collaborators fail to maintain our existing agreements or in the event we fail to establish agreements as necessary, we could be required to undertake research, development, manufacturing and commercialization activities solely at our own expense. These activities would significantly increase our capital requirements and, given our limited sales, marketing and distribution capabilities, significantly delay the commercialization of our vaccine candidates.
We rely on third parties to conduct preclinical 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, our development programs and our ability to seek or obtain regulatory approval for or commercialize our vaccine candidates may be delayed.
We depend on third parties to conduct our preclinical studies and clinical trials for our vaccine candidates. Specifically, we rely on, and will continue to rely on, medical institutions, clinical investigators, CROs and consultants to conduct preclinical studies and clinical trials, in each case in accordance with our clinical protocols and regulatory requirements. These CROs, investigators and other third parties play a significant role in the conduct and timing of these trials and subsequent collection and analysis of data. Though we expect to carefully manage our relationships with our CROs, investigators and other third parties, 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 material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and prospects. Further, while we will have agreements governing the activities of our third-party contractors, we have limited influence over their actual performance. Nevertheless, we are responsible for ensuring that each of our preclinical studies and clinical trials are conducted in accordance with the applicable protocol and legal, regulatory and scientific standards and requirements, and our reliance on our CROs and other third parties does not relieve us of our regulatory responsibilities. In addition, we and our CROs are required to comply with GCP requirements, which are regulations and guidelines enforced by the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities for our vaccine candidates in clinical development. Regulatory authorities enforce these GCPs through periodic inspections of trial sponsors, principal investigators and trial sites.
If we or any of our CROs or trial sites 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. Furthermore, our clinical trials must be conducted with vaccine candidates and placebo produced under cGMP and similar foreign regulations. Failure to comply with these regulations may require us to repeat clinical trials or recall batches of our vaccine candidate or placebo, which would delay the regulatory approval process.
There is no guarantee that any of our CROs, investigators or other third parties will devote adequate time and resources to our preclinical studies or clinical trials or perform as contractually required. If any of these third parties fails to meet expected deadlines, adhere to our clinical protocols or meet regulatory requirements, or otherwise performs in a substandard manner, our clinical trials may be extended, delayed or terminated. In addition, many of the third parties with whom we contract may also have relationships with other commercial entities, including our competitors, for whom they may also be conducting preclinical studies, clinical trials or other development activities that could harm our competitive position.
If any of our relationships with these third parties terminate, we may not be able to enter into arrangements with alternative third parties on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Switching or adding additional CROs, investigators and other third parties involves additional cost and requires our management’s 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. Though we work to carefully manage our relationships with our CROs, investigators and other third parties, 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 material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and prospects.
We currently rely on third parties for the manufacture of our vaccine candidates for clinical development and expect to continue to rely on third parties for the foreseeable future. This reliance on third parties increases the risk that we will not have sufficient quantities of our vaccine candidates or such quantities at an acceptable cost, which could delay, prevent or impair our development or potential commercialization efforts.
We rely, and expect to continue to rely in part, on additional third-party manufacturers for the manufacture of our vaccine candidates and related raw materials for clinical development, as well as for commercial manufacture. The facilities used by third-party manufacturers to manufacture our vaccine candidates must be approved for the manufacture of such candidate by the FDA and any comparable foreign regulatory authority pursuant to inspections that will be conducted after we submit a BLA to the FDA or any comparable submission to a foreign regulatory authority. We do not control the manufacturing process of, and are completely dependent on, third-party manufacturers for compliance with cGMP and similar foreign requirements for manufacture of products. Our third-party manufacturers may be unable to successfully manufacture material that conforms to our specifications and the strict regulatory requirements of the FDA or any comparable foreign regulatory authority. In order for us to use the material manufactured by third-party manufacturers, their manufacturing facilities must comply with applicable legal requirements, including cGMP, and upon a request for marketing authorization, these facilities must be authorized for the manufacture of our vaccine candidates in connection with any approval of any marketing application we submit.
In addition, we have no control over the ability of third-party manufacturers to procure raw material supplies and maintain adequate quality control, quality assurance and qualified personnel. Furthermore, the process of manufacturing biologics is complex and highly susceptible to product loss due to contamination, equipment failure, improper installation or operation of equipment, vendor or operator error, inconsistency in yields, variability in product characteristics and difficulties in scaling the production process. Even minor deviations from normal manufacturing processes could result in reduced production yields, product defects, other supply disruptions and higher costs. If microbial, viral or other contaminations are discovered at the facilities of our third-party manufacturers, such facilities may need to be closed for an extended period of time to investigate and remedy the contamination, which could delay clinical trials, result in higher costs of drug product and adversely affect our business.
Further, our clinical supplies have a shelf lives that may expire prior to the full enrollment of our planned clinical trials causing similar delays or other supply disruptions. Any performance failure on the part of our third-party manufacturers could delay clinical development or marketing approval of any vaccine candidate, and may adversely affect our future profit margins and our ability to commercialize any vaccines that receive marketing approval on a timely and competitive basis.
In addition, we may be unable to establish any supply agreements with additional third-party manufacturers or to do so on acceptable terms, which increases the risk of failing to timely obtain sufficient quantities of our vaccine candidates or such quantities at an acceptable cost. Even if we are able to establish long-term agreements with third-party manufacturers, reliance on third-party manufacturers entails additional risks, including:
• failure of third-party manufacturers to comply with regulatory requirements and maintain quality assurance; breach of the manufacturing agreement by the third party;
•failure to manufacture our product according to our specifications, our schedule, or at all;
•infringement, misappropriation or other violation of our intellectual property and proprietary information, including our trade secrets and know-how; and
•termination or non renewal of the agreement by the third party at a time that is costly or inconvenient for us.
There are a limited number of manufacturers that operate under cGMP regulations and that might be capable of manufacturing for us, and any vaccine candidates that we may develop may compete with other vaccine candidates and products for access to such manufacturers and manufacturing facilities. Increased competition amongst developers to access manufacturers and materials could increase the costs of, or otherwise limit our ability to, manufacture our vaccine candidates.
Our third-party manufacturers may be unable to successfully manufacture material that conforms to our specifications and the strict regulatory requirements of the FDA or any comparable foreign regulatory authority. In order for us to use the material manufactured by third-party manufacturers, their manufacturing facilities in which our materials are produced must comply with applicable laws and regulations governing the manufacture of biological products, and upon a request for marketing authorization, these facilities must be authorized for the manufacture of our vaccine candidates in connection with any approval of a marketing application we submit.
If materials manufactured by our third-party manufacturers do not conform to our specifications or the regulatory requirements necessary for use in clinical trials, we may experience delays in our development efforts or may need to find alternative manufacturing facilities, which would significantly impact our ability to obtain regulatory approval for or commercialize our vaccine candidates, if approved.
Our third-party manufacturers may be unable to successfully manufacture material that conforms to our specifications and the strict regulatory requirements of the FDA or any comparable foreign regulatory authority. In order for us to use the material manufactured by third-party manufacturers, their manufacturing facilities in which our materials are produced must comply with applicable laws and regulations governing the manufacture of biological products, and upon a request for marketing authorization, these facilities must be authorized for the manufacture of our vaccine candidates in connection with any approval of a marketing application we submit. If the FDA or any comparable foreign regulatory authority determines that such facilities are noncompliant or does not authorize these facilities to manufacture our vaccine candidates or if it withdraws any such authorization in the future, we may need to find alternative manufacturing facilities, which would significantly impact our ability to develop, obtain regulatory approval for or market our vaccine candidates, if approved.
While we are seeking to identify and secure additional third-party contract manufacturers, we may be unable to do so at an acceptable cost, or at all, which could significantly impact our ability to obtain regulatory approval for or commercialize our vaccine candidates, if approved. Our failure, or the failure of our third-party manufacturers, to comply with applicable regulations could result in sanctions being imposed on us, including clinical holds, fines, injunctions, civil penalties, delays, suspension or withdrawal of approvals, seizures or recalls of vaccine candidates or products, operating restrictions and criminal prosecutions, any of which could significantly and adversely affect supplies of our products. Additionally, our third-party manufacturers may rely on single source suppliers for certain of the raw materials for our preclinical and clinical product supplies. If current or future suppliers are delayed or unable to supply sufficient raw materials to manufacture product for our preclinical studies and clinical trials, we may experience delays in our development efforts as materials are obtained or we locate and qualify new raw material manufacturers.
Our or a third party’s failure to execute on our manufacturing requirements on commercially reasonable terms and in compliance with cGMP or other regulatory requirements could adversely affect our business in a number of ways, including:
•an inability to initiate clinical trials of our vaccine candidates;
•delay in submitting regulatory applications, or receiving marketing approvals, for our vaccine candidates;
•subjecting third-party manufacturing facilities or our manufacturing facilities to additional inspections by regulatory authorities;
•requirements to cease development or to recall batches of our vaccine candidates; and
•in the event of approval to market and commercialize our vaccine candidates, an inability to meet commercial demands for such vaccines.
Any performance failure on the part of our manufacturing partners could delay clinical development or marketing approval, and any related remedial measures may be costly or time consuming to implement. In addition, our current and anticipated future dependence upon others for the manufacture of our vaccine candidates may adversely affect our future profit margins and our ability to commercialize any vaccines that receive marketing approval on a timely and competitive basis.
Risks Related to Our Industry and Competition
Many of our competitors have significantly greater resources and experience, which may negatively impact our commercial opportunities and those of our current and future licensees.
The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are subject to intense competition and rapid and significant technological change. We have many potential competitors, including major pharmaceutical companies, specialized biotechnology firms, academic institutions, government agencies and private and public research institutions. Many of our competitors have significantly greater financial and technical resources, experience and expertise in:
•research and development;
•preclinical testing;
•designing and implementing clinical trials;
•regulatory processes and approvals;
•production and manufacturing; and
•sales and marketing of approved products.
Principal competitive factors in our industry include:
•the quality and breadth of an organization’s technology;
•management of the organization and the execution of the organization’s strategy;
•the skill and experience of an organization’s employees and its ability to recruit and retain skilled and experienced employees;
•an organization’s intellectual property portfolio;
•the range of capabilities, from target identification and validation to drug discovery and development to manufacturing and marketing; and
•the availability of substantial capital resources to fund discovery, development and commercialization activities.
Large and established companies, such as Merck & Co., Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc, CSL Ltd., Sanofi Pasteur, SA, Pfizer Inc., AstraZeneca, and Moderna, among others, compete in the vaccine market. In particular, these companies have greater experience and expertise in securing government contracts and grants to support their research and development efforts, conducting testing and clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approvals to market products, manufacturing such products on a broad scale and marketing approved products.
Smaller or early-stage companies and research institutions also may prove to be significant competitors, regardless of the diseases their product candidates target, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large and established pharmaceutical companies. As these companies develop their technologies, they may develop proprietary positions, which may prevent or limit our product development and commercialization efforts. We will also face competition from these parties in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific and management personnel, establishing clinical trial sites and participant registration for clinical trials and in acquiring and in-licensing technologies and products complementary to our programs or potentially advantageous to our business. If any of our competitors succeed in obtaining approval from the FDA or other regulatory authorities for their products sooner than we do or for products that are more effective or less costly than ours, our commercial opportunity could be significantly reduced.
In order to effectively compete, we will have to make substantial investments in development, testing, manufacturing and sales and marketing or partner with one or more established companies. We may not be successful in gaining significant market share for any vaccine. Our technologies and vaccines also may be rendered obsolete or non-competitive as a result of products introduced by our competitors to the marketplace more rapidly and at a lower cost.
There is significant competition in the development of a vaccine against COVID-19 and a combined vaccine against COVID-19 and influenza, and we may never see returns on the significant resources we have devoted and may continue to devote to our vaccine candidates.
Despite funding provided to us to date, and although we obtained regulatory approvals for our COVID-19 Vaccine, many of our competitors pursuing vaccine candidates have significantly greater development, manufacturing and marketing resources than we do. Larger pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies have extensive experience in clinical testing and obtaining regulatory approval for their products and may have the resources to heavily invest to accelerate discovery and development of their vaccine candidates. The success of our candidates will depend, in part, on their relative safety, efficacy (including against emerging variant strains), side effect profile, convenience, and cost. Furthermore, if any competitors are successful in producing a more efficacious vaccine or other treatment for the diseases we intend to target (including against emerging variant strains), or if any competitors are able to manufacture and distribute any such vaccines or treatments with greater efficiency there may be a diversion of potential governmental and other funding away from us and toward such other parties.
Many seasonal influenza vaccines are currently approved and marketed. Competition in the sale of these seasonal influenza vaccines is intense. Therefore, newly developed and approved products must be differentiated from existing vaccines in order to have commercial success. In order to show differentiation in the seasonal influenza market, a product may need to be more efficacious, particularly in older adults, be less expensive or quicker to manufacture, or contain other differentiating characteristics, such as being combined with another vaccine. Many competitors are working on new products and new generations of current products, intended to be more efficacious than those currently marketed. Our CIC vaccine candidate may not prove to be more efficacious than current or future seasonal influenza products or future COVID-19 influenza combination products under development by our competitors. Further, our in-house or third-party manufacturing arrangements may not provide enough savings of time or money to provide the required differentiation for commercial success.
Risks Related to Regulatory and 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 vaccine candidates, our business will be substantially harmed.
The clinical development, manufacturing, labeling, storage, record-keeping, advertising, promotion, import, export, marketing and distribution of our vaccine candidates are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA in the U.S. and by comparable foreign regulatory authorities in foreign markets. In the U.S., we are not permitted to market our vaccine candidates in the U.S. until we receive regulatory approval of a BLA from the FDA. The process of obtaining such regulatory approval is expensive, often takes many years following the commencement of clinical trials and can vary substantially based upon the type, complexity and novelty of the vaccine candidates involved, as well as the target indications and patient population. Approval policies or regulations may change, and the FDA and comparable regulatory have substantial discretion in the approval process, including the ability to delay, limit or deny approval of a vaccine candidate for many reasons. Despite the time and expense invested in clinical development of vaccine candidates, regulatory approval of a vaccine candidate is never guaranteed. Of the large number of drugs in development, only a small percentage successfully complete the FDA or foreign regulatory approval processes and are commercialized.
Prior to obtaining approval to commercialize a vaccine candidate in the U.S. or abroad, we must demonstrate with substantial evidence from adequate and well-controlled clinical trials, and to the satisfaction of the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities, that such vaccine candidates are safe and effective for their intended uses, and in the case of vaccines in the U.S., that such vaccine candidates are safe, pure and potent for their intended uses. Results from nonclinical studies and clinical trials can be interpreted in different ways. Even if we believe available nonclinical or clinical data support the safety purity, potency, or efficacy of our vaccine candidates, such data may not be sufficient to obtain approval from the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities. The FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities, as the case may be, may also require us to conduct additional preclinical studies or clinical trials for our vaccine candidates either prior to or post-approval, or may object to elements of our clinical development program.
The FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities can delay, limit or deny approval of a vaccine candidate for many reasons, including:
•such authorities may disagree with the design or execution of our clinical trials;
•negative or ambiguous results from our clinical trials or results may not meet the level of statistical significance or persuasiveness required by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory agencies for approval;
•serious and unexpected drug-related side effects may be experienced by participants in our clinical trials or by individuals using products similar to our vaccine candidates;
•the population studied in the clinical trial may not be sufficiently broad or representative to assure safety in the full population for which we seek approval;
•such authorities may not accept clinical data from trials that are conducted at clinical facilities or in countries where the standard of care is potentially different from that of their own country;
•we may be unable to demonstrate that a vaccine candidate’s clinical and other benefits outweigh its safety risks;
•such authorities may disagree with our interpretation of data from preclinical studies or clinical trials;
•such authorities may not agree that the data collected from clinical trials of our vaccine candidates are acceptable or sufficient to support the submission of a BLA or other submission or to obtain regulatory approval in the U.S. or elsewhere, and such authorities may impose requirements for additional preclinical studies or clinical trials;
•such authorities may disagree with us regarding the formulation, labeling and/or the product specifications of our vaccine candidates;
•approval may be granted only for indications that are significantly more limited than those sought by us, and/or may include significant restrictions on distribution and use;
•such authorities may find deficiencies in the manufacturing processes or facilities of the third-party manufacturers with which we contract for clinical and commercial supplies; or
•such authorities may not accept a submission due to, among other reasons, the content or formatting of the submission.
With respect to foreign markets, approval procedures vary among countries and, in addition to the foregoing risks, may involve additional product testing, administrative review periods and agreements with pricing authorities. Where if we eventually complete clinical trials and receive approval of a BLA or comparable foreign marketing application for our vaccine candidates, the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authority may grant approval contingent on the performance of costly additional clinical trials and/or the implementation of a REMS, which may be required because the FDA believes it is necessary to ensure safe use of the product after approval. Any delay in obtaining, or inability to obtain, applicable regulatory approval would delay or prevent commercialization of that vaccine candidate and would materially adversely impact our business and prospects.
Where we receive regulatory approval for our vaccine candidates, we will be subject to ongoing regulatory obligations and continued regulatory review, which may result in significant additional expense. Additionally, our vaccine candidates, if approved, could be subject to labeling and other restrictions on marketing or withdrawal from the market, and we may be subject to penalties if we fail to comply with regulatory requirements or if we experience unanticipated problems with our vaccine candidates, when and if any of them are approved.
Any regulatory approvals that we may receive for our vaccine candidates will require the submission of reports to regulatory authorities, subject us to surveillance to monitor the safety and efficacy of the 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 as a condition of approval of our vaccine candidates, which could include requirements for a medication guide, physician communication plans or additional elements to ensure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries and other risk minimization tools. In addition, if the FDA or a comparable foreign regulatory authority approves our vaccine candidates, the manufacturing processes, labeling, packaging, distribution, adverse event reporting, storage, advertising, promotion, import, export and recordkeeping for our products 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 continued compliance with cGMPs and similar foreign requirements, and GCP requirements for any clinical trials that we conduct post-approval. Failure to comply with regulatory requirements or later discovery of previously unknown problems with our products, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or with our third-party manufacturers or manufacturing processes, may result in, among other things:
•restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of our products, withdrawal of the product from the market or voluntary or mandatory product recalls;
•restrictions on product distribution or use, or requirements to conduct post-marketing studies or clinical trials;
•restrictions on our ability to conduct clinical trials, including full or partial clinical holds on clinical trials;
•fines, restitutions, disgorgement of profits or revenue, warning letters, untitled letters, adverse publicity requirements or holds on clinical trials;
•refusal by the FDA or other regulatory authorities to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications submitted by us or suspension or revocation of approvals;
•product seizure or detention, or refusal to permit the import or export of our products; and
•injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.
The occurrence of any event or penalty described above may inhibit our ability to commercialize our vaccine candidates and generate revenue and could require us to expend significant time and resources in response and could generate negative publicity.
Moreover, the FDA’s and other regulatory authorities’ policies may change and additional government regulations may be promulgated that could prevent, limit or delay marketing authorization of any vaccine candidates we develop. For example, the Trump administration may issue executive orders or take other actions that could impose significant burdens on, or otherwise materially delay, the FDA’s ability to engage in routine oversight activities such as implementing statutes through rulemaking, issuance of guidance, and review and approval of marketing applications.
The policies and priorities of a presidential administration could materially impact the regulations governing our vaccine candidates. In particular, the current DHHS Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has previously issued statements expressing skepticism towards the safety and testing of pediatric vaccines, such as those we intend to develop, and has taken actions to modify certain committees and recommendations that could adversely affect the development, approval and/or commercialization of novel vaccines. For additional information, see the Risk Factor above entitled: “Even if we successfully commercialize any of our vaccine candidates, either alone or in collaboration, we face uncertainty with respect to pricing, third-party reimbursement and healthcare reform, all of which could be subject to change, and could adversely affect any commercial success of our vaccine candidates.”
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 be subject to enforcement action and we may not achieve or sustain profitability.
Our vaccine candidates for which we intend to seek approval as biologic products may face competition sooner than anticipated.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, 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 highly similar or “biosimilar” product may not be submitted to the FDA until four years following the date that the reference product was first approved 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 approved. During this 12-year period of exclusivity, the FDA may approve 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. We believe that any of our vaccine 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 vaccine candidates to be reference products for competing products, potentially creating the opportunity for competition sooner than anticipated.
Failure to obtain regulatory approval in foreign jurisdictions could prevent us from marketing our products internationally.
We intend to have our vaccine candidates developed and commercialized outside the U.S. In furtherance of this objective, we have entered into supply agreements with various foreign governments and international distribution agreements with commercial entities. In order to market our products in various countries globally, we must obtain separate regulatory approvals and comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements. The approval procedure varies among countries and can involve additional testing and data review. The time required to obtain foreign regulatory approval may differ from that required to obtain FDA approval. The foreign regulatory approval process may include all of the risks associated with obtaining FDA approval. Additionally, regulatory authorities outside the U.S. might not accept data from trials conducted in other countries. Approval by one regulatory agency does not ensure approval by regulatory agencies in other jurisdictions. However, a failure or delay in obtaining regulatory approval in one jurisdiction may have a negative effect on the regulatory approval process in other jurisdictions, including approval by the FDA. The failure to obtain regulatory approval in foreign jurisdictions could harm our business.
We have conducted, continue to conduct and plan to conduct in the future, a number of clinical trials for our vaccine candidates at sites outside the U.S. and the U.S. FDA may not accept data from trials conducted in such locations.
We have in the past conducted, and may in the future conduct one or more of our clinical trials or a portion of our clinical trials for our vaccine candidates outside the U.S. The acceptance of study data from clinical trials conducted outside the U.S. or another jurisdiction by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authority may be subject to certain conditions or may not be accepted at all. In cases where data from foreign clinical trials are intended to serve as the sole basis for regulatory approval in the U.S., the FDA will generally not approve the application on the basis of foreign data alone unless (i) the data are applicable to the U.S. population and U.S. medical practice; (ii) the trials were performed by clinical investigators of recognized competence and pursuant to GCP regulations; and (iii) the data may be considered valid without the need for an on-site inspection by the FDA, or if the FDA considers such inspection to be necessary, the FDA is able to validate the data through an on-site inspection or other appropriate means.
In addition, even where the foreign study data are not intended to serve as the sole basis for approval, if the study was not otherwise subject to an IND, the FDA will not accept the data as support for an application for regulatory approval unless the study is well-designed and well-conducted in accordance with GCP requirements and the FDA is able to validate the data from the study through an onsite inspection if deemed necessary. Many foreign regulatory authorities have similar requirements for clinical data gathered outside of their respective jurisdictions. In addition, such foreign trials would be subject to the applicable local laws of the foreign jurisdictions where the trials are conducted. There can be no assurance that the FDA or any comparable foreign regulatory authority will accept data from trials conducted outside of the U.S. or the relevant jurisdiction. If the FDA or any comparable foreign regulatory authority does not accept such data, it may result in the need for additional trials, which could be costly and time-consuming, and which may result in current or future vaccine candidates that we may develop not receiving approval for commercialization in the applicable jurisdiction.
Inadequate funding for the FDA, the SEC and other regulatory authorities could hinder their ability to hire and retain key leadership and other personnel, or otherwise perform their normal functions on which the operation of our business may rely, which could negatively impact our ability to develop or commercialize new products or services, access capital markets, or otherwise operate our business.
The ability of the FDA and other regulatory authorities to review and approve new product applications is affected by a variety of factors, including government budget and funding levels, ability to hire and retain key personnel and accept the payment of user fees, and statutory, regulatory and policy changes, including those related to a change in presidential administration. For example, average review times at the FDA have fluctuated in recent years as a result of such factors. In addition, government funding of the SEC and other government agencies on which our operations may rely, including those that fund research and development activities, is subject to the political process, which is inherently fluid and unpredictable.
Disruptions at the FDA and other agencies may also slow the time necessary for new drugs to be reviewed and approved by necessary government agencies, which would adversely affect our business. For example, in recent years, the U.S. government has shut down several times and certain regulatory agencies, such as the FDA and the SEC, have had to furlough employees and stop or slow the pace of critical activities. In addition, the current U.S. Presidential administration has issued certain policies and Executive Orders directed towards reducing the employee headcount and costs associated with U.S. administrative agencies, including the FDA, which have led to substantial personnel changes, and it remains unclear the degree to which these efforts may limit or otherwise adversely affect the FDA’s ability to conduct routine activities. If a prolonged government shutdown or slowdown of the relevant regulatory authority occurs, or if funding shortages, staffing limitations or similar factors hinder or prevent the FDA or other regulatory authorities from conducting their regular inspections, reviews, or other regulatory activities, such events, could significantly impact the ability of such government or authority to timely review and process our regulatory submissions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Further, in our operations as a public company, future government shutdowns could impact our ability to access the public markets and obtain necessary capital in order to properly capitalize and continue our operations.
Because we are subject to environmental, health and safety laws, we may be unable to conduct our business in the most advantageous manner.
We are subject to various laws and regulations relating to safe working conditions, laboratory and manufacturing practices, the experimental use of animals, emissions and wastewater discharges, and the use and disposal of hazardous or potentially hazardous substances used in connection with our research, including infectious disease agents. We also cannot accurately predict the extent of regulations that might result from any future legislative or administrative action. Any of these laws or regulations could cause us to incur additional expense or restrict our operations.
Our facilities in Maryland are subject to various local, state and federal laws and regulations relating to safe working conditions, laboratory practices, the experimental use of animals and the use and disposal of hazardous or potentially hazardous substances, including chemicals, microorganisms and various hazardous compounds used in connection with our research and development activities. In the U.S., these laws include the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the Toxic Test Substances Control Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Similar national and local regulations govern our facilities in Sweden and Switzerland. We cannot eliminate the risk of accidental contamination or discharge or injury from these materials. Federal, state and local laws and regulations govern the use, manufacture, storage, handling and disposal of these materials. We could be subject to civil damages in the event of an improper or unauthorized release of, or exposure of individuals to, these hazardous materials. In addition, claimants may sue us for injury or contamination that results from our use or the use by third parties of these materials, and our liability may exceed our total assets. Compliance with environmental laws and regulations may be expensive, and current or future environmental regulations may impair our research, development or production efforts.
Although we have general liability insurance, these policies contain exclusions from insurance against claims arising from pollution from chemicals or pollution from conditions arising from our operations. Our collaborators are working with these types of hazardous materials in connection with our collaborations. In the event of a lawsuit or investigation, we could be held responsible for any injury we or our collaborators cause to persons or property by exposure to, or release of, any hazardous materials.
For our vaccine candidates, we will be subject to additional healthcare laws and our failure to comply with those laws could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial conditions.
Within the U.S. (and within foreign countries), if we obtain full approval for any of our vaccine candidates and begin commercializing them, our operations may be directly, or indirectly through our arrangements with third-party payors and customers, subject to additional healthcare regulation and enforcement by the federal and state governments (or the regulatory bodies or governments of foreign countries), which may constrain the business or financial arrangements and relationships through which we sell, market and distribute our products. These laws and regulations may restrict or prohibit a wide range of pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, structuring and commission(s), certain customer incentive programs and other business arrangements generally. Activities subject to these laws also involve the improper use of information obtained in the course of patient recruitment for clinical trials. The applicable U.S. federal and state healthcare laws and regulations (which may be comparable to foreign laws existing in foreign countries) that may affect our ability to operate include:
•the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, which among other things, strictly regulates drug product marketing and promotion and prohibits manufacturers from marketing such products for unapproved uses;
•the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, which prohibits, among other things, persons from knowingly and willfully soliciting, receiving or providing remuneration, directly or indirectly, to induce the referral for an item or service or the purchase order of a good or service, for which payment may be made under federal healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. A person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it to have committed a violation;
•federal false claims laws, including the FCA, which prohibit, among other things, individuals or entities from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, information or claims for payment from Medicare, Medicaid, or other third-party payers that are false or fraudulent, knowingly making, using or causing to be made or used, a false record or statement material to a false or fraudulent claim or from knowingly making a false statement to avoid, decrease or conceal an obligation to pay money to the federal government. In addition, the government may assert that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the FCA;
•manufacturers can be held liable under the FCA even when they do not submit claims directly to government payors if they are deemed to “cause” the submission of false or fraudulent claims; the FCA also permits a private individual acting as whistleblower to bring actions on behalf of the federal government alleging violations of the FCA and to share in any monetary recovery;
•federal laws that require pharmaceutical manufacturers to report certain calculated product prices to the government or provide certain discounts or rebates to government authorities or private entities, often as a condition of reimbursement under government healthcare programs;
•the federal Physician Payment Sunshine Act and its implementing regulations, which require manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologicals, and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (with certain exceptions) to report annually to the DHHS information related to payments or other transfers of value made to physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists and chiropractors), certain non-physician providers such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners, and teaching hospitals, as well as ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members;
•the federal law known as HIPAA, which, in addition to privacy protections applicable to healthcare providers and other entities, prohibits executing a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program or making false statements relating to healthcare matters. Similar to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it to have committed a violation;
•federal consumer protection and unfair competition laws, which broadly regulate marketplace activities and activities that potentially harm consumers;
•state law equivalents of the above federal laws, such as anti-kickback and false claims laws which may apply to items or services reimbursed by any third-party payer, including commercial insurers, and state gift ban and transparency laws, many of which state laws differ from each other in significant ways and often are not preempted by federal laws, thus complicating compliance efforts; and
•state laws restricting interactions with healthcare providers and other members of the healthcare community or requiring pharmaceutical manufacturers to implement certain compliance standards.
Because of the breadth of these laws and the narrowness of the statutory exceptions and safe harbors available, it is possible that some of our business activities could be subject to challenge under one or more of such laws. It is not always possible to identify and deter employee misconduct, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent inappropriate conduct may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risks or losses or in protecting us from governmental investigations or other actions or lawsuits stemming from a failure to be in compliance with such laws or regulations. Efforts to ensure that our business arrangements will comply with applicable healthcare laws may involve substantial costs. It is possible that governmental and enforcement authorities will conclude that our business practices may not comply with current or future statutes, regulations or case law interpreting applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations. If any such actions are instituted against us and we are not successful in defending ourselves or asserting our rights those actions, our business may be impaired.
If our operations are found to be in violation of any of such laws or any other governmental regulations that apply to us, we may be subject to, on a corporate or individual basis, penalties, including civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, the exclusion from participation in federal and state healthcare programs and even imprisonment, any of which could materially adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our financial results. In addition, the cost of implementing sufficient systems, controls, and processes to ensure compliance with all of the aforementioned laws could be significant. Any action for violation of these laws, even if successfully defended, could cause us to incur significant legal expenses and divert management’s attention from the operation of the company’s business. If any of the physicians or other healthcare providers or entities with whom we expect to do business is found not to be in compliance with applicable laws, that person or entity may be subject to criminal, civil or administrative sanctions, including exclusions from government funded healthcare programs. Prohibitions or restrictions on sales or withdrawal of future marketed products could materially affect business in an adverse way.
We are also subject to anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws, including the FCPA, the UK Bribery Act, and other similar worldwide anti-bribery laws, as well as various trade laws and regulations (including economic sanctions, export laws, and customs laws), and our failure to comply with those laws could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial conditions.
The FCPA and similar worldwide anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws prohibit companies and their intermediaries from corruptly providing any payments or other benefits to foreign government officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. The U.S. Departments of Justice, Securities & Exchange Commission, Commerce, State and Treasury and other federal agencies and authorities have a broad range of civil and criminal penalties they may seek to impose against corporations and individuals for violations of the FCPA, economic sanctions laws, export control laws, and other federal statutes and regulations, including those established by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, or OFAC. In addition, the UK Bribery Act of 2010, or the Bribery Act, prohibits both domestic and international bribery, as well as bribery across both private and public sectors. An organization that fails to prevent bribery by anyone associated with the organization can be charged under the Bribery Act unless the organization can establish the defense of having implemented adequate procedures to prevent bribery.
Similarly, U.S. and similar worldwide trade laws, including economic sanctions, export laws, and customs laws, regulate our ability to conduct business with certain jurisdictions and counterparties, and regulate the ways in which we may export and import products around the world. In connection with these laws, various government agencies may require us to obtain export licenses, and may impose modifications to business practices, including requiring the cessation of business activities in or with countries, entities, and individuals targeted with sanctions. The breadth and dynamic nature of these laws and regulations may increase compliance costs, and may subject us to fines.
We have received a number of regulatory approvals in ex-U.S. jurisdictions and has commenced commercial operations in these international locations, including partnering with third-parties in certain higher-risk jurisdictions. Further, a portion of our business with respect to our manufacturing is conducted outside of the U.S. in higher-risk jurisdictions. We expect our international activities to increase in the future. Though we maintain policies, internal controls and other measures reasonably designed to promote compliance with applicable anti-corruption and trade laws and regulations, our employees or agents may nevertheless engage in improper conduct for which we might be held responsible. Any violations of these anti-corruption or trade laws, or even allegations of such violations, can lead to an investigation and/or enforcement action, which could disrupt our operations, involve significant management distraction, and lead to significant costs and expenses, including legal fees. If we, or our employees or agents acting on our behalf, are found to have engaged in practices that violate these laws and regulations, we could be subject to criminal and civil enforcement action, suffer severe fines and penalties, profit disgorgement, injunctions on future conduct, securities litigation, bans on transacting government business, delisting from securities exchanges and other consequences that may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, our reputation, our revenue or our stock price could be adversely affected if we become the subject of any negative publicity related to actual or potential violations of anti-corruption or trade laws and regulations.
Risks Related to our Intellectual Property
Our success depends on our ability to obtain, maintain, expand, enforce and defend the scope, ownership or control, and validity of intellectual property protections, to maintain the proprietary nature of our technology.
We rely, and may in the future rely, upon a combination of patent, trade secret and know-how for any of our current and future vaccine candidates, and proprietary technologies to prevent third parties from exploiting our achievements, thus eroding our competitive position in our market. These legal measures afford only limited protection, and competitors or others may gain access to or use our intellectual property and proprietary information. Our success in large part depends on our ability to obtain, maintain, expand, enforce and defend the scope, ownership or control, and validity of intellectual property, to maintain the proprietary nature of our technology and other trade secrets in the United States and other countries. To do so, we must prosecute and maintain existing patents, obtain new patents and pursue trade secret and other intellectual property protection. We also must operate without infringing the proprietary rights of third-parties or allowing third-parties to infringe our rights. We currently have or have rights to over 832 U.S. and foreign patents and patent applications covering our technologies. However, patent issues relating to pharmaceuticals and biologics involve complex legal, scientific and factual questions. To date, no consistent policy has emerged regarding the breadth of biotechnology patent claims that are granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) or similar patent offices in other countries or enforced by the federal courts or agencies in the United States or the courts or administrative bodies in other countries. Therefore, we do not know whether any particular patent applications will result in the issuance of patents, or that any patents issued to us will provide us with any competitive advantage. We also cannot be sure that we will develop additional proprietary products that are patentable. Furthermore, there is a risk that others will independently develop or duplicate similar technology or products or circumvent the patents issued to us.
The USPTO and various non-U.S. government agencies require compliance with several procedural, documentary, fee payment and other similar provisions during the patent application process. In addition, the USPTO and various non-U.S. government agencies require compliance with certain foreign filing requirements during the patent application process. In some circumstances, we are dependent on our licensors to take the necessary action to comply with these requirements with respect to our licensed intellectual property. In some cases, an inadvertent lapse in compliance with these requirements can be cured by payment of a late fee or by other means in accordance with the applicable rules. There are situations, however, in which non-compliance can result in abandonment or lapse of the patent or patent application or can be grounds for revoking or invalidating an issued patent, resulting in a partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction. In such an event, potential competitors might be able to enter the market with similar or identical products or technology, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
In addition, we may experience difficulties in enforcing the intellectual property rights in output generated by generative AI Technologies (as defined below). The United States Copyright Office has previously denied copyright protection for content generated by AI Technologies, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office has similarly stated that an AI tool cannot be an “inventor” of a patent, rendering it impossible to obtain patent protection for inventions created solely by AI Technologies. The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom has reached a similar conclusion, stating that AI systems cannot be named as an “inventor” for UK patent law purposes.
If we are unable to obtain, maintain, expand, enforce and defend the scope, ownership or control, validity and enforceability of our intellectual property protection, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be materially harmed.
If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets, our business and competitive position would be harmed.
In addition to seeking patent protection for our products, vaccine candidates and proprietary technologies, we may rely on trade secret protection and confidentiality agreements to protect our know-how, technology, and other proprietary information and to maintain our competitive position. We seek to protect these trade secrets and other proprietary technology, in part, by entering into non-disclosure and confidentiality provisions in agreements with parties who have access to them, such as our employees, licensees, third party collaborators, CROs, contract manufacturers, consultants, advisors and other third parties. We also enter into confidentiality and invention or patent assignment agreements with our employees, consultants and advisors. Trade secrets and know-how can be difficult to protect. We cannot guarantee that we have entered into applicable agreements with each party that may have or have had access to our trade secrets or proprietary technology and processes. Despite these efforts, any of these parties may breach the agreements and disclose our proprietary information, including our trade secrets, and we may not be able to obtain adequate remedies for such breaches. Monitoring unauthorized uses and disclosures is difficult, and we do not know whether the steps we have taken to protect our proprietary technologies will be effective. We cannot guarantee that any potential trade secrets and other proprietary and confidential information will not be disclosed or that competitors will not otherwise gain access to trade secrets. 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 U.S. are less willing or unwilling to protect trade secrets. If any of our trade secrets were to be lawfully obtained or independently developed by a competitor or other third party, we may have no right to prevent them from using that technology or information to compete with us. Furthermore, others may independently discover similar trade secrets and proprietary information. We may also need to share our trade secrets and proprietary know-how with current or future partners, collaborators, contractors and others located in countries at heightened risk of theft of trade secrets, including through direct intrusion by private parties or foreign actors, and those affiliated with or controlled by state actors. As a result, we may encounter significant problems in protecting and defending our intellectual property both in the U.S. and abroad. If any of our trade secrets were to be disclosed or misappropriated or if any such information were to be independently developed by a competitor or other third party, our competitive position could be materially and adversely harmed.
We may be subject to claims that third parties have an ownership interest in our trade secrets. For example, we may have disputes arise from conflicting obligations of our employees, consultants, advisors or others who are involved in our research and development activities or developing our vaccine candidates. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these and other claims challenging ownership of our trade secrets. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable trade secret rights, such as exclusive ownership of, or right to use, trade secrets that are important to our vaccine candidates and other proprietary technologies we may develop. Such an outcome could have a material adverse effect on our business. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to our management and other employees. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our former employees, consultants, advisors and collaborators may wrongfully disclose our trade secrets or we may be subject to claims that our employees, consultants, or advisors have misappropriated alleged trade secrets of their current or former employers or claims asserting ownership of what we regard as our own intellectual property.
Although our patent filings include claims covering various features of our vaccine candidates, including composition, methods of manufacture and use, our patents do not provide us with complete protection against the development of competing products. Some of our know-how and technology is not patentable. To protect our proprietary rights in unpatentable intellectual property and trade secrets, we require employees, consultants, advisors and collaborators to enter into confidentiality agreements. These agreements may not provide meaningful protection for our trade secrets, know-how or other proprietary information, and such risk has been enhanced by the departure of employees in connection with our global restructuring and cost reduction plan.
Some of our employees, consultants and advisors are currently or were previously employed at universities or other biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. Although we try to ensure that our employees, consultants and advisors do not use the proprietary information or know-how of others in their work for us, we may be subject to claims that we or these individuals have used or disclosed intellectual property, including trade secrets or other proprietary information, of any such individual’s current or former employer. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to our management.
In addition, while it is our policy to require our employees and contractors who may be involved in the conception or development of intellectual property to execute agreements assigning such intellectual property to us, we may be unsuccessful in executing such an agreement with each party who, in fact, conceives or develops intellectual property that we regard as our own. The assignment of intellectual property rights may not be self-executing, or the assignment agreements may be breached, and we may be forced to bring claims against third parties, or defend claims that they may bring against us, to determine the ownership of what we regard as our intellectual property. Such claims could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
We may not be able to protect our intellectual property and proprietary rights throughout the world.
Filing, prosecuting, maintaining, enforcing and defending patents on our products and vaccine candidates in all countries throughout the world is expensive, and the laws of foreign countries may not protect our intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the U.S. Prosecution of foreign patent applications is often a longer process and patents may grant at a later date, and may have a shorter term, than in the U.S. The requirements for patentability differ in certain jurisdictions and countries. Additionally, the patent laws of some countries do not afford intellectual property protection to the same extent as the laws of the U.S. For example, other countries may impose substantial restrictions on the scope of claims, including limiting patent protection to specifically disclosed embodiments. Consequently, we may not be able to prevent third parties from practicing our inventions in all countries outside the U.S., or from selling or importing products made using our intellectual property in and into the U.S. or other jurisdictions. Competitors may use our intellectual property in jurisdictions where we have not pursued and 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 U.S. These products may compete with our products, and our current or future owned or licensed patents or other intellectual property rights may not be effective or sufficient to prevent them from competing. Many companies have encountered significant problems in protecting and defending intellectual property rights in foreign jurisdictions. The legal systems of certain countries, particularly certain developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents, trade secrets and other intellectual property protection, particularly those relating to biopharmaceutical products, which could make it difficult for us to stop the infringement of our owned or licensed patents or marketing of competing products in violation of our intellectual property and proprietary rights generally. In addition, some jurisdictions may have a heightened standard for patentability than in the U.S., including, for example, the requirement of claims having literal support in the original patent filing and the limitation on using supporting data that is not in the original patent filing. Under those heightened patentability requirements, we may not be able to obtain sufficient patent protection in certain jurisdictions even though the same or similar patent protection can be secured in the U.S. and other jurisdictions.
Failure to obtain trademark registrations for proposed product names/brands, in the U.S. or abroad, may adversely impact our business.
Trademark registration to protect the trademarks for our proposed products will require approval from the USPTO in the U.S. and in trademark offices throughout the world in our key markets. The USPTO or a trademark office in a key international jurisdiction may refuse registration of any of our trademarks on a variety of potential grounds. If registration is not granted to one of our trademarks in the U.S. or in another key international jurisdiction, we may be required to adopt an alternative name for that proposed product. If we adopt an alternative name, we may lose the benefit of any existing trademark applications for such developmental candidate and may be required to expend significant additional resources in an effort to identify a suitable product name that would qualify under applicable trademark laws, not infringe the existing rights of third parties and be acceptable to the FDA and other regulatory authorities.
Third parties may claim we infringe their intellectual property rights.
Our research, development and commercialization activities, including any vaccine candidates resulting from these activities, may be found to infringe patents or trademarks owned by third-parties and to which we do not hold licenses or other rights. There may be rights we are not aware of, including applications that have been filed, but not published that, when issued, could be asserted against us. These third-parties could bring claims against us, and that may cause us to incur substantial expenses and, if successful against us, could cause us to pay substantial damages. Further, if a patent or trademark infringement suit were brought against us, we could be forced to stop or delay research, development, manufacturing or sales of the product or biologic drug candidate that is the subject of the suit.
As a result of patent or trademark infringement claims, or in order to avoid potential claims, we may choose or be required to seek a license from the third party. These licenses may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all. Even if we are able to obtain a license, the license would likely obligate us to pay license fees or royalties or both, and the rights granted to us might be non- exclusive, which could result in our competitors gaining access to the same intellectual property. Ultimately, we could be prevented from commercializing a product, or be forced to cease some aspect of our business operations, if, as a result of actual or threatened patent or trademark infringement claims, we are unable to enter into licenses on acceptable terms. All of the issues described above could also impact our collaborators, which would also impact the success of the collaboration and therefore us.
There has been substantial litigation and other proceedings regarding patent, trademark, and other intellectual property rights in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
We may become involved in litigation to defend or enforce our intellectual property or the intellectual property of our collaborators or licensors, which could be expensive and time-consuming.
Competitors may infringe our patents or the patents of our collaborators or licensors. As a result, we may be required to file patent infringement suits to prevent unauthorized uses. This can be expensive and time-consuming. In addition, in an infringement proceeding, a court may decide that a patent of ours is not valid or is unenforceable, or may refuse to stop the other party from using the technology at issue on the grounds that our patents do not cover its technology. An adverse determination of any litigation or defense proceeding could put one or more of our, or our collaborators’ or licensors’, patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly and could put our, or our collaborators’ or licensors’, patent applications at the risk of not issuing. Competitors may infringe our trademarks or the trademarks of collaborators or licensors. As a result, we may be required to file suit to counter infringement for unauthorized use of an identical or confusingly similar trademark. This can be expensive and time-consuming.
Even if we are successful, litigation may result in substantial costs and distraction to our management. Even with a broad portfolio, we may not be able, alone or with our collaborators and licensors, to prevent misappropriation of our proprietary rights, particularly in countries where the laws may not protect such rights as fully as in the U.S.
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 during this type of litigation. In addition, during the course of litigation, there could be public announcements of the results of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments. If investors perceive these results to be negative, the market price for our common stock could be significantly harmed.
The scope, validity, and ownership of our patent claims may be challenged in various venues and, if we do not prevail, our ability to exclude competitors may be harmed, potentially reducing our ability to succeed commercially.
We may be subject to a variety of challenges from third parties that relate to the scope of the claims or to their validity. Such challenges can be mounted in certain US District Court proceedings, post-grant review, ex parte re-examination, and inter partes review proceedings before the USPTO, or similar adversarial proceedings in other jurisdictions. If we are unsuccessful in any such challenge, the scope of our claims could be narrowed or could be invalidated. Any such outcome could impair our ability to exclude competitors from the market in those countries, potentially impacting our commercial success.
Our patents may be subject to various challenges related to ownership and inventorship, including interference or derivation proceedings. Third parties may assert that they are inventors on our patents or that they are owners of the patents. While we perform inventorship analyses to insure that the correct inventors are listed on our patents, we cannot be certain that a court of competent jurisdiction would arrive at the same conclusions we do. If we are unsuccessful in defending against ownership or inventorship challenges, a court may require us to list additional inventors, may invalidate the patent, or may transfer ownership, or vest joint ownership, of the patent to a third party.
Any of these outcomes may harm our ability to exclude competitors and potentially impact our success. Further, if ownership is transferred to a third party we may be required to seek a license to those rights to preserve our exclusive ability to practice the invention. Such a license may not be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. If we are unable to obtain a license, we may be required to expend time, effort, and other resources to design around the patent. Any such license may be non-exclusive and if a competitor is able to obtain a license from the third party, our ability to exclude that competitor from the market may be negatively impacted.
Even if we are ultimately successful, defending any such challenges may cause us to incur substantial expenses and may require us to divert substantial financial and management resources that we would otherwise be able to devote to our business.
The scope, validity, and ownership of our trademark rights/registrations may be challenged in various venues in the U.S. and abroad and, if we do not prevail, our ability to exclude competitors from using and registering confusingly similar trademarks may be harmed, potentially reducing our ability to succeed commercially.
We may be subject to a variety of challenges from third parties that relate to the validity of our trademark registrations in the U.S. and internationally. Such challenges can be mounted in trademark cancellation and opposition proceedings before the USPTO, or similar adversarial proceedings in other jurisdictions. If we are unsuccessful in any such challenge, our trademark registrations could be narrowed or could be refused or canceled. Any such outcome could impair our ability to exclude competitors from using a confusingly similar mark, potentially impacting our commercial success.
Our trademark registrations may be subject to various challenges related to likelihood of confusion, use of a trademark in commerce, or other grounds in the U.S. and internationally. Third parties may assert that our trademarks infringe on their prior rights or that we are not using a trademark in a particular jurisdiction in connection with the goods/services identified in the trademark registration. While we perform trademark clearance searches and analysis to determine that we are not infringing upon the trademark rights of others, we cannot be certain that a court of competent jurisdiction would arrive at the same conclusions we do. If we are unsuccessful in defending against such challenges, a court may cancel our trademark registration and/or issue an injunction requiring that we cease use of the trademark. We may also not be able to rely on common law rights that we may have in any trademark. Any of these outcomes may potentially impact our commercial success.
Even if we are ultimately successful, defending any such challenges may cause us to incur substantial expenses and may require us to divert substantial financial and management resources that we would otherwise be able to devote to our business.
We may need to license intellectual property from third parties and, if our right to use the intellectual property we license is affected, our ability to develop and outlicense our vaccine candidates may be harmed.
We have in the past, and we expect in the future to license intellectual property from third parties and that these licenses will be material to our business. We will not own the patents or patent applications that underlie these licenses, and we may not control either the prosecution or the enforcement of the patents. Under such circumstances, we may be forced to rely upon our licensors to properly prosecute and file those patent applications and prevent infringement of those patents.
While many of the licenses under which we have rights provide us with rights in specified fields, the scope of our rights under these and other licenses may be subject to dispute by our licensors or third parties. In addition, our rights to use these technologies and practice the inventions claimed in the licensed patents and patent applications are subject to our licensors abiding by the terms of those licenses and not terminating them. Any of our licenses may be terminated by the licensor if we are in breach of a term or condition of the license agreement, or in certain other circumstances.
Further, any disputes regarding obligations in licenses may require us to take expensive and time-consuming legal action to resolve, and, even if we are successful, may delay our ability to outlicense products and generate revenue. Further, if we are unable to resolve license issues that arise we may lose rights to practice intellectual property that is required to make, use, or sell products. Any such loss could compromise our development and commercialization efforts for current or future vaccine candidates and/or may require additional effort and expense to design around.
Our vaccine candidates and potential vaccine candidates will require several components that may each be the subject of a license agreement. The cumulative license fees and royalties for these components may make the commercialization efforts of these vaccine candidates uneconomical.
If patent laws or the interpretation of patent laws change, our competitors may be able to develop and commercialize our discoveries.
Important legal issues remain to be resolved as to the extent and scope of available patent protection for biopharmaceutical products and processes in the U.S. and other important markets outside the U.S., such as Europe and Japan. In addition, foreign markets may not provide the same level of patent protection as provided under the U.S. patent system. Litigation or administrative proceedings may be necessary to determine the validity and scope of certain of our and others’ proprietary rights. Any such litigation or proceeding may result in a significant commitment of resources in the future and could force us to do one or more of the following: cease selling or using any of our products that incorporate the challenged intellectual property, which would adversely affect our revenue; obtain a license from the holder of the intellectual property right alleged to have been infringed, which license may not be available on reasonable terms, if at all; and redesign our products to avoid infringing the intellectual property rights of third parties, which may be time-consuming or impossible to do. In addition, changes in, or different interpretations of, patent laws in the U.S. and other countries may result in patent laws that allow others to use our discoveries or develop and commercialize our products. We cannot provide assurance that the patents we obtain or the unpatented technology we hold will afford us significant commercial protection. In Europe, a new unitary patent system, which took effect on June 1, 2023, may significantly impact European patents, including those granted before the introduction of the new system. Under the new system, applicants can, upon grant of a patent, opt for that patent to become a Unitary Patent which will be subject to the jurisdiction of a new Unitary Patent Court (“UPC”). Patents granted before the implementation of the new system can be opted out of UPC jurisdiction, remaining as national patents in the UPC countries. Patents that remain under the jurisdiction of the UPC may be challenged in a single UPC-based revocation proceeding that, if successful, could invalidate the patent in all countries who are signatories to the UPC. Further, because the UPC is a new court system and there is no precedent for the court’s laws, there is increased uncertainty regarding the outcome of any patent litigation. We are unable to predict what impact the new patent regime may have on our ability to exclude competitors in the European market. In addition to changes in patents laws, geopolitical dynamics, including Russia’s incursion into Ukraine, may also impact our ability to obtain and enforce patents in particular jurisdictions. If we are unable to obtain and enforce patents as needed in particular markets, our ability to exclude competitors in those markets may be reduced.
If we do not obtain patent term extension and/or patent term adjustment in the U.S. under the Hatch-Waxman Act and similar extensions in foreign countries, our ability to exclude competitors may be harmed.
Patents have a limited lifespan. In the U.S., if all maintenance fees are timely paid, the patent term is generally 20 years from the earliest U.S. non-provisional or international patent application filing date. Extensions of patent term may be available under certain circumstances, but the life of a patent, and the protection it affords, is limited. Given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of our vaccine candidates, patents protecting such vaccine candidates might expire before or shortly after such vaccine 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. If we do not have sufficient patent life to protect our products, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects will be adversely affected.
Depending upon the timing, duration and conditions of FDA marketing approval of our vaccine candidates, we may be eligible for a limited extension of the term of one patent that covers a marketed product under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, (the “Hatch-Waxman Amendments”) and similar legislation in the European Union and the United Kingdom. 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, and only those claims covering the approved drug, a method for using it or a method for manufacturing it may be extended. We may not be granted an extension for various reasons, including failing to exercise due diligence during the testing phase or regulatory review process, failing to apply within applicable deadlines, failing to apply prior to expiration of relevant patents or otherwise failing to satisfy other applicable requirements. Moreover, the length of the extension granted could be less than we request. In addition, to the extent we wish to pursue patent term extension based on a patent that we in-license from a third party, we may need the cooperation of that third party. If we are unable to obtain a patent term extension, or the foreign equivalent, or the term of any such extension is less than we request, our competitors may obtain approval of competing products following our patent expiration, and our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be materially harmed..
Patent term covering our products may also be extended for time spent during the prosecution of the patent application in the USPTO. This extension is referred to as Patent Term Adjustment (“PTA”). The laws and regulations governing how the USPTO calculates the PTA is subject to change and changes in the law can reduce or increase any such PTA. Further, the PTA granted by the USPTO may be challenged by a third party. If we do not prevail under such a challenge, the PTA may be reduced or eliminated, shortening the patent term, which may negatively impact our ability to exclude competitors.
Intellectual property rights do not necessarily provide protection against all competitive harm to our business.
The degree of 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:
•others may be able to make products that are similar to our product vaccine candidates or utilize similar technology but that are not covered by the claims of the patents that we license or may own;
•we or our licensors might not have been the first to make the inventions covered by our current or future patents;
•we or our licensors might not have been the first to file patent applications covering our or their inventions;
•others may independently develop similar or alternative technologies or duplicate any of our technologies without infringing our intellectual property rights;
•our pending and future patent applications that we own or may license may not lead to issued patents;
•any issued patent that we own or license in the may be held invalid or unenforceable, including as a result of legal challenges by our competitors or other third parties;
•others may have access to the same intellectual property rights licensed to us in the future on a non-exclusive basis;
•our competitors or other third parties might conduct research and development activities in countries where we or our licensors do not have patent rights and then use the information learned from such activities to develop competitive products for sale in our major commercial markets;
•we may not develop additional proprietary technologies that are patentable;
•we may fail to identify potential patentable subject matter and/or may fail to file patent applications for such patentable subject matter;
•the patents or other intellectual property rights of others may restrict our ability to conduct our business; and
•we may choose not to file for patent protection in order to maintain certain trade secrets or know-how, and a third party may subsequently file a patent application covering such intellectual property or disclose information resulting in a loss of protection for such trade secret.
Should any of the foregoing occur, it could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Risks Related to Employee Matters, Managing Growth and Information Technology
Our business may be adversely affected if we do not successfully execute our business development initiatives.
We anticipate growing through both internal development projects, such as our late-stage pipeline, Matrix-M™ technology and emerging, early-stage pipeline, and external opportunities, such as the entry into strategic alliances and collaborations. The availability of high quality opportunities is limited, and we may fail to identify candidates that we and our stockholders consider suitable or complete transactions on terms that prove advantageous. In order to pursue such opportunities, we may require significant additional financing, which may not be available to us on favorable terms, if at all. Strategic transactions involve many risks, including, among others, those related to diversion of management’s attention from other business concerns, unanticipated expenses and liabilities, and increased complexity of our operations, which could prevent us from fully realizing expected synergies.
Our global restructuring and cost reduction plans may disrupt our business.
In May 2023, we announced a global restructuring and cost reduction plan. The planned workforce reduction included an approximately 25% reduction in our global workforce, comprised of an approximately 20% reduction in full-time Novavax employees and the remainder comprised of contractors and consultants. We realized the full annual impact of the cost savings in 2024. Additionally, in January 2024 we announced an additional 12% reduction of our global workforce, comprised of an additional 9% reduction in the Company’s full-time employees and the remainder comprised of contractors and consultants. We recorded an additional charge of $7.8 million related to one-time employee severance and benefit costs and $102.7 million costs related to the Impairment of long-lived assets during the year ended December 31, 2025.
We may not realize, in full or in part, the anticipated benefits, savings and improvements in our cost structure from these efforts due to unforeseen difficulties, delays or unexpected costs. Our workforce reductions could yield unanticipated consequences, such as attrition beyond planned workforce reductions or disruptions in our day-to-day operations. Our global restructuring and cost reduction plan, including the reduction to our global workforce, could also harm our ability to attract and retain qualified management and development personnel who are critical to our business. If we are unable to realize the expected benefits from the restructuring and cost reduction plan, we may decide to undertake additional workforce reductions.
Security breaches and other disruptions to our IT Systems or those of the vendors on whom we rely could compromise our information and expose us to liability, reputational damage, or other costs.
We rely on computer systems, hardware, software, technology infrastructure and online sites and networks for both internal and external operations that are critical to our business (collectively, “IT Systems”). We own and manage some of these IT Systems but also rely on third parties for a range of IT Systems and related products and services. In the ordinary course of our business, we and many of our current and future strategic partners, vendors, contractors, and consultants collect, maintain and process data about customers, employees, business partners and others, including information about individuals, as well as proprietary business information and data about our clinical participants, suppliers and business partners, including sensitive personally identifiable information (collectively, “Confidential Information”).
We face numerous and evolving cybersecurity risks that threaten the confidentiality, integrity and availability of our IT Systems and Confidential Information, including from diverse threat actors with a wide range of motives and expertise, including nation-states, organized criminal groups, opportunistic hackers and “hacktivists,” patient groups, disgruntled current or former employees and others, as well as through diverse attack vectors, such as social engineering/phishing, malware (including ransomware), malfeasance by insiders, human or technological error, and as a result of malicious code embedded in open-source software, or misconfigurations, bugs or other vulnerabilities in commercial software that is integrated into our (or our suppliers’ or service providers’) IT Systems, products or services.. Remote and hybrid working arrangements at our company (and at many third-party providers) also increase cybersecurity risks due to the challenges associated with managing remote computing assets and security vulnerabilities that are present in many non-corporate and home networks. Additionally, any integration of artificial intelligence in our or any service providers’ operations, products or services is expected to pose new or unknown cybersecurity risks and challenges.
Our ongoing operating activities also depend on functioning IT Systems. We are required to expend significant resources in an effort to protect against security incidents, and may be required or choose to spend additional resources or modify our business activities, particularly where required by applicable data privacy and security laws or regulations or industry standards. Cyberattacks are of ever-increasing levels of sophistication and frequency (and at times involve advanced techniques and tools such as artificial intelligence). As a result, we may be unable to detect, investigate, remediate or recover from future attacks or incidents, or to avoid a material adverse impact to our IT Systems, Confidential Information or business. Despite our cybersecurity risk management program and processes, including our policies, controls or procedures, our IT Systems and Confidential Information and those of our vendors and partners are not immune to such attacks or breaches. Any such attack could result in a material compromise of our networks, and the information stored there could be accessed, publicly disclosed, lost, or rendered permanently or temporarily inaccessible. Furthermore, given the nature of complex systems, software and services like ours, and the scanning tools that we deploy across our networks and products, we regularly identify and track security vulnerabilities. We may not promptly discover a system intrusion and we are unable to comprehensively apply patches or confirm that measures are in place to mitigate all such vulnerabilities, or that patches will be applied before vulnerabilities are exploited by a threat actor.
Like other companies in our industry, we have and third parties with connections to our systems or with data relevant to our business have experienced attacks on our data and systems, including malware and computer viruses. Additionally, we partner with sites that store our clinical trial data, and their systems are also subject to the risk of cyberattacks, disruptions, or other security incidents. Attacks could have a material impact on our business, operations or financial results. Any adverse impact to the availability, integrity or confidentiality of our IT Systems or Confidential Information could result in reputational, business, and competitive harms, significant costs related to remediation and strengthening our cyber defenses, legal claims or proceedings (including class actions), governmental investigations and enforcement actions, fines, penalties, liability including under laws that protect the privacy of personal information, and increased insurance premiums, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations or financial results. We also may need to pay a ransom if a “ransomware” infection prevents access or use of our systems and we may face reputational and other harms in addition to the cost of the ransom if an attacker steals certain critical data in the course of such an attack. Finally, we cannot guarantee that any costs and liabilities incurred in relation to an attack or incident will be covered by our existing insurance policies or that applicable insurance will be available to us in the future on economically reasonable terms or at all.
Compliance with global privacy and data security requirements could result in additional costs and liabilities or inhibit our ability to collect and process data globally, and our failure to comply with data protection laws and regulations could lead to government enforcement actions, fines, and other harms which would cause our business and reputation to suffer.
Evolving state, federal and foreign laws, regulations and industry standards regarding privacy and security apply to our collection, use, retention, protection, disclosure, transfer and other processing of personal data. Privacy and data protection laws may be interpreted and applied differently from country to country and may create inconsistent or conflicting requirements, which increases the costs incurred by us in complying with such laws, which may be substantial. For example, the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (the "EU GDPR") and the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (the “UK GDPR”) (the EU GDPR and UK GDPR together referred to as the “GDPR”),, impose a broad array of requirements for processing personal data, including elevated disclosure requirements regarding collection and use of such data, requirements that companies allow individuals to exercise data protection rights such as their right to obtain copies or demand deletion of personal data held by those companies, limitations on retention of information, and public disclosure of significant data breaches, among other things. The GDPR provides for substantial penalties for non-compliance of up to the greater of €20 million / £17.5 million or 4% of global annual revenue for the preceding financial year.
Furthermore, transferring personal data across international borders is complex and subject to legal and regulatory requirements as well as active litigation and enforcement in a number of jurisdictions around the world, each of which could have an adverse impact on our ability to process and transfer personal data as part of our business operations. For example, the EU GDPR and UK GDPR impose strict restrictions surrounding the transfer of personal data to countries outside the EEA and the UK respectively. Case law from the Court of Justice of the European Union states that reliance on the standard contractual clauses - a standard form of contract approved by the European Commission as an adequate personal data transfer mechanism - alone may not necessarily be sufficient in all circumstances and that transfers must be assessed on a case-by-case basis. We expect the existing legal complexity and uncertainty regarding international personal data transfers to continue, and international transfers to the United States, China, and to other jurisdictions more generally to continue to be subject to enhanced scrutiny by regulators. As the regulatory guidance and enforcement landscape in relation to data transfers continue to develop, we could suffer additional costs; we may have to make operational changes; and/or it could otherwise affect the manner in which we operate our business, and could adversely affect our business, operations and financial condition. The U.S. has also enacted the Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024 which establishes new restrictions on transfers of certain personally identifiable sensitive data to foreign adversary countries and entities controlled by a foreign adversary. Similarly, in 2024, the National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a new rule—referred to as the “Data Security Program” (DSP)—to implement Executive Order 14117 aimed at preventing access to “bulk U.S. sensitive personal data” and “government-related data” by “countries of concern” (including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela) and “covered persons” (as all such terms are defined in the DSP). Effective as of April 8, 2025, and fully enforceable as of July 9, 2025, the DSP imposes stringent obligations on companies within its scope and prohibits or restricts “covered data transactions” that grant countries of concern or covered persons access to bulk U.S. sensitive personal data or any amount of government-related data. The DSP is new, complex and has yet to be enforced, and as such, there is a risk that our interpretation of its applicability, scope, and requirements is incorrect, incomplete, or misapplied.. If other countries implement more restrictive regulations for cross-border data transfers or do not permit data to leave the country of origin, such developments could adversely impact our business and our enterprise customers’ business, our financial condition and our results of operations in those jurisdictions.
Privacy laws and regulations are also expanding in the U.S. In the U.S., HIPAA imposes, among other things, certain standards relating to the privacy, security, transmission and breach reporting of individually identifiable health information. Certain states have also adopted other privacy and security laws and regulations that govern the privacy, processing and protection of health-related and other personal information. In addition, we may obtain health information from third parties (including research institutions from which we obtain clinical trial data) that are subject to privacy and security requirements under HIPAA. Depending on the facts and circumstances, we could be subject to significant penalties if we violate HIPAA. Such laws and regulations will be subject to interpretation by various courts and other governmental authorities, thus creating potentially complex compliance issues for us and our future customers and strategic partners. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (collectively, the CCPA) requires covered businesses that process the personal information of California residents to, among other things: (i) provide certain disclosures to California consumers regarding the business’s collection, use, and disclosure of their personal information; (ii) receive and respond to requests from California residents to access, delete, and correct their personal information, or to opt out of certain disclosures of their personal information; and (iii) enter into specific contractual provisions with service providers that process California resident personal information on the business’s behalf.. Like the GDPR, the CCPA establishes potentially significant penalties for violation. In addition, a number of other states have passed similar comprehensive privacy laws that have taken effect, reflecting a trend toward more stringent privacy legislation in the United States.
We also expect that there will continue to be new laws, regulations and industry standards concerning privacy, data protection and information security proposed and enacted in various jurisdictions, including specific health-data related laws. For example, Washington State enacted the Washington My Health My Data Act which broadly defines consumer health data, creates a private right of action to allow individuals to sue for violations of the law, imposes stringent consent requirements and grants consumers certain rights with respect to their health data, including to request deletion of their information. Furthermore, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and many state Attorneys General continue to enforce federal and state consumer protection laws against companies for online collection, use, dissemination and security practices that appear to be unfair or deceptive.
In addition, we use artificial intelligence, machine learning and automated decision-making technologies (collectively, “AI Technologies”) in our business. The regulatory framework for AI Technologies is rapidly evolving as many federal, state, and foreign government bodies and agencies have introduced or are currently considering additional laws and regulations. Additionally, existing laws and regulations may be interpreted in ways that would affect the operation of AI Technologies. As a result, implementation standards and enforcement practices are likely to remain uncertain for the foreseeable future, and we cannot yet determine the impact future laws, regulations, standards, or market perception of their requirements may have on our business and may not always be able to anticipate how to respond to these laws or regulations.
It is possible that new laws and regulations will be adopted in the United States and in other non-U.S. jurisdictions, or that existing laws and regulations, including competition and antitrust laws, may be interpreted in ways that would limit our ability to use AI Technologies for our business, or require us to change the way we use AI Technologies in a manner that negatively affects the performance of our products, services, and business and the way in which we use AI Technologies. We may need to expend resources to adjust our products or services in certain jurisdictions if the laws, regulations, or decisions are not consistent across jurisdictions. Further, the cost to comply with such laws, regulations, or decisions and/or guidance interpreting existing laws, could be significant and would increase our operating expenses (such as by imposing additional reporting obligations regarding our use of AI Technologies). Such an increase in operating expenses, as well as any actual or perceived failure to comply with such laws and regulations, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
All of these evolving compliance and operational requirements impose significant costs that are likely to increase over time, may require us to modify our data processing practices and policies, divert resources from other initiatives and projects and could restrict the way services involving data are offered, all of which may adversely affect our results of operations. Certain state laws may be more stringent or broader in scope, or offer greater individual rights, than federal or other state laws, and such laws may differ from each other, which may complicate compliance efforts. State laws are changing rapidly and there is ongoing discussion in Congress of a new federal data protection and privacy law to which we may be subject. We will need to evaluate and update our privacy program to seek to comply with applicable privacy and data security laws, and we expect to incur additional expenses in our effort to comply.
Any failure or perceived failure by us to comply with laws, regulations and other requirements relating to the privacy, security and handling of information could result in legal claims or proceedings (including class actions), regulatory investigations or enforcement actions.
Collaborations and contracts of our wholly owned subsidiary Novavax AB with partners such as Sanofi, with regional partners, such as SII, Takeda and SK bioscience, as well as with international providers, expose us to additional risks associated with doing business outside the U.S.
Swedish-based Novavax AB is a wholly owned subsidiary of Novavax, Inc. We also have entered into the Sanofi CLA, a supply and license agreement with SII, collaboration and license agreements with each of Takeda and SK bioscience and other agreements and arrangements with foreign governments and companies in other countries. We plan to continue to enter into collaborations or partnerships with companies, non-profit organizations and local governments in various parts of the world. Risks of conducting business outside the U.S. include negative consequences of:
•the costs associated with seeking to comply with multiple regulatory requirements that govern our ability to develop, manufacture and sell products in local markets;
•failure to comply with anti-bribery laws such as the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar anti-bribery laws in other jurisdictions;
•new or changes in interpretations of existing trade measures, including tariffs, embargoes, sanctions, import restrictions, and export licensing requirements;
•difficulties in and costs of staffing, managing and operating our international operations;
•changes in environmental, health and safety laws;
•fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates;
•new or changes in interpretations of existing tax laws;
•political instability and actual or anticipated military or potential conflicts (including, without limitation, the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Hamas, and a wider European or global conflict);
•economic instability, inflation, recession and interest rate fluctuations;
•minimal or diminished protection of intellectual property in many jurisdictions; and
•possible nationalization and expropriation.
These risks, individually or in the aggregate, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial conditions, results of operations and cash flows.
If we are unable to attract or retain key management or other personnel, our business, operating results and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
We depend on our senior executive officers, as well as key scientific and other personnel. The loss of these individuals or our failure to implement an appropriate succession plan could harm our business and significantly delay or prevent the achievement of research, development or business objectives. Turnover in key executive positions resulting in lack of management continuity and long-term history with our Company could result in operational and administrative inefficiencies and added costs. These risks have increased since our global restructuring and cost reduction plan and related workforce reduction implemented in May 2023 and January 2024, which increased the risk that we will lose technical know-how or other trade secrets as experienced personnel depart.
We may not be able to attract qualified individuals for key positions on terms acceptable to us. Competition for qualified employees is intense among pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and the loss of qualified employees, or an inability to attract, retain and motivate additional highly skilled employees could hinder our ability to complete clinical trials successfully and otherwise develop marketable products.
We also rely from time to time on outside advisors who assist us in formulating our research and development and clinical strategy. We may not be able to attract and retain these individuals on acceptable terms, which could delay our development efforts.
Risks Related to Our Indebtedness
Servicing our 4.625% Convertible Senior Notes due 2031 and our 5.00% Convertible Secured Notes due 2027 requires a significant amount of cash, and we may not have sufficient cash flow to pay our debt.
As of December 31, 2025, we had $26.5 million aggregate principal amount of 2027 Notes and $225.0 million aggregate principal amount of 2031 Notes outstanding. On February 25, 2026, we entered into a Credit, Security, and Guaranty Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) and borrowed $50.0 million thereunder. We have the ability to incur additional indebtedness under the Credit Agreement, subject to satisfaction of certain conditions. Borrowings under the Credit Agreement bear interest at a variable rate based on a floating benchmark rate plus a margin, which exposes us to interest rate volatility which could increase our use of cash to pay interest. The term loans under the Credit Agreement mature in 2031 and are interest‑only until maturity, which concentrates principal repayment obligations at maturity. The Credit Agreement includes prepayment premiums of up to 3% on certain voluntary repayments, which could increase the cost of refinancing or reducing our indebtedness. Our ability to make scheduled payments of the principal of, to pay interest on, or to refinance our indebtedness, including the Notes and borrowing under the Credit Agreement, depends on our future performance, which is subject to economic, financial, competitive and other factors beyond our control. If we cannot generate cash flow from operations sufficient to service our scheduled debt obligations and make necessary capital expenditures we may need to refinance our debt, sell assets, or obtain additional equity capital on terms that may be onerous or highly dilutive. Our ability to refinance our indebtedness at maturity, unless earlier converted, redeemed, repurchased, or repaid, will depend on the capital markets and our financial condition at such time. We may not be able to engage in any of these activities or engage in these activities on desirable terms, which could result in a default on our debt obligations, and limit our flexibility in planning for and reacting to changes in our business.
We may not have the ability to raise the funds necessary to repurchase the Notes as required upon a fundamental change, and our future debt may contain limitations on our ability to repurchase the Notes.
Holders of the Notes will have the right to require us to repurchase their Notes for cash upon the occurrence of a fundamental change at a fundamental change repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any. A fundamental change may also constitute an event of default or prepayment under, and result in the acceleration of the maturity of, our then-existing indebtedness. We cannot assure that we will have sufficient financial resources, or will be able to arrange financing, to pay the fundamental change repurchase price in cash with respect to any Notes surrendered by holders for repurchase upon a fundamental change. In addition, restrictions in our Credit Agreement do not allow, and restrictions in any other then existing credit facilities or other indebtedness, if any, may not allow, us to repurchase the Notes upon a fundamental change. Our failure to repurchase the Notes upon a fundamental change when required would result in an event of default pursuant to the indenture governing the Notes which could, in turn, constitute a default under the terms of the Credit Agreement and our other indebtedness, if any. If the repayment of the related indebtedness were to be accelerated after any applicable notice or grace periods, we may not have sufficient funds to repay all of the indebtedness and repurchase the Notes.
Despite current indebtedness levels, we may incur substantially more indebtedness, which could further exacerbate the risks associated with our indebtedness.
We may incur significant additional indebtedness in the future. If new debt is added to our current indebtedness levels, the related risks that we face could intensify.
Our Credit Agreement contains restrictions that limit our flexibility in operating our business.
We entered into a Credit, Security and Guaranty Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with MidCap Financial Trust, as administrative agent (“Agent”), and the lenders from time to time party thereto (the “Lenders”). The Credit Agreement provides for a senior secured term loan facility of up to $330.0 million, of which $50.0 million was borrowed at closing. The Credit Agreement contains various covenants, including covenants regarding minimum cash and royalty revenue amounts, and restrictive covenants that limit our ability to engage in specified types of transactions. These covenants limit our ability and the ability of our subsidiaries to, among other things:
•incur additional indebtedness or liens;
•make certain investments or acquisitions;
•make certain restricted payments;
•enter into affiliate transactions; and
•consolidate, merge, sell assets or engage in change of control transactions,
in each case subject to customary exceptions and limitations.
In the event that we breach one or more covenants under the Credit Agreement, the Agent may choose to declare an event of default and require that we immediately repay all amounts outstanding plus accrued interest, and foreclose on the collateral granted to it to secure such indebtedness. Such repayment could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock
Because our stock price has been and will likely continue to be highly volatile, the market price of our common stock may be lower or more volatile than expected.
Our stock price has been highly volatile. From January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025, the closing sale price of our common stock has been as low as $5.95 per share and as high as $9.58 per share. The stock market in general and the market for biotechnology companies in particular have experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. For example, the trading prices of biopharmaceutical companies in particular have been highly volatile as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation and increased interest rates. These broad market fluctuations may cause the market price of our common stock to be lower or more volatile than expected.
Furthermore, given the current presidential administration’s policies on vaccines, information in the public arena on this topic, whether or not accurate, has had and will likely continue to have an outsized impact (positive or negative) on our stock price. Information related to our development, manufacturing, regulatory and commercialization efforts with respect to our COVID-19 Vaccine, or information regarding such efforts by competitors with respect to their COVID-19 Vaccines and vaccine candidates, may meaningfully impact our stock price. As a result of this volatility, you may not be able to sell your common stock at or above your initial purchase price. The market price of our common stock may be influenced by many other factors, including:
•future announcements about us or our collaborators or competitors, including the results of testing, technological innovations or new commercial products;
•clinical trial results;
•delays in making regulatory submissions;
•depletion of our cash reserves;
•sale of equity securities or issuance of additional debt;
•announcement by us of significant strategic partnerships, collaborations, joint ventures, capital commitments or acquisitions;
•changes in government regulations;
•impact of competitor successes and in particular development success of vaccine candidates that compete with our own vaccine candidates;
•developments in our relationships with our collaboration and funding partners;
•announcements relating to health care reform and reimbursement levels for new vaccines and other matters affecting our business and results, regardless of accuracy;
•sales of substantial amounts of our stock by us or existing stockholders (including stock by insiders or 5% stockholders);
•development, spread or new announcements related to pandemic diseases;
•litigation;
•public concern as to the safety of our products;
•significant set-backs or concerns with the industry or the market as a whole;
•regulatory inquiries, reviews and potential action, including from the U.S. FDA or the SEC;
•demand for bivalent vaccines;
•recommendations by securities analysts or changes in earnings estimates; and
•the other factors described in this Risk Factors section.
In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities class-action litigation often has been instituted against that company. Such litigation, if instituted against us, could cause us to incur substantial costs to defend such claims and divert management’s attention and resources, which could seriously harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations, and prospects.
Raising additional capital by issuing securities or through collaboration and licensing arrangements may cause dilution to existing stockholders or require us to relinquish rights to our technologies or vaccine candidates.
If we are unable to partner with a third-party to advance the development of one or more of our vaccine candidates, we will need to raise money through additional debt or equity financings. To the extent that we raise additional capital by issuing equity securities, our stockholders will experience immediate dilution, which may be significant. There is also a risk that such equity issuances may cause an ownership change under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and similar state provisions, thus limiting our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards and credits. To the extent that we raise additional capital through licensing arrangements or arrangements with collaborative partners, we may be required to relinquish, on terms that may not be favorable to us, rights to some of our technologies or vaccine candidates that we would otherwise seek to develop or commercialize ourselves. In addition, economic conditions may also negatively affect the desire or ability of potential collaborators to enter into transactions with us. They may also have to delay or cancel research and development projects or reduce their overall budgets.
Provisions of our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and Amended and Restated By-Laws and Delaware law could delay or prevent the acquisition of the Company, even if such acquisition would be beneficial to stockholders, and could impede changes in our Board.
Provisions in our organizational documents could hamper a third party’s attempt to acquire, or discourage a third-party from attempting to acquire control of, the Company. Stockholders who wish to participate in these transactions may not have the opportunity to do so. Our organizational documents also could limit the price investors are willing to pay in the future for our securities and make it more difficult to change the composition of our Board in any one year. For example, our organizational documents provide for a staggered board with three classes of directors serving staggered three-year terms and advance notice requirements for stockholders to nominate directors and make proposals.
As a Delaware corporation, we are also afforded the protections of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which will prevent us from engaging in a business combination with a person who acquires at least 15% of our common stock for a period of three years from the date such person acquired such common stock, unless advance board or stockholder approval was obtained.
Any delay or prevention of a change of control transaction or changes in our Board or management could deter potential acquirers or prevent the completion of a transaction in which our stockholders could receive a substantial premium over the then current market price for their shares.
We have never paid dividends on our capital stock, and we do not anticipate paying any such dividends in the foreseeable future.
We have never paid cash dividends on our common stock. We currently anticipate that we will retain all of our earnings for use in the development of our business and do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our common stock would be the only source of gain for stockholders until dividends are paid, if at all.
General Risk Factors
Litigation or regulatory investigations could have a material adverse impact on our results of operation and financial condition.
In addition to intellectual property litigation, from time to time, we may be subject to other litigation or regulatory investigations. Regardless of the merits of any claims that may be brought against us, litigation or regulatory investigations could result in a diversion of management’s attention and resources and we may be required to incur significant expenses defending against these claims. If we are unable to prevail in litigation or regulatory investigations, we could incur substantial liabilities. Where we can make a reasonable estimate of the liability relating to pending litigation and determine that it is probable, we record a related liability. As additional information becomes available, we assess the potential liability and revise estimates as appropriate. However, because of uncertainties relating to litigation, the amount of our estimates could be wrong.
We or the third parties upon whom we depend may be adversely affected by natural or man-made disasters or public health emergencies.
Our operations, and those of our clinical research organizations, contract manufacturing organizations, vendors of materials needed in manufacturing, collaboration partners, distributors and other third parties upon whom we depend, could be subject to fires, extreme weather conditions, earthquakes, power shortages, telecommunications failures, water shortages, floods, hurricanes, typhoons, war, political unrest, sabotage or terrorism and other natural or man-made disasters, as well as public health emergencies. The occurrence of any of these business disruptions could prevent us from using all or a significant portion of our facilities and it may be difficult or impossible for us to continue certain activities for a substantial period of time. The disaster recovery and business continuity plans we have in place may prove inadequate in the event of a serious disaster or similar event and we may incur substantial expenses and delays as a result. Our ability to manufacture our vaccine candidates and obtain necessary clinical supplies for our vaccine candidates could be disrupted if the operations of our contract manufacturing organizations or suppliers are affected by a natural or man-made disaster, or a public health emergency.
We are a target for public scrutiny, and our business may be impacted by unfavorable publicity.
Given that COVID-19 represented an unprecedented urgent public health crisis and that we have received significant funding from the U.S. and foreign governments and other sources to support the development and commercialization of our COVID-19 Vaccine, we have observed and are likely to continue to face significant public attention and scrutiny over the complex decisions we have made to date. If we are unable to successfully manage these risks, we could face significant reputational harm, which could negatively affect our stock price. The intense public interest, including speculation by the media, in the development of our COVID-19 Vaccine has caused significant volatility in our stock price, which we expect to continue as data and other information from our ongoing clinical trials become publicly available. If concerns should arise about the actual or anticipated efficacy or safety of any of our vaccine candidates, such concerns could adversely affect the market’s perception of these candidates, which could lead to a decline in investors’ expectations and a decline in the price of our common stock.
The increasing use of social media platforms presents new risks and challenges to our business.
Social media is increasingly being used to communicate about pharmaceutical companies’ research, product candidates, and the diseases such product candidates are being developed to prevent. Social media practices in the pharmaceutical industry continue to evolve and regulations relating to such use are not always clear. This evolution creates uncertainty and risk of noncompliance with regulations applicable to our business, resulting in potential regulatory actions against us. For example, subjects may use social media channels to comment on their experience in an ongoing blinded clinical trial or to report an alleged adverse event. When such events occur, there is a risk that we fail to monitor and comply with applicable adverse event reporting obligations or we may not be able to defend our business or the public’s legitimate interests in the face of the political and market pressures generated by social media due to restrictions on what we may say about our vaccine candidates.
There is also a risk of inappropriate disclosure of sensitive information or negative or inaccurate posts or comments about us on any social media or networking website. If any of these events were to occur or we otherwise fail to comply with applicable regulations, we could incur liability, face regulatory actions, or incur reputational or other harm to our business.
Item 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
Item 1C. CYBERSECURITY
Risk Management and Strategy
We have established a cybersecurity risk management program that includes processes designed to identify, assess, manage, and monitor risks from cybersecurity threats and that is intended to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our critical systems and information.
We design and assess our cybersecurity risk management program using industry standards as a guide, including the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF). This does not imply that we meet any particular technical standards, specifications, or requirements, only that we use the NIST CSF as a guide to help us identify, assess, and manage cybersecurity risks relevant to our business.
We have integrated our cybersecurity risk management program into our broader risk management program and shares common methodologies, reporting channels and governance processes that apply across the risk management program to other legal, compliance, strategic, operational, and financial risk areas.
Key elements of our cybersecurity risk management program include but are not limited to the following:
•risk assessments of internal and external threats to the security, confidentiality, integrity and availability of our data and systems along with other material risks from cybersecurity threats to our critical systems and information;
•a security team principally responsible for managing (1) our cybersecurity risk assessment processes, (2) our security controls, and (3) our response to cybersecurity incidents;
•cybersecurity awareness training of our employees, including incident response personnel, and senior management;
•a cybersecurity incident response plan that includes procedures for responding to cybersecurity incidents;
•the use of outside providers, where appropriate, to conduct periodic internal and external penetration testing and security assessments and assist with other aspects of our security processes; and
•a third-party risk management program for key service providers, based on our assessment of their criticality to our operations and respective risk profile, including risks associated with our cloud vendors and other third parties.
As of the date of this report, we have not experienced a cybersecurity incident that resulted in a material effect on our business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition. Despite our continuing efforts, we cannot guarantee that our cybersecurity safeguards will prevent breaches or breakdowns of our or our third-party service providers’ information technology systems, particularly in the face of continually evolving cybersecurity threats and increasingly sophisticated threat actors. We face risks from cybersecurity threats that, if realized, are reasonably likely to materially affect us, including our operations, business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition. For more information, see Item 1A Risk Factors, “Security breaches and other disruptions to our information technology systems or those of the vendors on whom we rely could compromise our information and expose us to liability, reputational damage, or other costs.”
Governance
Our Board considers cybersecurity risk as part of its risk oversight function and has delegated to the Audit Committee oversight of cybersecurity risks, including oversight of management’s implementation of our cybersecurity risk management program.
The CIO reports to the Audit Committee periodically, as well as to the Board of Directors, our Chief Executive Officer, and other members of our senior management as appropriate. These reports may feature briefings on our cyber risk management program, an overall assessment of our compliance with the our cybersecurity policies, topics such as risk assessment, risk management and control decisions, service provider arrangements, test results, any significant or potentially significant security incidents and our responses, and recommendations for changes and updates to policies and procedures. Our cybersecurity risk management program is also evaluated by internal and external experts with the results of those reviews reported to senior management and the Board.
Our cybersecurity risk management program is led by our Chief Information Officer (“CIO”), and our CIO is responsible for assessing and managing our material risks from cybersecurity threats. Our CIO supervises both our internal cybersecurity personnel and our retained external cybersecurity consultants. Our CIO’s experience includes over 25 years of experience in information systems, cybersecurity, and data protection.
Our CIO takes steps to stay informed about and monitor efforts to prevent, detect, mitigate, and remediate cybersecurity risks and incidents through various means, which may include: briefings from internal security personnel; threat intelligence and other information obtained from governmental, public or private sources, including external consultants engaged by us; and alerts and reports produced by security tools deployed in our information technology environment.
Item 2. PROPERTIES
As of December 31, 2025, we lease and own approximately 192,000 square feet of office and other space in the U.S., including our corporate headquarters at 21 Firstfield, Gaithersburg, Maryland, and approximately 60,000 in various foreign locations. We use this space for our services and support, commercial, research and development, manufacturing, and administrative personnel. Although we believe that our facilities are suitable and adequate for our present needs, the Company’s management continues to review and assess real property requirements that may be necessary to address our current business plan.
As of December 31, 2025, we classified the property located at 700 Quince Orchard Road, Gaithersburg, Maryland (“700QO”) as held for sale, in accordance with our accounting policy described in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements. The facility served as our corporate headquarters until we relocated to 21 Firstfield, Gaithersburg, Maryland, during 2025. Although the lease for 700QO remained effective as of December 31, 2025, we completed the assignment of our leasehold interest in January 2026, resulting in the termination of the lease.
Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
We currently have no material pending legal proceedings.
PART II
Item 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
Item 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS, AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Our common stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “NVAX.” Our common stock was held by approximately 153 stockholders of record as of February 16, 2026, one of which is Cede & Co., a nominee for Depository Trust Company (“DTC”). All of the shares of common stock held by brokerage firms, banks, and other financial institutions as nominees for beneficial owners are deposited into participant accounts at DTC, and are therefore considered to be held of record by Cede & Co. as one stockholder. We do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
Securities Authorized for Issuance under our Equity Compensation Plans
Information regarding our equity compensation plans, including both stockholder approved plans and non-stockholder approved plans, is included in Part III, Item 12 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Performance Graph
The graph below matches Novavax, Inc.'s cumulative 5-Year total shareholder return on common stock with the cumulative total returns of the Nasdaq Composite Index and the Russell 2000 Growth Biotechnology Index. The graph tracks the performance of a $100 investment in our common stock and in each index (with the reinvestment of all dividends) from December 31, 2020 to December 31, 2025.
COMPARISON OF 5 YEAR CUMULATIVE RETURN*
Among Novavax Inc., the NASDAQ Composite index,
and the Russell 2000 Growth Biotechnology Index
*$100 invested on 12/31/20 in stock or index, including reinvestment of dividends. Fiscal year ending December 31.
Value of $100 invested on December 31, 2020 in stock or index, including reinvestment of dividends, for fiscal years ended:
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December 31, |
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2020 |
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2021 |
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2022 |
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2023 |
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2024 |
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2025 |
| Novavax, Inc. |
$ |
100.00 |
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$ |
128.3 |
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$ |
9.22 |
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$ |
4.30 |
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$ |
7.21 |
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$ |
6.03 |
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| NASDAQ Composite |
$ |
100.00 |
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$ |
121.39 |
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$ |
81.21 |
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$ |
116.47 |
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$ |
149.83 |
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$ |
180.33 |
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| Russell 2000 Growth Biotechnology |
$ |
100.00 |
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$ |
69.59 |
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$ |
50.34 |
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$ |
59.25 |
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$ |
60.09 |
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$ |
84.57 |
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This graph is not “soliciting material,” is not deemed “filed” with the SEC, and is not to be incorporated by reference in any filing of the Company under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, whether made before or after the date hereof and irrespective of any general incorporation language in any such filing.
Item 6. RESERVED
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this filing. The following discussion and analysis does not include certain items related to the year ended December 31, 2023, including year-to-year comparisons between the year ended December 31, 2024 and the year ended December 31, 2023. For a comparison of our results of operations for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, see Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on February 27, 2025.
Any statements in the discussion below and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K about expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, or future events or performance of Novavax, Inc. (“Novavax,” together with its wholly owned subsidiaries, the “Company,” “we,” or “us”) are not historical facts and are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements about our capabilities, goals, expectations regarding future revenue and expense levels, and capital raising activities; our corporate growth strategy and key value drivers; our technology platform; our COVID-19 Vaccine (which includes “Nuvaxovid™” and “JN.1 COVID-19 Vaccine”, our Nuvaxovid™ COVID-19 Vaccine for the 2025-2026 vaccination season); our operating plans and prospects, including our ability to continue as a going concern through one year from the date of Novavax’ audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2025; our global restructuring and cost reduction plan (“Restructuring Plan”), which includes a more focused investment in our COVID-19 Vaccine; our cash flow forecast and project revenue, including potential royalties and milestones pursuant to our collaboration and license agreement (the “Sanofi CLA”) with Sanofi Pasteur Inc. (“Sanofi”); potential market sizes and demand for our products and product candidates; the efficacy, safety, and intended utilization of our products and product candidates; the development of our clinical-stage product candidates and our recombinant vaccine and adjuvant technologies; the development of our preclinical product candidates; our research and development investment strategy; the potential expansion of our pipeline beyond infectious diseases into other therapeutic areas; our expectations related to enrollment in our clinical trials; the conduct, timing, and potential results from clinical trials and other preclinical studies; plans for and potential timing of regulatory filings; our expectation of manufacturing capacity, timing, production, distribution, and delivery for our COVID-19 Vaccine by us and our partners; our expectations with respect to the anticipated ongoing development and commercialization or licensure of the COVID-19 Vaccine; our expectations with respect to the anticipated ongoing development of COVID-19 variant strain-containing formulations, including the Phase 2b/3 Hummingbird™ trial, our CIC vaccine candidate and our stand-alone influenza vaccine candidate; our partnership efforts for our COVID-19-Influenza (“CIC”) vaccine candidate and stand-alone influenza vaccine candidate to advance towards a Biologics License Application (“BLA”) filing and commercialization; efforts to expand our COVID-19 Vaccine label worldwide as a booster, and to various age groups and geographic locations; the expected timing, content, and outcomes of regulatory actions; funding under our advance purchase agreements ("APAs") and supply agreements and amendments to, termination of, discussion regarding, or legal disputes relating to any such agreement; our available cash resources and usage and the availability of financing generally; plans regarding partnering activities and business development initiatives; plans regarding APA amendments; and other matters referenced herein. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified through the use of words or phrases such as “believe,” “may,” “could,” “will,” “would,” “possible,” “can,” “estimate,” “continue,” “ongoing,” “consider,” “anticipate,”
“intend,” “seek,” “plan,” “project,” “expect,” “should,” “would,” “aim,” or “assume,” the negative of these terms, or other comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words.
Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs and expectations about the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy, and other future conditions. Forward-looking statements involve estimates, assumptions, risks, and uncertainties that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements, and, therefore, you should not place considerable reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, our ability to successfully and timely obtain and maintain full U.S. FDA licensure or foreign regulatory approvals necessary to manufacture, market, distribute, or deliver our COVID-19 Vaccine; the impact of delays in obtaining regulatory approval, including regulatory decisions impacting labeling, approval or authorization, including the scope of the indicated population, product dosage, manufacturing processes, shelf life, safety, for our product candidates; challenges in conducting the postmarketing commitment (“PMC”) study, our ability to obtain adequate additional funding to maintain our current level of operations and fund the further development of our vaccine candidates; challenges related to our partnership with Sanofi, including collaboration on the PMC, and in pursuing additional partnership opportunities; challenges satisfying, alone or together with partners, various safety, efficacy, and product characterization requirements, including those related to process qualification, assay validation, and stability testing, necessary to satisfy applicable regulatory authorities; challenges or delays in conducting clinical trials or studies for our product candidates; manufacturing, distribution or export delays or challenges; our substantial dependence on Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. (“SII”) and Serum Life Sciences Limited (“SLS” and together with SII, “Serum”) for co-formulation and filling our COVID-19 Vaccine and the impact of any delays or disruptions in their operations; the impact of potential legislative, regulatory, or policy changes under the current presidential administration, including any adverse impact funding for vaccine research and development, reimbursement for vaccines and their administration, vaccine mandates and recommendations, and public perception of vaccine importance; uncertainty with respect to pricing, third-party reimbursement and healthcare reform; uncertainty in the regulatory pathway for our COVID -19 Vaccine; the impact of any new or changes in interpretations of existing trade measures, including tariffs, embargoes, sanctions, import restrictions, and export licensing requirements; difficulty obtaining scarce raw materials and supplies, including for our proprietary adjuvant; resource constraints, including human capital and manufacturing capacity, constraints on our ability to pursue planned regulatory pathways, alone or with partners, in multiple jurisdictions simultaneously, leading to staggering of regulatory filings, and potential regulatory actions; our ability to timely deliver doses; challenges in obtaining commercial adoption and market acceptance of our COVID-19 Vaccine or any COVID-19 variant strain containing formulation, or our CIC vaccine candidates, stand-alone influenza vaccine candidates or other candidates; challenges meeting contractual requirements under agreements with multiple commercial, governmental, and other entities including requirements to deliver doses that may require us to refund portions of upfront and other payments previously received or result in reduced future payments pursuant to such agreements; challenges related to the seasonality of vaccinations against COVID-19; challenges related to the demand for vaccinations against COVID-19 or influenza; challenges in identifying and successfully pursuing innovation expansion opportunities; our expectation as to expenses and cash needs may prove not to be correct for reasons such as changes in plans or actual events being different than our assumptions; and other risks and uncertainties identified in Part I, Item 1A “Risk Factors” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, which may be detailed and modified or updated in other documents filed with the SEC from time to time, and are available at www.sec.gov and at www.novavax.com. You are encouraged to read these filings as they are made.
We cannot guarantee future results, events, level of activity, performance, or achievement. Any or all of our forward-looking statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K may turn out to be inaccurate or materially different from actual results. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date when it is made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, unless required by law. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict which factors will arise. In addition, we cannot assess the impact of each factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.
Overview
Novavax tackles some of the world’s most pressing health challenges with its scientific expertise in vaccines and its proven technology platform, including its Matrix-M™ adjuvant and protein-based nanoparticles.
Our corporate growth strategy focuses on maximizing the impact of our cutting-edge technology by forging partnerships for our Matrix-M adjuvant and research and development (“R&D”) assets while maintaining a lean and focused operating model.
Our technology platform combined with our deep vaccine expertise, is the fuel for innovation and partnerships and we believe it has the potential to create significant value. Our proprietary Matrix-M™ adjuvant when added to vaccines, has been shown to help induce a stronger and longer-lasting immune response. Our recombinant protein-based nanoparticle technology has been shown to be highly immunogenetic. Together, we believe that our technology platform can induce potent, durable and broad immune responses, with the potential to be antigen-sparing. Our Matrix-M™ adjuvant can increase both antibody and cell-mediated immune responses to the vaccine and it has demonstrated a favorable tolerability profile in clinical trials. Our technology platform is used in our authorized COVID-19 Vaccine (“Nuvaxovid”) and the R21/Matrix-M™ adjuvant malaria vaccine.
Additionally, we are advancing our pipeline programs with a focus on potentially high-value assets in areas with unmet medical need, compelling scientific rationale and strong commercial opportunity.
Furthermore, we provide our Matrix-M™ adjuvant for use in collaborations. These include the R21/Matrix-M™ adjuvant malaria vaccine, a malaria vaccine developed by our partner, the Jenner Institute, University of Oxford (“R21/Matrix-M™ adjuvant malaria vaccine”) and manufactured by SII. R21Matrix-M™ adjuvant malaria vaccine is authorized in several countries. Additionally, we provide Matrix-M™ adjuvant for use in various programs in preclinical and clinical stage, as well as preclinical investigations. Examples include, several material transfer agreements with global pharmaceutical companies for exploration of Matrix-M™ adjuvant used as a potential advancement in their pipeline, including a pre-clinical collaboration in oncology.
Business Highlights
•In January 2026, we entered into a license agreement with Pfizer for use of our Matrix-MTM adjuvant in vaccine development. Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer was granted a non-exclusive license for Matrix-MTM use in two infectious disease areas.
◦We received an upfront payment of $30 million in the first quarter of 2026 and have the potential for up to $500 million in additional development and sales milestones. In addition, we are eligible to receive high-mid-single digit percentage royalties on sales products incorporating Matrix-MTM.
◦Pfizer will be solely responsible for the development and commercialization of its products utilizing Matrix-MTM and we will be responsible for the supply of Matrix-MTM.
◦This partnership has the potential to generate billions of dollars of revenue for us over the life of the agreement.
•We continued the successful execution of the Sanofi partnership with $225 million in milestones earned in full year 2025, including $50 million earned in the fourth quarter of 2025, upon marketing authorization transfers for European Union and U.S. markets.
◦In December 2025, Sanofi shared positive Phase 1/2 data from their influenza-COVID-19 combination programs and their belief that these data support the high probability of demonstrating non-inferiority in Phase 3 trials that would compare the new vaccine against the widely used regimen where both the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines are co-administered.
◦Sanofi has stated they are working with regulators on next steps for these combination programs.
•We have multiple material transfer agreements (“MTA”) with pharmaceutical companies, including major global pharmaceutical companies, who are evaluating the potential of Matrix-MTM in their portfolio of vaccine products.
◦In the fourth quarter of 2025, we signed a new MTA with a large pharmaceutical company to explore the utility of Matrix-MTM in its portfolio.
◦In February 2026, we expanded an existing MTA with a major global pharmaceutical company to explore an additional field.
◦In February 2026, we signed a new MTA with an oncology company.
•Other partners continue to demonstrate the value of our technology with Takeda achieving 12% market share with Nuvaxovid in Japan and the R21/Matrix-MTM, malaria vaccine, marketed by Serum Institute of India, continues its successful launch with 30 million doses sold since its launch in mid-2024, achieving over 80% market share.
•We continued advancement of early-stage candidates and Matrix-MTM technology.
◦Preclinical research ongoing for Clostridioides difficile colitis (C. diff), varicella-zoster virus (shingles), and respiratory syncytial virus combinations vaccine candidates.
◦Significant progress made on preclinical candidates, for example the newest preclinical data from C. diff vaccine candidate provided encouraging results.
◦We intend to enter the clinic with at least one program as early as 2027.
◦We continued exploration of our adjuvant technology to expand its utility both within infectious disease and potentially beyond, such as oncology.
Financing Transactions
In August 2025, we issued $225.0 million aggregate principal amount of our 4.625% Convertible Senior Notes due 2031 (the “2031 Notes”) consisting of (a) $175.3 million principal amount of 2031 Notes issued in exchange for $148.8 million principal amount of our 5.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2027 (the “2027 Notes”), and (b) approximately $49.7 million principal amount of 2031 Notes issued for cash, in each case, pursuant to exemptions from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the rules and regulations thereunder.
In August 2023, we entered into an At Market Issuance Sales Agreement (the “August 2023 Sales Agreement”), which allows us to issue and sell up to $500 million in gross proceeds of shares of our common stock, and terminated our then-existing At Market Issuance Sales Agreement entered in June 2021. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we sold 12.2 million shares of our common stock under our August 2023 Sales Agreement, resulting in net proceeds of approximately $188 million. During the year ended December 31, 2025, we did not sell any shares under the August 2023 Sales Agreement. As of December 31, 2025, the remaining balance available under the August 2023 Sales Agreement was approximately $51 million.
In May 2024, we also entered into a securities subscription agreement with Sanofi, pursuant to which we sold and issued to Sanofi, in a private placement, 6.9 million shares of our common stock, at a price of $10.00 per share, for aggregate gross proceeds to us of $68.8 million.
In February 2026, we entered into the Credit Agreement with MidCap Financial Trust, as administrative agent. The Credit Agreement provides for a senior secured term loan facility of up to $330 million, available in four tranches. The first tranche of $130 million, of which $50 million was funded at closing, is available to be drawn, subject to customary conditions, through February 2028. Borrowings under the Credit Agreement bear interest, payable monthly in arrears, at a rate per annum equal to the secured overnight financing rate (“Term SOFR”) plus 5.00%, subject to a Term SOFR floor of 2.00%. The term loans mature in March 2031, at which time all outstanding principal and accrued interest are due and payable in full.
Critical Accounting Policies and Use of Estimates
The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The preparation of our consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates, assumptions, and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, and equity and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. These estimates, particularly estimates relating to accounting for licensing and transition services revenue and research and development expenses have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements and are discussed in detail throughout our analysis of the results of operations discussed below. We base our estimates on historical experience and various other assumptions that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets, liabilities, and equity that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results and outcomes could differ from these estimates and assumptions.
For an in-depth discussion of each of our significant accounting policies, including our critical accounting policies and further information regarding estimates and assumptions involved in their application, see Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Revenue Recognition, Licensing, Royalties, and Other - Licensing, Transition Services, and Technology Transfer
The terms of licensing agreements may contain multiple performance obligations, which may include licenses, transition services, and technology transfer. We evaluate licensing agreements under Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”), to determine the distinct performance obligations. Prior to recognizing revenue, we estimate the transaction price, including variable consideration that is subject to a constraint. Variable consideration is included in the transaction price to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur and when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is subsequently resolved. Total consideration may include nonrefundable upfront license fees, transition service fees, technology transfer fees, and other payments based upon the achievement of specified milestones, and royalty payments based on product sales from licensed products.
For multiple performance obligation arrangements, we allocate the transaction price to each distinct performance obligation based on its relative stand-alone selling price. The stand-alone selling price is generally determined for each performance obligation based on the prices charged to customers, discounted cash flows, or using expected cost-plus margin. For stand-alone selling prices determined using discounted cash flows, we consider discounted, probability-weighted cash flows related to the performance obligation transferred. In developing such estimates, we apply judgment in determining the forecasted revenue, expected margins, and the discount rate. These estimates are subjective and require us to make assumptions about future cash flows. Revenue related to performance obligations satisfied at a point in time is recognized when the customer obtains control of the promised asset. For performance obligations recognized over time, we recognize revenue using an input method to measure progress by utilizing costs incurred to-date relative to total expected costs. Under this process, we consider the costs that have been incurred to-date, as well as projections to completion using various inputs and assumptions, including, but not limited to, progress towards completion, labor costs and level of effort, material and subcontractor costs, indirect administrative costs, and other identified risks. Estimating the total cost at completion of our performance obligation under a contract is subjective and requires us to make assumptions about future activity and cost drivers. Changes in these estimates can occur for a variety of reasons and may impact the timing of revenue recognition on our contracts. Changes in estimates related to the process are recognized in the period when such changes are made on a cumulative catch-up basis. During the year ended December 31, 2025, we recorded adjustments of $21.7 million as a result of changes in estimates arising from this process.
Accounting for Research and Development Expenses
We estimate our prepaid and accrued expenses related to our research and development activities using a process that involves reviewing contracts and purchase orders, communicating with our project managers and service providers to identify services that have been performed on our behalf, and estimating the level of service performed and the associated cost incurred for the service when we have not yet been invoiced or for which we have been invoiced in advance of the service. This estimation process includes a review of:
•expenses incurred under agreements with contract research organizations (“CROs”) that conduct our clinical trials and third party consultants; and
•the cost of developing and manufacturing vaccine components under third-party contract manufacturing organizations (“CMOs”) and contract development and manufacturing organizations (“CDMOs”) agreements, including expenses incurred for the procurement of raw materials, laboratory supplies and equipment.
We base our expenses on our estimates of the services provided and efforts expended pursuant to contracts, statements of work and related change orders with the service provider, and discussion with internal personnel and external service providers as to the progress of the services and the agreed-upon fee to be paid for such services. The financial terms of these agreements are based on negotiated terms, vary from contract to contract, and may result in an uneven level of activity over time. There may be instances in which payments made to our third-party service providers will exceed the level of services provided and result in a prepayment of the expense. Additionally, invoicing from third-party service providers may not coincide with actual work performed and can result in a prepaid or an accrual position at the end of the period. The estimation process requires us to make significant judgments and estimates in determining the services incurred as of the balance sheet date, which may result in either a prepaid or an accrual balance. As actual costs become known, we adjust our estimates. Although we do not expect our estimates to be materially different from amounts actually incurred, our understanding of the status and timing of services performed may vary from the related estimates and could result in us reporting amounts that are too high or too low in a particular period. Our prepaid and accrued expenses are dependent, in part, upon the receipt of timely and accurate reporting from CROs, CMOs, CDMOs, and third-party service providers. Due to the nature of the estimation process, there may be a difference between estimated costs and actual costs incurred. Historically, we have not experienced any material differences in prior periods.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
See “Note 2―Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” included in our Notes to consolidated financial statements (under the caption “Recent Accounting Pronouncements”).
Results of Operations for Fiscal Years 2025 and 2024
The following is a discussion of our historical consolidated financial condition and results of operations, and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in our forward-looking statements is described under Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
For our discussion of the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, please read Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations located in Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Revenue
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Year Ended December 31, |
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2025 |
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2024 |
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Change |
| Revenue (in thousands): |
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|
|
|
|
| Product sales |
$ |
685,041 |
|
|
$ |
213,202 |
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|
$ |
471,839 |
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Licensing, royalties, and other |
438,438 |
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|
468,960 |
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|
(30,522) |
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| Total revenue |
$ |
1,123,479 |
|
|
$ |
682,162 |
|
|
$ |
441,317 |
|
Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2025 was $1.1 billion as compared to $682.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $441.3 million. Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2025 was primarily comprised of revenue from the termination of our APAs with Canada (“Canada APA”) and New Zealand (“New Zealand APA”) of $575.7 million and $27.3 million, respectively; commercial product sales of COVID-19 Vaccine, adjuvant sales, and sale of other materials to the our partners; licensing revenue from the achievement of milestones under the Sanofi CLA and revenue from transition services and technology transfer under the Sanofi CLA and licensing and royalty revenue with Takeda. Revenue for the year ended December 31, 2024 was primarily comprised of revenue from licensing revenue from execution of the Sanofi CLA, revenue from Transition Services and Technology Transfer under the Sanofi CLA, and Product sales of COVID-19 Vaccine. The increase in revenue is primarily due to an increase in Product sales from the termination of our Canada and New Zealand APAs, partially offset by a decrease in Licensing, royalties, and other revenue from the Sanofi CLA.
Product sales
Product sales for 2025 were $685.0 million as compared to $213.2 million for 2024, an increase of $471.8 million. Our Product sales related to revenue from Nuvaxovid sales, which commenced in 2022, commercial supply sales of COVID-19 Vaccine, revenue from supply of adjuvant and other materials, and the termination of our Canada and New Zealand APAs.
The categories of Product sales were as follows:
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Year Ended December 31, |
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2025 |
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2024 |
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Change |
Product sales (in thousands): |
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|
Nuvaxovid sales(1) |
$ |
625,182 |
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|
$ |
190,212 |
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|
$ |
434,970 |
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Supply sales(2) |
59,859 |
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|
22,990 |
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|
36,869 |
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Total Product sales |
$ |
685,041 |
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|
$ |
213,202 |
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|
$ |
471,839 |
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(1)Nuvaxovid sales are sales of our COVID-19 Vaccine associated with APAs with governments and commercial markets, where we are the commercial lead for sales and distribution, made through pharmaceutical wholesale distributors.
(2)Supply sales include commercial sales of COVID-19 Vaccine, adjuvant sales, and other material sales to our partners.
Licensing, royalties, and other
Licensing, royalties, and other revenue for 2025 was $438.4 million as compared to $469.0 million for 2024, a decrease of $30.5 million. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in revenue under the Sanofi CLA, offset by an increase in revenue from other partners, including under the Amended Takeda CLA.
Licensing, royalties, and other revenue by license partner for the year ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 were as follows:
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Year Ended December 31, |
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2025 |
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2024 |
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Change |
Licensing, royalties, and other (in thousands): |
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| Sanofi |
$ |
386,319 |
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$ |
459,375 |
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$ |
(73,056) |
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| Takeda |
41,697 |
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937 |
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40,760 |
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Other partners(1) |
10,422 |
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8,648 |
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|
1,774 |
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| Total licensing, royalties, and other revenue |
$ |
438,438 |
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|
$ |
468,960 |
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$ |
(30,522) |
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(1)Other partners revenue includes royalties and license fees associated with agreements with other partners such as Serum and SK bioscience, Co., Ltd.
Sanofi licensing, royalties, and other revenue were comprised of the following:
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Year Ended December 31, |
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2025 |
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2024 |
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Change |
Sanofi licensing, royalties, and other revenue (in thousands): |
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| Licensing: |
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Upfront fee |
$ |
— |
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|
$ |
389,642 |
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|
$ |
(389,642) |
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Milestones |
225,000 |
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— |
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|
225,000 |
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Royalties |
5,750 |
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— |
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5,750 |
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Transition services and technology transfer: |
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— |
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Upfront fee amortization(1) |
43,915 |
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34,343 |
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9,572 |
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Milestones amortization(1) |
20,032 |
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15,965 |
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4,067 |
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Cost reimbursements |
91,622 |
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19,425 |
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|
72,197 |
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Total Sanofi licensing, royalties, and other revenue |
$ |
386,319 |
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$ |
459,375 |
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$ |
(73,056) |
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(1)Upfront fee amortization and Milestones amortization represent revenue recognized during the period related to a portion of the $500 million upfront payment and the $50 million milestone for database lock of an existing Phase 2/3 clinical trial in 2024 that were deferred upon achievement and are recognized in revenue over time. During the year ended December 31, 2025, we recognized a change in estimate to cumulative revenue recognized for the Sanofi transition services and technology transfer performance obligation of $21.7 million as further described in Note 4 to our consolidated financial statements.
Takeda licensing, royalties, and other revenue were comprised of the following:
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Year Ended December 31, |
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2025 |
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2024 |
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Change |
| Takeda licensing, royalties, and other revenue (in thousands): |
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| Licensing: |
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Upfront fee(1) |
$ |
18,500 |
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|
$ |
— |
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$ |
18,500 |
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Milestones |
8,151 |
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— |
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8,151 |
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Royalties |
14,258 |
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— |
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14,258 |
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| Support services |
788 |
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|
937 |
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(149) |
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Total Takeda licensing, royalties, and other revenue |
$ |
41,697 |
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$ |
937 |
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$ |
40,760 |
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(1)Upfront fee includes $14.5 million of nonrefundable upfront payments associated with the Amended Takeda CLA (as defined in Note 4 to our consolidated financial statements) and $4.0 million of previously unrecognized consideration from the Original Takeda CLA.
Expenses:
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Year Ended December 31, |
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2025 |
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2024 |
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Change |
| Expenses (in thousands): |
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| Cost of sales |
$ |
73,040 |
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$ |
202,739 |
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$ |
(129,699) |
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| Research and development |
342,320 |
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391,169 |
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(48,849) |
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| Selling, general, and administrative |
157,479 |
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337,185 |
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(179,706) |
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Impairment of assets held for sale |
97,845 |
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— |
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|
97,845 |
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| Total expenses |
$ |
670,684 |
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$ |
931,093 |
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$ |
(260,409) |
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Cost of Sales
Cost of sales was $73.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, including expenses of $1.9 million related to excess, obsolete, or expired inventory, $1.8 million ROU asset impairment charges for CMO manufacturing capacity of excess quantities, and $8.1 million related to unutilized manufacturing capacity. Cost of sales was $202.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, including expense of $27.7 million related to excess, obsolete, or expired inventory and losses on firm purchase commitments, $3.8 million ROU asset impairment charges for CMO manufacturing capacity of excess quantities, and $44.9 million related to unutilized manufacturing capacity. The decrease in cost of sales of $129.7 million was mainly driven by a decrease in the number of COVID-19 Vaccine doses sold, the sale of the Novavax CZ manufacturing facility in December 2024, a decrease in excess, obsolete, and expired inventory charges, and a decrease in unutilized manufacturing capacity charges. The cost of sales as a percentage of Product sales may fluctuate in the future as a result of changes to our customer pricing mix or standard costs.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses decreased to $342.3 million for 2025 as compared to $391.2 million for 2024, a decrease of $48.8 million. The decrease was primarily due to certain cost containment measures to reduce our operating spend and due to a reduction in overall expenditures relating to development activities on our CIC vaccine, standalone influenza vaccine, and COVID-19 Vaccine and the sale of the Novavax CZ manufacturing facility in December 2024, as summarized in the table below:
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Year Ended December 31, |
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2025 |
|
2024 |
|
Change |
| Research and Development Expenses (in thousands): |
|
|
|
|
|
COVID-19 Vaccine |
$ |
80,444 |
|
|
$ |
81,736 |
|
|
$ |
(1,292) |
|
CIC and influenza vaccines |
30,019 |
|
|
44,831 |
|
|
(14,812) |
|
| Other vaccine development programs |
4,634 |
|
|
510 |
|
|
4,124 |
|
| Total direct external research and development expense |
115,097 |
|
|
127,077 |
|
|
(11,980) |
|
| Employee expenses |
131,143 |
|
|
142,860 |
|
|
(11,717) |
|
| Stock-based compensation expense |
14,068 |
|
|
20,868 |
|
|
(6,800) |
|
| Facility expenses |
50,510 |
|
|
52,580 |
|
|
(2,070) |
|
| Other expenses |
31,502 |
|
|
47,784 |
|
|
(16,282) |
|
| Total research and development expenses |
$ |
342,320 |
|
|
$ |
391,169 |
|
|
$ |
(48,849) |
|
Selling, General, and Administrative Expenses
Selling, general, and administrative expenses decreased to $157.5 million for 2025 from $337.2 million for 2024, a decrease of $179.7 million. The decrease in selling, general, and administrative expenses is primarily due to certain cost containment measures to reduce our operating spend, including a reduction in our global commercial footprint and administrative infrastructure, and the sale of the Novavax CZ manufacturing facility in December 2024.
Impairment of Assets Held for Sale
During the year ended December 31, 2025, we classified our corporate headquarters facility at 700 Quince Orchard, Gaithersburg, Maryland (“700QO”), together with its related finance lease obligation, certain related property and equipment and land parcel adjacent to the facility (collectively referred to as the "Disposal Group"), as held for sale. The carrying value of the Disposal Group was determined to be greater than its fair value less costs to sell and, consequently, an impairment loss of $97.8 million was recognized during the year ended December 31, 2025, and recorded in Impairment of assets held for sale in the consolidated statement of operations. In October 2025, we entered into a definitive agreement to sell the Disposal Group and received the initial net payment of $19.7 million related to the parcel purchase (land sale) in November 2025 (see Note 19 to our consolidated financial statements). The remaining approximately $39.8 million payment was scheduled to occur upon the closing of the remaining components of the transaction in the first quarter of 2026, which was received in January 2026 (see Note 22 to our consolidated financial statements).
Other Income (Expense), Net:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
Change |
Other income (expense) (in thousands): |
|
|
|
|
|
| Interest expense |
$ |
(22,547) |
|
|
$ |
(20,075) |
|
|
$ |
(2,472) |
|
| Loss on debt extinguishment |
(28,714) |
|
|
— |
|
|
(28,714) |
|
Gain on disposition of Novavax CZ assets |
— |
|
|
51,949 |
|
|
(51,949) |
|
Other income, net |
40,633 |
|
|
40,442 |
|
|
191 |
|
Total other income (expense), net |
$ |
(10,628) |
|
|
$ |
72,316 |
|
|
$ |
(82,944) |
|
We had total net other expense of $10.6 million for 2025 compared to total net other income of $72.3 million for 2024, a decrease of $82.9 million. The decrease in other income (expense), net is primarily due to a $28.7 million Loss on debt extinguishment in 2025 and the $51.9 million Gain on the disposition of Novavax CZ assets in 2024.
Income Tax Expense:
During the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, we recognized $1.9 million and $10.9 million of income tax expense, respectively, related to federal, state, and foreign income taxes.
Net Income (Loss):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
Change |
Net Income (Loss) (in thousands, except per share information): |
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss) |
$ |
440,302 |
|
|
$ |
(187,499) |
|
|
$ |
627,801 |
|
Net income (loss) per share, basic |
$ |
2.72 |
|
|
$ |
(1.23) |
|
|
$ |
3.95 |
|
Net income (loss) per share, diluted |
2.58 |
|
|
$ |
(1.23) |
|
|
$ |
3.81 |
|
Weighted average shares outstanding, basic |
161,991 |
|
|
152,190 |
|
|
9,801 |
|
Weighted average shares outstanding, diluted |
173,103 |
|
|
152,190 |
|
|
20,913 |
|
Net income for 2025 was $440.3 million, or $2.72 per share, basic, and $2.58 per share, diluted, as compared to a net loss of $187.5 million, or $1.23 per share, basic and diluted, for 2024, an increase of $627.8 million, or $3.95 per share, basic, and $3.81 per share, diluted. The increase in net income during the years ended December 31, 2025, was primarily due to an increase in total revenue from the termination of our Canada and New Zealand APAs and a decrease in total expenses.
The increase in weighted average shares outstanding for 2025 is primarily a result of common stock issued under our incentive programs and sales of our common stock in 2024.
Liquidity Matters and Capital Resources
Our future capital requirements depend on numerous factors including, but not limited to, revenue from our Product sales, milestone payments, royalties, and reimbursements under licensing arrangements with our strategic partners; our projected activities related to the development and commercial support of our COVID-19 Vaccine and our CIC and stand-alone influenza vaccine candidates, including significant commitments under various CRO, CMO, and CDMO agreements; the progress of preclinical studies and clinical trials; the time and costs involved in obtaining and maintaining regulatory approvals; the costs of filing, prosecuting, defending, and enforcing patent claims and other intellectual property rights; and other manufacturing, sales, and distribution costs. We plan to continue developing other vaccines and product candidates, such as our potential combination vaccine candidates, which are in various stages of development. Our ability to generate revenue from Product sales is subject to uncertainty specifically as it relates to our ability to successfully develop, manufacture, distribute, and market our updated vaccine and to successfully execute on our licensing arrangements with our strategic partners and our APAs, as discussed below. Additionally, our plans include our ongoing restructuring and cost reduction measures as a part of our Restructuring Plan (see Note 19 to our consolidated financial statements), and may also include raising additional capital through a combination of additional equity and debt financing, collaborations, strategic alliances, asset sales, and marketing, distribution, or licensing arrangements. New financings may not be available to us on commercially acceptable terms, or at all. If we are unable to obtain additional capital, we will assess our capital resources and may be required to delay, reduce the scope of, or eliminate some or all of our operations, or further downsize our organization, any of which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations.
Sanofi Collaboration and License Agreement
In May 2024, we entered into the Sanofi CLA pursuant to which we received a non-refundable upfront payment of $500 million. During the year ended December 31, 2025, we received milestone payments of $50 million for the database lock of an existing Phase 2/3 clinical trial in 2024 and $175 million earned upon the approval of the marketing authorization for a COVID-19 Vaccine product in a pre-filled syringe from the U.S. FDA. We achieved the $25 million milestone for the transfer of the European Medicines Agency approval to Sanofi and the $25 million milestone for the transfer of the U.S. marketing authorization to Sanofi in October and November 2025, respectively. We received these milestone payments in December 2025 and January 2026, respectively. As of December 31, 2025, we are eligible to receive additional development, technology transfer, launch, and sales milestone payments totaling up to $425 million in the aggregate with respect to the Licensed COVID-19 Products and royalty payments on Sanofi’s sales of such licensed products. In addition, we are eligible to receive development, launch, and sales milestone payments of up to $200 million for each of the first four adjuvant Products and $210 million for each adjuvant Product thereafter, and royalty payments on Sanofi’s sales of all such licensed products.
As of December 31, 2025, remaining Sanofi sales milestone payments of $425 million include $75 million related to COVID-19 Vaccine products and $350 million related to influenza-COVID-19 combination products. The COVID-19 Vaccine products milestones remaining are a $75 million receivable upon the completion of the technology transfer of our manufacturing process for the COVID-19 Vaccine products to Sanofi. The influenza-COVID-19 combination product milestones include a $125 million milestone receivable upon achievement of certain influenza-COVID-19 combination products-related development milestones, and a $225 million in influenza-COVID-19 combination products-related launch milestones.
Beginning in 2025 and continuing during the term of the Sanofi CLA, we and Sanofi began to commercialize the COVID-19 Vaccine products worldwide in accordance with a commercialization plan agreed by us and Sanofi, under which we will continue to supply our existing APA customers and strategic partners, including Takeda and SII. Upon completion of the existing APAs, we and Sanofi will jointly agree on commercialization activities of each party in each jurisdiction.
Takeda Amended and Restated Collaboration and License Agreement
In April, we entered into the Amended Takeda CLA which amends and supersedes the Original Takeda CLA.
We determined the initial transaction price at inception of the Amended Takeda CLA to be $27.5 million, consisting of (i) $19.5 million of a non-refundable upfront payment, (ii) $4.0 million of non-cancelable annual support payments within the 18 month notice period for contract termination, and (iii) $4.0 million of previously unrecognized consideration from the Original Takeda CLA. We allocated $26.9 million of fixed consideration to the Updated Takeda License performance obligations and $0.6 million to Takeda Support Services.
We recognized revenue of $40.9 million related to the Updated Takeda License in 2025. The Takeda Support Services are recognized as revenue over time using an input method to measure progress by utilizing costs incurred to-date relative to total expected costs. Revenue recognized related to Takeda Support Services for the year ended December 31, 2025 was $0.8 million.
Under the Amended Takeda CLA, we received a non-refundable upfront payment of $19.5 million of which $5.0 million was creditable against royalties owed by Takeda for its fiscal year 2024. In addition, on an annual basis, we will receive $2.0 million to compensate us for services provided by us under the Takeda CLA, and we will receive an additional $8.0 million annual milestone payment, of which $5.0 million is creditable against royalties owed by Takeda in its fiscal year 2025 or thereafter, if Takeda receives marketing approval of the COVID-19 Vaccine in that year or such approval is not necessary for such year. The parties have also updated the financial terms to replace the share of operating profits and, instead, provide us with a tiered royalty as a percentage of Takeda’s, its affiliates’ and sublicensees’ total net sales in the mid to high-teen percentages (subject to certain capped royalty reductions), which commenced on April 1, 2024 and will continue until the later of (a) twenty years after April 29, 2025, (b) all our know-how licensed under the Amended Takeda CLA has become publicly available through no fault of Takeda, and (c) the expiration of the last valid claim in the intellectual property rights licensed by us to Takeda under the Amended Takeda CLA covering COVID-19 Vaccine in Japan.
In connection with the Amended Takeda CLA, on April 29, 2025, we entered into a release agreement with Takeda under which we released Takeda and Takeda released us from all claims that were asserted or could have been asserted by either party against the other party that related to the Original Takeda CLA and the activities thereunder.
Pfizer License and Option Agreement
In January 2026, we entered into a License and Option Agreement with Pfizer Inc. (“Pfizer”) for use of our Matrix-M™. Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer will obtain a non-exclusive license for Matrix-M™ for use with Pfizer's products in up to two disease areas. The agreement provides for an upfront payment of $30 million and we have the potential to receive up to $500 million in development and sales milestone payments. In addition to milestone payments, we are eligible to receive tiered high mid-single digit percentage royalty payments on sales of any product by Pfizer that includes Matrix-M™.
Supply Agreements
As of December 31, 2025, we have $207.2 million of remaining obligations under APAs with certain countries globally, excluding the Vaccine Alliance (“Gavi”). These obligation include $133.9 million related to an APA with the Commonwealth of Australia (“Australia”) for the purchase of doses of COVID-19 Vaccine (the “Australia APA”) and $73.3 million related to various other countries. With respect to the Australia APA, as of December 31, 2025, $48.4 million was classified as current Deferred revenue and $85.4 million was classified as non-current Deferred revenue in our consolidated balance sheet.
In December 2024, we entered into an amendment to the Australia APA pursuant to which, among other things, we acknowledged the cancellation by Australia of the delivery of certain doses of our COVID-19 Vaccine scheduled for delivery between the fourth quarter of 2023 and the fourth quarter of 2025 and we agreed to credit approximately $31 million of the advanced payment paid by Australia to us against outstanding invoices and invoices for the future delivery of approximately three million doses of COVID-19 Vaccine without requiring additional cash payments. In addition, the amendment provides for certain remedies for Australia, including return of unused credit, cancellation of doses, or termination of the Australia APA, in the event we are unable to gain regulatory approval of a variant COVID-19 vaccine or supply doses per the terms of the agreement. Specifically, Australia did not take delivery of doses that were due to be delivered in 2025 and may seek to cancel the future delivery of the 2025 as well as 2026 doses. If we are unable to provide doses per the supply schedule as amended, after six months, Australia may seek to terminate the APA. The amendment also provides Australia with the right to cancel doses if we fail to timely notify Australia of changes to our commercialization plans. In the event that we do not, on or before the relevant contractual deadlines, receive regulatory approval for, and deliver, the seasonally updated COVID-19 Vaccine, up to $92.5 million of deferred revenue may become refundable. In the third quarter of 2025 we withdrew our application for our COVID-19 Vaccine based on recommendations made by the TGA. The parties are in ongoing discussions and have agreed to a meeting to discuss outstanding issues and obligations under the APA. In light of these developments, we may seek to further amend the Australian APA, which amendment may not be achievable on acceptable terms or at all. With respect to other obligations under APAs of $73.3 million, as of December 31, 2025, $38.1 million was classified as current Deferred revenue and $35.2 million was classified as non-current Deferred revenue in our consolidated balance sheet. Recognition of these amounts is dependent on delivery of doses or expiry of optional dose order quantities.
In November 2024, we entered into a settlement agreement with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (as assigned to the UK Health Security Agency), acting on behalf of the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the “Authority”), pursuant to which we and the Authority agreed to terminate the Amended and Restated Supply Agreement with the Authority and to fully settle the outstanding amount under dispute related to upfront payments of $112.5 million. We agreed to pay a refund of $123.8 million, including interest of $11.3 million to the Authority, in equal quarterly installments of $10.3 million over a three year period, ending in June 2027. As of December 31, 2025, pursuant to our settlement agreement with the UK, the remaining upfront payment previously received from the authority is classified as $38.6 million of other current liabilities and $20.2 million of Other non-current liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet.
In February 2024, we and Gavi entered into a Termination and Settlement Agreement (the “Gavi Settlement Agreement”) terminating our APA with Gavi (the “Gavi APA”). In total, the Gavi settlement agreement is comprised of $700 million of potential consideration, consisting of $75 million initial settlement payment, deferred payments of up to $400 million that may be reduced through annual vaccine credits, and an additional credit of up to $225 million that may be applied against certain qualifying sales. As of December 31, 2025, the remaining amounts included on our consolidated balance sheet are classified as $225.0 million in non-current Deferred revenue for the additional credit that may be applied against future qualifying sales, $80.0 million in Other current liabilities, and $195.0 million in Other non-current liabilities. In addition, we and Gavi entered into a security agreement pursuant to which we granted Gavi a security interest in accounts receivable from SII under the SII R21 Agreement (see Note 4 to our consolidated financial statements), which will continue for the deferred payment term of the Gavi Settlement Agreement. On February 22, 2024, the claims and counterclaims were dismissed with prejudice.
2031 Convertible Notes
In August 2025, we issued $225.0 million aggregate principal amount of our 4.625% Convertible Senior Notes due 2031 (the “2031 Notes”) consisting of (a) $175.3 million principal amount of 2031 Notes issued in exchange for $148.8 million principal amount of our 5.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2027, and (b) approximately $49.7 million principal amount of 2031 Notes issued for cash, in each case, pursuant to exemptions from registration under the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder. The 2031 Notes were issued pursuant to, and are governed by, an indenture, dated as of August 27, 2025, between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. as trustee. For additional information on the 2031 Notes, see Note 12 to our consolidated financial statements.
Credit Agreement
In February 2026, we entered into the Credit Agreement with MidCap Financial Trust, as administrative agent. The Credit Agreement provides for a senior secured term loan facility of up to $330 million, available in four tranches. The first tranche of $130 million, of which $50 million was funded at closing, is available to be drawn, subject to customary conditions, through February 2028. Borrowings under the Credit Agreement bear interest, payable monthly in arrears, at a rate per annum equal to Term SOFR plus 5.00%, subject to a Term SOFR floor of 2.00%.
The term loans mature in March 2031, at which time all outstanding principal and accrued interest are due and payable in full.
Cash Flows
As of December 31, 2025, we had $750.5 million in cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and, marketable securities as compared to $938.2 million as of December 31, 2024.
We funded our operations in 2025 primarily with cash and cash equivalents, milestone payments under the Sanofi CLA, proceeds from the 2031 Notes, and revenue from Product sales. In accordance with our ongoing Restructuring Plan, we continue to restructure our global footprint including further reductions in our global workforce and facilitating the disposal of real estate assets in Gaithersburg, Maryland. We anticipate our future operations to be funded primarily by milestone payments, royalties, transition services and technology transfer and cost reimbursements under our Sanofi CLA, revenue from Product sales, our cash and cash equivalents and investments in marketable securities, borrowing under the Credit Agreement and other potential funding sources including equity financings, which may include at the market offerings, debt financings, collaborations, strategic alliances, asset sales, and marketing, distribution or licensing arrangements.
The following table summarizes cash flows for 2025 and 2024:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
Change |
| Net cash (used in) provided by: |
|
|
|
|
|
| Operating activities |
$ |
(244,635) |
|
|
$ |
(87,263) |
|
|
$ |
(157,372) |
|
| Investing activities |
(78,267) |
|
|
(204,038) |
|
|
125,771 |
|
| Financing activities |
27,737 |
|
|
260,583 |
|
|
(232,846) |
|
| Effect on exchange rate on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash |
5,925 |
|
|
(7,800) |
|
|
13,725 |
|
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash |
(289,240) |
|
|
(38,518) |
|
|
(250,722) |
|
| Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of year |
545,292 |
|
|
583,810 |
|
|
(38,518) |
|
| Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of year |
$ |
256,052 |
|
|
$ |
545,292 |
|
|
$ |
(289,240) |
|
Net cash used in operating activities was $244.6 million for 2025, as compared to $87.3 million in 2024. The increase in cash used in operating activities is primarily due to a reduction in cash received from receivables on APAs and cash received from the Sanofi CLA in 2025 as compared to the same period in 2024, partially offset by an overall decrease in operating expenses period-over-period.
Net cash used in investing activities was $78.3 million for 2025, as compared to $204.0 million in 2024. The decrease in cash used in investing activities is primarily due to our lower investment in marketable securities in 2025 as compared to 2024.
Net cash provided by financing activities was $27.7 million for 2025, as compared to $260.6 million in 2024. The decrease in cash provided by financing activities is primarily due to a decrease in net proceeds from sales of common stock, partially offset by proceeds from the issuance of our 2031 Notes.
Going Concern
We believe that our cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities as of December 31, 2025, together with cash expected to be generated from product sales and licensing, royalties and other revenue, will be sufficient to enable us to fund our projected operations and capital expenditures through at least the next 12 months from the issuance of the financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Contractual Obligations
The following table summarizes our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2025 (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Contractual Obligations: |
|
Total |
|
Less than One Year |
|
1 – 3 Years |
|
3 – 5 Years |
|
More than 5 Years |
| Operating leases |
|
$ |
32,468 |
|
|
$ |
10,284 |
|
|
$ |
16,546 |
|
|
$ |
5,638 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
Finance leases obligation(1) |
|
5,238 |
|
|
2,823 |
|
|
1,932 |
|
|
483 |
|
|
— |
|
Convertible notes payable(2) |
|
251,485 |
|
|
— |
|
|
26,485 |
|
|
— |
|
|
225,000 |
|
Contractual obligations recognized as of December 31, 2025 |
|
289,191 |
|
|
13,107 |
|
|
44,963 |
|
|
6,121 |
|
|
225,000 |
|
Purchase commitments(3) |
|
49,606 |
|
|
46,902 |
|
|
2,640 |
|
|
64 |
|
|
— |
|
| Total contractual obligations |
|
$ |
338,797 |
|
|
$ |
60,009 |
|
|
$ |
47,603 |
|
|
$ |
6,185 |
|
|
$ |
225,000 |
|
(1) In 2025, we classified our corporate headquarters facility at 700 Quince Orchard, Gaithersburg, Maryland (“700QO”), together with its related finance lease obligation, certain related property and equipment and land parcel adjacent to the facility (collectively referred to as the "Disposal Group"), as held for sale. As a result, the assets and liabilities of the Disposal Group were presented separately within Current assets and Current liabilities in our consolidated balance sheet. The held‑for‑sale finance lease obligation, totaling $47.9 million, is excluded from our Finance lease obligation in the table above and will be derecognized upon the assignment of the lease agreement, which occurred in January 2026. For additional information regarding the Disposal Group, refer to Note 19 to our consolidated financial statements.
(2) In 2025, we issued $225.0 million aggregate principal amount of our 4.625% Convertible Senior Notes due 2031 (the “2031 Notes”) consisting of (a) $175.3 million principal amount of 2031 Notes issued in exchange for $148.8 million principal amount of our 5.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2027, and (b) approximately $49.7 million principal amount of 2031 Notes issued for cash, in each case, pursuant to exemptions from registration under the Securities Act and the rules and regulations thereunder. For additional information on the 2031 Notes, see Note 12 to our consolidated financial statements.
(3) Purchase commitments primarily represent our non-cancelable fixed payment obligations under certain CMO, CDMO, and laboratory supply agreements that we are not contractually able to terminate for convenience. Certain agreements provide for termination rights subject to termination fees. Under such agreements, we are contractually obligated to make payments to vendors, mainly to reimburse them for their estimated unrecoverable expenses incurred. As of December 31, 2025, these agreements are active ongoing arrangements and we expect to receive value from these arrangements in the future. The amount of such obligations is dependent on the timing of termination and the terms of the relevant agreement, and cannot be reasonably estimated. Our current obligations under non-cancelable purchase agreements are reflected on our consolidated balance sheets.
In addition to the above obligations, we enter into a variety of agreements and financial commitments in the normal course of business. The terms generally allow us the option to cancel, reschedule, or adjust our requirements based on our business needs, prior to the delivery of goods or performance of services. It is not possible to predict the maximum potential amount of future payments under these agreements due to the conditional nature of our obligations and the unique facts and circumstances involved in each particular agreement.
Item 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
We are subject to certain risks that may affect our results of operations, cash flows, and fair values of assets and liabilities, including volatility in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rate movements.
Foreign Currency Exchange Risk
Although we are headquartered in the U.S. our results of operations, including our foreign subsidiaries’ operations, are subject to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, primarily the U.S. dollar against the Euro and Swedish Krona. This exchange exposure may have a material effect on our cash and cash equivalents, cash flows, and results of operations, particularly in cases of revenue generated under APAs that include provisions that impact our and our counterparty’s currency exchange exposure. To date, we have not entered into any foreign currency hedging contracts, although we may do so in the future.
We also face foreign currency exchange exposure that arises from translating the results of our global operations to the U.S. dollar at exchange rates that have fluctuated from the beginning of the period. While the financial results of our global activities are reported in U.S. dollars, the functional currency for our foreign subsidiaries is generally their respective local currency. Fluctuations in the foreign currency exchange rates of the countries in which we do business will affect our operating results, often in ways that are difficult to predict. A 10% decline in the foreign exchange rates (primarily against the U.S. dollar) relating to our foreign subsidiaries would result in an increase in stockholders’ deficit of approximately $17 million as of December 31, 2025.
Market and Interest Rate Risk
The primary objective of our investment activities is preservation of capital, with the secondary objective of maximizing income.
Our exposure to interest rate risk is primarily confined to our investment portfolio. We do not believe that a change in the market rates of interest would have any significant impact on the realizable value of our investment portfolio. Changes in interest rates may affect the investment income we earn on our marketable securities when they mature and the proceeds are reinvested into new marketable securities and, therefore, could impact our cash flows and results of operations.
Interest and dividend income is recorded when earned and included in investment income. Premiums and discounts, if any, on marketable securities are amortized or accreted to maturity and included in investment income. The specific identification method is used in computing realized gains and losses on the sale of our securities.
Our Notes have a fixed interest rate and we have no additional material debt. As such, we do not believe that we are exposed to any material interest rate risk as a result of our borrowing activities.
Item 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
The information required by this item is set forth on pages F-1 to F-44.
Item 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
None.
Item 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the assistance of our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, has reviewed and 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 (the “Exchange Act”)) as of December 31, 2025. 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. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance of achieving such control objectives. Based on the evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2025, our chief executive officer and chief financial officer concluded that, as of such date, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level.
Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Internal control over financial reporting is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) promulgated under the Exchange Act, as a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer and effected by the Company’s board of directors, management, and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP. Such internal control includes those policies and procedures that:
•pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company;
•provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP, and that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Company; and
•provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of an unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Our management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2025. In making this assessment, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control- Integrated Framework (2013 Framework). Based on its assessment, our management has determined that, as of December 31, 2025, our internal controls over financial reporting are effective based on those criteria.
Ernst & Young LLP has issued a report on our internal control over financial reporting. This report is included in the Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm in Item 15(a)(1).
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Our management, including our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, has evaluated any changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2025 and has concluded that there was no change that occurred that materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Item 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
During the three months ended December 31, 2025, no director or “officer” (as defined in Rule 16a-1(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) adopted or terminated a “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” or “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” as each term is defined in Item 408(a) of Regulation S-K.
The information set forth below is included for the purpose of providing the disclosures required by Item 1.01 and Item 2.03 of Form 8-K.
On February 25, 2026, Novavax, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into a Credit, Security and Guaranty Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with MidCap Financial Trust, as administrative agent (“Agent”), and the lenders from time to time party thereto (the “Lenders”). The Credit Agreement provides for a senior secured term loan facility of up to $330.0 million, consisting of (i) a $130.0 million Term Loan Tranche 1, $50.0 million of which was funded at closing with the remainder available to be drawn, subject to customary conditions, through February 29, 2028; (ii) a $50.0 million Term Loan Tranche 2, available through June 30, 2028, subject to satisfaction of specified royalty revenue-based conditions; (iii) a $50.0 million Term Loan Tranche 3, available beginning January 1, 2027 through June 30, 2029, subject to satisfaction of specified royalty revenue-based conditions; and (iv) a $100.0 million Term Loan Tranche 4, the availability of which is subject to activation and funding approvals in the sole discretion of the Agent and participating Lenders through June 30, 2029.
Borrowings under the Credit Agreement bear interest, payable monthly in arrears, at a rate per annum equal to the secured overnight financing rate (“Term SOFR”) plus 5.00%, subject to a Term SOFR floor of 2.00%. The term loans mature on March 1, 2031, at which time all outstanding principal and accrued interest are due and payable in full. The Credit Agreement permits voluntary prepayments at any time subject to a prepayment premium equal to 3.00% of the principal prepaid during the first year after closing, 2.00% during the second year, and 1.00% thereafter. The Credit Agreement also requires mandatory prepayments from certain casualty and asset disposition proceeds, in each case subject to customary thresholds and reinvestment provisions.
The Company’s obligations under the Credit Agreement are secured by a first-priority lien on substantially all of the Company’s assets, subject to certain customary exceptions and limitations, and will be guaranteed by Novavax NL B.V., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company organized under the laws of the Netherlands (“Novavax Netherlands”), on a post-closing basis, which guarantee will be secured by a first-priority lien on the equity interests of Novavax AB, a wholly owned subsidiary of Novavax Netherlands organized under the laws of Sweden.
The Credit Agreement contains customary affirmative and negative covenants, including covenants that, among other things, limit the Company’s ability and the ability of its subsidiaries to incur additional indebtedness or liens, make certain investments or acquisitions, make certain restricted payments, enter into affiliate transactions, and dispose of assets, in each case subject to customary exceptions and limitations. The Credit Agreement also includes a financial covenant requiring the Company and its subsidiaries to maintain unrestricted cash of at least $100.0 million at all times. In addition, if the Company borrows any term loans under Term Loan Tranche 2, Term Loan Tranche 3 or Term Loan Tranche 4, then, commencing on the fiscal quarter in which the Company’s unrestricted cash falls below $225.0 million (if any), the Company will be required to maintain minimum trailing twelve month royalty revenue for each fiscal quarter as detailed in the Credit Agreement filed herein.
The Credit Agreement contains customary representations and warranties, reporting covenants and events of default, including payment defaults, breaches of covenants (including the financial covenants), cross-defaults, bankruptcy and insolvency events, certain judgments, and change of control events. The Company intends to use the proceeds of the initial borrowing to pay fees and expenses incurred in connection with the financing and for working capital and general corporate purposes, with any additional draws used for the same purposes, in each case as permitted by the Credit Agreement.
The above summary of the Credit Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Credit Agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.63 to this Annual Report on Form 10-K and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS
Not applicable.
PART III
Item 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The information required by this item will be included in our definitive Proxy Statement for our 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders scheduled to be held in June 2026 (the “2026 Proxy Statement”) and is incorporated by reference herein. We expect to file the 2026 Proxy Statement within 120 days after the close of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025.
Item 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The information required by this item will be included in the 2026 Proxy Statement and is incorporated by reference herein.
Item 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
The following table provides our equity compensation plan information as of December 31, 2025. Under these plans, our common stock may be issued upon the exercise or vesting of equity awards and purchases under our Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”). See also the information regarding our equity awards and ESPP in Note 14 to the consolidated financial statements included herewith.
Equity Compensation Plan Information
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| Plan Category |
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Number of Securities to be Issued Upon Exercise of Outstanding Options, Warrants and Rights (a) |
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Weighted-Average Exercise Price of Outstanding Options, Warrants and Rights (b) |
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Number of Securities Remaining Available for Future Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans (Excluding Securities Reflected in Column (a)) (c) |
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders(1) |
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11,113,586 |
|
$ |
18.58 |
|
|
7,255,492 |
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders (Inducement Plan)(2) |
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636,793 |
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$ |
10.45 |
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106,290 |
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Total |
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11,750,379 |
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$ |
17.89 |
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7,361,782 |
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(1)Includes our 2015 Stock Incentive Plan and ESPP. The weighted-average exercise price in column (b) excludes restricted stock units, which are not subject to an exercise price.
(2)Includes our 2023 Inducement Plan only. The other information required by this item will be included in the 2026 Proxy Statement and is incorporated by reference herein.
Item 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
The information required by this item concerning certain relationships and related transactions and director independence will be included in the 2026 Proxy Statement and is incorporated by reference herein.
Item 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
The information required by this item will be included in the 2026 Proxy Statement and is incorporated by reference herein.
PART IV
Item 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
(a)The following documents are filed as part of the Annual Report on Form 10-K:
(1)Index to Financial Statements
(2)Financial Statement Schedules
Financial statement schedules are omitted because they are not applicable, not required under the instructions or all the information required is set forth in the financial statements or notes thereto.
(3)Exhibits
Exhibit list
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Exhibit Number |
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Description |
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| 2.1 |
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| 3.1 |
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| 3.2 |
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| 3.3 |
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| 3.4 |
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| 4.1 |
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| 4.2 |
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| 4.3 |
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| 4.4 |
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| 4.5 |
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4.6 |
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4.7* |
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| 10.1†† |
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10.2†† |
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10.3†† |
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10.4†† |
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10.5†† |
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10.6†† |
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10.7†† |
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10.8†† |
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10.9†† |
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10.10†† |
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10.11†† |
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10.12†† |
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10.13†† |
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10.14†† |
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10.15†† |
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10.16†† |
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10.17†† |
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10.18†† |
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10.19†† |
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10.20†† |
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10.21†† |
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10.22†† |
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10.23††* |
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10.24†† |
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10.25†† |
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10.26†† |
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10.27†† |
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10.28†† |
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10.29†† |
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10.30†† |
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10.31†† |
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10.32†† |
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10.33+ |
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10.34 |
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| 10.35 |
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| 10.36 |
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10.37^+ |
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10.38+ |
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10.39^+ |
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10.40^+ |
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10.41^ |
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10.42^+ |
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10.43^+ |
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10.44^+ |
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10.45^+ |
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10.46^+ |
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10.47^+ |
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10.48^ |
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10.49^+ |
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10.50^+ |
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10.51^+ |
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10.52^+ |
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10.53^+ |
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10.54^+ |
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| 10.55^+ |
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10.56^ |
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10.57^ |
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10.58^ |
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10.59^+ |
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10.60^+ |
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10.61 |
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10.62^+ |
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10.63*^+ |
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10.64*+ |
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| 14 |
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| 19 |
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| 21* |
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| 23.1* |
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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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| 97 |
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| 101 |
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The following financial information from our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, formatted in Extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL): (i) the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, (ii) the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three years in the period ended December 31, 2025, (iii) the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the three years in the period ended December 31, 2025, (iv) the Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Deficit for the three years in the period ended December 31, 2025, (v) the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the three years in the period ended December 31, 2025, and (vi) the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. |
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| 104 |
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Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101). |
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* Filed herewith.
** Furnished herewith.
†† Indicates management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.
^ Certain portions of this exhibit (indicated by [***]) have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(b)(10)(iv) of Regulation S-K.
+ Annexes, schedules and/or exhibits have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(a)(5) of Regulation S-K. The Company undertakes to furnish supplemental copies of any of the omitted schedules or similar attachments upon request by the SEC.
Item 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY
Not applicable.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) 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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NOVAVAX, INC. |
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By: |
/s/ John C. Jacobs |
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John C. Jacobs |
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President and Chief Executive Officer |
Date: February 26, 2026
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated:
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| Name |
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Title |
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Date |
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| /s/ John C. Jacobs |
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President and Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer) |
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February 26, 2026 |
| John C. Jacobs |
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| /s/ James P. Kelly |
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Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
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February 26, 2026 |
| James P. Kelly |
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| /s/ Margaret G. McGlynn |
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Chairman of the Board of Directors |
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February 26, 2026 |
| Margaret G. McGlynn |
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| /s/ Gregg H. Alton |
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Director |
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February 26, 2026 |
| Gregg H. Alton |
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| /s/ Richard H. Douglas |
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Director |
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February 26, 2026 |
| Richard H. Douglas |
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| /s/ Rachel K. King |
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Director |
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February 26, 2026 |
| Rachel K. King |
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| /s/ Margaret G. McGlynn |
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Director |
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February 26, 2026 |
| Margaret G. McGlynn |
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| /s/ David M. Mott |
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Director |
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February 26, 2026 |
| David M. Mott |
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/s/ Charles W. Newton |
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Director |
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February 26, 2026 |
Charles W. Newton |
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| /s/ Richard J. Rodgers |
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Director |
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February 26, 2026 |
| Richard J. Rodgers |
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/s/ John W. Shiver |
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Director |
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February 26, 2026 |
John W. Shiver |
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INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023
Contents
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and Board of Directors of Novavax, Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Novavax, Inc. (the Company) as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), changes in stockholders' deficit, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2025, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2025 and 2024, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2025, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2025, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework), and our report dated February 26, 2026 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of the critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
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Revenue Recognition for Transition Services with Sanofi |
| Description of the Matter |
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The Company recorded revenue from the collaboration and licensing agreement (CLA) with Sanofi of $386.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, which included revenue recognized related to transition services. As disclosed in Note 2, Note 3, and Note 4, the terms of the Sanofi CLA include performance obligations related to the transfer of licenses for the Company’s intellectual property, transition services, and technology transfer. The transaction price includes non-refundable upfront license fees, transition service fees, technology transfer fees, payments based upon the achievement of specified milestones, and royalty payments based on product sales from licensed products. Revenue related to the transition services performance obligation was recognized using an input method to measure progress utilizing actual costs incurred to-date relative to total expected costs.
Auditing the Company’s progress towards the satisfaction of the transition services performance obligation required significant judgment as it involves subjective management assumptions about future costs necessary to satisfy the performance obligation.
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| How We Addressed the Matter in Our Audit |
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We obtained an understanding, evaluated the design, and tested the operating effectiveness of internal controls over the measurement of the transition services revenue. For example, we tested controls over management’s development of estimated future costs to satisfy the transition services performance obligation, including the significant assumptions and data supporting the estimate.
Our substantive procedures, among others, included testing the measurement of efforts toward satisfying the transition services obligation recognized over time, by testing actual transition services costs incurred through December 31, 2025 and recalculating the revenue recognized for the period based on the ratio of costs incurred to date as compared to the total estimated costs through completion. We tested management’s estimate of the remaining costs to complete the transition services as of December 31, 2025 by comparing the estimated future costs to third-party support, comparing actual costs incurred to date to prior estimates, inspecting updated communications from the Company’s research and development personnel who oversee the CLA and related clinical trials, inspecting CLA steering committee minutes, and by performing sensitivity analyses of key inputs.
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/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2014.
Tysons, Virginia
February 26, 2026
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and Board of Directors of Novavax, Inc.
Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited Novavax, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2025, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) (the COSO criteria). In our opinion, Novavax, Inc. (the Company) maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2025, based on the COSO criteria.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated balance sheets of the Company as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), changes in stockholders’ deficit, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2025, and the related notes and our report dated February 26, 2026 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Basis for Opinion
The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Tysons, Virginia
February 26, 2026
NOVAVAX, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(in thousands, except per share information)
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Year Ended December 31, |
| |
2025 |
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2024 |
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2023 |
| Revenue: |
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| Product sales |
$ |
685,041 |
|
|
$ |
213,202 |
|
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$ |
547,889 |
|
Licensing, royalties, and other |
438,438 |
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468,960 |
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|
8,493 |
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| Grants |
— |
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— |
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|
427,323 |
|
| Total revenue |
1,123,479 |
|
|
682,162 |
|
|
983,705 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
| Cost of sales |
73,040 |
|
|
202,739 |
|
|
343,768 |
|
| Research and development |
342,320 |
|
|
391,169 |
|
|
737,502 |
|
| Selling, general, and administrative |
157,479 |
|
|
337,185 |
|
|
468,946 |
|
Impairment of assets held for sale |
97,845 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
| Total expenses |
670,684 |
|
|
931,093 |
|
|
1,550,216 |
|
Income (loss) from operations |
452,795 |
|
|
(248,931) |
|
|
(566,511) |
|
| Other income (expense): |
|
|
|
|
|
| Interest expense |
(22,547) |
|
|
(20,075) |
|
|
(14,416) |
|
Loss on debt extinguishment |
(28,714) |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
Gain on disposition of Novavax CZ assets |
— |
|
|
51,949 |
|
|
— |
|
Other income, net |
40,633 |
|
|
40,442 |
|
|
37,896 |
|
Income (loss) before income tax expense |
442,167 |
|
|
(176,615) |
|
|
(543,031) |
|
Income tax expense |
(1,865) |
|
|
(10,884) |
|
|
(2,031) |
|
Net income (loss) |
$ |
440,302 |
|
|
$ |
(187,499) |
|
|
$ |
(545,062) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss) per share: |
|
|
|
|
|
Basic |
$ |
2.72 |
|
|
$ |
(1.23) |
|
|
$ |
(5.41) |
|
Diluted |
$ |
2.58 |
|
|
$ |
(1.23) |
|
|
$ |
(5.41) |
|
| Weighted average number of common shares outstanding: |
|
|
|
|
|
Basic |
161,991 |
|
|
152,190 |
|
|
100,768 |
|
Diluted |
173,103 |
|
|
152,190 |
|
|
100,768 |
|
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)
(in thousands)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Year Ended December 31, |
| |
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
Net income (loss) |
$ |
440,302 |
|
|
$ |
(187,499) |
|
|
$ |
(545,062) |
|
| Other comprehensive income (loss): |
|
|
|
|
|
Net unrealized gains on marketable securities available-for-sale |
694 |
|
|
40 |
|
|
— |
|
| Foreign currency translation adjustment |
23,875 |
|
|
(25,321) |
|
|
9,099 |
|
| Other comprehensive income (loss) |
24,569 |
|
|
(25,281) |
|
|
9,099 |
|
Comprehensive income (loss) |
$ |
464,871 |
|
|
$ |
(212,780) |
|
|
$ |
(535,963) |
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
NOVAVAX, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands, except share and per share information)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
| ASSETS |
| Current assets: |
|
|
|
| Cash and cash equivalents |
$ |
240,634 |
|
|
$ |
530,230 |
|
| Marketable securities |
494,450 |
|
|
392,888 |
|
| Restricted cash |
10,876 |
|
|
10,626 |
|
| Accounts receivable |
106,446 |
|
|
108,285 |
|
| Inventory |
11,545 |
|
|
8,749 |
|
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
26,815 |
|
|
78,164 |
|
Assets held for sale |
87,510 |
|
|
— |
|
| Total current assets |
978,276 |
|
|
1,128,942 |
|
| Property and equipment, net |
44,800 |
|
|
138,413 |
|
Right-of-use asset, net |
22,897 |
|
|
161,585 |
|
| Goodwill |
113,462 |
|
|
107,478 |
|
| Other non-current assets |
17,077 |
|
|
24,000 |
|
| Total assets |
$ |
1,176,512 |
|
|
$ |
1,560,418 |
|
| LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT |
| Current liabilities: |
|
|
|
| Accounts payable |
$ |
24,578 |
|
|
$ |
41,579 |
|
| Accrued expenses |
107,165 |
|
|
211,165 |
|
| Deferred revenue |
140,053 |
|
|
675,067 |
|
| Current portion of finance lease liabilities |
2,507 |
|
|
7,009 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Other current liabilities |
137,778 |
|
|
219,596 |
|
| Liabilities held for sale |
47,869 |
|
|
— |
|
| Total current liabilities |
459,950 |
|
|
1,154,416 |
|
| Deferred revenue |
358,943 |
|
|
446,819 |
|
| Convertible notes payable |
244,213 |
|
|
169,684 |
|
| Non-current finance lease liabilities |
2,091 |
|
|
53,726 |
|
| Other non-current liabilities |
239,068 |
|
|
359,614 |
|
| Total liabilities |
1,304,265 |
|
|
2,184,259 |
|
|
|
|
|
Commitments and contingencies (Note 18) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 2,000,000 shares authorized at December 31, 2025 and 2024; no shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2025 and 2024 |
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
| Stockholders’ deficit: |
|
|
|
Common stock, $0.01 par value, 600,000,000 shares authorized at December 31, 2025 and 2024; and 164,969,773 shares issued and 162,575,937 shares outstanding at December 31, 2025 and 161,942,677 shares issued and 160,421,136 shares outstanding at December 31, 2024 |
1,650 |
|
|
1,619 |
|
| Additional paid-in capital |
4,539,756 |
|
|
4,501,403 |
|
| Accumulated deficit |
(4,568,148) |
|
|
(5,008,450) |
|
Treasury stock, 2,393,836 shares, cost basis at December 31, 2025 and 1,521,541 shares, cost basis at December 31, 2024 |
(103,021) |
|
|
(95,854) |
|
| Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) |
2,010 |
|
|
(22,559) |
|
| Total stockholders’ deficit |
(127,753) |
|
|
(623,841) |
|
| Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficit |
$ |
1,176,512 |
|
|
$ |
1,560,418 |
|
|
|
|
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
NOVAVAX, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT
(in thousands, except share information)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Common Stock |
|
Additional Paid-in Capital |
|
Accumulated Deficit |
|
Treasury Stock |
|
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) |
|
Total
Stockholders’ Deficit
|
| |
Shares |
|
Amount |
|
|
|
|
|
| Balance at December 31, 2022 |
86,806,554 |
|
|
$ |
868 |
|
|
$ |
3,737,979 |
|
|
$ |
(4,275,889) |
|
|
$ |
(90,659) |
|
|
$ |
(6,377) |
|
|
$ |
(634,078) |
|
| Stock-based compensation |
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
85,850 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
85,850 |
|
Stock issued under incentive programs, net |
902,742 |
|
|
9 |
|
|
1,758 |
|
|
— |
|
|
(1,608) |
|
|
— |
|
|
159 |
|
Issuance of common stock, net of issuance costs of $6,171 |
52,796,797 |
|
|
528 |
|
|
366,577 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
367,105 |
|
| Foreign currency translation adjustment |
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
9,099 |
|
|
9,099 |
|
| Net loss |
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(545,062) |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(545,062) |
|
| Balance at December 31, 2023 |
140,506,093 |
|
|
1,405 |
|
|
4,192,164 |
|
|
(4,820,951) |
|
|
(92,267) |
|
|
2,722 |
|
|
(716,927) |
|
| Stock-based compensation |
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
48,152 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
48,152 |
|
Stock issued under incentive programs, net |
2,343,187 |
|
|
23 |
|
|
4,869 |
|
|
— |
|
|
(3,587) |
|
|
— |
|
|
1,305 |
|
Issuance of common stock, net of issuance costs of $3,830 |
19,093,397 |
|
|
191 |
|
|
256,218 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
256,409 |
|
| Unrealized gain on marketable securities |
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
40 |
|
|
40 |
|
| Foreign currency translation adjustment |
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(25,321) |
|
|
(25,321) |
|
| Net loss |
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(187,499) |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(187,499) |
|
| Balance at December 31, 2024 |
161,942,677 |
|
|
1,619 |
|
|
4,501,403 |
|
|
(5,008,450) |
|
|
(95,854) |
|
|
(22,559) |
|
|
(623,841) |
|
| Stock-based compensation |
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
36,015 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
36,015 |
|
Stock issued under incentive programs, net |
3,027,096 |
|
|
31 |
|
|
2,338 |
|
|
— |
|
|
(7,167) |
|
|
— |
|
|
(4,798) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Unrealized gain on available-for-sale marketable securities |
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
694 |
|
|
694 |
|
| Foreign currency translation adjustment |
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
23,875 |
|
|
23,875 |
|
Net income |
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
440,302 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
440,302 |
|
| Balance at December 31, 2025 |
164,969,773 |
|
|
$ |
1,650 |
|
|
$ |
4,539,756 |
|
|
$ |
(4,568,148) |
|
|
$ |
(103,021) |
|
|
$ |
2,010 |
|
|
$ |
(127,753) |
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
NOVAVAX, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Year Ended December 31, |
| |
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
| Operating Activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
Net income (loss) |
$ |
440,302 |
|
|
$ |
(187,499) |
|
|
$ |
(545,062) |
|
| Reconciliation of net loss to net cash used in operating activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
| Depreciation and amortization |
27,613 |
|
|
48,496 |
|
|
41,225 |
|
| Gain on disposition of Novavax CZ assets |
— |
|
|
(51,949) |
|
|
— |
|
| Right-of-use assets expensed, net of credits received |
— |
|
|
3,762 |
|
|
6,113 |
|
Stock-based compensation |
36,015 |
|
|
48,152 |
|
|
85,357 |
|
| Provision for excess and obsolete inventory |
1,945 |
|
|
20,970 |
|
|
72,197 |
|
| Impairment of assets held for sale |
97,845 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
| Impairment of other long-lived assets |
4,880 |
|
|
4,132 |
|
|
10,081 |
|
Loss on debt extinguishment |
28,714 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
| Other items, net |
5,756 |
|
|
(21,809) |
|
|
(7,042) |
|
| Changes in operating assets and liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
| Inventory |
(3,240) |
|
|
12,914 |
|
|
(74,457) |
|
| Accounts receivable, prepaid expenses, and other assets |
61,040 |
|
|
354,089 |
|
|
(274,442) |
|
| Accounts payable, accrued expenses, and other liabilities |
(322,566) |
|
|
(385,626) |
|
|
(378,805) |
|
| Deferred revenue |
(622,939) |
|
|
67,105 |
|
|
350,868 |
|
| Net cash used in operating activities |
(244,635) |
|
|
(87,263) |
|
|
(713,967) |
|
| Investing Activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
| Capital expenditures |
(5,560) |
|
|
(13,057) |
|
|
(53,771) |
|
| Internal-use software |
(828) |
|
|
(1,582) |
|
|
(5,035) |
|
Proceeds from Assets held for sale |
19,653 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
| Proceeds from disposition of Novavax CZ assets |
— |
|
|
192,643 |
|
|
— |
|
| Purchases of marketable securities |
(445,267) |
|
|
(825,593) |
|
|
— |
|
| Proceeds from maturities of marketable securities |
353,735 |
|
|
443,551 |
|
|
— |
|
| Net cash used in investing activities |
(78,267) |
|
|
(204,038) |
|
|
(58,806) |
|
| Financing Activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
| Net proceeds from sales of common stock |
— |
|
|
263,272 |
|
|
360,243 |
|
Proceeds on the issuance of Convertible Senior Notes due 2031, net of issuance costs |
42,606 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Payments of costs related to issuance of 2027 Convertible notes |
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(3,591) |
|
Proceeds from the exercise of stock-based awards, net of tax withholding |
(4,798) |
|
|
1,305 |
|
|
159 |
|
| Repayment of 2023 Convertible notes |
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(325,000) |
|
| Finance lease payments |
(10,071) |
|
|
(3,994) |
|
|
(27,345) |
|
| Net cash provided by financing activities |
27,737 |
|
|
260,583 |
|
|
4,466 |
|
| Effect of exchange rate on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash |
5,925 |
|
|
(7,800) |
|
|
3,272 |
|
| Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash |
(289,240) |
|
|
(38,518) |
|
|
(765,035) |
|
| Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at beginning of year |
545,292 |
|
|
583,810 |
|
|
1,348,845 |
|
| Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at end of year |
$ |
256,052 |
|
|
$ |
545,292 |
|
|
$ |
583,810 |
|
| Supplemental disclosure of non-cash activities: |
|
|
|
|
|
Issuance of Convertible Senior Notes due 2031 in exchange for Convertible Senior Notes due 2027 |
$ |
175,305 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
| Sale of common stock under the Sales Agreement not settled at year-end |
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
6,862 |
|
| Capital expenditures included in accounts payable and accrued expenses |
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
1,063 |
|
|
$ |
7,899 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Right-of-use assets from new lease agreements, net of tenant improvement allowance on facility leases |
$ |
2,970 |
|
|
$ |
(4,302) |
|
|
$ |
103,299 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information: |
|
|
|
|
|
| Cash interest payments, net of amounts capitalized |
$ |
15,047 |
|
|
$ |
17,572 |
|
|
$ |
17,349 |
|
| Cash paid for income taxes, net of refunds received |
$ |
8,806 |
|
|
$ |
949 |
|
|
$ |
190 |
|
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
NOVAVAX, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1 – Organization & Business
Novavax, Inc. (“Novavax,” and together with its wholly owned subsidiaries, the “Company”) tackles some of the world’s most pressing health challenges with its scientific expertise in vaccines and its proven technology platform, including its Matrix-M™adjuvant and protein-based nanoparticles.
The Company’s corporate growth strategy focuses on maximizing the impact of its cutting-edge technology by forging partnerships for its Matrix-M adjuvant and research and development (R&D) assets while maintaining a lean and focused operating model.
All references to “NuvaxovidTM” or “COVID-19 Vaccine” refer to the Company’s Nuvaxovid™ COVID-19 vaccine; all references to "JN.1 COVID-19 Vaccine" refer to the Company’s NuvaxovidTM COVID-19 Vaccine for the 2025-2026 vaccination season.
Currently, the Company significantly depends on its supply agreement with Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. (“SII”) and its subsidiary, Serum Life Sciences Limited (“SLS” and together with SII, “Serum”), for co-formulation, filling, and finishing of its COVID-19 Vaccine.
Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Novavax, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Reclassifications
Certain amounts reported in prior periods have been reclassified to conform to current period financial statement presentation. These reclassifications have no material effect on previously reported financial position and cash flows. The Company reclassified $23.0 million and $16.5 million of revenue previously reported as License, royalties, and other revenue to Product sales for the years ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively, related to adjuvant supply sales and other supply sales. This presentation aligns with the Company’s enhanced focus on supply sales to partners.
Liquidity and Going Concern
The consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued and contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the ordinary course of business. The consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments relating to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset amounts or the amounts and classification of liabilities that might result from the outcome of the uncertainty described below.
As of December 31, 2025, the Company had $240.6 million in cash and cash equivalents, $494.5 million in marketable securities, and working capital of $518.3 million. During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company recognized net income of $440.3 million and had net cash flows used in operating activities of $244.6 million.
In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 205-40, Presentation of Financial Statements - Going Concern, the Company evaluated its ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the consolidated financial statements are issued. Based on the Company’s current cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities balances and the Company's current cash flow forecast for the one-year going concern look forward period, the Company has concluded that it expects to have sufficient capital available to fund its operations for the one-year period from the date that these financial statements are issued.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) 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 consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period.
Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.
Revenue Recognition
At contract inception, the Company analyzes its revenue arrangements to determine the appropriate accounting under U.S. GAAP. Currently, the Company’s revenue arrangements represent customer contracts within the scope of ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”). The Company recognizes revenue from arrangements within the scope of ASC 606 following the five-step model: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (ii) identify the performance obligation(s) in the contract; (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligation(s) in the contract; and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) it satisfies a performance obligation. The Company only recognizes revenue under the five-step model when it is probable that it will collect the consideration it is entitled to in exchange for the goods or services it transfers to its customer.
Product Sales - APAs and Supply Sales
Product sales include sales associated with COVID-19 Vaccine supply agreements, sometimes referred to as advanced purchase agreements (“APAs”), with various international governments and commercial sales of COVID-19 Vaccine, adjuvant sales, and sale of other materials to the Company’s partners. The Company recognizes revenue from product sales related to these APAs and supply sales to the Company’s partners based on the transaction price per dose or other unit sold calculated in accordance with ASC 606 at the point in time when control of the product transfers to the customer and customer acceptance has occurred, unless such acceptance provisions are deemed perfunctory, or expiry of optional dose order quantities. The APAs typically contain terms that include upfront payments, which are reflected in Deferred revenue. The Company constrains the transaction price for APA’s until it is probable that a significant reversal in revenue recognized will not occur. Specifically, if an APA or partner supply agreement includes a provision whereby the customer may request a discount, return, or refund, or includes a term that may have the effect of decreasing the price per dose of previously delivered shipments, revenue is constrained based on an estimate of the impact of the transaction price until it is probable that a significant reversal in revenue recognized will not occur.
Product Sales - U.S. Commercial
In the fourth quarter of 2023, the Company commenced sales of COVID-19 Vaccine to the U.S. commercial market. Product sales in the U.S. are primarily made through large pharmaceutical wholesale distributors at the wholesale acquisition cost (“WAC”). The Company recognizes revenue upon title transfer (which is typically at time of delivery), provided all other revenue recognition criteria have been met. The transaction price includes estimates of variable consideration for which reserves are established that primarily result from invoice discounts for prompt payment, wholesale distributor fees, chargebacks, and product returns (collectively, “gross-to-net deductions”). These estimates are based on the amounts earned or to be claimed for related sales and are classified as either reductions of gross accounts receivable or a current liability based on the nature of the estimate, the expected settlement method, and net position by individual customer. Where appropriate, these estimates are based on factors such as industry data and forecasted customer buying and payment patterns, the Company’s experience, current contractual and statutory requirements, specific known market events, and trends. Variable consideration is included in the transaction price only to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is subsequently resolved. If actual results vary from estimates, the Company will adjust the estimates, which would affect product sales in the period such variances become known.
Gross-to-net deductions include the following:
•Wholesale distributor fees, discounts, and chargebacks: The Company has arrangements under which indirect customers such as retailers, healthcare providers, and others receive discounts to the WAC. The chargeback represents the difference between the WAC and this negotiated discounted price. For distribution and related services, the Company incurs service fees to its wholesale distributors. In addition, the Company typically offers wholesale distributor customers invoice discounts on product sales for prompt payments. The Company estimates chargebacks, discounts, and fees it will owe and deducts these amounts from gross product sales at the time the revenue is recognized based on the contractual terms and the Company’s expectations regarding future customer behaviors.
•Product returns: The Company offers wholesale distributors and indirect customers the right to return expired doses. Estimated returns for COVID-19 Vaccine are determined considering levels of inventory in the distribution channel, projected market demand, utilization data, returns claims received, and product shelf life. The estimated amount for product returns is deducted from gross product sales in the period the related product sales are recognized.
•Other: Fees payable to retailers, healthcare providers, and buying groups, including certain patient assistance programs, are deducted from gross product sales in the period the related product sales are recognized.
Licensing, royalties, and other
The Company also has various arrangements that include a right for a customer to use the Company's intellectual property as a functional license, where the Company’s performance obligation is satisfied at the point in time at which the license is granted. These licensing arrangements include sales-based royalties and certain development and commercial milestone payments. Because certain development milestone payments are contingent on the achievement of milestones, such as regulatory approvals, that are not within the Company or licensee's control, the payments are not considered probable of being achieved and are excluded from the transaction price until the milestone is achieved, at which point the Company recognizes revenue. For arrangements that include sales-based royalties related to a previously granted license, including milestone payments based upon the achievement of a certain level of product sales, the license is deemed to be the sole or predominant item to which the royalties relate and the Company recognizes revenue when the related sales occur.
The Company allocates the transaction price to each performance obligation based on a relative stand-alone selling price (“SSP”) basis. The Company develops assumptions that require judgment to determine the stand-alone selling price for each performance obligation in consideration of applicable market conditions and relevant entity-specific factors, including factors that were contemplated in negotiating the agreement with the customer.
Revenue Recognition, Licensing, Transition Services, and Technology Transfer
The terms of the Company’s third-party licensing agreements may contain multiple performance obligations, including licenses, transition services, and technology transfer. The Company evaluates licensing agreements under ASC 606 to determine the distinct performance obligations. Prior to recognizing revenue, the Company estimates the transaction price, including variable consideration that is subject to a constraint. Amounts of variable consideration are included in the transaction price to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur and when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is subsequently resolved. Total consideration may include nonrefundable upfront license fees, transition service fees, technology transfer fees, other payments based upon the achievement of specified milestones, and royalty payments based on product sales from licensed products.
For multiple performance obligation arrangements, the Company allocates the transaction price to each distinct performance obligation based on its SSP. The SSP is generally determined for each performance obligation based on the prices charged to customers, discounted cash flows, or using expected cost-plus margin. For stand-alone selling prices determined using discounted cash flows, the Company considers discounted, probability-weighted cash flows related to the performance obligation transferred. In developing such estimates, the Company applies judgment in determining the forecasted revenue, expected margins, and the discount rate. These estimates are subjective and require the Company to make assumptions about future cash flows. Revenue related to performance obligations satisfied at a point in time is recognized when the customer obtains control of the promised asset. For performance obligations recognized over time, the Company recognizes revenue using an input method to measure progress by utilizing costs incurred to-date relative to total expected costs. Under this process, the Company considers the costs that have been incurred to-date, as well as projections to completion using various inputs and assumptions, including, but not limited to, progress towards completion, labor costs and level of effort, material and subcontractor costs, and indirect administrative costs. Estimating the total cost at completion of the Company’s performance obligation under a contract is subjective and requires the Company to make assumptions about future activity and cost drivers. Changes in these estimates can occur for a variety of reasons and may impact the timing of revenue recognition on the Company’s contracts. Changes in estimates related to the process are recognized in the period when such changes are made on a cumulative catch-up basis.
Grants
Grant revenue included revenue from government contracts. The Company performed research and development under government funding, grant, license, and clinical development agreements. The revenue primarily consisted of funding under U.S. government contracts to advance the clinical development and manufacturing of COVID-19 Vaccine.
Under U.S.
government contracts, the Company was entitled to receive funding on a cost-reimbursable or cost-reimbursable-plus-fixed-fee basis, to support certain activities related to the development, manufacture, and delivery of COVID-19 Vaccine to the U.S. government. The Company analyzed these contracts and determined that they are within the scope of ASC 606. The obligations under each of the contracts was not distinct in the context of the contract as they were highly interdependent or interrelated and, as such, they were accounted for as a single performance obligation. The transaction price under these arrangements was the consideration the Company expected to receive and consisted of the funded contract amount and the unfunded variable amount to the extent that it was probable that a significant reversal of revenue would not occur. The Company recognized revenue for these contracts over time as the Company transferred control over the goods and services and satisfied the performance obligation. The Company measured progress toward satisfaction of the performance obligation using an Estimate-at-Completion (“EAC”) process, which is a cost-based input method that reviews and monitors the progress towards the completion of the Company’s performance obligation. Under this process, management considered the costs that had been incurred to-date, as well as projections to completion using various inputs and assumptions, including, but not limited to, progress towards completion, labor costs and level of effort, material and subcontractor costs, indirect administrative costs, and other identified risks. Estimating the total allowable cost at completion of the performance obligation under a contract is subjective and required the Company to make assumptions about future activity and cost drivers. Allowable contract costs included direct costs incurred on the contract and indirect costs that were applied in the form of rates to the direct costs. Progress billings under the contracts were initially based on provisional indirect billing rates, agreed upon between the Company and the U.S. government. These indirect rates were subject to review on an annual basis. The Company records the impact of changes in the indirect billing rates in the period when such changes are identified. These changes reflect the difference between actual indirect costs incurred compared to the estimated amounts used to determine the provisional indirect billing rates agreed upon with the U.S. government. The Company recognized revenue on the U.S. government contracts based on reimbursable allowable contract costs incurred in the period up to the transaction price. For cost-reimbursable-plus-fixed-fee contracts, the Company recognized the fixed-fee based on the proportion of reimbursable contract costs incurred to total estimated allowable contract costs expected to be incurred on completion of the underlying performance obligation as determined under the EAC process. The Company recognizes changes in estimates related to the EAC process in the period when such changes are made on a cumulative catch-up basis. The Company includes the transaction price comprising both funded and unfunded portions of customer contracts in this estimate.
Cost of Sales
Cost of sales includes cost of raw materials, production, and manufacturing overhead costs associated with the Company’s product sales during the period. Cost of sales also includes adjustments for excess, obsolete, or expired inventory; idle capacity; and losses on firm purchase commitments to the extent the cost cannot be recovered based on estimates about future demand. Cost of sales does not include certain expenses related to raw materials, production, and manufacturing overhead costs that were expensed prior to regulatory authorization as described under the caption “Inventory.”
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses include salaries; stock-based compensation; laboratory supplies; consultants and subcontractors, including external contract research organizations (“CROs”), contract manufacturing organizations (“CMOs”), and contract development and manufacturing organizations (“CDMOs”); and other expenses associated with the Company’s process development, manufacturing, clinical, regulatory, and quality assurance activities for its clinical development programs. In addition, related indirect costs such as fringe benefits and overhead expenses are also included in research and development expenses.
The Company estimates its research and development expense related to services performed under its contracts with external service providers based on an estimate of the level of service performed in the period. Research and development activities are expensed as incurred.
Accrued Research and Development Expenses
The Company accrues research and development expenses, including clinical trial-related expenses, as the services are performed, which may include estimates of those expenses incurred, but not invoiced. The Company uses information provided by third-party service providers and CRO, CMO, and CDMO invoices and internal estimates to determine the progress of work performed on the Company’s behalf. Assumptions based on clinical trial protocols, contracts, and participant enrollment data are also used to estimate these accruals.
Advertising Costs
Advertising costs are expensed as incurred. The Company had advertising costs of $1.9 million, $33.7 million, and $91.5 million and during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company accounts for stock-based compensation related to grants of stock options, stock appreciation rights (“SARs”), and restricted stock awards (“RSUs”), and purchases under the Company’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”), at fair value. The Company recognizes compensation expense related to such awards on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period (generally the vesting period) of the equity awards, based on the award's fair value at the grant date. The requisite service period is typically one to four years. Forfeitures for all awards are recognized as incurred. The Company settles stock-based awards with newly issued shares.
The fair value of stock options and SARs is measured on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The expected term of stock options and SARs is based on the Company’s historical option exercise experience and post-vesting forfeiture experience using the historical expected term from the vesting date, and the expected term for purchases under the ESPP is based on the purchase periods included in the offering. The expected volatility is determined using historical volatilities based on stock prices over a look-back period corresponding to the expected term. The risk-free interest rate is determined using the yield available for zero-coupon U.S. government issues with a remaining term equal to the expected term. The Company has never paid a dividend and the Company does not intend to pay dividends in the foreseeable future, and as such, the expected dividend yield is zero.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents consist of highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less from the date of purchase. Cash equivalents are recorded at cost, which approximates fair value due to their short-term nature.
Marketable Securities
The Company invests its excess cash balances in marketable debt securities with readily determinable fair values that can be converted to cash to fund operations, as required. Investments with maturities greater than three months from the date of purchase are recorded in Current assets and are classified as “available-for-sale.”
Available-for-sale securities are measured at fair value in the consolidated balance sheets. Marketable securities are evaluated for impairment considering multiple factors including whether a decline in value below the amortized cost basis is due to credit-related factors. Management reviews criteria, such as the magnitude and duration of the decline, as well as the Company’s ability to hold the securities, including whether the Company will be required to sell a security prior to recovery of its amortized cost basis, the investment issuer’s financial condition and business outlook. A credit-related impairment is recognized as an allowance against the value of the investment on the balance sheet with a corresponding adjustment to Other income, net in the consolidated statements of operations. Unrealized gains and noncredit-related losses on marketable securities are reported as a separate component of stockholders’ deficit until realized.
Interest and dividend income is recorded when earned and included in Other income, net in the consolidated statements of operations. Premiums and discounts, if any, on marketable securities are amortized or accreted to maturity and included in Other income, net in the consolidated statements of operations. The specific identification method is used in computing realized gains and losses on the sale of the Company’s marketable securities.
Fair Value Measurements
The Company applies ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC 820”), for financial and non-financial assets and liabilities. ASC 820 discusses valuation techniques, such as the market approach (comparable market prices), the income approach (present value of future income or cash flow), and the cost approach (cost to replace the service capacity of an asset or replacement cost). ASC 820 utilizes a fair value hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into three broad levels. The following is a brief description of those three levels:
•Level 1: Observable inputs such as quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
•Level 2: Inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly. These include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets and quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active.
•Level 3: Unobservable inputs that reflect the reporting entity’s own assumptions.
Restricted Cash
The Company’s current and non-current restricted cash includes payments received under grant agreements and cash collateral accounts under letters of credit that serve as security deposits for certain facility leases. Payments received under grant agreements become unrestricted as the Company incurs expenses for services performed under these agreements.
Accounts Receivable
The Company recognizes amounts due from customers as accounts receivable when its right to payment is unconditional. Gross-to-net deductions are classified as reductions of gross accounts receivable if settlement is expected to occur through a reduction in the amount paid to the Company by its customer. Account receivables are recorded net of any allowance for credit losses. The Company’s estimate for the allowance for credit losses, which has not been significant to date, is determined based on the credit risk of its customers based on historical loss experience, economic conditions, the aging of receivables, and customer-specific risks.
Concentration of Risk
Financial instruments expose the Company to concentration of credit risk and consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities. The Company’s investment policy limits investments to certain types of instruments, including asset-backed securities, high-grade corporate debt securities, and money market funds; places restrictions on maturities and concentrations in certain industries; and requires the Company to maintain a certain level of liquidity. At times, the Company maintains cash balances in financial institutions that may exceed federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses relating to such accounts and believes it is not exposed to a significant credit risk on its cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities.
The Company's accounts receivable arise from revenue arrangements with customers. The Company's revenue is primarily due to product sales; royalties, milestones, license fees, and reimbursements from its collaboration and license partners; and grants made by government-sponsored organizations. The following customers accounted for more than 10% of total revenue or accounts receivable for the periods presented:
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Percentage of Revenue for Year Ended December 31, |
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Percentage of Accounts Receivable as of December 31, |
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2025 |
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2024 |
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2023 |
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2025 |
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2024 |
| Sanofi |
36% |
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68% |
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* |
|
76% |
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46% |
| European Commission |
* |
|
13% |
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27% |
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* |
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* |
| Government of Australia |
* |
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* |
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18% |
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* |
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* |
| Government of Canada |
51% |
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* |
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* |
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* |
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* |
| Serum Institute of India |
* |
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* |
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* |
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14% |
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11% |
| McKesson Plasma and Biologics |
* |
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* |
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* |
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* |
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14% |
Cardinal Health |
* |
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* |
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* |
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* |
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10% |
U.S. Government(1) |
* |
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* |
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43 |
% |
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* |
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* |
*Amounts represent less than 10%
(1) Including the USG Agreement (as defined in Note 3).
The Company currently depends significantly on one supplier, SII and its subsidiary, SLS, for co-formulation, filling, and finishing of COVID-19 Vaccine. The loss of this supplier could prevent or delay the Company’s delivery of customer orders.
Inventory
Inventory is recorded at the lower of cost or net realizable value under the First In, First Out methodology, taking into consideration the expiration of the inventory item. The Company determines the cost of raw materials using moving average costs and the cost of semi-finished and finished goods using a standard cost method adjusted on a periodic basis to reflect the deviation in the actual cost from the standard cost estimate. Standard costs consist primarily of the cost of manufacturing goods, including direct materials, direct labor, and the services and products of third-party suppliers. Manufacturing overhead costs are applied to semi-finished and finished goods based on expected production levels. The Company utilizes third-party CMOs, CDMOs, and other suppliers and service organizations to support the procurement and processing of raw materials, management of inventory, packaging, and the delivery process. Adjustments to reduce the cost of inventory to its net realizable value, if required, are made for estimated excess, obsolete, or expired inventory through cost of sales. At each reporting period, the Company assesses whether there are excess firm, non-cancelable, purchase commitment liabilities, resulting from supply agreements with third-party CMOs and CDMOs. The determination of net realizable value of inventory and firm purchase commitment liabilities requires judgment, including consideration of many factors, such as estimates of future product demand, current and future market conditions, potential product obsolescence, expiration and utilization of raw materials under firm purchase commitments, and contractual minimums.
Prior to initial regulatory authorization for its product candidates, the Company expenses costs relating to raw materials, production, and manufacturing overhead costs as Research and development expenses in the consolidated statements of operations, in the period incurred. Subsequent to initial regulatory authorization for a product candidate, the Company capitalizes the costs of production for a particular supply chain as inventory when the Company determines that it has a present right to the economic benefit associated with the product.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are stated at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. and are depreciated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets. Repairs and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred. The estimated useful lives of property and equipment are described below:
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Useful Life |
| Machinery and equipment |
5 - 7 years |
| Computer hardware |
3 years |
| Leasehold improvements |
Shorter of useful life or remaining term of the lease |
Lease Accounting
The Company enters into non‑cancelable lease agreements for facilities and certain equipment. For leases with a term greater than 12 months at the commencement date, the Company recognizes right‑of‑use (“ROU”) assets and corresponding lease liabilities based on the present value of fixed future lease payments over the lease term. The Company determines the present value of future payments using the discount rate implicit in the lease, if readily determinable, or the Company’s incremental borrowing rate.
For operating leases, the Company recognizes lease expense related to fixed payments on a straight-line basis from the lease commencement date through the end of the lease term and lease expense related to variable payments as incurred based on performance or usage in accordance with the contractual agreements. For finance leases, the Company recognizes the amortization of the ROU asset over the shorter of the lease term or useful life of the underlying asset. The Company expenses ROU assets acquired for research and development activities under ASC Topic 730, Research and Development, if they do not have an alternative future use, in research and development projects or otherwise.
The Company uses assumptions and judgment in evaluating its lease contracts and other agreements under ASC Topic 842, Leases (“ASC 842”),, including the determination of whether an agreement is or contains a lease; whether a change in the terms and conditions of a lease contract represent a new or modified lease; whether a lease represents an operating or finance lease; the discount rate used to determine the present value of lease obligations; and the Company’s incremental borrowing rate, which is determined using estimates such as the estimated value of the underlying leased asset and financial profile of comparable companies.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
Long-lived assets, including property and equipment, internal-use software, and ROU assets, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset (or asset group) may not be recoverable based on the criteria for accounting for the impairment or disposal of long-lived assets under ASC Topic 360, Property, Plant and Equipment (“ASC 360”). If such events or changes in circumstances occur, the Company assesses the recoverability of the long-lived assets (or asset group) by comparing their projected future undiscounted net cash flows over their remaining lives against their respective carrying amounts. If the cash flows are not expected to be sufficient to recover the carrying amount of the assets (or asset group), they are written down to their estimated fair values.
Restructuring
The Company recognizes restructuring charges when such costs are incurred. The Company’s restructuring charges consist of employee severance and other termination benefits related to the reduction of its workforce, as well as other costs related to the consolidation of facilities and infrastructure. Termination benefits are expensed on the date the company notifies the employee, unless the employee must provide future service, in which case the benefits are expensed ratably over the future service period. Ongoing benefits are expensed when restructuring activities are probable and the benefit estimable. Facility consolidation activities may include lease termination and related costs.
When the Company commits to a plan to sell a disposal group and meets the criteria for classification as held for sale under ASC 360, the disposal group is classified as held for sale. Upon classification, the disposal group is measured at the lower of its carrying amount or fair value less cost to sell, depreciation and amortization cease on included long‑lived assets (including ROU assets), and any resulting impairment loss is recognized immediately within Impairment of assets held for sale in the consolidated statements of operations. Any subsequent decreases in fair value less costs to sell are recognized in the period of change; subsequent increases are recognized not in excess of previously recognized losses. The assets and any associated liabilities are presented separately as current assets and current liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets, if the Company expects to divest the disposal group within 12 months.
Goodwill
Goodwill is subject to impairment tests annually or more frequently should indicators of impairment arise. The Company has determined that because its only business is an in-house early-stage R&D business to build a pipeline of high-value assets using its proven technology along with seeking to enter into partnerships to drive value creation for its assets, it operates as a single operating segment and has one reporting unit. The one-step impairment test, which requires a comparison of the fair value of a reporting unit to its carrying value, including goodwill, is required to be applied to all reporting units including reporting units with zero or negative carrying value. A reporting unit with a zero or negative carrying value likely will not have an impairment. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, step two of the impairment analysis is performed. In step two of the analysis, an impairment loss is recorded equal to the excess of the carrying value of the reporting unit’s goodwill over its implied fair value, should such a circumstance arise.
As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company had a negative carrying value and did not have any impairment of goodwill.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes. Under the liability method, deferred income taxes are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax basis and operating loss carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the year in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect of changes in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the period such changes are enacted. A valuation allowance is established when necessary to reduce net deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized.
The Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (“GILTI”) provisions under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 impose U.S. tax on certain foreign income in excess of a deemed return on tangible assets of foreign corporations. The Company has elected to treat any potential GILTI inclusions as period costs.
Tax benefits associated with uncertain tax positions are recognized in the period in which one of the following conditions is satisfied: (1) the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold is satisfied; (2) the position is ultimately settled through negotiation or litigation; or (3) the statute of limitations for the taxing authority to examine and challenge the position has expired.
Tax benefits associated with an uncertain tax position are reversed in the period in which the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold is no longer satisfied.
The Company has historically generated significant federal, state, and foreign tax net operating losses, which may be subject to limitation in future periods. Management has fully reserved the related deferred tax assets with a valuation allowance in the current reporting period as it is more likely than not that the related benefit will not be realized. The Company is currently subject to examination in all open tax years.
Net Income (Loss) per Share
Basic net income (loss) per share is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period and excludes the effects of any potentially dilutive securities.
Diluted net income per share (“Diluted EPS”) reflects the potential dilution from common stock equivalents and is computed using (i) the treasury stock method for stock options, SARs, and RSUs, and (ii) the if‑converted method for the Company’s convertible notes, in each case to the extent the effect is dilutive. When the Company issues new convertible notes and repays or otherwise extinguishes existing convertible notes in the same period, the retired notes are reflected in Diluted EPS, if dilutive, from the beginning of the period up to the repayment/extinguishment date and the new notes are reflected, if dilutive, from the issuance date through period‑end, each on a weighted‑average basis using the if‑converted method. Any gain or loss recognized upon extinguishment is reflected in net income for the period and included in the Diluted EPS numerator consistent with the income statement presentation, if the impact is dilutive.
As of December 31, 2025, the Company's 2031 Notes and the remaining portion of 2027 Notes (see Note 12) would have been convertible into approximately 22 million shares of the Company's common stock assuming the initial conversion price specified in their respective indentures. These shares, along with the related add‑back of interest expense, and amortization of discounts and debt issuance costs on the Notes, are included in Diluted EPS when their effect is dilutive and are excluded when their effect is antidilutive under the if‑converted method. For periods in which the Company reports a net loss, stock options, SARs, RSUs, and convertible notes are considered antidilutive and are excluded from diluted net income per share.
Foreign Currency
The consolidated financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars. The functional currency of the Company’s international subsidiaries is generally the local currency. The financial statements of international subsidiaries are translated to U.S. dollars using the exchange rate in effect at the consolidated balance sheet dates for assets and liabilities, historical rates for equity accounts, and average exchange rates for the consolidated statements of operations. Cash flows from operations are translated at the average exchange rate in effect for the period, while cash flows from investing and financing activities are translated at the exchange rate in effect at the date of the underlying transaction. Translation gains and losses are recognized as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in the consolidated balance sheets. The foreign currency translation adjustment balance included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) was $2.0 million of income and $22.6 million of loss at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The aggregate foreign currency transaction gains and losses resulting from the conversion of the transaction currency to functional currency were $16.7 million of losses, $4.4 million of losses, $7.9 million of gains for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively, which are reflected in Other income (expense), net.
Segment Information
The Company manages its business as one operating segment, an in-house early-stage R&D business to build a pipeline of high-value assets using its proven technology along with seeking to enter into partnerships to drive value creation for its assets. Accordingly, it does not have separately reportable segments as defined by ASC Topic 280, Segment Reporting (“ASC 280”). The Company’s Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) is its chief operating decision-maker (“CODM”). The accounting policies of this segment are described in Note 21.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Not Yet Adopted
In October 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update 2023-06, Disclosure Improvements: Codification Amendments in Response to the SEC’s Disclosure Update and Simplification Initiative (“ASU 2023-06”), to clarify or improve disclosure and presentation requirements of a variety of topics and align the requirements in the FASB ASC with the SEC's regulations.
The effective date for each amendment in the Update is the effective date that the SEC removes the disclosure requirement from its regulations. The Company is currently evaluating ASU 2023-06, however, as the ASU codifies SEC regulations, the Company does not anticipate that its implementation will have a material effect on the Company's consolidated financial statements and disclosures.
In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, Income Statement-Reporting Comprehensive Income-Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40) (“ASU 2024-03”). The ASU includes enhanced disclosure requirements, which mandate transparency in financial statements by requiring detailed disclosures of specific expenses like inventory purchases, employee compensation, depreciation, and intangible asset amortization. ASU 2024-03 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim reporting periods within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2027. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adopting this pronouncement on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and disclosures.
In September 2025, the FASB issued ASU 2025-06, Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Internal-Use Software (“ASU 2025-06”). This standard is intended to improve the operability and application of guidance related to capitalized software development costs and becomes effective January 1, 2028. The Company is assessing the potential impact this ASU may have on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and disclosures upon adoption.
In December 2025, the FASB issued ASU 2025-11, Interim Reporting: Narrow-Scope Improvements (“ASU 2025-11”). The ASU is intended to improve the navigability of the guidance in ASC 270, Interim Reporting, and clarify when it applies. The amendments in this Update clarify interim disclosure requirements and the applicability of Topic 270. The ASU also includes a disclosure principle that requires entities to disclose events since the end of the last annual reporting period that have a material impact on the entity. The ASU is required to be adopted for interim periods within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2027. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of adoption on the financial disclosures.
Adopted
In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures (“ASU 2023-07”), which expands disclosures for reportable segments made by public entities and requires more detailed information about expenses within each reportable segment. Entities with a single reportable segment are required to provide on both an interim and annual basis, all segment disclosures required in ASC 280, including the new disclosures for reportable segments under the amendments in ASU 2023-07. The amendments do not change the existing guidance on how a public entity identifies and determines its reportable segments. The ASU is effective for the Company’s annual period ended December 31, 2024 and interim periods thereafter and has been adopted by the Company (see Note 21).
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures (“ASU 2023-09”). The standard enhances transparency in income tax disclosures by requiring, on an annual basis, certain disaggregated information about a reporting entity’s effective tax rate reconciliation and income taxes paid. The ASU also requires disaggregated disclosure related to pre-tax income (or loss) and income tax expense (or benefit) and eliminates certain disclosures related to the balance of an entity’s unrecognized tax benefit and the cumulative amount of certain temporary differences. The ASU is effective for the Company beginning on January 1, 2025 and has been prospectively adopted by the Company (see Note 17).
Note 3 – Revenue
The Company's accounts receivable, net, included $95.6 million and $102.9 million related to amounts that were billed to customers and $10.8 million and $5.4 million related to amounts which had not yet been billed to customers as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. During the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, changes in the Company's accounts receivables and deferred revenue balances and during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, changes in the Company’s allowance for credit losses were as follows (in thousands):
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|
|
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|
|
Balance, Beginning of Period |
|
Additions |
|
Deductions |
|
Balance, End of Period |
| Accounts receivable: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year ended December 31, 2025 |
$ |
115,960 |
|
|
$ |
623,802 |
|
|
$ |
(625,641) |
|
|
$ |
114,121 |
|
Year ended December 31, 2024 |
304,916 |
|
|
1,083,036 |
|
|
(1,271,992) |
|
|
115,960 |
|
Allowance for credit losses:(1) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year ended December 31, 2025 |
(7,675) |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(7,675) |
|
Year ended December 31, 2024 |
(7,675) |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
(7,675) |
|
| Year ended December 31, 2023 |
(13,835) |
|
|
— |
|
|
6,160 |
|
|
(7,675) |
|
Deferred revenue:(2) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year ended December 31, 2025 |
1,121,886 |
|
|
58,848 |
|
|
(681,738) |
|
|
498,996 |
|
Year ended December 31, 2024 |
863,521 |
|
|
411,659 |
|
|
(153,294) |
|
|
1,121,886 |
|
(1) There was no allowance for credit losses recorded during the year ended December 31, 2025 or 2024. In 2023, there was a $6.2 million reversal of a credit loss allowance due to the collection of a previously recognized allowance for credit losses. To estimate the allowance for credit losses, the Company evaluates the credit risk related to its customers based on historical loss experience, economic conditions, the aging of receivables, and customer-specific risks.
(2) Deductions from Deferred revenue generally relate to the recognition of revenue once performance obligations on a contract with a customer are met. During the year ended December 31, 2025, deductions include $555.7 million related to the Canada APA termination, discussed below. During the year ended December 31, 2024, additions included a $225.0 million reclassification of an upfront payment from Other current liabilities to Deferred revenue related to the settlement with Gavi as discussed below.
As of December 31, 2025, the aggregate amount of the transaction price allocated to performance obligations that were unsatisfied (or partially unsatisfied), excluding amounts related to sales-based royalties and constrained variable consideration, was $0.6 billion, of which $0.5 billion is included in Deferred revenue. Failure to meet regulatory milestones, obtain timely supportive recommendations from governmental advisory committees, or achieve product volume or delivery timing obligations may require the Company to refund portions of upfront and other payments or result in reduced future payments, which could adversely impact the Company’s ability to realize revenue from its unsatisfied performance obligations. The timing and the Company’s ability to fulfill performance obligations related to APAs will depend on the timing of product manufacturing, receipt of marketing authorizations for its COVID-19 Vaccine, delivery of doses based on customer demand, and the ability of the customer to request the Company’s updated vaccine under certain of the Company’s APAs. In the first quarter of 2025, the Company received written notice of a $23.0 million claim related to certain performance obligations under an APA agreement with a customer. The Company believes it has fulfilled the requirements related to this matter and is evaluating the merits of the claim. The timing to fulfill performance obligations related to the Sanofi Collaboration and License Agreement (“Sanofi CLA”) will depend on the timing of research and development transition services that support further regulatory approval and development of the COVID-19 Vaccine (“Sanofi Transition Services”) and services related to the technology transfer of the existing manufacturing process for the COVID-19 Vaccine products and Matrix-M™ adjuvant (the “Sanofi Technology Transfer”) and delivery of doses and other materials based on Sanofi demand.
Under an APA with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (“Gavi”), entered into in May 2021 (the “Gavi APA”), and a Termination and Settlement Agreement with Gavi, entered into in February 2024, (the “Gavi Settlement Agreement”) terminating the Gavi APA, the Company is responsible for deferred payments, in equal annual amounts of $80 million payable each calendar year through a deferred payment term ending December 31, 2028. The deferred payments are due in variable quarterly installments and total $400 million during the deferred payment term. Such deferred payments may be reduced through Gavi’s use of an annual vaccine credit equivalent to the unpaid balance of such deferred payments each year, which may be applied to qualifying sales of any of the Company’s vaccines for supply to certain low-income and lower-middle income countries. The Company has the right to price the vaccines offered to such low-income and lower-middle income countries in its discretion, and, when utilized by Gavi, the Company will credit the actual price per vaccine paid against the applicable credit. The Company intends to price vaccines offered via the tender process, consistent with its shared goal with Gavi to provide equitable access to those countries. Also, pursuant to the Gavi Settlement Agreement, the Company granted Gavi an additional credit of up to $225 million that may be applied against qualifying sales of any of the Company’s vaccines for supply to such low-income and lower-middle income countries that exceed the $80 million deferred payment amount in any calendar year during the deferred payment term.
In total, the Gavi settlement agreement is comprised of $700 million of potential consideration, consisting of the $75 million initial settlement payment, deferred payments of up to $400 million that may be reduced through annual vaccine credits, and the additional credit of up to $225 million that may be applied for certain qualifying sales.
As of December 31, 2025, the remaining amounts included on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet were $225.0 in non-current Deferred revenue for the additional credit that may be applied against future qualifying sales, $80.0 million in Other current liabilities, and $195.0 million in Other non-current liabilities. In addition, the Company and Gavi entered into a security agreement pursuant to which Novavax granted Gavi a security interest in accounts receivable from SII under the SII R21 Agreement (see Note 4), which will continue for the deferred payment term of the Gavi Settlement Agreement.
Product Revenue
During the year ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, the categories of Product sales were as follows (in thousands):
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Year Ended December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
Product sales |
|
|
|
|
|
Nuvaxovid sales(1) |
$ |
625,182 |
|
|
$ |
190,212 |
|
|
$ |
531,389 |
|
Supply sales(2) |
59,859 |
|
|
22,990 |
|
|
16,500 |
|
Total Product sales |
$ |
685,041 |
|
|
$ |
213,202 |
|
|
$ |
547,889 |
|
(1)Nuvaxovid sales are sales of the Company’s COVID-19 Vaccine associated with APAs with governments and commercial markets, where the Company is the commercial lead for sales and distribution, made through pharmaceutical wholesale distributors.
(2)Supply sales include commercial sales of COVID-19 Vaccine, adjuvant sales, and other material sales to the Company’s partners.
During the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, changes in the Company’s gross-to-net deductions balances were as follows (in thousands):
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wholesale Distributor Fees, Discounts, and Chargebacks |
|
Product Returns |
|
Total |
| Balance as of December 31, 2024 |
$ |
21,136 |
|
|
$ |
116,697 |
|
|
$ |
137,833 |
|
Amounts charged against Product sales(1) |
14,127 |
|
|
43,923 |
|
|
58,050 |
|
Credits/deductions |
(35,263) |
|
|
(160,620) |
|
|
(195,883) |
|
Balance as of December 31, 2025 |
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wholesale Distributor Fees, Discounts, and Chargebacks |
|
Product Returns |
|
Total |
| Balance as of December 31, 2023 |
$ |
21,072 |
|
|
$ |
84,616 |
|
|
$ |
105,688 |
|
Amounts charged against Product sales(1) |
105,795 |
|
|
120,277 |
|
|
226,072 |
|
Credits/deductions |
(105,731) |
|
|
(88,196) |
|
|
(193,927) |
|
Balance as of December 31, 2024 |
$ |
21,136 |
|
|
$ |
116,697 |
|
|
$ |
137,833 |
|
(1) For the year December 31, 2025 and 2024, amounts charged against Product sales include $4.0 million and $14.4 million of adjustments made to prior period Product sales due primarily to changes in the estimate of product returns.
As of December 31, 2025, there were no gross-to-net deductions remaining on the consolidated balance sheet. As of December 31, 2024, $77.1 million of gross-to-net deductions were included in Accrued expenses, $10.1 million were included in Accounts payable, and $50.6 million were included in and reduced Accounts receivable on the consolidated balance sheet.
The Company has an APA with the Commonwealth of Australia (“Australia”) for the purchase of doses of COVID-19 Vaccine (the “Australia APA”). In December 2024, the Company entered into an amendment to the Australia APA pursuant to which, among other things, the Company acknowledged the cancellation by Australia of the delivery of certain doses of the Company’s COVID-19 Vaccine scheduled for delivery between the fourth quarter of 2023 and the fourth quarter of 2025 and the Company agreed to credit approximately $31 million of the advanced payment paid by Australia to the Company against outstanding invoices and invoices for the future delivery of approximately three million doses of COVID-19 Vaccine without requiring additional cash payments. In addition, the amendment provides for certain remedies for Australia, including return of unused credit, cancellation of doses, or termination of the Australia APA, in the event the Company is unable to gain regulatory approval of a variant COVID-19 Vaccine or supply doses per the terms of the agreement Specifically, Australia did not take delivery of doses that were due to be delivered in 2025 and may seek to cancel the future delivery of the 2025 as well as 2026 doses. If the Company is unable to provide doses per the supply schedule as amended, after six months, Australia may seek to terminate the APA. The amendment also provides Australia with the right to cancel doses if the Company fails to timely notify Australia of changes to the Company’s commercialization plans. In the event that the Company does not, on or before the relevant contractual deadlines, receive regulatory approval for, and deliver, the seasonally updated COVID-19 Vaccine, up to $92.5 million of deferred revenue may become refundable. As of December 31, 2025, $48.4 million was classified as current Deferred revenue and $85.4 million was classified as non-current Deferred revenue with respect to the Australia APA on the consolidated balance sheet, which will be recognized in product revenue as doses are delivered to Australia. In the third quarter of 2025, the Company withdrew its application for its COVID-19 Vaccine based on recommendations made by the TGA. The parties are in ongoing discussions and have agreed to a meeting to discuss outstanding issues and obligations under the APA. In light of these developments, the Company may seek to further amend the Australian APA, which amendment may not be achievable on acceptable terms or at all.
The Company had an APA with His Majesty the King in Right of Canada as represented by the Minister of Public Works and Government Services, as successor in interest to Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Public Works and Government Services (the “Canadian government”), for the purchase of doses of COVID-19 Vaccine (the “Canada APA”). In March 2025, the Company received a communication (the “Notice”) terminating, with immediate effect, the Canada APA on the basis of the Company not receiving regulatory approval for its COVID-19 Vaccine using bulk antigen produced at Biologics Manufacturing Centre Inc. on or before December 31, 2024, pursuant to the terms of the Canada APA. As a result of the Notice, the Company has no remaining obligations to the Canadian government under the Canada APA. Therefore, during the first quarter of 2025, the Company recognized $575.7 million, previously recorded in Deferred revenue and Other current liabilities, as Product sales. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had $555.7 million of current deferred revenue and $48.0 million of other current liabilities related to advanced payments, and other commitments previously made under the Canada APA. Under the terms of the Canada APA, $28.0 million in advanced purchase payments previously received by the Company were refundable to the Canadian government within 30 days of receipt of the Notice. The Company repaid the $28.0 million in March 2025. The Canada APA, as amended in 2023, also contemplated the Company and the Canadian government would endeavor to enter into a memorandum of understanding (the “MOU”) related to certain in-country commitments, including a $20.0 million escrow funding. The Notice also acknowledged that such MOU is no longer feasible and that the related funds may be released to the Company.
In March 2025, the Pharmaceutical Management Agency (“Pharmac”), a New Zealand Crown entity, and the Company executed a Deed of Settlement and Release (“New Zealand Settlement Agreement”) of its APA (the “New Zealand APA”). As part of the New Zealand Settlement Agreement, the Company paid Pharmac a refund of previously received upfront payments of $4.0 million. Under the New Zealand Settlement Agreement, the Company has no remaining obligation to Pharmac under the New Zealand APA. Therefore, during the first quarter of 2025, the Company recognized $27.3 million, previously in other current liabilities, as Product sales. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had $31.3 million included in Other current liabilities in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet related to the New Zealand APA.
Licensing, Royalties, and Other
Licensing, royalties, and other includes licensing payments, transition services revenue, and technology transfer revenue from the Sanofi CLA; royalty and milestone payments; and sales-based royalties.
Licensing, royalties, and other by license partner for the year ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023 were as follows (in thousands):
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
Licensing, royalties, and other |
|
|
|
|
|
| Sanofi |
$ |
386,319 |
|
|
$ |
459,375 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
| Takeda |
41,697 |
|
|
937 |
|
|
— |
|
Other partners(1) |
10,422 |
|
|
8,648 |
|
|
8,493 |
|
| Total licensing, royalties, and other revenue |
$ |
438,438 |
|
|
$ |
468,960 |
|
|
$ |
8,493 |
|
(1)Other partners revenue includes royalties and license fees associated with agreements with other partners such as Serum and SK bioscience, Co., Ltd.
Sanofi licensing, royalties, and other revenue were comprised of the following (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
Sanofi licensing, royalties, and other revenue |
|
|
|
| Licensing: |
|
|
|
| Upfront fee |
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
389,642 |
|
| Milestones |
225,000 |
|
|
— |
|
| Royalties |
5,750 |
|
|
— |
|
Transition services and technology transfer: |
|
|
|
Upfront fee amortization(1) |
43,915 |
|
|
34,343 |
|
Milestones amortization(1) |
20,032 |
|
|
15,965 |
|
Cost reimbursements |
91,622 |
|
|
19,425 |
|
Total Sanofi licensing, royalties, and other revenue |
$ |
386,319 |
|
|
$ |
459,375 |
|
(1)Upfront fee amortization and Milestones amortization represent revenue recognized during the period related to a portion of the $500 million upfront payment and the $50 million milestone for database lock of an existing Phase 2/3 clinical trial in 2024 that were deferred upon achievement and are recognized in revenue over time. During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company recognized a change in estimate to cumulative revenue recognized for the Sanofi Transition Services performance obligation of $21.7 million as further described in Note 4.
Takeda licensing, royalties, and other revenue were comprised of the following (in thousands):
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
| Takeda licensing, royalties, and other revenue |
|
|
|
| Licensing: |
|
|
|
Upfront fee(1) |
$ |
18,500 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
Milestones |
8,151 |
|
|
— |
|
Royalties |
14,258 |
|
|
— |
|
| Support services |
788 |
|
|
937 |
|
Total Takeda licensing, royalties, and other revenue |
$ |
41,697 |
|
|
$ |
937 |
|
(1)Upfront fee includes $14.5 million of nonrefundable upfront payments associated with the Amended Takeda CLA as defined below and $4.0 million of previously unrecognized consideration from the Original Takeda CLA.
Grants
The Company’s U.S. government agreement consists of a Project Agreement (the “Project Agreement”) and a Base Agreement with Advanced Technology International, the Consortium Management Firm acting on behalf of the Medical CBRN Defense Consortium in connection with the partnership formerly known as Operation Warp Speed (the Base Agreement together with the Project Agreement, the “USG Agreement”).
The original USG Agreement required the Company to conduct certain clinical, regulatory, and other activities, including a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial to determine the safety and efficacy of the Company’s COVID-19 Vaccine, and to manufacture and deliver to the U.S. government 100 million doses of the vaccine candidate. Funding under the USG Agreement was payable to the Company for various development, clinical trial, manufacturing, regulatory, and other activities. The USG Agreement contained terms and conditions that were customary for U.S. government agreements of this nature, including provisions giving the U.S. government the right to terminate the Base Agreement or the Project Agreement based on a reasonable determination that the funded project would not produce beneficial results commensurate with the expenditure of resources and that termination would be in the U.S. government’s interest. If the Project Agreement was terminated prior to completion, the Company was entitled to be paid for work performed and costs or obligations incurred prior to termination and consistent with the terms of the USG Agreement. As of December 31, 2023, the Company recognized the full $1.8 billion funding in revenue.
Note 4 – Collaboration, License, and Supply Agreements
As of December 31, 2025, the Company’s material collaborations, license and supply agreements were as follows:
Sanofi
In May 2024, Novavax entered into the Sanofi CLA, to co-commercialize the Company’s COVID-19 Vaccine, including future updated versions that address seasonal COVID-19 variants. Under the terms of the agreement, the Company continued to commercialize its COVID-19 Vaccine through the end of the 2024-2025 vaccination season. Beginning in 2025 and continuing during the term of the Sanofi CLA, the Company and Sanofi will commercialize the COVID-19 Vaccine worldwide in accordance with a commercialization plan agreed by the parties, under which Novavax will continue to supply certain of its existing APA customers and strategic partners, including Takeda and SII. Upon completion of the existing APAs, the Company and Sanofi will jointly agree on commercialization activities of each party in each jurisdiction. Sanofi has the right to develop novel influenza-COVID-19 combination vaccines utilizing the Company’s COVID-19 Vaccine and Sanofi’s seasonal influenza vaccine, combination products containing the Company’s COVID-19 Vaccine and one or more non-influenza vaccines, and multiple new vaccines utilizing the Company’s Matrix-M™ adjuvant. The Company is also responsible for performing services related to Sanofi Technology Transfer. Until the successful completion of such transfer, the Company will supply Sanofi with both COVID-19 Vaccine products and Matrix-M™ intermediary components for Sanofi’s use and is eligible for reimbursement of such costs from Sanofi. In addition, the Company is responsible for Sanofi Transition Services and, in certain cases, is eligible for reimbursement of such costs from Sanofi.
Pursuant to the Sanofi CLA, the Company is eligible to receive development, technology transfer, launch, and sales milestone payments for COVID-19 Vaccine products, COVID-19-Influenza (“CIC”) products, and Adjuvant products. The Company is also eligible to receive royalty payments on Sanofi’s sales of such licensed products.
The Company is eligible to receive milestone payments totaling up to $350 million in the aggregate with respect to the COVID-19 Vaccine products, of which $75 million due upon completion of the technology transfer of the Company’s manufacturing process for the COVID-19 Vaccine products to Sanofi remains outstanding, and royalty payments in the high teens to low twenties percent on Sanofi’s sales of such licensed products. During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company recognized $5.8 million of royalties on Sanofi sales of COVID-19 Vaccine products. The Company achieved the $50 million milestone for database lock of an existing Phase 2/3 clinical trial in 2024 and the $175 million milestone for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“U.S. FDA”) approval of the Biologics License Application (“BLA”) for the Company’s COVID-19 Vaccine product in a pre-filled syringe in 2025, both of which have been received from Sanofi. The Company also achieved the $25 million milestone for the transfer of the European Medicines Agency approval to Sanofi and the $25 million milestone for the transfer of the U.S. marketing authorization to Sanofi in 2025. As of December 31, 2025, the Company received $25 million in cash and included $25 million in Accounts receivable, net on the consolidated balance sheet.
The Company is eligible to receive milestone payments totaling up to $125 million with respect to CIC products upon achievement of certain CIC Product-related development milestones and $225 million in CIC Product-related launch milestones. The Company is eligible to receive royalty payments in the high teens to low twenties percent on Sanofi’s sales of such licensed products.
The Company is also eligible to receive development, launch, and sales milestone payments of up to $200 million for each of the first four Adjuvant Products and $210 million for each Adjuvant Product thereafter, and mid-single digit sales royalties for 20 years on Sanofi’s sales of all such licensed products.
In addition, a portion of the technology transfer costs and R&D costs incurred by the Company will be reimbursed by Sanofi in accordance with agreed upon plans and budgets.
The Sanofi Transition Services and Sanofi Technology Transfer are recognized in revenue over time using an input method to measure progress by utilizing costs incurred to-date relative to total expected costs. Revenue recognized related to Sanofi Transition Services and Sanofi Technology Transfer for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 was $155.6 million and $69.7 million, respectively. The Company’s consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2025 includes a deferred revenue balance of $35.6 million ($33.4 million included in Deferred revenue, current portion and $2.2 million included in Deferred revenue, non-current portion) related to Sanofi Transition Services and Sanofi Technology Transfer. The Company recognized a cumulative catch-up adjustment related to changes in estimates, which resulted in an increase to revenue of $21.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2025. These changes in estimates resulted from a change in both the total expected costs and the amount of variable consideration for Sanofi Transition Services, driven by a letter agreement with Sanofi executed in the third quarter of 2025 related to the postmarking commitment to conduct a Phase 4 prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled efficacy and safety trial in individuals aged 50 through 64 without high-risk conditions for severe COVID-19 requested as part of the FDA’s BLA approval. The Company also updated its estimates of expected costs and total variable consideration for additional manufacturing development activities related to the 2026-2027 vaccination season to be performed in support of Sanofi Transition Services.
The Company recognized an asset for $35.0 million of direct costs incurred to obtain the Sanofi CLA. These costs are amortized to expense over the expected period of the benefit in a manner that is consistent with the transfer of the related goods and services in the Sanofi CLA. The Company recognized $3.6 million and $29.1 million of amortization expense related to the asset in Selling, general, and administrative expense for the year ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. As of December 31, 2025, $2.3 million of these costs remain to be amortized in Prepaid expenses and other current assets on the consolidated balance sheet.
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited
In April 2025, the Company entered into a collaboration and exclusive license agreement, as amended (“Amended Takeda CLA”), with Takeda which amended and superseded its collaboration and exclusive license agreement with Takeda, dated February 24, 2021 (“Original Takeda CLA”). The Original Takeda CLA, which granted Takeda an exclusive license to develop, manufacture, and commercialize the COVID-19 Vaccine in Japan, has been amended so that Takeda may develop and commercialize a strain for the COVID-19 Vaccine that is different from the strain that the Company selects for the year, provided such Takeda selected strain must be procured from the Company. Under the Amended Takeda CLA, Takeda will continue to purchase the Company’s Matrix-M™ adjuvant to manufacture doses of finished COVID-19 Vaccine with updated adjuvant forecast and other supply terms.
In connection with the Amended Takeda CLA, in April 2025, the Company entered into a release agreement with Takeda under which the Company released Takeda and Takeda released the Company from all claims that were asserted or could have been asserted by either party against the other party that related to the Original Takeda CLA and the activities thereunder.
The Company has determined that the Amended Takeda CLA represents a new contract under ASC 606 with the following performance obligations: the (i) delivery of an updated license to develop, manufacture, and commercialize the Company’s COVID-19 Vaccine in Japan, including the ability for Takeda to develop and commercialize a strain for the COVID-19 Vaccine that is different from the strain that the Company selects for the year (“Updated Takeda License”), and (ii) annual support services for Takeda’s regulatory and commercialization activities (“Takeda Support Services”). The Company will recognize revenue on optional purchases of Matrix-M™ adjuvant upon delivery to Takeda.
The Updated Takeda License performance obligation is considered functional intellectual property and distinct from other promises under the contract as Takeda can benefit from the license on its own or together with other readily available resources. The Takeda Support Services provide a distinct benefit to Takeda within the context of the contract, separate from the license, as the services could be provided by Takeda or another third party without the Company’s assistance.
The Company determined the initial transaction price at inception of the Amended Takeda CLA to be $27.5 million, consisting of (i) $19.5 million of the non-refundable upfront payment and royalties, (ii) $4.0 million of non-cancelable annual support payments within the 18-month notice period for contract termination, and (iii) $4.0 million of previously unrecognized consideration from the Original Takeda CLA. The transaction price excludes annual milestone payments and annual support payments that are not due in the event that the Amended Takeda CLA is terminated by Takeda after the 18-month notice period. Sales-based royalties and annual milestones relate to the Updated Takeda License performance obligation for which the Company will recognize revenue in the period that sales are made or annual milestones are achieved pursuant to the sales-based royalty exception under ASC 606.
The Company will re-evaluate the transaction price in each reporting period as uncertain events are resolved or other changes in circumstances occur. The Company allocated $26.9 million of fixed consideration to the Updated Takeda License performance obligations and $0.6 million to Takeda Support Services.
The Company recognized revenue of $40.9 million related to the Updated Takeda License in 2025. The Takeda Support Services are recognized as revenue over time using an input method to measure progress by utilizing costs incurred to-date relative to total expected costs. Revenue recognized related to Takeda Support Services for the year ended December 31, 2025 was $0.8 million.
Under the Amended Takeda CLA, the Company received a non-refundable upfront payment of $19.5 million of which $5.0 million was creditable against royalties owed by Takeda for its fiscal year 2024. In addition, on an annual basis, the Company will receive $2.0 million to compensate it for services provided by the Company under the Amended Takeda CLA. If Takeda receives marketing approval of the COVID-19 Vaccine in that year or such approval is not necessary for such year, the Company will receive an additional $8.0 million annual milestone payment, of which $5.0 million is creditable against royalties owed by Takeda in its fiscal year 2025 or thereafter. The parties have also updated the financial terms to replace the share of operating profits and, instead, provide the Company with a tiered royalty as a percentage of Takeda’s, its affiliates’ and sublicensees’ total net sales in the mid to high-teen percentages (subject to certain capped royalty reductions), commencing on April 1, 2024 and will continue until the later of (a) twenty years after April 29, 2025, (b) all the Company’s know-how licensed under the Amended Takeda CLA has become publicly available through no fault of Takeda, and (c) the expiration of the last valid claim in the intellectual property rights licensed by the Company to Takeda under the Amended Takeda CLA covering COVID-19 Vaccine in Japan.
Serum
The Company previously granted SII exclusive and non-exclusive licenses for the development, co-formulation, filling and finishing, registration, and commercialization of its COVID-19 Vaccine and its CIC vaccine candidate. SII agreed to purchase the Company's Matrix-M™ adjuvant and the Company granted SII a non-exclusive license to manufacture the antigen drug substance component of the Company’s COVID-19 Vaccine in SII’s licensed territory solely for use in the manufacture of COVID-19 Vaccine. The Company and SII equally split the revenue from SII’s sale of COVID-19 Vaccine in its licensed territory, net of agreed costs. In May 2024, the Company and SLS entered into a supply agreement (the “SLS Supply Agreement”) under which SLS agreed to supply the Company with antigen drug substance and finished COVID-19 Vaccine doses. The SLS Supply Agreement includes the general terms and conditions of supply orders between the Company and SLS. The Company and SLS execute firm purchase orders, which include specific quantities to be delivered under the SLS Supply Agreement. The Company agreed to supply SLS with all Matrix-M™ adjuvant needed to manufacture finished COVID-19 Vaccine doses. In August 2022, the Company and SII entered into an influenza license agreement under which the Company granted SII licenses to develop, manufacture, and commercialize certain vaccine products including influenza vaccine products and influenza and CIC and is obligated for the purchase up to approximately $34 million of certain raw materials under related agreements with SII. In June 2025, the Company announced results of the initial cohort of its clinical study for its influenza and CIC vaccine candidates with the intent of partnering these programs. In March 2020, the Company entered into an agreement with SII that granted SII a non-exclusive license for the use of Matrix-M™ adjuvant supplied by the Company to develop, manufacture, and commercialize R21/Matrix-M™ adjuvant (“SII R21 Agreement”), a malaria vaccine created by the Jenner Institute, University of Oxford (“R21/Matrix-M™”). In December 2023, R21/Matrix-M™ received prequalification by the World Health Organization (“WHO”). Under the SII R21 Agreement, SII purchases the Company's Matrix-M™ adjuvant for use in development activities at cost and for commercial purposes at a tiered commercial supply price, and pays a royalty in the single-to low- double-digit range based on vaccine sales for a period of 15 years after the first commercial sale of the vaccine in each country.
Note 5 – Earnings per Share
Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share were calculated as follows (in thousands, except per share data):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
| Numerator: |
|
|
|
|
|
| Net income (loss), basic |
$ |
440,302 |
|
|
$ |
(187,499) |
|
|
$ |
(545,062) |
|
| Interest on convertible notes |
5,442 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
| Net income (loss), dilutive |
445,744 |
|
|
(187,499) |
|
|
(545,062) |
|
| Denominator: |
|
|
|
|
|
| Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, basic |
161,991 |
|
|
152,190 |
|
|
100,768 |
|
| Effect of dilutive securities |
11,112 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
| Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, dilutive |
173,103 |
|
|
152,190 |
|
|
100,768 |
|
| Net income (loss) per share: |
|
|
|
|
|
| Basic |
$ |
2.72 |
|
|
$ |
(1.23) |
|
|
$ |
(5.41) |
|
| Diluted |
$ |
2.58 |
|
|
$ |
(1.23) |
|
|
$ |
(5.41) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Anti-dilutive securities excluded from calculations of diluted net income per share |
14,795 |
|
|
24,114 |
|
|
23,620 |
|
Note 6 – Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash
The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reported on the consolidated balance sheets that sum to the total of the same such amounts shown in the consolidated statement of cash flows (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 31, |
| |
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
| Cash and cash equivalents |
$ |
240,634 |
|
|
$ |
530,230 |
|
|
$ |
568,505 |
|
| Restricted cash current |
10,876 |
|
|
10,626 |
|
|
10,424 |
|
Restricted cash non-current(1) |
4,542 |
|
|
4,436 |
|
|
4,881 |
|
| Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash |
$ |
256,052 |
|
|
$ |
545,292 |
|
|
$ |
583,810 |
|
(1) Classified as Other non-current assets as of December 31, 2025 and 2024.
Note 7 – Marketable Securities
Marketable securities classified as available-for-salecomprised of (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 31, 2025 |
|
December 31, 2024 |
|
Amortized Cost |
|
Gross Unrealized Gains |
|
Gross Unrealized Losses |
|
Fair Value |
|
Amortized Cost |
|
Gross Unrealized Gains |
|
Gross Unrealized Losses |
|
Fair Value |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Treasury securities |
$ |
219,694 |
|
|
$ |
605 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
220,299 |
|
|
$ |
184,438 |
|
|
$ |
116 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
184,554 |
|
Corporate debt securities |
260,023 |
|
|
131 |
|
|
— |
|
|
260,154 |
|
|
208,410 |
|
|
— |
|
(76) |
|
|
208,334 |
|
| Agency securities |
13,999 |
|
|
— |
|
|
(2) |
|
|
13,997 |
|
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
|
— |
|
| Total marketable securities |
$ |
493,716 |
|
|
$ |
736 |
|
|
$ |
(2) |
|
|
$ |
494,450 |
|
|
$ |
392,848 |
|
|
$ |
116 |
|
|
$ |
(76) |
|
|
$ |
392,888 |
|
As of December 31, 2025, investments in marketable securities comprised of $220.3 million of treasury securities, of which $162.4 million mature in 2026 and $57.9 million mature in 2027, $260.2 million of corporate debt securities, of which $250.9 million mature in 2026 and $9.3 million mature in 2027 and $14.0 million of agency securities maturing in 2027. Marketable securities are classified as Current assets in the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2025 and 2024.
During the year ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, the Company recognized interest income of $29.5 million, $37.2 million, and $20.1 million respectively, from its investments in securities. Based on the Company’s policy under the expected credit loss model, including an assessment of the investment portfolio as of December 31, 2025, the Company concluded that any unrealized losses for its marketable securities were not attributable to credit and therefore an allowance for credit losses has not been recorded as of December 31, 2025. As of December 31, 2025, the Company held no securities that were in an unrealized loss position for more than 12 months.
Note 8 – Fair Value Measurements
The following table represents the estimated fair value of the Company’s financial assets and liabilities (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fair Value at December 31, 2025 |
|
Fair Value at December 31, 2024 |
|
Level 1 |
|
Level 2 |
|
Level 3 |
|
Level 1 |
|
Level 2 |
|
Level 3 |
| Assets |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Money market funds (1) |
$ |
128,152 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
287,393 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
— |
Government-backed securities (1) |
— |
|
90,000 |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
130,000 |
|
|
— |
Treasury securities |
— |
|
220,299 |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
184,554 |
|
|
— |
Corporate debt securities (2) |
— |
|
260,154 |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
243,158 |
|
|
— |
Agency securities |
— |
|
13,997 |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
Total |
$ |
128,152 |
|
|
$ |
584,450 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
287,393 |
|
|
$ |
557,712 |
|
|
$ |
— |
| Liabilities |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
5.00% Convertible notes due 2027 |
$ |
— |
|
$ |
28,313 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
174,386 |
|
|
$ |
— |
4.625% Convertible notes due 2031 |
— |
|
221,967 |
|
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
|
— |
Total Convertible notes payable |
$ |
— |
|
$ |
250,280 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
— |
|
$ |
174,386 |
|
|
$ |
— |
(1)Classified as cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2025 and 2024.
(2) Includes $34.8 million classified as cash and cash equivalents as of December 31, 2024.
Fixed-income investments categorized as Level 2 are valued at the custodian bank by a third-party pricing vendor’s valuation models that use verifiable observable market data, such as interest rates and yield curves observable at commonly quoted intervals and credit spreads, bids provided by brokers or dealers, or quoted prices of securities with similar characteristics.
Pricing of the Company’s convertible notes has been estimated using observable inputs, including the price of the Company’s common stock, implied volatility, interest rates, and credit spreads.
During the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company did not have any transfers between Levels.
The amount in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets for accounts payable and accrued expenses approximates its fair value due to its short-term nature.
Note 9 – Inventory
Inventory consisted of the following (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
| Raw materials |
$ |
2,612 |
|
|
$ |
2,087 |
|
| Semi-finished goods |
7,591 |
|
|
4,899 |
|
| Finished goods |
1,342 |
|
|
1,763 |
|
| Total inventory |
$ |
11,545 |
|
|
$ |
8,749 |
|
Inventory write-downs as a result of excess, obsolescence, expiry, or other reasons, and losses on firm purchase commitments, offset by recoveries of such commitments, are recorded as a component of cost of sales in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. For the year ended December 31, 2025, inventory write-downs were $1.9 million and losses on firm purchase commitments were $0.3 million. For the year ended December 31, 2024, inventory write-downs were $21.0 million and losses on firm purchase commitments, net of recoveries were $6.7 million.
Note 10 – Goodwill
The Company has one reporting unit, which has a negative carrying amount as of December 31, 2025 and 2024. The change in the carrying amounts of goodwill was as follows (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
| Beginning balance |
$ |
107,478 |
|
|
$ |
127,454 |
|
Goodwill allocated to disposition of Novavax CZ assets (See Note 20) |
— |
|
|
(12,371) |
|
| Currency translation adjustments |
5,984 |
|
|
(7,605) |
|
| Ending balance |
$ |
113,462 |
|
|
$ |
107,478 |
|
Note 11 – Leases
The Company has operating and finance leases for its research and development and manufacturing facilities, corporate headquarters and offices as well as embedded leases related to manufacturing supply agreements with CMOs. During the year ended December 31, 2025, as part of it’s global restructuring and cost reduction plan (“Restructuring Plan”), the Company classified its corporate headquarters facility at 700 Quince Orchard, Gaithersburg, Maryland (“700QO”), together with its related finance lease obligation, certain related property and equipment and land parcel adjacent to the facility (collectively referred to as the "Disposal Group"), as held for sale (see Note 19). As of December 31, 2025, the assets and liabilities of the Disposal Group were classified as held for sale and were presented separately in Current assets and Current liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet. As a result of this classification, the 700QO ROU asset and lease liability balance as of December 31, 2025, are excluded from the lease balances and related disclosures presented in the Supplemental balance sheet information table below.
Supplemental balance sheet information related to leases as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 was as follows (in thousands, except weighted-average remaining lease term and discount rate):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 31, |
| Lease Assets and Liabilities |
|
Classification |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
| Assets: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ROU assets, operating, net |
|
Right-of-use asset, net |
|
$ |
20,332 |
|
$ |
21,846 |
| ROU assets, finance, net |
|
Right-of-use asset, net |
|
2,565 |
|
139,739 |
| Total non-current ROU assets |
|
|
|
$ |
22,897 |
|
$ |
161,585 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Current portion of operating lease liabilities |
|
Other current liabilities |
|
$ |
9,878 |
|
$ |
10,094 |
| Current portion of finance lease liabilities |
|
Current portion of finance lease liabilities |
|
2,507 |
|
7,009 |
| Total current lease liabilities |
|
|
|
$ |
12,385 |
|
$ |
17,103 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Non-current portion of operating lease liabilities |
|
Other non-current liabilities |
|
$ |
19,359 |
|
$ |
22,958 |
| Non-current portion of finance lease liabilities |
|
Non-current finance lease liabilities |
|
2,091 |
|
53,726 |
| Total non-current lease liabilities |
|
|
|
$ |
21,450 |
|
$ |
76,684 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Weighted-average remaining lease term (years): |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Operating leases |
|
|
|
3.4 |
|
4.3 |
| Finance leases |
|
|
|
2.5 |
|
10.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Weighted-average discount rate: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Operating leases |
|
|
|
6.5% |
|
6.4% |
| Finance leases |
|
|
|
8.7% |
|
9.0% |
Lease expense for the operating, short-term and finance leases for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023 was as follows (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
| Operating lease expense |
$ |
5,944 |
|
|
$ |
9,005 |
|
|
$ |
6,929 |
|
Short-term lease expense (benefit(1)) |
— |
|
|
(26,619) |
|
|
(48,009) |
|
| Variable lease expense |
2,585 |
|
|
6,831 |
|
|
10,292 |
|
| Finance lease expense: |
|
|
|
|
|
| ROU assets expensed |
$ |
8,979 |
|
|
$ |
11,737 |
|
|
$ |
12,876 |
|
| Interest expense |
5,199 |
|
|
5,697 |
|
|
2,605 |
|
| Total finance lease expense |
$ |
14,178 |
|
|
$ |
17,434 |
|
|
$ |
15,481 |
|
(1) During the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company recognized a short-term lease benefit of $26.6 million and $48.0 million, respectively, due to gains on the settlement of manufacturing supply agreements with CMOs and CDMOs that included embedded leases.
Supplemental cash flow information related to leases for the year ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023 was as follows (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
| Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities: |
|
|
|
|
|
| Operating cash flows used in operating leases |
$ |
9,665 |
|
|
$ |
63,673 |
|
|
$ |
101,297 |
|
| Operating cash flows used in finance leases |
5,199 |
|
|
5,697 |
|
|
2,605 |
|
| Financing cash flows used in finance leases |
10,071 |
|
|
3,994 |
|
|
27,345 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ROU assets obtained in exchange for operating lease obligations |
$ |
1,167 |
|
|
$ |
3,987 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
| ROU assets obtained in exchange for finance lease obligations |
1,803 |
|
|
3,664 |
|
|
103,299 |
|
As of December 31, 2025, maturities of lease liabilities were as follows (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Year |
Operating |
|
Finance |
| 2026 |
$ |
10,284 |
|
|
$ |
2,823 |
|
| 2027 |
8,170 |
|
|
966 |
|
| 2028 |
8,376 |
|
|
966 |
|
| 2029 |
4,233 |
|
|
483 |
|
| 2030 |
1,405 |
|
|
— |
|
| Thereafter |
— |
|
|
— |
|
| Total minimum lease payments |
32,468 |
|
|
5,238 |
|
| Less: imputed interest |
3,231 |
|
|
640 |
|
| Total lease liabilities |
$ |
29,237 |
|
|
$ |
4,598 |
|
Note 12 – Long-Term Debt
The Company’s long-term debt consisted of the following (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
5.00% 2027 Convertible Notes |
$ |
26,485 |
|
|
$ |
175,250 |
|
4.625% 2031 Convertible Notes |
225,000 |
|
|
— |
|
| Unamortized debt issuance costs |
(7,272) |
|
|
(5,566) |
|
Total convertible notes payable |
$ |
244,213 |
|
|
$ |
169,684 |
|
As of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the effective interest rate of the Convertible Senior Notes due 2027 is 6.2%. As of December 31, 2025, the effective interest rate of the Convertible Senior Notes due 2031 is 5.3%.
The interest expense incurred in connection with the convertible notes payable consisted of the following (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
| |
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
| Coupon interest |
$ |
9,867 |
|
|
$ |
8,762 |
|
|
$ |
9,779 |
|
| Amortization of debt issuance costs |
1,660 |
|
|
1,668 |
|
|
1,689 |
|
| Total interest expense on convertible notes payable |
$ |
11,527 |
|
|
$ |
10,430 |
|
|
$ |
11,468 |
|
2031 Convertible Notes
In August 2025, the Company issued $225.0 million aggregate principal amount of its 4.625% Convertible Senior Notes due 2031 (the “2031 Notes”) consisting of (a) $175.3 million principal amount of 2031 Notes issued in exchange for $148.8 million principal amount of the Company’s 5.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2027 (the “2027 Notes”), and (b) approximately $49.7 million principal amount of 2031 Notes issued for cash, in each case, pursuant to exemptions from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the rules and regulations thereunder.
The 2031 Notes were issued pursuant to, and are governed by, an indenture (the “2031 Indenture”), dated as of August 27, 2025, between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. as trustee.
The 2031 Notes are senior, unsecured obligations of the Company and accrue interest at a rate of 4.625% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears on March 1 and September 1 of each year, beginning on March 1, 2026. The 2031 Notes will mature on September 1, 2031, unless earlier repurchased, redeemed or converted. Before June 1, 2031, noteholders have the right to convert their 2031 Notes only upon the occurrence of certain events. From and including June 1, 2031, noteholders may convert their 2031 Notes at any time at their election until the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately before the maturity date. The Company will settle conversions by paying cash, shares of its common stock or a combination of cash and shares of its common stock, at its election, based on the applicable conversion rate. The initial conversion rate is 89.7384 shares of common stock per $1,000 principal amount of 2031 Notes, which represents an initial conversion price of approximately $11.14 per share of common stock. The initial conversion price represents a premium of approximately 28% over the last reported sale price of the Company’s common stock on August 20, 2025. The conversion rate and conversion price will be subject to customary adjustments upon the occurrence of certain events. In addition, if certain corporate events that constitute a “Make-Whole Fundamental Change” (as defined in the 2031 Indenture) occur, then the conversion rate will, in certain circumstances, be increased for a specified period of time. The initial maximum conversion rate is 114.4164 shares of common stock per $1,000 principal amount of 2031 Notes.
The 2031 Notes are redeemable, in whole or in part (subject to certain limitations), for cash at the Company’s option at any time, and from time to time, on or after September 5, 2028 and before the 41st scheduled trading day immediately before the maturity date, but only if the last reported sale price per share of the Company’s common stock exceeds 130% of the conversion price for a specified period of time. However, the Company may not redeem less than all of the outstanding 2031 Notes unless at least $50.0 million aggregate principal amount of 2031 Notes are outstanding and not called for redemption as of the time the Company sends the related redemption notice. The redemption price is equal to the principal amount of the 2031 Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the relevant redemption date.
Holders of the 2031 Notes will have the right to require the Company to repurchase all or part of their 2031 Notes for cash in the event of certain Fundamental Changes (as defined in the 2031 Indenture), at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the 2031 Notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the relevant repurchase date.
In accordance with ASC 470-50 Modification and Extinguishments, the Company determined that the modified terms of the $175.3 million principal amount of the 2031 Notes were substantially different than the terms of $148.8 million principal amount of the 2027 Notes they were exchanged for, and therefore, the exchange was accounted for as an extinguishment of the 2027 Notes and Issuance of 2031 Notes. The Company recorded a loss on debt extinguishment of $28.7 million related to the exchange.
The initial purchasers’ fees and the Company’s issuance costs related to the issuance of the 2031 Notes totaled $7.1 million, which were recorded as a reduction to the 2031 Notes on the consolidated balance sheet and is being amortized and recognized as additional interest expense over the six-year contractual term of the 2031 Notes using the effective interest rate of 5.3%
2027 Convertible Notes
In December 2022, the Company issued $175.3 million aggregate principal amount of 5.0% Convertible Senior Notes that will mature on December 15, 2027 (the “2027 Notes”), unless earlier converted, redeemed, or repurchased. In August 2025, the Company exchanged $175.3 million aggregate principal amount of newly issued 2031 Notes for $148.8 million aggregate principal amount of 2027 Notes, as discussed above, after which $26.5 million aggregate principal amount of 2027 Notes remained outstanding. The 2027 Notes were issued in a private placement to qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and pursuant to an indenture dated December 20, 2022 (the “2027 Indenture”) between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee. Concurrently with the issuance of the 2027 Notes, the Company completed a public offering of shares of its common stock.
The Company received $166.4 million in net proceeds from the issuance of the 2027 Notes after deducting the initial purchasers’ fees and the Company’s offering expenses. The 2027 Notes bear cash interest at a rate of 5.0% per year, payable semiannually in arrears on June 15 and December 15 of each year, beginning on June 15, 2023.
The 2027 Notes are convertible at the option of the holders at any time prior to the close of business on the business day immediately preceding September 15, 2027, only under the following circumstances: (1) during any calendar quarter commencing after the calendar quarter ending on March 31, 2023 (and only during such calendar quarter), if the last reported sale price of the Company’s common stock for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) during a period of 30 consecutive trading days ending on, and including, the last trading day of the immediately preceding calendar quarter is greater than or equal to 130% of the conversion price for the 2027 Notes on each applicable trading day; (2) during the five business day period after any ten consecutive trading day period (the “measurement period”) in which the trading price (as defined in the 2027 Indenture) per $1,000 principal amount of the 2027 Notes for each trading day of the measurement period was less than 98% of the product of the last reported sale price of the Company’s common stock and the conversion rate for the 2027 Notes on each such trading day; (3) if the Company calls such 2027 Notes for redemption, at any time prior to the close of business on the scheduled trading day immediately preceding the redemption date, but only with respect to the 2027 Notes called (or deemed called) for redemption; and (4) upon the occurrence of specified corporate events as set forth in the 2027 Indenture. On or after September 15, 2027, until the close of business on the business day immediately preceding the maturity date (December 15, 2027), holders of the 2027 Notes may convert all or any portion of their 2027 Notes at any time, regardless of the foregoing conditions. Upon conversion, the Company may satisfy its conversion obligation by paying or delivering, as the case may be, cash, shares of the Company’s common stock, or a combination of cash and shares of the Company’s common stock, at the Company’s election, in the manner and subject to the terms and conditions provided in the 2027 Indenture.
The conversion rate for the 2027 Notes will initially be 80.0000 shares of the Company’s common stock per $1,000 principal amount of 2027 Notes, which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of $12.50 per share of common stock. The initial conversion price of the 2027 Notes represents a conversion premium of 25% of the public offering price in the Company’s concurrent common stock offering that closed on December 20, 2022. The conversion rate for the 2027 Notes is subject to adjustment under certain circumstances in accordance with the terms of the 2027 Indenture. In addition, following certain corporate events that occur prior to the maturity date of the 2027 Notes or if the Company delivers a notice of redemption in respect of the 2027 Notes, the Company will, under certain circumstances, increase the conversion rate of the 2027 Notes for a holder who elects to convert its 2027 Notes (or any portion thereof) in connection with such a corporate event or convert its 2027 Notes called (or deemed called) for redemption during the related redemption period (as defined in the 2027 Indenture), as the case may be.
The Company may not redeem the 2027 Notes prior to December 22, 2025. The Company may redeem for cash all or any portion of the 2027 Notes, at its option, on or after December 22, 2025, if the last reported sale price of the common stock has been at least 130% of the conversion price for the 2027 Notes then in effect for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) during any 30 consecutive trading day period (including the last trading day of such period) ending on, and including, the trading day immediately preceding the date on which the Company provides notice of redemption at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the 2027 Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, to, but excluding, the redemption date. If the Company redeems less than all the outstanding 2027 Notes, at least $50 million aggregate principal amount of 2027 Notes must be outstanding and not subject to redemption as of the date of the relevant notice of redemption. No sinking fund is provided for the 2027 Notes.
If the Company undergoes a Fundamental Change (as defined in the 2027 Indenture), holders may require, subject to certain conditions and exceptions as set forth in the 2027 Indenture, the Company to repurchase for cash all or any portion of their 2027 Notes at a Fundamental Change repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the 2027 Notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, to, but excluding, the Fundamental Change repurchase date. If a holder of the 2027 Notes converted upon a Make-Whole Fundamental Change (as described in the 2027 Indenture), they may be eligible to receive a make-whole premium through an increase to the conversion rate up to a maximum of 20.0000 shares per $1,000 principal amount of 2027 Notes (subject to other adjustments as described in the 2027 Indenture).
In accounting for the issuance of the 2027 Notes, the Company determined that the scope exceptions provided under ASC Topic 815-40, Derivatives and Hedging – Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (“ASC 815-40”) apply to all but one of the conversion features embedded in the 2027 Notes. This remaining conversion feature, which is associated with a Fundamental Change of the Company, was determined to have a de minimis value as of December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023.
The initial purchasers’ fees and the Company’s issuance costs related to the 2027 Notes totaled $8.8 million, which were recorded as a reduction to the 2027 Notes on the consolidated balance sheet. The $8.8 million of debt issuance costs is being amortized and recognized as additional interest expense over the five-year contractual term of the 2027 Notes using an effective interest rate of 6.2%.
Note 13 – Stockholders’ Deficit
In August 2023, the Company entered into an At Market Issuance Sales Agreement (the “August 2023 Sales Agreement”), which allows it to issue and sell up to $500 million in gross proceeds of shares of its common stock, and terminated its then-existing At Market Issuance Sales agreement entered in June 2021 (the “June 2021 Sales Agreement”). As of December 31, 2025, the remaining balance available under the August 2023 Sales Agreement was approximately $51 million.
During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company sold 12.2 million shares of its common stock under its August 2023 Sales Agreement, resulting in net proceeds of approximately $188 million. No shares were sold during the year ended December 31, 2025.
In May 2024, the Company also entered into the Sanofi Subscription Agreement, pursuant to which the Company sold and issued to Sanofi, in a private placement, 6.9 million shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share at a price of $10.00 per share, for aggregate gross proceeds to the Company of $68.8 million.
Note 14 – Stock-Based Compensation
Equity Plans
In January 2023, the Company established the 2023 Inducement Plan (the “2023 Inducement Plan”), which provides for the granting of share-based awards to individuals who were not previously employees, or following a bona fide period of non-employment, as an inducement material to such individuals entering into employment with the Company. The Company reserved 1.0 million shares of common stock for grants under the 2023 Inducement Plan. As of December 31, 2025, there were 0.1 million shares available for issuance under the 2023 Inducement Plan.
The 2015 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended (“2015 Plan”), was approved at the Company’s annual meeting of stockholders in June 2015. Under the 2015 Plan, equity awards may be granted to officers, directors, employees, and consultants of and advisors to the Company and any present or future subsidiary.
The 2015 Plan authorizes the issuance of up to 27.5 million shares of common stock under equity awards granted under the 2015 Plan. All such shares authorized for issuance under the 2015 Plan have been reserved. The 2015 Plan will expire on March 30, 2033. As of December 31, 2025, there were 6.7 million shares available for issuance under the 2015 Plan.
The Amended and Restated 2005 Stock Incentive Plan (“2005 Plan”) expired in February 2015 and no new awards may be made under such plan, although awards will continue to be outstanding in accordance with their terms.
The 2023 Inducement Plan and the 2015 Plan permit, and the 2005 Plan permitted, the grant of stock options (including incentive stock options), restricted stock, stock appreciation rights (“SARs”), and restricted stock units (“RSUs”). In addition, under the 2023 Inducement Plan and the 2015 Plan, unrestricted stock, stock units, and performance awards may be granted. Stock options and SARs generally have a maximum term of ten years and may be or were granted with an exercise price that is no less than 100% of the fair market value of the Company’s common stock at the time of grant. Grants of share-based awards are generally subject to vesting over periods ranging from one to one to four years.
The Company recorded stock-based compensation expense in the consolidated statements of operations as follows (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
| Cost of sales |
$ |
1,361 |
|
|
$ |
3,431 |
|
|
$ |
3,417 |
|
| Research and development |
14,068 |
|
|
20,868 |
|
|
41,211 |
|
| Selling, general, and administrative |
20,586 |
|
|
23,853 |
|
|
40,729 |
|
| Total stock-based compensation expense |
$ |
36,015 |
|
|
$ |
48,152 |
|
|
$ |
85,357 |
|
During the year ended December 31, 2023, total stock-based compensation capitalized in inventory was $0.5 million. No stock-based compensation was capitalized in inventory during the year ended December 31, 2025 and 2024.
As of December 31, 2025, there was approximately $42 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested stock options, SARs, RSUs, and the ESPP. This unrecognized non-cash compensation expense is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 1.1 years and will be allocated between cost of sales, research and development, and general and administrative expenses accordingly. This estimate does not include the impact of other possible stock-based awards that may be made during future periods.
The aggregate intrinsic value represents the total intrinsic value (the difference between the Company’s closing stock price on the last trading day of the period and the exercise price, multiplied by the number of in-the-money stock options and SARs) that would have been received by the holders had all stock option and SARs holders exercised their stock options and SARs on December 31, 2025. This amount is subject to change based on changes to the closing price of the Company’s common stock. The aggregate intrinsic value of stock options and SARs exercises and vesting of RSUs for the years ending December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023 was approximately $20 million, $13 million, and $5 million, respectively.
Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights
The following is a summary of stock options and SARs activity under the 2023 Inducement Plan, 2015 Plan and the 2005 Plan for the year ended December 31, 2025:
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|
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|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
2023 Inducement Plan |
|
2015 Plan |
| |
Stock Options |
|
Weighted- Average Exercise Price |
|
Stock Options & SARs |
|
Weighted- Average Exercise Price |
| Outstanding at January 1, 2025 |
486,950 |
|
|
$ |
10.45 |
|
|
3,496,052 |
|
|
$ |
32.75 |
|
| Granted |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
2,461,163 |
|
|
$ |
7.74 |
|
| Exercised |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
(45,855) |
|
|
$ |
6.58 |
|
| Canceled |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
(689,363) |
|
|
$ |
52.56 |
|
| Outstanding at December 31, 2025 |
486,950 |
|
|
$ |
10.45 |
|
|
5,221,997 |
|
|
$ |
18.58 |
|
| Shares exercisable at December 31, 2025 |
312,134 |
|
|
$ |
10.67 |
|
|
2,256,914 |
|
|
$ |
32.74 |
|
The fair value of stock options granted under the 2023 Inducement Plan and the 2015 Plan was estimated at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following assumptions:
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
| |
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
Weighted average Black-Scholes fair value of stock options and SARs granted |
$5.60 |
|
$5.94 |
|
$7.00 |
| Risk-free interest rate |
3.7%-4.1% |
|
4.1%-4.3% |
|
3.5%-4.8% |
| Dividend yield |
—% |
|
—% |
|
—% |
| Volatility |
94.6%-121.7% |
|
104.4%-121.8% |
|
120.4%-140.3% |
| Expected term (in years) |
3.5-6.5 |
|
3.8-6.3 |
|
3.9-6.4 |
The total aggregate intrinsic value and weighted-average remaining contractual term of stock options and SARs outstanding under the 2023 Inducement Plan and 2005 Plan as of December 31, 2025 was less than $1.3 million and 7.5 years, respectively. The total aggregate intrinsic value and weighted-average remaining contractual term of stock options and SARs exercisable under the 2023 Inducement Plan and 2005 Plan as of December 31, 2025 was less than $0.7 million and 5.8 years, respectively.
Restricted Stock Units
The following is a summary of RSU activity for the year ended December 31, 2025:
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|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023 Inducement Plan |
|
2015 Plan |
| |
Number of Shares |
|
Per Share Weighted- Average Fair Value |
|
Number of Shares |
|
Per Share Weighted- Average Fair Value |
Outstanding and unvested at January 1, 2025 |
285,429 |
|
|
$ |
10.42 |
|
|
5,558,642 |
|
|
$ |
8.27 |
|
| Restricted stock units granted |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
3,705,898 |
|
|
$ |
7.81 |
|
| Restricted stock units vested |
(135,586) |
|
|
$ |
10.49 |
|
|
(2,268,830) |
|
|
$ |
11.33 |
|
| Restricted stock units forfeited |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
(1,104,121) |
|
|
$ |
7.49 |
|
| Outstanding and unvested at December 31, 2025 |
149,843 |
|
|
$ |
10.35 |
|
|
5,891,589 |
|
|
$ |
6.95 |
|
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
The ESPP was approved at the Company’s annual meeting of stockholders in June 2013. The ESPP currently authorizes an aggregate of 2.3 million shares of common stock to be purchased, and the aggregate amount of shares will continue to increase 5% on each anniversary of its adoption up to a maximum of 3.5 million shares. The ESPP allows employees to purchase shares of common stock of the Company at each purchase date through payroll deductions of up to a maximum of 15% of their compensation, at 85% of the lesser of the market price of the shares at the time of purchase or the market price on the beginning date of an option period (or, if later, the date during the option period when the employee was first eligible to participate). At December 31, 2025, there were 0.5 million shares available for issuance under the ESPP.
Note 15 – Employee Benefits
The Company maintains a defined contribution 401(k) retirement plan, pursuant to which employees may elect to contribute up to 100% of their compensation on a tax deferred basis up to the maximum amount permitted by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The Company matches 100% of the first 3% of the participants’ deferral, and 50% on the next 2% of the participants’ deferral, up to a potential 4% Company match. The Company’s matching contributions to the 401(k) plan vest immediately. Under its 401(k) plan, the Company has recorded expense of $4.5 million, $5.5 million, and $7.0 million in 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.
The Company’s foreign subsidiaries have pension plans under local tax and labor laws and are obligated to make contributions to the plan. Contributions and other expenses related to these plans were $2.7 million, $2.6 million, and $3.0 million in 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.
Note 16 – Other Financial Information
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets
Prepaid expenses and other current assets consist of the following as of (in thousands):
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
| Prepaid expenses |
$ |
16,945 |
|
|
$ |
56,276 |
|
| Other current assets |
9,870 |
|
|
21,888 |
|
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
$ |
26,815 |
|
|
$ |
78,164 |
|
Property and Equipment, net
Property and equipment is comprised of the following as of (in thousands):
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
Land |
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
14,945 |
|
| Machinery and equipment |
47,311 |
|
|
61,498 |
|
| Leasehold improvements |
31,249 |
|
|
66,886 |
|
| Computer hardware |
589 |
|
|
4,728 |
|
| Construction in progress |
6,272 |
|
|
39,513 |
|
|
85,421 |
|
|
187,570 |
|
| Less: accumulated depreciation |
(40,621) |
|
|
(49,157) |
|
| Property and equipment, net |
$ |
44,800 |
|
|
$ |
138,413 |
|
During the three months ended September 30, 2025, the Company classified its leasehold interest in 700QO, certain related property and equipment and land parcel adjacent to the facility, as held for sale. In October 2025, the Company executed an agreement to assign the lease, sell the adjacent land parcel, and transfer specified property and equipment for an aggregate consideration of $59.8 million (see Note 19). As a result of this classification, the related assets were not included in the Company’s December 31, 2025 property and equipment ending balances. In December 2024, the Company sold approximately $135 million of property and equipment, net, representing the Company’s biologics manufacturing campus and other moveable assets and equipment located in the Czech Republic (see Note 20). Depreciation and amortization expense was approximately $28 million, $48 million, and $41 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.
Accrued Expenses
Accrued expenses consist of the following as of (in thousands):
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
| Employee benefits and compensation |
$ |
50,975 |
|
|
$ |
60,350 |
|
Gross-to-net deductions |
— |
|
|
18,821 |
|
U.S. product sales returns accrual |
— |
|
|
58,259 |
|
R&D and operations accruals |
47,482 |
|
|
37,847 |
|
| Other accrued expenses |
8,708 |
|
|
35,888 |
|
Total accrued expenses |
$ |
107,165 |
|
|
$ |
211,165 |
|
Other Current Liabilities
Other current liabilities consist of the following as of (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
Refunds due to APA customers |
$ |
5,672 |
|
|
$ |
87,901 |
|
Due to UK Authority(1) |
38,588 |
|
|
36,357 |
|
Due to Gavi (see Note 3) |
80,000 |
|
|
85,000 |
|
| Other current liabilities |
13,518 |
|
|
10,338 |
|
| Total other current liabilities |
$ |
137,778 |
|
|
$ |
219,596 |
|
Other Non-Current Liabilities
Other non-current liabilities consist of the following as of (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
Due to UK Authority(1) |
20,173 |
|
|
58,761 |
|
Due to Gavi (see Note 3) |
195,000 |
|
|
275,000 |
|
Operating lease liabilities |
19,359 |
|
|
22,958 |
|
Other non-current liabilities |
4,536 |
|
|
2,895 |
|
Total non-other current liabilities |
$ |
239,068 |
|
|
$ |
359,614 |
|
(1) In November 2024, the Company and Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (as assigned to the UK Health Security Agency), acting on behalf of the government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the “UK Authority”) entered into a settlement agreement, which resolved disputes regarding the supply agreement with the UK Authority. Under the terms of the settlement agreement the Company agreed to repay previously received upfront payments in equal installment payments to the UK Authority. The remaining payments due to the UK Authority are classified as Other current liabilities and Other non-current liabilities on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet.
Note 17 – Income Taxes
The Company’s income (loss) before income tax expense by jurisdiction is as follows (in thousands):
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
| Domestic |
$ |
426,282 |
|
|
$ |
(261,909) |
|
|
$ |
(628,984) |
|
| Foreign |
15,885 |
|
|
85,294 |
|
|
85,953 |
|
Income (loss) before income tax expense |
$ |
442,167 |
|
|
$ |
(176,615) |
|
|
$ |
(543,031) |
|
Significant components of the current and deferred income tax expense (benefit) are as follows (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
Current: |
|
|
|
|
|
| Domestic |
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
(1,300) |
|
| State and local |
(26) |
|
|
43 |
|
|
(157) |
|
| Foreign |
1,908 |
|
|
12,264 |
|
|
1,445 |
|
Total current income tax expense (benefit) |
1,882 |
|
|
12,307 |
|
|
(12) |
|
Deferred: |
|
|
|
|
|
Foreign |
(17) |
|
|
(1,423) |
|
|
2,043 |
|
| Total income tax expense |
$ |
1,865 |
|
|
$ |
10,884 |
|
|
$ |
2,031 |
|
A reconciliation of the provision for income taxes to the amount computed by applying the 21% statutory U.S. federal income tax rate to income before income taxes after the adoption of ASU 2023-09 is as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended December 31, 2025 |
|
Amount |
|
% |
| Statutory federal income tax expense |
$ |
92,855 |
|
|
21 |
% |
State and local income taxes, net of federal benefit(1) |
155 |
|
|
— |
% |
| Foreign tax effects |
|
|
|
Czech Republic |
|
|
|
Non-taxable foreign currency adjustment |
(4,845) |
|
|
(1) |
% |
Other foreign tax jurisdictions |
3,413 |
|
|
1 |
% |
| Effect of cross-border tax laws |
|
|
|
Net controlled foreign corporation tested income |
4,049 |
|
|
1 |
% |
Other |
416 |
|
|
— |
% |
| Changes in valuation allowance |
(101,100) |
|
|
(23) |
% |
| Non-taxable or non-deductible items |
|
|
|
Share-based compensation(2) |
5,443 |
|
|
1 |
% |
Other |
1,770 |
|
|
— |
% |
| Changes in unrecognized tax benefits |
(106) |
|
|
— |
% |
| Other adjustments |
(185) |
|
|
— |
% |
Income tax expense |
$ |
1,865 |
|
|
— |
% |
(1) State and local income taxes in Maryland and Pennsylvania made up the majority (greater than 50 percent) of the tax effect in this category.
(2) Amounts in this category include the tax impact of share-based compensation windfalls, shortfalls and option cancellations.
A reconciliation of the provision for income taxes to the amount computed by applying the 21% statutory U.S. federal income tax rate to income (loss) before income taxes for years prior to the adoption of ASU 2023-09 is as follows:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
| Statutory federal tax rate |
21 |
% |
|
21 |
% |
| State income taxes, net of federal benefit |
3 |
% |
|
1 |
% |
| Non-cash stock-based compensation |
(9) |
% |
|
(1) |
% |
| U.S. taxation of foreign operations |
(3) |
% |
|
(4) |
% |
Cancellation of indebtedness |
— |
% |
|
(1) |
% |
Deferred tax asset write down |
(13) |
% |
|
— |
% |
Non-US tax credits |
— |
% |
|
4 |
% |
| Other |
(6) |
% |
|
— |
% |
| Change in tax rate |
8 |
% |
|
— |
% |
| Change in valuation allowance |
(7) |
% |
|
(20) |
% |
Income tax expense |
(6) |
% |
|
— |
% |
The Company’s income taxes paid, net of refunds received by jurisdiction for the year ended December 31, 2025 is as follows (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended December 31, 2025 |
Federal |
|
$ |
— |
|
State |
|
(15) |
|
Foreign |
|
|
Czech Republic |
|
4,274 |
|
India withholding tax |
|
2,152 |
|
Sweden |
|
1,047 |
|
Switzerland |
|
1,075 |
|
Other |
|
273 |
|
Income taxes paid (refunds received) |
|
$ |
8,806 |
|
As of December 31, 2025, the Company has available federal, state, and foreign net operating losses of $2.6 billion, $824.1 million, and $10.9 million, respectively, that may be applied against future taxable income in the respective jurisdiction. The federal net operating losses of $2.6 billion may be carried forward indefinitely, except for $9.6 million which expires in 2037, limited to use equal to 80% of future annual federal taxable income. State net operating losses of $450.9 million have various expiration dates between 2028 and 2045. The remaining state and foreign net operating losses of $373.1 million and $10.9 million, respectively, can be carried forward indefinitely. The Company also has federal research tax credits of $50.9 million that will expire from 2026 through 2043 and a state research tax credit of $1.3 million that will expire from 2028 through 2030. Utilization of the federal and state net operating loss carryforwards and research tax credits may be subject to an annual limitation due to potential future ownership changes of the Company. As of December 31, 2025, the Company does not expect such limitation, if any, to impact the use of its net operating losses and research tax credits.
The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and in various states, as well as in multiple foreign jurisdictions, including Sweden and the Czech Republic. The Company has U.S. federal and state net operating losses and credit carryforwards that are subject to examination from 2002 through 2024. The returns in Sweden are subject to examination from 2016 through 2025 and the returns for the Czech Republic are subject to examination from 2019 through 2025.
The significant components of the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities as of December 31 are as follows (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
| Deferred tax assets: |
|
|
|
Federal, state, and foreign net operating loss carryforward |
$ |
587,824 |
|
|
$ |
551,261 |
|
| Research tax credits |
50,919 |
|
|
51,343 |
|
| Lease liability |
7,714 |
|
|
21,567 |
|
| Deferred revenue |
191,016 |
|
|
314,121 |
|
| Inventory reserve |
28,689 |
|
|
36,546 |
|
Allowance for sales returns |
— |
|
|
13,397 |
|
| Non-cash stock-based compensation |
18,275 |
|
|
22,376 |
|
| Capitalized research costs |
118,111 |
|
|
152,046 |
|
| Other |
29,048 |
|
|
15,150 |
|
| Gross deferred tax assets |
1,031,596 |
|
|
1,177,807 |
|
| Valuation allowance |
(1,025,765) |
|
|
(1,135,559) |
|
| Total deferred tax assets |
$ |
5,831 |
|
|
$ |
42,248 |
|
| Deferred tax liabilities: |
|
|
|
| ROU assets |
$ |
(5,199) |
|
|
$ |
(37,159) |
|
| Fixed assets |
— |
|
|
(4,492) |
|
| Intangibles |
(1,087) |
|
|
(999) |
|
| Total deferred tax liabilities |
$ |
(6,286) |
|
|
$ |
(42,650) |
|
Net deferred tax liabilities |
$ |
(455) |
|
|
$ |
(402) |
|
The Company has evaluated the positive and negative evidence bearing upon the realization of its deferred tax assets, including its history of significant losses in every year since inception except the current year and, in accordance with U.S GAAP, has fully reserved the net deferred tax assets. The Company concluded that realization of its net deferred tax assets is not more-likely-than-not to be realized as of December 31, 2025 and 2024. The valuation allowance decreased by $109.8 million and increased by $6.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The net change was due to the income (loss) before taxes generated in each year.
The net deferred tax liability of $0.5 million and $0.4 million at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, is included within Other non-current liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets.
The Company recognizes the effect of an income tax position when it is more likely than not, based on the technical merits, that the income tax position will be sustained upon examination. A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amounts of unrecognized tax benefits in the year ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023 is as follows (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
Unrecognized tax benefits balance at January 1, |
$ |
4,100 |
|
|
$ |
4,237 |
|
|
$ |
5,194 |
|
| Additions for tax positions of current year |
— |
|
|
— |
|
|
271 |
|
| Reductions for tax positions of prior year |
(106) |
|
|
(137) |
|
|
(1,228) |
|
| Unrecognized tax benefits balance at December 31, |
$ |
3,994 |
|
|
$ |
4,100 |
|
|
$ |
4,237 |
|
The Company’s policy is to recognize interest and penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company had no accruals or expenses for interest or penalties. The total amount of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, could affect the effective tax rate was $4.0 million and $4.1 million as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. However, the Company maintains a full valuation allowance as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 and the recognition of any unrecognized tax benefits would be offset with a change in the valuation allowance and therefore there would be no income statement impact. As of December 31, 2025, the Company does not expect a significant change in the recorded unrecognized tax benefits liability balance during the next twelve months. The unrecognized tax benefits are presented in the financial statements as a reduction to the deferred tax assets for all periods.
In December 2025, the Company received a notification that the Internal Revenue Service has initiated an examination of the Company’s U.S. federal income tax return for the 2023 tax year. The examination is in its early stages.
On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed into federal law H.R. 1 – One Big Beautiful Bill Act (the “Act”). Included in the Act are several corporate federal income tax considerations that will be relevant to the Company, specifically with respect to tax depreciation for specified fixed asset additions, capitalization of R&D costs, the deductibility of interest expense and certain federal tax rules with respect to the taxation of international operations. The Act has not had a significant impact on the Company’s effective income tax rate and its net deferred federal income tax assets as the Company maintains a full valuation allowance.
In 2021, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (“OECD”) developed guidance on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (“BEPS”) Pillar Two Model Rules (“Pillar Two”), which addresses corporate tax planning strategies used by some large multinational corporations to shift profits from higher-tax jurisdictions to lower-tax jurisdictions or zero-tax locations. This guidance imposes a 15% minimum tax on the earnings of large multinational corporations. Pillar Two is effective in 2024 for the jurisdictions in which the Company operates. These rules have not had a significant impact on the Company’s effective tax rate or its consolidated financial statements.
Note 18 – Commitment and Contingencies
Legal Matters
The Company is involved in various legal proceedings arising in the normal course of business. Although the outcomes of these legal proceedings are inherently difficult to predict, the Company does not expect the resolution of these legal proceedings to have a material adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.
Purchase Commitments
The Company has entered into agreements in the normal course of business with CMOs and CDMOs supplying the Company with production capabilities, and with vendors for preclinical studies, clinical trials, and other goods or services. Certain agreements provide for termination rights subject to termination fees. Under such agreements, the Company is contractually obligated to make payments to vendors, mainly to reimburse them for their estimated unrecoverable expenses. The exact amount of such obligations are dependent on the timing of termination and the terms of the relevant agreement, and cannot be reasonably estimated. As of December 31, 2025, most of these agreements were active ongoing arrangements and the Company expects to receive value from these arrangements in the future. The Company recognizes fees related to obligations for terminated contracts where such fees are reasonably estimable. The Company did not accrue obligations that were not reasonably estimable. As of December 31, 2025, the Company had $2.7 million of non-cancelable purchase commitments with a remaining term of more than one year.
Note 19 – Restructuring
During the three months ended September 30, 2025, the Company classified its corporate headquarters facility at 700QO, together with its related finance lease obligation, certain related property and equipment and land parcel adjacent to the facility as held for sale, in accordance with its accounting policy defined in Note 2. The assets and liabilities of the Disposal Group were classified as held for sale and were presented separately in Current assets and Current liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet. In October 2025, the Company entered into an assignment of the lease with respect to the Disposal Group with AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP (“AstraZeneca”). The effect of the agreement is to assign the lease agreement for 700QO, together with a parcel purchase agreement for the sale of a parcel of land adjacent to the 700QO facility and an asset purchase agreement for the sale of certain personal property and equipment, for an aggregate of $59.8 million payable by AstraZeneca to the Company. The fair value less cost to sell of the Disposal Group was $56.3 million, comprised of $59.8 million of sale consideration, less $3.5 million of costs to sell.
The carrying value of the Disposal Group was determined to be greater than its fair value less costs to sell and, consequently, the Company recorded an impairment of assets held for sale of $97.8 million during the year ended December 31, 2025.
The initial net payment of $19.7 million related to the parcel purchase (land sale), was received in November 2025. The remaining $39.8 million payment was received in January 2026. The held for sale finance lease obligation of $47.9 million was derecognized on the assignment of the 700QO lease agreement in January 2026.
The other restructuring charge recorded by the Company consisted of the following (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
| Severance and employee benefit costs |
$ |
7,751 |
|
|
$ |
12,829 |
|
|
$ |
4,503 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Impairment of assets |
4,880 |
|
|
4,132 |
|
|
10,081 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Restructuring charge (1) |
$ |
12,631 |
|
|
$ |
16,961 |
|
|
$ |
14,584 |
|
(1) Restructuring charges of $5.5 million and $7.1 million are included in Research and development and Selling, general, and administrative expenses, respectively, in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations in 2025. Restructuring charges of $1.0 million, $2.4 million and $13.6 million are included in Cost of sales, Research and development and Selling, general, and administrative expenses, respectively, in the consolidated statement of operations in 2024. Restructuring charges of $0.5 million, $2.3 million and $11.5 million are included in Cost of sales, Research and development and Selling, general, and administrative expenses, respectively, in the consolidated statement of operations in 2023. These charges reflect substantially all expected restructuring charges under the Restructuring Plan.
Severance and employee benefit costs
Employees affected by the reduction in force under the Restructuring Plan are entitled to receive severance payments and certain termination benefits. The Company recorded a severance and termination benefit cost in full for employees who were notified of their termination during the year ended December 31, 2025 and had no requirements for future service.
The following table summarizes the activity within the accrued severance and employee benefits liability, which is included in "Accrued expenses" in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets, for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023 (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
| Beginning Balance |
$ |
3,069 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
| Severance and employee benefit costs |
7,751 |
|
|
12,829 |
|
|
4,503 |
|
Cash payments |
(10,150) |
|
|
(9,760) |
|
|
(4,503) |
|
| Ending Balance |
$ |
670 |
|
|
$ |
3,069 |
|
|
$ |
— |
|
Impairment of long-lived assets
In connection with the Restructuring Plan, the Company also evaluated its long-lived assets, other than the Disposal Group classified as held for sale, for impairment. The Company performed an impairment evaluation for the applicable long-lived assets, which is subject to judgment and actual results may vary from the estimates, resulting in potential future adjustments to amounts recorded. During the year ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $4.9 million, $4.1 million and $10.1 million, respectively, related to the impairment of long-lived assets, including $5.9 million related to ROU assets for facility leases in 2023.
Note 20 – Disposition of Assets
In December 2024, Novavax CZ a.s. (“CZ”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, completed the sale of its biologics manufacturing campus located at Bohumil, Czech Republic (the “Facility”) to Novo Nordisk Production Czech s.r.o. (the “Purchaser”), pursuant to an asset purchase agreement, dated as of December 3, 2024 (the “Asset Purchase Agreement”).
Under the Asset Purchase Agreement, CZ sold, transferred and assigned to the Purchaser: (i) land and properties that comprise the Facility, as well as certain moveable assets and equipment located at the Facility (the “Transferred Assets”); (ii) contracts related to the operation and management of the Transferred Assets (the “Transferred Contracts”); and (iii) certain employees providing services related to the Transferred Assets (the “Transferred Employees”).
The total purchase price for the sale was $202.6 million and the assumption by the Purchaser of liabilities (on a look-forward basis) pertaining to the Transferred Assets, Transferred Contracts and Transferred Employees. On the closing date, the Company received a cash payment of $180 million, net of the initial payment of $10 million made in October 2024 and $10 million placed in an escrow account released to the Company in 2025 following the closing date (subject to adjustment for any claims the Purchaser may have against the Seller under the Asset Purchase Agreement). Pursuant to the terms of the Asset Purchase Agreement, the Company was also reimbursed $2.6 million, subject to adjustments, for costs incurred in continuing to operate and maintain the Transferred Assets, Transferred Contracts and Transferred Employees between December 3, 2024 and the completion of the sale.
The Company recognized a gain on the sale of $51.9 million, which has been reflected in Other income in the Company's consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2024. The disposition qualified as the sale of a business pursuant to ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations, and therefore, the Company allocation goodwill of $12.4 million to the sale on a relative fair value basis.
Note 21 – Segment Reporting
The Company manages its business as one reportable operating segment, an in-house early-stage R&D business to build a pipeline of high-value assets using its proven technology along with seeking to enter into partnerships to drive value creation for its assets. The Company has determined its reportable operating segment based on the management approach, which considers the internal organization and reporting used by the Company’s CODM to make decisions about allocating resources and assessing the Company’s performance. The Company’s CODM uses consolidated single-segment net loss as reported in the consolidated statements of operations to evaluate performance, forecast future period financial results, allocate resources, and set incentive targets.
The table below summarizes the significant expense categories regularly reviewed by the CODM (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
Revenue |
$ |
1,123,479 |
|
|
$ |
682,162 |
|
|
$ |
983,705 |
|
Cost of sales |
73,040 |
|
|
202,739 |
|
|
343,768 |
|
Research and development expenses: |
|
|
|
|
|
Direct COVID-19 Vaccine(1) |
80,444 |
|
|
81,736 |
|
|
377,603 |
|
Direct CIC and influenza vaccines(1) |
30,019 |
|
|
44,831 |
|
|
38,044 |
|
Direct other vaccine development programs(1) |
4,634 |
|
|
510 |
|
|
1,042 |
|
Employee and benefit expenses |
145,211 |
|
|
163,728 |
|
|
210,589 |
|
Facility and other research and development expenses(2) |
82,012 |
|
|
100,364 |
|
|
110,224 |
|
Selling, general, and administrative expense |
157,479 |
|
|
337,185 |
|
|
468,946 |
|
Other segment income (expense)(3) |
(110,338) |
|
|
61,432 |
|
|
21,449 |
|
Net income (loss) |
$ |
440,302 |
|
|
$ |
(187,499) |
|
|
$ |
(545,062) |
|
(1) Direct research and development expenses are comprised primarily of costs paid to third parties for clinical and product development activities. Direct coronavirus vaccines expenses include costs associated with the Phase 3 trial for the Company’s CIC and stand-alone influenza vaccine candidates.
(2) Facility and other research and development expenses consist of indirect costs incurred in support of overall research and development activities and non-specific programs, such as overhead costs, information technology and facility-based expenses not allocated to a specific program.
(3) Other segment income (expense) includes interest expense, impairment of assets held for sale, loss on debt extinguishment, gain on disposition of Novavax CZ assets, income tax expense (benefit), and other income, net.
Total revenue by the Company’s customer’s or collaboration partner’s geographic location was as follows (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year Ended December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
|
2023 |
United States |
$ |
405,611 |
|
|
$ |
522,535 |
|
|
$ |
443,894 |
|
Rest of North America |
575,670 |
|
|
4,462 |
|
|
13,388 |
|
| Europe |
15,740 |
|
|
96,143 |
|
|
271,964 |
|
Rest of the world |
126,458 |
|
|
59,022 |
|
|
254,459 |
|
Total revenue |
$ |
1,123,479 |
|
|
$ |
682,162 |
|
|
$ |
983,705 |
|
Total long-lived assets of the Company by geographic location were as follows (in thousands):
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
December 31, |
|
2025 |
|
2024 |
United States |
$ |
60,682 |
|
|
$ |
295,879 |
|
| Europe |
7,015 |
|
|
4,119 |
|
Total long-lived assets |
$ |
67,697 |
|
|
$ |
299,998 |
|
Note 22 – Subsequent Events
In January 2026, the Company successfully completed the assignment of its leasehold interest in 700QO and sale of certain related property and equipment and received $39.8 million of the remaining consideration from AstraZeneca (Note 19). In connection with this closing, the Company was legally relieved of its primary obligation under the lease. The ROU asset and the related lease liability, classified as held for sale as of December 31, 2025, was derecognized from the consolidated balance sheet in the first quarter of 2026. No additional impairment adjustments are anticipated as a result of the closing of this transaction.
In January 2026, the Company entered into a License and Option Agreement with Pfizer Inc. (“Pfizer”) for use of the Company’s Matrix-M™. Under the terms of the agreement, Pfizer will obtain a non-exclusive license for Matrix-M™ for use with Pfizer's products in up to two disease areas. The agreement provides for an upfront payment of $30 million, which was received in January 2026, and the Company has the potential to receive up to $500 million in development and sales milestone payments. In addition to milestone payments, the Company is eligible to receive tiered high mid-single digit percentage royalty payments on sales of any product by Pfizer that includes Matrix-M™.
In February 2026, the Company entered into a Credit, Security, and Guaranty Agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) with MidCap Financial Trust, as administrative agent. The Credit Agreement provides for a senior secured term loan facility of up to $330 million, available in four tranches. The first tranche of $130 million, of which $50 million was funded at closing, is available to be drawn, subject to customary conditions, through February 2028. Borrowings under the Credit Agreement bear interest, payable monthly in arrears, at a rate per annum equal to the secured overnight financing rate (“Term SOFR”) plus 5.00%, subject to a Term SOFR floor of 2.00%. The term loans mature in March 2031, at which time all outstanding principal and accrued interest are due and payable in full.
EX-4.7
2
nvax-20251231xex47.htm
EX-4.7
Document
Exhibit 4.7
DESCRIPTION OF THE REGISTRANT’S SECURITIES
REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
As of December 31, 2025, Novavax, Inc. (the “Company”) has one class of securities registered under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”).
Description of Common Stock
The following description of the Company’s Common Stock is a summary and does not purport to be complete. It is subject to and qualified in its entirety by reference to the Company’s Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), Certificate of Designation of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Certificate of Designation”) and Amended and Restated By-Laws (the “By-Laws”), each of which is incorporated by reference as an exhibit to this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The Company encourages you to read the Certificate of Incorporation, the Certificate of Designation, the By-Laws, and the applicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law for additional information.
Authorized Capital Shares
The Certificate of Incorporation authorizes the issuance of 600,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share (“Common Stock”), and 2,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share (“Preferred Stock”), of which 438,885 shares of Preferred Stock have been designated as Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share, pursuant to the Certificate of Designation (“Series A Convertible Preferred Stock”). The outstanding shares of Common Stock are fully paid and nonassessable. As of December 31, 2023, there are no shares of Preferred Stock outstanding.
Preferred Stock
Authorized but Unissued Preferred Stock
The Board of Directors (the “Board”), without further stockholder approval, has the power to issue Preferred Stock in one or more series and determine certain terms relative to any Preferred Stock to be issued, such as the power to establish different series and to set voting rights, the dividend rights and dates, conversion rights, redemption privileges and liquidation preferences.
Series A Convertible Preferred Stock
Each share of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock is convertible into ten shares of Common Stock, subject to mandatory conversion upon the earlier of (1) the tenth anniversary of the issuance date or (2) immediately prior to the effectiveness of certain change of control transactions.
Holders of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock are not entitled to vote on matters submitted to the holders of Common Stock and do not have the right to cumulative dividends. In the event that the Company declares a dividend upon Common Stock, a holder of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock is entitled to receive the amount of dividends per share of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock that such holder would have been entitled to receive if it had converted such Series A Convertible Preferred Stock into Common Stock immediately prior to such declaration of a dividend.
In the event of a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company that does not constitute a change of control transaction triggering mandatory conversion of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, any holder of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock will be entitled to receive, in preference to the holders of Common Stock and any junior Preferred Stock, an amount per share equal to the greater of (1) the sum of the purchase price plus an amount equal to any declared and unpaid dividends on the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, or (2) the amount that such shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock would have been entitled to receive if they had converted into Common Stock immediately prior to such liquidation, dissolution or winding up.
As of December 31, 2025, there are no shares of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock outstanding.
Common Stock
Dividend Rights
Subject to the rights of holders of outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, if any, the holders of Common Stock are entitled to receive dividends, if any, as may be declared from time to time by the Board in its discretion out of funds legally available for the payment of dividends.
Voting Rights
The holders of Common Stock are entitled to one vote per share on all matters voted on by the stockholders, including the election of directors, and do not have cumulative voting rights.
Classified Board
The members of the Board are divided into three classes, designated as Class I, Class II, and Class III, each serving staggered three-year terms, with no one class having more than one more director than any other class. The By-Laws provide for directors in director elections to be elected by a plurality of the votes entitled to vote.
Liquidation Rights
Subject to any preferential rights of outstanding shares of Preferred Stock, holders of Common Stock will share ratably in all assets legally available for distribution to the Company’s stockholders in the event of dissolution.
Other Rights and Preferences
The Common Stock has no redemption provisions or preemptive, conversion or exchange rights. No shares of any class of the Company’s capital stock are subject to any sinking fund provisions, restrictions on the alienability of securities to be registered, calls, assessments by, or liabilities of the Company. Holders of Common Stock may act by written consent.
Certain Provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, By-laws, and Delaware Law
Certain provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation and By-Laws may be deemed to have an anti-takeover effect and may prevent, delay, or defer a tender offer or takeover attempt, including:
Classified Board, Removal of Directors, and Charter Amendments relating to the Board
The Certificate of Incorporation and the By-Laws provide for the division of members of the Board into three classes, with no one class having more than one more director than any other class, serving staggered three-year terms. The Certificate of Incorporation provides that any amendments to the charter relating to the number, classes, election, term, removal, vacancies, and related provisions with respect to the Board may only be made by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of the shares of capital stock issued and outstanding and entitled to vote. These provisions may have the effect of making it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of the Company, or of discouraging a third party from attempting to acquire control of the Company.
Authorized but Unissued Shares
The authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock and Preferred Stock are available for future issuance without stockholder approval, subject to any limitations imposed by the Nasdaq Stock Market. These additional shares may be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes. In particular, the Board could issue shares of Preferred Stock that could, depending on the terms of the series, impede the completion of a takeover effort. The Board may determine that the issuance of such shares of Preferred Stock is in the best interest of the Company and its stockholders. Such issuance could discourage a potential acquiror from making an unsolicited acquisition attempt through which such acquiror may be able to change the composition of the Board, including a tender offer or other transaction a majority of the Company’s stockholders might believe to be in their best interest or in which stockholders might receive a substantial premium for their stock over the then-current market price.
Advance Notice Requirements for Stockholder Proposals and Director Nominations
The By-Laws provide that a stockholder seeking to bring business before an annual meeting of stockholders, or to nominate candidates for election as directors, must provide timely notice of such stockholder’s intention in writing. To be timely, a stockholder nominating individuals for election to the Board or proposing business must provide advanced notice to the Company not less than 60 days nor more than 90 days prior to the anniversary date of the prior year’s annual meeting of stockholders or, in the case of any special meeting, not less than 60 days nor more than 90 days prior to the special meeting, unless, in the case of annual meeting, such meeting occurs more than 30 days before or after such anniversary date, or, in the case of a special meeting, such meeting occurs less than 100 days after notice or public disclosure of the date of the special meeting is given or made, in which cases notice will be timely if received not later than the close of business on the tenth day after the day on which notice or public announcement of the date of such meeting was made.
Limits on Ability of Stockholders to Act by Written Consent
The Certificate of Incorporation provides that the stockholders may not act by written consent. In addition, the Certificate of Incorporation requires that special meetings of stockholders be called only by the Board, the Company’s chief executive officer, or the Company’s president if there is no chief executive officer. Further, business transacted at any special meeting of stockholders is limited to matters relating to the purpose or purposes stated in the notice of meeting. This limit on the ability of the Company’s stockholders to act by written consent or to call a special meeting may lengthen the amount of time required to take stockholder proposed actions.
Section 203 of the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware
The Company is subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law. This statute regulating corporate takeovers prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in any business combination with an interested stockholder for three years following the date that the stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless:
•prior to the date of the transaction, the board of directors of the corporation approved either the business combination or the transaction which resulted in the stockholder becoming an interested stockholder;
•upon completion of the transaction that resulted in the interested stockholder becoming an interested stockholder, the interested stockholder owned at least 85% of the voting stock of the corporation outstanding at the time the transaction commenced, excluding for purposes of determining the number of shares outstanding (1) shares owned by persons who are directors and also officers, and (2) shares owned by employee stock plans in which employee participants do not have the right to determine confidentially whether shares held subject to the plan will be tendered in a tender or exchange offer; or
•the business combination is approved by the board of directors and authorized at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, and not by written consent, by the affirmative vote of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding voting stock that is not owned by the interested stockholder.
Generally, a business combination includes a merger, asset or stock sale, or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder. An interested stockholder is any person who, together with such person’s affiliates and associates (1) owns 15% or more of a corporation’s voting securities or (2) is an affiliate or associate of a corporation and was the owner of 15% or more of the corporation’s voting securities at any time within the three year period immediately preceding a business governed by Section 203. The existence of this provision may have an anti-takeover effect with respect to transactions the Board does not approve.
Listing
The Company’s Common Stock is traded on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the trading symbol “NVAX.”
EX-10.23
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nvax-20251231xex1023.htm
EX-10.23
Document
Exhibit 10.23
AMENDMENT TO CONSULTING AGREEMENT
THIS AMENDMENT TO CONSULTING AGREEMENT (this “Amendment”) is entered into as of December 18, 2025 by and between Novavax, Inc. (“Novavax”), a corporation having its principal office at 21 Firstfield Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20878 (“Novavax” or the “Company”) and John Trizzino (“Consultant”) and amends the Consulting Agreement between the Parties with an effective date of June 20, 2025 (the "Consulting Agreement") as set forth herein.
WHEREAS, the Parties previously entered into a Consulting Agreement pursuant to which Consultant was engaged to provide Services to Novavax thru December 31, 2025; and
WHEREAS, the Parties now with to extend the Consulting Period pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth below so that Consultant may continue to provide Services to Novavax thru March 31, 2026.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, the Parties hereto agree as follows:
1.All capitalized terms not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings attributed to them in the Consulting Agreement.
2.Paragraph 1 of the Consulting Agreement is hereby modified to indicate that the Consulting Period will end on March 31, 2026, not December 31, 2025.
3.Notwithstanding the amendment to the term “Consulting Period,” the unvested portion of the non-statutory stock options granted to Consultant pursuant to the March 7, 2023 Non-Statutory Stock Option Agreement will immediately vest as of December 31, 2025, as originally contemplated in the Consulting Agreement. The remainder of the unvested Equity Awards referenced in Paragraph 3(b) of the Consulting Agreement will continue to vest for so long as Consultant continues to provide Services, as previously agreed to in the Consulting Agreement.
4.Except as specifically set forth herein, the terms and conditions of the Consulting Agreement shall remain unchanged and will continue in full force and effect.
5.This Amendment may be executed in counterparts, each of which will be deemed an original, but all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument.
[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY BLANK]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Amendment to be executed the day and year first written above.
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NOVAVAX, INC. |
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By: /s/ Mark Casey |
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Title: Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and |
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Corporate Secretary |
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JOHN TRIZZINO |
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By: /s/ John Trizzino |
EX-10.63
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nvax-20251231xex1063.htm
EX-10.63
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Confidential
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EXHIBIT 10.63
CERTAIN INFORMATION IDENTIFIED WITH [***] HAS BEEN EXCLUDED FROM THIS EXHIBIT BECAUSE IT IS BOTH (I) NOT MATERIAL AND (II) IS OF THE TYPE THAT THE REGISTRANT TREATS AS PRIVATE OR CONFIDENTIAL.
LICENSE AGREEMENT
This License Agreement (this “Agreement”) is entered into and made effective as of January 14, 2026 (the “Effective Date”), by and between Novavax Inc. (“Novavax”), a Delaware corporation, with a principal place of business at 21 Firstfield Rd, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, and Pfizer Inc. (“Pfizer”), a Delaware corporation, with a principal place of business at 66 Hudson Boulevard, New York, NY 10001. Novavax and Pfizer may each be referred to herein individually as a “Party” and collectively as the “Parties”.
RECITALS
WHEREAS, Novavax has developed the Adjuvant and Controls the Novavax Technology;
WHEREAS, Pfizer has extensive experience and expertise in the development, manufacturing and commercialization of biopharmaceutical products;
WHEREAS, subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Novavax wishes to grant to Pfizer, and Pfizer wishes to receive from Novavax, a non-exclusive license under the Novavax Technology to Develop, Manufacture, Commercialize and otherwise Exploit Products in the Field in the Territory;
WHEREAS, following the Effective Date, the Parties will negotiate in good faith and enter into that certain Clinical Supply Agreement, pursuant to which Novavax shall manufacture and supply to Pfizer the Adjuvant for Development of Products; and
WHEREAS, Novavax and Pfizer intend to enter into that certain Commercial Supply Agreement for the manufacture and supply of the Adjuvant for Commercialization of Products at a later date as set forth herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements provided herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, Novavax and Pfizer, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:
1.DEFINITIONS.
1.1“Additional Damages” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.4(b).
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1.2“Additional Third Party License” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.4(c).
1.3“Adjuvant” means the saponin-based adjuvant developed by Novavax or its Affiliates, as described in the Matrix-M MF, including, to the extent applicable, any [***] (the components of Matrix-M) that are supplied to Pfizer by Novavax.
1.4“Adjuvant Intermediates” means [***].
1.5“Adjuvant Intermediate Trigger Event” means (a) [***], or (c) following the occurrence of an Adjuvant Manufacturing Trigger Event, the failure of Novavax to deliver (in conformance with specifications and all other requirements for delivery under the applicable Supply Agreement) at least (i) (A) [***] of all amounts of Adjuvant Intermediates that Novavax is required to deliver pursuant to the terms of the Clinical Supply Agreement [***]or (B) [***] of all amounts of Adjuvant Intermediates that Novavax is required to deliver pursuant to the terms of the Commercial Supply Agreement in any [***], or (ii) (A) [***] of all amounts of Adjuvant Intermediates that Novavax is required to deliver pursuant to the terms of the Clinical Supply Agreement during [***] during the Term or (B) [***] of all amounts of Adjuvant Intermediates that Novavax is required to deliver pursuant to the terms of the Commercial Supply Agreement during [***] during the Term, provided that regardless of whether any [***] were accepted by Pfizer, such Late Delivered Amounts will be deemed not delivered for purposes of the calculations pursuant to clause (c).
1.6“Adjuvant Manufacturing Trigger Event” means (a) the failure of Novavax to deliver (in conformance with specifications and all other requirements for delivery under the applicable Supply Agreement), at least (i) (A) [***] of Adjuvant that Novavax is required to deliver pursuant to the terms of the Clinical Supply Agreement in any [***] or (B) [***] of all amounts of Adjuvant that Novavax is required to deliver pursuant to the terms of the Commercial Supply Agreement in [***], or (ii) (A) [***] of all amounts of Adjuvant that Novavax is required to deliver pursuant to the terms of the Clinical Supply Agreement during [***] during the Term or (B) [***] of all amounts of Adjuvant that Novavax is required to deliver pursuant to the terms of the Commercial Supply Agreement during [***] during the Term, or (b) Novavax being deemed a Debtor, provided that regardless of whether any [***].
1.7“Affiliate” means, as of any point in time and for so long as such relationship continues to exist with respect to any Person, any Person that controls, is controlled by or is under common control with such Person. A Person shall be regarded as in control of another Person if it (a) owns or controls at least fifty percent (50%) of the equity securities of the subject Person entitled to vote in the election of directors or (b) possesses, directly or indirectly, the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of any such Person (whether through ownership of securities or other ownership interests, by contract or otherwise); provided, however, that where an entity owns a majority of the voting power necessary to elect a majority of the board of directors or other governing board of another entity, but is restricted from electing such majority by contract or otherwise, such entity will not be considered to be in control of such other entity until such time as such restrictions are no longer in effect.
1.8“Antigen” means [***].
1.9“Bankruptcy Case” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.7(a).
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1.10“Bankruptcy Code” means Title 11 of the United States Code, as amended.
1.11“BLA” means a Biologics License Application filed with the FDA in the United States with respect to a Product, as defined in Title 21 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Section 601.2 et. Seq including any supplemental Biologics License Application, or an equivalent foreign filing.
1.12“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which commercial banks located in New York, New York are authorized or required by applicable Law to remain closed.
1.13“Change of Control” means, with respect to a Party, (a) the acquisition (in a transaction or series of related transactions) by any Third Party (an “Acquirer”), together with its Affiliates, of beneficial ownership of more than fifty percent (50%) of the then outstanding securities or combined voting power of such Party, other than acquisitions by employee benefit plans sponsored or maintained by such Party; (b) the consummation of a business combination (including a merger or consolidation) involving such Party with an Acquirer, unless, following such business combination, the stockholders of such Party immediately prior to such business combination beneficially own directly or indirectly more than fifty percent (>50%) of the then outstanding securities or combined voting power of the surviving entity or the parent company of the surviving entity immediately after such business combination; or (c) the sale or other transfer to an Acquirer of all or substantially all of such Party’s and its Affiliates’ assets or business relating to the subject matter of this Agreement in one transaction or a series of related transactions.
1.14“Clinical Supply Agreement” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.2(a).
1.15“Clinical Trial” means a human clinical study conducted on sufficient numbers of human subjects, including studies that are designed to (a) establish that a pharmaceutical product is reasonably safe for continued testing, (b) investigate the safety and efficacy of the pharmaceutical product for its intended use, and to define warnings, precautions and adverse reactions that may be associated with the pharmaceutical product in the dosage range to be prescribed or (c) support Marketing Approval of such pharmaceutical product or label expansion of such pharmaceutical product.
1.16“Combination Product” means any product or treatment consisting of a Product and one or more other products each of which are not a Product (each, an “Other Product”) where such Product and such other Product(s) are (a) packaged together or otherwise sold together for a single price and (b) intended to be co-administered to a patient at the same time. For clarity, a Product and one or more Other Products that are made such that they are in a co-formulated mixture with each other (i.e., mixed together as a single solution in the same container) shall not be a Combination Product and, notwithstanding the inclusion of such Other Product(s) in such co-formulated mixture, such co-formulated mixture shall be treated as a Product for purposes of this Agreement.
1.17“Commercial Supply Agreement” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.2(a).
1.18“Commercialize” or “Commercializing” means, with respect to a compound or product, to (a) market, promote, distribute, offer for sale, sell, have sold, import, have imported, export, have exported or otherwise commercialize such compound or product and (b) conduct activities required to maintain Marketing Approval or obtain or maintain Price Approval for a product that has received Marketing Approval. When used as a noun, “Commercialization” means any and all activities involved in Commercializing. The term “Commercialize” does not include Development activities or Manufacturing activities.
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1.19“Confidential Information” means a Disclosing Party’s proprietary information (whether or not patentable) regarding or embodying such Disclosing Party’s or its Representatives’ technology, products, business information (including suppliers or supply chain sources) or objectives, that is communicated by or on behalf of the Disclosing Party in any form (written, oral, electronic, or otherwise).
1.20“Control” or “Controlled” means, with respect to any Intellectual Property Right or material, the ability (whether by sole, joint or other ownership interest, license or otherwise, other than pursuant to this Agreement) to, without violating the terms of any agreement with a Third Party, grant a license or sublicense or provide access or other right in, to or under such Intellectual Property Right or material provided that any Intellectual Property Right or material, as applicable, that comes into such Party’s or its Affiliates’ control as a result of a Change of Control of such Party, will not be deemed Controlled by such Party for purposes of this Agreement, except to the extent that such Intellectual Property Right or material, as applicable: (a) is necessary or reasonably useful to Exploit the Adjuvant and (b) (i) is actually used by such Party or its Affiliates (including the Acquirer), or Third Parties acting on their behalf, in the performance of activities under this Agreement or a Supply Agreement; (ii) is developed, acquired, or otherwise Controlled by the Acquirer pursuant to or in connection with a license or other agreement between the Acquirer or any of its Affiliates, on the one hand, and such Party, on the other hand, (iii) is developed or acquired by the Acquirer following such Change of Control with the use of or access to, or otherwise incorporates, is derived from, or based upon, the subject matter used or made available by the Acquirer under this Agreement, or (iv) is developed, acquired, or otherwise Controlled by the Acquirer in the course or as a result of performing its Affiliate’s obligations or exercising its Affiliate’s rights under this Agreement.
1.21“Cover” or “Covered” means, as to a particular subject matter (such as a compound, product or Know-How) and Patent Right in a particular country or other jurisdiction, that such subject matter meets or practices all elements or limitations of at least one (1) claim (as interpreted under principles of patent law in such country or jurisdiction or, in the case of applications filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty, in the jurisdiction of the international searching authority) of such Patent Right.
1.22“Cure Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.3(a).
1.23“Debtor” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.7(a).
1.24“Detailed Royalty Report” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.4(f)(ii).
1.25“Develop” or “Developing” means to [***].
1.26“Development Milestone Event” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2.
1.27“Development Milestone Payment” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2.
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1.28“Disclosing Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.1.
1.29“Effective Date” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.
1.30“EMA” means the European Medicines Agency or any successor agency thereto.
1.31“Escrow Agent” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.5.
1.32“Escrow Agreement” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.5.
1.33“Escrow Materials” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.5.
1.34“Executive Officers” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.3(b).
1.35“Exercise Notice” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.3.
1.36“Exploit” means to Develop, Manufacture, Commercialize, or otherwise use or exploit. Cognates of the word “Exploit” will have correlative meanings.
1.37“FD&C Act” means the United States Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
1.38“FDA” means the United States Food and Drug Administration or any successor agency thereto.
1.39“Field” means individually and collectively, (a) [***], or, upon exercise of the Second Field Option, (b) the Second Field.
1.40“First Commercial Sale” means, with respect to any Product and any country or regulatory jurisdiction in the Territory, the first sale of such Product by Pfizer or an Affiliate or Sublicensee (as applicable) to a Third Party in such country or regulatory jurisdiction after such Product has been granted Marketing Approval by the appropriate Regulatory Authority in such country or regulatory jurisdiction. Notwithstanding the foregoing, each of the following will not constitute a “First Commercial Sale”: (a) Products distributed for use in Clinical Trials, (b) Products sold or transferred by one Selling Party to another Selling Party, (c) Products distributed as samples, or (d) Products distributed for bona fide charitable purposes or as a donation.
1.41“Fiscal Quarter” means each of the four (4) successive thirteen (13) week periods, the first such thirteen (13) week period (a) with respect to the United States, commencing on January 1 of any Fiscal Year (“US Fiscal Quarter”), and (b) with respect to any country in the Territory other than the United States, commencing on December 1 of any Fiscal Year.
1.42“Fiscal Year” means the twelve (12) month fiscal period observed by Pfizer (a) commencing on January 1 with respect to the United States, and (b) commencing on December 1 with respect to any country in the Territory other than the United States; provided that the first Fiscal Year shall commence on the Effective Date and, unless otherwise agreed between the Parties in writing, the last Fiscal Year shall end on the effective date of expiration or termination of this Agreement.
1.43“Foreground IP” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.1.
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1.44“Foreign Exchange Rate” means the rate at which sales recorded in local currencies are converted to U.S. Dollars, the conversion to be performed in a manner consistent with Pfizer’s normal practices used to prepare its audited financial statements for external reporting purposes; provided that such practices use a customary accepted source of published exchange rates.
1.45“Fraction A” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.4.
1.46“Fraction C” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.4.
1.47“GAAP” means United States generally accepted accounting principles, consistently applied.
1.48“Global Trade Control Laws” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.8
1.49“Government Official” means (a) any elected or appointed government official (e.g., a member of a ministry of health), (b) any employee or Person acting for or on behalf of a government official, Governmental Authority, or other enterprise performing a governmental function, (c) any political party, candidate for public office, officer, employee, or Person acting for or on behalf of a political party or candidate for public office, and (d) any employee or Person acting for or on behalf of a public international organization (e.g., the United Nations). For clarity, healthcare providers employed by government-owned hospitals will be considered Government Officials.
1.50“Governmental Authority” means any court, agency, department, authority or other instrumentality of any national, state, county, city or other political subdivision.
1.51“IND” means an Investigational New Drug Application, as defined in the FD&C Act, that is required to be filed with the FDA before beginning a Clinical Trial, or an equivalent foreign filing.
1.52“Indemnified Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.3(a).
1.53“Indemnifying Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.3(a).
1.54“Intellectual Property Rights” means any and all (a) Patent Rights, (b) proprietary rights in Know-How, including trade secret rights, (c) proprietary rights associated with works of authorship and software, including copyrights, moral rights, and copyrightable works, and all applications, registrations, and renewals relating thereto, and derivative works thereof, and (d) other forms of proprietary or intellectual property rights however denominated throughout the world, other than Trademarks.
1.55“Know-How” means any proprietary invention, discovery, development, data, information, trade secret, process, method, formula, protocol, supply chain sources, technique, material (including any chemical or biological material), technology, result, cell line, cell, antibody or other protein, chemical structure, compound, probe, nucleic acid or other sequences or other know-how, whether or not patentable, and any physical embodiments of any of the foregoing.
1.56“Late Delivered Amounts” means all amounts that Novavax failed, or fails, to deliver within [***] after the delivery date set forth in an agreed order under a Supply Agreement for reasons outside of Pfizer’s, its Affiliates or their respective Third Party contractor’s (acting on behalf of Pfizer or its Affiliates) reasonable control or due to a force majeure (a) provided that a Late Delivery Event pursuant to Section 1.57(a) has occurred, in the applicable [***] or (b) provided that a Late Delivery Event pursuant to Section 1.57(b) has occurred, in the applicable calendar year. For clarity, in the event that a Late Delivery Event has occurred, all amounts that Novavax failed, or fails, to deliver giving rise to such Late Delivery Event shall be included in the determination of Late Delivered Amounts.
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1.57[***].
1.58“Law” means any law, statute, rule, regulation, ordinance, common law, or other pronouncement having the effect of law, of any federal, national, multinational, state, provincial, county, city, or other political subdivision, as from time to time enacted, repealed, or amended, including, solely if and to the extent applicable, Good Laboratory Practices, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Good Clinical Practices and adverse event reporting requirements, guidance from the International Conference on Harmonization or other generally accepted conventions, the FD&C Act and similar laws and regulations in countries outside the United States, and all other rules, regulations, and requirements of the FDA or any other applicable Regulatory Authority, including the FD&C Act, the Anti-Kickback Statute (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b), the Civil Monetary Penalty Statute (42 U.S.C. §1320a-7a), the False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. § 3729 et seq.), comparable state statutes, the regulations promulgated under all such statutes, and the regulations issued by the FDA, and all applicable anti-corruption Laws, accounting and recordkeeping laws, and laws relating to interactions with healthcare professionals and Government Officials.
1.59“Liability” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.1.
1.60“Liquidation [***]” means the occurrence of either of the following: (a) Novavax files for protection under Laws to consummate or effect liquidation or winding-up (including a filing under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code), or (b) the institution of an involuntary proceeding under Laws to consummate or effect liquidation or winding-up (including an involuntary petition under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code), provided that in the case of such involuntary proceeding, such occurrence shall not be deemed a “Liquidation Trigger” unless and until the proceeding has not been dismissed within ninety (90) days after the commencement thereof.
1.61“Major Market” means each of France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.
1.62“Manufacture” or “Manufacturing” means to make, produce, manufacture, process, fill, finish, package, label, perform quality assurance testing, release, ship or store, and for the purposes of further Manufacturing, distribute, import or export, a compound or product or any component thereof. When used as a noun, “Manufacture” or “Manufacturing” means any and all activities involved in Manufacturing a compound, protein, device or product or any component thereof. The term “Manufacture” does not include Development activities or Commercialization activities.
1.63“Marketing Approval” means, with respect to a pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical product in a particular jurisdiction, the approval of a BLA or NDA, as applicable, for such product in such jurisdiction, excluding for the avoidance of doubt all Price Approvals and Third Party reimbursement approvals for such product in such jurisdiction.
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1.64“Master File” or “MF” means a Master File (as defined by the FDA) or any foreign equivalent.
1.65[***].
1.66[***].
1.67“Matrix-M MF” means the MF for Matrix-M filed by Novavax or its Affiliates with the FDA in the United States and in existence as of the Effective Date, [***].
1.68“Milestone Payments” means the Development Milestone Payments and the Sales Milestone Payments.
1.69“NDA” means a New Drug Application, as defined in the FD&C Act, that is required to be filed with the FDA before beginning sales and marketing of a Product in the United States, or an equivalent foreign filing.
1.70“Net Sales” means, with respect to a Product, gross receipts from sales by Pfizer and its Affiliates and Sublicensees (each a “Selling Party”) of such Product to Third Parties in the Territory, less in each case, to the extent actually allowed and taken by such Selling Party, [***]. Net Sales will be determined from books and records maintained in accordance with GAAP, as consistently applied by Pfizer with respect to sales of each Product.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Net Sales shall not include [***].
[***].
1.71“Notice of Dispute” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.3(a).
1.72“Novavax Adjuvant Intermediate Know-How” means any and all Know-How that, as of the Effective Date or during the Term, is Controlled by Novavax and actually used for the Manufacture of the Adjuvant Intermediates.
1.73“Novavax Adjuvant Know-How” means any and all Know-How that, as of the Effective Date or during the Term, is Controlled by Novavax and actually used for the Manufacture of the Adjuvant starting from Adjuvant Intermediates.
1.74“Novavax Indemnified Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.1.
1.75“Novavax Know-How” means any and all Know-How that is Controlled by Novavax or its Affiliates as of the Effective Date or thereafter during the Term and that is necessary or reasonably useful for the Development, Manufacturing, Commercialization or other Exploitation of (a) the Adjuvant for use in Products in the Field or (b) the Products in the Field. For the avoidance of doubt, Novavax Know-How includes Novavax Manufacturing Know-How.
1.76“Novavax Manufacturing Know-How” means (a) the Novavax Adjuvant Know-How, or (b) the Novavax Adjuvant Intermediate Know-How.
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1.77“Novavax Patent Rights” means any and all Patent Rights Controlled by Novavax or its Affiliates as of the Effective Date, including those Patent Rights set forth in Exhibit 1.77, or thereafter during the Term that Cover the Novavax Know-How.
1.78“Novavax’s Knowledge” means the actual knowledge of the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Medical Officer, President of Research and Development, Executive Vice President Chief Operating Officer, Senior Vice President of Global Manufacturing, and Vice President, Chief Intellectual Property Counsel, together with the knowledge of any such individuals after consulting with his or her direct reports, and, with respect to Intellectual Property Right matters, consulting with any internal intellectual property counsel(s) who attend to Intellectual Property Right matters in the ordinary course.
1.79“Novavax Technology” means any Novavax Know-How and Novavax Patent Rights.
1.80“Offset Amounts” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.4(b).
1.81“Other Product” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.16.
1.82“Patent Rights” means any and all (a) issued patents, (b) pending patent applications, including all provisional applications, substitutions, continuations, continuations-in-part, divisionals and renewals, and all patents granted thereon, (c) patents-of-addition, reissues, reexaminations and extensions or restorations by existing or future extension or restoration mechanisms, including patent term adjustments, patent term extensions, supplementary protection certificates or the equivalent thereof, (d) inventor’s certificates, (e) other forms of government-issued rights substantially similar to any of the foregoing and (f) United States and foreign counterparts of any of the foregoing.
1.83“Person” means an individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, corporation, limited liability company, business trust, joint stock company, trust, incorporated association, joint venture or similar entity or organization, including a government or political subdivision or department or agency of a government.
1.84“Pfizer Indemnified Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.2.
1.85“Pharmacovigilance Agreement” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.4.
1.86“Phase III Clinical Trial” means a pivotal Clinical Trial with a defined dose or a set of defined doses of a pharmaceutical product designed to, or that does, ascertain efficacy and safety of such product, in a manner that is generally consistent with 21 CFR § 312.21(c), as amended (or its successor regulation) or similar regulations outside of the United States, for the purpose of enabling the preparation and submission of an NDA, or BLA, as applicable.
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1.88“Price Approval” means, in any country or regulatory jurisdiction, as applicable, where a Governmental Authority authorizes reimbursement for, or approves or determines pricing for, pharmaceutical products, receipt (or, if required to make such authorization, approval or determination effective, publication) of such reimbursement authorization or pricing approval or determination (as the case may be).
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1.89“Product” means any pharmaceutical product that includes the Adjuvant and that is either approved (as indicated on the approved labeling) in the Field or being Developed in the Field with the intent, if such Development is successful, of seeking such an approval. For clarity, all pharmaceutical products that contain the Adjuvant and the identical set of Antigen(s) shall be deemed the same Product for purposes of this Agreement, irrespective of the formulation, dosage or dosage form, method of administration, or presentation of each such product.
1.90“Receiving Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.1.
1.91“Regulatory Approval” means all technical, medical and scientific licenses, registrations, authorizations and approvals (including INDs, Marketing Approvals, approvals of supplements and amendments, Price Approvals, Third Party reimbursement approvals, pre- and post- approvals and labeling approvals) of any Regulatory Authority, necessary or useful for the Development, Manufacture, Commercialization, or other Exploitation of a pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical product in a country or regulatory jurisdiction.
1.92“Regulatory Authority” means, with respect to a country or regulatory jurisdiction in the Territory, any national (e.g., the FDA), supra-national (e.g., the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, or the EMA), regional, state or local regulatory agency, department, bureau, commission, council or other Governmental Authority with authority over the development, distribution, importation, exportation, manufacture, production, use, storage, transport, clinical testing, commercialization or sale of pharmaceutical products (including any Product) including, to the extent required in such country or regulatory jurisdiction, Price Approval, for pharmaceutical products in such country or regulatory jurisdiction.
1.93“Representatives” means (a) with respect to Pfizer, its Affiliates and Sublicensees and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, consultants, contractors and agents, and (b) with respect to Novavax, its Affiliates and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, consultants, contractors and agents.
1.94“Response Period” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.3.
1.95“Restricted Market” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.8(a).
1.96“Restricted Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.8(b).
1.97“Restricted Party Lists” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.8(b).
1.98“Royalty Payments” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.4(a).
1.99“Royalty Term” means, with respect to any particular Product in any particular country or regulatory jurisdiction in the Territory, the period commencing on the First Commercial Sale of such Product in such country or regulatory jurisdiction and ending on the later of (a) the first date on which the Exploitation of such Product is no longer Covered by a Valid Claim in such country or regulatory jurisdiction and (b) twenty (20) years after the first country in which a First Commercial Sale of a Product in the same Field as such Product occurs, in each case (a) and (b), in such country or regulatory jurisdiction.
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1.100“Sales Milestone Event” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.3.
1.101“Sales Milestone Payment” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.3.
1.102“Second Field” means prophylaxis of the infectious disease for which Pfizer exercises the Second Field Option in accordance with Section 2.3.
1.103“Second Field Option” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.3.
1.104“Selling Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.70.
1.105“Stock Exchange” has the meaning set forth in Section 9.2(f).
1.106“Sublicensee” means any Third Party to which Pfizer grants, pursuant to Section 2.2, a sublicense of the rights granted to Pfizer under Section 2.1.
1.107“Supply Agreement” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.2(a).
1.108“Taxes” means all taxes, charges, fees, levies, or other assessments, including income, withholding, excise, value added, sales, payroll, transfer, and franchise taxes imposed by any Governmental Authority. Such term shall include any interest, penalties, or additions payable in connection with such taxes, charges, fees, levies, duties, or other assessments.
1.109“Term” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.1.
1.110“Territory” means worldwide.
1.111“Third Party” means any Person other than Pfizer, Novavax or their respective Affiliates.
1.112“Third Party Claim” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.3(a).
1.113“Trademark” means any trademark, trade name, service mark, service name, brand, domain name, trade dress, logo, slogan or other indicia of origin or ownership, including the goodwill and activities associated with each of the foregoing.
1.114“Unavailable” means, with respect to an infectious disease proposed to be included as a Second Field, that (a) (i) Novavax has filed an IND for a Product owned or controlled by Novavax for prophylaxis of such infectious disease and (ii) Novavax has not permanently abandoned or terminated Development of such Product for prophylaxis against such infectious disease, or (b) Novavax has granted an exclusive license or similar right in relation to Products for prophylaxis of such infectious disease, or is otherwise subject to exclusivity obligations or covenants (such as an option to grant an exclusive license or similar right) under a legally binding contract that precludes the grant of rights to Products for prophylaxis of such infectious disease to Pfizer pursuant to this Agreement.
1.115“US Fiscal Quarter” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.41.
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1.116“Valid Claim” means, with respect to a particular country or regulatory jurisdiction in the Territory, (a) a claim of an issued and unexpired Patent Right included within the Novavax Patent Rights claiming (i) the Adjuvant included in a Product or (ii) the Manufacture of such Adjuvant for use in a Product that (A) has not been held permanently revoked, unenforceable or invalid by a decision of a court or other Governmental Authority of competent jurisdiction, which decision is unappealed or unappealable within the time allowed for appeal, and (B) has not been cancelled, withdrawn, abandoned, disclaimed or admitted to be invalid or unenforceable through reissue, disclaimer or otherwise; or (b) a bona fide claim of a pending patent application included within the Novavax Patent Rights claiming (i) the Adjuvant included in a Product or the Manufacture of such Adjuvant for use in such Product, in each case, that has not been (A) cancelled, withdrawn, abandoned or rejected and (B) has not been pending for more than [***] from the earliest date on which such patent application claims priority (provided that if such claim is later issued, then it will from the issuance date forward be deemed a Valid Claim if the Royalty Term has not already expired).
1.117“VAT” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.6(a).
2.GRANT OF RIGHTS.
2.1License Grants.
(a)Subject to the terms of this Agreement (including Section 2.8 and Section 2.9), Novavax hereby grants to Pfizer a non-exclusive, worldwide license, with the right to sublicense (solely as set forth in Section 2.2), under the Novavax Technology to (i) Develop, Commercialize, or otherwise Exploit (excluding to Manufacture) the Adjuvant for use in Products in the Field in the Territory and (ii) Develop, Manufacture (excluding to Manufacture the Adjuvant or any component of the Adjuvant including Adjuvant Intermediates), Commercialize, or otherwise Exploit Products in the Field in the Territory.
(b)Subject to the terms of this Agreement (including Sections 2.4, 2.9 and 4.2), Novavax hereby grants to Pfizer a non-exclusive, worldwide license, with the right to sublicense (solely as set forth in Section 2.2), under the Novavax Technology to Manufacture the Adjuvant (including the Manufacture of Adjuvant Intermediates for use in the Manufacture of the Adjuvant) for use in Products in the Field in the Territory.
2.2Sublicenses. Pfizer shall have the right, without the consent of Novavax, to grant sublicenses, through multiple tiers under the licenses granted in Section 2.1, to (a) its Affiliates and (b) Third Parties, so long as, in the case of clause (b), Pfizer, its Affiliate or its Sublicensee, also sublicenses to such Third Parties rights to Develop or Commercialize the Product. Pfizer (including its Affiliates and Sublicensees) shall also have the right, without the consent of Novavax, to sublicense its rights under the licenses granted in Section 2.1 [***] to Third Parties to Manufacture the Adjuvant or Adjuvant Intermediates, as applicable, with notice to Novavax. Pfizer shall: (i) ensure that all permitted sublicenses are consistent with the applicable terms of this Agreement, (ii) require each Sublicensee to comply with Pfizer’s obligations under this Agreement that are applicable to Sublicensees, including the confidentiality and non-use obligations set forth in Article 9 and the use restrictions set forth in Section 2.8, and (iii) be and remain responsible for all such Pfizer Affiliates and Sublicensees sublicensed in accordance with this Section 2.2 to the same extent as if such activities were conducted by Pfizer. Any sublicense granted by Pfizer not in accordance with this Section 2.2 will be null, void, and of no further effect.
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2.3Second Field Option. Novavax hereby grants to Pfizer the option to designate, at any time during the Term, any infectious disease for inclusion as the Second Field that is, at the time of nomination, not Unavailable, and thereby include such disease in the Field pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in this Section 2.3 (the “Second Field Option”). At any time during the Term, Pfizer may provide written notice to Novavax requesting to designate a disease as the Second Field and thereby include such disease in the Field (the “Exercise Notice”). Within [***] after receipt of an Exercise Notice (the “Response Period”), Novavax shall provide written notice to Pfizer, which notice shall either accept or reject Pfizer’s request to include such disease in the Field; provided that Novavax shall only be permitted to reject Pfizer’s request in the event that the disease proposed by Pfizer is Unavailable. Any notice of rejection shall include the reason for such rejection. [***].
2.4Information Disclosures and Assistance.
(a)Disclosures. Within [***] after the Effective Date, Novavax shall, at no cost to Pfizer, disclose and transfer to Pfizer or its Representative the Novavax Know-How (excluding any Novavax Manufacturing Know-How) and associated documents set forth in Exhibit 2.4(a). Upon Pfizer’s reasonable written request during the Term, such requests to be made no more than [***] each Calendar Year, Novavax shall, at no cost to Pfizer, disclose to Pfizer or its Representative any additional Novavax Know-How (excluding Novavax Manufacturing Know-How) not previously disclosed to Pfizer that is specifically requested by Pfizer or that has otherwise come into the Control of Novavax. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, the Parties acknowledge and agree that Novavax shall have no obligation, either express or implied, to disclose to Pfizer any Novavax Manufacturing Know-How unless and until the occurrence of an Adjuvant Manufacturing Trigger Event or Adjuvant Intermediate Trigger Event, as applicable, in which case Novavax will disclose the applicable Novavax Manufacturing Know-How in accordance with Section 2.4(b) or Section 2.4(c), as applicable.
(b)Technology Transfer of Adjuvant Manufacturing from Adjuvant Intermediates. Within [***] after Pfizer’s request following the occurrence of an Adjuvant Manufacturing Trigger Event and without limiting Pfizer’s rights under Section 2.5, Novavax shall, at no cost to Pfizer, (i) transfer or cause to be transferred to Pfizer or its Representative [***].
(c)Technology Transfer of Manufacturing Process for Adjuvant Intermediates. Within [***] after Pfizer’s request following the occurrence of an Adjuvant Intermediate Trigger Event and without limiting Pfizer’s rights under Section 2.5, Novavax shall, [***].
2.5Tox Material. Within [***] following the Effective Date, Novavax will deliver to Pfizer at its Pearl River site [***]. All such quantities of Adjuvant shall, at the time of delivery to Pfizer, have been manufactured by or on behalf of Novavax within the previous [***].
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2.6Escrow. Within [***] following the Effective Date, the Parties shall negotiate in good faith and enter into an escrow agreement (the “Escrow Agreement”) with a mutually agreed upon escrow agent (the “Escrow Agent”). The Escrow Agreement shall, among other things: (a) name Pfizer as a beneficiary under the Escrow Agreement; (b) set forth the Novavax Manufacturing Know-How [***]; (c) [***], provided that, promptly following any material change to the manufacturing process or materials used in the manufacturing process for the Adjuvant, Novavax shall update any Novavax Manufacturing Know-How accordingly; (d) provide that the applicable Escrow Materials shall be automatically released by the Escrow Agent to Pfizer, without any consent of Novavax, upon the occurrence of the Adjuvant Intermediate Trigger Event or the Adjuvant Manufacturing Trigger Event.
2.7Right of Reference. Novavax hereby grants to Pfizer, its Affiliates and its Sublicensees a “right of reference” as that term is defined in 21 C.F.R. § 314.3(b) (or any analogous applicable Law recognized outside of the United States), to (a) subject to the terms of this Agreement (including, for the avoidance of doubt, Section 2.9), all data, filings with a Regulatory Authority and Regulatory Approvals for Matrix-M (including the Matrix-M MF) that are Controlled by Novavax or its Affiliates solely to Develop, Manufacture (excluding to Manufacture the Adjuvant or any component thereof), Commercialize or otherwise Exploit (excluding Manufacture) Products in the Field in the Territory (but solely to the extent relating to Adjuvant contained therein), and (b) subject to the terms of this Agreement (including, for the avoidance of doubt, Section 2.4, Section 2.9 and Section 4.2), all data, filings with a Regulatory Authority and Regulatory Approvals for Matrix-M (including the Matrix-M MF) or that are otherwise necessary or reasonably useful to Manufacture the Adjuvant from Adjuvant Intermediates or to Manufacture the Adjuvant Intermediates, in each case, that are Controlled by Novavax or its Affiliates, solely to Manufacture the Adjuvant from Adjuvant Intermediates, or to Manufacture the Adjuvant Intermediates, as applicable, and Novavax will provide a signed statement to this effect, if requested by Pfizer, in accordance with 21 C.F.R. § 314.50(g)(3) (or any analogous Law outside of the United States).
2.8Modification. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, Pfizer, its Affiliates, Sublicensees and its and their Third Party contractors, will not reverse engineer or attempt to determine the chemical structure, make-up or sequence of, or determine the chemical or biological properties of, or make or attempt to make any analogues, progeny or derivatives of, or modifications to, the Adjuvant (or the manufacturing or production methods therefor), except for any changes that are approved by Novavax in a written amendment to this Agreement prior to Pfizer making such change; provided that Novavax will provide Pfizer with sufficient information for Pfizer to conduct compatibility and stability testing of the Adjuvant or Product.
2.9No Additional Rights. Except as expressly provided in this Agreement, neither Party will be deemed to have granted the other Party (by implication, estoppel or otherwise) any right, title, license or other interest in or with respect to any Patent Rights, Know-How or other Intellectual Property Rights or information Controlled by such Party. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to grant to Pfizer hereunder any right or license to (a) practice any Patent Rights or Know-How Controlled by Novavax or its Affiliates to the extent such Patent Rights Cover or the Know-How is related to the composition of an Antigen or (b) practice the Novavax Technology other than as expressly licensed and permitted under this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent any Patent Rights Controlled by Novavax or its Affiliates Cover, or Know-How Controlled by Novavax or its Affiliates is necessary or reasonably useful to Exploit, in each case, any composition consisting or comprised of the combination of the Adjuvant and an Antigen (other than a specific Antigen proprietary to Novavax or its Affiliates) in a Field or the use of the Adjuvant in combination with an Antigen (other than a specific Antigen proprietary to Novavax or its Affiliates) in a Field, such Patent Rights and Know-How are included in the Patent Rights and Know-How licensed to Pfizer pursuant to Section 2.1, such that Pfizer shall have the right to practice such Patent Rights and Know-How pursuant to the license granted to Pfizer under Section 2.1. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, this Agreement is not intended to restrict or waive any rights that a Party may otherwise have under applicable Law, including 35 U.S.C. § 271(e)(1).
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3.CONSIDERATION AND PAYMENT TERMS.
3.1Upfront Payment. Pfizer shall make a one-time payment to Novavax of Thirty Million U.S. Dollars ($30,000,000) within [***] after the Effective Date.
3.2Development Milestones. On a Field-by-Field basis, Pfizer will make the following one-time payments (each, a “Development Milestone Payment”) to Novavax within [***] following the first occurrence of the applicable event listed below for the first Product in such Field to achieve such event (each, a “Development Milestone Event”).
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Each of the Development Milestone Payments payable pursuant to this Section 3.2 will be payable one time only for each Field on the first occurrence of a Product in such Field to attain such Development Milestone Event regardless of the number of times the same event is achieved for all Products in such Field. If a Development Milestone Event described in subsection (ii) or (iii) of a table above is achieved prior to the achievement of one or more earlier Development Milestone Events described in subsection (i) or (ii) of such table, as applicable, then Pfizer will pay the Development Milestone Payment(s) for the earlier Development Milestone Event(s), as applicable, together with the Development Milestone Payment for the most recently achieved Development Milestone Event in such table. The maximum amount payable by Pfizer under this Agreement for all Products in each Field with respect to all Development Milestone Payments if all Development Milestone Events for such Field are achieved will be [***], and the maximum amount payable by Pfizer under this Agreement for all Products in all Fields with respect to all Development Milestone Payments if all Development Milestone Even
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ts for all Fields occur will be [***].
3.3Sales Milestones. On a Field-by-Field basis, Pfizer will pay Novavax the following one-time payments (each a “Sales Milestone Payment”) when aggregate Net Sales of all Products in the applicable Field in the Territory in a given Fiscal Year first reach the respective thresholds indicated below (each, a “Sales Milestone Event”):
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Pfizer will make any Sales Milestone Payment payable pursuant to this Section 3.3 with respect to a Fiscal Year within [***] after the end of the applicable Fiscal Quarter in which such Sales Milestone Event is achieved and such payment will be accompanied by a report identifying the relevant Products in the Field, Net Sales of such Products, and the amount payable to Novavax under this Section 3.3. For the avoidance of doubt, (a) each Sales Milestone Payment set forth above will be payable one time only with respect to the Products in the Field to achieve such Sales Milestone Event, regardless of the number of times the corresponding annual Net Sales levels are achieved by Products in the Field and (b) if multiple Sales Milestones Events are achieved in a single Calendar Year, then all corresponding Sales Milestone Payments for such achieved Sales Milestone Events will be payable. The maximum amount payable by Pfizer under this Agreement for Net Sales of all Products in each Field with respect to all Sales Milestone Payments if all Sales Milestone Events for such Field are achieved will be [***], and the maximum amount payable by Pfizer under this Agreement with respect to all Sales Milestone Payments if all Sales Milestone Events occur with respect to all Fields will be [***].
3.4Royalty Payments.
(a)Royalties on Net Sales. On a Product-by-Product and country-by-country basis, Pfizer will pay Novavax quarterly royalties (each, a “Royalty Payment”) based on the portion of annual Territory-wide Net Sales of each Product during the applicable Royalty Term in each country in the Territory at the following rates:
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(b)Fully Paid-Up, Royalty Free License. Following expiration of the Royalty Term for a Product in a given country, no further royalties will be payable in respect of sales of such Product in such country, and thereafter the license granted to Pfizer under this Agreement with respect to such Product in such country will automatically become fully paid-up, perpetual, irrevocable and royalty-free.
(c)Adjustment for Third Party Licenses. On a Product-by-Product basis, if, after the Effective Date, Pfizer (acting reasonably and in good faith) determines that (i) Patent Rights (alone or together with Know-How) held by one or more Third Parties are necessary or reasonably useful or (ii) Know-How is subject of a breach of Novavax’s representation in Section 6.2(r), in each case ((i) or (ii)), to Develop, Manufacture, Commercialize or otherwise Exploit the Product [***] in the Field, whether directly or through any Pfizer Affiliate or Sublicensee, then Pfizer may, in its sole discretion, negotiate and obtain a license under such Patent Rights or Know-How, as applicable (each such Third Party license referred to herein, an “Additional Third Party License”). Pfizer may offset (A) up to [***] of the royalties paid on Net Sales of Products in any country under any Additional Third Party License entered pursuant to clause (i) and (B) up to [***] of the royalties paid (including, for the avoidance of doubt, royalties paid on account of Know-How (alone or together with Patent Rights)) on Net Sales of Products in any country under any Additional Third Party License entered pursuant to clause (ii), in each case ((A) and (B)), against any Royalty Payments payable under Section 3.4(a) on such Net Sales in such country. If Pfizer reasonably believes any other Know-How is necessary or reasonably useful to Exploit the Product other than as a result of Novavax’s representation in Section 6.2(r), then the Parties will discuss in good faith the sharing of costs under any agreement for such Know-How.
(d)No Adjustment for Novavax Third Party Agreements. Novavax shall be solely responsible for (i) all obligations (including any royalty or other obligations that relate to the Novavax Technology) under its agreements with Third Parties that are in effect as of the Effective Date or any agreement that Novavax may enter into during the Term and (ii) all payments to inventors of Novavax Technology, including payments under applicable inventorship compensation Laws.
(e)Royalty Floor. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any provision to the contrary herein, in no event shall the effective royalty rate payable to Novavax in any country during any Fiscal Quarter be less than [***] of the otherwise applicable rate set forth in Section 3.4(a), provided that no such floor will apply to deductions in Section 3.4(c) to the extent Novavax breaches its representation under Section 6.2(r).
(f)Reports and Payments.
(i)Cumulative Royalties. The obligation to pay Royalty Payments under this Agreement will be imposed only once with respect to any sale of any given unit of Product.
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(ii)Royalty Statements and Payments. As soon as reasonably practicable, but in no event more than [***], Pfizer will deliver to Novavax a flash report setting forth its reasonable good faith estimates of Net Sales of Products for the most recent Fiscal Quarter. Within [***], Pfizer will deliver to Novavax a report setting forth, for the most recent Fiscal Quarter, the following information, on a Product-by-Product, country-by-country and Territory-wide basis: (A) Net Sales of each Product, (B) the adjustments to the Royalty Payment for the Net Sales of any such Product, as applicable, and (C) the Royalty Payments due hereunder for the Net Sales of each such Product (the “Detailed Royalty Report”). No such reports under this Section 3.4(f)(ii) will be due for any such Product after the expiration of the Royalty Term for all Products in all countries in the Territory, and Pfizer shall not be required to include in any such reports any such information regarding a Product in a country in which the applicable Royalty Term has expired. Following receipt of the Detailed Royalty Report, Novavax shall promptly submit an invoice to Pfizer for the full amount of the corresponding Royalty Payment, which amount shall be payable within [***] after Pfizer’s receipt of an undisputed invoice.
(iii)Method of Payment. The payments due under this Article 3 shall be made by electronic transfer in immediately available funds via either a bank wire transfer, an ACH (automated clearing house) mechanism or any other means of electronic funds transfer, at Pfizer’s election, to the bank account as set forth below or such other bank account as designated by Novavax in writing to Pfizer at least [***] before payment is due. Any payment that falls due on a date that is not a Business Day may be made on the next succeeding Business Day:
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3.5Records; Audits. During the Term and for [***] thereafter, Pfizer shall (and shall cause its Affiliates and Sublicensees to) keep complete and accurate records of sales of Products and such other matters as may affect the determination of any amount payable to Novavax hereunder in sufficient detail to enable certified public accountants engaged by Novavax to determine any amounts payable to Novavax under this Agreement. Pfizer shall (and shall cause its Affiliates and Sublicensees to) permit certified public accountants engaged by Novavax, at Novavax’s expense (except as provided below), to examine not more than once in any [***] period and not more than once with respect to any particular period, its books, ledgers, and records relating to the sales of Products under this Agreement and during regular business hours for the purpose of and to the extent necessary to verify any report required under this Agreement or the accuracy of any amount payable hereunder for a [***] period after the period to which such records relate. Upon completion of the audit, the accounting firm will provide both Pfizer and Novavax a written report disclosing any purported discrepancies in the reports submitted by Pfizer or the royalties or Sales Milestone Payments paid by Pfizer, and, in each case, the specific details concerning any discrepancies. No other information will be provided to Novavax. If such accounting firm concludes that Pfizer underpaid any amounts to Novavax, then Pfizer will remit such underpayment to Novavax within [***] of the date that Pfizer receives the accountant’s report. Should any examination conducted by Novavax or its Representatives pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph result in an increase of more than [***] of any payment due to Novavax hereunder, Pfizer, in addition to any amounts that may be due to Novavax, shall be obligated to reimburse the reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Novavax with respect to such examination within [***] after receipt of an invoice therefor from Novavax. If such accounting firm concludes that Pfizer overpaid Royalty Payments or Milestone Payments to Novavax, then Novavax will refund such overpayments to Pfizer within [***] of the date that Novavax receives such accountant’s report or, at Pfizer’s option, Pfizer shall be entitled to offset all such overpayments against any outstanding or future amounts payable to Novavax hereunder until Pfizer has received full credit for such overpayment. Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, all reports and financial information of Pfizer, its Affiliates or its Sublicensees that are provided to or subject to review by Novavax under this Article 3 shall be deemed to be Pfizer’s Confidential Information and subject to the provisions of Article 9.
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3.6Taxes and Withholding.
(a)It is understood and agreed between the Parties that any payments made by Pfizer to Novavax under this Agreement are exclusive of any value added or similar tax (“VAT”) imposed upon such payments. Where VAT is properly added to a payment made under this Agreement, the Party making the payment will pay the amount of VAT only on receipt of a valid tax invoice issued in accordance with the Laws of the country in which the VAT is chargeable. In addition, if any payments made by Pfizer pursuant to this Agreement become subject to withholding Taxes under the Laws or regulations of any jurisdiction or Governmental Authority, then: (i) Pfizer will deduct and withhold the amount of such Taxes for the account of Novavax to the extent required by applicable Laws or regulations; (ii) such amounts payable to Novavax will be reduced by the amount of Taxes deducted and withheld; and (iii) Pfizer will pay the amounts of such Taxes to the proper Governmental Authority in a timely manner and transmit to Novavax an official tax certificate or other evidence of such tax obligations together with proof of payment from the relevant Governmental Authority of all amounts deducted and withheld sufficient to enable Novavax to claim such payment of Taxes. Any such withholding Taxes required under applicable Laws or regulations to be paid or withheld will be an expense of, and borne solely by, Novavax. Pfizer will provide Novavax with reasonable assistance to enable Novavax to recover such Taxes as permitted by applicable Laws or regulations. The Parties shall reasonably cooperate with each other in claiming exemptions from such deductions and withholdings under any agreement or treaty in effect at the relevant time.
(b)Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement to the contrary, (i) if an action (including but not limited to any assignment, sublicense or exercise by any Affiliate of a Party’s rights or obligations under this Agreement, or payment by any Affiliate of any amount due under this Agreement, or any failure to comply with applicable Laws or filing or record retention requirements) by a Party leads to the imposition of withholding Tax liability or VAT on the other Party that would not have been imposed in the absence of such action or in an increase in such liability above the liability that would have been imposed in the absence of such action, then the sum payable by that Party (in respect of which such deduction or withholding is required to be made) shall be increased to the extent necessary to ensure that the other Party receives a sum equal to the sum that it would have received had no such action occurred, (ii) otherwise, the sum payable by that Party (in respect of which such withholding is required to be made) shall be made to the other Party after deduction of the amount required to be so withheld, which withheld amount shall be remitted in accordance with applicable Law.
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3.7Currency. All amounts payable and calculations under this Agreement shall be in [***]. As applicable, Net Sales and any Royalty Payment deductions will be translated into [***] at the Foreign Exchange Rate. If, due to restrictions or prohibitions imposed by national or international authority, a given payment cannot be made as provided in this Article 3, then Pfizer shall continue to provide Net Sales reports for such Royalty Payments, such Royalty Payments shall continue to accrue in such country or regulatory jurisdiction, and the Parties shall consult with a view to finding a prompt and acceptable solution. If the Parties are unable to identify a mutually acceptable solution regarding such payment, then Pfizer may elect, in its sole discretion, to deliver such payment in the relevant jurisdiction and in the local currency of the relevant jurisdiction.
3.8No Guarantee of Success. Pfizer and Novavax acknowledge and agree that nothing in this Agreement or in the Parties’ discussions or exchange of information prior to entering into this Agreement will be construed as representing any estimate or projection of (a) the successful Development or Commercialization of any Product under this Agreement, (b) the number of Products that will or may be successfully Developed or Commercialized under this Agreement, (c) anticipated sales or the actual value of any Products that may be successfully Developed or Commercialized under this Agreement or (d) the damages, if any, that may be payable if this Agreement is terminated for any reason.
4.RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND COMMERCIALIZATION; ADJUVANT MANUFACTURING.
4.1General. During the Term, the Parties acknowledge and agree that Pfizer shall have sole authority over and exclusive control of all matters relating to the Development (including the filing of Regulatory Approvals for), Manufacture (excluding the Manufacture of the Adjuvant, except after the occurrence of the Adjuvant Manufacturing Trigger Event to Manufacture the Adjuvant from Adjuvant Intermediates or the Adjuvant Intermediate Trigger Event to Manufacture the Adjuvant Intermediates) and Commercialization of any Products.
4.2Adjuvant Manufacturing.
(a)Within [***] after the Effective Date, the Parties shall negotiate in good faith and enter into a clinical supply agreement, pursuant to which Novavax shall Manufacture and supply to Pfizer the Adjuvant for Development of Products (the “Clinical Supply Agreement”). Promptly following Pfizer’s request, the Parties shall negotiate in good faith and enter into a commercial supply agreement, pursuant to which, unless and until Pfizer terminates such supply agreement, Novavax shall Manufacture and supply to Pfizer the Adjuvant for Commercialization of Products (the “Commercial Supply Agreement”; the Clinical Supply Agreement and the Commercial Supply Agreement each individually, a “Supply Agreement”, and collectively, the “Supply Agreements”). The Commercial Supply Agreement shall include the pricing terms set forth in Exhibit 4.2(a) and such other non-economic terms and conditions typical for agreements in the biopharmaceutical industry for the supply of materials or components to be used in the manufacture of vaccine products.
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(b)During the Term, unless and until such time that the Adjuvant Manufacturing Trigger Event has occurred, the Parties stipulate and agree that (i) (A) Novavax will retain sole authority over, and exclusive control of, the Manufacture of the Adjuvant, and (B) Pfizer and its Affiliates shall not, and Pfizer shall not permit its Sublicensees to, exercise the license under Section 2.1(b) to Manufacture the Adjuvant, and (ii) Pfizer will purchase, or otherwise source, the Adjuvant exclusively from Novavax.
(c)Upon the occurrence of the Adjuvant Manufacturing Trigger Event, Pfizer shall have the right to Manufacture the Adjuvant from Adjuvant Intermediates itself or through one or more Affiliates or Sublicensees or other Third Parties selected by Pfizer strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. On and after the occurrence of the Adjuvant Manufacturing Trigger Event, (i) (A) Novavax will retain sole authority over, and exclusive control of, the Manufacture of Adjuvant Intermediates and (B) Pfizer and its Affiliates shall not, and Pfizer shall not permit its Sublicensees to, exercise the license under Section 2.1(b) to Manufacture the Adjuvant Intermediates and (ii) Pfizer will purchase, or otherwise source, the Adjuvant Intermediates exclusively from Novavax.
(d)Upon the occurrence of the Adjuvant Intermediate Trigger Event, Pfizer shall have the right to Manufacture the Adjuvant itself or through one or more Affiliates or Sublicensees or other Third Parties selected by Pfizer strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
4.3Reporting. Pfizer shall provide Novavax with written notice of its submission of an IND for each Product in the Field promptly after submission thereof together with a high-level description of the Product.
4.4Pharmacovigilance Matters. If either Party reasonably believes that it may be necessary or advisable to exchange information concerning adverse events related to the Adjuvant to comply with regulatory or legal obligations, then, upon such Party’s written request, the Parties shall meet and discuss such matter in good faith. If the other Party (acting reasonably and in good faith) agrees that it is necessary or advisable to exchange such information, the Parties shall reasonably cooperate to take actions to comply with such regulatory or legal obligations, which actions may include entering into a pharmacovigilance agreement (the “Pharmacovigilance Agreement”).
5.IP OWNERSHIP; PATENT PROSECUTION; ENFORCEMENT.
5.1IP Ownership. Each Party will solely own all Intellectual Property Rights that are either (a) Controlled by such Party as of the Effective Date or (b) generated by or on behalf of such Party, its Affiliates or (sub-)licensees (including Sublicensees) or their respective Representatives during the Term (such Intellectual Property Rights under clause (b), each Party’s “Foreground IP”). Inventorship of Foreground IP will be determined by application of U.S. patent law pertaining to inventorship, and ownership of such Foreground IP will follow inventorship. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that Pfizer, in violation of Section 2.8, invents any Foreground IP constituting an improvement or modification to, or derivative of, the Adjuvant, Pfizer shall (and shall cause its Affiliates, Sublicensees and its and their Third Party contractors to), and hereby does, assign all rights, title and interests that Pfizer, its Affiliates, Sublicensees and its and their Third Party contractors may have in and to such Foreground IP (solely to the extent such Foreground IP is directed to such improvement or modification to, or derivative of, the Adjuvant supplied to Pfizer under this Agreement) to Novavax, and Novavax accepts such assignment; provided that such Foreground IP shall automatically be included in the Novavax Technology hereunder. Pfizer, at Pfizer’s cost and expense, will provide Novavax with all reasonably requested assistance to effect such assignment and will execute any and all documents necessary to perfect such assignment. To the extent Pfizer, its Affiliates, Sublicensees and its and their Third Party contractors, are unable to assign any such Foreground IP to Novavax due to restrictions under applicable Law, Pfizer will (and will cause its Affiliates, Sublicensees and its and their Third Party contractors to), and hereby does, grant to Novavax and its Affiliates an irrevocable, perpetual, fully-paid-up, royalty-free exclusive license under such Foreground IP for use in all fields worldwide and without further obligation or liability to Pfizer.
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5.2Prosecution, Maintenance, Enforcement and Defense of Foreground IP. Each Party shall have the sole right (but not the obligation), at its sole expense, to prosecute, maintain, enforce and defend any Patent Rights directed to any such Party’s Foreground IP.
5.3Prosecution, Maintenance and Enforcement of Novavax Patent Rights.
(a)Novavax, at its sole expense, shall have and may exercise in its sole discretion, exclusive control over the preparation, filing, prosecution, maintenance, and enforcement of the Novavax Patent Rights.
(b)If any Party becomes aware of any actual or potential claim that their own activities or the activities of the other Party hereunder or under a Supply Agreement infringe or misappropriate the Intellectual Property Rights of any Third Party, then such Party will promptly notify the other Party; provided that Pfizer shall have no obligation to notify Novavax regarding any actual or potential claim to the extent that it does not specifically relate to the Adjuvant or Patent Rights owned or controlled by such Third Party that are alleged to Cover the Adjuvant. Each Party will have the right to control the defense of any such claim brought against it.
5.4Cooperation. Each Party will provide the other Party reasonable assistance, at the other Party’s request and expense, in the following circumstances: (a) the requesting Party is exercising its right to prosecute Patent Rights directed to Foreground IP pursuant to Section 5.2, (b) in the case the requesting Party is Novavax, Novavax is exercising its right to enforce Novavax Patent Rights pursuant to Section 5.3(a), or (c) in the case the requesting Party is Pfizer, (i) Pfizer is exercising its right to defend against Third Party opposing Patent Rights directed to Pfizer’s Foreground IP or (ii) Pfizer is exercising its right to seek patent term extensions pursuant to Section 5.5, including with respect to cooperation related to the enforcement of Patent Rights under this Section 5.4, joining any action as a party if required by Law to pursue the enforcement of such Patent Rights or providing the enforcing Party any reasonably requested documentation or other materials. The Parties agree and acknowledge that they have not waived, and nothing in this Agreement constitutes a waiver of, any legal privilege concerning any such Patent Rights, Know-How or Confidential Information, including privilege under the common interest doctrine and similar or related doctrines. If the Parties agree that a separate agreement memorializing this understanding would be desirable, then the Parties will negotiate and enter into a common interest agreement reflecting this understanding or any other common interest agreement as the Parties may agree.
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5.5Patent Term Extensions. Pfizer will have the exclusive right, but not the obligation, to seek, at its sole expense, in Novavax’s name if so required, patent term extensions, and supplemental protection certificates and the like with respect to each Product that are available under Law, including 35 U.S.C. § 156 and applicable foreign counterparts, in any country in the Territory in relation to Patent Rights that Cover such Product; provided that Pfizer will not, and shall not have the right to, extend any Patent Right within the Novavax Technology (or otherwise owned or Controlled by Novavax or its Affiliates) without Novavax’s prior written consent (not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed).
6. REPRESENTATIONS; WARRANTIES AND COVENANTS.
6.1Mutual Representations and Warranties. Each of Novavax and Pfizer hereby represents and warrants to the other Party as of the Effective Date that:
(a)it is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its organization;
(b)the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by such Party has been duly authorized by all requisite action under the provisions of its charter, bylaws and other organizational documents, and does not require any action or approval by any of its shareholders or other holders of its voting securities or voting interests;
(c)it has the power and authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to perform its obligations hereunder;
(d)this Agreement has been duly executed and is a legal, valid and binding obligation on each Party, enforceable against such Party in accordance with its terms; and
(e)the execution, delivery and performance by such Party of this Agreement and its compliance with the terms and provisions hereof does not and will not conflict with or result in a breach of or default under any binding obligation existing as of the Effective Date.
6.2Novavax Representations and Warranties. Novavax hereby represents and warrants to Pfizer as of the Effective Date that:
(a)the execution and delivery of this Agreement by Novavax, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, do not require any material consent, waiver, authorization or approval of, or any notice to or other filing with, any Governmental Authority;
(b)Novavax is the sole and exclusive owner of the Novavax Technology, free and clear of any claims, liens, charges or encumbrances;
(c)Novavax has the full right, power and authority, and does not require the consent of any Third Party, to grant the licenses and other rights granted or to be granted to Pfizer, Pfizer’s Affiliates or Pfizer’s Sublicensees in accordance with this Agreement;
(d)(i) Exhibit 1.77 sets forth a true and complete list of all Novavax Patent Rights existing as of the Effective Date, (ii) each such issued Novavax Patent Right is in full force and effect as of the Effective Date, and (iii) Novavax or its Affiliates have timely paid all filing and renewal fees payable with respect to such Novavax Patent Rights;
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(e)(i) to Novavax’s Knowledge, the issued and pending Novavax Patent Rights as of the Effective Date, are valid and enforceable Patent Rights and (ii) no Third Party (A) is, to Novavax’s Knowledge, infringing any Novavax Patent Right or (B) has challenged or threatened in writing to challenge the ownership, scope, validity or enforceability of, or Novavax’s rights in or to, any Novavax Patent Right (including, by way of example, through the institution or written threat of institution of interference, nullity or similar invalidity proceedings before the United States Patent and Trademark Office or any analogous foreign Governmental Authority);
(f)Novavax, its Affiliates and, to Novavax’s Knowledge, all Third Parties and Representatives acting on Novavax’s behalf in connection with this Agreement have complied with all applicable Laws in all material respects, including any disclosure requirements, in connection with the filing, prosecution and maintenance of the Novavax Patent Rights;
(g)Novavax, its Affiliates, and to Novavax’s Knowledge, all Third Parties and Representatives acting on Novavax’s behalf, have complied in all material respects with all applicable Laws and accepted pharmaceutical industry business practices, including, to the extent applicable, anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws, (such as, if applicable, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 and the U.K. Bribery Act 2010, accounting and recordkeeping laws, and Laws relating to interactions with healthcare professionals or healthcare providers and Government Officials), the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 301, et seq.), the Anti-Kickback Statute (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b), Civil Monetary Penalty Statute (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7a), the False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. § 3729 et seq.), comparable state statutes, the regulations promulgated under all such statutes, and the regulations issued by the FDA, consistent with the ‘Compliance Program Guidance for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ published by the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services;
(h)with respect to any payments or services provided in connection with the activities under this Agreement, Novavax, its Affiliates, and to Novavax’s Knowledge, all Third Parties and Representatives acting on Novavax’s behalf, have not taken any action directly or indirectly to offer, promise or pay, or authorize the offer or payment of, any money or anything of value in order to improperly or corruptly seek to influence any Government Official or any other Person in order to gain an improper advantage, and has not accepted any such payment;
(i)Novavax has obtained from all inventors of Novavax Technology existing as of the Effective Date, valid and enforceable agreements assigning to Novavax each such inventor’s entire rights, title and interests in and to all such Novavax Technology;
(j)no Novavax Technology existing as of the Effective Date is subject to any funding agreement with any government or Governmental Authority;
(k)there is no (i) claim, demand, suit, proceeding, arbitration, inquiry, investigation or other legal action of any nature, civil, criminal, regulatory or otherwise, pending or, to Novavax’s Knowledge, threatened against Novavax or any of its Affiliates or (ii) judgment or settlement against or owed by Novavax or any of its Affiliates, in each case with respect to the Novavax Patent Rights or the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;
(l)to Novavax’s Knowledge, there is no material adverse event, or medical or scientific concerns regarding the safety, contraindications or effectiveness of the use of the Adjuvant or any products containing the Adjuvant that have not been previously disclosed to Pfizer;
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(m)Novavax has not, nor to Novavax’s Knowledge, has any Third Party acting under authority of Novavax, made an untrue statement of a material fact to any Regulatory Authorities with respect to the Adjuvant, or failed to disclose a material fact required to be disclosed to any Regulatory Authority with respect to the Adjuvant;
(n)to Novavax’s Knowledge, there is no material fact, circumstance, data or result with respect to the Adjuvant that Novavax believes would adversely affect the Regulatory Approval of a Product in any country in the Territory that has not been disclosed to Pfizer;
(o)to Novavax’s Knowledge, there is no (i) prior art or other facts that Novavax believes would result in the invalidity or unenforceability of any issued or pending claims included in the Novavax Patent Rights, (ii) any inequitable conduct or fraud on any patent office with respect to any of the Novavax Patent Rights or (iii) any Person (other than Persons identified in the applicable patent applications or patents, as inventors of inventions disclosed in the Novavax Patent Rights) who claims to be an inventor of an invention disclosed in the Novavax Patent Rights;
(p)neither Novavax nor its Affiliates Control any Patent Rights that Cover, or Know-How that is specific to, an Antigen directed to the [***] that is proprietary to Novavax or its Affiliates;
(q)neither Novavax nor any of its Affiliates are party to or otherwise subject to any agreement or arrangement that limits the ability of Novavax to grant to Pfizer the rights and licenses granted under this Agreement or that would otherwise restrict or limit the ability of Pfizer, its Affiliates or its Sublicensees to Exploit any of the Novavax Technology in accordance with the rights granted to Pfizer under this Agreement;
(r)neither Novavax nor its Affiliates, nor to Novavax’s Knowledge any Third Party acting on Novavax’s behalf or providing services for the benefit of Novavax or its Affiliates, has misappropriated any Know-How of any Third Party that is used in any Exploitation of the Adjuvant or the development of the Novavax Technology; and
(s)(i) to Novavax’s Knowledge, neither Novavax nor its Affiliates, nor any Third Party acting on Novavax’s behalf or providing services for the benefit of Novavax or its Affiliates, has infringed any Patent Rights of a Third Party in any Exploitation of the Adjuvant and (ii) to Novavax’s Knowledge, neither Novavax’s performance of its obligations under this Agreement and the Supply Agreement nor Pfizer’s practice of the rights granted hereunder to Exploit the Adjuvant in accordance with this Agreement as of the Effective Date will infringe any Patent Rights of a Third Party.
6.3Covenant of Novavax.
(a)Novavax, its Affiliates and all Third Parties and Representatives acting on Novavax’s behalf in connection with this Agreement will comply with all applicable Laws in all material respects, including to the extent applicable, anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws, (such as, if applicable, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 and the U.K. Bribery Act 2010, accounting and recordkeeping laws, and Laws relating to interactions with healthcare professionals or healthcare providers and Government Officials), the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 301, et seq.), the Anti-Kickback Statute (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b), Civil Monetary Penalty Statute (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7a), the False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. § 3729 et seq.), comparable state statutes, the regulations promulgated under all such statutes, and the regulations issued by the FDA, consistent with the ‘Compliance Program Guidance for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ published by the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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(b)With respect to any payments or services provided in connection with the activities under this Agreement, Novavax, its Affiliates, and to Novavax’s Knowledge, all Third Parties and Representatives acting on Novavax’s behalf, will not during the Term take any action directly or indirectly to offer, promise or pay, or authorize the offer or payment of, any money or anything of value in order to improperly or corruptly seek to influence any Government Official or any other Person in order to gain an improper advantage, and will not accept in the future such payment.
(c)Novavax will not grant any right, license or interest in or to the Novavax Technology, or any part thereof, inconsistent with the license and rights granted to Pfizer under this Agreement.
6.4Representation by Legal Counsel. Each Party represents that it has been represented by legal counsel in connection with this Agreement and acknowledges that it has participated in the drafting hereof. In interpreting and applying the terms and provisions of this Agreement, the Parties agree that no presumption shall exist or be implied against the Party which drafted such terms and provisions.
6.5Disclaimer. THE FOREGOING REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF EACH PARTY ARE IN LIEU OF ANY OTHER REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF NON-INFRINGEMENT, ALL OF WHICH ARE HEREBY SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDED AND DISCLAIMED.
7.INDEMNIFICATION; LIMITATION ON LIABILITY.
7.1Indemnification by Pfizer. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Pfizer will indemnify, defend and hold harmless Novavax, each of its Affiliates, and each of their Representatives (each, a “Novavax Indemnified Party”) from and against any and all liability, loss, damage, expense (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) and cost (collectively, a “Liability”) that such Novavax Indemnified Party may be required to pay to one or more Third Parties resulting from or arising out of (a) the breach by or on behalf of any Pfizer Indemnified Party of any of its obligations, representations, warranties or covenants set forth in this Agreement including Article 6, (b) the Development, Manufacture, Commercialization, or other Exploitation of any Product, in either case by, on behalf of, or under the authority of, Pfizer (other than by any Novavax Indemnified Party), or (c) the negligence, recklessness or intentional acts of any Pfizer Indemnified Party or its Sublicensees, except, in each case, to the extent such Liability is a Liability for which Novavax is required to indemnify Pfizer pursuant to Section 7.2.
7.2Indemnification by Novavax. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Novavax will indemnify, defend and hold harmless Pfizer, each of its Affiliates, and each of their Representatives (each, a “Pfizer Indemnified Party”) from and against any and all Liabilities that the Pfizer Indemnified Party may be required to pay to one or more Third Parties resulting from or arising out of (a) the breach by or on behalf of any Novavax Indemnified Party of any of its obligations, representations, warranties or covenants set forth in this Agreement, including Article 6 or (b) the negligence, recklessness or intentional acts of any Novavax Indemnified Party, except, in each case, to the extent such Liability is a Liability for which Pfizer is required to indemnify Novavax pursuant to Section 7.1.
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7.3Procedure.
(a)Notice. Each Party will notify the other Party in writing in the event such Party becomes aware of a claim for which indemnification may be sought by it hereunder. In the event that any Third Party asserts a claim or other proceeding (including any governmental investigation) with respect to any matter for which a Party (the “Indemnified Party”) is entitled to indemnification hereunder (a “Third Party Claim”), then the Indemnified Party shall promptly notify the other Party (the “Indemnifying Party”) thereof; provided that no delay on the part of the Indemnified Party in notifying the Indemnifying Party shall relieve the Indemnifying Party of any obligation hereunder unless (and then only to the extent that) the Indemnifying Party is prejudiced thereby.
(b)Control. The Indemnifying Party shall have the right, exercisable by notice to the Indemnified Party within [***] after receipt of notice from the Indemnified Party of the commencement of or assertion of any Third Party Claim, to assume direction and control of the defense, litigation, settlement, appeal or other disposition of the Third Party Claim (including the right to settle the claim, subject to Section 7.4) with counsel selected by the Indemnifying Party and reasonably acceptable to the Indemnified Party. During such time as the Indemnifying Party is controlling the defense of such Third Party Claim, the Indemnified Party shall cooperate, and shall cause its Affiliates and agents to cooperate upon request of the Indemnifying Party, in the defense or prosecution of the Third Party Claim, including by furnishing such records, information and testimony and attending such conferences, discovery proceedings, hearings, trials or appeals as may reasonably be requested by the Indemnifying Party. In the event that the Indemnifying Party does not notify the Indemnified Party of the Indemnifying Party’s intent to defend any Third Party Claim within [***] after notice thereof, the Indemnified Party may (without further notice to the Indemnifying Party) undertake the defense thereof with counsel of its choice and at the Indemnifying Party’s expense (including reasonable, out-of-pocket attorneys’ fees and costs and expenses of enforcement or defense). The Indemnifying Party or the Indemnified Party, as the case may be, shall have the right to join in (including the right to conduct discovery, interview and examine witnesses and participate in all settlement conferences), but not control, at its own expense, the defense of any Third Party Claim that the other Party is defending as provided in this Agreement.
7.4Settlement. The Indemnifying Party shall not, without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Party (which consent will not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed), enter into any settlement of a Third Party Claim; provided that the Indemnified Party’s consent shall not be required if such settlement (a) does not admit any wrongdoing by the Indemnified Party and (b) does not impose any obligation on the Indemnified Party. The Indemnified Party shall have the sole and exclusive right to settle any Third Party Claim, on such terms and conditions as it deems reasonably appropriate, to the extent such Third Party Claim involves equitable or other non-monetary relief, but shall not have the right to settle such Third Party Claim to the extent such Third Party Claim involves monetary damages without the prior written consent of the Indemnifying Party (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed). Each of the Indemnifying Party and the Indemnified Party shall not make any admission of liability in respect of any Third Party Claim without the prior written consent of the other Party, and the Indemnified Party shall use reasonable efforts to mitigate Liabilities arising from such Third Party Claim.
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7.5No Consequential Damages. EXCEPT WITH RESPECT TO LIABILITY ARISING FROM A BREACH OF ARTICLE 9 OR SECTION 2.8, FROM ANY WILLFUL MISCONDUCT OR INTENTIONALLY WRONGFUL ACT, OR TO THE EXTENT SUCH PARTY MAY BE REQUIRED TO INDEMNIFY THE OTHER PARTY UNDER THIS ARTICLE 7, IN NO EVENT WILL EITHER PARTY OR ITS REPRESENTATIVES BE LIABLE UNDER THIS AGREEMENT FOR ANY SPECIAL (ONLY AS RELATED TO INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES), INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, WARRANTY, TORT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE, OR LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUE SUFFERED BY THE OTHER PARTY OR ANY OF ITS REPRESENTATIVES.
7.6Insurance. Each Party agrees to obtain and maintain, during the Term, commercial general liability insurance, including products liability insurance (provided that Pfizer may self-insure) appropriate to cover its indemnification obligations under Section 7.1 or Section 7.2, as applicable, with limits of not less than [***] per occurrence. Insurance shall be provided by carriers having a minimum “A-” AM Best rating. Limits can be satisfied by any combination of primary and excess/umbrella coverage. All deductible/retentions of the name insured shall be the sole responsibility of the named insured.
8.TERM AND TERMINATION.
8.1Term; Expiration. Unless earlier terminated in accordance with this Article 8 (in which case the effective date of termination will be the last day of the Term), the term of this Agreement (the “Term”) will commence as of the Effective Date and expire, on a Product-by-Product and country-by-country or regulatory jurisdiction-by-regulatory jurisdiction basis, on the expiration of the Royalty Term with respect to such Product in such country or regulatory jurisdiction.
8.2Termination for Convenience by Pfizer. Pfizer may terminate this Agreement on a Product-by-Product or country-by-country basis or in its entirety upon [***] prior written notice to Novavax hereunder at any time.
8.3Termination for Cause by Either Party.
(a)Material Breach. Subject to the other terms and conditions of this Agreement, either Party may terminate this Agreement in its entirety if the other Party is in material breach of this Agreement and such breaching Party has not cured such material breach within [***] in the case of payment breaches and [***] in the case of all other breaches after the date of written notice to the breaching Party of such material breach (the “Cure Period”), which notice will describe such material breach in reasonable detail and will state the non-breaching Party’s intention to terminate this Agreement pursuant to this Section 8.3. Any such termination of this Agreement will automatically become effective at the end of the Cure Period unless the breaching Party is actively engaged in curing the material breach prior to the expiration of such Cure Period, or, if such material breach is not susceptible to cure within the Cure Period (excluding all payment breaches), but the breaching Party has provided to the non-breaching Party a written plan during the Cure Period that is reasonably calculated to effect a cure, such plan is reasonably acceptable to the non-breaching Party, and the breaching Party commits to and carries out such plan as provided to the non-breaching Party, then the Cure Period will be extended for up to an additional [***] for such breaches other than payment breaches, for a total of [***] days for such breaches.
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(b)Disagreement as to Material Breach. If the Parties reasonably and in good faith disagree as to whether there has been a material breach of this Agreement, then: (i) the Party that disputes that there has been a material breach may contest the allegation by referring such matter, within [***] following such notice of alleged material breach, for resolution pursuant to Section 10.3, pursuant to which the Executive Officers shall meet promptly to discuss the matter, and determine, whether or not there has been a material breach of this Agreement; (ii) the relevant Cure Period with respect thereto will be tolled from the date the breaching Party notifies the non-breaching Party of such dispute and through the resolution of such dispute in accordance with this Section 8.3 and Section 10.3; (iii) it is understood and agreed that, during the pendency of such dispute, all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall remain in effect and the Parties shall continue to perform all of their respective obligations hereunder; and (iv) if it is finally and conclusively determined that the breaching Party committed such material breach, then the breaching Party shall have the right to cure such material breach after such determination within the remaining Cure Period (or any other cure period established in such proceeding).
(c)Dispute Resolution. If the Executive Officers are unable to resolve a dispute referred to them pursuant to Section 8.3(b) within [***] after it is referred to them in accordance with Section 10.3, then (i) the matter may be resolved as provided in Section 10.3 or (ii) if the matter is not submitted to a court for resolution in accordance with Section 10.3 within [***] after the expiration of the [***] period described above, then the Cure Period with respect to the applicable material breach shall no longer be tolled.
8.4Effects of Termination.
(a)Upon expiration or termination of this Agreement, except as otherwise expressly provided herein (including as set forth in Section 3.4(b)), all rights and obligations of each Party hereunder shall cease (including all rights and licenses and sublicenses granted by either Party to the other Party hereunder).
(b)In the event that Pfizer has the right, after notice to Novavax, the resolution of any dispute resolution proceeding as described in Section 8.3, and failure of Novavax to cure within the applicable Cure Period, to terminate this Agreement pursuant to Section 8.3, but elects not to so terminate this Agreement, and such material breach does not result in an Adjuvant Intermediate Trigger Event or Adjuvant Manufacturing Trigger Event (or any event described therein), Pfizer shall notify Novavax promptly after the resolution of any dispute resolution proceeding as described in Section 8.3 and the end of such Cure Period if it is making such election, and, [***].
(c)[***].
(d)[***].
8.5Accrued Rights. Expiration or termination of this Agreement for any reason shall be without prejudice to any right that shall have accrued to the benefit of either Party prior to such termination, including damages arising from any breach under this Agreement. Expiration or termination of this Agreement shall not relieve either Party from any obligation that is expressly indicated to survive such expiration or termination.
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8.6Survival. The following Articles and Sections, together with any provisions that expressly survive, shall survive expiration or termination of this Agreement for any reason: (a) Article 1, Article 3 (solely to the extent that any payment accrued prior to the effective date of expiration or termination of this Agreement), Article 7, Article 9 (solely for the time period set forth in Section 9.1), and Article 10, (b) Section 2.4, Section 2.6, Section 2.7, Section 4.2, Section 8.7(b), and Section 8.7(c), in each case, solely with respect to expiration of this Agreement and not termination of this Agreement, and (c) Section 2.8, Section 2.9, Section 5.1, Section 8.4, Section 8.5, and Section 8.6.
8.7Provision for Insolvency.
(a)Termination Right. Novavax will be deemed a “Debtor” under this Agreement if, at any time during the Term (i) a case is commenced by or against Novavax under the Bankruptcy Code (“Bankruptcy Case”), (ii) Novavax files for protection under Laws relating to bankruptcy, liquidation, reorganization, winding-up, or composition or readjustment of debts (other than under the Bankruptcy Code), (iii) Novavax assigns all or a substantial portion of its assets to which this Agreement relates for the benefit of creditors, or (iv) a receiver or custodian is appointed for Novavax’s business that is not discharged within [***]; provided that in the case of any involuntary case under the Bankruptcy Code or other action to which Novavax does not consent, Novavax will not be deemed a Debtor if the case or action is dismissed within [***] after the commencement thereof. If Novavax is deemed a Debtor, then Pfizer may terminate this Agreement by providing written notice to Novavax.
(b)Rights to Intellectual Property. All rights and licenses now or hereafter granted by Novavax to Pfizer under or pursuant to any Section of this Agreement, including Sections 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5 and 2.7 hereof, are rights to “intellectual property” (as defined in the Bankruptcy Code). The Parties acknowledge and agree that the payments provided for under Sections 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 and all other payments by Pfizer to Novavax hereunder, other than Royalty Payments pursuant to Section 3.4, do not constitute royalties within the meaning of Section 365(n) of the Bankruptcy Code or relate to licenses of intellectual property hereunder. If (i) a case under the Bankruptcy Code is commenced by or against Novavax, (ii) this Agreement is rejected as provided in the Bankruptcy Code and (iii) Pfizer elects to retain its rights hereunder as provided in Section 365(n) of the Bankruptcy Code, then Novavax (in any capacity, including debtor-in-possession) and its successors and assigns (including any trustee) will provide to Pfizer all Intellectual Property Rights licensed hereunder, and agrees to grant and hereby grants to Pfizer and its Affiliates a right to access and to obtain possession of and to benefit from and, in the case of any chemical or biological material or other tangible item of which there is a fixed or limited quantity, to obtain a pro rata portion of, each of the following to the extent related to the Adjuvant for use in a Product, or otherwise related to any right or license granted under or pursuant to this Agreement: (A) Novavax Technology, and (B) rights of reference in respect of regulatory filings and approvals, all of which constitute “embodiments” of intellectual property pursuant to Section 365(n) of the Bankruptcy Code, and (iii) all other embodiments of such intellectual property, whether any of the foregoing are in Novavax’s possession or control or in the possession and control of any Third Party but that Novavax has the right to access or benefit from and to make available to Pfizer. Novavax will not interfere with the exercise by Pfizer or its Affiliates of rights and licenses to intellectual property licensed hereunder and embodiments thereof in accordance with this Agreement and agrees to use reasonable efforts to assist Pfizer and its Affiliates to obtain such intellectual property and embodiments thereof in the possession or control of Third Parties as reasonably necessary or desirable for Pfizer or its Affiliates or Sublicensees to exercise such rights and licenses in accordance with this Agreement.
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(c)No Limitation of Rights. All rights, powers and remedies of Pfizer provided in this Section 8.7 are in addition to and not in substitution for any and all other rights, powers and remedies now or hereafter existing at Law or in equity (including the Bankruptcy Code) in the event of the commencement of a case under the Bankruptcy Code involving Novavax.
9. CONFIDENTIALITY AND PUBLICITY.
9.1Confidentiality. Except to the extent expressly authorized by this Agreement or otherwise agreed in writing, the Parties agree, on behalf of themselves and their respective Affiliates, that, for the Term and for [***] thereafter (or, with respect to Confidential Information constituting a trade secret under applicable law that is disclosed to Pfizer in writing and marked or otherwise identified in writing as a trade secret, until such trade secret ceases to be Confidential Information), each Party (the “Receiving Party”), receiving any Confidential Information of the other Party (the “Disclosing Party”) hereunder shall keep and shall cause its Affiliates to keep such Confidential Information confidential and shall not, and shall cause its Affiliates to not, publish or otherwise disclose or use such Confidential Information for any purpose other than as provided for in this Agreement. Confidential Information will exclude any information that the Receiving Party can establish:
(a)was already known to the Receiving Party (other than under an obligation of confidentiality), at the time of disclosure by the Disclosing Party and such Receiving Party has documentary evidence to that effect;
(b)was generally available to the public or otherwise part of the public domain at the time of its disclosure to the Receiving Party;
(c)became generally available to the public or otherwise part of the public domain after its disclosure to the Receiving Party, and other than through any act or omission of the Receiving Party or any of its Affiliates (or their Representatives) in breach of this confidentiality obligation;
(d)was disclosed to that Party, other than under an obligation of confidentiality, by a Third Party who had no obligation, directly or indirectly, to the Disclosing Party, not to disclose such information to others; or
(e)was independently discovered or developed by or on behalf of the Receiving Party without the use of or reference to the Confidential Information belonging to the other Party and the Receiving Party has documentary evidence to that effect.
9.2Authorized Disclosure. Notwithstanding the foregoing Section 9.1, each Party may disclose to Third Parties Confidential Information belonging to the other Party to the extent such disclosure in reasonably necessary to:
(a)prosecute or defend litigation between such Party and a Third Party,
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(b)prosecute and maintain Patent Rights in accordance with the terms of this Agreement,
(c)generate regulatory filings and file for Regulatory Approvals, in each case, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement,
(d)allow its Affiliates and actual or potential Sublicensees and actual or potential Third Party contractors, in each case, engaged in accordance with this Agreement to exercise the Receiving Party’s rights or perform the Receiving Party’s obligations under this Agreement strictly in accordance with this Agreement; provided that any such disclosure is covered by terms of confidentiality with such Affiliates, Sublicensees, and Third Party contractors that are consistent with the Receiving Party’s obligations under this Article 9,
(e)share with the Receiving Party’s advisors (including financial advisors, attorneys, and accountants), actual or potential acquisition or collaboration partners, financing sources, or investors, or underwriters on a need to know basis; provided that any such disclosure is covered by terms of confidentiality with such advisors, partners, sources, investors, and underwriters that are consistent with the Receiving Party’s obligations under this Article 9 (which may include professional ethical obligations),
(f)to the extent required to comply with applicable Law or a court or administrative order (excluding the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or a similar regulatory agency in a country other than the United States (a “Stock Exchange”), which disclosures are subject to Section 9.4), in each case, to the extent applicable to such Party at such time; provided that the Party who is required to make such disclosure under this Section 9.2(f), if permitted under applicable Law or order, (i) provides the other Party with reasonable prior written notice, (ii) coordinates with the other Party with respect to the wording and timing of any such disclosure and affords the other Party an opportunity to oppose or limit, or secure confidential treatment for, such required disclosure, (iii) if unsuccessful in its efforts pursuant to clause (ii), then takes all reasonable and lawful actions to obtain confidential treatment for such disclosure, and (iv) discloses the minimum amount and scope of the Confidential Information necessary to comply with applicable Law.
In the event the Receiving Party shall deem it necessary to disclose, pursuant to this Section 9.2, Confidential Information belonging to the Disclosing Party, the Receiving Party shall, to the extent possible, give reasonable advance notice of such disclosure to the Disclosing Party and take reasonable measures to ensure confidential treatment of such information.
9.3Disclosure of Agreement; Public Announcements. Except for the initial press release set forth on Schedule 9.3 to be made by Novavax promptly following the Effective Date, neither Party shall issue any news release or other public announcement relating to this Agreement, including any of its terms, or to the performance of either Party hereunder, without the prior written approval of the other Party. All other publicity, press releases and other announcements relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby shall be reviewed in advance by, and shall be subject to the approval of, both Parties. If the Parties agree to issue a news release or other public announcement, then either Party may make subsequent public disclosures reiterating substantially the same text of such disclosure previously issued in accordance with this Agreement without having to obtain the other Party’s prior consent and approval so long as the information in such disclosure remains true, correct and the most current information with respect to the subject matter set forth therein.
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9.4SEC Filings and Other Disclosures. Either Party may disclose the terms of this Agreement and make any other public written disclosure regarding the existence of, or performance under, this Agreement, to the extent required to comply with the rules and regulations promulgated by a Stock Exchange. Before disclosing this Agreement or any of the terms hereof pursuant to this Section 9.4, to the extent reasonably practicable and to the extent not prohibited by applicable Law or judicial or administrative process, such disclosing Party will (a) notify the other Party of such required disclosure, (b) take all steps reasonably necessary to seek the continued confidential treatment of, or redact, any Confidential Information of the other Party, and (c) only disclose that portion of Confidential Information of the other Party that is legally required to be disclosed. Without limiting the foregoing, to the extent reasonably practicable and to the extent not prohibited by applicable Law or judicial or administrative process, the Parties will consult with one another on the terms of this Agreement to be redacted in making any disclosure of the terms of this Agreement, with the Party making such public disclosure providing as much advance notice as is feasible under the circumstances, and giving consideration to the comments of the other Party.
10.MISCELLANEOUS
10.1Notice. Any notices required or permitted under this Agreement shall be in writing, shall specifically refer to this Agreement, and shall be sent by hand, recognized national overnight courier, confirmed facsimile transmission, confirmed electronic mail, or registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, to the following addresses or facsimile numbers of the Parties:
[***]:
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All notices under this Agreement shall be deemed effective upon receipt. A Party may change its contact information immediately upon written notice to the other Party in the manner provided in this Section 10.1.
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10.2Governing Law; Jurisdiction. This Agreement and all disputes arising out of or related to this Agreement, or the performance, enforcement, breach or termination hereof, and any remedies relating thereto, shall be construed, governed, interpreted and applied in accordance with the laws of [***], without regard to conflict of law principles thereof. Each Party to this Agreement hereby (a) irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of [***] for the purpose of any and all actions, suits or proceedings, in whole or in part, arising out of, related to, based upon or in connection with this Agreement or the subject matter hereof, (b) waives to the extent not prohibited by applicable Law, and agrees not to assert, by way of motion, as a defense or otherwise, in any such action, any claim that it is not subject personally to the jurisdiction of the above-named courts, that its property is exempt or immune from attachment or execution, that any such action brought in one of the above-named courts should be dismissed on grounds of forum non conveniens, should be transferred to any court other than one of the above-named courts or that this Agreement or the subject matter hereof may not be enforced in or by such court and (c) agrees not to commence any such action other than before one of the above-named courts nor to make any motion or take any other action seeking or intending to cause the transfer or removal of any such action to any court other than one of the above-named courts whether on the grounds of forum non conveniens or otherwise and/or any court action between the Parties relating to this Agreement. EXCEPT AS LIMITED BY APPLICABLE LAW, EACH PARTY HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION, PROCEEDING, OR COUNTERCLAIM (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT, OR OTHERWISE) ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE ACTIONS OF ANY PARTY HERETO IN THE NEGOTIATION, ADMINISTRATION, PERFORMANCE, AND ENFORCEMENT HEREOF.
10.3Dispute Resolution. If any dispute or disagreement arises between Pfizer and Novavax in respect of this Agreement, the Parties will follow the following procedures in an attempt to resolve the dispute or disagreement:
(a)The Party claiming that such a dispute exists will give notice in writing (“Notice of Dispute”) to the other Party of the nature of the dispute; and
(b)Within [***] after receipt of a Notice of Dispute, the Chief Vaccines Officer of Pfizer and the Chief Executive Officer of Novavax (with respect to a Party, its “Executive Officer”) will meet at a mutually agreed-upon time and location for the purpose of resolving such dispute.
(c)Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, either Party may immediately initiate litigation in any court of competent jurisdiction seeking any remedy at law or in equity, including the issuance of a preliminary, temporary or permanent injunction, to preserve or enforce its rights under this Agreement.
10.4Assignment. Neither this Agreement nor any interest hereunder shall be assigned or transferred by a Party without the prior written consent of the other Party, except as follows: (a) a Party may assign its rights and obligations under this Agreement to any of its Affiliates, provided that the assignee shall expressly agree to be bound by such Party’s obligations under this Agreement and such Party shall remain liable for all of its rights and obligations under this Agreement; and (b) a Party may assign its rights and obligations under this Agreement by way of sale of itself or the sale of the portion of its business to which this Agreement relates, through merger, sale of assets and/or sale of stock or ownership interest, provided that the assignee shall expressly agree to be bound by such Party’s obligations under this Agreement. Any attempted assignment not in accordance with this Section 10.4 shall be null, void, and of no legal effect.
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10.5Force Majeure. Each Party will not be deemed to have defaulted under or breached any of its obligations under this Agreement, except for the payment of any amounts owed under this Agreement, to the extent that such performance is prevented by force majeure (defined below) and the nonperforming Party promptly provides notice of the prevention to the other Party. Such excuse shall be continued so long as the condition constituting force majeure continues and the nonperforming Party takes commercially reasonable efforts to mitigate or remove the condition and resume its performance of its obligations under this Agreement; provided, that after a period exceeding [***], the Parties will promptly meet to discuss in good faith mitigation strategies to proceed in a manner that maintains and abides by the Agreement. For purposes of this Agreement, “force majeure” shall include conditions beyond the control of the Parties, including an act of God, voluntary or involuntary compliance with any regulation, Law or order of any Governmental Authority, war, act of terror, civil commotion, labor dispute, strike or lock-out, supplier price increases, epidemic, pandemic, failure or default of public utilities or common carriers, destruction of production facilities or materials by fire, earthquake, storm or like catastrophe.
10.6Amendment and Waiver. This Agreement may be amended, supplemented, or otherwise modified only by means of a written instrument signed by a duly authorized officer of both Parties. No provision of this Agreement will be waived by any act, omission, or knowledge of a Party or its Representatives except by an instrument in writing expressly waiving such provision and signed by a duly authorized officer of the waiving Party. The waiver by either Party of any breach of any provision hereof by the other Party will not be construed to be a waiver of any succeeding breach of such provision or a waiver of the provision itself.
10.7Entire Agreement. This Agreement (including all schedules and exhibits attached hereto), together with the Supply Agreements and, if applicable, the Pharmacovigilance Agreement, constitutes and contains the complete, final and exclusive understanding and agreement of the Parties and cancels and supersedes any and all prior negotiations, correspondence, understandings and agreements, whether oral or written, between the Parties respecting the subject matter hereof and thereof.
10.8Global Trade Control Laws. The Parties acknowledge that certain activities covered by or performed under this Agreement may be subject to Laws, regulations or orders regarding economic sanctions, import controls or export controls (“Global Trade Control Laws”). Each of the Parties will perform all activities under this Agreement in compliance with all applicable Global Trade Control Laws. Furthermore, with respect to the activities performed under this Agreement, each of the Parties represents, warrants and covenants that:
(a)Each Party will not, for activities under this Agreement, (i) engage in any such activities in a Restricted Market; (ii) knowingly involve individuals ordinarily resident in a Restricted Market; or (iii) include companies, organizations or Governmental Authorities from or located in a Restricted Market. “Restricted Market” for purposes of this Agreement means the Crimean Peninsula, Cuba, the Donbass Region, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria, or any other country or region sanctioned by the United States or European Union.
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(b)Each Party represents and warrants that it is not a Restricted Party and, to the best of its knowledge, is not owned or controlled by a Restricted Party. With respect to activities performed under this Agreement, neither Party will knowingly engage or delegate to any Restricted Parties for any activities under this Agreement. For purposes of this Agreement means any individual or entity on any of the following “Restricted Party Lists”: the list of sanctioned entities maintained by the United Nations; the Specially Designated Nationals List and the Sectoral Sanctions Identifications List of the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control; the U.S. Denied Persons List, the U.S. Entity List, and the U.S. Unverified List of the U.S. Department of Commerce; entities subject to restrictive measures and the Consolidated List of Persons, Groups and Entities Subject to E.U. Financial Sanctions, as implemented by the E.U. Common Foreign & Security Policy; the List of Excluded Individuals / Entities published by the U.S. Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General; any lists of prohibited or debarred parties established under the U.S. Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act; the list of parties suspended or debarred from contracting with the U.S. government; and similar lists of Restricted Parties maintained by the Governmental Authorities of the countries that have jurisdiction over the activities conducted under this Agreement. “Restricted Party” means an individual or entity on a Restricted Party List.
(c)Neither Party will knowingly transfer to the other Party any goods, software, technology or services that are (i) controlled under the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations or at a level other than EAR99 under the U.S. Export Administration Regulations; or (ii) specifically identified as an E.U. Dual Use Item or on an applicable export control list of another country.
10.9Interpretation. Except where the context expressly requires otherwise, (a) the use of any gender herein shall be deemed to encompass references to either or both genders, and the use of the singular shall be deemed to include the plural (and vice versa), (b) the words “include”, “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation”, (c) the word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word “shall”, (d) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document herein shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set forth herein), (e) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include the Person’s successors and assigns, (f) the words “herein”, “hereof” and “hereunder”, and words of similar import, shall be construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not to any particular provision hereof, (g) all references herein to Sections or Exhibits shall be construed to refer to Sections or Exhibits of this Agreement, and references to this Agreement include all Exhibits hereto, (h) the word “notice” means notice in writing (whether or not specifically stated) and shall include notices, consents, approvals and other written communications contemplated under this Agreement, (i) provisions that require that a Party, the Parties or any committee hereunder “agree,” “consent” or “approve” or the like shall require that such agreement, consent or approval be specific and in writing, whether by written agreement, letter, approved minutes or otherwise (but excluding e-mail and instant messaging), (j) references to any specific law, rule or regulation, or article, section or other division thereof, shall be deemed to include the then-current amendments thereto or any replacement or successor law, rule or regulation thereof, and (k) the term “or” shall be interpreted in the inclusive sense commonly associated with the term “and/or.”
10.10Performance by Affiliates. Each Party may use one (1) or more of its Affiliates to perform its obligations and duties under this Agreement, provided that such Party shall remain liable under this Agreement for the prompt payment and performance of all of its obligations under this Agreement and for the Affiliate’s compliance with the applicable terms of this Agreement, including such Affiliate’s adherence to all waivers, disclaimers, and limitations in this Agreement in favor of the other Party hereunder.
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10.11Independent Contractors. Both Parties are independent contractors under this Agreement. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to create an employment, agency, joint venture or partnership relationship between the Parties hereto or any of their agents or employees, or any other legal arrangement that would impose liability upon one Party for the act or failure to act of the other Party. Neither Party shall have any express or implied power to enter into any contracts or commitments or to incur any liabilities in the name of, or on behalf of, the other Party, or to bind the other Party in any respect whatsoever.
10.12Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in two counterparts, each of which shall be an original and both of which shall constitute together the same document. Counterparts may be signed and delivered by facsimile or digital (e.g., PDF) file, each of which shall be binding when received by the applicable Party.
10.13No Third Party Rights or Obligations. Except as expressly set forth in this Agreement (including in Article 7), no provision of this Agreement will be deemed or construed in any way to result in the creation of any rights or obligations in any Person not a Party to this Agreement.
10.14Binding Effect. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns. Each Party agrees to execute, acknowledge, and deliver such further instruments, and to do all such other acts, as may be necessary or appropriate in order to carry out the purposes and intent of this Agreement.
10.15Headings. All headings are for convenience only and shall not affect the meaning of any provision of this Agreement.
[Signature page follows]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have caused this Agreement to be executed by their duly authorized representatives as of the Effective Date.
NOVAVAX INC.
By: _______________________________
Name:
Title:
PFIZER INC.
By: _______________________________
Name:
Title:
[Signature Page to License Agreement]
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EX-10.64
5
nvax-20251231xex1064.htm
EX-10.64
Document
Exhibit 10.64
CREDIT, SECURITY AND GUARANTY AGREEMENT
dated as of February 25, 2026
by and among
NOVAVAX, INC.
as Borrower and any additional borrower that hereafter becomes party hereto, each as Borrower, and collectively as Borrowers,
and
any guarantor that hereafter becomes party hereto, each as Guarantor, and collectively as Guarantors,
and
MIDCAP FINANCIAL TRUST,
as Agent,
and
THE LENDERS
FROM TIME TO TIME PARTY HERETO
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
CREDIT, SECURITY AND GUARANTY AGREEMENT
This CREDIT, SECURITY AND GUARANTY AGREEMENT (as the same may be amended, supplemented, restated or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Agreement”) is dated as of February 25, 2026 by and among NOVAVAX, INC., a Delaware corporation (“Novavax”), and any additional borrower that may hereafter be added to this Agreement and each of their successors and permitted assigns (together with Novavax, each individually a “Borrower”, and collectively, the “Borrowers”), any entities that become party hereto as Guarantors and each of their successors and permitted assigns, MIDCAP FINANCIAL TRUST, as Agent, and the financial institutions or other entities from time to time parties hereto, each as a Lender.
RECITALS
The Credit Parties have requested that Lenders make available to Borrowers the financing facilities as described herein. Lenders are willing to extend such credit to Borrowers under the terms and conditions herein set forth.
AGREEMENT
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the agreements, provisions and covenants herein contained, Credit Parties, Lenders and Agent agree as follows:
Article 1- DEFINITIONS
Section 1.1Certain Defined Terms. The following terms have the following meanings:
“2015 Stock Incentive Plan” means the Novavax, Inc. Amended and Restated 2015 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended, amended and restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time in the Ordinary Course of Business.
“2023 Inducement Plan” means the Novavax, Inc. 2023 Inducement Plan, as amended, amended and restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time in the Ordinary Course of Business.
“2027 Convertible Note Documents” means the 2027 Convertible Notes, the 2027 Notes Indenture and each other material document or agreement from time to entered into in connection with the foregoing.
“2027 Convertible Notes” means those certain 5.00% Convertible Senior Notes in the aggregate principal amount not to exceed $150,000,000, issued pursuant to that certain Indenture, dated as of December 20, 2022, by and between Novavax and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. (the “2027 Notes Indenture”).
“2031 Convertible Note Documents” means the 2031 Convertible Notes, the 2031 Notes Indenture and each other material document or agreement from time to entered into in connection with the foregoing.
“2031 Convertible Notes” means those certain 4.625% Convertible Senior Notes in the aggregate principal amount not to exceed $225,000,000, issued pursuant to that certain Indenture, dated as of August 27, 2025, by and between Novavax and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. (the “2031 Notes Indenture”)
“Acceleration Event” means the occurrence of an Event of Default (a) in respect of which Agent has declared all or any portion of the Obligations to be immediately due and payable pursuant to Section 10.2, (b) pursuant to Section 10.1(a), and in respect of which Agent has suspended or terminated Term Loan Commitment pursuant to Section 10.2, and/or (c) pursuant to either Section 10.1(e) and/or Section 10.1(f).
“Account Debtor” means “account debtor”, as defined in Article 9 of the UCC, and any other obligor in respect of an Account.
“Accounts” means, collectively, (a) any right to payment of a monetary obligation, whether or not earned by performance, (b) without duplication, any “account” (as defined in the UCC), any accounts receivable (whether in the form of payments for services rendered or goods sold, rents, license fees or otherwise), any “health-care-insurance receivables” (as defined in the UCC), any “payment intangibles” (as defined in the UCC) and all other rights to payment and/or reimbursement of every kind and description, whether or not earned by performance, (c) all accounts, “general intangibles” (as defined in the UCC), Intellectual Property, rights, remedies, Guarantees, “supporting obligations” (as defined in the UCC), “letter-of-credit rights” (as defined in the UCC) and security interests in respect of the foregoing, all rights of enforcement and collection, all books and records evidencing or related to the foregoing, and all rights under the Financing Documents in respect of the foregoing, and (d) all Proceeds of any of the foregoing.
“Acquisition” means any transaction or series of related transactions for the purpose of or resulting, directly or indirectly, in (a) the acquisition (including through licensing) of all or substantially all of the assets of a Person, or of any business, line of business or division or other unit of operation of a Person, (b) the acquisition of fifty percent (50%) or more of the Equity Interests of any Person, whether or not involving a merger or consolidation with such other Person, or otherwise causing any Person to become a Subsidiary of a Credit Party, (c) any merger or consolidation or any other combination with another Person or (d) the acquisition (including through licensing) of any royalty stream, commercial product, commercial product line or Intellectual Property of or from any other Person (but in each case excluding in-bound licenses of, and purchases of, over-the-counter and other software that is commercially available to the public and open source licenses in the Ordinary Course of Business) or any assets constituting a business unit, line of business or division of such other Person; provided that non-exclusive licenses obtained in connection with commercial contracts entered into the Ordinary Course of Business by Credit Parties or their Subsidiaries shall not constitute Acquisitions for purposes of this definition.
“Additional Titled Agents” has the meaning set forth in Section 11.15.
“Affected Financial Institution” means (a) any EEA Financial Institution or (b) any UK Financial Institution.
“Affected Lenders” has the meaning set forth in Section 11.17(c).
“Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, (a) any Person that directly or indirectly controls such Person, (b) any Person which is controlled by or is under common control with such controlling Person, and (c) each of such Person’s (other than, with respect to any Lender, any Lender’s) officers or directors (or Persons functioning in substantially similar roles). As used in this definition, the term “control” of a Person means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to vote ten percent (10%) or more of any class of voting securities of such Person or to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.
“Agent” means MCF, in its capacity as administrative agent for itself and for Lenders hereunder, as such capacity is established in, and subject to the provisions of, Article 11, and the successors and assigns of MCF in such capacity.
“Anti-Terrorism Laws” means any Laws relating to terrorism or money laundering, including, without limitation, Executive Order No. 13224 (effective September 24, 2001), the USA PATRIOT Act, the Laws comprising or implementing the Bank Secrecy Act, and the Laws or general or specific licenses administered by OFAC.
“Applicable Margin” means five percent (5.00%).
“Applicable Royalty Revenue Threshold” means the minimum Royalty Revenue amount set forth on Schedule 6.1 attached hereto for such Defined Period.
“Approved Fund” means any (a) investment company, fund, trust, securitization vehicle or conduit that is (or will be) engaged in making, purchasing, holding or otherwise investing in commercial loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of business, or (b) any Person (other than a natural person) which temporarily warehouses loans for any Lender or any entity described in the preceding clause (a) and that, with respect to each of the preceding clauses (a) and (b), is administered or managed by (i) a Lender, (ii) an Affiliate of a Lender, or (iii) a Person (other than a natural person) or an Affiliate of a Person (other than a natural person) that administers or manages a Lender.
“Asset Disposition” means any sale, lease, license, transfer, assignment or other disposition (including by merger, allocation of assets (including allocation of assets to any series of a limited liability company), division, consolidation or amalgamation, but excluding dispositions resulting from any casualty or other damage to, any property or asset) by any Credit Party or any Subsidiary thereof of any asset of such Credit Party or such Subsidiary.
“Assignment Agreement” means an assignment agreement in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit G or such other form that is acceptable to Agent and, as applicable, Borrower Representative.
“Available Tenor” means, as of any date of determination with respect to the then-current Benchmark, (a) if such Benchmark is a term rate, any tenor for such Benchmark (or component thereof) that is or may be used for determining the length of an interest period pursuant to this Agreement or (b) otherwise, any payment period for interest calculated with reference to such Benchmark (or component thereof) that is or may be used for determining any frequency of making payments of interest calculated with reference to such Benchmark pursuant to this Agreement, in each case, as of such date and not including, for the avoidance of doubt, any tenor for such Benchmark that is then-removed from the definition of “Interest Period” or similar term pursuant to Section 2.2(k). For the avoidance of doubt, “Available Tenor” with respect to Term SOFR shall mean a 1-month period.
“Bail-In Action” means the exercise of any Write-Down and Conversion Powers by the applicable Resolution Authority in respect of any liability of an Affected Financial Institution.
“Bail-In Legislation” means (a) with respect to any EEA Member Country implementing Article 55 of Directive 2014/59/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of the European Union, the implementing law, regulation, rule or requirement for such EEA Member Country from time to time which is described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule and (b) with respect to the United Kingdom, Part I of the United Kingdom Banking Act 2009 (as amended from time to time) and any other law, regulation or rule applicable in the United Kingdom relating to the resolution of unsound or failing banks, investment firms or other financial institutions or their affiliates (other than through liquidation, administration or other insolvency proceedings).
“Bankruptcy Code” means Title 11 of the United States Code entitled “Bankruptcy”, as the same may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time, and any successor statute thereto.
“Base Rate” means a per annum rate of interest equal to the greater of (a) the Floor and (b) a per annum rate of interest equal to the rate of interest announced, from time to time, within Wells Fargo Bank, National Association (“Wells Fargo”) at its principal office in San Francisco as its “prime rate,” with the understanding that the “prime rate” is one of Wells Fargo’s base rates (not necessarily the lowest of such rates) and serves as the basis upon which effective rates of interest are calculated for those loans making reference thereto and is evidenced by the recording thereof after its announcement in such internal publications as Wells Fargo may designate; provided, however, that Agent may, upon prior written notice to Borrower, choose a reasonably comparable index or source to use as the basis for the Base Rate.
“Base Rate Loan” means a Loan that bears interest at a rate based on the Base Rate.
“Benchmark” means, initially, Term SOFR; provided that if a Benchmark Transition Event and its related Benchmark Replacement Date have occurred with respect to Term SOFR or the then-current Benchmark, then “Benchmark” means the applicable Benchmark Replacement to the extent that such Benchmark Replacement has replaced such prior benchmark rate pursuant to Section 2.2(k).
“Benchmark Replacement” means, with respect to any Benchmark Transition Event, the sum of: (a) the alternate benchmark rate that has been selected by Agent and the Borrower Representative giving due consideration to (i) any selection or recommendation of a replacement benchmark rate or the mechanism for determining such a rate by the Relevant Governmental Body or (ii) any evolving or then-prevailing market convention for determining a benchmark rate as a replacement to the then-current Benchmark for Dollar-denominated syndicated credit facilities at such time and (b) the related Benchmark Replacement Adjustment; provided that, if such Benchmark Replacement as so determined would be less than the Floor, such Benchmark Replacement will be deemed to be the Floor for the purposes of this Agreement and the other Financing Documents.
“Benchmark Replacement Adjustment” means, with respect to any replacement of the then-current Benchmark with an Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement for any applicable Available Tenor, the spread adjustment, or method for calculating or determining such spread adjustment (which may be a positive or negative value or zero) that has been selected by Agent and the Borrower Representative giving due consideration to any selection or recommendation by the Relevant Governmental Body, or any evolving or then-prevailing market convention at such time, for determining a spread adjustment, or method for calculating or determining such spread adjustment, for such type of replacement for U.S. dollar-denominated syndicated credit facilities at such time.
“Benchmark Replacement Date” means the earlier to occur of the following events with respect to the then-current Benchmark: (a) in the case of clause (a) or (b) of the definition of “Benchmark Transition Event”, the later of (i) the date of the public statement or publication of information referenced therein and (ii) the date on which the administrator of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) permanently or indefinitely ceases to provide all Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or such component thereof); or (b) in the case of clause (c) of the definition of “Benchmark Transition Event”, the first date on which such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) has been determined and announced by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of such Benchmark (or such component thereof) to be no longer representative; provided, that such non-representativeness will be determined by reference to the most recent statement or publication referenced in such clause (c) even if any Available Tenor of such Benchmark (or such component thereof) continues to be provided on such date. For the avoidance of doubt, the “Benchmark Replacement Date” will be deemed to have occurred in the case of clause (a) or (b) with respect to any Benchmark upon the occurrence of the applicable event or events set forth therein with respect to all then-current Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof).
“Benchmark Transition Event” means the occurrence of one or more of the following events with respect to the then-current Benchmark: (a) a public statement or publication of information by or on behalf of the administrator of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) announcing that such administrator has ceased or will cease to provide all Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or such component thereof), permanently or indefinitely, provided that, at the time of such statement or publication, there is no successor administrator that will continue to provide any Available Tenor of such Benchmark (or such component thereof); (b) a public statement or publication of information by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof), the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, an insolvency official or resolution authority with jurisdiction over the administrator for such Benchmark (or such component), or a court or an entity with similar insolvency or resolution authority, which states that the administrator of such Benchmark (or such component) has ceased or will cease to provide all Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or such component thereof) permanently or indefinitely, provided that, at the time of such statement or publication, there is no successor administrator that will continue to provide any Available Tenor of such Benchmark (or such component thereof); or (c) a public statement or publication of information by the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof) announcing that all Available Tenors of such Benchmark (or such component thereof) are no longer, or as of a specified future date will no longer be, representative. For the avoidance of doubt, a “Benchmark Transition Event” will be deemed to have occurred with respect to any Benchmark if a public statement or publication of information set forth above has occurred with respect to each then-current Available Tenor of such Benchmark (or the published component used in the calculation thereof).
“Benchmark Transition Start Date” means, in the case of a Benchmark Transition Event, the earlier of (a) the applicable Benchmark Replacement Date and (b) if such Benchmark Transition Event is a public statement or publication of information of a prospective event, the 90th day prior to the expected date of such event as of such public statement or publication of information (or if the expected date of such prospective event is fewer than 90 days after such statement or publication, the date of such statement or publication).
“Benchmark Unavailability Period” means the period (if any) (a) beginning at the time that a Benchmark Replacement Date pursuant to clauses (a) or (b) of that definition has occurred if, at such time, no Benchmark Replacement has replaced the then-current Benchmark for all purposes hereunder and under any Financing Document in accordance with Section 2.2(k) and (b) ending at the time that a Benchmark Replacement has replaced the then-current Benchmark for all purposes hereunder and under any Financing Document in accordance with Section 2.2(k).
“Blocked Person” means any Person: (a) listed in the annex to, or is otherwise subject to the provisions of, Executive Order No. 13224, (b) owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, any Person that is listed in the annex to, or is otherwise subject to the provisions of, Executive Order No. 13224, (c) with which any Lender is prohibited from dealing or otherwise engaging in any transaction by any Anti-Terrorism Law, (d) that commits, threatens or conspires to commit or supports “terrorism” as defined in Executive Order No. 13224, (e) that is named a “specially designated national” or “blocked person” on the most current list published by OFAC or other similar sanctions list or is named as a “listed person” or “listed entity” on other lists made under any Anti-Terrorism Law, or (f) any Person resident in, organized under the laws of or incorporated in a Sanctioned Country.
“Borrower” and “Borrowers” has the meaning set forth in the introductory paragraph hereto.
“Borrower Representative” means Novavax, in its capacity as Borrower Representative pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.9, or any successor Borrower Representative selected by Borrowers and approved by Agent.
“Business Day” means any day except a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which either the New York Stock Exchange is closed, or on which commercial banks in Washington, DC and New York City are authorized by Law to close; provided, however, that when used in the context of a SOFR Loan, the term “Business Day” shall also exclude any day that is not also a SOFR Business Day.
“Capital Lease” of any Person means any lease of any property by such Person as lessee which would, in accordance with GAAP, be required to be accounted for as a capital lease or finance lease on the balance sheet of such Person.
“Cash Equivalents” means, as of any date of determination, any of the following: (a) marketable securities (i) issued or directly and unconditionally guaranteed as to interest and principal by the United States government, or (ii) issued by any agency of the United States the obligations of which are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, in each case maturing within one (1) year after such date; (b) marketable direct obligations issued by any state of the United States or any political subdivision of any such state or any public instrumentality thereof, in each case maturing within one (1) year after such date and having, at the time of the acquisition thereof, a rating of at least A-1 from S&P or at least P-1 from Moody’s; (c) commercial paper maturing no more than one (1) year from the date of creation thereof and having, at the time of the acquisition thereof, a rating of at least A-1 from S&P or at least P-1 from Moody’s, or carrying an equivalent rating by a nationally recognized rating agency, if both of the two named rating agencies cease publishing ratings of commercial paper issuers generally; (d) certificates of deposit or bankers’ acceptances maturing within one (1) year after such date and issued or accepted by any Lender or by any commercial bank organized under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia that (i) is at least “adequately capitalized” (as defined in the regulations of its primary federal banking regulator), and (ii) has Tier 1 capital (as defined in such regulations) of not less than $100,000,000; (e) shares of any money market mutual fund that (i) has substantially all of its assets invested continuously in the types of investments referred to in clauses (a) and (b) above, (ii) has net assets of not less than $500,000,000, and (iii) has the highest rating obtainable from either S&P or Moody’s; and (f) other Investments in accordance with Novavax’s investment policy disclosed to Agent prior to, and as in effect on, the Closing Date, or as amended with the consent of Agent in its reasonable discretion.
“Cash Milestone Payments” means milestone payments (excluding royalties and other sales‑based payments and excluding non‑cash consideration) received in cash by any Credit Party pursuant to any licensing, collaboration or similar commercial agreement.
“Casualty Event” shall mean any casualty or other insured physical damage to, or any taking under power of eminent domain or by condemnation or similar proceeding of, any property or asset of any Credit Party.
“CEPI” means the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.
“CEPI Funding Agreement” means the grant, award, funding, advance purchase, reimbursement, forgivable loan or similar agreement between any Credit Party (or any Subsidiary) and CEPI that is in effect as of the date hereof, together with all amendments, restatements, supplements, statements of work, work packages, budgets, annexes and other related program documents thereto, in each case as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time.
“CEPI Restricted Cash Account” means, for so long as required pursuant to the terms of the CEPI Funding Agreement, any segregated Deposit Account maintained by any Credit Party that (i) holds only restricted cash required to be maintained or otherwise restricted as to use pursuant to the CEPI Funding Agreement in an amount not to exceed $11,000,000 at any time, (ii) is used solely to receive, hold and disburse funds in accordance with the CEPI Funding Agreement and any related budgets or permitted‑use requirements, and (iii) does not hold any funds other than such CEPI‑restricted funds and any de minimis amounts incidental to account maintenance.
“CERCLA” means the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, 42 U.S.C.A. § 9601 et seq., as the same may be amended from time to time.
“Change in Control” means any of the following events or series of events: (a) any “person” or “group” (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except that a person or group shall be deemed to have “beneficial ownership” of all securities that such person or group has the right to acquire, whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time (such right, an “option right”)), directly or indirectly, of more than forty-nine percent (49%) of the combined voting power of all voting stock of Novavax on a fully-diluted basis (and taking into account all such securities that such person or group has the right to acquire pursuant to any option right); (b) during any period of twelve (12) consecutive months, a majority of the members of the board of directors or other equivalent governing body of Novavax cease to be composed of individuals (i) who were members of that board or equivalent governing body on the first day of such period, (ii) whose election or nomination to that board or equivalent governing body was approved by individuals referred to in clause (i) above constituting at the time of such election or nomination at least a majority of that board or equivalent governing body or (iii) whose election or nomination to that board or other equivalent governing body was approved by individuals referred to in clauses (i) and (ii) above constituting at the time of such election or nomination at least a majority of that board or equivalent governing body; (c) any Credit Party ceases to own, directly or indirectly, 100% of the capital stock of any of its Subsidiaries (with the exception of any Subsidiaries permitted to be dissolved, merged or otherwise disposed of to the extent otherwise permitted by this Agreement); or (d) the occurrence of a “Change of Control”, “Fundamental Change”, “Change in Control”, “Deemed Liquidation Event” or terms of similar import under any document or instrument governing or relating to Debt of or Equity Interests of such Person. As used herein, “beneficial ownership” shall have the meaning provided in Rule 13d-3 of the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
“Closing Date” means the date of this Agreement.
“Closing Date Settlement Agreements” means, collectively, (a) that certain Settlement Agreement and General Release, dated as of August 8, 2023, by and among Novavax and SK bioscience Co., Ltd. (the “SK Bio Settlement Agreement”), (b) that certain Termination and Settlement Agreement, dated as of November 1, 2024, by and among Novavax and The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care (acting through the UK Health Security Agency) (the “UK Settlement Agreement”), and (c) that certain Termination and Settlement Agreement, dated as of February 16, 2024, by and among Novavax and Gavi Alliance (the “Gavi Settlement Agreement”).
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, any successor statutes thereto, and applicable U.S. Department of Treasury regulations issued pursuant thereto in temporary or final form.
“Collateral” means all property, other than Excluded Property, now existing or hereafter acquired, mortgaged or pledged to, or purported to be subjected to a Lien in favor of, Agent, for the benefit of Agent and Lenders, pursuant to this Agreement and the Security Documents, including, without limitation, all of the property described in Schedule 9.1 hereto.
“Commitment Annex” means Annex A to this Agreement.
“Competitor” means, at any time of determination, any Person engaged in the same or substantially the same line of business as Borrower and the other Credit Parties.
“Compliance Certificate” means a certificate, duly executed by a Responsible Officer of Borrower Representative, appropriately completed and substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto.
“Conforming Changes” means, with respect to either the use or administration of Term SOFR or the use, administration, adoption or implementation of any Benchmark Replacement, any technical, administrative or operational changes (including (a) changes to the definition of “Base Rate”, “Business Day”, “Interest Period”, “Reference Time” or other definitions, (b) the addition of concepts such as “interest period”, (c) changes to timing and/or frequency of determining rates, making interest payments, giving borrowing requests, prepayment, conversion or continuation notices, or length of lookback periods, (d) the applicability of Section 2.8 (Taxes; Capital Adequacy; Increased Costs; Inability to Determine Rates; Illegality) and (e) other technical, administrative or operational matters) that Agent decides may be appropriate to reflect the adoption and implementation of Term SOFR or such Benchmark Replacement and to permit the administration thereof by Agent in a manner substantially consistent with market practice (or, if Agent decides that adoption of any portion of such market practice is not administratively feasible or determines that no such market practice exists, in such other manner as Agent decides is reasonably necessary in connection with the administration of this Agreement and the other Financing Documents).
“Consolidated Subsidiary” means, at any date, any Subsidiary the accounts of which would be consolidated with those of Novavax (or any other Person, as the context may require hereunder) in its consolidated financial statements if such statements were prepared as of such date.
“Contingent Obligation” means, with respect to any Person, any direct or indirect liability of such Person: (a) with respect to any Debt of another Person (a “Third Party Obligation”) if the purpose or intent of such Person incurring such liability, or the effect thereof, is to provide assurance to the obligee of such Third Party Obligation that such Third Party Obligation will be paid or discharged, or that any agreement relating thereto will be complied with, or that any holder of such Third Party Obligation will be protected, in whole or in part, against loss with respect thereto; (b) with respect to any undrawn portion of any letter of credit issued for the account of such Person or as to which such Person is otherwise liable for the reimbursement of any drawing; (c) under any Swap Contract, to the extent not yet due and payable; (d) to make take-or-pay or similar payments if required regardless of nonperformance by any other party or parties to an agreement; or (e) for any obligations of another Person pursuant to any Guarantee or pursuant to any agreement to purchase, repurchase or otherwise acquire any obligation or any property constituting security therefor, to provide funds for the payment or discharge of such obligation or to preserve the solvency, financial condition or level of income of another Person. The amount of any Contingent Obligation shall be equal to the amount of the obligation so Guaranteed or otherwise supported or, if not a fixed and determinable amount, the maximum amount so Guaranteed or otherwise supported.
“Controlled Group” means all members of a group of corporations and all members of a group of trades or businesses (whether or not incorporated) under common control which, together with the Credit Parties, are treated as a single employer under Section 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Code or Section 4001(b) of ERISA and, solely for purposes of Section 412 and 436 of the Code, Section 414(m) or (o) of the Code.
“Convertible Note Documents” means (a) the 2027 Convertible Note Documents and (b) the 2031 Convertible Note Documents, and, in each case, each other promissory note, note purchase agreement, indenture and other material documents evidencing or relating thereto.
“Convertible Note Hedge Transactions” means any call or capped call option(s) on the Equity Interests of Novavax purchased by a Credit Party from one or more financial institutions that are internationally recognized derivatives dealers (or Affiliates thereof), (the “Hedge Provider”) in connection with the issuance of any Permitted Convertible Debt with respect to Novavax’s common stock, entered into in connection with, and for the purpose of reducing potential dilution in, or offsetting any cash payments required to be made upon conversion of, any Permitted Convertible Debt and with a strike or exercise price (howsoever defined) initially equal to the effective conversion price of such Permitted Convertible Debt; provided that (w) the initial number of shares subject to such call option shall not exceed the number of shares initially underlying the applicable Permitted Convertible Debt and, (x) the purchase price for such Convertible Note Hedge Transaction, less the Net Cash Proceeds received by the Credit Parties from the sale of any related Warrant Transaction, does not exceed the Net Cash Proceeds received by the Credit Parties from the sale of such Permitted Convertible Debt issued in connection with the Convertible Note Hedge Transaction (y) such call option or capped call option is entered into between the applicable Credit Party and the Hedge Provider under an ISDA Master Agreement (which may be deemed to be entered into) and there shall be no Credit Support Annex, Credit Support Documentation, Credit Support Provider, security, guaranty or other credit support with respect thereto, in each case provided by any Credit Party or any Subsidiary thereof and (z) immediately before and after giving pro forma effect to the purchase of such call option, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing hereunder.
“Convertible Note Hedge/Warrant Documents” means, collectively, the confirmations and any related ISDA Master Agreement (which may be deemed to be entered into and shall not include any credit support annex, collateral, security interest or guarantee) and/or other agreements entered into in connection with any Convertible Note Hedge Transactions and Warrant Transactions, including any related unwind, early termination, amendment or replacement thereof.
“Correction” means repair, modification, adjustment, relabeling, destruction or inspection (including patient monitoring) of a Product without its physical removal to some other location.
“CPL Biologicals Private Limited” means CPL Biologicals Private Limited, a private limited company organized under the laws of India.
“Collateral Assignment Agreement” means that certain Collateral Assignment Agreement, dated as of the Closing Date, among Agent, Borrower and certain Restricted Foreign Subsidiaries, pursuant to which the Intercompany Matrix-M Adjuvant License Agreement and certain other intercompany agreement are collateral assigned for the benefit of Agent, as the same may be amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof.
“Credit Card Cash Collateral Account” means, collectively, each segregated Deposit Account from time to time identified to Agent in writing established by Borrower for the sole purpose of securing Borrower’s obligations under clause (n) of the definition Permitted Debt and containing only such cash or Cash Equivalents that have been required to be pledged to secure such obligations of Borrower; provided, that the aggregate amount of cash or Cash Equivalents deposited in all such Credit Card Cash Collateral Account(s) does not, at any time, exceed an amount equal to the aggregate amount of Debt permitted to be incurred pursuant to clause (n) of the definition of Permitted Debt at such time.
“Credit Party” means each Borrower and each Guarantor; and “Credit Parties” means all such Persons, collectively; provided, however, that, for the avoidance of doubt, in no event shall any Restricted Foreign Subsidiary be deemed to be or otherwise required to be a “Credit Party” for purposes of this Agreement or the other Financing Documents unless and until, in the case of any Restricted Foreign Subsidiary, such Person becomes a Credit Party pursuant to the provisions of Section 4.11(e).
“Credit Party Unrestricted Cash” means unrestricted cash and Cash Equivalents of the Credit Parties that (a) are held in the name of a Credit Party in a Deposit Account or Securities Account located in the United States that is subject to a Deposit Account Control Agreement or Securities Account Control Agreement, as applicable, in favor of Agent and are subject to Agent’s first priority perfected security interest, (b) is not subject to any other Lien (other than Permitted Liens), and (c) are not funds for the payment of a drawn or committed but unpaid draft, ACH or EFT transaction.
“Debt” of a Person means at any date, without duplication, (a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money, (b) all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or other similar instruments, (c) all obligations of such Person to pay the deferred purchase price of property or services, except (A) trade accounts payable arising in the Ordinary Course of Business other than Overdue Trade Payables (B) intercompany accounts payable arising from the Transfer Pricing Agreements (including intercompany Matrix-M Adjuvant sales), the Terminated Transfer Pricing Agreements or the Intercompany Matrix-M Adjuvant License Agreement, in each case in the Ordinary Course of Business, (d) all Capital Leases of such Person, (e) all non-contingent obligations of such Person to reimburse any bank or other Person in respect of amounts paid under a letter of credit, banker’s acceptance or similar instrument, (f) all Disqualified Equity Interests, (g) all obligations secured by a Lien on any asset of such Person, whether or not such obligation is otherwise an obligation of such Person, (h) “earnouts”, purchase price adjustments, profit sharing arrangements, deferred purchase money amounts and similar payment obligations or continuing obligations of any nature of such Person arising out of purchase and sale contracts; provided that “earnouts” and other similar payment obligations shall only constitute Debt to the extent required to be reflected on the balance sheet of such Person as a liability in accordance with GAAP or the earnout is otherwise past due and remains unpaid, (i) all Debt of others Guaranteed by such Person, and (j) all monetary obligations under any synthetic lease, tax ownership/operating lease, or similar financing.
Without duplication of any of the foregoing, Debt of Credit Parties shall include any and all Loans.
“Default” means any condition or event which with the giving of notice or lapse of time or both would, unless cured or waived, become an Event of Default.
“Defaulted Lender” means, (i) so long as such failure shall remain in existence and uncured, any Lender which shall have failed to make any Loan or other credit accommodation, disbursement, settlement or reimbursement required pursuant to the terms of any Financing Document, (ii) any Lender that has notified the Credit Parties or Agent in writing that it does not intend to comply with its funding obligations hereunder, or has made a public statement to that effect (unless such writing or public statement relates to such Lender’s obligation to fund a Loan hereunder and states that such position is based on such Lender's determination that a condition precedent to funding (which condition precedent, together with any applicable Default or Event of Default, shall be specifically identified in such writing or public statement) cannot be satisfied), or (iii) any Lender that has, or has a direct or indirect parent company that has, (a) become the subject of any proceeding under the Bankruptcy Code or any other insolvency, debtor relief or debt adjustment or similar law (whether state, provincial, territorial, federal or foreign), (b) had appointed for it a receiver, custodian, conservator, trustee, administrator, assignee for the benefit of creditors or similar Person charged with reorganization or liquidation of its business or assets, including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other state or federal regulatory authority acting in such a capacity or (c) become the subject of a Bail-In Action; provided, that a Lender shall not be a Defaulted Lender solely by virtue of the ownership or acquisition of any Equity Interest in that Lender or any direct or indirect parent company thereof by a Governmental Authority so long as such ownership interest does not result in or provide such Lender with immunity from the jurisdiction of courts within the United States or from the enforcement of judgments or writs of attachment on its assets or permit such Lender (or such Governmental Authority) to reject, repudiate, disavow or disaffirm any contracts or agreements made with such Lender. Any determination by Agent that a Lender is a Defaulted Lender under any one or more of clauses (i) through (iii) above shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error, and such Lender shall be deemed to be a Defaulted Lender upon delivery of written notice of such determination to Agent and each Lender.
“Defined Period” means for any given calendar month or date of determination, the immediately preceding twelve (12) month period ending on the last day of such calendar month or if such date of determination is not the last day of a calendar month, the twelve (12) month period immediately preceding any such date of determination.
“Deposit Account” means a “deposit account” (as defined in Article 9 of the UCC), an investment account, or other account in which funds are held or invested for credit to or for the benefit of any Credit Party.
“Deposit Account Control Agreement” means an agreement, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent, among Agent, any applicable Credit Party and each financial institution in which such Credit Party maintains a Deposit Account (which is not an Excluded Account), which agreement provides that, upon receipt of a “notice of control” (or similar notice) from Agent, such financial institution shall comply with instructions originated by Agent directing disposition of the funds in such Deposit Account without further consent by the applicable Credit Party.
“Disease Area” means, with respect to any Permitted License, a specific therapeutic area (including, without limitation, a particular disease, condition, syndrome, or disorder, or a defined group of related diseases, conditions, syndromes, or disorders).
“Disqualified Equity Interests” means, with respect to any Person, any Equity Interest in such Person that, within less than 91 days after the Termination Date, either by its terms (or by the terms of any security or any other Equity Interests into which it is convertible or for which it is exchangeable) or upon the happening of any event or condition, (a) matures or is mandatorily redeemable (other than solely for Permitted Debt or other Equity Interests in such Person or of Novavax that do not constitute Disqualified Equity Interests and cash in lieu of fractional shares of such Equity Interests), pursuant to a sinking fund obligation or otherwise (except as a result of a change of control or asset sale so long as any rights of the holders thereof upon the occurrence of a change of control or asset sale event shall be subject to the prior payment in full of the Loans and all other Obligations), (b) is redeemable at the option of the holder thereof, in whole or in part (other than solely for Permitted Debt or other Equity Interests in such Person or of Novavax that do not constitute Disqualified Equity Interests and cash in lieu of fractional shares of such Equity Interests), (c) provides for the scheduled payments of dividends or distributions in cash, or (d) is or becomes convertible into or exchangeable for Debt (other than Permitted Debt) or any other Equity Interest that would constitute Disqualified Equity Interests; provided that if such Equity Interests are issued pursuant to a plan for the benefit of employees of the Borrowers or any Subsidiary or by any such plan to such employees, such Equity Interests shall not constitute Disqualified Equity Interests solely because they may be required to be repurchased by the Borrowers or their Subsidiaries in order to satisfy applicable statutory or regulatory obligations or as a result of such employee’s termination, death or disability.
“Distribution” means as to any Person (a) any dividend or other distribution or payment (whether in cash, securities or other property) on, or in respect of, any Equity Interest in such Person (except those payable solely in its Equity Interests other than Disqualified Equity Interests), (b) any payment by such Person on account of (i) the purchase, redemption, retirement, defeasance, surrender, cancellation, termination or acquisition of any Equity Interests in such Person or any claim respecting the purchase or sale of any Equity Interest in such Person, or (ii) any option, warrant or other right to acquire any Equity Interests in such Person, (c) any management fees, salaries or other similar fees or like compensation to any Person holding an Equity Interest in a Credit Party or a Subsidiary of a Credit Party (other than (i) payments of salaries to individuals, (ii) directors fees, (iii) advances and reimbursements to employees or directors and (iv) fees as compensation for bona fide services (such as administrative services) pursuant to arms’ length commercial contracts unrelated to an Equity Interests, all in the Ordinary Course of Business), an Affiliate of a Credit Party or an Affiliate of any Subsidiary of a Credit Party, (d) any lease or rental payments to an Affiliate or Subsidiary of a Credit Party, or (e) repayments of or debt service on loans or other indebtedness (other than conversion to Equity Interests other than Disqualified Equity Interests) held by an Affiliate of any Credit Party unless permitted under and made pursuant to a Subordination Agreement applicable to such loans or other indebtedness. For the avoidance of doubt, the grant, issuance, vesting, exercise, settlement, forfeiture or cancellation of any Stock Award, and the issuance or delivery of Equity Interests in respect thereof, shall not constitute a “Distribution” so long as no cash payments are made by a Credit Party or Subsidiary thereof in respect thereof.
“Document” means “document”, as defined in Article 9 of the UCC.
“Dollars” or “$” means the lawful currency of the United States of America.
“EEA Financial Institution” means (a) any credit institution or investment firm established in any EEA Member Country which is subject to the supervision of an EEA Resolution Authority, (b) any entity established in an EEA Member Country which is a parent of an institution described in clause (a) of this definition, or (c) any financial institution established in an EEA Member Country which is a subsidiary of an institution described in clauses (a) or (b) of this definition and is subject to consolidated supervision with its parent.
“EEA Member Country” means any of the member states of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
“EEA Resolution Authority” means any public administrative authority or any person entrusted with public administrative authority of any EEA Member Country (including any delegee) having responsibility for the resolution of any EEA Financial Institution.
“Eligible Assignee” means (a) a Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender, (c) an Approved Fund, and (d) any other Person (other than a natural person) approved by Agent; provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, (x) so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, “Eligible Assignee” shall not include (A) any Credit Party or any of a Credit Party’s Subsidiaries, (B) any hedge fund or private equity fund (other than any Affiliate of a Lender) that is generally known primarily as a distressed debt or vulture fund, or (C) any Competitor, and (y) no proposed assignee intending to assume any unfunded portion of the Term Loan Commitments shall be an Eligible Assignee unless such proposed assignee either already holds a portion of such Term Loan Commitments, or has been approved as an Eligible Assignee by Agent.
“Environmental Laws” means any present and future federal, state and local laws, statutes, ordinances, rules, regulations, standards, policies and other governmental directives or requirements, as well as common law, pertaining to the environment, natural resources, pollution, health (including any environmental clean-up statutes and all regulations adopted by any local, state, federal or other Governmental Authority, and any statute, ordinance, code, order, decree, law rule or regulation all of which pertain to or impose liability or standards of conduct concerning medical waste or medical products, equipment or supplies), safety or clean-up that apply to any Credit Party and relate to Hazardous Materials, including, without limitation, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. § 9601 et seq.), the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (42 U.S.C. § 6901 et seq.), the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. § 1251 et seq.), the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act (49 U.S.C. § 5101 et seq.), the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. § 7401 et seq.), the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (7 U.S.C. § 136 et seq.), the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (42 U.S.C. § 11001 et seq.), the Occupational Safety and Health Act (29 U.S.C. § 651 et seq.), the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act (42 U.S.C. § 4851 et seq.), any analogous state or local laws, any amendments thereto, and the regulations promulgated pursuant to said laws, together with all amendments from time to time to any of the foregoing and judicial interpretations thereof.
“Equipment” means “equipment” as defined in Article 9 of the UCC.
“Equity Interests” means, with respect to any Person, all shares of capital stock, partnership interests, membership interests in a limited liability company or other ownership in participation or equivalent interests (however designated, whether voting or non-voting) of such Person’s equity capital (including any warrants, options or other purchase rights with respect to the foregoing), whether now outstanding or issued after the Closing Date.
“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as the same may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time, and any successor statute thereto, and any and all rules or regulations promulgated from time to time thereunder.
“ERISA Plan” means any “employee benefit plan”, as such term is defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA (other than a Multiemployer Plan), which any Credit Party or any Subsidiary maintains, sponsors or contributes to, or, in the case of an employee benefit plan which is subject to Section 412 of the Code or Title IV of ERISA, to which any Credit Party or any Subsidiary has any liability, including on account of any member of the Controlled Group, including any liability by reason of having been a substantial employer within the meaning of Section 4063 of ERISA at any time during the preceding five (5) years, or by reason of being deemed to be a contributing sponsor under Section 4069 of ERISA.
“Erroneous Payment” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 13.20.
“Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 13.20.
“Erroneous Payment Impacted Loans” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 13.20.
“Erroneous Payment Return Deficiency” has the meaning specified therefor in Section 13.20.
“EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule” means the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule published by the Loan Market Association (or any successor person), as in effect from time to time.
“Event of Default” has the meaning set forth in Section 10.1.
(a) “Excluded Accounts” means (a) segregated Deposit Accounts into which there is deposited no funds other than those intended solely to cover wages and payroll for employees of a Credit Party for the following four (4) payroll cycles following the date of determination (and related contributions to be made on behalf of such employees to health and benefit plans) plus balances for outstanding checks for wages and payroll from prior periods, (b) segregated Deposit Accounts constituting employee withholding accounts and contain only funds deducted from pay otherwise due to employees for services rendered to be applied toward the tax obligations of such employees, (c) segregated Deposit Accounts constituting trust, fiduciary and escrow accounts in which there is not maintained at any point in time funds on deposit greater than $500,000 in the aggregate for all such accounts, (d) segregated Deposit Accounts or Securities Accounts holding cash or Cash Equivalents described in clauses (o), (p) and (q) of the definition Permitted Liens (and subject to the caps set forth therein), (e) any CEPI Restricted Cash Account subject to the cap set forth in such definition, (f) Deposit Accounts that are zero-balance disbursement accounts and (g) any other deposit or securities account with aggregate cash, investment property or other amounts on deposit therein not exceeding $500,000 in the aggregate for all such accounts at any one time; provided that the accounts described in clauses (a) through (f) above shall be used solely for the purposes described in such clauses.
(b) “Excluded Perfection Assets” means, collectively:
(a)Excluded Accounts;
(b)letter of credit rights with a value of less than $250,000 individually or $500,000 in the aggregate (other than to the extent consisting of a supporting obligation or that can be perfected by the filing of a UCC financing statement);
(c)Electronic Chattel Paper or tangible Chattel Paper, in each case, with a value of less than $250,000 individually or $500,000 in the aggregate (other than to the extent consisting of a supporting obligation or that can be perfected by the filing of a UCC financing statement);
(d)Promissory notes, or any other Instrument or Document with a value of less than $250,000 individually or $500,000 in the aggregate (other than to the extent that can be perfected by the filing of a UCC financing statement);
(e)motor vehicles, aircraft and other assets subject to certificates of title (other than to the extent a security interest thereon can be perfected by the filing of a financing statement under the UCC); and
(f)in each case to the extent owned by a Credit Party organized under the laws of the United States (or any state thereof or in Washington, D.C.), (i) Intellectual Property that does not constitute a Material Intangible Asset registered in a jurisdiction outside of the United States to the extent the granting or perfection of a security interest in such foreign registered Intellectual Property would require action outside of the United States, (ii) Inventory held outside of the United States by contract manufacturers, in transit, out for repair or otherwise maintained, in each case, in the Ordinary Course of Business, and (iii) other immaterial tangible property held outside of the United States with an aggregate fair market value less than $1,000,000 in the aggregate with respect to all such property.
(c)“Excluded Property” has the meaning specified therefor in Schedule 9.1.
“Excluded Taxes” means any of the following Taxes imposed on or with respect to Agent, any Lender or any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on behalf of any obligation of the Credit Parties hereunder or the Obligations or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to Agent, such Lender or such recipient (including any interest and penalties thereon): (a) Taxes to the extent imposed on or measured by Agent’s, any Lender’s or such recipient’s net income (however denominated), branch profits Taxes, and franchise Taxes and similar Taxes, in each case, (i) imposed by the jurisdiction (or any political subdivision thereof) under which Agent, such Lender or such recipient is organized, has its principal office or conducts business with respect to entering into any of the Financing Documents or taking any action thereunder or (ii) that are Other Connection Taxes; (b) in the case of a Lender, United States withholding Taxes imposed on amounts payable to or for the account of such Lender with respect to an applicable interest in the Loans pursuant to a Law in effect on the date on which (i) such Lender becomes a party to this Agreement other than as a result of an assignment requested by a Credit Party under Section 2.8(i) or Section 11.17(c) or (ii) such Lender changes its lending office for funding its Loan, except in each case to the extent that, pursuant to Section 2.8, amounts with respect to such Taxes were payable either to such Lender’s assignor immediately before such Lender acquired the applicable interest in a Loan or Term Loan Commitment or to such Lender immediately before it changed its lending office; (c) Taxes attributable to Agent’s, such Lender’s or such recipient’s failure to comply with Section 2.8(c); and (d) any withholding taxes imposed under FATCA.
“FATCA” means Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code as of the date of this Agreement (or any amended or successor version that is substantively comparable and not materially more onerous to comply with), any current or future U.S. Treasury regulations or official interpretations thereof and any agreement entered into pursuant to the implementation of Section 1471(b)(1) of the Code, and any intergovernmental agreement between the IRS, the U.S. Government and any governmental or taxation authority under any other jurisdiction which agreement’s principal purposes deals with the implementation of such sections of the Code.
“FDA” means the Food and Drug Administration of the United States of America, any comparable state or local Governmental Authority, any comparable Governmental Authority in any non-United States jurisdiction, and any successor agency of any of the foregoing.
“FDCA” means the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, as amended, 21 U.S.C. Section 301 et seq., and all regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Federal Funds Rate” means, for any day, the rate of interest per annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the nearest whole multiple of 1/100 of 1%) equal to the weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the Business Day next succeeding such day, provided, however, that (a) if such day is not a Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be such rate on such transactions on the next preceding Business Day, and (b) if no such rate is so published on such next preceding Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be the average rate quoted to Agent on such day on such transactions as determined by Agent in a commercially reasonable manner.
“Fee Letter” means each agreement between Agent and Borrower relating to fees payable to Agent and/or Lenders in connection with this Agreement.
“Financing Documents” means this Agreement, any Notes, the Security Documents, each Fee Letter, each subordination or intercreditor agreement pursuant to which any Debt and/or any Liens securing such Debt are subordinated to all or any portion of the Obligations and all other documents, instruments and agreements related to the Obligations and heretofore executed, executed concurrently herewith or executed at any time and from time to time hereafter, as any or all of the same may be amended, supplemented, restated or otherwise modified from time to time.
“Floor” means the rate per annum of interest equal to two percent (2.00%).
“Foreign Guarantor” means each Guarantor not organized under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia that becomes a Credit Party upon the completion of the post-closing obligations set forth on Schedule 7.4 or pursuant to Section 4.11(e) following the Closing Date.
“Foreign Lender” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.8(c)(i).
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles set forth from time to time in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (or agencies with similar functions of comparable stature and authority within the United States accounting profession), which are applicable to the circumstances as of the date of determination.
“General Intangible” means any “general intangible” as defined in Article 9 of the UCC, and any personal property, including things in action, other than accounts, chattel paper, commercial tort claims, deposit accounts, documents, goods, instruments, investment property, letter-of-credit rights, letters of credit, money, and oil, gas or other minerals before extraction, but including payment intangibles and software.
“Good Manufacturing Practices” means current good manufacturing practices, as set forth in 21 C.F.R. Parts 210 and 211.
“Governmental Authority” means any nation or government, any state, local or other political subdivision thereof, and any agency, department or Person exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative functions of or pertaining to government and any corporation or other Person owned or controlled (through stock or capital ownership or otherwise) by any of the foregoing, whether domestic or foreign.
“Guarantee” by any Person means any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of such Person directly or indirectly guaranteeing any Debt or other obligation of any other Person and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, any obligation, direct or indirect, contingent or otherwise, of such Person (a) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Debt or other obligation (whether arising by virtue of partnership arrangements, by agreement to keep-well, to purchase assets, goods, securities or services, to take-or-pay, or to maintain financial statement conditions or otherwise), or (b) entered into for the purpose of assuring in any other manner the obligee of such Debt or other obligation of the payment thereof or to protect such obligee against loss in respect thereof (in whole or in part), provided, however, that the term Guarantee shall not include endorsements for collection or deposit in the Ordinary Course of Business. The term “Guarantee” used as a verb has a corresponding meaning.
“Guarantor” means each Credit Party (other than a Borrower) that has executed or delivered, or shall in the future execute or deliver, this Agreement as a Guarantor or any other Guarantee of any portion of the Obligations; provided, however, that, for the avoidance of doubt, in no event shall any Restricted Foreign Subsidiary be deemed to be or otherwise required to be a “Guarantor” for purposes of this Agreement or the other Financing Documents unless and until such Restricted Foreign Subsidiary becomes a Credit Party pursuant to the provisions of Section 4.11(e).
“Hazardous Materials” means petroleum and petroleum products and compounds containing them, including gasoline, diesel fuel and oil; explosives, flammable materials; radioactive materials; polychlorinated biphenyls and compounds containing them; lead and lead-based paint; asbestos or asbestos-containing materials; underground or above-ground storage tanks, whether empty or containing any substance; any substance the presence of which is prohibited by any Environmental Laws; toxic mold, any substance that requires special handling; and any other material or substance now or in the future defined as a “hazardous substance,” “hazardous material,” “hazardous waste,” “toxic substance,” “toxic pollutant,” “contaminant,” “pollutant” or other words of similar import within the meaning of any Environmental Law, including: (a) any “hazardous substance” defined as such in (or for purposes of) CERCLA, or any so-called “superfund” or “superlien” Law, including the judicial interpretation thereof; (b) any “pollutant or contaminant” as defined in 42 U.S.C.A. § 9601(33); (c) any material now defined as “hazardous waste” pursuant to 40 C.F.R. Part 260; (d) any petroleum or petroleum by-products, including crude oil or any fraction thereof; (e) natural gas, natural gas liquids, liquefied natural gas, or synthetic gas usable for fuel; (f) any “hazardous chemical” as defined pursuant to 29 C.F.R. Part 1910; (g) any toxic or harmful substances, wastes, materials, pollutants or contaminants (including, without limitation, asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls, flammable explosives, radioactive materials, infectious substances, materials containing lead-based paint or raw materials which include hazardous constituents); and (h) any other toxic substance or contaminant that is subject to any Environmental Laws or other past or present requirement of any Governmental Authority.
“Hazardous Materials Contamination” means contamination (whether now existing or hereafter occurring) of the improvements, buildings, facilities, personalty, soil, groundwater, air or other elements on or of the relevant property by Hazardous Materials, or any derivatives thereof, or on or of any other property as a result of Hazardous Materials, or any derivatives thereof, generated on, emanating from or disposed of in connection with the relevant property.
“Healthcare Laws” means the FDCA and any other applicable healthcare Laws relating to the testing, manufacture, marketing or sale of any Product, including any Laws pertaining to Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, similar state or foreign Laws, and all Laws pursuant to which Regulatory Required Permits are issued, in each case, as the same may be amended from time to time.
“Inactive Foreign Subsidiaries” means, collectively (a) Novavax Italy S.r.l., a company organized under the laws of Italy, (b) Novavax Germany GmbH, a company organized under the laws of Germany, (c) Novavax Spain ES SL, a company organized under the laws of Spain, (d) Novavax UK Limited, a company organized under the laws of England and Wales, (e) Novavax France SAS, a company organized under the laws of France and (f) Novavax CH GmbH, a company organized under the laws of Switzerland.
“Indemnified Taxes” means (a) Taxes, other than Excluded Taxes, imposed on or with respect to any payment made by or on account of any obligation of Borrowers or any other Credit Party under any Financing Documents and (b) to the extent not otherwise described in clause (a), Other Taxes.
“Instrument” means “instrument”, as defined in Article 9 of the UCC.
“Intellectual Property” means all copyright rights, copyright applications, copyright registrations and like protections in each work of authorship and derivative work, whether published or unpublished, any patents, patent applications and like protections, including improvements, divisions, continuations, renewals, reissues, extensions, and continuations-in-part of the same, trademarks, trade names, service marks, mask works, rights of use of any name, domain names, or any other similar rights, any applications therefor, whether registered or not, know-how, operating manuals, trade secret rights, clinical and non-clinical data, rights to unpatented inventions, and any claims for damage by way of any past, present, or future infringement of any of the foregoing.
“Intercompany Matrix-M Adjuvant License Agreement” means that certain Intellectual Property License Agreement, dated as of April 1, 2021, by and between Novavax AB and Novavax, as amended from time to time prior to the Closing Date, as the same may be extended, renewed or amended from time to time after the Closing Date in the Ordinary Course of Business and with Agent’s prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed).
“Interest Period” means any period commencing on the first day of a calendar month and ending on the last day of such calendar month.
“Inventory” means “inventory” as defined in Article 9 of the UCC.
“Investment” means, with respect to any Person, directly or indirectly, (a) to purchase or acquire any stock or stock equivalents, or any obligations or other securities of, or any interest in, any Person, including the establishment or creation of a Subsidiary, (b) to make or otherwise consummate any Acquisition, or (c) make, purchase or hold any advance, loan, extension of credit or capital contribution to or in, or any other investment in (including the making of investments in the form of intercompany transfer pricing and cost-plus pricing arrangements), any Person.
The amount of any Investment shall be the original cost of such Investment plus the cost of all additions thereto, without any adjustments for increases or decreases in value, or write-ups, write-downs or write-offs with respect thereto.
“IRS” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.8(c)(i).
“Joinder Requirements” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.11(d).
“L/C Cash Collateral Accounts” means, collectively, each segregated Deposit Account from time to time identified to Agent in writing established by Borrower for the sole purpose of securing Borrower’s obligations under clause (h) of the definition Permitted Contingent Obligations and containing only such cash or Cash Equivalents that have been required to be pledged to secure such obligations of Borrower; provided, that the aggregate amount of cash or Cash Equivalents deposited in all such L/C Cash Collateral Account(s) does not, at any time, exceed an amount equal to the aggregate amount of Debt permitted to be incurred pursuant to clause (h) of the definition of Permitted Contingent Obligations at such time.
“Laws” means any and all federal, state, provincial, territorial, local and foreign statutes, laws, judicial decisions, regulations, ordinances, rules, judgments, orders, decrees, codes, injunctions, permits, governmental agreements and governmental restrictions, whether now or hereafter in effect, which are applicable to any Credit Party in any particular circumstance. “Laws” includes, without limitation, Healthcare Laws, Environmental Laws and applicable U.S. and non-U.S. export control laws and regulations, including without limitation the Export Administration Regulations.
“Lender” means each of (a) MCF, in its capacity as a lender hereunder, (b) each other Person party hereto in its capacity as a lender hereunder, (c) each other Person that becomes a party hereto as Lender pursuant to Section 11.17, and (d) the respective successors of all of the foregoing, and “Lenders” means all of the foregoing.
“Lien” means, with respect to any asset, any mortgage, lien, pledge, charge, security interest or encumbrance of any kind, in respect of such asset. For the purposes of this Agreement and the other Financing Documents, any Credit Party or any Subsidiary thereof shall be deemed to own subject to a Lien any asset which it has acquired or holds subject to the interest of a vendor or lessor under any conditional sale agreement, Capital Lease or other title retention agreement relating to such asset.
“Litigation” means any action, suit or proceeding before any court, mediator, arbitrator or Governmental Authority.
“Loan Account” means the Term Loan Account.
“Loan(s)” means the Term Loan and each and every advance under the Term Loan, or any combination of the foregoing, as the context may require. All references herein to the “making” of a Loan or words of similar import mean the making of any advance in respect of a Term Loan.
“Margin Stock” means “margin stock” as such term is defined in Regulation T, U, or X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
“Market Capitalization” means , as of any date of determination, an amount equal to (a) the average of the daily volume weighted average price of Novavax’s common stock as reported for each of the five (5) trading days preceding such date of determination (it being understood that a “trading day” shall mean a day on which shares of Novavax’s common stock trade on the NASDAQ (or, if the primary listing of such common stock is on the New York Stock Exchange, on the New York Stock Exchange) in an ordinary trading session) multiplied by (b) the total number of issued and outstanding shares of Novavax’s common stock that are issued and outstanding on the date of the determination and listed on the NASDAQ (or the New York Stock Exchange, as applicable), subject to appropriate adjustment for any stock dividend, stock split, stock combination, reclassification or other similar transaction during the applicable calculation period.
“Market Withdrawal” means a Person’s Removal or Correction of a distributed product which involves a minor violation that would not be subject to legal action by the FDA or which involves no violation, e.g., normal stock rotation practices, routine equipment adjustments and repairs.
“Material Adverse Effect” means with respect to any event, act, condition or occurrence of whatever nature (including any adverse determination in any litigation, arbitration, or governmental investigation or proceeding), whether singly or in conjunction with any other event or events, act or acts, condition or conditions, occurrence or occurrences, whether or not related, a material adverse change in, or a material adverse effect upon, any of (a) the financial condition, operations, business or properties of the Credit Parties taken as a whole, (b) the rights and remedies of Agent or Lenders under any Financing Document, or the ability of any Credit Party to perform any of its obligations under any Financing Document to which it is a party, (c) the legality, validity or enforceability of any Financing Document, (d) the existence, perfection or priority of any security interest granted to the Agent or the Lenders in any Financing Document, except solely as a result of any action or inaction of Agent or any Lender (provided that such action or inaction is not caused by a Credit Party’s failure to comply with the terms of the Financing Documents), or (e) a material impairment of the prospect of repayment of any portion of the Obligations.
“Material Contracts” means (a) the Sanofi Agreements, (b) the Convertible Note Documents and (c) any other agreement or contract to which a Credit Party is a party the termination of which could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
“Material Intangible Assets” means all of (a) Intellectual Property owned by the Credit Parties or their Subsidiaries and (b) in-bound license or sublicense agreements or other agreements with respect to rights in Intellectual Property not owned by a Credit Party or a Subsidiary thereof (other than over-the-counter software, software that is commercially available to the public, open source licenses and enabling licenses in the Ordinary Course of Business), in each case, that are material to the financial condition, business or operations of the Credit Parties and their Subsidiaries (taken as a whole).
“Material Real Property” means any real property that is owned in fee by any Credit Party with a fair market value (as reasonably determined by Agent) in excess of $1,000,000 individually or in the aggregate together with all other real property that is owned by the Credit Parties.”
“Matrix-M Adjuvant” means Novavax’s proprietary saponin‑based adjuvant technology known as Matrix‑M, including intermediates, components, formulations, know‑how, data, and improvements.
“Matrix-M Adjuvant License” means any outbound license, sublicense, supply, collaboration, technology transfer or similar arrangement pursuant to which any Person is licensed or otherwise authorized to research, develop, manufacture, use, commercialize, or otherwise exploit products or programs incorporating Matrix‑M Adjuvant (including, for the avoidance of doubt, in combination with third‑party antigens or vaccine products), whether exclusive (including field‑of‑use exclusivity) or non‑exclusive.
“Maturity Date” means March 1, 2031.
“Maximum Lawful Rate” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.7.
“MCF” means MidCap Financial Trust, a Delaware statutory trust, and its successors and assigns.
“MidCap Refinancing” means any transaction or series of related transactions pursuant to which all or any portion of the Obligations are repaid, prepaid, redeemed, refinanced, replaced, extended, renewed, restructured, restated, refunded or otherwise satisfied, in whole or in part, substantially concurrently with the incurrence of Debt or other obligations under credit facilities, debt securities or other financing arrangements provided, arranged, administered or held, in whole or in part, by MCF or any Affiliate of MCF, including, without limitation, (a) any new term loan or revolving credit facility, (b) any amendment, restatement, extension, renewal, increase or replacement of any Loan Document that effects such refinancing or replacement, (c) any exchange, tender or similar offer, and (d) any cashless roll, deemed prepayment, conversion or exchange pursuant to which loans and/or commitments under this Agreement are continued as, or exchanged for, loans and/or commitments under such replacement or refinanced financing; provided that in all cases the Net Cash Proceeds (if any) of such financing are applied substantially concurrently to repay in full the portion of the Obligations so refinanced, replaced or otherwise satisfied.
“Multiemployer Plan” means a multiemployer plan within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA to which any Credit Party or any other member of the Controlled Group (or any Person who in the last five years was a member of the Controlled Group) is making or accruing an obligation to make contributions or has within the preceding five plan years (as determined on the applicable date of determination) made contributions.
“Net Cash Proceeds” means the aggregate proceeds paid in cash or Cash Equivalents received by any Credit Party or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with any Casualty Event, Asset Disposition or incurrence of Debt, net of (a) reasonable and customary out-of-pocket direct costs, fees and expenses incurred or estimated costs, fees and expenses for which reserves are maintained, in connection therewith (including legal, accounting, consulting and investment banking fees and expenses, sales commissions and underwriting discounts); (b) amounts held in escrow to be applied as part of the purchase price for any assets, as applicable; (c) estimated taxes paid or payable (including sales, use or other transactional taxes and any net marginal increase in income taxes) as a result thereof (after taking into account any available tax credits or deductions and any tax sharing arrangements); provided, that if the actual amount of taxes paid is less than the estimated amount, the difference shall immediately constitute Net Cash Proceeds; and (d) the amount required to retire any Debt secured by a Permitted Lien on the related property. For purposes hereof, “Net Cash Proceeds” includes any cash or Cash Equivalents (x) received upon the disposition of any non-cash consideration received by any Credit Party or any of its Subsidiaries in connection with any Casualty Event, any Asset Disposition or incurrence of Debt or (y) released from escrow to a Credit Party or any of their Subsidiaries.
“Non-Funding Lender” has the meaning set forth in Section 11.18.
“Notes” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.3.
“Notice of Borrowing” means a notice of a Responsible Officer of Borrower Representative, appropriately completed and substantially in the form of Exhibit D hereto.
“Obligations” means all obligations, liabilities and indebtedness (monetary (including, without limitation, the payment of interest and other amounts arising after the commencement of any case with respect to any Credit Party under the Bankruptcy Code or any similar statute which would accrue and become due but for the commencement of such case, whether or not such amounts are allowed or allowable in whole or in part in such case) or otherwise) of each Credit Party under this Agreement or any other Financing Document, in each case howsoever created, arising or evidenced, whether direct or indirect, absolute or contingent, now or hereafter existing, or due or to become due.
“OFAC” means the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control.
“OFAC Lists” means, collectively, the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List maintained by OFAC pursuant to Executive Order No. 13224, 66 Fed. Reg. 49079 (Sept. 25, 2001) and/or any other list of terrorists or other restricted Persons maintained pursuant to any of the rules and regulations of OFAC or pursuant to any other applicable Executive Orders.
“Ordinary Course of Business” means, in respect of any transaction involving any Credit Party or any Subsidiary, the ordinary course of business of such Credit Party or Subsidiary and undertaken by such Person in good faith and not for purposes of evading any covenant or restriction in any Financing Document.
“Organizational Documents” means, with respect to any Person other than a natural person, the documents by which such Person was organized (such as a certificate of incorporation, articles of incorporation, certificate of limited partnership or articles of organization, and including, without limitation, any certificates of designation for preferred stock or other forms of preferred equity) and which relate to the internal governance of such Person (such as by-laws, a partnership agreement or an operating agreement, joint venture agreement, limited liability company agreement or members agreement), including any and all shareholder agreements or voting agreements relating to the capital stock or other Equity Interests of such Person.
“Other Connection Taxes” means Taxes imposed as a result of a present or former connection between Agent or any Lender and the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (other than connections arising from Agent or such Lender having executed, delivered, become a party to, performed its obligations under, received payments under, engaged in any other transaction pursuant to or enforced any Financing Document, or sold or assigned an interest in any Loans or any Financing Document).
“Other Taxes” means all present or future stamp, court or documentary, intangible, recording, filing or similar taxes that arise from any payment made under, from the execution, delivery, performance, enforcement or registration of, from the receipt or perfection of a security interest under, or otherwise with respect to, any Financing Document, except any such taxes that are Other Connection Taxes imposed with respect to an assignment (other than an assignment made pursuant to Section 2.8(i)).
“Overdue Trade Payables” means all trade payables that are not paid within 150 days of the due date therefor.
“Participant” has the meaning set forth in Section 11.17.
“Participant Register” has the meaning set forth in Section 11.17(a)(iii).
“Payment Account” means the Term Loan Payment Account.
“Payment Recipient” has the meaning set forth in Section 13.20.
“PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and any Person succeeding to any or all of its functions under ERISA.
“Pension Plan” means any ERISA Plan that is subject to Section 412 of the Code or Title IV of ERISA.
“Perfection Certificate” means the Perfection Certificate delivered to Agent as of the Closing Date, as amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
“Permit” means all licenses, certificates, accreditations, product clearances or approvals, supplier numbers, marketing authorizations, drug or device authorizations and approvals, other authorizations, franchises, qualifications, accreditations, registrations, permits, consents and approvals of a Credit Party issued or required under Laws applicable to the business of the Credit Parties or any of their Subsidiaries or necessary in the manufacturing, importing, exporting, possession, ownership, warehousing, marketing, promoting, sale, labeling, furnishing, distribution or delivery of goods or services under Laws applicable to the business of the Credit Parties or any of their Subsidiaries. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, “Permit” includes any Regulatory Required Permit.
“Permitted Acquisition” means any Acquisition by a Credit Party, in each case, to the extent that each of the following conditions shall have been satisfied:
(a)solely in the case of an Acquisition for cash consideration in excess of $10,000,000, the Borrower Representative shall have delivered to Agent at least five (5) Business Days (or such shorter period as may be agreed by Agent) prior to the closing of the proposed Acquisition: (i) a description of the proposed Acquisition; (ii) to the extent available, due diligence summary materials (including, to the extent available, a quality of earnings report); and (iii) copies of the respective agreements, documents or instruments pursuant to which such Acquisition is to be consummated (or substantially final drafts thereof), any schedules to such agreements, documents or instruments and all other material ancillary agreements, instruments and documents to be executed or delivered in connection therewith, subject, in each case, to applicable confidentiality obligations (with any reasonably necessary redactions);
(b)the Credit Parties (including any new Subsidiary to the extent required by Section 4.11) shall execute and deliver the agreements, instruments and other documents to the extent required by Section 4.11 hereof, including such agreements, instruments and other documents necessary to ensure that Agent receives a first priority perfected Lien (subject to Permitted Liens) in all entities and assets acquired in connection with the Acquisition to the extent required by this Agreement;
(c)at the time of such Acquisition and after giving effect thereto, no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing;
(d)the Acquisition would not result in a Change in Control and each Borrower remains a surviving legal entity after such Acquisition;
(e)with respect to any Acquisition involving an in-license to a Credit Party, all such in-licenses or agreements related thereto shall constitute “Collateral” to the extent permitted by applicable Law and the terms of such in-license (including customary anti-assignment provisions) and Agent shall have customary rights, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable Law and contract, with respect to rights to payment and proceeds thereunder in accordance with Agent’s rights and remedies under this Agreement and the other Financing Documents; provided that Credit Parties shall use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that such in-license constitutes Collateral and shall not, in any event, include anti-assignment provisions or other contractual provisions intended for the specific purpose of causing such in-license to constitute Excluded Property;
(f)all transactions in connection with such Acquisition shall be consummated in all material respects in accordance with applicable Laws;
(g)the assets acquired in such Acquisition are for use in the same, similar, related or complementary lines of business as the Credit Parties are currently engaged or a similar, related or complementary line of business reasonably related, ancillary or supplemental thereto or incidental thereto or reasonably expansive thereof;
(h)if required, such Acquisition shall have been approved by the board of directors (or other similar body) and/or the stockholders or other equity holders of any Person being acquired in such Acquisition;
(i)no Debt or Liens are assumed or created (other than Permitted Liens and Permitted Debt) in connection with such Acquisition;
(j)solely in the case of an Acquisition for cash consideration in excess of $10,000,000, Agent shall have received a certificate of a Responsible Officer of the Borrower Representative demonstrating, on a pro forma basis after giving effect to the consummation of such Acquisition, that Credit Parties are in compliance with the financial covenants set forth in Article 6 hereof;
(k)unless Agent shall otherwise consent in writing (in its sole discretion), (x) if the Acquisition is an equity purchase or merger, the target and its Subsidiaries must have as their jurisdiction of formation a state within the United States or the District of Columbia, and (y) if the Acquisition is an asset purchase, not less than 80% of the fair market value of all of the assets so acquired shall be located within (or in the case of Registered Intellectual Property, registered in) the United States;
(l)the consideration payable by the Credit Parties and their Subsidiaries in connection with such Acquisition shall consist solely of (x) noncash Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Equity Interest) in Novavax, and/or (y) cash and Cash Equivalents not to exceed in the aggregate the cap set forth in clause (m) below, and/or (z) contingent consideration (including earn‑outs, royalties and milestone payments) and the assumption of ordinary‑course liabilities, in each case, to the extent permitted by this Agreement (including, as applicable, as Permitted Debt or Permitted Contingent Obligations);
(m)the sum of all cash amounts (including Cash Equivalents) paid or payable in connection with all Permitted Acquisitions (including all Debt, liabilities and Contingent Obligations (in each case to the extent otherwise permitted hereunder) incurred or assumed and the maximum amount of any royalties, earn-outs or comparable payment obligation in connection therewith, regardless of when due or payable and whether or not reflected on a consolidated balance sheet of Borrowers) (all such consideration, the “Acquisition Consideration”) shall not exceed $50,000,000 in the aggregate during any fiscal year; provided, that such annual cap shall be increased by following, in each case without duplication and to the extent actually received in the 18-month period prior to the consummation of such Acquisition (i) the Net Cash Proceeds received by the Credit Parties from the issuance of Equity Interests, (ii) the aggregate Net Cash Proceeds from the issuance of Permitted Convertible Debt (net of the amount of any Permitted Convertible Debt refinanced in connection with such issuance), and (iii) the Net Cash Proceeds of Cash Milestone Payments received by any Credit Party; and
(n)prior to consummation of any Acquisition that would rely on any increase in the cap pursuant to subclauses (i)–(iii) above, Borrower Representative shall deliver to Agent a certificate from a Responsible Officer with a good‑faith, reasonable forecast demonstrating, to Agent’s reasonable satisfaction, pro forma compliance with Section 6.1 and Section 6.2 for the twelve (12) months following such Acquisition; and provided that for purposes of calculating ‘Acquisition Consideration’, sales‑based royalties that are payable solely from future net sales and do not include fixed minimum payments shall be excluded.
“Permitted Asset Dispositions” means the following Asset Dispositions:
(a)dispositions of Inventory in the Ordinary Course of Business and not pursuant to any bulk sale;
(b)dispositions of furniture, fixtures and equipment (including lab equipment) in the Ordinary Course of Business that the applicable Credit Party or Subsidiary determines in good faith is obsolete, unmerchantable, or otherwise unsalable or no longer used or useful in the business of such Credit Party and its Subsidiaries;
(c)expiration, forfeiture, invalidation, cancellation, abandonment or lapse (including, without limitation, the narrowing of claims) of Intellectual Property (other than Material Intangible Assets) that is, in the reasonable good faith judgment of a Credit Party, no longer useful in the conduct of the business of the Credit Parties or any of their Subsidiaries;
(d)Permitted Licenses;
(e)dispositions consisting of the use or payment of cash or Cash Equivalents in a manner that is not otherwise prohibited by the terms of this Agreement or the other Financing Documents;
(f)(i) Asset Dispositions from a Credit Party to any other Credit Party (other than a Foreign Guarantor), (ii) Asset Dispositions from a Foreign Guarantor to another Foreign Guarantor, (iii) Asset Dispositions from any Restricted Foreign Subsidiaries to any Credit Party, (iv) Asset Dispositions from any Restricted Foreign Subsidiary to another Restricted Foreign Subsidiary;
(g)sales, forgiveness or discounting, on a non-recourse basis and in the Ordinary Course of Business, of past due Accounts in connection with the settlement of delinquent Accounts or in connection with the bankruptcy or reorganization of suppliers or customers in accordance with the applicable terms of this Agreement;
(h)to the extent constituting an Asset Disposition, the granting of Permitted Liens and the making of Permitted Investments;
(i)(i) any termination of any lease, sublease, license or sub-license (other than any licenses constituting Material Contracts or Material Intangible Assets) in the Ordinary Course of Business (and any related Asset Disposition of improvements made to leased real property resulting therefrom), (ii) any expiration of any option agreement in respect of real or personal property, and (iii) any surrender or waiver of contractual rights or the settlement, release or surrender of contractual rights or litigation claims (including in tort) in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(j)dispositions of tangible personal property (and not, for the avoidance of doubt, any Intellectual Property or Equity Interests) so long as (i) the assets subject to such Asset Dispositions are sold for fair value, as determined by the Borrowers in good faith, (ii) at least 75% of the consideration therefor is cash or Cash Equivalents, (iii) the aggregate amount of such Asset Dispositions in any twelve (12) month period does not exceed $1,000,000, and (iv) no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or would result from the making of such disposition;
(k)the sale, contribution, assignment, conveyance or other transfer (including by way of true sale) of any Royalty Financing Assets, or the granting of any license, interest or other right to receive or collect Royalty Financing Assets, in each case, in connection with a Royalty Financing, so long as no Event of Default exists or would result therefrom; provided, that (i) no such Royalty Financing shall involve any royalties, Accounts, Intellectual Property or any other assets that are the subject of any Existing Royalty Agreement or that otherwise do not constitute Royalty Financing Collateral, and (ii) only Royalty Financing Assets that are subject to the applicable Royalty Financing may be sold, contributed, assigned, conveyed or other transferred pursuant this clause (k);
(l)the sale, transfer or other disposition of Equity Interests of CPL Biologicals Private Limited to a third party on arm’s length, commercially reasonable terms, as determined by Novavax’s Board of Directors or any committee appointed thereby;
(m)dispositions consisting of the sale or issuance of any Equity Interests of Novavax (other than Disqualified Equity Interests, but including any Permitted Convertible Debt) not otherwise prohibited by this Agreement and the other Financing Documents;
(n)entry into and any early unwind, settlement or termination of any Convertible Note Hedge Transaction or Warrant Transaction; and
(o)the assignment of the lease, on or prior to June 30, 2026, with respect to the Borrower’s Gaithersburg, MD headquarters facility located at 700 Quince Orchard Road, Gaithersburg, MD 20878 and the sales of related land, equipment and other related assets to a third party to
a third party on arm’s length, commercially reasonable terms, as determined by Novavax’s Board of Directors or any committee appointed thereby and consistent with the terms provided by Borrower Representative to Agent prior to the Closing Date.
“Permitted Contest” means, with respect to any tax obligation or other obligation allegedly or potentially owing from any Credit Party or its Subsidiary to any governmental tax authority or other third party, a contest maintained in good faith by appropriate proceedings promptly instituted and diligently conducted and with respect to which such reserve or other appropriate provision, if any, as shall be required in conformity with GAAP shall have been made on the books and records and financial statements of the applicable Credit Party(ies); provided, however, that (a) compliance with the obligation that is the subject of such contest is effectively stayed during such challenge; (b) Credit Parties’ and their Subsidiaries’ title to, and its right to use, the Collateral is not adversely affected thereby and Agent’s Lien and priority on the Collateral are not adversely affected, altered or impaired thereby; (c) the Collateral or any part thereof or any interest therein shall not be in any danger of being sold, forfeited or lost by reason of such contest by Credit Parties or their Subsidiaries; and (d) upon a final determination of such contest, Credit Parties and their Subsidiaries shall promptly comply with the requirements thereof.
“Permitted Contingent Obligations” means
(a)Contingent Obligations arising in respect of the Debt under the Financing Documents;
(b)Contingent Obligations resulting from endorsements for collection or deposit in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(c)Contingent Obligations outstanding on the Closing Date and set forth on Schedule 5.1 and Permitted Refinancings thereof ;
(d)Contingent Obligations with respect to attachments, judgements, stay or appeal bonds and other similar bonds, surety and appeal bonds, performance bonds and other similar obligations not to exceed, with respect to all obligations permitted pursuant to this clause (d), $500,000 in the aggregate at any time outstanding;
(e)Contingent Obligations arising under indemnity agreements with title insurers to cause such title insurers to issue to Agent mortgagee title insurance policies;
(f)Contingent Obligations arising with respect to customary indemnification obligations in favor of purchasers in connection with dispositions of personal property assets permitted under Section 5.6 or in connection with any other commercial agreement entered into by a Credit Party or a Subsidiary thereof in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(g)so long as there exists no Event of Default both immediately before and immediately after giving effect to any such transaction, Contingent Obligations existing or arising under any Swap Contract, provided, however, that such obligations are (or were) entered into by a Credit Party or a Subsidiary in the Ordinary Course of Business for the purpose of directly mitigating risks associated with liabilities, commitments, investments, assets, or property held or reasonably anticipated by such Person and not for purposes of speculation;
(h)Contingent Obligations existing or arising in connection with any letter of credit for the primary purpose of securing a lease of real property in the Ordinary Course of Business, provided that the aggregate amount of all such letter of credit reimbursement obligations, when combined with the aggregate amount of all Debt incurred pursuant to clause (n) of the definition of Permitted Debt, does not at any time exceed $5,000,000 outstanding;
(i)Contingent Obligations arising under guarantees by a Credit Party of Debt or other obligations, which Debt or other obligations are otherwise permitted hereunder; provided, however, that if such obligation is subordinated to the Obligations, such guarantee shall be subordinated to the same extent;
(j)Contingent Obligations with respect to take-or-pay or similar payments arising under commercial agreements in the Ordinary Course of Business; and
(k)other Contingent Obligations not permitted by clauses (a) through (j) above, not to exceed $1,000,000 in the aggregate at any time outstanding.
“Permitted Convert Payments” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.5(d).
“Permitted Convertible Debt” means (a) the 2027 Convertible Notes, (b) the 2031 Convertible Notes, and (c) any Permitted Refinancing of the 2027 Convertible Notes or the 2031 Convertible Notes or any additional senior unsecured convertible debt securities issued by a Credit Party (any Debt issued pursuant to this clause (c), “Supplemental Convertible Debt”), in each case of this clause (c), that complies with the following requirements: (i) such Debt is convertible into Equity Interests of Novavax and cash in lieu of fractional shares (or other securities following a merger event or other change of the common stock of Novavax), cash or any combination thereof (with the amount of such cash or such combination determined by reference to the market price of such common stock or such other securities); (ii) the obligations of all Persons (including all Credit Parties) in respect of such Debt (and any guarantee thereof) are fully unsecured; (iii) such Debt does not have a stated maturity prior to the date that is six (6) months following the Maturity Date; (iv) such Debt has no scheduled amortization or principal payments and does not require any mandatory redemptions or payments of principal prior to the date that is six (6) months following the Maturity Date other than customary payments upon a change of control or fundamental change event (it being understood that conversion of any such Debt shall not be considered a redemption or payment); (v) no Subsidiary that is not a Credit Party shall guarantee the obligations under such Debt, (vi) the terms, conditions, fees, covenants, and settlement mechanics (if applicable) of such notes shall be such as are typical and customary for Debt of such type (as determined by the Borrower Representative in good faith), (vii) immediately before and after giving pro forma effect to the incurrence of such Debt and any concurrent use of proceeds thereof, no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, and (viii) the aggregate outstanding principal amount of all Permitted Convertible Debt shall not exceed the greater of (A) $750,000,000 and (B) 30% of Novavax’s Market Capitalization, in each case, determined at the time of issuance of any new Permitted Convertible Debt (inclusive of the then-outstanding 2027 Convertible Notes and the 2031 Convertible Notes).
“Permitted Debt” means:
(a)Credit Parties’ Debt to Agent and each Lender under this Agreement and the other Financing Documents;
(b)Debt incurred as a result of endorsing negotiable instruments received in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(c)purchase money Debt and Capital Leases not to exceed $500,000 in the aggregate at any time (whether in the form of a loan or a lease) used solely to finance the acquisitions, construction, repair, replacement, lease or improvement of fixed or capital assets and secured only by such assets (and the proceeds thereof) and any Permitted Refinancing thereof;
(d)Debt existing on the date of this Agreement and described on Schedule 5.1 (but not including any refinancings, extensions, increases or amendments to such Debt other than any Permitted Refinancing thereof);
(e)so long as there exists no Event of Default both immediately before and immediately after giving effect to any such transaction, Debt existing or arising under any Swap Contract, provided, however, that such obligations are (or were) entered into by Borrower or a Subsidiary in the Ordinary Course of Business for the purpose of directly mitigating risks associated with liabilities, commitments, investments, assets, or property held or reasonably anticipated by such Person and not for purposes of speculation;
(f)Debt owed to any Person providing property, casualty, liability, or other insurance to the Credit Parties, including to finance insurance premiums, so long as the amount of such Debt is not in excess of the amount of the unpaid cost of, and shall be incurred only to defer the cost of, such insurance for the policy year in which such Debt is incurred and such Debt is outstanding only during such policy year;
(g)Debt consisting of unsecured intercompany loans and advances incurred by (1) any Credit Party (other than a Foreign Guarantor) owing to any other Credit Party, (2) any Credit Party owing to any Restricted Foreign Subsidiary, (3) any Foreign Guarantor owing to any Credit Party (other than a Foreign Guarantor) so long as such Debt constitutes a Permitted Investment of the applicable Credit Party pursuant to clause (j) of the definition of Permitted Investment, (4) any Foreign Guarantor owing to any other Foreign Guarantor, (5) any Restricted Foreign Subsidiary owing to any other Restricted Foreign Subsidiary, or (6) any Restricted Foreign Subsidiary owing to any Credit Party so long as such Debt constitutes a Permitted Investment of the applicable Credit Party pursuant to clause (i) of the definition of Permitted Investments and, in each case; provided that any such Debt owed by a Credit Party shall, at the request of Agent, be subordinated to the payment in full of the Obligations pursuant to documentation in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent;
(h)Subordinated Debt;
(i)to the extent also constituting Debt (without duplication), Permitted Contingent Obligations;
(j)Debt in respect of netting services, overdraft protections and other like services, in each case incurred in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(k)(i) Permitted Convertible Debt and (ii) to the extent constituting Debt, obligations arising under Convertible Note Hedge Transactions and Warrant Transactions; provided, that such obligations are unsecured, entered into with counterparties and pursuant to documentation meeting the requirements of the definitions thereof;
(l)Debt constituting a Royalty Financing;
(m)to the extent also constituting Debt, amounts due and owing pursuant to the Closing Date Settlement Agreements and unsecured amounts due and owing pursuant to any other settlement agreements entered into from time to time;
(n)Debt, in an aggregate amount not to exceed, when combined with the all Contingent Obligations existing or arising pursuant to clause (h) of the definition of Contingent Obligations, $5,000,000 at any time outstanding, in respect of credit cards, credit card processing services, debit cards, stored value cards, purchase cards (including so-called “procurement cards” or “P-cards”) or other similar cash management or merchant services, in each case, incurred in the Ordinary Course of Business; provided that, to the extent such Debt is secured, it is secured solely by cash collateral held in a Credit Card Cash Collateral Account; and
(o)other unsecured Debt not to exceed $1,000,000 in the aggregate at any time outstanding.
“Permitted Derivative Payment” means (a) the payment of the purchase price of any Convertible Note Hedge Transaction or (b) the settlement, unwind or termination of all or any portion of any Warrant Transaction by (i) cashless set-off against the concurrent settlement, unwind or other termination of all or any portion of any related Convertible Note Hedge Transaction or (ii) delivery of common stock.
“Permitted Distributions” means the following Distributions:
(a)Distributions by any Subsidiary of a Credit Party to a Credit Party, or by any non-Credit Party Subsidiary to another non-Credit Party Subsidiary;
(b)dividends payable solely in Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Equity Interests) so long as such dividends do not result in a Change in Control;
(c)repurchases of stock of current or former employees, directors or consultants pursuant to stock purchase agreements so long as an Event of Default does not exist at the time of such repurchase and would not exist immediately after giving effect to such repurchase, provided, however, that such repurchases do not exceed $1,000,000 in the aggregate per fiscal year;
(d)distributions of Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Equity Interests) upon the conversion or exchange of Equity Interests (including options and warrants) or Subordinated Debt; and repurchases of Equity Interests in connection with the exercise of warrants, stock options or stock appreciation rights by way of cashless exercises; provided that no cash or Cash Equivalents are paid or otherwise transferred by Credit Parties in connection therewith;
(e)Permitted Derivative Payments and Permitted Convert Payments;
(f)cash payments in lieu of the issuance of fractional shares in connection with the exercise of warrants, options or other securities convertible into or exchangeable for capital stock, or in connection with dividends, share splits, reverse share splits (or any combination thereof) and other Investments permitted hereunder, in an aggregate maximum amount not to exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000) in any fiscal year; and
(g)the repurchase of Equity Interests of Novavax upon vesting of restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares units or similar equity incentives to satisfy Tax withholding or similar Tax obligations with respect thereto.
“Permitted Investments” means:
(a)Investments shown on Schedule 5.7 and existing on the Closing Date;
(b)to the extent constituting an Investment, the holding by a Person of cash and Cash Equivalents owned by such Person;
(c)Investments consisting of the endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar transactions in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(d)Investments consisting of (i) travel advances and employee relocation loans and other employee loans and advances in the Ordinary Course of Business, and (ii) loans to employees, officers or directors relating to the purchase of equity securities of Borrowers or their Subsidiaries (other than Restricted Foreign Subsidiaries) pursuant to employee stock purchase plans or agreements approved by Borrowers’ Board of Directors (or other governing body) in the Ordinary Course of Business, but the aggregate of all such loans and advances outstanding pursuant to this clause (d) may not exceed $500,000 at any time;
(e)Investments (including debt obligations) received in connection with the bankruptcy or reorganization of customers or suppliers and in settlement of delinquent obligations of, and other disputes with, customers or suppliers arising in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(f)Investments consisting of notes receivable of, or prepaid royalties and other credit extensions, to customers and suppliers who are not Affiliates, in the Ordinary Course of Business, provided, however, that this clause (f) shall not apply to Investments of any Credit Party in any Subsidiary;
(g)Investments consisting of Deposit Accounts or Securities Accounts to the extent not otherwise prohibited pursuant to the terms of this Agreement;
(h)Investments by (1) any Credit Party in any other Credit Party (other than a Foreign Guarantor), (2) any Foreign Guarantor in any other Foreign Guarantor, (3) any Restricted Foreign Subsidiary in any other Restricted Foreign Subsidiary; and (4) any Restricted Foreign Subsidiary in any Borrower or Guarantor; provided that all obligations of the Credit Parties in connection with any Investment by a Restricted Foreign Subsidiary in any Credit Party (other than in the form of Equity Interests not constituting Disqualified Equity Interests) shall be subordinated to the Obligations pursuant to a Subordination Agreement;
(i)so long as no Event of Default exists at the time of such Investment or after giving effect to such Investment, (x) Investments of cash and Cash Equivalents by Credit Parties in a Restricted Foreign Subsidiary or a Foreign Guarantor consisting of (A) payments made pursuant to the Transfer Pricing Agreements (including intercompany Matrix-M Adjuvant sales) or in respect of amounts owed under the Terminated Transfer Pricing Agreements or (B) payments made pursuant to the Intercompany Matrix-M Adjuvant License Agreement, in each case in the Ordinary Course of Business, and (y) other Investments of cash and Cash Equivalents by Credit Parties in a Restricted Subsidiary or a Foreign Guarantor but, with respect to this clause (y), solely to the extent that (A) the aggregate amount of such Investments (including payments in respect of intercompany Debt or in connection with intercompany transfer pricing and cost-plus pricing arrangements other than the Transfer Pricing Agreements or the Terminated Transfer Pricing Agreements) made with respect to all Restricted Foreign Subsidiaries and Foreign Guarantors does not, at any time, exceed $500,000 in any twelve (12) month period, and (B) with respect to any individual Restricted Foreign Subsidiary or Foreign Guarantor, the amount of such Investments in such Restricted Foreign Subsidiary or Foreign Guarantor at any time outstanding does not exceed the amount necessary to fund the current monthly operating expenses of such Restricted Foreign Subsidiary or Foreign Guarantor (taking into account their revenue from other sources);
(j)the granting of Permitted Licenses;
(k)Investments in prepaid expenses, utility and workers’ compensation, performance and other similar deposits, each as entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(l)so long as no Event of Default exists at the time of such Investment or after giving effect to such Investment, Investments of cash or Cash Equivalents in joint ventures, provided that any such cash Investments by a Credit Party under this clause (l) do not exceed $10,000,000 in the aggregate in any fiscal year;
(m)Investments (including the sale, contribution or other transfer) of Royalty Financing Assets to a special purpose Subsidiary or counterparty substantially contemporaneously with the entering into of the applicable Royalty Financing with respect to such Royalty Financing Assets;
(n)Permitted Acquisitions;
(o)Convertible Note Hedge Transactions or Warrant Transactions; and
(p)so long as no Event of Default exists at the time of such Investment or after giving effect to such Investment, other Investments of cash and Cash Equivalents in an amount not exceeding $500,000 in the aggregate at any time outstanding.
“Permitted License” means (a) the licenses existing on the Closing Date and set forth on Schedule 3.19, (b) any further non-exclusive license or sublicense of discrete Intellectual Property rights of Credit Parties or their Subsidiaries, (c) any further exclusive license or sublicense of discrete Intellectual Property rights of Credit Parties or their Subsidiaries that is exclusive solely as to discrete geographical areas outside of the United States, and (d) any exclusive license or sublicense of discrete Intellectual Property rights of Credit Parties or their Subsidiaries that is exclusive as to the United States or on a worldwide basis, in each case that is limited to a specific Disease Area and/or is indication‑specific, so long as, in each case of clauses (b) through (d), (i) all such licenses or sublicenses are granted to third parties in the Ordinary Course of Business, (ii) all such licenses or sublicenses do not result in a legal transfer of title to the licensed property, (iii) no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or would result from the granting of such license or sublicense and (iv) all such licenses or sublicenses have been granted in exchange for fair consideration on commercially reasonable terms; provided that, (x) with respect to any exclusive Matrix-M Adjuvant License permitted pursuant to clause (d), (A) Credit Parties shall receive an upfront net cash payment of not less than $10,000,000 and (B) prior to the granting of such exclusive Matrix-M Adjuvant License, Borrower Representative shall deliver to Agent a certificate from a Responsible Officer with a good‑faith, reasonable forecast demonstrating to Agent’s reasonable satisfaction pro forma compliance with Section 6.1 and Section 6.2 for the twelve (12) months immediately following the grant of such exclusive Matrix-M Adjuvant License, and (y) with respect to any exclusive Matrix-M Adjuvant Licenses consisting of licenses or sublicenses of Matrix-M Adjuvant as a whole or not otherwise specifically permitted pursuant to clauses (a)-(d) of this definition, Credit Parties shall have received Agent’s prior written consent.
“Permitted Liens” means:
(a)deposits or pledges of cash arising in the Ordinary Course of Business to secure obligations under workmen’s compensation, social security or similar laws, or under unemployment insurance (but excluding Liens arising under ERISA or, with respect to any Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan, the Code) pertaining to a Credit Party’s or its Subsidiary’s employees, if any;
(b)deposits or pledges of cash and Cash Equivalents in the Ordinary Course of Business to secure, without duplication, (i) leases and other obligations of like nature arising in the Ordinary Course of Business, (ii) Permitted Contingent Obligations described in clause (h) of the definition thereof and (iii) performance of vendors under contracts pertaining to manufacturing, clinical trials and other services, in each case in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(c)carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s or other like Liens arising by operation of law in the ordinary course of business that are not overdue for a period of more than 150 days or which are being contested pursuant to a Permitted Contest (provided that nothing in this clause (c) shall be deemed to be consent or permission given by Agent or Lenders to the transfer of inventory or other property to any carrier, warehousemen, mechanic, materialmen, repairment or other like Person as security for the payment of the obligations due to such a Person or to any such Person’s Lien taking priority over the Liens granted to Agent hereunder);
(d)Liens for Taxes or other governmental charges that are (x) not at the time delinquent or are thereafter payable without penalty, (y) the subject of a Permitted Contest or (z) Excluded Sales Taxes;
(e)attachments, stay or appeal bonds, judgments and other similar Liens on Collateral for sums not exceeding $500,000 in the aggregate and arising in connection with court proceedings that do not constitute an Event of Default; provided, however, that the execution or other enforcement of such Liens is effectively stayed and the claims secured thereby are the subject of a Permitted Contest;
(f)Liens with respect to real estate, easements, rights of way, restrictions, minor defects or irregularities of title, none of which, individually or in the aggregate, materially interfere with the benefits of the security intended to be provided by the Security Documents, materially affect the value or marketability of the Collateral, impair the use or operation of the Collateral for the use currently being made thereof or impair Credit Parties’ ability to pay the Obligations in a timely manner or impair the use of the Collateral or the ordinary conduct of the business of any Credit Party or any Subsidiary and which, in the case of any real estate that is part of the Collateral, are set forth as exceptions to or subordinate matters in the title insurance policy accepted by Agent insuring the lien of the Security Documents;
(g)Liens and encumbrances in favor of Agent under the Financing Documents;
(h)Liens existing on the date hereof and set forth on Schedule 5.2 on the Closing Date and Liens granted in a Permitted Refinancing of the obligations or liabilities secured by such Liens;
(i)any Lien on any property (including the proceeds thereof) financed by and securing Debt permitted under clause (c) of the definition of Permitted Debt; provided, however, that such Lien attaches concurrently with or within thirty (30) days after the incurrence thereof and Liens incurred in a Permitted Refinancing of such Debt secured by such Liens;
(j)to the extent constituting a Lien, the granting of a Permitted License;
(k)purported Liens evidenced by the filing of precautionary UCC financing statements relating solely to operating leases or consignments of personal property entered into the Ordinary Course of Business;
(l)Liens on the unearned portion of insurance premiums securing the financing of insurance premiums to the extent the financing is permitted pursuant to clause (f) of the definition of Permitted Debt;
(m)Liens that are (i) rights of set-off, bankers’ liens or similar non-consensual Liens relating to Deposit Accounts or Securities Accounts in favor of banks, other depositary institutions and securities intermediaries solely to secure payment of fees and similar costs and expenses and arising in the Ordinary Course of Business and (ii) rights of set-off arising in the Ordinary Course of Business under collaboration, license, transition services and technology transfer agreements, so long as such rights are limited to set-off or netting solely against amounts payable to a Credit Party or a Subsidiary under such agreements;
(n)Leases or subleases of real property granted in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(o)Liens, deposits and pledges encumbering cash and Cash Equivalents with a value not to exceed five hundred thousand Dollars ($500,000) in the aggregate at any time, to secure the performance of bids, tenders, contracts (other than contracts for the payment of money), public or statutory obligations, surety, indemnity, performance or other similar bonds or other similar obligations arising in the Ordinary Course of Business;
(p)Liens solely in respect of the Credit Card Cash Collateral Accounts and amounts deposited therein to the extent securing obligations permitted pursuant to clause (m) of the definition of Permitted Debt;
(q)Liens solely in respect of the L/C Cash Collateral Accounts and amounts deposited therein to the extent securing obligations permitted pursuant to clause (h) of the definition of Permitted Contingent Obligations;
(r)Liens solely in respect of the “Secured Accounts Receivable” (as defined in the Gavi Settlement Agreement) granted by Novavax or Novavax AB pursuant to that certain Security Agreement, dated as of February 16, 2023, among Novavax, Novavax AB and Gavi Alliance for so long as any obligations remain outstanding under the Gavi Settlement Agreement;
(s)Liens in favor of customs and revenue authorities arising as a matter of Law to secure payment of customs duties in connection with the importation of goods in the Ordinary Course of Business; and
(t)Liens solely on the Royalty Financing Assets and Royalty Financing Collateral that are granted in favor of the provider of a Royalty Financing substantially contemporaneously with the consummation of such Royalty Financing.
“Permitted Modifications” means (a) such amendments or other modifications to a Borrower’s or Subsidiary’s Organizational Documents as are required under this Agreement or by applicable Law and fully disclosed to Agent within thirty (30) days after such amendments or modifications have become effective, and (b) such amendments or modifications to a Borrower’s or Subsidiary’s Organizational Documents (other than those involving a change in the name of a Borrower or Subsidiary or involving a reorganization of a Borrower or Subsidiary under the laws of a different jurisdiction) that would not materially and adversely affect the rights and interests of Agent or Lenders in their capacities as such, taken as a whole, and fully disclosed to Agent within thirty (30) days after such amendments or modifications have become effective.
“Permitted Refinancing” means amendments, replacements, restructurings, refinancings, refundings, renewals, or extensions of all or any portion of Debt (such Debt being referred to herein as the “Original Debt”); provided, that (a) the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Original Debt is not increased (other than (x) increases permitted under clause (ix) of the definition of Permitted Convertible Debt or (y) increases permitted pursuant to another provision of “Permitted Debt”) at the time of such refinancing, refunding, renewal or extension except by an amount equal to the existing unutilized commitments thereunder (to the extent not otherwise prohibited by this Agreement), accrued but unpaid interest thereon and a premium paid, and reasonable and customary fees and expenses incurred, in connection with such refinancing, refunding, restructuring, renewal or extension (including any fees and original issue discount incurred in respect of such resulting Debt), (b) the direct and contingent obligors of the Original Debt shall not be expanded as a result of or in connection with such refinancing, refunding, restructuring, renewal or extension (other than to the extent any such additional obligors are or will become Credit Parties simultaneously with such Persons becoming additional obligors), (c) to the extent the applicable Original Debt is subordinated in right of payment and/or in right of security to any of the Obligations, such refinancing, refunding, renewal or extension is subordinated in right of payment and/or in right of security to such Obligations on terms (taken as a whole) at least as favorable to Agent and Lenders as those contained in the documentation governing the applicable Original Debt (as determined by Agent in its reasonable discretion) or otherwise reasonably acceptable to the Agent, (d) other than with respect to Debt incurred pursuant to clause (c) of the definition of Permitted Debt, such refinancing, refunding, renewal or extension has a final maturity date and a weighted average life to maturity (measured as of the date of such refinancing, refunding, renewal or extension) equal to or later than the final maturity date and weighted average life to maturity of the applicable Original Debt, (e) (i) if the Original Debt was unsecured, such refinancing, refunding, renewal or extension shall be unsecured, (ii) if the Original Debt was secured, such refinancing, refunding, renewal or extension shall not be secured by any assets other than the assets and improvements thereon securing the applicable Original Debt and any proceeds thereof, (f) the terms of such refinancing, refunding, renewal or extension (x) are not taken as a whole, materially less favorable to the obligor thereunder than the terms of the Original Debt (other than covenant or any other provisions applicable only to periods after the Maturity Date) or (y) satisfy the requirements of the definition of Permitted Convertible Debt, and (g) other than with respect to Debt incurred pursuant to clause (c) of the definition of Permitted Debt, at the time of such refinancing, refunding, renewal or extension of such Debt, no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or result therefrom.
“Person” means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, professional association, limited partnership, general partnership, joint stock company, joint venture, association, company, trust, bank, trust company, land trust, business trust or other organization, whether or not a legal entity, and any Governmental Authority.
“Pledge Agreement” means that certain Pledge Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, executed by certain Credit Parties in favor of Agent, for the benefit of Lenders, as amended, restated, or otherwise modified from time to time.
“Prepayment Fee” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2(e).
“Pro Rata Share” means (a) with respect to a Lender’s obligation to make advances in respect of a Term Loan Tranche 1 and such Lender’s right to receive payments of principal, interest and fees with respect to the Term Loan Tranche 1, the Term Loan Tranche 1 Commitment Percentage of such Lender; provided that if the Term Loan Tranche 1 Commitment has been reduced to zero, the numerator shall be the aggregate unpaid principal amount of such Lender’s portion of the Term Loan Tranche 1 and the denominator shall be the aggregate unpaid principal amount of the Term Loan Tranche 1, (b) with respect to a Lender’s obligation to make advances in respect of a Term Loan Tranche 2 and such Lender’s right to receive payments of principal, interest and fees with respect to the Term Loan Tranche 2, the Term Loan Tranche 2 Commitment Percentage of such Lender; provided that if the Term Loan Tranche 2 Commitment has been reduced to zero, the numerator shall be the aggregate unpaid principal amount of such Lender’s portion of the Term Loan Tranche 2 and the denominator shall be the aggregate unpaid principal amount of the Term Loan Tranche 2, (c) with respect to a Lender’s obligation to make advances in respect of a Term Loan Tranche 3 and such Lender’s right to receive payments of principal, interest and fees with respect to the Term Loan Tranche 3, the Term Loan Tranche 3 Commitment Percentage of such Lender; provided that if the Term Loan Tranche 3 Commitments have been reduced to zero, the numerator shall be the aggregate unpaid principal amount of such Lender’s portion of the Term Loan Tranche 3 and the denominator shall be the aggregate unpaid principal amount of the Term Loan Tranche 3, (d) with respect to a Lender’s obligation to make advances in respect of a Term Loan Tranche 4 and such Lender’s right to receive payments of principal, interest and fees with respect to the Term Loan Tranche 4, the Term Loan Tranche 4 Commitment Percentage of such Lender; provided that if the Term Loan Tranche 4 Commitments have been reduced to zero, the numerator shall be the aggregate unpaid principal amount of such Lender’s portion of the Term Loan Tranche 4 and the denominator shall be the aggregate unpaid principal amount of the Term Loan Tranche 4, and (e) for all other purposes (including, without limitation, the indemnification obligations arising under Section 11.6) with respect to any Lender, the percentage obtained by dividing (i) the then remaining Term Loan Commitment Amount, and the then outstanding principal advances under the Term Loan of such Lender, by (ii) the then remaining Term Loan Commitment, and the then outstanding principal advances under the Term Loans of all Lenders.
“Proceeding” means any suit, formal charge, complaint, action or hearing, whether judicial or administrative, before any Governmental Authority or arbitrator.
“Proceeds” means “proceeds” (as defined in Article 9 of the UCC).
“Products” means, from time to time, any products that are, as of the relevant time, manufactured, sold, commercially supplied, developed, clinically tested for commercial use or marketed by any Credit Party or any of its Subsidiaries; provided, that “Products” shall not include (i) research-stage or preclinical candidates, prototypes, components, intermediates, tooling or process materials not intended for commercial sale, or (ii) products that have been discontinued or withdrawn from the market in all material jurisdictions to the extent such discontinuation or withdrawal does not otherwise constitute an Event of Default.
“Protective Advance” means all sums expended by Agent in accordance with the provisions of Section 10.4 to (a) protect the priority, validity and enforceability of any lien on, and security interests in, any Collateral and the instruments evidencing and securing the Obligations, (b) prevent the value of any Collateral from being diminished, or (c) protect any of the Collateral from being materially damaged, impaired, mismanaged or taken.
“Recall” means a Person’s Removal or Correction of a marketed product that the FDA considers to be in violation of the laws it administers and against which the FDA would initiate legal action, e.g., seizure.
“Reference Time” means approximately a time substantially consistent with market practice two (2) SOFR Business Days prior to the first day of each calendar month. If by 5:00 pm (New York City time) on any interest lookback day, Term SOFR in respect of such interest lookback day has not been published on the SOFR Administrator’s Website, then Term SOFR for such interest lookback day will be Term SOFR as published in respect of the first preceding SOFR Business Day for which Term SOFR was published on the SOFR Administrator’s Website; provided that such first preceding SOFR Business Day is not more than three (3) SOFR Business Days prior to such interest lookback day.
“Register” has the meaning set forth in Section 11.17(a)(iii).
“Registered Intellectual Property” means any patent, registered trademark or servicemark, registered copyright, registered mask work, or any pending application for any of the foregoing.
“Regulatory Reporting Event” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.17.
“Regulatory Required Permit” means any and all licenses, approvals and permits issued by the FDA, or any other applicable Governmental Authority, necessary for (a) the testing, manufacture, marketing or sale of any Product by any applicable Credit Party or its Subsidiaries as such activities are being conducted by such Credit Party and its Subsidiaries with respect to such Product at such time, and those issued by State governments or foreign governments for the conduct of any Credit Party’s or any Subsidiary’s business or (b) the operation by any applicable Credit Party or its subsidiaries of any manufacturing facility or other similar operation.
“Related Product” means any product sold by a third party to the extent such product is produced, manufactured or otherwise developed with the use of any Intellectual Property or related assets of any Credit Party or any Subsidiary thereof and the Credit Parties or their Subsidiaries are owed any amounts pursuant to any license, collaboration, development, manufacturing, distribution, joint venture, assignment or similar agreement in connection with the sale of such product (including any royalty, milestone or similar payments).
“Release” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.10.
“Relevant Governmental Body” means the Federal Reserve Board and/or the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, or a committee officially endorsed or convened by the Federal Reserve Board and/or the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or any successor thereto.
“Removal” means the physical removal of a Product from its point of use to some other location for repair, modification, adjustment, relabeling, destruction, or inspection.
“Replacement Lender” has the meaning set forth in Section 11.17(c).
“Required Lenders” means at any time Lenders holding more than fifty percent (50%) the sum of the remaining Term Loan Commitments, and the then outstanding principal advances under the Term Loans (taken as a whole).
“Resolution Authority” means an EEA Resolution Authority or, with respect to any UK Financial Institution, a UK Resolution Authority.
“Responsible Officer” means any of the President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Legal Officer, Secretary, Assistant Secretary or any other officer of the applicable Credit Party reasonably acceptable to Agent.
“Restricted Foreign Subsidiary” means (a)(i) Novavax NL B.V., a company organized under the laws of the Netherlands (“Novavax Netherlands”), until such time as it becomes a Foreign Guarantor (ii), Novavax AB, a company organized under the laws of Sweden (“Novavax Sweden”), (iii) Novavax CZ a.s., a company organized under the laws of the Czech Republic, (iv) Novavax Italy S.r.l., a company organized under the laws of Italy, (v) Novavax Germany GmbH, a company organized under the laws of Germany, (vi) Novavax Spain ES SL, a company organized under the laws of Spain, (vii) Novavax UK Limited, a company organized under the laws of England and Wales, (viii) Novavax France SAS, a company organized under the laws of France, and (ix) Novavax CH GmbH, a company organized under the laws of Switzerland, and (b) each other direct and indirect Subsidiary of Novavax formed or acquired after the Closing Date and not organized under the laws of the United States, Washington, D.C. or any state thereof; provided that no foreign Subsidiary that becomes a Credit Party pursuant to Section 4.11(e) shall be a “Restricted Foreign Subsidiary” for purposes of this Agreement or the other Financing Documents.
“Royalty Financing Assets” means, collectively, any and all rights of any Credit Party or any Subsidiary to receive or collect amounts that would constitute Royalty Revenue when and as recognized in accordance with the definition thereof (together with rights to payment relating thereto and proceeds thereof); provided, that any such rights arising under the Sanofi Agreements or the SII Agreements, or any agreement that replaces, amends or supplements any of the foregoing (collectively the “Existing Royalty Agreements”) and any Accounts or other amounts paid or payable thereunder shall not constitute “Royalty Financing Assets”.
“Royalty Financing” means any transaction or series of related transactions pursuant to which any Credit Party or any Subsidiary sells, assigns, conveys or otherwise transfers, or incurs Debt secured solely by, any Royalty Financing Assets and related Royalty Financing Collateral (which, for the avoidance of doubt, may be structured as a secured borrowing or a true sale); provided that such Royalty Financing is provided by or otherwise entered into with a third party on arms’ length terms that are commercially reasonable in nature.
“Royalty Financing Collateral” means, with respect to any Royalty Financing, the Royalty Financing Assets subject thereto and, solely to the extent relating exclusively to the foregoing, (a) segregated deposit and securities accounts to which Royalty Financing Assets are paid or deposited, together with proceeds therein, and (b) books and records solely to the extent pertaining to collection and remittance of Royalty Financing Assets. For the avoidance of doubt, in no event shall any Intellectual Property or Intellectual Property Rights or any Existing Royalty Agreements constitute Royalty Financing Assets or Royalty Financing Collateral.
“Royalty Revenue” means, for any period, the aggregate amount of royalties in respect of Related Product sales by third parties earned by, and due and payable to, any Credit Party during such period in respect of the licensing, sublicensing, collaboration, development, manufacturing, distribution, assignment, or other exploitation of Intellectual Property of the Credit Parties, in each case to the extent (a) payable in cash or cash equivalents; provided that non‑cash consideration shall be included when and to the extent converted to cash or cash equivalents during such period, (b) recognized in accordance with GAAP during such period, and (c) such royalty is subject to Agent’s first priority perfected Lien and such royalty and the agreement pursuant to which such royalty is generated have not been pledged to any Person and are not subject to any Liens (other than Liens granted pursuant to the Financing Documents and Liens arising pursuant to operation of Law). Royalty Revenue shall be calculated net of (i) sales, use, value-added, withholding and other similar Taxes collected on behalf of a Governmental Authority, (ii) customary trade, quantity and cash discounts, rebates, and credits actually allowed and taken, (iii) third-party distribution, agency or collection fees and commissions that are directly related to the collection of such royalties and actually paid in cash, (iv) any refunds, clawbacks, recoupments, setoffs or chargebacks; provided, that any refunds, clawbacks, recoupments, setoffs or chargebacks shall only reduce Royalty Revenue to the extent agreed in writing or finally determined by a non‑appealable order or actually netted or paid in cash by a Credit Party, and (v) amounts paid or payable to third parties pursuant to outbound royalty or profit-share obligations that are directly attributable to the receipt of such royalties and actually paid in cash; provided that Royalty Revenue shall exclude, without duplication, (A) proceeds of debt or equity issuances, (B) insurance proceeds and indemnity payments (other than in respect of lost or unpaid royalties), (C) regulatory, sales, development or other milestones, upfront fees, option fees, minimum/license fees or other similar payments, (D) intercompany amounts among Credit Parties or Credit Parties and their Subsidiaries, (E) consideration received in respect of the sale of Intellectual Property in a true sale (as opposed to a license or sublicense), and (F) any royalty to the extent not yet earned. Notwithstanding the forgoing, in no event shall any royalty constituting a Royalty Financing Asset that is subject to a Royalty Financing be included as “Royalty Revenue” for purposes of the Financing Documents.
“Sanctioned Country” means any country or territory that is itself subject to comprehensive sanctions maintained by OFAC including at the time of this Agreement, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria and the Crimea, Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic regions.
“Sanofi Agreements” means, collectively, (a) that certain Collaboration and License Agreement, dated as of May 10, 2024, by and among Novavax and Sanofi Pasteur Inc. (“Sanofi”) and (b) each other manufacturing, supply, license or similar agreement between a Credit Party or Subsidiary thereof and Sanofi or its Affiliates.
“SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Securities Account” means a “securities account” (as defined in Article 9 of the UCC), an investment account, or other account in which investment property or securities are held or invested for credit to or for the benefit of any Credit Party.
“Securities Account Control Agreement” means an agreement, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent, among Agent, any applicable Credit Party and each securities intermediary in which such Credit Party maintains a Securities Account (which is not an Excluded Account) pursuant to which Agent shall obtain “control” (as defined in Article 9 of the UCC) over such Securities Account.
“Security Document” means this Agreement, the Pledge Agreement, the Collateral Assignment Agreement, and each other agreement, document or instrument executed concurrently herewith or at any time hereafter pursuant to which one or more Credit Parties or any other Person either (a) Guarantees payment or performance of all or any portion of the Obligations, and/or (b) provides, as security for all or any portion of the Obligations, a Lien on any of its assets in favor of Agent for its own benefit and the benefit of the Lenders, as any or all of the same may be amended, supplemented, restated or otherwise modified from time to time.
“SII Agreements” means, collectively, (a) that certain Contract Development Manufacture Agreement, dated as of October 21, 2021, by and among Novavax and Serum Life Sciences Limited (“SLSL”), (b) that certain Supply Agreement, dated as of October 25, 2021, by and among Novavax, SLSL, and Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. (“SII”), (c) that certain Amended and Restated Supply and License Agreement, dated as of July 1, 2021, by and among Novavax and SII, and (d) each other manufacturing, supply, license or similar agreement between a Credit Party or Subsidiary thereof and SII or SLSL.
“SOFR” means, with respect to any SOFR Business Day, a rate per annum equal to the secured overnight financing rate for such SOFR Business Day.
“SOFR Administrator” means CME Group Benchmark Administration Limited (CBA) (or a successor administrator of Term SOFR selected by Agent in its reasonable discretion).
“SOFR Administrator’s Website” means the website of the SOFR Administrator, currently at https://www.cmegroup.com/market-data/cme-group-benchmark-administration/term-sofr.html, or any successor source for Term SOFR identified by the SOFR Administrator from time to time.
“SOFR Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday or Sunday or a day on which the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association recommends that the fixed income departments of its members be closed for the entire day for purposes of trading in United States government securities.
“SOFR Interest Rate” means, with respect to each day during which interest accrues on a Loan, the rate per annum (expressed as a percentage) equal to (a) Term SOFR for the applicable Interest Period for such day; or (b) if the then-current Benchmark has been replaced with a Benchmark Replacement pursuant to Section 2.2(k), such Benchmark Replacement for such day. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the SOFR Interest Rate shall not at any time be less than the Floor.
“SOFR Loan” means a Loan that bears interest at a rate based on Term SOFR.
“Solvent” means, with respect to any Person, that such Person (a) owns and will own assets the fair saleable value of which are (i) greater than the total amount of its debts and liabilities (including subordinated and Contingent Obligations), and (ii) greater than the amount that will be required to pay the probable liabilities of its then existing debts as they become absolute and matured considering all financing alternatives and potential asset sales reasonably available to it; (b) has capital that is not unreasonably small in relation to its business as presently conducted or after giving effect to any contemplated transaction; and (c) does not intend to incur and does not believe that it will incur debts beyond its ability to pay such debts as they become due.
“Stated Rate” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.7.
“Stock Awards” means any grants, issuances, awards or sales of Equity Interests (or rights to acquire Equity Interests), including stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights, performance stock units or similar equity or equity‑based awards, in each case issued pursuant to the 2015 Plan, the 2023 Inducement Plan or any other equity compensation plan or arrangement approved by Novavax’s board of directors (or a committee thereof).
“Subordinated Debt” means any Debt of Credit Parties incurred pursuant to the terms of the Subordinated Debt Documents and with the prior written consent of Agent (such consent deemed provided by Agent’s execution of the applicable Subordination Agreement). As of the Closing Date, there is no Subordinated Debt.
“Subordinated Debt Documents” means any documents evidencing and/or securing Debt governed by a Subordination Agreement, all of which documents must be in form and substance reasonably acceptable to Agent. As of the Closing Date, there are no Subordinated Debt Documents.
“Subordination Agreement” means each agreement between Agent and another creditor of Credit Parties, as the same may be amended, supplemented, restated or otherwise modified from time to time in accordance with the terms thereof, pursuant to which the Debt owing from any Credit Party and/or the Liens securing such Debt granted by any Credit Party to such creditor are subordinated in any way to the Obligations and the Liens created under the Security Documents, the terms and provisions of such Subordination Agreements to have been agreed to by and be reasonably acceptable to Agent.
“Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, (a) any corporation (or any foreign equivalent thereof) of which an aggregate of fifty percent (50%) or more of the outstanding Equity Interests having ordinary voting power to elect a majority of the board of directors of such corporation (irrespective of whether, at the time, Equity Interests of any other class or classes of such corporation shall have or might have voting power by reason of the happening of any contingency) is at the time, directly or indirectly, owned legally or beneficially by such Person or one or more Subsidiaries of such Person, or with respect to which any such Person has the right to vote or designate the vote of more than fifty percent (50%) of such Equity Interests whether by proxy, agreement, operation of law or otherwise, and (b) any partnership or limited liability company (or any foreign equivalent thereof) in which such Person and/or one or more Subsidiaries of such Person shall have an interest (whether in the form of voting or participation in profits or capital contribution) of more than fifty percent (50%) or of which any such Person is a general partner or may exercise the powers of a general partner.
Unless the context otherwise requires, each reference to a Subsidiary shall be a reference to a Subsidiary of a Credit Party.
“Swap Contract” means any “swap agreement”, as defined in Section 101 of the Bankruptcy Code, that is obtained by a Credit Party to provide protection against fluctuations in interest or currency exchange rates, but only if Agent provides its prior written consent to the entry into such “swap agreement”. For the avoidance of doubt, “Swap Contract” shall not include any Convertible Note Hedge Transactions or Warrant Transactions that comply with the definitions thereof.
“Taxes” means all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, withholdings (including backup withholding), assessments, fees or other charges imposed by any Governmental Authority, including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto.
“Term Lender” means a Lender with a Term Loan Commitment or a portion of the outstanding Term Loans.
“Term Loan” means, collectively, the Term Loan Tranche 1, the Term Loan Tranche 2, the Term Loan Tranche 3 and the Term Loan Tranche 4.
“Term Loan Account” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.6(b).
“Term Loan Commitment Amount” means, with respect to each Lender, the sum of such Lender’s Term Loan Tranche 1 Commitment Amount, Term Loan Tranche 2 Commitment Amount, Term Loan Tranche 3 Commitment Amount and Term Loan Tranche 4 Commitment Amount.
“Term Loan Commitment Percentage” means, as to any Lender with respect to each of such Lender’s Term Loan Commitments, (a) on the Closing Date, with respect to each tranche of the Term Loan, the applicable percentage set forth opposite such Lender’s name on the Commitment Annex under the column “Term Loan Tranche 1 Commitment Percentage”, “Term Loan Tranche 2 Commitment Percentage”, “Term Loan Tranche 3 Commitment Percentage” and “Term Loan Tranche 4 Commitment Percentage” (if such Lender’s name is not so set forth thereon, then, on the Closing Date, such percentage for such Lender shall be deemed to be zero), and (b) on any date following the Closing Date, as applicable to each tranche of Term Loan, the percentage equal to (i) the Term Loan Tranche 1 Commitment of such Lender on such date divided by the aggregate Term Loan Tranche 1 Commitments on such date, (ii) the Term Loan Tranche 2 Commitments of such Lender on such date divided by the aggregate Term Loan Tranche 2 Commitments on such date, (iii) the Term Loan Tranche 3 Commitments of such Lender on such date divided by the aggregate Term Loan Tranche 3 Commitments on such date or (iv) the Term Loan Tranche 4 Commitments of such Lender on such date divided by the aggregate Term Loan Tranche 4 Commitments on such date.
“Term Loan Commitments” means the Term Loan Tranche 1 Commitments, the Term Loan Tranche 2 Commitments, the Term Loan Tranche 3 Commitments and the Term Loan Tranche 4 Commitments. For the avoidance of doubt, the aggregate Term Loan Commitments of all Lenders on the Closing Date shall be $330,000,000.
“Term Loan Payment Account” means the account specified on Schedule 1.1(a) as the Term Loan Payment Account, into which all payments by or on behalf of each Borrower to Agent of principal, interest, fees, expenses, charges and all other amounts owing solely in respect of the Term Loans under the Financing Documents shall be made, or such other account as Agent shall from time to time specify by written notice to Borrower Representative.
“Term Loan Tranche 1” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1(a)(i)(A).
“Term Loan Tranche 1 Commitment Amount” means, with respect to each Lender, the amount set forth opposite such Lender’s name on Annex A hereto under the caption “Term Loan Tranche 1 Commitment Amount”, as amended from time to time to reflect any permitted and effective assignments and as such amount may be reduced or terminated pursuant to this Agreement.
“Term Loan Tranche 1 Commitment Termination Date” means February 29, 2028.
“Term Loan Tranche 1 Commitments” means the sum of each Lender’s Term Loan Tranche 1 Commitment Amount.
“Term Loan Tranche 2” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1(a)(i)(B).
“Term Loan Tranche 2 Activation Date” means the Closing Date.
“Term Loan Tranche 2 Commitment Amount” means, with respect to each Lender, the amount set forth opposite such Lender’s name on Annex A hereto under the caption “Term Loan Tranche 2 Commitment Amount”, as amended from time to time to reflect any permitted and effective assignments and as such amount may be reduced or terminated pursuant to this Agreement.
“Term Loan Tranche 2 Commitment Termination Date” means the earlier of (a) June 30, 2028 and (b) the date on which Agent provides notice to the Credit Parties, following the occurrence of an Event of Default (which has not been waived or cured as of the date such notice is given), that the Term Loan Tranche 2 Commitments have been terminated.
“Term Loan Tranche 2 Commitments” means the sum of each Lender’s Term Loan Tranche 2 Commitment Amount.
“Term Loan Tranche 2 Funding Date” means the date of any advance of the Term Loan Tranche 2.
“Term Loan Tranche 3” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1(a)(i)(C).
"Term Loan Tranche 3 Activation Date” means January 1, 2027.
“Term Loan Tranche 3 Commitment Amount” means, with respect to each Lender, the amount set forth opposite such Lender’s name on Annex A hereto under the caption “Term Loan Tranche 3 Commitment Amount”, as amended from time to time to reflect any permitted and effective assignments and as such amount may be reduced or terminated pursuant to this Agreement.
“Term Loan Tranche 3 Commitment Termination Date” means the earlier of (a) June 30, 2029 and (b) the date on which Agent provides notice to the Credit Parties, following the occurrence of an Event of Default (which has not been waived or cured as of the date such notice is given), that the Term Loan Tranche 3 Commitments have been terminated.
“Term Loan Tranche 3 Commitments” means the sum of each Lender’s Term Loan Tranche 3 Commitment Amount.
“Term Loan Tranche 3 Funding Date” means the date of any advance of the Term Loan Tranche 3.
“Term Loan Tranche 4” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1(a)(i)(D).
“Term Loan Tranche 4 Activation Date” means the date on which Agent and Lenders, in their sole discretion, provide notice to Borrower Agent that the Term Loan Tranche 4 Activation Date has occurred (it being understood and agreed that neither Agent nor any Lender shall be obligated to provide such notice or activate the Term Loan Tranche 4 Commitments, which notice may be given or withheld in Agent’s or any Lender’s sole discretion).
“Term Loan Tranche 4 Commitment Amount” means, with respect to each Lender, the amount set forth opposite such Lender’s name on Annex A hereto under the caption “Term Loan Tranche 4 Commitment Amount”, as amended from time to time to reflect any permitted and effective assignments and as such amount may be reduced or terminated pursuant to this Agreement.
“Term Loan Tranche 4 Commitment Termination Date” means the earlier of (a) June 30, 2029 and (b) the date on which Agent provides notice to the Credit Parties, following the occurrence of an Event of Default (which has not been waived or cured as of the date such notice is given), that the Term Loan Tranche 4 Commitments have been terminated.
“Term Loan Tranche 4 Commitments” means the sum of each Lender’s Term Loan Tranche 4 Commitment Amount.
“Term Loan Tranche 4 Funding Date” means the date of any advance of the Term Loan Tranche 4.
“Term SOFR” means the greater of (x) the forward-looking term rate for a period comparable to such Interest Period based on SOFR that is published by the SOFR Administrator and is displayed on the SOFR Administrator’s Website at approximately the Reference Time for such Interest Period and (y) the Floor. Unless otherwise specified in any amendment to this Agreement entered into in accordance with Section 2.2(k), in the event that a Benchmark Replacement with respect to Term SOFR is implemented, then all references herein to Term SOFR shall be deemed references to such Benchmark Replacement.
“Terminated Transfer Pricing Agreements” means the transfer pricing agreements or cost-plus pricing arrangements that have been terminated prior to the Closing Date and set forth on Schedule 1.1(c) hereto.
“Termination Date” means the earliest to occur of (a) the Maturity Date, (b) any date on which the maturity of the Loans is accelerated pursuant to Section 10.2, or (c) the termination date stated in any notice of termination of this Agreement provided by Borrowers in accordance with Section 2.12.
“Transfer Pricing Agreements” means the transfer pricing agreements or cost-plus pricing arrangements in effect on the Closing Date and set forth on Schedule 1.1(b) hereto, as the same may be extended, renewed or amended from time to time in the Ordinary Course of Business and with Agent’s prior written approval (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed).
“UCC” means the Uniform Commercial Code of the State of New York or of any other state the laws of which are required to be applied in connection with the perfection of security interests in any Collateral.
“UK Financial Institution” means any BRRD Undertaking (as such term is defined under the PRA Rulebook (as amended from time to time) promulgated by the United Kingdom Prudential Regulation Authority) or any person falling within IFPRU 11.6 of the FCA Handbook (as amended from time to time) promulgated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority, which includes certain credit institutions and investment firms, and certain affiliates of such credit institutions or investment firms.
“UK Resolution Authority” means the Bank of England or any other public administrative authority having responsibility for the resolution of any UK Financial Institution.
“Unadjusted Benchmark Replacement” means the applicable Benchmark Replacement excluding the related Benchmark Replacement Adjustment.
“United States” means the United States of America.
“U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.8(c)(i).
“Warrant Transactions” means any call option, warrant or contractual right to purchase Novavax’s Equity Interests sold by a Credit Party to the Hedge Provider concurrently with any purchase by a Credit Party of a related Convertible Note Hedge Transaction from the Hedge Provider for which the strike price (or the analogous term defined therein) is greater than the strike price (or the analogous term defined therein) for the Convertible Note Hedge Transaction; provided that (a) such call option, warrant or contractual right will be entered into between the applicable Credit Party and the Hedge Provider under an ISDA Master Agreement (which may be deemed to be entered into) and there shall be no Credit Support Annex, Credit Support Documentation, Credit Support Provider, security, guaranty or other credit support with respect thereto, in each case, provided by any Credit Party or any Subsidiary thereof; (b) immediately before and after giving pro forma effect to the sale of such call option, warrant or contractual right and any concurrent provisions of proceeds thereof, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing hereunder, and (c) the initial number of shares subject to such Warrant Transactions shall not exceed the number of shares initially underlying the applicable Permitted Convertible Debt.
“Withholding Agent” means any Borrower or Agent, as applicable.
“Write-Down and Conversion Powers” means, (a) with respect to any EEA Resolution Authority, the write-down and conversion powers of such EEA Resolution Authority from time to time under the Bail-In Legislation for the applicable EEA Member Country, which write-down and conversion powers are described in the EU Bail-In Legislation Schedule, and (b) with respect to the United Kingdom, any powers of the applicable Resolution Authority under the Bail-In Legislation to cancel, reduce, modify or change the form of a liability of any UK Financial Institution or any contract or instrument under which that liability arises, to convert all or part of that liability into shares, securities or obligations of that person or any other person, to provide that any such contract or instrument is to have effect as if a right had been exercised under it or to suspend any obligation in respect of that liability or any of the powers under that Bail-In Legislation that are related to or ancillary to any of those powers.
Section 1.2Accounting Terms and Determinations. Unless otherwise specified herein, all accounting terms used herein shall be interpreted, all accounting determinations hereunder (including, without limitation, determinations made pursuant to the exhibits hereto) shall be made, and all financial statements required to be delivered hereunder shall be prepared on a consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP applied on a basis consistent with the most recent audited consolidated financial statements of each Credit Party and its Consolidated Subsidiaries delivered to Agent and each of the Lenders on or prior to the Closing Date. If at any time any change in GAAP would affect the computation of any financial ratio or financial requirement set forth in any Financing Document, and either Borrowers or the Required Lenders shall so request, Agent, the Lenders and Borrowers shall negotiate in good faith to amend such ratio or requirement to preserve the original intent thereof in light of such change in GAAP (subject to the approval of the Required Lenders); provided, however, that until so amended, (a) such ratio or requirement shall continue to be computed in accordance with GAAP prior to such change therein and (b) Borrowers shall provide to Agent and the Lenders financial statements and other documents required under this Agreement which include a reconciliation between calculations of such ratio or requirement made before and after giving effect to such change in GAAP. Any obligations of a Person under a lease (whether existing now or entered into in the future) that is not (or would not be) a capital lease obligation under GAAP as in effect prior to giving effect to FASB Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-02, Leases, shall not be treated as a capital lease obligation solely as a result of the adoption of changes in GAAP, unless the parties hereto shall enter into a mutually acceptable amendment addressing such changes, as provided for above. Notwithstanding any other provision contained herein, all terms of an accounting or financial nature used herein shall be construed, and all computations of amounts and ratios referred to herein shall be made, without giving effect to any election under Statement of Financial Accounting Standards 159 (or any other Financial Accounting Standard having a similar result or effect) to value any Debt or other liabilities of any Credit Party or any Subsidiary of any Credit Party at “fair value”, as defined therein.
Section 1.3Other Definitional and Interpretive Provisions. References in this Agreement to “Articles”, “Sections”, “Annexes”, “Exhibits”, or “Schedules” shall be to Articles, Sections, Annexes, Exhibits or Schedules of or to this Agreement unless otherwise specifically provided. Any term defined herein may be used in the singular or plural. “Include”, “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by “without limitation”. Except as otherwise specified or limited herein, references to any Person include the successors and assigns of such Person. References “from” or “through” any date mean, unless otherwise specified, “from and including” or “through and including”, respectively. References to any statute or act shall include all related current regulations and all amendments and any successor statutes, acts and regulations. All amounts used for purposes of financial calculations required to be made herein shall be without duplication. References to any statute or act, without additional reference, shall be deemed to refer to federal statutes and acts of the United States. References to any agreement, instrument or document shall include all schedules, exhibits, annexes and other attachments thereto. References to capitalized terms that are not defined herein, but are defined in the UCC, shall have the meanings given them in the UCC. All references herein to times of day shall be references to daylight or standard time, as applicable. All references herein to a merger, transfer, consolidation, amalgamation, assignment, sale or transfer, or analogous term, will be construed to mean also a division of or by a limited liability company, as if it were a merger, transfer, consolidation, amalgamation, assignment, sale or transfer, or similar term, as applicable. Any series of limited liability company shall be considered a separate Person. Any series of limited liability company shall be considered a separate Person. Any provision of this Agreement permitting Borrowers to update schedules from time to time shall mean that the Borrower Representative may deliver any such updated schedule to the Agent at any time and, upon approval by Agent (in its reasonable discretion) (which approval of Agent shall be deemed to have been given unless an objection is delivered to the Borrower Representative within five (5) Business Days after delivery of such updated schedules to Agent), such updated schedule shall automatically replace the then-existing schedule without any further action or consent by any Person.
Section 1.4Settlement and Funding Mechanics. Unless otherwise specified herein, the settlement of all payments and fundings hereunder between or among the parties hereto shall be made in lawful money of the United States and in immediately available funds.
Section 1.5Time is of the Essence. Time is of the essence in Borrower’s and each other Credit Party’s performance under this Agreement and all other Financing Documents.
Section 1.6Time of Day. Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to times of day shall be references to Eastern time (daylight savings or standard, as applicable).
Article 2- LOANS
Section 2.1Loans.
(a)Term Loans.
(i)Term Loan Amounts.
(A)On the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein and in the other Financing Documents, each Lender with a Term Loan Tranche 1 Commitment Amount severally hereby agrees to make to Borrowers a Term Loan on the Closing Date and thereafter, from time to time in one or more advance, in an aggregate original aggregate principal amount equal to the Term Loan Tranche 1 Commitments (the “Term Loan Tranche 1”). Each such Lender’s obligation to fund the Term Loan Tranche 1 shall be limited to such Lender’s Term Loan Tranche 1 Commitment Percentage, and no Lender shall have any obligation to fund any portion of any Term Loan required to be funded by any other Lender, but not so funded. The Term Loan Tranche 1 shall be funded in an aggregate amount equal to $50,000,000 on the Closing Date and may thereafter be funded on a Business Day occurring after the Closing Date in multiple advances in an aggregate amount not to exceed the remaining Term Loan Tranche 1 Commitments, but no advances under the Term Loan Tranche 1 shall be made after the Term Loan Tranche 1 Commitment Termination Date. Lenders shall have no obligation to make more than one (1) advance in respect of the Term Loan Tranche 1 per calendar month and each advance of the Term Loan Tranche 1 shall be in an amount equal to $20,000,000 (or a higher integral multiple of $10,000,000) in the aggregate with respect to all such Lenders. Unless previously terminated, upon the Term Loan Tranche 1 Commitment Termination Date, the Term Loan Tranche 1 Commitment shall thereupon automatically be terminated and the Term Loan Tranche 1 Commitment Amount of each Lender as of such date shall be reduced by such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of such total reduction in the Term Loan Commitments.
(B)On the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein and in the other Financing Documents, each Lender with a Term Loan Tranche 2 Commitment Amount severally hereby agrees to make to Borrowers a Term Loan, from time to time in one or more advance, on a Business Day occurring on or after the Term Loan Tranche 2 Activation Date and on or prior to the Term Loan Tranche 2 Commitment Termination Date in an original aggregate principal amount not to exceed the Term Loan Tranche 2 Commitments (the “Term Loan Tranche 2”). Each such Lender’s obligation to fund the Term Loan Tranche 2 shall be limited to such Lender’s Term Loan Tranche 2 Commitment Amount, and no Lender shall have any obligation to fund any portion of any Term Loan required to be funded by any other Lender, but not so funded. Lenders shall have no obligation to make more than one (1) advance in respect of the Term Loan Tranche 2 per calendar month and each advance of the Term Loan Tranche 2 shall be in an amount equal to $25,000,000 (or a higher integral multiple of $25,000,000) in the aggregate with respect to all such Lenders. Unless previously terminated, upon the Term Loan Tranche 2 Commitment Termination Date, the Term Loan Tranche 2 Commitment shall thereupon automatically be terminated and the Term Loan Tranche 2 Commitment Amount of each Lender as of such date shall be reduced by such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of such total reduction in the Term Loan Commitments.
(C)On the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein and in the other Financing Documents, each Lender with a Term Loan Tranche 3 Commitment Amount severally hereby agrees to make to Borrowers a Term Loan, from time to time in one or more advance, on a Business Day occurring on or after the Term Loan Tranche 3 Activation Date and on or prior to the Term Loan Tranche 3 Commitment Termination Date in an original aggregate principal amount not to exceed the Term Loan Tranche 3 Commitments (the “Term Loan Tranche 3”). Each such Lender’s obligation to fund the Term Loan Tranche 3 shall be limited to such Lender’s Term Loan Tranche 3 Commitment Amount, and no Lender shall have any obligation to fund any portion of any Term Loan required to be funded by any other Lender, but not so funded. Lenders shall have no obligation to make more than one (1) advance in respect of the Term Loan Tranche 3 per calendar month and each advance of the Term Loan Tranche 3 shall be in an amount equal to $25,000,000 (or a higher integral multiple of $25,000,000) in the aggregate with respect to all such Lenders. Unless previously terminated, upon the Term Loan Tranche 3 Commitment Termination Date, the Term Loan Tranche 3 Commitment shall thereupon automatically be terminated and the Term Loan Tranche 3 Commitment Amount of each Lender as of such date shall be reduced by such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of such total reduction in the Term Loan Commitments.
(D)On the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein and in the other Financing Documents, each Lender with a Term Loan Tranche 4 Commitment Amount severally hereby agrees to make to Borrowers a Term Loan, from time to time in one or more advance, on a Business Day occurring on or after the Term Loan Tranche 4 Activation Date and on or prior to the Term Loan Tranche 4 Commitment Termination Date in an original aggregate principal amount not to exceed the Term Loan Tranche 4 Commitments (the “Term Loan Tranche 4”). Each such Lender’s obligation to fund the Term Loan Tranche 4 shall be limited to such Lender’s Term Loan Tranche 4 Commitment Amount, and no Lender shall have any obligation to fund any portion of any Term Loan required to be funded by any other Lender, but not so funded. Lenders shall have no obligation to make more than one (1) advance in respect of the Term Loan Tranche 4 per calendar month and each advance of the Term Loan Tranche 4 shall be in an amount equal to $25,000,000 (or a higher integral multiple of $25,000,000) in the aggregate with respect to all such Lenders. Unless previously terminated, upon the Term Loan Tranche 4 Commitment Termination Date, the Term Loan Tranche 4 Commitments shall thereupon automatically be terminated and the Term Loan Tranche 4 Commitment Amount of each Lender as of such date shall be reduced by such Lender’s Pro Rata Share of such total reduction in the Term Loan Commitments.
(E)No Borrower shall have any right to reborrow any portion of the Term Loan that is repaid or prepaid from time to time. Borrowers shall deliver to Agent a Notice of Borrowing with respect to each proposed Term Loan advance, such Notice of Borrowing to be delivered, (i) in the case of the initial Term Loan Tranche 1 borrowing, no later than 12:00 P.M. (Eastern time) on the Closing Date and (ii) in the case of a subsequent Term Loan Tranche 1, Term Loan Tranche 2, Term Loan Tranche 3 or Term Loan Tranche 4 borrowing, no later than 12:00 P.M. (Eastern time) ten (10) Business Days (or such shorter period as may be agreed by Agent and the Lenders) prior to such proposed borrowing.
(ii)Scheduled Repayment; Mandatory Prepayments; Optional Prepayments.
(A)The outstanding principal amount of each Term Loan shall become immediately due and payable in full on the Termination Date.
(B)There shall become due and payable and Borrowers shall prepay each Term Loan in the following amounts and at the following times:
(i)Unless Agent shall otherwise consent in writing, subject to Borrower’s option to apply casualty proceeds in accordance with this Section 2.1(a)(ii)(B)(i), within five (5) Business Days after the date on which any Credit Party (or Agent as loss payee or assignee) receives any casualty proceeds in excess of $1,000,000 with respect to any Collateral, an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of such proceeds (net of out-of-pocket expenses and repayment of secured debt permitted under clause (c) of the definition of Permitted Debt and encumbering the property that suffered such casualty), or such lesser portion of such proceeds as Agent shall elect to apply to the Term Loans and related Obligations; provided that, so long as no Event of Default then exists, any such casualty proceeds in excess of $1,000,000 may instead be used by Borrowers within three hundred and sixty (360) days from the receipt of such proceeds to replace, repair, purchase or otherwise reinvest such proceeds in assets used or useful in the business of the Credit Parties;
(ii)without limiting Section 5.6(b) and unless Agent shall otherwise consent in writing, within five (5) Business Days of receipt by any Credit Party of the proceeds of any Asset Disposition permitted under clause (j) of the definition of Permitted Asset Disposition or any Asset Disposition that does not constitute a Permitted Asset Disposition, an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Net Cash Proceeds of such Asset Disposition (net of out-of-pocket expenses and repayment of secured debt permitted under clause (c) of the definition of Permitted Debt and encumbering such asset), or such lesser portion as Agent shall elect to apply to the Obligations; provided that, so long as no Event of Default then exists, any such Net Cash Proceeds may instead be used by Borrowers within three hundred and sixty (360) days from the receipt of such proceeds to reinvest such proceeds in assets used or useful in the business of the Credit Parties;
(iii)[reserved]; and
(iv)an amount equal to any interest that is deemed to be in excess of the Maximum Lawful Rate (as defined below) and is required to be applied to the reduction of the principal balance of the Loans by any Lender as provided for in Section 2.7;
(C)Borrowers may from time to time, with at least five (5) Business Days prior irrevocable written notice (which notice may be conditioned on the closing of a refinancing or other applicable transaction) to Agent, prepay the Term Loans in whole or in part; provided, however, that (x) each such prepayment (other than mandatory partial prepayments required under this Agreement) shall be in an amount equal to $10,000,000 (or a higher integral multiple of $1,000,000) (or, if less, the outstanding principal balance of the Term Loans) and (y) each such prepayment shall be accompanied by all prepayment fees and any other fees required hereunder and any fees required under the Fee Letter or any Financing Document in connection with such prepayments.
(iii)All Prepayments. Except as this Agreement may specifically provide otherwise, all prepayments of the Term Loan shall be applied by Agent to the Term Loans and related Obligations in inverse order of maturity. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the foregoing, in the event that there have been multiple advances under the Term Loan, each prepayment of the Term Loan shall be applied by Agent to reduce and prepay the principal balance of the earliest-made advance then outstanding in the inverse order of maturity of the scheduled payments with respect to such advance until such earliest-made advance is paid in full (and to the extent the total amount of any such partial prepayment shall exceed the outstanding principal balance of such earliest-made advance, the remainder of such prepayment shall be applied successively to the remaining advances under the Term Loan in the direct order of the respective advance dates in the manner provided for in this sentence).
(iv)Payments Generally. All payments by or on behalf of each Borrower to Agent of principal, interest, fees, expenses, charges and all other amounts owing in respect of the Obligations shall be made to the Payment Account.
Section 2.2Interest, Interest Calculations and Certain Fees.
(a)Interest.
(i)From and following the Closing Date, except as expressly set forth in this Agreement, Loans and the other Obligations shall bear interest at the sum of the SOFR Interest Rate plus the Applicable Margin. Interest on the Loans shall be paid monthly in arrears on the first (1st) day of each month and on the maturity of such Loans, whether by acceleration or otherwise. Interest on all other Obligations shall be payable within five (5) Business Days upon written and invoiced demand.
(ii)In the event one or more of the following events occurs with respect to Term SOFR: (a) a public statement or publication of information by or on behalf of the SOFR Administrator announcing that the SOFR Administrator has ceased or will cease to provide Term SOFR for a 1-month period, permanently or indefinitely, provided that, at the time of such statement or publication, there is no successor administrator that will continue to provide Term SOFR for a 1-month period; (b) a public statement or publication of information by the regulatory supervisor for the SOFR Administrator, the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, an insolvency official or resolution authority with jurisdiction over the SOFR Administrator, or a court or an entity with similar insolvency or resolution authority, which states that the SOFR Administrator has ceased or will cease to provide Term SOFR for a 1-month period permanently or indefinitely, provided that, at the time of such statement or publication, there is no successor administrator that will continue to provide Term SOFR for a 1-month period; or (c) a public statement or publication of information by the regulatory supervisor for the SOFR Administrator announcing that Term SOFR for a 1-month period is no longer, or as of a specified future date will no longer be, representative and Agent has provided Borrower Representative with notice of the same, any outstanding affected SOFR Loans will be deemed to have been converted to Base Rate Loan at the end of the applicable Interest Period.
(iii)In connection with the use or administration of Term SOFR, Agent will have the right to make Conforming Changes from time to time and, notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Financing Document, any amendments implementing such Conforming Changes will become effective without any further action or consent of any other party to this Agreement or any other Financing Document. Agent will promptly notify Borrower Representative and the Lenders of the effectiveness of any Conforming Changes.
(b)Fee Letter. In addition to the other fees set forth herein, the Borrowers agree to pay Agent, the fees set forth in the Fee Letter.
(c)[Reserved].
(d)[Reserved].
(e)Prepayment Fee. If any advance under the Term Loan is prepaid at any time, in whole or in part, for any reason (whether by voluntary prepayment by Borrower, by mandatory prepayment by Borrower, by reason of the occurrence of an Event of Default or otherwise, or if the Term Loan shall become accelerated (including any automatic acceleration due to the occurrence of an Event of Default described in Section 10.1(f)) or otherwise) and due and payable in full, other than, for the avoidance of doubt, repayments of the Term Loans made (or required to be made) on the Maturity Date, Borrowers shall pay to Agent, for the benefit of all Term Lenders in accordance with their Pro Rata Shares, as compensation for the costs of such Lenders making funds available to Borrowers under this Agreement, a prepayment fee (the “Prepayment Fee”) calculated in accordance with this subsection. The Prepayment Fee in respect of the Term Loans shall be equal to an amount determined by multiplying the amount of principal being prepaid (or required to be prepaid, if such amount is greater) by the following applicable percentage amount: (x) three percent (3.00%) for the first year following the Closing Date, (y) two percent (2.00%) for the second year following the Closing Date and (z) one percent (1.00%) thereafter. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Prepayment Fee shall not apply to or be assessed upon any prepayment made by Borrowers if such payments were required by Agent to be made pursuant to Section 2.1(a)(ii)(B) subpart (i) (relating to casualty proceeds), or subpart (iv) (relating to payments exceeding the Maximum Lawful Rate). All fees payable pursuant to this paragraph shall be deemed fully earned when due and payable, and non-refundable once paid. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no Prepayment Fee shall be due or payable in connection with any MidCap Refinancing.
(f)Audit Fees. Borrowers shall pay to Agent, for its own account and not for the benefit of any other Lenders, all reasonable and documented, out-of-pocket fees and expenses in connection with audits and inspections of Borrowers’ books and records, audits, valuations or appraisals of the Collateral, audits of Borrowers’ compliance with applicable Laws and such other matters as Agent shall deem appropriate, which shall be due and payable on the first Business Day of the month following the date of issuance by Agent of a written request for payment thereof to Borrowers, subject to the limitations set forth in Section 4.6 (in the case of audits and field examinations) and Section 4.14(c) (in the case of valuations or appraisals of the Collateral).
(g)Wire Fees. Borrowers shall pay to Agent, for its own account and not for the account of any other Lenders, on written demand, fees for incoming and outgoing wires made for the account of Borrowers, such fees to be based on Agent’s then current wire fee schedule (available upon written request of the Borrowers).
(h)Late Charges. If payments of principal (other than a final installment of principal upon the Termination Date), interest due on the Obligations, or any other amounts due hereunder or under the other Financing Documents are not timely made and remain overdue for a period of five (5) days, Borrowers, without notice or demand by Agent, promptly shall pay to Agent, for its own account and not for the benefit of any other Lenders, as additional compensation to Agent in administering the Obligations, an amount equal to two percent (2.0%) of each delinquent payment.
(i)Computation of Interest and Related Fees. All interest and fees under each Financing Document shall be calculated on the basis of a 360-day year for the actual number of days elapsed. The date of funding of a Loan shall be included in the calculation of interest. The date of payment of a Loan shall be excluded from the calculation of interest. If a Loan is repaid on the same day that it is made, one (1) day’s interest shall be charged.
(j)Automated Clearing House Payments. If Agent (or its designated servicer or trustee on behalf of a securitization vehicle) so elects, monthly payments of principal, interest, fees, expenses or any other amounts due and owing from Borrower to Agent hereunder shall be paid to Agent by Automated Clearing House debit of immediately available funds from the financial institution account designated by Borrower Representative in the Automated Clearing House debit authorization executed by Borrowers or Borrower Representative in connection with this Agreement, and shall be effective upon receipt. Borrowers shall execute any and all forms and documentation necessary from time to time to effectuate such automatic debiting. In no event shall any such payments be refunded to Borrowers.
(k)Benchmark Replacement Setting; Conforming Changes.
(i)Upon the occurrence of a Benchmark Transition Event, Agent and Borrowers may amend this Agreement to replace the then-current Benchmark with a Benchmark Replacement. Any such amendment will become effective at 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the fifth (5th) Business Day after Agent has posted such proposed amendment to all Lenders and Borrower so long as Agent has not received, by such time, written notice of objection thereto from Lenders comprising the Required Lenders. No such replacement will occur prior to the applicable Benchmark Transition Start Date. In connection with the implementation of a Benchmark Replacement, Agent will have the right to make Conforming Changes from time to time and, notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Financing Document, any amendments implementing such Conforming Changes will become effective without any further action or consent of any other party to this Agreement or any other Financing Document. Agent will promptly notify Borrower Representative and the Lenders of the implementation of any Benchmark Replacement and the effectiveness of any Conforming Changes.
(ii)Any determination, decision or election that may be made by Agent or, if applicable, any Lender (or group of Lenders) pursuant to this Section will be conclusive and binding absent manifest error and may be made in its or their sole discretion and without consent from any other party to this Agreement or any other Financing Document, except, in each case, as expressly required pursuant to this Section. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Financing Document, at any time, (a) if the then-current Benchmark is a term rate (including Term SOFR) and either (i) any tenor for such Benchmark is not displayed on a screen or other information service that publishes such rate from time to time as selected by Agent in its reasonable discretion or (ii) the regulatory supervisor for the administrator of such Benchmark has provided a public statement or publication of information announcing that any tenor for such Benchmark is or will be no longer representative, then Agent may modify the definition of “Interest Period” (or any similar or analogous definition) for any Benchmark settings at or after such time to remove such unavailable or non-representative tenor, and (b) if a tenor that was removed pursuant to clause (a) above either (i) is subsequently displayed on a screen or information service for a Benchmark or (ii) is not, or is no longer, subject to an announcement that it is or will no longer be representative for a Benchmark, then Agent may modify the definition of “Interest Period” (or any similar or analogous definition) for all Benchmark settings at or after such time to reinstate such previously removed tenor. Agent will promptly notify Borrower Representative of the removal or reinstatement of any tenor of a Benchmark pursuant to this Section.
(l)Upon Borrower Representative’s receipt of notice of the commencement of a Benchmark Unavailability Period, Borrower may revoke any pending request for a SOFR Loan and make requests for Base Rate Loans and any outstanding affected Loans will be deemed to have been converted into Base Rate Loans at the end of the applicable Interest Period.
Section 2.3Notes. The portion of the Loans made by each Lender shall be evidenced, if so requested by such Lender, by one or more promissory notes executed by Borrowers on a joint and several basis (each, a “Note”) in an original principal amount equal to such Lender’s Term Loan Commitments.
Section 2.4Reserved.
Section 2.5Reserved.
Section 2.6General Provisions Regarding Payment; Loan Accounts.
(a)All payments to be made by each Credit Party under any Financing Document, including payments of principal and interest made hereunder and pursuant to any other Financing Document, and all fees, expenses, indemnities and reimbursements, shall be made without set-off, recoupment or counterclaim. If any payment hereunder becomes due and payable on a day other than a Business Day, such payment shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day and, with respect to payments of principal, interest thereon shall be payable at the then applicable rate during such extension (it being understood and agreed that, solely for purposes of calculating financial covenants and computations contained herein and determining compliance therewith, if payment is made, in full, on any such extended due date, such payment shall be deemed to have been paid on the original due date without giving effect to any extension thereto). Any payments received in the Payment Account before 12:00 Noon (Eastern time) on any date shall be deemed received by Agent on such date, and any payments received in the Payment Account at or after 12:00 Noon (Eastern time) on any date shall be deemed received by Agent on the next succeeding Business Day.
(b)Agent shall maintain a term loan account (the “Term Loan Account”) on its books to record Term Loans and other extensions of credit made by the Term Lenders hereunder or under any other Financing Document, and all payments thereon made by each Borrower. All entries in the Term Loan Account shall be made in accordance with Agent’s customary accounting practices as in effect from time to time. The balance in the Term Loan Account, as recorded in Agent’s books and records at any time shall be conclusive and binding evidence of the amounts due and owing to Agent by each Borrower absent manifest error; provided, however, that any failure to so record or any error in so recording shall not limit or otherwise affect any Borrower’s duty to pay all amounts owing hereunder or under any other Financing Document. Agent shall endeavor to provide Borrowers with a monthly statement regarding the Term Loan Account (but none of Agent or any Lender shall have any liability if Agent shall fail to provide any such statement). Unless any Borrower notifies Agent of any objection to any such statement (specifically describing the basis for such objection) within ninety (90) days after the date of receipt thereof, it shall be deemed final, binding and conclusive upon Borrowers in all respects as to all matters reflected therein.
Section 2.7Maximum Interest. In no event shall the interest charged with respect to the Loans or any other Obligations of any Borrower under any Financing Document exceed the maximum amount permitted under the laws of the State of New York or of any other applicable jurisdiction. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or elsewhere, if at any time the rate of interest payable hereunder or under any Note or other Financing Document (the “Stated Rate”) would exceed the highest rate of interest permitted under any applicable law to be charged (the “Maximum Lawful Rate”), then for so long as the Maximum Lawful Rate would be so exceeded, the rate of interest payable shall be equal to the Maximum Lawful Rate; provided, however, that if at any time thereafter the Stated Rate is less than the Maximum Lawful Rate, each Borrower shall, to the extent permitted by law, continue to pay interest at the Maximum Lawful Rate until such time as the total interest received is equal to the total interest which would have been received had the Stated Rate been (but for the operation of this provision) the interest rate payable. Thereafter, the interest rate payable shall be the Stated Rate unless and until the Stated Rate again would exceed the Maximum Lawful Rate, in which event this provision shall again apply. In no event shall the total interest received by any Lender exceed the amount which it could lawfully have received had the interest been calculated for the full term hereof at the Maximum Lawful Rate. If, notwithstanding the prior sentence, any Lender has received interest hereunder in excess of the Maximum Lawful Rate, such excess amount shall be applied to the reduction of the principal balance of the Loans or to other amounts (other than interest) payable hereunder, and if no such principal or other amounts are then outstanding, such excess or part thereof remaining shall be paid to Borrowers. In computing interest payable with reference to the Maximum Lawful Rate applicable to any Lender, such interest shall be calculated at a daily rate equal to the Maximum Lawful Rate divided by the number of days in the year in which such calculation is made.
Section 2.8Taxes; Capital Adequacy; Increased Costs; Inability to Determine Rates; Illegality.
(a)All payments of principal and interest on the Loans and all other amounts payable hereunder shall be made free and clear of and without deduction for any present or future Taxes, except as required by applicable Law. If any applicable Law (as determined in the good faith discretion of an applicable Withholding Agent) requires the deduction or withholding of any Tax from any such payment by a Withholding Agent, then the applicable Withholding Agent shall be entitled to make such deduction or withholding and shall timely pay the full amount deducted or withheld to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable Law and if any such withholding or deduction is in respect of an Indemnified Tax, then the Credit Parties shall pay such additional amount or amounts as is necessary to ensure that the net amount actually received by Agent and each Lender will equal the full amount such recipient would have received had no such withholding or deduction been required (including, without limitation, such withholdings and deductions applicable to additional sums payable under this Section 2.8). After payment of any Tax by a Credit Party to a Governmental Authority pursuant to this Section 2.8, such Credit Party shall promptly forward to Agent the original or a certified copy of an official receipt, a copy of the return reporting such payment, or other documentation reasonably satisfactory to Agent evidencing such payment to such authority. Credit Parties shall timely pay to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable Law, or at the option of Agent timely reimburse Agent for the payment of, any Other Taxes.
(b)The Credit Parties shall indemnify Agent and Lenders, within ten (10) days after demand thereof, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes (including Indemnified Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this Section 2.8) payable or paid by Agent or any Lender or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to Agent or any Lender and any reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes and Other Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate in reasonable detail as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to Borrower Representative by a Lender (with a copy to Agent), or by Agent, on its own behalf or on behalf of a Lender, shall be conclusive absent manifest error.
(c)Any Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding Tax with respect to payments made under any Financing Document shall deliver to Borrower Representative, and Agent, at the time or times prescribed by applicable Law or reasonably requested by Borrower Representative or Agent, such properly completed and executed documentation reasonably requested by Borrower Representative or Agent as will permit such payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate of withholding. In addition, any Lender, if reasonably requested by Borrower Representative or Agent, shall deliver such other documentation prescribed by applicable Law or reasonably requested by Borrowers or Agent as will enable Borrowers or Agent, as applicable, to determine whether or not such Lender is subject to backup withholding or information reporting requirements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the preceding two sentences, the completion, execution and submission of such documentation (other than such documentation set forth in Sections 2.8(c)(i), 2.8(c)(ii) and 2.8(e) below) shall not be required if in such Lender’s reasonable judgment such completion, execution or submission would subject such Lender to any material unreimbursed cost or expense or would materially prejudice the legal or commercial position of such Lender.
(i)Each Lender that is not a “United States person” (as such term is defined in Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code) for U.S. federal income tax purposes and is a party hereto on the Closing Date or purports to become an assignee of an interest pursuant to Section 11.17(a) after the Closing Date (unless such Lender was already a Lender hereunder immediately prior to such assignment) (each such Lender a “Foreign Lender”) shall, to the extent permitted by Law, execute and deliver to Borrower Representative and Agent (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower Representative or Agent) whichever of the following is applicable: (A) in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of an income tax treaty to which the United States is a party, (x) with respect to payments of interest under any Financing Document, two (2) properly completed and executed originals of United States Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) Forms W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or successor form), as applicable, establishing an exemption from, or reduction of, U.S. federal withholding tax pursuant to the “interest” article of such tax treaty and (y) with respect to any other applicable payments under any Financing Documents, two (2) properly completed and executed originals of IRS Forms W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or successor form), as applicable, establishing an exemption from, or reduction of, U.S. federal withholding tax pursuant to the “business profits” or “other income” article of such tax treaty; (B) two (2) executed originals of IRS Form W-8ECI (or successor form); (C) in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of the exemption for portfolio interest under Section 881(c) of the Code, (x) a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit E-1 to the effect that such Foreign Lender is not a “bank” within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, a “10-percent shareholder” of any Borrower within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(B) of the Code, or a “controlled foreign corporation” described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code (a “U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate”) and (y) two (2) executed originals of IRS Forms W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or successor form), as applicable; (D) to the extent a Foreign Lender is not the beneficial owner, two (2) executed originals of IRS Form W-8IMY, accompanied by IRS Form W-8ECI, IRS Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E (or successor form), a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit E-2 or Exhibit E-3, IRS Form W-9 (or successor form), and/or other certification documents from each beneficial owner, as applicable; provided that if the Foreign Lender is a partnership and one or more direct or indirect partners of such Foreign Lender are claiming the portfolio interest exemption, such Foreign Lender may provide a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit E-4 on behalf of each such direct and indirect partner; or (E) other applicable forms, certificates or documents prescribed by the IRS. Each Lender agrees that if any form or certification it previously delivered expires or becomes obsolete or inaccurate in any respect, it shall update such form or certification or promptly notify Borrower Representative and Agent in writing of its legal inability to do so. In addition, to the extent permitted by applicable Law, such forms shall be delivered by each Foreign Lender upon the obsolescence or invalidity of any form previously delivered by such Foreign Lender. Each Foreign Lender shall promptly notify Borrower Representative at any time it determines that it is no longer in a position to provide any previously delivered certificate to Borrower Representative (or any other form of certification adopted by the U.S. taxing authorities for such purpose).
(ii)Each Lender that is a “United States person” (as such term is defined in Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code) for U.S. federal income tax purposes and is a party hereto on the Closing Date or purports to become an assignee of an interest pursuant to Section 11.17(a) after the Closing Date (unless such Lender was already a Lender hereunder immediately prior to such assignment) shall, to the extent permitted by Law, provide to Borrower Representative and Agent on or prior to the date on which such Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower Representative or Agent), a properly completed and executed IRS Form W-9 or any successor form certifying as to such Lender’s entitlement to an exemption from U.S. backup withholding and other applicable forms, certificates or documents prescribed by the IRS or reasonably requested by Borrower Representative or Agent. Each such Lender shall promptly notify Borrower Representative at any time it determines that any certificate previously delivered to Borrower Representative (or any other form of certification adopted by the U.S. governmental authorities for such purposes) is no longer valid.
(iii)Any Foreign Lender shall, to the extent it is legally entitled to do so, deliver to Borrower Representative and Agent (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the reasonable request of the Borrower Representative or Agent), executed copies of any other form prescribed by applicable Law as a basis for claiming exemption from or a reduction in U.S. Federal withholding Tax, duly completed, together with such supplementary documentation as may be prescribed by applicable law to permit Borrowers or Agent to determine the withholding or deduction required to be made.
(d)If any Lender or Agent determines, in its reasonable discretion, that it has received a refund in respect of any Taxes as to which it has been indemnified by any Borrower pursuant to this Section 2.8 (including by the payment of additional amounts pursuant to this Section 2.8), then it shall promptly pay an amount equal to such refund to Borrowers, net of all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses of such Lender or of Agent with respect thereto, including any Taxes; provided, however, that Borrowers, upon the written request of such Lender or Agent agree to repay any amount paid over to Borrowers to such Lender or to Agent (plus any related penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) in the event such Lender or Agent is required, for any reason, to disgorge or otherwise repay such refund to such Governmental Authority. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 2.8, in no event will the indemnified party be required to pay any amount to an indemnifying party pursuant to this Section 2.8(d) the payment of which would place the indemnified party in a less favorable net after-Tax position than the indemnified party would have been in if the Tax subject to indemnification and giving rise to such refund had not been deducted, withheld or otherwise imposed and the indemnification payments or additional amounts with respect to such Tax had never been paid. This Section 2.8(d) shall not be construed to require any indemnified party to make available its Tax returns (or any other information relating to its Taxes that it deems confidential) to the indemnifying party or any other Person.
(e)If a payment made to a Lender under any Financing Document would be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax imposed by FATCA if such Lender were to fail to comply with the applicable reporting requirements of FATCA (including those contained in Section 1471(b) or 1472(b) of the Code, as applicable), such Lender shall deliver to Borrower Representative and Agent at the time or times prescribed by Law and at such time or times reasonably requested by Borrower Representative or Agent such documentation prescribed by applicable Law (including as prescribed by Section 1471(b)(3)(C)(i) of the Code) and such additional documentation reasonably requested by Borrower Representative or Agent as may be necessary for Borrowers and Agent to comply with their obligations under FATCA and to determine that such Lender has complied with such Lender’s obligations under FATCA or to determine the amount to deduct and withhold from such payment. Solely for purposes of this paragraph (e), “FATCA” shall include any amendments made to FATCA after the date of this Agreement.
(f)Each Lender shall severally indemnify Agent, within ten (10) days after demand therefor, for (i) any Indemnified Taxes attributable to such Lender (but only to the extent that any Credit Party has not already indemnified Agent for such Indemnified Taxes and without limiting the obligation of the Credit Parties to do so), (ii) any Taxes attributable to such Lender’s failure to comply with the provisions of Section 11.17 relating to the maintenance of a Participant Register and (iii) any Excluded Taxes attributable to such Lender, in each case, that are payable or paid by Agent in connection with any Financing Document, and any reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to any Lender by Agent shall be conclusive absent manifest error. Each Lender hereby authorizes Agent to set off and apply any and all amounts at any time owing to such Lender under any Financing Document or otherwise payable by Agent to such Lender from any other source against any amount due to Agent under this paragraph (f).
(g)If any Lender shall reasonably determine that the adoption or taking effect of, or any change in, any applicable Law regarding capital adequacy, in each instance, after the Closing Date, or any change after the Closing Date in the interpretation, administration or application thereof by any Governmental Authority, central bank or comparable agency charged with the interpretation, administration or application thereof, or the compliance by any Lender or any Person controlling such Lender with any request, guideline or directive regarding capital adequacy (whether or not having the force of Law) of any such Governmental Authority, central bank or comparable agency adopted or otherwise taking effect after the Closing Date, has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on such Lender’s or such controlling Person’s capital as a consequence of such Lender’s obligations hereunder to a level below that which such Lender or such controlling Person could have achieved but for such adoption, taking effect, change, interpretation, administration, application or compliance (taking into consideration such Lender’s or such controlling Person’s policies with respect to capital adequacy) then from time to time, upon demand by such Lender (which demand shall be accompanied by a certificate setting forth the basis for such demand and a calculation of the amount thereof in reasonable detail, a copy of which shall be furnished to Agent), Borrowers shall promptly pay to such Lender such additional amount as will compensate such Lender or such controlling Person for such reduction, so long as such amounts have accrued on or after the day which is two hundred seventy (270) days prior to the date on which such Lender first made demand therefor; provided that notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, (i) the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and all requests, rules, guidelines or directives thereunder or issued in connection therewith and (ii) all requests, rules, guidelines or directives promulgated by the Bank for International Settlements, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (or any successor or similar authority) or the United States or foreign regulatory authorities, in each case pursuant to Basel III, shall in each case be deemed to be a “change in applicable Law”, regardless of the date enacted, adopted or issued.
(h)If any Lender shall reasonably determine that the adoption or taking effect of, or any change in, any applicable Law shall (i) impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit, compulsory loan, insurance charge or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended or participated in by, any Lender, (ii) subject any Lender to any Tax with respect to this Agreement, or any SOFR Loan made by it (except for (A) Indemnified Taxes, (B) Taxes described in clauses (b) through (d) of the definition of Excluded Taxes, and (C) Connection Income Taxes); or (iii) impose on any Lender any other condition, cost or expense (other than Taxes) affecting this Agreement or SOFR Loans made by such Lender, and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lender of making or maintaining any Loan the interest on which is determined by reference to Term SOFR (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan), or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender (whether of principal, interest or any other amount) then, upon request of such Lender, the Borrowers will pay to such Lender such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.
(i)If any Lender requests compensation under any of the clauses in this Section 2.8, or requires Borrowers to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 2.8, then, upon the written request of Borrower Representative, such Lender shall use reasonable efforts to designate a different lending office for funding or booking its Loans hereunder or to assign its rights and obligations hereunder (subject to the provisions of Section 11.17) to another of its offices, branches or affiliates, if, in the reasonable judgment of such Lender, such designation or assignment (i) would eliminate or materially reduce amounts payable pursuant to any such Section, as the case may be, in the future, (ii) would not subject such Lender to any unreimbursed cost or expense and (iii) would not otherwise be disadvantageous to such Lender (as determined in its sole good faith discretion). Without limitation of the provisions of Section 13.14, each Borrower hereby agrees to pay all reasonable and documented, out-of-pocket costs and expenses incurred by any Lender in connection with any such designation or assignment.
(j)Subject to Section 2.2(k), if Agent determines (which determination shall be conclusive and binding absent manifest error) that Term SOFR cannot be determined pursuant to the definition thereof on or prior to the first day of any Interest Period, Agent will promptly so notify the Borrowers and each Lender. Upon notice thereof by Agent to Borrowers, any obligation of the Lenders to make SOFR Loans shall be suspended until Agent revokes such notice. Upon receipt of such notice, any outstanding affected SOFR Loans will be deemed to have been converted into Base Rate Loans at the end of the applicable Interest Period. Upon any such conversion, Borrower shall also pay any additional amounts required pursuant to this Agreement.
(k)If any Lender determines that any Law has made it unlawful, or that any Governmental Authority has asserted that it is unlawful, for any Lender or its applicable lending office to make, maintain or fund SOFR Loans, or to determine or charge interest rates based upon Term SOFR, then, upon notice thereof by such Lender to Borrowers (through Agent), any obligation of such Lender to make SOFR Loans shall be suspended, in each case until such Lender notifies Agent and Borrower Representative (through Agent) that the circumstances giving rise to such determination no longer exist. Upon receipt of such notice, all SOFR Loans shall become Base Rate Loans. Upon any such conversion, Borrower shall also pay any additional amounts required pursuant to this Agreement.
(l)Each party’s obligations under this Section 2.8 shall survive the resignation or replacement of Agent or any assignment of rights by, or the replacement of, a Lender and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all Obligations hereunder.
Section 2.9Appointment of Borrower Representative.
(a)Each Borrower hereby irrevocably appoints and constitutes Borrower Representative as its agent and attorney-in-fact to request and receive Loans in the name or on behalf of such Borrower and any other Borrowers, deliver Notices of Borrowing, give instructions with respect to the disbursement of the proceeds of the Loans, giving and receiving all other notices and consents hereunder or under any of the other Financing Documents and taking all other actions (including in respect of compliance with covenants) in the name or on behalf of any Borrower or Borrowers pursuant to this Agreement and the other Financing Documents. Agent and Lenders may disburse the Loans to such bank account of Borrower Representative or a Borrower or otherwise make such Loans to a Borrower, in each case as Borrower Representative may designate or direct, without notice to any other Borrower. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, Agent may at any time and from time to time require that Loans to or for the account of any Borrower be disbursed directly to an operating account of such Borrower.
(b)Borrower Representative hereby accepts the appointment by Borrowers to act as the agent and attorney-in-fact of Borrowers pursuant to this Section 2.9. Borrower Representative shall ensure that the disbursement of any Loans that are at any time requested by or to be remitted to or for the account of a Borrower, shall be remitted or issued to or for the account of such Borrower.
(c)Each Borrower hereby irrevocably appoints and constitutes Borrower Representative as its agent to receive statements on account and all other notices from Agent and the Lenders with respect to the Obligations or otherwise under or in connection with this Agreement and the other Financing Documents.
(d)Any notice, election, representation, warranty, agreement or undertaking made or delivered by or on behalf of any Borrower by Borrower Representative shall be deemed for all purposes to have been made or delivered by such Borrower, as the case may be, and shall be binding upon and enforceable against such Borrower to the same extent as if made or delivered directly by such Borrower.
(e)No resignation by or termination of the appointment of Borrower Representative as agent and attorney-in-fact as aforesaid shall be effective, except after ten (10) Business Days’ prior
written notice to Agent. If the Borrower Representative resigns under this Agreement, Borrowers shall be entitled to appoint a successor Borrower Representative (which shall be a Borrower and shall be reasonably acceptable to Agent as such successor). Upon the acceptance of its appointment as successor Borrower Representative hereunder, such successor Borrower Representative shall succeed to all the rights, powers and duties of the retiring Borrower Representative and the term “Borrower Representative” means such successor Borrower Representative for all purposes of this Agreement and the other Financing Documents, and the retiring or terminated Borrower Representative’s appointment, powers and duties as Borrower Representative shall be thereupon terminated.
Section 2.10Joint and Several Liability; Rights of Contribution; Subordination and Subrogation.
(a)Borrowers are defined collectively to include all Persons named as one of the Borrowers herein; provided, however, that any references herein to “any Borrower”, “each Borrower” or similar references, shall be construed as a reference to each individual Person named as one of the Borrowers herein. Each Person so named shall be jointly and severally liable for all of the obligations of Borrowers under this Agreement. Each Borrower, individually, expressly understands, agrees and acknowledges, that the credit facilities would not be made available on the terms herein in the absence of the collective credit of all of the Persons named as the Borrowers herein, the joint and several liability of all such Persons, and the cross-collateralization of the collateral of all such Persons. Accordingly, each Borrower individually acknowledges that the benefit to each of the Persons named as one of the Borrowers as a whole constitutes reasonably equivalent value, regardless of the amount of the credit facilities actually borrowed by, advanced to, or the amount of collateral provided by, any individual Borrower. In addition, each entity named as one of the Borrowers herein hereby acknowledges and agrees that all of the representations, warranties, covenants, obligations, conditions, agreements and other terms contained in this Agreement shall be applicable to and shall be binding upon and measured and enforceable individually against each Person named as one of the Borrowers herein as well as all such Persons when taken together. By way of illustration, but without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the terms of Section 10.1 of this Agreement are to be applied to each individual Person named as one of the Borrowers herein (as well as to all such Persons taken as a whole), such that the occurrence of any of the events described in Section 10.1 of this Agreement as to any Person named as one of the Borrowers herein shall constitute an Event of Default even if such event has not occurred as to any other Persons named as the Borrowers or as to all such Persons taken as a whole.
(b)Notwithstanding any provisions of this Agreement to the contrary, it is intended that the joint and several nature of the liability of each Borrower for the Obligations and the Liens granted by Borrowers to secure the Obligations, not constitute a Fraudulent Conveyance (as defined below). Consequently, Agent, Lenders and each Borrower agree that if the liability of a Borrower for the Obligations, or any Liens granted by such Borrower securing the Obligations would, but for the application of this sentence, constitute a Fraudulent Conveyance, the liability of such Borrower and the Liens securing such liability shall be valid and enforceable only to the maximum extent that would not cause such liability or such Lien to constitute a Fraudulent Conveyance, and the liability of such Borrower and this Agreement shall automatically be deemed to have been amended accordingly. For purposes hereof, the term “Fraudulent Conveyance” means a fraudulent conveyance under Section 548 of Chapter 11 of Title II of the Bankruptcy Code or a fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer under the applicable provisions of any fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer law or similar law of any state, nation or other governmental unit, as in effect from time to time.
(c)Agent is hereby authorized, without notice or demand (except as otherwise specifically required under this Agreement) and without affecting the liability of any Borrower hereunder, at any time and from time to time, to (i) renew, extend or otherwise increase the time for payment of the Obligations; (ii) with the written agreement of any Borrower, change the terms relating to the Obligations or otherwise modify, amend or change the terms of any Note or other agreement, document or instrument now or hereafter executed by any Borrower and delivered to Agent for any Lender; (iii) accept partial payments of the Obligations; (iv) take and hold any Collateral for the payment of the Obligations or for the payment of any guaranties of the Obligations and exchange, enforce, waive and release any such Collateral; (v) apply any such Collateral and direct the order or manner of sale thereof as Agent, in its reasonable discretion, may determine; and (vi) settle, release, compromise, collect or otherwise liquidate the Obligations and any Collateral therefor in any manner, all guarantor and surety defenses being hereby waived by each Borrower. Except as specifically provided in this Agreement or any of the other Financing Documents, Agent shall have the exclusive right to determine the time and manner of application of any payments or credits, whether received from any Borrower or any other source, and such determination shall be binding on all Borrowers. All such payments and credits may be applied, reversed and reapplied, in whole or in part, to any of the Obligations that Agent shall determine, in its reasonable discretion, without affecting the validity or enforceability of the Obligations of any other Borrower.
(d)Each Borrower hereby agrees that, except as hereinafter provided, its obligations hereunder shall be unconditional, irrespective of (i) the absence of any attempt to collect the Obligations from any obligor or other action to enforce the same; (ii) the waiver or consent by Agent with respect to any provision of any instrument evidencing the Obligations, or any part thereof, or any other agreement heretofore, now or hereafter executed by a Borrower and delivered to Agent; (iii) failure by Agent to take any steps to perfect and maintain its security interest in, or to preserve its rights to, any security or collateral for the Obligations; (iv) the institution of any proceeding under the Bankruptcy Code, or any similar proceeding, by or against a Borrower or Agent’s election in any such proceeding of the application of Section 1111(b)(2) of the Bankruptcy Code; (v) any borrowing or grant of a security interest by a Borrower as debtor-in-possession, under Section 364 of the Bankruptcy Code; (vi) the disallowance, under Section 502 of the Bankruptcy Code, of all or any portion of Agent’s claim(s) for repayment of any of the Obligations; or (vii) any other circumstance other than payment in full of the Obligations which might otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a guarantor or surety.
(e)Borrowers hereby agree, as between themselves, that to the extent that Agent, on behalf of Lenders, shall have received from any Borrower any Recovery Amount (as defined below), then the paying Borrower shall have a right of contribution against each other Borrower in an amount equal to such other Borrower’s contributive share of such Recovery Amount; provided, however, that in the event any Borrower suffers a Deficiency Amount (as defined below), then the Borrower suffering the Deficiency Amount shall be entitled to seek and receive contribution from and against the other Borrowers in an amount equal to the Deficiency Amount; and provided, further, that in no event shall the aggregate amounts so reimbursed by reason of the contribution of any Borrower equal or exceed an amount that would, if paid, constitute or result in Fraudulent Conveyance. Until all Obligations have been paid and satisfied in full (other than inchoate indemnification obligations for which no claim has yet been made), no payment made by or for the account of a Borrower including, without limitation, (i) a payment made by such Borrower on behalf of the liabilities of any other Borrower, or (ii) a payment made by any other Guarantor under any Guarantee, shall entitle such Borrower, by subrogation or otherwise, to any payment from such other Borrower or from or out of such other Borrower’s property. The right of each Borrower to receive any contribution under this Section 2.10(e) or by subrogation or otherwise from any other Borrower shall be subordinate in right of payment to the Obligations and such Borrower shall not exercise any right or remedy against such other Borrower or any property of such other Borrower by reason of any performance of such Borrower of its joint and several obligations hereunder, until the Obligations (other than inchoate indemnification obligations for which no claim has yet been made) have been paid in full, and no Borrower shall exercise any right or remedy with respect to this Section 2.10(e) until the Obligations (other than inchoate indemnification obligations for which no claim has yet been made) have been paid in full. As used in this Section 2.10(e), the term “Recovery Amount” means the amount of proceeds received by or credited to Agent from the exercise of any remedy of the Lenders under this Agreement or the other Financing Documents, including, without limitation, the sale of any Collateral. As used in this Section 2.10(e), the term “Deficiency Amount” means any amount that is less than the entire amount a Borrower is entitled to receive by way of contribution or subrogation from, but that has not been paid by, the other Borrowers in respect of any Recovery Amount attributable to the Borrower entitled to contribution, until the Deficiency Amount has been reduced to Zero Dollars ($0) through contributions and reimbursements made under the terms of this Section 2.10(e) or otherwise.
Section 2.11[Reserved]
Section 2.12Termination; Restriction on Termination.
(a)Termination by Lenders. In addition to the rights set forth in Section 10.2, Agent may, and at the direction of Required Lenders shall, terminate this Agreement upon or after the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default by giving written notice to the Borrower Representative.
(b)Termination by Borrowers. Upon at least five (5) Business Days’ prior written notice (which may be conditioned on the closing of a refinancing or other applicable transaction) and pursuant to payoff documentation in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent and Lenders, Borrowers may, at their option, terminate this Agreement; provided, however, that no such termination shall be effective until Borrowers have complied with Section 2.12(c) and the Obligations, including the payment of all fees due and owing under any Fee Letter, are paid in full (other than inchoate indemnification obligations for which no claim has yet been made). Any notice of termination given by Borrowers shall be irrevocable unless all Lenders otherwise agree in writing and no Lender shall have any obligation to make any Loans on or after the termination date stated in such notice. Borrowers may elect to terminate this Agreement in its entirety only. No section of this Agreement or type of Loan available hereunder may be terminated singly.
(c)Effectiveness of Termination. All of the Obligations shall be immediately due and payable upon the Termination Date. All undertakings, agreements, covenants, warranties and representations of the Credit Parties contained in the Financing Documents shall survive any such termination and Agent shall retain its Liens in the Collateral and Agent and each Lender shall retain all of its rights and remedies under the Financing Documents notwithstanding such termination until all Obligations have been discharged or paid, in full, in immediately available funds, including, without limitation, all Obligations under Section 2.2 and the terms of any Fee Letter resulting from such termination (in each case, other than inchoate indemnification obligations for which no claim has yet been made). Upon the payment in full, in cash in immediately available funds, of all Obligations (other than inchoate indemnification obligations for which no claim has yet been made) and the termination of the Term Loan Commitments, as Borrower may reasonably request, Agent shall, at Borrower’s sole cost and expense, execute and deliver such documents evidencing the release and termination of the security interest in the Collateral granted under this Agreement and the other Financing Documents pursuant to and in accordance with the terms of any applicable payoff documentation.
Article 3- REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
To induce Agent and Lenders to enter into this Agreement and to make the Loans and other credit accommodations contemplated hereby, each Borrower and each other Credit Party party hereto, hereby represents and warrants to Agent and each Lender that:
Section 3.1Existence and Power. Each Credit Party (a) is an entity as specified on Schedule 3.1, (b) is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization specified on Schedule 3.1, (c) has the same legal name as it appears in such Credit Party’s Organizational Documents and an organizational identification number (if any), in each case as specified on Schedule 3.1, (d) has all powers to own its assets and has powers and all Permits necessary in the operation of its business as presently conducted or as proposed to be conducted, except where the failure to have such powers or Permits could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and (e) is qualified to do business as a foreign entity in each jurisdiction in which it is required to be so qualified, which jurisdictions as of the Closing Date are specified on Schedule 3.1, except in the case of this clause (e) where the failure to be so qualified could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.1, no Credit Party over the five (5) year period preceding the Closing Date (x) has had any name other than its current name, or (y) was incorporated or organized under the laws of any jurisdiction other than its current jurisdiction of incorporation or organization.
Section 3.2Organization and Governmental Authorization; No Contravention.
The execution, delivery and performance by each Credit Party of the Financing Documents to which it is a party (a) are within its powers, (b) have been duly authorized by all necessary action pursuant to its Organizational Documents, (c) require no further action by or in respect of, or filing with, any Governmental Authority other than (i) recordings, filings and other perfection actions in connection with the Liens granted to Agent under this Agreement or any Security Document and (ii) those obtained or made on or prior to the Closing Date and (d) do not violate, conflict with or cause a breach or a default under (i) any material requirement of Law applicable to any Credit Party, (ii) any of the Organizational Documents of any Credit Party, or (iii) any agreement or instrument binding upon it, except for such violations, conflicts, breaches or defaults as could not, with respect to this clause (iii), reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
Section 3.3Binding Effect. Each of the Financing Documents to which any Credit Party is a party constitutes a valid and binding agreement or instrument of such Credit Party, enforceable against such Credit Party in accordance with its respective terms, except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar laws relating to the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles. Each Financing Document has been duly executed and delivered by each Credit Party party thereto.
Section 3.4Capitalization. All issued and outstanding Equity Interests of each of the Credit Parties are duly authorized and validly issued, and, to the extent such Credit Party is a corporation, fully paid, nonassessable, and free and clear of all Liens other than Permitted Liens, and such equity securities were issued in compliance with all applicable Laws.
Section 3.5Financial Information. All written information delivered to Agent and pertaining to the financial condition of any Credit Party fairly in all material respects presents the financial position of such Credit Party as of such date and for such period then ended in conformity with GAAP (and as to unaudited financial statements, subject to normal year-end adjustments and the absence of footnote disclosures). Since December 31, 2024, there has been (a) no material adverse change in the business, operations, properties, or financial condition of any Credit Party and (b) no fact, event or circumstance that could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
Section 3.6Litigation. Except as set forth on Schedule 3.6 as of the Closing Date, and except as hereafter disclosed to Agent in writing, there is no Litigation pending against, or to such Borrower’s knowledge threatened in writing against, any Credit Party or any of their Subsidiaries, which, if adversely determined, could reasonably be expected to result in any judgment or liability of more than $1,000,000 not covered by independent insurance. There is no Litigation pending against any Credit Party or any of their Subsidiaries in which an adverse decision could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or which in any manner draws into question the validity of any of the Financing Documents.
Section 3.7Ownership of Property. Each Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries is the lawful owner of, has good and marketable title to and is in lawful possession of, or has valid leasehold interests in, all material properties, accounts and other assets (real or personal, tangible, intangible or mixed) purported or reported to be owned or leased (as the case may be) by such Person.
Section 3.8No Default. No Event of Default, or to such Borrower’s knowledge, Default, has occurred and is continuing. No Credit Party is in breach or default under or with respect to any contract, agreement, lease or other instrument to which it is a party or by which its property is bound or affected, which breach or default could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
Section 3.9Labor Matters. As of the Closing Date, except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) there are no strikes or other labor disputes pending or, to any Borrower’s knowledge, threatened in writing against any Credit Party, (ii) hours worked and payments made to the employees of the Credit Parties have not been in material violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act or any other applicable Law dealing with such matters and (iii) all payments due from the Credit Parties, or for which any claim may be made against any of them, on account of wages and employee and retiree health and welfare insurance and other benefits have been paid or accrued as a liability on their books, as the case may be. The consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Financing Documents will not give rise to a right of termination or right of renegotiation on the part of any union under any collective bargaining agreement to which it is a party or by which it is bound, the result of which could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
Section 3.10Investment Company Act. No Credit Party is an “investment company” or a company “controlled” by an “investment company” or a “subsidiary” of an “investment company,” all within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940.
Section 3.11Margin Regulations.
(a)The Credit Parties and their Subsidiaries do not own any stock, partnership interest or other equity securities, except for Permitted Investments. Without limiting the foregoing, the Credit Parties and their Subsidiaries do not own or hold any Margin Stock.
(b)None of the proceeds from the Loans have been or will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any Margin Stock, for the purpose of reducing or retiring any indebtedness which was originally incurred to purchase or carry any Margin Stock or for any other purpose which might cause any of the Loans to be considered a “purpose credit” within the meaning of Regulation T, U or X of the Federal Reserve Board.
Section 3.12Compliance With Laws; Anti-Terrorism Laws.
(a)Each Credit Party is in compliance with the requirements of all applicable Laws, except for such Laws the noncompliance with which could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(b)None of the Credit Parties and, to the knowledge of the Credit Parties, none of their Affiliates (i) is in violation of any Anti-Terrorism Law, (ii) engages in or conspires to engage in any transaction that evades or avoids, or has the purpose of evading or avoiding, or attempts to violate, any of the prohibitions set forth in any Anti-Terrorism Law, (iii) is a Blocked Person, or is controlled by a Blocked Person, (iv) is acting or will act for or on behalf of a Blocked Person, (v) is associated with, or will become associated with, a Blocked Person or (vi) is providing, or will provide, material, financial or technical support or other services to or in support of acts of terrorism of a Blocked Person. No Credit Party nor, to the knowledge of any Credit Party, any of its Affiliates or agents acting or benefiting in any capacity in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, (A) conducts any business or engages in making or receiving any contribution of funds, goods or services directly or indirectly to or for the benefit of any Blocked Person or Sanctioned Country, or (B) deals in, or otherwise engages in any transaction directly or indirectly relating to, any property or interest in property blocked pursuant to Executive Order No. 13224, any similar executive order or other Anti-Terrorism Law.
Section 3.13Taxes. All federal income tax returns, all state income tax returns, and all other material federal, state and local tax returns, reports and statements required to be filed by or on behalf of each Credit Party have been filed with the appropriate Governmental Authorities in all jurisdictions in which such returns, reports and statements are required to be filed (in the case of state and local sales and use tax returns, reports and statements, as determined in good faith by such Credit Party) and, except to the extent subject to a Permitted Contest, all Taxes (including real property Taxes) and other charges shown to be due and payable in respect of such tax returns, reports and statements have been timely paid prior to the date on which any fine, penalty, interest, late charge or loss may be added thereto for nonpayment thereof (in the case of state and local sales and use Taxes, as determined in good faith by such Credit Party). Except to the extent subject to a Permitted Contest, all state and local sales and use Taxes required to be paid by each Credit Party (as determined in good faith by such Credit Party) in excess of (x) One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000) for any state or local sales or use taxes in any individual state or locality and (y) Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000) in the aggregate (any state and local sales and use Taxes below the thresholds in the foregoing (x) and (y), “Excluded Sales Taxes”), have been paid. All federal and state returns have been filed by each Credit Party for all periods for which returns were due with respect to employee income tax withholding, social security and unemployment taxes, and, except to the extent subject to a Permitted Contest, the amounts shown thereon to be due and payable have been paid in full or adequate provisions therefor have been made.
Section 3.14Compliance with ERISA.
(a)Except as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) each ERISA Plan (and the related trusts and funding agreements) complies in form and in operation with, has been administered in compliance with, and the terms of each ERISA Plan satisfy, the applicable requirements of ERISA and the Code, (ii) each ERISA Plan which is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified, and the United States Internal Revenue Service has issued a favorable determination letter or opinion letter with respect to each such ERISA Plan which may be relied on currently and (iii) no Credit Party has incurred liability for any material excise tax under any of Sections 4971 through 5000 of the Code.
(b)Except as could not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect, each Credit Party and each Subsidiary is in
compliance with the applicable provisions of ERISA and the provision of the Code relating to ERISA Plans and the regulations and published interpretations therein. During the thirty-six (36) month period prior to the Closing Date or the making of any Loan (i) no steps have been taken to terminate any Pension Plan, and (ii) no contribution failure has occurred with respect to any Pension Plan sufficient to give rise to a Lien under Section 303(k) of ERISA or Section 430(k) of the Code and no event has occurred that would give rise to a Lien under Section 4068 of ERISA. Except as would not reasonably be expected, individually or in the aggregate, to have a Material Adverse Effect, (i) no condition exists or event or transaction has occurred with respect to any Pension Plan which could result in the incurrence by any Credit Party of any material liability, fine or penalty, (ii) no Credit Party has incurred liability to the PBGC (other than for current premiums) with respect to any employee Pension Plan, (iii) all contributions (if any) have been made on a timely basis to any Multiemployer Plan that are required to be made by any Credit Party or any other member of the Controlled Group under the terms of the plan or of any collective bargaining agreement or by applicable Law, (iv) no Credit Party nor any member of the Controlled Group has withdrawn or partially withdrawn from any Multiemployer Plan, incurred any withdrawal liability with respect to any such plan or received notice of any claim or demand for withdrawal liability or partial withdrawal liability from any such plan, and (v) no condition has occurred which, if continued, could result in a withdrawal or partial withdrawal from any such plan, and no Credit Party nor any member of the Controlled Group has received any notice that any Multiemployer Plan is in reorganization, that increased contributions may be required to avoid a reduction in plan benefits or the imposition of any excise tax, that any such plan is or has been funded at a rate less than that required under Section 412 of the Code, that any such plan is or may be terminated, or that any such plan is or may become insolvent.
Section 3.15Consummation of Financing Documents; Brokers. Except for fees payable to Agent and/or Lenders or set forth on Schedule 3.15, no broker, finder or other intermediary has brought about the obtaining, making or closing of the transactions contemplated by the Financing Documents, and no Credit Party has or will have any obligation to any Person in respect of any finder’s or brokerage fees, commissions or other expenses in connection herewith or therewith.
Section 3.16[Reserved].
Section 3.17Material Contracts. Except for the agreements set forth on Schedule 3.17, as of the Closing Date there are no Material Contracts. The consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Financing Documents will not give rise to a right of termination in favor of any party to any Material Contract (other than any Credit Party), except for such Material Contracts the noncompliance with which would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
Section 3.18Compliance with Environmental Requirements; No Hazardous Materials. Except in each case as set forth on Schedule 3.18:
(a)no notice, notification, demand, request for information, citation, summons, complaint or order has been issued, no complaint has been filed, no penalty has been assessed and no investigation or review is pending, or to such Credit Party’s knowledge, threatened in writing by any Governmental Authority or other Person with respect to any (i) alleged violation by any Credit Party of any Environmental Law, (ii) alleged failure by any Credit Party to have any Permits required in connection with the conduct of its business or to comply with the terms and conditions thereof, (iii) any generation, treatment, storage, recycling, transportation or disposal of any Hazardous Materials, or (iv) release of Hazardous Materials, in each case except as could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and
(b)no property now owned or leased by any Credit Party and, to the knowledge of each Credit Party, no such property previously owned or leased by any Credit Party, to which any Credit Party has, directly or indirectly, transported or arranged for the transportation of any Hazardous Materials in violation of applicable Law, is listed or, to such Credit Party’s knowledge, proposed for listing, on the National Priorities List promulgated pursuant to CERCLA, or CERCLIS (as defined in CERCLA) or any similar state list or is the subject of federal, state or local enforcement actions or, to the knowledge of such Credit Party, other investigations which may lead to claims against any Credit Party for clean-up costs, remedial work, damage to natural resources or personal injury claims,
including, without limitation, claims under CERCLA, except, in each case, as could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
For purposes of this Section 3.18, each Credit Party shall be deemed to include any business or business entity (including a corporation) that is, in whole or in part, a predecessor of such Credit Party.
Section 3.19Intellectual Property and License Agreements. A list of all Registered Intellectual Property of each Credit Party and all material in-bound license or sublicense agreements, and exclusive out-bound license or sublicense agreements (but, in each case, excluding in-bound licenses of over-the-counter and other software that is commercially available to the public and open source licenses in the Ordinary Course of Business), as of the Closing Date and, as updated pursuant to Section 4.15, is set forth on Schedule 3.19. Except for Permitted Licenses and Permitted Liens, each Credit Party is the sole owner of its material Intellectual Property free and clear of any Liens. Except as could not be reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, each patent owned or licensed by any Credit Party is valid and enforceable in all respects and no Intellectual Property has been judged invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, and to the best of Credit Parties’ knowledge, no claim has been made that any part of the Intellectual Property violates the rights of any third party.
Section 3.20Solvency. After giving effect to the Loan advance and the liabilities and obligations of each Credit Party under the Financing Documents, each Borrower and each additional Credit Party is Solvent, taken together on a consolidated basis.
Section 3.21Full Disclosure. None of the written factual information (other than any projections and any general economic or specific industry information) furnished by or on behalf of any Credit Party to Agent or any Lender in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Financing Documents, when furnished and taken as a whole, contains any untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements contained herein or therein, when taken as a whole, not materially misleading in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made. All financial projections delivered to Agent and the Lenders by Credit Parties (or their agents) have been prepared on the basis of the assumptions stated therein. Such projections represent each Credit Party’s best estimate of such Credit Party’s future financial performance and such assumptions are believed by such Credit Party to be fair and reasonable in light of current business conditions; provided, however, that Credit Parties can give no assurance that such projections will be attained. Agent and each Lender acknowledges and agrees that all financial performance projections delivered to Agent represent Borrowers’ best good faith estimate of future financial performance and are based on assumptions believed by Credit Parties to be fair and reasonable in light of current market conditions as of the date thereof, it being acknowledged and agreed by Agent and Lenders that projections as to future events are not to be viewed as facts and that the actual results during the period or periods covered by such projections may differ from the projected results.
Section 3.22[Reserved].
Section 3.23Subsidiaries. Credit Parties do not own any Equity Interests or Subsidiaries except for Permitted Investments.
Section 3.24Accuracy of Schedules. All information set forth in the Schedules to this Agreement is true, accurate and complete in all material respects as of the Closing Date. All information set forth in the Perfection Certificate is true, accurate and complete in all material respects as of the Closing Date and any other subsequent date in which Borrower is required to update such certificate.
Section 3.25[Reserved].
Section 3.26Regulatory Matters.
(a)With respect to each material Product, (i) the Credit Parties and their Subsidiaries have received, and such Product is the subject of, all Regulatory Required Permits needed in connection with the testing, manufacture, marketing or sale of such Product as currently being conducted by or on behalf of the Credit Parties, and (ii) such Product is being tested, manufactured, marketed or sold, as the case may be, by Credit Parties (or to the Credit Parties’ knowledge, by any applicable third parties) in material compliance with all applicable Laws and Regulatory Required Permits.
(b)None of the Credit Parties or any Subsidiary thereof are in violation of any Healthcare Law in any material respect.
(c)To the Credit Parties’ knowledge, none of the Credit Parties or their Subsidiaries’ officers, directors, employees, their agents or affiliates (in each case, when acting in such capacity) has made an untrue statement of material fact or fraudulent statement to the FDA or failed to disclose a material fact required to be disclosed to the FDA, committed an act, made a statement, or failed to make a statement that could reasonably be expected to provide a basis for the FDA to invoke its policy respecting “Fraud, Untrue Statements of Material Facts, Bribery, and Illegal Gratuities,” set forth in 56 Fed. Regulation 46191 (September 10, 1991).
(d)Except in each case as would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, during the past three (3) years, each Product (i) has been manufactured, imported, possessed, owned, warehoused, marketed (or to the Credit Parties’ knowledge, by any applicable third parties), promoted, sold, labeled, furnished, distributed and marketed and each service has been conducted in accordance with all applicable Regulatory Required Permits and Laws; and (ii) has been manufactured in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practices.
(e)No Credit Party, nor any Subsidiary thereof, is subject to any proceeding, suit or, to any Credit Party’s knowledge, investigation by any federal, state or local government or quasi-governmental body, agency, board or authority or any other administrative or investigative body (including the Office of the Inspector General of the United States Department of Health and Human Services),which could reasonably be expected to result in the revocation, transfer, surrender, suspension of any material Permits of Borrower or any Subsidiary thereof or otherwise be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(f)As of the Closing Date, there are no unresolved Regulatory Reporting Events.
Section 3.27Senior Indebtedness Status. The Obligations of each Credit Party under this Agreement and each of the other Financing Documents ranks and shall continue to rank at least senior in priority of payment to all Debt that is contractually subordinated to the Obligations of each such Person under this Agreement and is designated as “Senior Indebtedness” (or an equivalent term) under all instruments and documents, now or in the future, relating to all Debt that is contractually subordinated to the Obligations under this Agreement of each such Person.
Article 4- AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS
Each Credit Party agrees that:
Section 4.1Financial Statements, Other Reports and Notices. The Credit Parties will deliver to Agent:
(a)as soon as available, but no later than forty five (45) days after the last day of each fiscal quarter, a company prepared consolidated balance sheet, cash flow and income statement (including year-to-date results) covering Novavax and its Consolidated Subsidiaries’ consolidated operations during the period, prepared in accordance with GAAP (subject to normal year-end adjustments and the absence of footnote disclosures), consistently applied, setting forth in comparative form the corresponding figures as at the end of the corresponding fiscal quarter of the previous fiscal year and the projected figures for such period based upon the projections required hereunder, all in reasonable detail, certified by a Responsible Officer and in a form reasonably acceptable to Agent;
(b)[reserved];
(c)as soon as available, but no later than ninety (90) days after the last day of Novavax’s fiscal year, audited consolidated financial statements prepared under GAAP, consistently applied, together with an unqualified opinion (other than a going concern qualification based solely on the upcoming maturity date of the Debt under this Agreement occurring within 12 months of the date of such audit) on the financial statements from an independent certified public accounting firm acceptable to Agent in its reasonable discretion;
(d)in the event that such Credit Party is or becomes subject to the reporting requirements under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, within ten (10) Business Days of delivery or filing thereof, copies of all statements, reports and notices made available to such Credit Party’s security holders or to any holders of Subordinated Debt and copies of all reports and other filings made by such Credit Party with any stock exchange on which any securities of any Credit Party are traded and/or the SEC; provided that to the extent any of the foregoing is available on the SEC EDGAR website, delivery to Agent will be deemed to have been delivered on the date (i) on which such materials are publicly available as posted on the SEC EDGAR website and Borrower Representative posts such documents, or provides a link thereto, on Borrower Representative’s website on the Internet at Borrower Representative’s website address;
(e)a prompt, but in no event later than when the next Compliance Certificate is required to be delivered, written report of any legal actions pending or threatened in writing against any Credit Party or any of its Subsidiaries that could reasonably be expected to result in damages or costs to any Credit Party or any of its Subsidiaries of $1,000,000 or more or otherwise could be reasonably expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;
(f)prompt written notice of an event that materially and adversely affects the value of any Material Intangible Asset or any material Related Product;
(g)within sixty (60) days after the start of each fiscal year, projections for the forthcoming two fiscal years, on a quarterly basis for the current year and on an annual basis for the subsequent year;
(h)promptly (but in any event within ten (10) Business Days of any request therefor) such readily available other budgets, sales projections, operating plans and other financial information and information, reports or statements regarding the Credit Parties, their business and the Collateral as Agent may from time to time reasonably request;
(i)together with each delivery of financial statements pursuant to clause (a) above and within forty-five (45) days of the last day of each of the first two months in each fiscal quarter, deliver to Agent a duly completed Compliance Certificate signed by a Responsible Officer setting forth calculations showing (i) compliance with the financial covenants set forth in Article 6 (as applicable), (ii) Credit Party Unrestricted Cash as of the date that is five (5) Business Days prior to the delivery of the applicable Compliance Certificate, and (iii) aggregate monthly cash and Cash Equivalents of (x) Credit Parties taken as a whole, and (y) the Restricted Foreign Subsidiaries, as of the date that is five (5) Business Days prior to the delivery of the applicable Compliance Certificate;
(j)[reserved];
(k)written notice to Agent promptly, but in any event within ten (10) Business Days of a Responsible Officer of a Credit Party receiving written notice or otherwise becoming aware that:
(i)any development, testing, and/or manufacturing of any Product that is material to the Credit Parties’ or their Subsidiaries business should cease;
(ii)(x) the marketing or sales of a Product, which is material to the Credit Parties’ or their Subsidiaries’ business and which has been approved for marketing and sale, should cease (or be required to cease) or such Product should be withdrawn from the marketplace or (y) the marketing or sales of any Related Product, in respect of which any Credit Party or any Subsidiary thereof is owed any material royalty or similar payments, should cease (or be required to cease) or such Related Product should be withdrawn from the marketplace;
(iii)any Governmental Authority is conducting an investigation or review (other than routine reviews in the Ordinary Course of Business) of any Regulatory Required Permit the loss of which could be reasonably expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;
(iv)any Regulatory Required Permit, the loss of which could be reasonably expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, has been revoked or withdrawn;
(v)any Governmental Authority, including without limitation the FDA, the Office of the Inspector General of HHS or the United States Department of Justice, has commenced any action against a Credit Party or a Subsidiary thereof, any action to enjoin a Credit Party or a Subsidiary thereof from conducting their businesses at any facility owned or used by them or for any material civil penalty, injunction, seizure or criminal action;
(vi)receipt by a Credit Party or any Subsidiary thereof, or any material contract manufacturer for the Credit Parties or any of their Subsidiaries, from the FDA a warning letter, Form FDA-483, “Untitled Letter,” other correspondence or written notice setting forth alleged violations of laws and regulations enforced by the FDA, in each case with regard to any material Product or the manufacture, processing, packing, or holding thereof;
(vii)any significant failures in the manufacturing of any material Product have occurred such that the amount of such Product successfully manufactured in accordance with all specifications thereof and the required payments to be made to any Credit Party or any Subsidiary therefor in any month shall decrease significantly with respect to the quantities of such Product and payments produced in the prior month; or
(viii)any Credit Party or any Subsidiary thereof engaging in any material Recalls, Market Withdrawals, or other forms of product retrieval from the marketplace of any Products (other than discrete batches or lots that are not material in quantity or amount and are not made in conjunction with a larger material Recall) (each of the events set forth in clauses (i)-(viii) a “Regulatory Reporting Event”);
(l)promptly after the written request by any Lender, all documentation and other information that such Lender reasonably requests in order to comply with its ongoing obligations under applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the USA PATRIOT Act; and
(m)promptly, but in any event within five (5) Business Days, after any Responsible Officer of any Credit Party obtains knowledge of the occurrence of any event or change (including, without limitation, any notice of any violation of applicable Healthcare Laws) that has resulted or would reasonably be expected to result in, either in any case or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, a certificate of a Responsible Officer specifying the nature and period of existence of any such event or change, or specifying the notice given or action taken by such holder or Person and the nature of such event or change, and what action the applicable Credit Party or Subsidiary has taken, is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto.
(n)Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, and so long as Borrower Representative is subject to the reporting requirements under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, any requirement to “deliver,” “furnish,” or “provide” any document, report or notice pursuant to this Section 4.1(a), (c) or (d) shall be deemed satisfied to the extent such document, report or notice is included in, or filed as an exhibit to, a filing made by Borrower Representative with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on EDGAR (including any Form 10-K, Form 10-Q or Form 8-K) within the applicable time period; provided that Borrower shall (A) notify Agent (which may be by email) of such filing and (B) upon Agent’s request, provide a link or copy thereof.
Section 4.2Payment and Performance of Obligations. Each Credit Party (a) will pay and discharge, and cause each Subsidiary to pay and discharge, on a timely basis as and when due, all of their respective obligations and liabilities, except for such obligations and/or liabilities (i) that may be the subject of a Permitted Contest, and (ii) the nonpayment or nondischarge of which could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect or result in a Lien against any Collateral, except for Permitted Liens, (b) without limiting anything contained in the foregoing clause (a), will pay all amounts due and owing in respect of (i) all federal and state income Taxes and (ii) all material foreign, federal, state and local Taxes (including without limitation, material payroll and withholdings tax liabilities, but excluding Excluded Sales Taxes), in each case, on a timely basis as and when due, and in any case prior to the date on which any fine, penalty, interest, late charge or loss may be added thereto for nonpayment thereof, (c) will maintain, and cause each Subsidiary to maintain, in accordance with GAAP, appropriate reserves for the accrual of all of their respective obligations and liabilities, and (d) will not breach or permit any Subsidiary to breach, or permit to exist any default under, the terms of any lease, commitment, contract, instrument or obligation to which it is a party, or by which its properties or assets are bound, except for such breaches or defaults which could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
Section 4.3Maintenance of Existence. Subject to Section 5.6, each Credit Party will preserve, renew and keep in full force and effect and in good standing, and will cause each Subsidiary to preserve, renew and keep in full force and effect and in good standing, (a) their respective existence and (b) their respective rights, privileges and franchises necessary or desirable in the normal conduct of business, unless, solely in the case of this clause (b), a failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
Section 4.4Maintenance of Property; Insurance.
(a)Each Credit Party will keep, and will cause each Subsidiary to keep, all property useful and necessary in its business in good working order and condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted. If all or any material part of the Collateral useful or necessary in its business becomes damaged or destroyed, then each applicable Credit Party will, and will cause each applicable Subsidiary to, promptly replace, repair and/or restore the affected Collateral in a good and workmanlike manner, regardless of whether Agent agrees to disburse insurance proceeds or other sums to pay costs of the work of repair or reconstruction.
(b)Upon completion of any Permitted Contest, Credit Parties shall, and will cause each Subsidiary to, promptly pay the amount due, if any, and deliver to Agent proof of the completion of the contest and payment of the amount due, if any.
(c)Each Credit Party will maintain (i) property coverage including casualty insurance on all real and personal property on a special form, covering the repair and replacement cost of all such property and coverage, business interruption and rent loss coverages with extended period of indemnity (for the period required by Agent from time to time) and indemnity for extra expense, in each case without application of coinsurance and with agreed amount endorsements, (ii) general and professional liability insurance (including products/completed operations liability coverage), and (iii) such other insurance coverage, in each case against loss or damage of the kinds customarily insured against by Persons engaged in the same or similar business, of such types and in such amounts as are customarily carried under similar circumstances by such other Persons; provided, however, that, in no event shall such insurance be in amounts or with coverage less than, or with carriers with qualifications inferior to, any of the insurance or carriers in existence as of the Closing Date (or required to be in existence after the Closing Date under a Financing Document). All such insurance shall be provided by insurers having an A.M. Best policyholders rating reasonably acceptable to Agent.
(d)On or prior to the Closing Date, and at all times thereafter, each Credit Party will cause Agent to be named as an additional insured and lender loss payee (which shall include, as applicable, identification as mortgagee), as applicable, on each applicable insurance policy (which shall not include any workers’ compensation policy) required to be maintained pursuant to this Section 4.4 pursuant to endorsements in form and substance reasonably acceptable to Agent. Credit Parties shall deliver to Agent and the Lenders (i) on or prior to the Closing Date, a certificate from Credit Parties’ insurance broker dated such date showing the amount of coverage as of such date, and that and the insurer will provide each additional insured and loss payee at least thirty (30) days’ (or ten (10) days’ for nonpayment of premium) prior written notice of any cancellation thereof, (ii) on an annual basis, and upon the request of any Lender through Agent from time to time full information as to the insurance carried, (iii) within five (5) Business Days of receipt of notice from any insurer, a copy of any notice of cancellation, nonrenewal or material reduction in coverage from that existing on the date of this Agreement, (iv) notice of any cancellation or nonrenewal of coverage by any Credit Party, and (v) prior to expiration of any policy of insurance, evidence of renewal of such insurance upon the terms and conditions herein required. Each Credit Party’s property and general liability policies shall include a waiver of subrogation against all loss payees and additional insureds, and shall not require loss payees or additional insureds to pay any insurance premiums, whether under the terms of any such policy, by waiver of all claims for insurance premiums against all loss payees and additional insureds, or otherwise.
(e)In the event any Credit Party fails to provide Agent with evidence of the insurance coverage required by this Agreement, Agent may purchase insurance at Credit Parties’ expense to protect Agent’s interests in the Collateral. This insurance may, but need not, protect such Credit Party’s interests. The coverage purchased by Agent may not pay any claim made by such Credit Party or any claim that is made against such Credit Party in connection with the Collateral. Such Credit Party may later cancel any insurance purchased by Agent, but only after providing Agent with evidence that such Credit Party has obtained insurance as required by this Agreement. If Agent purchases insurance for the Collateral, Credit Parties will be responsible for the reasonable and documented costs of that insurance to the fullest extent provided by law, including interest and other charges imposed by Agent in connection with the placement of the insurance, until the effective date of the cancellation or expiration of the insurance. Such reasonable and documented costs of the insurance may be added to the Obligations. The costs of the insurance may be more than the cost of insurance such Credit Party is able to obtain on its own.
Section 4.5Compliance with Laws and Material Contracts. Each Credit Party will comply, and cause each Subsidiary to comply, with the requirements of all applicable Laws and Material Contracts, except to the extent that failure to so comply could not reasonably be expected to (a) have a Material Adverse Effect, or (b) result in any Lien (other than a Permitted Lien) upon a material portion of the assets of any such Person in favor of any Governmental Authority.
Section 4.6Inspection of Property, Books and Records. Each Credit Party will keep, and will cause each Subsidiary to keep, proper books of record substantially in accordance with GAAP; and will permit, and will cause each Subsidiary to permit, during normal business hours, at the sole cost of the applicable Credit Party or any applicable Subsidiary, representatives of Agent to visit and inspect any of their respective properties, to examine and make abstracts or copies from any of their respective books and records, to conduct a collateral audit and analysis of their respective operations and the Collateral, to evaluate and make physical verifications and appraisals of the Inventory and other Collateral in any manner and through any medium that Agent considers advisable, to verify the amount and age of the Accounts, the identity and credit of the respective Account Debtors, to review the billing practices of Credit Parties and to discuss their respective affairs, finances and accounts with their respective officers, employees and independent public accountants as often as may reasonably be desired; provided that (1) neither the Agent nor any of its representatives shall be entitled to take copies, extracts, or photos of any information that contains trade secrets, is subject to legal privilege (to the extent such privilege would be impacted by such actions of Agent), in each case, as determined by the Borrowers acting reasonably and in good faith and (2) any inspection or audit rights in the Financing Documents shall be limited to the extent necessary to comply with Laws concerning privacy of personal information. In the absence of an Event of Default which is continuing, (i) such inspections and audits shall be conducted no more often than two (2) times every twelve (12) months, and (ii) Agent exercising any rights pursuant to this Section 4.6 shall give the applicable Credit Party or any applicable Subsidiary commercially reasonable prior notice of such exercise. No notice shall be required during the existence and continuance of any Event of Default.
Section 4.7Use of Proceeds. Borrowers shall use the proceeds of the Term Loan Tranche 1 borrowing solely for (a) payment of transaction fees incurred in connection with the Financing Documents, and (b) for working capital needs of Borrowers and their Subsidiaries. Borrowers shall use the proceeds of any Term Loan Tranche 2, Term Loan Tranche 3 and Term Loan Tranche 4 borrowing solely for (a) transaction fees incurred in connection with the Financing Documents, and (b) working capital needs of the Borrowers are their Subsidiaries. No portion of the proceeds of the Loans will be used for family, personal, agricultural or household use. No portion of the proceeds of the Loans will be used, whether directly or indirectly, and whether immediately, incidentally or ultimately, for purchasing or carrying Margin Stock or for any other purpose that entails a violation of, or that is inconsistent with, the provisions of the regulations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, including Regulation T, U, or X of the Federal Reserve Board.
Section 4.8[Reserved].
Section 4.9Notices of Material Contracts, Litigation and Defaults.
(a)Credit Parties shall promptly (but in any event within five (5) Business Days) provide written notice to Agent after any Credit Party or Subsidiary receives or delivers any notice of termination or default or similar notice in connection with any Material Contract, and (ii) Credit Parties shall provide, together with the next quarterly Compliance Certificate required to be delivered under this Agreement, written notice to Agent after any Credit Party or Subsidiary (1) executes and delivers any material amendment, consent, waiver or other modification to any Material Contract or (2) enters into new Material Contract and shall, upon reasonable request of Agent, promptly provide Agent a copy thereof, subject to applicable confidentiality provisions; provided that (x) such confidentiality provision was not created for purposes of avoiding disclosure hereunder, (y) the Credit Parties will use commercially reasonable efforts to promptly obtain an exception to such confidentiality provisions to permit disclosure to Agent, and (z) Credit Parties shall be entitled to withhold only such information and portions of the agreement that would result in a breach of any such confidentiality provisions.
(b)Credit Parties shall promptly (but in any event within five (5) Business Days) provide written notice to Agent (i) upon any Credit Party becoming aware of the existence of any Default or Event of Default, (ii) of any strikes or other labor disputes pending or, to any Credit Party’s knowledge, threatened against any Credit Party, in each case, that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (iii) if there is any infringement or claim of infringement by any other Person with respect to any Intellectual Property rights of any Credit Party that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, or if there is any claim by any other Person that any Credit Party in the conduct of its business is infringing on the Intellectual Property rights of others that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, and (iv) of all returns, recoveries, disputes and claims that would reasonably be expected to result in liability of more than $500,000 in the aggregate in any calendar year. Credit Parties represent and warrant that Schedule 4.9 sets forth a complete list of all matters existing as of the Closing Date for which notice is required under this Section 4.9(b).
(c)Each Credit Party shall provide such further information (including copies of such documentation) as Agent or any Lender shall reasonably request with respect to any of the events or notices described in clauses (a) and (b) above and any notice given in respect of a Regulatory Reporting Event. From the date hereof and continuing through the termination of this Agreement, each Credit Party shall use commercially reasonable efforts to make available to Agent and each Lender, without expense to Agent or any Lender, each Credit Party’s officers, employees and agents and books, to the extent that Agent or any Lender may deem them reasonably necessary to prosecute or defend any third-party suit or proceeding instituted by or against Agent or any Lender with respect to any Collateral or relating to a Credit Party.
Section 4.10Hazardous Materials; Remediation.
(a)If any release or disposal of Hazardous Materials (a “Release”) shall occur or shall have occurred on any real property or any other assets of any Credit Party, such Credit Party will cause, or direct the applicable Credit Party to cause, the prompt containment and removal of such Hazardous Materials and the remediation of such real property or other assets as is necessary to comply with all Environmental Laws in all material respects. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Credit Party shall, and shall cause each other Credit Party to, comply in all material respects with each Environmental Law requiring the performance at any real property by any Credit Party of activities in response to the release or threatened release of a Hazardous Material.
(b)After the occurrence of a Release, Credit Parties will provide Agent within thirty (30) days after written demand therefor with a bond, letter of credit or similar financial assurance evidencing to the reasonable satisfaction of Agent that sufficient funds are available to pay the cost of removing, treating and disposing of any Hazardous Materials or Hazardous Materials Contamination in connection with such Release as required by Environmental Law and discharging any assessment which may be established on any property as a result thereof, such demand to be made, if at all, upon Agent’s reasonable business determination that the failure to remove, treat or dispose of any such Hazardous Materials or Hazardous Materials Contamination, or the failure to discharge any such assessment could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
Section 4.11Further Assurances; Joinder.
(a)Each Credit Party will, and will cause each Subsidiary to, at its own cost and expense, promptly and duly take, execute, acknowledge and deliver all such further acts, documents and assurances as may from time to time be necessary or as Agent or the Required Lenders may from time to time reasonably request in order to carry out the intent and purposes of the Financing Documents and the transactions contemplated thereby, including all such actions to (i) establish, create, preserve, protect and perfect a first priority Lien (other than in respect of Excluded Perfection Assets and subject only to Permitted Liens) in favor of Agent for itself and for the benefit of the Lenders on the Collateral (including Collateral acquired after the date hereof), and (ii) unless Agent shall agree otherwise in writing, cause all Subsidiaries of Credit Parties (other than Restricted Foreign Subsidiaries) to become Borrowers or Guarantors, as applicable, in accordance with Section 4.11(d).
(b)Upon receipt of an affidavit of an authorized representative of Agent or a Lender as to the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of any Note or any other Financing Document which is not of public record, and, in the case of any such mutilation, upon surrender and cancellation of such Note or other applicable Financing Document, Borrowers will issue, in lieu thereof, a replacement Note or other applicable Financing Document, dated the date of such lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated Note or other Financing Document in the same principal amount thereof and otherwise of like tenor.
(c)Credit Parties shall timely and fully pay and perform its material obligations under all Material Contracts with respect to each leased location where any material Collateral is or may be located.
(d)Credit Parties shall provide Agent with at least ten (10) Business Days’ (or such shorter period as Agent may accept in its reasonable discretion) prior written notice of its intention to create (or to the extent permitted under this Agreement, acquire) a new Subsidiary. Upon the formation (or to the extent permitted under this Agreement, acquisition) of a new Subsidiary, Credit Parties shall (concurrently with the acquisition or creation of such Subsidiary (as applicable)): (i) pledge, have pledged or cause or have caused to be pledged to Agent pursuant to a pledge agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Agent, all of the outstanding Equity Interests of such new Subsidiary owned directly by any Credit Party (except to the extent constituting Excluded Property), and deliver to Agent any certificates representing such Equity Interests, together with undated stock or equivalent powers for such certificates, executed in blank; (ii) unless Agent shall agree otherwise in writing, cause the new Subsidiary (other than Restricted Foreign Subsidiaries) to take such other actions (including entering into or joining any Security Documents) as are necessary or advisable in the reasonable opinion of Agent in order to grant Agent, acting on behalf of the Lenders, a first priority Lien (subject to Permitted Liens which have priority by operation of Law) on all real and personal property (in the case of the perfection of the Liens granted subject to the Excluded Perfection Assets) of such Subsidiary in existence as of such date and in all after acquired property (in each case, other than Excluded Property), which first priority Liens are required to be granted pursuant to this Agreement; (iii) unless Agent shall agree otherwise in writing, cause such new Subsidiary (other than Restricted Foreign Subsidiaries) to either (at the election of Agent) become a Borrower hereunder with joint and several liability for all obligations of Borrowers hereunder and under the other Financing Documents pursuant to a joinder agreement or other guaranty agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent or to become a Guarantor of the obligations of Borrowers hereunder and under the other Financing Documents pursuant to a joinder agreement or other similar agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent; and (iv) cause the new Subsidiary (other than Restricted Foreign Subsidiaries) to deliver certified copies of such Subsidiary’s certificate or articles of incorporation, together with good standing certificates, by-laws (or other operating agreement or governing documents), resolutions of the Board of Directors or other governing body of such Subsidiary, approving and authorizing the execution and delivery of the applicable Security Documents, incumbency certificates and to execute and/or deliver such other documents and customary legal opinions or to take such other actions as may be requested by Agent in its reasonable discretion, in each case, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent (the requirements set forth in clauses (i)-(iv), collectively, the “Joinder Requirements”).
(e)If, at the end of any calendar quarter, the aggregate revenue (as determined in accordance with GAAP) attributable solely to the Restricted Foreign Subsidiaries for the trailing twelve month period ending on the last day of such calendar quarter is greater than twenty percent (20%) of the aggregate consolidated revenue (as determined in accordance with GAAP) of the Credit Parties and their Consolidated Subsidiaries for such Defined Period, then Borrowers shall promptly (and in any event within sixty (60) days (or such longer period as Agent may agree in writing in its discretion) of the date on which the Compliance Certificate was delivered in respect of such calendar quarter pursuant to Section 4.1(i) cause certain Restricted Foreign Subsidiaries designated by Agent, in its reasonable discretion and in consultation with Borrower Representative, to become Guarantors in accordance with the Joinder Requirements (as though such designated Subsidiaries were new Subsidiaries and no longer Restricted Foreign Subsidiaries) pursuant to documentation (including any foreign law governed documentation, amendments to this Agreement and other documentation as may be necessary or reasonably desirable) such that, following such joinder, the aggregate revenue (as determined in accordance with GAAP) attributable solely to the Restricted Foreign Subsidiaries for such trailing 12 month period is less than or equal to twenty percent (20%) of the aggregate consolidated revenue (as determined in accordance with GAAP) of the Credit Parties and their Consolidated Subsidiaries for such trailing twelve month period. Following any such joinder, such designated Subsidiaries shall no longer be Restricted Foreign Subsidiary and shall be Credit Parties for all purposes hereunder and under the other Financing Documents and shall not be re-designated as Restricted Foreign Subsidiaries without the consent of Agent and Required Lenders.
Section 4.12Reserved.
Section 4.13Power of Attorney. Agent is hereby irrevocably made, constituted and appointed the true and lawful attorney for Credit Parties (without requiring Agent to act as such) with full power of substitution, exercisable only upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, to do the following: (a) endorse the name of Credit Parties upon any and all checks, drafts, money orders, and other instruments for the payment of money that are payable to Credit Parties and constitute collections on Credit Parties’ Accounts; (b) so long as Agent has provided not less than three (3) Business Days’ prior written notice to any Credit Party to perform the same and such Credit Party has failed to take such action, execute in the name of Credit Parties any schedules, assignments, instruments, documents, and statements that Credit Parties are obligated to give Agent under this Agreement; (c) take any action Credit Parties are required to take under this Agreement; (d) so long as Agent has provided not less than three (3) Business Days’ prior written notice to any Credit Party to perform the same and such Credit Party has failed to take such action, do such other and further acts and deeds in the name of Credit Parties that Agent may deem necessary or desirable to enforce any Account or other Collateral or perfect Agent’s security interest or Lien in any Collateral; and (e) do such other and further acts and deeds in the name of Credit Parties that Agent may deem necessary or desirable to enforce its rights with regard to any Account or other Collateral. This power of attorney shall be irrevocable and coupled with an interest.
Section 4.14[Reserved].
Section 4.15Schedule Updates. Borrower shall, in the event of any information in the Schedule 3.19, Schedule 5.14, Schedule 9.2(b) or Schedule 9.2(d) becoming outdated, inaccurate, incomplete or misleading, deliver to Agent, together with the next quarterly Compliance Certificate required to be delivered under this Agreement after such event a proposed update to such Schedule correcting all outdated, inaccurate, incomplete or misleading information.
Section 4.16Intellectual Property and Licensing.
(a)Together with each Compliance Certificate required to be delivered pursuant to Section 4.1(i) with respect to the last month of a fiscal quarter to the extent (i) any Credit Party acquires and/or develops any new Registered Intellectual Property, (ii) any Credit Party enters into or becomes bound by any additional material in-bound license or sublicense agreement, any additional exclusive out-bound license or sublicense agreement or other material agreement with respect to rights in Intellectual Property (other than over-the-counter software, software that is commercially available to the public and open source licenses), or (iii) there occurs any other material change in any Credit Party’s or Subsidiary’s Registered Intellectual Property, material in-bound licenses or sublicenses or exclusive out-bound licenses or sublicenses from that listed on Schedule 3.19 together with such Compliance Certificate, deliver to Agent an updated Schedule 3.19 reflecting such updated information. With respect to any updates to Schedule 3.19 involving exclusive out-bound licenses or sublicenses, such licenses shall be consistent with the definitions of and limitations herein pertaining to Permitted Licenses.
(b)If Credit Parties obtain any Registered Intellectual Property (other than any foreign registered Intellectual Property constituting Excluded Perfection Assets), Credit Parties shall (by updating Schedule 3.19 concurrently with the next quarterly Compliance Certificate) notify Agent and promptly execute such documents and provide such other information (including, without limitation, copies of applications) and take such other actions as Agent shall reasonably request in its good faith business judgment to perfect and maintain a first priority perfected security interest (subject to Permitted Liens) in favor of Agent, for the ratable benefit of Lenders, in such Registered Intellectual Property (other than Excluded Property).
(c)[Reserved].
(d)Credit Parties and each Subsidiary thereof shall own, or be licensed to use or otherwise have the right to use, all Material Intangible Assets, subject to Permitted Liens. Credit Parties shall cause all Registered Intellectual Property to be duly and properly registered, filed or issued in the appropriate office and jurisdictions for such registrations, filings or issuances, except where the failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Credit Parties and their Subsidiaries shall at all times conduct its business without material infringement or material claim of infringement of any valid Intellectual Property rights of others. Credit Parties shall, and shall cause their Subsidiaries to, (i) protect, defend and maintain the validity and enforceability of its Material Intangible Assets (ii) promptly advise Agent in writing of material infringements of its Material Intangible Assets, or of a material claim of infringement by Credit Parties on the Intellectual Property rights of others; and (iii) not allow any of Credit Parties’ Material Intangible Assets to be abandoned, invalidated, forfeited or dedicated to the public or to become unenforceable. Credit Parties shall not become a party to, nor become bound by, any material license or other agreement with respect to which any Credit Party is the licensor or licensee (other than in-bound licenses of over-the-counter software and other software that is commercially available to the public and open source licenses) that prohibits or otherwise restricts Credit Party from granting a security interest in Credit Party’s interest in such license or agreement or other property, other than pursuant to customary anti-assignment provisions that were not entered into in order to make such license or agreement Excluded Property.
Section 4.17Regulatory Covenants.
(a)Credit Parties shall have, and shall ensure that it and each of its Subsidiaries has, each necessary Permit and other material rights from, and have made all necessary declarations and filings with, all applicable Governmental Authorities, all self-regulatory authorities and all courts and other tribunals necessary to engage in all material respects in the ownership, management and operation of the business or the assets of any Credit Party and Subsidiaries thereof and Credit Parties shall take, and cause each of their Subsidiaries to take, such reasonable actions to ensure that no Governmental Authority has taken action to limit, suspend or revoke any such Permit. Credit Parties shall ensure, and cause each of their Subsidiaries to ensure, that all such necessary Permits are valid and in full force and effect and Credit Parties and their Subsidiaries are in material compliance with the terms and conditions of all Permits, except where failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(b)In connection with the development, testing, manufacture, marketing or sale of each and any material Product by any Credit Party or any Subsidiary thereof, each Credit Party shall have, and shall have caused each of its Subsidiaries to have, obtained and comply with the terms of all material Regulatory Required Permits at all times issued or required to be issued by any Governmental Authority, specifically including the FDA, with respect to such development, testing, manufacture, marketing or sales of such Product by such Credit Party or its Subsidiaries as such activities are at any such time being conducted by such Credit Party or its Subsidiaries, except where the failures to so comply would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(c)Except where the failure to do so would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, Credit Parties will, and will cause their Subsidiaries to, timely file or caused to be timely filed (after giving effect to any extension duly obtained), all material notifications, reports, submissions, material Permit renewals and reports required by applicable Laws (which reports will be
materially accurate and complete in all material respects and not misleading in any material respect and shall not remain open or unsettled).
Article 5- NEGATIVE COVENANTS
Each Credit Party agrees that:
Section 5.1Debt; Contingent Obligations.
(a)No Credit Party will, or will permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, create, incur, assume, guarantee or otherwise become or remain directly or indirectly liable with respect to, any Debt, except for Permitted Debt.
(b)No Credit Party will, or will permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, create, assume, incur or suffer to exist any Contingent Obligations, except for Permitted Contingent Obligations.
(c)Without limiting Section 5.5, no Credit Party will, or will permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, purchase, redeem, defease or prepay any principal of, premium, if any, interest or other amount payable in respect of any Debt that is, by its terms, subordinated to the Obligations prior to its scheduled date for payment (except Subordinated Debt solely to the extent permitted by Section 5.5).
Section 5.2Liens. No Credit Party will, or will permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, create, assume or suffer to exist any Lien on any asset now owned or hereafter acquired by it, except for Permitted Liens.
Section 5.3Distributions. No Credit Party will, or will permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, declare, order, pay, make or set apart any sum for any Distribution, except for Permitted Distributions.
Section 5.4Restrictive Agreements. No Credit Party will, or will permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly (a) enter into or assume any agreement prohibiting the creation or assumption of any Lien upon its properties or assets, whether now existing or hereafter acquired, or (b) create or otherwise cause or suffer to exist or become effective any consensual encumbrance or restriction of any kind (except as provided by the Financing Documents) on the ability of any Subsidiary to: (i) pay or make Distributions to any Credit Party or any Subsidiary; (ii) pay any Debt owed to any Credit Party or any Subsidiary; (iii) make loans or advances to any Credit Party or any Subsidiary; or (iv) transfer any of its property or assets to any Credit Party or any Subsidiary in each case under this Section 5.4 other than (1) customary restrictions and conditions contained in agreements relating to the sale of assets of any Subsidiary pending such sale, provided that such restrictions and conditions apply only to the Subsidiary to be sold and such sale is permitted hereunder, (2) restrictions or conditions imposed by any agreement relating to purchase money Debt, Capital Leases and other secured Debt permitted by this Agreement if such restrictions or conditions apply only to the property or assets securing such Debt, (3) customary anti-assignment provisions contained in leases, licenses, contracts and other agreements to the extent not otherwise prohibited under the terms of this Agreement and to the extent not entered into in order to make such leases, licenses, contracts and other agreements to constitute Excluded Property for purposes of this Agreement, and (4) restrictions existing on the Closing Date and expressly set forth on Schedule 5.4 on the Closing Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, customary restrictive provisions contained in Permitted Convertible Debt documentation and Convertible Note Hedge/Warrant Documentation (in each case, to the extent customary for such transactions and that do not prohibit (x) the creation, perfection or maintenance of the Liens securing the Obligations, (y) the incurrence, payment or prepayment of Debt permitted hereunder, or (z) the making of dividends or Distributions by any Subsidiary to Novavax) shall be permitted.
Section 5.5Payments and Modifications of Subordinated Debt and Permitted Convertible Debt. No Credit Party will, or will permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly:
(a)declare, pay, make or set aside any amount for payment in respect of Subordinated Debt, except for payments (i) made in full compliance with and expressly permitted under the applicable Subordination Agreement, (ii) with the Net Cash Proceeds of other Subordinated Debt, or (iii) in respect of intercompany debt that result in positive net cash or Cash Equivalents being paid to and held by Novavax following such payments;
(b)amend or otherwise modify the terms of any Subordinated Debt, except for amendments or modifications made in full compliance with the applicable Subordination Agreement;
(c)[reserved];
(d)declare, pay, or make any payment or distribution under or in respect of the Convertibles Note Documents, except for: (i) regularly scheduled payments of interest as set forth in the applicable Convertible Note Documents, so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing; (ii) payment of reasonable and customary fees and expenses incurred in connection with the Convertibles Note Documents; (iii) payment of cash up to the principal amount of any Permitted Convertible Debt upon (x) maturity, (y) conversion or exchange to the extent such Permitted Convertible Debt being so converted or exchanged is covered by a Convertible Note Hedge Transaction, or (z) redemption upon satisfaction of a condition set forth in the applicable Convertible Note Documents related to the stock price of Novavax common stock, of such Permitted Convertible Debt, so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or would result therefrom, (iv) (x) the issuance of shares of common stock of Novavax and (y) the payment of cash (A) for accrued but unpaid interest, (B) in lieu of fractional shares, or (C) in excess of the principal amount in connection with such issuance (provided that in the case of this clause (C) that the amount of such cash is off set in its entirety by the aggregate amount of net cash received by any Credit Party pursuant to an exercise or early unwind or settlement of a corresponding portion of the related Convertible Note Hedge Transactions), in each case in connection with any conversion, exercise, repurchase, exchange, redemption, settlement or early termination or cancellation of the Permitted Convertible Debt, or (v) the redemption, repurchase, exchange or other retirement for cash of the Permitted Convertible Debt (including by tender or open market purchases) in an amount not to exceed the Net Cash Proceeds received by Novavax from (x) the issuance of Supplemental Convertible Debt in connection with a Permitted Refinancing of such Permitted Convertible Debt being redeemed, repurchased or retired and/or (y) any issuance of Equity Interests of Novavax; provided that such redemption, repurchase, exchange or other retirement occurs substantially contemporaneously with Novavax’s receipt of the applicable Net Cash Proceeds of such Permitted Refinancing and/or issuance of equity (the preceding (i) through (v), the “Permitted Convert Payments”) (for the avoidance of doubt, the Company may also issue Equity Interests of Novavax and/or Supplemental Convertible Notes in direct exchange for existing Convertible Notes to the extent not otherwise prohibited by this Agreement);
(e)amend, supplement or otherwise modify the terms of any such Debt referred to in clauses (d) above (it being understood that the Permitted Refinancing of such Debt is not covered by this clause (e), but governed by the defined term Permitted Refinancing), if the effect of such amendment or modification is to (i) increase the interest rate or fees on, or change the manner or timing of payment of, such Debt if in any way adverse to Agent or Lenders, (ii) accelerate or shorten the dates upon which payments of principal or interest are due on, or the principal amount of, such Debt, (iii) change in a manner adverse to any Credit Party or Agent any event of default or add or make more restrictive any covenant with respect to such Debt, (iv) change the prepayment or redemption provisions of such Debt or any of the defined terms related thereto in a manner adverse to Agent or Lenders, (v) change the subordination provisions (if any) thereof (or the subordination terms of any guaranty thereof), or (vi) change or amend any other term if such change or amendment would materially increase the obligations of the obligor or confer additional material rights on the holder of such Debt in a manner adverse to Agent or Lenders. Credit Parties shall, prior to entering into any such amendment or modification, deliver to Agent, within five (5) days (or such shorter period as agreed to by Agent in its sole discretion) in advance of the execution thereof, any substantially final draft thereof (with execution copies to follow).
Section 5.6Consolidations, Mergers and Sales of Assets; Change in Control. No Credit Party will, or will permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly:
(a)consolidate or merge or amalgamate with or into any other Person other than (i) consolidations or mergers among Borrowers so long as in any consolidation or merger involving Novavax, Novavax is the surviving entity, (ii) consolidations or mergers among Borrowers, so long as if Novavax is a party to such merger or consolidation, Novavax is the surviving entity, (iii) consolidations or mergers among a Guarantor and a Borrower so long as the Borrower is the surviving entity, (iv) consolidations or mergers among Guarantors, (v) consolidations or mergers among Subsidiaries, so long as if a Credit Party is party to such merger or consolidation, the Credit Party is the surviving entity, and (vi) so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, dissolutions or liquidations of Restricted Foreign Subsidiaries (including the Inactive Foreign Subsidiaries) so long as any assets of such dissolved or liquidated Person are transferred, directly or indirectly, to a Credit Party; or
(b)except mergers or consolidations otherwise expressly permitted by clause (a) above, make or consummate any Asset Dispositions other than Permitted Asset Dispositions.
Section 5.7Purchase of Assets, Investments. No Credit Party will, or will permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly:
(a)acquire, make, own, hold, or otherwise consummate any Investment (including for the avoidance of doubt, any Acquisition) other than Permitted Investments;
(b)without limiting clause (a) above, acquire any other assets other than Permitted Investments or otherwise (i) in the Ordinary Course of Business, (ii) constituting capital expenditures, (iii) constituting replacement assets purchased with proceeds of property insurance policies, awards or other compensation with respect to any eminent domain, condemnation or similar proceeding and for which the requirements set forth in this Agreement have been satisfied and (iv) any acquisition by a Credit Party of assets of any other Credit Party to the extent not otherwise prohibited by Article 5 of this Agreement;
(c)engage in or establish any joint venture or partnership with any other Person except to the extent constituting a Permitted Investment and made in compliance with Section 5.19; or
(d)without limiting the foregoing, no Credit Party shall, nor will any Credit Party permit any Subsidiary to, purchase or carry Margin Stock.
Section 5.8Transactions with Affiliates. No Credit Party will, or will permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, enter into or permit to exist any transaction (including the purchase, sale, lease or exchange of any property or the rendering of any service) with any Affiliate of any Credit Party or any Subsidiary thereof, except for (a) transactions disclosed on Schedule 5.8 on the Closing Date, (b) transactions that are in the Ordinary Course of Business upon fair and reasonable terms, and, in each case, which contain terms that are not materially less favorable to the applicable Credit Party or any Subsidiary, as the case may be, than those which might be obtained from a third party not an Affiliate of any Credit Party, (c) transactions among Credit Parties that are not otherwise prohibited by this Agreement, (d) transactions constituting (i) issuances of Subordinated Debt and (ii) issuance of Equity Interests (other than Disqualified Equity Interests), in each case, not otherwise in contravention of this Agreement, (e) director, officer and employee compensation (including bonuses) and other benefits (including retirement, health, stock option and other benefit plans and indemnification arrangements), (f) mergers and consolidations permitted by Section 5.6 and (g) payments, transfers and other transactions made pursuant to the Transfer Pricing Agreements or in respect of amounts owed under the Terminated Transfer Pricing Agreements.
Section 5.9Modification of Organizational Documents. No Credit Party will, or will permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, amend or otherwise modify any Organizational Documents of such Person, except for Permitted Modifications.
Section 5.10Modification of Certain Agreements. No Credit Party will, or will permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, amend or otherwise modify any Material Contract, which amendment or modification in any case: (a) is contrary to the terms of this Agreement or any other Financing Document; (b) would reasonably be expected to be materially adverse to the rights, interests or privileges of Agent or the Lenders or their ability to enforce the same; or (c) could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. For the avoidance of doubt, amendments to the Convertible Note Documents shall be permitted so long as the Convertible Note Documents, as amended, constitute Permitted Convertible Debt (it being understood that any amendments to the 2027 Convertible Notes or the 2031 Convertible Notes must comply with the provisions set forth in clause (c) of the definition of Permitted Convertible Debt).
Section 5.11Conduct of Business. No Credit Party will, or will permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, engage in any line of business other than those businesses engaged in on the Closing Date described on Schedule 5.11 and businesses reasonably related thereto. No Credit Party will, or will permit any Subsidiary to, other than in the Ordinary Course of Business, change its normal billing payment and reimbursement policies and procedures with respect to its Accounts in any material respect (including, without limitation, the amount and timing of finance charges, fees and write-offs).
Section 5.12[Reserved].
Section 5.13Limitation on Sale and Leaseback Transactions. No Credit Party will, or will permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, enter into any arrangement with any Person whereby, in a substantially contemporaneous transaction, any Credit Party or any Subsidiaries sells or transfers all or substantially all of its right, title and interest in an asset and, in connection therewith, acquires or leases back the right to use such asset.
Section 5.14Deposit Accounts and Securities Accounts; Payroll and Benefits Accounts.
(a)No Credit Party will, directly or indirectly, establish any new Deposit Account or Securities Account (other than an Excluded Account) unless such Credit Party and the bank, financial institution or securities intermediary at which the account is to be opened enter into a Deposit Account Control Agreement or Securities Account Control Agreement prior to or concurrently with the establishment of such Deposit Account or Securities Account. Without limiting the foregoing, Credit Parties shall ensure that each Deposit Account or Securities Account of a Credit Party (other than Excluded Accounts) is subject to a Deposit Account Control Agreement or Securities Account Control Agreement, as applicable.
(b)Credit Parties represent and warrant that Schedule 5.14 (as updated by the Compliance Certificates delivered to Agent from time to time after the Closing Date) lists all of the Deposit Accounts and Securities Accounts of each Credit Party as of the Closing Date or as of the date on which such Compliance Certificate is delivered, as applicable.
Section 5.15Compliance with Anti-Terrorism Laws. Agent hereby notifies Credit Parties that pursuant to the requirements of Anti-Terrorism Laws, and Agent’s policies and practices, Agent is required to obtain, verify and record certain information and documentation that identifies Credit Parties and their principals, which information includes the name and address of each Credit Party and its principals and such other information that will allow Agent to identify such party in accordance with Anti-Terrorism Laws. No Credit Party will, or will permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, knowingly enter into any contracts or agreements or otherwise engage in transactions directly or indirectly with or related to any Blocked Person or any Person listed on the OFAC Lists or any Sanctioned Country. Each Credit Party shall immediately notify Agent if such Credit Party has knowledge that any Borrower, any additional Credit Party or any of their respective Affiliates or agents acting or benefiting in any capacity in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement is or becomes a Blocked Person or (a) is convicted on, (b) enters into a settlement agreement with a U.S. government agency, (c) pleads nolo contendere to, (d) is indicted on, or (e) is arraigned and held over on charges involving money laundering or predicate crimes to money laundering, Anti-Terrorism Laws or export control laws. No Credit Party will, or will permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, (i) conduct any business or engage in any transaction or dealing directly or indirectly with or related to any Blocked Person or Sanctioned Country, including, without limitation, the making or receiving of any contribution of funds, goods or services to or for the benefit of any Blocked Person or Sanctioned Country, (ii) deal in, or otherwise engage in any transaction relating to, any property or interests in property blocked pursuant to Executive Order No. 13224, any similar executive order or other Anti-Terrorism Law, or (iii) engage in or conspire to engage in any transaction that evades or avoids, or has the purpose of evading or avoiding, or attempts to violate, any of the prohibitions set forth in Executive Order No. 13224 or other Anti-Terrorism Law.
Section 5.16Change in Accounting. No Credit Party shall, and no Credit Party shall, without the prior written consent of Agent in its reasonable discretion, suffer or permit any of its Subsidiaries to, (i) make any significant change in accounting treatment or reporting practices, except as required by GAAP or required to be GAAP compliant or (ii) change the fiscal year or method for determining fiscal quarters of any Credit Party or of any Consolidated Subsidiary.
Section 5.17Investment Company Act. No Credit Party shall, nor shall it permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, engage in any business, enter into any transaction, use any securities or take any other action or permit any of its Subsidiaries to do any of the foregoing, that would cause it or any of its Subsidiaries to become subject to the registration requirements of the Investment Company Act, by virtue of being an “investment company” or a company “controlled” by an “investment company” not entitled to an exemption within the meaning of the Investment Company Act.
Section 5.18[Reserved].
Section 5.19Restricted Foreign Subsidiaries and Joint Ventures.
(a)No Credit Party shall make any Asset Disposition to or Investment in any Restricted Foreign Subsidiary other than Investments of cash and Cash Equivalents permitted to be made pursuant to clause (i) or clause (p) of the definition of “Permitted Investment”.
(b)No Credit Party shall make any Asset Disposition to or Investment in any joint venture other than Investments of cash and Cash Equivalents permitted to be made pursuant to clause (l) or clause (o) of the definition of “Permitted Investment” or Investments constituting Permitted Licenses in accordance with the definition thereof.
(c)No Credit Party will, or will permit any Subsidiary to, commingle any of its assets (including any bank accounts, cash or Cash Equivalents) with the assets of any Person other than a Credit Party and (ii) no Credit Party will permit any Restricted Foreign Subsidiary or any joint venture entity to commingle any of its assets (including any bank accounts, cash or Cash Equivalents) with the assets of a Credit Party; provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, Permitted Asset Dispositions shall not constitute “commingling” of assets.
(d)No Credit Party shall permit any joint venture to own, or have an exclusive license (other than a Permitted License) in respect of, any Material Intangible Assets.
(e)No Inactive Foreign Subsidiary shall (a) conduct any business operations material to the Credit Parties and their subsidiaries, taken as a whole, (b) own any capital stock of any Credit Party or any other Subsidiary of any Credit Party, or (c) operate any part of the Credit Parties’ business. Without limiting the foregoing, the Credit Parties shall not make any Investment in or transfer any assets to any Inactive Foreign Subsidiary except for the contribution of cash by the Credit Parties to such Inactive Foreign Subsidiaries to the extent necessary in the ordinary course of business to pay expenses and costs in connection with the windup or dissolution of such Inactive Foreign Subsidiary in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.
Article 6– FINANCIAL COVENANTS
Section 6.1Minimum Royalty Revenue. Commencing upon the occurrence of both (a) the first to occur of (i) any Term Loan Tranche 2 Funding Date, (ii) any Term Loan Tranche 3 Funding Date, or (iii) any Term Loan Tranche 4 Funding Date, and (b) the date thereafter that Credit Party Unrestricted Cash is less than Two Hundred Twenty-Five Million Dollars ($225,000,000), the Credit Parties shall not, with respect to any Defined Period ending thereafter, permit Royalty Revenue for any such Defined Period, as tested quarterly on the last day of each Defined Period, to be less than the Applicable Minimum Royalty Revenue Threshold for such Defined Period.
Section 6.2Minimum Cash. Commencing on the Closing Date and at all times thereafter, Credit Parties will not permit, at any time, Credit Party Unrestricted Cash to be less than One Hundred Million Dollars ($100,000,000).
Section 6.3Evidence of Compliance. Borrowers shall furnish to Agent, as required by Section 4.1, a Compliance Certificate as evidence of (a) monthly cash and Cash Equivalents, as of the date that is five (5) Business Days prior to the delivery of such Compliance Certificate of (x) Borrowers, (y) Credit Parties taken as a whole, and (z) Restricted Foreign Subsidiaries, (b) as applicable, Borrowers’ compliance with the covenants in this Article, and (c) that no Event of Default specified in this Article has occurred. The Compliance Certificate shall include, without limitation, (i) a statement and report, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent, detailing Borrowers’ calculations, and (ii) if requested by Agent, back-up documentation (including, without limitation, bank statements, invoices, receipts and other evidence of costs incurred during such month as Agent shall reasonably require) evidencing the propriety of the calculations. A breach of a financial covenant contained in this Article 6 shall be deemed to have occurred as of the last day of any specified Defined Period, regardless of when the financial statements reflecting such breach are delivered to Agent.
Article 7– CONDITIONS
Section 7.1Conditions to Closing. The obligation of each Lender to make the initial Loans on the Closing Date shall be subject to the receipt by Agent of each agreement, document and instrument set forth on the closing checklist attached hereto as Exhibit F, each in form and substance satisfactory to Agent, and such other closing deliverables reasonably requested by Agent and Lenders, and to the satisfaction or written waiver of the following conditions precedent, each to the satisfaction of Agent and Lenders in their reasonable discretion:
(a)the receipt by Agent of executed counterparts of this Agreement and the other Financing Documents;
(b)the payment of all fees, expenses and other amounts due and payable under each Financing Document; and
(c)since December 31, 2024, the absence of any Material Adverse Effect.
Each Lender, by delivering its signature page to this Agreement, shall be deemed to have acknowledged receipt of, and consented to and approved, each Financing Document and each other document, agreement and/or instrument required to be approved by Agent, Required Lenders or Lenders, as applicable, on the Closing Date.
Section 7.2Conditions to Each Loan. The obligation of the Lenders to make a Loan or an advance in respect of any Loan (including the initial Loans), is subject to the satisfaction or written waiver of the following additional conditions:
(a)receipt by Agent of a Notice of Borrowing in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.1(a)(ii);
(b)with respect to any Term Loan Tranche 2, (i) the Term Loan Tranche 2 Activation Date shall have occurred and (ii) receipt by Agent of a Compliance Certificate demonstrating that Royalty Revenue as of the Testing Date most recently occurred prior to the requested Term Loan Tranche 2 Funding Date was not less than $100,000,000 for the Defined Period ending on such Testing Date;
(c)with respect to any Term Loan Tranche 3, (i) the Term Loan Tranche 3 Activation Date shall have occurred and (ii) receipt by Agent of a Compliance Certificate demonstrating that Royalty Revenue as of the Testing Date most recently occurred prior to the requested Term Loan Tranche 3 Funding Date was not less than $150,000,000 for the Defined Period ending on such Testing Date;
(d)with respect to any Term Loan Tranche 4, (i) the Term Loan Tranche 4 Activation Date shall have occurred and (ii) Agent and each Lender with a Term Loan Tranche 4 Commitment, in each of its sole discretion, has approved in writing the funding of the Term Loan Tranche 4 (it being understood that neither Agent nor any Lender shall be under any obligation to approve such funding);
(e)immediately before and after such advance, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing;
(f)for Loans made on the Closing Date, the representations and warranties of each Credit Party contained in the Financing Documents shall be true, correct and complete on and as of the Closing Date, except to the extent that any such representation or warranty relates to a specific date in which case such representation or warranty shall be true and correct as of such earlier date;
(g)for Loans made after the Closing Date, the fact that the representations and warranties of each Credit Party contained in the Financing Documents shall be true, correct and complete in all material respects on and as of the date of such borrowing, except to the extent that any such representation or warranty relates to a specific earlier date, in which case such representation or warranty shall be true and correct in all material respects as of such specific earlier date; provided, however, in each case, such materiality qualifier shall not be applicable to any representations and warranties that already are qualified or modified by materiality in the text thereof;
(h)with respect to any Term Loan Tranche 2, Term Loan Tranche 3 or Term Loan Tranche 4 borrowing, as determined by Agent in its reasonable discretion, there has not been any material adverse deviation by Credit Parties and their Subsidiaries from the final financial projections delivered by Borrower to Agent and Lenders prior to the Closing Date; and
(i)no Material Adverse Effect shall have occurred and be continuing.
Each giving of a Notice of Borrowing hereunder and each acceptance by any Borrower of the proceeds of any Loan made hereunder shall be deemed to be (y) a representation and warranty by each Credit Party on the date of such notice or acceptance as to the facts specified in this Section, and (z) a restatement by each Credit Party that each and every one of the representations made by it in any of the Financing Documents is true and correct (subject to any materiality qualifiers in the text thereof) as of such date (except to the extent that such representations and warranties expressly relate solely to an earlier date).
Section 7.3Searches. Before the Closing Date, and thereafter (as and when determined by Agent in its reasonable discretion), Agent shall have the right to perform, all at Borrowers’ expense, the searches described in clauses (a), (b), and (c) below against Borrowers and any other Credit Party, the results of which are to be consistent with Credit Parties’ representations and warranties under this Agreement: (a) UCC searches with the Secretary of State of the jurisdiction in which the applicable Person is organized; (b) judgment, pending litigation, federal tax lien, personal property tax lien, and corporate and partnership tax lien searches, in each jurisdiction searched under clause (a) above; and (c) searches of applicable corporate, limited liability company, partnership and related records to confirm the continued existence, organization and good standing of the applicable Person and the exact legal name under which such Person is organized. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, after the Closing Date, Borrowers shall not be liable for the expenses associated with such searches conducted more than once during each twelve month period unless an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing.
Section 7.4Post-Closing Requirements. Unless Agent shall otherwise consent in writing, Credit Parties shall complete each of the post-closing obligations and/or provide to Agent each of the documents, instruments, agreements and information listed on Schedule 7.4 attached hereto on or before the date set forth for each such item thereon, each of which shall be completed or provided in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent.
Article 8– RESERVED
Article 9– SECURITY AGREEMENT
Section 9.1Generally. As security for the payment and performance of the Obligations, and without limiting any other grant of a Lien and security interest in any Security Document, each Credit Party hereby assigns, grants and pledges to Agent, for the benefit of itself and Lenders, and, subject only to Permitted Liens, a continuing first priority Lien on and security interest in, upon, and to the property and assets (other than, for the avoidance of doubt, Excluded Property) set forth on Schedule 9.1 attached hereto and made a part hereof.
Section 9.2Representations and Warranties and Covenants Relating to Collateral.
(a)The security interest granted pursuant to this Agreement constitutes a valid and, to the extent such security interest is required to be perfected (except in respect of Excluded Perfection Assets) by this Agreement and any other Financing Document, continuing perfected security interest in favor of Agent in all such Collateral subject, for the following Collateral, to the occurrence of the following: (i) in the case of all Collateral in which a security interest may be perfected by filing a financing statement under the UCC, the completion of the filings and other actions specified on Schedule 9.2(b) (which, in the case of all filings and other documents referred to on such schedule, have been delivered to Agent in completed and duly authorized form), (ii) with respect to any Deposit Account for which Deposit Account Control Agreements are required pursuant to this Agreement, the execution of Deposit Account Control Agreements, (iii) in the case of letter-of-credit rights that are not supporting obligations of Collateral, the execution of a contractual obligation granting control to Agent over such letter-of-credit rights, (iv) in the case of electronic chattel paper, the completion of all steps necessary to grant control (as defined in the UCC) to Agent over such electronic chattel paper, (v) in the case of all certificated stock, debt instruments and investment property, the delivery thereof to Agent of such certificated stock, debt instruments and investment property consisting of instruments and certificates, in each case properly endorsed for transfer to Agent or in blank, (vi) in the case of all investment property not in certificated form, the execution of control agreements with respect to such investment property and (vii) in the case of all other instruments and tangible chattel paper that are not certificated stock, debt instruments or investment property, the delivery thereof to Agent of such instruments and tangible chattel paper. Such security interest shall be prior to all other Liens on the Collateral except for Permitted Liens. Except to the extent not required pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, all actions by each Credit Party necessary or desirable to protect and perfect the Lien granted hereunder on the Collateral have been duly taken.
(b)Schedule 9.2(b) (as updated by the Compliance Certificates delivered to Agent from time to time after the Closing Date) sets forth (i) each chief executive office and principal place of business of each Credit Party and each of their respective Subsidiaries, and (ii) all of the addresses (including all warehouses) at which any of the Collateral is located and/or books and records of Credit Parties regarding any Collateral are kept, which such Schedule 9.2(b) indicates in each case which Credit Parties have Collateral and/or books and records located at such address, and, in the case of any such address not owned by one or more of the Credit Parties, indicates the nature of such location (e.g., leased business location operated by Credit Parties, third party warehouse, consignment location, processor location, etc.) and the name and address of the third party owning and/or operating such location.
(c)Without limiting the generality of Section 3.2, except as indicated on Schedule 3.19 with respect to any rights of any Credit Party as a licensee under any license of Intellectual Property owned by another Person, and except for the filing of financing statements under the UCC, no authorization, approval or other action by, and no notice to or filing with, any Governmental Authority or consent of any other Person is required for (i) the grant by each Credit Party to Agent of the security interests and Liens in the Collateral provided for under this Agreement and the other Security Documents (if any), or (ii) the granting of the security interest or the exercise by Agent of its rights and remedies with respect to the Collateral provided for under this Agreement and the other Security Documents or under any applicable Law, including the UCC.
(d)As of the Closing Date, except as set forth on Schedule 9.2(d) and except to the extent constituting Excluded Perfection Assets or Excluded Property, no Credit Party has any ownership interest in any Chattel Paper (as defined in Article 9 of the UCC), letter of credit rights, commercial tort claims, Instruments, documents or investment property (in each case, other than Excluded Perfection Assets, Excluded Property or Equity Interests in any Subsidiaries of such Credit Party), and Credit Parties shall give notice to Agent promptly (but in any event not later than the delivery by Credit Parties of the next quarterly Compliance Certificate required pursuant to Section 4.1 above) upon the acquisition by any Credit Party of any such Chattel Paper, letter of credit rights, commercial tort claims, Instruments, documents, investment property, in each case, other than Excluded Perfection Assets and Excluded Property. No Person other than Agent or (if applicable) any Lender has “control” (as defined in Article 9 of the UCC) over any Deposit Account, investment property (including Securities Accounts and commodities account), letter of credit rights or electronic chattel paper in which any Credit Party has any interest (except for such control arising by operation of law in favor of any bank or securities intermediary or commodities intermediary with whom any Deposit Account, Securities Account or commodities account of Credit Parties is maintained).
(e)Credit Parties shall not take any of the following actions or make any of the following changes unless Credit Parties have given at least ten (10) Business Days’ prior written notice to Agent of Credit Parties’ intention to take any such action (which such written notice shall include an updated version of any Schedule impacted by such change) and have executed any and all documents, instruments and agreements and taken any other actions which Agent may reasonably request after receiving such written notice in order to protect and preserve the Liens, rights and remedies of Agent with respect to the Collateral: (i) change the legal name or organizational identification number of any Credit Party as it appears in official filings in the jurisdiction of its organization, (ii) change the jurisdiction of incorporation or formation of any Borrower or Credit Party or allow any Borrower or Credit Party to designate any jurisdiction as an additional jurisdiction of incorporation for such Borrower or Credit Party, or change the type of entity that it is; provided that in no event shall a Credit Party organized under the laws of the United States or any state thereof be reorganized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than the United States or any State thereof or (iii) change its chief executive office, principal place of business, or the location of its books and records or move any Collateral to or place any Collateral with an aggregate value of greater than $500,000 (other than Collateral that is in transit or out for repair) in any location that is not then listed on the Schedules , as updated from time to time pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, and/or establish any business location at any location that is not then listed on the Schedules.
(f)[Reserved].
(g)Without limiting the generality of Sections 9.2(c) and 9.2(e):
(i)Credit Parties shall deliver to Agent all tangible Chattel Paper and all Instruments and documents (other than any Excluded Perfection Assets or Excluded Property) owned by any Credit Party and constituting part of the Collateral duly endorsed and accompanied by duly executed instruments of transfer or assignment, all in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent. Credit Parties shall provide Agent with “control” (as defined in Article 9 of the UCC) of all electronic Chattel Paper (other than Excluded Perfection Assets) owned by any Credit Party and constituting part of the Collateral by having Agent identified as the assignee on the records pertaining to the single authoritative copy thereof and otherwise complying with the applicable elements of control set forth in the UCC. Credit Parties also shall deliver to Agent all security agreements securing any such Chattel Paper and securing any such Instruments (other than Excluded Perfection Assets and Excluded Property). Credit Parties will mark conspicuously all such Chattel Paper and all such Instruments and documents (other than Excluded Perfection Assets) with a legend, in form and substance satisfactory to Agent, indicating that such Chattel Paper and such instruments and documents are subject to the security interests and Liens in favor of Agent created pursuant to this Agreement and the Security Documents.
(ii)Credit Parties shall deliver to Agent all letters of credit (except to the extent constituting an Excluded Perfection Asset or Excluded Property) on which any Credit Party is the beneficiary and which give rise to letter of credit rights owned by such Credit Party which constitute part of the Collateral in each case duly endorsed and accompanied by duly executed instruments of transfer or assignment, all in form and substance satisfactory to Agent. Except with respect to Excluded Perfection Assets and Excluded Property, Credit Parties shall take any and all actions as may be necessary, or that Agent may reasonably request, from time to time, to cause Agent to obtain exclusive “control” (as defined in Article 9 of the UCC) of any such letter of credit rights in a manner acceptable to Agent.
(iii)Credit Parties shall, by delivery of the next quarterly Compliance Certificate, advise Agent upon any Credit Party becoming aware that it has any new commercial tort claim (except to the extent constituting Excluded Property), which such notice shall include descriptions of the events and circumstances giving rise to such commercial tort claim and the dates such events and circumstances occurred, the potential defendants with respect to such commercial tort claim and any court proceedings that have been instituted with respect to such commercial tort claim, and Credit Parties shall, with respect to any such commercial tort claim, execute and deliver to Agent such documents as Agent shall reasonably request to perfect, preserve or protect the Liens, rights and remedies of Agent with respect to any such commercial tort claim.
(iv)Unless Agent shall otherwise consent, Credit Parties shall use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain a landlord’s agreement, mortgagee agreement, or bailee agreement, as applicable, from the lessor of each leased property, the mortgagee of owned property or the warehouseman, consignee, bailee at any business location, in each case, located in the United States and (a) which is a Credit Party’s chief executive office or (b) where any portion of the Collateral with a value in excess of $500,000, is located, in each case, which agreement or letter shall be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to Agent. Credit Parties shall timely and fully pay and perform its obligations under all leases and other agreements with respect to each of the locations specified in the preceding sentence. In no event shall the Credit Parties maintain tangible Collateral (other than Inventory with contract manufacturers, in transit, out for repair or otherwise held in the Ordinary Course of Business) with a value in excess of $500,000 outside of the United States without Agent’s prior consent in its reasonable discretion.
(v)[Reserved].
(vi)Each Credit Party hereby authorizes Agent to file without the signature of such Credit Party one or more UCC financing statements relating to liens on personal property relating to all or any part of the Collateral, which financing statements may list Agent as the “secured party” and such Credit Party as the “debtor” and which describe and indicate the collateral covered thereby as all or any part of the Collateral under the Financing Documents (including an indication of the collateral covered by any such financing statement as “all assets” of such Borrower now existing or hereafter acquired, or words of similar effect) in such jurisdictions as Agent from time to time determines are appropriate, and to file without the signature of such Credit Party any continuations of or corrective amendments to any such financing statements, in any such case in order for Agent to perfect, preserve or protect the Liens, rights and remedies of Agent with respect to the Collateral.
(vii)As of the Closing Date, no Credit Party holds, and after the Closing Date Credit Parties shall promptly notify Agent in writing upon creation or acquisition by any Credit Party of, any Collateral which constitutes a claim against any Governmental Authority, including, without limitation, the federal government of the United States or any instrumentality or agency thereof, the assignment of which claim is restricted by any applicable Law, including, without limitation, the federal Assignment of Claims Act and any other comparable Law. Upon the request of Agent, Credit Parties shall take such steps as may be necessary or desirable, or that Agent may request, to comply with any such applicable Law.
(viii)Credit Parties shall furnish to Agent from time to time any statements and schedules further identifying or describing the Collateral and any other information, reports or evidence concerning the Collateral as Agent may reasonably request from time to time.
Article 10- EVENTS OF DEFAULT
Section 10.1Events of Default. For purposes of the Financing Documents, the occurrence of any of the following conditions and/or events, whether voluntary or involuntary, by operation of law or otherwise, shall constitute an “Event of Default”:
(a)(i) any Credit Party shall fail to pay when due any principal, interest, premium or fee under any Financing Document or any other amount payable under any Financing Document, and, with respect to any such payment other than principal or interest, such failure shall continue for three (3) consecutive Business Days, or (ii) there shall occur any default in the performance of or compliance with any of the following sections or articles of this Agreement: Section 4.1, Section 4.2(b), Section 4.4(c), Section 4.6, Section 4.9, Section 4.11, Section 4.16, Section 4.17, Article 5, Article 6, or Section 7.4;
(b)any Credit Party defaults in the performance of or compliance with any term contained in this Agreement or in any other Financing Document (other than occurrences described in other provisions of this Section 10.1 for which a different grace or cure period is specified or for which no grace or cure period is specified and thereby constitute immediate Events of Default) and such default is not remedied by the Credit Party or waived by Agent within thirty (30) days after the earlier of (i) receipt by Borrower Representative of notice from Agent or Required Lenders of such default, or (ii) actual knowledge of any Responsible Officer of the Borrower or any other Credit Party of such default; provided, that if the default cannot by its nature be cured within the thirty (30) day period or cannot after diligent attempts by Borrowers be cured within such thirty (30) day period, and such default is likely to be cured within a reasonable time (not to exceed the end of the ten (10) day additional period), then Borrowers shall have an additional period (which period shall not in any case exceed ten (10) days) to attempt to cure such default, and within such additional ten (10) day period the failure of Borrowers to cure the default shall not be deemed an Event of Default (but no Loans shall be made during such period until such default is cured);
(c)any written representation, warranty, certification or statement made by any Credit Party in any Financing Document or in any certificate, financial statement or other document delivered pursuant to any Financing Document is incorrect in any respect (or in any material respect if such representation, warranty, certification or statement is not by its terms already qualified as to materiality) when made (or deemed made);
(d)(i) failure of any Credit Party or any Subsidiary thereof to pay when due or within any applicable grace or cure period any principal, interest or other amount on Debt (other than the Loans), or the occurrence of any breach, default, condition or event with respect to any Debt (other than the Loans), if the effect of such failure or occurrence is to cause or to permit the holder or holders of any such Debt, or to cause, Debt or other liabilities having an individual principal amount in excess of $500,000 or having an aggregate principal amount in excess of $1,000,000 to become or be declared due prior to its stated maturity, or (ii) without limiting the foregoing, the occurrence of any breach or default under any terms or provisions of the Convertible Note Documents, the Convertible Note Hedge/Warrant Documents, or any Subordinated Debt Document, or the occurrence of any event requiring (or that would allow the holders thereof to require) the prepayment (in cash) or mandatory redemption (in cash) of any Subordinated Debt or any Permitted Convertible Debt;
(e)any Credit Party or any Subsidiary of a Credit Party shall commence a voluntary case or other proceeding seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief with respect to itself or its debts under any bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law or any analogous procedure or step is taken in any other jurisdiction) now or hereafter in effect or seeking the appointment of a trustee, receiver, liquidator, custodian or other similar official of it or any substantial part of its property, or shall consent to any such relief or to the appointment of or taking possession by any such official in an involuntary case or other proceeding commenced against it, or shall make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors, or shall fail generally to pay its debts as they become due, or shall take any corporate action to authorize the foregoing;
(f)an involuntary case or other proceeding shall be commenced against any Credit Party or any Subsidiary of a Credit Party seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief with respect to it or its debts under any bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect or seeking the appointment of a trustee, receiver, liquidator, custodian or other similar official of it or any substantial part of its property, and such involuntary case or other proceeding shall remain undismissed and unstayed for a period of sixty (60) days; or an order for relief shall be entered against any Credit Party or any Subsidiary of a Credit Party under applicable federal bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law in respect of (i) bankruptcy, liquidation, winding-up, dissolution or suspension of general operations, (ii) composition, rescheduling, reorganization, arrangement or readjustment of, or other relief from, or stay of proceedings to enforce, some or all of the debts or obligations, or (iii) possession, foreclosure, seizure or retention, sale or other disposition of, or other proceedings to enforce security over, all or any substantial part of the assets of such Credit Party or Subsidiary;
(g)(i) institution of any steps by any Person to terminate a Pension Plan if as a result of such termination any Credit Party or any member of the Controlled Group could be required to make a contribution to such Pension Plan, or could incur a liability or obligation to such Pension Plan, in excess of $500,000, (ii) a contribution failure occurs with respect to any Pension Plan sufficient to give rise to a Lien under Section 303(k) of ERISA or Section 430(k) of the Code or an event occurs that could reasonably be expected to give rise to a Lien under Section 4068 of ERISA, or (iii) there shall occur any withdrawal or partial withdrawal from a Multiemployer Plan and the withdrawal liability (without unaccrued interest) to Multiemployer Plans as a result of such withdrawal (including any outstanding withdrawal liability that any Credit Party or any member of the Controlled Group have incurred on the date of such withdrawal) exceeds $500,000;
(h)there is entered against any Credit Party or any Subsidiary thereof (i) one or more judgments or orders for the payment of money or fines or penalties issued by any Governmental Authority involving in the aggregate a liability (not fully covered or paid by insurance as to which the relevant insurance company has acknowledged coverage) of $1,000,000 or more, or (ii) one or more non-monetary judgments that have, or would reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect and, in either case (i) or (ii), (A) enforcement proceedings are commenced by any creditor or any such Governmental Authority, as applicable, upon such judgment, order, penalty or fine, as applicable, or (B) such judgment, order, penalty or fine, as applicable, shall not have been vacated, discharged, stayed or bonded, as applicable, pending appeal within thirty (30) days from the entry or issuance thereof;
(i)except solely as a result of any action or inaction of Agent or any Lenders (provided that such action or inaction is not caused by a Credit Party’s failure to comply with the terms of the Financing Documents), any Lien created by any of the Security Documents shall at any time fail to constitute a valid and perfected Lien on all of the Collateral purported to be encumbered thereby, subject to no prior or equal Lien except Permitted Liens, or any Credit Party shall so assert;
(j)the institution by any Governmental Authority of criminal proceedings against any Credit Party;
(k)a default or event of default occurs under any other Financing Document and any applicable grace period under such Financing Document has expired;
(l)if any Credit Party is or becomes an entity whose equity is registered with the SEC, and/or is publicly traded on and/or registered with a public securities exchange, such Credit Party’s equity fails to remain registered with the SEC in good standing, and/or such equity fails to remain publicly traded on and registered with a public securities exchange;
(m)the occurrence of a Material Adverse Effect;
(n)(i) the voluntary withdrawal, Recall or cessation of production (other than any temporary cessation of production in the ordinary course of business) or institution of any action or proceeding by the FDA or similar Governmental Authority to order the withdrawal or Recall of any Product or any Related Product from the market or to enjoin any Credit Party, its Subsidiaries or any representative of any Credit Party or its Subsidiaries or, in the case of any Related Product any manufacturer or distributor of such Related Product, from manufacturing, marketing, selling or distributing any such Product or Related Product, in each case where such withdrawal, Recall or cessation would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, (ii) the institution of any action or proceeding by FDA or any other Governmental Authority to revoke, suspend, reject, withdraw, limit, or restrict any Regulatory Required Permit held by any Credit Party, its Subsidiaries or any representative of Borrower or its Subsidiaries, which, in each case or in the aggregate, has or could reasonably be expected to result in Material Adverse Effect, or (iii) the commencement of any enforcement action against any Credit Party, its Subsidiaries or any representative of any Credit Party or its Subsidiaries (with respect to the business of any Credit Party or its Subsidiaries) by FDA or any other Governmental Authority which has or could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect;
(o)the occurrence of a Change in Control; or
(p)any of the Financing Documents shall for any reason fail to constitute the valid and binding agreement of any party thereto, or any Credit Party shall so assert, in each case, unless such Financing Document terminates pursuant to the terms and conditions thereof without any breach or default thereunder by any Credit Party thereto.
All cure periods provided for in this Section 10.1 shall run concurrently with any cure period provided for in any applicable Financing Documents under which the default occurred.
Section 10.2Acceleration and Suspension or Termination of Term Loan Commitment. Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, Agent may, and shall if requested by Required Lenders, (a) by notice to Borrower Representative suspend or terminate the Term Loan Commitment and the obligations of Agent and the Lenders with respect thereto, in whole or in part (and, if in part, each Lender’s Term Loan Commitment shall be reduced in accordance with its Pro Rata Share), and/or (b) by notice to Borrower Representative declare all or any portion of the Obligations to be, and the Obligations shall thereupon become, immediately due and payable, with accrued interest thereon, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by each Credit Party and Credit Parties will pay the same; provided, however, that in the case of any of the Events of Default specified in Section 10.1(e) or 10.1(f) above, without any notice to any Credit Party or any other act by Agent or the Lenders, the Term Loan Commitment and the obligations of Agent and the Lenders with respect thereto shall thereupon immediately and automatically terminate and all of the Obligations shall become immediately and automatically due and payable without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by each Credit Party and Credit Parties will pay the same.
Section 10.3UCC Remedies.
(a)Upon the occurrence of and during the continuance of an Event of Default under this Agreement or the other Financing Documents, Agent, in addition to all other rights, options, and remedies granted to Agent under this Agreement or at law or in equity, may exercise, either directly or through one or more assignees or designees, all rights and remedies granted to it under all Financing Documents and under the UCC in effect in the applicable jurisdiction(s) and under any other applicable law; including, without limitation:
(i)the right to take possession of, send notices regarding, and collect directly the Collateral, with or without judicial process;
(ii)the right to (by its own means or with judicial assistance) enter any of Credit Parties’ premises and take possession of the Collateral, or render it unusable, or to render it usable or saleable, or dispose of the Collateral on such premises in compliance with subsection (iii) below and to take possession of Credit Parties’ original books and records, to obtain access to Credit Parties’ data processing equipment, computer hardware and software relating to the Collateral and to use all of the foregoing and the information contained therein in any manner Agent deems appropriate, without any liability for rent, storage, utilities, or other sums, and Credit Parties shall not resist or interfere with such action (if Credit Parties’ books and records are prepared or maintained by an accounting service, contractor or other third party agent, Credit Parties hereby irrevocably authorize such service, contractor or other agent, upon notice by Agent to such Person that an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, to deliver to Agent or its designees such books and records, and to follow Agent’s instructions with respect to further services to be rendered);
(iii)the right to require Credit Parties at Credit Parties’ expense to assemble all or any part of the Collateral and make it available to Agent at any place designated by Lender;
(iv)the right to notify postal authorities to change the address for delivery of Credit Parties’ mail to an address designated by Agent and to receive, open and dispose of all mail addressed to any Credit Party; and/or
(v)the right to enforce Credit Parties’ rights against Account Debtors and other obligors, including, without limitation, (i) the right to collect Accounts directly in Agent’s own name (as agent for Lenders) and to charge the collection costs and expenses, including documented out-of-pocket attorneys’ fees, to Credit Parties, and (ii) the right, in the name of Agent or any designee of Agent or Credit Parties, to verify the validity, amount or any other matter relating to any Accounts by mail, telephone, telegraph or otherwise, including, without limitation, verification of Credit Parties’ compliance with applicable Laws. Credit Parties shall cooperate fully with Agent in an effort to facilitate and promptly conclude such verification process. Such verification may include contacts between Agent and applicable federal, state and local regulatory authorities having jurisdiction over the Credit Parties’ affairs, all of which contacts Credit Parties hereby irrevocably authorize.
(b)Each Credit Party agrees that a notice received by it at least ten (10) days before the time of any intended public sale, or the time after which any private sale or other disposition of the Collateral is to be made, shall be deemed to be reasonable notice of such sale or other disposition. If permitted by applicable law, any perishable Collateral which threatens to speedily decline in value or which is sold on a recognized market may be sold immediately by Agent without prior notice to Credit Parties. At any sale or disposition of Collateral, Agent may (to the extent permitted by applicable law) purchase all or any part of the Collateral, free from any right of redemption by Credit Parties, which right is hereby waived and released. Each Credit Party covenants and agrees not to interfere with or impose any obstacle to Agent’s exercise of its rights and remedies with respect to the Collateral. Agent shall have no obligation to clean-up or otherwise prepare the Collateral for sale. Agent may comply with any applicable state or federal law requirements in connection with a disposition of the Collateral and compliance will not be considered to adversely affect the commercial reasonableness of any sale of the Collateral. Agent may sell the Collateral without giving any warranties as to the Collateral. Agent may specifically disclaim any warranties of title or the like. This procedure will not be considered to adversely affect the commercial reasonableness of any sale of the Collateral. If Agent sells any of the Collateral upon credit, Credit Parties will be credited only with payments actually made by the purchaser, received by Agent and applied to the indebtedness of the purchaser. In the event the purchaser fails to pay for the Collateral, Agent may resell the Collateral and Credit Parties shall be credited with the proceeds of the sale. Credit Parties shall remain liable for any deficiency if the proceeds of any sale or disposition of the Collateral are insufficient to pay all Obligations.
(c)Without restricting the generality of the foregoing and for the purposes aforesaid, each Credit Party hereby appoints and constitutes Agent its lawful attorney-in-fact with full power of substitution in the Collateral, upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, solely for the purposes of carrying out the terms of the Financing Documents or the Agent and Lenders rights or remedies thereunder, to (i) use unadvanced funds remaining under this Agreement or which may be reserved, escrowed or set aside for any purposes hereunder at any time, or to advance funds in excess of the face amount of the Notes, (ii) pay, settle or compromise all existing bills and claims, which may be Liens or security interests, or to avoid such bills and claims becoming Liens against the Collateral, (iii) execute all applications and certificates in the name of such Credit Party and to prosecute and defend all actions or proceedings in connection with the Collateral, and (iv) do any and every act which such Credit Party might do in its own behalf; it being understood and agreed that this power of attorney in this subsection (c) shall be a power coupled with an interest and cannot be revoked, but shall be terminated upon payment in full of all Obligations (other than inchoate indemnity obligations for which no claim has yet been made) and the termination of the Term Loan Commitments.
(d)Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, subject to any right of any third parties and/or any agreement between any Borrower and any third party to the extent not granted or entered into in contravention of the terms of this Agreement, Agent and each Lender is hereby granted a non-exclusive, royalty-free license or other right to use, upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, without charge, Credit Parties’ labels, mask works, rights of use of any name, any other Intellectual Property and advertising matter, and any similar property as it pertains to the Collateral, in completing production of, advertising for sale, and selling any Collateral and, in connection with Agent’s exercise of its rights under this Article, Credit Parties’ rights under all licenses (whether as licensor or licensee) and all franchise agreements inure to Agent’s and each Lender’s benefit, subject to any rights of third party licensors or licensees, as applicable.
Section 10.4Protective Payments. At any time Agent reasonably believes an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, if any Credit Party fails to pay or perform any covenant or obligation under this Agreement or any other Financing Document, Agent may pay or perform such covenant or obligation, and all amounts so paid by Agent are Protective Advances and immediately due and payable, constituting principal and bearing interest at the then highest applicable rate for the Loans hereunder, and secured by the Collateral.
No such payments or performance by Agent shall be construed as an agreement to make similar payments or performance in the future or constitute Agent’s waiver of any Event of Default. Without limiting the foregoing, each Lender and Borrower hereby authorizes Agent, without the necessity of any notice or further consent from any Lender, from time to time after the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, to make any Protective Advance with respect to any Collateral or the Financing Documents which may be necessary to protect the priority, validity or enforceability of any lien on, and security interest in, any Collateral and the instruments evidencing or securing the obligations of Borrower under the Financing Documents. Credit Parties agree to pay on demand all Protective Advances. The Lenders must reimburse Agent for any Protective Advances (in accordance with their Pro Rata Shares) to the extent not reimbursed by Credit Parties.
Section 10.5Default Rate of Interest. At the election of Agent or Required Lenders, after the occurrence of an Event of Default and for so long as it continues, the Loans and other Obligations shall bear interest at rates that are two percent (2.0%) per annum in excess of the rates otherwise payable under this Agreement; provided, however, that in the case of any Event of Default specified in Section 10.1(e) or 10.1(f) above, such default rates shall apply immediately and automatically without the need for any election or action of any kind on the part of Agent or any Lender.
Section 10.6Setoff Rights. During the continuance of any Event of Default, each Lender is hereby authorized by each Credit Party at any time or from time to time, with reasonably prompt subsequent notice to such Credit Party (any prior or contemporaneous notice being hereby expressly waived) to set off and to appropriate and to apply any and all (a) balances held by such Lender or any of such Lender’s Affiliates at any of its offices for the account of such Credit Party or any of its Subsidiaries (regardless of whether such balances are then due to such Credit Party or its Subsidiaries), and (b) other property at any time held or owing by such Lender to or for the credit or for the account of such Credit Party or any of its Subsidiaries, against and on account of any of the Obligations (other than inchoate indemnification obligations for which no claim has yet been made); except that no Lender shall exercise any such right without the prior written consent of Agent. Any Lender exercising a right to set off shall purchase for cash (and the other Lenders shall sell) interests in each of such other Lender’s Pro Rata Share of the Obligations as would be necessary to cause all Lenders to share the amount so set off with each other Lender in accordance with their respective Pro Rata Share of the Obligations. Each Credit Party agrees, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that any Lender and any of such Lender’s Affiliates may exercise its right to set off with respect to the Obligations as provided in this Section 10.6.
Section 10.7Application of Proceeds.
(a)Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, each Credit Party irrevocably waives the right to direct the application of any and all payments at any time or times thereafter received by Agent from or on behalf of such Borrower or any Guarantor of all or any part of the Obligations, and, as between Credit Parties on the one hand and Agent and Lenders on the other, Agent shall have the continuing and exclusive right to apply and to reapply any and all payments received by Agent against the Obligations in such manner as Agent may deem advisable notwithstanding any previous application by Agent.
(b)Following the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, but absent the occurrence and continuance of an Acceleration Event, Agent shall apply any and all payments received by Agent in respect of the Obligations, and any and all proceeds of Collateral received by Agent in such order as Agent may from time to time elect.
(c)Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement, if an Acceleration Event shall have occurred, and so long as it continues, Agent shall apply any and all payments received by Agent in respect of the Obligations, and any and all proceeds of Collateral received by Agent in the following order: first, to all fees, costs, indemnities, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred by or owing to Agent with respect to this Agreement, the other Financing Documents or the Collateral and all Protective Advances and all accrued and unpaid interest due in respect of Protective Advances; second, to all fees, costs, indemnities, liabilities, obligations and expenses incurred by or owing to any Lender with respect to this Agreement, the other Financing Documents or the Collateral; third, to accrued and unpaid interest on the Obligations (including any interest which, but for the provisions of the Bankruptcy Code, would have accrued on such amounts); fourth, to the principal amount of the Obligations outstanding; and fifth to any other indebtedness or obligations of
Credit Parties owing to Agent or any Lender under the Financing Documents. Any balance remaining shall be delivered to Credit Parties or to whomever may be lawfully entitled to receive such balance or as a court of competent jurisdiction may direct. In carrying out the foregoing, (y) amounts received shall be applied in the numerical order provided until exhausted prior to the application to the next succeeding category, and (z) each of the Persons entitled to receive a payment in any particular category shall receive an amount equal to its Pro Rata Share of amounts available to be applied pursuant thereto for such category.
Section 10.8Waivers.
(a)Except as otherwise provided for in this Agreement and to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, each Credit Party waives: (i) presentment, demand and protest, and notice of presentment, dishonor, intent to accelerate, acceleration, protest, default, nonpayment, maturity, release, compromise, settlement, extension or renewal of any or all Financing Documents, the Notes or any other notes, commercial paper, accounts, contracts, documents, Instruments, Chattel Paper and Guarantees at any time held by Lenders on which any Credit Party may in any way be liable, and hereby ratifies and confirms whatever Lenders may lawfully do in this regard; (ii) all rights to notice and a hearing prior to Agent’s or any Lender’s taking possession or control of, or to Agent’s or any Lender’s replevy, attachment or levy upon, any Collateral or any bond or security which might be required by any court prior to allowing Agent or any Lender to exercise any of its remedies; and (iii) the benefit of all valuation, appraisal and exemption Laws. Each Credit Party acknowledges that it has been advised by counsel of its choices and decisions with respect to this Agreement, the other Financing Documents and the transactions evidenced hereby and thereby.
(b)Each Credit Party for itself and all its successors and assigns, (i) agrees that its liability shall not be in any manner affected by any indulgence, extension of time, renewal, waiver, or modification granted or consented to by Lender and made in accordance with the terms of any Financing Document; (ii) consents to any indulgences and all extensions of time, renewals, waivers, or modifications that may be granted by Agent or any Lender with respect to the payment or other provisions of the Financing Documents and made in accordance with the terms of any Financing Document, and to any substitution, exchange or release of the Collateral, or any part thereof, with or without substitution, and agrees to the addition or release of any Credit Party, endorsers, guarantors, or sureties, or whether primarily or secondarily liable, without notice to any other Credit Party and without affecting its liability hereunder; (iii) agrees that its liability shall be unconditional and without regard to the liability of any other Credit Party, Agent or any Lender for any tax on the indebtedness; and (iv) to the fullest extent permitted by law, expressly waives the benefit of any statute or rule of law or equity now provided, or which may hereafter be provided, which would produce a result contrary to or in conflict with the foregoing.
(c)To the extent that Agent or any Lender may have acquiesced in any noncompliance with any requirements or conditions precedent to the closing of the Loans or to any subsequent disbursement of Loan proceeds, such acquiescence shall not be deemed to constitute a waiver by Agent or any Lender of such requirements with respect to any future disbursements of Loan proceeds and Agent or any Lender may at any time after such acquiescence require Credit Parties to comply with all such requirements. Any forbearance by Agent or Lender in exercising any right or remedy under any of the Financing Documents, or otherwise afforded by applicable law, including any failure to accelerate the maturity date of the Loans, shall not be a waiver of or preclude the exercise of any right or remedy nor shall it serve as a novation of the Notes or as a reinstatement of the Loans or a waiver of such right of acceleration or the right to insist upon strict compliance of the terms of the Financing Documents. Agent’s or any Lender’s acceptance of payment of any sum secured by any of the Financing Documents after the due date of such payment shall not be a waiver of Agent’s, and such Lender’s right to either require prompt payment when due of all other sums so secured or to declare a default for failure to make prompt payment. The procurement of insurance or the payment of taxes or other Liens or charges by Agent as the result of an Event of Default shall not be a waiver of Agent’s right to accelerate the maturity of the Loans, nor shall Agent’s receipt of any condemnation awards, insurance proceeds, or damages under this Agreement operate to cure or waive any Credit Party’s default in payment of sums secured by any of the Financing Documents.
(d)Without limiting the generality of anything contained in this Agreement or the other Financing Documents, each Credit Party agrees that if an Event of Default is continuing (i) Agent and Lenders shall not be subject to any “one action” or “election of remedies” law or rule, and (ii) all Liens and other rights, remedies or privileges provided to Agent or Lenders shall remain in full force and effect until Agent or Lenders have exhausted all remedies against the Collateral and any other properties owned by Credit Parties and the Financing Documents and other security instruments or agreements securing the Loans have been foreclosed, sold and/or otherwise realized upon in satisfaction of Credit Parties’ obligations under the Financing Documents.
(e)Nothing contained herein or in any other Financing Document shall be construed as requiring Agent or any Lender to resort to any part of the Collateral for the satisfaction of any of Credit Parties’ obligations under the Financing Documents in preference or priority to any other Collateral, and Agent may seek satisfaction out of all of the Collateral or any part thereof, in its absolute discretion in respect of Credit Parties’ obligations under the Financing Documents. In addition, Agent shall have the right from time to time to partially foreclose upon any Collateral in any manner and for any amounts secured by the Financing Documents then due and payable as determined by Agent in its sole discretion, including, without limitation, the following circumstances: (i) in the event any Credit Party defaults beyond any applicable grace period in the payment of one or more scheduled payments of principal and/or interest, Agent may foreclose upon all or any part of the Collateral to recover such delinquent payments, or (ii) in the event Agent elects to accelerate less than the entire outstanding principal balance of the Loans, Agent may foreclose all or any part of the Collateral to recover so much of the principal balance of the Loans as Lender may accelerate and such other sums secured by one or more of the Financing Documents as Agent may elect. Notwithstanding one or more partial foreclosures, any unforeclosed Collateral shall remain subject to the Financing Documents to secure payment of sums secured by the Financing Documents and not previously recovered.
(f)To the fullest extent permitted by law, each Credit Party, for itself and its successors and assigns, waives in the event of foreclosure of any or all of the Collateral any equitable right otherwise available to any Credit Party which would require the separate sale of any of the Collateral or require Agent or Lenders to exhaust their remedies against any part of the Collateral before proceeding against any other part of the Collateral; and further in the event of such foreclosure each Credit Party does hereby expressly consent to and authorize, at the option of Agent, the foreclosure and sale either separately or together of each part of the Collateral.
Section 10.9Injunctive Relief. The parties acknowledge and agree that, in the event of a breach or threatened breach of any Credit Party’s obligations under any Financing Documents, Agent and Lenders may have no adequate remedy in money damages and, accordingly, shall be entitled to an injunction (including, without limitation, a temporary restraining order, preliminary injunction, writ of attachment, or order compelling an audit) against such breach or threatened breach, including, without limitation, maintaining any cash management and collection procedure described herein. However, no specification in this Agreement of a specific legal or equitable remedy shall be construed as a waiver or prohibition against any other legal or equitable remedies in the event of a breach or threatened breach of any provision of this Agreement. Each Credit Party waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the requirement of the posting of any bond in connection with such injunctive relief. By joining in the Financing Documents as a Credit Party, each Credit Party specifically joins in this Section as if this Section were a part of each Financing Document executed by such Credit Party.
Section 10.10Marshalling; Payments Set Aside. Neither Agent nor any Lender shall be under any obligation to marshal any assets in payment of any or all of the Obligations. To the extent that any Credit Party makes any payment or Agent enforces its Liens or Agent or any Lender exercises its right of set-off, and such payment or the proceeds of such enforcement or set-off is subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside, or required to be repaid by anyone, then to the extent of such recovery, the Obligations or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied, and all Liens, rights and remedies therefor, shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such enforcement or set-off had not occurred.
Article 11- AGENT
Section 11.1Appointment and Authorization.
(a)Each Lender hereby irrevocably appoints and authorizes Agent to enter into each of the Financing Documents to which it is a party (other than this Agreement) on its behalf and to take such actions as Agent on its behalf and to exercise such powers under the Financing Documents as are delegated to Agent by the terms thereof, together with all such powers as are reasonably incidental thereto.
(b)Subject to the terms of Section 11.16 and to the terms of the other Financing Documents, Agent is authorized and empowered to amend, modify, or waive any provisions of this Agreement or the other Financing Documents on behalf of Lenders.
(c)The provisions of this Article 11 are solely for the benefit of Agent and Lenders and neither any Borrower nor any other Credit Party shall have any rights as a third party beneficiary of any of the provisions of this Article 11, other than Sections 11.9 and 11.17. In performing its functions and duties under this Agreement, Agent shall act solely as agent of Lenders and does not assume and shall not be deemed to have assumed any obligation toward or relationship of agency or trust with or for any Borrower or any other Credit Party.
(d)Agent may, upon any term or condition it specifies, delegate or exercise any of its rights, powers and remedies under, and delegate or perform any of its duties or any other action with respect to, any Financing Document by or through any agents, servicers, trustees, investment managers, employees, attorney-in-fact or any other Person (including any Lender). Any such Person shall benefit from this Article 11 to the extent provided by Agent.
Section 11.2Agent and Affiliates. Agent shall have the same rights and powers under the Financing Documents as any other Lender and may exercise or refrain from exercising the same as though it were not Agent, and Agent and its Affiliates may lend money to, invest in and generally engage in any kind of business with each Credit Party or Affiliate of any Credit Party as if it were not Agent hereunder.
Section 11.3Action by Agent. The duties of Agent shall be mechanical and administrative in nature. Agent shall not have by reason of this Agreement a fiduciary relationship in respect of any Lender. Nothing in this Agreement or any of the Financing Documents is intended to or shall be construed to impose upon Agent any obligations in respect of this Agreement or any of the Financing Documents except as expressly set forth herein or therein.
Section 11.4Consultation with Experts. Agent may consult with legal counsel, independent public accountants and other experts selected by it and shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the advice of such counsel, accountants or experts.
Section 11.5Liability of Agent. Neither Agent nor any of its directors, officers, agents, trustees, investment managers, servicers or employees shall be liable to any Lender for any action taken or not taken by it in connection with the Financing Documents, except that Agent shall each be liable with respect to its specific duties set forth hereunder but only to the extent of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct in the discharge thereof as determined by a final non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction. Neither Agent nor any of its directors, officers, agents, trustees, investment managers, servicers or employees shall be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain, inquire into or verify (a) any statement, warranty or representation made in connection with any Financing Document or any borrowing hereunder; (b) the performance or observance of any of the covenants or agreements specified in any Financing Document; (c) the satisfaction of any condition specified in any Financing Document; (d) the validity, effectiveness, sufficiency or genuineness of any Financing Document, any Lien purported to be created or perfected thereby or any other instrument or writing furnished in connection therewith; (e) the existence or non-existence of any Default or Event of Default; or (f) the financial condition of any Credit Party. Agent shall not incur any liability by acting in reliance upon any notice, consent, certificate, statement, or other writing (which may be a bank wire, facsimile or electronic transmission or similar writing) believed by it to be genuine or to be signed by the proper party or parties. Agent shall not be liable for any apportionment or distribution of payments made by it in good faith and if any such apportionment or distribution is subsequently determined to have been made in error the sole recourse of any Lender to whom payment was due but not made, shall be to recover from other Lenders any payment in excess of the amount to which they are determined to be entitled (and such other Lenders hereby agree to return to such Lender any such Erroneous Payments received by them).
Section 11.6Indemnification. Each Lender shall, in accordance with its Pro Rata Share, indemnify Agent (to the extent not reimbursed by Credit Parties) upon demand against any cost, expense (including counsel fees and disbursements), claim, demand, action, loss or liability (except such as result from Agent’s gross negligence or willful misconduct as determined by a final non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction) that Agent may suffer or incur in connection with the Financing Documents or any action taken or omitted by Agent hereunder or thereunder. If any indemnity furnished to Agent for any purpose shall, in the opinion of Agent be insufficient or become impaired, Agent may call for additional indemnity and cease, or not commence, to do the acts indemnified against even if so directed by Required Lenders until such additional indemnity is furnished.
Section 11.7Right to Request and Act on Instructions. Agent may at any time request instructions from Lenders with respect to any actions or approvals which by the terms of this Agreement or of any of the Financing Documents Agent is permitted or desires to take or to grant, and if such instructions are promptly requested, Agent shall be absolutely entitled to refrain from taking any action or to withhold any approval and shall not be under any liability whatsoever to any Person for refraining from any action or withholding any approval under any of the Financing Documents until it shall have received such instructions from Required Lenders or all or such other portion of the Lenders as shall be prescribed by this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing, no Lender shall have any right of action whatsoever against Agent as a result of Agent acting or refraining from acting under this Agreement or any of the other Financing Documents in accordance with the instructions of Required Lenders (or all or such other portion of the Lenders as shall be prescribed by this Agreement) and, notwithstanding the instructions of Required Lenders (or such other applicable portion of the Lenders), Agent shall not have any obligation to take any action if it believes, in good faith, that such action would violate applicable Law or exposes Agent to any liability for which it has not received satisfactory indemnification in accordance with the provisions of Section 11.6.
Section 11.8Credit Decision. Each Lender acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon Agent or any other Lender, and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement. Each Lender also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon Agent or any other Lender, and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit decisions in taking or not taking any action under the Financing Documents.
Section 11.9Collateral Matters. Lenders irrevocably authorize Agent, at its option and in its reasonable discretion, to (a) release any Lien granted to or held by Agent under any Security Document (i) upon termination of the Term Loan Commitment and payment in full of all Obligations (other than inchoate indemnification obligations for which no claim has yet been made); (ii) constituting property sold or disposed of as part of or in connection with any disposition permitted under any Financing Document (it being understood and agreed that Agent may conclusively rely without further inquiry on a certificate of a Responsible Officer as to the sale or other disposition of property being made in full compliance with the provisions of the Financing Documents) or (iii) to the extent such Lien is on property owned by a Guarantor and such Guarantor is released from its Obligations under the applicable Guarantee and; and (b) subordinate any Lien granted to or held by Agent under any Security Document to a Permitted Lien that is allowed to have priority over the Liens granted to or held by Agent pursuant to the definition of “Permitted Liens”. Upon request by Agent at any time, Lenders will confirm Agent’s authority to release and/or subordinate particular types or items of Collateral pursuant to this Section 11.9. Upon reasonable request of Borrowers, Agent shall execute and deliver and/or authorize the filing of all documents, in each case in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent, to evidence such termination or release and to deliver to Borrowers any such Collateral held by Agent hereunder.
Section 11.10Agency for Perfection. Agent and each Lender hereby appoint each other Lender as agent for the purpose of perfecting Agent’s security interest in assets which, in accordance with the Uniform Commercial Code in any applicable jurisdiction, can be perfected by possession or control. Should any Lender (other than Agent) obtain possession or control of any such assets, such Lender shall notify Agent thereof, and, promptly upon Agent’s request therefor, shall deliver such assets to Agent or in accordance with Agent’s instructions or transfer control to Agent in accordance with Agent’s instructions. Each Lender agrees that it will not have any right individually to enforce or seek to enforce any Security Document or to realize upon any Collateral for the Loan unless instructed to do so by Agent (or consented to by Agent), it being understood and agreed that such rights and remedies may be exercised only by Agent.
Section 11.11Notice of Default. Agent shall not be deemed to have knowledge or notice of the occurrence of any Default or Event of Default except with respect to defaults in the payment of principal, interest and fees required to be paid to Agent for the account of Lenders, unless Agent shall have received written notice from a Lender or a Credit Party referring to this Agreement, describing such Default or Event of Default and stating that such notice is a “notice of default”.
Agent will notify each Lender of its receipt of any such notice. Agent shall take such action with respect to such Default or Event of Default as may be requested by Required Lenders (or all or such other portion of the Lenders as shall be prescribed by this Agreement) in accordance with the terms hereof. Unless and until Agent has received any such request, Agent may (but shall not be obligated to) take such action, or refrain from taking such action, with respect to such Default or Event of Default as it shall deem advisable or in the best interests of Lenders.
Section 11.12Assignment by Agent; Resignation of Agent; Successor Agent.
(a)Agent may at any time assign its rights, powers, privileges and duties hereunder to (i) another Lender or an Affiliate of Agent or any Lender or any Approved Fund, or (ii) any Eligible Assignee to whom Agent, in its capacity as a Lender, has assigned (or will assign, in conjunction with such assignment of agency rights hereunder) 50% or more of its Loan, in each case without the consent of the Lenders or Credit Parties. Following any such assignment, Agent shall endeavor to give notice to the Lenders and Borrowers. Failure to give such notice shall not affect such assignment in any way or cause the assignment to be ineffective. An assignment by Agent pursuant to this subsection (a) shall not be deemed a resignation by Agent for purposes of subsection (b) below.
(b)Without limiting the rights of Agent to designate an assignee pursuant to subsection (a) above, Agent may at any time give notice of its resignation to the Lenders and Borrowers. Upon receipt of any such notice of resignation, Required Lenders shall have the right to appoint a successor Agent which successor Agent shall be an Eligible Assignee. If no such successor shall have been so appointed by Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment within ten (10) Business Days after the retiring Agent gives notice of its resignation, then the retiring Agent may on behalf of the Lenders, appoint a successor Agent, which successor Agent shall be an Eligible Assignee; provided, however, that if Agent shall notify Borrowers and the Lenders that no Person has accepted such appointment, then such resignation shall nonetheless become effective in accordance with such notice from Agent that no Person has accepted such appointment and, from and following delivery of such notice, (i) the retiring Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder and under the other Financing Documents, and (ii) all payments, communications and determinations provided to be made by, to or through Agent shall instead be made by or to each Lender directly, until such time as Required Lenders appoint a successor Agent as provided for above in this paragraph.
(c)Upon (i) an assignment permitted by subsection (a) above, or (ii) the acceptance of a successor’s appointment as Agent pursuant to subsection (b) above, such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring (or retired) Agent, and the retiring Agent shall be discharged from all of its duties and obligations hereunder and under the other Financing Documents (if not already discharged therefrom as provided above in this paragraph). The fees payable by Borrowers to a successor Agent shall be the same as those payable to its predecessor unless otherwise agreed between Borrowers and such successor. After the retiring Agent’s resignation or retiring hereunder and under the other Financing Documents, the provisions of this Article 11 and Section 11.12 shall continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring Agent and its sub-agents in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any of them while the retiring Agent was acting or was continuing to act as Agent.
Section 11.13Payment and Sharing of Payment.
(a)[Reserved].
(b)Term Loan Payments. Payments of principal, interest and fees in respect of the Term Loans will be settled on the date of receipt if received by Agent on the last Business Day of a month or on the Business Day immediately following the date of receipt if received on any day other than the last Business Day of a month; provided, however, that, in the case such Lender is a Defaulted Lender, Agent shall be entitled to set off the funding short-fall against that Defaulted Lender’s respective share of all payments received from any Credit Party.
(c)Return of Payments.
(i)If Agent pays an amount to a Lender under this Agreement in the belief or expectation that a related payment has been or will be received by Agent from a Credit Party and such related payment is not received by Agent, then Agent will be entitled to recover such amount from such Lender on demand without setoff, counterclaim or deduction of any kind, together with interest accruing on a daily basis at the Federal Funds Rate.
(ii)If Agent determines at any time that any amount received by Agent under this Agreement must be returned to any Credit Party or paid to any other Person pursuant to any insolvency law or otherwise, then, notwithstanding any other term or condition of this Agreement or any other Financing Document, Agent will not be required to distribute any portion thereof to any Lender. In addition, each Lender will repay to Agent on demand any portion of such amount that Agent has distributed to such Lender, together with interest at such rate, if any, as Agent is required to pay to any Credit Party or such other Person, without setoff, counterclaim or deduction of any kind.
(d)Defaulted Lenders. The failure of any Defaulted Lender to make any payment required by it hereunder shall not relieve any other Lender of its obligations to make payment, but neither any other Lender nor Agent shall be responsible for the failure of any Defaulted Lender to make any payment required hereunder. Notwithstanding anything set forth herein to the contrary, a Defaulted Lender shall not have any voting or consent rights under or with respect to any Financing Document or constitute a “Lender” (or be included in the calculation of “Required Lenders” hereunder) for any voting or consent rights under or with respect to any Financing Document.
(e)Sharing of Payments. If any Lender shall obtain any payment or other recovery (whether voluntary, involuntary, by application of setoff or otherwise) on account of any Loan (other than pursuant to the terms of Section 2.8(d)) in excess of its Pro Rata Share of payments entitled pursuant to the other provisions of this Section 11.13, such Lender shall purchase from the other Lenders such participations in extensions of credit made by such other Lenders (without recourse, representation or warranty) as shall be necessary to cause such purchasing Lender to share the excess payment or other recovery ratably with each of them; provided, however, that if all or any portion of the excess payment or other recovery is thereafter required to be returned or otherwise recovered from such purchasing Lender, such portion of such purchase shall be rescinded and each Lender which has sold a participation to the purchasing Lender shall repay to the purchasing Lender the purchase price to the ratable extent of such return or recovery, without interest. Each Credit Party agrees that any Lender so purchasing a participation from another Lender pursuant to this clause (e) may, to the fullest extent permitted by law, exercise all its rights of payment (including pursuant to Section 10.6) with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were the direct creditor of Credit Parties in the amount of such participation). If under any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law, any Lender receives a secured claim in lieu of a setoff to which this clause (e) applies, such Lender shall, to the extent practicable, exercise its rights in respect of such secured claim in a manner consistent with the rights of the Lenders entitled under this clause (e) to share in the benefits of any recovery on such secured claim.
Section 11.14Right to Perform, Preserve and Protect. If any Credit Party fails to perform any obligation hereunder or under any other Financing Document, Agent itself may, but shall not be obligated to, cause such obligation to be performed at Credit Parties’ expense. Agent is further authorized by the Credit Parties and the Lenders to make expenditures from time to time which Agent, in its reasonable business judgment, deems necessary or desirable to (a) preserve or protect the business conducted by the Credit Parties, the Collateral, or any portion thereof, and/or (b) enhance the likelihood of, or maximize the amount of, repayment of the Loan and other Obligations. Each Credit Party hereby agrees to reimburse Agent on demand for any and all costs, liabilities and obligations incurred by Agent pursuant to this Section 11.14. Each Lender hereby agrees to indemnify Agent upon demand for any and all costs, liabilities and obligations incurred by Agent pursuant to this Section 11.14, in accordance with the provisions of Section 11.6.
Section 11.15Additional Titled Agents.
Except for rights and powers, if any, expressly reserved under this Agreement to any bookrunner, arranger or to any titled agent named on the cover page of this Agreement, other than Agent (collectively, the “Additional Titled Agents”), and except for obligations, liabilities, duties and responsibilities, if any, expressly assumed under this Agreement by any Additional Titled Agent, no Additional Titled Agent, in such capacity, has any rights, powers, liabilities, duties or responsibilities hereunder or under any of the other Financing Documents. Without limiting the foregoing, no Additional Titled Agent shall have nor be deemed to have a fiduciary relationship with any Lender. At any time that any Lender serving as an Additional Titled Agent shall have transferred to any other Person (other than any Affiliates) all of its interests in the Loan, such Lender shall be deemed to have concurrently resigned as such Additional Titled Agent.
Section 11.16Amendments and Waivers.
(a)No provision of this Agreement or any other Financing Document may be amended, waived or otherwise modified unless such amendment, waiver or other modification is in writing and is signed or otherwise approved by Borrowers, the Required Lenders and any other Lender to the extent required under Section 11.16(b); provided, however, the Fee Letter may be amended, or rights or privileges thereunder waived, in a writing executed only by the parties thereto.
(b)In addition to the required signatures under Section 11.16(a), no provision of this Agreement or any other Financing Document may be amended, waived or otherwise modified unless such amendment, waiver or other modification is in writing and is signed or otherwise approved by the following Persons:
(i)if any amendment, waiver or other modification would increase a Lender’s funding obligations in respect of any Loan, by such Lender; and/or
(ii)if the rights or duties of Agent are affected thereby, by Agent;
provided, however, that, in each of (i) and (ii) above, no such amendment, waiver or other modification shall, unless signed or otherwise approved in writing by all the Lenders directly affected thereby, (A) reduce the principal of, rate of interest on or any fees with respect to any Loan or forgive any principal, interest (other than default interest) or fees (other than late charges) with respect to any Loan; (B) postpone the date fixed for, or waive, any payment (other than any mandatory prepayment pursuant to Section 2.1(a)(ii)) of principal of any Loan, or of interest on any Loan (other than default interest) or any fees provided for hereunder (other than late charges) or postpone the date of termination of any commitment of any Lender hereunder; (C) change the definition of the term Required Lenders or the percentage of Lenders which shall be required for Lenders to take any action hereunder; (D) release all or substantially all of the Collateral, authorize any Credit Party to sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of the Collateral, release any Guarantor of all or any portion of the Obligations or its Guarantee obligations with respect thereto, except, in each case with respect to this clause (D), as otherwise may be provided in this Agreement or the other Financing Documents (including in connection with any disposition permitted hereunder); (E) amend, waive or otherwise modify this Section 11.16(b) or the definitions of the terms used in this Section 11.16(b) insofar as the definitions affect the substance of this Section 11.16(b); (F) consent to the assignment, delegation or other transfer by any Credit Party of any of its rights and obligations under any Financing Document or release any Credit Party of its payment obligations under any Financing Document, except, in each case with respect to this clause (F), pursuant to a merger or consolidation permitted pursuant to this Agreement; or (G) amend any of the provisions of Section 10.7 or amend any of the definitions Pro Rata Share, Term Loan Commitment, Term Loan Tranche 1 Commitments, Term Loan Tranche 2 Commitments, Term Loan Tranche 3 Commitments, Term Loan Tranche 4 Commitments, Term Loan Commitment Amount, Term Loan Tranche 1 Commitment Amount, Term Loan Tranche 2 Commitment Amount, Term Loan Tranche 3 Commitment Amount, Term Loan Tranche 4 Commitment Amount, Term Loan Commitment Percentage or that provide for the Lenders to receive their Pro Rata Shares of any fees, payments, setoffs or proceeds of Collateral hereunder. It is hereby understood and agreed that all Lenders shall be deemed directly affected by an amendment, waiver or other modification of the type described in the preceding clauses (C), (D), (E), (F) and (G) of the preceding sentence.
Section 11.17Assignments and Participations.
(a)Assignments.
(i)Any Lender may at any time assign to one or more Eligible Assignees all or any portion of such Lender’s Loan together with all related obligations of such Lender hereunder. Except as Agent may otherwise agree, the amount of any such assignment (determined as of the date of the applicable Assignment Agreement or, if a “Trade Date” is specified in such Assignment Agreement, as of such Trade Date) shall be in a minimum aggregate amount equal to $1,000,000 or, if less, the assignor’s entire interests in the outstanding Loan; provided, however, that, in connection with simultaneous assignments to two or more related Approved Funds, such Approved Funds shall be treated as one assignee for purposes of determining compliance with the minimum assignment size referred to above. Credit Parties and Agent shall be entitled to continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with the interests so assigned to an Eligible Assignee until Agent shall have received and accepted an effective Assignment Agreement executed, delivered and fully completed by the applicable parties thereto and a processing fee of $3,500 to be paid by the assigning Lender; provided, however, that only one processing fee shall be payable in connection with simultaneous assignments to two or more related Approved Funds.
(ii)From and after the date on which the conditions described above have been met, (A) such Eligible Assignee shall be deemed automatically to have become a party hereto and, to the extent of the interests assigned to such Eligible Assignee pursuant to such Assignment Agreement, shall have the rights and obligations of a Lender hereunder (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the obligation to deliver applicable documentation pursuant to Section 2.8(c) which such Eligible Assignee shall deliver to Borrower Representative and Agent on or prior to the date of such Assignment Agreement), and (B) the assigning Lender, to the extent that rights and obligations hereunder have been assigned by it pursuant to such Assignment Agreement, shall be released from its rights and obligations hereunder (other than those that survive termination pursuant to Section 2.8(l) and Section 13.1). Upon the request of the Eligible Assignee (and, as applicable, the assigning Lender) pursuant to an effective Assignment Agreement, each Borrower shall execute and deliver to Agent for delivery to the Eligible Assignee (and, as applicable, the assigning Lender) Notes in the aggregate principal amount of the Eligible Assignee’s Loan (and, as applicable, Notes in the principal amount of that portion of the principal amount of the Loan retained by the assigning Lender). Upon receipt by the assigning Lender of such Note, the assigning Lender shall return to Borrower Representative any prior Note held by it.
(iii)Agent, acting solely for this purpose as an agent of Borrower, shall maintain at the office of its servicer located in Bethesda, Maryland a copy of each Assignment Agreement delivered to it and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of each Lender, and the commitments of, and principal amount of the Loan owing to, such Lender pursuant to the terms hereof (the “Register”). The entries in such Register shall be conclusive, absent manifest error, and Borrower, Agent and Lenders may treat each Person whose name is recorded therein pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement, notwithstanding notice to the contrary. Such Register shall be available for inspection by Borrower and any Lender, at any reasonable time upon reasonable prior notice to Agent. Each Lender that sells a participation shall, acting solely for this purpose as an agent of Borrower maintain a register on which it enters the name and address of each Participant and the principal amounts (and stated interest) of each Participant’s interest in the Obligations (each, a “Participant Register”). The entries in the Participant Registers shall be conclusive, absent manifest error. Each Participant Register shall be available for inspection by Borrower and Agent at any reasonable time upon reasonable prior notice to the applicable Lender; provided, that no Lender shall have any obligation to disclose all or any portion of the Participant Register (including the identity of any Participant or any information relating to a Participant’s interest in any commitments, loans, letters of credit or its other obligations under any Financing Document) to any Person (including Borrower) except to the extent that such disclosure is necessary to establish that such commitment, loan, letter of credit or other obligation is in registered form under Section 5f.103-1(c) of the United States Treasury Regulations. For the avoidance of doubt, Agent (in its capacity as Agent) shall have no responsibility for maintaining a Participant Register.
(iv)Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 11.17(a) or any other provision of this Agreement, any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement to secure obligations of such Lender, including any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank; provided, however, that no such pledge or assignment shall release such Lender from any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such Lender as a party hereto.
(v)Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 11.17(a) or any other provision of this Agreement, Agent has the right, but not the obligation, to effectuate assignments of Loan via an electronic settlement system acceptable to Agent as designated in writing from time to time to the Lenders by Agent (the “Settlement Service”). At any time when Agent elects, in its sole discretion, to implement such Settlement Service, each such assignment shall be effected by the assigning Lender and proposed assignee pursuant to the procedures then in effect under the Settlement Service, which procedures shall be consistent with the other provisions of this Section 11.17(a). Each assigning Lender and proposed Eligible Assignee shall comply with the requirements of the Settlement Service in connection with effecting any assignment of Loan pursuant to the Settlement Service. With the prior written approval of Agent, Agent’s approval of such Eligible Assignee shall be deemed to have been automatically granted with respect to any transfer effected through the Settlement Service. Assignments and assumptions of the Loan shall be effected by the provisions otherwise set forth herein until Agent notifies Lenders of the Settlement Service as set forth herein.
(b)Participations. Any Lender may at any time, without the consent of, or notice to, any Credit Party or Agent, sell to one or more Persons (other than any Credit Party or any Credit Party’s Affiliates) participating interests in its Loan, commitments or other interests hereunder (any such Person, a “Participant”); provided that, notwithstanding anything else to the contrary provided herein, so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, no Lender may sell participating interests in its Loan, commitments or other interests hereunder to any Competitor, without the written consent of the Borrower Representative. In the event of a sale by a Lender of a participating interest to a Participant, (i) such Lender’s obligations hereunder shall remain unchanged for all purposes, (ii) Credit Parties and Agent shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations hereunder, and (iii) all amounts payable by each Credit Party shall be determined as if such Lender had not sold such participation and shall be paid directly to such Lender. Each Credit Party agrees that if amounts outstanding under this Agreement are due and payable (as a result of acceleration or otherwise), each Participant shall be deemed to have the right of set-off in respect of its participating interest in amounts owing under this Agreement to the same extent as if the amount of its participating interest were owing directly to it as a Lender under this Agreement; provided, however, that such right of set-off shall be subject to the obligation of each Participant to share with Lenders, and Lenders agree to share with each Participant, as provided in Section 11.5. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (i) no Participant shall be entitled to receive any greater payment under Section 2.8 with respect to any participation than its participating Lender would have been entitled to receive and (ii) any Participant shall deliver applicable documentation pursuant to Section 2.8(c) to its participating Lender.
(c)Replacement of Lenders. Within thirty (30) days after: (i) receipt by Agent of notice and demand from any Lender for payment of additional costs as provided in Section 2.8(h), which demand shall not have been revoked, (ii) any Credit Party is required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 2.8(a) through (h), (iii) any Lender is a Defaulted Lender, and the circumstances causing such status shall not have been cured or waived; or (iv) any failure by any Lender to consent to a requested amendment, waiver or modification to any Financing Document in which Required Lenders have already consented to such amendment, waiver or modification but the consent of each Lender, or each Lender affected thereby, is required with respect thereto (each relevant Lender in the foregoing clauses (i) through (iv) being an “Affected Lender”) each of Borrower Representative and Agent may, at its option, notify such Affected Lender and, in the case of Borrowers’ election, Agent, of such Person’s intention to obtain, at Borrowers’ expense, a replacement Lender (“Replacement Lender”) for such Lender, which Replacement Lender shall be an Eligible Assignee and, in the event the Replacement Lender is to replace an Affected Lender described in the preceding clause (iv), such Replacement Lender consents to the requested amendment, waiver or modification making the replaced Lender an Affected Lender. In the event Borrowers or Agent, as applicable, obtains a Replacement Lender within ninety (90) days following notice of its intention to do so, the Affected Lender shall sell, at par, and assign all of its Loan and funding commitments hereunder to such Replacement Lender in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 11.17(a); provided, however, that (A) Borrowers shall have reimbursed such Lender for its increased costs and additional payments for which it is entitled to reimbursement under Section 2.8(a) through (h), as applicable, of this Agreement through the date of such sale and assignment, and (B) Borrowers shall pay to Agent the $3,500 processing fee in respect of such assignment. In the event that a replaced Lender does not execute an Assignment Agreement pursuant to Section 11.17(a) within five (5) Business Days after receipt by such replaced Lender of notice of replacement pursuant to this Section 11.17(c) and presentation to such replaced Lender of an Assignment Agreement evidencing an assignment pursuant to this Section 11.17(c), such replaced Lender shall be deemed to have consented to the terms of such Assignment Agreement, and any such Assignment Agreement executed by Agent, the Replacement Lender and, to the extent required pursuant to Section 11.17(a), Credit Parties, shall be effective for purposes of this Section 11.17(c) and Section 11.17(a). Upon any such assignment and payment, such replaced Lender shall no longer constitute a “Lender” for purposes hereof, other than with respect to such rights and obligations that survive termination as set forth in Section 13.1.
(d)Credit Party Assignments. No Credit Party may assign, delegate or otherwise transfer any of its rights or other obligations hereunder or under any other Financing Document without the prior written consent of Agent and each Lender.
Section 11.18Funding and Settlement Provisions Applicable When Non-Funding Lenders Exist. So long as Agent has not waived the conditions to the funding of Loans set forth in Section 7.2 or Section 2.1, any Lender may deliver a notice to Agent stating that such Lender shall not fund any tranche of the Term Loan, as applicable, due to the non-satisfaction of one or more conditions to funding Loans set forth in Section 7.2 or Section 2.1, and specifying any such non-satisfied conditions. Any Lender delivering any such notice shall become a non-funding Lender (a “Non-Funding Lender”) for purposes of this Agreement commencing on the Business Day following receipt by Agent of such notice, and shall cease to be a Non-Funding Lender on the date on which such Lender has either revoked the effectiveness of such notice or acknowledged in writing to each of Agent the satisfaction of the condition(s) specified in such notice, or Required Lenders waive the conditions to the funding of such Loans giving rise to such notice by Non-Funding Lender. Each Non-Funding Lender shall remain a Lender for purposes of this Agreement to the extent that such Non-Funding Lender has Term Loans outstanding in excess of Zero Dollars ($0); provided, however, that during any period of time that any Non-Funding Lender exists, and notwithstanding any provision to the contrary set forth herein, the following provisions shall apply:
(a)For purposes of determining the Pro Rata Share of each Lender under clauses (a) and (b) of the definition of such term, each Non-Funding Lender shall be deemed to have a Term Loan Commitment Amount as in effect immediately before such Lender became a Non-Funding Lender.
(b)Except as provided in clause (a) above, the Term Loan Commitment Amount of each Non-Funding Lender shall be deemed to be Zero Dollars ($0).
(c)The Term Loan Commitment at any date of determination during such period shall be deemed to be equal to the sum of (i) the aggregate Term Loan Commitment Amounts of all Lenders, other than the Non-Funding Lenders as of such date plus (ii) the aggregate principal amount outstanding under the Term Loans of all Non-Funding Lenders as of such date.
(d)To the extent that Agent applies proceeds of Collateral or other payments received by Agent to repayment of Term Loans pursuant to Section 10.7, such payments and proceeds shall be applied first in respect of Term Loans made at the time any Non-Funding Lenders exist, and second in respect of all other outstanding Term Loans.
Article 12– GUARANTY
Section 12.1Guaranty. Each Guarantor hereby unconditionally guarantees, as a primary obligor and not merely as a surety, jointly and severally with each other Guarantor when and as due, whether at maturity, by acceleration, by notice of prepayment or otherwise, the due and punctual performance of all of the Obligations, including payment in full of the principal, accrued but unpaid interest and all other amounts due and owing to the Agent and Lenders under the Loans and (b) indemnifies each Lender immediately on demand against any cost, loss or liability suffered by such Lender if any obligations guaranteed by it are or become unenforceable, invalid, voided, avoid or illegal, the amount of which such cost, loss or liability shall be equal to the amount which such Lender would otherwise be entitled to recover. Each payment made by any Guarantor pursuant to this Article 12 shall be made in lawful money of the United States in immediately available funds. Each Guarantor hereby acknowledges and agrees that it is an Affiliate of a Borrower or other interested party and will derive significant economic benefit from the Loans.
Section 12.2Payment of Amounts Owed. The Guarantee hereunder is an absolute, unconditional and continuing guarantee of the full and punctual payment and performance of all of the Obligations and not of their collectability only and is in no way conditioned upon any requirement that the Agent or any Lender first attempt to collect any of the Obligations from any Borrower or resort to any collateral security or other means of obtaining payment. In the event of any default by Borrowers in the payment of the Obligations, after the expiration of any applicable cure or grace period, each Guarantor agrees, on demand by Agent (which demand may be made, subject to any applicable cure or grace period, concurrently with notice to Borrowers that the Borrowers are in default of their obligations), to pay the Obligations, regardless of any defense, right of set-off or recoupment or claims which any Borrower or Guarantor may have against Agent or Lenders or the holder of the Notes other than the defense of payment in full of the Obligations (other than inchoate indemnification obligations for which no claim has yet been made). The choice by Agent or Lenders of one alternative remedy over another shall not be subject to question or challenge by any Guarantor or any other Person, nor shall any such choice be asserted as a defense, setoff, recoupment or failure to mitigate damages in any action, proceeding, or counteraction by Agent or Lenders to recover or seeking any other remedy under this Guarantee, nor shall such choice preclude Agent or Lenders from subsequently electing to exercise a different remedy.
Section 12.3Certain Waivers by Guarantor. To the fullest extent permitted by Law, each Guarantor does hereby:
(a)waive notice of acceptance of this Agreement by Agent and Lenders and any and all notices and demands of every kind which may be required to be given by Law;
(b)agree to refrain from asserting, until after repayment in full of the Obligations (other than inchoate indemnification obligations for which no claim has yet been made) and the termination of Term Loan Commitments, any defense, right of set-off, right of recoupment or other claim which such Guarantor may have against any Borrower;
(c)waive any defense (other than payment in full of the Obligations), right of set-off, right of recoupment or other claim which such Guarantor may have against Agent, Lenders or the holder of the Notes;
(d)waive any and all rights such Guarantor may have under any anti-deficiency statute or other similar protections;
(e)waive all rights at Law or in equity to seek subrogation, contribution, indemnification or any other form of reimbursement or repayment from any Borrower, any other Guarantor or any other person or entity now or hereafter primarily or secondarily liable for any of the Obligations until the Obligations have been paid in full (other than inchoate indemnification obligations for which no claim has yet been made);
(f)waive presentment for payment, demand for payment, notice of nonpayment or dishonor, protest and notice of protest, diligence in collection and any and all formalities which otherwise might be legally required to charge such Guarantor with liability;
(g)waive the benefit of all appraisement, valuation, marshalling, forbearance, stay, extension, redemption, homestead, exemption and moratorium Laws now or hereafter in effect;
(h)waive any defense based on the incapacity, lack of authority, death or disability of any other person or entity or the failure of Agent or Lenders to file or enforce a claim against the estate of any other person or entity in any administrative, bankruptcy or other proceeding;
(i)waive any defense based on an election of remedies by Agent or Lenders, whether or not such election may affect in any way the recourse, subrogation or other rights of such Guarantor against any Borrower, any other Guarantor or any other person in connection with the Obligations;
(j)until after payment in full of the Obligations (other than inchoate indemnification obligations for which no claim has yet been made) and the termination of the Term Loan Commitments, waive any right to file any Claim (as defined below) as part of, and any right to request consolidation of any action or proceeding relating to a Claim with, any action or proceeding filed or maintained by Agent or Lenders to collect any Obligations of such Guarantor to Agent or Lenders hereunder or to exercise any rights or remedies available to Agent or Lenders under the Financing Documents, at law, in equity or otherwise;
(k)waive any defense based on the failure of the Agent or Lenders to (i) provide notice to such Guarantor of a sale or other disposition of any of the security for any of the Obligations, or (ii) conduct such a sale or disposition in a commercially reasonable manner;
(l)waive any defense based on the negligence of Agent or Lenders in administering this Agreement or the other Financing Documents (including, but not limited to, the failure to perfect any security interest in any Collateral), or taking or failing to take any action in connection therewith, provided, however, that such waiver shall not apply to the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Agent or Lenders, as determined by the final, non-appealable decision of a court having proper jurisdiction;
(m)waive the defense of expiration of any statute of limitations affecting the liability of such Guarantor hereunder or the enforcement hereof;
(n)waive any right to file any Claim (as defined below) as part of, and any right to request consolidation of any action or proceeding relating to a Claim with, any action or proceeding filed or maintained by Agent or Lenders to collect any Obligations of such Guarantor to Agent or Lenders hereunder or to exercise any rights or remedies available to Agent or Lenders under the Financing Documents, at law, in equity or otherwise;
(o)agree that neither Agent nor Lenders shall have any obligation to obtain, perfect or retain a security interest in any property to secure any of the Obligations (including any mortgage or security interest contemplated by the Financing Documents), or to protect or insure any such property;
(p)waive any obligation Agent or Lenders may have to disclose to such Guarantor any facts the Agent or Lenders now or hereafter may know or have reasonably available to it regarding the Borrowers or Borrowers’ financial condition, whether or not the Agent or Lenders have a reasonable opportunity to communicate such facts or have reason to believe that any such facts are unknown to such Guarantor or materially increase the risk to such Guarantor beyond the risk such Guarantor intends to assume hereunder;
(q)agree that neither Agent nor Lenders shall be liable in any way for any decrease in the value or marketability of any property securing any of the Obligations which may result from any action or omission of the Agent or Lenders in enforcing any part of this Agreement;
(r)waive any defense based on any invalidity, irregularity or unenforceability, in whole or in part, of any one or more of the Financing Documents;
(s)waive any defense based on any change in the composition of Borrowers, and
(t)waive any defense based on any representations and warranties made by such Guarantor herein or by any Borrower herein or in any of the Financing Documents.
For purposes of this section, the term “Claim” shall mean any claim, action or cause of action, defense, counterclaim, set-off or right of recoupment of any kind or nature against the Agent or Lenders, its officers, directors, employees, agents, members, actuaries, accountants, trustees or attorneys, or any affiliate of the Agent or Lenders in connection with the making, closing, administration, collection or enforcement by the Agent or Lenders of the Obligations.
Section 12.4Guarantor’s Obligations Not Affected by Modifications of Financing Documents. Each Guarantor further agrees that such Guarantor’s liability as guarantor shall not be impaired or affected by any renewals or extensions which may be made from time to time, with or without the knowledge or consent of Guarantor for the time for payment of interest or principal or by any forbearance or delay in collecting interest or principal hereunder, or by any waiver by Agent or Lenders under this Agreement or any other Financing Documents, or by Agent’s or Lenders’ failure or election not to pursue any other remedies it may have against any Borrower or Guarantor, or by any change or modification in the Notes, this Agreement or any other Financing Document, or by the acceptance by Agent or Lenders of any additional security or any increase, substitution or change therein, or by the release by Agent or Lenders of any security or any withdrawal thereof or decrease therein, or by the application of payments received from any source to the payment of any obligation other than the Obligations even though Agent, or Lenders might lawfully have elected to apply such payments to any part or all of the Obligations, it being the intent hereof that, subject to Agent’s or Lenders’ compliance with the terms of this Article 12 and the Financing Documents, each Guarantor shall remain liable for the payment of the Obligations, until the Obligations have been paid in full (other than inchoate indemnification obligations for which no claim has yet been made), notwithstanding any act or thing which might otherwise operate as a legal or equitable discharge of a surety. Each Guarantor further understands and agrees that Agent or Lenders may at any time enter into agreements with Borrowers to amend, modify and/or increase the principal amount of, interest rate applicable to or other economic and non-economic terms of this Agreement or the other Financing Documents, and may waive or release any provision or provisions of this Agreement or the other Financing Documents, and, with reference to such instruments, may make and enter into any such agreement or agreements as Agent, Lenders and Borrowers may deem proper and desirable, without in any manner impairing this Guarantee or any of Agent’s or Lenders’ rights hereunder or each Guarantor’s obligations hereunder, and each Guarantor’s obligations hereunder shall apply to the this Agreement and other Financing Documents as so amended, modified, extended, renewed or increased.
Section 12.5Reinstatement; Deficiency. This guaranty shall continue to be effective or be reinstated (as the case may be) if at any time payment of all or any part of any sum payable pursuant to this Agreement or any other Financing Document is rescinded or otherwise required to be returned by Agent or Lenders upon the insolvency, bankruptcy, dissolution, liquidation, or reorganization of any Borrower, or upon or as a result of the appointment of a receiver, intervenor, custodian or conservator of or trustee or similar officer for, any Borrower or any substantial part of its property, or otherwise, all as though such payment to Agent or Lenders had not been made, regardless of whether Agent or Lenders contested the order requiring the return of such payment. In the event of the foreclosure of the Financing Documents and of a deficiency, each Guarantor hereby promises and agrees forthwith to pay the amount of such deficiency notwithstanding the fact that recovery of said deficiency against Borrowers would not be allowed by applicable law; however, the foregoing shall not be deemed to require that Agent or Lenders institute foreclosure proceedings or otherwise resort to or exhaust any other collateral or security prior to or concurrently with enforcing this guaranty.
Section 12.6Subordination of Borrowers’ Obligations to Guarantors; Claims in Bankruptcy.
(a)Any indebtedness of any Borrower to any Guarantor (including, but not limited to, any right of such Guarantor to a return of any capital contributed to a Borrower), whether now or hereafter existing, is hereby subordinated to the payment of the Obligations. Each Guarantor agrees that, until the Obligations have been paid in full (other than inchoate indemnification obligations for which no claim has yet been made), such Guarantor will not seek, accept, or retain for its own account, any payment from any Borrower on account of such subordinated debt. Until the payment in full of the Obligations (other than inchoate indemnification obligations for which no claim has yet been made) and the termination of the Term Loan Commitments, and except to the extent such payment is permitted by this Agreement or the other Financing Documents, any payments to any Guarantor on account of such subordinated debt shall be collected and received by such Guarantor in trust for Agent and Lenders and shall be immediately paid over to Agent, for the benefit of Agent and Lenders, on account of the Obligations without impairing or releasing the obligations of such Guarantor hereunder. Upon Agent’s request, Borrower and Guarantors shall enter into an intercompany subordination agreement in favor of Agent, for the benefit of the Lenders, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent, subordinating any such indebtedness, together with an intercompany note or other documentation evidencing such indebtedness.
(b)Each Guarantor shall promptly file in any bankruptcy or other proceeding in which the filing of claims is required by law, all claims and proofs of claims that such Guarantor may have against any Borrower or any other Guarantor and does hereby assign to Agent or its nominee (and will, upon request of Agent, reconfirm in writing the assignment to Agent or its nominee of) all rights of such Guarantor under such claims. If such Guarantor does not file any such claim, Agent, as attorney-in-fact for such Guarantor, is hereby irrevocably authorized to do so in the name of such Guarantor, or in Agent’s discretion, to assign the claim to a designee and cause proof of claim to be filed in the name of Agent’s designee. In all such cases, whether in administration, bankruptcy or otherwise, the person or persons authorized to pay such claim shall pay to Agent, for the benefit of Agent and Lenders, the full amount thereof and, to the full extent necessary for that purpose, each Guarantor hereby assigns to the Lenders all of such Guarantor’s rights to any such payments or distributions to which such Guarantor would otherwise be entitled, such assignment being a present and irrevocable assignment of all such rights.
Section 12.7Maximum Liability. The provisions of this Article 12 are severable, and in any action or proceeding involving any state corporate law, or any state, federal or foreign bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other law affecting the rights of creditors generally, if the obligations of any Guarantor under this Article 12 would otherwise be held or determined to be avoidable, invalid or unenforceable on account of the amount of such Guarantor’s liability under this Article 12, then, notwithstanding any other provision of this Article 12 to the contrary, the amount of such liability shall, without any further action by the Guarantors or the Agent or any Lender, be automatically limited and reduced to the highest amount that is valid and enforceable as determined in such action or proceeding (such highest amount determined hereunder being the relevant Guarantor’s “Maximum Liability”). This Section 12.7 with respect to the Maximum Liability of each Guarantor is intended solely to preserve the rights of the Agent and the Lenders to the maximum extent not subject to avoidance under applicable law, and no Guarantor nor any other Person shall have any right or claim under this Section 12.7 with respect to such Maximum Liability, except to the extent necessary so that the obligations of any Guarantor hereunder shall not be rendered voidable under applicable law. Each Guarantor agrees that the Obligations may at any time and from time to time exceed the Maximum Liability of each Guarantor without impairing this guaranty or affecting the rights and remedies of the Agent or the Lenders hereunder, provided that, nothing in this sentence shall be construed to increase any Guarantor’s obligations hereunder beyond its Maximum Liability.
Section 12.8Guarantor’s Investigation. Each Guarantor acknowledges receipt of a copy of each of this Agreement and the other Financing Documents. Each Guarantor has made an independent investigation of the other Credit Parties and of the financial condition of the other Credit Parties. Neither Agent nor any Lender has made and neither Agent nor any Lender does make any representations or warranties as to the income, expense, operation, finances or any other matter or thing affecting any Credit Party nor has Agent or any Lender made any representations or warranties as to the amount or nature of the Obligations of any Credit Party to which this Article 12 applies as specifically herein set forth, nor has Agent or any Lender or any officer, agent or employee of Agent or any Lender or any representative thereof, made any other oral representations, agreements or commitments of any kind or nature, and each Guarantor hereby expressly acknowledges that no such representations or warranties have been made and such Guarantor expressly disclaims reliance on any such representations or warranties.
Section 12.9Termination. The provisions of this Article 12 shall remain in effect until this Agreement has terminated pursuant to its terms and all Obligations (other than inchoate indemnity obligations for which no claim has been made and any other obligations which, by their terms, are to survive the termination of this Agreement) have been paid and satisfied in full.
Section 12.10Representative. Each Guarantor hereby designates Borrower Representative and its representatives and agents on its behalf for the purpose of giving and receiving all notices and other consents hereunder or under any other Financing Document and taking all other actions on behalf of such Guarantor under the Financing Documents. Borrower Representative hereby accepts such appointment.
Section 12.11Guarantor Acknowledgement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Guarantor, by its acceptance of this Guaranty, hereby confirms that it is a Subsidiary of a Borrower and each Guarantor further confirms that it will materially benefit from the Loans made hereunder and the parties hereto intend that this Guaranty not constitute a fraudulent transfer or conveyance for purposes of the Bankruptcy Law (as defined below), the Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act, the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act or any similar federal, state or foreign law to the extent applicable to this Guaranty. In furtherance of that intention, the liabilities of each Guarantor under this Guaranty (the “Liabilities”) shall be limited to the maximum amount that will, after giving effect to such maximum amount and all other contingent and fixed liabilities of such Guarantor that are relevant under such laws, and after giving effect to any collections from, rights to receive contribution from or payments made by or on behalf of any other Person with respect to the Liabilities, result in the Liabilities of such Guarantor under this Guaranty not constituting a fraudulent transfer or conveyance. For purposes hereof, “Bankruptcy Law” means the United States Bankruptcy Code, or any similar federal, state or foreign law for the relief of debtors. This paragraph with respect to the maximum liability of each Guarantor is intended solely to preserve the rights of the holders, to the maximum extent not subject to avoidance under applicable law, and neither a Guarantor nor any other Person shall have any right or claim under this paragraph with respect to such maximum liability, except to the extent necessary so that the obligations of a Guarantor hereunder shall not be rendered voidable under applicable law. Each Guarantor agrees that the Obligations guaranteed hereunder may at any time and from time to time exceed the maximum liability of such Guarantor without impairing this Guaranty or affecting the rights and remedies of the holders hereunder; provided that nothing in this sentence shall be construed to increase such Guarantor’s obligations hereunder beyond its maximum liability.
Article 13- MISCELLANEOUS
Section 13.1Survival. All agreements, representations and warranties made herein and in every other Financing Document shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the other Financing Documents. The provisions of Section 2.10 and Articles 11 and 13 shall survive the payment of the Obligations (both with respect to any Lender and all Lenders collectively) and any termination of this Agreement and any judgment with respect to any Obligations, including any final foreclosure judgment with respect to any Security Document, and no unpaid or unperformed, current or future, Obligations will merge into any such judgment.
Section 13.2No Waivers. No failure or delay by Agent or any Lender in exercising any right, power or privilege under any Financing Document shall operate as a waiver thereof nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege. The rights and remedies herein and therein provided shall be cumulative and not exclusive of any rights or remedies provided by law. Any reference in any Financing Document to the “continuing” nature of any Event of Default shall not be construed as establishing or otherwise indicating that any Borrower or any other Credit Party has the independent right to cure any such Event of Default, but is rather presented merely for convenience should such Event of Default be waived in accordance with the terms of the applicable Financing Documents.
Section 13.3Notices.
(a)All notices, requests and other communications to any party hereunder shall be in writing (including prepaid overnight courier, email or similar writing) and shall be given to such party at its address or e-mail address set forth below or on the signature pages hereof (or, in the case of any such Lender who becomes a Lender after the date hereof, in an Assignment Agreement or in a notice delivered to Borrower Representative and Agent by the assignee Lender forthwith upon such assignment) or at such other address or e-mail address as such party may hereafter specify for the purpose by notice to Agent and Borrower Representative; provided, however, that notices, requests or other communications shall be permitted by electronic means only in accordance with the provisions of
Section 13.3(b) and (c). Each such notice, request or other communication shall be effective (i) if given by electronic means, in accordance with the provisions of Section 13.3(b) and (c), or (ii) if given by mail, prepaid overnight courier or any other means, when received or when receipt is refused at the applicable address specified by this Section 13.3(a).
If to any Credit Party:
Novavax, Inc., as Borrower Representative
Novavax, Inc.
21 Firstfield Road
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Attn: Novavax Legal
Email:
If to Agent or to MCF (or any of its Affiliates or Approved Funds) as a Lender:
MidCap Financial Trust
c/o MidCap Financial Services, LLC, as servicer
7255 Woodmont Ave, Suite 300
Bethesda, MD 20814
Attn: Account Manager for Novavax transaction
Email: With a copy to:
MidCap Financial Trust
c/o MidCap Financial Services, LLC, as servicer
7255 Woodmont Ave, Suite 300
Bethesda, MD 20814
Attn: Legal
Email: If to any Lender other than MidCap: at the address set forth on the signature pages to this Agreement or provided as a notice address for such in connection with any assignment hereunder.
(b)Notices and other communications to the parties hereto may be delivered or furnished by electronic communication (including e-mail and Internet or intranet websites) pursuant to procedures approved from time to time by Agent, provided, however, that the foregoing shall not apply to notices sent directly to any Lender if such Lender has notified Agent that it is incapable of receiving notices by electronic communication. Agent or Borrower Representative may, in their reasonable discretion, agree to accept notices and other communications to them hereunder by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by it, provided, however, that approval of such procedures may be limited to particular notices or communications.
(c)Unless Agent otherwise prescribes, (i) notices and other communications sent to an e-mail address shall be deemed received upon the sender’s receipt of an acknowledgment from the intended recipient (such as by the “return receipt requested” function, as available, return e-mail or other written acknowledgment), and (ii) notices or communications posted to an Internet or intranet website shall be deemed received upon the deemed receipt by the intended recipient at its e-mail address as described in the foregoing clause (i) of notification that such notice or communication is available and identifying the website address therefor, provided, however, that if any such notice or other communication is not sent or posted during normal business hours, such notice or communication shall be deemed to have been sent at the opening of business on the next Business Day.
Section 13.4Severability. In case any provision of or obligation under this Agreement or any other Financing Document shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions or obligations, or of such provision or obligation in any other jurisdiction, shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.
Section 13.5Headings. Headings and captions used in the Financing Documents (including the Exhibits, Schedules and Annexes hereto and thereto) are included for convenience of reference only and shall not be given any substantive effect.
Section 13.6Confidentiality.
(a)[Reserved].
(b)Agent and each Lender shall hold all non-public information regarding the Credit Parties and their respective businesses and obtained by Agent or any Lender pursuant to the requirements hereof in accordance with such Person’s customary procedures for handling information of such nature, except that disclosure of such information may be made (i) to their respective agents, employees, Subsidiaries, Affiliates, attorneys, auditors, professional consultants, rating agencies, insurance industry associations and portfolio management services, (ii) to prospective transferees or purchasers of any interest in the Loans, Agent or a Lender, provided, however, that any such Persons are bound by obligations of confidentiality, (iii) as required by applicable Law, subpoena, judicial order or similar order and in connection with any litigation; provided that (x) prior to any disclosure under this clause (iii), Agent or such Lender agrees to endeavor to provide Borrower Representative with prior notice thereof and with respect to any order, subpoena or legal or administrative order or process, to the extent Agent or such Lender is permitted to provide such prior notice to Borrower Representative pursuant to the terms thereof, and (y) any disclosure under this clause (iii) shall be limited solely to that portion of the non-public information as may be specifically requested or required by such Law, subpoena, judicial order or similar order and in connection with such litigation, in each case as reasonably determined by Agent and its advisors, (iv) as may be required in connection with the examination, audit or similar investigation of such Person, (v) as Agent or any Lender reasonably considers appropriate in contemplation of exercising remedies under the Financing Documents during the continuance of an Event of Default, and (v) to a Person that is a trustee, investment advisor or investment manager, collateral manager, servicer, noteholder or secured party in a Securitization (as hereinafter defined) in connection with the administration, servicing and reporting on the assets serving as collateral for such Securitization. For the purposes of this Section, “Securitization” means (A) the pledge of the Loans as collateral security for loans to a Lender, or (B) a public or private offering by a Lender or any of its Affiliates or their respective successors and assigns, of securities which represent an interest in, or which are collateralized, in whole or in part, by the Loans. Confidential information shall not include information that either: (y) is in the public domain, or becomes part of the public domain after disclosure to such Person through no fault of such Person, or (z) is disclosed to such Person by a Person other than a Credit Party, provided, however, Agent does not have actual knowledge that such Person is prohibited from disclosing such information. The obligations of Agent and Lenders under this Section 13.6 shall supersede and replace the obligations of Agent and Lenders under any confidentiality agreement in respect of this financing executed and delivered by Agent or any Lender prior to the date hereof.
Section 13.7Waiver of Consequential and Other Damages. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, no Credit Party shall assert, and each Credit Party hereby waives, any claim against any Indemnitee (as defined below), on any theory of liability, for special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of this Agreement, any other Financing Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or thereby, the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, any Loan or the use of the proceeds thereof. No Indemnitee shall be liable for any damages arising from the use by unintended recipients of any information or other materials distributed by it through telecommunications, electronic or other information transmission systems in connection with this Agreement or the other Financing Documents or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.
Section 13.8GOVERNING LAW; SUBMISSION TO JURISDICTION.
(a)THIS AGREEMENT, EACH NOTE AND EACH OTHER FINANCING DOCUMENT, AND ALL DISPUTES AND OTHER MATTERS RELATING HERETO OR THERETO OR ARISING THEREFROM (WHETHER SOUNDING IN CONTRACT LAW, TORT LAW OR OTHERWISE), SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND SHALL BE CONSTRUED AND ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICTS OF LAWS PRINCIPLES (OTHER THAN SECTION 5-1401 OF THE GENERAL OBLIGATIONS LAW).
(b)EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY CONSENTS TO THE JURISDICTION OF ANY STATE OR FEDERAL COURT LOCATED IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK, BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN, AND IRREVOCABLY AGREES THAT ALL ACTIONS OR PROCEEDINGS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE OTHER FINANCING DOCUMENTS SHALL BE LITIGATED IN SUCH COURTS. EACH PARTY HERETO EXPRESSLY SUBMITS AND CONSENTS TO THE JURISDICTION OF THE AFORESAID COURTS AND WAIVES ANY DEFENSE OF FORUM NON CONVENIENS. EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY WAIVES PERSONAL SERVICE OF ANY AND ALL PROCESS AND AGREES THAT ALL SUCH SERVICE OF PROCESS MAY BE MADE UPON SUCH PARTY BY CERTIFIED OR REGISTERED MAIL, RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED, ADDRESSED TO SUCH PARTY AT THE ADDRESS SET FORTH IN THIS AGREEMENT AND SERVICE SO MADE SHALL BE COMPLETE TEN (10) DAYS AFTER THE SAME HAS BEEN POSTED.
Section 13.9WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL.
(a)EACH CREDIT PARTY, AGENT, AND THE LENDERS HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE FINANCING DOCUMENTS OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED THEREBY AND AGREES THAT ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING SHALL BE TRIED BEFORE A COURT AND NOT BEFORE A JURY. EACH CREDIT PARTY, AGENT, AND EACH LENDER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THIS WAIVER IS A MATERIAL INDUCEMENT TO ENTER INTO A BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP, THAT EACH HAS RELIED ON THE WAIVER IN ENTERING INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER FINANCING DOCUMENTS, AND THAT EACH WILL CONTINUE TO RELY ON THIS WAIVER IN THEIR RELATED FUTURE DEALINGS. EACH CREDIT PARTY, AGENT AND EACH LENDER WARRANTS AND REPRESENTS THAT IT HAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF REVIEWING THIS JURY WAIVER WITH LEGAL COUNSEL, AND THAT IT KNOWINGLY AND VOLUNTARILY WAIVES ITS JURY TRIAL RIGHTS.
Section 13.10Publication; Advertisement.
(a)Publication. No Credit Party will directly or indirectly publish, disclose or otherwise use in any public disclosure, advertising material, promotional material, press release or interview, any reference to the name, logo or any trademark of MCF or any of its Affiliates or any reference to this Agreement or the financing evidenced hereby, in any case except (i) as required by Law (including any requirements under SEC regulations), subpoena or judicial or similar order, or (ii) with MCF’s prior written consent.
(b)Advertisement. Each Lender and each Credit Party hereby authorizes MCF to publish the name of such Lender and Credit Party, the existence of the financing arrangements referenced under this Agreement, the primary purpose and/or structure of those arrangements, the amount of credit extended under each facility, the title and role of each party to this Agreement, and the total amount of the financing evidenced hereby in any “tombstone”, comparable advertisement or press release which MCF elects to submit for publication. In addition, each Lender and each Credit Party agrees that MCF may provide lending industry trade organizations with information necessary and customary for inclusion in league table measurements after the Closing Date. With respect to any of the foregoing, MCF shall provide Borrowers with an opportunity to review and confer with MCF regarding the contents of any such tombstone, advertisement or information, as applicable, prior to its submission for publication and, following such review period, MCF may, from time to time, publish such information in any media form desired by MCF, until such time that Borrowers shall have requested MCF cease any such further publication.
Section 13.11Counterparts; Integration. This Agreement and the other Financing Documents may be signed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. Signatures by facsimile or by electronic mail delivery of an electronic version of any executed signature page shall bind the parties hereto.
In furtherance of the foregoing, the words “execution”, “signed”, “signature”, “delivery” and words of like import in or relating to any document to be signed in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be deemed to include Electronic Signatures, deliveries or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature, physical delivery thereof or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, to the extent and as provided for in any applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act, or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act. As used herein, “Electronic Signature” means an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to, or associated with, a contract or other record and adopted by a Person with the intent to sign, authenticate or accept such contract or other record. This Agreement and the other Financing Documents constitute the entire agreement and understanding among the parties hereto and supersede any and all prior agreements and understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof.
Section 13.12No Strict Construction. The parties hereto have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. In the event an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties hereto and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any provisions of this Agreement.
Section 13.13Lender Approvals. Unless expressly provided herein to the contrary, any approval, consent, waiver or satisfaction of Agent or Lenders with respect to any matter that is the subject of this Agreement, the other Financing Documents may be granted or withheld by Agent and Lenders in their sole and absolute discretion and credit judgment.
Section 13.14Expenses; Indemnity
(a)Except with respect to Indemnified Taxes, Other Taxes and Excluded Taxes, which shall be governed exclusively by Section 2.8, Credit Parties hereby agree to promptly pay (i) all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs and expenses of Agent (including, without limitation, the fees, reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs and expenses of counsel to, and independent appraisers and consultants retained by Agent) in connection with the examination, review, due diligence investigation, documentation, negotiation, closing and syndication of the transactions contemplated by the Financing Documents, in connection with the performance by Agent of its rights and remedies under the Financing Documents and in connection with the continued administration of the Financing Documents including (A) any amendments, modifications, consents and waivers to and/or under any and all Financing Documents, and (B) any periodic public record searches conducted by or at the request of Agent (including, without limitation, title investigations, UCC searches, fixture filing searches, judgment, pending litigation and tax lien searches and searches of applicable corporate, limited liability, partnership and related records concerning the continued existence, organization and good standing of Credit Parties and their Subsidiaries); (ii) without limitation of the preceding clause (i), all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs and expenses of Agent in connection with the creation, perfection and maintenance of Liens pursuant to the Financing Documents other than disputes solely among Lenders and/or Agent (other than any claims against such person in its capacity or in fulfilling its role as Agent, arranger or any similar role hereunder) to the extent such disputes do not arise from any act or omission of any Credit Party or of any Affiliate of a Credit Party; (iii) without limitation of the preceding clause (i), all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs and expenses of Agent in connection with protecting, storing, insuring, handling, maintaining or selling any Collateral; (iv) without limitation of the preceding clause (i), all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs and expenses of Agent in connection with Agent’s reservation of funds in anticipation of the funding of the initial Loans to be made hereunder; and (v) all documented out-of-pocket costs and expenses incurred by Agent or Lenders in connection with (A) any litigation, dispute, suit or proceeding relating to any Financing Document, other than disputes solely among Lenders and/or Agent (other than any claims against such person in its capacity or in fulfilling its role as Agent, arranger or any similar role hereunder) to the extent such disputes do not arise from any act or omission of any Credit Party or of any Affiliate of a Credit Party, and/or (B) in connection with any workout, collection, bankruptcy, insolvency and other enforcement proceedings under any and all Financing Documents, whether or not Agent or Lenders are a party thereto.
(b)Each Credit Party hereby agrees to indemnify, pay and hold harmless Agent and Lenders and the officers, directors, employees, trustees, agents, investment advisors and investment managers, collateral managers, servicers, and counsel of Agent and Lenders (collectively called the “Indemnitees”) from and against any and all liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, actions, judgments, suits, claims, costs, expenses and disbursements of any kind or nature whatsoever (including the reasonable and documented out-of-pocket fees and disbursements of counsel for such Indemnitee) in connection with any investigative, response, remedial, administrative or judicial matter or proceeding, whether or not such Indemnitee shall be designated a party thereto and including any such proceeding initiated by or on behalf of a Credit Party, and the reasonable expenses of investigation by engineers, environmental consultants and similar technical personnel and any commission, fee or compensation claimed by any broker (other than any broker retained by Agent or Lenders) asserting any right to payment for the transactions contemplated hereby, which may be imposed on, incurred by or asserted against such Indemnitee as a result of or in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby or by the other Financing Documents (including (i)(A) as a direct or indirect result of the presence on or under, or escape, seepage, leakage, spillage, discharge, emission or release from, any property now or previously owned, leased or operated by a Credit Party, any Subsidiary or any other Person of any Hazardous Materials, (B) arising out of or relating to the offsite disposal of any materials generated or present on any such property, or (C) arising out of or resulting from the environmental condition of any such property or the applicability of any governmental requirements relating to Hazardous Materials, whether or not occasioned wholly or in part by any condition, accident or event caused by any act or omission of a Credit Party or any Subsidiary, and (ii) proposed and actual extensions of credit under this Agreement) and the use or intended use of the proceeds of the Loans, except that Credit Parties shall have no obligation hereunder to an Indemnitee with respect to any liability resulting from (x) the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee, as determined by a final non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction, or (y) disputes solely among any Indemnitees (other than any claims against an Indemnitee in its capacity or in fulfilling its role as Agent, arranger or any similar role hereunder) to the extent such disputes do not arise from any act or omission of any Credit Party or of any of any Credit Party’s Affiliates, unless such claims arise from the bad faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct of any such Person). To the extent that the undertaking set forth in the immediately preceding sentence may be unenforceable, Credit Parties shall contribute the maximum portion which it is permitted to pay and satisfy under applicable Law to the payment and satisfaction of all such indemnified liabilities incurred by the Indemnitees or any of them. This Section 13.14(b) shall not apply with respect to Taxes other than any Taxes that represent liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, claims etc. arising from any non-Tax claim.
(c)Notwithstanding any contrary provision in this Agreement, the obligations of Credit Parties under this Section 13.14 shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement. NO INDEMNITEE SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE TO THE CREDIT PARTIES OR TO ANY OTHER PARTY TO ANY FINANCING DOCUMENT, ANY SUCCESSOR, ASSIGNEE OR THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARY OR ANY OTHER PERSON ASSERTING CLAIMS DERIVATIVELY THROUGH SUCH PARTY, FOR INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, EXEMPLARY OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES WHICH MAY BE ALLEGED AS A RESULT OF CREDIT HAVING BEEN EXTENDED, SUSPENDED OR TERMINATED UNDER THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER FINANCING DOCUMENT OR AS A RESULT OF ANY OTHER TRANSACTION CONTEMPLATED HEREUNDER OR THEREUNDER.
Section 13.15RESERVED.
Section 13.16Reinstatement. This Agreement shall remain in full force and effect and continue to be effective should any petition or other proceeding be filed by or against any Credit Party for liquidation or reorganization, should any Credit Party become insolvent or make an assignment for the benefit of any creditor or creditors or should an interim receiver, receiver, receiver and manager or trustee be appointed for all or any significant part of any Credit Party’s assets, and shall continue to be effective or to be reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment and performance of the Obligations, or any part thereof, is, pursuant to applicable law, rescinded or reduced in amount, or must otherwise be restored or returned by any obligee of the Obligations, whether as a fraudulent preference reviewable transaction or otherwise, all as though such payment or performance had not been made. In the event that any payment, or any part thereof, is rescinded, reduced, restored or returned, the Obligations shall be reinstated and deemed reduced only by such amount paid and not so rescinded, reduced, restored or returned.
Section 13.17Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Credit Parties and Agent and each Lender and their respective successors and permitted assigns.
Section 13.18USA PATRIOT Act Notification. Agent (for itself and not on behalf of any Lender), and each Lender hereby notifies Credit Parties that pursuant to the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act, it is required to obtain, verify and record certain information and documentation that identifies Credit Parties, which information includes the name and address of the Credit Parties and such other information that will allow Agent or such Lender, as applicable, to identify Credit Parties in accordance with the USA PATRIOT Act.
Section 13.19Acknowledgement and Consent to Bail-In of Affected Financial Institutions. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any Financing Document or in any other agreement, arrangement or understanding among any such parties, each party hereto acknowledges that any liability of any Affected Financial Institution arising under any Financing Document, to the extent such liability is unsecured, may be subject to the Write-Down and Conversion Powers of the applicable Resolution Authority and agrees and consents to, and acknowledges and agrees to be bound by:
(a)the application of any Write-Down and Conversion Powers by the applicable Resolution Authority to any such liabilities arising hereunder which may be payable to it by any party hereto that is an Affected Financial Institution; and
(b)the effects of any Bail-In Action on any such liability, including, if applicable:
(i)a reduction in full or in part or cancellation of any such liability;
(ii)a conversion of all, or a portion of, such liability into shares or other instruments of ownership in such Affected Financial Institution, its parent undertaking, or a bridge institution that may be issued to it or otherwise conferred on it, and that such shares or other instruments of ownership will be accepted by it in lieu of any rights with respect to any such liability under this Agreement or any other Financing Document; or
(iii)the variation of the terms of such liability in connection with the exercise of the Write-Down and Conversion Powers of the applicable Resolution Authority.
Section 13.20Erroneous Payments.
(a)Each Lender and any other party hereto hereby severally agrees that if (i) the Agent notifies (which such notice shall be conclusive absent manifest error) such Lender (or the Lender which is an Affiliate of a Lender) or any other Person that has received funds from the Agent or any of their Affiliates, either for its own account or on behalf of a Lender (each such recipient, a “Payment Recipient”) that the Agent has determined in its sole discretion that any funds received by such Payment Recipient were erroneously transmitted to, or otherwise erroneously or mistakenly received by, such Payment Recipient (whether or not known to such Payment Recipient) or (ii) any Payment Recipient receives any payment from the Agent (or any of its Affiliates) (x) that is in a different amount than, or on a different date from, that specified in a notice of payment, prepayment or repayment sent by the Agent (or any of its Affiliates) with respect to such payment, prepayment or repayment, as applicable, (y) that was not preceded or accompanied by a notice of payment, prepayment or repayment sent by the Agent (or any of its Affiliates) with respect to such payment, prepayment or repayment, as applicable, or (z) that such Payment Recipient otherwise becomes aware was transmitted or received in error or by mistake (in whole or in part) then, in each case, an error in payment shall be presumed to have been made (any such amounts specified in clauses (i) or (ii) of this Section 13.20(a), whether received as a payment, prepayment or repayment of principal, interest, fees, distribution or otherwise; individually and collectively, an “Erroneous Payment”), then, in each case, such Payment Recipient is deemed to have knowledge of such error at the time of its receipt of such Erroneous Payment; provided that nothing in this Section shall require the Agent to provide any of the notices specified in clauses (i) or (ii) above. Each Payment Recipient agrees that it shall not assert any right or claim to any Erroneous Payment, and hereby waives any claim, counterclaim, defense or right of set-off or recoupment with respect to any demand, claim or counterclaim by the Agent for the return of any Erroneous Payments, including without limitation waiver of any defense based on “discharge for value” or any similar doctrine.
(b)Without limiting the immediately preceding clause (a), each Payment Recipient agrees that, in the case of clause (a)(ii) above, it shall promptly notify the Agent in writing of such occurrence.
(c)In the case of either clause (a)(i) or (a)(ii) above, such Erroneous Payment shall at all times remain the property of the Agent and shall be segregated by the Payment Recipient and held in trust for the benefit of the Agent and upon demand from the Agent such Payment Recipient shall (or, shall cause any Person who received any portion of an Erroneous Payment on its behalf to), promptly, but in all events no later than one Business Day thereafter, return to the Agent the amount of any such Erroneous Payment (or portion thereof) as to which such a demand was made in same day funds and in the currency so received, together with interest thereon in respect of each day from and including the date such Erroneous Payment (or portion thereof) was received by such Payment Recipient to the date such amount is repaid to the Agent at the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation from time to time in effect.
(d)In the event that an Erroneous Payment (or portion thereof) is not recovered by the Agent for any reason, after demand therefor by the Agent in accordance with immediately preceding clause (c), from any Lender that is a Payment Recipient or an Affiliate of a Payment Recipient (such unrecovered amount as to such Lender, an “Erroneous Payment Return Deficiency”), then at the sole discretion of the Agent and upon the Agent’s written notice to such Lender (i) such Lender shall be deemed to have made a cashless assignment of the full face amount of the portion of its Loans (but not its Term Loan Commitment Amount) with respect to which such Erroneous Payment was made (the “Erroneous Payment Impacted Loans”) to the Agent, at the option of the Agent, the Agent’s lending affiliate (such assignee, the “Agent Assignee”) in an amount that is equal to the Erroneous Payment Return Deficiency (or such lesser amount as the Agent may specify) (such assignment of the Loans (but not its Term Loan Commitment Amount) of the Erroneous Payment Impacted Loans, the “Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment”) plus any accrued and unpaid interest on such assigned amount, without further consent or approval of any party hereto and without any payment by the Agent Assignee as the assignee of such Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment. Without limitation of its rights hereunder, following the effectiveness of the Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment, the Agent may make a cashless reassignment to the applicable assigning Lender of any Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment at any time by written notice to the applicable assigning Lender and upon such reassignment all of the Loans assigned pursuant to such Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment shall be reassigned to such Lender without any requirement for payment or other consideration. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that (1) any assignment contemplated in this clause (d) shall be made without any requirement for any payment or other consideration paid by the applicable assignee or received by the assignor, (2) the provisions of this clause (d) shall govern in the event of any conflict with the terms and conditions of Section 11.17 and (3) the Agent may reflect such assignments in the Register without further consent or action by any other Person.
(e)Each party hereto hereby agrees that (x) in the event an Erroneous Payment (or portion thereof) is not recovered from any Payment Recipient that has received such Erroneous Payment (or portion thereof) for any reason, the Agent (1) shall be subrogated to all the rights of such Payment Recipient and (2) is authorized to set off, net and apply any and all amounts at any time owing to such Payment Recipient under any Financing Document, or otherwise payable or distributable by the Agent to such Payment Recipient from any source, against any amount due to the Agent under this Section 13.20 or under the indemnification provisions of this Agreement, (y) the receipt of an Erroneous Payment by a Payment Recipient shall not for the purpose of this Agreement be treated as a payment, prepayment, repayment, discharge or other satisfaction of any Obligations owed by the Borrower or any other Credit Party, except, in each case, to the extent such Erroneous Payment is, and solely with respect to the amount of such Erroneous Payment that is, comprised of funds received by the Agent from the Borrower or any other Credit Party for the purpose of making for a payment on the Obligations and (z) to the extent that an Erroneous Payment was in any way or at any time credited as payment or satisfaction of any of the Obligations, the Obligations or any part thereof that were so credited, and all rights of the Payment Recipient, as the case may be, shall be reinstated and continue in full force and effect as if such payment or satisfaction had never been received.
(f)Each party’s obligations under this Section 13.20 shall survive the resignation or replacement of the Agent or any transfer of right or obligations by, or the replacement of, a Lender, the termination of the Term Loan Commitments, or the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all Obligations (or any portion thereof) under any Financing Document.
The provisions of this Section 13.20 to the contrary notwithstanding, (i) nothing in this Section 13.20 will constitute a waiver or release of any claim of any party hereunder arising from any Payment Recipient’s receipt of an Erroneous Payment and (ii) there will only be deemed to be a recovery of the Erroneous Payment to the extent that Agent has received payment from the Payment Recipient in immediately available funds the Erroneous Payment Return Deficiency, whether directly from the Payment Recipient, as a result of the exercise by Agent of its rights of subrogation or set off as set forth above in clause (e) or as a result of the receipt by Agent Assignee of a payment of the outstanding principal balance of the Loans assigned to Agent Assignee pursuant to an Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment, but excluding any other amounts in respect thereof (it being agreed that any payments of interest, fees, expenses or other amounts (other than principal) received by Agent Assignee in respect of the Loans assigned to Agent Assignee pursuant to an Erroneous Payment Deficiency Assignment shall be the sole property of the Agent Assignee and shall not constitute a recovery of the Erroneous Payment).
[SIGNATURES APPEAR ON FOLLOWING PAGE(S)]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, intending to be legally bound, each of the parties have caused this Agreement to be executed as of the day and year first above mentioned.
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BORROWERS: |
NOVAVAX, INC.
By: /s/ James P. Kelly Name: James P. Kelly Title: Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
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[Signature Page to Credit, Security and Guaranty Agreement]||
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AGENT: |
MIDCAP FINANCIAL TRUST
By: Apollo Capital Management, L.P.,
its investment manager
By: Apollo Capital Management GP, LLC,
its general partner
By: /s/ Maurice Amsellem
Name: Maurice Amsellem
Title: Authorized Signatory
Address:
c/o MidCap Financial Services, LLC, as servicer
7255 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 300 Bethesda, Maryland 20814 Attn: Account Manager for Novavax transaction E-mail:
with a copy to:
c/o MidCap Financial Services, LLC, as servicer
7255 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 300 Bethesda, Maryland 20814 Attn: General Counsel E-mail:
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LENDER: |
MIDCAP FINANCIAL TRUST
By: Apollo Capital Management, L.P.,
its investment manager
By: Apollo Capital Management GP, LLC,
its general partner
By: /s/ Maurice Amsellem
Name: Maurice Amsellem
Title: Authorized Signatory
Address:
c/o MidCap Financial Services, LLC, as servicer
7255 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 300 Bethesda, Maryland 20814 Attn: Account Manager for Novavax transaction
with a copy to:
c/o MidCap Financial Services, LLC, as servicer
7255 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 300 Bethesda, Maryland 20814 Attn: General Counsel
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LENDER: |
MIDCAP FUNDING XLVI TRUST
By: Apollo Capital Management, L.P.,
its investment manager
By: Apollo Capital Management GP, LLC,
its general partner
By: /s/ Maurice Amsellem
Name: Maurice Amsellem
Title: Authorized Signatory
Address:
c/o MidCap Financial Services, LLC, as servicer
7255 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 300 Bethesda, Maryland 20814 Attn: Account Manager for Novavax transaction E-mail:
with a copy to:
c/o MidCap Financial Services, LLC, as servicer
7255 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 300 Bethesda, Maryland 20814 Attn: General Counsel E-mail:
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LENDER: |
APOLLO ALSTER LENDING FUND (LUX) SCSp, an alternative investment fund in the form of a Luxembourg special limited partnership (societe en commandite speciale), acting through its managing general partner Alster Lending GP (Lux) S.ar.l. and represented by its delegate portfolio manager Apollo Alster Management, LLC
By: Apollo Alster Management, LLC, acting through its sole member
By: Apollo Capital Management, L.P., acting through its general partner
By: Apollo Capital Management GP, LLC
By: /s/ William Kuesel
Name: William Kuesel
Title: Vice President
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LENDER: |
CADMA CAPITAL PARTNERS LLC
By: /s/ Josh Brody
Name: Josh Brody
Title: President
Address:
c/o Sarah Wolpert
Cadma Capital
9 West 57th Street
New York, NY 10019
Email: Phone:
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LENDER: |
ATHORA LUX INVEST NL, a reserved alternative investment fund in the form of a Luxembourg special limited partnership (société en commandite spéciale), acting in respect of its compartment, Athora Lux Invest NL – Middle Market Direct Lending Fund, acting through its managing general partner Athora Lux Invest Management and represented by its delegate portfolio manager, Apollo Management International LLP
By: Apollo Management International, LLP,
its portfolio manager
By: /s/ Sundip Kalley
Name: Sundip Kalley
Title: Authorized Signatory
Address:
Sundip Kalley
c/o Apollo Management International LLP
25 St. George Street
London W1S 1FS
Phone:
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LENDER: |
AMISSIMA DIVERSIFIED INCOME ICAV, an Umbrella Irish Collective Asset-Management Vehicle with Segregated Liability between its Sub-Funds, acting in respect of its Sub-Fund, Amissima Loan Origination Fund
By: Apollo Management International LLP, solely in its capacity as Portfolio Manager and not in its individual corporate capacity
By: Apollo International Management Holdings, LLC, its member
By: /s/ William Kuesel
Name: William Kuesel
Title: Vice President
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ANNEXES, EXHIBITS AND SCHEDULES
ANNEXES
Annex A Commitment Annex
EXHIBITS
Exhibit A [Reserved]
Exhibit B Form of Compliance Certificate
Exhibit C [Reserved]
Exhibit D Form of Notice of Borrowing
Exhibit E-1 Form of U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate
Exhibit E-2 Form of U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate
Exhibit E-3 Form of U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate
Exhibit E-4 Form of U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate
Exhibit F Closing Checklist
Exhibit G Form of Assignment Agreement
SCHEDULES
Schedule 1.1(a) Payment Account
Schedule 1.1(b) Transfer Pricing Agreements
Schedule 1.1(c) Terminated Transfer Pricing Agreements
Schedule 3.1 Existence, Organizational ID Numbers, Foreign Qualification, Prior Names
Schedule 3.6 Litigation
Schedule 3.15 Brokerage Fee
Schedule 3.17 Material Contracts
Schedule 3.18 Environmental Compliance
Schedule 3.19 Intellectual Property
Schedule 4.9 Litigation, Governmental Proceedings and Other Notice Events
Schedule 5.1 Debt; Contingent Obligations
Schedule 5.2 Liens
Schedule 5.4 Restrictive Agreements
Schedule 5.7 Permitted Investments
Schedule 5.8 Affiliate Transactions
Schedule 5.11 Business Description
Schedule 5.14 Deposit Accounts and Securities Accounts
Schedule 6.1 Minimum Royalty Revenue
Schedule 7.4 Post-Closing Obligations
Schedule 9.1 Collateral
Schedule 9.2(b) Location of Collateral
Schedule 9.2(d) Chattel Paper, Letter of Credit Rights, Commercial Tort Claims, Instruments, Documents, Investment Property
Schedule 6.1– Minimum Royalty Revenue
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|
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|
|
|
| Defined Period Ending |
Minimum Royalty Revenue Amount |
March 31, 2026 |
$12,500,000 |
June 30, 2026 |
$25,000,000 |
September 30, 2026 |
$37,500,000 |
December 31, 2026 |
$50,000,000 |
March 31, 2027 |
$52,500,000 |
June 30, 2027 |
$55,000,000 |
September 30, 2027 |
$57,500,000 |
December 31, 2027 |
$60,000,000 |
March 31, 2028 |
$70,000,000 |
June 30, 2028 |
$80,000,000 |
September 30, 2028 |
$90,000,000 |
December 31, 2028 |
$100,000,000 |
March 31, 2029 |
$106,250,000 |
June 30, 2029 |
$112,500,000 |
September 30, 2029 |
$118,750,000 |
December 31, 2029 and thereafter |
$125,000,000 |
EX-21
6
nvax-2025x1231xex21.htm
EX-21
Document
Exhibit 21
LIST OF SUBSIDIARIES
The following is a list of subsidiaries of the Company as of December 31, 2025.
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| Name of Subsidiary |
Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization |
| Novavax NL B.V. |
The Netherlands |
| Novavax DE GmbH |
Germany |
| Novavax AB |
Sweden |
Novavax CZ (formerly Praha Vaccines a.s.) |
The Czech Republic |
| Novavax UK Limited |
United Kingdom |
| Novavax CH GmbH |
Switzerland |
| Novavax FR SAS |
France |
| Novavax ES S.L.U. |
Spain |
| Novavax IT S.r.l. |
Italy |
EX-23.1
7
nvax-20251231xex231.htm
EX-23.1
Document
Exhibit 23.1
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
We consent to the incorporation by reference in the following Registration Statements:
(1)Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-281376) pertaining to the Novavax, Inc. stock incentive plan and the 2013 employee stock purchase plan,
(2)Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-273791) pertaining to the Novavax, Inc. stock incentive plan and the 2013 employee stock purchase plan,
(3)Registration Statement (Form S-3 No. 333-270137) pertaining to Novavax, Inc. common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, warrants and units,
(4)Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-269309) pertaining to the Novavax, Inc. 2023 inducement plan,
(5)Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-266681) pertaining to the Novavax, Inc. stock incentive plan and 2013 employee stock purchase plan,
(6)Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-258517) pertaining to the Novavax, Inc. stock incentive plan,
(7)Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-243758) pertaining to the Novavax, Inc. stock incentive plan,
(8)Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-233133) pertaining to the Novavax, Inc. stock incentive plan and 2013 employee stock purchase plan,
(9)Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-226498) pertaining to the Novavax, Inc. stock incentive plan and 2013 employee stock purchase plan,
(10)Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-219829) pertaining to the Novavax, Inc. stock incentive plan,
(11)Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-213069) pertaining to the Novavax, Inc. stock incentive plan and 2013 employee stock purchase plan,
(12)Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-206354) pertaining to the Novavax, Inc. stock incentive plan,
(13)Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-198121) pertaining to the Novavax, Inc. stock incentive plan,
(14)Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-190600) pertaining to the Novavax, Inc. stock incentive plan,
(15)Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-190599) pertaining to the Novavax, Inc. 2013 employee stock purchase plan,
(16)Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-183113) pertaining to the Novavax, Inc. stock incentive plan,
(17)Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-145298) pertaining to the Novavax, Inc. stock incentive plan,
(18)Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-130990) pertaining to the Novavax, Inc. stock incentive plan,
(19)Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-110401) pertaining to the Novavax, Inc. stock incentive plan,
(20)Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-97931) pertaining to the Novavax, Inc. stock incentive plan,
(21)Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-46000) pertaining to the Novavax, Inc. stock incentive plan,
(22)Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-77611) pertaining to the Novavax, Inc. stock incentive plan,
(23)Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-03384) pertaining to the Novavax, Inc. stock incentive plan,
(24)Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 33-80279) pertaining to the Novavax, Inc. stock incentive plan, and
(25)Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 33-80277) pertaining to the Novavax, Inc. stock incentive plan;
of our reports dated February 26, 2026, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Novavax, Inc., and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of Novavax, Inc. included in this Annual Report (Form 10-K) of Novavax, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2025.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Tysons, Virginia
February 26, 2026
EX-31.1
8
nvax-20251231xex311.htm
EX-31.1
Document
Exhibit 31.1
CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
I, John C. Jacobs, certify that:
1)I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Novavax, Inc.;
2)Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3)Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4)The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
a)Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
b)Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
c)Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
d)Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5) The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
a)All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
b)Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
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Date: February 26, 2026 |
By: /s/ John C. Jacobs |
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John C. Jacobs |
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President and Chief Executive Officer |
EX-31.2
9
nvax-20251231xex312.htm
EX-31.2
Document
Exhibit 31.2
CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER
I, James P. Kelly, certify that:
1)I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Novavax, Inc.;
2)Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3)Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4)The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
a)Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
b)Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
c)Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
d)Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5)The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
a)All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
b)Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
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Date: February 26, 2026 |
By: /s/ James P. Kelly |
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James P. Kelly |
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Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer |
EX-32.1
10
nvax-20251231xex321.htm
EX-32.1
Document
Exhibit 32.1
CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER PURSUANT TO 18 UNITED STATES CODE §1350
(SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002)
In connection with the Annual Report of Novavax, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-K for the fiscal period ended December 31, 2025 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, John C. Jacobs, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, hereby certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, to the best of my knowledge, that:
1.The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and
2.The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company for the dates and periods covered by this Report.
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Date: February 26, 2026 |
By: /s/ John C. Jacobs |
|
John C. Jacobs |
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President and Chief Executive Officer |
This certification accompanies the Report pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and shall not, except to the extent required by such act, be deemed filed by the Company for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such certification will not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, except to the extent that the Company specifically incorporates it by reference.
EX-32.2
11
nvax-20251231xex322.htm
EX-32.2
Document
Exhibit 32.2
CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER PURSUANT TO 18 UNITED STATES CODE §1350 (SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002)
In connection with the Annual Report of Novavax, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-K for the fiscal period ended December 31, 2025 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, James P. Kelly, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, hereby certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, to the best of my knowledge, that:
1.The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and
2.The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company for the dates and periods covered by this Report.
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Date: February 26, 2026 |
By: /s/ James P. Kelly |
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James P. Kelly |
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Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer |
This certification accompanies the Report pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and shall not, except to the extent required by such act, be deemed filed by the Company for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such certification will not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, except to the extent that the Company specifically incorporates it by reference.