株探米国株
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エドガーで原本を確認する
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
 (Mark One)
☒  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
☐   TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from     to
Commission file number 001-36483
Viridian Logo.jpg
VIRIDIAN THERAPEUTICS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware
 
47-1187261
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

221 Crescent Street, Suite 103A, Waltham, MA 02453
(Address of principal executive offices)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (617) 272-4600
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share VRDN The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
Securities registered pursuant to section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes x 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 x
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  x 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 x No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer
Accelerated filer
Non-accelerated filer
Smaller reporting company
Emerging growth company
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐



Indicate by check mark whether the registrant 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. x
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. x
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 x
The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant, based upon the closing sale price of the registrant’s common stock on June 30, 2025, as reported on The Nasdaq Capital Market, was $943.0 million. Shares of common stock held by each executive officer and director and by each person who owns 10% or more of the outstanding common stock have been excluded in that such persons may be deemed to be affiliates. This determination of affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for other purposes.
As of February 20, 2026, there were 102,206,571 shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement for the 2026 annual meeting of stockholders (the “2026 Proxy Statement”) are incorporated herein by reference in Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K where indicated. The 2026 Proxy Statement will be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days of the registrant’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2025.
2


VIRIDIAN THERAPEUTICS, INC.
INDEX
Page No.
PART I
PART II    
PART III
PART IV    

3


CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K (“Annual Report”) contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. We make such forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report include, but are not limited to, statements about:
•the ability of our clinical trials to demonstrate safety and efficacy of our product candidates and other results;
•the potential utility, efficacy, potency, safety, clinical benefits, half-life, clinical response, convenience and number of indications of our product candidates, including our expectation that elegrobart (formerly VRDN-003) will demonstrate a favorable risk benefit profile;
•the timing and focus of our ongoing and future nonclinical studies and clinical trials and the timing of reporting data from those studies and trials, including data from Investigational New Drug Application (“IND”) for VRDN-008 that was submitted in December 2025 and that we anticipate submitting an IND for our half-life extended, monoclonal antibody that inhibits thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (“TSHR”) in the fourth quarter of 2026;
•supply chain disruptions, enrollment in clinical trials involving our product candidates or other delays in such trials;
•our plans relating to commercializing our product candidates, including our plans to commercialize products candidates as combination products, if approved, including the geographic areas of focus and sales strategy;
•potential market sizes and market opportunities, including the rate and degree of market acceptance and clinical utility for our product candidates;
•expectations regarding the initiation of clinical trials and interactions and alignment with regulatory authorities;
•the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals, including the potential approval of the biologics license application (“BLA”) for veligrotug, which is under Priority Review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), and potential approval of the Marketing Authorization Application (“MAA”) for veligrotug submitted to the European Medicines Agency (“EMA”) in January 2026, and our expectation to seek an accelerated approval pathway and special designations for our product candidates for various diseases;
•our plans relating to the further development of our product candidates, including additional indications we may pursue and our efforts to continue to identify and engineer novel product candidates;
•our plans to obtain or protect intellectual property rights;
•our continued reliance on third parties to conduct additional clinical trials of our product candidates and for the manufacture of our product candidates for nonclinical studies, clinical trials and commercialization;
•our plans regarding any collaboration, licensing or other arrangements that may be necessary or desirable to develop, manufacture or commercialize our product candidates;
•our estimates regarding expenses, future revenue, capital requirements and our ability to obtain additional financing to fund our operations and complete further development and commercialization of our product candidates; and
4


•our expectations regarding the ability of our existing cash, cash equivalents, potential near-term milestone payments, and anticipated commercial revenues, if both veligrotug and elegrobart are approved, to fund our future anticipated operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements.
Any forward-looking statements in this Annual Report reflect our current views with respect to future events and with respect to our future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, those described under Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, even if new information becomes available in the future.
All of our forward-looking statements are as of the date of this Annual Report only. In each case, actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking information. We can give no assurance that such expectations or forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. An occurrence of or any material adverse change in one or more of the risk factors or risks and uncertainties referred to in this Annual Report or included in our other public disclosures or our other periodic reports or other documents or filings filed with or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations. Except as required by law, we do not undertake or plan to update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changes in plans, assumptions, estimates or projections or other circumstances affecting such forward-looking statements occurring after the date of this Annual Report, even if such results, changes or circumstances make it clear that any forward-looking information will not be realized. Any public statements or disclosures by us following this Annual Report that modify or impact any of the forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report will be deemed to modify or supersede such statements in this Annual Report.
We may from time to time provide estimates, projections and other information concerning our industry, the general business environment, and the markets for certain diseases, including estimates regarding the potential size of those markets and the estimated incidence and prevalence of certain medical conditions. Information that is based on estimates, forecasts, projections, market research or similar methodologies is inherently subject to uncertainties, and actual events, circumstances or numbers, including actual disease prevalence rates and market size, may differ materially from the information reflected in this Annual Report. Unless otherwise expressly stated, we obtained this industry, business information, market data, prevalence information and other data from reports, research surveys, studies and similar data prepared by market research firms and other third parties, industry, medical and general publications, government data, and similar sources, in some cases applying our own assumptions and analysis that may, in the future, prove not to have been accurate.
Unless otherwise mentioned or unless the context requires otherwise, all references in this Annual Report, to “Viridian,” “Viridian Therapeutics,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” or similar references refer to Viridian Therapeutics, Inc. and our consolidated subsidiaries.
5


SUMMARY OF THE MATERIAL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR BUSINESS
Below is a summary of the principal factors that make an investment in our common stock speculative or risky. This summary does not address all of the risks that we face. Additional discussion of the risks summarized in this risk factor summary, and other risks that we face, can be found below under the heading “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and should be carefully considered, together with other information in this Annual Report and our other filings with the SEC, before making an investment decision regarding our common stock.
•We have historically incurred losses, have a limited operating history on which to assess our business, and anticipate that we will continue to incur significant losses for the foreseeable future.
•If we are unable to secure additional capital when needed, we would be forced to delay, reduce, or eliminate our research and product development programs or future commercialization efforts.
•Clinical trials are costly, time consuming, and inherently risky, and we may fail to demonstrate safety and efficacy to the satisfaction of applicable regulatory authorities. Any of our product candidates may fail in development or experience significant delays.
•Regulatory approval processes are lengthy, time-consuming and inherently unpredictable, and we may be unable to obtain approval for our product candidates or approval may be delayed due to factors beyond our control, including as a result of disruptions at the FDA and other agencies caused by shutdowns, funding shortages, and policies pursued by the current U.S. administration. Failure to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates would have a material adverse effect upon our business and business prospects.
•Our product candidates may cause undesirable side effects or have other properties that could delay or prevent their regulatory approval, limit the commercial viability, or result in significant negative consequences following marketing approval, if any.
•We are heavily dependent on the success of our product candidates, which are in clinical development. Some of our product candidates have produced results only in nonclinical settings, or for other indications than those for which we contemplate conducting development and seeking FDA or other regulatory approval, and we cannot give any assurance that we will generate data for any of our product candidates sufficiently supportive to receive regulatory approval in our planned indications, which will be required before they can be commercialized.
•Product development involves a lengthy and expensive process with an uncertain outcome, and results of earlier nonclinical studies and clinical trials may not be predictive of future clinical trial results.
•If we are unable to establish commercial manufacturing, sales and marketing capabilities or enter into agreements with third parties to commercially manufacture, market and sell our product candidates, we may be unable to generate any revenue.
•We face substantial competition and our competitors may discover, develop, or commercialize products faster or more successfully than us.
•We rely on third parties to conduct our nonclinical development activities and clinical trials, manufacture our product candidates, and perform other services. If these third parties do not successfully perform and/or comply with regulatory requirements, we may not be able to successfully complete clinical development, obtain regulatory approval, or commercialize our product candidates and our business could be substantially harmed.
•Even if we obtain regulatory approvals for any of our product candidates, our products will be subject to ongoing regulatory oversight. We may incur significant liability if enforcement authorities allege or determine that we have not complied with regulatory requirements.
•Even if we receive regulatory approval to market our product candidates, the market may not be receptive to such product candidates upon their commercial introduction and we may not be able to sell our product candidates and be unable to generate any revenue.
•We rely on patent rights, trade secret protections, and confidentiality agreements to protect intellectual property, including intellectual property related to our product candidates and any future product candidates. If we are unable to obtain or maintain exclusivity from the combination of these approaches, we may not be able to compete effectively in our markets.
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•Our future success depends in part on our ability to attract, retain, and motivate qualified personnel. If we lose key personnel, or if we fail to recruit additional highly skilled personnel, our ability to develop our product candidates will be impaired and our business may be harmed.
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PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Company Overview

We are a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing potential best-in-class medicines for serious and rare diseases. We target therapeutic areas in which current treatments leave room for improvements in efficacy, safety, and/or dosing convenience. We believe there is significant potential in these areas, for better medicines that address unmet needs, improve outcomes, and expand treatment options for patients. We aim to develop differentiated, potential best-in-class medicines that could lead to improved patient outcomes, reduced side effects, improved quality of life, and expanded market access.
Our pipeline targets validated pathways and disease-driving mechanisms in autoimmune and rare diseases. These include product candidates directed at the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (“IGF‑1R”) for the treatment of thyroid eye disease (“TED”), inhibitors of the neonatal Fc receptor (“FcRn”) with potential application across multiple autoimmune disorders, and a TSHR inhibitor program with potential in TED and Graves’ disease. We develop therapeutics through internal research and discovery, as well as through in-licensing opportunities that align with our strategic focus. Our capabilities span protein and antibody discovery and engineering, biologics manufacturing, nonclinical and clinical development, commercial planning, and commercialization in these therapeutic areas.
As we prepare for the anticipated launch of our first commercial product, if approved, we are building the infrastructure we believe is required to support a successful transition to a commercial organization. This includes establishing sales and marketing, market access, patient services, and commercial operations functions, and expanding our medical, clinical, regulatory, quality, and supply chain and distribution capabilities. Our commercial readiness efforts focus on enabling reliable access for patients, supporting physicians, and engaging effectively with payors.
Our strategy combines clear scientific, clinical, and commercial rationale with excellence in execution to rapidly discover, develop, and commercialize better medicines for patients. We rely on our scientific, clinical, and commercial expertise to identify opportunities to improve upon existing investigational or approved therapies and to apply these insights to designing, selecting, developing, and commercializing potential best-in-class product candidates. We bring potential improvements to critical areas such as molecular design, dose selection, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, clinical trial design, trial endpoints, and the selection and recruitment of patients. We believe this strategy enables efficient product development and reduces the risk when developing novel therapeutics.
Development of IGF-1R Therapies to Treat Thyroid Eye Disease (TED)
We are developing therapies for the treatment of TED, a serious and debilitating rare autoimmune disease that causes inflammation within the orbit of the eye that can cause bulging of the eyes, redness and swelling, double vision, pain, and potential blindness. TED significantly impacts quality of life, imposing a high burden on activities of daily living and mental health for patients suffering from the disease. TED is a progressive disease consisting of an initial active phase (“active TED”), followed by a transition to a secondary chronic phase (“chronic TED”). The only medicine approved by the FDA for TED is Tepezza® (teprotumumab), which is an intravenously administered monoclonal antibody that targets IGF-1R. Tepezza is marketed in the United States (“U.S.”) by Amgen Inc. (“Amgen”). Amgen gained approval for Tepezza in Japan in 2024 and from the European Commission in 2025.
We are developing two anti-IGF-1R product candidates, veligrotug for intravenous (“IV”) administration and elegrobart (formerly known as VRDN-003) for subcutaneous (“SC”) administration, to treat patients who suffer from TED. Our most advanced program, veligrotug, is a differentiated humanized monoclonal antibody targeting IGF-1R intravenously administered for the treatment of TED. In previously presented in vitro nonclinical data, we showed that veligrotug is a potentially differentiated full antagonist of IGF-1R, compared to teprotumumab’s incomplete antagonism of IGF-1R. Elegrobart has the same binding domain as veligrotug, and was engineered to have a longer half-life. Elegrobart is designed to be a low-volume, infrequently-dosed subcutaneous IGF-1R for TED, which we plan to launch commercially with an auto-injector to enable at-home patient self-administration. We believe elegrobart has the potential to be the best-in-class anti-IGF-1R product candidate by preserving the efficacy of anti-IGF-1Rs in TED, improving safety, and maximizing convenience for patients with subcutaneous delivery.
We conducted a global pivotal clinical program for veligrotug, evaluating its efficacy and safety in two global well-controlled phase 3 clinical trials, THRIVE and THRIVE-2, for the treatment of active and chronic TED, respectively. THRIVE and THRIVE-2 were each designed to compare a five-dose IV treatment arm of veligrotug at 10 mg/kg, dosed three weeks apart, to placebo.
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This five-dose veligrotug regimen features fewer infusions and a shorter time per infusion compared to teprotumumab, the currently marketed IGF-1R inhibitor. In September 2024, we announced topline data from the THRIVE study, which enrolled 113 patients, randomized to veligrotug (n=75) and placebo (n=38). THRIVE achieved its primary and all secondary endpoints with a high level of statistical significance (p < 0.0001) and was generally well-tolerated, with no treatment-related serious adverse events (“SAEs”). Veligrotug additionally showed a rapid onset of treatment effect, with the majority (53%) of veligrotug-treated patients achieving a proptosis response as early as three weeks. In December 2024, we announced topline data from the THRIVE-2 study, which enrolled 188 patients, randomized to veligrotug (n=125) and placebo (n=63). THRIVE-2 achieved its primary and all secondary endpoints with statistical significance and was generally well-tolerated. Veligrotug demonstrated a rapid onset of treatment effect in THRIVE-2, with a statistically significant proptosis response as early as three weeks and a statistically significant reduction and resolution of diplopia as early as six weeks. THRIVE-2 is the first global phase 3 study in patients with chronic TED to demonstrate a statistically significant and clinically meaningful diplopia responder rate and rate of diplopia complete resolution. Veligrotug demonstrated durability at 52 weeks in THRIVE, showing that 70% of patients who were proptosis responders at week 15 maintained their response at week 52.
To meet the 300 patient safety database requirement for the veligrotug BLA, we are conducting STRIVE, a global phase 3 clinical trial. STRIVE enrolled 231 TED patients, utilized broad inclusion criteria (e.g., any severity or duration of disease), and randomized patients 3:1 (10 mg/kg IV with an active control of 3 mg/kg IV). We are also conducting an open label extension study for non-responding patients in THRIVE and THRIVE-2 which has completed enrollment. In May 2025, the FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to veligrotug. We submitted a BLA for veligrotug to the FDA in October 2025, which was accepted for filing and granted Priority Review in December 2025 with a Prescription Drug User Free Act (“PDUFA”) target action date of June 30, 2026. We additionally submitted an MAA to the EMA in January 2026.
We are also developing elegrobart, our subcutaneous anti-IGF-1R product candidate currently in pivotal clinical studies in TED, which we selected in December 2023 following positive data in a phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers.

In its phase 1 clinical study in healthy volunteers, elegrobart was shown to have a prolonged half-life of 40 to 50 days, which is four to five times that of veligrotug. Based on this data and the similarities between the veligrotug and elegrobart antibodies, we selected Q4W and Q8W dosing of elegrobart to advance to phase 3 pivotal studies. PK modeling showed Q4W and Q8W subcutaneous elegrobart dosing could achieve the range of modeled veligrotug exposures based on a two-infusion phase 2 TED study at 3 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg IV, once every three weeks. Both dosing regimens of veligrotug showed robust clinical activity.
We are conducting a global pivotal program for elegrobart, including evaluating its efficacy and safety in two global well-controlled phase 3 clinical trials, REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2, for the treatment of active and chronic TED, respectively. Both studies are evaluating elegrobart administered subcutaneously every four weeks or every eight weeks and will assess outcomes versus placebo. In September 2025, we announced that REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 completed enrollment, enrolling 132 and 204 patients, respectively, each exceeding its target enrollments of 117 and 195 patients, respectively, due to demand. 67% of REVEAL-1 patients were enrolled from the U.S., and 56% of REVEAL-2 patients were enrolled from the U.S. In addition, to enable BLA submission for elegrobart, we are conducting a safety study to meet the 300 patient safety database requirement (to also include patients from the REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 trials). We completed enrollment of this safety study in October 2025, enrolling 321 patients, exceeding the target enrollment of 284 patients due to demand. Additionally, we are conducting an auto-injector study to enable launching elegrobart in an auto-injector device, if approved. We completed enrollment in the autoinjector study in December 2025, enrolling 87 patients, exceeding the target enrollment of 75 patients. We anticipate topline data for REVEAL-1 in the first quarter of 2026 and REVEAL-2 in the second quarter of 2026.
Development of FcRn Inhibitors
We are also developing a portfolio of engineered FcRn inhibitors, including VRDN-006 and VRDN-008. FcRn inhibitors have the potential to treat a broad array of autoimmune diseases, representing a possible significant commercial market opportunity. Our multi-pronged engineering approach has resulted in a portfolio of FcRn-targeting molecules that leverage the clinically and commercially validated mechanism of FcRn inhibition while potentially addressing the limitations of current agents such as incomplete immunoglobulin G (“IgG”) suppression, safety, and inconvenience of dosing.
VRDN-006 is a highly selective Fc fragment that inhibits FcRn and is designed to be a convenient subcutaneous and self-administered option for patients. In non-human primate (“NHP”) studies, VRDN-006 demonstrated specificity for blocking FcRn-IgG interactions while not showing decreases in albumin or increases in low-density lipoprotein (“LDL”) levels, which are known potential side effects associated with certain full-length anti-FcRn monoclonal antibodies. In our head-to-head NHP studies, VRDN-006 demonstrated comparable potency and IgG reductions to efgartigimod, which is the current standard of care in FcRn inhibition, as well as a similar safety profile. We submitted an IND for VRDN-006 in December 2024, which cleared in January 2025.
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In September 2025, we announced that data from an ongoing phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers showed that VRDN-006 led to IgG reductions that are consistent with the FcRn inhibitor class, and that VRDN-006 was sparing of albumin and LDL and was generally well-tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicities or serious adverse events.
VRDN-008 is a half-life extended bispecific FcRn inhibitor comprising an Fc fragment and an albumin-binding domain designed to prolong IgG suppression and provide a potentially best-in-class subcutaneous option for patients. In a single, high-dose, head-to-head study in NHPs, VRDN-008 demonstrated three times the half-life of efgartigimod. Additionally, VRDN-008 showed a deeper and more sustained IgG reduction with peak IgG reductions that were 20% deeper than efgartigimod, and IgG levels returned to baseline 35 days after VRDN-008 dosing, more than twice as long as efgartigimod, which returned to baseline 14 days after dosing. VRDN-008 spared albumin and LDL, consistent with efgartigimod. We submitted an IND for VRDN-008 in December 2025 and received IND clearance from the FDA in January 2026. We expect healthy volunteer data in the second half of 2026.
Development of TSHR Inhibitors
In January 2026, we announced that we are developing an anti-TSHR candidate with potential use in the treatment of Graves’ disease and TED. This product candidate is a half‑life extended monoclonal antibody designed to inhibit activation of TSHR. It is being developed for subcutaneous administration via autoinjector, with the goal of enabling extended dosing intervals intended to support patient convenience. We anticipate submitting an IND for this program in the fourth quarter of 2026.
We believe inhibiting TSHR has the potential to treat both TED and Graves’ disease. TED pathophysiology potentially stems from the activation of the TSHR and IGF-1R signaling complex on orbital fibroblasts, leading to hyaluronan secretion and expansion of orbital fat and muscle. Autoantibodies that stimulate TSHR can activate pathways that promote inflammation, fibroblast proliferation, and tissue remodeling relevant to TED. We believe inhibiting TSHR could complement the inhibition of IGF-1R in the treatment of TED. In addition to TED, blocking TSHR could also be effective to treat Graves’ disease.
Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disease in which autoantibodies form against the TSHR, stimulating and activating the receptor. These TSH receptor antibodies (“TRAb”) can drive a heightened activation of TSHR, resulting in excessive thyroid hormone production and hyperthyroidism. Graves’ disease is one of the most prevalent autoimmune conditions, affecting more than 2 million people in the United States, and is the leading cause of hyperthyroidism. Current treatments—including antithyroid drugs, radioactive iodine (“RAI”), and surgery—lower thyroid hormone levels but do not entirely address the underlying autoimmune drivers of the disease and are often associated with relapse or the development of permanent hypothyroidism.
Blocking TSHR activation through a TSHR antagonist represents a differentiated therapeutic approach aimed at targeting disease-driving mechanisms in TED and in Graves’ disease.
Our Strategy
Our mission is to create and advance new medicines for patients suffering from serious and rare diseases that are underserved by today’s therapies. Key elements of our business strategy are to:
•Identify, engineer, and develop potential best-in-class therapeutic proteins and antibodies that optimize patient care. We develop therapeutics through internal research and discovery, as well as through in-licensing opportunities that align with our strategic focus. We identify opportunities to advance potential best-in-class medicines that address unmet needs in autoimmune and rare diseases. Our approach leverages proven biology on clinically validated targets and our internal capabilities such as protein and antibody engineering to reduce development risk while striving to address unmet needs for patients including improved clinical outcomes, reduced side effects, improved quality of life, and expanded market access.
•Advance our lead programs in thyroid eye disease (TED):
◦Seek marketing approval for veligrotug. We evaluated veligrotug in two pivotal global phase 3 clinical trials, THRIVE and THRIVE-2, for the treatment of active and chronic TED, respectively. THRIVE and THRIVE-2 were each designed to compare a five-dose intravenous treatment arm of veligrotug at 10 mg/kg, dosed three weeks apart, to placebo. This five-dose veligrotug regimen features fewer infusions and a shorter time per infusion compared to teprotumumab, the currently marketed IGF-1R inhibitor for TED. We reported positive topline THRIVE and THRIVE-2 data in September 2024 and December 2024, respectively.
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We expect that the THRIVE and THRIVE-2 phase 3 trials, together with a safety database comprising 300 treated patients (safety database inclusive of patients from the THRIVE and THRIVE-2 trials), will support global health authority registration for marketing approval in both active and chronic TED. We submitted a BLA for veligrotug in October 2025, which was accepted for filing and granted Priority Review in December 2025 with a PDUFA target action date of June 30, 2026. We also submitted an MAA to the EMA for veligrotug in January 2026.
◦Rapidly develop subcutaneous elegrobart as our next generation, potential best-in-class IGF-1R antibody. Elegrobart is designed to be self-administered subcutaneously at home as an infrequent and low-volume injection to decrease the burden on TED patients. Elegrobart has the same binding domain as veligrotug and was engineered to have a longer half-life. Elegrobart is designed to maintain the efficacy of IGF-1Rs as demonstrated by the marketed product, teprotumumab, and by the clinical results for veligrotug in THRIVE and THRIVE-2, with the potential to improve on its safety and maximize patient convenience. We are evaluating elegrobart in two global phase 3 clinical trials, REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2, for the treatment of active and chronic TED, respectively. REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 are each designed to evaluate elegrobart administered subcutaneously every four weeks or every eight weeks and will assess outcomes versus placebo. We are also conducting a safety study to meet the 300 patient safety database requirement (to also include patients from the REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 trials) and an auto-injector study which we believe will enable delivery via an auto-injector device at the time of commercial launch, if approved. We expect to report topline REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 data in the first quarter and second quarter of 2026, respectively. We expect that the REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 phase 3 trials, together with a safety database of 300 treated patients (safety database inclusive of patients from the REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 trials), will support global health authority registration for marketing approval in both active and chronic TED, respectively.
◦Commercially launch veligrotug, if approved, and prepare for the commercialization of elegrobart, for the treatment of patients with TED. We hold worldwide commercialization rights, excluding Japan and the greater area of China, to veligrotug and elegrobart. We are cultivating a network across TED stakeholders to launch our potential products with a patient-centric approach, including partnering with patients and advocacy groups, key opinion leaders, research institutions, healthcare professionals, and payers. For the U.S. market, to plan for the anticipated launch of veligrotug, if approved, we are building the infrastructure required to support a successful transition to a commercial organization. This includes establishing sales and marketing, market access, patient services, and commercial operations functions, and expanding our medical, clinical, regulatory, quality, and supply chain and distribution capabilities. Our commercial readiness efforts focus on enabling reliable access for patients, supporting physicians, and engaging effectively with payors. We believe these efforts to commercialize veligrotug will directly benefit the commercial launch of elegrobart. Outside of the U.S. in the regions where we have commercial rights, we have the flexibility to develop and potentially commercialize products ourselves, or alternatively to enter collaborations with industry partners.
•Advance our portfolio of FcRn inhibitors with the potential to treat a broad array of autoimmune disorders. We are developing a portfolio of engineered anti-neonatal FcRn inhibitors, including VRDN-006 and VRDN-008. FcRn inhibitors have the potential to treat a broad array of autoimmune diseases, representing a possible significant commercial market opportunity. Our multi-pronged engineering approach has resulted in a portfolio of FcRn-targeting molecules that leverage the clinically and commercially validated mechanism of FcRn inhibition while potentially addressing the limitations of current agents such as incomplete IgG suppression and safety.
◦Complete VRDN-006 phase 1 study and communicate development plan. In September 2025, we announced that data from an ongoing phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers showed that VRDN-006 led to IgG reductions that are consistent with the FcRn inhibitor class, and that VRDN-006 was sparing of albumin and LDL and was generally well-tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicities or serious adverse events. We expect to communicate future development plans for VRDN-006 in 2026.
◦Generate VRDN-008 proof-of-concept IgG reduction in healthy volunteers. VRDN-008 is a half-life extended bispecific FcRn inhibitor comprising an Fc fragment and an albumin-binding domain designed to prolong IgG suppression as a subcutaneous, self-administered and potential best-in-class option for patients. In single, high-dose head-to-head NHP studies, VRDN-008 demonstrated three times the half-life and showed a deeper and more sustained IgG reduction than efgartigimod. We submitted an IND for VRDN-008 in December 2025 and received IND clearance from the FDA in January 2026. We expect healthy volunteer data in the second half of 2026.
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•Leverage our differentiated strategy, strong capabilities, and track record of execution to continue discovering and developing novel, potential best-in class product candidates. We plan to continue to identify and advance novel product candidates and technologies to generate potential best-in-class therapeutics, including proteins and antibodies, either internally or through in-licensing.
◦Advance our TSHR candidate to the clinic. Our TSHR candidate is a potential best-in-class, half-life extended product candidate. We anticipate submitting an IND for our TSHR program in the fourth quarter of 2026.
◦Continue to identify and advance novel product candidates. We plan to continue to identify and engineer, through internal discovery efforts, novel product candidates and technologies that have the potential to be best-in-class therapeutics. On identifying such product candidates, we plan to advance and develop them to address unmet needs for patients.
◦Identify external opportunities for potential in-licensing. Monitor external opportunities and in-license potential assets that align with our strategic focus.
Our Pipeline
OurPipeline.jpg
Thyroid Eye Disease (TED)
TED, commonly associated with Graves’ disease, and in some cases referred to as Graves’ orbitopathy, is a serious and rare autoimmune disorder affecting the eye and its adjacent tissue. It is characterized by inflammation within the orbit of the eye that can cause bulging of the eyes, redness and swelling, double vision, pain, and potential blindness. TED is a progressive disease consisting of an initial active phase or active TED, followed by a transition to a secondary chronic phase or chronic TED. In the active phase of TED, patients present with several inflammatory signs and symptoms such as pain, redness, swelling, proptosis, diplopia, and eyelid retraction. The active phase is generally defined as the first 18 to 24 months of disease onset and is typically when inflammatory signs and symptoms reach their peak levels. The second, chronic phase of TED is characterized by a reduction in some of the inflammatory signs, such as redness and swelling in the area surrounding the eye, compared to the active phase of the disease. However, proptosis, pain, diplopia, and eyelid retraction often persist throughout life for patients with chronic TED. Patients with active and chronic TED experience significant impairment to their quality of life, including difficulties with the activities of daily living, trouble functioning in social situations, and decreased psychological well-being. About one in every three patients experience anxiety and depression.
Pathologies Leading to the Development of TED
TED develops in parallel with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disease in which autoantibodies form against the thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (“TSHR”), which is present in the thyroid and other cells such as adipocytes and fibroblasts. A close temporal relationship exists between the onset of Graves’ Disease and the onset of TED. Regardless of which condition occurs first, the other condition develops within 18 months in 80% of patients. In addition to autoantibodies against TSHR, patients with TED may also develop autoantibodies against IGF-1R.
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Insulin-like growth factor 1 (“IGF-1”) is a hormone similar in molecular structure to insulin with higher growth-promoting activity. IGF-1R, the receptor for IGF-1, is highly expressed in fibrocytes, cells that are derived from the bone marrow and that have the potential to differentiate into either myofibroblasts or fat cells. IGF-1R and TSHR function in concert to regulate the proliferation and differentiation of fibrocytes in the orbital socket.
One potential cause of TED is autoimmune antibodies against IGF-1R that lead to the activation of IGF-1R, resulting in increased proliferation, secretion of extracellular complex carbohydrates, and differentiation into fat cells. These antibodies, and autoimmune antibodies to TSHR, can elicit an immune attack against the fibrocytes that surround the eye triggering the development of TED. Inflammation associated with this attack combined with activation of IGF-1R leads to the wide spectrum of pathologies seen with this disease.
Exposure to other inflammatory agents, such as cigarette smoke, leads to exacerbation of the disease resulting in more severe symptoms.
Current Treatments for TED
Prior to 2020, moderate to severe cases of TED were treated off-label with steroids such as daily doses of oral prednisone, or in more severe cases, weekly doses of IV methylprednisolone. Treatment with steroids is associated with a wide range of serious complications including high blood pressure, diabetes, psychological effects, personality change, insomnia, skin thinning, immunosuppression, hyperglycemia, and increased risks of infections. Systemic steroids showed limited efficacy for most of the signs and symptoms of TED and are not a sustainable long-range intervention given the side effects. If steroid treatment proved to be inadequate, or could not be tolerated, remaining options for patients include orbital radiation or surgery to reduce swelling, decompress orbital contents, and protect the vision. Again, each of these therapies was considered incomplete or inadequate from the perspective of both the patient and the treating physician.
In January 2020, Tepezza (teprotumumab), an antibody that blocks the activation of IGF-1R, was approved by the FDA for the treatment of TED. The Tepezza labeling was updated in April 2023 to specify its use for the treatment of TED regardless of TED activity or duration. Since its initial approval in 2020, the label has been subsequently updated multiple times with additional information on administration, risks and adverse reactions.
In two randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trials, infusions of teprotumumab every three weeks, for a total of eight doses, led to a greater than 2 mm decrease in proptosis in 71% and 83% of patients with active TED, respectively, compared to 20% and 10% with placebo, 51% and 73% placebo-adjusted response, respectively. Combined results from these two studies in patients with active TED showed that treatment with teprotumumab also led to a 53% decrease in diplopia compared to a 25% decrease when patients were treated with placebo. Thus, these data show that targeting and blockade of IGF-1R in TED provides a clinically meaningful benefit and is a de-risked approach.
Market Potential
We estimate approximately 190,000 TED patients in the United States with moderate to severe TED, which includes patients with either active and chronic TED, and a similar epidemiology in Europe. Currently, each vial of Tepezza has an approximate price of $18,700, which translates to a list price of approximately $525,000 based on patient weight for a six-month course of therapy. Tepezza’s 2025 net sales were approximately $1.9 billion with estimated single digit annual penetration of the addressable moderate to severe TED population. We believe there is potential for additional revenue in the U.S. with further penetration into the prevalent TED population and more convenient regimens and routes of administration. With Tepezza now approved in multiple countries outside of the U.S., including Japan and the European Union, we believe there is potential for meaningful additional revenue outside of the U.S., which we believe will further support multiple entrants.
Our Product Candidates
Veligrotug, a potential best-in-class intravenously administered IGF-1R antibody
Veligrotug is a monoclonal antibody that binds to and is believed to act as a full antagonist of IGF-1R signaling pathway. This mechanism of action is clinically and commercially validated by the only FDA product approved for the treatment of TED, Tepezza. Based on the THRIVE and THRIVE-2 phase 3 clinical trials, our goal is for veligrotug to be second to market in this class of medicine, with the opportunity to offer a differentiated IV product.
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The FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to veligrotug in May 2025. Further, the FDA accepted the veligrotug BLA for filing in December 2025 under Priority Review with a PDUFA target action date of June 30, 2026.
We have an exclusive license to the worldwide rights to develop and commercialize veligrotug for all non-oncology indications that do not use radiopharmaceuticals, including the treatment of patients with TED, from ImmunoGen, Inc. (“ImmunoGen”). The antibody sequence that we are developing as veligrotug in TED had previously been developed in oncology as AVE-1642 and studied in over 100 patients. However, development in oncology was stopped in 2009 due to its failure to meet the primary efficacy endpoints in multiple myeloma. As described below, we licensed the right to develop, manufacture and commercialize certain IGF-1R directed antibody products for non-oncology indications in the greater area of China to Zenas BioPharma (Cayman) Limited (now Zenas BioPharma, Inc., their successor in interest, “Zenas BioPharma”). In January 2025, Zenas BioPharma sublicensed their rights to Zai Lab (Hong King) Limited (“Zai Lab”). As described below, in July 2025, we licensed the right to develop, manufacture under certain limited conditions, and commercialize veligrotug and elegrobart in Japan to Kissei Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (“Kissei”).
Clinical Trials for veligrotug

Phase 1/2 Trial of veligrotug in Patients with Active TED
In the second half of 2022 and early 2023, we announced data from our phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of veligrotug in patients with active TED. The proof-of-concept portion of this double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 1/2 trial evaluated two infusions of veligrotug administered intravenously, three weeks apart, with efficacy measured six weeks after the first dose. Veligrotug was evaluated at doses of 3, 10, and 20 mg/kg, with each cohort designed to include six patients randomized to drug, and two patients randomized to placebo. We previously announced positive results from all three dose cohorts, and veligrotug demonstrated a favorable safety profile. In the 3 mg/kg dose cohort, nine patients were randomized to receive veligrotug to enable all consented patients who were eligible following screening to participate in the trial, and two patients were randomized to receive placebo. At week 6, across all three dose groups (n=21), we observed a 71% proptosis responder rate and a 67% overall responder rate. 62% of veligrotug-treated patients achieved a CAS of 0 or 1, and 54% had complete resolution of their diplopia. Veligrotug was generally well-tolerated.
Phase 1/2 Trial of veligrotug in Patients with Chronic TED
In July 2023, we announced data from our phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of veligrotug in patients with chronic TED. The proof-of-concept portion of this double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 1/2 trial evaluated two infusions of veligrotug administered intravenously, three weeks apart, with efficacy measured six weeks after the first dose. Veligrotug was evaluated at doses of 3 and 10 mg/kg, with each cohort designed to include six patients randomized to drug, and two patients randomized to placebo. We previously announced positive results from both cohorts, and veligrotug demonstrated a favorable safety profile that was generally consistent with the previously reported results in patients with active TED with veligrotug. At week six, across both dose groups (n=12), we observed a 42% proptosis responder rate and 40% of veligrotug-treated patients achieving a CAS of 0 or 1. No patients achieved complete resolution of their diplopia. Veligrotug was generally well-tolerated and demonstrated a safety profile that was generally consistent with the previously reported results in patients with active TED with veligrotug.
Phase 3 Trial (THRIVE) of veligrotug in Patients with Active TED

THRIVE is a global double-masked, placebo-controlled phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of veligrotug in patients with active TED. THRIVE evaluated five infusions of veligrotug at 10 mg/kg, dosed three weeks apart. Patients were randomized two to drug and one to placebo.
In September 2024, we announced positive topline data from THRIVE. THRIVE met the primary and all secondary endpoints at fifteen weeks after five infusions of veligrotug, showing highly statistically significant (p < 0.0001) improvements on all of the measured signs and symptoms of TED. Veligrotug additionally showed a rapid onset of treatment effect, with the majority (53%) of veligrotug-treated patients achieving a proptosis response as early as three weeks. THRIVE enrolled 113 patients, randomized to veligrotug (n=75) and placebo (n=38).
The following activity was observed in veligrotug-treated patients at the week fifteen interim topline database lock (n=75):
Proptosis
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•70% proptosis responder rate (“PRR”) (64% placebo-adjusted, p < 0.0001), defined as a ≥2-millimeter (“mm”) reduction in proptosis from baseline in the study eye without worsening in the fellow eye (≥2 mm increase), as measured by exophthalmometry. PRR results as measured by MRI/CT were consistent with those measured by exophthalmometry at the primary efficacy analysis timepoint.
•2.9mm mean reduction in proptosis from baseline (2.4mm placebo-adjusted, p < 0.0001), as measured by exophthalmometry
Diplopia
•63% diplopia responder rate (43% placebo-adjusted, p < 0.0001), defined as patients with baseline diplopia who achieved a reduction of at least 1 on the Gorman subjective diplopia scale (76 patients with diplopia at baseline)
•54% complete resolution of diplopia (43% placebo-adjusted, p < 0.0001), defined as patients with baseline diplopia who achieved a score of 0 on the Gorman subjective diplopia scale
CAS
•64% maximal or near-maximal therapeutic effect on CAS (46% placebo-adjusted, p < 0.0001), defined as reaching a CAS of 0 or 1 on the 7-point composite measure of signs and symptoms of TED
•3.4 point mean reduction in CAS from baseline (1.7-point placebo-adjusted, p < 0.0001), on a 7-point measure of signs and symptoms of TED
Overall response
•67% overall responder rate (61% placebo-adjusted, p < 0.0001), defined as a ≥2 mm reduction in proptosis and a ≥2 point reduction in CAS
Veligrotug was generally well-tolerated with a safety profile consistent with previous veligrotug studies. The majority of adverse events (“AEs”) were mild, and 96% of veligrotug-treated patients completing all doses. There were no treatment-related serious AEs. A 5.5% placebo-adjusted rate of hearing impairment AEs was observed. The vast majority of adverse events reported at the week fifteen topline readout had resolved by week fifty-two at final database lock.
Phase 3 Trial (THRIVE-2) of veligrotug in Patients with Chronic TED

THRIVE-2 is a global double-masked, placebo-controlled phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of veligrotug in patients with chronic TED. THRIVE-2 evaluated five infusions of veligrotug at 10 mg/kg, dosed three weeks apart. Patients were randomized two to drug and one to placebo.
In December 2024, we announced positive topline data from THRIVE-2. THRIVE-2 met the primary and all secondary endpoints at fifteen weeks after five infusions of veligrotug, showing statistically significant responses on all of the measured signs and symptoms of TED. Veligrotug continued to demonstrate a rapid onset of treatment effect, with a statistically significant proptosis response as early as three weeks and statistically significant diplopia reduction and resolution as early as six weeks. THRIVE-2 is the first global phase 3 study in patients with chronic TED to demonstrate a statistically significant and clinically meaningful diplopia responder rate and rate of diplopia complete resolution. THRIVE-2 enrolled 188 patients, randomized to veligrotug (n=125) and placebo (n=63). The mean time since onset of TED in patients treated with veligrotug was 69.8 months.
The following activity was observed in veligrotug-treated patients at the week fifteen interim topline database lock (n=125):
Proptosis
•56% proptosis responder rate (“PRR”) (48% placebo-adjusted; p < 0.0001), defined as a ≥2-millimeter (“mm”) reduction in proptosis from baseline in the study eye without worsening in the fellow eye (≥2 mm increase), as measured by exophthalmometry. PRR was statistically significant at all time points, including as early as 3 weeks, demonstrating a rapid onset of treatment effect. PRR results as measured by MRI/CT were consistent with those measured by exophthalmometry at the primary efficacy analysis timepoint.
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•2.3mm mean reduction in proptosis from baseline (1.9mm placebo-adjusted, p < 0.0001), as measured by exophthalmometry
Diplopia
•56% diplopia responder rate (31% placebo-adjusted, p = 0.0006), defined as patients with baseline diplopia who achieved a reduction of at least 1 on the Gorman subjective diplopia scale. Rapid onset was observed as early as 6 weeks after just two infusions (102 patients with diplopia at baseline)
•32% complete resolution of diplopia (18% placebo-adjusted, p = 0.0152), defined as patients with baseline diplopia who achieved a score of 0 on the Gorman subjective diplopia scale
CAS
•54% maximal or near-maximal therapeutic effect on CAS (29% placebo-adjusted, p = 0.006), defined as reaching a CAS of 0 or 1 on the 7-point composite measure of signs and symptoms of TED, among patients with a CAS of ≥ 3 at baseline (n = 104)
•2.9 point mean reduction in CAS from baseline (1.6-point placebo-adjusted, p < 0.0001), on a 7-point measure of signs and symptoms of TED, among patients with a CAS of ≥ 3 at baseline
•CAS outcomes are exploratory endpoints and p-values are nominally significant.
Overall response
•56% overall responder rate (50% placebo-adjusted, p < 0.0001), defined as a ≥2 mm reduction in proptosis and a ≥1 point reduction in CAS
Veligrotug was generally well-tolerated with a safety profile consistent with previous veligrotug studies, including THRIVE. The majority of AEs were mild, and 94% of veligrotug-treated patients completed their treatment course. A 9.6% placebo-adjusted rate of hearing impairment AEs was observed.
To meet the 300 patient safety database requirements for the veligrotug BLA, we are conducting STRIVE, a global clinical study of veligrotug in TED patients that utilizes broad inclusion criteria (e.g., any severity or duration of disease) and is randomized 3:1 (10 mg/kg IV with an active control of 3 mg/kg IV). In January 2025, we completed enrollment in STRIVE with a total of 231 patients, exceeding the enrollment target of 212 due to patient demand. We also completed enrollment of patients in the open label extension study for non-responding patients in THRIVE and THRIVE-2.
In May 2025, we announced that veligrotug received Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the FDA for the treatment of TED. The Breakthrough Therapy Designation request included data on veligrotug’s (i) consistent and robust improvement and resolution of diplopia in chronic TED, and (ii) rapid onset of proptosis response.
In May 2025, we announced positive long-term durability data from the phase 3 THRIVE trial following our final database lock, with 70% of patients who were proptosis responders at week fifteen maintaining their response at week fifty-two. Maintenance of response is defined as responders at week fifteen who still had at least a 2-millimeter (mm) reduction in proptosis compared to baseline at week fifty-two, without worsening in the fellow eye (≥2 mm increase), as measured by exophthalmometry. There were no changes to the safety profile in the follow-up period. The vast majority of adverse events reported at the week fifteen topline readout had resolved by week fifty-two at final database lock.
Together, THRIVE and THRIVE-2 evaluated veligrotug in the largest and broadest population of active and chronic TED patients completed to date in global phase 3 clinical trials. We believe that these robust and consistent clinical efficacy and safety results, after only five infusions of veligrotug, support a differentiated product profile and the potential for veligrotug to be the IV treatment-of-choice for all forms of active and chronic TED. We expect that the THRIVE and THRIVE-2 phase 3 clinical trials, together with a safety database comprising 300 treated patients, will support global health authority registration for marketing approval in both active and chronic TED, respectively. We submitted a BLA for veligrotug to the FDA in October 2025, which was accepted for filing and granted Priority Review in December 2025 with a PDUFA target action date of June 30, 2026. We additionally submitted an MAA to the EMA in January 2026.
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Elegrobart, a potential best-in-class subcutaneously administered IGF-1R antibody
Elegrobart is a monoclonal antibody that acts as a full antagonist of IGF-1R. Elegrobart utilizes the same binding domain as veligrotug and is engineered to extend its half-life, and therefore potentially enabling less frequent and more convenient dosing. Elegrobart is designed to maintain the clinical response of veligrotug while significantly increasing patient convenience.
We believe a later-entrant subcutaneous therapy can convert meaningful portions of an IV market. There is precedent that subcutaneous therapies can quickly command substantial market share even when launching several years after an incumbent IV. Although we have designed elegrobart to have a superior dosing profile to veligrotug, as well as to the currently marketed IV product, teprotumumab, market examples demonstrate that subcutaneous therapies have commanded market share even where such therapies have the same or worse dosing frequency than their IV counterparts. Further, subcutaneous offerings can also grow the overall market size for their class. We believe elegrobart has significant potential to capture a meaningful proportion of the IV TED market and to grow the TED market with a convenient, less-frequent, low-volume subcutaneous anti-IGF-1R antibody auto-injector that patients take at home.
We are conducting a global pivotal program for elegrobart, including evaluating its efficacy and safety in two global well-controlled phase 3 pivotal clinical trials, REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2, for the treatment of active and chronic TED, respectively. We selected elegrobart for pivotal development in TED following positive data in a phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers. This study showed elegrobart to have a prolonged half-life of 40 to 50 days, which is four to five times that of veligrotug. Because of the similarities of veligrotug and elegrobart, we anticipate elegrobart to have a favorable risk benefit profile in TED at similar exposure levels of veligrotug. Our pharmacokinetic modeling of elegrobart predicted that exposure levels of elegrobart could be achieved that are equivalent to exposure levels of veligrotug that produced clinically meaningful results with multiple dosing regimens of elegrobart, i.e., subcutaneous injection every two, four, or eight weeks. REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 are evaluating subcutaneous elegrobart administered every four weeks or every eight weeks and will assess outcomes versus placebo. We expect that the REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 phase 3 trials, together with a safety database of 300 patients (safety database inclusive of patients from the REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 trials), will support global health authority registration for marketing approval in both active and chronic TED, respectively. We are also conducting an auto-injector study to support having an auto-injector device for elegrobart available at the time of commercial launch, if approved.
In September 2025, we announced completion of enrollment for both REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 clinical studies, with each study exceeding its enrollment target due to strong patient demand. We anticipate topline data for REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 in the first quarter and second quarter of 2026, respectively.
Phase 1 Trial of Elegrobart in Healthy Volunteers
•Study Design: Elegrobart was dosed in four single dose cohorts of healthy volunteers at a concentration of 150 mg/ml receiving 5 mg/kg IV (n=4), 300 mg SC (n=6), 15 mg/kg IV (n=4), 600 mg SC (n=6) and a fifth cohort of two doses of elegrobart (n=4).
• Summary of Results:
•Extended Half Life: Elegrobart pharmacokinetics data showed an extended half-life of 40 to 50 days, which is a 4-to-5-fold increase over the half-life of veligrotug (which showed a half-life of 10 to 12 days).

•Prolonged Pharmacodynamics (“PD”): Following a single subcutaneous dose of elegrobart, IGF-1 serum levels increased approximately 4-fold at peak. This was consistent with the increases in IGF-1 levels that have been shown in the clinic following a single dose of veligrotug SC and IV. IGF-1 is a PD biomarker for IGF-1R target engagement.

•Well-Tolerated: Elegrobart was well tolerated in all subjects with no SAEs. All treatment-related, treatment-emergent adverse events were grade 1 (mild). In the reported dataset, no antidrug antibodies (“ADAs”) were detected.

•Dosing Flexibility for Pivotal Development: Elegrobart modeling demonstrated dosing flexibility for the program’s anticipated global pivotal development. The modeling showed that dosing elegrobart every eight weeks, every four weeks, and every two weeks achieved a range of exposures levels that were seen for veligrotug after intravenous doses of 3 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg, respectively.
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FcRn Inhibitor Portfolio: VRDN-006 and VRDN-008

In October 2023, consistent with our vision to develop the next generation of best-in-class products for autoimmune and rare diseases, we unveiled VRDN-006 and VRDN-008 from our portfolio of engineered FcRn inhibitors. FcRn inhibitors have the potential to treat a broad array of autoimmune diseases, representing a possible significant commercial market opportunity. Our multi-pronged engineering approach has resulted in a portfolio of FcRn-targeting molecules that leverage the clinically and commercially validated mechanism of FcRn inhibition in myasthenia gravis and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (“CIDP”) while potentially addressing the limitations of current agents such as incomplete IgG suppression and safety. VRDN-006 and VRDN-008 are both designed to be convenient, self-administered, subcutaneous products.
The first FDA-approved FcRn inhibitor, Vyvgart® (efgartigimod), was developed by argenx SE (“Argenx”) and is approved for myasthenia gravis and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. Argenx reported preliminary efgartigimod net sales of approximately $4.15 billion in 2025, and it is projected to generate more than $9 billion in annual sales by 2030. Furthermore, FcRn inhibitors have the potential to address additional sizable autoimmune indications such as myositis, membranous nephropathy, Graves’ disease, lupus nephritis, and Sjogren’s syndrome.
VRDN-006
VRDN-006 is a highly-selective Fc fragment. In our NHP studies, VRDN-006 demonstrated specificity for blocking FcRn-IgG interactions while not showing decreases in albumin or increases in LDL levels, which are known potential side effects associated with certain full-length monoclonal anti-FcRn antibodies. With efgartigimod, Argenx has proven that an Fc fragment can achieve clinical efficacy while sparing an effect on albumin or LDL, and shows better tolerability than full length antibodies against FcRn. VRDN-006 is the only other known Fc fragment currently in development. In NHP studies, we showed that VRDN-006 demonstrates comparable potency in vitro and comparable IgG lowering in non-human primates to efgartigimod.
VRDN-006_1of2.jpg
VRDN-006 also shows a similar safety profile to efgartigimod in our head-to-head non-human primate study showing that, comparable to efgartigimod, it did not lower albumin or increase LDL levels.
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VRDN-006_2of2.jpg
In September 2025, we announced that data from an ongoing phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers showed that VRDN-006 led to IgG reductions that are consistent with the FcRn inhibitor class, that VRDN-006 was sparing of albumin and LDL, and was generally well-tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicities or serious adverse events. We expect to communicate future development plans for VRDN-006 in 2026.
VRDN-008
VRDN-008 is a half-life extended bispecific FcRn inhibitor comprising an Fc fragment and an albumin-binding domain designed to prolong IgG suppression and provide a potentially best-in-class subcutaneous option for patients. In a single, high-dose, head-to-head study in NHPs, VRDN-008 demonstrated three times the half-life of efgartigimod and a deeper and more sustained IgG reduction with peak IgG reductions that were 20% deeper than efgartigimod.
VRDN-008_table1.jpg
VRDN-008 also shows a similar safety profile to efgartigimod in our head-to-head non-human primate study showing that, comparable to efgartigimod, it did not lower albumin or increase LDL levels.
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VRDN-008_2of2.jpg
An IND for VRDN-008 was submitted in December 2025 and received IND clearance from the FDA in January 2026. We expect healthy volunteer data in the second half of 2026.
TSHR Program
In January 2026, we announced that we are developing an anti-TSHR candidate with potential use in the treatment of Graves’ disease and TED. This product candidate is a half‑life extended monoclonal antibody designed to inhibit activation of TSHR. It is being developed for subcutaneous administration via an autoinjector, with the goal of enabling extended dosing intervals intended to support patient convenience. We anticipate submitting an IND for this program in the fourth quarter of 2026.
We believe inhibiting TSHR has the potential to treat both TED and Graves’ disease. TED pathophysiology potentially stems from the activation of the TSHR and IGF-1R signaling complex on orbital fibroblasts, leading to hyaluronan secretion and expansion of orbital fat and muscle. Autoantibodies that stimulate TSHR can activate pathways that promote inflammation, fibroblast proliferation, and tissue remodeling relevant to TED. We believe inhibiting TSHR could complement the inhibition of IGF-1R in the treatment of TED. In addition to TED, blocking TSHR could also be effective to treat Graves’ Disease. Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disease in which autoantibodies form against the TSHR, stimulating and activating the receptor. These TSH receptor antibodies (“TRAb”) can drive a heightened activation of TSHR, resulting in excessive thyroid hormone production and hyperthyroidism. Graves’ disease is one of the most prevalent autoimmune conditions, affecting more than 2 million people in the United States, and is the leading cause of hyperthyroidism. Current treatments—including antithyroid drugs, radioactive iodine (“RAI”), and surgery—lower thyroid hormone levels but do not entirely address the underlying autoimmune drivers of the disease and are often associated with relapse or the development of permanent hypothyroidism.
Intellectual Property
We have in-licensed and owned patents and patent applications, which include claims directed to compositions, methods of use, dosing and formulations. We possess know-how and trade secrets relating to the development and commercialization of our product candidates, including related manufacturing processes. As of January 2026, our in-licensed and owned patent portfolio consists of approximately three U.S. issued patents, approximately twenty-two U.S. pending patent applications, one issued patent in China, and approximately one hundred nineteen patent applications pending in jurisdictions outside of the United States (including approximately twelve pending Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications) that, in many cases, are counterparts to the foregoing U.S. patents and patent applications.
With respect to the product candidates and related manufacturing processes we develop and commercialize, we intend to pursue, when possible, composition, method of use, process, dosing and formulation patent protection. We may also pursue patent protection with respect to manufacturing and drug development processes and technology. When available to expand market exclusivity, our strategy is to obtain or license additional intellectual property related to core elements of technology and/or product candidates.
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Individual patents extend for varying periods of time, depending upon the date of filing of the patent application, the date of patent issuance, and the legal term of patents in the countries in which they are obtained. Generally, patents issued for applications filed in the United States are effective for 20 years from the earliest nonprovisional filing date. In the United States, a patent’s term may be lengthened by patent term adjustment, which compensates a patentee for administrative delays by the Unites States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in examining and granting a patent, or may be shortened if a patent is terminally disclaimed over an earlier filed patent or delays on the part of a patentee. In addition, in certain instances, the patent term of a U.S. patent that covers an FDA-approved drug may also be eligible to be extended to recapture a portion of the term effectively lost as a result of the FDA regulatory review period. The restoration period cannot be longer than five years and the total patent term, including the restoration period, must not exceed 14 years following FDA approval, however there is no guarantee that the applicable authorities, including the FDA in the United States, will agree with our assessment of whether such extensions should be granted, and if granted, the length of such extensions. Similar provisions are available in Europe and other foreign jurisdictions to extend the term of a patent that covers an approved drug. The duration of patents outside of the United States varies in accordance with provisions of applicable local law, but typically is also 20 years from the earliest non-provisional filing date. Ours patent issued as of January 2026 are expected to expire no earlier than 2041. If patents are issued on our patent applications pending as of January 2026, the resulting patents are projected to expire on dates ranging from 2041 to 2047. However, the actual protection afforded by a patent varies on a product-by-product basis, from country-to-country, and depends upon many factors, including the type of patent, the scope of its coverage, the availability of regulatory-related extensions, the availability of legal remedies in a particular country, potential disclaimers of term, and the validity and enforceability of the patent.
Competition
The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are characterized by intense and rapidly changing competition to develop new technologies and proprietary products. Our product candidates may address multiple markets. Ultimately, the diseases our product candidates target, and for which product candidates we may receive marketing authorization, will determine our competition. We believe that for most or all of our product development programs, there will be one or more competing programs under development or being marketed by other companies. Any products that we may commercialize will have to compete with existing therapies and new therapies that may become available in the future. We face potential competition from many different sources, including larger and better-funded biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. In many cases, companies with competing programs will have access to greater resources and expertise than we do and may be more advanced in those programs.
Amgen’s Tepezza is the only FDA-approved medication for TED. Other therapies, such as corticosteroids, have been used on an off-label basis to alleviate some of the symptoms of TED. A non-exhaustive list of companies currently advancing therapies in clinical development for the treatment of TED include:
•Amgen is developing an on-body subcutaneous formulation of Tepezza in a phase 3 study and has an early-stage candidate AMG-732 in TED.
•Immunovant, Inc. is developing a subcutaneous formulation of batoclimab in phase 3 studies in patients with active TED.
•Roche is developing satralizumab (Enspryng), an anti-1L-6R that is subcutaneously delivered and was studied in two phase 3 trial in patients with TED, one of which (SatraGO-1) failed to meet its primary endpoint.
•Sling Therapeutics, Inc. is developing linsitinib, a small molecule IGF-1R inhibitor currently being evaluated in an ongoing phase 2b/3 study in patients with active TED and currently has plans to initiate a phase 3 trial.
•Novartis (formerly Tourmaline Bio) is developing TOUR006, a subcutaneously delivered anti-IL-6, in an ongoing phase 2b clinical trial in patients with active TED.
•Lassen Therapeutics is developing LASN01, an intravenously delivered anti-1L-11R, which has completed a phase 2 study in active TED.
•Alumis (ACELYRIN, INC.) is developing lonigutamab (VB-421), a subcutaneously delivered anti-IGF-1R in TED. As of January 2026, further development plans for lonigutamab are under evaluation.
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Argenx’s Vyvgart, UCB’s Rystiggo®, and Johnson and Johnson’s Imaavy are the only FDA-approved anti-FcRn therapies, each approved in generalized myasthenia gravis (“gMG”). A non-exhaustive list of other companies that are advancing therapies in clinical development for the treatment to target FcRn include:
•Immunovant, Inc. is developing batoclimab (IMVT-1401/HBM9161) and IMVT-1402 with evaluations in various indications. Both are monoclonal antibody fragments targeting FcRn. Batoclimab is currently being evaluated in two ongoing phase 3 studies in TED, two phase 3 studies in gMG, a phase 2 study in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (“CIDP”), and a phase 2 study in Graves’ disease. IMVT-1402 is currently being evaluated in a phase 3 study for gMG, two phase 2b studies in Graves’ disease, one phase 2b study in CIDP, one phase 2b study in anti-citrullinated protein antibody positive difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis, and one phase 2b study in Sjögren’s disease.
•Johnson and Johnson is developing nipocalimab (Imaavy), a full-length monoclonal antibody against FcRn, which is in clinical development for a number of indications including CIDP, Sjogren’s disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, and warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia.
•UCB continues to develop Rystiggo, a monoclonal antibody fragment that binds FcRn, in an ongoing phase 3 study in Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody-associated Disease.
There are currently no FDA-approved anti–thyroid‑stimulating hormone receptor (“anti-TSHR”) therapies. A non-exhaustive list of other companies that are advancing therapies in clinical development for the treatment to target TSHR include:
•GenSci’s subcutaneously administered monoclonal antibody, GenSci098, is in an ongoing phase 1 study in patients with TED. As of January 2026, recruitment ongoing in China only and ex-China rights were licensed to Yarrow Bioscience in December 2025.
•AV7 Limited’s intravenous and intramuscularly administered monoclonal antibody, K1-70, is in an ongoing phase 2 study in active TED. As of January 2026, ongoing study in Japan only with no registration in the U.S.
License Agreements
License Agreement with Zenas BioPharma
In October 2020, Viridian Therapeutics, Inc. (“Private Viridian”) entered a license agreement with Zenas BioPharma to license technology comprising certain materials, patent rights, and know-how to Zenas BioPharma. In October 2020, in connection with the closing of the Private Viridian acquisition, we became party to the license agreement with Zenas BioPharma. Since February 2021, we have entered into several letter agreements with Zenas BioPharma in which we agreed to provide assistance to Zenas BioPharma with certain development activities, including manufacturing. In May 2022, the Company entered into a Manufacturing Development and Supply Agreement with Zenas BioPharma to manufacture and supply, or to have manufactured and supplied, clinical drug product for developmental purposes. The license agreement and subsequent letter agreements and supply agreement (collectively, the “Zenas Agreements”) were negotiated with a single commercial objective and are treated as a combined contract for accounting purposes. Under the terms of the Zenas Agreements, we granted Zenas BioPharma an exclusive license to develop, manufacture, and commercialize certain IGF-1R directed antibody products for non-oncology indications in the greater area of China. In January 2025, Zenas BioPharma sublicensed their rights under the license agreement to Zai Lab and assigned the Manufacturing Development and Supply Agreement to Zai Lab in connection with the sublicense transaction.
As consideration for the Zenas Agreements, the transaction price included upfront non-cash consideration and variable consideration in the form of payment for our goods and services provided and milestone payments due upon the achievement of specified events. Under the Zenas Agreements, we are eligible to receive non-refundable milestone payments upon achieving specific milestone events during the contract term. Additionally, we are eligible to receive royalty payments based on a percentage of the annual net sales of any licensed products sold on a country-by-country basis in the greater area of China. The royalty percentage may vary based on different tiers of annual net sales of the licensed products made. Zenas BioPharma is obligated to make royalty payments to us for the royalty term in the Zenas Agreements.
License Agreement with ImmunoGen, Inc.
In October 2020, Private Viridian entered into a license agreement with ImmunoGen (the “ImmunoGen License Agreement”), under which we obtained rights to an exclusive, sublicensable, worldwide license to certain patents and other intellectual property rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize certain products for non-oncology and non-radiopharmaceutical indications.
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In consideration for rights granted by ImmunoGen, we are obligated to make certain development milestone payments of up to $48.0 million. Additionally, if we successfully commercialize any product candidate subject to the ImmunoGen License Agreement, we are responsible for royalty payments equal to a percentage in the mid-single digits of net sales and commercial milestone payments of up to $95.0 million. We are obligated to make any such royalty payments on a product-by-product and country-by-country basis from the first commercial sale of a specified product in each country until the later of (i) the expiration of the last patent claim subject to the ImmunoGen License Agreement in such country, (ii) the expiration of any applicable regulatory exclusivity obtained for each product in such country, or (iii) the 12th anniversary of the date of the first commercial sale of such product in such country. We assumed the ImmunoGen License Agreement in connection with the merger with Private Viridian in 2020.
Antibody and Discovery Option Agreement and License Agreement with Paragon Therapeutics, Inc.
In January 2022, we entered into an antibody and discovery option agreement (the “Paragon Research Agreement”) with Paragon Therapeutics, Inc. (“Paragon”) under which we and Paragon will cooperate to develop one or more therapeutic proteins or antibodies. Under the terms of the Paragon Research Agreement, Paragon will perform certain development activities in accordance with an agreed upon research plan, and we will pay Paragon agreed upon development fees in exchange for Paragon’s commitment of the necessary personnel and resources to perform these activities. The Paragon Research Agreement stipulates a final deliverable to us comprising of a report summarizing the experiments and processes performed under the research plan (the “Final Deliverable”).
Additionally, Paragon agreed to grant us an option for an exclusive license to all of Paragon’s right, title and interest in and to certain antibody technology and the Final Deliverable, and a non-exclusive license to certain background intellectual property owned by Paragon solely to research, develop, make, use, sell, offer for sale and import of the licensed intellectual property and resulting products worldwide (each, an “Option” and together, the “Options”). Paragon also granted us a limited, exclusive, royalty-free license, without the right to sublicense, to certain antibody technology and the Final Deliverable, and a non-exclusive, royalty-free license without the right to sublicense, under certain background intellectual property owned by Paragon, solely to evaluate the antibody technology and Option and for the purpose of allowing us to determine whether to exercise the Option with respect to certain programs. We may, at our sole discretion, exercise the Option with respect to specified programs (“Programs”) at any time until the date that is 90 days after the Company’s receipt of the Final Deliverable the applicable program, or such longer period as agreed upon by the parties (“Option Period”) by delivering written notice of such exercise to Paragon. If we fail to exercise an Option prior to expiration of the applicable Option Period, such Option for such Programs will terminate.
In October 2023, we entered into a License Agreement with Paragon (the “Paragon License Agreement”) as a result of exercising our Option under the Paragon Research Agreement to obtain exclusive licenses to develop, manufacture and commercialize certain therapeutic proteins and antibodies and associated products.
In September 2024, we entered into the Amended and Restated License Agreement with Paragon (the “Amended Paragon License Agreement”) which amended and restated the Paragon License Agreement. In connection with the execution of the Amended Paragon License Agreement, we paid to Paragon a non-refundable fee of $4.0 million in September 2024, which was recorded as research and development expense during the three months ended September 30, 2024. In consideration for rights granted by Paragon, we are obligated to make certain future milestone payments of up to $16.0 million on a program-by-program basis upon the achievement of specified clinical or regulatory milestones, with total milestone payments under all programs not to exceed $40.0 million. Additionally, if we develop a product utilizing certain intellectual property rights granted to it under the Amended Paragon License Agreement, we are obligated to pay Paragon potential additional future development milestone payments of up to $3.1 million and commercial milestone payments of up to $17.0 million with respect to such product. If we successfully commercialize any product candidate subject to the Amended Paragon License Agreement, it is responsible for royalty payments equal to a percentage in the mid-single digits of such product’s net sales. During the year ended December 31, 2025, we recorded $4.5 million in research and development costs related to the Paragon Research Agreement and Amended Paragon License Agreement (collectively the “Paragon Agreements”).
Collaboration and License Agreement with Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
In July 2025, we entered into a Collaboration and License Agreement with Kissei (the “Kissei Agreement”), pursuant to which we granted to Kissei an exclusive license to develop and commercialize products containing veligrotug and elegrobart for potential treatments, including treatment of TED, in Japan, and a non-exclusive license to manufacture such licensed products worldwide for use in Japan under certain limited circumstances.
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The transaction price under the Kissei Agreement included a one-time, non-refundable and non-creditable upfront cash payment to us of $70.0 million. Additionally, we are eligible to receive up to an additional $315.0 million of non-refundable milestone payments upon achieving specific milestone events during the contract term, as well as tiered royalty payments ranging from percentages in the twenties to the mid-thirties based on the annual net sales of any licensed products sold in Japan. Kissei is obligated to make royalty payments to us for the royalty term as defined in the Kissei Agreement.
Kissei will be responsible for developing and seeking regulatory approval of the licensed products in Japan, subject to oversight from a joint steering committee. Following regulatory approval, Kissei will be responsible for commercializing the licensed products in Japan. Except in certain limited circumstances, we will be responsible for manufacturing and supplying the licensed products for Kissei’s developmental and commercial use in Japan.
The term of the Kissei Agreement will expire in its entirety upon the expiration of the royalty term for all licensed products and satisfaction of certain payment obligations as set forth in the Kissei Agreement, unless earlier terminated by the parties in accordance with the terms of the Collaboration Agreement.
Purchase and Sale Agreement
Purchase and Sale Agreement with DRI Healthcare Acquisitions LP
In October 2025, we entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement of revenue participation right (the “DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement”) with DRI Healthcare Acquisitions LP (“DRI”), pursuant to which DRI purchased rights to certain revenue streams in the U.S. from us in exchange for up to $300.0 million in consideration, including $55.0 million paid at signing and conditional payments consisting of: (i) $25.0 million that is payable following the achievement of certain milestones with respect to our elegrobart pivotal phase 3 clinical trials, REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2, on or before a specified date; (ii) $75.0 million that is payable following receipt of marketing approval for veligrotug from the FDA on or before a specified date; (iii) $15.0 million that is payable if the events set forth in the foregoing clauses (1) and (2) are met; (iv) $50.0 million that is payable following receipt of marketing approval for elegrobart from the FDA on or before a specified date; (v) at our election, $50.0 million that is payable following our achievement of net sales of certain products equal to or exceeding $1.1 billion on or before a specified date; and (vi) an additional $30.0 million that may be payable to us at a time and pursuant to financial terms agreed upon by us and DRI at such time. None of the milestones relates to the conditional payments have been achieved to date.
The DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and indemnities of the Company and DRI and customary covenants on the part of the Company, as well as a limit on the amount of incurrence of certain types of indebtedness, which limit automatically terminates a certain period of time following receipt of marketing approval for veligrotug in the U.S. The DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement requires us to pay tiered royalties to DRI based on net sales of veligrotug, elegrobart and certain other related products (the “Net Sales Royalties”). The royalties consist of (i) 7.5% of annual U.S. net sales up to and including $600 million, which royalties could increase to low-double digits if marketing approval for elegrobart is not received prior to a specified date, (ii) 0.8% of annual U.S. net sales above $600 million and up to and including $900 million, (iii) 0.25% of annual U.S. net sales above $900 million and up to $2 billion, and (iv) no royalty owed for annual U.S. net sales in excess of $2 billion. The DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement may only be terminated upon repayment by the Company of a certain multiplier of the consideration paid to us by DRI (less payments by the Company to DRI to date) on or prior to a certain date or repayment by an acquirer of the Company of a certain multiplier of the consideration paid by DRI to the Company (less payments by the Company to DRI to date) following a change of control of the Company.
Government Regulation
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 biologics such as those we are developing. We, along with third-party contractors, will be required to navigate the various requirements of the governing regulatory agencies of the countries in which we wish to conduct studies or seek approval or licensure of our product candidates.
U.S. Biologics Regulation
In the United States, biological products are subject to regulation under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”), the Public Health Service Act (“PHSA”) and other federal, state, local, and foreign statutes and regulations. The process of developing a biologic and obtaining regulatory approvals and compliance with federal, state, and local statutes and regulations, both pre- and post-approval, requires the expenditure of substantial time and financial resources.
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Failure to comply with the applicable U.S. requirements at any time during the product development process, approval process or following approval may subject an applicant to delays in development or approval, administrative action and judicial sanctions. The regulatory requirements applicable to biological product development, approval, and marketing are subject to change, and regulations and administrative guidance often are revised or reinterpreted by the regulatory authorities in ways that may have a significant impact on our business. We cannot predict whether legislative changes will be enacted or if regulatory authorities’ guidance or interpretations will change.
The process required by the FDA before biologic product candidates may be marketed in the United States generally involves the following:
•completion of nonclinical laboratory tests, animal studies and formulation studies performed in accordance with the FDA’s current Good Laboratory Practices (“GLP”) regulation, as applicable;
•submission to the FDA of an IND, which must become effective before clinical trials may begin and must be updated annually or when significant changes are made;
•approval by an independent institutional review board (“IRB”) or ethics committee (“EC”) representing each clinical site before the trial is commenced;
•performance of adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials in accordance with good clinical practice (“GCP”) requirements to establish the safety, purity and potency of the proposed biologic product candidate for its intended purpose;
•preparation of and submission to the FDA of a biologics license application (“BLA”), requesting approval to market the biological product for one or more proposed indications, and including submission of detailed information on nonclinical and clinical studies, the manufacture and composition of the product and proposed labeling;
•satisfactory completion of an FDA Advisory Committee review, if applicable;
•satisfactory completion of an FDA pre-approval inspection of the manufacturing facility or facilities, including those of third-parties, at which the proposed product is produced to assess compliance with cGMPs, and to assure that the facilities, methods and controls are adequate to preserve the biological product’s continued safety, purity and potency;
•satisfactory completion of any FDA inspections of the nonclinical and clinical trial sites and any FDA Bioresearch Monitoring inspections to assure compliance with GLPs and GCPs, respectively, and the integrity of nonclinical and clinical data submitted in support of the BLA;
•payment of the application fee under the Prescription Drug User Free Act (“PDUFA”), unless exempted; and
•FDA review and approval of a BLA to permit commercial marketing of the product for particular indications for use in the United States.
Nonclinical and Clinical Development
Before testing any investigational biological product in humans, the product must undergo nonclinical testing. Nonclinical tests include laboratory evaluations of product chemistry, formulation, and stability, as well as studies to evaluate the potential for efficacy and toxicity in animal studies. The conduct of the nonclinical tests and formulation of the compounds for testing must comply with federal regulations and requirements, including applicable GLP requirements and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal Welfare Act, if applicable.
Prior to beginning the first clinical trial with a product candidate, we must submit an IND to the FDA. An IND is a request for authorization from the FDA to administer an investigational new drug product to humans. An IND submission includes the general investigational plan and the protocol or protocols for the proposed clinical trials, as well as results of animal and in vitro studies assessing the toxicology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology and pharmacodynamic characteristics of the product, chemistry, manufacturing and controls information, and any available human data or literature to support the use of the investigational product. 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 period, raises safety concerns or questions about the proposed clinical trial. In such a case, the IND may be placed on clinical hold and the IND sponsor and the FDA must resolve any outstanding concerns or questions before the clinical trial can begin.
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Submission of an IND therefore may or may not result in FDA authorization to begin a clinical trial.
Clinical trials involve the administration of the investigational product to human subjects under the supervision of qualified investigators in accordance with GCPs, which include 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 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. Furthermore, each clinical trial must be reviewed and approved by an IRB or REC either centrally or individually at each institution at which the clinical trial will be conducted before the clinical trial begins at that site, and the IRB/REC must monitor the study until completed.
Regulatory authorities, the IRB/REC or the sponsor may suspend a clinical trial at any time on various grounds, including based on a finding that the subjects are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk, noncompliance with regulatory requirements, or concern that the trial is unlikely to meet its stated objectives. Imposition by the FDA of a partial or complete clinical hold would delay a proposed clinical study or cause suspension of an ongoing study until FDA determines that all outstanding concerns have been adequately addressed, and the FDA has notified the company that investigations may proceed. Imposition of a clinical hold could cause significant delays or difficulties in completing planned clinical studies in a timely manner.
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 or a data monitoring committee, 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 other grounds, such as no demonstration of efficacy.
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 a limited population of healthy human subjects or, in some circumstances, 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, and the side effects associated with increasing doses.
•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 statistically significant 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 labeling and approval.
In some cases, the FDA may require, or companies 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 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 product 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 product candidate and, among other things, must include methods for testing the identity, strength, quality and purity of the final product, or for biologics, the safety, purity and potency. Additionally, appropriate packaging must be selected and tested and stability studies must be conducted to demonstrate that the product candidate does not undergo unacceptable deterioration over its shelf life.
A sponsor may choose, but is not required, to conduct a foreign clinical study under an IND. When a foreign clinical study is conducted under an IND, all IND requirements must be met unless waived. When the foreign clinical study is not conducted under an IND, the sponsor must ensure that the study complies with certain FDA regulatory requirements in order to use the study as support for an IND or application for marketing approval or licensure in the United States. Specifically, the FDA requires that the study be conducted in accordance with GCP requirements intended to ensure the protection of human subjects and the quality and integrity of the study data, including review and approval by an independent ethics committee and use of proper procedures for obtaining informed consent from subjects, and that the FDA is able to validate the data from the study through an onsite inspection if the FDA deems such inspection necessary.
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Information about certain clinical trials must be submitted within specific timeframes to the NIH for public dissemination on its ClinicalTrials.gov website. Similar requirements for posting clinical trial information in clinical trial registries exist in the European Union and in other countries outside the United States.
BLA Submission and Review
Assuming successful completion of all required testing in accordance with all applicable regulatory requirements, the results of product development, nonclinical studies and clinical trials are submitted to the FDA as part of a BLA requesting approval to market the product for one or more indications. The BLA must include all relevant data available from pertinent nonclinical studies and clinical trials, 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. The submission of a BLA requires payment of a substantial application user fee to the FDA, unless a waiver or exemption applies.
In addition, under the Pediatric Research Equity Act (“PREA”), a BLA or certain supplements to a BLA must contain data that are adequate to assess the safety and effectiveness of the biological product candidate for the claimed indications in all relevant pediatric subpopulations and to support dosing and administration for each pediatric subpopulation for which the product is safe and effective, although deferrals or full or partial waivers may be available in some circumstances. A sponsor who is planning to submit a marketing application for a biological product that includes a new active ingredient, new indication, new dosage form, new dosing regimen or new route of administration must submit an initial pediatric study plan, within sixty days after an end-of-phase 2 meeting or as may be agreed between the sponsor and FDA. The FDA must then review the information submitted, consult with the sponsor, and agree upon a final plan. The FDA or the sponsor may request an amendment to the plan at any time. The FDA is required to send a PREA Non-Compliance letter to sponsors who have failed to submit their pediatric assessments required under PREA, have failed to seek or obtain a deferral or deferral extension or have failed to request approval for a required pediatric formulation, and the FDA publicly posts such PREA Non-Compliance letters and the sponsor’s response. Unless otherwise required by regulation, PREA does not apply to any biological product for an indication for which orphan designation has been granted.
The cost of preparing and submitting a BLA is substantial. Under the PDUFA, as amended, each BLA must be accompanied by an application fee. For fiscal year 2026, the application fee for each BLA requiring clinical data is approximately $4.7 million. The PDUFA also imposes an annual program fee for each approved prescription drug product, which has been set at approximately $442,000 for fiscal year 2026. The FDA adjusts the PDUFA user fees on an annual basis. Fee waivers, reductions and exceptions are available in certain circumstances. Additionally, no application fees are assessed on BLAs for products designated as orphan drugs, unless the BLA also includes a non-orphan indication.
Within 60 days following submission of the application, the FDA reviews a BLA to determine if it is substantially complete before the agency 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. A major amendment to a BLA submitted at any time during the review cycle, including in response to a request from the FDA, may extend the goal date by three months. The FDA does not always meet its PDUFA goal dates for standard and priority BLAs.
During its review of a BLA, the FDA may 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 requirements 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 trial sites and may also inspect the applicant to assure compliance with GCPs intended to ensure the protection of human subjects and the quality and integrity of the study data.
Under the PHSA, the FDA may approve a BLA if it determines that the product is safe, pure, and potent and that the facility where the product will be manufactured meets standards designed to ensure that it continues to be safe, pure, and potent.
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On the basis of the FDA’s evaluation of the application and accompanying information, including the results of the inspection of the manufacturing facilities and any FDA inspections of nonclinical and clinical trial sites to assure compliance with GLP or GCP, and the applicant to ensure compliance with GCP, the FDA may issue an approval letter or a complete response letter (“CRL”).To reach this determination, the FDA will evaluate whether the proposed new biologic’s benefits outweigh its potential risks to patients.
An approval letter authorizes commercial marketing of the product with specific prescribing information for specific indications. If the application is not approved, the FDA will issue a CRL which will describe all of the deficiencies that the FDA has identified in the BLA, except that where the FDA determines that the data supporting the application are inadequate to support approval, the FDA may issue the CRL without first conducting required inspections, testing submitted product lots and/or reviewing proposed labeling. In issuing the CRL, the FDA may recommend actions that the applicant might take to place the BLA in condition for approval, including requests for additional information or clarification. Applicants that receive a CRL may submit to the FDA information that represents a complete response to the issues identified by the FDA. The FDA will not approve an application until issues identified in the CRL have been addressed.
If regulatory approval of a product is granted, such approval will be granted for particular indications and may entail 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 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, including a more limited indication or addition of warnings, precautions or contraindications, or implementation of testing and surveillance programs to monitor the product after commercialization. The FDA may require one or more phase 4 post-market studies and surveillance to further assess and monitor the product’s safety and effectiveness after commercialization and may limit further marketing of the product based on the results of these post-marketing studies Once approved, the FDA may withdraw the product approval if compliance with pre- and post-marketing requirements is not maintained or if problems occur after the product reaches the marketplace.
Orphan Drug Designation
Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may grant orphan designation to a drug or biologic intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is a disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States, or more than 200,000 individuals in the United States for which there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing and making available in the United States a drug or biologic for this type of disease or condition will be recovered from sales in the United States for that drug or biologic. Orphan drug designation must be requested before submitting a New Drug Application (“NDA”) or BLA. After the FDA grants orphan drug designation, the generic identity of the therapeutic agent and its potential orphan use are disclosed publicly by the FDA. The orphan drug designation does not convey any advantage in, or shorten the duration of, the regulatory review or approval process.
If a product that has orphan drug designation subsequently receives the first FDA approval for the disease for which it has such designation, the product is entitled to orphan drug exclusivity, which means that the FDA may not approve any other applications, including a full BLA, to market the same product for the same indication for seven years, except in limited circumstances, such as a showing of clinical superiority to the product with orphan drug exclusivity. Orphan drug exclusivity does not prevent FDA from approving a different drug or biologic for the same disease or condition, or the same drug or biologic for a different disease or condition. Among the other benefits of orphan drug designation are tax credits for certain research and a waiver of the marketing application fee.
A designated orphan drug may not receive orphan drug exclusivity if it is approved for a use that is broader than the indication for which it received orphan designation. In addition, exclusive marketing rights in the United States may be lost if the FDA later determines that the request for designation was materially defective or if the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient quantities of the product to meet the needs of patients with the rare disease or condition.
The FDA’s interpretation of the scope of orphan drug exclusivity may change. The FDA’s longstanding interpretation of the Orphan Drug Act is that exclusivity is specific to the orphan indication for which the drug was actually approved. As a result, the scope of exclusivity has been narrow and protected only against competition from the same “use or indication” rather than the broader “disease or condition.” In the September 2021 case Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Becerra, a federal circuit court in the Eleventh Circuit set aside the FDA’s narrow interpretation and ruled that orphan drug exclusivity covers the full scope of the orphan-designated disease or condition regardless of whether the drug obtains approval only for a narrower use.
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Although the FDA announced in January 2023 that it will not apply the Catalyst decision beyond the facts at issue in that case, in 2025 a federal district court in Neurelis, Inc. v. Brenner struck down another FDA approval, adopting the same interpretation of orphan drug exclusivity as the Eleventh Circuit. The FDA has appealed this decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Legislation has been introduced, but has not been passed, that would codify the scope of orphan drug exclusivity set forth in the FDA’s regulations, rather than the interpretation adopted by the Eleventh Circuit in Catalyst.
Expedited Development and Review Programs
The FDA offers a number of expedited development and review programs for qualifying product candidates. The fast track program is intended to expedite or facilitate the process for developing new products that meet certain criteria. Specifically, new products are eligible for fast track designation if they 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 and the specific indication for which it is being studied. The sponsor of a fast track product has opportunities for more frequent interactions with the review team during product development and, once a BLA is submitted, the product may be eligible for priority review. A fast track product may also be eligible for rolling review, where the FDA may review sections of the BLA on a rolling basis before the complete application is submitted, if the applicant 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 applicant pays any required user fees upon submission of the first section of the BLA.
A product 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 can receive breakthrough therapy designation if preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the product, 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, including involvement of senior managers.
Any marketing application for a biologic submitted to the FDA for approval, including a product 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 and accelerated approval. A product is eligible for priority review if it has the potential to provide a significant improvement in the treatment, diagnosis or prevention of a serious 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). Fast track, breakthrough therapy, and priority review designations are not mutually exclusive, and a product may qualify for one or more of these programs. While these programs are intended to expedite product development and approval, they do not alter the standards for FDA marketing approval. Even if designation is granted, FDA may later decide that a product candidate no longer meets the conditions for designation and the designation may be rescinded.
Separate from FDA’s priority review program, in 2025 the FDA created a new Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher (“CNPV”) pilot program. A CNPV may be granted to products with significant potential to address certain national health priorities, which include: (i) addressing a large unmet medical need, (ii) delivering innovative cures, (iii) onshoring drug development and manufacturing, (iv) increasing affordability, or (v) addressing a U.S. public health crisis. The FDA has said it will review marketing applications for drugs with a CNPV within approximately one to two months following filing of a complete application, though the agency retains full discretion to extend the review time if the data or application components submitted are insufficient or incomplete, if the results of pivotal trial(s) are ambiguous, or if the review is particularly complex. In addition, applications filed with a CNPV will be evaluated by a multi-disciplinary review committee led by the FDA's Office of the Chief Medical and Scientific Officer, and the FDA will also provide enhanced communication with companies throughout the development and review process.
Additionally, the FDA may grant accelerated approval to a product for a serious or life-threatening condition that provides meaningful therapeutic advantage to patients over existing treatments based upon a determination that the product has an effect on a surrogate endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit. The FDA may also grant accelerated approval for such a condition when the product has an effect on an intermediate 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. Under the Food and Drug Omnibus Reform Act of 2022, the FDA may require, as appropriate, that such studies be underway prior to approval or within a specific time period after the date of approval for a product granted accelerated approval.
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Failure to conduct required post-approval studies with due diligence, failure to confirm a clinical benefit during the post-approval studies, or dissemination of false or misleading promotional materials would allow the FDA to withdraw the product approval on an expedited basis. All promotional materials for therapeutic candidates approved under accelerated approval are subject to prior review by the FDA unless FDA informs the BLA holder otherwise.
Regulation of Combination Products
Certain therapeutic products comprise multiple components, such as drug components and device components, that would normally be subject to different regulatory frameworks by the FDA and frequently regulated by different centers at the FDA. These products are known as combination products. Under the FDCA, the FDA is charged with assigning a center with primary jurisdiction, or a lead center, for review of a combination product. The determination of which center will be the lead center is based on the “primary mode of action” of the combination product. Thus, if the primary mode of action of a drug-device combination product is attributable to the drug product, the FDA center responsible for premarket review of the drug product would have primary jurisdiction for the combination product. The FDA has also established the Office of Combination Products to address issues surrounding combination products and provide more certainty to the regulatory review process. That office serves as a focal point for combination product issues for agency reviewers and industry. It is also responsible for developing guidance and regulations to clarify the regulation of combination products, and for assignment of the FDA center that has primary jurisdiction for review of combination products where the jurisdiction is unclear or in dispute. A combination product with a primary mode of action attributable to the drug or biologic component generally would be reviewed and approved pursuant to the drug or biologic approval processes set forth in the FDCA. In reviewing the NDA or BLA for such a product, however, FDA reviewers would consult with their counterparts in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health to ensure that the device component of the combination product met applicable requirements regarding safety, effectiveness, durability and performance. In addition, under FDA regulations, combination products are subject to cGMP requirements applicable to both the drug or biologic constituent part and the device constituent part.
Post-Approval Requirements
Any products manufactured or distributed by us pursuant to FDA approvals 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, manufacturing, testing 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 user fee requirements, under which the FDA assesses an annual program fee for each product identified in an approved BLA. Biologic manufacturers and their subcontractors are required to register their establishments with the FDA and certain state agencies. BLA holders and their contractors, including third-party manufacturers, are subject to periodic unannounced inspections by the FDA and certain state agencies for compliance with ongoing regulatory requirements, including cGMPs and pharmacovigilance regulations. Changes to the manufacturing process are strictly regulated, and, depending on the significance of the change, may require prior FDA approval before being implemented. Accordingly, manufacturers must continue to expend time, money and effort in the area of production and quality control to maintain compliance with cGMPs 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 a product, complete withdrawal of the product from the market or product recalls;
•fines, warning letters or holds on post-approval clinical studies;
•refusal of the FDA to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications, or suspension or revocation of existing product approvals;
•product seizure or detention, or refusal of the FDA to permit the import or export of products;
•consent decrees, corporate integrity agreements, debarment or exclusion from federal healthcare programs;
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•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 strictly regulates the marketing, labeling, advertising and promotion of prescription drug products, including biological products. Promotional claims about a product candidate are prohibited before the product is approved. In addition, the NDA or BLA holder of an approved drug, including a biologic, in the United States may not promote that drug for unapproved, or off-label, uses, although a physician may prescribe a drug for an off-label use in accordance with laws and professional standards governing the practice of medicine. If a company is found to have promoted off-label uses for an approved drug, it may become subject to administrative and judicial enforcement by the FDA, the DOJ or the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as state authorities. This could subject a company to a range of penalties that could have a significant commercial impact, including civil and criminal fines and agreements that materially restrict the manner in which a company may promote or distribute drug products in the future. The federal government has levied large civil and criminal fines against companies for alleged improper promotion and has also requested that companies enter into consent decrees or permanent injunctions under which specified promotional conduct is changed or curtailed.
Biosimilars and Reference Product Exclusivity
The Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) includes a subtitle called the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009 (“BPCIA”), which created an abbreviated approval pathway for biosimilar and interchangeable biosimilars. The FDA has issued several guidance documents outlining an approach to review and approval of biosimilars.
In order for the FDA to approve a biosimilar product, it must find that there are no clinically meaningful differences between the biological product and the reference product in terms of safety, purity, and potency. For the FDA to approve a biosimilar product as interchangeable with a reference product, the agency must find that the biosimilar 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. A product shown to be biosimilar or interchangeable with an FDA-approved reference biological product may rely in part on the FDA’s previous determination of safety and effectiveness for the reference product for approval, which can potentially reduce the cost and time required to obtain approval to market the product.
Upon licensure by the FDA, an interchangeable biosimilar may be substituted for the reference product without the intervention of the health-care provider who prescribed the reference product. The FDA approved the first interchangeable biosimilars in 2021. However, in draft guidance issued in 2024, the agency updated its policies regarding interchangeable biosimilars to recommend fewer tests by the applicant to demonstrate interchangeability and to highlight that these products are not safer or more effective than biosimilars that have not been demonstrated “interchangeable” with their reference products. In response to such scientific developments, it is possible that Congress could revisit and amend relevant provisions from the BPCIA as part of the upcoming legislative session.
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 nonclinical 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. The law also includes an extensive process for the innovator biologic and biosimilar manufacturer to litigate patent infringement, validity, and enforceability prior to the approval of the biosimilar.
As discussed below, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (“IRA”) is a significant new law that intends to foster generic and biosimilar competition and to lower drug and biologic costs.
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Patent Term Restoration
Some of our U.S. patents may be eligible for limited patent term extension under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984 (commonly referred to as the “Hatch-Waxman Amendments”), which amended the FDCA. The Hatch-Waxman Amendments permit a patent restoration term of up to five years as compensation for patent term lost during product development and the FDA regulatory review process. However, patent term restoration cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the product’s approval date. The patent term restoration period is generally one-half the time between the effective date of an IND and the submission date of an NDA or BLA, plus the time between the submission date and the approval of that application, in each case less any time that the applicant did not act with due diligence. Only one patent applicable to an approved product is eligible for the extension and the application for the extension must be submitted prior to the expiration of the patent. The USPTO in consultation with the FDA, reviews and approves the application for any patent term extension. Thus, for each approved product, we may apply for restoration of patent term for one of our related owned or licensed patents to add patent life beyond the original expiration date, depending on the expected length of the clinical studies and other factors involved in the filing of the relevant NDA or BLA.
Foreign Regulation
In addition to regulations in the United States, we are subject to a variety of regulations in other jurisdictions governing, among other things, research and development, clinical trials, testing, manufacturing, safety, efficacy, quality control, labeling, packaging, storage, record keeping, distribution, reporting, export and import, advertising, marketing and other promotional practices involving biological products as well as authorization, approval as well as post-approval monitoring and reporting of our products. Because biologically sourced raw materials are subject to unique contamination risks, their use may be restricted in some countries.
Whether or not we obtain FDA approval for a product, we must obtain the requisite approvals from regulatory authorities in foreign countries prior to the commencement of clinical trials or marketing of the product in those countries. Certain countries outside of the United States have a similar process that requires the submission of a clinical trial application much like the IND prior to the commencement of human clinical trials.
The requirements and process governing the conduct of clinical trials, including requirements to conduct additional clinical trials, product licensing, safety reporting, post-authorization requirements, marketing and promotion, interactions with healthcare professionals, pricing and reimbursement may vary widely from country to country. No action can be taken to market any product in a country until an appropriate approval application has been approved by the regulatory authorities in that country. The current approval process varies from country to country, and the time spent in gaining approval varies from that required for FDA approval. In certain countries, the sales price of a product must also be approved. The pricing review period often begins after market approval is granted. Even if a product is approved by a regulatory authority, satisfactory prices may not be approved for such product, which would make launch of such products commercially unfeasible in such countries.
Regulation in the European Union
European Data Laws
We are subject to laws and regulations related to, among other things, privacy, data protection, information security and consumer protection across different markets where we conduct our business. Such laws and regulations are constantly evolving and changing and are likely to remain uncertain for the foreseeable future. Our actual or perceived failure to comply with such obligations could have an adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial operations. Complying with these numerous, complex, and often changing regulations is expensive and difficult, and failure to comply with any data protection, privacy laws or data security laws or any security incident or breach involving the potential or actual misappropriation, loss or other unauthorized processing, use or disclosure of sensitive or confidential patient, consumer or other personal information, whether by us, one of our collaborators or another third-party, could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations, including but not limited to investigation costs, material fines and penalties, compensatory, special, punitive, and statutory damages, litigation, consent orders regarding our privacy and security practices, requirements that we provide notices, credit monitoring services, and/or credit restoration services or other relevant services to impacted individuals, adverse actions against our licenses to do business, reputational damage and injunctive relief.
The collection and use of personal health data and other personal data in the European Union (“EU”) is governed by the provisions of the European General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (“GDPR”), which became applicable in May 2018, and related data protection laws in individual EU Member States. The GDPR imposes a number of strict obligations and restrictions on the ability to process, including collecting, analyzing and transferring, personal data of individuals, in particular with respect to health data from clinical trials and adverse event reporting.
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The GDPR includes requirements relating to the legal basis of the processing (such as consent of the individuals to whom the personal data relates), the information provided to the individuals prior to processing their personal data, the notification obligations to the national data protection authorities, and the security and confidentiality of the personal data. EU Member States may also impose additional requirements in relation to health, genetic and biometric data through their national legislation.
In addition, the GDPR imposes specific restrictions on the transfer of personal data to countries outside of the European Economic Area (“EEA”) that are not considered by the European Commission (“EC”) to provide an adequate level of data protection. Appropriate safeguards are required to enable such transfers. Among the appropriate safeguards that can be used, the data exporter may use the standard contractual clauses (“SCCs”). When relying on SCCs, the data exporters are also required to conduct a transfer risk assessment to verify if anything in the law and/or practices of the third country may impinge on the effectiveness of the SCCs in the context of the transfer at stake and, if so, to identify and adopt supplementary measures that are necessary to bring the level of protection of the data transferred to the EU standard of essential equivalence. Where no supplementary measure is suitable, the data exporter should avoid, suspend or terminate the transfer. On June 18, 2021, the European Data Protection Board adopted recommendations to assist data exporters with such assessment and their duty to identify and implement supplementary measures where they are needed to ensure compliance with the EU level of protection to the personal data they transfer to third countries. With regard to the transfer of personal data from the EEA to the United States, on July 10, 2023, the European Commission adopted its adequacy decision for the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. On the basis of the new adequacy decision, personal data can flow from the EEA to U.S. companies participating in the framework. Companies that have not signed up to the framework will continue to be subject to the international transfer requirements above, and will need to ensure that adequate safeguards such as the SCCs are implemented for all EEA-US data transfers.
Failure to comply with the requirements of the GDPR and the related national data protection laws of the EU Member States may result in significant monetary fines for noncompliance of up to €20 million or 4% of the annual global turnover of the noncompliant company, whichever is greater, other administrative penalties and a number of criminal offenses (punishable by uncapped fines) for organizations and, in certain cases, their directors and officers, as well as civil liability claims from individuals whose personal data was processed. Data protection authorities from the different EU Member States may still implement certain variations, enforce the GDPR and national data protection laws differently, and introduce additional national regulations and guidelines, which adds to the complexity of processing personal data in the EU. Guidance developed at both the EU level and at the national level in individual EU Member States concerning implementation and compliance practices are often updated or otherwise revised.
Furthermore, there is a growing trend towards the required public disclosure of clinical trial data in the EU, which adds to the complexity of obligations relating to processing health data from clinical trials. Such public disclosure obligations are provided in the new EU Clinical Trials Regulation No.536/2014 (“CTR”), EMA disclosure initiatives and voluntary commitments by industry. Failure to comply with these obligations could lead to government enforcement actions and significant penalties against us, harm to our reputation, and adversely impact our business and operating results. The uncertainty regarding the interplay between different regulatory frameworks, such as the CTR and the GDPR, further adds to the complexity that we face with regard to data protection regulation.
With regard to the transfer of personal data from the EEA to the United Kingdom (“UK”), personal data may now freely flow from the EEA to the UK since the UK is deemed to have an adequate data protection level. However, the adequacy decisions include a ‘sunset clause’ which entails that the decisions will automatically expire four years after their entry into force, and so this adequacy decision will be reviewed, and is expected – but not guaranteed - to be renewed, before or during December 2031.
Drug and Biologic Development Process in the EU
In the EU, medicinal products are primarily regulated by EU pharmaceutical law seeking to harmonize the standards for assessing the quality, safety and efficacy of medicinal products. The process of obtaining regulatory approvals and the subsequent compliance with applicable legislation requires the expenditure of substantial time and financial resources. Failure to comply with the applicable EU requirements at any time during the product development and post-approval may attract enforcement actions and sanctions.
The process by which medicinal products may be marketed in the EU generally involves the following:
•completion of nonclinical laboratory tests and animal studies performed consistent with the principles of GLP set out in Directive 2004/9/EC and Directive 2004/10/EC;
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•submission to the relevant national competent authorities (“NCA”) in each Member State where the trial will be performed of an application for clinical trial authorization (“CTA”), which must be granted prior to the commencement of the clinical trial;
•issuance of a positive opinion on the clinical trial by a research ethics committee (“REC”) in each Member State where the trial will be performed;
•performance of adequate and well-controlled clinical trials in accordance with the principles of GCPs set out in the CTR, Directive 2005/28/EC, Commission Implementing Regulation 2017/556 or the equivalent requirements for trials conducted outside the EU, the International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use guidelines on GCPs, and the ethical principles set out in the Declaration of Helsinki;
•manufacture and import of the medicinal product in accordance with the principles of GMPs set out in Regulation No. 1252/2014, Directive 2001/83/EC, Directive 2017/1572 and associated legislation;
•preparation of and submission to the EMA, or the relevant NCA, of a marketing authorization application (“MAA”) after completion of all pivotal clinical trials, nonclinical studies and chemistry, manufacturing and control information;
•following satisfactory assessment of the MAA dossier, adoption by the EMA, or the relevant NCA, of a positive opinion on the approvability of the medicinal product;
•following EMA’s positive scientific assessment or that of a NCA on the approvability of the medicinal product, grant of a marketing authorization in respect of therapeutic indications by either the European Commission for centrally approved medicinal products or NCAs for nationally approved medicinal products;
•national approval for pricing and reimbursement including the need to demonstrate cost-effectiveness in each Member State for a new medicinal product to be adopted for use in the respective national health systems; and
•establishment and implementation of an appropriate pharmacovigilance system which complies with principles of GVP set out in Directive 2010/84/EU, Regulation (EU) No 1235/2010 and Commission Implementing Regulation No 520/2012.
Clinical Development in the EU
Regardless of where they are conducted, all clinical trials included in applications for marketing authorization for human medicines in the EU / EEA must have been carried out in accordance with EU regulations. This means that clinical trials conducted in the EU / EEA have to comply with EU clinical trial legislation but also that clinical trials conducted outside the EU / EEA have to comply with the principles equivalent to those set out in the EEA, including adhering to GCPs and the ethical principles set out in the Declaration of Helsinki.
In accordance with the CTR, sponsors must submit a single CTA application through a centralized EU clinical trials portal, the Clinical Trials Information System (“CTIS”). The CTA application will generally include the results of animal and in vitro studies assessing the toxicology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology and pharmacodynamic characteristics of the product, chemistry, manufacturing and controls information, and any available human data or literature to support the use of the investigational product. One NCA acts as reporting member state (“RMS”) to lead the validation and evaluation of the application. This RMS will be responsible for consulting and coordinating with the NCAs of the other EU Member States, i.e., Concerned Member States. If an application is rejected, it may be amended and resubmitted through the CTIS. If an approval is issued, the sponsor may start the clinical trial in all Concerned Member States. However, a Concerned Member State may in limited circumstances declare an “opt-out” from an approval and prevent the clinical trial from being conducted in such Member State.
During the development of a medicinal product, the EMA and NCAs provide the opportunity for dialogue and guidance on the development program. At the EMA level, this is usually achieved in the form of scientific advice, which is given by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (“CHMP”) on the recommendation of the Scientific Advice Working Party. A fee is incurred with each scientific advice procedure but is significantly reduced for designated orphan medicines. Advice from the EMA is typically provided based on questions concerning, for example, quality (chemistry, manufacturing and controls testing), nonclinical testing and clinical studies, and pharmacovigilance plans and risk-management programs. Advice is not legally binding with regard to any future MAA of the product concerned. However, it is expected that the scientific advice will be followed in the research and development program for the purpose of seeking product approval, unless any deviation from such advice is appropriately justified.
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Drug Marketing Authorization
In the EU, medicinal products are subject to extensive pre- and post-market regulation by regulatory authorities at both the EU and national levels. In the EU and EEA, after completion of all required testing, nonclinical studies, clinical trials and chemistry, manufacturing, and controls information can be included in an MAA requesting approval to market the product for one or more indications. Pharmaceutical products may only be placed on the market after a marketing authorization has been obtained. In the EU and EEA, there are two types of marketing authorization: centralized and national.
In December 2025, the EU Parliament and European Council agreed on major reforms to modernize EU pharmaceutical legislation, aiming to re-balance the promotion of innovation with improved patient access to safe, effective, and affordable medicines. Key measures include a new exclusivity framework, enhanced incentives for orphan drugs and antibiotics, an expanded Bolar exemption, and a shortened regulatory assessment timeframe. The reforms also introduce stricter controls on product availability and supply shortages. It is expected that new EU pharmaceutical legislation will be fully applicable in 2028 following a two-year transition period.
Centralized Marketing Authorizations
The centralized procedure provides for the grant of a single marketing authorization that is issued by the EC, following the scientific assessment of the application by the EMA that is valid for all EU Member States as well as in the three additional EEA Member States. The centralized procedure is compulsory for specific medicinal products, including for medicines developed by means of certain biotechnological processes, (recombinant DNA technology, controlled expression of genes coding for biologically active proteins in prokaryotes and eukaryotes including transformed mammalian cells, and hybridoma and monoclonal antibody methods) products designated as orphan medicinal products, advanced-therapy medicinal products (gene-therapies, somatic cell-therapies or tissue-engineered medicines), and medicinal products containing a new active substance indicated for the treatment of certain diseases (AIDS, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, auto-immune, other immune dysfunctions and viral diseases). For medicinal products containing a new active substance not yet authorized in the EEA before May 20, 2004 and indicated for the treatment of other diseases, medicinal products that constitute significant therapeutic, scientific or technical innovations or for which the grant of a marketing authorization through the centralized procedure would be in the interest of public health at EU level, an applicant may request submission of an marketing authorization through the centralized procedure.
Under the centralized procedure, the CHMP established at the EMA, is responsible for conducting the initial assessment of a drug. The CHMP is also responsible for several post-authorization and maintenance activities, such as the assessment of modifications or extensions to an existing marketing authorization. Under the centralized procedure, the timeframe for the evaluation of an MAA by the EMA’s CHMP is, in principle, 210 days from receipt of a valid MAA. However, this timeline excludes clock stops, when additional written or oral information is to be provided by the applicant in response to questions asked by the CHMP, so the overall process typically takes a year or more, unless the application is eligible for an accelerated assessment. Accelerated evaluation might be granted by the CHMP in exceptional cases, when a medicinal product is expected to be of a major public health interest, particularly from the point of view of therapeutic innovation. Upon request, the CHMP can reduce the time frame to 150 days if the applicant provides sufficient justification for an accelerated assessment. The CHMP will provide a positive opinion regarding the application only if it meets certain quality, safety and efficacy requirements. This opinion is then transmitted to the EC, which has the ultimate authority for granting marketing authorization within 67 days after receipt of the CHMP opinion.
National Marketing Authorizations
Medicines that fall outside the mandatory scope of the centralized procedure can be authorized nationally. Where a product already received a national marketing authorization, applicants can request other Member States to recognize the approval via the mutual recognition procedure. If the product has not received a national marketing authorization in any Member State at the time of application, it can be approved simultaneously in various Member States through the decentralized procedure.
The decentralized procedure permits companies to file identical MAAs for a medicinal product to the NCAs of various EU Member States simultaneously. The NCA of a single EU Member State, the reference member state, is appointed to lead the review of the application and provide an assessment report. The NCAs of the other Member States, the concerned member states, are subsequently required to grant a marketing authorization for their territories on the basis of this assessment. The only exception to this is where the competent authority of a Concerned Member State considers that there are concerns of potential serious risk to public health, the disputed points are subject to a dispute resolution mechanism and may eventually be referred to the EC, whose decision is binding for all EU Member States.
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Risk Management Plan
All new MAAs must include a Risk Management Plan (“RMP”) describing the risk management system that the company will put in place and documenting measures to prevent or minimize the risks associated with the product. RMPs are continually modified and updated throughout the lifetime of the medicine as new information becomes available. An updated RMP must be submitted: (i) at the request of EMA or a NCA, or (ii) whenever the risk-management system is modified, especially as the result of new information being received that may lead to a significant change to the benefit-risk profile or as a result of an important pharmacovigilance or risk-minimization milestone being reached. The regulatory authorities may also impose specific obligations as a condition of the marketing authorization. Since October 30, 2023, all RMPs for centrally authorized products are published by the EMA subject only to limited redactions.
Marketing Authorization Validity Period and Exclusivity
Marketing Authorizations have an initial duration of five years. After these five years have elapsed, the authorization may subsequently be renewed on the basis of a reevaluation of the risk-benefit balance. Once renewed, the marketing authorization is valid for an unlimited period unless the European Commission or the NCA decides, on justified grounds relating to pharmacovigilance, to proceed with only one additional five-year renewal. Applications for renewal must be made to the EMA at least nine months before the five-year period expires.
In the EU, medicinal products containing a new active substance (“NAS”), qualify for eight years of data exclusivity upon the product’s first marketing authorization in the EU and an additional two years of market exclusivity. This data exclusivity, if granted, prevents the developers of generic versions of the innovative medicinal product from referencing the innovator’s data for eight years. After this period has expired, a generic marketing authorization can be submitted, and the innovator’s data may be referenced. During the marketing protection period, even if a generic marketing authorization has been granted, the generic medicinal product cannot be placed on the market until the expiry of a full ten-year period from the initial authorization of the innovative medicinal product. The overall ten-year period can be extended to a maximum of eleven years if, during the first eight of those ten years, the marketing authorization holder obtains an authorization for one or more new therapeutic indications which, during the scientific evaluation prior to their authorization, are held to bring a significant clinical benefit in comparison with existing therapies. Products may not be granted data exclusivity since there is no guarantee that a product will be considered by the EU’s regulatory authorities to include an NAS. Even if a compound is considered to be a NAS and the marketing authorization applicant is able to gain the prescribed period of data exclusivity, another company could market a version of the medicinal product if such company can compile a full MAA based on its own complete set of chemistry, manufacturing, and controls information, nonclinical studies and clinical trials and obtain marketing authorization of its product. Under the proposed reforms to EU pharmaceutical law, agreed in December 2025 by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union (comprising representatives of all EU member state governments), a new framework for regulatory data and marketing exclusivity has been introduced. The revised system provides for eight years of data exclusivity and one year of marketing exclusivity, with the possibility of extending total exclusivity to up to eleven years. Extensions may be granted for medicines that address unmet medical needs, achieve commercial launch in all EU member states, or receive approval for a new clinically significant therapeutic indication.
Conditional Approval
Similar to accelerated approval regulations in the United States, conditional marketing authorizations can be granted in the EU in the interest of public health and patients to address unmet medical needs. A conditional marketing authorization can be granted for medicinal products based on less comprehensive clinical data referring to the safety and efficacy of the medicinal product than normally required. However, for such an approval to be granted a number of criteria should be fulfilled: (i) the benefit/risk balance of the product is positive, (ii) it is likely that the applicant will be in a position to provide the comprehensive clinical data, (iii) unmet medical needs will be fulfilled by the grant of the marketing authorization and (iv) the benefit to public health of the immediate availability on the market of the medicinal product concerned outweighs the risk inherent in the fact that additional data are still required. A conditional marketing authorization must be renewed annually.
Orphan Designation and Exclusivity
The criteria for designating an orphan medicinal product in the European Union are similar in principle to those in the United States.
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The EMA’s Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (“COMP”) assesses orphan drug designation if the medicinal product is: (1) intended for the diagnosis, prevention or treatment of a life-threatening or chronically debilitating condition affecting no more than five in 10,000 persons in the European Union when the application is made, or without the incentives derived from orphan status, it is unlikely the medicinal product would generate sufficient return to justify the investment; and (2) there is no other satisfactory method approved in the EU of diagnosing, preventing, or treating the condition, or if such a method exists, the proposed medicinal product is a significant benefit to patients affected by the condition. The COMP’s assessment will form the basis for the European Commission to adopt an implementing decision on grant of an orphan designation. An application for orphan drug designation (which is not a marketing authorization, as not all orphan-designated medicines reach the authorization application stage) must be submitted first before an application for marketing authorization of the medicinal product is submitted. The applicant will receive a fee reduction for the MAA if the orphan drug designation is granted, but not if the designation is still pending at the time the MAA is submitted, and applicants must submit an annual report to EMA summarizing the status of development of the medicine. Orphan drug designation does not convey any advantage in, or shorten the duration of, the regulatory review and approval process. Designated orphan medicines are eligible for conditional marketing authorization.
The COMP reassesses the orphan drug designation of a product in parallel with the CHMP’s review of the MAA. For a product to benefit from market exclusivity it must maintain its orphan drug designation at the time of marketing authorization review by the EMA and approval by the EC. Additionally, any marketing authorization granted for an orphan medicinal product must only cover the therapeutic indication(s) that are covered by the orphan drug designation. Upon the grant of a marketing authorization, orphan drug designation provides up to ten years of market exclusivity in the orphan indication.
During the 10-year period of market exclusivity, with a limited number of exceptions, NCAs and the EMA may not accept MAAs to extend an existing marketing authorization or grant marketing authorizations for other similar medicinal products for the same approved therapeutic indication. A similar medicinal product is defined as a medicinal product containing a similar active substance or substances as contained in a currently authorized orphan medicinal product, and which is intended for the same therapeutic indication. An orphan medicinal product can benefit from an additional two years of market exclusivity for an orphan-designated condition when the results of specific studies are reflected in the Summary of Product Characteristics, addressing the pediatric population and completed in accordance with a fully compliant Pediatric Investigation Plan. No extension to any supplementary protection certificate can be granted on the basis of pediatric studies for orphan indications.
The 10-year market exclusivity period may be reduced to six years if, at the end of the fifth year, it is established that the product no longer meets the criteria for orphan designation or that the product is sufficiently profitable to justify maintenance of the market exclusivity. When the period of orphan market exclusivity for an indication ends, the orphan drug designation for that indication expires as well. Orphan exclusivity runs in parallel with normal rules on data exclusivity and market protection. Additionally, a marketing authorization may be granted to a similar medicinal product (orphan or not) for the same or overlapping indication subject to certain requirements. Under the proposed reforms to EU pharmaceutical law referenced above, orphan medicinal products will benefit from a single period of nine years of market exclusivity. This period may be extended to eleven years for orphan medicinal products intended for therapeutic areas where no treatment options currently exist. The reforms also remove the previous system of staggered market exclusivity periods for orphan products granted for multiple indications for the same product.
PRIME Designation
The EMA has established an initiative to facilitate development of product candidates in indications, often rare, for which few or no satisfactory therapies currently exist in the EU. The Priority Medicines (“PRIME”) scheme is intended to encourage drug development in areas of unmet medical need and provides accelerated assessment of products representing substantial innovation for them to be reviewed under the centralized procedure. Products from small- and medium-sized enterprises may qualify for earlier entry into the PRIME scheme than larger companies on the basis of compelling nonclinical data and tolerability data from initial clinical trials. Many benefits accrue to sponsors of product candidates with PRIME designation, including but not limited to, early and proactive regulatory dialogue with the EMA, frequent discussions on clinical trial designs and other development program elements, and potentially accelerated MAA assessment once a dossier has been submitted. Importantly, once a candidate medicine has been selected for the PRIME scheme, a dedicated contact point and rapporteur from the CHMP or from the Committee for Advanced Therapies (“CAT”) are appointed facilitating increased understanding of the product at EMA’s Committee level. A kick-off meeting with the CHMP/CAT rapporteur initiates these relationships and includes a team of multidisciplinary experts to provide guidance on the overall development plan and regulatory strategy. PRIME eligibility does not change the standards for product approval, and there is no assurance that any such designation or eligibility will result in expedited review or approval.
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Regulation of Combination Products in the EU
In the EU, product containing a medical device and a medicinal product are either regulated as a medicinal product or a medical device and the primary mode of action governs the regulatory pathway. If a medical device intended to administer a medicinal product and the medicinal product and medical device are placed on the market in such a way that they form a single integral product which is intended exclusively for use in the given combination and which is not reusable, then the single integral product is regulated as a medicinal product. In that case, the approval must take account of general safety and performance requirements for assessing the medical device component. In contrast, where the medical device and the medicinal product are not presented as an integrated unit, then they will be regulated separately under the medical device legislation and the medicinal product legislation. Any device which incorporates as an integral part, a medicinal substance, including a biological substance, that have an action ancillary to that the device, then the combination product is regulated as a medical device, but the notified body responsible for conformity assessment must consult a medicine authority including the EMA. However, if the action of the medicinal substance including a biological substance is principal and not ancillary to that of the device, then the combination product is regulated as a medicinal product.
Post-Approval Requirements in the EU
EU law requires each marketing authorization holder, NCA, and the EMA to operate a pharmacovigilance system. Collectively, these systems ensure the ongoing monitoring of the safety and benefit-risk profile of approved medicinal products. Key responsibilities of marketing authorization holders include, but are not limited to: the maintenance of a pharmacovigilance system master file that outlines the marketing authorization holder’s relevant processes and procedures; the appointment of a Qualified Person for pharmacovigilance who is responsible for overseeing the marketing authorization holder’s pharmacovigilance system; the collection, recording and reporting by the marketing authorization holder to the relevant competent authorities of suspected adverse events associated with the use of their medicinal products; the submission by marketing authorization holders of periodic safety update reports to the relevant competent authority and to regular audits and inspections by the relevant regulatory authorities. Post approval, any changes to the approved medicinal product, such as the addition of new indications or changes to the manufacturing process, are subject to prior review and approval by the relevant regulatory authorities. Obtaining and maintaining such approvals requires marketing authorization holders to expend time, money and effort to ensure and demonstrate regulatory compliance.
Similar to the position in the U.S., if a marketing authorization holder does not maintain compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, or if unfavorable signals derived from post-approval use of the medicinal product are identified, the relevant regulatory authority can impose various sanctions/remedial actions, including but not limited to: the variation to, suspension or revocation of the underlying approvals; the imposition of market recalls; the performance of post-authorization safety studies; the imposition of changes to the approved labeling; the issuance of warning letters and imposition of fines; restrictions on the marketing of a medicinal product; the issuance of safety alerts including Dear Healthcare Professional letters; injunctions; and the imposition of criminal or financial penalties.
Regulation in the UK
The UK formally left the EU on January 31, 2020. After the expiry of the transition period on December 31, 2020, the UK became a “third country” for the purposes of EU law. Until recently, certain aspects of EU pharmaceutical legislation applied in Northern Ireland by virtue of the Northern Ireland Protocol. However, in accordance with the Windsor Framework, as of January 1, 2025, the unified UK-wide licensing system applies in Northern Ireland. The Windsor Framework sets out a long-term set of arrangements for the supply of medicines into Northern Ireland. In particular, medicines need to be approved and licensed on a UK-wide basis by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (the “MHRA”), with medicines using the same packaging and labeling across the UK. The EMA no longer has a role in approving or licensing new drugs for provision in Northern Ireland.
The European Union and the UK have agreed on a trade and cooperation agreement (“TCA”), which includes provisions affecting the life sciences sector (including on customs and tariffs). There are some specific provisions concerning pharmaceuticals, including the mutual recognition of cGMP, inspections of manufacturing facilities for medicinal products and GMP documents issued. The TCA does not, however, contain wholesale mutual recognition of UK and EU pharmaceutical regulations and product standards.
The UK government has adopted the Medicines and Medical Devices Act 2021 (“MMDA”) to enable the UK’s regulatory frameworks to be updated following the UK’s departure from the EU. The MMDA introduces regulation-making, delegated powers covering the fields of human medicines, clinical trials of human medicines, veterinary medicines and medical devices. The MHRA has since been consulting on future regulations for medicines and medical devices in the UK.
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Several key delegated regulations under the UK's Medicines and Medical Devices Act 2021 have been adopted or are planned, significantly updating the medical device framework with stricter rules for Post-Market Surveillance, new pathways for innovative devices, changes to IVD rules, and upcoming core legislation expected in 2026, all aiming for alignment with international standards while maintaining UK competence to regulate such products.
The collection and use of personal health data and other personal data in the UK is governed by the provisions of the UK GDPR (as defined by section 3(10) (as supplemented by section 205(4)) of the Data Protection Act 2018 (the “DPA 2018”)), the DPA 2018, and related data protection laws in the UK. The UK GDPR imposes a number of strict obligations and restrictions on the ability to process, including collecting, analyzing and transferring, personal data of individuals, in particular with respect to health data from clinical trials and adverse event reporting. The UK GDPR includes requirements relating to the legal basis of the processing (such as consent of the individuals to whom the personal data relates), the information provided to the individuals prior to processing their personal data, the notification obligations to the national data protection authorities, and the security and confidentiality of the personal data. Separately to the fines that can be imposed by the GDPR, the UK regime has the ability to impose fines for failure to comply with the requirements of the UK GDPR and related UK data protection laws up to the greater of £17.5 million or 4% of global turnover.
Following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU and the EEA, companies are subject to specific transfer rules under the UK regime; personal data may flow freely from the UK to the EEA, since the EEA is deemed to have an adequate data protection level for purposes of the UK regime. These UK international transfer rules broadly mirror the EU GDPR rules. On February 2, 2022, the UK Secretary of State laid before the UK Parliament the international data transfer agreement (“IDTA”) and the international data transfer addendum to the European Commission’s standard contractual clauses for international data transfers (“Addendum”) and a document setting out transitional provisions. The IDTA and Addendum came into force on March 21, 2022 and replaced the old SCCs for the purposes of the UK regime. However, the transitional provisions, adopted with the IDTA and the Addendum, provide that contracts concluded on or before September 21, 2022 on the basis of any old SCCs continued to provide appropriate safeguards for the purpose of the UK regime until March 21, 2024, provided that the processing operations that are the subject matter of the contract remain unchanged and reliance on those clauses ensures that the transfer of personal data is subject to appropriate safeguards. With regard to the transfer of personal data from the UK to the United States, the UK government has adopted an adequacy decision for the United States, the UK-US Data Bridge, which came into force on October 12, 2023. The UK-US Data Bridge recognizes the United States as offering an adequate level of data protection where the transfer is to a U.S. company participating in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the UK Extension. As with the EU equivalent, companies that are not participants in the framework and extension will continue to be subject to the international transfer requirements under the UK GDPR.
Other Regulations
Pharmaceutical companies are subject to extensive healthcare regulation and enforcement by the federal government and by authorities in the states and foreign jurisdictions in which they conduct their business. Such laws include, without limitation: fraud and abuse laws such as the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (“AKS”) and the federal False Claims Act (“FCA”) in the U.S. government pricing and price reporting laws, consumer protection laws and state licensure laws. Some of these laws apply only when the manufacturer has a marketed product.
Fraud and abuse laws include a number of anti-kickback laws. The AKS prohibits, among other things, persons and entities from knowingly and willfully soliciting, receiving, offering or paying remuneration, to induce, or in return for, either the referral of an individual, or the purchase or recommendation of an item or service for which payment may be made under any federal healthcare program. The term remuneration has been interpreted broadly to include anything of value. The AKS has been interpreted to apply to arrangements between pharmaceutical manufacturers on one hand, and prescribers and purchasers on the other. The government often takes the position that to violate the AKS, only one purpose of the remuneration need be to induce referrals, even if there are other legitimate purposes for the remuneration. There are a number of statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbors protecting some common activities from prosecution, but protection is available only if all requirements are met. Our practices, such as paying physicians for consulting services, may not in all cases meet all of the criteria for protection under a statutory exception or regulatory safe harbor. Failure to meet all of the requirements of a particular applicable statutory exception or regulatory safe harbor does not make the conduct per se illegal under the AKS. Instead, the legality of the arrangement will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis based on a cumulative review of all of its facts and circumstances. 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. Other federal and state anti-kickback laws exist and, among other restrictions, prohibit certain payments related to referrals of patients to certain providers (such as clinical laboratories), applying to services reimbursed by private health plans as well as government health care programs.
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Civil and criminal false claims laws, including the FCA, and civil monetary penalty laws, which can be enforced through civil whistleblower or qui tam actions, prohibit, among other things, individuals or entities from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, claims for payment of federal government funds, including in federal healthcare programs, that are false or fraudulent. Pharmaceutical and other healthcare companies have been prosecuted under these laws for engaging in a variety of different types of conduct that caused the submission of false claims to federal healthcare programs. Under the AKS, for example, a claim resulting from a violation of the AKS is deemed to be a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the FCA.
Biopharmaceutical manufacturers also are subject to federal and state price reporting laws. Such laws require manufacturers to calculate and report pricing metrics to government programs, where such reported prices may be used in the calculation of reimbursement and/ or discounts on drug products. Certain laws also may require biopharmaceutical manufacturers to offer products at discounted prices to specific government programs or specific purchasers as a condition for participation in certain government health benefit programs.
The FDCA addresses, among other things, the design, production, labeling, promotion, manufacturing, and testing of drugs, biologics and medical devices, and prohibits such acts as the introduction into interstate commerce of adulterated or misbranded drugs or devices. The PHSA also prohibits the introduction into interstate commerce of unlicensed or mislabeled biological products.
Laws and regulations have been enacted by the federal government and various states to regulate the sales and marketing practices of pharmaceutical manufacturers. The laws and regulations generally limit financial interactions between manufacturers and health care providers; require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the pharmaceutical industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the U.S. federal government; and/or require disclosure to the government and/or public of financial interactions (so-called “sunshine laws”). For instance, the federal “sunshine” law implemented as Open Payments requires certain manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, with specific exceptions, to annually report to the U.S. Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) information related to payments or other transfers of value to various healthcare professionals including physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse anesthetists, certified nurse-midwives, and teaching hospitals, as well as ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members. State and local laws may also require disclosure of pharmaceutical pricing information and marketing expenditures or licensure of sales representatives. Manufacturers must also submit information to the FDA on the identity and quantity of drug samples requested and distributed by a manufacturer during each year. New laws may be implemented. For example, since January 1, 2023, California physicians and surgeons have had to notify patients of Open Payments where financial interactions with biopharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers are disclosed.
In addition, federal and state consumer protection and unfair competition laws broadly regulate our marketplace activities and activities that potentially harm consumers.
We are also subject to additional similar U.S. state and foreign law equivalents of each of the above federal laws, which, in some cases, differ from each other in significant ways, and may not have the same effect, thus complicating compliance efforts. If our operations are found to be in violation of any of such laws or any other governmental regulations that apply, we may be subject to penalties, including, without limitation, civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, exclusion from government-funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid or similar programs in other countries or jurisdictions, integrity oversight and reporting obligations to resolve allegations of non-compliance, disgorgement, individual imprisonment, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations.
For other countries outside of the EU, UK and United States such as countries in Eastern Europe, Latin America or Asia, the requirements governing the conduct of clinical trials, product licensing, pricing and reimbursement vary from country to country. In all cases, clinical trials must be conducted in accordance with GCP and the applicable regulatory requirements and the ethical principles that have their origin in the Declaration of Helsinki.
If we fail to comply with applicable foreign regulatory requirements, we may be subject to, among other things, fines, suspension of clinical trials, suspension or withdrawal of regulatory approvals, product recalls, seizure of products, operating restrictions and criminal prosecution.
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Data Privacy and Security
Numerous United States state, federal, and local laws and regulations, as well as foreign legislation, govern the collection, processing, transfer, disclosure, sharing, storing, dissemination, use, confidentiality, and security of personal information. In the United States, there are several federal and state laws and regulations, including state data breach notification laws, state health information privacy laws, and federal and state consumer protection laws and regulations that regulate the collection, use, disclosure, protection and processing of personal information, including medical and health-related information. These laws could apply to our operations or the operations of our partners.
For example, in the United States, at the federal level, the regulations promulgated under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”), as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (“HITECH Act”), and their respective implementing regulations impose data privacy, security, and breach notification obligations with respect to protected health information (“PHI”) on certain health-care providers, health plans and health-care clearinghouses, known as “covered entities”, as well as on their business associates, which include persons or entities that perform certain services that involve using, disclosing, creating, receiving, maintaining, or transmitting individually identifiable PHI for or on behalf of such covered entities. While we have determined that we are neither a covered entity nor a business associate directly subject to HIPAA, many of the U.S. health-care providers with which we interact are subject to HIPAA, and we may have assumed obligations related to protecting the privacy of personal information.
These requirements imposed by HIPAA and the HITECH Act on covered entities and business associates include, entering into agreements that require business associates protect PHI provided by the covered entity against improper use or disclosure, among other things; following certain standards for the privacy of PHI, which limit the disclosure of a patient’s past, present, or future physical or mental health or condition or information about a patient’s receipt of health-care if the information identifies, or could reasonably be used to identify, the individual; ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of all PHI created, received, maintained, or transmitted in electronic form, to identify and protect against reasonably anticipated threats or impermissible uses or disclosures to the security and integrity of such PHI; and reporting of breaches of PHI to individuals and regulators.
HIPAA created additional federal criminal statutes that prohibit, among other things, executing a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private third-party payors, and making false statements relating to healthcare matters. A person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the healthcare fraud statute implemented under HIPAA or specific intent to violate the statute in order to have committed a violation.
Entities that are found to be in violation of HIPAA may be subject to significant civil, criminal, and administrative fines and other penalties and/or additional reporting and oversight obligations, for example, if required to enter into a resolution agreement and corrective action plan with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to settle allegations of HIPAA non-compliance. A covered entity or business associate is also liable for civil money penalties for a violation that is based on an act or omission of any of its agents, which may include a downstream business associate, as determined according to the federal common law of agency. The HITECH Act also increased the civil and criminal penalties applicable to covered entities and business associates and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for damages or injunctions in federal courts to enforce HIPAA and seek attorneys’ fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions. To the extent that submissions of electronic healthcare claims and payment transactions that do not comply with the electronic data transmission standards established under HIPAA and the HITECH Act, payments to us may be delayed or denied.
Even when HIPAA does not apply, according to the Federal Trade Commission, violating consumers’ privacy rights or failing to take appropriate steps to keep consumers’ personal information secure, including medical and health-related information, may constitute unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce in violation of Section 5(a) of the Federal Trade Commission Act.
In addition, there are also several U.S. state privacy laws, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020 (together, the “CCPA”), that govern the privacy and security of personal information. Some, such as the Washington My Health My Data Act, protect specific medical and health-related information in certain circumstances. Some of these state laws are more stringent than HIPAA and many differ from each other in significant ways and may not have the same effect, thus complicating compliance efforts. The CCPA applies to personal data of consumers, business contacts, and employees, and imposes obligations on certain businesses that do business in California, including to provide specific disclosures in privacy notices and rights to California residents in relation to their personal information. Health information may fall under the CCPA’s definition of personal information where it identifies, relates to, describes, or is reasonably capable of being associated with or could reasonably be linked with a particular consumer or household—unless it is subject to HIPAA—and is included under a new category of personal information, “sensitive personal information,” which is offered greater protection.
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In addition, almost 20 other states have now passed comprehensive privacy laws that have taken effect or will come into effect at various times over the next few years. Failure to comply with these laws, where applicable, can result in the imposition of significant civil and/or criminal penalties and private litigation.
Privacy and security laws, regulations, and other obligations are stringent, constantly evolving and may conflict with each other, which makes compliance difficult and complicated. Actual or alleged noncompliance can result in investigations, proceedings, or actions that lead to significant civil and/or criminal penalties and restrictions on data processing. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, or financial condition. Additionally, our use of artificial intelligence and machine learning may be subject to laws and evolving regulations regarding the use of artificial intelligence/machine learning, controlling for data bias, and anti-discrimination.
Health Reform
The United States and some foreign jurisdictions are considering or have enacted a number of reform proposals to change the healthcare system. There is significant interest in promoting changes in healthcare systems with the stated goals of containing healthcare costs, improving quality or expanding access. In the United States, the pharmaceutical industry has been a particular focus of these efforts and has been significantly affected by federal and state legislative initiatives, including those designed to limit the pricing, coverage, and reimbursement of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical products, especially under government-funded health-care programs, and increased governmental control of drug pricing.
For example, the ACA, which was enacted in March 2010, substantially changed the way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private insurers in the United States, and significantly affected the pharmaceutical industry. The ACA contains a number of provisions of particular import to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, including, but not limited to, those governing enrollment in federal healthcare programs, altering certain requirements in the methodology by which rebates owed by manufacturers under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program are calculated for drugs, and imposing annual fees based on pharmaceutical companies’ share of sales to federal health-care programs. Since its enactment, there have been judicial and Congressional challenges to certain aspects of the ACA, and we expect there will be additional challenges and amendments to the ACA in the future.
Other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted since the ACA was enacted, , and in recent years, the pharmaceutical industry has been a particular focus of healthcare reform efforts and has been significantly affected by major legislative, administrative and executive initiatives. For example, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (“IRA”) included a number of changes relevant to drug prices in Medicare Parts B and D, including caps on Medicare Part D out-of-pocket costs, Medicare Part B and Part D inflationary rebates, a new Medicare Part D manufacturer discount drug program (replacing the previous coverage gap discount program) and a drug price negotiation program for certain high-spend Medicare Part B and D drugs. The IRA has had and will likely continue to have a significant impact on the pharmaceutical industry. Other recent reform initiatives have focused on drug pricing. For example, President Trump issued Executive Orders targeting drug pricing, including to direct agencies to facilitate most favored nation drug pricing and direct to consumer purchasing initiatives. In the wake of these Executive Orders and related executive initiatives, a number of pharmaceutical manufacturers have announced direct-to-consumer offerings with discounted prices and/or reached agreement with the federal government regarding pricing for drugs, including prices for Medicaid drugs and newly launched products. A website sponsored by the federal government that is anticipated to offer pharmaceutical direct-to-consumer channels has also been announced and launched in February 2026. Federal agencies are developing new drug pricing pilot programs, such as a voluntary Medicaid initiative which would authorize the federal government to negotiate Medicaid supplemental rebates with participating manufacturers on behalf of state Medicaid programs, in exchange for standardized coverage criteria for participating manufacturer drugs, and proposed Medicare Part B and Part D pilot models that, if finalized as proposed, would replace existing inflation-based Medicare rebates with rebates determined by reference to international drug prices. Many of these reform initiatives would require additional legal and/or administrative action to implement and may be subject to legal challenge.
Other federal healthcare reform efforts or actions may affect access to healthcare coverage or the funding of health care benefits, although the full impact of such efforts or actions cannot be predicted. At the state level, individual states are increasingly implementing initiatives designed to control pharmaceutical and biological product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, and measures to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing. For example, certain states have formed Prescription Drug Affordability Boards that assert authority to set reimbursement rates and/or drug pricing in the state. These and other future state-level reform activities could negatively affect pricing, coverage and reimbursement for our products.
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Other recent government actions also may affect prices or payments for prescription drugs. For example, the Trump Administration’s recently announced tariff on branded or patented drugs may adversely impact our ability to realize an adequate return on the sale of drug products (if approved) that are imported from abroad or manufactured using products or materials imported from abroad. The timeline for implementation of this tariff has not yet been finalized.
As another example, the Budget Control Act of 2011, provided for automatic aggregate reductions of Medicare payments to providers of 2% per fiscal year as part of the federal budget sequestration. These reductions resulted in the imposition of reductions in Medicare (but not Medicaid) payments to providers in 2013 and will remain in effect into 2032, unless additional action is taken by Congress. Any significant spending reductions affecting Medicare, Medicaid or other publicly funded or subsidized health programs that may be implemented and/or any significant taxes or fees that may be imposed on us could have an adverse impact on our results of operations.
Moreover, there has recently been heightened governmental scrutiny over the manner in which manufacturers set prices for their marketed products, which has resulted in several Congressional inquiries and proposed and enacted federal and state measures designed to, among other things, reduce the cost of prescription drugs, bring more transparency to product pricing, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for drug products. For example, in May 2019, CMS adopted a final rule allowing Medicare Advantage Plans the option to use step therapy for Part B drugs, permitting Medicare Part D plans to apply certain utilization controls to new starts of five of the six protected class drugs, and requiring the Explanation of Benefits for Part D beneficiaries to disclose drug price increases and lower cost therapeutic alternatives, which went into effect on January 1, 2021.
Continued legislative and enforcement interest exists in the United States with respect to specialty drug pricing practices. Specifically, we expect regulators to continue pushing for transparency to drug pricing, reducing the cost of prescription drugs under Medicare and other federal health care programs, reviewing the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and reforming government program reimbursement methodologies for drugs. The nature and extent of future healthcare reforms cannot be predicted. There is uncertainty regarding the nature or impact of any drug pricing or broader health care or other reform implemented at the federal or state level and the extent to which such action may be subject to litigation or other challenges. Ongoing efforts to contain or reduce costs of healthcare and/or impose price controls may adversely affect the demand for our product candidates, if approved, and our ability to achieve or maintain profitability.
Coverage and Reimbursement
In the U.S. and foreign markets, patients generally rely on third-party payors to reimburse all or part of the costs associated with their therapy. Our ability to successfully commercialize our product candidates, if and when approved, will depend in part on the extent to which coverage and adequate reimbursement for these products and related treatments will be available from government healthcare programs, private health insurers and other organizations.
Within the U.S., no uniform policy for coverage and reimbursement exists, and coverage and reimbursement for drug products can differ significantly from payor to payor. Significant uncertainty exists as to the coverage and reimbursement status of any pharmaceutical or biological product for which we may obtain regulatory approval. Decisions regarding whether to cover any of our product candidates, if approved, the extent of coverage and amount of reimbursement to be provided are made on a payor-by-payor basis and coverage and reimbursement can differ significantly from payor to payor. As a result, the coverage determination process is often a time-consuming and uncertain process with no assurance that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be applied consistently or obtained in the first instance.
Even if products are covered, payors may seek to control utilization of the products through various mechanisms. Coverage of a product by a third-party payor does not mean that reimbursement will be adequate, and third-party payor reimbursement may not be sufficient to enable us to maintain price levels high enough to realize an appropriate return on our investment in product development.
Third-party payors are increasingly challenging the prices charged for medical products and services, examining the medical necessity and reviewing the cost effectiveness of pharmaceutical or biological products, medical devices and medical services. Adoption of price controls and cost-containment measures, and adoption of more restrictive policies in jurisdictions with existing controls and measures, could further limit sales of any product that receives approval. Net prices for products may be reduced by mandatory discounts or rebates required by government healthcare programs or private payors or by future laws, regulations, or guidance seeking to limit prescription drug prices. Decreases in coverage and adequate third-party reimbursement from governmental healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and commercial payors for any product or a decision by a third-party not to cover a product could reduce physician usage and patient demand for the product.
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For products administered under the supervision of a physician, inadequate reimbursement for the product itself or the treatment or procedure in which the product is used may adversely impact physician utilization.
The healthcare regulatory landscape can also be affected by election cycles and any resulting changes in healthcare policy priorities and broader industry response. From time to time, the executive branch has issued executive orders aimed at reducing prescription drug prices, including policies that seek to link U.S. drug prices to those paid in other countries. Consistent with these objectives, CMS has proposed drug pricing models intended to reduce prescription drug costs that, if implemented, would require manufacturers to pay rebates on certain Medicare products when U.S. prices for those products exceed benchmark prices based on prices paid in a set of economically comparable countries.
These changes, along with new demonstration modes adopted by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, and other changes to current healthcare laws and reform measures that may be adopted in the future may significantly impact pricing, coverage, and reimbursement for any product candidates for which we obtain regulatory approval. The full effect of these provisions on commercialization and competition remains uncertain.
We cannot be sure that adequate coverage and reimbursement will be available, or remain available, for any drug that we commercialize. Coverage and reimbursement may impact the demand for, or the price of, our products and any product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval and limits on coverage and reimbursement may adversely affect our ability to successfully commercialize any product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval.
Manufacturing
We do not own or operate clinical or commercial manufacturing facilities for the production of our product candidates, which include drug-device combination products that we develop, nor do we have plans to develop our own manufacturing operations in the foreseeable future. We currently depend on third-party contract manufacturers for all of our required raw materials, active pharmaceutical ingredients, finished product candidates, and any devices or device components that may be used for delivery of our product candidates, for our clinical trials. We do not have any current contractual arrangements for the manufacture of commercial supplies of our product candidates that we develop. We currently employ internal resources and third-party consultants to manage our manufacturing contractors.
Historically, we have relied on third-party contract development and manufacturing organizations (“CDMOs”), to manufacture and supply our nonclinical and clinical materials used during the development of our product candidates. We currently rely on a single multi-site CDMO for manufacturing our clinical materials, WuXi Biologics (Hong Kong) Limited (“WuXi”), although other avenues remain available if our current manufacturer were to be negatively impacted. We maintain a long-term master services agreement with our CDMO pursuant to which the CDMO provides biologics development and manufacturing services on a per-project basis and a related cell line license. We may terminate the master services agreement at any time for convenience in accordance with the terms of the agreement. We may also terminate the master services agreement in the event that the CDMO does not obtain or maintain any material governmental license or approval in accordance with the terms of the agreement. The agreement includes confidentiality and intellectual property provisions to protect our proprietary rights related to our product candidates. We do not currently have arrangements for redundant supply and are working on building our supply chain robustness. Any reduction or halt in supply from the CDMO could limit our ability to develop our product candidates until a replacement CDMO is found and qualified, although we believe that we have supply on hand that can partially support our current clinical trial programs and initial launch until a replacement CDMO is secured. In light of our reliance on WuXi, we are taking several measures to strengthen our supply chain by moving certain CDMO activities outside of WuXi’s facilities. See “Risk Factors” for additional information.
Sales and Marketing
We have not yet fully defined our sales, marketing, or product distribution strategy for our product candidates because our product candidates are still in development. Our commercial strategy may include the use of strategic partners, distributors, a contract sale force, or the establishment of our own commercial and specialty sales force. We plan to further evaluate these alternatives as we continue to advance into later stages of development for each one of our product candidates.
Human Capital Management
As of December 31, 2025, we employed 252 full-time employees located in the U.S., including at our facilities in Waltham, Massachusetts and Boulder, Colorado.
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We consider our relationship with our employees to be good. We have never had a work stoppage, and none of our employees is represented by a labor organization or under any collective bargaining arrangements. We track and report internally on key talent metrics including workforce demographics, diversity data and the status of open positions. We are committed to equality, inclusion and diversity in the workplace. As of December 31, 2025, approximately 23% of our workforce identify as members of underrepresented ethnic communities and approximately 44% identify as female. We strive to develop a diverse slate of candidates to interview for our open positions.
Attracting, developing and retaining talented employees to support the growth of our business is an integral part of our human capital strategy and critical to our long-term success. We continue to seek additions to our staff, although the competition in our industry and in the Greater Boston area, where our headquarters is located, is significant. The principal purpose of our equity incentive and annual bonus programs is to attract, retain and motivate personnel through the granting of stock-based compensation awards and cash-based performance bonus awards. As a biopharmaceutical company, we recognize the importance of access to high quality healthcare and as such we cover a percentage of our employees’ monthly healthcare premiums. We offer a package of competitive employee benefits, including 401(k) plan matching contributions and an employee stock purchase plan.
We have a performance development review process in which managers provide regular feedback to assist with the development of our employees. We also invest in the growth and development of our employees through various training and development programs that help build and strengthen our employees’ leadership and professional skills.
We believe our management team has the experience necessary to effectively execute our strategy and advance our product and technology leadership. A large majority of our employees have obtained advanced degrees in their professions. We support our employees’ further development with individualized development plans, mentoring, coaching, group training and conference attendance.
Our Corporate Information
We were initially founded as miRagen Therapeutics, Inc. as a Delaware limited liability company in January 2010 and subsequently incorporated as a Delaware corporation in June 2014. In January 2021, pursuant to a merger agreement under which miRagen Therapeutics, Inc. acquired Viridian Therapeutics, Inc., we changed our name from Miragen Therapeutics, Inc. to Viridian Therapeutics, Inc. Our common stock currently trades on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbol “VRDN.” Our principal executive office is located at 221 Crescent Street, Suite 103A, Waltham, MA 02453, and our telephone number is (617) 272-4600. Our website address is www.viridiantherapeutics.com. The information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not part of this Annual Report. We have included our website in this Annual Report solely as an inactive textual reference.
This Annual Report contains references to our trademarks and trademarks belonging to other entities that are the property of their respective owners. Solely for convenience, trademarks and trade names referred to in this Annual Report, including logos, artwork, and other visual displays, may appear without the ® or TM symbols, but such references are not intended to indicate, in any way, that we will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights or the rights of the applicable licensor to these trademarks and trade names. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names or trademarks to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other company.
Available Information
Our Annual Reports, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to reports filed pursuant to Sections 13(a) and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) are available free of charge on our website located at www.viridiantherapeutics.com as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed with the SEC. The reports are also available at the SEC’s internet website at www.sec.gov. A copy of our Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, and the charters of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, and Science and Technology Committee are posted on our website, www.viridiantherapeutics.com, under “Governance.”

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Our business, financial condition, and operating results may be affected by a number of factors, whether currently known or unknown, including but not limited to those described below. Any one or more of such factors could directly or indirectly cause our actual results of operations and financial condition to vary materially from past or anticipated future results of operations
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and financial condition. Any of these factors, in whole or in part, could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and stock price. The following information should be read in conjunction with Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the consolidated financial statements and related notes in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Annual Report.
Risks Related to Our Financial Condition and Capital Requirements
We have historically incurred losses, have a limited operating history on which to assess our business, and anticipate that we will continue to incur significant losses for the foreseeable future.
We are a biopharmaceutical company with a limited operating history. We have historically incurred net losses. During the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, our net loss was $342.6 million and $269.9 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2025, we had an accumulated deficit of $1,338.5 million and cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $874.7 million.
We expect that our current cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities will enable us to fund our planned operations for at least twelve months from the date of issuance of the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report. We may need to secure substantial additional capital to continue to fund our operations in the future. The amount and timing of our future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including the pace, results and costs of our clinical development efforts, our ability to generate revenues from sales of veligrotug and elegrobart in the U.S., if approved, and macroeconomic conditions affecting our business and industry.
Failure to raise capital as and when needed, on favorable terms or at all, would have a negative impact on our financial condition and our ability to develop our product candidates. Changing circumstances may cause us to consume capital significantly faster or slower than we currently anticipate. If we are unable to acquire additional capital or resources, we will be required to modify our operational plans to complete future milestones. We have based these estimates on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could exhaust our available financial resources sooner than we currently anticipate. We may be forced to reduce our operating expenses and raise additional funds to meet our working capital needs, principally through the additional sales of our securities or debt financings or entering into strategic collaborations.
We have devoted substantially all of our financial resources to identify, acquire, and develop our product candidates, including conducting clinical trials and providing selling, general and administrative support for our operations. To date, we have financed our operations primarily through the sale of equity securities, convertible promissory notes, the Hercules Loan and Security Agreement, the Kissei Agreement, and the DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement. The amount of our future net losses will depend, in part, on the rate of our future expenditures and our ability to obtain funding through equity, debt financings or other non-dilutive sources of capital, or strategic collaborations. Biopharmaceutical product development is a highly speculative undertaking and involves a substantial degree of risk. We expect our losses to increase as our product candidates continue advancing through clinical development and as new product candidates enter clinical trials and then advance through clinical development. It may be several years, if ever, before we complete pivotal clinical trials or have a product candidate approved for commercialization. We expect to invest significant funds into the research and development of our current product candidates to determine the potential to advance these product candidates to regulatory approval.
If we obtain regulatory approval to market a product candidate, our future revenue will depend upon the size of any markets in which our product candidates may receive approval, and our ability to establish and maintain a commercial supply chain in each market, achieve sufficient market acceptance, pricing, coverage, and adequate reimbursement from third-party payors, and adequate market share for our product candidates in those markets. Additionally, patients and physicians may not use our products as intended, if approved, which could impact the pricing and reimbursement of our products.
We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and increasing operating losses for the foreseeable future and our expenses will increase substantially if and as we:
•continue the development of our product candidates;
•continue efforts to discover and develop new product candidates;
•continue the manufacturing of our product candidates or increase volumes manufactured by third parties;
•continue to advance our programs into large, expensive clinical trials;
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•initiate additional nonclinical studies or clinical trials for our product candidates;
•seek regulatory and marketing approvals, pricing, and reimbursement for our product candidates;
•establish a sales, marketing, and supply chain and distribution infrastructure to commercialize any products for which we may obtain marketing approval and market for ourselves;
•seek to identify, assess, acquire, and/or develop other product candidates;
•make milestone, royalty, or other payments under third-party license agreements or enter into additional third-party license agreements;
•seek to maintain, protect, and expand our intellectual property portfolio;
•seek to attract and retain skilled personnel; and
•experience any delays or encounter issues with the development and potential for regulatory approval of our clinical and product candidates such as safety issues, manufacturing delays, clinical trial accrual delays, longer follow-up for planned studies or trials, additional major studies or trials, or supportive trials necessary to support marketing approval.
Further, the net losses we incur may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter and year to year, such that a period-to-period comparison of our results of operations may not be a good indication of our future performance.
If we are unable to raise capital when needed, we would be forced to delay, reduce, or eliminate our research and product development programs or future commercialization efforts.
As of December 31, 2025, we had $874.7 million of cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. We expect that our current cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities will enable us to fund our planned operations for at least twelve months from the date of issuance of the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report. We may need to secure additional capital to continue to fund our operations and service our obligations in the future. If we are unable to secure additional capital when needed, we will not be able to continue as a going concern.
Developing our product candidates requires a substantial amount of capital. We expect our operating expenses to increase in connection with our ongoing activities, particularly as we advance our product candidates through clinical trials, pre-commercial, and commercial activities. We may need to secure additional capital to fund our operations and such funding may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all.
We do not currently have any products approved for sale and do not generate any revenue from product sales. Accordingly, until we begin to generate revenue from product sales, if any of our product candidates are approved, we expect to rely primarily on equity and/or debt financings or other non-dilutive sources of capital to fund our continued operations. Our ability to raise additional funds will depend, in part, on the success of our nonclinical studies and clinical trials and other product development activities, regulatory events, our ability to identify and enter into licensing or other strategic arrangements, and other events or conditions that may affect our value or prospects, as well as factors related to financial, economic and market conditions, many of which are beyond our control. For example, even if our clinical trials generate data that we view favorably, investors may not share our interpretation of these data, and we may be unable to raise additional funds. There can be no assurances that sufficient funds will be available to us when required or on acceptable terms, if at all.
If we are unable to secure additional capital when required or on acceptable terms, we may be required to:

•significantly delay, scale back, or discontinue the development or commercialization of our product candidates;
•seek strategic alliances, or amend existing alliances, for research and development programs at an earlier stage than otherwise would be desirable or that we otherwise would have sought to develop independently, or on terms that are less favorable than might otherwise be available in the future;
•dispose of technology assets, or relinquish or license on unfavorable terms, our rights to technologies or any of our product candidates that we otherwise would seek to develop or commercialize ourselves;
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•pursue the sale of our company to a third-party at a price that may result in a loss on investment for our stockholders; or
•file for bankruptcy or cease operations altogether.
Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, and prospects.
We have never generated any revenue from product sales and may never be profitable.
We have no products approved for commercialization and have never generated any revenue from product sales. Our ability to generate revenue and achieve profitability depends on our ability, alone or with strategic collaborators, to successfully complete the development of, obtain the regulatory and marketing approvals, and build and maintain a commercial supply chain necessary to commercialize one or more of our product candidates. We do not anticipate generating revenue from product sales until our product candidates receive marketing authorization, if ever. Even if we receive such authorization, our ability to generate future revenue from product sales depends heavily on our success in many areas, including but not limited to:
•completing research and development of our product candidates;
•obtaining regulatory and marketing approvals for our product candidates;
•manufacturing product candidates and establishing and maintaining supply and manufacturing relationships with third parties that are commercially feasible, meet regulatory requirements and our supply needs in sufficient quantities to meet market demand for our product candidates, if approved;
•establishing and maintaining a commercial supply chain for our product candidates in the countries or regions in which we obtain regulatory approval for them, including receipt and maintenance of necessary licenses, permits, or similar permissions, either directly or with a collaborator or distributor;
•marketing, launching, and commercializing product candidates for which we obtain regulatory and marketing approval, either directly or with a collaborator or distributor;
•gaining market acceptance of our product candidates as treatment options;
•addressing any competing products;
•developing, protecting and enforcing our intellectual property rights, including patents, trade secrets, and know-how;
•our ability to avoid or defend third-party patent infringement claims;
•negotiating favorable terms in any collaboration, licensing, or other arrangements into which we may enter;
•obtaining coverage and adequate reimbursement from third-party payors and receiving and maintaining pricing for our product candidates that supports profitability; and
•attracting, hiring, and retaining qualified personnel.
Even if one or more of the product candidates that we develop is approved for commercial sale, we anticipate incurring significant costs associated with commercializing any approved product candidate. Portions of our current pipeline of product candidates have been in-licensed from third parties, which make the commercial sale of such in-licensed products potentially subject to additional royalty and milestone payments to such third parties. We will also have to develop or acquire manufacturing capabilities or continue to contract with contract manufacturers in order to continue development and potential commercialization of our product candidates. For instance, if the costs of manufacturing our drug product are not commercially feasible, we will need to develop or procure our drug product in a commercially feasible manner in order to successfully commercialize a future approved product, if any.
Additionally, if we are not able to generate revenue from the sale of any approved products, we may never become profitable.
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Raising additional capital may cause dilution to our stockholders, restrict our operations, or require us to relinquish rights.
Until such time, if ever, as we can generate substantial revenue from the sale of our product candidates, we expect to finance our cash needs through a combination of equity offerings, debt financings, and license and development agreements. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity securities or convertible debt securities, or other sources of capital, the ownership interest of our stockholders will be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect your rights as a stockholder. Debt financing and preferred equity financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures, making additional product acquisitions, or declaring dividends.
If we raise additional capital through collaborations, strategic alliances or marketing, distribution, or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may be required to relinquish valuable rights to our research programs or product candidates or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. If we are unable to raise additional capital through equity or debt financings or other arrangements with third parties when needed, we may be required to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development or future commercialization efforts or grant rights to third parties to develop and market product candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves.
To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity, including pursuant to any sales under our March 2025 ATM Agreement with Jefferies LLC (“Jefferies”), convertible debt, or other securities convertible into equity, the ownership interest of our stockholders will be diluted, and the terms of these new securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect the rights of our stockholders. Any additional sales of our capital stock by us will dilute the ownership interest of our stockholders and may cause the price per share of our common stock to decrease. In addition, any exercise of outstanding warrants will dilute the ownership interest of our stockholders and may cause the price per share of our common stock to decrease. Debt financing, including under our Hercules Loan and Security Agreement, and other arrangements, such as the DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement, may include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures, making additional product acquisitions, or declaring dividends.
We cannot be assured that we will be able to obtain additional funding, if and when necessary, to fund our entire portfolio of product candidates to meet our projected plans. If we are unable to obtain funding on a timely basis, we may be required to delay or discontinue one or more of our development programs or the commercialization of any product candidates or be unable to expand our operations or otherwise capitalize on potential business opportunities, which could materially harm our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Business disruptions could seriously harm our future revenue and financial condition and increase our costs and expenses.
Our operations, and those of our third-party research institution collaborators, contract research organizations (“CROs”), contract manufacturing operations (“CDMOs”), and other contractors and consultants, could be subject to acts of war, wildfires, earthquakes, power shortages, information technology and telecommunications failures, water shortages, floods, hurricanes, typhoons, fires, extreme weather conditions, governmental actions, medical pandemics or epidemics, and other natural or man-made disasters or business interruptions, for which we are partly uninsured. In addition, we rely or may rely in the future on our third-party research institution collaborators for conducting research and development of our product candidates, and they may be affected by government shutdowns or withdrawn funding. The occurrence of any of these business disruptions could seriously harm our operations and financial condition and increase our costs and expenses.
We may not be entitled to obtain additional milestone payments under the DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement.
In October 2025, we entered into the Purchase and Sale Agreement with DRI. In addition to the $55 million we received at signing, the agreement makes available to us up to an additional $245 million in milestone payments. However, these additional milestone payments are subject to satisfaction of certain conditions related to certain elegrobart clinical trials and regulatory approvals or commercial sales of veligrotug and elegrobart on or prior to a certain date. Should we not satisfy the conditions of the applicable milestones, or if we fail to meet our obligations or default under this agreement, the actual amount of additional milestone payments to us could be substantially less than the maximum amounts available thereunder. In the event of a change of control on or prior to a certain date, the Company has the option to repurchase, and DRI may require the Company to repurchase, the revenue participation right from DRI for the multiplier amount (less payments to date).
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Risks Related to the Discovery and Development of Our Product Candidates

Clinical trials are costly, time consuming, and inherently risky, and we may fail to demonstrate safety and efficacy to the satisfaction of applicable regulatory authorities.
Clinical development is expensive, time consuming, and involves significant risk. We cannot guarantee that any clinical trials will be conducted as planned or completed on schedule, if at all. A failure of one or more clinical trials can occur at any stage of development. Events that may prevent successful or timely completion of clinical development plan include but are not limited to:

•inability to generate satisfactory nonclinical, toxicology, or other in vivo or in vitro data or diagnostics to support the initiation or continuation of clinical trials;
•delays in reaching agreement on acceptable terms with CROs and clinical trial sites, the terms of which can be subject to extensive negotiation and may vary significantly among different CROs, clinical trial sites, and in countries or regions where our trials are conducted;
•delays in obtaining required approvals from institutional review boards or independent ethics committees at each clinical trial site;
•failure to permit the conduct of a clinical trial by regulatory authorities;
•delays in or inability to recruit a sufficient number of eligible patients and/or subjects in our clinical trials;
•failure by clinical sites, CROs, or other third parties to adhere to clinical trial requirements or to perform their obligations related to the clinical development of our product candidates;
•failure of CDMOs, shipping logistics providers or other third parties to deliver necessary clinical material;
•failure by our clinical sites, CROs, or other third parties to perform in accordance with current good clinical practice (“cGCP”), current good laboratory practice (“cGLP”), current good manufacturing practice (“cGMP”) or other applicable requirements of the FDA or applicable foreign regulatory authorities;
•patients and/or subjects dropping out of our clinical trials;
•adverse events or tolerability or animal toxicology issues significant enough in our studies, in studies of third parties, or as reported for marketed products for the FDA or other regulatory agencies to put any or all clinical trials on hold, require us to change how we conduct our IND-enabling studies or our ongoing or future trials, including amending or submitting new clinical protocols or additional safety monitoring or measurements;
•occurrence of adverse events associated with our product candidates;
•changes in regulatory requirements or guidance that require amending or submitting new clinical protocols;
•geopolitical unrest and adverse regulatory or other actions taken against us, or third parties on whom we rely, by foreign governments or entities, including in Israel and China, where we have current or planned clinical trial operations;
•significant costs of clinical trials of our product candidates, including manufacturing activities;
•negative or inconclusive results from our clinical trials or the trials of third parties with related or similar product candidates, which may result in our deciding, or regulators requiring us, to conduct additional clinical trials or abandon development programs in other ongoing or planned indications for a product candidate, or change how we conduct our IND-enabling studies or our ongoing or future trials, including amending or submitting new clinical protocols or additional safety monitoring or measurements; and
•delays in reaching agreement on acceptable terms with third-party manufacturers and the time to manufacture sufficient quantities of our product candidates acceptable for use in clinical trials.
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We expect that the THRIVE and THRIVE-2 phase 3 clinical trials, together with a safety database comprising at least 300 treated patients (safety database inclusive of THRIVE and THRIVE-2 patients), will support global health authority registration for veligrotug for marketing approval in both active and chronic TED, respectively. However, the FDA or other regulatory authorities may require additional patients in this safety database or may require us to take other additional steps. We are also conducting a global pivotal program for elegrobart, where we expect that the REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 phase 3 clinical trials, together with a safety database comprising at least 300 treated patients (safety database inclusive of REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 patients), will support global health authority registration for elegrobart for marketing approval in both active and chronic TED, respectively. However, the FDA or other regulatory authorities may require additional patients in this safety database or may require us to take other additional steps. Additionally, Viridian is performing an autoinjector PK study for elegrobart to bridge bioequivalence from the vial/syringe used in the REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 trials and the autoinjector, with which we plan to launch commercially. However, the results may not show bioequivalence and/or global health authorities may not agree with the methodologies employed to support bioequivalence. If either of these occur, our BLA for elegrobart and/or its marketing approval may be significantly delayed.
We may be required to take other additional steps in the course of development and regulatory interaction regarding our product candidates, including veligrotug, elegrobart, VRDN-006 and VRDN-008. Such additional steps may include, without limitation, initiating new trials, starting at an earlier phase of clinical trial, conducting bridging studies, enrolling more patients, amending trial protocols, or requiring us to assess additional parameters related to safety or efficacy. For example, we may make adjustments to the elegrobart clinical trial designs as a result of additional data or feedback from regulatory authorities. These additional requirements or steps could increase the cost of development of our product candidates, negatively affect our anticipated timelines, delay our time to market with our product candidates, if approved, and could harm our business.
The FDA or other regulatory authorities 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 non-compliance 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, for example, under a Risk Evaluation Mitigation Strategy (“REMS”) program. Other potential consequences include, among other things:
•restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of a product, complete withdrawal of the product from the market, or product recalls;
•fines, warning letters, or holds on post-approval clinical studies;
•refusal of the FDA or other regulatory authorities to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications, or suspension or revocation of existing product approvals;
•product seizure or detention, or refusal of the FDA or other regulatory authorities to permit the import or export of products; or
•injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.
Any inability to successfully complete clinical development and obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates could result in additional costs to us or impair our ability to generate revenue. In addition, if we make manufacturing or formulation changes to our product candidates, we may need to conduct additional clinical or nonclinical studies and the results obtained, including from studying such new formulation may not be consistent with previous results obtained. Clinical trial delays could also shorten any periods during which our products have patent protection and may allow competitors to develop and bring products to market before we do, which could impair our ability to successfully commercialize our product candidates and may harm our business and results of operations.
Even if we obtain regulatory approval for a product candidate, we will remain subject to ongoing regulatory requirements.
If any of our product candidates are approved, we will be subject to ongoing regulatory requirements with respect to manufacturing, labeling, packaging, storage, advertising, promotion, sampling, record-keeping, conduct of post-marketing clinical trials, and submission of safety, efficacy, and other post-approval information, including both federal and state requirements in the United States, and requirements of the EMA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities. See “Business—Government Regulation—Expedited Development and Review Programs” and “Business—Government Regulation—Regulation in the European Union.”
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Any regulatory approvals that we receive for our product candidates may be subject to limitations on the approved indicated uses for which the product may be marketed or to the conditions of approval, or contain requirements for potentially costly post-marketing testing, including phase 4 clinical trials, and surveillance to monitor the safety and efficacy of the marketed product. We will be required to report adverse reactions and production problems, if any, to the FDA, EMA, and any relevant comparable foreign regulatory authorities. Any new legislation could result in delays in product development or commercialization, or increased costs to ensure compliance. If our original marketing approval for a product candidate was granted accelerated approval by the FDA, we could be required to conduct a successful post-marketing clinical trial in order to confirm the clinical benefit of our products. Other regulatory authorities outside of the U.S. may have similar requirements. An unsuccessful post-marketing clinical trial or failure to complete such a trial could result in the withdrawal of marketing approval. We and any of our suppliers or collaborators, including our CDMOs, would be subject to periodic inspections by the FDA, EMA, and, as applicable, comparable foreign regulatory authorities to monitor compliance with cGMPs and other FDA, EMA, and, as applicable, any comparable foreign regulatory requirements. Application holders must further notify the FDA, and any comparable foreign regulatory authorities, as applicable, and depending on the nature of the change, obtain FDA pre-approval or pre-approval from other comparable foreign regulatory authorities, as applicable, for product and manufacturing changes.
We must comply with requirements concerning advertising and promotion for any product candidates for which we seek or obtain marketing approval. Promotional communications with respect to drugs and biologics are subject to a variety of legal and regulatory restrictions by the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities as well as industry codes of conduct. When the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities issue regulatory approval for a product candidate, the regulatory approval is limited to those specific uses and indications for which a product is approved. If we are not able to obtain FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authority approval for desired uses or indications for our product candidates, we may not market or promote them for those indications and uses, and our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects and reputation may be materially harmed. We also must sufficiently substantiate any claims that we make for our products, including claims comparing our products to other companies’ products, and must abide by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authority’s strict requirements regarding the content of promotion and advertising.
Any investigation or enforcement action, including by governments or trade associations, concerning alleged violations of law, regulations, or industry codes of conduct, including with respect to promotional requirements, would be expected to require us to expend significant time and resources in response and could result in significant liability, including civil and administrative remedies as well as criminal sanctions and fines. Even if it is later determined that we were not in violation of these laws, regulations, or industry codes of conduct, we may be faced with negative publicity, incur significant expenses defending our actions and have to divert significant management resources from other matters. Any non-compliance with ongoing regulatory requirements may significantly and adversely affect our ability to develop and commercialize our products, and the value of the company and our operating results would be adversely affected.
Regulatory approval processes are lengthy, time-consuming and inherently unpredictable. Failure to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates would have a material adverse effect upon our business and business prospects.
In connection with the advancement of our clinical programs and before we can commercialize any of our current or future product candidates, we must obtain marketing approval from regulatory authorities. We may not be able to receive approval to market any of our current or future product candidates from regulatory authorities in our desired indications in any jurisdiction, and it is possible that none of our product candidates or any product candidates we may seek to develop in the future will ever obtain regulatory approval. We may need to rely on third-party CROs and regulatory consultants to assist us in this process. Securing regulatory approval requires the submission of extensive nonclinical and clinical data and supporting information to the various regulatory authorities for each therapeutic indication to establish a product candidate’s safety and efficacy. Securing regulatory approval also requires the submission of information about the biologic manufacturing process to, and inspection of manufacturing facilities by, the relevant regulatory authorities, who may deny approval based on the results of such submissions and inspections. Our current or future product candidates may not be effective, may be only moderately effective or may prove to have undesirable or unintended side effects, toxicities or other characteristics that may preclude our obtaining marketing approval or prevent or limit commercial use.
The FDA and other regulatory authorities have substantial discretion in the approval process, including determining when or whether regulatory approval will be obtained for a product candidate. Even if we believe the data collected from clinical trials are promising, such data may not be sufficient to support approval by the FDA or any other regulatory authority or such authorities may request additional information that may be difficult to generate or provide. Further, following approval, the FDA or other regulatory authorities may conduct additional inspections and, based on the results of such inspections, deem the inspected manufacturing facilities to be deficient, suspending our ability to manufacture our product candidates until we can secure satisfactory alternative manufacturing facilities.
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Additionally, the ability of the FDA to review and approve new products, to provide feedback on clinical trials and development programs, to meet with sponsors and to otherwise review regulatory submissions can be affected by a variety of factors, including government budget and funding levels; the ability to hire and retain key personnel and accept the payment of user fees; and statutory, regulatory, and policy changes, among other factors. Average review times have fluctuated in recent years as a result. Delays at the FDA as a result of these or other factors could impact the FDA’s ability to act on our BLA submission for veligrotug by the PDUFA target action date of June 30, 2026, or any of our other regulatory submissions.
In addition to the U.S., we anticipate seeking regulatory approval to commercialize our product candidates in Europe and, in January 2026, we submitted an MAA to the EMA to seek regulatory approval to commercialize veligrotug in Europe. We also anticipate that our partners (or their sublicensees) to whom we have licensed our anti-IGF1R antibodies will seek regulatory approval to commercialize our product candidates in their territories, including in Greater China and Japan. While the scope of regulatory approval is similar in many countries, to obtain separate regulatory approval in multiple countries will require us and our partners to comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements of each such country or jurisdiction regarding safety, efficacy and quality, and governing, among other things, clinical trials, commercial sales, pricing and distribution, and we cannot predict success in any such jurisdictions, even if we were to receive approval in the U.S.
The process of obtaining regulatory approvals, both in the U.S. and in other countries, is time consuming, expensive, may take many years, if approval is obtained at all, and can vary substantially based upon a variety of factors, including the type, complexity and novelty of the product candidates involved. Changes in marketing approval policies during the development period, changes in or the enactment of additional statutes or regulations, or changes in regulatory review for each submitted BLA, or equivalent application types, may cause delays in the approval or rejection of an application.
Regulatory authorities have substantial discretion in the approval process and may refuse to accept any application or may decide that our data are insufficient for approval and require additional nonclinical studies or clinical or other trials for our current or future product candidates. Our current and future product candidates could be delayed in receiving, or fail to receive, regulatory approval, including current and future product candidates that have been licensed to our partners. We or our partners to whom we have granted licenses may fail or cease to advance the development of our current and future product candidates for many reasons, including the following:
•regulatory authorities may disagree with the number, design or implementation of our clinical trials to support further development or approval;
•we may be unable to demonstrate to the satisfaction of regulatory authorities that a product candidate is safe and effective for its proposed indication or that its clinical and other benefits outweigh its safety risks;
•regulatory authorities could require us to collect additional data or conduct additional clinical trials, which could include a requirement to compare our products or product candidates to other therapies for the treatment of the same indication;
•regulatory authorities, following the discovery of adverse safety signals or side effects from approved therapeutics or therapeutics in development in the same or related class as our products or product candidates, could require us to collect additional data or conduct additional clinical trials;
•the results of clinical trials may produce negative, inconclusive or uncompetitive results, which may result in us deciding, or regulatory authorities requiring us, to conduct additional clinical trials or analyses or to modify or cease development programs for our product candidates;
•the results of clinical trials may not meet the primary or secondary endpoints of the applicable trial or the level of statistical significance required by regulatory authorities;
•regulatory authorities may disagree with our interpretation of data from nonclinical studies or clinical trials;
•the data collected from clinical trials of our product candidates may not be sufficient to support the submission of a BLA, supplementary BLA or other submission or to obtain regulatory approval in the U.S. or elsewhere;
•the number of participants required for clinical trials may be larger than we anticipate, enrollment in these clinical trials may be slower than we anticipate, participants may drop out of these clinical trials at a higher rate than we anticipate or we may fail to recruit suitable participants for a trial;
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•our third-party contractors may fail to comply with data quality and regulatory requirements or meet their contractual obligations to us in a timely manner, or at all;
•regulatory authorities may believe that we have not sufficiently demonstrated our ability to manufacture our candidates to the requisite level of quality standards, including that such material is sufficiently comparable to material used in previous clinical trials, or they may fail to approve our manufacturing processes or facilities, or the manufacturing processes or facilities of third-party manufacturers with which we contract for clinical and commercial supplies;
•regulatory authorities may conclude that on-site inspections and data audits have not sufficiently demonstrated the quality and integrity of the clinical trial conduct and of data submitted to regulatory authorities in support of our new product approvals and marketing applications;
•the supply or quality of our product candidates or other materials necessary to conduct clinical trials of our product candidates may be insufficient or inadequate;
•our product candidates may have undesirable side effects, toxicities or other unexpected characteristics, causing us or our investigators, regulatory authorities, institutional review boards or ethics committees to reject, suspend or terminate the clinical trials; and
•the approval policies or regulations of regulatory authorities may significantly change in a manner rendering our clinical data, biologic manufacturing process and other supporting information insufficient for approval.
In addition, even if we were to obtain approval for one or more of our current or future product candidates, regulatory authorities may approve such product candidates for fewer indications or more limited patient populations than we request. Furthermore, regulatory authorities or payers may not approve the price we intend to charge, may grant approval contingent on the performance of costly post-marketing clinical trials, may impose certain post-marketing requirements that impose limits on our marketing and distribution activities, or may approve a product candidate with labeling that does not include the claims necessary or desirable for the successful commercialization of that product candidate. Any of the foregoing scenarios could materially harm the commercial prospects for our current or future product candidates.
Failure to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates would have a material adverse effect upon our business and business prospects.
There is substantial uncertainty as to the potential impacts of a prolonged U.S. federal government shutdown and as to whether and to what extent measures implemented by the current presidential administration in the U.S. will impact the FDA. Our business could be negatively impacted by disruptions at the FDA or other government agencies.
Since the start of the current presidential administration in 2025, U.S. policy changes have been implemented at a rapid pace and additional changes are likely. The administration and federal government could adopt legislation, regulations, policies, or guidances that adversely affect our business or negatively impact the development, approval, and commercialization of our products, including creating a more challenging or costly environment in which to work. A federal government shutdown may result in the furlough of federal employees, reduced availability of government services, and suspension or delay of activities by key agencies that regulate, fund, or interact with our business, including the FDA, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
The ability of the FDA and foreign regulatory authorities to review and approve new products can be affected by a variety of factors, including the current presidential administration; government budget and funding levels; statutory, regulatory and policy changes; the FDA’s or foreign regulatory authorities’ ability to hire and retain key personnel and accept the payment of user fees; and other events that may otherwise affect the FDA’s or foreign regulatory authorities’ ability to perform routine functions. Average review times at the FDA and foreign regulatory authorities have fluctuated in recent years as a result.
Disruptions at the FDA and other agencies may also slow the time necessary for new drugs to be reviewed and/or approved by necessary government agencies, which would adversely affect our business. For example, in recent years including most recently from October 1, 2025 to November 12, 2025, the U.S. government has shut down several times and certain regulatory agencies, such as the FDA, have had to furlough critical FDA employees and stop critical activities. Following the reopening of the U.S. government on November 12, 2025, there may be a backlog of regulatory submissions which could delay the ability of the FDA to review our regulatory submissions. Any such delays could have a material adverse effect on our business, such as delaying the FDA’s review and oversight of our product candidates and impact FDA’s ability to provide timely feedback on our development programs, including through Type C or Type D meetings or informal interactions.
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Additionally, reductions in workforce or other disruptions to the agency, particularly in the review or inspection divisions, could extend BLA review timelines, including for our BLA for veligrotug, delay or prevent pre-approval inspections, and limit opportunities for FDA feedback on pending applications. Further, FDA may pursue legislative, regulatory, or policy changes regarding the standards or processes for approving our product candidates that we may be unable to satisfy.
In addition, the current U.S. presidential administration has issued certain policies and certain Executive Orders directed towards reducing the employee headcount and costs associated with U.S. administrative agencies, including the FDA, and it remains unclear the degree to which these efforts may limit or otherwise adversely affect the FDA’s ability to conduct routine operations. A significant reduction in FDA’s workforce or FDA’s budget, or other disruptions at FDA, could materially impact FDA’s ability to engage in a variety of activities that may affect our business, including routine regulatory and oversight activities. Changes in FDA personnel under the current presidential administration may also lead to further changes in the regulations, policies, and operations of the FDA, which may impact our clinical development plans. Any of these actions could adversely affect the development and approval of our product candidates. Any of these actions may delay or limit our ability to obtain FDA approval and commercialize our product candidates.
Our product candidates may cause undesirable side effects or have other properties that could delay or prevent their regulatory approval, limit the commercial viability of approved labeling, or result in significant negative consequences following marketing approval, if any.
We are or may develop our product candidates in areas with existing investigational and/or approved products where such products may have known risk profiles. Undesirable side effects caused by our product candidates, or other product candidates, including in the TED space or FcRn inhibitor space, could cause us or regulatory authorities to interrupt, delay, or terminate clinical trials. Such side effects additionally may result in a delay or denial of regulatory approval by the FDA, EMA, or comparable foreign authorities, or, even in the instance that an affected product candidate is approved, may result in restrictive drug labeling. For example, hearing impairment observed in Tepezza, or other negative side effects of other IGF-1R antagonists in development, may negatively affect clinical trials for our product candidates, delay regulatory approval or result in restrictive drug labeling, if approved.
Even if one or more of our product candidates receives marketing approval, and we or others later identify undesirable side effects caused by such products, potentially significant negative consequences could result, including but not limited to:
•regulatory authorities may withdraw approvals of such products;
•regulatory authorities may require additional warnings on the drug labeling or narrow approved indications;
•we may be required to create a REMS, which could include a medication guide outlining the risks of such side effects for distribution to patients, a communication plan for healthcare providers, and/or other elements to assure safe use;
•we could be sued and held liable for harm caused to patients or subjects; and
•our reputation and the commercial success of our products may suffer.
Clinical trials by their nature utilize a sample of the potential patient population. With a limited number of subjects and limited duration of exposure, we cannot be fully assured that rare and severe side effects of our product candidates will be uncovered and whether the real world safety and effectiveness of a product candidate will be consistent with the safety and effectiveness profile seen in clinical studies. Such rare and severe side effects may only be uncovered with a significantly larger number of patients or subjects exposed to the drug. New data relating to veligrotug, including from adverse events reports and any potential post-marketing commitments or requirements in the United States, and from other ongoing clinical studies, including those of our partners, may result in changes to the product labeling and may adversely affect sales, or result in withdrawal of veligrotug from the market. The FDA and regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions may also consider the new data in reviewing veligrotug’s marketing applications for additional indications and/or in other jurisdictions, or may impose post-approval commitments or requirements. If any of these actions were to occur, it could result in significant expense and delay and/or limit our ability to generate sales revenues.
Further, if such safety problems occur or are identified after our product candidates reach the market, we could be subject to costly and time-intensive post-marketing review and regulation. The FDA or other regulatory authorities may require that we amend the labeling of the product, implement a REMS, recall the product, conduct a post-approval study or studies, implement surveillance measures, or may even withdraw approval for the product. Later discovered undesirable side effects could further result in reduced market acceptance and utilization of our product or potential product liability claims.
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Any of these occurrences may materially harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Any of these events could prevent us from achieving or maintaining market acceptance of a product candidate, even if approved, and could significantly harm our business, results of operations, and prospects.
Additional time may be required to obtain marketing authorizations for certain of our product candidates because they are, or are anticipated to be, combination products.
Some of our product candidates, including elegrobart, VRDN-006 and VRDN-008, are or are anticipated to be combination products that will require coordination within the FDA and similar foreign regulatory agencies for review of their device and drug components. Although the FDA and similar foreign regulatory agencies have systems in place for the review and approval of combination products, such as drugs that utilize delivery systems like auto-injectors or prefilled syringes, we may experience delays in the development and commercialization of our product candidates due to complexities arising from them being combination products and associated regulatory timing constraints and uncertainties in the product development and approval process. Of note, prior clearance or approval of one component of a combination product does not increase the likelihood that the FDA will approve a later product combining the previously cleared product or approved active ingredient with a novel active ingredient. See “Business—Government Regulation—Regulation of Combination Products.”
Product development involves a lengthy and expensive process with an uncertain outcome, and results of earlier nonclinical studies and clinical trials may not be predictive of future clinical trial results.
Clinical testing is expensive and generally takes many years to complete, and the outcome is inherently uncertain. Failure can occur at any time during the clinical trial process. The results of nonclinical studies and early clinical trials of our product candidates may not be predictive of the results of larger, later-stage controlled clinical trials. Product candidates that have shown promising results in early-stage clinical trials may still suffer significant setbacks in subsequent clinical trials. In addition, from time to time, we may publicly disclose interim, topline, or preliminary data from our nonclinical studies and clinical trials, which is based on a preliminary analysis of then-available data, and the results and related findings and conclusions are subject to change as more patient data become available. The interim, topline, or preliminary results that we report may differ from final results upon study completion, or different conclusions or considerations may qualify such results.
We will have to conduct well-controlled trials in our proposed indications to support any regulatory submissions for further clinical development. A number of companies in the biopharmaceutical industry have suffered significant setbacks in advanced clinical trials due to lack of efficacy or adverse safety profiles despite promising results in earlier, smaller clinical trials. Larger scale clinical trials for our product candidates may generate additional data that raise issues regarding the safety and efficacy of our product candidates that were not observed in smaller clinical trials. Certain approaches that we take in our clinical trials with respect to measurement of safety and efficacy outcomes may differ in important respects as compared to the trials of our competitors, which may lead to negative regulatory and/or commercial outcomes.
Moreover, both nonclinical and clinical data are often susceptible to varying interpretations and analyses. Third parties upon whom we rely may analyze data differently than others, or differently than we do. As a result, they or we may reach different conclusions regarding the results of our studies, including our clinical studies.
We do not know whether any clinical trials we may conduct will demonstrate consistent or adequate safety and efficacy of our product candidates, with respect to the proposed indication for use, sufficient to receive regulatory approval to market our drug candidates. Failure to demonstrate safety and efficacy of our product candidates, and failure to obtain regulatory approval, would have a material adverse effect upon our business and business prospects. Additionally, differences in our clinical trial designs as compared to those of our competitors could render our product candidates less attractive than those of our competitors.
Preliminary data from our clinical trials that we announce or publish are subject to audit and verification procedures that could result in material changes in the final data.
From time to time, we publish preliminary data from our clinical trials. In December 2023, we reported clinical data from our phase 1 clinical study in healthy volunteers and announced the selection of elegrobart as our lead subcutaneous product candidate for TED. Based on the comparable pharmacology of elegrobart to veligrotug, we believe elegrobart has the potential to maintain the clinical response of veligrotug while significantly increasing patient convenience. However, we are conducting a global pivotal program for elegrobart in patients with TED, and results of any clinical trials conducted in TED patients with elegrobart may not demonstrate safety or efficacy comparable to veligrotug or at all.
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In September 2024, we announced topline data from the phase 3 THRIVE trial of veligrotug in patients with active TED. In December 2024, we announced topline data from the phase 3 THRIVE-2 trial in patients with chronic TED. While THRIVE and THRIVE-2 met all primary and secondary endpoints at 15 weeks with a generally well-tolerated safety profile, this data may not be fully reflective of the final results for the THRIVE and THRIVE-2 trials, respectively. If final results from the THRIVE and THRIVE-2 trials are not positive or favorable, it could negatively impact or alter the development of veligrotug and could materially harm our business prospects. If clinical data from the veligrotug trials are not positive or favorable, it could negatively impact or alter the development of elegrobart and could materially harm our business prospects. Similarly, negative or unfavorable clinical data from our elegrobart product candidate could negatively impact veligrotug and could materially harm our business prospects.
Topline or preliminary data from our clinical trials that we announce or publish from time to time, including the data from our phase 1 study in healthy volunteers, the data for veligrotug from our ongoing trials, and topline data may change as more patient data become available and we become subject to audit and verification procedures that could result in material changes in the final data. The final results of clinical trials may include additional outcome measurements made throughout the duration of the clinical trial. This creates a risk that the final results could be materially different from the preliminary results reported, including those reported to date, and may include additional outcome measurements made throughout the duration of the clinical trial that are not positive or favorable. Additionally, differences in patient populations across our clinical trials may lead to inconsistent or unrepresentative data.
Negative or unfavorable additional outcome measurements made throughout the duration of a clinical trial or significant adverse differences between preliminary data and final, audited and verified data could negatively affect the prospect of regulatory approval for our product candidates and could materially harm our reputation and business prospects.
We may use our financial and human resources to pursue a particular research program or product candidate and fail to capitalize on programs or product candidates that may be more profitable or for which there is a greater likelihood of success.

Because we have limited financial and human resources, we may forgo or delay the pursuit of opportunities with some programs or product candidates or for other indications, that later prove to have greater commercial potential. Our resource allocation decisions may cause us to fail to capitalize on viable commercial products or more profitable market opportunities. Our spending on current and future research and development programs and future product candidates for specific indications may not yield any commercially viable products. We may also enter into additional strategic collaboration agreements to develop and commercialize some of our programs and potential product candidates in indications with potentially large commercial markets. If we do not accurately evaluate the commercial potential or target market for a particular product candidate, we may relinquish valuable rights to that product candidate through strategic collaborations, licensing, or other royalty arrangements in cases in which it would have been more advantageous for us to retain sole development and commercialization rights to such product candidate. We may allocate internal resources to a product candidate in a therapeutic area in which it would have been more advantageous to enter into a collaboration arrangement.
We may face liability for our products, if approved, and for our product candidates, and if successful claims are brought against us, we may incur substantial liability and costs. If the use or misuse of our approved products, if any, or product candidates harm patients or subjects, or is perceived to harm patients or subjects even when such harm is unrelated to our approved products, if any, or product candidates, our regulatory approvals, if any, could be revoked or otherwise negatively impacted, and we could be subject to costly and damaging product liability claims. If we are unable to obtain adequate insurance or are required to pay for liabilities resulting from a claim excluded from, or beyond the limits of, our insurance coverage, a material liability claim could adversely affect our financial condition.
The use or misuse of our product candidates in clinical trials and the sale of any products for which we may obtain marketing approval exposes us to the risk of potential product liability claims. There is a risk that our product candidates may induce adverse events. If we cannot successfully defend against product liability claims, we could incur substantial liability and costs. Patients with the diseases targeted by our product candidates may already be in severe and advanced stages of disease and have both known and unknown significant preexisting and potentially life-threatening health risks. During the course of treatment, patients may suffer adverse events, including death, for reasons that may or may not be related to our product candidates. Such events could subject us to costly litigation, require us to pay substantial amounts of money to injured patients, delay, negatively impact, or end our opportunity to receive or maintain regulatory approval to market our products, or require us to suspend or abandon our commercialization efforts. Even in a circumstance in which an adverse event is unrelated to our product candidates, the investigation into the circumstance may be time-consuming or inconclusive. These investigations may delay our regulatory approval process or impact and limit the type of regulatory approvals our product candidates receive or maintain.
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As a result of these factors, a product liability claim, even if successfully defended, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Although we have product liability insurance, which covers our historical clinical trials, for up to $10.0 million per occurrence, up to an aggregate limit of $10.0 million, our insurance may be insufficient to reimburse us for any expenses or losses we may suffer. We will also likely be required to increase our product liability insurance coverage for any future clinical trials that we may initiate. If we obtain marketing approval for any of our product candidates, we will need to expand our insurance coverage to include the sale of commercial products. There is no way to know if we will be able to continue to obtain product liability coverage and obtain expanded coverage, if we require it, in sufficient amounts to protect us against losses due to liability, on acceptable terms, or at all. We may not have sufficient resources to pay for any liabilities resulting from a claim excluded from, or beyond the limits of, our insurance coverage. Where we have provided indemnities in favor of third parties under our agreements with them, there is also a risk that these third parties could incur liability and bring a claim under such indemnities. An individual may bring a product liability claim against us alleging that one of our product candidates causes, or is claimed to have caused, an injury or is found to be unsuitable for consumer use. Any such product liability claims may include allegations of defects in manufacturing, defects in design, failure to warn of dangers inherent in the product, negligence, strict liability, and a breach of warranties. Claims could also be asserted under state consumer protection acts. Any product liability claim brought against us, with or without merit, could result in:
•inability to recruit clinical trial volunteers, investigators, patients or subjects, or trial sites;
•withdrawal of clinical trial volunteers, investigators, patients or subjects, or trial sites, or limitations on approved indications;
•delay in the development of product candidates;
•the inability to commercialize, or if commercialized, decreased demand for, our product candidates;
•if commercialized, product recalls, labeling, marketing or promotional restrictions, or the need for product modification;
•initiation of investigations by regulators;
•loss of revenue;
•substantial costs of litigation, including monetary awards to patients or other claimants;
•liabilities that substantially exceed our product liability insurance, which we would then be required to pay ourselves;
•an increase in our product liability insurance rates or the inability to maintain insurance coverage in the future on acceptable terms, if at all;
•the diversion of management’s attention from our business; and
•damage to our reputation and the reputation of our products and our technology.
Product liability claims may subject us to the foregoing and other risks, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Risks Related to Commercialization of Our Product Candidates
Our business operations and market access arrangements will be subject to applicable healthcare regulatory laws, which, if not properly adhered to, could expose us to penalties.
Our business operations and current and future arrangements with investigators, healthcare professionals, consultants, third-party payors, patient organizations and customers may expose us to broadly applicable fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations. These laws may constrain the business or financial arrangements and relationships through which we conduct our operations, including how we research, market, sell and distribute our products, if approved. In the U.S., these laws include, but are not limited to the following, some of which are likely to apply only if or when we obtain marketing approval for a product candidate:
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•federal false claims, false statements, and civil monetary penalties laws prohibiting, among other things, any person from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, a false claim for payment of government funds or knowingly making, or causing to be made, a false statement to get a false claim paid;
•the federal anti-kickback law, which prohibits, among other things, persons from offering, soliciting, receiving, or providing remuneration, directly or indirectly, to induce either the referral of an individual for, or the purchasing or ordering of, a good or service for which payment may be made under federal healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid;
•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;
•the FDCA, which among other things, strictly regulates drug marketing, prohibits manufacturers from marketing products prior to approval or for off-label use and regulates the distribution of samples;
•federal laws that require pharmaceutical manufacturers to calculate, report and certify product prices and other data 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, which data may be used in the calculation of reimbursement and/or discounts on approved products;
•the federal Open Payments (or federal “sunshine” law), which requires pharmaceutical and medical device companies to monitor and report certain financial interactions with certain healthcare providers to CMS within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for re-disclosure to the public, as well as ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members;
•federal consumer protection and unfair competition laws, which broadly regulate marketplace activities and activities that potentially harm consumers;
•analogous state laws and regulations, including state anti-kickback and false claims laws, consumer protection and unfair competition laws and laws governing privacy, security and breaches of health information in certain circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and often are not preempted by HIPAA, thus complicating compliance efforts; and
•state laws that require pharmaceutical companies to comply with specific compliance standards, restrict financial interactions between pharmaceutical companies and healthcare providers, report drug product pricing information, financial interactions with health care providers, or marketing expenditures and/or require the registration of pharmaceutical sales representatives.
The distribution of biopharmaceutical products is subject to additional requirements and regulations, including extensive record-keeping, licensing, storage and security requirements intended to prevent the unauthorized sale of pharmaceutical products.
Ensuring compliance with these laws is time-consuming and costly. If and when one of our product candidates is approved, our compliance efforts will need to expand and evolve to address newly applicable laws. Given the breadth of the laws and regulations, limited guidance for certain laws and regulations and evolving government interpretations of the laws and regulations, governmental authorities may possibly conclude that our business practices are non-compliant. Any action against us for violation of these laws, even if we successfully defend against it, could cause us to incur significant legal expenses and divert our management’s attention from the operation of our business. If our operations are found to be in violation of any of the laws described above or any other government regulations that apply to us, we may be subject to penalties, including civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, exclusion from participation in government healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, imprisonment, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, any of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.
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If we are unable to establish commercial manufacturing, sales and marketing capabilities or enter into agreements with third parties to commercially manufacture, market and sell our product candidates, we may be unable to generate any revenue.
To successfully commercialize any products that may result from our development programs, we need to invest in and develop these commercialization capabilities, including commercial manufacturing, sales and marketing capabilities, or find one or more collaborators to commercialize our products. Any failure or delay in the timely development of our internal commercialization capabilities, or in entering into agreements with third parties to market or sell our product candidates could adversely impact the potential for the launch and success of our products.
If commercialization collaborators do not commit sufficient resources to commercialize our future products and we are unable to develop the necessary marketing and sales capabilities on our own, we will be unable to generate sufficient product revenue to sustain or grow our business. We may be competing with companies that currently have extensive and well-funded marketing and sales operations, particularly in the markets our product candidates are intended to address. Without appropriate capabilities, whether directly or through third-party collaborators, we may be unable to compete successfully against these more established companies.
We may attempt to form collaborations in the future with respect to our product candidates, but we may not be able to do so, which may cause us to alter our development and commercialization plans. Even where we have entered into a collaboration, they may not be successful.
We may attempt to form strategic collaborations, create joint ventures, or enter into licensing arrangements with third parties with respect to our programs that we believe will complement or augment our existing business. We may face significant competition in seeking appropriate strategic collaborators, and the negotiation process to secure appropriate terms is time consuming and complex. We may not be successful in our efforts to establish such a strategic collaboration for any product candidates and programs on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all. This may be because our product candidates and programs may be deemed to be at too early of a stage of development for collaborative effort, our research and development pipeline may be viewed as insufficient, the competitive or intellectual property landscape may be viewed as too intense or risky, and/or third parties may not view our product candidates and programs as having sufficient potential for commercialization, including the likelihood of an adequate safety and efficacy profile.
Even where we have entered into a license agreement or other form of collaboration regarding the development or commercialization of our product candidates, including those with Zenas Biopharma or Kissei, we cannot guarantee that such a collaboration will be successful. Any delays in identifying suitable collaborators and entering into agreements to develop and/or commercialize our product candidates could delay the development or commercialization of our product candidates, which may reduce their competitiveness even if they reach the market. Absent a strategic collaborator, we would need to undertake development and/or commercialization activities at our own expense. If we elect to fund and undertake development and/or commercialization activities on our own, we may need to obtain additional expertise and additional capital, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms or at all. If we are unable to do so, we may not be able to develop our product candidates or bring them to market and our business may be materially and adversely affected.
We face substantial competition, and our competitors may discover, develop, or commercialize products faster or more successfully than us.
The development and commercialization of new drug products is highly competitive, particularly in the treatment of TED and FcRn inhibitor therapeutics. We face competition from major pharmaceutical companies, specialty pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, universities, and other research institutions worldwide with respect to our product candidates. We are aware that the following companies, among others, have therapeutics marketed or in development for TED: Amgen, Argenx, Immunovant, Inc., Roche Holdings AG, Alumis, Inc. (merged with ACELYRIN, Inc. in May 2025), Tourmaline Bio, Inc., Lassen Therapeutics, and Sling Therapeutics, Inc. Other companies such as Kriya Therapeutics, Inc., Septerna and Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, Inc. among others, have earlier stage products in development which, if successfully developed, may impact the value of our product candidates over their lifecycle. If approved, veligrotug and elegrobart will also compete against generic medications, such as corticosteroids, and surgical procedures that are prescribed for the treatment of TED. We are also aware that the following companies, among others, may have anti-FcRn therapeutics marketed or in development: Argenx, UCB S.A., Johnson & Johnson and Immunovant, Inc. Moreover, there are more than 20 indications announced or in development across the FcRn class. Depending on the indications in which we choose to develop VRDN-006 and VRDN-008, there may be further competition from marketed and in-development therapeutics targeting other mechanisms such as complement inhibition, T-cell inhibitors, anti-1L-6 and other mechanisms of action.
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Our product candidates may demonstrate inferior efficacy and safety profiles as compared to currently approved drugs, or product candidates currently in development by our competitors. Our competitors may succeed in developing, acquiring, or licensing technologies and drug products that are more effective or less costly than our product candidates that we are currently developing or that we may develop, which could render our product candidates obsolete and noncompetitive. Our competitors may also adopt a similar licensing and development strategy as ours with regard to the development of an existing IGF-1R monoclonal antibody for the treatment of TED. If any competitor was able to effect this strategy in a more efficient manner, there may be less demand for our product candidates, if any are approved.
Many of our competitors have substantially greater financial, technical, and other resources, such as larger research and development staff and experienced marketing and manufacturing organizations. Third-party payors, including governmental and private insurers, may also encourage the use of generic products. For example, if veligrotug is approved, it may be priced at a significant premium over other competitive products. This may make it difficult for veligrotug or any other future products to compete with generic products.
If our competitors obtain marketing approval from the FDA, EMA, or comparable foreign regulatory authorities for their product candidates more rapidly than us, it could result in our competitors establishing a strong market position before we are able to enter the market.
Many of our competitors have materially greater name recognition and financial, manufacturing, marketing, research, and drug development resources than we do. Additional mergers and acquisitions in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries may result in even more resources being concentrated in our competitors. For example, Amgen is a large biotechnology company in the competitive landscape for clinical trials and therapeutics for TED. Large pharmaceutical companies, in particular, have extensive expertise in developing and commercializing drugs, including nonclinical and clinical testing, and in obtaining regulatory approvals, pricing and reimbursement for drugs. In addition, academic institutions, government agencies, and other public and private organizations conducting research may seek patent protection with respect to potentially competitive products or technologies. These organizations may also establish exclusive collaborative or licensing relationships with our competitors. If our product candidates fail to compete effectively against established treatment options or future products currently in development, this would harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Our products may not be widely adopted by patients, payors or healthcare providers, which would adversely impact our potential profitability and future business prospects.
If approved, the commercial success of our products, particularly in the U.S., depends upon the level of market adoption by patients, payors and healthcare providers. If our products do not achieve an adequate level of market adoption for any reason, or if market adoption does not persist, our potential profitability and our future business prospects will be severely adversely impacted. The degree of market acceptance of our products depends on a number of factors, including:
•our ability to demonstrate to the clinicians and payors, the clinical efficacy, effectiveness and safety of our products as the prescription products of choice for their respective indications;
•the effectiveness of our sales and marketing organizations and distribution networks;
•the ability of patients or providers to be adequately reimbursed for our products in a timely manner from government and private payors;
•the actual and perceived efficacy and safety profile of our products, particularly if unanticipated adverse events related to our products’ treatment arise and create safety concerns among potential patients or prescribers or if new data and analyses we obtain for our products do not support, or are interpreted by some parties to not support, the efficacy of our products; and
•the efficacy and safety of therapies developed by our competitors.
If we are unable to successfully commercially launch any of our product candidates, there would be an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
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Failure to obtain or maintain adequate pricing, reimbursement or insurance coverage for our products, if any, could limit our ability to market those products and decrease our ability to generate revenue.
The pricing, as well as the coverage, and reimbursement of our approved products, if any, must be sufficient to support our commercial efforts and other development programs, and the availability of coverage and adequacy of reimbursement by third-party payors, including government healthcare programs, private insurers, managed care plans, and other organizations, are essential for most patients to be able to afford expensive treatments. Sales of our approved products, if any, will depend substantially, both domestically and abroad, on the extent to which the costs of our approved products, if any, will be paid for or reimbursed by third-party payors. Government authorities and other third-party payors decide which products they will cover and establish reimbursement levels for those products. Such payors may attempt to control costs by restricting coverage, controlling utilization and limiting the amount of reimbursement for particular medications. Third party payors may take action to encourage use of other products perceived to be clinically superior or more cost effective which may limit demand for our products. Our ability to commercialize our product candidates successfully may also be adversely affected by discounts or rebates that we are required to provide in order to ensure coverage of our products and compete in the marketplace. If coverage and adequate reimbursement are not available, or are available only in limited amounts we may not be able to successfully commercialize our products. See “Business—Coverage and Reimbursement.”
The pricing of our approved products may be impacted by the pricing of other approved products, including those in the disease areas, drug class, and different drug classes in which we are commercializing our products. In addition, the prices of existing drugs (both inside and outside of the country of regulatory approval or sale) may be used as reference prices for new entrants, including in the same class, which may negatively impact the pricing of such new entrants. If the pricing of our approved products is impacted in these ways, the profitability of our products, if any, may be more difficult to achieve even if they receive regulatory approval or we may not be able to successfully commercialize our products.
Outside the U.S., international operations are generally subject to extensive governmental price controls and other price-restrictive regulations, and we believe the increasing emphasis on cost-containment initiatives in Europe, Canada, and other countries has and will continue to put pressure on the pricing and usage of products. In many countries, the prices of products are subject to varying price control mechanisms as part of national health systems. Price controls or other changes in pricing regulation could restrict the amount that we are able to charge for our products, if any. Accordingly, in markets outside the U.S., the potential revenue may be insufficient to generate commercially reasonable revenue and profits.
Within the U.S., the current presidential administration has sought and is likely to continue to seek to implement “most favored nation” pricing for drugs and biologics covered under government programs. In May 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order that directed government agencies and officials to identify most-favored nation pricing targets for prescription drugs. In the wake of these policy pronouncements, federal agencies are developing new drug pricing pilot programs, such as proposed Medicare Part B and Part D pilot models that, if finalized as proposed, would replace existing inflation-based Medicare rebates with rebates determined on the basis of international prices, for drugs and patients subject to the model. If “most favored nation” pricing is implemented under the law, payment for our products and our business results could be adversely affected, although the full impact of any such actions cannot be predicted.
We expect to experience pricing pressures in connection with products due to the increasing trend toward managed healthcare, including the increasing influence of health maintenance organizations and additional legislative changes. The downward pressure on healthcare costs in general, particularly prescription drugs, has increased and is expected to continue to increase in the future. As a result, profitability of our products, if any, may be more difficult to achieve even if they receive regulatory approval.
If we are unable to successfully further develop and maintain internal commercialization capabilities, sales of our future products may be negatively impacted.
We are hiring and training a commercial team and created the organizational infrastructure we believe we need to support the future commercial success of our products, if approved. Factors that may inhibit our efforts to maintain and further develop commercial capabilities include:
•an inability to hire and retain an adequate number of effective commercial personnel, including at a pace required to be ready to launch our products, if approved;
•an inability to train sales personnel, who may have limited experience with our company or our products, to deliver a consistent message regarding our products and be effective in educating clinicians on how to prescribe our products;
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•an inability to equip sales personnel with compliant and effective materials, including medical and sales literature to help them educate physicians and our healthcare providers regarding our products and their proper administration and educate payors on the safety, efficacy and effectiveness profile of our products to support favorable coverage decisions;
•unforeseen costs and expenses associated with maintaining and further developing an independent sales and marketing organization; and
•an inability to timely develop effective commercial, sales and marketing infrastructure to support new product launches.
If we are not successful in establishing an effective commercial, sales and marketing infrastructure, we will encounter difficulty in achieving, maintaining or increasing projected sales of our products, if approved, which would adversely affect our business and financial condition.
In addition, the FDA may implement regulatory, policy, or enforcement changes that materially limit our ability and that of our third-party contractors to promote our products to consumers, if our products are approved, which could materially impact our business. In September 2025, the FDA stated that it intends to more aggressively enforce requirements for direct-to-consumer, or DTC, drug advertising and sent more than 100 warning or untitled letters to companies for allegedly deceptive prescription drug advertising, which represents a dramatic increase in such actions as compared to prior years. FDA also announced plans to expand its oversight of digital and social media advertising and to initiate a rulemaking that would call for drug companies to disclose additional safety information in DTC broadcast advertisements. The nature and extent of changes to FDA’s regulations and enforcement approach is unclear but may impact pharmaceutical marketing efforts across the industry, including ours, which could in turn impact our sales and operations.
In the future, we may choose to collaborate with third parties that have direct sales forces and established distribution systems, either to augment our own sales force and distribution systems or as an alternative to our own sales force and distribution systems. To the extent that we enter into co-promotion or other licensing arrangements, our product revenue may be lower than if we directly marketed or sold any approved products. In addition, any revenue we receive will depend in whole or in part upon the efforts of these third parties, which may not be successful and are generally not within our control. If we are unable to enter into these arrangements on acceptable terms or at all, we may not be able to successfully commercialize any approved products. If we are not successful in commercializing any approved products, either on our own or through collaborations with one or more third parties, our future product revenue will suffer and we may incur significant additional losses.
The size of the potential market for our product candidates is difficult to estimate and, if any of our assumptions are inaccurate, the actual markets for our product candidates may be different than our estimates. If the market opportunities for any product candidates we develop are smaller than we believe they are, our potential revenues may be adversely affected, and our business may suffer.
The potential market opportunities for our product candidates are difficult to estimate and will depend in part on the success of competing therapies and therapeutic approaches. Our projections of both the number of people who have these diseases, as well as the subset of people with these diseases who have the potential to benefit from treatment with our product candidates, are based on estimates. Our estimates of the potential market opportunities are predicated on many assumptions, which may include industry knowledge and publications, third-party research reports, and other surveys. Although we believe that our internal assumptions are reasonable, these assumptions involve the exercise of significant judgment on the part of our management, are inherently uncertain, and their reasonableness has not been assessed by an independent source. These estimates may prove to be incorrect and new studies may change the estimated incidence or prevalence of these diseases. The number of patients in the United States, Europe, and elsewhere may turn out to be lower than expected, and patients may not be amenable to treatment with our product. If any of the assumptions proves to be inaccurate, the actual markets for our product candidates could be smaller than our estimates of the potential market opportunities.
Risks Related to Our Reliance on Third Parties
We rely on third parties to conduct our nonclinical development activities and clinical trials, manufacture our product candidates, and perform other services. If these third parties do not successfully perform and comply with regulatory requirements, we may not be able to successfully complete clinical development, obtain regulatory approval, or commercialize our product candidates and our business could be substantially harmed.
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We have relied upon and plan to continue to rely upon third-party CROs to conduct, monitor, and manage nonclinical and clinical programs. Adding or changing CROs for our clinical programs carries implementation risk and may delay advancement of our clinical programs. We rely on these parties for execution of clinical trials, and we manage and control only some aspects of their activities. We remain responsible for ensuring that each of our trials is conducted in accordance with the applicable protocol, legal, regulatory, and scientific standards, and our reliance on the CROs does not relieve us of our regulatory responsibilities. We and our CROs and other vendors are required to comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and guidelines, including those required by the FDA, EMA, and comparable foreign regulatory authorities for all of our product candidates in clinical development. If we or any of our CROs or vendors fail to comply with applicable and evolving laws, regulations, and guidelines, the results generated in our clinical trials may be deemed insufficient or unreliable, and the FDA, EMA, or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may require us to perform additional clinical trials before approving our marketing applications. For example, we are aware of certain instances of non-compliance with GCP regulations. We cannot be assured that our CROs, clinical sites, and other vendors will fully remediate any deficiencies and will meet these requirements on an ongoing basis, or that upon inspection by any regulatory authority, such regulatory authority will determine that efforts, including any of our clinical trials, comply with applicable requirements. Any non-compliance with these laws, regulations and guidelines may negatively impact the integrity of the data collected in our clinical trials and may prevent approval or require us to repeat clinical trials or add patients to ongoing clinical trials, which would be costly and delay the regulatory submission and/or approval process.
If any of our relationships with these third-party CROs terminate, we may not be able to enter into arrangements with alternative CROs in a timely manner or do so on commercially reasonable terms. In addition, our CROs may not prioritize our clinical trials relative to those of other customers, and any turnover in personnel or delays in the allocation of CRO employees by the CRO may negatively affect our clinical trials. If CROs do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or obligations or meet expected deadlines, our clinical trials may be delayed or terminated, and we may not be able to meet our current plans with respect to our product candidates. For example, our first in human or early clinical studies for a product candidate may be done at a single site. A disruption of operations at the single site could delay or terminate our clinical trial, and we may not be able to enter into arrangements with alternative CROs in a timely manner or do so on commercially reasonable terms. If this happens, we may not be able to meet our current plans with respect to our product candidates. Additionally, regional disruptions, including natural disasters, geopolitical unrest, or health emergencies (such as novel viruses or pandemics), could significantly disrupt the timing of clinical trials. CROs may also involve higher costs than anticipated, which could negatively affect our financial condition and operations.
Shortages and governmental restrictions resulting from pandemics or other public health crises may disrupt the ability of or increase the cost for our clinical trial sites and other CROs to procure items that are essential for our research and development activities, including animals that are used for nonclinical studies. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting disruptions to the global supply chain caused shortages of various animals used in research studies, such as several types of monkeys, which are typically sourced from China.
We do not currently have, nor do we currently plan to establish, the capability to manufacture product candidates for use in the conduct of our clinical trials, and we lack the resources and the capability to manufacture any of our product candidates on a clinical or commercial scale without the use of third-party manufacturers. We rely, and plan to continue to rely, on third-party manufacturers whose responsibilities include purchasing from third-party suppliers the materials necessary to produce our product candidates for our clinical trials and regulatory approval. There are expected to be a limited number of suppliers for the active ingredients and other materials, including devices and device components, that we expect to use to manufacture and deliver our product candidates, including those of our product candidates that are anticipated to be combination products. We may not be able to identify alternative suppliers to prevent a possible disruption of the manufacture of our product candidates for our clinical trials, and, if approved, ultimately for commercial sale. Although we generally do not expect to begin a clinical trial unless we believe we have a sufficient supply of a product candidate to complete the trial, any significant delay or discontinuity in the supply of a product candidate, or the active ingredient or other material components in the manufacture or administration of the product candidate, could delay completion of our clinical trials and potential timing for regulatory approval of our product candidates, which would harm our business and results of operations.
Our manufacturing processes are complex, and we may encounter difficulties in production, which would delay or prevent our ability to provide a sufficient clinical or commercial supply of our product candidates or products.
The process of manufacturing our biologic product candidates is complex, highly regulated, variable, and subject to numerous risks. Our manufacturing process is susceptible to product loss or failure, or product variation that may negatively impact patient outcomes, due to logistical issues associated with preparing the product for administration, administering the product to patients, manufacturing issues, or different product characteristics resulting from changing a manufacturer, changing a manufacturing location, the inherent differences in starting materials, variations between reagent lots, interruptions in the manufacturing process, contamination, equipment or reagent failure, improper installation or operation of equipment and/or programs, vendor or operator error, loss of product during shipment or storage and variability in product characteristics.
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Some of our product candidates, including elegrobart, VRDN-006, and VRDN-008, are or are anticipated to be combination products. In particular, we anticipate using devices in connection with our product candidates elegrobart and VRDN-006. Combination products are complex to manufacture, and this manufacturing complexity could lead to delays in manufacturing and product candidate availability for our clinical trials. In addition, combination products typically have a longer and more complex supply chain that increases the risk of supply interruptions and could negatively impact product candidate availability.
Even minor variations in starting reagents and materials, deviations from normal manufacturing processes, changing a manufacturer, or changing a manufacturing location could result in reduced production yields, product shortages, product defects, manufacturing failure, changes in product characteristics and other supply disruptions. If microbial, viral, or other contaminations are discovered in our product candidates or in any of the manufacturing facilities in which products or other materials are made, such manufacturing facilities may need to be closed for an extended period of time to investigate and remedy the contamination. Any failure in the foregoing processes could render a batch of product unusable, could affect the regulatory approval of such product candidate, could cause us to incur fines or penalties, or could harm our reputation and that of our product candidates.
We may make changes to our manufacturing process for various reasons, such as to control costs, increase yield or dose, achieve scale, decrease processing time, increase manufacturing success rate, availability of raw materials, or for other reasons. Changes to our process made during the course of clinical development could require us to show the comparability of the product used in earlier clinical phases or at earlier portions of a trial to the product used in later clinical phases or later portions of the trial. Other changes to our manufacturing process made before or after commercialization could require us to show the comparability of the resulting product to the product candidate used in the clinical trials using earlier processes. Such showings could require us to collect additional nonclinical or clinical data from any modified process prior to obtaining marketing approval for the product candidate produced with such modified process. If such data are not ultimately comparable to that seen in the earlier trials or earlier in the same trial in terms of safety or efficacy, we may be required to make further changes to our process and/or undertake additional clinical testing, either of which could significantly delay the clinical development or commercialization of the associated product candidate, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
We rely and expect to continue to rely on third parties to manufacture our clinical product supplies, including Chinese manufacturer WuXi Biologics (Hong Kong) Limited (“WuXi”), for drug substance and drug product, and other third parties for devices and device components. If we are unable to source these supplies on a timely basis, at sufficient quantities, or at acceptable quality or prices, establish longer-term contracts with our suppliers, or if our third-party manufacturers fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements, the development and, if approved, commercialization of our product candidates could be stopped, delayed, or made less profitable.
We do not currently have, nor do we currently plan to develop, the infrastructure or capability internally to manufacture our clinical supplies for use in the conduct of our clinical trials, and we lack the resources and the capability to manufacture any of our product candidates, devices, or device components on a clinical or commercial scale. We currently rely on outside vendors to manufacture our clinical supplies of our product candidates and plan to continue relying on third parties to manufacture our product candidates, devices, or device components on a commercial scale, if approved. In particular, we rely upon single-sourced manufacturing with one CDMO for manufacturing our product candidates, including drug substance and drug product. We also rely on single-sourced manufacturing for various elements of our combination products.
We do not yet have sufficient information to reliably estimate the cost of the commercial manufacturing of all of the product candidates in pipeline, including those in nonclinical and early clinical research, and our current cost to manufacture our drug products may not be commercially feasible. Additionally, the actual cost to manufacture our product candidates could materially and adversely affect the commercial viability of our product candidates. As a result, we may never be able to develop a commercially viable product.
In addition, our reliance on third-party manufacturers exposes us to the following additional risks:
•We may be unable to identify additional manufacturers of our product candidates, including combination product candidates, on acceptable terms or at all.
•Our third-party manufacturers might be unable to timely formulate and manufacture our product or produce the quantity and quality required to meet our clinical and commercial needs, if any.
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•Contract manufacturers may not be able to execute our manufacturing process or procedures appropriately.
•Our future third-party manufacturers may not perform as agreed or may not remain in the contract manufacturing business for the time required to supply our clinical trials or to successfully produce, store, and distribute our commercial products, if approved.
•Our reliance on single-sourced manufacturing with our CDMOs increases the risk that any problems or delays with a CDMO could materially, negatively affect the development of our product candidates, or their commercialization, if approved.
•Manufacturers are subject to ongoing periodic unannounced inspection by the FDA, applicable foreign regulatory authorities and some state agencies to ensure strict compliance with cGMP and other government regulations and corresponding foreign standards. We do not have control over third-party manufacturers’ compliance with these regulations and standards.
•We may not own, or may have to share, the intellectual property rights to any improvements made by our third-party manufacturers in the manufacturing process for our product candidates.
•Our third-party manufacturers could breach or terminate their agreement with us.
•Our third-party manufacturers’ performance, available capacity and ability to manufacture clinical or commercial products may be impacted by mergers and or acquisitions.
•We or our third-party manufacturers may experience labor disputes or shortages, raw material shortages or manufacturing capacity shortages, including from the effects of health emergencies (such as novel viruses or pandemics) and natural disasters.
•We and our third-party manufacturers may be impacted by global conflicts, including any potential conflict involving China and Taiwan, and any resulting trade sanctions or regulatory actions.
•We are heavily reliant on third-party manufacturing operations in China, and any regional or geopolitical disruption, including as a result of the escalation of tariffs or other trade restrictions, could negatively impact our clinical trials and development or commercialization of our product candidates, which would harm our business.
•Foreign third-party manufacturers may be subject to U.S. legislation, regulatory actions, or investigations, including legislation similar to the BIOSECURE Act, trade restrictions and other U.S. or foreign regulatory requirements, which could increase the cost or reduce the supply of material available to us, delay or prevent the procurement or supply of such material, delay clinical trials, delay commercial launch, affect the ability to transfer to different manufacturers or have an adverse effect on our ability to secure commitments from governments to purchase our potential therapies.
Each of these risks could delay our clinical trials, as well as the approval, if any, of our product candidates by the FDA or other regulatory authorities, or the commercialization of our product candidates, or could result in higher costs, or could deprive us of potential product revenue.
In addition, we rely on third parties to perform release testing on our product candidates prior to delivery to patients. If these tests are not appropriately conducted and test data are not reliable, patients could be put at risk of serious harm, and this could result in product liability suits.
As we currently rely upon single suppliers for the development and manufacture of our product candidates, we are working closely with our third-party manufacturers, distributors, and other partners to manage and build our supply chain activities and mitigate potential disruptions. In connection with those efforts, we are currently evaluating options and taking steps to establish the development and/or manufacture of our product candidates at new manufacturers. If we encounter any material problems in connection with that process, we may be delayed in the development or commercialization of our product candidates, including veligrotug, and our business could be harmed.
The manufacture of drug products, including combination products that comprise a biological drug product and a device, is complex and requires significant expertise and capital investment, including the development of advanced manufacturing techniques, process controls and product testing methods. Manufacturers of medical products often encounter difficulties in production, particularly in scaling up and validating initial production and absence of contamination.
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These problems include difficulties with raw material supply, production costs and yields, quality control, stability of the product, quality assurance testing, operator error, shortages of qualified personnel, logistical problems or delays encountered when using multiple sites for manufacturing and testing, as well as compliance with strictly enforced federal, state, and foreign regulations. These problems may be more likely, or worse, in cases where the products candidates being manufactured are combination products, like certain of our product candidates, due to the increased complexity in their manufacture and associated supply chain. Furthermore, if contaminants are discovered in our supply of our product candidates or in the manufacturing facilities, such manufacturing facilities may need to be closed for an extended period of time to investigate and remedy the contamination. We cannot be assured that any stability issue or other issues relating to the manufacture of our product candidates will not occur in the future. Additionally, our manufacturers may experience manufacturing difficulties due to resource constraints or as a result of labor disputes, shortages, including from the effects of heath emergencies (such as novel viruses or pandemics), natural disasters, or unstable political environments. If our manufacturers were to encounter any of these difficulties, or otherwise fail to comply with their contractual obligations, our ability to provide our product candidates to patients or subjects in clinical trials would be jeopardized. Any delay or interruption in the supply of clinical trial supplies could delay the initiation or completion of clinical trials, increase the costs associated with initiating or maintaining clinical trial programs and, depending upon the period of delay, require us to commence new clinical trials at additional expense or terminate clinical trials completely.
We currently rely on the Chinese CDMO WuXi and other CDMOs, to develop and manufacture our product candidates, and will likely continue to rely on them in the future. There has been increased governmental focus in the U.S. on the role of Chinese companies in the life sciences industry. In December 2025, the BIOSECURE ACT was enacted into law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2026. The BIOSECURE ACT prohibits U.S. federal executive agencies from contracting with any entity where the biotechnology equipment or services of a “biotechnology company of concern” would be used in the performance of that contract. Generally, a “biotechnology company of concern” is a biotechnology company that is subject to the jurisdiction, direction, control, or operates on behalf of a foreign adversary’s government and poses a risk to the national security of the U.S. The BIOSECURE ACT has the potential to severely restrict our ability to purchase services or products from, or otherwise collaborate with, certain Chinese “biotechnology companies of concern” without losing the ability to contract with, or otherwise receive funding from, the U.S. government. We do business with companies in China, including WuXi, and it is possible some of our contractual counterparties could be impacted by the legislation described above in the future and alternative arrangements may need to be made. While WuXi is not currently a biotechnology company of concern under the BIOSECURE ACT, they may be deemed a biotechnology company of concern in the future. Our reliance on Chinese-based contract research organizations, such as WuXi, may also cause us to face additional risks due to geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China and related legal and regulatory restrictions and requirements, including measures directly affecting WuXi.
We currently rely on certain foreign manufacturers to manufacture our drug substance and drug product. The current presidential administration has announced plans to increase tariffs, including on pharmaceuticals, though it remains unclear whether and to what extent new tariffs will be adopted, or the effect that any such actions would have on us or our industry. Any unfavorable tariffs may make it more difficult for us to manufacture our product candidates, increase the cost of, and affect the demand for, our product candidates or products, if approved, which could have an adverse effect on our business.
In addition, these entities or materials sourced from these entities may be subject to other U.S. legislation, sanctions, investigations, regulations, trade restrictions, tariffs, regulatory actions, or ex-U.S. legislation, regulatory actions or requirements, that could increase the cost or reduce the supply of material available to us, delay or prevent the procurement or supply of such material, delay or impact the availability of our product candidates, delay or impact clinical trials, availability of commercial supply, or have an adverse effect on our ability to secure significant commitments from governments to purchase our potential therapies. Any of the foregoing outcomes could adversely affect our financial condition and business prospects.
For example, in February 2024, the chair and ranking member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, along with certain Senators, sent a letter to the Biden administration requesting that certain WuXi related entities be added to the Department of Defense’s Chinese Military Companies List (pursuant to Section 1260H of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021), the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security Entity List, and the Department of Treasury’s Non-SDN Chinese Military-Industrial Complex Companies List. While the Biden administration did not take action on this letter, adding either or both previously mentioned WuXi entities on any or all of the aforementioned lists could materially impact our agreements with WuXi and could delay the initiation or completion of clinical trials, increase the costs associated with starting or maintaining clinical trial programs and, depending upon the period of delay, require us to commence new clinical trials at additional expense or terminate clinical trials completely or adversely impact our financial condition and business prospects. Furthermore, we are not able to predict how the current presidential administration may respond to this or similar requests.
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Furthermore, the biopharmaceutical industry in China is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, including Chinese collaborators and service providers such as CROs and CDMOs. Changes to Chinese regulations or government policies affecting biopharmaceutical companies are unpredictable and may adversely impact or have a material adverse effect on us or on our collaborators in China. Such changes may also adversely impact the management of data generated in China, the availability of data generated with Chinese collaborators or in studies in China and the availability of data or records generated by service providers, which could have an adverse effect on our business, the development of our product candidates, our financial condition, results of operations and business prospects. In addition, it may be difficult or impossible to obtain certain source documentation from Chinese entities, which may adversely affect our business where such source documentation is required.
Evolving changes in China’s economic, political, and social conditions and the uncertainty around China’s relationship with other governments, such as the U.S. and the U.K., could also negatively impact our ability to use Chinese companies to manufacture our product candidates for our clinical trials or have an adverse effect on our ability to secure commitments from governments to purchase our potential therapies, which could cause us to delay our clinical development programs or adversely affect our financial condition.
If it becomes necessary to shift our operations away from reliance upon WuXi or other non-US based CROs and CDMOs, we will need to find suitable replacements for their services. We may encounter significant difficulty in finding suitable replacement partners and vendors, difficulties in transferring our programs or processes from one CRO or CDMO to another, and such parties may have limited capacity due to the influx of demand from other companies, including other biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies in a position similar to ours. Inability to find suitable replacements for these necessary services could increase the cost or reduce or eliminate the supply of material available to us, delay or prevent the procurement or supply of such material, delay or impact the availability of our product candidates, delay or impact clinical trials, availability of commercial supply, or have an adverse effect on our ability to secure significant commitments from governments to purchase our potential therapies. Any of the foregoing outcomes could adversely affect our financial condition and business prospects.
We may be unable to realize the potential benefits of any collaboration.
We have entered into collaborations to develop and commercialize products containing veligrotug and elegrobart with Zenas BioPharma in Greater China and Kissei Pharmaceuticals in Japan. We may enter into additional collaborations or partnerships for these product candidates as well as future product candidates. For our current collaborations, there is no guarantee that the collaboration will be successful and no guarantee if we are successful in entering into additional future collaborations with respect to the development and/or commercialization of one or more product candidates. Collaborations may pose a number of risks, including:
•collaborators often have significant discretion in determining the efforts and resources that they will apply to the collaboration and may not commit sufficient resources to the development, marketing, or commercialization of the product or products that are subject to the collaboration;
•collaborators may not perform their obligations as expected;
•any such collaboration may significantly limit our share of potential future profits from the associated program and may require us to relinquish potentially valuable rights to our current product candidates, potential products, proprietary technologies, or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us;
•collaborators may cease to devote resources to the development or commercialization of our product candidates if the collaborators view our product candidates as competitive with their own products or product candidates;
•disagreements with collaborators, including disagreements over proprietary rights, contract interpretation, or the course of development, might cause delays or termination of the development or commercialization of product candidates, and might result in legal proceedings, which would be time consuming, distracting, and expensive;
•collaborators may be impacted by changes in their strategic focus or available funding, or business combinations involving them, which could cause them to divert resources away from the collaboration;
•collaborators may infringe the intellectual property rights of third parties, which may expose us to litigation and potential liability, which would be time consuming, distracting, and expensive;
•the collaborations may not result in us achieving revenue to justify such transactions; and
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•collaborations may be terminated and, if terminated, may result in a need for us to raise additional capital to pursue further development or commercialization of the applicable product candidate.
As a result, a collaboration may not result in the successful development or commercialization of our product candidates.
Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property
We rely on patent rights, trade secret protections and confidentiality agreements to protect the intellectual property related to our product candidates and any future product candidates. If we are unable to obtain or maintain exclusivity from the combination of these approaches, we may not be able to compete effectively in our markets.
We rely or will rely upon a combination of patents, trade secret protection, and confidentiality agreements to protect the intellectual property related to our technologies and product candidates. Our success depends in large part on our ability to obtain regulatory exclusivity and our and our licensors’ ability to maintain patent and other intellectual property protection in the U.S. and in other countries with respect to our proprietary technologies and product candidates. Regulatory exclusivity rules may be amended by legislative action, such as through the recently adopted 'Pharma Package' in the EU in December 2025.
We have sought to protect our proprietary position by filing and licensing the rights to patent applications in the U.S. and abroad related to our technologies and product candidates that are important to our business. This process is expensive and time consuming, and we may not be able to file and prosecute all necessary or desirable patent applications at a reasonable cost or in a timely manner. It is also possible that we will fail to identify patentable aspects of our research and development output before it is too late to obtain patent protection.
The patent position of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies generally is highly uncertain and involves complex legal and factual questions for which legal principles continue to evolve and may remain unresolved. The patent applications that we own or in-license may fail to result in issued patents with claims that cover our product candidates in the U.S. or in other foreign countries. There is no assurance that all potentially relevant prior art relating to our patents and patent applications has been found, which can invalidate a patent or prevent a patent from issuing from a pending patent application. Even if patents do successfully issue, and even if such patents cover our product candidates, third parties may challenge their validity, enforceability, or scope, which may result in such patents being narrowed, found unenforceable, unpatentable, or invalidated. Furthermore, even if they are unchallenged, our patents and patent applications may not adequately protect our intellectual property, provide exclusivity for our product candidates, or prevent others from designing around our claims. Any of these outcomes could impair our ability to prevent competition from third parties, which may have an adverse impact on our business.
We, independently or together with our licensors, have filed patent applications covering various aspects of our product candidates, including compositions of matter and their methods of use. We cannot offer any assurances about which, if any, patents will issue, the breadth of any such patent, or whether any issued patents will be found invalid and unenforceable or unpatentable following a challenge by third parties. Any successful post-grant review proceeding or litigation with respect to these patents or any other patents owned by or licensed to us after patent issuance could deprive us of rights necessary for the successful commercialization of any product candidates that we may develop. Further, if we encounter delays in regulatory approvals, the period of time during which we could market a product candidate under patent protection could be reduced.
If we cannot obtain and maintain effective protection of exclusivity from our regulatory efforts and intellectual property rights, including patent protection or data exclusivity, for our product candidates, we may not be able to compete effectively, and our business and results of operations would be harmed.
We may not have sufficient patent term protections for our product candidates to effectively protect our business.
Patents have a limited term. In the U.S., the statutory expiration of a patent is generally 20 years after it is filed. Additional patent terms may be available through a patent term adjustment process, resulting from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) delays during prosecution. Although various extensions may be available, the life of a patent, and the protection it affords, is limited. Even if patents covering our product candidates are obtained, once the patent life has expired for a product candidate, we may be open to competition.
Patent term extensions (“PTEs”) under the Hatch-Waxman Act in the U.S. and under supplementary protection certificates in Europe may be available to extend the patent exclusivity terms of our product candidates. We will likely rely on PTEs, and we cannot provide any assurances that any such PTEs will be obtained and, if so, for how long. As a result, we may not be able to maintain exclusivity for our product candidates for an extended period after regulatory approval, if any, which would negatively impact our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.
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If we do not have sufficient patent terms or regulatory exclusivity to protect our product candidates, our business and results of operations will be adversely affected.
Changes in patent laws in the U.S. and other jurisdictions could diminish the value of patents in general, thereby impairing our ability to protect our products, and recent patent reform legislation could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our patent applications and the enforcement or defense of our issued patents.
As is the case with other biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, our success is heavily dependent on patents. Obtaining and enforcing patents in the biotechnology industry involve both technological and legal complexity, and is therefore costly, time-consuming, and inherently uncertain. In addition, in 2011 the U.S. enacted the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (the “Leahy-Smith Act”) and is still currently implementing wide-ranging patent reform legislation. Recent rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit have narrowed the scope of patent protection available in specified circumstances and weakened the rights of patent owners in specified situations. In addition to increasing uncertainty with regard to our ability to obtain patents in the future, this combination of events has created uncertainty with respect to the value of patents, once obtained. Depending on decisions by the U.S. Congress, the federal courts, and the USPTO, the laws and regulations governing patents could change in unpredictable ways that would weaken our ability to obtain new patents or to enforce our existing patents and patents that we might obtain in the future.
The USPTO has issued subject matter eligibility guidance instructing USPTO examiners on the ramifications of the Supreme Court rulings in Mayo Collaborative Services v. Prometheus Laboratories, Inc. and Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc., and applied the Myriad ruling to natural products and principles including all naturally occurring molecules. In addition, the USPTO continues to provide updates to its guidance. The USPTO guidance may make it impossible for us to obtain similar patent claims in future patent applications. Currently, our patent portfolio contains claims of various types and scope, including methods of medical treatment. The presence of varying types of claims in our patent portfolio significantly reduces, but may not eliminate, our exposure to potential validity challenges.
For our U.S. patent applications, which contain claims entitled to priority after March 16, 2013, there is a greater level of uncertainty due to the Leahy-Smith Act mentioned above. The Leahy-Smith Act includes a number of significant changes to U.S. patent law. These include provisions that affect the way patent applications will be prosecuted and may also affect patent litigation. The USPTO has promulgated regulations and developed procedures to govern administration of the Leahy-Smith Act, and many of the substantive changes to patent law associated with the Leahy-Smith Act, and in particular, the first to file provisions, did not come into effect until March 16, 2013. The Leahy-Smith Act and its implementation could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our patent applications and the enforcement or defense of our issued patents, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
An important change introduced by the Leahy-Smith Act is that, as of March 16, 2013, the U.S. transitioned to a “first-to-file” system for deciding which party should be granted a patent when two or more patent applications are filed by different parties claiming the same invention. This will require us to be cognizant going forward of the time from invention to filing of a patent application. Furthermore, our ability to obtain and maintain valid and enforceable patents depends on whether the differences between our technology and the prior art allow our technology to be patentable over the prior art. Since patent applications in the U.S. and most other countries are confidential for a period of time after filing, we cannot be certain that we were the first to either: (i) file any patent application related to our product candidates or (ii) invent any of the inventions claimed in our patents or patent applications until these filings are no longer confidential.
Among some of the other changes introduced by the Leahy-Smith Act are changes that limit where a patentee may file a patent infringement suit and new post-grant review procedures providing opportunities for third parties to challenge any issued patent in the USPTO. Included in these new procedures is a process known as Inter Partes Review, which has been generally used by many third parties since the enactment of the Leahy-Smith Act to render patents unpatentable. These post-grant review procedures are and continue to be an evolving and developing area of law.
Geopolitical actions in the U.S. and in foreign countries could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution or maintenance of patent applications and the maintenance, enforcement or defense of issued patents. For example, the U.S. and foreign government actions related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may limit or prevent filing, prosecution and maintenance of patent applications in Russia. Government actions may also prevent maintenance of issued patents in Russia. These actions could result in abandonment or lapse of patents or patent applications, resulting in partial or complete loss of patent rights in Russia. If such an event were to occur, it could have a material adverse effect on our business. In addition, a decree was adopted by the Russian government in March 2022, allowing Russian companies and individuals to exploit inventions owned by patentees that have citizenship or nationality in, are registered in, or have predominately primary place of business or profit-making activities in the U.S. and other countries that Russia has deemed unfriendly without consent or compensation.
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Consequently, we would not be able to prevent third parties from practicing its inventions in Russia or from selling or importing products made using its inventions in and into Russia. Accordingly, our competitive position may be impaired, and our business, financial condition, operations and prospects may be adversely affected.
In addition, a European Unified Patent Court (“UPC”) came into force on June 1, 2023. The UPC will be a common patent court to hear patent infringement and revocation proceedings effective for member states of the European Union. This could enable third parties to seek revocation of a European patent in a single proceeding at the UPC rather than through multiple proceedings in each of the jurisdictions in which the European patent is validated. A revocation of any European patents and applications that we may own now or license or obtain in the future could have a material adverse impact on our business and our ability to commercialize or license our technology and products. Moreover, the controlling laws and regulations of the UPC will develop over time and may adversely affect our ability to enforce or defend the validity of any European patents obtained. We may decide to opt out from the UPC for any future European patent applications that we may file and any patents we may obtain. If certain formalities and requirements are not met, however, such European patents and patent applications could be challenged for non-compliance and brought under the jurisdiction of the UPC. We cannot be certain that future European patents and patent applications will avoid falling under the jurisdiction of the UPC, even if we are able to or decide to opt out of the UPC.
If we are unable to maintain effective proprietary rights for our product candidates or any future product candidates, we may not be able to compete effectively in our proposed markets.
In addition to the protection afforded by patents, we rely on trade secret protection and confidentiality agreements to protect proprietary know-how that is not patentable or that we elect not to patent, such as processes for which patents are difficult to enforce, other elements of our product candidate discovery and/or development processes that involve proprietary know-how, information, or technology that is not covered by patents. However, trade secrets can be difficult to protect. We seek to protect our proprietary technology and processes, in part, by entering into confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants, scientific advisors, collaborators, contractors and other third parties. We also seek to preserve the integrity and confidentiality of our data and trade secrets by maintaining physical security of our premises and physical and electronic security of our information technology systems. While we have confidence in these individuals, organizations, and systems, the agreements or security measures may be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for such a breach. In addition, our trade secrets may otherwise become known or be independently discovered by competitors.
Although we expect all of our employees and consultants to assign their inventions to us, and all of our employees, consultants, advisors, and any third parties who have access to our proprietary know-how, information, or technology to enter into confidentiality agreements, we cannot provide any assurances that all such agreements have been duly executed, or that our trade secrets and other confidential proprietary information will not be disclosed, or that competitors will not otherwise gain access to our trade secrets or independently develop substantially equivalent information and techniques. Misappropriation or unauthorized disclosure of our trade secrets could impair our competitive position and may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations. Additionally, if the steps taken to maintain our trade secrets are deemed inadequate, we may have insufficient recourse against third parties for misappropriating the trade secret.
Third-party claims of intellectual property infringement may prevent or delay our development and commercialization efforts.
Our commercial success depends in part on our ability to develop, manufacture, market, and sell our product candidates and use our proprietary technology without infringing the intellectual property or other exclusive rights of third parties. Numerous third-party U.S. and non-U.S. issued patents and pending applications exist or may be filed in the area of our product candidates. From time to time, we may also monitor these patents and patent applications. For example, we are aware of and monitoring certain patent applications in which third-parties are seeking to obtain patent claims related to our product candidates for treating TED. We are also aware of and monitoring certain third-party patent families, some of which include granted patents, that could be relevant to product candidates in our FcRn inhibitor portfolio. We may in the future pursue available proceedings in the U.S. and foreign patent offices to challenge these patents and patent applications. In addition, or alternatively, we may consider whether to seek to negotiate a license of rights to technology covered by one or more of such third-party patents and patent applications. If any patents or patent applications cover our product candidates or technologies, we may not be free to manufacture or market our product candidates as planned, absent such a license, which may not be available to us on commercially reasonable terms, or at all.
It is also possible that we have failed to identify relevant third-party patents or applications. For example, applications filed before November 29, 2000 remain confidential until patents issue, and applications filed after that date that will not be filed outside the U.S. can elect to remain confidential until patents issue.
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Moreover, it is difficult for industry participants, including us, to identify all third-party patent rights that may be relevant to our product candidates and technologies because patent searching is imperfect due to differences in terminology among patents, incomplete databases, and the difficulty in assessing the meaning of patent claims. We may fail to identify relevant patents or patent applications or may identify pending patent applications of potential interest but incorrectly predict the likelihood that such patent applications may issue with claims of relevance to our technology. In addition, we may be unaware of one or more issued patents that would be infringed by the manufacture, sale, or use of a current or future product candidate, or we may incorrectly conclude that a third-party patent is invalid, unenforceable, unpatentable, or not infringed by our activities. Additionally, pending patent applications that have been published can, subject to specified limitations, be later amended in a manner that could cover our technologies, our product candidates, or the use of our product candidates.
There have been many lawsuits and other proceedings involving patent and other intellectual property rights in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, including patent infringement lawsuits in federal courts, and interferences, oppositions, inter partes reviews, post-grant reviews, and reexamination proceedings before the USPTO and corresponding foreign patent offices. Numerous U.S. and foreign-issued patents and pending patent applications, which are owned by third parties, exist in the fields in which we are developing product candidates. As the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries expand and more patents are issued, the risk increases that our product candidates may be subject to claims of infringement of the patent rights of third parties.
Parties making claims against us may obtain injunctive or other equitable relief, which could effectively block our ability to further develop and commercialize one or more of our product candidates. Defense of these claims, regardless of their merit, would involve substantial litigation expense and would be a substantial diversion of employee resources from our business. In the event of a successful claim of infringement against us, we may have to pay substantial damages, including treble damages and attorneys’ fees for willful infringement, pay royalties, redesign our infringing products, cease development or commercialization, or obtain one or more licenses from third parties, which may be impossible or require substantial time and monetary expenditure.
We are dependent on intellectual property licensed from third parties. We may not be successful in meeting our obligations under our existing license agreements necessary to maintain our product candidate licenses in effect. In addition, if required in order to commercialize our product candidates, we may be unsuccessful in obtaining or maintaining necessary rights to our product candidates through acquisitions and in-licenses.
We currently have rights to certain intellectual property, through licenses from third parties and under technology and patents that we do not own, to develop and commercialize our product candidates. Because our programs may require the use of proprietary rights held by third parties, the growth of our business will likely depend in part on our ability to maintain in effect these proprietary rights. Mergers and acquisitions involving the third parties from whom we license intellectual property may negatively impact our rights. Any termination of license agreements with third parties with respect to our product candidates would be expected to negatively impact our business prospects.
We may be unable to acquire or in-license any compositions, methods of use, processes, or other third-party intellectual property rights from third parties that we identify as necessary for our product candidates. The licensing and acquisition of third-party intellectual property rights is a competitive area, and a number of more established companies are also pursuing strategies to license or acquire third-party intellectual property rights that we may consider attractive. These established companies may have a competitive advantage over us due to their size, cash resources, and greater clinical development and commercialization capabilities. In addition, companies that perceive us to be a competitor may be unwilling to assign or license their patent rights to us. Even if we are able to license or acquire third-party intellectual property rights that are necessary for our product candidates, there can be no assurance that they will be available on favorable terms.
If we are unable to successfully obtain and maintain rights to required third-party intellectual property, we may have to abandon development or commercialization of that product candidate or pay additional amounts to the third-party, and our business and financial condition could suffer.
The patent protection and patent prosecution for some of our product candidates are dependent on third parties.
While we normally seek and gain the right to fully prosecute the patents relating to our product candidates, there may be times when the prosecution and maintenance of patent applications and patents relating to our product candidates are controlled by our licensors. In these instances, we normally seek a right to participate in such prosecution or maintenance, which is not always granted. If any of our licensors fail to appropriately follow our instructions or consider our comments with regard to the prosecution and maintenance of patent protection for patents covering any of our product candidates, it may result in patent rights that do not or do not sufficiently cover products. If this happens, our ability to develop and commercialize those product candidates may be adversely affected, and we may not be able to prevent competitors from making, using, importing, and selling competing products.
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In addition, even where we now have the right to control patent prosecution of patents and patent applications, we have licensed from third parties, we may still be adversely affected or prejudiced by actions or inactions of our licensors in effect from actions prior to us assuming control over patent prosecution.
Obtaining and maintaining our patent protection depends on compliance with various procedural, document submission, fee payment and other requirements imposed by governmental patent agencies, and our patent protection could be reduced or eliminated for non-compliance with these requirements.
The USPTO and various foreign patent offices require compliance with a number of procedural, documentary, fee payment and other similar provisions during the patent prosecution and post grant or issuance. We employ reputable law firms and other professionals to help us comply. Additionally, periodic maintenance fees, renewal fees, annuity fees and various other governmental fees on patents and/or patent applications will be due to the USPTO and various foreign patent offices at various points over the lifetime of our patents and/or patent applications. We rely on our outside counsel or our agents to pay these fees when due. In many cases, an inadvertent lapse can be cured by payment of a late fee or by other means in accordance with rules applicable to the particular jurisdiction. However, there are situations in which noncompliance can result in abandonment or lapse of the patent or patent application, resulting in partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction. Non-compliance events that could result in abandonment or lapse of a patent or patent application include failure to respond to official actions within prescribed time limits, non-payment of fees and failure to properly legalize and submit formal documents. If such an event were to occur, it could have a material adverse effect on our business. In addition, we may be responsible for the payment of patent fees for patent rights that we license from third parties. If any licensor of these patents does not itself elect to make these payments, and we fail to do so, we may be liable to the licensor for any costs and consequences of any resulting loss of patent rights. If we or our existing or future licensors fail to maintain the patents and patent applications covering our product candidate, our competitors might be able to enter the market, which would have an adverse effect on our business.
If we fail to comply with obligations in the agreements under which we license intellectual property and other rights from third parties or otherwise experience disruptions to our business relationships with our licensors, we could lose license rights that are important to our business, which would harm our business.
We are a party to intellectual property licenses and supply agreements that are important to our business and expect to enter into additional license agreements in the future. Our existing agreements impose, and we expect that future license agreements will impose, various diligence, milestone payments, royalties, purchasing, and other obligations on us. If we fail to comply with our obligations under these agreements, or we are subject to a bankruptcy, our agreements may be subject to termination by the licensor, in which event we would not be able to develop, manufacture, or market products covered by the license or subject to supply commitments. Further, these agreements are complex, and certain provisions in such agreements may be susceptible to multiple interpretations. If material disputes with respect to these agreements prevent or impair our ability to maintain our current arrangements on acceptable terms, or are insufficient to provide us the necessary rights to use the intellectual property or supply our needs, we may be unable to successfully develop and commercialize the affected product candidates. Any material disputes with our licensors or suppliers or any termination of the agreements on which we depend could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial conditions, results of operations and prospects.
We may be involved in lawsuits or post-grant review proceedings to defend, protect, or enforce our patents or the patents of our licensors, which could be expensive, time consuming, and unsuccessful.
Competitors may infringe our patents or the patents of our licensors. If we, or one of our licensing partners, were to initiate legal proceedings against a third-party to enforce a patent covering one of our product candidates, the defendant could counterclaim that the patent covering our product candidate is invalid and/or unenforceable or file a post-grant review proceeding to challenge the patentability of the patent. In patent litigation in the U.S., defendant counterclaims alleging invalidity and/or unenforceability and post-grant review proceeding to challenge the patentability of the patent are commonplace. Grounds for these challenges could be an alleged failure to meet any of several statutory requirements, including lack of novelty, obviousness, written description, clarity, or non-enablement. Grounds for an unenforceability assertion could be an allegation that someone connected with prosecution of the patent withheld material information from the USPTO, or made a misleading statement, during prosecution. The outcome following legal assertions of invalidity, unenforceability, and patentability is unpredictable.
Interference proceedings provoked by third parties or brought by us or declared by the USPTO may be necessary to determine the priority of inventions with respect to our patents or patent applications or those of our licensors. An unfavorable outcome could require us to cease using the related technology or to attempt to license rights to us from the prevailing party. Our business could be harmed if the prevailing party does not offer us a license on commercially reasonable terms or offer us a license at all.
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Our defense of litigation or interference proceedings may fail and, even if successful, may result in substantial costs and distract our management and other employees. In addition, the uncertainties associated with litigation or post-grant review proceedings could have a material adverse effect on our ability to secure the funds necessary to continue our clinical trials, continue our research programs, license necessary technology from third parties, or enter into development partnerships that would help us bring our product candidates to market.
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. There could also be public announcements of the results of hearings, motions, or other interim proceedings or developments. If securities analysts or investors perceive these results to be negative, it could have a material adverse effect on the price of our common stock.
We may be subject to claims that our employees, consultants, or independent contractors are failing to comply with obligations to former employers or other third parties, including having wrongfully used or disclosed confidential information of former employers or third parties, that our employees have wrongfully used or disclosed alleged trade secrets of their former employers or third parties, or in connection with claims that our employees, consultants, or independent contractors are soliciting employees or business from prior employers.
We employ individuals who were previously employed at universities or other biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. Although we have written agreements and make every effort to ensure that our employees, consultants, and independent contractors do not use the proprietary information or intellectual property rights of others in their work for us, we may in the future be subject to any claims that our employees, consultants, or independent contractors have wrongfully used or disclosed confidential information of third parties. We may also be subject to claims in connection with claims that our employees, consultants, or independent contractors are otherwise failing to comply with obligations to former employers or other third parties. 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, or our employees’ ability to perform their jobs could be limited for a period of time, which could adversely impact our business. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management and other employees, which could adversely impact our business.
We may be subject to claims challenging the inventorship of our patents and other intellectual property.
We or our licensors may be subject to claims that former employees, collaborators or other third parties have an interest in our owned or in-licensed patents, trade secrets, or other intellectual property as an inventor or co-inventor. For example, we or our licensors may have inventorship disputes arising from conflicting obligations of employees, consultants or others who are involved in developing our product candidates. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these and other claims challenging inventorship or our or our licensors’ ownership of our owned or in-licensed patents, trade secrets or other intellectual property. If we or our licensors fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights, such as exclusive ownership of, or right to use, intellectual property that is important to our product candidates. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management and other employees. Any of the foregoing 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 rights throughout the world.
Filing, prosecuting, and defending patents on product candidates in all countries throughout the world would be prohibitively expensive, and our intellectual property rights in some countries outside the U.S. can be less extensive than those in the U.S. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as federal and state laws in the U.S. Competitors may use our technologies in jurisdictions where we have not obtained patent protection to develop our own products and may also export 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 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 some countries, particularly some developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents, trade secrets, and other intellectual property protection, particularly those relating to biotechnology and therapeutic products, which could make it difficult for us to stop the infringement of our patents or marketing of competing products in violation of our proprietary rights generally.
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Proceedings to enforce our patent rights in foreign jurisdictions, whether or not successful, could result in substantial costs and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business, could put our patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly and our patent applications at risk of not issuing, and could provoke third parties to assert claims against us. We may not prevail in any lawsuits that we initiate, and the damages or other remedies awarded, if any, may not be commercially meaningful. Accordingly, our efforts to enforce our intellectual property rights around the world may be inadequate to obtain a significant commercial advantage from the intellectual property that we develop or license.
Risks Related to Regulatory Approval of Our Product Candidates and Other Legal Compliance Matters
We expect the product candidates we develop will be regulated as biologics, and they may be subject to competition from biosimilar and interchangeable biological products.
The BPCIA was enacted as part of the ACA to establish an abbreviated pathway for the approval of biosimilar and interchangeable biological products. The regulatory pathway establishes legal authority for the FDA to review and approve biosimilar biologics, including the possible designation of a biosimilar as “interchangeable” based on its similarity to an approved biologic. Under the BPCIA, an application for a biosimilar product cannot be approved by the FDA until 12 years after the reference product was approved under a BLA. The law is complex and is still being interpreted and implemented by the FDA. As a result, its ultimate impact, implementation, and meaning are subject to uncertainty.
We believe that any of the product candidates we develop that is approved in the U.S. as a biological product under a BLA should qualify for the current 12-year period of exclusivity provided law. However, there is a risk that this exclusivity could be shortened in the future due to congressional action or otherwise, that the FDA will not consider approval of a product candidate to be a “first licensure” that gives rise to an exclusivity period, or that the FDA will not consider the subject product candidates to be reference products for competing products, potentially creating the opportunity for generic competition sooner than anticipated. Moreover, the extent to which a biosimilar, once approved, will be substituted for any one of the reference products in a way that is similar to traditional generic substitution for non-biological products is not yet clear, and will depend on a number of marketplace and regulatory factors that are still developing.
In addition, the first biologic product submitted under the abbreviated approval pathway that is determined to be interchangeable with the reference product has exclusivity against other biologics submitted under the abbreviated approval pathway for the lesser of (i) one year after the first commercial marketing, (ii) 18 months after approval if there is no legal challenge, (iii) 18 months after the resolution in the applicant’s favor of a lawsuit challenging the biologics’ patents if an application has been submitted, or (iv) 42 months after the application has been approved if a lawsuit is ongoing within the 42-month period. The approval of a biologic product biosimilar to one of our product candidates could have a material adverse impact on our business as it may be significantly less costly to bring to market and may be priced significantly lower than our product candidates.
We may seek orphan drug designation for our product candidates, but we might not receive such designation.
We are no longer pursuing orphan drug designation for veligrotug for thyroid eye disease in the U.S., but we may seek orphan drug designation for veligrotug in other indications and/or territories and for our other product candidates in various indications and/or territories subject to meeting the local requirements for orphan designation.
Even if we obtain orphan drug designation for any of our current and potential future product candidates, we may not be the first to obtain marketing approval for any particular orphan indication due to the uncertainties associated with developing pharmaceutical products. Exclusive marketing right in the U.S. also may be limited if we seek approval for an indication broader than the orphan designated indication and may be lost if the FDA later determines that the request for designation was materially defective or if the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient quantities of the product to meet the needs of patients with the rare disease or condition. Further, even if we obtain orphan drug exclusivity for an existing or future product candidate, that exclusivity may not effectively protect the product from competition because different drugs with different active moieties still can be approved for the same condition even with an orphan drug designation. Additionally, even after an orphan drug is approved, the FDA can subsequently approve the same drug with the same active moiety for the same condition if the FDA concludes that the later drug is clinically superior in that it is safer, more effective, or makes a major contribution to patient care. Orphan drug designation neither shortens the development time or regulatory review time of a drug or biologic nor gives the drug or biologic any advantage in the regulatory review or approval process.
In addition, the regulatory agency responsible for the granting of orphan drug exclusivity may change their interpretation of the scope of orphan drug exclusivity. For example, the FDA’s longstanding interpretation of the Orphan Drug Act is that exclusivity is specific to the orphan indication for which the drug was actually approved.
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As a result, the scope of exclusivity has been narrow and protected only against competition from the same “use or indication” rather than the broader “disease or condition.” Our ability to obtain and maintain orphan drug designation and the benefits thereof, including orphan drug exclusivity, may materially impact our financial performance. See “Business—Government Regulation—Orphan Drug Designation.”
We may seek Fast Track, Breakthrough Therapy, and/or Priority Review designations for one or more of our product candidates, but we might not receive such designation(s), and even if we do, such designation(s) may not actually lead to a faster development or regulatory review or approval process.
If a product candidate is intended for the treatment of a serious condition and nonclinical or clinical data demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical need for this condition, a product sponsor may apply for FDA Fast Track designation, or a product can receive Breakthrough Therapy designation if preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the product, 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. If we seek Fast Track or Breakthrough Therapy designation or Priority Review for a product candidate, we may not receive such designations or review from the FDA. However, even if we receive Fast Track or Breakthrough Therapy designation, it does not ensure that we will receive Priority Review or marketing approval in any particular timeframe or at all. We may not experience a faster development or regulatory review or approval process with Fast Track or Breakthrough Therapy designation or Priority Review compared to conventional FDA procedures. In addition, the FDA may withdraw Fast Track or Breakthrough Therapy designation if it believes that the designation is no longer supported by data from our clinical development program. Fast Track or Breakthrough Therapy designation alone does not guarantee qualification for the FDA’s priority review procedures. See “Business—Government Regulation—Expedited Development and Review Programs.”
We may attempt to obtain accelerated approval of our product candidates. If we are unable to obtain accelerated approval, we may be required to conduct clinical trials beyond those that we contemplate, or the size and duration of our pivotal clinical trials could be greater than currently planned, which could increase the expense of obtaining, reduce the likelihood of obtaining, and/or delay the timing of obtaining necessary marketing approvals. Even if we receive accelerated approval from the FDA, the FDA may require that we conduct confirmatory trials to verify clinical benefit. If our confirmatory trials do not verify clinical benefit, or if we do not comply with rigorous post-approval requirements, the FDA may seek to withdraw accelerated approval.
We may seek accelerated approval for our product candidates. The FDA may grant accelerated approval to a product designed to treat a serious or life-threatening condition that provides meaningful therapeutic advantage over available therapies and demonstrates an effect on a surrogate endpoint or intermediate clinical endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit. The FDA considers a clinical benefit to be a positive therapeutic effect that is clinically meaningful in the context of a given disease. If granted, accelerated approval may be contingent on the applicant’s agreement to conduct, in a diligent manner, additional post-approval confirmatory studies to verify and describe the drug’s predicted effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical benefit. Under the Food and Drug Omnibus Reform Act of 2022, the FDA may require, as appropriate, that such confirmatory studies be underway prior to approval for a product granted accelerated approval. If such post-approval studies fail to confirm the drug’s clinical benefits relative to its risks, the FDA may withdraw its approval of the drug. If we choose to pursue accelerated approval, there can be no assurance that the FDA will agree that our proposed primary endpoint is an appropriate surrogate endpoint. Similarly, there can be no assurance that after subsequent FDA feedback that we will continue to pursue accelerated approval or any other form of expedited development, review, or approval, even if we initially decide to do so. Furthermore, if we submit an application for accelerated approval, there can be no assurance that such application will be accepted or that approval will be granted on a timely basis, or at all. The FDA also could require us to conduct further studies or trials prior to considering our application or granting approval of any type. We might not be able to fulfill the FDA’s requirements in a timely manner, which would cause delays, or approval might not be granted because our submission is deemed incomplete by the FDA.
Even if we receive accelerated approval from the FDA, we will be subject to rigorous post-approval requirements, including submission to the FDA of all promotional materials prior to their dissemination. The FDA may require us to conduct a confirmatory study to verify the predicted clinical benefit. The FDA could withdraw accelerated approval for multiple reasons, including our failure to conduct any required post-approval study with due diligence, or the inability of such study to confirm the predicted clinical benefit. A failure to obtain accelerated approval or any other form of expedited review or approval for a product candidate could result in a longer time period prior to commercializing such product candidate, increase the cost of development of such product candidate, and harm our competitive position in the marketplace.
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Any product candidates for which we may obtain approval would be subject to extensive and ongoing regulatory oversight. If we fail to comply with continuing U.S. and foreign requirements, any approvals we may receive for our product candidates could be limited or withdrawn, we could be subject to other penalties, and in any such case our business would be seriously harmed.
None of our product candidates are currently approved by the FDA or any other regulatory authority. Any product candidates for which we may ultimately receive marketing authorization would be subject to ongoing regulatory requirements governing the testing, manufacturing, labeling, packaging, storage, advertising, promotion, sale, distribution, import, export, recordkeeping, and reporting. Ongoing FDA requirements include, among other things, submission of safety and other post-marketing information and reports, registration and listing, continued compliance with cGMP requirements relating to manufacturing, quality control, quality assurance and corresponding maintenance of records and documents, requirements regarding the distribution of samples to physicians, and GCP requirements for any clinical trials that we conduct post-approval. In addition, we intend to seek approval to market our product candidates in jurisdictions outside of the U.S., and therefore would also be subject to, and must comply with, regulatory requirements in those jurisdictions.
Any product candidates for which we may receive approval would be subject to continuing regulatory oversight following approval, including the review of adverse drug experiences and clinical results that are reported after our drug products are made commercially available. This includes results from any post-marketing studies or surveillance to monitor the safety and efficacy of our approved products or other products required as a condition of approval or otherwise agreed to by us. Products are more widely used by patients once approval has been obtained and therefore side effects and other problems may be observed after approval that were not seen or anticipated, or were not as prevalent or severe, during pre-approval clinical trials or nonclinical studies. The subsequent discovery of previously unknown or underestimated problems with a product could result in:
•sales of our approved products may be lower than originally anticipated;
•regulatory approvals for our approved products may be restricted or withdrawn;
•we may decide, or be required, to send product warning letters or field alerts to physicians, pharmacists and hospitals;
•additional nonclinical studies or clinical trials, changes in labeling, adoption of a REMS plan, or changes to manufacturing processes, specifications and/or facilities may be required; and/or
•government investigations or lawsuits, including class action suits, may be brought against us.
Any of the above occurrences could reduce or eliminate sales of our approved products, increase our expenses and impair our ability to successfully commercialize one or more of these products.
If we or our collaborators, CDMOs or other service providers fail to comply with applicable continuing regulatory requirements in the U.S. or a foreign jurisdiction in which we seek to market our products, we or they may be subject to, among other things, fines, warning or untitled letters, holds on clinical trials, refusal by the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications, suspension or withdrawal of regulatory approval, product recalls and seizures, refusal to permit the import or export of products, operating restrictions, fines, injunctions, civil penalties and criminal prosecution.
Any government investigation of alleged violations of law could require us to expend significant time and resources in response and could generate negative publicity. The occurrence of any event or penalty described above may inhibit our ability to commercialize any product candidates for which we may obtain approval and any product candidates we may develop and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Healthcare legislative reform measures may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations, and current and future legislation may increase the difficulty and cost for us, and any collaborators, to obtain marketing approval of and commercialize our drug candidates and affect the prices we, or they, may obtain.
In the U.S., there have been and continue to be a number of executive, legislative, and regulatory initiatives to contain healthcare costs and reexamine drug pricing and payment models. Heightened governmental scrutiny over the manner in which manufacturers set prices for their marketed products has resulted in several recent Congressional inquiries, and proposed and enacted federal and state legislation and executive initiatives designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to product pricing, and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for products.
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For example, in March 2010, the ACA was passed, which was intended to substantially change the way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private insurers, and significantly impact the U.S. pharmaceutical industry. In 2022, Congress passed the IRA, which, among other provisions, included a number of changes intended to address rising prescription drug prices in Medicare Parts B and D. These changes included caps on Medicare Part D out-of-pocket costs, Medicare Part B and Part D drug price inflation rebates, a new Medicare Part D manufacturer discount drug program (replacing the previous coverage gap discount program) and a drug price negotiation program for certain high-spend Medicare Part B and D drugs. The IRA has had and will likely continue to have a significant impact on the pharmaceutical industry. Legal challenges to the IRA have been initiated and some remain underway.
Drug pricing and payment is a current focus of significant activity. In 2025, President Trump issued two Executive Orders with multiple directives aimed at lowering drug prices, including refining the Medicare drug price negotiation program established by the IRA; accelerating competition for high-cost prescription drugs; facilitating drug importation; and identifying most-favored-nation target pricing for prescription drugs and making such pricing available to government health benefit programs and patients. In the wake of these Executive Orders and related executive initiatives, a number of pharmaceutical manufacturers have announced direct-to-consumer offerings with discounted prices and/or reached agreement with the federal government regarding pricing for drugs, including prices for Medicaid drugs and newly launched products. A website sponsored by the federal government that is anticipated to offer pharmaceutical direct-to-consumer channels has also been announced and launched in February 2026. Federal agencies are developing new Medicare and Medicaid drug pricing pilot programs. Many of these reform initiatives would require additional legal and/or administrative action to implement and may be subject to legal challenge. There have also been other reform efforts affecting access to healthcare or funding of healthcare as well as more general actions affecting federal budgets and tariffs. There is uncertainty regarding the nature or impact of any drug, broader healthcare, or other reform implemented at the federal or state level, and the extent to which any such action will be subject to legal challenges, including litigation, or other challenges. It is unclear how any such healthcare reform measures will impact our business. See “Business—Health Reform.” Ongoing efforts to contain or reduce costs of healthcare and/or impose price controls may adversely affect the demand for our products, our revenues, and our ability to achieve or maintain profitability.
We may be subject, directly or indirectly, to a wide range of domestic and foreign healthcare and other laws. If we are unable to comply, or have not fully complied, with such laws, we could face substantial penalties, sanctions, or other liability.
Our operations may be subject to a wide range of domestic and foreign laws, including fraud and abuse laws, such as the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, the federal civil False Claims Act, and, the UK Bribery Act 2010, privacy laws, such as Physician Payments Sunshine Act, the European General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679, and other regulations. These laws may impact, among other things, our interactions with healthcare professionals and patients, and influence our proposed promotional activities. In addition, we may be required to adopt certain compliance standards and may be required to certify to them. Many of these laws and regulations contain ambiguous requirements or require administrative guidance for implementation, and may make it challenging for us to ensure compliance.
If our operations are found to be in violation of any of the laws described above or any other governmental regulations that apply to us, we may be subject to penalties, including significant civil, criminal, and administrative penalties, disgorgement, damages, fines, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings, exclusion from participation in government healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, imprisonment, additional reporting requirements and/or oversight if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or similar agreement to resolve allegations of noncompliance with these laws, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, any of which could adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our results of operations.
If we fail to comply with our obligations under the Medicaid Drug Rebate program, other governmental pricing or reporting programs, including state pricing reporting requirements, we could be subject to penalties and sanctions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and future prospects.
We intend to participate in the Medicaid Drug Rebate program, the Public Health Service's 340B program, the VA FSS pricing program, the Tricare Retail Pharmacy Program, and particular other federal and state government pricing programs. Such programs often require us to provide discounts and/or pay rebates to certain government payors and/or private purchasers. These programs may require participating drug manufacturers to report product and pricing data that determine the discounts and/or rebates available through them. Pricing and rebate calculations vary across such products and programs, are complex, and are often subject to interpretation by the government, which interpretation can change and evolve over time. If we become aware of an inaccuracy in our reported product or pricing data, we are generally obligated to resubmit our reporting and correct the federal program discounts and/or rebates accordingly. Any determination by governmental agencies that we have failed to comply with our reporting and payment obligations could subject us to penalties and sanctions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and future prospects.
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If we fail to comply with environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations, we could become subject to fines or penalties or incur costs that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Our research and development activities and our third-party manufacturers’ and suppliers’ activities involve the controlled storage, use, and disposal of hazardous materials, including the components of our product candidates and other hazardous compounds. We and our manufacturers and suppliers are subject to laws and regulations governing the use, manufacture, storage, handling, and disposal of these hazardous materials. In some cases, these hazardous materials and various wastes resulting from their use are stored at our and our manufacturers’ facilities pending their use and disposal. We cannot eliminate the risk of contamination, which could cause an interruption of our commercialization efforts, research and development efforts, and business operations, and cause environmental damage resulting in costly clean-up and liabilities under applicable laws and regulations governing the use, storage, handling, and disposal of these materials and specified waste products. Although we believe that the safety procedures utilized by us and our third-party manufacturers for handling and disposing of these materials generally comply with the standards prescribed by these laws and regulations, we cannot guarantee that this is the case or eliminate the risk of accidental contamination or injury from these materials. In such an event, we may be held liable for any resulting damages and such liability could exceed our resources, and state or federal or other applicable authorities may curtail our use of specified materials and/or interrupt our business operations. Furthermore, environmental laws and regulations are complex, change frequently, and have tended to become more stringent. We cannot predict the impact of such changes and cannot be certain of our future compliance. We do not currently carry biological or hazardous waste insurance coverage.
Non-compliance with existing or future laws and regulations related to privacy or data security could lead to government enforcement actions (which could include civil or criminal fines or penalties), private litigation, other liabilities, and/or adverse publicity. Compliance or non-compliance with such laws could increase the costs of our products and services, could limit their use or adoption, and could otherwise negatively affect our operating results and business.
We may collect, use, transfer, or otherwise process proprietary, confidential, and sensitive information, including personal information and health-related data, which subjects us to numerous evolving and complex data privacy and security obligations, including various laws, regulations, guidance, and industry standards. Regulation of personal information processing is evolving, as federal, state, and foreign governments continue to adopt new, or modify existing, laws and regulations addressing data privacy and security, and the collection, processing, storage, transfer, and use of such data. We, our collaborators, and our service providers may be subject to current, new, or modified federal, state, and foreign data protection laws and regulations (e.g., laws and regulations that address data privacy and data security, including, without limitation, health data). These new or proposed laws and regulations are subject to differing interpretations and may be inconsistent among jurisdictions, and guidance on implementation and compliance practices are often updated or otherwise revised, which adds to the complexity of processing personal data. These and other requirements could require us or our collaborators to incur additional costs to achieve compliance, limit our competitiveness, necessitate the acceptance of more onerous obligations in our contracts, restrict our ability to use, store, transfer, and process data, impact our or our collaborators’ ability to process or use data in order to support the provision of our products or services, affect our or our collaborators’ ability to offer our products and services or operate in certain locations, cause regulators to reject, limit, or disrupt our clinical trial activities, result in increased expenses, reduce overall demand for our products and services and make it more difficult to meet expectations of or commitments to customers or collaborators. See “Business—Other Regulations.”
Within the U.S., there are numerous federal and state laws and regulations related to the privacy and security of personal information. For example, at the federal level, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”), as amended, and its implementing regulations establish privacy and security standards that limit the use and disclosure of individually identifiable health information, or protected health information, and require the implementation of administrative, physical and technological safeguards to protect the privacy of protected health information. While we have determined that we are neither a “covered entity” nor a “business associate” directly subject to HIPAA, many of the U.S. health-care providers with which we interact are subject to HIPAA, and we may have assumed obligations related to protecting the privacy of personal information. States are increasingly regulating the privacy and security of personal information. In some states, such as California and Washington, state privacy laws are even more protective than HIPAA. For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (together, the “CCPA”), regulates companies’ use and disclosure of the personal information of California residents and grants California residents several rights with respect to their personal information. The CCPA also provides for civil penalties for violations, including statutory fines for noncompliance, as well as a limited private right of action in connection with certain data breaches, and establishes a new regulatory agency to implement and enforce the law. In addition, almost 20 other states have now passed comprehensive privacy laws that have taken effect or will come into effect at various times over the next few years. 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.
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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 continue to monitor and assess the impact of these state laws, which may impose substantial penalties for violations, impose significant costs for investigations and compliance, and carry significant potential liability for our business.
Outside of the U.S., data protection laws, including the GDPR, which also forms part of the law of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland by virtue of section 3 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, and as amended by the Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/419) (“UK GDPR”), also apply to some of our operations. The GDPR and UK GDPR increase our obligations with respect to the processing of personal data in relation to clinical trials conducted in the member states of the EEA and the UK, including by expanding the definition of personal data to include coded (pseudonymized) data and requiring changes to informed consent practices and more detailed notices for clinical trial subjects and investigators. In addition, the GDPR and the UK GDPR increase the scrutiny that clinical trial sites located in the EEA and UK should apply to transfers of personal data from such sites to countries that are considered to lack an adequate level of data protection. The GDPR and UK GDPR impose substantial fines for breaches of data protection requirements, which can be up to four percent of global revenue or 20 million Euros (£17.5 million in the U.K.), whichever is greater, and they also confer a private right of action on data subjects for breaches of data protection requirements. Compliance with these laws is a rigorous and time-intensive process that requires review and updates that may increase our cost of doing business, and despite those efforts, there is a risk that we may be subject to fines and penalties, litigation and reputational harm in connection with our European and UK activities. Other governmental authorities around the world are considering and, in some cases, have enacted, similar privacy and data security laws.
Non-compliance with U.S. and foreign data protection laws and regulations could result in government investigations and enforcement actions (which could include civil or criminal penalties, fines, or sanctions), private litigation, and/or adverse publicity and could negatively affect our operating results and business. Moreover, patients or subjects about whom we or our collaborators obtain information, as well as the providers who share this information with us, may contractually limit our ability to use and disclose the information. Claims that we have violated individuals’ privacy rights or failed to comply with data protection laws or applicable privacy notices even if we are not found liable, could be expensive and time-consuming to defend and could result in adverse publicity that could harm our business. Any failure by our third-party collaborators, service providers, contractors, or consultants to comply with applicable law, regulations, or contractual obligations related to data privacy or security could result in proceedings against us by governmental entities or others.
We may publish privacy policies and other documentation regarding our collection, processing, use, and disclosure of personal information and/or other confidential information. Although we endeavor to comply with our published policies and other documentation, we may at times fail to do so or may be perceived to have failed to do so. Moreover, despite our efforts, we may not be successful in achieving compliance if our employees or vendors fail to comply with our published policies and documentation. Such failures can subject us to potential foreign, local, state, and federal action if they are found to be deceptive, unfair, or misrepresentative of our actual practices. Moreover, subjects about whom we or our partners obtain information, as well as the providers who share this information with us, may contractually limit our ability to use and disclose the information. Claims that we have violated individuals’ privacy rights or failed to comply with data protection laws or applicable privacy notices even if we are not found liable, could be expensive and time-consuming to defend and could result in adverse publicity that could harm our business. Any of these matters could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, or operational results.
Our use of artificial intelligence (AI) or other emerging technologies could adversely impact our business and financial results.
Some of our employees may utilize AI and other emerging technologies in various facets of their responsibilities. The rapid advancement of these technologies entails risks, including that use of AI could make it more difficult for us to maintain confidential information if our employees share our confidential information with AI programs.
Effective development, management, and use of AI technologies is novel and complex, and there are technical challenges associated with achieving desired levels of accuracy, efficiency, and reliability. There are significant risks involved in the development, adoption, use, deployment and maintenance of AI, such as an increase in intellectual property infringement or misappropriation, privacy, data protection, cybersecurity, confidentiality, operational and technological risks, as well as risks associated with harmful content, accuracy, bias and discrimination, any of which could affect our further development, adoption, use, deployment and maintenance of AI, and may cause us to incur additional costs to resolve any issues arising from such risks.
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Legal and regulatory frameworks related to the use of AI are rapidly evolving, as regulation of the use of AI continues to be considered and adopted by various U.S. and international governmental and regulatory entities, including the EU, the SEC and the FTC. Several jurisdictions have also passed, or are considering, new laws and regulations relating to the use of AI. For example, in 2024, the EU adopted the EU AI Act and Colorado adopted the Consumer Protections for Artificial Intelligence Act. While these new laws have not yet impacted our use of AI, the future impact on us of these or other new laws or regulations is uncertain. Any failure by us to comply with current, new and proposed AI-related laws and regulations could result in fines and negative publicity, which could result in reputational harm and damage to our business. We may not be able to adequately anticipate or respond to new laws and regulations, and we may need to expend additional resources to adjust our offerings in certain jurisdictions if applicable legal frameworks are inconsistent across jurisdictions. The cost to comply with such laws or regulations could be significant and would increase our operating expenses, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Our Business Operations
Our future success depends in part on our ability to attract, retain, and motivate qualified personnel. If we lose key personnel, or if we fail to recruit additional highly skilled personnel, our ability to develop our product candidates will be impaired and our business may be harmed.
Our ability to compete in the highly competitive biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries depends greatly upon our ability to attract and retain highly qualified managerial, scientific, medical and commercial personnel with particular subject matter expertise. We are highly dependent on our management team. The loss of the services of key personnel, and our inability to find suitable replacements, could result in delays in the development of our product candidates and harm our business.
Unless we are able to replace departed employees effectively, we may require current employees to fill additional roles, and this could overextend their responsibilities. As a result, we may experience increased turnover due to employees being overworked. Employees also may be unable to perform these multiple roles effectively due to time and resource constraints. Additionally, if we are unable to retain key personnel, we may be required to cover the roles previously performed by such employees with consultants. These consultants may lack the same skills and performance of departed employees and, as a result, our clinical trials may be extended, delayed or terminated, and we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval of our product candidates or otherwise advance our business.
Our headquarters are in Massachusetts. This region is headquarters to many other biopharmaceutical companies and many academic and research institutions. There is currently a shortage of highly qualified personnel in our industry, which is likely to continue. Competition for skilled personnel in our market is intense and may limit our ability to hire and retain highly qualified personnel on acceptable terms or at all.
To induce valuable employees to remain at our company, in addition to salary and cash incentives, we have and may continue to grant equity awards that vest over time or vest upon the achievement of certain pre-established milestones. The value to employees of equity awards has been, and may continue to be, significantly affected by movements in our stock price that are beyond our control, and these equity awards may at any time be insufficient to counteract more lucrative offers from other companies. Despite our efforts to retain valuable employees, they may terminate their employment with us on short notice. Although we have employment agreements with our key employees, these agreements provide for at-will employment, which means that any of our employees could leave our employment at any time, with or without notice. We do not maintain “key man” insurance policies on the lives of these individuals or the lives of any of our other employees.
We utilize shares under our Amended and Restated 2016 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2016 Plan”) to issue equity awards, in order to induce new employees to join our Company and to retain existing employees. We historically seek stockholder approval to increase the number of shares issuable under the 2016 Plan. If stockholders do not approve future increases to the number of shares issuable under the 2016 Plan, however, our ability to attract and retain employee talent, and our ability to compete for talent, may be adversely affected, which could negatively affect our ability to attract and retain talent and negatively affect our business and business prospects.
We will need to expand our organization and we may experience difficulties in managing this growth, which could disrupt our operations.
We expect to continue to develop our company and expand the scope of our operations. As our development and commercialization plans and strategies develop and our geographical footprint expands, we expect to need additional managerial, operational, sales, marketing, financial, legal, and other resources. Our management may need to divert a disproportionate amount of our attention away from our day-to-day activities and devote a substantial amount of time to managing these growth activities.
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We may not be able to effectively manage the expansion of our operations, which may result in weaknesses in our infrastructure, operational mistakes, loss of business opportunities, loss of employees, and reduced productivity among remaining employees. Our expected growth could require significant capital expenditures and may divert financial resources from other projects, such as the development of additional product candidates. If our management is unable to effectively manage our growth, our expenses may increase more than expected, our ability to generate and/or grow revenue could be reduced and we may not be able to implement our business strategy. Our future financial performance and our ability to commercialize product candidates and compete effectively will depend, in part, on our ability to effectively manage any future growth.
Unstable market and economic conditions, inflation, increases in interest rates, tariffs and trade disputes with other countries, natural disasters, public health crises, political crises, geopolitical events, or other macroeconomic conditions, may have serious adverse consequences on our business and financial condition.
The global economy, including credit and financial markets, have experienced extreme volatility and disruptions at various points over the last few decades, including, among other things, diminished liquidity and credit availability, declines in consumer confidence, declines in economic growth, supply chain shortages, increases in inflation rates, higher interest rates, increased trade tariffs and trade disputes with other countries, and uncertainty about economic stability. The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates multiple times in response to concerns about inflation and it may raise them again. Higher interest rates, coupled with reduced government spending and volatility in financial markets, and the potential for increased U.S. trade tariffs and trade disputes with other countries may increase economic uncertainty, increase operating costs, and affect consumer spending. Similarly, the ongoing global military conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, the rising tensions between China and Taiwan, the conflict in Israel and surrounding area, tensions in Venezuela, and domestic tensions within the U.S. have created, or may create, significant volatility in the capital markets and may have further global economic consequences, including disruptions of the global supply chain. Any such volatility and disruptions may adversely affect our clinical trials, our business and the third parties on whom we rely.
If the equity and credit markets deteriorate, including as a result of political unrest or war, it may make any necessary debt or equity financing more difficult to complete, more costly, and more dilutive. Failure to secure any necessary financing in a timely manner and on favorable terms could have a material adverse effect on our growth strategy, financial performance and share price and could require us to delay or abandon development or commercialization plans. In addition, there is a risk that one or more of our service providers, manufacturers or other partners would not survive or be able to meet their commitments to us under such circumstances, which could directly affect our ability to attain our operating goals on schedule and on budget.
We have experienced and may in the future experience disruptions as a result of such macroeconomic conditions, including delays or difficulties in initiating or expanding clinical trials and manufacturing sufficient quantities of materials. Any one or a combination of these events could have a material and adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
The Hercules Loan and Security Agreement contains certain covenants that could adversely affect our operations and, if an event of default were to occur, we could be forced to repay any outstanding indebtedness sooner than planned and possibly at a time when we do not have sufficient capital to meet this obligation.
Pursuant to the Hercules Loan and Security Agreement, we have pledged substantially all of our assets, other than our intellectual property rights. Additionally, the Hercules Loan and Security Agreement contains certain affirmative and negative covenants that could prevent us from taking certain actions without the consent of our lenders. These covenants may limit our flexibility in operating our business and our ability to take actions that might be advantageous to us and our stockholders. The Hercules Loan and Security Agreement also contains customary affirmative and negative covenants that, among other things, limit our ability, subject to certain exceptions, to incur indebtedness, grant liens, enter into a merger or consolidation, enter into transactions with affiliates, or sell all or a portion of our property, business or assets. The Hercules Loan and Security Agreement contains customary events of default. Upon the occurrence and continuation of an event of default, all amounts due under the Hercules Loan and Security Agreement become (in the case of an insolvency or bankruptcy event), or may become (in the case of all other events of default and at the option of Hercules Capital, Inc. (“Hercules”)), immediately due and payable. If an event of default under the Hercules Loan and Security Agreement should occur, we could be required to immediately repay any outstanding indebtedness. If we are unable to repay such debt, the lenders would be able to foreclose on the secured collateral, including our cash accounts, and take other remedies permitted under the Hercules Loan and Security Agreement. Even if we are able to repay any indebtedness on an event of default, the repayment of these sums may significantly reduce our working capital and impair our ability to operate as planned.
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Failure in our information technology and storage systems, or those of third parties upon whom we rely, could significantly disrupt the operation of our business and adversely impact our financial condition.
Our ability to execute our business plan and maintain operations depends on the continued and uninterrupted performance of our information technology (“IT”) systems and those of third parties upon whom we rely. IT systems are vulnerable to risks and damages from a variety of sources, including telecommunications or network failures, malicious human acts, and natural disasters (such as a tornado, an earthquake, or a fire). Moreover, despite network security and back-up measures, some of our and our vendors’ servers are potentially vulnerable to physical or electronic break-ins, including cyber-attacks, computer viruses, and similar disruptive problems. The techniques used by criminal elements to attack computer systems are sophisticated, change frequently, and may originate from less regulated and remote areas of the world. As a result, we may not be able to address these techniques proactively or implement adequate preventative measures. If the IT systems are compromised, we could be subject to fines, damages, litigation, and enforcement actions, and we could lose trade secrets, the occurrence of which could harm our business. Despite precautionary measures designed to prevent unanticipated problems that could affect the IT systems, sustained or repeated system failures that interrupt our ability to generate and maintain data could adversely affect our ability to operate our business. In addition, the failure of our systems, maintenance problems, upgrading or transitioning to new platforms, or a breach in security could result in delays and reduce efficiency in our operations. Remediation of such problems could result in significant, unplanned capital investments.
Furthermore, parties in our supply chain may be operating from single sites, increasing their vulnerability to natural disasters or other sudden, unforeseen, and severe adverse events. If such an event were to affect our supply chain, it could have a material adverse effect on our business.
A data breach, security incident, or other unauthorized network intrusion or access may allow unauthorized access to our network or data, which could result in a material disruption of our clinical trials, harm our reputation, harm our business, create additional liability and adversely impact our financial results or operational results.
Cybersecurity threats to our information networks and systems, and those of our service providers or collaborators have generally increased in sophistication, scale, and frequency in recent years. In addition to threats from natural disasters, telecommunications and electrical failures, traditional computer hackers, malicious code (such as malware, viruses, worms, and ransomware), employee error, theft or misuse, password spraying, phishing, and distributed denial-of-service attacks, we also face threats from sophisticated nation-state and nation-state supported actors who engage in attacks (including advanced persistent threat intrusions) that add to the risks to our internal networks and systems, our third-party service providers, our collaborators and the information that they store and process. Despite having implemented technical and organizational security measures, it is not possible to entirely mitigate these risks. The security measures we have integrated into our internal networks and systems, which are designed to detect unauthorized activity and prevent or minimize security incidents or breaches, may not function as expected or may not be sufficient to protect our internal networks and platform against certain threats. In addition, techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to networks in which data is stored or through which data is transmitted change frequently. As a result, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventative measures to prevent such an event.
In addition, security incidents or breaches affecting us or our current or future collaborators or third-party service providers could result in the unauthorized access to, or disclosure or loss of information, including information that we process. This, in turn, could require notification under applicable data privacy regulations or contracts, and could lead to financial losses, litigation, governmental audits, investigations, fines, penalties, and other possible liability, damage our relationships with our collaborators, trigger indemnification and other contractual obligations, cause us to incur investigation, mitigation and remediation expenses, have a negative impact on our ability to conduct clinical trials, and cause reputational damage. For example, the loss of clinical trial data for our product candidates could result in delays in our regulatory approval efforts and significantly increase our costs to recover or reproduce the data.
We may not have adequate insurance coverage for security incidents or breaches or information system failures. The successful assertion of one or more large claims against us that exceeds our available insurance coverage or results in changes to our insurance policies (including premium increases or the imposition of large deductible or co-insurance requirements), could have an adverse effect on our business. In addition, we cannot be sure that any existing insurance coverage and coverage for errors and omissions will continue to be available on acceptable terms or that our insurers will not deny coverage as to any future claim.
Any failure or perceived failure by us or our employees, representatives, contractors, consultants, collaborators, or other third-party service providers to comply with our data privacy, security, protection, or confidentiality obligations, or to respond to any data security incidents, breaches or other unauthorized access, acquisition, or disclosure of sensitive information (including, without limitation personal information), may result in financial losses, additional cost and/or liability to us, including costs from governmental investigations, enforcement actions, regulatory fines, litigation, costs of doing business, or damage to our reputation.
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Any of these events could cause harm to our reputation, business, financial conditions, or operational results.
Our ability to use net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes to offset future taxable income or taxes may be limited.
Our net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards could expire unused and be unavailable to offset future income tax liabilities because of their limited duration or because of restrictions under U.S. tax law. Our NOLs generated in tax years ending on or prior to December 31, 2017 are only permitted to be carried forward for 20 years under applicable U.S. tax law. Under the Tax Act, our federal NOLs generated in tax years ending after December 31, 2017 may be carried forward indefinitely, but the deductibility of federal NOLs generated in tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 is limited. It is uncertain if and to what extent various states will conform to the Tax Act.
In addition, under Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and corresponding provisions of state law, if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change,” which is generally defined as a greater than 50% change, by value, in its equity ownership over a three-year period, the corporation’s ability to use its pre-change NOL carryforwards and other pre-change tax attributes to offset its post-change income or taxes may be limited. Our most recent analysis of possible ownership changes was completed for certain tax periods ending through December 31, 2024. It is possible that we have in the past undergone and may in the future undergo, additional ownership changes that could result in additional limitations on our NOL and tax credit carryforwards. In addition, at the state level, there may be periods during which the use of net operating losses is suspended or otherwise limited, which could accelerate or permanently increase state taxes owed. Consequently, even if we achieve profitability, we may not be able to utilize a material portion of our NOL carryforwards and certain other tax attributes, which could have a material adverse effect on cash flow and results of operations.
Changes in tax laws or regulations that are applied adversely to us or our customers may have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flow, financial condition, or results of operations.
New income, sales, use, or other tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations, or ordinances could be enacted at any time, which could adversely affect our business operations and financial performance. Further, existing tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations, or ordinances could be interpreted, changed, modified, or applied adversely to us. For example, the Tax Act enacted many significant changes to the U.S. tax laws. Future guidance from the Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities with respect to the Tax Act may affect us, and certain aspects of the Tax Act could be repealed or modified in future legislation. In addition, it is uncertain if and to what extent various states will conform to the Tax Act or any newly enacted federal tax legislation. Changes in corporate tax rates, the realization of net deferred tax assets relating to our operations, the taxation of foreign earnings, and the deductibility of expenses under the Tax Act or future reform legislation could have a material impact on the value of our deferred tax assets, could result in significant one-time charges, and could increase our future U.S. tax expense.
Our effective tax rate may fluctuate, and we may incur obligations in tax jurisdictions in excess of accrued amounts.
We are subject to taxation in numerous U.S. states and territories and non-U.S. jurisdictions. As a result, our effective tax rate is derived from a combination of applicable tax rates in the various places that we operate. In preparing our financial statements, we estimate the amount of tax that will become payable in each of such places. Nevertheless, our effective tax rate may be different than experienced in the past due to numerous factors including the results of examinations and audits of our tax filings, our inability to secure or sustain acceptable agreements with tax authorities, changes in accounting for income taxes, and changes in tax laws. Any of these factors could cause us to experience an effective tax rate significantly different from previous periods or our current expectations and may result in tax obligations in excess of amounts accrued in our financial statements.
Risks Related to Ownership of our Common Stock
Anti-takeover provisions in our charter documents and under Delaware law and the terms of some of our contracts could make an acquisition of us more difficult and may prevent attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our management.
Provisions in our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws may delay or prevent an acquisition or a change in management. These provisions include a prohibition on actions by written consent of our stockholders and the ability of our board of directors to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval. In addition, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporate Law, which prohibits stockholders owning in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock from merging or combining with us, unless certain conditions are met.
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Although we believe these provisions collectively will provide for an opportunity to receive higher bids by requiring potential acquirers to negotiate with our board of directors, they would apply even if the offer may be considered beneficial by some stockholders. In addition, these provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove then current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of the board of directors, which is responsible for appointing the members of management.
In addition, the Certificate of Designation of our Series A convertible preferred stock may delay or prevent a change in control of our company. At any time while at least 30% of the originally issued Series A convertible preferred stock remains issued and outstanding, we may not consummate a Fundamental Transaction (as defined in the Certificate of Designation of the Series A convertible preferred stock) or any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another entity or any stock sale to, or other business combination in which the stockholders of the Company immediately before such transaction do not hold at least a majority of the capital stock of the Company immediately after such transaction, without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of the Series A convertible preferred stock. As of December 31, 2025, a majority of the then outstanding shares of Series A convertible preferred stock was held by entities affiliated with one stockholder. This provision of the Certificate of Designation may make it more difficult for us to enter into any of the aforementioned transactions.
Our Bylaws provide that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware is the exclusive forum for substantially all disputes between us and our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or other employees.
Our Bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware is the sole and exclusive forum for any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, any action asserting a breach of fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers, or other employees to us or our stockholders, any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law, our certificate of incorporation or our Bylaws, or any action asserting a claim against us that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Our Bylaws further provide that, unless we consent in writing to an alternative forum, federal district courts of the U.S. will be the exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).
While these choice of forum provisions do not apply to suits brought to enforce a duty or liability created by the Exchange Act, or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction, the choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against our and our directors, officers, and other employees. If a court were to find the choice of forum provision contained in the bylaws to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such action in other jurisdictions.
We do not anticipate that we will pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
The current expectation is that we will retain our future earnings, if any, to fund the development and growth of our business. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our common stock will be your sole source of gain, if any, for the foreseeable future.
Future sales of shares by existing stockholders could cause our stock price to decline.
If our stockholders sell, or indicate an intention to sell, substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market after legal restrictions on resale lapse, the trading price of our common stock could decline. In addition, shares of our common stock that are subject to our outstanding options will become eligible for sale in the public market to the extent permitted by the provisions of various vesting agreements and Rules 144 and 701 under the Securities Act.
Future sales and issuances of equity and debt could result in additional dilution to our stockholders.
We expect that we may need significant additional capital to fund our current and future operations, including to complete potential clinical trials for our product candidates. To raise capital, we may sell common stock, convertible securities, or other equity securities in one or more transactions at prices and in a manner we determine from time to time. As a result, our stockholders may experience additional dilution, which could cause our stock price to fall.
In addition, pursuant to our equity incentive plans, we may grant equity awards and issue additional shares of our common stock to our employees, directors, and consultants, and the number of shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance under certain of these plans will be subject to automatic annual increases in accordance with the terms of the plans.
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To the extent that new options are granted and exercised, or we issue additional shares of common stock in the future, our stockholders may experience additional dilution, which could cause our stock price to fall.
Our principal stockholders own a significant percentage of our stock and will be able to exert significant control over matters subject to stockholder approval.
Our directors, officers, 5% stockholders, and their affiliates currently beneficially own a substantial portion of our outstanding voting stock. Therefore, these stockholders have the ability and may continue to have the ability to influence us through this ownership position. These stockholders may be able to determine some or all matters requiring stockholder approval. For example, these stockholders, acting together, may be able to control elections of directors, amendments of organizational documents, or approval of any merger, sale of assets, or other major corporate transaction. This may prevent or discourage unsolicited acquisition proposals or offers for our common stock that you may believe are in your best interest as one of our stockholders.
General Risk Factors
The market price of our common stock has historically been volatile, and the market price of our common stock may drop in the future.
The market price of our common stock has been, and may continue to be, subject to significant fluctuations. Market prices for securities of early-stage pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and other life sciences companies have historically been particularly volatile. In addition to the factors described elsewhere in this “Risk Factors,” some of the factors that may cause the market price of our common stock to fluctuate greatly, and to decline significantly, include:
•failure to meet or exceed financial and development projections we may provide to the public and the investment community;
•failure of investors to view the clinical trial data that we generate favorably, even if we view the data favorably;
•negative outcomes, or perceived negative outcomes, from our interactions with regulatory authorities in connection with the development of our product candidates;
•the perception of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries by the public, legislatures, regulators, and the investment community;
•announcements of significant acquisitions, strategic collaborations, joint ventures, or capital commitments by us or our competitors;
•significant lawsuits, including patent or stockholder litigation;
•if securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or if they issue an adverse or misleading opinion regarding our business and stock;
•changes in the market valuations of similar companies;
•changes in the possible market size, or perceived market size, for our product candidates;
•failure to meet or exceed analyst revenue estimates for our products, if approved;
•announcements by commercial partners or competitors of new commercial products, clinical progress or the lack thereof, significant contracts, commercial relationships, or capital commitments;
•the introduction of technological innovations or new therapies that compete with our potential products;
•changes in the structure of health-care payment systems; and
•period-to-period fluctuations in our financial results.
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Moreover, the capital markets in general have experienced substantial volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of individual companies, including volatility resulting from general global macroeconomic conditions. These broad market fluctuations may also adversely affect the trading price of our common stock.
In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, stockholders have often instituted class action securities litigation against those companies. Such litigation, if instituted, could result in substantial costs and diversion of management attention and resources, which could significantly harm our business and reputation.
We may be subject to risks related to litigation and other legal proceedings that may materially adversely affect our business, operating results or financial condition.
From time to time in the ordinary course of its business, we and our directors and officers may become involved in various legal proceedings, including commercial, employment, intellectual property, and other litigation and claims, as well as governmental and other regulatory investigations and proceedings. Such matters can be time-consuming, divert management’s attention and resources and cause us to incur significant expenses. Litigation is inherently unpredictable, the results of any such actions may have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results or financial condition.
We incur costs and demands upon management as a result of complying with the laws and regulations affecting public companies.
We incur significant legal, accounting, and other expenses associated with public company reporting requirements. We also incur costs associated with corporate governance requirements, including requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”), as well as rules implemented by the SEC and The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”). These rules and regulations increase our legal and financial compliance costs and make some activities more time-consuming and costly. These rules and regulations may also make it difficult and expensive for us to obtain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance. As a result, it may be more difficult for us to attract and retain qualified individuals to serve on our board of directors or as our executive officers, which may adversely affect investor confidence and could cause our business or stock price to suffer.
If equity research analysts do not publish research or reports, or publish unfavorable research or reports, about us, our business, or our market, our stock price and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our common stock is influenced by the research and reports that equity research analysts publish about us and our business. Equity research analysts may elect not to provide research coverage of our common stock and such lack of research coverage may adversely affect the market price of our common stock. In the event we do have equity research analyst coverage, we will not have any control over the analysts or the content and opinions included in their reports. The price of our common stock could decline if one or more equity research analysts downgrade our stock or issue other unfavorable commentary or research. If one or more equity research analysts ceases coverage of us or fails to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our common stock could decrease, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.
If we fail to maintain proper and effective internal controls, our ability to produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis could be impaired, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and the market price of our common stock may be negatively affected.
We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations of Nasdaq. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. We must perform system and process evaluation and testing of our internal control over financial reporting to allow management to report on the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting in our annual report filing for that year, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. This requires that we incur substantial professional fees and internal costs to expand our accounting and finance functions and that we expend significant management efforts. We may experience difficulty in meeting these reporting requirements in a timely manner for each period.
We may discover weaknesses in our system of internal financial and accounting controls and procedures that could result in a material misstatement of our financial statements. Our internal control over financial reporting will not prevent or detect all errors and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the control system’s objectives will be met. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that misstatements due to error or fraud will not occur or that all control issues and instances of fraud will be detected.
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If we are not able to comply with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, or if we are unable to maintain proper and effective internal controls, it could result in a material misstatement of our financial statements that would not be prevented or detected on a timely basis, which could require a restatement, cause us to be subject to sanctions or investigations by Nasdaq, the SEC, or other regulatory authorities, cause investors to lose confidence in our financial information, or cause our stock price to decline.
As a public company, we incur significant legal, accounting, insurance, and other expenses, and our management and other personnel have and will need to continue to devote a substantial amount of time to compliance initiatives resulting from operating as a public company. We also anticipate that these costs and compliance initiatives will continue to increase as a result of ceasing to be a “smaller reporting company,” as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Our inability to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting in the future could result in investors losing confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and negatively affect the market price of our common stock.
As a public company, we are required to maintain internal control over financial reporting and to report any material weaknesses in such internal controls. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires our independent registered public accounting firm to attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting.
If we have a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting, we may not detect errors on a timely basis and our financial statements may be materially misstated. If we identify material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, if we are unable to comply with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in a timely manner, if we are unable to assert that our internal controls over financial reporting is effective or if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an opinion as to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, and the market price of our common stock could be negatively affected. In addition, we could become subject to investigations by any stock exchange on which our securities are listed, the SEC or other regulatory authorities, which could require additional financial and management resources, which could have an adverse impact on our business.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.

ITEM 1C. CYBERSECURITY
We have developed and implemented a cybersecurity risk management program that is designed to assess, identify, and manage material risks from cybersecurity threats and to protect the security, confidentiality, integrity and availability of our critical systems and information. These processes are managed and monitored by our information technology team, which is led by our Vice President, Information Technology & Facilities, and include mechanisms, controls, technologies, systems, and other processes designed to prevent or mitigate data loss, theft, misuse, or other security incidents or vulnerabilities affecting our data and information technology environment. For example, we conduct cybersecurity audits, and ongoing risk assessments, including due diligence on and audits of our key technology vendors, CROs, and other contractors and suppliers. We also conduct periodic employee trainings on cyber and information security, among other topics. In addition, we consult with outside advisors and experts, when appropriate, to assist with assessing, identifying, and managing cybersecurity risks, including to anticipate future threats and trends, and their impact on the Company’s risk environment.
Our Vice President, Information Technology & Facilities, who reports directly to the Chief Operating Officer and has over 15 years of experience managing information technology and cybersecurity matters, together with our senior leadership team, is responsible for assessing and managing cybersecurity risks. We consider cybersecurity, along with other significant risks that we face, within our overall enterprise risk management framework that is overseen by our Audit Committee of our board of directors and our board of directors. In the last fiscal year, we have not experienced any cybersecurity incidents that resulted in a material effect on our business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition, but we cannot provide assurance that we will not be materially affected in the future by such risks or any future material incidents See “Risk Factors” for additional information on cybersecurity risks we face.
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Our Audit Committee has been designated by our Board to oversee cybersecurity risks. The Audit Committee receives biannual updates on cybersecurity and information technology matters and related risk exposures from members of the senior leadership team. The Board also receives updates from management and the Audit Committee on cybersecurity risks on at least an annual basis.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
We are party to a multi-year, non-cancelable lease agreement for our office space in Waltham, Massachusetts (as subsequently amended in July 2021, April 2022, July 2022, April 2024, September 2024 and September 2025, the “Massachusetts Lease”). In April 2024, we entered into a fourth amendment to the Massachusetts Lease (the “Fourth Amendment”). The Fourth Amendment makes certain modifications to the Massachusetts Lease, including (i) securing 10,427 sq. ft. of office space in the same building (the “New Premises”), (ii) the termination of the 10,956 sq. ft. of leased space under the Massachusetts Lease (the “Original Premises”), and (iii) the extension of the expiration date of the New Premises to July 2029. Under the Fourth Amendment, we have the option to extend the lease term for an additional period of three years upon notice to the landlord. In September 2024, we entered into a fifth amendment to the Massachusetts Lease (the “Fifth Amendment”). The Fifth Amendment makes certain modifications to both the Massachusetts Lease and the Fourth Amendment, including the addition of 2,788 sq. ft. of office space in the same building (the “September 2024 Expansion Premises”). In September 2025, we entered into the sixth amendment to the Massachusetts Lease (the “Sixth Amendment”). The Sixth amendment makes certain modifications to the Massachusetts Lease, including the addition of 5,240 sq. ft. of office space in the same building (the “September 2025 Expansion Premises”).
Additionally, we leased approximately 27,128 sq. ft. of office and laboratory space in Boulder, Colorado under a lease that expired in December 2024. In September 2024, we entered into a new, multi-year lease agreement for 7,117 sq. ft. of office and laboratory space in Boulder, Colorado that expires in December 2026. We have the option to extend the lease term for an additional period of five years upon notice to the Landlord.

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
From time to time, we may be involved in legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business. We are currently not a party to any legal proceedings that we believe would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
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PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Our common stock is traded on The Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “VRDN.”
Holders
As of February 20, 2026, we had 9 registered holders of record of our common stock. A substantially greater number of holders of our common stock are in “street name” or beneficial holders, whose shares of record are held by banks, brokers, other financial institutions, and registered clearing agencies.
Dividend Policy
We historically have not paid, and do not anticipate in the future paying, dividends on our common stock. We currently intend to retain all of our future earnings, as applicable, to finance the growth and development of our business. In addition to legal restrictions under applicable law, we are subject to certain dividend-related limitations under the Hercules Loan and Security Agreement. Subject to these limitations, any future determination as to the payment of cash dividends on our common stock will be at our board of directors’ discretion and will depend on our financial condition, operating results, capital requirements, and other factors that our board of directors considers to be relevant.
Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities
None.
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
None.

ITEM 6. RESERVED

ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion and analysis should be read together with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report. This discussion and other parts of this report contain forward-looking statements reflecting our current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties, such as our plans, objectives, expectations, intentions, and beliefs. See “Forward-Looking Statements” for a discussion of the uncertainties, risks, and assumptions associated with these statements. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those discussed in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those identified below and those discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” included elsewhere in this Annual Report.
This section discusses 2025 and 2024 items and year-to-year comparisons between the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024. Discussions of the year ended December 31, 2023 and year-to-year comparisons between the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 have been excluded from this Form 10-K and can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on March 3, 2025.
Overview and Recent Developments
We are a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing potential best-in-class medicines for serious and rare diseases. We target therapeutic areas in which current treatments leave room for improvements in efficacy, safety, and/or dosing convenience. We believe there is significant potential in these areas for better medicines that address unmet needs, improve outcomes, and expand treatment options for patients. We aim to develop differentiated, potential best-in-class medicines that could lead to improved patient outcomes, reduced side effects, improved quality of life, and expanded market access.
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Our pipeline targets validated pathways and disease-driving mechanisms in autoimmune and rare diseases. These include product candidates directed at the IGF‑1R for the treatment of TED, inhibitors of the FcRn with potential application across multiple autoimmune disorders, and a TSHR inhibitor program with potential in TED and Graves’ disease. We develop therapeutics through internal research and discovery, as well as through in-licensing opportunities that align with our strategic focus. Our capabilities span protein and antibody discovery and engineering, biologics manufacturing, nonclinical and clinical development, commercial planning, and commercialization in these therapeutic areas.
As we prepare for the anticipated launch of our first commercial product, if approved, we are building the infrastructure we believe is required to support a successful transition to a commercial organization. This includes establishing sales and marketing, market access, patient services, and commercial operations functions, and expanding our medical, clinical, regulatory, quality, and supply chain and distribution capabilities. Our commercial readiness efforts focus on enabling reliable access for patients, supporting physicians, and engaging effectively with payors.
Our strategy combines clear scientific, clinical, and commercial rationale with excellence in execution to rapidly discover, develop, and commercialize better medicines for patients. We rely on our scientific, clinical, and commercial expertise to identify opportunities to improve upon existing investigational or approved therapies and to apply these insights to designing, selecting, developing, and commercializing potential best-in-class product candidates. We bring potential improvements to critical areas such as molecular design, dose selection, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, clinical trial design, trial endpoints, and the selection and recruitment of patients. We believe this strategy enables efficient product development and reduces the risk when developing novel therapeutics.
Development of IGF-1R Therapies to Treat Thyroid Eye Disease (TED)
We are developing therapies for the treatment of TED, a serious and debilitating rare autoimmune disease that causes inflammation within the orbit of the eye that can cause bulging of the eyes, redness and swelling, double vision, pain, and potential blindness. TED significantly impacts quality of life, imposing a high burden on activities of daily living and mental health for patients suffering from the disease. TED is a progressive disease consisting of an initial active phase (“active TED”), followed by a transition to a secondary chronic phase (“chronic TED”). The only medicine approved by the FDA for TED is Tepezza® (teprotumumab), which is an intravenously administered monoclonal antibody that targets IGF-1R. Tepezza is marketed in the United States (“U.S.”) by Amgen Inc. (“Amgen”). Amgen gained approval for Tepezza in Japan in 2024 and from the European Commission in 2025.
We are developing two anti-IGF-1R product candidates, veligrotug for intravenous (“IV”) administration and elegrobart (formerly known as VRDN-003) for subcutaneous (“SC”) administration, to treat patients who suffer from TED. Our most advanced program, veligrotug, is a differentiated humanized monoclonal antibody targeting IGF-1R intravenously administered for the treatment of TED. In previously presented in vitro nonclinical data, we showed that veligrotug is a potentially differentiated full antagonist of IGF-1R, compared to teprotumumab’s incomplete antagonism of IGF-1R. Elegrobart has the same binding domain as veligrotug, and was engineered to have a longer half-life. Elegrobart is designed to be a low-volume, infrequently-dosed subcutaneous IGF-1R for TED, which we plan to launch commercially with an auto-injector to enable at-home patient self-administration. We believe elegrobart has the potential to be the best-in-class anti-IGF-1R product candidate by preserving the efficacy of anti-IGF-1Rs in TED, improving safety, and maximizing convenience for patients with subcutaneous delivery.
We conducted a global pivotal clinical program for veligrotug, evaluating its efficacy and safety in two global well-controlled phase 3 clinical trials, THRIVE and THRIVE-2, for the treatment of active and chronic TED, respectively. THRIVE and THRIVE-2 were each designed to compare a five-dose IV treatment arm of veligrotug at 10 mg/kg, dosed three weeks apart, to placebo. This five-dose veligrotug regimen features fewer infusions and a shorter time per infusion compared to teprotumumab, the currently marketed IGF-1R inhibitor. In September 2024, we announced topline data from the THRIVE study, which enrolled 113 patients, randomized to veligrotug (n=75) and placebo (n=38). THRIVE achieved its primary and all secondary endpoints with a high level of statistical significance (p < 0.0001) and was generally well-tolerated, with no treatment-related serious adverse events (“SAEs”). Veligrotug additionally showed a rapid onset of treatment effect, with the majority (53%) of veligrotug-treated patients achieving a proptosis response as early as three weeks. In December 2024, we announced topline data from the THRIVE-2 study, which enrolled 188 patients, randomized to veligrotug (n=125) and placebo (n=63). THRIVE-2 achieved its primary and all secondary endpoints with statistical significance and was generally well-tolerated. Veligrotug demonstrated a rapid onset of treatment effect in THRIVE-2, with a statistically significant proptosis response as early as three weeks and a statistically significant reduction and resolution of diplopia as early as six weeks. THRIVE-2 is the first global phase 3 study in patients with chronic TED to demonstrate a statistically significant and clinically meaningful diplopia responder rate and rate of diplopia complete resolution. Veligrotug demonstrated durability at 52 weeks in THRIVE, showing that 70% of patients who were proptosis responders at week 15 maintained their response at week 52.
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To meet the 300 patient safety database requirement for the veligrotug BLA, we are conducting STRIVE, a global phase 3 clinical trial. STRIVE enrolled 231 TED patients, utilized broad inclusion criteria (e.g., any severity or duration of disease), and randomized patients 3:1 (10 mg/kg IV with an active control of 3 mg/kg IV). We are also conducting an open label extension study for non-responding patients in THRIVE and THRIVE-2 which has completed enrollment. In May 2025, the FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to veligrotug. We submitted a BLA for veligrotug to the FDA in October 2025, which was accepted for filing and granted Priority Review in December 2025 with a PDUFA target action date of June 30, 2026. We additionally submitted an MAA to the EMA in January 2026.
We are also developing elegrobart, our subcutaneous anti-IGF-1R product candidate currently in pivotal clinical studies in TED, which we selected in December 2023 following positive data in a phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers.
In its phase 1 clinical study in healthy volunteers, elegrobart was shown to have a prolonged half-life of 40 to 50 days, which is four to five times that of veligrotug. Based on this data and the similarities between the veligrotug and elegrobart antibodies, we selected Q4W and Q8W dosing of elegrobart to advance to phase 3 pivotal studies. PK modeling showed Q4W and Q8W subcutaneous elegrobart dosing could achieve the range of modeled veligrotug exposures based on a two-infusion phase 2 TED study at 3 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg IV, once every three weeks. Both dosing regimens of veligrotug showed robust clinical activity.
We are conducting a global pivotal program for elegrobart, including evaluating its efficacy and safety in two global well-controlled phase 3 clinical trials, REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2, for the treatment of active and chronic TED, respectively. Both studies are evaluating elegrobart administered subcutaneously every four weeks or every eight weeks and will assess outcomes versus placebo. In September 2025, we announced that REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 completed enrollment, enrolling 132 and 204 patients, respectively, each exceeding its target enrollments of 117 and 195 patients, respectively, due to demand. 67% of REVEAL-1 patients were enrolled from the U.S., and 56% of REVEAL-2 patients were enrolled from the U.S. In addition, to enable BLA submission for elegrobart, we are conducting a safety study to meet the 300 patient safety database requirement (to also include patients from the REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 trials). We completed enrollment of this safety study in October 2025, enrolling 321 patients, exceeding the target enrollment of 284 patients due to demand. Additionally, we are conducting an auto-injector study to enable launching elegrobart in an auto-injector device, if approved. We completed enrollment in the autoinjector study in December 2025, enrolling 87 patients, exceeding the target enrollment of 75 patients. We anticipate topline data for REVEAL-1 in the first quarter of 2026 and REVEAL-2 in the second quarter of 2026.
Development of FcRn Inhibitors
We are also developing a portfolio of engineered FcRn inhibitors, including VRDN-006 and VRDN-008. FcRn inhibitors have the potential to treat a broad array of autoimmune diseases, representing a possible significant commercial market opportunity. Our multi-pronged engineering approach has resulted in a portfolio of FcRn-targeting molecules that leverage the clinically and commercially validated mechanism of FcRn inhibition while potentially addressing the limitations of current agents such as incomplete immunoglobulin G (“IgG”) suppression, safety, and inconvenience of dosing.
VRDN-006 is a highly selective Fc fragment that inhibits FcRn and is designed to be a convenient subcutaneous and self-administered option for patients. In non-human primate (“NHP”) studies, VRDN-006 demonstrated specificity for blocking FcRn-IgG interactions while not showing decreases in albumin or increases in low-density lipoprotein (“LDL”) levels, which are known potential side effects associated with certain full-length anti-FcRn monoclonal antibodies. In our head-to-head NHP studies, VRDN-006 demonstrated comparable potency and IgG reductions to efgartigimod, which is the current standard of care in FcRn inhibition, as well as a similar safety profile. We submitted an IND for VRDN-006 in December 2024, which cleared in January 2025. In September 2025, we announced that data from an ongoing phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers showed that VRDN-006 led to IgG reductions that are consistent with the FcRn inhibitor class, and that VRDN-006 was sparing of albumin and LDL and was generally well-tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicities or serious adverse events.
VRDN-008 is a half-life extended bispecific FcRn inhibitor comprising an Fc fragment and an albumin-binding domain designed to prolong IgG suppression and provide a potentially best-in-class subcutaneous option for patients. In a single, high-dose, head-to-head study in NHPs, VRDN-008 demonstrated three times the half-life of efgartigimod. Additionally, VRDN-008 showed a deeper and more sustained IgG reduction with peak IgG reductions that were 20% deeper than efgartigimod, and IgG levels returned to baseline 35 days after VRDN-008 dosing, more than twice as long as efgartigimod, which returned to baseline 14 days after dosing. VRDN-008 spared albumin and LDL, consistent with efgartigimod. We submitted an IND for VRDN-008 in December 2025 and received IND clearance from the FDA in January 2026. We expect healthy volunteer data in the second half of 2026.
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Development of TSHR Inhibitors
In January 2026, we announced that we are developing an anti-TSHR candidate with potential use in the treatment of Graves’ disease and TED. This product candidate is a half‑life extended monoclonal antibody designed to inhibit activation of TSHR. It is being developed for subcutaneous administration via autoinjector, with the goal of enabling extended dosing intervals intended to support patient convenience. We anticipate submitting an IND for this program in the fourth quarter of 2026.
We believe inhibiting TSHR has the potential to treat both TED and Graves’ disease. TED pathophysiology potentially stems from the activation of the TSHR and IGF-1R signaling complex on orbital fibroblasts, leading to hyaluronan secretion and expansion of orbital fat and muscle. Autoantibodies that stimulate TSHR can activate pathways that promote inflammation, fibroblast proliferation, and tissue remodeling relevant to TED. We believe inhibiting TSHR could complement the inhibition of IGF-1R in the treatment of TED. In addition to TED, blocking TSHR could also be effective to treat Graves’ disease.
Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disease in which autoantibodies form against the TSHR, stimulating and activating the receptor. These TSH receptor antibodies (“TRAb”) can drive a heightened activation of TSHR, resulting in excessive thyroid hormone production and hyperthyroidism. Graves’ disease is one of the most prevalent autoimmune conditions, affecting more than 2 million people in the United States, and is the leading cause of hyperthyroidism. Current treatments—including antithyroid drugs, radioactive iodine (“RAI”), and surgery—lower thyroid hormone levels but do not entirely address the underlying autoimmune drivers of the disease and are often associated with relapse or the development of permanent hypothyroidism.
Blocking TSHR activation through a TSHR antagonist represents a differentiated therapeutic approach aimed at targeting disease-driving mechanisms in TED and in Graves’ disease.
Global Economic Considerations
The global macroeconomic environment is uncertain, and could be negatively affected by, among other things, increased U.S. trade tariffs and trade disputes with other countries, instability in the global capital and credit markets, supply chain weaknesses, and instability in the geopolitical environment, including as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the rising tensions between China and Taiwan, the conflict in Israel and surrounding area and other political tensions. Such challenges have caused, and may continue to cause, recession fears, concerns regarding potential sanctions, high interest rates, foreign exchange volatility and inflationary pressures. At this time, we are unable to quantify the potential effects of this economic instability on our future operations.
Financial Operations Overview
Revenue
Our revenue has historically consisted primarily of up-front payments for licenses, milestone payments, and payments for other research and development services earned under license and collaboration agreements as well as for amounts earned under certain grants we have been awarded.
In October 2020, we entered into a license agreement with Zenas BioPharma. Subsequently, we entered into several letter agreements to assist Zenas BioPharma with certain development activities, including manufacturing (collectively with the license agreement, the “Zenas Agreements”). Under the Zenas Agreements, we granted Zenas BioPharma an exclusive license to develop, manufacture, and commercialize certain IGF-1R directed antibody products for non-oncology indications in the greater area of China in exchange for upfront non-cash consideration and non-refundable milestone payments upon achieving specific milestone events during the contract term. In July 2022, Zenas BioPharma announced that it had obtained IND approval in China. Additionally, we are eligible to receive royalty payments based on a percentage of the annual net sales of any licensed products sold on a country-by-country basis in the greater area of China throughout the royalty term. The royalty percentage may vary based on different tiers of annual net sales of the licensed products made. In May 2022, we entered into a manufacturing development and supply agreement with Zenas BioPharma to manufacture and supply, or have manufactured and supplied, clinical drug product for development purposes. In January 2025, Zenas BioPharma sublicensed their rights under the license agreement to Zai Lab and assigned the manufacturing development and supply agreement to Zai Lab in connection with the sublicense transaction. In July 2025, the Company entered into a side agreement with Zai Lab (the “Side Agreement”), with Zenas BioPharma as countersigner, pursuant to which the Company agreed to provide certain services directly to Zai Lab to support development and commercialization activities. In August 2025, the Company entered into a material transfer agreement (“MTA”) with Zai Lab, to supply certain materials for clinical trial use. We have concluded that Zenas Biopharma and Zai Lab are related parties to us.
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In July 2025, we entered into a Collaboration and License Agreement pursuant to which we granted to Kissei an exclusive license to develop and commercialize products containing veligrotug and elegrobart including for the treatment of TED, in Japan, and, under certain circumstances, a non-exclusive license to manufacture such licensed products worldwide for use in Japan. As consideration for the Kissei Agreement, the transaction price included an upfront cash payment of $70.0 million, which was recognized as revenue during the year ended December 31, 2025. Additionally, we are eligible to receive up to an additional $315.0 million of non-refundable milestone payments upon achieving specific milestone events during the contract term, as well as tiered royalty payments ranging from percentages in the twenties to the mid-thirties based on the annual net sales of any licensed products sold in Japan.
In the future, we expect to continue to generate revenue from a combination of license fees and other upfront payments, payments for research and development services, milestone payments, product sales, and royalties in connection with strategic alliances and from customers. We expect that any revenue we generate could fluctuate from quarter to quarter as a result of the timing of our achievement of development and commercial milestones, the timing and amount of payments relating to such milestones and the extent to which any of our product candidates are approved and successfully commercialized by us or our strategic alliance collaborators, if any. If we or our strategic alliance collaborators, if any, fail to develop product candidates in a timely manner or to obtain regulatory approval for them, then our ability to generate future revenue, and our results of operations and financial position would be adversely affected.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses consist of costs incurred for the research and development of our therapeutic programs and product candidates, which include:
•employee-related expenses, including salaries, severance, retention, benefits, insurance, and share-based compensation expense;
•expenses incurred under agreements with CROs, investigative sites that conduct our clinical trials, and other clinical trial-related vendors, and consultants;
•the costs of acquiring, developing, and manufacturing and testing clinical and nonclinical materials, including costs incurred under agreements with CDMOs;
•costs associated with nonclinical activities and regulatory operations;
•license fees and milestone payments related to the acquisition and retention of certain licensed technology and intellectual property rights; and
•facilities, depreciation, market research, and other expenses, which include allocated expenses for rent and maintenance of facilities, depreciation of leasehold improvements and equipment, and laboratory supplies.
We make non-refundable advance payments for goods and services that will be used in future research and development activities. These payments are recorded as expense in the period in which we receive or take ownership of the goods or when the services are performed.
We record upfront and milestone payments to acquire and retain contractual rights to in-licensed technology and intellectual property rights as research and development expenses when incurred if there is uncertainty in our receiving future economic benefit from the acquired contractual rights. We consider future economic benefits from acquired contractual rights to licensed technology to be uncertain until such a drug candidate is approved by the FDA or other regulatory authorities, or when other significant risk factors are abated.
We expect that our research and development expenses will increase as we expand our clinical development programs and initiate new clinical trials. The process of conducting clinical trials and nonclinical studies necessary to obtain regulatory approval is costly and time consuming. We, or our strategic alliance collaborators, if any, may never succeed in achieving marketing approval for any of our product candidates. The probability of success for each product candidate may be affected by numerous factors, including clinical data, nonclinical data, competition, manufacturability and commercial viability of our product candidates.
Successful development of future product candidates is highly uncertain and may not result in approved products. Completion dates and completion costs can vary significantly for each future product candidate and are difficult to predict.
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We anticipate we will make determinations as to which programs to pursue and how much funding to direct to each program on an ongoing basis in response to our ability to maintain or enter into new strategic alliances with respect to each program or potential product candidate, the scientific and clinical success of each future product candidate, and ongoing assessments as to each future product candidate’s commercial potential. We may need to secure additional capital and could seek additional strategic alliances in the future in order to advance the various clinical trials that are part of our clinical development program described above.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Selling, general and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries and related benefits, including share-based compensation, and severance and retention benefits related to our executive, commercial, finance, human resources, legal, business development, and other support functions, professional fees for auditing, tax, and legal services, market research and other professional and consulting fees to prepare for commercial activities, as well as insurance, board of director compensation, consulting, and other administrative expenses.
Other Income (Expense), net
Other income (expense), net consists primarily of interest income, interest expense and various items of a non-recurring nature. We earn interest income from interest-bearing accounts, money market funds and marketable securities. Interest expense consists of cash and non-cash interest expense related to our DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement and Hercules Loan and Security Agreement.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
This discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations is based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”). The preparation of financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, and expenses. On an ongoing basis, we evaluate these estimates and judgments. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. These estimates and assumptions form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities and the recording of expenses that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ materially from these estimates. We believe that the accounting policies discussed below are critical to understanding our historical and future performance, as these policies relate to the more significant areas involving our judgments and estimates.
Liability Related to the Sale of Future Revenue
We account for the liability related to the sale of future revenue, pursuant to the Purchase and Sale Agreement entered into with DRI Healthcare Acquisitions LP (“DRI”), as a debt financing, as we have significant continuing involvement in the generation of the future cash flows.
The liability related to the sale of future revenue and the related interest expense are based on our current estimates of future royalties and commercial milestones expected to be paid over the life of the arrangement. Interest accretion on the liability related to the sale of future revenue is recognized using the effective interest rate method over the life of the related royalty stream. We periodically assess the expected payments using a combination of internal projections and forecasts from external sources. To the extent the amount or timing of future estimated payment is materially different than our previous estimates, we will account for any such change by prospectively adjusting the effective interest rate and related non-cash interest expense.
Derivative Liability
The Purchase and Sale Agreement with DRI contains an embedded derivative that requires bifurcation as a compound financial instrument separate from the liability related to the sale of future revenue. The derivative liability is recorded at fair value using Monte Carlo simulation models which require the use of certain unobservable inputs, including estimates relating to the amount and timing of expected future revenue, the estimated volatility of these revenues, meeting certain conditional milestones, the discount rate corresponding to the risk of future cash flows, and the probability of a change in control. The derivative liability is remeasured each reporting period with any change in fair value recorded in other expense, net on the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
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Clinical Trial and Nonclinical Study Accruals
We make estimates of our accrued expenses as of each balance sheet date in our consolidated financial statements based on certain facts and circumstances at that time. Our accrued expenses for nonclinical studies and clinical trials are based on estimates of costs incurred for services provided by external service providers and for other trial-related activities. The timing and amount of expenses we incur through our external service providers depend on a number of factors, such as site initiation, patient screening, enrollment, delivery of reports, and other events. In accruing for these activities, we obtain information from various sources and estimate the level of effort or expense allocated to each period. Adjustments to our research and development expenses may be necessary in future periods as our estimates change.
Results of Operations
Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2025 and 2024
Year Ended
December 31,
2025 2024 Increase (Decrease)
(in thousands)
License revenue $ 70,000  $ —  $ 70,000 
Collaboration revenue - related parties 849  302  547 
Research and development expenses 338,929  238,254  100,675 
Selling, general and administrative expenses 95,315  61,083  34,232 
Other income, net 20,794  29,086  (8,292)
Net loss $ (342,601) $ (269,949) $ (72,652)

Revenue
License revenue for the year ended December 31, 2025 was attributable to the collaboration and license agreement with Kissei. Collaboration revenue - related parties for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 was attributable to our collaboration agreement with Zenas BioPharma and the Side Agreement and MTA with Zai Lab.
Research and Development Expenses
Year Ended
December 31,
2025 2024 Increase (Decrease)
(in thousands)
Direct research and development expenses
TED portfolio $ 209,480  $ 131,133  $ 78,347 
FcRn inhibitor portfolio 46,394  41,941  4,453 
Other research programs and expenses 7,036  3,001  4,035 
Unallocated expenses
Personnel-related (including share-based compensation) 69,555  55,237  14,318 
Facility and other expenses 6,464  6,942  (478)
Total research and development expenses $ 338,929  $ 238,254  $ 100,675 
Direct costs related to the TED portfolio increased by $78.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily driven by the progression of our portfolio, including the following:
•$55.6 million increase in clinical trial costs and an $8.7 million increase in chemistry, manufacturing and controls costs to support multiple ongoing phase 3 clinical trials for veligrotug and elegrobart clinical trials; and
•$11.4 million increase in milestone, license and option fees due under our license agreement with ImmunoGen.
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Direct costs related to the FcRn inhibitor portfolio increased by $4.5 million during the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily attributable to:
•$7.0 million increase in clinical trial costs to support a phase 1 clinical trial for VRDN-006; and
•$5.2 million increase in chemistry, manufacturing and controls costs to support IND-enabling activities; partially offset by
•$8.3 million decrease in nonclinical research due to timing and stage of development of the FcRn inhibitor portfolio.
Direct costs related to other nonclinical research and development increased by $4.0 million during the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily attributable to an increase in nonclinical research and chemistry, manufacturing and controls costs to support the development of the TSHR program.
Personnel-related costs increased $14.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily attributable to increased headcount to support our ongoing research and development efforts.
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses
Year Ended
December 31,
2025 2024 Increase (Decrease)
(in thousands)
Personnel-related (including share-based compensation) $ 52,115  $ 36,832  $ 15,283 
Legal, consulting and professional services 38,475  20,419  18,056 
Facility and other expenses 4,725  3,832  893 
Total selling, general and administrative expenses $ 95,315  $ 61,083  $ 34,232 
Selling, general and administrative expenses were $95.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to $61.1 million during the year ended December 31, 2024. The $34.2 million increase in selling, general and administrative expenses is primarily attributable to the following:
•$15.3 million increase in personnel-related costs, primarily due to an increase in headcount to support preparatory commercial activities for veligrotug and our growing organization; and
•$18.1 million increase in legal services, market research and other professional and consulting fees primarily for preparatory commercial activities for veligrotug.
Other Income, net
Other income, net was $20.8 million during the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to $29.1 million during the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily comprised of interest income earned on marketable securities, partially offset by interest expense related to our DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement and Hercules Loan and Security Agreement.
Additional Capital Resources
We have funded our operations to date principally through proceeds received from the sale of our common stock, our Series A convertible preferred stock, our Series B convertible preferred stock and other equity securities, debt financings, license fees, and reimbursements received under collaboration agreements. We have no products approved for commercial sale and have not generated any revenue from product sales. Since our inception and through December 31, 2025, we have generated an accumulated deficit of $1,338.5 million. Substantially all of our operating losses resulted from expenses incurred in connection with our research and development programs and from selling, general and administrative costs associated with our operations.
In addition, we may continue to incur additional operating losses as a result of planned expenditures for research and development activities, our drug development programs, including clinical trial and manufacturing costs, and the continued build-out of clinical, manufacturing, commercial, and compliance capabilities. Our ability to generate revenues from sales of veligrotug and elegrobart in the U.S., if regulatory approval is granted, depends on us being able to establish sales and marketing capabilities and gain acceptance in the marketplace, which we may be unable to do in a timely manner or at all.
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In addition, we cannot predict with any certainty whether and to what extent the timing or availability of additional funds under the DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement or the Hercules Loan and Security Agreement, if at all. Our ability to achieve milestones under the DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement or drawdown on the remaining tranches under the Hercules Loan and Security Agreement are subject to our achievement of certain regulatory and commercial milestones on or before certain dates or, for certain milestones, on mutual agreement of the applicable party.
As of December 31, 2025, we had $874.7 million in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. We expect that our current cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities will enable the Company to fund our planned operations for at least twelve months from the date of the issuance of these consolidated financial statements. Based on our current business plans, we believe that our existing current cash, cash equivalents, marketable securities, the $115.0 million in potential near-term milestones anticipated under the DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement and the anticipated revenue from veligrotug and elegrobart sales, if each is approved on our anticipated timelines, will be sufficient to fund our planned operations to break even where our anticipated revenues fund our anticipated operating expenses.
Our material cash requirements include obligations as of December 31, 2025, as well as resources required to fulfill our research and development activities and the effects that such obligations and activities are expected to have on our liquidity and cash flows in future periods. We expect that our operating losses will fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter and year to year due to timing of our development activities and efforts to achieve regulatory approval.
Our commitments primarily consist of obligations under our collaboration, development, and license agreements. Under these agreements, we are required to make milestone payments upon successful completion of certain regulatory and sales milestones. The payment obligations under the license agreements are contingent upon future events such as our achievement of specified development, regulatory and commercial milestones and we will be required to make development milestone payments and royalty payments in connection with the sale of products developed under these agreements. As of December 31, 2025, we were unable to estimate the timing or likelihood of achieving the milestones or making future product sales. For additional information regarding our agreements, see Note 8, Collaboration and License Agreements, to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report.
Our operating lease obligations primarily consist of lease payments on our office space in Waltham, Massachusetts and our lab and office facilities in Boulder, Colorado. For additional information regarding our lease obligations, see Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies, to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report.
Additionally, we have entered into agreements with third-party contract manufacturers for the manufacture and processing of certain of our product candidates for clinical testing purposes, and we have entered and will enter into other contracts in the normal course of business with contract research organizations for clinical trials and other vendors for other services and products for operating purposes. These agreements generally provide for termination or cancellation with appropriate notice, other than for costs already incurred. We expect to enter into additional clinical development, contract research, clinical and commercial manufacturing, supplier and collaborative research agreements in the future, which may require upfront payments and long-term commitments of capital resources.
If we raise additional funds through the issuance of debt, the obligations related to such debt could be senior to rights of holders of our capital stock and could contain covenants that may restrict our operations. Should additional capital not be available to us in the near term, or not be available on acceptable terms, we may be unable to realize value from our assets and discharge our liabilities in the normal course of business, which may, among other alternatives, cause us to further delay, substantially reduce, or discontinue operational activities to conserve our cash resources.
Loan and Security Agreement with Hercules Capital, Inc.
In April 2022, we entered into the Hercules Loan and Security Agreement among the Company, certain of our subsidiaries from time to time party thereto (together with the Company, collectively, the “Borrower”), Hercules and certain other lenders party thereto (the “Lenders”). Under the Hercules Loan and Security Agreement, the Lenders provided us with access to a term loan with an aggregate principal amount of up to $75.0 million, in four tranches, including an initial tranche of $25.0 million. Upon signing, we drew an initial principal amount of $5.0 million. Per the terms of the Hercules Loan and Security Agreement, we were originally obligated to make interest-only payments through April 1, 2024, which was extended to October 1, 2024 upon the achievement of a development milestone in August 2022.
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In August 2023, we executed the first amendment to the Hercules Loan and Security Agreement (the “Hercules First Amendment”). The Hercules First Amendment was determined to substantially alter the Hercules Loan and Security Agreement and therefore was accounted for as a debt extinguishment. Under the Hercules First Amendment, the maturity date was extended to October 1, 2026 and the Lenders provided the Borrower access to an increased term loan with an aggregate principal amount of up to $150 million, in four tranches, consisting of (i) an initial tranche of $50.0 million, $25.0 million of which was available through December 15, 2023, and $25.0 million of which was available from July 1, 2024 through December 15, 2024; (ii) a second tranche of $20.0 million, subject to achievement of certain regulatory milestones, which was available through February 15, 2025; (iii) a third tranche of $20.0 million, subject to achievement of certain regulatory milestones, which was available through March 31, 2025; and (iv) a fourth tranche of $60.0 million subject to approval by the Lenders’ investment committee(s), which was available through June 15, 2025. Upon execution of the Hercules First Amendment, the Borrower drew an additional principal amount of $15.0 million, increasing the cumulative amount drawn to $20.0 million. The obligations of the Borrower under the Hercules First Amendment agreement were secured by substantially all of the assets of the Borrower, excluding the Borrower’s intellectual property.
In October 2025, we executed a second amendment (the “Hercules Second Amendment”) to the Hercules Loan and Security Agreement. Under the Hercules Second Amendment, the term loan facility was amended to extend the maturity date to October 1, 2030 and provide an aggregate principal amount of up to $300.0 million (the “New Term Loan”), consisting of (i) an initial tranche of $100.0 million (“Tranche 1”), comprised of $30.0 million drawn upon execution of the Hercules Second Amendment, increasing the cumulative amount drawn to $50.0 million, $25.0 million (“Tranche 1B”) available through September 15, 2026, and $25.0 million available from the earlier to occur of the expiration or full funding of Tranche 1B through December 15, 2026, ii) a second tranche of $50.0 million (“Tranche 2”), subject to achievement of certain regulatory milestones, available from (A) the earlier to occur of the full draw of Tranche 1 and December 15, 2025 through (B) the earlier to occur of June 15, 2027 and the date that is 60 days following such achievement of such regulatory milestones (the “Tranche 2 Expiration Date”), (iii) a third tranche of $50.0 million (“Tranche 3”), subject to achievement of certain regulatory milestones, available from (A) the earlier to occur of the full draw of Tranche 2 and the Tranche 2 Expiration Date through (B) the earlier to occur of June 15, 2027 and the date that is 60 days following such achievement of such regulatory milestones (the “Tranche 3 Expiration Date”), (iv) a fourth tranche of $50.0 million, subject to achievement of a certain revenue milestone, available from (A) the earlier to occur of the full draw of Tranche 3 and the Tranche 3 Expiration Date through (B) March 15, 2028, and (v) a fifth tranche of $50.0 million, subject to approval by the Lenders’ investment committee(s), available through October 1, 2030. The milestones for Tranche 2, Tranche 3 and Tranche 4 have not yet been achieved. The obligations of the Borrower under the Hercules Second Amendment are secured by substantially all of the assets of the Borrower.
The amended term loan facility bears interest at a floating per annum rate equal to the greater of 8.95% and 1.45% above the Prime Rate (as defined therein), provided that the interest rate shall not exceed a per annum rate of 9.45%. Interest is payable monthly in arrears on the first day of each month. The interest rate as of December 31, 2025 was 8.95%.
Under the Hercules Second Amendment, we are obligated to make interest-only payments through October 1, 2029. If certain regulatory milestones are met, then the interest-only period will be extended to October 1, 2030. We are required to repay the outstanding amount of the term loan facility in equal monthly installments of the principal amount and interest between the end of the interest-only period and the maturity date of October 1, 2030. In addition, we are required to pay an end-of-term fee equal to 4.25% of the principal amount of funded advances if the term loan facility is repaid on or prior to October 17, 2027 or 6.00% of the principal amount of funded advances at maturity if the term loan facility is repaid after October 17, 2027.
Purchase and Sale Agreement with DRI Healthcare Acquisitions LP
In October 2025, we entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement of revenue participation rights with DRI Healthcare Acquisitions LP (“DRI”), (the “DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement”), pursuant to which DRI purchased rights to certain revenue streams in the U.S. from us in exchange for up to $300.0 million in consideration, including $55.0 million paid at signing and conditional payments of up to $245.0 million for which we will become eligible to receive upon achieving certain regulatory and sales-based milestones.
The DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and indemnities of the Company and DRI and customary covenants on the part of the Company, as well as a limit on the amount of incurrence of certain types of indebtedness, which limit automatically terminates a certain period of time following receipt of marketing approval for veligrotug in the U.S. The DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement requires us to pay tiered royalties to DRI based on net sales of veligrotug, elegrobart and certain other related products (the “Net Sales Royalties”). The royalties consist of (i) 7.5% of annual U.S. net sales up to and including $600 million, which royalties could increase to low-double digits if marketing approval for elegrobart is not received prior to a specified date, (ii) 0.8% of annual U.S. net sales above $600 million and up to and including $900 million, (iii) 0.25% of annual U.S.
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net sales above $900 million and up to $2 billion, and (iv) no royalty owed for annual U.S. net sales in excess of $2 billion. The DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement may only be terminated upon repayment by us of a certain multiplier of the consideration paid to us by DRI (less payments by us to DRI to date) on or prior to a certain date or repayment by an acquirer of us of a certain multiplier of the consideration paid by DRI to us (less payments by us to DRI to date) following a change of control of the Company.
We determined that the DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement is considered a sale of future revenues and is treated as a financing liability according to Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 470, Debt, based on the specific facts and circumstances including our significant continuing involvement in the generation of the cash flows due to DRI. The sale of future revenue liability is accounted for as debt and is recorded at cost. After initial recognition of the debt instrument, we will use the effective interest method to account for the amount recorded as debt on its balance sheet. The effective interest rate is the rate that equates the present value of the estimated future cash flows with the carrying amount of the liability related to the sale of future revenue. The estimate of future cash flows includes estimated future Net Sales Royalties to be paid to DRI and the receipt of conditional payments from DRI that were deemed probably of achievement at inception. The interest rate on this financing liability may vary during the term of the agreement depending on a number of factors, including our net sales forecast and the probability of achieving certain milestones. We will evaluate the interest rate used to amortize the liability related to the sale of future revenue quarterly based on its expectations of future net sales and current market conditions using the prospective method. A significant increase or decrease in actual or forecasted net sales or changes in expected achievement of certain milestones may materially impact the liability, interest expense, and the time period for repayment. The conditional payments represent loan commitments that are not treated as freestanding financial instruments and qualify for the derivative scope exception under ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, and therefore have not been bifurcated and accounted for separately.
Upon receipt of the $55.0 million payment from DRI at the close of the DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement, we recorded a liability related to the sale of future revenue of $32.4 million, net of the proportionate debt issuance costs allocated to it and the initial fair value of the bifurcated derivative liability. We accrued $1.8 million in interest expense during the year ended December 31, 2025. As of December 31, 2025, no payments of Net Sales Royalties to DRI have been made or accrued. As of December 31, 2025, the net carrying amount of the liability related to the sale of future revenue was $34.2 million. The imputed effective annual interest rate for the liability related to the sale of future revenue was 21.2% as of December 31, 2025.
Derivative Liability
In the event of a change of control of the Company at, or prior to, January 1, 2035, the DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement provides us an option to repurchase, and DRI an option to require us to repurchase, the revenue participation right from DRI (the “Put/Call Option”). Upon exercise of the Put/Call Option by us or DRI, the DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement will terminate, and we will become obligated to pay the applicable multiplier of the consideration paid to us by DRI to date, less the payments of Net Sales Royalties paid to DRI by us to date.
The Put/Call Option is an embedded derivative pursuant to ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, that must be bifurcated and measured at fair value initially and at each subsequent reporting period. We estimated the fair value of the derivative liability using a “with-and-without” method, which involves determining the fair value of the entire financial liability instrument, inclusive of all terms, features, and conditions, and separately determining the fair value of the financial liability instrument excluding the derivative. The difference between the fair value of the entire financial liability instrument including the derivative and the fair value of the financial liability instrument excluding the derivative represents the fair value of the derivative liability.
The estimated probability and timing of a change in control event that triggers the exercisability of the Put/Call Option, the estimated cash flows and the discount rate used are Level 3 significant unobservable inputs used to determine the fair value of the derivative liability. Management concluded the probability of exercise of the Put/Call Option to be remote. The estimated market yield used to measure the fair value of the derivative was 9.3% and 11.5% as of inception and December 31, 2025, respectively. The initial fair value allocated to the derivative liability as of the close of the DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement was $19.3 million. Issuance costs of $1.8 million allocated to the derivative were recorded to expense as a component of other expense, net in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. The derivative liability is subsequently remeasured at fair value each reporting period, with changes in fair value being recorded as a component of other expense, net in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. As of December 31, 2025, the fair value of the derivative liability was $20.0 million and we recognized expense of $0.7 million relating to the change in fair value of the derivative liability from inception to December 31, 2025.
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ATM Agreements
In September 2022, we entered into the September 2022 ATM Agreement with Jefferies pursuant to which we may offer and sell shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $175.0 million from time to time at prices and on terms to be determined by market conditions at the time of offering, with Jefferies acting as the sales agent. Jefferies will receive a commission of 3.0% of the gross proceeds of any shares of common stock sold under the September 2022 ATM Agreement. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company sold 684,298 shares under the September 2022 ATM Agreement with Jefferies at a weighted average price of $22.30 per share, for aggregate net proceeds of approximately $14.8 million, including commissions to Jefferies as a sales agent. During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company sold 3,058,751 shares under the September 2022 ATM Agreement with Jefferies at a weighted average price of $22.86 per share, for aggregate net proceeds of approximately $67.7 million, including commissions to Jefferies as a sales agent. During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company sold 245,388 shares under the September 2022 ATM Agreement at a weighted average price of $20.14 per share, for aggregate net proceeds of approximately $4.8 million, including commissions to Jefferies as a sales agent. The September 2022 ATM Agreement was terminated in March 2025 and no further offerings or sales of common stock will be conducted under the September 2022 ATM Agreement.
In March 2025, the Company entered into an Open Market Sale AgreementSM (the “March 2025 ATM Agreement”) with Jefferies, pursuant to which the Company may offer and sell shares of its common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $300.0 million from time to time at prices and on terms to be determined by market conditions at the time of offering, with Jefferies acting as its sales agent. Jefferies will receive a commission of up to 3.0% of the gross proceeds of any shares of common stock sold under the March 2025 ATM Agreement. During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company sold 1,971,476 shares under the March 2025 ATM Agreement at a weighted average price of $29.52 per share, for aggregate net proceeds of approximately $57.0 million, including commissions to Jefferies as a sales agent.
Public Offerings
In January 2024, we entered into an underwriting agreement with Jefferies and Leerink Partners LLC relating to the offer and sale of 7,142,858 shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $21.00 per share. The aggregate gross proceeds to us were approximately $150.0 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses payable by us.
In September 2024, we entered into an underwriting agreement with Jefferies, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated related to the offer and sale of 12,466,600 shares of our common stock, which includes 1,800,000 shares of common stock issued in connection with the exercise in full by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional shares at a public offering price of $18.75 per share, and 20,000 shares of our Series B Convertible Preferred Stock at a price per share of $1,250.06 per share. The aggregate gross proceeds to us, including the exercise of the option, were approximately $258.8 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses payable by us.
In October 2025, we entered into an underwriting agreement with Jefferies LLC, Leerink Partners LLC, Evercore Group L.L.C. and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated related to the offer and sale of 13,138,750 shares of our common stock, which includes 1,713,750 shares of common stock issued in connection with the exercise in full by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional shares at a public offering price of $22.00 per share. The aggregate gross proceeds to us were approximately $289.1 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses payable by us.

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Summarized cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 are as follows:
Year Ended
December 31,
2025 2024
(in thousands)
Net cash provided by (used in):
Operating activities $ (276,391) $ (232,319)
Investing activities (37,563) (228,651)
Financing activities 426,742  457,737 
Total $ 112,788  $ (3,233)

Operating Activities
Net cash used in operating activities was $276.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, and primarily consisted of a net loss of $342.6 million, adjusted for non-cash items of $43.2 million, primarily driven by share-based compensation of $44.3 million, and working capital adjustments of $23.0 million. The change in working capital was primarily related to an increase of $22.8 million in accounts payable, accrued liabilities and other liabilities due to the timing of payments and prepayments to vendors for ongoing clinical trial and manufacturing activities.
Net cash used in operating activities was $232.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, and primarily consisted of a net loss of $269.9 million, adjusted for non-cash items of $28.0 million, including share-based compensation of $42.2 million, partially offset by accretion and amortization of premiums and discounts on available-for-sale securities of $15.7 million, and working capital adjustments of $9.6 million. The change in working capital was primarily related to an increase of $21.5 million in accounts payable, accrued liabilities and other liabilities, partially offset by an increase of $11.8 million in prepaid expenses and other current assets due to the timing of payments and prepayments to vendors for ongoing clinical trial and manufacturing activities.
Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities was $37.6 million during the year ended December 31, 2025 and primarily consisted of $37.1 million in net purchases of marketable securities.
Net cash used in investing activities was $228.7 million during the year ended December 31, 2024 and primarily consisted of $228.1 million in net purchases of marketable securities.
Financing Activities

Net cash provided by financing activities was $426.7 million during the year ended December 31, 2025, and consisted primarily of net proceeds of $333.5 million from the issuance of common stock in our public offering and at-the-market offerings, net proceeds of $50.0 from the DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement, net proceeds of $28.4 from the Hercules Second Amendment, as well as $12.1 million in proceeds from the exercise of stock options.
Net cash provided by financing activities was $457.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, and consisted primarily of net proceeds of $451.7 million from the issuance of common and preferred stock in our public offerings and at-the-market offerings, as well as $5.3 million in proceeds from the exercise of stock options.

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Interest Rate Fluctuation Risk
As of December 31, 2025, we had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $874.7 million, consisting of money market funds, corporate paper and bonds, and U.S. treasury securities. The primary objectives of our investment activities are to preserve principal, provide liquidity and maximize income without significantly increasing risk. Our primary exposure to market risk is interest rate sensitivity, which is affected by changes in the general level of U.S.
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interest rates, particularly because our cash equivalents and marketable securities are primarily invested in money market funds, corporate paper and bonds, and U.S. treasury securities. A change in prevailing interest rates, and/or credit risk, may cause the fair value of the investment to fluctuate. The average duration of all of our available-for-sale investments held as of December 31, 2025, was less than 12 months. Due to the relatively short-term nature of these financial instruments, we believe there is no material exposure to interest rate risk, and/or credit risk, arising from our portfolio of financial instruments.
Inflation Fluctuation Risk
Inflation generally affects us by increasing our cost of labor and the cost of services provided by our vendors. We do not believe that inflation had a material effect on our business, financial condition or consolidated results of operations during the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024.

ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
The financial statements and supplemental data required by this item are set forth on the pages indicated in Part IV, Item 15(a)(1) of this Annual Report. 

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

We maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports that we file under the Exchange Act, is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the SEC, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures. In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and management is required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. Under the supervision and with the participation of our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, and other senior management personnel, we evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report. Based on this evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report.

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Internal control over financial reporting refers to the process designed by, or under the supervision of, our principal officer and principal financial officer, and effected by our 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 U.S. GAAP, and 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 our assets, (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, and that our receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of our management and directors 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.

Internal control over financial reporting cannot provide absolute assurance of achieving financial reporting objectives because of its inherent limitations. Internal control over financial reporting is a process that involves human diligence and compliance and is subject to lapses in judgment and breakdowns resulting from human failures. Internal control over financial reporting also can be circumvented by collusion or improper management override. Because of such limitations, there is a risk that material misstatements may not be prevented or detected on a timely basis by internal control over financial reporting.
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However, these inherent limitations are known features of the financial reporting process. Therefore, it is possible to design into the process safeguards to reduce, though not eliminate, this risk.

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over our financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act. Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report. Management used the framework set forth in the report entitled “Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013 Framework)” published by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission to evaluate the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Based on its evaluation, management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective at a reasonable level of assurance as of December 31, 2025, the end of our most recent fiscal year.

The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2025, has been audited by KPMG LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which appears in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during our most recent fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially effect, our internal control over financial reporting.


ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plans
During the three months ended December 31, 2025, the following directors or officers of the Company adopted or terminated a “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement,” as defined in Item 408 or Regulation S-K:
Name and Title Plan Action Plan Adoption Date Expiration Date Number of Shares to be Sold under Plan
Thomas Beetham, Chief Operating Officer
Adoption 12/12/2025 12/18/2026 30,000
Stephen Mahoney, President & Chief Executive Officer
Adoption 12/17/2025 12/31/2026 250,000
Seth Harmon, Chief Financial Officer
Adoption 12/22/2025 12/31/2026 20,907
During the three months ended December 31, 2025, none of the Company’s officers or directors adopted or terminated any “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement,” as defined in Item 408 or Regulation S-K.
ITEM 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTION

Not applicable.

104


PART III

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference to our 2026 Proxy Statement to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after December 31, 2025.
Our board of directors has adopted a written code of business conduct and ethics that applies to our directors, officers, and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions. A current copy of the code is posted on our website, which is located at www.viridiantherapeutics.com. If we make any substantive amendments to, or grant any waivers from, the code of business conduct and ethics for any officer or director, we will disclose the nature of such amendment or waiver on our website or in a Current Report on Form 8-K.

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The information required by this Item 11 is incorporated herein by reference to our 2026 Proxy Statement, including under headings “Executive Officer and Director Compensation,” “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” and “Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance – Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation, “Compensation Committee Report” and “Risks Related to Compensation Practices and Polices.” The section titled “Pay Versus Performance” in our 2025 Proxy Statement is not incorporated by reference herein.
ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
The information required by this Item 12 is incorporated herein by reference to our 2026 Proxy Statement, including under headings “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” and “Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans.”

ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
The information required by this Item 13 is incorporated herein by reference to our 2026 Proxy Statement, including under headings “Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance” and “Transactions with Related Persons.”

ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
The information required by this Item 14 is incorporated herein by reference to our 2026 Proxy Statement, including under the heading “Ratification of Selection of Independent Registered Accounting Firm.”

105


PART IV

ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
(a)(1) Financial Statements
The financial statements required by this item are submitted in a separate section beginning on page F-1 of this Annual Report.
(a)(2) Financial Statement Schedules
Financial statement schedules have been omitted because they are either not required, not applicable, or the information is otherwise included.
(a)(3) Exhibits
See Exhibit Index, which is incorporated herein by reference.

EXHIBIT INDEX
The exhibits listed in the Exhibit Index are required by Item 601 of Regulation S-K. The SEC file number for all items incorporated by reference herein from reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K is 001-36483.
Incorporated by Reference
Exhibit No. Description of Exhibit Form Filing Date Number
3.1 10-K 03/11/2022 3.1
3.2 8-K 12/18/2023 3.1
3.3 8-K 10/28/2020 3.1
3.4 8-K 09/23/2021 3.1
4.1 S-1 03/19/2014 4.1
4.5 10-K 03/03/2025 4.5
10.1^ 8-K 12/09/2020 10.1
10.2+ 10-K 02/27/2024 10.2
10.3+ 10-Q 11/13/2023 10.2
10.4+ 10-Q 11/13/2023 10.3
10.5+ 10-K 02/27/2024 10.9
10.6+ 10-Q 05/06/2025 10.1
10.7+ 10-K 02/27/2024 10.10
10.8+ 10-K 02/27/2024 10.11
10.9+ 10-K 02/27/2024 10.12
10.10+ 10-Q 05/06/2025 10.3
10.11+ S-8 03/11/2022 99.3
10.12+ S-8 03/10/2023 99.4
10.13+ 8-K 06/24/2025 10.1
10.14+ 10-K 2/27/2024 10.16
106


10.15+ 10-K 2/27/2024 10.17
10.16+ S-8 11/24/2020 99.1
10.17+ 10-Q 08/06/2025 10.2
10.18+ 10-K 03/26/2021 10.23
10.19+ S-4 12/02/2016 10.48
10.20+ S-4 12/02/2016 10.49
10.21 S-4 12/02/2016 10.40
10.22 S-4 12/02/2016 10.40.1
10.23 S-4 12/02/2016 10.40.2
10.24 10-K 03/13/2020 10.12.3
10.25 10-Q 05/08/2020 10.2
10.26 10-Q 08/12/2021 10.4
10.27 10-Q 11/05/2021 10.1
10.28 10-Q 11/05/2021 10.2
10.29 10-Q 08/15/2022 10.2
10.30 10-Q 11/14/2022 10.1
10.31 10-Q 08/08/2024 10.1
10.32 10-Q 11/12/2024 10.1
10.33 10-Q 11/05/2025 10.2
10.34^ 8-K 10/28/2020 10.1
10.35^ 10-Q 11/12/2020 10.8
10.36 8-K 03/04/2025 1.1
10.37^ 8-K 04/05/2022 10.1
10.38^ 10-Q 11/13/2023 10.1
10.39^ x
10.40 8-K 10/30/2023 10.2
107


10.41 10-Q 11/12/2024 10.2
10.42^ 10-Q 11/05/2025 10.1
10.43^ x
10.44+ 10-K 03/03/2025 10.38
10.45+ 10-K 03/03/2025 10.39
10.46+ 10-K 03/03/2025 10.40
10.47+ 10-K 03/03/2025 10.41
19 10-K 03/03/2025 19
21.1 x
23.1 x
24.1 x
31.1 x
31.2 x
32.1* x
97.1 10-K 2/27/2024 97.1
101.INS XBRL Instance Document x
101.SCH XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document x
101.CAL XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document x
101.DEF XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document x
101.LAB XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document x
101.PRE XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document x
104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101) x
^
Schedules have been omitted from this filing pursuant to Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K. Viridian agrees to furnish supplementally a copy of any omitted schedule to the SEC upon its request; provided, however, that Viridian may request confidential treatment pursuant to Rule 24b-2 of the Exchange Act for any schedule so furnished. Certain portions of the exhibit, identified by the mark, “[***],” may have been omitted because such portions contained information that is both (i) not material and (ii) would likely cause competitive harm if publicly disclosed.
+ Indicates management contract or compensatory plan.
* This certification is being furnished pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 and is not being filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Exchange Act and is not to be incorporated by reference into any filing of the Registrant, whether made before or after the date hereof.
x Filed/furnished herewith.

ITEM 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY

None.
108


VIRIDIAN THERAPEUTICS, INC.
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (KPMG LLP, Boston, MA, Auditor Firm ID: 185)

F-1


Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors
Viridian Therapeutics, Inc.:

Opinions on the Consolidated Financial Statements and Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Viridian Therapeutics, Inc. and subsidiaries (the Company) as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2025, and the related notes (collectively, the consolidated financial statements). We also have audited the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2025, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2025, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2025 based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.

Basis for Opinions
The Company’s management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, 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 consolidated financial statements and an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (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 audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated 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 consolidated 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 consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

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.
F-2



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.

Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated 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 consolidated financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of a 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.

Valuation of the derivative liability

As discussed in Notes 2 and 7 to the consolidated financial statements, the Purchase and Sale Agreement with DRI Healthcare Acquisitions LP contained an embedded derivative. The derivative liability is recorded at fair value using Monte Carlo simulation models, which require the use of unobservable inputs. The fair value of the derivative liability at December 31, 2025, was $20.0 million.

We identified the evaluation of the fair value of the derivative liability as a critical audit matter. Complex auditor judgment and specialized skills and knowledge were required to evaluate the appropriateness and application of the valuation methods, as well as the key unobservable inputs used. Such inputs included the estimated amount of projected cash flows, the probability of a change in control, and the discount rate.

The following are the primary procedures we performed to address this critical audit matter. We evaluated the design and tested the operating effectiveness of certain internal controls related to the identification and valuation of the derivative liability, including a control over the appropriateness and application of the valuation methods and the determination of the key unobservable inputs. We performed sensitivity analyses over the Company’s inputs of the amount of the projected cash flows and the estimated probability of a change in control to assess the impact of changes in those inputs on the Company’s determination of the fair value of the derivative liability. We evaluated the reasonableness of such inputs through inquiry of management and inspection of board of director minutes to gain an understanding of management’s future commercialization efforts. We involved valuation professionals with specialized skills and knowledge, who assisted in (1) evaluating whether the methodology used was consistent with valuation practices for instruments with similar characteristics, (2) assessing the reasonableness of the discount rate used in the valuation by comparing it against a discount rate range that was independently developed using publicly available market data for comparable entities, and (3) developing an independent valuation of the instrument and comparing the result to the Company’s fair value estimate.

/s/ KPMG LLP

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2009.
Boston, Massachusetts
February 26, 2026


F-3



VIRIDIAN THERAPEUTICS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands, except share and per share data)
December 31,
2025 2024
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $ 212,382  $ 99,594 
Marketable securities 662,270  617,990 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 19,581  20,877 
Total current assets 894,233  738,461 
Property and equipment, net 1,228  1,236 
Operating lease right-of-use assets 2,421  2,205 
Other assets 1,536  501 
Total assets $ 899,418  $ 742,403 
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable $ 8,683  $ 2,143 
Accrued liabilities 62,013  45,731 
Total current liabilities 70,696  47,874 
Long-term debt, net 49,940  20,582 
Derivative liability 20,030  — 
Liability related to the sale of future revenue, net 34,244  — 
Other liabilities 2,341  2,308 
Total liabilities 177,251  70,764 
Commitments and contingencies (Note 9)
Stockholders’ equity:
Preferred stock, series A non-voting convertible preferred stock, $0.01 par value; 435,000 shares authorized; 134,864 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively
61,188  61,188 
Preferred stock, series B non-voting convertible preferred stock, $0.01 par value; 500,000 shares authorized; 79,620 and 145,160 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively
70,868  127,697 
Common stock, $0.01 par value; 200,000,000 shares authorized; 101,826,500 and 80,994,046 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively
1,018  810 
Additional paid-in capital 1,927,104  1,477,811 
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) 447  (10)
Accumulated deficit (1,338,458) (995,857)
Total stockholders’ equity 722,167  671,639 
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 899,418  $ 742,403 



The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F-4



VIRIDIAN THERAPEUTICS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
(In thousands, except share and per share data)
Year Ended
December 31,
2025 2024 2023
Revenues:
License revenue $ 70,000  $ —  $ — 
Collaboration revenue - related parties 849  302  314 
Total revenues 70,849  302  314 
Operating expenses:
Research and development 338,929  238,254  159,765 
Selling, general and administrative 95,315  61,083  94,999 
Total operating expenses 434,244  299,337  254,764 
Loss from operations (363,395) (299,035) (254,450)
Other income (expense), net:
Interest income 27,399  31,597  18,240 
Interest expense (4,948) (2,197) (1,331)
Other expense, net (1,657) (314) (193)
Total other income, net 20,794  29,086  16,716 
Net loss $ (342,601) $ (269,949) $ (237,734)
Net loss per share, basic and diluted, common stock $ (3.32) $ (3.07) $ (3.91)
Weighted-average shares common shares outstanding, basic and diluted 84,803,355  67,885,831  44,755,475 
Net loss per share, basic and diluted, Series A convertible preferred stock $ (221.65) $ (204.82) $ (260.70)
Weighted-average Series A convertible preferred shares outstanding, basic and diluted 134,864  154,856  174,226 
Net loss per share, basic and diluted, Series B convertible preferred stock $ (221.65) $ (204.82) $ (260.69)
Weighted-average Series B convertible preferred shares outstanding, basic and diluted 138,875  144,862  66,385 
Comprehensive loss:
Net loss $ (342,601) $ (269,949) $ (237,734)
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities 457  (348) 728 
Total other comprehensive income (loss) 457  (348) 728 
Comprehensive loss $ (342,144) $ (270,297) $ (237,006)



The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F-5


VIRIDIAN THERAPEUTICS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(In thousands, except share data)
Convertible Preferred Stock Common Stock Additional
Paid-in
Capital
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) Accumulated
Deficit
Total
Stockholders’
Equity
Series A Series B
Shares Amount Shares Amount Shares Amount
Balance as of December 31, 2022 188,381  $ 85,470  51,210  $ 56,677  41,305,947 $ 414  $ 741,067  $ (390) $ (488,174) $ 395,064 
Issuance of common stock upon conversion of convertible preferred stock (15,946) (7,235) —  —  1,063,118 10  7,225  —  —  — 
Issuance of common stock under license agreement —  —  —  243,902  5,690  —  —  5,693 
Issuance of Series B convertible preferred stock and common stock in private placement offering, net of issuance costs of $4,588 and $6,805, respectively
—  92,312 71,604  8,869,797  89  102,914  —  —  174,607 
Issuance of common stock in at-the-market offerings, net of issuance costs of $493
—  —  —  684,298 14,761 —  —  14,768 
Issuance of common stock upon exercises of warrants —  —  —  114,219 1,880  —  —  1,881 
Issuance of common stock upon exercises of stock options —  —  —  1,538,199 15  19,248  —  —  19,263 
Issuance of common stock under employee stock purchase plan —  —  —  31,216 —  580  —  —  580 
Issuance of common stock upon vesting of restricted stock units —  —  —  135,416 (1) —  —  — 
Share-based compensation expense —  —  —  —  67,172  —  —  67,172 
Unrealized gain on available-for-sale securities —  —  —  —  —  728  —  728 
Net loss —  —  —  —  —  —  (237,734) (237,734)
Balance as of December 31, 2023 172,435 $ 78,235  143,522  $ 128,281  53,986,112 $ 540  $ 960,536  $ 338  $ (725,908) $ 442,022 
Issuance of common stock upon conversion of convertible preferred stock (37,571) (17,047) (18,362) (24,085) 3,729,048 37  41,095  —  —  — 
Issuance of common stock in January 2024 underwritten offering, net of issuance costs of $9,304
—  —  7,142,858 71  140,625  —  —  140,696 
Issuance of Series B convertible preferred stock and common stock in September 2024 underwritten offering, net of issuance costs of $1,500 and $13,954, respectively
—  20,000 23,501  12,466,600  125  219,669  —  —  243,295 
Issuance of common stock in at-the-market offerings, net of issuance costs of $2,156
—  —  —  3,058,751  31  67,724  —  —  67,755 
Issuance of common stock upon exercises of stock options —  —  437,146 5,340  —  —  5,344 
Issuance of common stock under employee stock purchase plan —  —  44,136 673  —  —  674 
Issuance of common stock upon vesting of restricted stock units —  —  —  129,395  (1) —  —  — 
Share-based compensation expense —  —  —  42,150  —  —  42,150 
Unrealized loss on available-for-sale securities —  —  —  —  (348) —  (348)
F-6


Convertible Preferred Stock Common Stock Additional
Paid-in
Capital
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) Accumulated
Deficit
Total
Stockholders’
Equity
Series A Series B Common Stock Additional
Paid-in
Capital
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) Accumulated
Deficit
Total
Stockholders’
Equity
Shares Amount Shares Amount Shares Amount Additional
Paid-in
Capital
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) Accumulated
Deficit
Total
Stockholders’
Equity
Net loss —  —  —  —  —  —  (269,949) (269,949)
Balance as of December 31, 2024 134,864 $ 61,188  145,160  $ 127,697  80,994,046 $ 810  $ 1,477,811  $ (10) $ (995,857) $ 671,639 
Issuance of common stock upon conversion of convertible preferred stock —  (65,540) (56,829) 4,369,551 44  56,785  —  —  — 
Issuance of common stock in an underwritten offering, net of issuance costs of $17,280
—  —  —  13,138,750 131  271,626  —  —  271,757 
Issuance of common stock in at-the-market offerings, net of issuance costs of $1,323
—  —  —  2,216,864 22  61,800  —  —  61,822 
Issuance of common stock upon exercises of warrants —  —  —  115,146 1,617  —  —  1,618 
Issuance of common stock upon exercises of stock options —  —  —  811,970 12,045  —  —  12,053 
Issuance of common stock under employee stock purchase plan —  —  —  84,556 1,118  —  —  1,119 
Issuance of common stock upon vesting of restricted stock units —  —  —  95,617 (1) —  —  — 
Share-based compensation expense —  —  —  —  44,303  —  —  44,303 
Unrealized gain on available-for-sale securities —  —  —  —  —  457  —  457 
Net loss —  —  —  —  —  —  (342,601) (342,601)
Balance as of December 31, 2025 134,864  $ 61,188  79,620  $ 70,868  101,826,500  $ 1,018  $ 1,927,104  $ 447  $ (1,338,458) $ 722,167 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F-7


VIRIDIAN THERAPEUTICS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In thousands)
Year Ended
December 31,
2025 2024 2023
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net loss $ (342,601) $ (269,949) $ (237,734)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Share-based compensation expense 44,303  42,150  67,172 
Accretion and amortization of available-for-sale securities (6,758) (15,655) (11,490)
Non-cash interest expense 2,566  377  317 
Depreciation and amortization 460  540  522 
Issuance costs allocated to derivative liability 1,751  —  — 
Change in fair value of derivative liability 700  —  — 
Issuance of common stock under license agreement —  —  5,693 
Other non cash items 157  620  775 
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Prepaid expenses, other current assets and other assets 262  (11,666) (2,107)
Accounts payable 6,562  (73) (12,040)
Accrued liabilities and other liabilities 16,207  21,337  4,722 
Net cash used in operating activities (276,391) (232,319) (184,170)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of marketable securities (579,276) (695,068) (407,880)
Maturities of marketable securities 542,208  466,928  314,526 
Purchases of property and equipment (495) (511) (898)
Net cash used in investing activities (37,563) (228,651) (94,252)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock in offerings 289,052  383,749  109,808 
Proceeds from the issuance of common stock in at-the-market offerings 63,145  69,911  15,261 
Payments of issuance costs associated with the sale of common stock (18,661) (25,442) (7,213)
Proceeds from the issuance of Series B convertible preferred stock in offerings —  25,001  76,192 
Payments of issuance costs associated with the sale of convertible preferred stock —  (1,500) (4,588)
Proceeds from the exercise of warrants 1,618  —  1,881 
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt, net 28,875  —  15,000 
Payment of debt issuance costs (478) —  (514)
Proceeds from sale of future revenue 55,000  —  — 
Payment of issuance costs associated with sale of future revenue (4,981) —  — 
Proceeds from issuance of common stock upon exercise of stock options 12,053  5,344  19,263 
Proceeds from the issuance of common stock for cash under employee stock purchase plan 1,119  674  580 
Net cash provided by financing activities 426,742  457,737  225,670 
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 112,788  (3,233) (52,752)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 99,594  102,827  155,579 
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 212,382  $ 99,594  $ 102,827 
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information
Interest paid $ 2,150  $ 1,820  $ 886 
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities
Issuance of common stock upon the conversion of convertible preferred stock $ 56,829  $ 41,132  $ 7,235 
Right-of-use asset obtained in exchange for new lease liability $ 729  $ 496  $ — 
F-8


Remeasurement of right-of-use asset and lease liability for lease modifications $ —  $ 837  $ 641 
Extinguishment of long-term debt $ 20,000  $ —  $ 4,707 
Issuance of long-term debt $ 20,000  $ —  $ 5,000 


The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
F-9


VIRIDIAN THERAPEUTICS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. DESCRIPTION OF THE BUSINESS

Viridian Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company” or “Viridian”), is a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing potential best-in-class medicines for serious and rare diseases. The Company’s most advanced program, veligrotug, is a differentiated monoclonal antibody targeting insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (“IGF-1R”), a clinically and commercially validated target for the treatment of thyroid eye disease (“TED”). The Company’s second product candidate, elegrobart, is an extended half-life monoclonal antibody with the same binding domains as veligrotug designed for administration as convenient, low-volume, subcutaneous auto-injector injections. TED is a serious and debilitating rare autoimmune disease that causes inflammation within the orbit of the eye that can cause bulging of the eyes, redness and swelling, double vision, pain, and potential blindness.
In addition to developing therapies for TED, the Company is also developing a portfolio of engineered anti-neonatal Fc receptor (“FcRn”) inhibitors, including VRDN-006 and VRDN-008. FcRn inhibitors have the potential to treat a broad array of autoimmune diseases, representing a significant commercial market opportunity.
Liquidity and Capital Resources

The Company’s consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the basis of the Company continuing as a going concern and do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of assets or the amounts and classifications of liabilities that may result from any uncertainty related to its ability to continue as a going concern. The Company expects that its cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of December 31, 2025 of $874.7 million will enable the Company to fund its planned operations for at least twelve months from the date of issuance of these consolidated financial statements.
The Company has funded its operations to date principally through proceeds received from the sale of the Company’s common stock, Series A convertible preferred stock, Series B convertible preferred stock, and other equity securities, debt financings, and license fees and reimbursements received under collaboration agreements. The Company has incurred recurring losses and negative cash flows from operations since inception. As of December 31, 2025, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $1,338.5 million. The Company has no products approved for commercial sale, has not generated any revenue from product sales, and cannot guarantee when or if it will generate any revenue from product sales. Substantially all of the Company’s operating losses resulted from expenses incurred in connection with its research and development programs and from selling, general and administrative costs associated with its operations. In addition, the Company may continue to incur additional operating losses as a result of planned expenditures for research and development activities, its drug development programs, including clinical trial and manufacturing costs, and the continued build-out of clinical, manufacturing, commercial and compliance capabilities.
The future viability of the Company is dependent on its ability to generate cash from operating activities or to raise additional capital to finance its operations. There can be no assurance that the Company will ever earn revenues from product sales or achieve profitability, or if achieved, that the revenues or profitability will be sustained on a continuing basis. In addition, the Company’s nonclinical and clinical development activities, manufacturing activities, and commercialization activities for the Company’s product candidates, if approved, may require significant additional capital. Failure to raise capital as and when needed, on favorable terms or at all, would have a negative impact on the Company’s financial condition and its ability to develop its product candidates. Changing circumstances may cause the Company to consume capital significantly faster or slower than currently anticipated. If the Company is unable to acquire additional capital or resources, it will be required to modify its operational plans. The estimates included herein are based on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and the Company could exhaust its available financial resources sooner than currently anticipated.
2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation
The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”). Any reference in these notes to applicable guidance is meant to refer to the authoritative U.S. GAAP as found in the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”), and Accounting Standards Updates (“ASU”), or the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”).
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The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.
Certain prior period amounts in the consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation.
Going Concern
At each reporting period, the Company evaluates whether there are conditions or events that raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date that the financial statements are issued. The Company is required to make certain additional disclosures if it concludes substantial doubt exists and it is not alleviated by the Company’s plans or when its plans alleviate substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.
The Company’s evaluation entails, among other things, analyzing the results of the Company’s clinical development efforts, license and collaboration agreements as well as the entity’s current financial condition including conditional and unconditional obligations anticipated within a year, and related liquidity sources at the date the financial statements are issued. This is reflected in the Company’s prospective operating budgets and forecasts and compared to the current cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities balance.
Use of Estimates
The Company’s consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, which requires it to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and contingent liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates and assumptions reflected in these consolidated financial statements include, but are not limited to, estimates related to revenue recognition, fair value of marketable securities, accrued research and development expenses, liability related to sale of future revenue, derivative liability, income taxes and share-based compensation. Although these estimates are based on the Company’s knowledge of current events and actions it may take in the future, actual results may ultimately differ from these estimates and assumptions.
Revenue Recognition
The Company accounts for revenue in accordance with ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”).
The Company enters into license and collaboration agreements and certain other agreements that are within the scope of ASC 606, under which the Company licenses, may license, or grants an option to license rights to certain of the Company’s product candidates and performs research and development services or other services in connection with such agreements. The terms of these agreements typically include payment of one or more of the following: non-refundable, upfront fees; reimbursement of research and development costs; developmental, clinical, regulatory, and commercial sales milestone payments; and royalties on net sales of licensed products.
In accordance with ASC 606, the Company recognizes revenue when its customer obtains control of promised goods or services, in an amount that reflects the consideration which the Company expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services.
To determine the appropriate amount of revenue to be recognized, for agreements within the scope of ASC 606, the Company performs the following five steps: (i) identification of the goods or services within the contract; (ii) determination of whether the promised goods or services are performance obligations, including whether they are distinct within the terms of the contract; (iii) measurement of the transaction price, including the constraint on variable consideration; (iv) allocation of the transaction price to the identified performance obligations; and (v) recognition of revenue when (or as) the Company satisfies each performance obligation. The Company only applies the five-step model to contracts when it is probable that the Company will collect consideration it is entitled to in exchange for the goods or services it transfers to the customer.
The promised goods or services in the Company’s agreements typically consist of a license, or option to license, rights to the Company’s intellectual property or research and development services. Performance obligations are promises in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer and are considered distinct when (i) the customer can benefit from the good or service on its own or together with other readily available resources and (ii) the promised good or service is separately identifiable from other promises in the contract. In assessing whether promised goods or services are distinct, the Company considers factors such as the stage of development of the underlying intellectual property, the capabilities of the customer to develop the intellectual property on its own or whether the required expertise is readily available, and whether the goods or services are integral or dependent to other goods or services in the contract.
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The Company estimates the transaction price based on the amount expected to be received for transferring the promised goods or services in the contract. The consideration may include fixed consideration or variable consideration. At the inception of each agreement that includes variable consideration, the Company evaluates the amount of potential payment and the likelihood that the payments will be received. The Company utilizes either the most likely amount method or expected value method to estimate the amount expected to be received based on which method best predicts the amount expected to be received. The amount of variable consideration that is included in the transaction price may be constrained and is included in the transaction price only to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of the cumulative revenue recognized will not occur in a future period.
The Company’s contracts often include development and regulatory milestone payments that are assessed under the most likely amount method and constrained if it is probable that a significant revenue reversal would occur. Milestone payments that are not within the Company’s control or the licensee’s control, such as regulatory approvals, are not considered probable of being achieved until those approvals are received. At the end of each reporting period, the Company re-evaluates the probability of achievement of such development and clinical milestones and any related constraint, and if necessary, adjusts its estimate of the overall transaction price. Any such adjustments are recorded on a cumulative catch-up basis, which would affect collaboration and other research and development revenue in the period of adjustment.
For agreements that include sales-based royalties, including milestone payments based on the level of sales, and where the license is deemed to be the predominant item to which the royalties relate, the Company recognizes revenue at the later of (i) when the related sales occur, or (ii) when the performance obligation to which some or all of the royalty has been allocated has been satisfied (or partially satisfied). To date, the Company has not recognized any royalty revenue resulting from any of the Company’s license, collaboration or other agreements.
The Company allocates the transaction price based on the estimated standalone selling price. The Company must develop assumptions that require judgment to determine the stand-alone selling price for each performance obligation identified in the contract. The Company utilizes key assumptions to determine the stand-alone selling price, which may include other comparable transactions, pricing considered in negotiating the transaction, and the estimated costs. Variable consideration is allocated specifically to one or more performance obligations in a contract when the terms of the variable consideration relate to the satisfaction of the performance obligation and the resulting amounts allocated are consistent with the amounts the Company would expect to receive for the satisfaction of each performance obligation.
The consideration allocated to each performance obligation is recognized as revenue when control is transferred for the related goods or services. For performance obligations which consist of licenses and other promises, the Company utilizes judgment to assess the nature of the combined performance obligation to determine whether the combined performance obligation is satisfied over time or at a point in time and, if over time, the appropriate method of measuring progress. The Company evaluates the measure of progress each reporting period and, if necessary, adjusts the measure of performance and related revenue recognition.
The Company receives payments from its customers based on billing schedules established in each contract. Upfront payments and fees are recorded as deferred revenue upon receipt or when due until the Company performs its obligations under these arrangements. Amounts are recorded as accounts receivable when the Company’s right to consideration is unconditional.
Research and Development
Research and development costs are expensed as incurred in performing research and development activities. The costs include employee-related expense including salaries, benefits, share-based compensation, restructuring charges including severance costs, fees for acquiring and maintaining licenses under third-party license agreements, consulting fees, costs of research and development activities conducted by third parties on the Company’s behalf, costs to have materials manufactured on the Company’s behalf, purchases of laboratory supplies, depreciation, and facilities and overhead costs. The Company records research and development expense in the period in which the Company receives or takes ownership of the applicable goods or when the applicable services are performed. In circumstances where amounts have been paid in excess of costs incurred, the Company records a prepaid expense.
The Company records upfront and milestone payments to acquire and retain contractual rights to licensed technology as research and development expenses when incurred if there is uncertainty in the Company receiving future economic benefit from the acquired contractual rights. The Company considers future economic benefits from acquired contractual rights to licensed technology to be uncertain until such a drug candidate is approved for sale by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”). Such upfront and milestone payments are reflected as cash used in operating activities within the consolidated statement of cash flows.
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Clinical Trial and Nonclinical Study Accruals
The Company makes estimates of accrued liabilities as of each balance sheet date in its consolidated financial statements based on certain facts and circumstances at that time. The Company’s accrued liabilities for clinical trials and nonclinical studies are based on estimates of costs incurred for services provided by clinical research organizations, manufacturing organizations, and other providers. Payments under the Company’s agreements with external service providers depend on a number of factors, such as site initiation, patient screening, enrollment, delivery of reports, and other events. In accruing for these activities, the Company obtains information from various sources and estimates the level of effort or expense allocated to each period. Adjustments to the Company’s research and development expenses may be necessary in future periods as its estimates change.
Share-Based Compensation
The Company issues share-based awards to employees and non-employees in the form of stock options and restricted stock units (“RSUs”). The Company measures and recognizes share-based compensation expense for its share-based awards granted to employees and non-employees based on the estimated grant date fair value in accordance with ASC Topic 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation. The Company uses the fair value of its common stock to determine the fair value of RSUs and the Black-Scholes option pricing model to determine the fair value of stock options. The use of the Black-Scholes option-pricing model takes into account the fair value of its common stock, the exercise price, the expected term of the option, the expected volatility of its common stock, the expected dividends on its common stock, and the risk-free interest rate over the expected term of the option. The Company recognizes share-based compensation expense for awards with service-based conditions using the straight-line method over the requisite service period. The Company accounts for forfeitures as they occur.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
All highly-liquid investments that have maturities of 90 days or less at the date of purchase are classified as cash equivalents. Cash equivalents are reported at cost, which approximates fair value due to the short maturities of these instruments.
Marketable Securities
The Company’s marketable securities consist of highly-rated corporate debt and U.S. government agency and treasury securities and have been classified as available-for-sale securities. Corporate debt securities may also include bonds from foreign issuers denominated in U.S. dollars. Accordingly, these investments are recorded at their respective fair values, as determined based on quoted market prices. The Company may hold securities with stated maturities greater than one year. All available-for-sale securities are considered available to support current operations, and thus are classified as current assets.
Available-for-sale securities with unrealized gains and losses are reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in stockholders’ equity until their disposition. Realized gains and losses are included as a component of other income (expense), net based on the specific identification method. The securities are subject to a periodic impairment review. An impairment charge would occur when a decline in the fair value of the investments below the cost basis is determined to be other-than-temporary. Factors considered include whether a decline in fair value below the amortized cost basis is due to credit-related factors or non-credit-related factors, the financial condition and near-term prospects of the issuer, and the Company's intent and ability to hold the investment to allow for an anticipated recovery in fair value. Once a decline in fair value is determined to be other-than-temporary, an impairment charge is recorded to other income (expense) and a new cost basis in the investment is established.
Fair Value Measurements
Certain assets and liabilities are carried at fair value under U.S. GAAP. Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs.
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Financial assets and liabilities carried at fair value are to be classified and disclosed in one of the following three levels of the fair value hierarchy, of which the first two are considered observable and the last is considered unobservable:
•Level 1 inputs utilize quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
•Level 2 inputs utilize observable inputs other than Level 1 prices, such as quoted prices, for similar assets or liabilities, quoted market prices in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the related assets or liabilities.
•Level 3 inputs are unobservable data points for the asset or liability and include situations where there is little, if any, market activity for the asset or liability.

Certain of the Company’s financial instruments are not measured at fair value on a recurring basis but are recorded at amounts that approximate their fair value due to the short-term nature of their maturities, such as cash and cash equivalents, prepaid expenses and other current assets, accounts payable and accrued liabilities.
Concentrations of Credit Risk
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities. The Company maintains deposits in federally insured financial institutions in excess of federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts. The Company invests its excess cash primarily in deposits and money market funds held with one financial institution. The Company does not believe that it is subject to unusual credit risk beyond the normal credit risk associated with commercial banking relationships.
The Company’s investments consist of money market funds and marketable debt securities. The Company’s investments may include commercial paper and other debt securities of U.S. government agencies, corporate entities, and banks. The Company’s investment policy limits instruments to investment grade securities with high credit quality issuers with the objective to preserve capital and to maintain liquidity until the funds can be used in business operations.
Measurement of Credit Losses
For financial assets measured at fair value through other comprehensive loss, the Company must record an allowance for credit losses at the end of each reporting period in the consolidated statement of operations. When developing an estimate of expected credit losses on financial assets, the Company will consider available information relevant to assessing the collectability of cash flows. This information may include internal information, external information, or a combination of both, relating to past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts for financial asset pools.
The Company’s investment in corporate debt and U.S. agency and treasury securities, reported as marketable securities, and the associated accrued interest reported as prepaid expenses and other current assets on the consolidated balance sheets, is the only financial asset pool. The financial asset pool was determined by the type of financial asset instrument and its credit quality. Management does not expect a credit loss with this financial asset pool and determined an allowance was not required based on the issuers' current high quality credit ratings and the lack of default history on its obligations.
Property and Equipment
The Company carries its property and equipment at cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, generally three to five years. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the life of the lease (including any renewal periods that are deemed to be reasonably certain) or the estimated useful life of the assets. Construction in progress is not depreciated until placed in service. Repairs and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred and expenditures for major improvements are capitalized.
Operating Lease Right-of-Use Assets and Liabilities
The Company determines if an arrangement is, or contains, a lease at contract inception and during modifications or renewal of existing leases. Operating lease assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and operating lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. The Company has recorded operating lease assets and liabilities in accordance with ASC Topic 842, Leases (“ASC 842”). These operating lease assets and liabilities are recognized at the commencement date of the lease based upon the present value of lease payments over the lease term. The Company includes the initial lease term in its assessment of a lease arrangement; options to extend a lease are not included in the assessment unless it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise the option to extend. The lease payments used to determine the Company’s operating lease assets may include lease incentives, stated rent increases, and escalation clauses and are recognized in the Company’s operating lease assets in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.
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The Company’s operating leases are reflected in operating lease right-of-use assets and operating lease liabilities within accrued liabilities and other liabilities in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. Lease expense for fixed and in-substance fixed payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Short-term leases, defined as leases that have a lease term of 12 months or less at the commencement date, are excluded from this treatment and are recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. The Company has elected to account for the lease and non-lease components together for office real estate leases. Refer to Note 9, Commitments and Contingencies, for additional information related to the Company’s operating leases.
Debt and Debt Issuance Costs
Debt issuance costs and expenses paid by the Company to its lenders are presented on the consolidated balance sheets as a direct deduction from the related debt liability. Debt issuance costs represent lender fees, legal expenses and other direct costs incurred in connection with the Company’s long-term debt obligations. These costs are amortized as a non-cash component of interest expense using the effective interest method over the term of the debt.
Liability Related to the Sale of Future Revenue
The Company accounts for the liability related to the sale of future revenue, pursuant to the Purchase and Sale Agreement entered into with DRI Healthcare Acquisitions LP (“DRI”), as a debt financing, as the Company has significant continuing involvement in the generation of the future cash flows.
The liability related to the sale of future revenue and the related interest expense are based on the Company’s current estimates of future royalties and commercial milestones expected to be paid over the life of the arrangement. Interest accretion on the liability related to the sale of future revenue is recognized using the effective interest rate method over the life of the related royalty stream. The Company periodically assesses the expected payments using a combination of internal projections and forecasts from external sources. To the extent the amount or timing of future estimated payment is materially different than the Company’s previous estimates, the Company will account for any such change by prospectively adjusting the effective interest rate and related non-cash interest expense.
Derivative Liability
The Purchase and Sale Agreement with DRI contains an embedded derivative that requires bifurcation as a compound financial instrument separate from the liability related to the sale of future revenue. The derivative liability is recorded at fair value using Monte Carlo simulation models which require the use of certain unobservable inputs, including estimates relating to the amount and timing of expected future revenue, the estimated volatility of these revenues, meeting certain conditional milestones, the discount rate corresponding to the risk of future cash flows, and the probability of a change in control. The derivative liability is remeasured each reporting period with any change in fair value recorded in other expense, net on the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
Convertible Preferred Stock
The Company records shares of non-voting convertible preferred stock classified in equity at their respective fair values on the dates of issuance, net of issuance costs.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
The Company assesses the carrying amount of its long-lived assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying amount of such assets may not be recoverable. No impairment charges were recorded during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023.
Net Loss per Share
The Company computes net loss per share of common stock, Series A convertible preferred stock, and Series B convertible preferred stock using the two-class method required for multiple classes of common stock and other participating securities. The Company has determined that the Series A convertible preferred stock and Series B convertible preferred stock do not have preferential rights over the Company’s common stock and, accordingly, are considered to be a second and third class of common stock for purposes of calculating net loss per share. Basic net loss per share is calculated by dividing the allocated net loss to each share class by the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period. Since the Company was in a loss position for all periods presented, diluted net loss per share is the same as basic net loss per share for all periods, as the inclusion of all potential common shares outstanding would be antidilutive.
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Comprehensive Loss
Comprehensive loss is comprised of net loss and adjustments for the unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities. Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) are reflected as a separate component in the consolidated statements of stockholders’ equity.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes by using an asset and liability method of accounting for deferred income taxes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities 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 bases. A valuation allowance is recorded to the extent it is more likely than not that a deferred tax asset will not be realized. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in operations in the period that includes the enactment date.
The Company’s significant deferred tax assets are for net operating loss carryforwards, capitalized research and development costs, tax credits, accruals and reserves, and capitalized start-up costs. The Company has provided a valuation allowance for its entire net deferred tax assets since inception as, due to its history of operating losses, the Company has concluded that it is more likely than not that its deferred tax assets will not be realized.
The Company has no unrecognized tax benefits. The Company classifies interest and penalties arising from the underpayment of income taxes in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss as selling, general and administrative expenses. No such expenses have been recognized during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023.
Warrants

Upon the issuance of warrants to purchase shares of common stock, the Company evaluates the terms of the warrant issue to determine the appropriate accounting and classification of the warrant issue. Warrants for common stock are classified as liabilities when the Company may be required to settle the warrants in cash and classified as equity when the Company will settle the warrants in shares of its common stock.

Segment Information
The Company manages its operations as a single operating segment, focused on discovering, developing and commercializing potential best-in-class medicines for serious and rare diseases. The Company’s Chief Operating Decision Maker (“CODM”) is its Chief Executive Officer. The CODM reviews and evaluates consolidated net loss for purposes of assessing performance, making operating decisions, allocating resources, and planning and forecasting for future periods.
Recently Issued Accounting Standard Updates
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures (“ASU 2023-09”). The guidance in ASU 2023-09 improves the transparency of income tax disclosures by greater disaggregation of information in the rate reconciliation and income taxes paid disaggregated by jurisdiction. The standard is effective for public companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted ASU 2023-09 effective December 31, 2025 and adoption of this ASU did not materially impact the Company’s consolidated financial statements. See Note 15, Income Taxes, for disclosures related to the adoption of ASU 2023-09.
In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU-2024-03, Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income—Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses (“ASU 2024-03”). The guidance in ASU 2024-03 is intended to require more detailed disclosures about specified categories of expenses (including employee compensation, depreciation, and amortization) included in certain expense captions presented on the face of the income statement. ASU 2024-03 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2027. Early adoption is permitted. The amendments may be applied either prospectively to financial statements issued for reporting periods after the effective date of this ASU or retrospectively to all prior periods presented in the financial statements.
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The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of this new guidance on its consolidated financial statements.
Other recent accounting pronouncements issued, but not yet effective, are not expected to be applicable to the Company or have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements upon future adoption.

3. MARKETABLE SECURITIES AND FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Marketable Securities

The Company’s marketable securities consisted of the following as of December 31, 2025 and 2024 (in thousands):

Amortized Cost Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Fair Value
As of December 31, 2025
U.S. agency and treasury securities $ 223,526  $ 254  $ (9) $ 223,771 
Corporate paper and bonds 438,297  241  (39) 438,499 
Total $ 661,823  $ 495  $ (48) $ 662,270 
As of December 31, 2024
U.S. agency and treasury securities $ 286,039  $ 196  $ (320) $ 285,915 
Corporate paper and bonds 331,961  361  (247) 332,075 
Total $ 618,000  $ 557  $ (567) $ 617,990 

As of December 31, 2025, the Company considers the unrealized losses in its investment portfolio to be temporary in nature and not due to credit losses. The Company has the intent and ability to hold such investments until their recovery at fair value. The Company did not have any realized gains or losses in its available for sale securities for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, or 2023. The Company did not have any sales of marketable securities during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, or 2023. The contractual maturity dates of the Company’s investments are all less than 36 months.
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Fair Value Measurements

The following table summarizes the Company’s assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis (in thousands):
Quoted Prices in Active Markets
(Level 1)
Significant Other Observable Inputs
 (Level 2)
Significant Unobservable Inputs
(Level 3)
Total
As of December 31, 2025
Assets:
Cash equivalents:
Money market funds $ 191,308  $ —  $ —  $ 191,308 
Corporate paper and bonds —  14,624  —  14,624 
Marketable securities:
U.S. agency and treasury securities —  223,771  —  223,771 
Corporate paper and bonds —  438,499  —  438,499 
Total cash equivalents and marketable securities $ 191,308  $ 676,894  $ —  $ 868,202 
Liabilities:
Derivative liability $ —  $ —  $ 20,030  $ 20,030 
Total liabilities $ —  $ —  $ 20,030  $ 20,030 
As of December 31, 2024
Assets:
Cash equivalents:
Money market funds $ 96,058  $ —  $ —  $ 96,058 
Marketable securities:
U.S. agency and treasury securities 21,692  264,223  —  285,915 
Corporate paper and bonds —  332,075  —  332,075 
Total cash equivalents and marketable securities $ 117,750  $ 596,298  $ —  $ 714,048 

The fair value of the Company’s Level 1 cash equivalents is based on quoted market prices in active markets with no valuation adjustment. The fair value of the Company’s Level 2 cash equivalents and marketable securities, consisting of securities with original maturities of three months or less and 36 months or less, respectively, are determined through third-party pricing services. The amortized cost of cash equivalents approximates the fair value. There have been no impairments of the Company’s assets measured and carried at fair value during the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024. In addition, there were no changes in valuation techniques or transfers between Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 financial assets during the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024.
For information on the fair value of the derivative liability, see Note 7, Purchase and Sale of the Revenue Participation Right.
The Company believes the terms of its long-term debt, net and liability related to the sale of future revenue, net which were both entered into in October 2025 reflect current market conditions for instruments with similar terms and maturity, therefore the carrying value of the Company's long-term liabilities approximate their fair value based on Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.
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4. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
Property and equipment, net, consisted of the following:
December 31,
2025 2024
(in thousands)
Lab equipment $ 1,257  $ 1,141 
Leasehold improvements 271  254 
Computer hardware and software 150  560 
Furniture and fixtures 766  547 
Property and equipment, gross 2,444  2,502 
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization (1,216) (1,266)
Property and equipment, net $ 1,228  $ 1,236 

During each of the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, depreciation and amortization expense was $0.5 million.
5. ACCRUED LIABILITIES

Accrued liabilities consisted of the following:
December 31,
2025 2024
(in thousands)
Accrued compensation and related benefits $ 19,657  $ 10,638 
Accrued outsourced manufacturing 15,987  19,370 
Accrued milestone payment 10,000  — 
Accrued outsourced clinical and nonclinical studies 8,595  11,585 
Accrued professional fees 3,827  2,323 
Other accrued liabilities 2,442  860 
Operating lease liabilities, short-term 753  513 
Accrued interest payable 385  154 
Deferred revenue, current - related party 367  288 
Total accrued liabilities $ 62,013  $ 45,731 

6. DEBT
Loan and Security Agreement with Hercules Capital, Inc.
In April 2022, the Company entered into a loan and security agreement (the “Hercules Loan and Security Agreement”) among the Company, certain of its subsidiaries from time to time party thereto (together with the Company, collectively, the “Borrower”), Hercules Capital, Inc. (“Hercules”) and certain other lenders named therein (the “Lenders”). Under the Hercules Loan and Security Agreement, the Lenders provided the Borrower with access to a term loan with an aggregate principal amount of up to $75.0 million, in four tranches, including an initial tranche of $25.0 million. Upon signing the Hercules Loan and Security Agreement, the Borrower drew an initial principal amount of $5.0 million. The Borrower was originally obligated to make interest-only payments through April 1, 2024, which was extended to October 1, 2024 upon achievement of a development milestone in August 2022.
In August 2023, the Borrower executed the first amendment to the Hercules Loan and Security Agreement (the “Hercules First Amendment”) to modify certain terms of the agreement, extend the maturity date to October 1, 2026 and increase the aggregate principal amount of up to $150.0 million, in four tranches, consisting of (i) an initial tranche of $50.0 million, $25.0 million of which was available through December 15, 2023 and $25.0 million of which was available from July 1, 2024 through December 15, 2024; (ii) a second tranche of $20.0 million, subject to achievement of certain regulatory milestones, available through February 15, 2025; (iii) a third tranche of $20.0 million, subject to achievement of certain regulatory milestones, which was available through March 31, 2025; and (iv) a fourth tranche of $60.0 million subject to approval by the Lenders’ investment committee(s), which was available through June 15, 2025.
F-19


Upon execution of the Hercules First Amendment, the Borrower drew an additional principal amount of $15.0 million, increasing the cumulative amount drawn to $20.0 million. The obligations of the Borrower under the Hercules First Amendment agreement were secured by substantially all of the assets of the Borrower, excluding the Borrower’s intellectual property.
In October 2025, the Borrower executed a second amendment (the “Hercules Second Amendment”) to its Hercules Loan and Security Agreement. Under the Hercules Second Amendment, the term loan facility was amended to extend the maturity date to October 1, 2030 and provide an aggregate principal amount of up to $300.0 million, consisting of (i) an initial tranche of $100.0 million (“Tranche 1”), comprised of $30.0 million drawn upon execution of the Hercules Second Amendment, increasing the cumulative amount drawn to $50.0 million, $25.0 million (“Tranche 1B”) available through September 15, 2026, and $25.0 million available from the earlier to occur of the expiration or full funding of Tranche 1B through December 15, 2026, (ii) a second tranche of $50.0 million (“Tranche 2”), subject to achievement of certain regulatory milestones, available from (A) the earlier to occur of the full draw of Tranche 1 and December 15, 2025 through (B) the earlier to occur of June 15, 2027 and the date that is 60 days following such achievement of such regulatory milestones (the “Tranche 2 Expiration Date”), (iii) a third tranche of $50.0 million (“Tranche 3”), subject to achievement of certain regulatory milestones, available from (A) the earlier to occur of the full draw of Tranche 2 and the Tranche 2 Expiration Date through (B) the earlier to occur of June 15, 2027 and the date that is 60 days following such achievement of such regulatory milestones (the “Tranche 3 Expiration Date”), (iv) a fourth tranche of $50.0 million, subject to achievement of a certain revenue milestone, available from (A) the earlier to occur of the full draw of Tranche 3 and the Tranche 3 Expiration Date through (B) March 15, 2028, and (v) a fifth tranche of $50.0 million, subject to approval by the Lenders’ investment committee(s), available through October 1, 2030. The milestones for Tranche 2, Tranche 3 and Tranche 4 have not yet been achieved. The obligations of the Borrower under the Hercules Second Amendment are secured by substantially all of the assets of the Borrower.
The amended term loan facility bears interest at a floating per annum rate equal to the greater of 8.95% and 1.45% above the Prime Rate (as defined therein), provided that the interest rate will not exceed a per annum rate of 9.45%. Interest is payable monthly in arrears on the first business day of each month. The interest rate as of December 31, 2025 was 8.95%.
Under the Hercules Second Amendment, the Borrower is obligated to make interest-only payments through October 1, 2029. If certain regulatory milestones are met, then the interest-only period will be extended to October 1, 2030. The Borrower is required to repay the outstanding amount of the term loan facility in equal monthly installments of the principal amount and interest between the end of the interest-only period and the maturity date of October 1, 2030. In addition, the Borrower is required to pay an end-of-term fee equal to 4.25% of the principal amount of funded advances if the term loan facility is repaid on or prior to October 17, 2027 or 6.00% of the principal amount of funded advances at maturity if the term loan facility is repaid after October 17, 2027.
The total cost of all items (cash interest, debt issuance costs and end-of-term fees) is being recognized as interest expense using an effective interest rate of approximately 13.0%. The Company recorded interest expense of $3.1 million, $2.2 million and $1.3 million during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.
The following table summarizes the components of the amended term loan facility, on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets at December 31, 2025 and 2024:

December 31,
2025 2024
(in thousands)
Gross proceeds outstanding $ 50,000  $ 20,000 
Accrued end-of-term fees 400  582 
Unamortized debt issuance costs (460) — 
Carrying value $ 49,940  $ 20,582 

F-20


Future principal payments, which exclude the end-of-term fee as of December 31, 2025 are as follows (in thousands):

Fiscal Year Principal Payments
2026 — 
2027 — 
2028 — 
2029 11,102 
2030 38,898 
Total $ 50,000 

7. PURCHASE AND SALE OF THE REVENUE PARTICIPATION RIGHT
Liability Related to the Sale of Future Revenue
In October 2025, the Company and DRI Healthcare Acquisitions LP (“DRI”) entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement of revenue participation right (the “DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement”), pursuant to which DRI purchased rights to certain revenue streams in the U.S. from the Company in exchange for up to $300.0 million in consideration, including $55.0 million paid at signing and conditional payments consisting of: (i) $25.0 million that is payable following the achievement of certain milestones with respect to the Company’s elegrobart pivotal phase 3 clinical trials, REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2, on or before a specified date; (ii) $75.0 million that is payable following receipt of marketing approval for veligrotug from the FDA on or before a specified date; (iii) $15.0 million that is payable if the events set forth in the foregoing clauses (1) and (2) are met; (iv) $50.0 million that is payable following receipt of marketing approval for elegrobart from the FDA on or before a specified date; (v) at the Company’s election, $50.0 million that is payable following the Company’s achievement of net sales of certain products equal to or exceeding $1.1 billion on or before a specified date; and (vi) an additional $30.0 million that may be payable to the Company at a time and pursuant to financial terms agreed upon by the Company and DRI at such time.
The DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and indemnities of the Company and DRI and customary covenants on the part of the Company, as well as a limit on the amount of incurrence of certain types of indebtedness, which limit automatically terminates a certain period of time following receipt of marketing approval for veligrotug in the U.S. The DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement requires the Company to pay tiered royalties to DRI based on net sales of veligrotug, elegrobart and certain other related products (the “Net Sales Royalties”). The royalties consist of (i) 7.5% of annual U.S. net sales up to and including $600 million, which royalties could increase to low-double digits if marketing approval for elegrobart is not received prior to a specified date, (ii) 0.8% of annual U.S. net sales above $600 million and up to and including $900 million, (iii) 0.25% of annual U.S. net sales above $900 million and up to $2 billion, and (iv) no royalty owed for annual U.S. net sales in excess of $2 billion. The DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement may only be terminated upon repayment by the Company of a certain multiplier of the consideration paid to the Company by DRI (less payments by the Company to DRI to date) on or prior to a certain date or repayment by an acquirer of the Company of a certain multiplier of the consideration paid by DRI to the Company, less payments by the Company to DRI to date, following a change of control of the Company.
The Company determined that the DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement is considered a sale of future revenues and is treated as a financing liability according to ASC 470, Debt, based on the specific facts and circumstances including the Company’s significant continuing involvement in the generation of the cash flows due to DRI. The sale of future revenue liability is accounted for as debt and is recorded at cost. After initial recognition of the debt instrument, the Company will use the effective interest method to account for the amount recorded as debt on its balance sheet. The effective interest rate is the rate that equates the present value of the estimated future cash flows with the carrying amount of the liability related to the sale of future revenue. The estimate of future cash flows includes estimated future Net Sales Royalties to be paid to DRI and the receipt of conditional payments from DRI that were deemed probable of achievement at inception. The interest rate on this financing liability may vary during the term of the agreement depending on a number of factors, including the Company’s net sales forecast and the probability of achieving certain milestones. The Company evaluates the interest rate used to amortize the liability related to the sale of future revenue quarterly based on its expectations of future net sales and current market conditions using the prospective method. A significant increase or decrease in actual or forecasted net sales or changes in expected achievement of certain milestones may materially impact the liability, interest expense, and the time period for repayment. The conditional payments represent loan commitments that are not treated as freestanding financial instruments and qualify for the derivative scope exception under ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, and therefore have not been bifurcated and accounted for separately.
F-21


Upon receipt of the $55.0 million payment from DRI at the close of the DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement, the Company recorded a liability related to the sale of future revenue of $32.4 million, net of the proportionate debt issuance costs allocated to it and the initial fair value of the bifurcated derivative liability. The Company accrued $1.8 million in interest expense during the year ended December 31, 2025. As of December 31, 2025, no payments of Net Sales Royalties to DRI have been made or accrued. As of December 31, 2025, the net carrying amount of the liability related to the sale of future revenue was $34.2 million. The imputed effective annual interest rate for the liability related to the sale of future revenue was 21.2% as of December 31, 2025.
The following table summarizes the activity of the liability related to the sale of future revenue for the year ended December 31, 2025 (in thousands):
Proceeds from the sale of future revenue $ 55,000 
Initial fair value of derivative liability (19,330)
Issuance costs (3,231)
Non-cash interest expense recognized 1,805 
Liability related to the sale of future revenue $ 34,244 
Derivative Liability
In the event of a change of control of the Company at, or prior to, January 1, 2035, the DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement provides the Company an option to repurchase, and DRI an option to require the Company to repurchase, the revenue participation right from DRI (the “Put/Call Option”). Upon exercise of the Put/Call Option by the Company or DRI, the DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement will terminate, and the Company will become obligated to pay the applicable multiplier of the consideration paid to the Company by DRI to date, less the payments of Net Sales Royalties paid to DRI by the Company to date.
The Put/Call Option is an embedded derivative pursuant to ASC 815, Derivatives and Hedging, that must be bifurcated and measured at fair value initially and at each subsequent reporting period. The Company estimated the fair value of the derivative liability using a “with-and-without” method, which involves determining the fair value of the entire financial liability instrument, inclusive of all terms, features, and conditions, and separately determining the fair value of the financial liability instrument excluding the derivative. The difference between the fair value of the entire financial liability instrument including the derivative and the fair value of the financial liability instrument excluding the derivative represents the fair value of the derivative liability.
The estimated probability and timing of a change in control event that triggers the exercisability of the Put/Call Option, the estimated cash flows and the discount rate used are Level 3 significant unobservable inputs used to determine the fair value of the derivative liability. Management concluded the probability of exercise of the Put/Call Option to be remote. The estimated market yield used to measure the fair value of the derivative was 9.3% and 11.5% as of inception and December 31, 2025, respectively. The initial fair value allocated to the derivative liability as of the close of the DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement was $19.3 million. Issuance costs of $1.8 million allocated to the derivative were recorded to expense as a component of other expense, net in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. The derivative liability is subsequently remeasured at fair value each reporting period, with changes in fair value being recorded as a component of other expense, net in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss. As of December 31, 2025, the fair value of the derivative liability was $20.0 million and the Company recognized expense of $0.7 million relating to the change in fair value of the derivative liability from inception to December 31, 2025.
The following table presents the activity of the derivative liability for the year ended December 31, 2025 (in thousands):
Initial fair value of derivative liability $ 19,330 
Change in fair value 700 
Carrying value as of December 31, 2025 $ 20,030 
F-22


8. COLLABORATION AND LICENSE AGREEMENTS
License Agreement with Zenas BioPharma, Inc.
In October 2020, the Company entered into a license agreement with Zenas BioPharma (Cayman) Limited (now Zenas BioPharma, Inc., its successor in interest, “Zenas BioPharma”) to license technology comprising certain materials, patent rights, and know-how to Zenas BioPharma. Subsequently, the Company entered into several letter agreements to assist Zenas BioPharma with its development activities and a manufacturing development and supply agreement to manufacture and supply, or to have manufactured and supplied, clinical drug product for Zenas BioPharma’s development activities. These agreements (collectively, the “Zenas Agreements”) were negotiated with a single commercial objective and are treated as a combined contract for accounting purposes. Under the terms of the Zenas Agreements, the Company granted Zenas BioPharma an exclusive license to develop, manufacture, and commercialize certain IGF-1R directed antibody products for non-oncology indications in the greater area of China.
As consideration for the Zenas Agreements, the transaction price included upfront non-cash consideration and variable consideration in the form of payment for the Company’s goods and services and milestone payments due upon the achievement of specified events. Under the Zenas Agreements, the Company can receive non-refundable milestone payments upon achieving specific milestone events during the contract term. Additionally, the Company may receive royalty payments based on a percentage of the annual net sales of any licensed products sold on a country-by-country basis in the greater area of China throughout the royalty term. The royalty percentage may vary based on different tiers of annual net sales of the licensed products made.
While the Zenas Agreements are in the scope of ASC Topic 808, Collaborative Arrangements, the Company applied ASC 606 to account for certain activities related to the Company’s transfer of a good or service (i.e., a unit of account) that is part of the Company’s ongoing major or central operations. The Company allocated the transaction price based on the relative estimated standalone selling prices of each performance obligation or, in the case of certain variable consideration, to one or more performance obligations. Research and development activities are priced generally at cost. The Company’s license of goods and services to Zenas BioPharma during the contract term was determined to be a single performance obligation satisfied over time. The Company will recognize the transaction price from the license agreement over the Company’s estimated period to complete its activities.
At the inception of the arrangement, the Company evaluated whether the milestones were considered probable of being reached and estimated the amount to be included in the transaction price using the most likely amount method. As it was not probable that a significant revenue reversal would not occur, none of the associated milestone payments were included in the transaction price at contract inception. For the sales-based royalties included in the arrangement, the license was deemed to be the predominant item to which the royalties relate. The Company will recognize royalty revenues at the later of when the related sales occur or when the performance obligation to which some or all of the royalty has been allocated has been satisfied (or partially satisfied).
In January 2024, Zenas BioPharma agreed to support the Company’s THRIVE-2 and STRIVE trials by initiating and managing the studies in China. During the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company recorded $0.4 million and $1.5 million, respectively, in research and development expense related to the Zenas Agreements.
In January 2025, Zenas BioPharma sublicensed their rights under the license agreement to Zai Lab (Hong Kong) Limited (“Zai Lab”) and assigned to them the manufacturing development and supply agreement.
In July 2025, the Company entered into a side agreement with Zai Lab (the “Side Agreement”), with Zenas BioPharma as countersigner, pursuant to which the Company agreed to provide certain services directly to Zai Lab to support development and commercialization activities. Under the Side Agreement, the Company will charge Zai Lab a fixed hourly rate for services, plus reimbursement of out-of-pocket costs. In August 2025, the Company entered into a material transfer agreement (the “MTA”) with Zai Lab, to supply certain materials for clinical trial use in exchange for a fixed payment. The Side Agreement and MTA were evaluated under ASC 606 and determined to be contract modifications to the Zenas Agreements. The services provided under the Side Agreement and materials provided under the MTA to Zai Lab as a sublicensee of Zenas BioPharma are not distinct from those in the Zenas Agreements, as they are integral to the research and development activities enabled by the original license and therefore do not represent a separate performance obligation. As a result, the modifications do not meet the criteria to be accounted for as separate contracts.
During the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, the Company recognized $0.8 million, $0.3 million and $0.3 million, respectively, of collaboration revenue - related party associated with the Zenas Agreements.
F-23


The Zenas Agreements are considered related party transactions because Fairmount Funds Management LLC (“Fairmount”) beneficially owns more than 5% of the Company’s capital stock and a member of Fairmount has a seat on Zenas BioPharma’s board of directors. The Side Agreement and MTA with Zai Lab are also considered related party transactions of the Company because Zenas BioPharma has determined Zai Lab is its related party.
Antibody and Discovery Option Agreement with Paragon Therapeutics, Inc.
In January 2022, the Company and Paragon Therapeutics, Inc. (“Paragon”) entered into an antibody and discovery option agreement (the “Paragon Research Agreement”) under which the Company and Paragon will cooperate to develop one or more proteins or antibodies. Under the terms of the Paragon Research Agreement, Paragon will perform certain development activities in accordance with an agreed upon research plan, and the Company will pay Paragon agreed upon development fees in exchange for Paragon’s commitment of the necessary personnel and resources to perform these activities. The Paragon Research Agreement stipulates a final deliverable to the Company comprising of a report summarizing the experiments and processes performed under the research plan (the “Final Deliverable”).

Additionally, Paragon agreed to grant the Company an option for an exclusive license to all of Paragon’s right, title and interest in and to certain antibody technology and the Final Deliverable, and a non-exclusive license to certain background intellectual property owned by Paragon solely to research, develop, make, use, sell, offer for sale and import of the licensed intellectual property and resulting products worldwide (each, an “Option” and together, the “Options”). Paragon also granted to the Company a limited, exclusive, royalty-free license, without the right to sublicense, to certain antibody technology and the Final Deliverable, and a non-exclusive, royalty-free license without the right to sublicense, under certain background intellectual property owned by Paragon, solely to evaluate the antibody technology and Option and for the purpose of allowing the Company to determine whether to exercise the Option with respect to certain programs. The Company may, at its sole discretion, exercise the Option with respect to specified programs (“Programs”) at any time until the date that is 90 days after the Company’s receipt of the Final Deliverable the applicable program, or such longer period as agreed upon by the parties (“Option Period”) by delivering written notice of such exercise to Paragon. If the Company fails to exercise an Option prior to expiration of the applicable Option Period, such Option for such Programs will terminate.

In October 2023, the Company entered into a License Agreement with Paragon (the “Paragon License Agreement”) as a result of exercising its Option under the Paragon Research Agreement to obtain exclusive licenses to develop, manufacture and commercialize certain antibodies, proteins and associated products.
In September 2024, the Company entered into the Amended and Restated License Agreement with Paragon (the “Amended Paragon License Agreement”) which amended and restated the Paragon License Agreement. In consideration for rights granted by Paragon, the Company is obligated to make certain future milestone payments of up to $16.0 million on a program-by-program basis upon the achievement of specified clinical and regulatory milestones, with total milestone payments under all programs not to exceed $40.0 million. Additionally, if the Company develops a product utilizing certain intellectual property rights granted to it under the Amended Paragon License Agreement, the Company is obligated to pay Paragon potential additional future development milestone payments of up to $3.1 million and commercial milestone payments of up to $17.0 million with respect to such product. If the Company successfully commercializes any product candidate subject to the Amended Paragon License Agreement, it is responsible for royalty payments equal to a percentage in the mid-single digits of such product’s net sales.
During the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, the Company recorded $4.5 million, $14.2 million and $12.0 million, respectively, in research and development costs related to the Paragon Research Agreement and Amended Paragon License Agreement (collectively, the “Paragon Agreements”). As of December 31, 2024, a related party balance with Paragon of $0.8 million is included in prepaid expenses and other current assets on the consolidated balance sheets.
The Paragon Agreements are considered related party transactions because Fairmount beneficially owns more than 5% of the Company’s capital stock and beneficially owns more than 5% of Paragon’s capital stock, which is a joint venture between Fairmount and FairJourney Biologics, has appointed the sole director on Paragon’s board of directors and has the contractual right to approve the appointment of any executive officers.
Collaboration and License Agreement with Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
In July 2025, the Company and Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (“Kissei”) entered into a Collaboration and License Agreement (the “Kissei Agreement”) pursuant to which the Company granted to Kissei an exclusive license to develop and commercialize products containing veligrotug and elegrobart for potential treatments, including treatment of TED, in Japan, and a non-exclusive license to manufacture such licensed products worldwide for use in Japan under certain limited circumstances.
F-24


The transaction price under the Kissei Agreement included a one-time, non-refundable and non-creditable upfront cash payment to the Company of $70.0 million. Additionally, the Company is eligible to receive up to an additional $315.0 million of non-refundable milestone payments upon achieving specific milestone events during the contract term, as well as tiered royalty payments ranging from percentages in the twenties to the mid-thirties based on the annual net sales of any licensed products sold in Japan. Kissei is obligated to make royalty payments to the Company for the royalty term as defined in the Kissei Agreement.
The term of the Kissei Agreement will continue until expiration of the last to expire payment obligations, unless terminated earlier. Kissei has the right to terminate the Kissei Agreement for convenience with written notice of certain periods. The Company may terminate the Kissei Agreement under certain conditions. In addition, either party may terminate the Kissei Agreement for the other party’s material breach or insolvency.
The Company evaluated the Kissei Agreement in accordance with ASC 606 and concluded that the contract counterparty, Kissei, is a customer. The Company evaluated the promised goods and services within the Kissei Agreement and determined which goods and services were separate performance obligations. The Company determined the Kissei Agreement had two performance obligations: granting the exclusive licenses to develop and commercialize veligrotug, and granting the exclusive license to develop and commercialize elegrobart. The performance obligations were satisfied concurrently at a point in time upon the granting of the license rights at contract inception.
At the inception of the arrangement, the Company evaluated whether the milestones were considered probable of being reached and estimated the amount to be included in the transaction price using the most likely amount method. As it was not probable that a significant revenue reversal would not occur, none of the associated milestone payments were included in the transaction price at contract inception. For the sales-based royalties included in the arrangement, the license was deemed to be the predominant item to which the royalties relate. The Company will recognize royalty revenues at the later of when the related sales occur or when the performance obligation to which some or all of the royalty has been allocated has been satisfied. Under the Kissei Agreement, the Company may manufacture and provide clinical supply to Kissei to use in development and commercialization in the licensed territory for consideration, as defined within the Kissei Agreement. Certain of these provisions were determined to be options to acquire additional goods or services at a price that approximates the stand-alone selling price for that good or service and therefore do not represent material rights, or separate performance obligations, within the context of the Kissei Agreement.
During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company recognized license revenue of $70.0 million related to the Kissei Agreement, associated with the upfront cash payment.
License Agreement with ImmunoGen, Inc.
In October 2020, the Company entered into a license agreement (the “ImmunoGen License Agreement”) with Immunogen, Inc. (“ImmunoGen”), under which the Company obtained an exclusive, sublicensable, worldwide license to certain patents and other intellectual property rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize certain products for non-oncology and non-radiopharmaceutical indications. In consideration for rights granted by ImmunoGen, the Company is obligated to make certain future development milestone payments of up to $48.0 million upon the achievement of specified clinical and regulatory milestones. Additionally, if the Company successfully commercializes any product candidate subject to the ImmunoGen License Agreement, it is responsible for royalty payments equal to a percentage in the mid-single digits of net sales and commercial milestone payments of up to $95.0 million. The Company is obligated to make any such royalty payments on a product-by-product and country-by-country basis from the first commercial sale of a specified product in each country until the later of (i) the expiration of the last patent claim subject to the ImmunoGen License Agreement in such country, (ii) the expiration of any applicable regulatory exclusivity obtained for each product in such country, or (iii) the 12th anniversary of the date of the first commercial sale of such product in such country. On February 12, 2024, AbbVie Inc. acquired ImmunoGen. The terms of the ImmunoGen License Agreement did not change as a result of this acquisition.
In December 2025, upon achievement of a development milestone, the Company recorded $10.0 million to research and development expense in the consolidated statement of operations and comprehensive loss. As of December 31, 2025, this amount is included in accrued liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet.
Development and License Agreement with Enable Injections, Inc.
In January 2023, the Company entered into a Development and License Agreement (the “Enable License Agreement”) with Enable Injections, Inc. (“Enable”), under which Enable granted to the Company an exclusive, royalty-bearing, sublicensable, non-transferrable license to develop, commercialize, seek marketing approval for and otherwise use and exploit certain products, and make and have made such product solely for such permitted uses.
F-25


Pursuant to the terms of the Enable License Agreement, the Company granted Enable a non-exclusive, royalty-free, non-sublicensable, non-transferable license. In January 2023, in consideration for the rights granted by Enable, the Company paid Enable an initial, non-creditable, non-refundable license fee of $15.0 million.
The Company is obligated to make certain future milestone payments of up to $45.0 million upon the achievement of specified development, clinical and regulatory milestones. Additionally, if the Company is successful in commercializing any product candidate subject to the Enable License Agreement, the Company is obligated to make certain commercial milestone payments of up to $150.0 million and royalty payments equal to a percentage in the mid-single digits.
Exclusive License and Collaboration Agreement
In May 2023, the Company and a third-party collaborator entered into an Exclusive License and Collaboration Agreement to collaborate and conduct certain IND-enabling activities with respect to the licensed compound and licensed product. Under the terms of the agreement, the Company was granted an exclusive, royalty-bearing, worldwide license to develop, manufacture, and commercialize certain licensed compounds and licensed products in the field (the “License”). In consideration for the rights granted by this agreement, the Company issued 243,902 shares of its common stock to certain stockholders of the third-party. The shares were valued at $5.7 million and recorded as research and development expense during the year ended December 31, 2023. The Company was also obligated to make certain future milestones of up to $55.0 million upon the achievement of certain development milestones. If the Company was successful in commercializing products related to the licensed compound, the Company was also obligated to pay up to $60.0 million upon the achievement of certain sales milestones as well as royalty payments equal to a percentage in the mid-single to double digits. In December 2024, this agreement was terminated and no further financial obligations exist.
9. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Lease Obligations
Waltham, Massachusetts
In October 2020, the Company assumed a multi-year, non-cancelable lease agreement of office space in Waltham, Massachusetts for its corporate headquarters, (as subsequently amended in July 2021, April 2022, July 2022, April 2024, September 2024 and September 2025, the “Massachusetts Lease”). Fixed and in-substance fixed lease payments under the Massachusetts Lease are recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
In April 2024, the Company entered into a fourth amendment of the Massachusetts Lease (the “Fourth Amendment”). The Fourth Amendment makes certain modifications to the Massachusetts Lease, including (i) securing 10,427 square feet of office space in a new building suite (the “New Premises”), (ii) the termination of the 10,956 square feet of leased space under the existing Massachusetts Lease (the “Original Premises”), and (iii) the extension of the expiration date of the leased space to five years from the delivery of the New Premises. The Company is also obligated to pay the landlord certain costs, taxes and operating expenses. Under the Fourth Amendment, the Massachusetts Lease will expire in July 2029. The Company has the option to extend the lease term for an additional period of three years upon notice to the landlord. The option to extend is not included in the lease term assessment as it is not reasonably certain the Company will exercise the option. The Company recorded a new right-of-use asset of $1.6 million and corresponding lease liability of $1.9 million for the New Premises and simultaneously derecognized the right-of-use asset of $1.1 million and corresponding lease liability of $1.2 million for the Original Premises.
In September 2024, the Company entered into a fifth amendment of the Massachusetts Lease (the “Fifth Amendment”) to lease an additional 2,788 square feet of office space in the same building. The Fifth Amendment provides for additional annual base rent of approximately $0.1 million for the additional office space. The Fifth Amendment was treated as a lease modification accounted for as a separate contract and the Company recorded a new right-of-use asset and corresponding lease liability of approximately $0.5 million.
In September 2025, the Company entered into a sixth amendment of the Massachusetts Lease (the “Sixth Amendment”) to lease an additional 5,240 square feet of office space in the same building. The Sixth Amendment provides for additional annual base rent of approximately $0.2 million for the additional office space. The Sixth Amendment was treated as a lease modification accounted for as a separate contract and the Company recorded a new right-of-use asset and corresponding lease liability of approximately $0.7 million.
F-26


Boulder, Colorado
The Company has a multi-year, non-cancelable lease agreement for its Colorado-based office and lab space (the “Colorado Lease”) with a lease maturity date of December 2024.
In September 2024, the Company entered into a new, multi-year lease agreement for its Colorado-based office and lab space (the “New Colorado Lease”). Under ASC 842, the New Colorado Lease was treated as a lease modification representing an extension of the lease term to December 2026 for a reduced portion of the space currently in use under the existing Colorado Lease. As of the effective date, the Company recorded a $0.3 million increase in the right-of-use asset and corresponding lease liability. The remaining space under the Colorado Lease terminated in December 2024. The Company is obligated to pay the landlord certain costs, taxes, and operating expenses. The Company has the option to extend the lease term for an additional period of five years upon notice to the landlord. The option to extend is not included in the lease term as it is not reasonably certain the Company will exercise the option.
Future lease payments under noncancellable leases as of December 31, 2025 are as follows (in thousands):
Year Ending December 31,
2026 $ 965 
2027 836 
2028 854 
2029 504 
Total undiscounted lease liabilities 3,159 
Less: imputed interest (447)
Total discounted lease liabilities $ 2,712 
As of December 31, 2025, the Company’s operating lease obligations were reflected as short-term operating lease liabilities of $0.8 million within accrued liabilities and $1.9 million of long-term lease obligations within other liabilities in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the weighted average remaining lease term was 3.5 years and 4.3 years, respectively, and the weighted average incremental borrowing rate used to determine the operating lease liability was 9.2% and 9.3%, respectively.
Amortization of the operating lease right-of-use assets, and corresponding reduction of operating lease liabilities, amounted to $0.7 million, $0.7 million and $0.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively, which was included in operating expense in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
The Company is also required to pay certain variable operating costs, taxes, and operating expenses related to the leased space, which were $0.1 million, $0.4 million and $0.4 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
10. CAPITAL STOCK
Common Stock
Under the Company’s second restated certificate of incorporation, the Company is authorized to issue 200,000,000 shares of common stock with a par value of $0.01 per share. The number of authorized shares of common stock may be increased or decreased by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the Company’s stock who are entitled to vote. Each share of common stock is entitled to one vote. The holders of common stock are entitled to receive dividends when and as declared or paid by its board of directors.
ATM Agreements
In September 2022, the Company entered into an Open Market Sale AgreementSM (the “September 2022 ATM Agreement”) with Jefferies, pursuant to which the Company may offer and sell shares of its common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $175.0 million from time to time at prices and on terms to be determined by market conditions at the time of offering, with Jefferies acting as its sales agent. Jefferies received a commission of 3.0% of the gross proceeds of any shares of common stock sold under the September 2022 ATM Agreement. During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company sold 245,388 shares under the September 2022 ATM Agreement at a weighted average price of $20.14 per share, for aggregate net proceeds of approximately $4.8 million, including commissions to Jefferies as a sales agent.
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During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company sold 3,058,751 shares under the September 2022 ATM Agreement with Jefferies at a weighted average price of $22.86 per share, for aggregate net proceeds of approximately $67.7 million, including commissions to Jefferies as a sales agent. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company sold 684,298 shares under the September 2022 ATM Agreement with Jefferies at a weighted average price of $22.30 per share, for aggregate net proceeds of approximately $14.8 million, including commissions to Jefferies as a sales agent. The September 2022 ATM Agreement was terminated in March 2025 and no further offerings or sales of common stock will be conducted under the September 2022 ATM Agreement.
In March 2025, the Company entered into an Open Market Sale AgreementSM (the “March 2025 ATM Agreement”) with Jefferies, pursuant to which the Company may offer and sell shares of its common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $300.0 million from time to time at prices and on terms to be determined by market conditions at the time of offering, with Jefferies acting as its sales agent. Jefferies will receive a commission of up to 3.0% of the gross proceeds of any shares of common stock sold under the March 2025 ATM Agreement. During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company sold 1,971,476 shares under the March 2025 ATM Agreement at a weighted average price of $29.52 per share, for aggregate net proceeds of approximately $57.0 million, including commissions to Jefferies as a sales agent.
Public Offerings
In January 2024, the Company entered into an underwriting agreement with Jefferies and Leerink Partners LLC relating to the offer and sale of 7,142,858 shares of the Company’s common stock at a public offering price of $21.00 per share. The aggregate gross proceeds to the Company were approximately $150.0 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses payable by the Company.
In September 2024, the Company entered into an underwriting agreement with Jefferies, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated related to the offer and sale of 12,466,600 shares of the Company’s common stock, which included 1,800,000 shares of common stock issued in connection with the exercise in full by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional shares at a public offering price of $18.75 per share, and 20,000 shares of the Company’s Series B convertible preferred stock at a price per share of $1,250.06 per share. The aggregate gross proceeds to the Company, including the exercise of the option, were approximately $258.8 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses payable by the Company.
In October 2025, the Company entered into an underwriting agreement with Jefferies LLC, Leerink Partners LLC, Evercore Group L.L.C. and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated related to the offer and sale of 13,138,750 shares of the Company’s common stock, which included 1,713,750 shares of common stock issued in connection with the exercise in full by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional shares at a public offering price of $22.00 per share. The aggregate gross proceeds to the Company, including the exercise of the option, were approximately $289.1 million, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses payable by the Company.
Private Placement
In November 2023, the Company issued and sold in private placement transactions an aggregate of 8,869,797 shares of the Company’s common stock at a price per share of $12.38 and 92,312 shares of the Company’s Series B non-voting convertible preferred stock at a price per share of $825.37, pursuant to securities purchase agreements with certain institutional and accredited investors. The Company received aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $186.0 million, before deducting offering expenses payable by the Company.
Convertible Preferred Stock
Under the Company’s second restated certificate of incorporation, the Company’s board of directors has the authority to designate and issue up to 5,000,000 shares of convertible preferred stock, with a par value of $0.01 per share, at its discretion, in one or more classes or series and to fix the powers, preferences and rights, and the qualifications, limitations, or restrictions thereof, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption, and liquidation preferences, without further vote or action by the Company’s stockholders.
Series A Convertible Preferred Stock
Holders of Series A convertible preferred stock are entitled to receive dividends on shares of Series A convertible preferred stock equal, on an as-if-converted-to-common-stock basis, and in the same form as dividends actually paid on shares of the common stock. Except as otherwise required by law, the Series A convertible preferred stock does not have voting rights.
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However, as long as any shares of Series A convertible preferred stock are outstanding, the Company will not, without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of the Series A convertible preferred stock, (i) alter or change adversely the powers, preferences or rights given to the Series A convertible preferred stock, (ii) alter or amend the Certificate of Designation, (iii) amend its certificate of incorporation or other charter documents in any manner that adversely affects any rights of the holders of Series A convertible preferred stock, (iv) increase the number of authorized shares of Series A convertible preferred stock, (v) at any time while at least 30% of the originally issued Series A convertible preferred stock remains issued and outstanding, consummate a Fundamental Transaction (as defined in the Certificate of Designation) or (vi) enter into any agreement with respect to any of the foregoing. The Series A convertible preferred stock does not have a preference upon any liquidation, dissolution, or winding-up of the Company. Each share of Series A convertible preferred stock is convertible into 66.67 shares of common stock at any time at the option of the holder thereof, subject to certain limitations, including that a holder of Series A convertible preferred stock is prohibited from converting shares of Series A convertible preferred stock into shares of common stock if, as a result of such conversion, such holder, together with its affiliates, would beneficially own more than a specified percentage (to be established by the holder between 4.99% and 19.99%) of the total number of shares of common stock issued and outstanding immediately after giving effect to such conversion.
As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, there were 134,864 shares of Series A convertible preferred stock outstanding.
Series B Convertible Preferred Stock
Holders of Series B convertible preferred stock are entitled to receive dividends on shares of Series B convertible preferred stock equal, on an as-if-converted-to-common-stock basis, and in the same form as dividends actually paid on shares of the common stock. Except as otherwise required by law, the Series B convertible preferred stock does not have voting rights. However, as long as any shares of Series B convertible preferred stock are outstanding, the Company will not, without the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the then outstanding shares of the Series B convertible preferred stock, (i) alter or change adversely the powers, preferences or rights given to the Series B convertible preferred stock, (ii) alter or amend the Certificate of Designation, or (iii) amend its certificate of incorporation or other charter documents in any manner that adversely affects any rights of the holders of Series B convertible preferred stock. The Series B convertible preferred stock does not have a preference upon any liquidation, dissolution, or winding-up of the Company.
Each share of Series B convertible preferred stock is convertible into 66.67 shares of common stock, subject to certain limitations, including that a holder of Series B convertible preferred stock is prohibited from converting shares of Series B convertible preferred stock into shares of common stock if, as a result of such conversion, such holder, together with its affiliates, would beneficially own more than a specified percentage (to be established by the holder between 4.99% and 19.99%) of the total number of shares of common stock issued and outstanding immediately after giving effect to such conversion. The powers, preferences, rights, qualifications, limitations, and restrictions applicable to the Series B convertible preferred stock are set forth in the Certificate of Designation filed in September 2021.
As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, there were 79,620 and 145,160 shares of Series B convertible preferred stock outstanding, respectively.

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11. WARRANTS
The following table presents information about the Company’s outstanding warrants:

Number of Underlying Shares (1) Weighted-Average Exercise Price at December 31, 2025 Remaining Contractual Life at December 31, 2025
(years)
December 31,
2025 2024
Liability-classified warrants
Issued April 2017 —  781  $—
Equity-classified warrants
Acquired October 2020 29,446  29,446  $0.15 4.73
Issued February 2020 (2) —  218,050  $—
Subtotal 29,446  247,496  $0.15
Total warrants 29,446  248,277  $0.15
____________________
(1)If the Company subdivides (by any stock split, stock dividend, recapitalization, or otherwise) its outstanding shares of its common stock into a smaller number of shares, the warrant exercise price is proportionately reduced and the number of shares under outstanding warrants is proportionately increased. Additionally, if the Company combines (by combination, reverse stock split, or otherwise) its outstanding shares of common stock into a smaller number of shares, the warrant exercise price is proportionately increased and the number of shares under outstanding warrants is proportionately decreased.
(2)Subject to specified conditions, the Company may voluntarily reduce the warrant exercise price of the warrants issued in February 2020.

A summary of the Company’s warrant activity during the year ended December 31, 2025 is as follows:
Common Stock Warrants
Number Weighted-Average Exercise Price
Outstanding at December 31, 2024 248,277  $14.91
Exercised(1)
(207,492) $16.50
Expired (11,339) $24.18
Outstanding at December 31, 2025 29,446  $0.15
(1)Includes 92,346 warrants that were surrendered in cashless exercises

12. SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION

Equity Incentive Plans

The Company has grants outstanding under its 2008 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2008 Plan”), its amended and restated 2016 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2016 Plan”), and its 2020 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2020 Plan” and collectively with the 2008 Plan and the 2016 Plan, the “Equity Incentive Plans”). Additionally, beginning in July 2021, the Company granted stock options and RSUs outside of its Equity Incentive Plans to certain employees to induce them to accept employment with the Company (the “Inducement Awards”). The terms and conditions of the Inducement Awards are substantially similar to those awards granted under the Company’s Equity Incentive Plans.

In June 2022, the Company’s stockholders approved the amendment and restatement of the 2016 Plan to, among other things, transfer the then remaining number of shares available for issuance under the 2020 Plan into the 2016 Plan so that the Company operates from a single equity plan going forward. In June 2023, the Company’s stockholders approved a further amendment and restatement of the 2016 Plan to, among other things, increase the number of shares reserved for issuance thereunder by 2,000,000 shares. In June 2024, the Company’s stockholders approved a further amendment and restatement of the 2016 Plan to, among other things, increase the number of shares reserved for issuance thereunder by 2,000,000 shares. In June 2025, the Company’s stockholders approved a further amendment and restatement of the 2016 Plan to, among other things, increase the number of shares reserved for issuance thereunder by 8,000,000 shares.
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The 2016 Plan will terminate in April 2035.

As of December 31, 2025, the Company had the following balances by plan:
Restricted Stock Units Outstanding Stock Options Outstanding Shares Available for Issuance
Inducement Awards —  7,751,302  — 
2020 Plan —  51,188  — 
2016 Plan 1,064,375  6,666,137  10,247,537 
        Total 1,064,375  14,468,627  10,247,537 
Restricted Stock Units
RSUs granted under the Equity Incentive Plans and the Inducement Awards generally vest annually over a two or four-year period and are settled in shares of the Company’s common stock.
A summary of RSU activity is as follows:
RSUs Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share
Outstanding at December 31, 2024
314,075  $ 15.51 
Granted 921,478  $ 15.52 
Vested (95,617) $ 15.63 
Forfeited (75,561) $ 15.48 
Outstanding at December 31, 2025
1,064,375  $ 15.51 
Stock Options
Options granted under the Equity Incentive Plans and the Inducement Awards have an exercise price equal to the market value of the common stock at the date of grant and expire 10 years from the date of grant. Options generally vest 25% on the first anniversary of the vesting commencement date and 75% ratably in equal monthly installments over the remaining 36 months or in equal monthly or quarterly amounts over periods of up to 48 months.
A summary of common stock option activity is as follows:
Number of Options Weighted-Average Exercise Price Per Share Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term
(years)
Aggregate Intrinsic Value
(in thousands)
Outstanding as of December 31, 2024 11,348,519  $ 18.11  7.9 $ 37,138 
Granted 6,271,027  16.32 
Exercised (811,970) 14.84 
Forfeited (770,843) 20.51 
Expired (1,568,106) 23.33 
Outstanding as of December 31, 2025 14,468,627  $ 16.82  8.4 $ 209,090 
Exercisable as of December 31, 2025 5,032,644  $ 17.74  7.8 $ 69,057 

F-31


The aggregate intrinsic value of options is calculated as the difference between the exercise price of the stock options and the fair value of the Company’s common stock for those stock options that had exercise prices lower than the fair value of the common stock as of the end of the period. The aggregate intrinsic value of stock options exercised during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 was $8.1 million, $3.7 million and $20.4 million, respectively. The total fair value of options vested during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 was $41.4 million, $39.6 million and $52.1 million, respectively. The tax benefit from the exercise of options eligible for a tax deduction realized during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 was $2.6 million, $1.3 million and $6.9 million, respectively.
Fair Value Assumptions

The Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to estimate the fair value of stock options granted under its equity compensation plans. The Black-Scholes model requires inputs for risk-free interest rate, dividend yield, volatility, and expected terms of the options. Because the Company has a limited history of stock purchase and sale activity, expected volatility is based on a blend of historical data from public companies that are similar to the Company in size and nature of operations, as well as the Company’s own volatility. The Company will continue to use similar entity volatility information until its historical volatility is relevant to measure expected volatility for option grants. The Company accounts for forfeitures as they occur. The risk-free rate for periods within the contractual life of each option is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of the grant for a period commensurate with the expected term of the grant. The expected term (without regard to forfeitures) for options granted represents the period of time that options granted are expected to be outstanding and is derived from the contractual terms of the options granted, and actual and expected option-exercise behaviors. The fair value of the underlying common stock is based on the closing price of the common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market at the date of grant.

The weighted-average grant-date fair value of options granted during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 was $11.01, $11.75 and $16.12, respectively. The fair value was determined by the Black-Scholes option pricing model using the following weighted-average assumptions:
Year Ended
December 31,
2025 2024 2023
Expected term, in years 5.0 5.1 5.6
Expected volatility 83  % 88  % 90  %
Risk-free interest rate 3.9  % 4.3  % 4.3  %
Expected dividend yield —  % —  % —  %
Weighted average exercise price $ 16.32  $ 16.45  $ 21.61 

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

The 2016 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“2016 ESPP”) allows qualified employees to purchase shares of common stock at a price equal to 85% of the lower of the closing price at the beginning of the offering period or the closing price at the end of the offering period. As of December 31, 2025, the Company had no shares available for issuance and 186,982 cumulative shares had been issued under the 2016 ESPP. The 2016 ESPP terminated upon closing of the last offering period in September 2025.

In June 2025, the Company’s stockholders approved the 2025 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“2025 ESPP”) which allows qualified employees to purchase shares of common stock at a price equal to 85% of the lower of the closing price on the first day of the offering period or the closing price on the purchase date. As of December 31, 2025, the Company had 2,000,000 shares available for issuance, and no shares had been issued under the 2025 ESPP.
F-32


Share-Based Compensation Expense

Share-based compensation related to all equity awards issued pursuant to the Equity Incentive Plans, the Inducement Awards and for estimated shares to be issued under the ESPP for the purchase periods active during each respective period is included in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss as follows:
Year Ended
December 31,
2025 2024 2023
(in thousands)
Research and development $ 21,514  $ 22,345  $ 16,220 
Selling, general and administrative 22,789  19,805  50,952 
Total share-based compensation expense $ 44,303  $ 42,150  $ 67,172 

During the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company recorded $1.6 million of incremental share-based compensation related to the acceleration of vesting for former executive officers.
During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company recorded an additional $4.6 million in share-based compensation related to the acceleration of vesting for former executive officers, an amount which includes $0.3 million related to the modification of the terms of options outstanding at the time of termination for one executive which would have otherwise forfeited. The Company also recorded $2.0 million in share-based compensation related to the accounting for a modification of the equity awards to extend the post-termination exercise period of certain vested stock options for a former executive.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company recorded an additional $26.1 million in share-based compensation related to the acceleration of vesting for former executive officers, an amount which includes $1.6 million related to the modification of the terms of options outstanding at the time of termination which would have otherwise forfeited.
As of December 31, 2025, the Company had $101.0 million of total unrecognized share-based compensation costs related to stock options, which the Company expects to recognize over a weighted-average remaining period of 2.7 years. As of December 31, 2025, the Company had $12.2 million of total unrecognized share-based compensation costs related to unvested RSUs, which the Company expects to recognize over a weighted-average remaining period of 2.8 years.
13. RETIREMENT BENEFIT PLAN
The Company has established a 401(k) retirement plan that allows participating employees in the U.S. to contribute as defined by the plan and is subject to limitations under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The Company matches 100% of the first 4% (subject to annual compensation and contribution limits) of employee contributions. During the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, the Company paid a matching contribution of $1.6 million, $1.1 million and $0.7 million, respectively.
14. NET LOSS PER SHARE
The Company computes net loss per share of common stock, Series A convertible preferred stock, and Series B convertible preferred stock using the two-class method required for multiple classes of common stock and other participating securities. The two-class method is an earnings (loss) allocation method under which earnings (loss) per share is calculated for each class of common stock. The Company has determined that the Series A convertible preferred stock and Series B convertible preferred stock do not have preferential rights when compared to the Company's common stock and therefore it must allocate losses to these other classes of stock, as illustrated in the table below.
Basic and diluted net loss per share is computed by dividing the allocated net loss to each share class by the weighted-average number of shares outstanding during the period. For periods in which the Company generated a net loss, the Company does not include potential shares of common stock in diluted net loss per shares when the impact of these items is anti-dilutive. The Company has generated a net loss for all periods presented, therefore diluted net loss per share is the same as basic net loss per share since the inclusion of potential shares of common stock would be anti-dilutive.
The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted net loss per share of common stock, Series A convertible preferred stock, and Series B convertible preferred stock (in thousands, except share and per share amounts):
F-33


Year Ended December 31, 2025
Series A Convertible Preferred Stock Series B Convertible Preferred Stock Common Stock
Numerator:
Allocation of net loss $ (29,892) $ (30,781) $ (281,928)
Denominator:
Weighted-average shares outstanding 134,864  138,875  84,803,355 
Net loss per share, basic and diluted $ (221.65) $ (221.65) $ (3.32)
Year Ended December 31, 2024
Series A Convertible Preferred Stock Series B Convertible Preferred Stock Common Stock
Numerator:
Allocation of net loss $ (31,718) $ (29,671) $ (208,560)
Denominator:
Weighted-average shares outstanding 154,856  144,862  67,885,831 
Net loss per share, basic and diluted $ (204.82) $ (204.82) $ (3.07)
Year Ended December 31, 2023
Series A Convertible Preferred Stock Series B Convertible Preferred Stock Common Stock
Numerator:
Allocation of net loss $ (45,421) $ (17,306) $ (175,007)
Denominator:
Weighted-average shares outstanding 174,226  66,385  44,755,475 
Net loss per share, basic and diluted $ (260.70) $ (260.69) $ (3.91)
There are no potentially dilutive securities to Series A convertible preferred stock or Series B convertible preferred stock. Potentially dilutive securities to the common stock include the following:
December 31,
2025 2024 2023
Series A convertible preferred stock, as converted to shares of common stock 8,991,383  8,991,383  11,495,724 
Series B convertible preferred stock, as converted to shares of common stock 5,308,265  9,677,817  9,568,181 
Options to purchase common stock 14,468,627  11,348,519  11,533,484 
Warrants to purchase common stock 29,446  248,277  249,883 
Restricted stock units 1,064,375  314,075  804,947 
Total 29,862,096  30,580,071  33,652,219 
15. INCOME TAXES
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to reverse.
Since its inception, the Company has incurred net taxable losses, and accordingly, no current provision for income taxes has been recorded. This amount differs from the amount computed by applying the U.S. federal income tax rate of 21% to pretax loss due to the provision of a valuation allowance to the extent of the Company’s net deferred tax asset, as well as to state income taxes and nondeductible expenses.
F-34


For the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company adopted ASU 2023-09 on a prospective basis. The following table is a reconciliation of the U.S. federal statutory rate to the Company’s effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2025, in accordance with the guidance in ASU 2023-09 (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
2025
Federal statutory income tax rate 21.0  % $ (71,946)
Tax credits
Research and development credit 2.8  % (9,483)
Change in valuation allowance (22.3) % 76,449 
Nontaxable or nondeductible items (0.3) % 986 
Other adjustments (1.2) % 3,994 
Effective income tax rate —  % $ — 

The following table is a reconciliation of the U.S. federal statutory rate to the Company’s effective tax rate for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, in accordance with the guidance prior to the prospective adoption of ASU 2023-09:
Year Ended December 31,
2024 2023
Federal statutory income tax rate 21.0  % 21.0  %
Federal and state tax credits 2.2  2.3 
State income taxes, net of federal benefit 5.0  5.4 
Change in valuation allowance (19.5) (27.6)
Other permanent items (3.0) (0.7)
Stock-based compensation (5.7) (0.4)
Effective income tax rate —  % —  %
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The tax effects of temporary differences that give rise to significant portions of the deferred income tax assets and liabilities are presented below:
Year Ended December 31,
2025 2024 2023
(in thousands)
Deferred tax assets:
Net operating loss carryforwards $ 123,892  $ 77,430  $ 67,755 
Tax credits 27,973  15,056  9,231 
Accruals and reserves 3,999  9,069  4,891 
Stock-based expense 11,868  7,706  15,013 
Start-up costs and amortized costs 15,910  12,142  12,750 
IRC § 174 capitalized costs 118,269  86,847  45,979 
Unrealized gains/losses —  176  71 
Sale of future revenues 14,833  —  — 
Operating lease right-of-use asset, net 79  85  44 
Total deferred tax assets 316,823  208,511  155,734 
Valuation allowance (316,823) (208,511) (155,734)
Net deferred tax assets —  —  — 
Deferred tax liabilities:
Total deferred tax liabilities —  —  — 
Total deferred tax assets, net $ —  $ —  $ — 
At December 31, 2025, the Company had approximately $464.1 million of federal net operating loss carryforwards, of which $19.6 million will begin to expire in 2029, and the remainder of which do not expire but are subject to 80% limitation. At December 31, 2025, the Company had approximately $24.5 million of research and experimentation tax carryforwards which will begin to expire in 2040. At December 31, 2025, the Company had approximately $503.4 million and $4.4 million of state net operating loss and research and experimentation tax carryforwards, respectively, which will begin to expire in 2029 and 2039, respectively.
The realization of net operating losses to offset potential future taxable income and related income taxes that would otherwise be due is subject to annual limitations under Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and similar state provisions, which may result in the expiration of additional net operating losses before future utilization as a result of ownership changes. The Company completed a Section 382 analysis through December 31, 2020. As a result, the Company estimated an aggregate limitation on the utilization of net operating loss carryforwards of $59.0 million and approximately $15.3 million of research and development tax credits were derecognized due to the inability of the Company to realize a benefit from those credits in the future. The Company determines on an annual basis whether net operating loss carryforwards will be limited. A Section 382 analysis has been completed through December 31, 2024 and determined that there was an ownership change during 2024 with no material effect on the Company’s tax attributes. The Company will continue to evaluate changes in ownership and the related limitations on a go forward basis.
As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company’s net deferred tax assets before valuation allowance was $316.8 million and $208.5 million, respectively. In assessing the realizability of its deferred tax assets, the Company considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of its deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become deductible. The Company considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, and tax planning strategies in making this assessment. As the Company does not have any historical taxable income or projections of future taxable income over the periods in which the deferred tax assets are deductible, and after consideration of its history of operating losses, the Company does not believe it is more likely than not that it will realize the benefits of its net deferred tax assets, and accordingly, has established a valuation allowance equal to 100% of its net deferred tax assets at December 31, 2025 and 2024. The valuation allowance increased by $108.3 million, $52.8 million and $69.1 million during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively, primarily due to the capitalization of research and development expenses, and the generation of net operating losses and tax credits in all years.
F-36


The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“OBBBA”) was signed into law on July 4, 2025. OBBBA included many provisions such as the permanent extension of certain expiring provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, modification to the international tax framework and the restoration of favorable tax treatment for certain business provisions. The legislation has multiple effective dates, with certain provisions already in effect and others implemented through fiscal year 2027. The Company does not expect the legislation will have a material impact on its effective tax rate.
The Company concluded that there were no significant uncertain tax positions relevant to the jurisdictions where it is required to file income tax returns requiring recognition in the consolidated financial statements for the years ended 2025, 2024 and 2023. As of December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, the Company had no accrued interest related to uncertain tax positions.
The Company files tax returns as prescribed by the tax laws of the jurisdictions in which it operates. In the normal course of business, the Company is subject to tax examinations in these jurisdictions. There are currently no pending tax examinations, and the Company’s tax returns are generally open under statute from 2020 to the present. Tax attributes such as net operating losses and tax credits generated prior to 2020 and utilized in open years may still be adjusted upon examination
16. SEGMENT INFORMATION
The Company manages its operations as one operating segment, focused on discovering, developing and commercializing potential best-in-class medicines for serious and rare diseases. The Company’s CODM is its Chief Executive Officer. The CODM reviews and evaluates consolidated net loss for purposes of assessing performance, making operating decisions, allocating resources, and planning and forecasting for future periods. Operating expenses are used to monitor budget versus actual results. As the Company’s operations comprise of a single reporting segment, the segment assets are reflected on the accompanying consolidated balance sheet as “total assets.” All tangible assets are physically located within the United States. Segment asset information is not used by the CODM to allocate resources.
Significant segment expenses, as provided to the CODM, are presented below:
Year Ended
December 31,
2025 2024 2023
(in thousands)
Segment research and development expense (a) $ 317,216  $ 215,909  $ 143,545 
Segment selling, general and administrative expense (a) 72,265  41,278  44,047 
Share-based compensation expense (see Note 12) 44,303  42,150  67,172 
Total operating expenses 433,784  299,337  254,764 
License revenue (70,000) —  — 
Other items (b)
(21,183) (29,388) (17,030)
Consolidated net loss $ 342,601  $ 269,949  $ 237,734 
(a) Share-based payment expense of $21,514, $22,345, and $16,220 related to research and development and $22,789, $19,805, and $50,952 related to selling, general and administrative have been excluded for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively, and included within share-based compensation expense.
(b) Other items consist primarily of collaboration revenue, interest income, interest expense and depreciation expense.
F-37


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.
    VIRIDIAN THERAPEUTICS, INC.
     
Date: February 26, 2026 By: /s/ Stephen Mahoney
Stephen Mahoney
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)
Date: February 26, 2026   By: /s/ Seth Harmon
      Seth Harmon
      Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer; Principal Accounting Officer)
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Stephen Mahoney and Seth Harmon, and each of them, as his or her attorneys-in-fact, with the power of substitution, for him or her in any and all capacities, to sign any amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact, and each of them, or his substitute or substitutes may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of l934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature Title Date
 
/s/ Stephen Mahoney President, Chief Executive Officer and Director February 26, 2026
Stephen Mahoney (Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Seth Harmon Chief Financial Officer February 26, 2026
Seth Harmon (Principal Financial Officer; Principal Accounting Officer)
/s/ Tomas Kiselak Chairman of the Board February 26, 2026
Tomas Kiselak
/s/ Sarah Gheuens Director February 26, 2026
Sarah Gheuens, M.D., Ph.D.
/s/ Jeff Ajer Director February 26, 2026
Jeff Ajer
/s/ Christopher Cain Director February 26, 2026
Christopher Cain
/s/ Arlene Morris Director February 26, 2026
Arlene Morris
/s/ Jennifer Moses Director February 26, 2026
Jennifer Moses    

EX-10.39 2 ex1039_viridian-herculesx2.htm EX-10.39 Document
Exhibit 10.39
[CERTAIN CONFIDENTIAL PORTIONS OF THIS EXHIBIT HAVE BEEN OMITTED AND REPLACED WITH “[***]”. SUCH IDENTIFIED INFORMATION HAS BEEN EXCLUDED FROM THIS EXHIBIT BECAUSE IT IS (I) NOT MATERIAL AND (II) WOULD LIKELY CAUSE COMPETITIVE HARM TO THE COMPANY IF DISCLOSED.]
SECOND AMENDMENT TO LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT
THIS SECOND AMENDMENT TO LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT (this “Amendment”), dated as of October 17, 2025 (the “Second Amendment Effective Date”), is made among VIRIDIAN THERAPEUTICS, INC., a Delaware corporation, and each of its Qualified Subsidiaries (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Borrower”), the several banks and other financial institutions or entities from time to time parties to this Amendment (collectively, referred to as the “Lenders”) and HERCULES CAPITAL, INC., a Maryland corporation (“Hercules”), in its capacity as administrative agent and collateral agent for itself and Lenders (in such capacity, together with its successors and assigns, the “Agent”).
A.Borrower, Lenders and Agent are parties to that certain Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of April 1, 2022 (the “Existing Agreement”; and the Existing Agreement, as amended by this Amendment and as further amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Agreement”).
B.Borrower, Lenders and Agent desire to modify the terms of the Existing Agreement as set forth in this Amendment.
SECTION 1Definitions; Interpretation.
(a)Terms Defined in Agreement. All capitalized terms used in this Amendment (including in the recitals hereof) and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Agreement.
(b)Rules of Construction. The rules of construction that appear in the last paragraph of Section 1.1 of the Agreement shall be applicable to this Amendment and are incorporated herein by this reference.
SECTION 2Amendments to the Existing Agreement and other Loan Documents.
(a)Upon satisfaction (or waiver) of the conditions set forth in Section 3 hereof, (A) the Existing Agreement is hereby amended as follows:
(i)Exhibit A attached hereto sets forth a clean copy of the Agreement (including, to the extent included in such Exhibit A, each Schedule or Exhibit to the Agreement) as amended hereby;
(ii)In Exhibit B hereto, deletions of the text in the Existing Agreement (including, to the extent included in such Exhibit B, each Schedule or Exhibit to the Existing Agreement) are indicated by , and insertions of text are indicated by bold, double-underlined text.
(b)References Within Existing Agreement. Each reference in the Existing Agreement to “this Agreement” and the words “hereof,” “herein,” “hereunder,” or words of like import, shall mean and be a reference to the Existing Agreement as amended by this Amendment. This Amendment shall be a Loan Document.





SECTION 3Conditions of Effectiveness. The effectiveness of Section 2 of this Amendment shall be subject to the satisfaction (or waiver) of each of the following conditions precedent:
(a)Agent’s receipt of:
(i)this Amendment, executed by Agent, Lenders and Borrower;
(ii)at least one (1) Business Day before the Second Amendment Effective Date, an Advance Request for the Tranche 1 Advance as required by Section 2.2(c) of the Agreement, duly executed by an officer of Borrower;
(iii)a duly executed certificate of an officer of Borrower certifying and attaching copies of (A) the certificate of formation, certified as of a recent date by the jurisdiction of organization of Borrower and as in effect as of the Second Amendment Effective Date or certifying that there has been no change since the certificate of formation previously delivered to Agent; (B) the bylaws, operating agreement or similar governing document of Borrower, as in effect as of the Second Amendment Effective Date or certifying that there has been no change since the bylaws previously delivered to Agent; (C) resolutions of Borrower’s Board evidencing approval of this Amendment, as such resolutions remain in full force and effect as of the Second Amendment Effective Date; and (D) a schedule setting forth the name, title and specimen signature of officers or other authorized signers on behalf of Borrower or certifying that there has been no change since such schedule previously delivered to Agent;
(iv)a certificate of good standing for Borrower from its jurisdiction of organization;
(v)a certificate of good standing for Borrower from its state of incorporation and similar certificates from all other jurisdictions in which it does business and where the failure to be qualified could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Change;
(vi)a legal opinion of Borrower’s counsel, dated as of the Second Amendment Effective Date, in form and substance acceptable to Agent; and
(vii)a duly executed updated Perfection Certificate and each exhibit and addendum thereto; and
(viii)a duly executed Intellectual Property Security Agreement with respect to Registered Intellectual Property Collateral (as defined in the Agreement), executed by Borrower in favor of Agent;
(ix)reasonably satisfactory results of recent Intellectual Property searches of the Borrower, as Agent may request;
(x)reasonably satisfactory results of recent lien searches and financing statement searches of the Borrower, as Agent may request, accompanied by written evidence (including any UCC termination statements) that the Liens indicated in such financing statements or search results that do not constitute Permitted Liens, will be terminated or released;
(b)Borrower shall have delivered duly executed Permitted Royalty Transaction documents and the [***];
(c)Borrower shall have paid to the Agent on behalf of the Lenders the Tranche 1 Facility Charge in the amount of[***], which may be deducted from the Tranche 1 Advance;
(d)Borrower shall have paid a commitment charge equal to [***] payable to the Agent on behalf of the Lenders on the date hereof, which may be deducted from the Tranche 1 Advance;
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(e)Borrower shall have paid, in each case, to the extent invoiced at least one (1) Business Day prior to the Second Amendment Effective Date, (i) all invoiced reasonable out-of-pocket costs and expenses then due in accordance with Section 5(e), and (ii) all other invoiced reasonable out-of-pocket fees, costs and expenses, if any, due and payable as of the Second Amendment Effective Date under the Agreement; and
(f)On the Second Amendment Effective Date, after giving effect to the amendment of the Existing Agreement contemplated hereby:
(i)The representations and warranties contained in Section 4 shall be true and correct in all material respects on and as of the Second Amendment Effective Date as though made on and as of such date, except to the extent such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date (in which case such representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date); provided, however, that such materiality qualifier shall not be applicable to any representations and warranties that already are qualified or modified by materiality in the text thereof;;
(ii)There exist no Events of Default or events that with the passage of time would result in an Event of Default.
SECTION 4Representations and Warranties. To induce Agent and Lenders to enter into this Amendment, Borrower hereby confirms, as of the date hereof, (a) that the representations and warranties made by it in Section 5 of the Agreement and in the other Loan Documents are true and correct in all material respects; provided, however, that such materiality qualifier shall not be applicable to any representations and warranties that already are qualified or modified by materiality in the text thereof; provided, further, that to the extent such representations and warranties by their terms expressly relate only to a prior date such representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all material respects as of such prior date, and that no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing; (b) that there does not exist a Material Adverse Effect; (c) the agreements and obligations of Borrower contained in the Loan Documents and in this Amendment constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of Borrower, enforceable against Borrower in accordance with their respective terms, except as the enforceability thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar laws of general application affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights or by the application of general principles of equity; and (d) the execution, delivery and performance of this Amendment by Borrower will not violate any law, rule, regulation, order, material contractual obligation or organizational document of Borrower, and will not result in, or require, the creation or imposition of any lien, claim or encumbrance of any kind on any of its properties or revenues, other than Permitted Liens. For the purposes of this Section 4, each reference in Section 5 of the Agreement to “this Agreement,” and the words “hereof,” “herein,” “hereunder,” or words of like import in such Section, shall mean and be a reference to the Agreement as amended by this Amendment.
SECTION 5Miscellaneous.
(a)Loan Documents Otherwise Not Affected; Reaffirmation; Grant of Security Interest; No Novation.
(i)Except as expressly amended pursuant hereto or referenced herein, the Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall remain unchanged and in full force and effect and are hereby ratified and confirmed in all respects. The Lenders’ and Agent’s execution and delivery of, or acceptance of, this Amendment shall not be deemed to create a course of dealing or otherwise create any express or implied duty by any of them to provide any other or further amendments, consents or waivers in the future.
3



(ii)Borrower hereby expressly (1) reaffirms, ratifies and confirms its Secured Obligations under the Agreement and the other Loan Documents, (2) reaffirms, ratifies and confirms the grant of security under Section 3.1 of the Agreement, Section 2 of the Pledge Agreement and Section 1 of the Intellectual Property Security Agreement, in each case, as such agreements may be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, (3) reaffirms that such grant of security in the Collateral secures all Secured Obligations under the Agreement, including without limitation any Term Loans funded on or after the Second Amendment Effective Date, as of the date hereof, and with effect from (and including) the Second Amendment Effective Date, such grant of security in the Collateral: (x) remains in full force and effect; and (y) secures all Secured Obligations under the Agreement, as amended by this Amendment, and the other Loan Documents, (4) agrees that this Amendment shall be a “Loan Document” under the Agreement and (5) agrees that the Agreement and each other Loan Document shall remain in full force and effect following any action contemplated in connection herewith after giving effect to this Amendment.
(iii)As security for the prompt and complete payment when due (whether on the payment dates or otherwise) of all the Secured Obligations, Borrower grants to Agent a security interest in all of such Borrower’s right, title, and interest in, to and under all Collateral, whether now owned or hereafter acquired.
(iv)This Amendment is not a novation and the terms and conditions of this Amendment shall be in addition to and supplemental to all terms and conditions set forth in the Loan Documents. Nothing in this Amendment is intended, or shall be construed, to constitute an accord and satisfaction of Borrower’s Secured Obligations under or in connection with the Agreement and any other Loan Document or to modify, affect or impair the perfection or continuity of Agent’s security interest in, (on behalf of itself and the Lenders) security titles to or other liens on any Collateral for the Secured Obligations.
(b)Conditions. For purposes of determining compliance with the conditions specified in Section 3, each Lender that has signed this Amendment shall be deemed to have consented to, approved or accepted or to be satisfied with, each document or other matter required thereunder to be consented to or approved by or acceptable or satisfactory to a Lender unless Agent shall have received notice from such Lender prior to the Second Amendment Effective Date specifying its objection thereto.
(c)Release. In consideration of the agreements of Agent and each Lender contained herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, Borrower, on behalf of itself and its successors, assigns, and other legal representatives, hereby fully, absolutely, unconditionally and irrevocably releases, remises and forever discharges Agent and each Lender, and its successors and assigns, and its present and former shareholders, affiliates, subsidiaries, divisions, predecessors, directors, officers, attorneys, employees, agents and other representatives (Agent, Lenders and all such other persons being hereinafter referred to collectively as the “Releasees” and individually as a “Releasee”), of and from all demands, actions, causes of action, suits, covenants, contracts, controversies, agreements, promises, sums of money, accounts, bills, reckonings, damages and any and all other claims, counterclaims, defenses, rights of set-off, demands and liabilities whatsoever of every name and nature, known or unknown, suspected or unsuspected, both at law and in equity, which Borrower, or any of its successors, assigns, or other legal representatives may now or hereafter own, hold, have or claim to have against the Releasees or any of them for, upon, or by reason of any circumstance, action, cause or thing whatsoever which arises at any time on or prior to the day and date of this Amendment, including, without limitation, for or on account of, or in relation to, or in any way in connection with the Agreement, or any of the other Loan Documents or transactions thereunder or related thereto. Borrower understands, acknowledges and agrees that the release set forth above may be pleaded as a full and complete defense and may be used as a basis for an injunction against any action, suit or other proceeding which may be instituted, prosecuted or attempted in breach of the provisions of such release. Borrower agrees that no fact, event, circumstance, evidence or transaction which could now be asserted or which may hereafter be discovered shall affect in any manner the final, absolute and unconditional nature of the release set forth above. Borrower waives the provisions of California Civil Code Section 1542, which states:
4



(d)A GENERAL RELEASE DOES NOT EXTEND TO CLAIMS THAT THE CREDITOR OR RELEASING PARTY DOES NOT KNOW OR SUSPECT TO EXIST IN HIS OR HER FAVOR AT THE TIME OF EXECUTING THE RELEASE AND THAT, IF KNOWN BY HIM OR HER, WOULD HAVE MATERIALLY AFFECTED HIS OR HER SETTLEMENT WITH THE DEBTOR OR RELEASED PARTY.
The provisions of this section shall survive payment in full of the Secured Obligations, full performance of all the terms of this Amendment and the other Loan Documents.
(e)No Reliance. Borrower hereby acknowledges and confirms to Agent and Lenders that Borrower is executing this Amendment on the basis of its own investigation and for its own reasons without reliance upon any agreement, representation, understanding or communication by or on behalf of any other Person.
(f)Costs and Expenses. Borrower agrees to pay to Agent on the date hereof, the reasonable and documented out-of-pocket costs and expenses of Agent and Lenders party hereto, and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to Agent and Lenders party hereto (including allocated costs of internal counsel), in connection with the negotiation, preparation, execution and delivery of this Amendment and any other documents to be delivered in connection herewith on the date hereof, in each case, in the amounts set forth in the applicable funds flow.
(g)Binding Effect. This Amendment binds and is for the benefit of the successors and permitted assigns of each party.
(h)GOVERNING LAW. THIS AMENDMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS HAVE BEEN NEGOTIATED AND DELIVERED TO AGENT AND LENDERS IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AND SHALL HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED BY AGENT AND LENDERS IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. PAYMENT TO AGENT AND LENDERS BY BORROWER OF THE SECURED OBLIGATIONS IS DUE IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. THIS AMENDMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS (OTHER THAN THE WARRANT) SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED AND ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, EXCLUDING CONFLICT OF LAWS PRINCIPLES THAT WOULD CAUSE THE APPLICATION OF LAWS OF ANY OTHER JURISDICTION.
(i)Complete Agreement; Amendments. This Amendment and the Loan Documents represent the entire agreement about this subject matter and supersede prior negotiations or agreements with respect to such subject matter. All prior agreements, understandings, representations, warranties, and negotiations between the parties about the subject matter of this Amendment and the Loan Documents merge into this Amendment and the Loan Documents.
(j)Severability of Provisions. Each provision of this Amendment is severable from every other provision in determining the enforceability of any provision.
(k)Counterparts. This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts and by different parties on separate counterparts, each of which, when executed and delivered, is an original, and all taken together, constitute one Amendment. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Amendment by facsimile, portable document format (.pdf) or other electronic transmission will be as effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart hereof.
(l)Loan Documents. This Amendment and the documents related hereto shall constitute Loan Documents.
5



(m)Electronic Execution of Certain Other Documents. The words “execution,” “execute”, “signed,” “signature,” and words of like import in or related to any document to be signed in connection with this Amendment and the transactions contemplated hereby (including without limitation assignments, assumptions, amendments, waivers and consents) shall be deemed to include electronic signatures, the electronic matching of assignment terms and contract formations on electronic platforms approved by the Agent, 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 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 California Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act.
SECTION 6[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

6



IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have duly executed this Amendment, as of the date first above written.

BORROWER:
VIRIDIAN THERAPEUTICS, INC.

Signature: /s/ Seth Harmon
Name: Seth Harmon
Title: Chief Financial Officer


[SIGNATURES CONTINUE ON THE NEXT PAGE]




[Signature Page to Second Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement]



AGENT:
HERCULES CAPITAL, INC.
Signature: /s/ Seth Meyer
Name: Seth Meyer
Title: Chief Financial Officer
LENDERS:
HERCULES CAPITAL, INC.

Signature: /s/ Seth Meyer
Name: Seth Meyer
Title: Chief Financial Officer
HERCULES [***]
By: Hercules [***]
Signature: /s/ Seth Meyer
Name: Seth Meyer
Title: Authorized Signatory
HERCULES [***]
By: Hercules [***]
Signature: /s/ Seth Meyer
Name: Seth Meyer
Title: Authorized Signatory

[Signature Page to Second Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement]



HERCULES [***]
By: Hercules [***], its Investment Adviser

Signature: /s/ Seth Meyer
Name: Seth Meyer
Title: Authorized Signatory

HERCULES [***]
By: Hercules [***],
its General Partner

Signature: /s/ Seth Meyer
Name: Seth Meyer
Title: Authorized Signatory

HERCULES [***]
By: Hercules [***],
its General Partner

Signature: /s/ Seth Meyer
Name: Seth Meyer
Title: Authorized Signatory

[Signature Page to Second Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement]




EXHIBIT A
(See Attached)







EXHIBIT B
(See Attached)




Conformed through Second Amendment
LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT
THIS LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT is made and dated as of April 1, 2022 and is entered into by and among VIRIDIAN THERAPEUTICS, INC., a Delaware corporation, and each of its Qualified Subsidiaries (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Borrower”), the several banks and other financial institutions or entities from time to time parties to this Agreement (collectively, referred to as the “Lenders”) and HERCULES CAPITAL, INC., a Maryland corporation, in its capacity as administrative agent and collateral agent for itself and the Lenders (in such capacity, the “Agent”).
RECITALS
A.    Borrower has requested the Lenders make available to Borrower loans in an aggregate principal amount of up to OneThree Hundred FiftyMillion Dollars ($150,000,000300,000,000) (the “Term Loan”); and
B.    The Lenders are willing to make the Term Loan on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
AGREEMENT
NOW, THEREFORE, Borrower, Agent and the Lenders agree as follows:
SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS AND RULES OF CONSTRUCTION
1.1Unless otherwise defined herein, the following capitalized terms shall have the following meanings:
“Account Control Agreement(s)” means any agreement entered into by and among the Agent, Borrower and a third party bank or other institution (including a Securities Intermediary) in which Borrower maintains a Deposit Account or an account holding Investment Property and which perfects Agent’s first priority security interest in the subject account or accounts.
“ACH Authorization” means the ACH Debit Authorization Agreement in substantially the form of Exhibit H, which account numbers shall be redacted for security purposes if and when filed publicly by the Borrower.
“Acquisition” means any transaction or series of related transactions for the purpose of or resulting, directly or indirectly, in (a) the acquisition 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, consolidation or similar transaction with such other Person, or otherwise causing any Person to become a Subsidiary of Borrower, or (c) the acquisition of, or the right to use, develop or sell (in each case, including through licensing), any product, product line or material Trademarks and other Intellectual Property of or from any other Person.
“Advance(s)” means a Term Loan Advance.
“Advance Date” means the funding date of any Advance.
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“Advance Request” means a request for an Advance submitted by Borrower to Agent in substantially the form of Exhibit A, which account numbers shall be redacted for security purposes if and when filed publicly by the Borrower.
““Affiliate” means (a) any Person that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with the Person in question, (b) any Person directly or indirectly owning, controlling or holding with power to vote [***] or more of the outstanding voting securities of another Person, or (c) any Person [***] or more of whose outstanding voting securities are directly or indirectly owned, controlled or held by another Person with power to vote such securities. As used in the definition of “Affiliate,” the term “control” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a Person, whether through ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.
“Agreement” means this Loan and Security Agreement, as amended from time to time.
“Amortization Date” means October 1, 2029; provided however, if the April2025October; provided further, if each of the Interest Only Extension II Conditions and the Interest Only Extension III Conditions are satisfied, then April 1, 2026[***] has occurred, then the Term Loan Maturity Date.
“Anti-Corruption Laws” means all laws, rules, and regulations of any jurisdiction applicable to Borrower or any of its Affiliates from time to time concerning or relating to bribery or corruption, including without limitation the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, the UK Bribery Act 2010 and other similar legislation in any other jurisdictions.
“Anti-Terrorism Laws” means any laws, rules, regulations or orders 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 administered by OFAC.
[***]
“BLA” means a biologics license application, submitted to the FDA pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 262 and 21 C.F.R. Part 601, and all supplements and amendments thereto.
[***]
“Blocked Person” means: (a) any Person listed in the annex to, or is otherwise subject to the provisions of, Executive Order No. 13224, (b) a Person 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) a Person with which any Lender is prohibited from dealing or otherwise engaging in any transaction by any Anti Terrorism Law, (d) a Person that commits, threatens or conspires to commit or supports “terrorism” as defined in Executive Order No. 13224, or (e) a Person that is named a “specially designated national” or “blocked person” on the most current list published by OFAC or other similar list.
“Borrower Products” means all products, software, service offerings, technical data or technology currently being designed, manufactured or sold by Borrower or which Borrower intends to sell, license, or distribute in the future including any products or service offerings under development, collectively, together with all products, software, service offerings, technical data or technology that have been sold, licensed or distributed by Borrower since its incorporation.
1



“Borrower’s Books” means Borrower’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ books and records including ledgers, federal, state, local and foreign tax returns, records regarding Borrower’s or its Subsidiaries’ assets or liabilities, the Collateral, business operations or financial condition, and all computer programs or storage or any equipment containing such information.
“Business Day” means any day other than Saturday, Sunday and any other day on which banking institutions in the State of California are closed for business.
“Cash” means all cash, cash equivalents and liquid funds, in each case, excluding any Digital Assets.
“CFC” means a “controlled foreign corporation” within the meaning of section 957(a) of the Code.
“Change in Control” means any reorganization, recapitalization, consolidation or merger (or similar transaction or series of related transactions) of Borrower, sale or exchange of outstanding shares (or similar transaction or series of related transactions) of Borrower in which the holders (or their controlled investment affiliates) of Borrower’s outstanding shares immediately before consummation of such transaction or series of related transactions do not, immediately after consummation of such transaction or series of related transactions, retain shares representing more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting power of the surviving entity of such transaction or series of related transactions (or the parent of such surviving entity if such surviving entity is wholly owned by such parent), in each case without regard to whether Borrower is the surviving entity.
“Closing Date” means the date of this Agreement.
“Closing Date Facility Charge” means [***], which is payablewas paid to the Lenders on the Closing Date in accordance with Section 4.1(f).
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
“Contingent Obligation” means, as applied to any Person, any direct or indirect liability, contingent or otherwise, of that Person with respect to (i) any Indebtedness, lease, dividend, letter of credit or other obligation of another, including any such obligation directly or indirectly guaranteed, endorsed, co-made or discounted or sold with recourse by that Person, or in respect of which that Person is otherwise directly or indirectly liable; (ii) any obligations with respect to undrawn letters of credit, corporate credit cards or merchant services issued for the account of that Person; and (iii) all obligations arising under any interest rate, currency or commodity swap agreement, interest rate cap agreement, interest rate collar agreement, or other agreement or arrangement designated to protect a Person against fluctuation in interest rates, currency exchange rates or commodity prices; provided, however, that the term “Contingent Obligation” shall not include endorsements for collection or deposit in the ordinary course of business. The amount of any Contingent Obligation shall be deemed to be an amount equal to the stated or determined amount of the primary obligation in respect of which such Contingent Obligation is made or, if not stated or determinable, the maximum reasonably anticipated liability in respect thereof as determined by such Person in good faith; provided, however, that such amount shall not in any event exceed the maximum amount of the obligations under the guarantee or other support arrangement.
2



Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Permitted Bond Hedge Transaction or Permitted Warrant Transaction will be considered a Contingent Obligation.
“Copyright License” means any written agreement granting any right to use any Copyright or Copyright registration, now owned or hereafter acquired by Borrower or in which Borrower now holds or hereafter acquires any interest.
“Copyrights” means all copyrights, whether registered or unregistered, held pursuant to the laws of the United States of America, any State thereof, or of any other country.
“Deposit Accounts” means any “deposit accounts,” as such term is defined in the UCC, and includes any checking account, savings account, or certificate of deposit.
“Digital Assets” means all cryptocurrencies, virtual currencies, coins, tokens and other digital assets.
“Domestic Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary organized under the laws of the United States of America, any State thereof, the District of Columbia, or any other jurisdiction within the United States of America.
“Due Diligence Fee” means $20,000, which fee has been paid to the Lenders prior to the Closing Date, and shall be deemed fully earned on such date regardless of the early termination of this Agreement.
“Equity Interests” means, with respect to any Person, the capital stock, partnership or limited liability company interest, or other equity securities or equity ownership interests of such Person.
“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
“FDA” means the United States Food and Drug Administration, or any successor thereto.
“FDCA” means the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, 21 U.S.C. § 301 et seq., as amended from time to time, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Excluded Accounts” means (i) any Deposit Account that is used solely as a payroll, payroll tax and other employee wage or benefit payment account which, in the case of any such other employee wage or benefit payment account, are exclusively used for funds for 401(k), pension funds or tax withholdings for the employees of Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, or the funds in which consist solely of funds held in trust for any director, officer or employee of such Borrower or Subsidiary or any employee benefit plan maintained by such Borrower or Subsidiary or funds representing deferred compensation for the directors and employees of such Borrower or Subsidiary, (ii) escrow accounts, Deposit Accounts, custodian accounts and trust accounts, in each case holding assets that are pledged or otherwise encumbered pursuant to clauses (vi), (xiii) and (xvii) of the definition of Permitted Liens (but, in each case, only to the extent required to be excluded pursuant to the underlying documents entered into in connection with such Permitted Liens in the ordinary course of business), (iii) zero balance accounts, and (iv) any Deposit Account with a balance less than [***]; provided, that the aggregate balance of all such Deposit Accounts excluded pursuant to this clause (iv) shall at no time exceed [***].
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“Excluded Subsidiary” means (a) the MSC Subsidiary; and (b) each of Borrower’s Subsidiaries that is a Foreign Subsidiary, FSHCO or a Domestic Subsidiary of a Foreign Subsidiary that is a CFC; provided that any Excluded Subsidiary not in compliance with Section 7.18 shall be deemed a “Qualified Subsidiary”.
“Financial Milestone II” means satisfaction of each of the following events: (a) no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing; and (b) Borrower has raised at least in unrestricted (including, not subject to any redemption, clawback, escrow or similar encumbrance or restriction) net cash proceeds from one or more bona fide equity financings and/or upfront proceeds from business development transactions not prohibited under this Agreement, in each case after the First Amendment Effective Date and prior to December 31, 2024, subject to verification by Agent (including supporting documentation reasonably requested by Agent).
“First Amendment Effective Date” means August 7, 2023.
“Foreign Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary other than a Domestic Subsidiary.
“FSHCO” shall mean any Subsidiary substantially all of the assets of which (directly or through one or more disregarded entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes) consist of Indebtedness and/or Equity Interests (including, for this purpose, any debt or other instrument treated as equity for U.S. federal income tax purposes) of one or more Foreign Subsidiaries that are CFCs or other FSHCOs.
“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, as in effect from time to time.
“Healthcare Laws” means all health care laws applicable to Borrower or any Subsidiary and to the ownership, testing, development, sale, marketing, manufacture, packaging, processing, use, distribution, storage, import, export or disposal of Borrower’s or any Subsidiary’s products or product candidates, including but not limited to, the FDCA, the Anti-Kickback Statute (42 U.S.C. Section 1320a-7b(b)), the Civil Monetary Penalties Law (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7a), the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7h), the Civil False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. Section 3729 et seq.), the criminal False Claims Law (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(a)), all criminal laws relating to health care fraud and abuse, including but not limited to 18 U.S.C. §§ 286, 287, 1035, 1347, 1349and the health care fraud criminal provisions under HIPAA (42 U.S.C. Section 1320d et seq.), the exclusion laws (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7), HIPAA and similar state and foreign privacy and data security laws such as the European Union General Data Protection Regulation, Medicare (Title XVIII of the Social Security Act), Medicaid (Title XIX of the Social Security Act), any other health care law governing a government healthcare program and any and all other comparable state, local, federal or foreign health care laws and the regulations promulgated pursuant to such laws, each as amended from time to time.
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“HIPAA” means the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. § 1320d et seq.) as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (42 U.S.C. § 17921 et seq.), and all regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Indebtedness” means (a) all indebtedness for borrowed money or the deferred purchase price of property or services (excluding trade credit entered into in the ordinary course of business), including reimbursement and other obligations with respect to surety bonds and letters of credit, (b) all obligations evidenced by notes, bonds, debentures or similar instruments, (c) all capital lease obligations, (d) equity securities of any Person subject to repurchase or redemption other than at the sole option of such Person, (e) “earnouts”, purchase price adjustments, profit sharing arrangements, deferred purchase money amounts and similar payment obligations or continuing obligations of any nature arising out of purchase and sale contracts, (f) obligations arising under bonus, deferred compensation, incentive compensation or similar arrangements (other than those arising in the ordinary course of business), (g) non-contingent obligations to reimburse any bank or Person in respect of amounts paid under a letter of credit, banker’s acceptance or similar instrument, and (h) all Contingent Obligations. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no obligation with respect to the Permitted Royalty Agreement and no Permitted Bond Hedge Transaction or Permitted Warrant Transaction will be considered Indebtedness.
“Insolvency Proceeding” means any proceeding by or against any Person under the United States Bankruptcy Code, or any other bankruptcy or insolvency law, including assignments for the benefit of creditors, compositions, extensions generally with its creditors, or proceedings seeking reorganization, arrangement, or other similar relief.
“Intellectual Property” means all of Borrower’s Copyrights; Trademarks; Patents; Licenses; trade secrets and inventions; mask works; Borrower’s applications therefor and reissues, extensions, or renewals thereof; and Borrower’s goodwill associated with any of the foregoing, together with Borrower’s rights to sue for past, present and future infringement of Intellectual Property and the goodwill associated therewith.
“Intellectual Property Security Agreement” means the Intellectual Property Security Agreement dated as of the Second Amendment Closing Date between Borrower and Agent, as the same may from time to time be amended, restated, modified or otherwise supplemented.
(b) the occurrence of the First Amendment Effective Date.
“Interest Only Extension II Conditions” shall mean satisfaction of each of the following events: (a) no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing; and (b)II
IIIIII; II
“Investment” means (a) any beneficial ownership (including stock, partnership, limited liability company interests, or other securities) of or in any Person, (b) any loan, advance, capital contribution to any Person, (c) any Acquisition or (d) other transfers on behalf of or in connection with any equity ownership or similar transfers.
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“IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.
“Joinder Agreements” means for each Qualified Subsidiary, a completed and executed Joinder Agreement in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit F.
“License” means any Copyright License, Patent License, Trademark License or other license of rights or interests.
“Lien” means any mortgage, deed of trust, pledge, hypothecation, assignment for security, security interest, encumbrance, levy, lien or charge of any kind, whether voluntarily incurred or arising by operation of law or otherwise, against any property, any conditional sale or other title retention agreement, and any lease in the nature of a security interest.
[***].
“Loan” means the Advances made under this Agreement.
“Loan Documents” means this Agreement, the promissory notes (if any), the ACH Authorization, the Account Control Agreements, the Joinder Agreements, all UCC Financing Statements, the Pledge Agreement, the Intellectual Property Security Agreement, and any other documents executed in connection with the Secured Obligations or the transactions contemplated hereby, as the same may from time to time be amended, modified, supplemented or restated.
“Market Capitalization” means, as of any date of determination, the product of (a) the number of outstanding shares of common stock publicly disclosed in the most recent filing of Borrower with the United States Securities Exchange Commission as outstanding as of such date of determination and (b) the closing price of Borrower’s common stock (as quoted on Bloomberg L.P.’s page or any successor page thereto of Bloomberg L.P. or if such page is not available, any other commercially available source).
“Material Adverse Effect” means a material adverse effect upon: (i) the business, operations, properties, assets or financial condition of Borrower and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole; or (ii) the ability of Borrower to perform or pay the Secured Obligations in accordance with the terms of the Loan Documents, or the ability of Agent or the Lenders to enforce any of its rights or remedies with respect to the Secured Obligations; or (iii) the Collateral or Agent’s Liens on the Collateral or the priority of such Liens.
“Maximum Term Loan Amount” means OneThree Hundred FiftyMillion Dollars and No/100 Dollars ($150,000,000300,000,000).
“MSC Investment Conditions” means that Borrower maintains Qualified Cash in an amount equal to or greater than the lesser of (i) 120% of the aggregate outstanding Secured Obligations (inclusive of any Prepayment Charge and End of Term Charge that would be due and owing if the outstanding Loans were prepaid at the time of measurement) or (ii) 100% of the consolidated Cash of Borrower and its Subsidiaries unless compliance with the foregoing conditions are waived in writing from time to time by Agent with respect to specified periods, in Agent’s sole discretion.
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“MSC Subsidiary” means Viridian Securities Corporation, a wholly-owned Subsidiary incorporated in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the purpose of holding Investments as a Massachusetts security corporation under 830 CMR 63.38B.1 of the Massachusetts tax code and applicable regulations (as the same may be amended, modified or replaced from time to time).
“Net Product Revenue” means, as of any period of determination, product revenue (determined in accordance with GAAP) with respect to sale of veligrotug and/or VRDN-003, in each case (i) determined in a manner consistent with the financial statements delivered to Agent on or prior to the Second Amendment Effective Date and (ii) excluding any (A) one-time milestone payment or upfront payments or similar non-recurring payments (including collaboration fees) and (B) payments received by Borrower in connection with the Permitted Royalty Agreement.
“Non-Disclosure Agreement” means that certain Non-Disclosure Agreement by and between Borrower and Agent dated as of April 16, 2021.
“OFAC” is the U.S. Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control.
“OFAC Lists” are, 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.
“Patent License” means any written agreement granting any right with respect to any invention on which a Patent is in existence or a Patent application is pending, in which agreement Borrower now holds or hereafter acquires any interest.
“Patents” means all letters patent of, or rights corresponding thereto, in the United States of America or in any other country, all registrations and recordings thereof, and all applications for letters patent of, or rights corresponding thereto, in the United States of America or any other country.
“Performance Milestone II” means .
III
“Permits” means all certifications, registrations, licenses, permits, franchises, approvals, clearances, exemptions, authorizations or consents of any Governmental Entity, necessary for or used in the conduct or operation Borrower’s or any Subsidiary’s business.
“Permitted Acquisition” means any Acquisition which is conducted in accordance with the following requirements:
(i)of a business or Person or product engaged in a line of business similar, related or complementary to that of the Borrower or its Subsidiaries;
(ii)if such Acquisition is structured as a stock acquisition, then the Person so acquired shall become a wholly-owned Subsidiary of Borrower or of a Subsidiary and the Borrower shall, if such Subsidiary is a Qualified Subsidiary, comply, or cause such Subsidiary to comply, with 7.13 hereof;
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(iii)if such Acquisition is structured as the acquisition or exclusive in-licensing of any product, product line or Intellectual Property constituting the core asset(s) of a product or product line, such product, product line or Intellectual Property shall be acquired by Borrower, and shall be free and clear of Liens other than Permitted Liens;
(iv)the Borrower shall have delivered to the Agent not less than ten (10) nor more than thirty (30) days prior to the date of such Acquisition, notice of such Acquisition together with pro forma projected financial information (to the extent available or applicable), copies of then-current drafts of all material documents relating to such acquisition, and historical financial statements (to the extent available or applicable) for such acquired entity, division or line of business, in each case in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Agent, and, if the covenant set forth in Section 7.20 is not waived pursuant to the terms thereof, demonstrating compliance with such covenant on a pro forma basis immediately prior to and immediately after the consummation of such transaction;
(v)both immediately before and immediately after such Acquisition no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing; and
(vi)the cash consideration for the purchase price of such proposed new Acquisitions, when taken together with all consideration paid in respect of performance-based earnouts, milestones and other similar deferred purchase price consideration as and when paid, in each case by the Borrower with respect thereto, and including the amount of Permitted Indebtedness assumed or to which such assets, businesses or business or ownership interest or shares, or any Person so acquired, remain subject (excluding Indebtedness comprised of performance-based milestones, earnouts, or royalties that qualify as Permitted Indebtedness pursuant to clause (xiv) of the definition thereof and have not been paid) may not exceed [***]; provided, for the avoidance of doubt, that the remainder of such purchase price may be paid in Equity Interests of the Borrower or the net cash proceeds of any substantially concurrent offering of Equity Interests of the Borrower.
“Permitted Bond Hedge Transaction” means any call or capped call option (or substantively equivalent derivative transaction) relating to the common stock (or other securities or property following a merger event or other change of the common stock) purchased by Borrower in connection with the issuance of any Permitted Convertible Indebtedness and as may be amended in accordance with its terms; provided that (x) the net purchase price of any such call option transaction less the amount received by Borrower in respect of any Permitted Warrant Transaction in connection with such issuance of Permitted Convertible Indebtedness shall not exceed [***] of the gross proceeds to Borrower from such issuance of Permitted Convertible Indebtedness and (y) the terms, conditions and covenants of each such call option transaction are customary for agreements of such type, as determined in good faith by Borrower’s Board of Directors.
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“Permitted Convertible Indebtedness” means Indebtedness that is either (i) convertible into a fixed number (subject to customary anti-dilution adjustments, “make-whole” increases and other customary changes thereto) of shares of common stock of the Borrower (and cash in lieu of fractional shares) (or other securities or property following a merger event or other change of the common stock of the Borrower), 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) or (ii) sold as units with call options, warrants or rights to purchase (or substantially equivalent derivative transactions) that are exercisable for shares of common stock of the Borrower (and cash in lieu of fractional shares) (or other securities or property following a merger event or other change of the common stock of the Borrower), 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); provided that such Indebtedness shall (a) not require any scheduled amortization or, mandatory repurchase, redemption, or otherwise require payment of principal prior to, or have a scheduled maturity date, earlier than, one hundred eighty (180) days after the Term Loan Maturity Date (it being understood that neither (x) any offer to purchase such Indebtedness as a result of “change of control”, “fundamental change” or any comparable term under and as defined in any indenture governing any Permitted Convertible Indebtedness, (y) any early conversion of such Indebtedness in accordance with the terms thereof, nor (z) any redemption of such Indebtedness upon satisfaction of a condition related to the stock price of the Borrower’s common stock, in each case, shall violate the restriction of this clause (a)); (b) be either (i) unsecured or (ii) secured on a junior lien basis to the Secured Obligations and be subject to a Subordination Agreement, (c) contain terms and conditions related to, among others, event of default, covenants, principal and interest payment, conversion, redemption and fundamental changes customary for Indebtedness of such type, as determined in good faith by Borrower’s Board of Directorspublic market convertible indebtedness (pursuant to a public offering or an offering under Rule 144A or Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended); (d) not be guaranteed by any entity; (e) shall be Indebtedness of the Borrower and not any Subsidiary thereof; and (f) the aggregate principal amount of such Permitted Convertible Indebtedness at any time outstanding shall not exceed [***].
“Permitted Indebtedness” means:
(i)Indebtedness of Borrower in favor of the Lenders or Agent arising under this Agreement or any other Loan Document;
(ii)Indebtedness existing on the Second Amendment Effective Date which is disclosed in Schedule 1A;
(iii)Indebtedness of up to [***] outstanding at any time secured by a Lien described in clause (vii) of the defined term “Permitted Liens”, provided such Indebtedness does not exceed the cost of the Equipment financed with such Indebtedness;
(iv)Indebtedness to trade creditors incurred in the ordinary course of business, including such Indebtedness incurred in the ordinary course of business in connection with corporate credit cards, merchant cards, purchase cards, debit cards and cash management services in an amount not to exceed [***] at any time outstanding;
(v)Indebtedness that also constitutes a Permitted Investment;
(vi)reimbursement obligations in connection with letters of credit that are secured by Cash and issued on behalf of the Borrower or a Subsidiary thereof in an amount not to exceed [***] at any time outstanding;
(vii)other unsecured Indebtedness in an amount not to exceed [***] at any time outstanding;
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(viii)intercompany Indebtedness as long as each of the obligor and the obligee under such Indebtedness is the Borrower or a Subsidiary that has executed a Joinder Agreement;
(ix)extensions, refinancings and renewals of any items of Permitted Indebtedness, provided that the principal amount is not increased (except by an amount equal to the existing unutilized commitments thereunder, accrued but unpaid interest thereon and a reasonable premium paid, and fees and expenses reasonably incurred in connection with such extensions, refinancings and renewals) or the terms modified to impose materially more burdensome terms upon Borrower or its Subsidiary, as the case may be;
(x)financing of insurance premiums in the ordinary course of business;
(xi)advances or deposits received in the ordinary course of business from customers or vendors;
(xii)Subordinated Indebtedness;
(xiii)Indebtedness assumed in connection with any Permitted Acquisition (provided that such Indebtedness is not incurred in contemplation of such Permitted Acquisition);
(xiv)Indebtedness consisting of obligations under deferred or contingent consideration arrangements (solely, without duplication, performance-based earn-outs, milestone payments, royalties and other contingent or deferred obligations as long as such obligations are not evidenced by any “seller notes” or similar Indebtedness, in each case in connection with Permitted Acquisitions);
(xv)Permitted Convertible Indebtedness; and
(xvi)Indebtedness with respect to performance bonds, appeal bonds and other similar obligations, in an aggregate amount not to exceed [***] at any time outstanding; and
(xvii)Indebtedness under the Permitted Royalty Agreement as in effect on the Second Amendment Effective Date.
“Permitted Investment” means:
(i)Investments existing on the Second Amendment Effective Date which are disclosed in Schedule 1B;
(ii)(a) marketable direct obligations issued or unconditionally guaranteed by the United States of America or any agency or any State thereof maturing within one year from the date of acquisition thereof currently having a rating of at least A-2 or P-2 from either Standard & Poor’s Corporation or Moody’s Investors Services, (b) commercial paper maturing no more than one year from the date of creation thereof and currently having a rating of at least A-2 or P-2 from either Standard & Poor’s Corporation or Moody’s Investors Service, (c) certificates of deposit issued by any bank with assets of at least [***] maturing no more than one year from the date of investment therein, and (d) money market accounts;
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(iii)repurchases of stock from former employees, directors, or consultants of Borrower under the terms of applicable repurchase agreements at the original issuance price of such securities in an aggregate amount not to exceed [***] in any fiscal year, provided that no Event of Default has occurred, is continuing or would exist after giving effect to the repurchases;
(iv)Investments accepted in connection with Permitted Transfers;
(v)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 Borrower’s business;
(vi)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 that this subparagraph (vi) shall not apply to Investments of Borrower in any Subsidiary;
(vii)Investments consisting of loans not involving the net transfer on a substantially contemporaneous basis of cash proceeds to employees, officers or directors relating to the purchase of capital stock of Borrower pursuant to employee stock purchase plans or other similar agreements approved by Borrower’s Board of Directors;
(viii)Investments consisting of travel advances in the ordinary course of business;
(ix)Investments in newly-formed Qualified Subsidiaries, provided that each such Qualified Subsidiary enters into a Joinder Agreement promptly after its formation by Borrower and execute such other documents as shall be reasonably requested by Agent;
(x)Investments between or among Borrower and any Qualified Subsidiaries that have entered into Joinder Agreement(s);
(xi)Investments in Foreign Subsidiaries not to exceed [***] in the aggregate outstanding;
(xii)joint ventures in the ordinary course of Borrower’s business, provided that any cash Investments by Borrower do not exceed [***] in the aggregate in any fiscal year;
(xiii)Investments in the MSC Subsidiary, so long as an Event of Default does not exist at the time of such Investment and would not exist after giving effect to such Investment and provided that Borrower is, at all times, in compliance with the MSC Investment Conditions;
(xiv)additional Investments that do not exceed [***] in the aggregate outstanding;
(xv)Permitted Acquisitions;
(xvi)Investments assumed in connection Permitted Acquisitions (provided that such Investments are not assumed in contemplation of such Permitted Acquisition);
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(xvii)Investments in connection with, and performance of obligations under (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the entry into, payment of any premium with respect to, and the settlement of), any Permitted Bond Hedge Transactions or any Permitted Warrant Transactions, in each case in accordance with its terms; and
(xviii)other transfers on behalf of or in connection with any equity ownership or similar transfers, in each case, to the extent constituting Investments or distributions permitted pursuant to Section 7.7.
“Permitted Liens” means:
(i)Liens in favor of Agent or the Lenders;
(ii)Liens existing on the Second Amendment Effective Date which are disclosed in Schedule 1C;
(iii)Liens for taxes, fees, assessments or other governmental charges or levies, either not yet due or being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted; provided, that Borrower maintains adequate reserves therefor on Borrower’s Books in accordance with GAAP;
(iv)Liens securing claims or demands of materialmen, artisans, mechanics, carriers, warehousemen, landlords and other like Persons arising in the ordinary course of Borrower’s business and imposed without action of such parties; provided, that the payment thereof is not yet required;
(v)Liens arising from judgments, decrees or attachments in circumstances which do not constitute an Event of Default hereunder;
(vi)the following deposits, to the extent made in the ordinary course of business: deposits under worker’s compensation, unemployment insurance, social security and other similar laws, or to secure the performance of bids, tenders or contracts (other than for the repayment of borrowed money) or to secure indemnity, performance or other similar bonds for the performance of bids, tenders or contracts (other than for the repayment of borrowed money) or to secure statutory obligations (other than Liens arising under ERISA or environmental Liens) or surety or appeal bonds, or to secure indemnity, performance or other similar bonds;
(vii)Liens on Equipment or software or other intellectual property constituting purchase money Liens and Liens in connection with capital leases securing Indebtedness permitted in clause (iii) of “Permitted Indebtedness”;
(viii)leasehold interests in leases or subleases and licenses granted in the ordinary course of business and not interfering in any material respect with the business of the licensor;
(ix)Liens in favor of customs and revenue authorities arising as a matter of law to secure payment of custom duties that are promptly paid on or before the date they become due;
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(x)Liens on insurance proceeds securing the payment of financed insurance premiums that are promptly paid on or before the date they become due (provided that such Liens extend only to such insurance proceeds and not to any other property or assets);
(xi)statutory and common law rights of set-off and other similar rights as to deposits of cash and securities in favor of banks, other depository institutions and brokerage firms;
(xii)easements, zoning restrictions, rights-of-way and similar encumbrances on real property imposed by law or arising in the ordinary course of business so long as they do not materially impair the value or marketability of the related property;
(xiii)(A) Liens on Cash securing obligations permitted under clauses (iv) and (vi) of the definition of Permitted Indebtedness and (B) security deposits in connection with real property leases, the combination of (A) and (B) in an aggregate amount not to exceed [***] at any time;
(xiv)additional Liens not otherwise permitted hereunder in an aggregate amount not to exceed [***] at any time; provided that such liens be limited to specific assets and not all assets or substantially all assets of any Borrower;
(xv)Liens in favor of financial institutions arising in connection with Borrower’s deposit and/or securities accounts held at such institutions, provided that (i) such accounts are permitted by this Agreement and (ii) Agent has a first-priority perfected security interest in the amounts held in such deposit and/or securities accounts (other than Excluded Accounts);
(xvi)Liens incurred in connection with sales, transfers, licenses, sublicenses, leases, subleases or other dispositions of assets in the ordinary course of business and permitted by Section 7.8 and, in connection therewith, customary rights and restrictions contained in agreements relating to such transactions pending the completion thereof or during the term thereof, and any option or other agreement to sell, transfer, license, sublicense, lease, sublease or dispose of an asset permitted by Section 7.8;
(xvii)good faith deposits required in connection with any Permitted Acquisition;
(i)Liens (x) consisting of [***]; and
(ii) Liens securing Permitted Convertible Indebtedness, so long as it is subject to a Subordination Agreement; and
(xviii)Liens incurred in connection with the extension, renewal or refinancing of the Indebtedness secured by Liens of the type described in clauses (i) through (xxi) above; provided, that any extension, renewal or replacement Lien shall be limited to the property encumbered by the existing Lien and the principal amount of the Indebtedness being extended, renewed or refinanced (as may have been reduced by any payment thereon) does not increase (except by an amount equal to the existing unutilized commitments thereunder, accrued but unpaid interest thereon and a reasonable premium paid, and fees and expenses reasonably incurred in connection with such extension, refinancing or renewal).
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“Permitted Royalty Agreement” means that certain royalty or revenue interest sale transaction by and among Borrower and DRI Healthcare Acquisitions LP, a Delaware limited partnership, pursuant to that certain Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated as of the Second Amendment Effective Date, as the same may be amended, restated, amended and restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time.
“Permitted Transfers” means:
(i)sales, transfers or other dispositions of Inventory in the ordinary course of business;
(ii)licenses and similar arrangements for the use of Intellectual Property in the ordinary course of business that could not result in a legal transfer of title of the licensed property that may be exclusive in respects other than territory or may be exclusive as to territory but only as to discreet geographical areas outside of the United States of America in the ordinary course of business;
(iii)dispositions of worn-out, obsolete or surplus Equipment at fair market value in the ordinary course of business;
(iv)transfers expressly permitted under Sections 7.5, 7.6 or 7.7;
(v)the use of cash and cash equivalents not prohibited by the Loan Documents (it being understood and agreed that the provisions of Section 7.8 shall not restrict the use of cash and cash equivalents to the extent such use of cash and cash equivalents is not otherwise prohibited by any other provisions of any Loan Document);
(vi)retirements of abandoned or expired Intellectual Property not material to Borrower’s business;
(i)dispositions of non-core assets acquired in connection with a Permitted Acquisition or other Permitted Investment;
(ii)    other Transfers of assets having a fair market value of not more than [***] in the aggregate in any fiscal year;
(iii)Transfers of the Revenue Participation Right (as defined in the Permitted Royalty Agreement as in effect on the Second Amendment Effective Date); and
(iv)the issuance or sale of equity interests of Borrower, subject to compliance with the terms hereof, including, without limitation, Sections 7.4, 7.7, and 7.11.
“Permitted Warrant Transactions” means any call option, warrant or right to purchase (or substantively equivalent derivative transaction) relating to common stock (or other securities or property following a merger event or other change of the common stock) and/or cash (in an amount determined by reference to the price of such common stock) sold by Borrower substantially concurrently with any purchase by Borrower of a related Permitted Bond Hedge Transaction and as may be amended in accordance with its terms; provided that the terms, conditions and covenants of each such call option transaction are customary for agreements of such type, as determined in good faith by Borrower’s Board of Directors.
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“Person” means any individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, joint venture, trust, unincorporated organization, association, corporation, limited liability company, institution, other entity or government.
“Pledge Agreement” means the Pledge Agreement dated as of the Closing Date between Borrower and Agent, as the same may from time to time be amended, restated, modified or otherwise supplemented.
“Prior Term Loan” means the [***] in original principal term loans advanced to Borrower on or after the Closing Date and prior to the Second Amendment Effective Date.
“Qualified Cash” means the amount of Borrower’s Cash held in accounts subject to an Account Control Agreement in favor of Agent.
“Qualified Cash A/P Amount” means the amount of Borrower’s accounts payable under GAAP not paid after the 120th day following the invoice for such account payable.
“Qualified Subsidiary” means any direct or indirect Subsidiary other than an Excluded Subsidiary.
“Receivables” means (i) all of Borrower’s Accounts, Instruments, Documents, Chattel Paper, Supporting Obligations, letters of credit, proceeds of any letter of credit, and Letter of Credit Rights, and (ii) all customer lists, software, and business records related thereto.
“Redemption Conditions” means, with respect to any payment of principal by Borrower of any Permitted Convertible Indebtedness, satisfaction of each of the following events: (a) at the time of such payment, no fact or condition exists or results therefrom that could (or could, with the passage of time, the giving of notice, or both) constitute an Event of Default, and (b) both immediately before and at all times after such payment, Borrower’s Qualified Cash shall be not less than [***] of the outstanding Secured Obligations.
“Register” has the meaning specified in Section 11.7.
“Required Lenders” means at any time, the holders of more than 50% of the sum of the aggregate unpaid principal amount of the Term Loans then outstanding.
“Restricted License” means any material License or other agreement with respect to which Borrower is the licensee (a) that prohibits or otherwise restricts Borrower from granting a security interest in Borrower’s interest in such License or agreement or any other property or (b) for which a default under or termination of could reasonably be expected to interfere with the Agent’s right to sell any Collateral.
“Revenue Milestone” means satisfaction of all of the following events: Borrower has reported [***] of at least [***] as shown on the most recent financial statements of Borrower delivered pursuant to Section 7.1(a) together with the Compliance Certificate delivered pursuant to Section 7.1(d) (it being understood and agreed that, solely for purposes of determining whether the Revenue Milestone has been achieved in accordance with this definition, the Borrower may deliver monthly financial statements, and a corresponding Compliance Certificate, with respect to any month of the Borrower, including, for the avoidance of doubt any month that coincides with a quarter-end), subject to verification by Agent (including supporting documentation reasonably requested by Agent).
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“Sanctioned Country” means, at any time, a country or territory which is the subject or target of any Sanctions.
“Sanctioned Person” means, at any time, (a) any Person listed in any Sanctions-related list of designated Persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the U.S. Department of State, or by the United Nations Security Council, the European Union or any EU member state, (b) any Person operating, organized or resident in a Sanctioned Country or (c) any Person controlled by any such Person.
“Sanctions” means economic or financial sanctions or trade embargoes imposed, administered or enforced from time to time by (a) the U.S. government, including those administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury or the U.S. Department of State, or (b) the United Nations Security Council, the European Union or Her Majesty’s Treasury of the United Kingdom.
“Second Amendment Effective Date” means October 17, 2025.
“Second Amendment” means that certain Second Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement dated as of the Second Amendment Effective Date, among the Borrower, Agent and the Lenders.
“Secured Obligations” means Borrower’s obligations under this Agreement and any Loan Document, including any obligation to pay any amount now owing or later arising.
“Subordinated Indebtedness” means Indebtedness subordinated to the Secured Obligations on terms and conditions satisfactory to the Agent in its sole discretion and subject to a subordination agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Agent in its sole discretion. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Permitted Convertible Indebtedness will be considered Subordinated Indebtedness.
“Subordination Agreement” means a subordination agreement in favor of Agent in form and substance satisfactory to Agent in its sole discretion.
“Subsequent Financing” means the closing of any Borrower equity financing which becomes effective after the Closing Date and results in aggregate net proceeds to Borrower of at least [***].
“Subsidiary” means an entity, whether a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture or otherwise, in which Borrower owns or controls, either directly or indirectly, 50% or more of the outstanding voting securities, including each entity listed on Schedule 1 hereto.
“[***]”
“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.
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“Term Commitment” means as to any Lender, the obligation of such Lender, if any, to make a Term Loan Advance to the Borrower in a principal amount not to exceed the amount set forth under the heading “Term Commitment” opposite such Lender’s name on Schedule 1.1.
“Term Loan Advance” means each Tranche 1 Advance, Tranche 2 Advance, Tranche 3 Advance, Tranche 4 Advance, Tranche 5 Advance and any other Term Loan funds advanced under this Agreement.
“Term Loan Interest Rate” means for any day a per annum rate of interest equal to the greater of either (i) the prime rate as reported in The Wall Street Journal plus 1.45%; and (ii) %; provided that the Term Loan Interest Rate shall not exceed a per annum rate of 9.45%.
“Term Loan Maturity Date” means October 1, 2030; provided that if such day is not a Business Day, the Term Loan Maturity Date shall be the immediately preceding Business Day.
“Trademark License” means any written agreement granting any right to use any Trademark or Trademark registration, now owned or hereafter acquired by Borrower or in which Borrower now holds or hereafter acquires any interest.
“Trademarks” means all trademarks (registered, common law or otherwise) and any applications in connection therewith, including registrations, recordings and applications in the United States Patent and Trademark Office or in any similar office or agency of the United States of America, any State thereof or any other country or any political subdivision thereof.
“Tranche 1 Facility Charge” means [***], which is payable to the Lenders in accordance with Section 3(c) of the Second Amendment.
“Tranche 1A Commitment” means as to any Lender, the obligation of such Lender, if any, to make a Term Loan Advance to Borrower in a principal amount not to exceed the amount set forth under the heading “Tranche 1A Commitment” opposite such Lender’s name on Schedule 1.1.
1A
[***]
“Tranche 1B Commitment” means as to any Lender, the obligation of such Lender, if any, to make a Term Loan Advance to Borrower in a principal amount not to exceed the amount set forth under the heading “Tranche 1B Commitment” opposite such Lender’s name on Schedule 1.1.
“Tranche 1B Draw Period” means the period beginning on the FirstSecond Amendment Effective Date and continuing through the earlier of (a) December 15, 2023 and (b) the occurrence of an Event of Default that continuesSeptember 15, 2026.
“Tranche 1C Commitment” means as to any Lender, the obligation of such Lender, if any, to make a Term Loan Advance to Borrower in a principal amount not to exceed the amount set forth under the heading “Tranche 1C Commitment” opposite such Lender’s name on Schedule 1.1.
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“Tranche 1C Draw Period” means the period beginning on July 1, 2024the earlier to occur of (i) the expiration of the Tranche 1B Commitment or (ii) the funding of Tranche 1B Term Loan Advances in the full amount of the Tranche 1B Commitment, and continuing through the earlier of (a) December 15, 2024 and (b) the occurrence of an Event of Default that continues2026.
“Tranche 2 Commitment” means as to any Lender, the obligation of such Lender, if any, to make a Term Loan Advance to Borrower in a principal amount not to exceed the amount set forth under the heading “Tranche 2 Commitment” opposite such Lender’s name on Schedule 1.1.
“Tranche 2 Draw Period” means the period beginning on the occurrence of both (i) achievement of [***] II and (ii) either the expiration of the Tranche 1C1 Commitment or the funding of Tranche 1C1 Term Loan Advances in the full amount of the Tranche 1C1 Commitment, and continuing through the earlier of (a) FebruaryJune 15, 20252027 and (b) the date that is 60 days after the date of achievement of the [***].
“Tranche 2 Facility Charge[***] Percentage” means [***].

“Tranche 3 Commitment” means as to any Lender, the obligation of such Lender, if any, to make a Term Loan Advance to Borrower in a principal amount not to exceed the amount set forth under the heading “Tranche 3 Commitment” opposite such Lender’s name on Schedule 1.1.
“Tranche 3 Draw Period” means the period beginning on the occurrence of both (i) achievement of Tranche 3 Milestone III and (ii) either the expiration of orthe Tranche 2 Commitment or the funding of Tranche 2 Term Loan Advances in the full amount of the Tranche 2 Commitment and continuing through the earlier of (a) 312025June 15, 2027 and (b) the date that is 60 days after the achievement of the Tranche 3 Milestone.
“Tranche 3 Facility Charge[***]f Percentage” means [***].
“Tranche 3 Facility Charge Percentage” means 0.50%Milestone” means the occurrence of the achievement of all of the following events: (a) the [***] and (b) the [***].
“Tranche 4 Commitment” means as to any Lender, the obligation of such Lender, if any, to make a Term Loan Advance to Borrower in a principal amount not to exceed the amount set forth under the heading “Tranche 4 Commitment” opposite such Lender’s name on Schedule 1.1.
“Tranche 4 Draw Period” means the period beginning on the occurrence of both (i) achievement of Revenue Milestone and (ii) expiration of or funding of Tranche 3 Term Loan Advances in the full amount of the Tranche 3 Commitment and continuing through March 15, 2028.
“Tranche 4 Facility Charge[***]g Percentage” means [***].
“Tranche 5 Commitment” means as to any Lender, the obligation of such Lender, if any, to make a Term Loan Advance to Borrower in a principal amount not to exceed the amount set forth under the heading “Tranche 5 Commitment” opposite such Lender’s name on Schedule 1.1.
“Tranche 45 Facility Charge Percentage” means [***].
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“UCC” means the Uniform Commercial Code as the same is, from time to time, in effect in the State of California; provided, that in the event that, by reason of mandatory provisions of law, any or all of the attachment, perfection or priority of, or remedies with respect to, Agent’s Lien on any Collateral is governed by the Uniform Commercial Code as the same is, from time to time, in effect in a jurisdiction other than the State of California, then the term “UCC” shall mean the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect, from time to time, in such other jurisdiction solely for purposes of the provisions thereof relating to such attachment, perfection, priority or remedies and for purposes of definitions related to such provisions.
“U.S. Person” means any Person that is a “United States person” as defined in Section 7701(a)(30) of the Code.
1.2The following terms are defined in the Sections or subsections referenced opposite such terms:
Defined Term Section
Agent Preamble
Assignee 11.14
Borrower Preamble
Claims 11.11
Collateral 3.1
Confidential Information 11.13
End of Term Charge 2.6
Event of Default 9
Financial Statements 7.1
Indemnified Person 6.3
Lenders Preamble
Liabilities 6.3
Maximum Rate 2.3
Open Source License 5.10
Original End of Term Charge 2.6
Participant Register 11.8
Prepayment Charge 2.5
Publicity Materials 11.19
Register 11.7
Rights to Payment 3.1
Second Amendment End of Term Charge 2.6
Tranche 1A1A Advance
2.2(a)(i)
Tranche 1B1B Advance
2.2(a)(ii)
Tranche 1C1C Advance
2.2(a)(iii)
Tranche 22 Advance
2.2(a)(iv)
Tranche 3 Advance 2.2(a)(v)
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Tranche 4 Advance 2.2(a)(vi)
U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate Addendum 1, 7(b)(ii)(C)

1.3Unless otherwise specified, all references in this Agreement or any Annex or Schedule hereto to a “Section,” “subsection,” “Exhibit,” “Annex,” or “Schedule” shall refer to the corresponding Section, subsection, Exhibit, Annex, or Schedule in or to this Agreement. Unless otherwise specifically provided herein, any accounting term used in this Agreement or the other Loan Documents shall have the meaning customarily given such term in accordance with GAAP, and all financial computations hereunder shall be computed in accordance with GAAP, consistently applied. Permitted Convertible Indebtedness shall at all times be valued at the outstanding principal amount thereof and shall not include any reduction or appreciation in value of the shares deliverable upon conversion thereof. Unless otherwise defined herein or in the other Loan Documents, terms that are used herein or in the other Loan Documents and defined in the UCC shall have the meanings given to them in the UCC. For all purposes under the Loan Documents, in connection with any division or plan of division under Delaware law (or any comparable event under a different jurisdiction’s laws): (a) if any asset, right, obligation or liability of any Person becomes the asset, right, obligation or liability of a different Person, then it shall be deemed to have been transferred from the original Person to the subsequent Person and (b) if any new Person comes into existence, such new Person shall be deemed to have been organized on the first date of its existence by the holders of its Equity Interests at such time.
SECTION 2. THE LOAN
2.1[Reserved]
2.2Term Loan.
(a)Advances.
(i)Agent, Lender and Borrower acknowledge that prior to the Second Amendment Effective Date, Borrower has drawn the Prior Term Loan.
(ii)(i)    Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, on the ClosingSecond Amendment Effective Date, the Lenders will severally (and not jointly) make in an amount not to exceed its respective Term Commitment, and Borrower agrees to draw, a Term Loan Advance of FiveFifty Million Dollars ($5,000,00050,000,000) (the “Tranche 1A Advance”).
(iii)ii    Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, during the Tranche 1B Draw on the First Amendment Closing DatePeriod, Borrower may request and the Lenders shall severally (and not jointly) make in an amount not to exceed their respective Term aCommitments, additional Term Loan Advances of Advance of FifteenTwenty-Five Million Dollars ($25,000,000)15,000,000 in minimum increments of Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000) (or if less, the remaining amount of Term Loan Advances available to be drawn pursuant to this Section 2.2(a)(iii)) (each such advance, a “Tranche 1B Advance”).
(iv) andSubject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, during the Tranche 1B1C Draw Period, Borrower may request and the Lenders shall severally (and not jointly) make an additional Term Loan ofAdvances of up to Twenty Five Million Dollars ($25,000,000) in minimum increments of Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000) (or if less, the remaining amount of Term Loan Advances available to be drawn pursuant to this Section 2.2(a)(iv)) (each such advance, a “Tranche 1B1C Advance”).
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(v)(iii)    Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, during the Tranche1CTranche 2 Draw Period, Borrower may request and the Lenders shall severally (and not jointly) make additional Term Loan Advances in a principal amount of up to Twenty FiveFifty Million Dollars ($25,000,00050,000,000), in minimum increments of FiveTen Million Dollars ($5,000,00010,000,000) (or if less, the remaining amount of Term Loan Advances available to be drawn pursuant to this Section 2.2(a)(v)) (each, a “Tranche 1C2 Advance”).
(vi)iv    Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, during the Tranche 3 Draw Period, Borrower may request and the Lenders shall severally (and not jointly) make additional Term Loan Advances in a principal amount of up to TwentyFifty Million Dollars ($20,000,00050,000,000), in minimum increments of Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000) (or if less, the remaining amount of Term Loan Advances available to be drawn pursuant to this Section 2.2(a)(vi)) (each, a “Tranche 3 Advance”).
(vii)v    Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, during the Tranche 4 Draw Period, Borrower may request and the Lenders shall severally (and not jointly) make additional Term Loan Advances in a principal amount of up to TwentyFifty Million Dollars ($20,000,00050,000,000), in minimum increments of Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,00010,000,000) (or if less, the remaining amount of Term Loan Advances available to be drawn pursuant to this Section 2.2(a)(vii)) (each, a “Tranche 4 Advance”).
(viii)vi    Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, and conditioned on approval by the Lenders’ investment committee in its sole and unfettered discretion, June2025Borrower may request an additional Term Loan Advance in an aggregate principal amount up to SixtyFifty Million Dollars in minimum increments of Ten Million Dollars ($60,000,00010,000,000) (or if less, the remaining amount of Term Loan Advances available to be drawn pursuant to this Section 2.2(a)(viii)) ($50,000,000) (the “Tranche 5 Advance”).
(ix)vii    The aggregate outstanding Term Loan Advances may be up to the Maximum Term Loan Amount.
(b) Advance Request. To obtain a Term Loan Advance, Borrower shall complete, sign and deliver an Advance Request (at least one (1) Business Day before the Closing Date, one (1) Business Day before the Second Amendment Effective Date and at least five (5) Business Days before each Advance Date other than the Closing Date) to Agent. The Lenders shall fund the Term Loan Advance in the manner requested by the Advance Request provided that each of the conditions precedent to such Term Loan Advance is satisfied as of the requested Advance Date.
(c)Interest.
(i)Term Loan Interest Rate. The principal balance of Term Loan Advances shall bear interest thereon from such Advance Date at the Term Loan Interest Rate based on a year consisting of 360 days, with interest computed daily based on the actual number of days elapsed. The Term Loan Interest Rate will float and change on the day the prime rate changes from time to time.
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(d)Payment. Borrower will pay interest on each Term Loan Advance on the first Business Day of each month, beginning the month after the applicable Advance Date. Borrower shall commence repayment of the aggregate Term Loan principal balance that is outstanding on the day immediately preceding the Amortization Date, in equal monthly installments of principal and interest (mortgage style) beginning on the Amortization Date and continuing on the first Business Day of each month thereafter until the Secured Obligations (other than inchoate indemnity obligations) are repaid. The entire Term Loan principal balance and all accrued but unpaid interest hereunder, shall be due and payable on the Term Loan Maturity Date. Borrower shall make all payments under this Agreement without setoff, recoupment or deduction and regardless of any counterclaim or defense, except for Taxes required to be deducted or withheld under applicable Law, which shall be governed by Addendum 1. If a payment hereunder becomes due and payable on a day that is not a Business Day, the due date thereof shall be the immediately preceding Business Day. The Lenders will initiate debit entries to the Borrower’s account as authorized on the ACH Authorization (i) on each payment date of all periodic obligations payable to the Lenders under each Term Loan Advance and (ii) reasonable and documented out-of-pocket legal fees and costs incurred by Agent or the Lenders in connection with Section 11.12 of this Agreement; provided that, with respect to clause (i) above, in the event that the Lenders or Agent informs Borrower that the Lenders will not initiate a debit entry to Borrower’s account for a certain amount of the periodic obligations due on a specific payment date, Borrower shall pay to the Lenders such amount of periodic obligations in full in immediately available funds on such payment date; provided, further, that, with respect to clause (i) above, if the Lenders or Agent informs Borrower that the Lenders will not initiate a debit entry as described above later than the date that is three (3) Business Days prior to such payment date, Borrower shall pay to the Lenders such amount of periodic obligations in full in immediately available funds on the date that is three (3) Business Days after the date on which the Lenders or Agent notifies Borrower of such; provided, further, that, with respect to clause (ii) above, in the event that the Lenders or Agent informs Borrower that the Lenders will not initiate a debit entry to Borrower’s account for certain amount of such out-of-pocket legal fees and costs incurred by Agent or the Lenders, Borrower shall pay to the Lenders such amount in full in immediately available funds within three (3) Business Days.
2.3Maximum Interest. Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement or any other Loan Document, it is the parties’ intent not to contract for, charge or receive interest at a rate that is greater than the maximum rate permissible by law that a court of competent jurisdiction shall deem applicable hereto (which under the laws of the State of California shall be deemed to be the laws relating to permissible rates of interest on commercial loans) (the “Maximum Rate”). If a court of competent jurisdiction shall finally determine that Borrower has actually paid to the Lenders an amount of interest in excess of the amount that would have been payable if all of the Secured Obligations had at all times borne interest at the Maximum Rate, then such excess interest actually paid by Borrower shall be applied as follows: first, to the payment of the Secured Obligations consisting of the outstanding principal; second, after all principal is repaid, to the payment of the Lenders’ accrued interest, costs, expenses, professional fees and any other Secured Obligations; and third, after all Secured Obligations are repaid, the excess (if any) shall be refunded to Borrower.
2.4Default Interest. In the event any payment is not paid on the scheduled payment date, an amount equal to four percent (4%) of the past due amount shall be payable on demand. In addition, upon the occurrence and during the continuation of an Event of Default hereunder, all Secured Obligations, including principal, interest, compounded interest, and professional fees, shall bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the rate set forth in Section 2.2(c) plus four percent (4%) per annum. In the event any interest is not paid when due hereunder, delinquent interest shall be added to principal and shall bear interest on interest, compounded at the rate set forth in Section 2.2(c) or Section 2.4, as applicable.
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2.5Prepayment. At its option upon at least seven (7) Business Days prior written notice to Agent (which such notice may be conditioned on a concurrent transaction closing), Borrower may prepay all or a portion of the outstanding Advances by paying the entire principal balance (or a portion thereof), all accrued and unpaid interest thereon, together with a prepayment charge equal to the following percentage of the Advance amount being prepaid: with respect to each Advance, if such Advance amounts are prepaid in any of the first twelve (12) months following the Second Amendment Effective Date, [***]%; on or after twelve (12) months but prior to twenty four (24) months of the Second Amendment Effective Date, [***]%; on or after twenty four (24) months but prior to thirty six (36) months of the Second Amendment Effective Date, [***]%; and on or after thirty-six (36) months, 0.00% (each, a “Prepayment Charge”). If at any time Borrower elects to make a prepayment, and at such time, there are outstanding Advances under multiple Tranches, the Prepayment Charge shall be determined by applying the amount of such prepayment in the following order: first, to the outstanding principal amount (and accrued but unpaid interest thereon) of Advances outstanding under the Tranche with the latest initial funding date; second, to the outstanding principal amount (and accrued but unpaid interest thereon) of Advances outstanding under the Tranche with the next latest initial funding date and so on until the entire principal balance of all Advances made hereunder (and all accrued but unpaid interest thereon) is paid in full. Borrower agrees that the Prepayment Charge is a reasonable calculation of the Lenders’ lost profits in view of the difficulties and impracticality of determining actual damages resulting from an early repayment of the Advances. Borrower shall prepay the outstanding amount of all principal and accrued interest through the prepayment date the Prepayment Charge upon the occurrence of a Change in Control or any other prepayment hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Agent and the Lenders agree to waive the Prepayment Charge if Agent and the Lenders (in their sole and absolute discretion) agree in writing to refinance the Advances prior to the Term Loan Maturity Date. Any amounts paid under this Section shall be applied by Agent to the then unpaid amount of any Secured Obligations (including principal and interest) in such order and priority as Agent may choose in its sole discretion. For the avoidance of doubt, if a payment hereunder becomes due and payable on a day that is not a Business Day, the due date thereof shall be the immediately preceding Business Day.
2.6End of Term Charge.
(a)Original End of Term Charge. On the earliest to occur of (i) October 1, 2026, (ii) the date that Borrower prepays the outstanding Secured Obligations (other than any inchoate indemnity obligations and any other obligations which, by their terms, are to survive the termination of this Agreement) in full or (ii) the date that the outstanding Secured Obligations become due and payable in accordance with the terms hereof, Borrower shall pay Lenders a charge equal to [***] (the “Original End of Term Charge”).
(b)    Second Amendment End of Term Charge. On the earliest to occur of (i) the Term Loan Maturity Date, (ii) the date that Borrower prepays the outstanding Secured Obligations (other than any inchoate indemnity obligations and any other obligations which, by their terms, are to survive the termination of this Agreement) in full, or (iii) the date that the Secured Obligations become due and payable in accordance with the terms hereof, Borrower shall pay the Lenders a charge of [***]% of the principal amount of funded Term Loan Advances subject to such prepayment, repayment, or acceleration if such repayment, prepayment or acceleration occurs at any time on or prior to the date that is twenty-four (24) months following the Second Amendment Effective Date and (y) [***] of the principal amount subject to such prepayment, repayment, or acceleration if such repayment, prepayment or acceleration occurs at any time thereafter (the “Second Amendment End of Term Charge” and, collectively with the Original End of Term Charge, the “End of Term Charge”). Notwithstanding the required payment date of such End of Term Charge, the applicable pro rata portion of the End of Term Charge shall be deemed earned by the Lenders as of each date a Term Loan Advance is made. For the avoidance of doubt, if a payment hereunder becomes due and payable on a day that is not a Business Day, the due date thereof shall be the immediately preceding Business Day.
2.7Pro Rata Treatment. Each payment (including prepayment) on account of any fee and any reduction of the Term Loans shall be made pro rata according to the Term Commitments of the relevant Lender.
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2.8Taxes; Increased Costs. The Borrower, the Agent and the Lenders each hereby agree to the terms and conditions set forth on Addendum 1 attached hereto.
2.9Treatment of Prepayment Charge and End of Term Charge. Borrower agrees that any Prepayment Charge and any End of Term Charge payable shall be presumed to be the liquidated damages sustained by each Lender as the result of the early termination, and Borrower agrees that it is reasonable under the circumstances currently existing and existing as of the Closing Date and the Second Amendment Effective Date. The Prepayment Charge and the End of Term Charge shall also be payable in the event the Secured Obligations (and/or this Agreement) are satisfied or released by foreclosure (whether by power of judicial proceeding), deed in lieu of foreclosure, or by any other means. Borrower expressly waives (to the fullest extent it may lawfully do so) the provisions of any present or future statute or law that prohibits or may prohibit the collection of the foregoing Prepayment Charge and End of Term Charge in connection with any such acceleration. Borrower agrees (to the fullest extent that each may lawfully do so): (a) each of the Prepayment Charge and the End of Term Charge is reasonable and is the product of an arm’s length transaction between sophisticated business people, ably represented by counsel; (b) each of the Prepayment Charge and the End of Term Charge shall be payable notwithstanding the then prevailing market rates at the time payment is made; (c) there has been a course of conduct between the Lenders and Borrower giving specific consideration in this transaction for such agreement to pay the Prepayment Charge and the End of Term Charge as a charge (and not interest) in the event of prepayment or acceleration; (d) Borrower shall be estopped from claiming differently than as agreed to in this paragraph. Borrower expressly acknowledges that their agreement to pay each of the Prepayment Charge and the End of Term Charge to the Lenders as herein described was on the Closing Date and the Second Amendment Effective Date and continues to be a material inducement to the Lenders to provide the Term Loans.
SECTION 3. SECURITY INTEREST
3.1As security for the prompt and complete payment when due (whether on the payment dates or otherwise) of all the Secured Obligations, Borrower grants to Agent a security interest in all of Borrower’s right, title, and interest in, to and under all of Borrower’s personal property and other assets including without limitation the following (except as set forth herein) whether now existing or hereafter acquired (collectively, the “Collateral”): (a) Receivables; (b) Equipment; (c) Fixtures; (d) General Intangibles (including Intellectual Property); (e) Inventory; (f) Investment Property; (g) Deposit Accounts; (h) Cash; (i) Goods; (j) Chattel Paper; (k) Documents; (l) Instruments; (m) Letter-of-Credit Rights; (n) Commercial Tort Claims and all other tangible and intangible personal property of Borrower whether now or hereafter owned or existing, leased, consigned by or to, or acquired by, Borrower and wherever located, and any of Borrower’s property in the possession or under the control of Agent; and, to the extent not otherwise included, all Proceeds of each of the foregoing and all accessions to, substitutions and replacements for, and rents, profits and products of each of the foregoingprovided .
3.2Notwithstanding the broad grant of the security interest set forth in Section 3.1, above, the Collateral shall not include (a) any intent-to-use application prior to the filing and acceptance of a “Statement of Use” or “Amendment to Alleged Use” with respect thereto, to the extent, if any, that, and solely during the period, if any, in which the grant of security interest therein would impair the validity or enforceability of, or void such intent-to-use trademark application, or any registration that may issue therefrom, under applicable federal law; provided, that upon submission and acceptance by the United States Patent and Trademark Office of an amendment to allege use of an intent-to-use trademark application pursuant to 15 U.S.C. Section
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1060(a) (or any successor provision), such intent-to-use application shall constitute Collateral, (b) nonassignable licenses or contracts, which by their terms require the consent of the licensor thereof or another party (but only to the extent such prohibition on transfer is enforceable under applicable law, including, without limitation, Sections 9406, 9407 and 9408 of the UCC), (c) any Excluded Accounts described in clauses (i) through (iii) of the definition thereof, (d) with respect to Equity Interests in Foreign Subsidiaries and FSHCOs held directly by Borrower, more than 65% of the voting Equity Interests of any such Foreign Subsidiary or FSHCO, (e) any assets owned directly or indirectly by any Foreign Subsidiary that is a CFC, (f) any Equity Interests in any CFC not held directly by Borrower, (g) Revenue Participation Rights (as defined in the [***]) and any Proceeds thereof, (h) Net Sales Payments (as defined in the [***]) and any Proceeds thereof, (i) any lease, license or other agreement and any property subject thereto on the Closing Date or on the date of the acquisition of such property (other than any property acquired by Borrower subject to any such contract or other agreement to the extent such contract or other agreement was incurred in contemplation of such acquisition) to the extent that a grant of a security interest therein to secure the Secured Obligations would violate or invalidate such lease, license, contract or agreement or create a right of termination in favor of any other party thereto (other than the Borrower or any Subsidiary) (but (A) only to the extent such prohibition is enforceable under applicable law, rule or regulation, and (B) other than to the extent that any such term would be rendered ineffective pursuant to Sections 9-406, 9-408 or 9-409 (or any other Section) of Article 9 of the UCC) (provided, that this exclusion shall not include any Proceeds of such lease, license or other agreement or any property subject thereto), and (j) any property to the extent that the grant of security interest therein is prohibited by any applicable law (clauses (a) – (j), the “Excluded Assets”).
SECTION 4. CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO LOAN
The obligations of the Lenders to make the Prior Term Loan hereunder were subject to the satisfaction by Borrower of the following conditions:
4.1Initial Advance. On or prior to the Closing Date, Borrower shall have delivered to Agent the following:
(a)executed copies of the Loan Documents, Account Control Agreements, and all other documents and instruments reasonably required by Agent to effectuate the transactions contemplated hereby or to create and perfect the Liens of Agent with respect to all Collateral, in all cases in form and substance reasonably acceptable to Agent;
(b)a legal opinion of Borrower’s counsel in form and substance reasonably acceptable to Agent,
(c)certified copy of resolutions of Borrower’s board of directors evidencing approval of (i) the Loan and other transactions evidenced by the Loan Documents;
(d)certified copies of the Certificate of Incorporation and the Bylaws, as amended through the Closing Date, of Borrower;
(e)a certificate of good standing for Borrower from its state of incorporation and similar certificates from all other jurisdictions in which it does business and where the failure to be qualified could have a Material Adverse Effect;
(f)payment of the Due Diligence Fee, ClosingClosing Date Facility Charge and reimbursement of Agent’s and the Lenders’ current expenses reimbursable pursuant to this Agreement, which amounts may be deducted from the initial Advance;
(g)all certificates of insurance and copies of each insurance policy required hereunder; and
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(h)such other documents as Agent may reasonably request.
4.2All Advances. On each Advance Date:
(a)Agent shall have received (i) an Advance Request for the relevant Advance as required by Section 2.2(b), each duly executed by Borrower’s Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer, and (ii) any other documents Agent may reasonably request.
(b)The representations and warranties set forth in this Agreement shall be true and correct in all material respects on and as of the Advance Date with the same effect as though made on and as of such date, except to the extent such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date (in which case such representations and warranties shall be true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date); provided, however, that such materiality qualifier shall not be applicable to any representations and warranties that already are qualified or modified by materiality in the text thereof.
(c)Borrower shall be in compliance with all the terms and provisions set forth herein and in each other Loan Document on its part to be observed or performed, and at the time of and immediately after such Advance no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.
(d)[Reserved].
(e)With respect to any Tranche 2 Advance, Borrower shall have paid to the Agent for the benefit of the Lenders a fee in an amount equal to the Tranche 2 Facility Charge Percentage multiplied by the amount of such Tranche 2 Advance.
(f)With respect to any Tranche 3 Advance, Borrower shall have paid to the Agent for the benefit of the Lenders a fee in an amount equal to the Tranche 3 Facility Charge Percentage multiplied by the amount of such Tranche 3 Advance.
(g)With respect to any Tranche 4 Advance, Borrower shall have paid to the Agent for the benefit of the Lenders a fee in an amount equal to the Tranche 4 Facility Charge Percentage multiplied by the amount of such Tranche 4 Advance.
(h)With respect to any Tranche 5 Advance, Borrower shall have paid to the Agent for the benefit of the Lenders a fee in an amount equal to the Tranche 5 Facility Charge Percentage multiplied by the amount of such Tranche 5 Advance.
(i)h    Each Advance Request shall be deemed to constitute a representation and warranty by Borrower on the relevant Advance Date as to the matters specified in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this Section 4.2 and as to the matters set forth in the Advance Request.
4.3[Reserved]
4.4No Default. As of the Closing Date and each Advance Date, (i) no fact or condition exists that could (or could, with the passage of time, the giving of notice, or both) constitute an Event of Default and (ii) no event that has had or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect has occurred and is continuing.
SECTION 5. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF BORROWER
Borrower represents and warrants that:
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5.1Corporate Status. Borrower is a corporation duly organized, legally existing and in good standing under the laws its state of incorporation, and is duly qualified as a foreign corporation in all jurisdictions in which the nature of its business or location of its properties require such qualifications and where the failure to be qualified could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Borrower’s present name, former names (if any), locations, place of formation, Tax identification number, organizational identification number and other information are correctly set forth in Exhibit B, as may be updated by Borrower in a written notice (including any Compliance Certificate) provided to Agent after the Closing Date.
5.2Collateral. Borrower owns the Collateral and the Intellectual Property, free of all Liens, except for Permitted Liens. Borrower has the power and authority to grant to Agent a Lien in the Collateral as security for the Secured Obligations.
5.3Consents. Borrower’s execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and all other Loan Documents, (i) have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of Borrower, (ii) will not result in the creation or imposition of any Lien upon the Collateral, other than Permitted Liens and the Liens created by this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, (iii) do not violate any provisions of Borrower’s Certificate or Articles of Incorporation (as applicable), bylaws, or any, law, regulation, order, injunction, judgment, decree or writ to which Borrower is subject and (iv) except as described on Schedule 5.3, do not violate any material contract or material agreement or require the consent or approval of any other Person which has not already been obtained. The individual or individuals executing the Loan Documents are duly authorized to do so.
5.4Material Adverse Effect. No event that has had or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect has occurred and is continuing. Borrower is not aware of any event likely to occur that is reasonably expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
5.5Actions Before Governmental Authorities. There are no actions, suits or proceedings at law or in equity or by or before any governmental authority now pending or, to the knowledge of Borrower, threatened against or affecting Borrower or its property, that is reasonably expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
5.6Laws. Neither Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries is in violation of any law, rule or regulation, or in default with respect to any judgment, writ, injunction or decree of any governmental authority, where such violation or default is reasonably expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. Borrower is not in default in any manner under any provision of any agreement or instrument evidencing material Indebtedness, or any other material agreement to which it is a party or by which it is bound.
5.7Neither Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries is an “investment company” or a company “controlled” by an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. Neither Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries is engaged as one of its important activities in extending credit for margin stock (under Regulations X, T and U of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors). Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries has complied in all material respects with the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act. Neither Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries is a “holding company” or an “affiliate” of a “holding company” or a “subsidiary company” of a “holding company” as each term is defined and used in the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 2005. Neither Borrower’s nor any of its Subsidiaries’ properties or assets has been used by Borrower or such Subsidiary or, to Borrower’s Knowledge, by previous Persons, in disposing, producing, storing, treating, or transporting any hazardous substance other than in material compliance with applicable laws. Borrower and each of its Subsidiaries has obtained all consents, approvals and authorizations of, made all declarations or filings with, and given all notices to, all Governmental Authorities that are necessary to continue their respective businesses as currently conducted.
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5.8None of Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries, or any of Borrower’s or its Subsidiaries’ Affiliates or any of their respective agents acting or benefiting in any capacity in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement is (i) in violation of any Anti Terrorism Law, (ii) engaging in or conspiring 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, or (iii) is a Blocked Person. None of Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries, or to the knowledge of Borrower, any of their Affiliates or agents, is acting or benefiting in any capacity in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, (x) conducts any business or engages in making or receiving any contribution of funds, goods or services to or for the benefit of any Blocked Person, or (y) deals in, or otherwise engages in any transaction relating to, any property or interest in property blocked pursuant to Executive Order No. 13224, any similar executive order or other Anti Terrorism Law. None of the funds to be provided under this Agreement will be used, directly or indirectly, (a) for any activities in violation of any applicable anti-money laundering, economic sanctions and anti-bribery laws and regulations laws and regulations or (b) for any payment to any governmental official or employee, political party, official of a political party, candidate for political office, or anyone else acting in an official capacity, in order to obtain, retain or direct business or obtain any improper advantage, in violation of the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.
5.9Information Correct and Current. No information, report, Advance Request, financial statement, exhibit or schedule furnished, by or on behalf of Borrower to Agent in connection with any Loan Document or included therein or delivered pursuant thereto, when taken as a whole, contained, contains or will contain any material misstatement of fact or, when taken together with all other such information or documents, omitted, omits or will omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were, are or will be made, not materially misleading at the time such statement was made or deemed made. Additionally, any and all financial or business projections provided by Borrower to Agent, whether prior to or after the Closing Date, shall be (i) provided in good faith and based on the most current data and information available to Borrower, and (ii) the most current of such projections provided to Borrower’s Board of Directors (it being understood that such projections are subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the control of Borrower, that no assurance is given that any particular projections will be realized, and that actual results may differ).
5.10Tax Matters. Except as described on Schedule 5.8, (a) Borrower and its Subsidiaries have filed all federal and state income Tax returns and other material Tax returns that they are required to file, (b) Borrower and its Subsidiaries have duly paid all federal and state income Taxes and other material Taxes or installments thereof that they are required to pay, except (i) Taxes being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which Borrower and its Subsidiaries maintain adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP and (ii) such Taxes as do not exceed [***] in the aggregate outstanding, and (c) to the best of Borrower’s knowledge, no proposed or pending Tax assessments, deficiencies, audits or other proceedings with respect to Borrower or any Subsidiary have had, or could reasonably be expected to have, individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.
5.11Intellectual Property Claims. Borrower is the sole owner of, or otherwise has the right to use, the Intellectual Property material to Borrower’s business. Except as described on Schedule 5.9, (i) (A) each of the material Copyrights and Trademarks is valid and enforceable and (B) each of the material Patents is, to the knowledge of Borrower, valid and enforceable, (ii) no material part of the Intellectual Property has been judged invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, and (iii) no claim has been made to Borrower that any material part of the Intellectual Property violates the rights of any third party. Exhibit C is a true, correct and complete list of each of Borrower’s Patents, registered Trademarks, registered Copyrights, and material agreements under which Borrower licenses Intellectual Property from third parties (other than shrink-wrap software licenses), together with application or registration numbers, as applicable, owned by Borrower or any Subsidiary, in each case as of the Closing Date. Borrower is not in material breach of, nor has Borrower failed to perform any material obligations under, any of the foregoing contracts, licenses or agreements and, to Borrower’s knowledge, no third party to any such contract, license or agreement is in material breach thereof or has failed to perform any material obligations thereunder.
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5.12Intellectual Property. Except as described on Schedule 5.10, Borrower has all material rights with respect to Intellectual Property necessary or material in the operation or conduct of Borrower’s business as currently conducted and proposed to be conducted by Borrower. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, and in the case of Licenses, except for restrictions that are unenforceable under Division 9 of the UCC, Borrower has the right, to the extent required to operate Borrower’s business, to freely transfer, license or assign Intellectual Property necessary or material in the operation or conduct of Borrower’s business as currently conducted and proposed to be conducted by Borrower, without condition, restriction or payment of any kind (other than license payments in the ordinary course of business) to any third party, and Borrower owns or has the right to use, pursuant to valid licenses, all software development tools, library functions, compilers and all other third-party software and other items that are material to Borrower’s business and used in the design, development, promotion, sale, license, manufacture, import, export, use or distribution of Borrower Products except customary covenants in inbound license agreements and equipment leases where Borrower is the licensee or lessee. Borrower is not a party to, nor is it bound by, any Restricted License.
5.13No material software or other materials used by Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries (or used in any Borrower Products or any Subsidiaries’ products) are subject to an open-source or similar license (including but not limited to the General Public License, Lesser General Public License, Mozilla Public License, or Affero License) (collectively, “Open Source Licenses”) in a manner that would cause such software or other materials to have to be (i) distributed to third parties at no charge or a minimal charge (royalty-free basis); (ii) licensed to third parties to modify, make derivative works based on, decompile, disassemble, or reverse engineer; or (iii) used in a manner that does could require disclosure or distribution in source code form.
5.14Borrower Products. Except as described on Schedule 5.11, no material Intellectual Property owned by Borrower or Borrower Product has been or is subject to any actual or, to the knowledge of Borrower, threatened litigation in writing, proceeding (including any proceeding in the United States Patent and Trademark Office or any corresponding foreign office or agency) or outstanding decree, order, judgment, settlement agreement or stipulation that restricts in any manner Borrower’s use, transfer or licensing thereof or that may affect the validity, use or enforceability thereof. There is no decree, order, judgment, agreement, stipulation, arbitral award or other provision entered into in connection with any litigation or proceeding that obligates Borrower to grant licenses or ownership interest in any material future Intellectual Property related to the operation or conduct of the business of Borrower or Borrower Products. Borrower has not received any written notice or claim, or, to the knowledge of Borrower, oral notice or claim, challenging or questioning Borrower’s ownership in any material Intellectual Property (or written notice of any claim challenging or questioning the ownership in any licensed Intellectual Property of the owner thereof) or suggesting that any third party has any claim of legal or beneficial ownership with respect thereto nor, to Borrower’s knowledge, is there a reasonable basis for any such claim. Neither Borrower’s use of its Intellectual Property nor the production and sale of Borrower Products infringes the valid Intellectual Property or other rights of others.
5.15Financial Accounts. Exhibit D, as may be updated by the Borrower in a written notice provided to Agent after the Closing Date, is a true, correct and complete list of (a) all banks and other financial institutions at which Borrower or any Subsidiary maintains Deposit Accounts and (b) all institutions at which Borrower or any Subsidiary maintains an account holding Investment Property, and such exhibit correctly identifies the name, address and telephone number of each bank or other institution, the name in which the account is held, a description of the purpose of the account, and the complete account number therefor. None of the Loan Parties or any of their Subsidiaries owns or holds any Digital Assets.
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5.16Employee Loans. Except as permitted hereunder, Borrower has no outstanding loans to any employee, officer or director of the Borrower nor has Borrower guaranteed the payment of any loan made to an employee, officer or director of the Borrower by a third party.
5.17Capitalization and Subsidiaries. Borrower’s capitalization as of the Closing Date is set forth on Schedule 5.14 annexed hereto. Borrower does not own any stock, partnership interest or other securities of any Person, except for Permitted Investments. Attached as Schedule 5.14, as may be updated by Borrower in a written notice provided after the Closing Date, is a true, correct and complete list of each Subsidiary.
5.18Regulatory Matters.
(a)Borrower, each Subsidiary, and to the knowledge of Borrower, their respective directors, officers, employees, and agents are, and at all times within the last three years have been, in compliance with all applicable Healthcare Laws, except where failures to so comply would not, whether individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Borrower has not received any written notification, correspondence, or any other communication from any Governmental Authority asserting non-compliance by, or liability of, Borrower or any Subsidiary under any applicable Healthcare Laws, except where such non-compliance would not, whether individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Borrower is not a party to or has any ongoing reporting obligations pursuant to or under any order by a Governmental Authority or corporate integrity agreements, deferred or non-prosecution agreements, monitoring agreements, consent decrees, settlement orders, plans of correction or similar agreements with or imposed by any Governmental Authority. Neither Borrower or any Subsidiary, nor any officers, employees or, to the knowledge of Borrower, any agents of Borrower or any Subsidiary has been excluded, suspended or debarred from any government healthcare program or convicted of any crime or engaged in any conduct that would reasonably be expected to result in debarment under any applicable Healthcare Law, and, to the knowledge of Borrower, no such Action is currently contemplated, proposed or pending.
(b)Borrower and each Subsidiary has obtained and maintained all Permits, including any Permits required pursuant to any applicable Healthcare Laws, and all of such Permits are in full force and effect, except where failures to possess or maintain the same, would not, whether individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Borrower and each Subsidiary has fulfilled and performed all of its material obligations with respect to the Permits, and, to the knowledge of Borrower, no event has occurred which allows, or after notice or lapse of time would allow, revocation or termination thereof or result in any other impairment of the rights of the holder of any Permit, except where such revocations, terminations or impairments would not, whether individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
(c)All clinical or preclinical studies, tests or trials that have been or are being conducted by or on behalf of, or sponsored by, Borrower or any Subsidiary, or in which Borrower’s or any Subsidiary’s products or product candidates have participated, and which have been or will be submitted to the FDA or other regulatory authorities in connection with applications for Permits, were and, if still pending, are being conducted in compliance in all material respects with all applicable Healthcare Laws. No investigational new drug application or other allowance to commence a clinical trial filed with or submitted to the FDA or other Governmental Authority by or on behalf of Borrower or any Subsidiary has been terminated or suspended, and neither the FDA nor any applicable Governmental Authority has commenced, or to the knowledge of Borrower, threatened in writing to initiate, any action to place a clinical hold order on, or otherwise terminate, delay or suspend, any proposed or ongoing clinical investigation conducted or proposed to be conducted by or on behalf of Borrower or any Subsidiary.
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SECTION 6. INSURANCE; INDEMNIFICATION
6.1Coverage. Borrower shall cause to be carried and maintained commercial general liability insurance, on an occurrence form, against risks customarily insured against in Borrower’s line of business. Such risks shall include the risks of bodily injury, including death, property damage, personal injury, advertising injury, and contractual liability per the terms of the indemnification agreement found in Section 6.3. Borrower must maintain a minimum of $2,000,000 of commercial general liability insurance for each occurrence. Borrower has and agrees to maintain a minimum of $2,000,000 of directors’ and officers’ insurance for each occurrence and $5,000,000 in the aggregate. So long as there are any Secured Obligations (other than any inchoate indemnity obligations and any other obligations which, by their terms, are to survive the termination of this Agreement) outstanding, Borrower shall also cause to be carried and maintained insurance upon the Collateral, insuring against all risks of physical loss or damage howsoever caused, in an amount not less than the full replacement cost of the Collateral, provided that such insurance may be subject to standard exceptions and deductibles. If Borrower fails to obtain the insurance called for by this Section 6.1 or fails to pay any premium thereon or fails to pay any other amount which Borrower is obligated to pay under this Agreement or any other Loan Document or which may be required to preserve the Collateral, Agent may obtain such insurance or make such payment, and all amounts so paid by Agent are immediately due and payable, bearing interest at the then highest rate applicable to the Secured Obligations, and secured by the Collateral.  Agent will make reasonable efforts to provide Borrower with notice of Agent obtaining such insurance at the time it is obtained or within a reasonable time thereafter.  No payments by Agent are deemed an agreement to make similar payments in the future or Agent’s waiver of any Event of Default.
6.2Certificates. Borrower shall deliver to Agent certificates of insurance that evidence Borrower’s compliance with its insurance obligations in Section 6.1 and the obligations contained in this Section 6.2. Borrower’s insurance certificate shall state Agent (shown as “Hercules Capital, Inc., as Agent”) is an additional insured for commercial general liability, a lenders loss payable for all risk property damage insurance, subject to the insurer’s approval, and a lenders loss payable for property insurance, an additional insured for liability insurance for any future insurance that Borrower may acquire from such insurer, and such other designations as requested for Agent with respect to any other insurance policies of Borrower (including cybersecurity policies). Attached to the certificates of insurance will be additional insured endorsements for liability, lender’s loss payable endorsements for all risk property damage insurance and any other endorsements as requested for Agent with respect to any other insurance policies of Borrower (including cybersecurity policies). All certificates of insurance will provide for a minimum of thirty (30) days advance written notice to Agent of cancellation (other than cancellation for non-payment of premiums, for which ten (10) days’ advance written notice shall be sufficient) or any other change adverse to Agent’s interests. Any failure of Agent to scrutinize such insurance certificates for compliance is not a waiver of any of Agent’s rights, all of which are reserved. Borrower shall provide Agent with copies of each insurance policy, and upon entering or amending any insurance policy required hereunder, Borrower shall provide Agent with copies of such policies and shall promptly deliver to Agent updated insurance certificates with respect to such policies. Notwithstanding any provision hereof to the contrary, delivery of the certificates of insurance contemplated by this Section 6.2 other than to the extent previously delivered shall not be required until the date that is at least 90 days after the Second Amendment Effective Date (as such deadline may be extended by the Agent).
6.3Indemnity. Borrower agrees to indemnify and hold Agent, the Lenders and their officers, directors, employees, agents, in-house attorneys, representatives and shareholders (each, an “Indemnified Person”) harmless from and against any and all claims, costs, expenses, damages and liabilities (including such claims, costs, expenses, damages and liabilities based on liability in
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tort, including strict liability in tort), including reasonable and documented out-of-pocket attorneys’ fees and disbursements and other costs of investigation or defense (including those incurred upon any appeal) (collectively, “Liabilities”), that may be instituted or asserted against or incurred by such Indemnified Person as the result of credit having been extended, suspended or terminated under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or the administration of such credit, or in connection with or arising out of the transactions contemplated hereunder and thereunder, or any actions or failures to act in connection therewith, or arising out of the disposition or utilization of the Collateral, excluding in all cases Liabilities to the extent resulting solely from any Indemnified Person’s gross negligence or willful misconduct. This Section 6.3 shall not apply with respect to Taxes other than any Taxes that represent losses, claims, damages, etc. arising from any non-Tax claim. In no event shall any Indemnified Person be liable on any theory of liability for any special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (including any loss of profits, business or anticipated savings). This Section 6.3 shall survive the repayment of indebtedness under, and otherwise shall survive the expiration or other termination of, this Agreement.
SECTION 7. COVENANTS OF BORROWER
Borrower agrees as follows:
7.1Financial Reports. Borrower shall furnish to Agent the financial statements and reports listed hereinafter (the “Financial Statements”):
(a)as soon as practicable (and in any event within thirty (30) days) after the end of each month that does not coincide with a quarter-end, unaudited interim and year-to-date financial statements as of the end of such month (prepared on a consolidated basis), including balance sheet and related statement of income accompanied by a report detailing any material contingencies (including the commencement of any material litigation by or against Borrower) or any other occurrence that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, all certified by Borrower’s Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer to the effect that they have been prepared in accordance with GAAP, except (i) for the absence of footnotes, (ii) that they are subject to normal year end adjustments, and (iii) they do not contain certain non-cash items that are customarily included in quarterly and annual financial statements;
(b)as soon as practicable (and in any event within forty-five (45) days) after the end of each calendar quarter, unaudited interim and year-to-date financial statements as of the end of such calendar quarter (prepared on a consolidated basis), including balance sheet and related statements of income and cash flows accompanied by a report detailing any material contingencies (including the commencement of any material litigation by or against Borrower) or any other occurrence that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, certified by Borrower’s Chief Executive Officer or Chief Financial Officer to the effect that they have been prepared in accordance with GAAP, except (i) for the absence of footnotes, and (ii) that they are subject to normal year end adjustments;
(c)as soon as practicable (and in any event within ninety (90) days) after the end of each fiscal year, unqualified (other than a going concern qualification based on Borrower having negative profits or based on a determination that Borrower has less than twelve (12) months liquidity) audited financial statements as of the end of such year (prepared on a consolidated basis), including balance sheet and related statements of income and cash flows, and setting forth in comparative form the corresponding figures for the preceding fiscal year, certified by a firm of independent certified public accountants selected by Borrower and reasonably acceptable to Agent (provided that KPMG, LLP and any other “big four” accounting firm or other nationally-recognized accounting firm shall be deemed acceptable to Agent), accompanied by any management report from such accountants;
(d)as soon as practicable (and in any event within 30 days) after the end of each month, a Compliance Certificate in the form of Exhibit E;
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(e)At any time the aggregate principal funded amount of Term Loan Advances is greater than or equal to [***], as soon as practicable (and in any event within 30 days) after the end of each month, a report showing agings of accounts receivable and accounts payable;
(f)promptly after the sending or filing thereof, as the case may be, copies of any proxy statements, financial statements or reports that Borrower has made available to holders of its preferred stock and copies of any regular, periodic and special reports or registration statements that Borrower files with the Securities and Exchange Commission or any governmental authority that may be substituted therefor, or any national securities exchange;
(g)promptly and in the same manner as it gives to its directors, copies of all notices, minutes, consents and other materials that Borrower provides to its directors in connection with meetings of the Board of Directors, and within 45 days after each such meeting, minutes of such meeting, provided that in all cases Borrower may exclude confidential information, trade secrets and materials that are subject to attorney-client privilege;
(h)financial and business projections promptly following their approval by Borrower’s Board of Directors, and in any event, within 60 days after the end of Borrower’s fiscal year, as well as budgets, operating plans and other financial information reasonably requested by Agent; and
(i)notice of any Commercial Tort Claim or Letter-of-Credit Rights held by Borrower or any Qualified Subsidiary that has executed a Joinder Agreement, in each case in an amount greater than [***] and of the general details thereof; and
(j)immediate notice if Borrower or any Subsidiary has knowledge that Borrower, or any Subsidiary or Affiliate of Borrower, is listed on the OFAC Lists or (a) is convicted on, (b) pleads nolo contendere to, (c) is indicted on, or (d) is arraigned and held over on charges involving money laundering or predicate crimes to money laundering.
    Borrower shall not (without the consent of Agent, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed), make any change in its (a) accounting policies or reporting practices, except as required by GAAP or (b) fiscal years or fiscal quarters. The fiscal year of Borrower shall end on December 31.
    The executed Compliance Certificate, and all Financial Statements required to be delivered pursuant to clauses (a), (b), (c) and (d) shall be sent per instructions (i) specified on Addendum 4 or (ii) otherwise provided by Agent to Borrower via a written notice from time to time.
    Notwithstanding the foregoing, documents required to be delivered under Sections 7.1(a), (b), (c) or (f) (to the extent any such documents are included in materials otherwise filed with the SEC) may be delivered electronically and if so delivered, shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date on which Borrower emails a link thereto to Agent; provided that Borrower shall directly provide Agent all Financial Statements required to be delivered pursuant to Section 7.1(b) and (c) hereunder.
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7.2Management Rights. Borrower shall permit any representative that Agent or the Lenders authorizes, including its attorneys and accountants, to inspect the Collateral and examine and make copies and abstracts of the books of account and records of Borrower at reasonable times and upon reasonable notice during normal business hours; provided, however, that so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, such examinations shall be limited to no more often than twice per fiscal year. In addition, any such representative shall have the right to meet with management and officers of Borrower to discuss such books of account and records. In addition, Agent or the Lenders shall be entitled at reasonable times and intervals to consult with and advise the management and officers of Borrower concerning significant business issues affecting Borrower. Such consultations shall not unreasonably interfere with Borrower’s business operations. The parties intend that the rights granted Agent and the Lenders shall constitute “management rights” within the meaning of 29 C.F.R. Section 2510.3-101(d)(3)(ii), but that any advice, recommendations or participation by Agent or the Lenders with respect to any business issues shall not be deemed to give Agent or the Lenders, nor be deemed an exercise by Agent or the Lenders of, control over Borrower’s management or policies.
7.3Further Assurances.
(a)Borrower shall from time to time execute, deliver and file, alone or with Agent, any financing statements, security agreements, collateral assignments, notices, control agreements, promissory notes or other documents to perfect, give the highest priority to Agent’s Lien on the Collateral, subject to Permitted Liens which may have priority over Agent’s Lien as a matter of law, or otherwise evidence Agent’s rights herein. Borrower shall from time to time procure any instruments or documents as may be reasonably requested by Agent, and take all further action that may be necessary, or that Agent may reasonably request, to perfect and protect the Liens granted hereby and thereby. If Borrower shall at any time acquire a Commercial Tort Claim valued in excess of [***] that Borrower intends to pursue in its good faith discretion, Borrower shall grant to the Agent a security interest therein and in the proceeds thereof pursuant to documentation to be in form and substance satisfactory to Agent. In addition, and for such purposes only, Borrower hereby authorizes Agent to execute and deliver on behalf of Borrower and to file such financing statements (including an indication that the financing statement covers “all assets or all personal property” of Borrower in accordance with Section 9-504 of the UCC), collateral assignments, notices, control agreements, security agreements and other documents without the signature of Borrower either in Agent’s name or in the name of Agent as agent and attorney-in-fact for Borrower. Borrower shall protect and defend Borrower’s title to the Collateral and Agent’s Lien thereon against all Persons claiming any interest adverse to Borrower or Agent other than Permitted Liens.
7.4Indebtedness. Borrower shall not create, incur, assume, guarantee or be or remain liable with respect to any Indebtedness, or permit any Subsidiary so to do, other than Permitted Indebtedness, or prepay any Indebtedness or take any actions which impose on Borrower an obligation to prepay any Indebtedness, except for (a) the conversion of Indebtedness into equity securities and the payment of cash in lieu of fractional shares in connection with such conversion, (b) in connection with the refinancing or replacement of Permitted Indebtedness to the extent permitted by clause (ix) of Permitted Indebtedness, (c) purchase money Indebtedness pursuant to its then applicable payment schedule, (d) Indebtedness owed pursuant to clauses (iv) and (vi) of the definition of Permitted Indebtedness and prepaid in the ordinary course of business, (e) prepayment by Borrower or any Subsidiary of (i) intercompany Indebtedness owed by Borrower or such Subsidiary to Borrower or any Qualified Subsidiary that has executed a Joinder Agreement, or (ii) if such Subsidiary is not a Qualified Subsidiary that has executed a Joinder Agreement, intercompany Indebtedness owed by such Subsidiary to any other such Subsidiary, (f) trade debt incurred in the ordinary course of business, (g) the use of proceeds of a casualty event to prepay a capital lease to the extent required thereby and to the extent such capital lease obligation constitutes both Permitted Indebtedness and a Permitted Lien, or (h) as otherwise permitted hereunder or approved in writing by Agent.
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7.5Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the foregoing, the issuance of, performance of obligations under (including any payments of interest), and conversion, exercise, repurchase, payment (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any required repurchase in connection with the payment of Permitted Convertible Indebtedness upon satisfaction of any condition related to the stock price of Borrower’s common stock), settlement or early termination or cancellation of (whether in whole or in part and including by netting or set-off) (in each case, whether in cash, common stock of Borrower or, following a merger event or other change of the common stock of Borrower, other securities or property), or the satisfaction of any condition that would permit or require any of the foregoing with respect to, any Permitted Convertible Indebtedness, shall not constitute a prepayment of Indebtedness by Borrower for the purposes of this Section 7.4; provided that, to the extent the aggregate amount of cash payable upon conversion or payment of any Permitted Convertible Indebtedness (excluding any required payment of interest with respect to such Permitted Convertible Indebtedness and excluding any payment of cash in lieu of a fractional share due upon conversion thereof) exceeds the sum of (a) the aggregate principal amount thereof and (b) the aggregate amount received by Borrower pursuant to an exercise or early unwind or settlement of a corresponding portion of the Permitted Bond Hedge Transactions relating to such Permitted Convertible Indebtedness (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the case where there is no Bond Hedge Transaction relating to such Permitted Convertible Indebtedness), the payment of such excess cash shall not be permitted by the preceding sentence; provided further that principal payments in cash (including, without limitation, in satisfaction of the Borrower’s conversion obligations, other than cash in lieu of fractional shares) shall only be allowed if the Redemption Conditions are satisfied in respect of such payment and at all times after such payment.
7.6Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 7.4 shall not prohibit the repurchase, exchange or inducement of the conversion of Permitted Convertible Indebtedness by delivery of shares of common stock and/or a different series of Permitted Convertible Indebtedness and/or by payment of cash (in an amount that does not exceed the proceeds received by Borrower from the substantially concurrent issuance of common stock and/or such different series of Permitted Convertible Indebtedness minus the net cost of any Permitted Bond Hedge Transactions and/or Permitted Warrant Transactions plus the net cash proceeds, if any, received by Borrower pursuant to the related exercise or early unwind or termination of the related Permitted Bond Hedge Transactions and Permitted Warrant Transactions, if any, pursuant to the immediately following proviso); provided that, substantially concurrently with, or a commercially reasonable period of time before or after, the related settlement date for the Permitted Convertible Indebtedness that is so repurchased, exchanged or converted, Borrower shall exercise or unwind or terminate early (whether in cash, shares or any combination thereof) the portion of the Permitted Bond Hedge Transactions and Permitted Warrant Transactions, if any, corresponding to such Permitted Convertible Indebtedness that are so repurchased, exchanged or converted.
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7.7Collateral. Collateral. Borrower shall at all times keep the Collateral and all other property and assets used in Borrower’s business or in which Borrower now or hereafter holds any interest free and clear from any Liens whatsoever (except for Permitted Liens), and shall give Agent prompt written notice of any legal process adversely affecting the Collateral, such other property and assets, or any Liens thereon, provided however, that the Collateral and such other property and assets may be subject to Permitted Liens. Borrower shall not agree with any Person other than Agent or the Lenders not to encumber its property except for (a) any agreements governing any purchase money Liens or capital lease obligations otherwise permitted hereby (in which case, any prohibition or limitation shall only be effective against the assets financed thereby), (b) customary restrictions on the assignment of leases, licenses and other agreements, (c) customary restrictions on assets subject to Liens permitted under clause (xiii) of the definition of “Permitted Liens” (in which case, any prohibition or limitation shall only be effective against the cash collateral provided thereto), (d) customary restrictions under asset sale agreements otherwise permitted hereunder, and (e) customary restrictions and conditions contained in agreements governing joint ventures in the ordinary course of business. Borrower shall not enter into or suffer to exist or become effective any agreement that prohibits or limits the ability of any Borrower to create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien upon any of its property (including Intellectual Property), whether now existing or hereafter acquired, to secure its obligations under the Loan Documents to which it is a party other than (a) this Agreement, the other Loan Documents or any other agreement with Agent or the Lenders, (b) any agreements governing any purchase money Liens or capital lease obligations otherwise permitted hereby (in which case, any prohibition or limitation shall only be effective against the assets financed thereby), (c) customary restrictions on the assignment of leases, licenses and other agreements, (d) customary restrictions on assets subject to Liens permitted under clause (xiii) of the definition of “Permitted Liens” (in which case, any prohibition or limitation shall only be effective against the cash collateral provided thereto), (e) customary restrictions under asset sale agreements otherwise permitted hereunder, and (f) customary restrictions and conditions contained in agreements governing joint ventures in the ordinary course of business. Borrower shall cause its Subsidiaries to use commercially reasonable efforts to protect and defend such Subsidiary’s title to its assets from and against all Persons claiming any interest adverse to such Subsidiary, and Borrower shall cause its Subsidiaries at all times to keep such Subsidiary’s property and assets free and clear from any Liens whatsoever (except for Permitted Liens, provided however, that there shall be no Liens whatsoever on Intellectual Property (other than licenses expressly permitted under this Agreement) and shall give Agent prompt written notice of any legal process adversely affecting such Subsidiary’s assets in an amount greater than [***].
7.8Investments. Borrower shall not directly or indirectly acquire or own, or make any Investment in or to any Person, or permit any of its Subsidiaries to do so, other than Permitted Investments. No Loan Party shall directly or indirectly acquire or own, nor make any Investment in Digital Assets, nor permit any of its Subsidiaries so to do.
7.9Notwithstanding the foregoing, and for the avoidance of doubt, this Section 7.6 shall not prohibit the conversion by holders of (including any cash payment upon conversion), or required payment of any principal or premium on (including, for the avoidance of doubt, in respect of a required repurchase in connection with the payment of Permitted Convertible Indebtedness upon satisfaction of any condition related to the stock price of Borrower’s common stock) or required payment of any interest with respect to, any Permitted Convertible Indebtedness in each case, in accordance with the terms of the indenture or other instrument governing such Permitted Convertible Indebtedness; provided that, to the extent the aggregate amount of cash payable upon conversion or payment of any Permitted Convertible Indebtedness (excluding any required payment of interest with respect to such Permitted Convertible Indebtedness and excluding any payment of cash in lieu of a fractional share due upon conversion thereof) exceeds the sum of (a) the aggregate principal amount thereof and (b) the aggregate amount received by Borrower pursuant to an exercise or early unwind or settlement of a corresponding portion of the Permitted Bond Hedge Transactions relating to such Permitted Convertible Indebtedness (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the case where there is no Bond Hedge Transaction relating to such Permitted Convertible Indebtedness), the payment of such excess cash shall not be permitted by the preceding sentence; provided further that principal payments in cash (including, without limitation, in satisfaction of the Borrower’s conversion obligations, other than cash in lieu of fractional shares) shall only be allowed if the Redemption Conditions are satisfied in respect of such payment and at all times after such payment.
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7.10Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 7.6 shall not prohibit the repurchase, exchange or inducement of the conversion of Permitted Convertible Indebtedness by delivery of shares of common stock and/or a different series of Permitted Convertible Indebtedness and/or by payment of cash (in an amount that does not exceed the proceeds received by Borrower from the substantially concurrent issuance of common stock and/or such different series of Permitted Convertible Indebtedness minus the net cost of any Permitted Bond Hedge Transactions and/or Permitted Warrant Transactions plus the net cash proceeds, if any, received by Borrower pursuant to the related exercise or early unwind or termination of the related Permitted Bond Hedge Transactions and Permitted Warrant Transactions, if any, pursuant to the immediately following proviso); provided that, substantially concurrently with, or a commercially reasonable period of time before or after, the related settlement date for the Permitted Convertible Indebtedness that is so repurchased, exchanged or converted, Borrower shall exercise or unwind or terminate early (whether in cash, shares or any combination thereof) the portion of the Permitted Bond Hedge Transactions and Permitted Warrant Transactions, if any, corresponding to such Permitted Convertible Indebtedness that are so repurchased, exchanged or converted.
7.11Distributions. Borrower shall not, and shall not allow any Subsidiary to, (a) repurchase or redeem any class of stock or other Equity Interest other than (i) pursuant to employee, director or consultant repurchase plans or other similar agreements, provided, however, in each case the repurchase or redemption price does not exceed the original consideration paid for such stock or Equity Interest, (ii) cashless repurchases of such stock or Equity Interest deemed to occur upon exercise of stock options or warrants if such repurchased stock or Equity Interest represents a portion of the exercise price of such options or warrants, (iii) cashless repurchases of such stock or Equity Interest deemed to occur upon the withholding of a portion of such shares, stock or Equity Interest granted or awarded to a current or former officer, director, employee or consultant to pay for the Taxes payable by such Person upon such grant or award (or upon vesting thereof), (iv) (A) purchases of capital stock pledged as collateral for loans to employees and (B) redemptions, repurchases or cancellations of the capital stock of any future, present or former officer, director, consultant, member of management or employee in connection with such Person’s termination, resignation, death or disability in an aggregate amount not to exceed [***] per fiscal year for the foregoing subclauses (A) and (B) combined and (v) purchases of fractional shares of capital stock arising out of stock dividends, splits or combinations or business combinations or in connection with exercises or conversions of options, warrants and other convertible securities, (b) declare or pay any cash dividend or make any other cash distribution on any class of stock or other Equity Interest, except that a Subsidiary may pay dividends or make other distributions to Borrower or any Subsidiary of Borrower, (c) lend money to any employees, officers or directors or guarantee the payment of any such loans granted by a third party in excess of [***] in the aggregate or (d) waive, release or forgive any Indebtedness owed by any employees, officers or directors in excess of [***] in the aggregate.
7.12
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7.13Notwithstanding the foregoing, and for the avoidance of doubt, this Section 7.7 shall not prohibit the conversion by holders of (including any cash payment upon conversion), or required payment of any principal or premium on (including, for the avoidance of doubt, in respect of a required repurchase in connection with the payment of Permitted Convertible Indebtedness upon satisfaction of any condition related to the stock price of Borrower’s common stock) or required payment of any interest with respect to, any Permitted Convertible Indebtedness, in each case in accordance with the terms of the indenture or other instrument governing such Permitted Convertible Indebtedness; provided that, to the extent the aggregate amount of cash payable upon conversion or payment of any Permitted Convertible Indebtedness (excluding any required payment of interest with respect to such Permitted Convertible Indebtedness and excluding any payment of cash in lieu of a fractional share due upon conversion thereof) exceeds the sum of (a) the aggregate principal amount thereof and (b) the aggregate amount received by Borrower pursuant to an exercise or early unwind or settlement of a corresponding portion of the Permitted Bond Hedge Transactions relating to such Permitted Convertible Indebtedness (including, for the avoidance of doubt, the case where there is no Bond Hedge Transaction relating to such Permitted Convertible Indebtedness), the payment of such excess cash shall not be permitted by the preceding sentence; provided further that, principal payments in cash (including, without limitation, in satisfaction of the Borrower’s conversion obligations, other than cash in lieu of fractional shares) shall only be allowed if the Redemption Conditions are satisfied in respect of such payment and at all times after such payment.
7.14Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 7.7 shall not prohibit the repurchase, exchange or inducement of the conversion of Permitted Convertible Indebtedness by delivery of shares of common stock and/or a different series of Permitted Convertible Indebtedness and/or by payment of cash (in an amount that does not exceed the proceeds received by Borrower from the substantially concurrent issuance of common stock and/or such different series of Permitted Convertible Indebtedness minus the net cost of any Permitted Bond Hedge Transactions and/or Permitted Warrant Transactions plus the net cash proceeds, if any, received by Borrower pursuant to the related exercise or early unwind or termination of the related Permitted Bond Hedge Transactions and Permitted Warrant Transactions, if any, pursuant to the immediately following proviso); provided that, substantially concurrently with, or a commercially reasonable period of time before or after, the related settlement date for the Permitted Convertible Indebtedness that is so repurchased, exchanged or converted, Borrower shall exercise or unwind or terminate early (whether in cash, shares or any combination thereof) the portion of the Permitted Bond Hedge Transactions and Permitted Warrant Transactions, if any, corresponding to such Permitted Convertible Indebtedness that are so repurchased, exchanged or converted.
7.15Notwithstanding the foregoing, Borrower may (a) pay the purchase price of any Permitted Bond Hedge Transaction or (b) settle, unwind or terminate all or any portion of any Permitted Warrant Transaction by (i) set-off against the concurrent settlement, unwind or other termination of all or any portion of any related Permitted Bond Hedge Transaction or (ii) delivery of common stock.
7.16Transfers. Except for Permitted Transfers, Borrower shall not, and shall not allow any Subsidiary to, voluntarily or involuntarily transfer, sell, lease, license, lend or in any other manner convey any equitable, beneficial or legal interest in any material portion of its assets.
7.17Mergers and Consolidations. Borrower shall not merge or consolidate, or permit any of its Subsidiaries to merge or consolidate, with or into any other business organization (other than (i) Permitted Acquisitions and (ii) mergers or consolidations of (a) a Subsidiary which is not a Borrower into another Subsidiary or into Borrower or (b) a Borrower into another Borrower).
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7.18Taxes. Borrower shall, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to, pay when due all material Taxes of any nature whatsoever now or hereafter imposed or assessed against Borrower or the Collateral or upon Borrower’s ownership, possession, use, operation or disposition thereof or upon Borrower’s rents, receipts or earnings arising therefrom. Borrower shall, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to, accurately file on or before the due date therefor (taking into account proper extensions) all federal and state income Tax returns and other material Tax returns required to be filed. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Borrower and its Subsidiaries may contest, in good faith and by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted, Taxes for which Borrower and its Subsidiaries maintain adequate reserves in accordance with GAAP.
7.19Corporate Changes. Neither Borrower nor any Subsidiary shall change its corporate name, legal form or jurisdiction of formation without twenty (20) days’ prior written notice to Agent. Neither Borrower nor any Subsidiary shall suffer a Change in Control or engage in or permit any of its Subsidiaries to engage in any business other than the businesses engaged in by Borrower or such Subsidiary, as applicable, as of the Closing Date or reasonably related thereto. Neither Borrower nor any Qualified Subsidiary shall relocate its chief executive office or its principal place of business unless: (i) it has provided prior written notice to Agent; and (ii) such relocation shall be within the continental United States of America. Neither Borrower nor any Qualified Subsidiary shall relocate any item of Collateral (other than (A) sales of Inventory in the ordinary course of business, (B) relocations of Equipment having an aggregate value of up to [***] in any fiscal year, (C) relocations of Collateral from a location described on Exhibit B to another location described on Exhibit B, (D) possession of Equipment by employees in the ordinary course of business (e.g. laptops), (E) offsite repair of Equipment in the ordinary course of business and (F) the movement of Collateral in transit in the ordinary course of business) unless (i) it has provided prompt written notice to Agent, (ii) such relocation is within the continental United States of America and, (iii) if such relocation is to a third party bailee, it has delivered a bailee agreement in form and substance reasonably acceptable to Agent.
7.20Deposit Accounts. Other than Excluded Accounts, neither Borrower nor any Qualified Subsidiary shall maintain any Deposit Accounts, any accounts or sub-accounts in connection with an insured cash sweep program, or accounts holding Investment Property, except with respect to which Agent has an Account Control Agreement on terms and conditions reasonably satisfactory to Agent. None of the Loan Parties or any of their Subsidiaries shall own or hold any Digital Assets.
7.21Borrower shall notify Agent of each Subsidiary formed subsequent to the Closing Date and, within 15 Business Days of formation, shall cause any such Subsidiary that is a Qualified Subsidiary to execute and deliver to Agent a Joinder Agreement. With respect to any Subsidiary that is not a Qualified Subsidiary, at such time such Subsidiary ceases to be an Excluded Subsidiary, Borrower shall cause such Subsidiary to execute and deliver to Agent a Joinder Agreement.
7.22MSC Investment Conditions. At any time that the MSC Subsidiary has any assets or liabilities, Borrower shall satisfy the MSC Investment Conditions at all times.
7.23Notification of Event of Default. Borrower shall notify Agent, immediately upon knowledge and in no event later than two (2) Business Days, of the occurrence of any Event of Default.
7.24Permitted Royalty Agreement.
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(a)Neither Borrower nor any Subsidiary shall permit any amendment to the Permitted Royalty Agreement in effect as of the Second Amendment Effective Date other than in accordance with [***], without Agent’s prior written consent.
7.25Use of Proceeds. Borrower agrees that the proceeds of the Advances shall be used solely to pay related fees and expenses in connection with this Agreement and for working capital and general corporate purposes; provided, that the proceeds of the Tranche 1A Advance shall be used in part to refinance the Prior Term Loans, to pay related fees and expenses in connection therewith, and otherwise for working capital and general corporate purposes. The proceeds of the Loans will not be used in violation of Anti-Corruption Laws or applicable Sanctions.
7.26Excluded Subsidiaries. Borrower shall not permit Excluded Subsidiaries to maintain (i) assets in excess of [***] in the aggregate (other than the MSC Subsidiary subject to Section 7.14 of this Agreement), at any time, (ii) any material Intellectual Property or (iii) any contracts which are material to the business of Borrower and its Subsidiaries individually or in the aggregate.
7.27Compliance with Laws.
7.28Borrower shall maintain, and shall cause its Subsidiaries to maintain, compliance in all material respect with all applicable laws, rules or regulations (including any law, rule or regulation with respect to the making or brokering of loans or financial accommodations and all applicable Healthcare Laws (but excluding any law, rule or regulation with respect to Taxes to the extent covered by the terms of Section 7.10)), and shall, or cause its Subsidiaries to, obtain and maintain all required Permits reasonably necessary in connection with the conduct of Borrower’s business.
7.29Neither Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries shall, nor shall Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries permit any Affiliate to, directly or indirectly, knowingly enter into any documents, instruments, agreements or contracts with any Person listed on the OFAC Lists. Neither Borrower nor any of its Subsidiaries shall, nor shall Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries, permit any Affiliate to, directly or indirectly, (i) conduct any business or engage in any transaction or dealing with any Blocked Person, including, without limitation, the making or receiving of any contribution of funds, goods or services to or for the benefit of any Blocked Person, (ii) deal in, or otherwise engage in any transaction relating to, any property or interests in property blocked pursuant to Executive Order No. 13224 or 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.
7.30Borrower has implemented and maintains in effect policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance by the Borrower, its Subsidiaries and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents with Anti-Corruption Laws and applicable Sanctions, and Borrower, its Subsidiaries and their respective officers and employees and to the knowledge of Borrower its directors and agents, are in compliance with Anti-Corruption Laws and applicable Sanctions in all material respects.
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7.31None of Borrower, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective directors, officers or employees, or to the knowledge of Borrower, any agent for Borrower or its Subsidiaries that will act in any capacity in connection with or benefit from the credit facility established hereby, is a Sanctioned Person. No Loan, use of proceeds or other transaction contemplated by this Agreement will violate Anti-Corruption Laws or applicable Sanctions.
7.32Financial Covenants.
(a) Minimum Cash.
(i)    On and after October 1, 2026, Borrower shall at all times maintain Qualified Cash in an amount equal to or greater than the amount equal to [***] of the outstanding Secured Obligations plus the Qualified Cash A/P Amount; provided, that upon the occurrence of the [***] and thereafter (other than any date on which an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing), Borrower shall at all such times maintain Qualified Cash in an amount equal to or greater than [***] of the outstanding Secured Obligations plus the Qualified Cash A/P Amount. On any date on which Borrower maintains a Market Capitalization of at least . In addition, at [***], it is understood and agreed that this Section 7.20(a)(i) shall not apply to the Borrower and shall not be tested.
(ii)At all times after Borrower makes any principal payment in cash under any Permitted Convertible Indebtedness (including, without limitation, in satisfaction of the Borrower’s conversion obligations, other than cash in lieu of fractional shares), Borrower shall at all such times maintain Qualified Cash in an amount equal to or greater than [***] of the outstanding Secured Obligations.
(b)Minimum Revenue. At any time after which the aggregate principal amount of Term Loan Advances funded on and after the Second Amendment Effective Date exceeds [***], commencing with the last month of the fiscal quarter occurring six (6) months after the [***], Borrower shall achieve [***] of at least the amounts set forth in Schedule 7.20(b) with respect to the applicable corresponding test date. For any fiscal quarter in which either (i)(x) Borrower maintained a Market Capitalization of at least [***] and (y) Borrower has maintained Qualified Cash in an amount equal to or greater than [***] of the outstanding Secured Obligations plus the Qualified Cash A/P Amount, or (ii) Borrower has maintained Qualified Cash in an amount equal to or greater than [***] of the outstanding Secured Obligations plus the Qualified Cash A/P Amount, it is understood and agreed that this Section 7.20(b) shall not apply to the Borrower and shall not be tested.
7.33Intellectual Property. Each Borrower shall (i) protect, defend and maintain the validity and enforceability of its material Intellectual Property; (ii) promptly advise Agent in writing of material infringements of its Intellectual Property; and (iii) not allow any Intellectual Property material to Borrowers’ business to be abandoned, forfeited or dedicated to the public without Agent’s written consent. If Borrower (a) obtains any Patent, registered Trademark, registered Copyright, registered mask work, or any pending application for any of the foregoing, whether as owner, licensee or otherwise, or (b) applies for any Patent or the registration of any Trademark or any Copyright or mask works, in each case, with the United States Patent and Trademark Office or the United States Copyright Office, as applicable, then Borrower shall provide written notice thereof to Agent concurrently with the delivery of the first Compliance Certificate due immediately thereafter, and shall execute such intellectual property security agreements and other documents and take such other actions as Agent may request in its good faith business judgment to perfect and maintain a first priority perfected security interest in favor of Agent in such property (other than Excluded Assets). Borrower shall provide written notice to Agent within thirty (30) days of entering or becoming bound by any Restricted License (other than off-the-shelf software that is commercially available to the public). Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, nothing in this Agreement or any other Loan Document prevents or shall be deemed to prevent Borrower or any of it Subsidiaries from disposing of, discontinuing the use or maintenance of, failing to pursue, or otherwise allowing to lapse, terminate or be put into the public domain, any of its Intellectual Property to the extent permitted by this Agreement if Borrower or such Subsidiary determines in its reasonable business judgment that such Intellectual Property is no longer material to Borrower’s businesses or otherwise of material value.
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7.34Transactions with Affiliates. Borrower shall not and shall not permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly, enter into or permit to exist any transaction of any kind with any Affiliate of Borrower or such Subsidiary on terms that are less favorable to Borrower or such Subsidiary, as the case may be, than those that might be obtained in an arm’s length transaction from a Person who is not an Affiliate of Borrower or such Subsidiary, other than (i) employment and severance arrangements between Borrower and its Subsidiaries and their respective officers and employees in the ordinary course of business, (ii) transactions pursuant to stock option plans and employee benefit plans and arrangements in the ordinary course of business and (iii) the payment of customary fees and reasonable out of pocket costs to, and indemnities provided on behalf of, directors, officers, employees and consultants of Borrower and its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business to the extent attributable to the ownership or operation of Borrower and its Subsidiaries.
    
    
    
    
7.35    
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SECTION 8. RIGHT TO INVEST
8.1The Lenders or their assignee or nominee shall have the right, in its discretion, to participate in any Subsequent Financing in an amount of up to [***] on the same terms, conditions and pricing afforded to others participating in any such Subsequent Financing. This Section 8.1, and all rights and obligations hereunder, shall terminate upon the repayment in full of all Secured Obligations (other than any inchoate indemnity obligations and any other obligations which, by their terms, are to survive the termination of this Agreement).
SECTION 9. EVENTS OF DEFAULT
The occurrence of any one or more of the following events shall be an Event of Default:
9.1Payments. Borrower fails to pay any amount due under this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents on the due date; provided, however, that an Event of Default shall not occur on account of a failure to pay due solely to an administrative or operational error of Agent or the Lenders or Borrower’s bank if Borrower had the funds to make the payment when due and makes the payment within three (3) Business Days following Borrower’s knowledge of such failure to pay; or
9.2Covenants. Borrower breaches or defaults in the performance of any covenant or Secured Obligation under this Agreement, or any of the other Loan Documents or any other agreement among Borrower, Agent and the Lenders, and (a) with respect to a default under any covenant under this Agreement (other than under Sections 6 and 7), any other Loan Document, or any other agreement among Borrower, Agent and the Lenders, such default continues for more than ten (10) Business Days after the earlier of the date on which (i) Agent or the Lenders has given notice of such default to Borrower and (ii) Borrower has actual knowledge of such default or (b) with respect to a default under any of Sections 6 and 7, the occurrence of such default; or
9.3Material Adverse Effect. A circumstance has occurred that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; or
9.4Representations. Any representation or warranty made by Borrower in any Loan Document shall have been false or misleading in any material respect when made or when deemed made; or
9.5Insolvency. Borrower (A) (i) shall make an assignment for the benefit of creditors; or (ii) shall be unable to pay its debts as they become due, or be unable to pay or perform under the Loan Documents, or shall become insolvent; or (iii) shall file a voluntary petition in bankruptcy; or (iv) shall file any petition, answer, or document seeking for itself any reorganization, arrangement, composition, readjustment, liquidation, dissolution or similar relief under any present or future statute, law or regulation pertinent to such circumstances; or (v) shall seek or consent to or acquiesce in the appointment of any trustee, receiver, or liquidator of Borrower or of all or any substantial part (i.e., 33-1/3% or more) of the assets or property of Borrower; or (vi) shall cease operations of its business as its business has normally been conducted, or terminate substantially all of its employees; or (vii) Borrower or its directors or majority shareholders shall take any action initiating any of the foregoing actions described in clauses (i) through (vi); or (B) either (i) thirty (30) days shall have expired after the commencement of an involuntary action against Borrower seeking reorganization, arrangement, composition, readjustment, liquidation, dissolution or similar relief under any present or future statute, law or regulation, without such action being dismissed or all orders or proceedings thereunder affecting the operations or the business of Borrower being stayed; or (ii) a stay of any such order or proceedings shall thereafter be set aside and the action setting it aside shall not be timely appealed; or (iii) Borrower shall file any answer admitting or not contesting the material allegations of a petition filed against Borrower in any such proceedings; or (iv) the court in which such proceedings are pending shall enter a decree or order granting the relief sought in any such proceedings; or (v) thirty (30) days shall have expired after the appointment, without the consent or acquiescence of Borrower, of any trustee, receiver or liquidator of Borrower or of all or any substantial part of the properties of Borrower without such appointment being vacated; or
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9.6Attachments; Judgments. Any material portion of Borrower’s assets is attached or seized, or a levy is filed against any such assets, or a judgment or judgments is/are entered for the payment of money (not covered by independent third party insurance as to which liability has not been rejected by such insurance carrier), individually or in the aggregate, of at least [***], and such judgment remains unsatisfied, unvacated or unstayed for a period of thirty (30) days after the entry thereof, or Borrower is enjoined or in any way prevented by court order from conducting any part of its business; or
9.7Fundamental Change. The occurrence of any “fundamental change” (howsoever defined) under the indenture governing any Permitted Convertible Indebtedness; or
9.8Other Obligations. The occurrence of (a) any default under any agreement or obligation of Borrower involving any Indebtedness in excess of [***], or any other material agreement or obligation, if a Material Adverse Effect could reasonably be expected to result from such default or (b) any uncured breach under the Permitted Royalty Agreement, as may be amended, amended and restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, resulting in a right by any third party or parties, whether or not exercised, to receive payment in an amount reasonably expected to be in excess of [***].
SECTION 10. REMEDIES
10.1General. Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of any one or more Events of Default, Agent may, and at the direction of the Required Lenders shall, (i) accelerate and demand payment of all or any part of the Secured Obligations together with a Prepayment Charge and declare them to be immediately due and payable (provided, that upon the occurrence of an Event of Default of the type described in Section 9.5, all of the Secured Obligations (including, without limitation, the Prepayment Charge and the End of Term Charge) shall automatically be accelerated and made due and payable, in each case without any further notice or act), (ii) declare the commitments of each Lender to make Loans and Advances to be terminated, whereupon such commitments shall be terminated and (iii) exercise all rights and remedies with respect to the Collateral under the Loan Documents or otherwise available to it under the UCC and other applicable law, including the right to release, hold, sell, lease, liquidate, collect, realize upon, or otherwise dispose of all or any part of the Collateral and the right to occupy, utilize, process and commingle the Collateral. Borrower hereby irrevocably appoints Agent as its lawful attorney-in-fact to: (a) exercisable following the occurrence of an Event of Default, (i) sign Borrower’s name on any invoice or bill of lading for any account or drafts against account debtors; (ii) demand, collect, sue, and give releases to any account debtor for monies due, settle and adjust disputes and claims about the accounts directly with account debtors, and compromise, prosecute, or defend any action, claim, case, or proceeding about any Collateral (including filing a claim or voting a claim in any bankruptcy case in Agent’s or Borrower’s name, as Agent may elect); (iii) make, settle, and adjust all claims under Borrower’s insurance policies; (iv) pay, contest or settle any Lien, charge, encumbrance, security interest, or other claim in or to the Collateral, or any judgment based thereon, or otherwise take any action to terminate or discharge the same; (v) transfer the Collateral into the name of Agent or a third party as the UCC permits; and (vi) receive, open and dispose of mail addressed to Borrower; and (b) regardless of whether an Event of Default has occurred, (i) endorse Borrower’s name on any checks, payment instruments, or other forms of payment or security; and (ii) notify all account debtors to pay Agent directly. Borrower hereby appoints Agent as its lawful attorney-in-fact to sign Borrower’s name on any documents necessary to perfect or continue the perfection of Agent’s security interest in the Collateral regardless of whether an Event of Default has occurred until all Secured Obligations (other than any inchoate indemnity obligations and any other obligations which, by their terms, are to survive the termination of this Agreement) have been satisfied in full and the Loan Documents have been terminated. Agent’s foregoing appointment as Borrower’s attorney in fact, and all of Agent’s rights and powers, coupled with an interest, are irrevocable until all Secured Obligations (other than any inchoate indemnity obligations and any other obligations which, by their terms, are to survive the termination of this Agreement) have been fully repaid and performed and the Loan Documents have been terminated. All Agent’s rights and remedies shall be cumulative and not exclusive.
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10.2Collection; Foreclosure. Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of any Event of Default, Agent may, and at the direction of the Required Lenders shall, at any time or from time to time, apply, collect, liquidate, sell in one or more sales, lease or otherwise dispose of, any or all of the Collateral, in its then condition or following any commercially reasonable preparation or processing, in such order as Agent may elect. Any such sale may be made either at public or private sale at its place of business or elsewhere. Borrower agrees that any such public or private sale may occur upon ten (10) calendar days’ prior written notice to Borrower. Agent may require Borrower to assemble the Collateral and make it available to Agent at a place designated by Agent that is reasonably convenient to Agent and Borrower. The proceeds of any sale, disposition or other realization upon all or any part of the Collateral shall be applied by Agent in the following order of priorities:
    First, to Agent and the Lenders in an amount sufficient to pay in full Agent’s and the Lenders’ reasonable costs and professionals’ and advisors’ fees and expenses as described in Section 11.12;
    Second, to the Lenders in an amount equal to the then unpaid amount of the Secured Obligations (including principal, interest, and the Default Rate interest), in such order and priority as Agent may choose in its sole discretion; and
    Finally, after the full and final payment in Cash of all of the Secured Obligations (other than inchoate indemnity obligations), to any creditor holding a junior Lien on the Collateral, or to Borrower or its representatives or as a court of competent jurisdiction may direct.
Agent shall be deemed to have acted reasonably in the custody, preservation and disposition of any of the Collateral if it complies with the obligations of a secured party under the UCC.
10.3No Waiver. Agent shall be under no obligation to marshal any of the Collateral for the benefit of Borrower or any other Person, and Borrower expressly waives all rights, if any, to require Agent to marshal any Collateral.
10.4Cumulative Remedies. The rights, powers and remedies of Agent hereunder shall be in addition to all rights, powers and remedies given by statute or rule of law and are cumulative. The exercise of any one or more of the rights, powers and remedies provided herein shall not be construed as a waiver of or election of remedies with respect to any other rights, powers and remedies of Agent.
SECTION 11. MISCELLANEOUS
11.1Severability. Whenever possible, each provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Agreement shall be prohibited by or invalid under such law, such provision shall be ineffective only to the extent and duration of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such provision or the remaining provisions of this Agreement.
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11.2Notice. Except as otherwise provided herein, any notice, demand, request, consent, approval, declaration, service of process or other communication (including the delivery of Financial Statements) that is required, contemplated, or permitted under the Loan Documents or with respect to the subject matter hereof shall be in writing, and shall be deemed to have been validly served, given, delivered, and received upon the earlier of: (i) the day of transmission by electronic mail or hand delivery or delivery by an overnight express service or overnight mail delivery service; or (ii) the third calendar day after deposit in the United States of America mails, with proper first class postage prepaid, in each case addressed to the party to be notified as follows:
(a)If to Agent:
HERCULES CAPITAL, INC.
Legal Department
Attention: [***][***]
[***]
[***]
email: [***]
Telephone: [***]
(b)If to the Lenders:
HERCULES CAPITAL, INC.
Legal Department
Attention: [***][***]
[***]
[***]
email: [***]
Telephone: [***]
(c)If to Borrower:
VIRIDIAN THERAPEUTICS, INC.
Attention: [***]
221 Crescent Street, Suite 401
Waltham, MA 02453
email: [***]
Telephone: [***]

with a copy to:

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ROPES & GRAY LLP
Attention: Christopher Holt
Prudential Tower
800 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02199-3600
Email: Christopher.Holt@ropesgray.com
Telephone: 617-951-7368

or to such other address as each party may designate for itself by like notice.
11.3Entire Agreement; Amendments.
(a)This Agreement and the other Loan Documents constitute the entire agreement and understanding of the parties hereto in respect of the subject matter hereof and thereof, and supersede and replace in their entirety any prior proposals, term sheets, non-disclosure or confidentiality agreements, letters, negotiations or other documents or agreements, whether written or oral, with respect to the subject matter hereof or thereof (including Agent’s revised proposal letter dated March 9, 2022 and the Non-Disclosure Agreement).
(b)Neither this Agreement, any other Loan Document, nor any terms hereof or thereof may be amended, supplemented or modified except in accordance with the provisions of this Section 11.3(b). The Required Lenders and Borrower party to the relevant Loan Document may, or, with the written consent of the Required Lenders, the Agent and the Borrower party to the relevant Loan Document may, from time to time, (i) enter into written amendments, supplements or modifications hereto and to the other Loan Documents for the purpose of adding any provisions to this Agreement or the other Loan Documents or changing in any manner the rights of the Lenders or of the Borrower hereunder or thereunder or (ii) waive, on such terms and conditions as the Required Lenders or the Agent, as the case may be, may specify in such instrument, any of the requirements of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents or any Event of Default and its consequences; provided, however, that no such waiver and no such amendment, supplement or modification shall (A) forgive the principal amount or extend the final scheduled date of maturity of any Loan, extend the scheduled date of any amortization payment in respect of any Term Loan, reduce the stated rate of any interest (or fee payable hereunder) or extend the scheduled date of any payment thereof, in each case without the written consent of each Lender directly affected thereby; (B) eliminate or reduce the voting rights of any Lender under this Section 11.3(b) without the written consent of such Lender; (C) reduce any percentage specified in the definition of Required Lenders, consent to the assignment or transfer by the Borrower of any of its rights and obligations under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, release all or substantially all of the Collateral or release a Borrower from its obligations under the Loan Documents, in each case without the written consent of all Lenders; or (D) amend, modify or waive any provision of Section 11.18 or Addendum 3 without the written consent of the Agent. Any such waiver and any such amendment, supplement or modification shall apply equally to each Lender and shall be binding upon Borrower, the Lender, the Agent and all future holders of the Loans.
11.4No 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.
11.5No Waiver. The powers conferred upon Agent and the Lenders by this Agreement are solely to protect its rights hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and its interest in the Collateral and shall not impose any duty upon Agent or the Lenders to exercise any such powers. No omission or delay by Agent or the Lenders at any time to enforce any right or remedy reserved to it, or to require performance of any of the terms, covenants or provisions hereof by Borrower at any time designated, shall be a waiver of any such right or remedy to which Agent or the Lenders is entitled, nor shall it in any way affect the right of Agent or the Lenders to enforce such provisions thereafter.
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11.6Survival. All agreements, representations and warranties contained in this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or in any document delivered pursuant hereto or thereto shall be for the benefit of Agent and the Lenders and shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement. Sections 6.3, 8.1 (except as otherwise provided in Section 8.1), 11.14, 11.15 and 11.17 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
11.7Successors and Assigns. The provisions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall inure to the benefit of and be binding on Borrower and its permitted assigns (if any). Borrower shall not assign its obligations under this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents without Agent’s express prior written consent, and any such attempted assignment shall be void and of no effect. Agent and the Lenders may assign, transfer, or endorse its rights hereunder and under the other Loan Documents without prior notice to Borrower, and all of such rights shall inure to the benefit of Agent’s and the Lenders’ successors and assigns; provided that as long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, neither Agent nor any Lender may assign, transfer or endorse its rights hereunder or under the Loan Documents to any party that is a direct competitor of Borrower (as reasonably determined by Agent), it being acknowledged that in all cases, any transfer to an Affiliate of any Lender or Agent shall be allowed. Notwithstanding the foregoing, (x) in connection with any assignment by a Lender as a result of a forced divestiture at the request of any regulatory agency, the restrictions set forth herein shall not apply and Agent and the Lenders may assign, transfer or indorse its rights hereunder and under the other Loan Documents to any Person or party and (y) in connection with a Lender’s own financing or securitization transactions, the restrictions set forth herein shall not apply and Agent and the Lenders may assign, transfer or indorse its rights hereunder and under the other Loan Documents to any Person or party providing such financing or formed to undertake such securitization transaction and any transferee of such Person or party upon the occurrence of a default, event of default or similar occurrence with respect to such financing or securitization transaction; provided that no such sale, transfer, pledge or assignment under this clause (y) shall release such Lender from any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such Person or party for such Lender as a party hereto until Agent shall have received and accepted an effective assignment agreement from such Person or party in form satisfactory to Agent executed, delivered and fully completed by the applicable parties thereto, and shall have received such other information regarding such assignee as Agent reasonably shall require. The Agent, acting solely for this purpose as an agent of the Borrower, shall maintain at one of its offices in the United States a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lender(s), and the Term Commitments of, and principal amounts (and stated interest) of the Loans owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “Register”). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and the Borrower, the Agent and the Lender(s) shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement. The Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrower and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.
11.8Participations. Each Lender that sells a participation shall, acting solely for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of the 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 Loans or other obligations under the Loan Documents (the “Participant Register”); 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, its other obligations under any Loan Document) to any Person 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. The entries in the Participant Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and such Lender shall treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Participant Register as the owner of such participation for all purposes of this Agreement notwithstanding any notice to the contrary. For the avoidance of doubt, the Agent (in its capacity as Agent) shall have no responsibility for maintaining a Participant Register. Borrower agrees that each participant shall be entitled to the benefits of the provisions in Addendum 1 attached hereto (subject to the requirements and limitations therein, including the requirements under Section 7 of Addendum 1 attached hereto (it being understood that the documentation required under Section 7 of Addendum 1 attached hereto shall be delivered to the participating Lender)) to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to Section 11.7; provided that such participant shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Addendum 1 attached hereto, with respect to any participation, than its participating Lender would have been entitled to receive, except to the extent such entitlement to receive a greater payment results from a change in law that occurs after the participant acquired the applicable participation.
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11.9Governing Law. This Agreement and the other Loan Documents have been negotiated and delivered to Agent and the Lenders in the State of California, and shall have been accepted by Agent and the Lenders in the State of California. Payment to Agent and the Lenders by Borrower of the Secured Obligations is due in the State of California. This Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of California, excluding conflict of laws principles that would cause the application of laws of any other jurisdiction.
11.10Consent to Jurisdiction and Venue. All judicial proceedings (to the extent that the reference requirement of Section 11.11 is not applicable) arising in or under or related to this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents may be brought in any state or federal court located in the State of California. By execution and delivery of this Agreement, each party hereto generally and unconditionally: (a) consents to nonexclusive personal jurisdiction in Santa Clara County, State of California; (b) waives any objection as to jurisdiction or venue in Santa Clara County, State of California; (c) agrees not to assert any defense based on lack of jurisdiction or venue in the aforesaid courts; and (d) irrevocably agrees to be bound by any judgment rendered thereby in connection with this Agreement or the other Loan Documents. Service of process on any party hereto in any action arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall be effective if given in accordance with the requirements for notice set forth in Section 11.2, and shall be deemed effective and received as set forth in Section 11.2. Nothing herein shall affect the right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law or shall limit the right of either party to bring proceedings in the courts of any other jurisdiction.
11.11Mutual Waiver of Jury Trial / Judicial Reference.
(a)Because disputes arising in connection with complex financial transactions are most quickly and economically resolved by an experienced and expert Person and the parties wish applicable state and federal laws to apply (rather than arbitration rules), the parties desire that their disputes be resolved by a judge applying such applicable laws. EACH OF BORROWER, AGENT AND THE LENDERS SPECIFICALLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO TRIAL BY JURY OF ANY CAUSE OF ACTION, CLAIM, CROSS-CLAIM, COUNTERCLAIM, THIRD PARTY CLAIM OR ANY OTHER CLAIM (COLLECTIVELY, “CLAIMS”) ASSERTED BY BORROWER AGAINST AGENT, THE LENDERS OR THEIR RESPECTIVE ASSIGNEE OR BY AGENT, THE LENDERS OR THEIR RESPECTIVE ASSIGNEE AGAINST BORROWER. This waiver extends to all such Claims, including Claims that involve Persons other than Agent, Borrower and the Lenders; Claims that arise out of or are in any way connected to the relationship among Borrower, Agent and the Lenders; and any Claims for damages, breach of contract, tort, specific performance, or any equitable or legal relief of any kind, arising out of this Agreement, any other Loan Document.
(b)If the waiver of jury trial set forth in Section 11.11(a) is ineffective or unenforceable, the parties agree that all Claims shall be resolved by reference to a private judge sitting without a jury, pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure Section 638, before a mutually acceptable referee or, if the parties cannot agree, a referee selected by the Presiding Judge of the Santa Clara County, California. Such proceeding shall be conducted in Santa Clara County, California, with California rules of evidence and discovery applicable to such proceeding.
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(c)In the event Claims are to be resolved by judicial reference, either party may seek from a court identified in Section 11.10, any prejudgment order, writ or other relief and have such prejudgment order, writ or other relief enforced to the fullest extent permitted by law notwithstanding that all Claims are otherwise subject to resolution by judicial reference.
11.12Professional Fees. Borrower promises to pay Agent’s and the Lenders’ fees and expenses necessary to finalize the loan documentation, including but not limited to reasonable attorneys’ fees, UCC searches, filing costs, and other miscellaneous expenses. In addition, Borrower promises to pay any and all reasonable attorneys’ and other professionals’ fees and expenses incurred by Agent and the Lenders after the Closing Date in connection with or related to: (a) the Loan; (b) the administration, collection, or enforcement of the Loan; (c) the amendment or modification of the Loan Documents; (d) any waiver, consent, release, or termination under the Loan Documents; (e) the protection, preservation, audit, field exam, sale, lease, liquidation, or disposition of Collateral or the exercise of remedies with respect to the Collateral; (f) any legal, litigation, administrative, arbitration, or out of court proceeding in connection with or related to Borrower or the Collateral, and any appeal or review thereof; and (g) any bankruptcy, restructuring, reorganization, assignment for the benefit of creditors, workout, foreclosure, or other action related to Borrower, the Collateral, the Loan Documents, including representing Agent or the Lenders in any adversary proceeding or contested matter commenced or continued by or on behalf of Borrower’s estate, and any appeal or review thereof.
11.13Confidentiality. Agent and the Lenders acknowledge that certain items of Collateral and information provided to Agent and the Lenders by Borrower are confidential and proprietary information of Borrower, if and to the extent such information either (x) is marked as confidential by Borrower at the time of disclosure, or (y) should reasonably be understood to be confidential (the “Confidential Information”). Accordingly, Agent and the Lenders agree that any Confidential Information it may obtain in the course of acquiring, administering, or perfecting Agent’s security interest in the Collateral shall not be disclosed to any other Person or entity in any manner whatsoever, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of Borrower, except that Agent and the Lenders may disclose any such information: (a) to its Affiliates and its partners, investors, lenders, directors, officers, employees, agents, advisors, counsel, accountants, counsel, representative and other professional advisors if Agent or the Lenders in their sole discretion determines that any such party should have access to such information in connection with such party’s responsibilities in connection with the Loan or this Agreement and, provided that such recipient of such Confidential Information either (i) agrees to be bound by the confidentiality provisions of this paragraph or (ii) is otherwise subject to confidentiality restrictions that reasonably protect against the disclosure of Confidential Information; (b) if such information is generally available to the public or to the extent such information becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or becomes available to Agent or any Lender, or any of their respective Affiliates on a non-confidential basis from a source other than the Borrower; (c) if required or appropriate in any report, statement or testimony submitted to any governmental authority having or claiming to have jurisdiction over Agent or the Lenders and any rating agency; (d) if required or appropriate in response to any summons or subpoena or in connection with any litigation, to the extent permitted or deemed advisable by Agent’s or the Lenders’ counsel; (e) to comply with any legal requirement or law applicable to Agent or the Lenders or demanded by any governmental authority; (f) to the extent reasonably necessary in connection with the exercise of, or preparing to exercise, or the enforcement of, or preparing to enforce, any right or remedy under any Loan Document (including Agent’s sale, lease, or other disposition of Collateral after default), or any action or proceeding relating to any Loan Document; (g) to any participant or assignee of Agent or the Lenders or any prospective participant or assignee, provided, that such participant or assignee or prospective participant or assignee is subject to confidentiality restrictions that reasonably protect against the disclosure of Confidential Information; (h) to any investor or potential investor (and each of their respective Affiliates or clients) in the Agent or the Lenders (or each of their respective Affiliates); provided that such investor, potential investor, Affiliate or client is subject to confidentiality obligations with respect to the Confidential Information; (i) otherwise to the extent consisting of general portfolio information that does not identify Borrower; or (j) otherwise with the prior consent of Borrower; provided, that any disclosure made in violation of this Agreement shall not affect the obligations of Borrower or any of its Affiliates or any guarantor under this Agreement or the other Loan Documents. Agent’s and the Lenders’ obligations under this Section 11.13 shall supersede all of their respective obligations under the Non-Disclosure Agreement.
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11.14Assignment of Rights. Borrower acknowledges and understands that Agent or the Lenders may, subject to Section 11.7, sell and assign all or part of its interest hereunder and under the Loan Documents to any Person or entity (an “Assignee”). After such assignment the term “Agent” or “Lender” as used in the Loan Documents shall mean and include such Assignee, and such Assignee shall be vested with all rights, powers and remedies of Agent and the Lenders hereunder with respect to the interest so assigned; but with respect to any such interest not so transferred, Agent and the Lenders shall retain all rights, powers and remedies hereby given. No such assignment by Agent or the Lenders shall relieve Borrower of any of its obligations hereunder. the Lenders agrees that in the event of any transfer by it of the promissory note(s) (if any), it will endorse thereon a notation as to the portion of the principal of the promissory note(s), which shall have been paid at the time of such transfer and as to the date to which interest shall have been last paid thereon.
11.15Revival of Secured Obligations. This Agreement and the Loan Documents shall remain in full force and effect and continue to be effective if any petition is filed by or against Borrower for liquidation or reorganization, if Borrower becomes insolvent or makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors, if a receiver or trustee is appointed for all or any significant part of Borrower’s assets, or if any payment or transfer of Collateral is recovered from Agent or the Lenders. The Loan Documents and the Secured Obligations and Collateral security shall continue to be effective, or shall be revived or reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time payment and performance of the Secured Obligations or any transfer of Collateral to Agent, or any part thereof is rescinded, avoided or avoidable, reduced in amount, or must otherwise be restored or returned by, or is recovered from, Agent, the Lenders or by any obligee of the Secured Obligations, whether as a “voidable preference,” “fraudulent conveyance,” or otherwise, all as though such payment, performance, or transfer of Collateral had not been made. In the event that any payment, or any part thereof, is rescinded, reduced, avoided, avoidable, restored, returned, or recovered, the Loan Documents and the Secured Obligations shall be deemed, without any further action or documentation, to have been revived and reinstated except to the extent of the full, final, and indefeasible payment to Agent or the Lenders in Cash.
11.16Counterparts. This Agreement and any amendments, waivers, consents or supplements hereto may be executed in any number of counterparts, and by different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so delivered shall be deemed an original, but all of which counterparts shall constitute but one and the same instrument.
11.17No Third Party Beneficiaries. No provisions of the Loan Documents are intended, nor will be interpreted, to provide or create any third-party beneficiary rights or any other rights of any kind in any Person other than Agent, the Lenders and Borrower unless specifically provided otherwise herein, and, except as otherwise so provided, all provisions of the Loan Documents will be personal and solely among Agent, the Lenders and the Borrower.
11.18Agency. Agent and each Lender hereby agree to the terms and conditions set forth on Addendum 3 attached hereto. Borrower acknowledges and agrees to the terms and conditions set forth on Addendum 3 attached hereto.
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11.19Publicity. None of the parties hereto nor any of its respective member businesses and Affiliates shall, without the other parties’ prior written consent (which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed), publicize or use (a) the other party’s name (including a brief description of the relationship among the parties hereto), logo or hyperlink to such other parties’ web site, separately or together, in written and oral presentations, advertising, promotional and marketing materials, client lists, public relations materials or on its web site (together, the “Publicity Materials”); (b) the names of officers of such other parties in the Publicity Materials; and (c) such other parties’ name, trademarks, servicemarks in any news or press release concerning such party; provided however, notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no such consent shall be required (i) to the extent necessary to comply with the requests of any regulators, legal requirements or laws applicable to such party, pursuant to any listing agreement with any national securities exchange (so long as such party provides prior notice to the other party hereto to the extent reasonably practicable) and (ii) to comply with Section 11.13.
11.20Electronic Execution of Certain Other Documents. The words “execution,” “execute”, “signed,” “signature,” and words of like import in or related to any document to be signed in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby (including without limitation assignments, assumptions, amendments, waivers and consents) shall be deemed to include electronic signatures, the electronic matching of assignment terms and contract formations on electronic platforms approved by the Agent, 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 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 California Uniform Electronic Transaction Act, or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act.
11.21[***]
(SIGNATURES TO FOLLOW)

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1



Table of Addenda, Exhibits and Schedules

Addendum 1: Taxes; Increased Costs
Addendum 2:    Reserved
Addendum 3:    Agent and Lender Terms
Addendum 4: Delivery Instructions
Exhibit A:    [***]
Exhibit B:    [***]
Exhibit C:    [***]
Exhibit D:    [***]
Exhibit E:    Compliance Certificate
Exhibit F:    Joinder Agreement
Exhibit G:    [Reserved]
Exhibit H:    [***]
Exhibit I:    [Reserved]
Exhibit J-1:    Form of U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate (For Foreign Lenders That Are Not Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)
Exhibit J-2:    Form of U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate (For Foreign Participants That Are Not Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)
Exhibit J-3:    Form of U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate (For Foreign Participants That Are Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)
Exhibit J-4:    Form of U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate (For Foreign Lenders That Are Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)
Schedule 1.1    [***]
Schedule 1    [***]
Schedule 1A    [***]
Schedule 1B    [***]
Schedule 1C    [***]
Schedule 5.3    [***]
Schedule 5.8    [***]
Schedule 5.9    [***]
2




Schedule 5.10    [***]
Schedule 5.11    [***]
Schedule 5.14    [***]
Schedule 7.20(b) [***]


3



ADDENDUM 1 to LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT
TAXES; INCREASED COSTS
1.Defined Terms. For purposes of this Addendum 1:
a.“Connection Income Taxes” means Other Connection Taxes that are imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated) or that are franchise Taxes or branch profits Taxes.
b.“Excluded Taxes” means any of the following Taxes imposed on or with respect to a Recipient or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to a Recipient, (i) Taxes imposed on or measured by net income (however denominated), franchise Taxes, and branch profits Taxes, in each case, (A) imposed as a result of such Recipient being organized under the laws of, or having its principal office or, in the case of any Lender, its applicable lending office located in, the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (or any political subdivision thereof) or (B) that are Other Connection Taxes, (ii) in the case of a Lender, U.S. federal withholding Taxes imposed on amounts payable to or for the account of such Lender with respect to an applicable interest in a Loan or Term Commitment pursuant to a law in effect on the date on which (A) such Lender acquires such interest in the Loan or Term Commitment or (B) such Lender changes its lending office, except in each case to the extent that, pursuant to Section 2 or Section 4 of this Addendum 1, amounts with respect to such Taxes were payable either to such Lender’s assignor immediately before such Lender became a party hereto or to such Lender immediately before it changed its lending office, (iii) Taxes attributable to such Recipient’s failure to comply with Section 7 of this Addendum 1 and (iv) any withholding Taxes imposed under FATCA.
c.“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 regulations or official interpretations thereof, any agreements entered into pursuant to Section 1471(b)(1) of the Code, any intergovernmental agreements entered into in connection with any of the foregoing and any fiscal or regulatory legislation, rules or practices adopted pursuant to any intergovernmental agreement, treaty or convention among governmental authorities and implementing such Sections of the Code.
d.“Foreign Lender” means a Lender that is not a U.S. Person.
e.“Indemnified Taxes” means (i) Taxes, other than Excluded Taxes, imposed on or with respect to any payment made by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower under any Loan Document and (ii) to the extent not otherwise described in clause (i), Other Taxes.
f.“Other Connection Taxes” means, with respect to any Recipient, Taxes imposed as a result of a present or former connection between such Recipient and the jurisdiction imposing such Tax (other than connections arising from such Recipient having executed, delivered, become a party to, performed its obligations under, received payments under, received or perfected a security interest under, engaged in any other transaction pursuant to or enforced any Loan Document, or sold or assigned an interest in any Loan or Loan Document).
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g.“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 Loan Document, except any such Taxes that are Other Connection Taxes imposed with respect to an assignment.
h.“Recipient” means the Agent or any Lender, as applicable.
i.“Withholding Agent” means the Borrower and the Agent.
2.Payments Free of Taxes. Any and all payments by or on account of any obligation of the Borrower under any Loan Document shall be made without deduction or withholding for any 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 such Tax is an Indemnified Tax, then the sum payable by the Borrower shall be increased as necessary so that after such deduction or withholding has been made (including such deductions and withholdings applicable to additional sums payable under this Section 2 or Section 4 of this Addendum 1) the applicable Recipient receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deduction or withholding been made.
3.Payment of Other Taxes by Borrower. The Borrower shall timely pay to the relevant governmental authority in accordance with applicable law, or at the option of the Agent timely reimburse it for the payment of, any Other Taxes.
4.Indemnification by Borrower. Without duplication of its obligations under Sections 2 or 3 of this Addendum 1, the Borrower shall indemnify each Recipient, within 10 days after demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes (including Indemnified Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under Section 2 of this Addendum 1 or this Section 4) payable or paid by such Recipient or required to be withheld or deducted from a payment to such Recipient and any reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified 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 the Borrower by a Lender (with a copy to the Agent), or by the Agent on its own behalf or on behalf of a Lender, shall be conclusive absent manifest error. In addition, the Borrower agrees to pay, and to save the Agent and any Lender harmless from, any and all liabilities with respect to, or resulting from any delay in paying, any and all excise, sales or other similar taxes (excluding taxes imposed on or measured by the net income of the Agent or such Lender) that may be payable or determined to be payable with respect to any of the Collateral or this Agreement.
5.Indemnification by the Lenders. Each Lender shall severally indemnify the Agent, within 10 days after demand therefor, for (a) any Indemnified Taxes attributable to such Lender (but only to the extent that the Borrower has not already indemnified the Agent for such Indemnified Taxes and without limiting the obligation of the Borrower to do so), (b) any Taxes attributable to such Lender’s failure to comply with the provisions of Section 11.8 of the Agreement relating to the maintenance of a Participant Register and (c) any Excluded Taxes attributable to such Lender, in each case, that are payable or paid by the Agent in connection with any Loan 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 the Agent shall be conclusive absent manifest error. Each Lender hereby authorizes the Agent to set off and apply any and all amounts at any time owing to such Lender under any Loan Document or otherwise payable by the Agent to the Lender from any other source against any amount due to the Agent under this Section 5.
5



6.Evidence of Payments. As soon as practicable after any payment of Taxes by the Borrower to a governmental authority pursuant to the provisions of this Addendum 1, the Borrower shall deliver to the Agent the original or a copy of a receipt issued by such governmental authority evidencing such payment, a copy of the return reporting such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Agent.
7.Status of Lenders.
a.Any Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding Tax with respect to payments made under any Loan Document shall deliver to the Borrower and the Agent, at the time or times reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Agent, such properly completed and executed documentation reasonably requested by the Borrower or the 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 the Borrower or the Agent, shall deliver such other documentation prescribed by applicable law or reasonably requested by the Borrower or the Agent as will enable the Borrower or the Agent 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 7(b)(i), 7(b)(ii) and 7(b)(iv) of this Addendum 1) shall not be required if in the 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.
b.Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, in the event that the Borrower is a U.S. Person,
i.any Lender that is a U.S. Person shall deliver to the Borrower and the 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 or the Agent), executed copies of IRS Form W-9 certifying that such Lender is exempt from U.S. federal backup withholding tax;
ii.any Foreign Lender shall, to the extent it is legally entitled to do so, deliver to the Borrower and the 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 or the Agent), whichever of the following is applicable:
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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 Loan Document, executed copies of IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E 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 Loan Document, IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E 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.executed copies of IRS Form W-8ECI;
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 J-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 the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Code, or a “controlled foreign corporation” related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code (a “U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate”) and (y) executed copies of IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E; or
D.to the extent a Foreign Lender is not the beneficial owner, executed copies of IRS Form W-8IMY, accompanied by IRS Form W-8ECI, IRS Form W-8BEN, IRS Form W-8BEN-E, a U.S. Tax Compliance Certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit J-2 or Exhibit J-3, IRS Form W-9, 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 J-4 on behalf of each such direct and indirect partner;
iii.any Foreign Lender shall, to the extent it is legally entitled to do so, deliver to the Borrower and the 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 or the 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 the Borrower or the Agent to determine the withholding or deduction required to be made; and
iv.if a payment made to a Lender under any Loan 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 the Borrower and the Agent at the time or times prescribed by law and at such time or times reasonably requested by the Borrower or the 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 the Borrower or the Agent as may be necessary for the Borrower and the 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, if any, to deduct and withhold from such payment.
7



Solely for purposes of this clause (iv), “FATCA” shall include any amendments made to FATCA after the date of this Agreement.
c.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 the Borrower and the Agent in writing of its legal inability to do so. For purposes of this Section 7 of Addendum 1, Agent shall be treated as a Lender and required to deliver documentation to Borrower as if it were a Lender.
8.Treatment of Certain Refunds. If any party determines, in its sole discretion exercised in good faith, that it has received a refund of any Taxes as to which it has been indemnified pursuant to the provisions of this Addendum 1 (including by the payment of additional amounts pursuant to the provisions of this Addendum 1), it shall pay to the indemnifying party an amount equal to such refund (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made under the provisions of this Addendum 1 with respect to the Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses (including Taxes) of such indemnified party and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant governmental authority with respect to such refund). Such indemnifying party, upon the request of such indemnified party, shall repay to such indemnified party the amount paid over pursuant to this Section 8 (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant governmental authority) in the event that such indemnified party is required to repay such refund to such governmental authority. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 8, in no event will the indemnified party be required to pay any amount to an indemnifying party pursuant to this Section 8 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 8 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.
9.Increased Costs. If any change in applicable law shall subject any Recipient to any Taxes (other than (A) Indemnified Taxes, (B) Taxes described in clauses (ii) through (iv) of the definition of Excluded Taxes and (C) Connection Income Taxes) on its loans, loan principal, commitments, or other obligations, or its deposits, reserves, other liabilities or capital attributable thereto, and the result shall be to increase the cost to such Recipient of making, converting to, continuing or maintaining any Term Loan or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan, or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Recipient (whether of principal, interest or any other amount), then, upon the request of such Recipient, the Borrower will pay to such Recipient such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Recipient for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.
10.Survival. Each party’s obligations under the provisions of this Addendum 1 shall survive the resignation or replacement of the Agent or any assignment of rights by, or the replacement of, a
8



Lender, the termination of the Term Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all obligations under any Loan Document.
9



ADDENDUM 2 to LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT
[Reserved]
SECTION 12.
1



ADDENDUM 3 to LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT
(a)Agent and Lender Terms
(a)Each Lender hereby irrevocably appoints Hercules Capital, Inc. to act on its behalf as the Agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and authorizes the Agent to take such actions on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Agent by the terms hereof or thereof, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto.
(b)Each Lender agrees to indemnify the Agent in its capacity as such (to the extent not reimbursed by Borrower and without limiting the obligation of Borrower to do so), according to its respective Term Commitment percentages (based upon the total outstanding Term Commitments) in effect on the date on which indemnification is sought under this Addendum 3, from and against any and all liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, actions, judgments, suits, costs, expenses or disbursements of any kind whatsoever that may at any time be imposed on, incurred by or asserted against the Agent in any way relating to or arising out of, this Agreement, any of the other Loan Documents or any documents contemplated by or referred to herein or therein or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby or any action taken or omitted by the Agent under or in connection with any of the foregoing; The agreements in this Section shall survive the payment of the Loans and all other amounts payable hereunder.
(c)Agent in Its Individual Capacity. The Person serving as the Agent hereunder shall have the same rights and powers in its capacity as a Lender as any other Lender and may exercise the same as though it were not the Agent and the term “Lender” shall, unless otherwise expressly indicated or unless the context otherwise requires, include each such Person serving as Agent hereunder in its individual capacity.
(d)Exculpatory Provisions. The Agent shall have no duties or obligations except those expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Agent shall not:
(i)be subject to any fiduciary or other implied duties, regardless of whether any default or any Event of Default has occurred and is continuing;
(ii)have any duty to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary powers, except discretionary rights and powers expressly contemplated hereby or by the other Loan Documents that the Agent is required to exercise as directed in writing by the Lenders, provided that the Agent shall not be required to take any action that, in its opinion or the opinion of its counsel, may expose the Agent to liability or that is contrary to any Loan Document or applicable law; and
(iii)except as expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents, have any duty to disclose, and the Agent shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any information relating to the Borrower or any of its Affiliates that is communicated to or obtained by any Person serving as the Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity.
1



(e)The Agent shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it (i) with the consent or at the request of the Lenders or as the Agent shall believe in good faith shall be necessary, under the circumstances or (ii) in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct.
(f)The Agent shall not be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or representation made in or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (ii) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or thereunder or in connection herewith or therewith, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth herein or therein or the occurrence of any default or Event of Default, (iv) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document or (v) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Section 4 or elsewhere herein, other than to confirm receipt of items expressly required to be delivered to the Agent. Reliance by Agent. Agent may rely, and shall be fully protected in acting, or refraining to act, upon, any resolution, statement, certificate, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, bond or other paper or document that it has no reason to believe to be other than genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties or, in the case of cables, telecopies and telexes, to have been sent by the proper party or parties. In the absence of its gross negligence or willful misconduct, Agent may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon any certificates or opinions furnished to Agent and conforming to the requirements of this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents. Agent may consult with counsel, and any opinion or legal advice of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, not taken or suffered by Agent hereunder or under any Loan Documents in accordance therewith. Agent shall have the right at any time to seek instructions concerning the administration of the Collateral from any court of competent jurisdiction. Agent shall not be under any obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers granted to Agent by this Agreement and the other Loan Documents at the request or direction of the Lenders unless Agent shall have been provided by the Lenders with adequate security and indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities that may be incurred by it in compliance with such request or direction.
(g)Each of the Lenders irrevocably authorizes and directs Agent (and, upon the request of the Borrower, the Agent hereby agrees), to release any Lien granted to or held by Agent hereunder or under any other Loan Document (i) when all Secured Obligations have been paid in full (other than any inchoate indemnity obligations and any other obligations which, by their terms, are to survive the termination of this Agreement); (ii) on any property constituting Collateral sold or to be sold or disposed of as part of or in connection with any sale or other disposition permitted hereunder, including as a result of a written waiver or consent provided in accordance with the terms hereof (it being agreed and understood that Agent may conclusively rely without further inquiry on a certificate of an officer of the Borrower as to the sale or other disposition of property being made in compliance with this Agreement); or (iii) subject to Section 11.3, if approved, authorized or ratified in writing by Required Lenders. Upon request by Agent at any time, Lenders and any other Secured Party will confirm in writing Agent’s authority to release particular types or items of Collateral pursuant to this clause (g). In connection with any termination or release pursuant to this clause (g), Agent shall promptly, upon the request by the Borrower, (i) execute and deliver to Borrower, at Borrower’s sole expense, all documents reasonably satisfactory to Agent that Borrower shall reasonably request and to perform other
2



actions reasonably necessary to evidence such termination or release and (ii) deliver to Borrower any portion of such Collateral so released that is in the physical possession of Agent.
12.1
ADDENDUM 4 to LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT
Delivery Instructions
The Compliance Certificate shall be uploaded and executed via Lumonic. All other financial reports required to be furnished to Agent pursuant to Section 7.1 shall be submitted via Lumonic.
The Compliance Certificate and other financial reports required to be furnished to Agent pursuant to Section 7.1 may be sent to [***] with a copy to [***], should access to Lumonic be temporarily unavailable.
3



EXHIBIT E
COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE
Hercules Capital, Inc. (as “Agent”)
1 North B Street, Suite 2000
San Mateo, CA 94401
Reference is made to that certain Loan and Security Agreement dated April 1, 2022 and the Loan Documents (as defined therein) entered into in connection with such Loan and Security Agreement (as such agreement may be amended, restated, amended and restated, supplemented, or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Loan Agreement”) by and among Hercules Capital, Inc. (the “Agent”), the several banks and other financial institutions or entities from time to time party thereto (collectively, the “Lender”) and Viridian Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) as Borrower. All capitalized terms not defined herein shall have the same meaning as defined in the Loan Agreement.
The undersigned is an Officer of the Company, knowledgeable of all Company financial matters, and is authorized to provide certification of information regarding the Company; hereby certifies, in such capacity, that in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Loan Agreement, the Company is in compliance for the period ending ___________ of all covenants, conditions and terms and hereby reaffirms that all representations and warranties contained therein are true and correct on and as of the date of this Compliance Certificate with the same effect as though made on and as of such date, except to the extent such representations and warranties expressly relate to an earlier date, after giving effect in all cases to any standard(s) of materiality contained in the Loan Agreement as to such representations and warranties. Attached are the required documents supporting the above certification. The undersigned further certifies that these are prepared in accordance with GAAP (except for the absence of footnotes with respect to unaudited financial statement and subject to normal year end adjustments) and are consistent from one period to the next except as explained below.
REPORTING REQUIREMENT REQUIRED CHECK IF ATTACHED
Interim Financial Statements Monthly (other than quarter-end) within 30 days
Interim Financial Statements Quarterly within 45 days
Audited Financial Statements FYE within 90 days
A/R and A/P Agings1 Monthly within 30 days

ACCOUNTS OF BORROWER AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES AND AFFILIATES
1 NTD: Applicable at any time the aggregate principal funded amount of Term Loan Advances is greater than or equal to [***].





The undersigned hereby also confirms the below disclosed accounts represent all depository accounts and securities accounts presently open in the name of each Borrower or Borrower’s Subsidiary/Affiliate, as applicable.
Each new account that has been opened since delivery of the previous Compliance Certificate is designated below with a “*”.
Depository AC # Financial Institution Account Type (Depository / Securities) Last Month Ending Account Balance Purpose of Account
BORROWER Name/Address:
SUBSIDIARY / AFFILIATE Name/Address






Financial Covenant






Name of Test Required Level Actual Level In Compliance Y/N?
Minimum Cash
Section 7.20(a)(i) of the Loan Agreement








Section 7.20(a)(ii) of the Loan Agreement2
If [***] has not been achieved:

Maintain Qualified Cash of at least $__________ which is [***] of the outstanding Secured Obligations plus the Qualified Cash A/P Amount

If (x) [***] has been achieved and (y) no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing:

25,000,000Qualified Cash of at least $__________ which is [***] of the outstanding Secured Obligations plus the Qualified Cash A/P Amount3
Qualified Cash: $__________
Yes

No
If any principal payment in cash has been made under any Permitted Convertible Indebtedness (other than cash in lieu of fractional shares):

Qualified Cash of at least $__________ which is [***] of the outstanding Secured Obligations
Qualified Cash: $__________
Yes

No
2 Only to be tested on and after October 1, 2026, unless Company’s Market Capitalization is at least [***].





Name of Test Required Level Actual Level In Compliance Y/N?
Minimum Cash
Section 7.20(a)(i) of the Loan Agreement








Section 7.20(a)(ii) of the Loan Agreement2,2
If [***] has not been achieved:

Maintain Qualified Cash of at least $__________ which is [***] of the outstanding Secured Obligations plus the Qualified Cash A/P Amount

If (x) [***] has been achieved and (y) no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing:

25,000,000Qualified Cash of at least $__________ which is [***] of the outstanding Secured Obligations plus the Qualified Cash A/P Amount3,3
Qualified Cash: $__________
Yes

No
Minimum Revenue
Section 7.20(b) of the Loan Agreement4
[***] of at least the amounts set forth in Schedule 7.20(b) with respect to the applicable fiscal quarter.
[ò]
Yes

No

7.18 Excluded Subsidiaries

a. individual amount of assets maintained at each Excluded Subsidiary (other than the MSC Subsidiary):
    (i) $________
    (ii) $________
2 Only to be tested on and after October 1, 2026, unless Company’s Market Capitalization is at least [***].
2 Only to be tested on and after October 1, 2026, unless Company’s Market Capitalization is at least [***].
4 Only tested if the aggregate principal amount of Term Loan Advances funded on and after the Second Amendment Effective Date exceeds [***], and waived for any fiscal quarter in which either (i)(x) Borrower maintained a Market Capitalization of at least [***] and (y) Borrower has maintained Qualified Cash in an amount equal to or greater than [***] of the Secured Obligations plus the Qualified Cash A/P Amount, or (ii) Borrower has maintained Qualified Cash in an amount equal to or greater than [***] of the Secured Obligations plus the Qualified Cash A/P Amount.







b. aggregate amount of assets maintained at all Excluded Subsidiaries (other than the MSC Subsidiary) $________.

c. is clause b. greater than [***]? Yes____ not in compliance; No ____ in compliance.

Very Truly Yours,
VIRIDIAN THERAPEUTICS, INC.
By:    ____________________________
Name: _____________________________
Its:    ____________________________








EXHIBIT F
FORM OF JOINDER AGREEMENT
This Joinder Agreement (the “Joinder Agreement”) is made and dated as of [ ], 20[ ], and is entered into by and between__________________., a ___________ corporation (“Subsidiary”), and HERCULES CAPITAL, INC., a Maryland corporation (as “Agent”).
RECITALS
A. Subsidiary’s Affiliate, [ ] (“Company”) [has entered/desires to enter] into that certain Loan and Security Agreement dated April 1, 2022, with the several banks and other financial institutions or entities from time to time party thereto as lender (collectively, the “Lenders”) and the Agent (as such agreement may be amended, restated, amended and restated, supplemented, or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Loan Agreement”), together with the other agreements executed and delivered in connection therewith;
B. Subsidiary acknowledges and agrees that it will benefit both directly and indirectly from Company’s execution of the Loan Agreement and the other agreements executed and delivered in connection therewith;
AGREEMENT
NOW THEREFORE, Subsidiary and Agent agree as follows:
1.The recitals set forth above are incorporated into and made part of this Joinder Agreement. Capitalized terms not defined herein shall have the meaning provided in the Loan Agreement.
2. By signing this Joinder Agreement, Subsidiary shall be bound by the terms and conditions of the Loan Agreement the same as if it were the Borrower (as defined in the Loan Agreement) under the Loan Agreement, mutatis mutandis, provided however, that (a) with respect to (i) Section 5.1 of the Loan Agreement, Subsidiary represents that it is an entity duly organized, legally existing and in good standing under the laws of [ ], (b) neither Agent nor the Lenders shall have any duties, responsibilities or obligations to Subsidiary arising under or related to the Loan Agreement or the other Loan Documents, (c) that if Subsidiary is covered by Company’s insurance, Subsidiary shall not be required to maintain separate insurance or comply with the provisions of Sections 6.1 and 6.2 of the Loan Agreement, and (d) that as long as Company satisfies the requirements of Section 7.1 of the Loan Agreement, Subsidiary shall not have to provide Agent separate Financial Statements. To the extent that Agent or the Lenders has any duties, responsibilities or obligations arising under or related to the Loan Agreement or the other Loan Documents, those duties, responsibilities or obligations shall flow only to Company and not to Subsidiary or any other Person or entity. By way of example (and not an exclusive list): (i) Agent’s providing notice to Company in accordance with the Loan Agreement or as otherwise agreed among Company, Agent and the Lenders shall be deemed provided to Subsidiary; (ii) a Lender’s providing an Advance to Company shall be deemed an Advance to Subsidiary; and (iii) Subsidiary shall have no right to request an Advance or make any other demand on the Lenders.
3.Subsidiary agrees not to certificate its equity securities without Agent’s prior written consent, which consent may be conditioned on the delivery of such equity securities to Agent in order to perfect Agent’s security interest in such equity securities.





4.Subsidiary acknowledges that it benefits, both directly and indirectly, from the Loan Agreement, and hereby waives, for itself and on behalf on any and all successors in interest (including without limitation any assignee for the benefit of creditors, receiver, bankruptcy trustee or itself as debtor-in-possession under any bankruptcy proceeding) to the fullest extent provided by law, any and all claims, rights or defenses to the enforcement of this Joinder Agreement on the basis that (a) it failed to receive adequate consideration for the execution and delivery of this Joinder Agreement or (b) its obligations under this Joinder Agreement are avoidable as a fraudulent conveyance.
5.As security for the prompt, complete and indefeasible payment when due (whether on the payment dates or otherwise) of all the Secured Obligations, Subsidiary grants to Agent a security interest in all of Subsidiary’s right, title, and interest in and to the Collateral.
6. [REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]





7.[SIGNATURE PAGE TO JOINDER AGREEMENT]
SUBSIDIARY:
_________________________________.
    
    By:            
    Name:            
    Title:             
    Address:
            
            
    Telephone: ___________
    email: ____________
AGENT:
HERCULES CAPITAL, INC.

By:____________________________________
Name:__________________________________
Title: ___________________________________

Address:
1 North B Street, Suite 2000
San Mateo, CA 94401
email: [***]
Telephone: [***]




EXHIBIT J-1
FORM OF U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE
(For Foreign Lenders That Are Not Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)
Reference is hereby made to the Loan and Security Agreement dated as of April 1, 2022 (as amended, restated, amended and restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Loan Agreement”) by and among Viridian Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and each of its Qualified Subsidiaries (as defined in the Loan Agreement) (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Borrower”), the several banks and other financial institutions or entities from time to time parties to the Loan Agreement (collectively, referred to as the “Lenders”), and HERCULES CAPITAL, INC., a Maryland corporation, in its capacity as administrative agent and collateral agent for itself and the Lenders (in such capacity, the “Agent”).
Pursuant to the provisions of Addendum 1 of the Loan Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (i) it is the sole record and beneficial owner of the Loan(s) (as well as any promissory note(s) evidencing such Loan(s)) in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (ii) it is not a “bank” within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (iii) it is not a “ten percent shareholder” of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Code and (iv) it is not a “controlled foreign corporation” related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code.
The undersigned has furnished the Agent and the Borrower with a certificate of its non-U.S. Person status on IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E. By executing this certificate, the undersigned agrees that (1) if the information provided in this certificate changes, the undersigned shall promptly so inform the Borrower and the Agent, and (2) the undersigned shall have at all times furnished the Borrower and the Agent with a properly completed and currently effective certificate in either the calendar year in which each payment is to be made to the undersigned, or in either of the two calendar years preceding such payments.
Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Loan Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Loan Agreement.

Date: _____________ ___, 20___        [NAME OF LENDER]

By:    ____________________________
Name:    ____________________________
Title:    ____________________________






EXHIBIT J-2
FORM OF U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE
(For Foreign Participants That Are Not Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)
Reference is hereby made to the Loan and Security Agreement dated as of April 1, 2022 (as amended, restated, amended and restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Loan Agreement”) by and among Viridian Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and each of its Qualified Subsidiaries (as defined in the Loan Agreement) (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Borrower”), the several banks and other financial institutions or entities from time to time parties to the Loan Agreement (collectively, referred to as the “Lenders”), and HERCULES CAPITAL, INC., a Maryland corporation, in its capacity as administrative agent and collateral agent for itself and the Lenders (in such capacity, the “Agent”).
Pursuant to the provisions of Addendum 1 of the Loan Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (i) it is the sole record and beneficial owner of the participation in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (ii) it is not a “bank” within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (iii) it is not a “ten percent shareholder” of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Code and (iv) it is not a “controlled foreign corporation” related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code.
The undersigned has furnished its participating Lender with a certificate of its non-U.S. Person status on IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E. By executing this certificate, the undersigned agrees that (1) if the information provided in this certificate changes, the undersigned shall promptly so inform such Lender in writing, and (2) the undersigned shall have at all times furnished such Lender with a properly completed and currently effective certificate in either the calendar year in which each payment is to be made to the undersigned, or in either of the two calendar years preceding such payments.
Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Loan Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Loan Agreement.

Date: _____________ ___, 20___        [NAME OF PARTICIPANT]

By:    ____________________________
Name:    ____________________________
Title:    ____________________________






EXHIBIT J-3
FORM OF U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE
(For Foreign Participants That Are Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)
Reference is hereby made to the Loan and Security Agreement dated as of April 1, 2022 (as amended, restated, amended and restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Loan Agreement”) by and among Viridian Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and each of its Qualified Subsidiaries (as defined in the Loan Agreement) (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Borrower”), the several banks and other financial institutions or entities from time to time parties to the Loan Agreement (collectively, referred to as the “Lenders”), and HERCULES CAPITAL, INC., a Maryland corporation, in its capacity as administrative agent and collateral agent for itself and the Lenders (in such capacity, the “Agent”).
Pursuant to the provisions of Addendum 1 of the Loan Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (i) it is the sole record owner of the participation in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (ii) its direct or indirect partners/members are the sole beneficial owners of such participation, (iii) with respect to such participation, neither the undersigned nor any of its direct or indirect partners/members is a “bank” extending credit pursuant to a loan agreement entered into in the ordinary course of its trade or business within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (iv) none of its direct or indirect partners/members is a “ten percent shareholder” of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Code and (v) none of its direct or indirect partners/members is a “controlled foreign corporation” related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code.
The undersigned has furnished its participating Lender with IRS Form W-8IMY accompanied by one of the following forms from each of its partners/members that is claiming the portfolio interest exemption: (i) an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E or (ii) an IRS Form W-8IMY accompanied by an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E from each of such partner’s/member’s beneficial owners that is claiming the portfolio interest exemption. By executing this certificate, the undersigned agrees that (1) if the information provided in this certificate changes, the undersigned shall promptly so inform such Lender and (2) the undersigned shall have at all times furnished such Lender with a properly completed and currently effective certificate in either the calendar year in which each payment is to be made to the undersigned, or in either of the two calendar years preceding such payments.
Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Loan Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Loan Agreement.

Date: _____________ ___, 20___        [NAME OF PARTICIPANT]

By:    ____________________________
Name:    ____________________________
Title:    ____________________________






EXHIBIT J-4
FORM OF U.S. TAX COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE
(For Foreign Lenders That Are Partnerships For U.S. Federal Income Tax Purposes)
Reference is hereby made to the Loan and Security Agreement dated as of April 1, 2022 (as amended, restated, amended and restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the “Loan Agreement”) by and among Viridian Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and each of its Qualified Subsidiaries (as defined in the Loan Agreement) (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Borrower”), the several banks and other financial institutions or entities from time to time parties to the Loan Agreement (collectively, referred to as the “Lenders”), and HERCULES CAPITAL, INC., a Maryland corporation, in its capacity as administrative agent and collateral agent for itself and the Lenders (in such capacity, the “Agent”).
Pursuant to the provisions of Addendum 1 of the Loan Agreement, the undersigned hereby certifies that (i) it is the sole record owner of the Loan(s) (as well as any promissory note(s) evidencing such Loan(s)) in respect of which it is providing this certificate, (ii) its direct or indirect partners/members are the sole beneficial owners of such Loan(s) (as well as any promissory note(s) evidencing such Loan(s)), (iii) with respect to the extension of credit pursuant to this Loan Agreement or any other Loan Document, neither the undersigned nor any of its direct or indirect partners/members is a “bank” extending credit pursuant to a loan agreement entered into in the ordinary course of its trade or business within the meaning of Section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (iv) none of its direct or indirect partners/members is a “ten percent shareholder” of the Borrower within the meaning of Section 871(h)(3)(B) of the Code and (v) none of its direct or indirect partners/members is a “controlled foreign corporation” related to the Borrower as described in Section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code.
The undersigned has furnished the Agent and the Borrower with IRS Form W-8IMY accompanied by one of the following forms from each of its partners/members that is claiming the portfolio interest exemption: (i) an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E or (ii) an IRS Form W-8IMY accompanied by an IRS Form W-8BEN or IRS Form W-8BEN-E from each of such partner’s/member’s beneficial owners that is claiming the portfolio interest exemption. By executing this certificate, the undersigned agrees that (1) if the information provided in this certificate changes, the undersigned shall promptly so inform the Borrower and the Agent, and (2) the undersigned shall have at all times furnished the Borrower and the Agent with a properly completed and currently effective certificate in either the calendar year in which each payment is to be made to the undersigned, or in either of the two calendar years preceding such payments.
Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Loan Agreement and used herein shall have the meanings given to them in the Loan Agreement.

Date: _____________ ___, 20___        [NAME OF LENDER]

By:    ____________________________
Name:    ____________________________
Title:    ____________________________




SCHEDULE 1.15
COMMITMENTS
LENDERS
Tranche 1A Commitment
Tranche 1B Commitment
Tranche 11C1C Commitment
Tranche 2 Commitment
Tranche 3 Commitment
Tranche 4 Commitment
Tranche 45*
Term Commitment*
Hercules Capital, Inc.
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
Hercules [***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
Hercules [***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
Hercules [***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
Hercules [***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
Hercules [***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
[***]
TOTAL COMMITMENTS
$50,000,000
$
25,000,000
$25,000,000
$50,000,000
$50,000,000
$50,000,000
$50,000,000*
$300,000,000*
*Funding of Tranche 5 is subject to approval by Lenders’ investment committee in its sole discretion.
5 NTD: Hercules to update.


EX-10.43 3 ex1043_projectviola-dripur.htm EX-10.43 Document
Exhibit 10.43
Certain portions of this exhibit (indicated by “[***]”) have been omitted in compliance with Regulation S-K Item 601(b)(10)(iv) as the Company determined the omitted information (i) is not material and (ii) is the type that the Company customarily and actually treats as private or confidential.
PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT
by and between
VIRIDIAN THERAPEUTICS, INC.
AND
DRI HEALTHCARE ACQUISITIONS LP
Dated as of October 17, 2025




TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
    -i-



Index of Schedules and Exhibits
Schedule A:        Supplemental Provisions
Exhibit A:        Form of Bill of Sale
Exhibit B:        Form of Closing Date [***]
Exhibit C:        Other Permitted Liens
Exhibit D:        [***]
Exhibit F:        Disclosure Schedule


    -ii-



PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT
Exhibit E: Form of Net Sales Report This PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of October 17, 2025 (the “Effective Date”), is made and entered into by and between DRI Healthcare Acquisitions LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the “Buyer”), and Viridian Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Viridian”). The Buyer and Viridian are hereinafter referred to individually as a “Party” and collectively as the “Parties.”
Recitals:
Whereas, Viridian is in the business of, among other things, developing and commercializing the monoclonal antibodies known as Veligrotug and VRDN-003, and Products related thereto; and
Whereas, the Buyer desires to purchase the Revenue Participation Right from Viridian in exchange for payment of the Consideration, and Viridian desires to sell the Revenue Participation Right to the Buyer in exchange for the Buyer’s payment of the Consideration, in each case, on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
Now, Therefore, in consideration of the representations, warranties, covenants and agreements set forth herein and for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which are hereby acknowledged, Viridian and the Buyer hereby agree as follows:
1.DEFINITIONS
Unless specifically set forth to the contrary herein, the following terms will have the respective meanings set forth below, whether used in the singular or plural:
1.1“Affiliate” means, with respect to any particular Person, any other Person directly or indirectly at the relevant time (whether at the present time or in the future) controlling, controlled by or under common control with such particular Person. For purposes of the foregoing sentence, the term “control” means direct or indirect ownership of (a) more than 50%, including ownership by trusts with substantially the same beneficial interests, of the voting or equity rights of such Person, firm, trust, corporation, partnership, or other entity or combination thereof, or (b) the power to direct the management of such Person, firm, trust, corporation, partnership, or other entity or combination thereof, by contract or otherwise.
1.2“Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.
1.3“Back-Up Security Interest” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4 (True Sale).
1.4“Bankruptcy Laws” means, collectively, (a) the Title 11 of the United States Code (11 USC § 101 et seq.), as it has been, or may be, amended, from time to time, and (b) any domestic or foreign law relating to liquidation, conservatorship, bankruptcy, assignment for the benefit of creditors, moratorium, rearrangement, administration, insolvency, reorganization, debt adjustment, receivership, fraudulent transfer, or similar debtor relief laws from time to time in effect and affecting the rights of creditors generally.
1.5“Bill of Sale” means that certain bill of sale, dated as of the Effective Date, executed by Viridian and the Buyer, evidencing the sale, transfer, assignment, and conveyance of the Revenue Participation Right, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A.
1.6“Business Day” means any day other than (a) a Saturday or Sunday or (b) a day on which banking institutions located in Boston, Massachusetts, New York, New York, or Toronto, Ontario are permitted or required by applicable Law or regulation to remain closed.



1.7“Buyer” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.
1.8“Buyer Indemnified Parties” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.1.1 (Indemnification by Viridian).
1.9“Calendar Quarter” means the respective period of three consecutive calendar months ending on March 31st, June 30th, September 30th, or December 31st in any Calendar Year, except that the first Calendar Quarter of the term of this Agreement will commence on the Effective Date, and the last Calendar Quarter of the term of this Agreement will end on the effective date of the termination of this Agreement.
1.10“Calendar Year” means any calendar year beginning on January 1st and ending on December 31st, except that the first Calendar Year of the term of this Agreement will commence on the Effective Date, and the last Calendar Year of the term of this Agreement will end on the effective date of the termination of this Agreement.
1.11[***].
1.12“Cap Date” means [***].
1.13[***].
1.14“Change of Control” means the occurrence of any one or more of the following: (a) the acquisition, whether directly, indirectly, beneficially or of record, whether by merger, consolidation, sale or other transfer of securities in a single transaction or series of related transactions, by any Person of any voting securities of Viridian, or if the percentage ownership of any Person in the voting securities of Viridian is increased through stock redemption, cancellation, or other recapitalization, and immediately after such acquisition or increase such Person is, directly or indirectly, the beneficial owner of voting securities representing more than 50% of the total voting power of all of the then outstanding voting securities of Viridian; (b) a merger, consolidation, recapitalization, or reorganization of Viridian is consummated that would result in shareholders or equity holders of Viridian immediately prior to such transaction that did not own more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of Viridian immediately prior to such transaction, owning more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of the surviving entity (or its parent entity) immediately following such transaction; or (c) the sale, lease, transfer, license, or other disposition, in a single transaction or series of related transactions, by Viridian or any Subsidiary of Viridian of (i) all or substantially all rights relating to the Products, (ii) all or substantially all the assets of Viridian and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, or (iii) whether by merger, consolidation or otherwise of one or more Subsidiaries of Viridian if substantially all rights relating to the Products or all of the assets of Viridian and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole are held by such Subsidiary or Subsidiaries, except where such sale, lease, transfer, license or other disposition is to a wholly owned Subsidiary of Viridian.
1.15“Clinical Trial” means a human clinical trial, investigation, or study of a Product, including post-approval clinical trials or studies conducted by or on behalf of Viridian or its Affiliates.
1.16“Clinical Update” means [***].
1.17“Closing” means the closing of the sale, transfer, assignment, and conveyance of the Revenue Participation Right hereunder.
1.18“Closing Date [***]” has the meaning set forth in the definition of [***].
1.19“Combination Product” means [***].
1.20“Commercial Update” means [***].
    -2-


1.21“Commercialization” means any and all activities directed to the distribution, marketing, detailing, promotion, selling and securing of reimbursement of a Product (including the using, importing, selling and offering for sale of such Product), and shall include post-Marketing Approval studies to the extent required by a Regulatory Authority, post-Launch marketing, promoting, detailing, distributing, selling such Product, importing, exporting or transporting such Product for sale, and regulatory compliance with respect to the foregoing. When used as a verb, “Commercialize” shall mean to engage in Commercialization. Except with respect to post-Marketing Approval studies required by a Regulatory Authority, Commercialization shall not include any activities directed to the research or development (including pre-clinical and clinical development) or manufacture of a Product.
1.22“Commercially Reasonable Efforts” means [***].
1.23“[***] Product” means [***].
1.24“Confidential Information” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.1 (Confidentiality).
1.25“Consideration” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.2 (Consideration).
1.26“Copyright” means any copyright, whether registered or unregistered, and any applications in connection therewith, held pursuant to the laws of the United States or any state thereof.
1.27“Copyright License” means any written agreement granting any right to use any Copyright or Copyright registration now owned or hereafter acquired by Viridian or in which Viridian now holds or hereafter acquires any interest, in each case, in the United States.
1.28“Cumulative Net Sales Payments” means, as of any date, the aggregate amount of all Net Sales Payments paid to the Buyer and the amount of any Net Sales Payments accrued but not yet due to the Buyer in accordance with this Agreement as of such date.
1.29“Data [***]” means [***].
1.30“Disclosing Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.1 (Confidentiality).
1.31“Disclosure Schedule” means the Disclosure Schedule set forth on Exhibit F.
1.32“Distributor” means a Third Party that (a) purchases or has the option to purchase any Product or [***] Product in finished form from or at the direction of Viridian, any of its Affiliates, or its or their Licensees (b) has the right, option, or obligation to distribute, offer for sale and sell such Product or [***] Product (with or without packaging rights) in the U.S., [***]. The term “packaging rights” in this definition will mean the right for the Distributor to package or have packaged any Product or [***] Product supplied in unpackaged bulk form into individual ready-for-sale packs.
1.33“Dollars” or “$” refers to the lawful money of the United States of America.
1.34“Effective Date” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.
1.35“Existing In-License” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.1.8(a) (In-Licenses).
1.36“Existing In-License Counterparty” means the Third Party that is party to any Existing In-License.
1.37“Existing Out-License” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.1.9(a) (Out-Licenses).
1.38“Existing Product Patent Rights” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.1.10(a) (Intellectual Property).
    -3-


1.39“FDA” means the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or any successor agency thereto.
1.40“Fifth Payment” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2.5 (Fifth Payment).
1.41“First Payment” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2.1 (First Payment).
1.42“Fourth Payment” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2.4 (Fourth Payment).
1.43“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States in effect from time to time.
1.44“Governmental Entity” means any: (a) nation, principality, republic, state, commonwealth, province, territory, county, municipality, district, or other jurisdiction of any nature; (b) federal, state, local, municipal, foreign, or other government; (c) governmental or quasi-governmental authority of any nature (including any governmental division, subdivision, department, agency, bureau, branch, office, commission, council, board, instrumentality, officer, official, representative, organization, unit, body, or other entity and any court, arbitrator, or other tribunal); (d) multi-national organization or body; or (e) individual, body, or other entity exercising, or entitled to exercise, any executive, legislative, judicial, administrative, regulatory, police, military, or taxing authority or power of any nature. For the avoidance of doubt, “Governmental Entities” includes all Regulatory Authorities.
1.45“Gross Sales” has the meaning set forth in the definition of “Net Sales.”
1.46“ICAV” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.2.8 (Tax Status).
1.47“In-License” means any license or other agreement or arrangement between Viridian or any of its Affiliates and any Third Party pursuant to which [***] (such Third Party, a “Licensor”).
1.48“Indebtedness” means: (a) any indebtedness for borrowed money; (b) that portion of obligations with respect to capital leases that is properly classified as a liability on a balance sheet in conformity with GAAP; (c) any obligation evidenced by a note, bond, debenture, or similar instrument; (d) any obligation to pay the deferred purchase price of property or services, including any earn-outs or other deferred payment obligations in connection with an acquisition (excluding (x) any such obligations incurred under ERISA; (y) trade accounts payables that arise in the ordinary course of business; and (z) deferred compensation obligations); or (e) any guarantee of any of the foregoing. [***].
1.49“Indemnified Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.2 (Notice of Claims).
1.50“Indemnifying Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.2 (Notice of Claims).
1.51“Insolvency Proceeding” has the meaning set forth in Schedule A.
1.52“Intellectual Property” means, all of the following, in each case in the United States: (a) Patent Rights, (b) Know-How, (c) any registered or common law Trademarks, trade dress, trade names, logos, and the goodwill associated therewith, (d) any Copyright, (e) any websites and domain names, and (f) any other proprietary intellectual property rights recognized under applicable Law.
1.53“Intellectual Property Update” means [***].
1.54“Inventory Update” means [***].
1.55“IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.
1.56“Judgment” means any judgment, order, writ, injunction, citation, award, or decree of any nature.
    -4-


1.57“Know-How” means any proprietary inventions, know-how, trade secrets, discoveries, improvements, designs, processes, formulae, models and techniques, clinical data, and other proprietary or confidential business information. For the avoidance of doubt, Know-How does not include Patent Rights.
1.58“Knowledge of Viridian” means [***].
1.59“Launch” means [***].
1.60“Law” means any law, statute, rule, regulation, or ordinance issued or promulgated by a Governmental Entity.
1.61“Licensee” means, with respect to any Product, a Third Party to whom Viridian or any Affiliate of Viridian has granted a license, sublicense, or other authorization that enables such Third Party to sell such Product in the U.S., and in connection with which Viridian or its Affiliates are entitled to receive payments with respect to sales of Products by such Third Party; provided that a Distributor will not be deemed to be a “Licensee.” For purposes of the definition of “Net Sales” only, Licensees will also include such Third Parties with respect to any [***] Product.
1.62“Licensee Reports” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.6.3 (Net Sales Reports from Licensees).
1.63“Licensor” has the meaning set forth in the definition of “In-License.”
1.64“Lien” means any mortgage, lien, pledge, participation interest, charge, adverse claim, security interest, encumbrance, restriction, claim, or interest of any kind, including any restriction on use, transfer, or exercise of any other attribute of ownership of any kind.
1.65[***].
1.66“Loan and Security Agreement” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.83(j) (Permitted Liens).
1.67“Loss” means any and all Judgments, damages, losses, claims, costs, liabilities (including, in the case of each of the foregoing, in connection with claims of infringement or misappropriation of any Intellectual Property rights of any Third Parties) and expenses, including reasonable fees and out-of-pocket expenses of counsel.
1.68“Marketing Approval” means authorization by a Regulatory Authority pursuant to Section 351(a) of the Public Health Service Act to commercially market and sell a product in such country or regulatory jurisdiction.
1.69“Marketing Approval Application” means any new drug application, biologics license application, or other marketing authorization application, in each case, filed with the applicable Regulatory Authority in a country or other regulatory jurisdiction, which application is required to Launch a pharmaceutical or biologic product in such country or jurisdiction (and any amendments thereto).
1.70“Material Adverse Effect” means[***].
1.71“Material In-License” means [***].
1.72“Net Sales” means [***].
1.73“Net Sales Payment” means, for each Calendar Quarter starting in the Calendar Quarter immediately following the Effective Date, an amount payable to the Buyer equal to the amount of Net Sales of the Products and [***] Products for such Calendar Quarter multiplied by the Net Sales Rate.
    -5-


1.74“Net Sales Payment Termination Date” means the earlier of [***].
1.75“Net Sales Rate” means the percentage based on the applicable level of aggregate Net Sales of the Products and [***] Products in a Calendar Year as set forth in the chart below:
Annual Net Sales
Net Sales Rate
Portion of Net Sales of the Products and [***] Products in a given Calendar Year equal to or less than $600,000,000
7.5%
Portion of Net Sales of the Products and [***] Products in a given Calendar Year greater than $600,000,000 and equal to or less than $900,000,000
0.8%
Portion of Net Sales of the Products and [***] Products in a given Calendar Year greater than $900,000,000 and equal to or less than $2,000,000,000
0.25%
Portion of Net Sales of the Products and [***] Products in a given Calendar Year greater than $2,000,000,000
0.0%

[***].
1.76“Net Sales Report” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.2.2 (Net Sales Reports).
1.77“Obligations” has the meaning set forth in Schedule A.
1.78“Other Component” has the meaning set forth in the definition of “Combination Products.”
1.79“Other License” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.6.1 (Entry Into Out-Licenses).
1.80“Out-License” means each license or other agreement between Viridian or any of its Affiliates and any Third Party pursuant to which Viridian or any of its Affiliates [***].
1.81“Parties” or “Party” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.
1.82“Patent Rights” means, with respect to the United States, any patents and patent applications, together with all extensions, adjustments, renewals, divisions, continuations, continuations-in-part, provisional or any substitute applications, any patent issued with respect to any of the foregoing patent applications, any certificate, renewal, or patent term extension or adjustment (including any supplementary protection certificate, reissues and re-examinations thereof or other governmental actions that extend any of the subject matter of a patent, and any substitution patent, confirmation patent or registration patent or patent of addition based on any such patent) and all proprietary rights associated therewith.
1.83“Permitted Liens” means the following:
[***].
1.84“Permitted Out-License” means [***].
1.85“Permitted Sale Reports” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.6.3 (Net Sales Reports from Licensees).
1.86“Permitted Third Party” means [***].
    -6-


1.87“Person” means any individual, firm, corporation, company, partnership, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, association, estate, Governmental Entity, or other entity, enterprise, association, or organization.
1.88[***].
1.89“Positive Topline Results” means [***].
1.90“Proceeds” has the meaning assigned to such term in the UCC.
1.91“Product” means [***] incorporating Veligrotug or VRDN-003.
1.92“Product Collateral” means Viridian’s United States rights, title, and interests in [***].
1.93“Product Intellectual Property Rights” means any and all [***].
1.94“Product Patent Rights” means any and all U.S. Patent Rights owned or in-licensed by Viridian or any of its Affiliates that are [***].
1.95“Product Rights” means (a) Product Intellectual Property Rights owned by Viridian or its Affiliates, (b) regulatory filings, submissions, and approvals, including Marketing Approvals, with or from any Regulatory Authorities in the U.S., in each case, owned by Viridian or its Affiliates for any Product, (c) In-Licenses, and (d) Out-Licenses.
1.96“Product Upstream Agreement” means, with respect to each Existing In-License Counterparty, any upstream license agreement between such Existing In-License Counterparty and a Third Party under which Viridian or its Affiliates have received a sublicense to Patent Rights or Know-How owned or controlled by such Third Party that are specifically related to one or more Products.
1.97[***].
1.98“Purchaser” means any Third Party who acquires rights to Veligrotug or VRDN-003 in a Sale.
1.99[***].
1.100“Put/Call Option” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.2.4 (Put/Call Option).
1.101“Put/Call Option Effective Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.2.4 (Put/Call Option).
1.102“Put/Call Price” means [***].
1.103“Receiving Party” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.1 (Confidentiality).
1.104“Registered Intellectual Property Collateral” means the Product Collateral consisting of: United States issued Patent Rights, United States registered Trademarks (which, for the avoidance of doubt, includes any such Trademarks solely related to the Products and does not include corporate or company Trademarks of Viridian or its Affiliates (including any housemarks)), and United States registered Copyrights solely related to one or more Products (and exclusive Copyright Licenses of United States registered Copyrights); provided that in no event shall the Registered Intellectual Property Collateral include or the security interest granted under this Agreement attach to any “intent-to-use” Trademark application prior to the filing and acceptance of a “Statement of Use” or “Amendment to Allege Use” with respect thereto, to the extent, if any, that, and solely during the period, if any, in which the grant of a security interest therein would impair the validity or enforceability of, or void, such “intent-to-use” Trademark application, or any registration that may issue therefrom, under applicable Law.
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1.105“Regulatory Authority” means any U.S. national or supranational governmental authority, including the FDA, or any successor agency thereto, that has responsibility in granting a Marketing Approval in the U.S.
1.106“Regulatory Update” means [***].
1.107“Report” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.1.2 (Semi-Annual Updates).
1.108“REVEAL-1 Phase 3 Clinical Trial” means the Clinical Trial entitled “REVEAL-1 - A Phase 3, Randomized, Double-masked, Placebo-controlled, Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability Study of VRDN-003 in Participants With Active Thyroid Eye Disease (TED),” clinicaltrials.gov identifier # NCT06625411.
1.109“REVEAL-2 Phase 3 Clinical Trial” means the Clinical Trial entitled “REVEAL-2 - A Phase 3, Randomized, Double-masked, Placebo-controlled, Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability Study of VRDN-003 in Participants With Chronic Thyroid Eye Disease (TED),” clinicaltrials.gov identifier # NCT06625398.
1.110“Revenue Participation Right” means the right to receive the Net Sales Payments until the Net Sales Payment Termination Date.
1.111“Sale” means any encumbrance, sale, transfer, assignment, or other disposition, not constituting an Out-License, of any rights by Viridian relating to Veligrotug or VRDN-003 in the U.S.
1.112“SEC” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.
1.113“Second Payment” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2.2 (Second Payment).
1.114“Second Payment Triggering Event” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2.2 (Second Payment).
1.115“Selling Party” has the meaning set forth in the definition of “Net Sales.”
1.116“Seventh Payment” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2.7 (Seventh Payment).
1.117“[***]” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4 (True Sale).
1.118“Sixth Payment” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2.6 (Sixth Payment).
1.119“Subsidiary” means any and all corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, joint ventures, associations, and other entities controlled (by contract or otherwise) by Viridian, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries. For purposes hereof, Viridian will be deemed to control (a) a corporation if Viridian, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, owns or controls a majority of the total voting power of shares of stock entitled to vote in the election of directors of such corporation or (b) a partnership, limited liability company, association, or other business entity if Viridian, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, will be allocated a majority of partnership, limited liability company, association, or other business entity gains or losses or will be or control the managing director or general partner of such partnership, limited liability company, association, or other business entity.
1.120“Tax” or “Taxes” means any federal, state, local or foreign income, gross receipts, license, payroll, employment, excise, severance, occupation, premium, windfall profits, environmental, customs duties, capital stock, franchise, profits, withholding, social security, unemployment, disability, real property, personal property, abandoned property, value added, alternative or add-on minimum, estimated or other tax of any kind whatsoever, in each case in the nature of a tax, including any interest, penalty or addition thereto, whether disputed or not.
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1.121“Third Party” means any Person that is not the Buyer, Viridian, or their respective Affiliates.
1.122“Third Payment” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2.3 (Third Payment).
1.123“Third Payment Triggering Event” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2.3 (Third Payment).
1.124“Trademarks” means all trademarks and service marks (in each case, registered, common law or otherwise) in the United States and any applications in connection therewith, including registrations, recordings and applications in the USPTO or in any similar office or agency of the United States or any state thereof.
1.125“Transaction Documents” means this Agreement, the Bill of Sale, and any other transaction document contemplated by this Agreement.
1.126[***].
1.127“UCC” means the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect from time to time in the State of New York; provided that if, with respect to any financing statement or by reason of any provisions of applicable Law, the perfection or the effect of perfection or non-perfection of the Back-Up Security Interest, the Product Collateral, or any portion thereof granted pursuant to Section 2.4 (True Sale) is governed by the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in a jurisdiction of the United States other than the State of New York, then “UCC” means the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect from time to time in such other jurisdiction for purposes of the provisions of this Agreement and any financing statement relating to such perfection or effect of perfection or non-perfection.
1.128“U.S.” means the United States of America, including its territories and possessions.
1.129“USPTO” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4 (True Sale).
1.130“Veligrotug” means the monoclonal antibody with the International Nonproprietary Name veligrotug with the primary amino acid sequence set forth on Exhibit D [***].
1.131“Veligrotug Marketing Approval Date” means the date on which Viridian receives Marketing Approval for Veligrotug in the U.S.
1.132“Viridian” has the meaning set forth in the preamble.
1.133“Viridian Indemnified Parties” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.1.2 (Indemnification by the Buyer).
1.134“Viridian SEC Documents” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.1.16 (Public Company Reporting Obligations).
1.135“VRDN-003” means the monoclonal antibody described on Exhibit D hereto [***].
1.136“Withholding” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.3.2 (Withholding).
1.137“Withholding Action” means, with respect to a Party, (a) a permitted assignment or sublicense of this Agreement (in whole or in part) by such Party to an Affiliate or a Third Party outside of the U.S., (b) the exercise by such Party of its rights under this Agreement (in whole or in part) through an Affiliate or Third Party outside of the U.S. (or the direct exercise of such rights by an Affiliate of such Party outside of the U.S.), (c) a redomiciliation of such Party, an assignee or a successor to a jurisdiction outside the U.S., (d) a change of tax residency of such Party, an assignee or a successor to a jurisdiction outside the U.S., and (e) any other similar action by such Party that causes this Agreement or any payment to become subject to Tax in a jurisdiction outside of the U.S. or subject any payments to Withholding in any jurisdiction that would not have been required absent such Withholding Action except to the extent such action is contemplated by this Agreement.
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2.PURCHASE, SALE, AND ASSIGNMENT OF THE REVENUE PARTICIPATION RIGHT
2.1.Purchase, Sale, and Assignment. As of the Effective Date and upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement and the Bill of Sale, Viridian will sell, transfer, assign, and convey to the Buyer, without recourse (except as expressly provided herein), and the Buyer will purchase, acquire, and accept from Viridian, the Revenue Participation Right, free and clear of all Liens,; provided that the Revenue Participation Right does not represent any right, title, or interest in or to any intellectual property or other proprietary rights owned or controlled by Viridian or any of its Affiliates. Immediately upon the sale to the Buyer by Viridian of the Revenue Participation Right pursuant to this Section 2.1 (Purchase, Sale, and Assignment), all of Viridian’s rights, title, and interests in and to the Revenue Participation Right will terminate, and all such rights, title and interests will vest in the Buyer, free and clear of all Liens. Any revenue subject to the Revenue Participation Right received by Viridian (or any of its successors in interest or Affiliates) shall be deemed held in trust for the Buyer until turned over to the Buyer in accordance with this Agreement.
2.2.Consideration. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, the Buyer will, as cumulative consideration to Viridian for the sale, transfer, assignment, and conveyance of the Revenue Participation Right to the Buyer, pay to Viridian (a) an amount equal to $55,000,000 upon Closing and (b) conditional payments of up to $245,000,000 (the “Consideration”). The Consideration will be payable as set forth in Section 3.2 (Payment of Consideration).
2.3.No Assumed Obligations. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, the Buyer is only agreeing, on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, to purchase, acquire, and accept the Revenue Participation Right and is not assuming any liability or obligation of Viridian of whatever nature, whether presently in existence or arising or asserted hereafter. All such liabilities and obligations are, and from and after the Effective Date will be, retained by and remain obligations and liabilities of Viridian or its Affiliates.
2.4.True Sale. It is the intention of the Parties that the sale, transfer, assignment, and conveyance of the Revenue Participation Right contemplated by this Agreement be, and is, a true, complete, absolute, and irrevocable sale, transfer, assignment, and conveyance by Viridian to the Buyer of all of Viridian’s rights, title, and interests in and to the Revenue Participation Right. Neither Viridian nor the Buyer intends the transactions contemplated by this Agreement to be, or for any purpose characterized as, a loan from the Buyer to Viridian or a pledge, security interest, financing transaction, or a borrowing. It is the intention of the Parties that the beneficial interest in and title to the Revenue Participation Right and any Proceeds thereof will not be part of Viridian’s estate in the event of the filing of a petition by or against Viridian or any of its Affiliates under any Bankruptcy Laws. Viridian hereby waives, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable Law, any right to contest or otherwise assert that the sale contemplated by this Agreement does not constitute a true, complete, absolute, and irrevocable sale, transfer, assignment, and conveyance by Viridian to the Buyer of all of Viridian’s rights, title, and interests in and to the Revenue Participation Right under applicable Law. Accordingly, Viridian will treat the sale, transfer, assignment, and conveyance of the Revenue Participation Right as a sale of an “account” or “payment intangible” (as appropriate) in accordance with the UCC, and Viridian hereby authorizes the Buyer (or its designated representatives) at any time to file one or more financing statements (and continuation statements with respect to such financing statements when applicable) naming Viridian as the “debtor” and the Buyer as the “secured party” in respect of the Revenue Participation Right. Not in derogation of the foregoing statement of the intent of the Parties in this regard, and for the purposes of providing additional assurance to the Buyer, including in the event that, despite the intent of the Parties, the sale, transfer, assignment, and conveyance contemplated hereby is hereafter held not to be a sale, Viridian hereby grants to the Buyer as security for the payment of the Obligations, (a) a continuing first priority security interest (the “Back-Up Security Interest”) in, and a right to set off against, any and all right, title and interest of Viridian in and to all of the following, in each case whether now owned or existing or owned, acquired, or arising hereafter and wherever located [***]. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Purchase and Sale Agreement or in the other Transaction Documents, the security interests granted under this Purchase and Sale Agreement shall not extend to licenses or contracts, which by their terms require the consent of the licensor thereof or another party (except to the extent such prohibition on transfer is not enforceable under applicable law, including, without limitation, Sections 9-406, 9-407 or 9-408 of the UCC). [***]. Viridian does hereby consent and authorize the Buyer or its designated representative, from and after the Closing, to file UCC financing statements, documents required to be recorded to Regulatory Authorities for the relevant Product Rights, including U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (the “USPTO”) filings, and continuation statements or filings with respect to such financing statements, agreements, or filings when applicable, in such manner and such jurisdictions as are necessary or appropriate to create, perfect, or maintain the Back-Up Security Interest [***]; provided that such Back-Up Security Interest [***] will be automatically terminated without any action or notice of any Party upon the earlier to occur of (i) the effective date of termination of this Agreement in accordance with Section 8.1 (Termination On the Cap Date or Put/Call Option Effective Date) and (ii) if the Parties otherwise agree in writing to terminate this Agreement, [***]. Following any effective date of termination of this Agreement in accordance with Section 8.1 (Termination On the Cap Date or Put/Call Option Effective Date) or as otherwise agreed by the Parties in writing, upon Viridian’s request, the Buyer will file a UCC-3 termination statement terminating the security interests granted in this Section 2.4 (True Sale).
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3.CLOSING
3.1.Closing. The Closing of this Agreement will take place remotely, simultaneously with the exchange of documents and signatures on the Effective Date.
3.2.Payment of Consideration.
3.2.1First Payment. On the date of Closing, the Buyer will deliver (or cause to be delivered) to Viridian (or any Affiliate of Viridian designated by Viridian in writing) payment of $55,000,000 (such amount, the “First Payment”) by wire transfer of immediately available funds to one or more accounts designated in writing by Viridian (or such designee).
3.2.2Second Payment. If the Positive Topline Results [***] (the “Second Payment Triggering Event”), then Viridian shall notify the Buyer in writing no later than [***] after such achievement of Positive Topline Results [***]; provided that a public announcement of such Positive Topline Results will be deemed written notification to the Buyer. Within [***] following receipt of such written notice, the Buyer will deliver (or cause to be delivered) to Viridian (or any Affiliate of Viridian designated by Viridian in writing) payment of $25,000,000 (such amount, the “Second Payment”) by wire transfer of immediately available funds to one or more accounts designated in writing by Viridian (or such designee).
3.2.3Third Payment. If Viridian receives Marketing Approval for Veligrotug in the U.S. [***] (the “Third Payment Triggering Event”), then Viridian shall notify the Buyer in writing within [***] after receipt of such Marketing Approval [***]. Within [***] following Buyer’s receipt of such written notice, the Buyer will deliver (or cause to be delivered) to Viridian (or any Affiliate of Viridian designated by Viridian in writing) payment of $75,000,000 (such amount, the “Third Payment”) by wire transfer of immediately available funds to one or more accounts designated in writing by Viridian (or such designee).
3.2.4Fourth Payment. No later than [***] following delivery by Viridian to the Buyer of written notice of the occurrence of the Second Payment Triggering Event and the Third Payment Triggering Event [***] Buyer will deliver (or cause to be delivered) to Viridian (or any Affiliate of Viridian designated by Viridian in writing) payment of $15,000,000 (such amount, the “Fourth Payment”) by wire transfer of immediately available funds to one or more accounts designated in writing by Viridian (or such designee).
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3.2.5Fifth Payment. If Viridian receives Marketing Approval for VRDN-003 in the U.S. [***], then Viridian shall notify the Buyer in writing within [***] after receipt of such Marketing Approval; [***]. Within [***] following written notice of the receipt of Marketing Approval of VRDN-003 in the U.S., the Buyer will deliver (or cause to be delivered) to Viridian (or any Affiliate of Viridian designated by Viridian in writing) payment of $50,000,000 (such amount, the “Fifth Payment”) by wire transfer of immediately available funds to one or more accounts designated in writing by Viridian (or such designee).
3.2.6Sixth Payment. Within [***] following Viridian’s filing of its Form 10-K with respect to the Calendar Year in which annual Net Sales of the Products in the U.S. have equaled or exceeded $1,100,000,000 [***], if Viridian elects to receive the Sixth Payment, Viridian shall provide the Buyer written notice of the occurrence of such Net Sales amount. Within [***] following Buyer’s receipt of such notice, the Buyer will deliver (or cause to be delivered) to Viridian (or any Affiliate of Viridian designated by Viridian in writing) payment of $50,000,000 (such amount, the “Sixth Payment”) by wire transfer of immediately available funds to one or more accounts designated in writing by Viridian (or such designee). For the avoidance of doubt, the Sixth Payment shall be payable only once (the first time that annual Net Sales amounts hit the threshold described in this Section 3.2.6 (Sixth Payment)).
3.2.7Seventh Payment. The Parties may agree in writing for Buyer to pay to Viridian an additional one-time payment of $30,000,000 (such amount, the “Seventh Payment”) at a time agreed between the Parties and on the financial terms agreed upon by the Parties at such time. [***].
3.2.8[***].
3.3.Withholding.
3.3.1Each of the Parties acknowledges and agrees that, as of the date hereof, and provided that each Party has delivered to the other Party in accordance with Section 3.4.3 (Closing Deliverables of Viridian) or Section 3.5.2 (Closing Deliverables of the Buyer), as applicable, such IRS Form(s) as such Party is required to deliver under Section 3.4.3 (Closing Deliverables of Viridian) or Section 3.5.2 (Closing Deliverables of the Buyer), no deduction or withholding shall be required in respect of any amounts payable or otherwise deliverable by either Party under this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, each of the Parties shall be entitled to deduct and withhold from any amounts payable or otherwise deliverable pursuant to this Agreement such amounts as are required to be deducted or withheld therefrom under any provision of U.S. federal, state, local, or non-U.S. Law, provided, however, that if either Party becomes aware that any such deduction or withholding may be required under applicable Law (other than as a result of the failure by a Party to deliver the applicable IRS form(s) in accordance with Section 3.4.3 (Closing Deliverables of Viridian) or Section 3.5.2 (Closing Deliverables of the Buyer), as applicable), then, if the applicable IRS form(s) remains true, correct, and complete and has not expired or no longer provides for an exemption from withholding as a result of a change in Law, such Party shall promptly notify the other Party and cooperate with the other Party in good faith to eliminate or reduce such deduction or withholding. Notwithstanding the forgoing, each Party shall promptly notify the other Party if such Party becomes aware that the other Party’s IRS form(s) has expired or is to expire. To the extent that any amounts are so deducted and withheld and timely paid over to the appropriate Governmental Entity, such withheld amounts shall be treated for all purposes of this Agreement as having been paid to the Person in respect of which such deduction and withholding was made.
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3.3.2Notwithstanding the foregoing, if, as a result of a Withholding Action by the payor Party (including any assignee or successor), any withholding or deduction of or on account of Taxes (“Withholding”) is required by applicable Law and the amount of such Withholding exceeds the amount of Withholding that would have been required if the payor Party had not committed the Withholding Action, then the payor Party shall pay an additional amount to the payee Party such that, after Withholding from the payment and such additional amount, the payee Party receives the same amount as it would have received from the payor Party absent such Withholding Action by the payor Party (except to the extent that the payee Party or any of its Affiliates can obtain a refund or credit for such amounts; provided that the payee Party will be reimbursed for any reasonable out of pocket costs incurred in obtaining such a refund or credit). If as a result of a Withholding Action by a payee Party (including any assignee or successor) the amount of Withholding under the law of the applicable jurisdiction exceeds the amount of such Withholding that would been required in the absence of such Withholding Action by the payee Party, the payor Party shall be required to pay any additional amount only to the extent that the payor Party would be required to pay any additional amount to the payee Party pursuant to the preceding sentence if the payee Party had not committed such Withholding Action.
3.4.Closing Deliverables of Viridian. On the Effective Date, Viridian will deliver (or cause to be delivered) to the Buyer the following:
3.4.1a duly executed counterpart to the Bill of Sale;
3.4.2[***]; and
3.4.3a valid, properly executed IRS Form W-9 certifying that Viridian is exempt from U.S. federal withholding Tax and “backup” withholding Tax, which may be delivered prior to the Closing.
3.5.Closing Deliverables of the Buyer. On the Effective Date, the Buyer will deliver (or cause to be delivered) to Viridian the following:
3.5.1a duly executed counterpart to the Bill of Sale;
3.5.2a valid, properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN-E [***], certifying as to its eligibility for an exemption from withholding under the income tax treaty between the United States and Ireland with respect to payments hereunder, which may be delivered prior to the Closing; and
3.5.3the Closing Date [***], duly executed by the Buyer.
4.REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
4.1.Viridian’s Representations and Warranties. Except as set forth on the Disclosure Schedules attached hereto, Viridian represents and warrants to the Buyer as of Effective Date that:
4.1.1Existence; Good Standing. Viridian is a corporation duly incorporated, validly existing, and in good standing under the laws of the state of Delaware. Viridian is duly licensed or qualified to do business and is in corporate good standing in the jurisdiction in which the nature of the business conducted by it or the character or location of the properties and assets owned, leased, or operated by it makes such licensing or qualification necessary.
4.1.2Authorization. Viridian has all requisite corporate power and authority to execute, deliver, and perform its obligations under this Agreement. The execution, delivery, and performance of this Agreement, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of Viridian.
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4.1.3Enforceability. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by an authorized officer of Viridian and constitutes a valid and binding obligation of Viridian, enforceable against Viridian in accordance with its terms, except as may be limited by applicable Bankruptcy Laws or by general principles of equity (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
4.1.4No Conflicts. The execution, delivery, and performance by Viridian of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, including the Bill of Sale, do not and will not conflict with, result in breach or violation of, constitute a default (with or without notice of lapse of time, or both) under, or give a right of termination, cancellation, or acceleration of any obligation or to a loss of a benefit under, any (a) certificate of incorporation, bylaws, or other applicable organizational documents of Viridian, (b) applicable Law binding upon or applicable to Viridian or any Judgment to which Viridian or its properties or assets may be subject, or (c) any other written agreement, commitment or instrument to which Viridian is a party or by which Viridian is bound, including the Existing In-Licenses.
4.1.5Consents. Except for the consents that have been obtained prior to the Effective Date, Marketing Approvals for the Products in the U.S., UCC financing statements and other filings contemplated by Section 2.1 (Purchase, Sale, and Assignment), or any filings required by the federal securities Laws or stock exchange rules, no consent, approval, license, order, authorization, registration, declaration, or filing with or of any Governmental Entity or other Person is required to be obtained by Viridian in connection with (a) the execution and delivery by Viridian of this Agreement, (b) the performance by Viridian of its obligations under this Agreement, or (c) the consummation by Viridian of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
4.1.6No Litigation. Neither Viridian nor any of its Affiliates is a party to, and has not received any written notice of, any action, suit, investigation, or proceeding pending before any Governmental Entity and, to the Knowledge of Viridian, no such action, suit, investigation, or proceeding has been threatened against Viridian, that would, if determined adversely, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.
4.1.7Compliance.
(a)Viridian has not violated, is not in violation of, has not been given notice that it has violated, and, to the Knowledge of Viridian, Viridian is not under investigation with respect to its violation of, and has not been threatened to be charged with any violation of, any applicable Law or any Judgment of any Governmental Entity in the U.S., court, or arbitrator, which violation would reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(b)All applications, submissions, information, and data related to a Product submitted or utilized as the basis for any request to any Regulatory Authority in the U.S. by or on behalf of Viridian were true and correct in all material respects as of the date of such submissions or request, and any material updates, changes, corrections, or modifications to such applications, submissions, information or data required under applicable Laws or regulations have been submitted to the necessary Regulatory Authorities in the U.S.
(c)Clinical Trials conducted by Viridian or its Affiliates relating to the Products were conducted in all material respects in compliance with applicable Laws and, in all material respects, in accordance with experimental protocols, procedures, and controls pursuant to, where applicable, accepted professional and scientific standards. Neither Viridian nor any of its Affiliates has received any notices or correspondence from any Regulatory Authority or comparable authority requiring the termination, suspension, or material modification or clinical hold of any Clinical Trial conducted by or on behalf of Viridian or its Affiliates with respect to the Products in or for the U.S.
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(d)No Governmental Entity in the U.S. has commenced, or threatened to initiate, any action or proceeding to place a clinical hold order on, or otherwise terminate, delay, or suspend any proposed or ongoing Clinical Trials, conducted in connection with one or more Products.
(e)Neither Viridian nor any of its Affiliates has committed any act, made any statement, or failed to make any statement that would reasonably be expected to provide a basis for the FDA to invoke its policy with respect to “Fraud, Untrue Statements of Material Facts, Bribery, and Illegal Gratuities”, or similar policies, set forth in any applicable Laws or regulations.
(f)None of Viridian, its Affiliates, or to the Knowledge of Viridian, any Third Party acting on behalf of Viridian, has used in any capacity the services of a person debarred, excluded, or disqualified (or convicted of any crime or engaged in any conduct for which debarment, exclusion or disqualification is mandated) under 21 U.S.C. § 335a.
4.1.8In-Licenses.
(a)Except as set forth on Schedule 4.1.8(a) of the Disclosure Schedule (any In-License set forth on Schedule 4.1.8(a) of the Disclosure Schedule, an “Existing In-License”), there are no In-Licenses.
(b)Each Existing In-License is a valid and binding obligation of Viridian. To the Knowledge of Viridian, each Existing In-License is enforceable against each counterparty thereto in accordance with its terms, except as may be limited by applicable Bankruptcy Laws or by general principles of equity (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law). Viridian has not received any written notice in connection with any Existing In-License challenging the validity or enforceability of any provision of any such agreement.
(c)Neither Viridian nor any of its Affiliates that is party to the applicable Existing In-License has: (i) given notice to a counterparty (A) of the termination of any Existing In-License or (B) expressing any intention to terminate any Existing In-License; and (ii) to the Knowledge of Viridian, received from a counterparty to an Existing In-License any written notice (A) of termination of such Existing In-License or (B) expressing any intention to terminate such Existing In-License.
(d)As of the date hereof, and at all relevant times after [***], Viridian has performed in all material respects with all material obligations of Viridian under each Existing In-License in accordance with such Existing In-License. As of the date hereof, to the Knowledge of Viridian: (i) there is no breach by Viridian of an Existing In-License alleged in writing by an Existing In-License Counterparty; (ii) there is no other material dispute alleged in writing as between any Existing In-License Counterparty and Viridian, or between any of their respective Affiliates, as it relates to rights and obligations under the applicable Existing In-License; (iii) neither Viridian nor any Affiliate of Viridian has received from an Existing In-License Counterparty any termination notice or threat in writing to terminate the applicable Existing In-License; (iv) no event has occurred that would give an Existing In-License Counterparty or Viridian a right to terminate the applicable Existing In-License pursuant to the terms thereof (other than the right to terminate for convenience), or (v) there has been no act or failure to act by or on behalf of an Existing In-License Counterparty or Viridian that would, or may be reasonably likely to, reduce the quantum of Net Sales of Product after the date hereof.
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(e)As of the date hereof, with respect to each Product Upstream Agreement, (i) to the Knowledge of Viridian, the Third Party to such Product Upstream Agreement and the Existing In-License Counterparty are in compliance with the applicable Product Upstream Agreement and (ii) Viridian has not received any written notice from the Existing In-License Counterparty related to any breach of such Product Upstream Agreement by either the Third Party to such Product Upstream Agreement or the Existing In-License Counterparty or dispute under such Product Upstream Agreement.
4.1.9Out-Licenses.
(a)Except as set forth on Schedule 4.1.9(a) of the Disclosure Schedule (any Out-License set forth on Schedule 4.1.9(a) of the Disclosure Schedule, an “Existing Out-License”), there are no Out-Licenses.
(b)Each Existing Out-License is a valid and binding obligation of Viridian. To the Knowledge of Viridian, each Existing Out-License is enforceable against each counterparty thereto in accordance with its terms, except as may be limited by applicable Bankruptcy Laws or by general principles of equity (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law). Viridian has not received any written notice in connection with any Existing Out-License challenging the validity or enforceability of any provision of any such agreement.
(c)Viridian has not: (i) given notice to a counterparty (A) of the termination of any Existing Out-License or (B) expressing any intention to terminate any Existing Out-License; and (ii) to the Knowledge of Viridian, received from a counterparty to an Existing Out-License any written notice (A) of termination of such Existing Out-License or (B) expressing any intention to terminate such Existing Out-License.
4.1.10Intellectual Property.
(a)Schedule 4.1.10(a) of the Disclosure Schedule lists all of the currently existing Patent Rights included within the Product Patent Rights owned or exclusively licensed by Viridian or any of its Affiliates in the U.S. (the “Existing Product Patent Rights”), including, for issued patents, the expiration date. Viridian is the sole and exclusive owner of all of the Existing Product Patent Rights. No Patent Rights owned or licensed by Viridian or any of its Affiliates other than the Existing Product Patent Rights are necessary to make, have made, offer to sell, sell, have sold, use, import, distribute, or market a Product in the U.S.
(b)Neither Viridian nor any of its Affiliates is a party to any pending, and to the Knowledge of Viridian, there is no threatened (in writing), litigation, interference, reexamination, reissue, inter partes review, post grant review, opposition, or like procedure involving any of the Existing Product Patent Rights.
(c)To the Knowledge of Viridian, the issued Patent Rights within the Existing Product Patent Rights are enforceable, in full force and effect, have not lapsed, expired, or otherwise terminated, and, to the Knowledge of Viridian, are valid. Neither Viridian nor any of its Affiliates has received any written notice relating to the lapse, expiration, or other termination of any of the issued Patent Rights within the Existing Product Patent Rights, and neither Viridian nor any of its Affiliates has received any written legal opinion that alleges that an issued Patent Right within any of the Existing Product Patent Rights is invalid or unenforceable. Viridian has complied with all duties to disclose to the United States Patent and Trademark Office under 37 CFR 1.56.
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(d)Neither Viridian nor any of its Affiliates has received any written notice that there is any Person, and to the Knowledge of Viridian, there is no Person, who is or claims to be an inventor under any of the Existing Product Patent Rights who is not a named inventor thereof or claims to be an owner of any of the Existing Product Patent Rights.
(e)Neither Viridian nor any of its Affiliates has received any written notice of any claim by any Person challenging and, to the Knowledge of Viridian, there is no Person who has a basis to challenge, the ownership of, the rights of Viridian in and to, or the patentability, validity, or enforceability of, any of the Existing Product Patent Rights, or asserting that the development, manufacture, or Commercialization of any Product in the U.S. infringes, misappropriates, or otherwise violates, or will infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate the issued Patent Rights or other Intellectual Property (but excluding Patent Rights) owned or controlled by such Person in the U.S.
(f)To the Knowledge of Viridian, no Person has infringed, misappropriated, or otherwise violated, or is infringing, misappropriating, or otherwise violating, any of the Product Intellectual Property Rights in the U.S.
(g)Viridian has paid all maintenance fees, annuities, and like payments required as of the Effective Date with respect to each of the Existing Product Patent Rights that are owned by Viridian, and, to the Knowledge of Viridian, all maintenance fees, annuities, and like payments required as of the Effective Date with respect to each of the Existing Product Patent Rights that are in-licensed by Viridian have been paid.
(h)Each of Viridian and its Affiliates has used reasonable efforts and taken commercially reasonable steps designed to maintain, preserve and protect its confidential Know-How and other confidential information acquired, conceived, developed, collected, compiled, generated, reduced to practice or otherwise made or used in connection with or related to the business of Viridian to which this Agreement relates, including through: (i) requiring all employees of Viridian and its Affiliates to execute confidentiality agreements with respect to Intellectual Property rights developed for or obtained from Viridian and its Affiliates and (ii) entering into licenses and contracts that generally require licensees, contractors, and other Third Parties with access to such Know-How or other confidential information to keep such Know-How or other confidential information confidential.
4.1.11No Liens; Title to Revenue Participation Right. None of the Product Intellectual Property Rights, in each case, that relate to the Product is subject to any Lien, except for Permitted Liens. Viridian has the full right to sell, transfer, convey, and assign to the Buyer all of Viridian’s rights and interests in and to the Revenue Participation Right being sold, transferred, conveyed and assigned to the Buyer pursuant to this Agreement without any requirement to obtain the consent of any Person, except for the consents that have been obtained on or prior to the Closing. The claims and rights of the Buyer created by this Agreement in and to the Revenue Participation Right and any other Product Collateral are not subordinated to any creditor of Viridian or any other Person. On the Effective Date, the Buyer will have received, subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, the Revenue Participation Right, free and clear of all Liens, except for any Permitted Liens.
4.1.12Manufacturing; Supply. All Products have, since [***], been manufactured, transported, stored, and handled in all material respects in accordance with applicable Law and with good manufacturing practices. Since [***], neither Viridian nor any Affiliate of Viridian has experienced any significant failures in the manufacturing or supply of any Product. Viridian has on hand or has made adequate provisions to secure sufficient clinical quantities of VRDN-003 to complete all Clinical Trials in the U.S. that are ongoing or planned as of the date hereof. Viridian has on hand or has made adequate provisions to secure sufficient quantities of the Veligrotug to support the Launch of Veligrotug in the U.S.
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4.1.13Indebtedness. Schedule 4.1.13 of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth a complete list of the outstanding Indebtedness of, or incurred by, Viridian as of the Effective Date.
4.1.14Lien-Related Representations and Warranties.
(a)Schedule 4.1.14 of the Disclosure Schedule sets forth a complete list of outstanding Liens (except for Permitted Liens) securing Indebtedness for borrowed money of Viridian as of the Effective Date.
(b)Viridian’s exact legal name is, and since January 20, 2021, has been, “Viridian Therapeutics, Inc.” Viridian is located at 221 Crescent Street, Suite 103A, Waltham, Massachusetts, 02453.
4.1.15Brokers’ Fees. Except for fees payable to Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, which are being paid by Viridian, there is no investment banker, broker, finder, financial advisor, or other intermediary who has been retained by or is authorized to act on behalf of Viridian who might be entitled to any fee or commission in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
4.1.16Public Company Reporting Obligations. Except as publicly disclosed in a filing by Viridian with the SEC, Viridian has filed or furnished (as applicable) with or to the SEC all registration statements, forms, reports, certifications and other documents required to be filed or furnished by Viridian with or to the SEC since [***] (all such registration statements, forms, reports, certifications and other documents (including those that Viridian may file or furnish after the date hereof until the Closing) are referred to herein as the “Viridian SEC Documents”). The Viridian SEC Documents (a) were filed or furnished on a timely basis, (b) at the time filed or furnished, were prepared in compliance as to form in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as the case may be, and the rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder applicable to such Viridian SEC Documents, and (c) did not at the time they were filed or furnished contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated in such Viridian SEC Documents or necessary in order to make the statements in such Viridian SEC Documents, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. Viridian’s financial statements included within the Viridian SEC Documents have been prepared in accordance with GAAP and such financial statements do not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading at the time made.
4.1.17Taxes. Viridian has filed (or caused to be filed) all U.S. federal income and other material Tax returns and material Tax reports required to be filed under applicable Law and has paid all U.S. federal income and other material Taxes required to be paid, except for any such Taxes that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and for which adequate reserves have been provided in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles applicable to Viridian, as in effect from time to time.
4.1.18Disclosure. No representation or warranty made by Viridian in this Agreement or in any Transaction Document contains any untrue statement of material fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make any such representation or warranty not misleading to a prospective buyer of the Revenue Participation Right or the Net Sales Payments. To the Knowledge of Viridian, the materials provided in the Data [***] are true and correct copies of the document they represent themselves to be and: (i) in the case of agreements in the Data [***], to the Knowledge of Viridian, there are no other amendments, modifications or other agreements between or among the Parties thereto that have not been provided in the Data [***]; and (ii) to the Knowledge of Viridian, the diligence tracker documents placed in the Data [***] do not contain any untrue statement of material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make any such statement not misleading to a prospective buyer of the Revenue Participation Right or the Net Sales Payments.
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4.2.Buyer’s Representations and Warranties. The Buyer hereby represents and warrants to Viridian as of the Effective Date that:
4.2.1Existence; Good Standing. The Buyer is a limited partnership duly organized, validly existing, and in good standing under the laws of the state of Delaware.
4.2.2Authorization. The Buyer has the requisite right, power, and authority to execute, deliver, and perform its obligations under this Agreement. The execution, delivery, and performance of this Agreement, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, have been duly authorized by all necessary action on the part of the Buyer.
4.2.3Enforceability. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by an authorized officer of the Buyer and constitutes a valid and binding obligation of the Buyer, enforceable against the Buyer in accordance with its terms, except as may be limited by applicable Bankruptcy Laws or by general principles of equity (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
4.2.4No Conflicts. The execution, delivery and performance by the Buyer of this Agreement and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby do not and will not conflict with, result in a breach or violation of, constitute a default (with or without notice or lapse of time, or both) under, or give a right of termination, cancellation, or acceleration of any obligation or to a loss of a benefit under, any provision of: (a) any organizational document of the Buyer; (b) any applicable Law or any Judgment to which the Buyer or its properties or assets may be subject; or (c) any other agreement (whether written or oral), commitment or instrument to which the Buyer is a party or by which the Buyer is bound, except, in the case of clauses (b) and (c), only for such breaches and defaults that, individually or in the aggregate, would not reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse effect on the ability of the Buyer to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or perform its obligations under this Agreement.
4.2.5Consents. Except for the consents that have been obtained on or prior to the Effective Date, the UCC financing statements and other filings and recordals contemplated by Section 2.4 (True Sale), and any filings required by the federal securities Laws or stock exchange rules, no consent, approval, license, order, authorization, registration, declaration, or filing with or of any Governmental Entity or other Person is required to be obtained by the Buyer in connection with (a) the execution and delivery by the Buyer of this Agreement, (b) the performance by the Buyer of its obligations under this Agreement, or (c) the consummation by the Buyer of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
4.2.6No Litigation. The Buyer is not a party to, and has not received any written notice of, any no action, suit, investigation, or proceeding pending before any Governmental Entity and, to the knowledge of the Buyer, no such action, suit, investigation, or proceeding has been threatened against the Buyer, that would, if determined adversely, reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse effect on the ability of the Buyer to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or perform its obligations under this Agreement.
4.2.7Financing. The Buyer (a) has sufficient cash to pay the First Payment on the date of Closing in accordance with Section 3.2.1 (First Payment) and (b) will have sufficient cash to pay the other Consideration when such Consideration is due pursuant to Section 3.2 (Payment of Consideration). The Buyer acknowledges that its obligations under this Agreement are not contingent on obtaining financing.
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4.2.8Tax Status. The Buyer is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of DRI Healthcare ICAV, an Irish company (the “ICAV”), [***].
4.2.9Brokers’ Fees. There is no investment banker, broker, finder, financial advisor, or other intermediary who has been retained by or is authorized to act on behalf of the Buyer that might be entitled to any fee or commission in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
4.3.No Other Representations and Warranties. EXCEPT FOR THE EXPRESS WARRANTIES SET FORTH IN THIS AGREEMENT, NEITHER PARTY MAKES ANY REPRESENTATIONS OR GRANTS ANY WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, EITHER IN FACT OR BY OPERATION OF LAW, BY STATUTE OR OTHERWISE, AND EACH PARTY SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY OTHER WARRANTIES, WHETHER WRITTEN OR ORAL, OR EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF QUALITY, MERCHANTABILITY, OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR USE OR PURPOSE OR ANY WARRANTY AS TO THE VALIDITY OF ANY PATENT RIGHTS OR THE NON-INFRINGEMENT OF ANY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS OF THIRD PARTIES.
5.COVENANTS
5.1.Product Updates. From and after the date hereof, Viridian shall provide the Buyer the following reports:
5.1.1Inventory Updates. Promptly following the end of each calendar quarter, but in any event, in each case, no later than [***] after the end of such calendar quarter, [***] the Inventory Updates.
5.1.2Semi-Annual Updates. Promptly following the end of each of the first and second six month periods in a Calendar Year, but in any event, in each case, no later than [***] after the end of such six month period, as applicable, [***] (a) the Clinical Updates, (b) the Commercial Updates, (c) the Regulatory Updates, and (d) the Intellectual Property Updates (such semi-annual updates, collectively with the Net Sales Reports and the Inventory Updates, the “Reports”).
5.1.3Other Updates. Viridian shall include any (a) [***] and (b) [***]. In addition, [***], with respect to either Product, Viridian will notify DRI in advance of [***].
5.1.4Additional Information. Viridian shall also provide the Buyer with such additional information regarding the updates included in each Report as the Buyer may reasonably request from time to time. Viridian shall prepare and maintain and shall cause its Affiliates and Licensees to prepare and maintain reasonably complete and accurate records of the information to be disclosed in each Report. All Reports, and the Confidential Information contained therein, shall be the Confidential Information of Viridian and subject to the obligations of confidentiality set forth in Section 7 (Confidentiality).
5.1.5Product Challenges. Subject to Section 5.4 (Intellectual Property and Regulatory Matters), Viridian shall promptly notify Buyer (and in no event more than [***] after the Knowledge of Viridian of the following events) of (a) any action, demand, suit, claim, cause of action, proceeding, or investigation pending or, to the Knowledge of Viridian, threatened by or against Viridian or any of its Subsidiaries in the U.S., or (b) proceeding or inquiry of any Regulatory Authority in the U.S. or, to the extent any such proceeding may reasonably relate to matters that would also materially negatively impact the U.S., the European Medicines Agency or the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency of the UK that is pending or, to the Knowledge of Viridian, threatened against Viridian or any of its Subsidiaries, in each case of (a) or (b), related to any Product or the Product Collateral.
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5.1.6Notice of Permitted Out-License. During the term of this Agreement, in the event that Viridian or any of its Affiliates enters into any Permitted Out-License with any Subsidiary of Viridian that grants a license with respect to the Product Intellectual Property Rights, at least [***], Viridian shall give Buyer written notice thereof and will [***] cause any such Subsidiary to execute and deliver to Buyer a joinder agreement and other documents [***] in order to cause such Subsidiary to become a party to the applicable Transaction Documents as if such Subsidiary was a party thereto as of the date hereof.
5.2.Net Sales Payments; Net Sales Payment Details; Put Option; Call Option.
5.2.1Net Sales Payments. From and after the Launch of the first Product or [***] Product in the U.S. until the Net Sales Payment Termination Date, subject to Section 5.2.2 (Net Sales Reports) Viridian will pay to the Buyer the Net Sales Payment for each Calendar Quarter promptly, but in any event no later than [***] after the end of each Calendar Quarter.
5.2.2Net Sales Reports. Until the Net Sales Payment Termination Date, for each Calendar Quarter, within [***] following the end of the Calendar Quarter, Viridian will provide to the Buyer [***]. In addition, until the Net Sales Payment Termination Date, for each Calendar Quarter, promptly, but in any event no later than [***] after the end of each Calendar Quarter, Viridian will provide to the Buyer a report (a “Net Sales Report”), in substantially the form attached to this Agreement as Exhibit E, setting forth in reasonable detail, [***].
5.2.3Payment Method. Any payments required to be made by either Party under this Agreement will be made in Dollars via electronic funds transfer or wire transfer of immediately available funds to such bank account as the other Party will designate in writing prior to the date of such payment.
5.2.4Put/Call Option. Upon a Change of Control of Viridian [***], both the Buyer and Viridian will have the option (the “Put/Call Option”) at any time during the period commencing on the date of such Change of Control and ending on the date that is [***] following such Change of Control to require Viridian to repurchase from the Buyer [***] of the Revenue Participation Right. Either Party may exercise the Put/Call Option by delivering to the other Party written notice of such Party’s election to exercise the Put/Call Option. If either Party exercises the Put/Call Option, then Viridian will promptly, but no later than [***] following the receipt of such notice by the other Party, purchase from the Buyer all of the Buyer’s rights, title, and interests to the Revenue Participation Right for the Put/Call Price as of the date of such payment. The payment of the Put/Call Price will be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds to one or more accounts specified by the Buyer or, if not timely designated by the Buyer, to the account to which the Net Sales Payments were transmitted or are to be transmitted pursuant to Section 5.2.3 (Payment Method). Upon the Buyer’s receipt of the Put/Call Price, (a) all rights of the Buyer under Section 5.2.1 (Net Sales Payments) will immediately terminate; (b) except as set forth in Section 8.3 (Survival), all rights and obligations of the Parties hereunder will automatically, without any further action of the Parties, be deemed to be released and irrevocably terminated; and (c) the Buyer will take such actions as are reasonably requested by Viridian to evidence the termination of such provisions, including the termination of the Back-Up Security Interest (the date such Put/Call Price is received by the Buyer, the “Put/Call Option Effective Date”). [***].
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5.3.Inspections and Audits of Viridian. Upon at least [***] prior written notice and during normal business hours, no more frequently than [***] during the term of this Agreement, the Buyer may cause an inspection or audit by an independent public accounting firm reasonably acceptable to Viridian to be made of Viridian’s financial books of account specifically related to the Commercialization ([***]) of the Products and [***] Products in the U.S. for the [***] prior to the audit for the purpose of determining the correctness of the Net Sales Payments made under this Agreement and the achievement of the Positive Topline Results. Upon the Buyer’s reasonable request, no more frequently than [***], Viridian shall use Commercially Reasonable Efforts to exercise any rights it may have under [***], to cause an inspection or audit by an independent public accounting firm to be made of the books of account of any counterparty thereto for the purpose of determining the correctness of the Net Sales Payments made under this Agreement. All of the expenses of any inspection or audit requested by the Buyer hereunder (including the fees and expenses of such independent public accounting firm designated for such purpose) will be borne solely by the Buyer, unless the independent public accounting firm determines that Net Sales Payments previously paid during the period of the audit were underpaid by an amount greater than [***], in which case such expenses will be borne by Viridian. Any such accounting firm will not disclose the Confidential Information of Viridian or any of its Affiliates to the Buyer, except to the extent such disclosure is necessary to determine the correctness of Net Sales Payments or such Confidential Information would otherwise be included in a Net Sales Report. All information obtained by the Buyer as a result of any such inspection or audit will be Confidential Information of Viridian subject to Section 7 (Confidentiality). If any audit discloses any underpayments by Viridian to the Buyer, then such underpayment will be paid by Viridian to the Buyer within [***] of such underpayment being so disclosed. If any audit discloses any overpayments by Viridian to the Buyer, then Viridian will have the right to credit the amount of the overpayment against each subsequent Net Sales Payment due to the Buyer until the overpayment has been fully applied. If the overpayment is not fully applied prior to the final Net Sales Payment due hereunder, then the Buyer will promptly refund an amount equal to any such remaining overpayment.
5.4.Intellectual Property and Regulatory Matters.
5.4.1Prosecution and Maintenance. [***]. In connection with any such prosecution and maintenance of [***] Patent Rights [***], (a) owned by Viridian or any of its Affiliates or (b) exclusively licensed by Viridian or any of its Affiliates, with respect to which Viridian or any of its Affiliates is responsible for prosecution and maintenance, Viridian will [***]. Subject to the rights of any Licensor pursuant to an Existing In-License or any Licensee pursuant to an Existing Out-License, Permitted Out-License or Other License, as applicable, [***]. Viridian will also notify the Buyer within [***] following the Knowledge of Viridian of any challenge to any [***] Patent Right, [***] of a [***] Patent Right, filed by a Third Party. Subject to terms of any In-License or Out-License, Viridian shall [***] such a Third Party challenge.
5.4.2Third Party Infringement Notice. Viridian will (a) provide [***].
5.4.3Enforcement Notice. Viridian will notify [***].
5.4.4Enforcement Actions. Within [***] after initiating, or permitting a Licensee to initiate, an enforcement action regarding any suspected infringement in the U.S. by a Third Party of any Product Intellectual Property Right that is owned or exclusively licensed by Viridian or any of its Affiliates, Viridian will [***]. In connection with responding to notice of a Section 351(k) application referencing a Product prior to any enforcement action, Viridian shall [***]. To the extent that any settlement of an enforcement action with respect [***] would [***], Viridian will [***].
5.4.5Recoveries. If Viridian recovers monetary damages from a Third Party [***].
5.5.In-Licenses.
5.5.1Notice of Material In-Licenses and Amendments. Viridian will promptly (and in any event within [***] provide the Buyer with [***].
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5.5.2Compliance with and Termination of In-Licenses. Viridian will comply in all material respects with its obligations under any Existing In-Licenses and any other Material In-License, [***]. Promptly, and in any event within [***], after receipt of any written notice from a counterparty or its Affiliates to any In-License of an alleged material breach under any Material In-License, including any payments that may be due, Viridian will [***].
5.5.3Existing In-Licenses. Viridian and its Affiliates shall perform all obligations of Viridian and its Affiliates under each Existing In-License.
5.6.Out-Licenses.
5.6.1Entry Into Out-Licenses. Viridian may not enter into any Out-License other than a Permitted Out-License [***]. Subject to compliance with this Section 5.6.1 (Entry Into Out-Licenses) Viridian may enter into (i) a Permitted Out-License or (ii) [***] (“Other License”); provided that: [***]. Viridian may enter into any definitive agreement with respect to any Sale, subject to compliance with the requirements set forth in Section 5.6.3 (Net Sales Reports from Licensees) with respect to such Sale; provided further that, notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement to the contrary, [***] constitutes a Change of Control pursuant to clauses (a) or (b) of the definition of “Change of Control,” Viridian shall: [***]. For the avoidance of doubt, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, Viridian and its Affiliates will not be restricted in any action as it relates to an out-license that is not an Out-License (except for Other Licenses as set forth in this Section 5.6.1 (Entry into Out-Licenses)) or any sale that is not a Sale.
5.6.2Copies. Viridian shall promptly (and in any event within [***]) provide the Buyer with (a) executed copies of each Permitted Out-License or definitive agreement with respect to any Sale (and all ancillary agreements referenced in such agreement with respect to such Sale), and (b) executed copies of each amendment, supplement, modification, or written waiver of any material provision of a Permitted Out-License or definitive agreement with respect to any Sale.
5.6.3Net Sales Reports from Licensees. Viridian shall include in all Permitted Out-Licenses, or definitive agreements with respect to any Sale, as may be applicable, provisions requiring the Licensee or Purchaser (as applicable) to provide to Viridian all information that Viridian is required to provide in the Net Sales Reports as set forth in Section 5.2.2 (Net Sales Reports) (the “Licensee Reports”, in respect of any Licensee, or “Permitted Sale Reports” in respect of any Purchaser).
5.6.4Notice of Material Breach. Viridian shall provide the Buyer prompt (and in any event within [***]) written notice of a material breach by a Licensee or Purchaser (as applicable) (or of its obligations under any Permitted Out-License or definitive agreement with respect to any Sale, as may be applicable), of which any of the individuals named in the definition of “Knowledge of Viridian” (or the successors of such Person at Viridian) becomes aware.
5.6.5Notice of Termination. Except with respect to any Sale made to a Third Party that constitutes a Change of Control pursuant to clauses (a) or (b) of the definition of “Change of Control,” Viridian shall provide the Buyer with written notice promptly (and in any event within [***]) following the termination of any Permitted Out-License or of definitive agreements with respect to any Sale, as may be applicable.
5.7.Development and Commercialization Diligence. [***].
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5.8.Preservation of Liens. Viridian will notify the Buyer in writing promptly (and in any event within [***]) following any change in (a) its legal name (as defined in Section 9-503(a) of the Uniform Commercial Code in effect in Delaware and in New York), (b) its jurisdiction of organization, or if not a registered organization, location for purposes of the UCC, or (c) its type of organization or corporate structure that would impair the perfection of the Back-Up Security Interest [***] granted hereunder. Except (a) as permitted [***], and (b) for Permitted Liens, Viridian will not permit any party other than the Buyer to create, incur, assume, or suffer to exist any Lien upon any Revenue Participation Right or Product Collateral or any Proceeds thereof.
5.9.No Actions to Shift Net Sales. Viridian will not, and will cause its Affiliates not to, take any action or omit to take any action specifically with an intent to shift the period in which Net Sales are recognized to increase payments by the Buyer hereunder [***] or reduce the Net Sales Payment ([***]). [***]. For the avoidance of doubt, Viridian may take any action or omit to take any action in the ordinary course of business even if such action or omission results in a shift to the period of Net Sales.
5.10.Further Assurances. Viridian and the Buyer agree to execute and deliver such other documents, certificates, agreements, and other writings, and to take such other actions, as may be reasonably necessary in order to give effect to and carry on the transactions contemplated by the Transaction Documents. Following the Effective Date, Viridian agrees to (a) correct any identified defect or error that may be discovered in the execution, acknowledgment, filing or recordation of the Back-Up Security Interest or the [***], and (b) do, execute, acknowledge, deliver, record, re-record, file, re-file, register and re-register any and all such further acts, deeds, certificates, assurances and other instruments the Buyer may reasonably request in order to maintain the perfection of the Back-Up Security Interest or the [***], in each case, including any Product Collateral created or arising after the Effective Date. Viridian will notify the Buyer annually of any Product Patent Rights and regulatory filings, submissions, and approvals, in each case, included in the Product Collateral created or arising after the Effective Date to the extent not previously disclosed to the Buyer.
5.11.Preservation of Assets. Viridian agrees to diligently preserve and maintain any collateral subject to (or required to be subject to) [***], and to take any and all actions reasonably necessary or desirable in connection with such efforts, including preparing, executing, delivering and filing any and all agreements, documents and instruments to preserve, perfect and maintain Viridian’s right, title, and interests in [***].
6.INDEMNIFICATION
6.1.General Indemnity. From and after the Effective Date:
6.1.1Indemnification by Viridian. Viridian hereby agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Buyer and its Affiliates and its and their directors, managers, members, partners, trustees, officers, agents, and employees (the “Buyer Indemnified Parties”) from, against, and in respect of all Losses suffered or incurred by the Buyer Indemnified Parties to the extent arising out of or resulting from (a) any breach of any of the representations or warranties (in each case, when made) of Viridian in this Agreement, and (b) any breach of any of the covenants or agreements of Viridian in this Agreement; and
6.1.2Indemnification by the Buyer. The Buyer hereby agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Viridian and its Affiliates and its and their directors, officers, agents, and employees (the “Viridian Indemnified Parties”) from, against, and in respect of all Losses suffered or incurred by the Viridian Indemnified Parties to the extent arising out of or resulting from (a) any breach of any of the representations or warranties (in each case, when made) of the Buyer in this Agreement, and (b) any breach of any of the covenants or agreements of the Buyer in this Agreement.
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6.2.Notice of Claims. If either a Buyer Indemnified Party, on the one hand, or a Viridian Indemnified Party, on the other hand (such Buyer Indemnified Party on the one hand and such Viridian Indemnified Party on the other hand being hereinafter referred to as an “Indemnified Party”), has suffered or incurred any Losses for which indemnification may be sought under this Section 6 (Indemnification), the Indemnified Party will so notify the other Party from whom indemnification is sought under this Section 6 (Indemnification) (the “Indemnifying Party”) promptly in writing describing such Loss, the amount or estimated amount thereof, if known or reasonably capable of estimation, and the method of computation of such Loss, all with reasonable particularity and containing a reference to the provisions of this Agreement in respect of which such Loss will have occurred. If any claim, action, suit, or proceeding is asserted or instituted by or against a Third Party with respect to which an Indemnified Party intends to claim any Loss under this Section 6 (Indemnification), such Indemnified Party will promptly after it becomes aware of such claim, action, suit, or proceeding, notify the Indemnifying Party of such claim, action, suit, or proceeding and tender to the Indemnifying Party the defense of such claim, action, suit, or proceeding. A failure by an Indemnified Party to give notice and to tender the defense of such claim, action, suit, or proceeding in a timely manner pursuant to this Section 6.2 (Notice of Claims) will not limit the obligation of the Indemnifying Party under this Section 6 (Indemnification), except to the extent such Indemnifying Party is actually prejudiced thereby.
6.3.Claim Procedures. In case any such action is brought against an Indemnified Party and it notifies the Indemnifying Party of the commencement thereof, the Indemnifying Party will be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it may wish, jointly with any other Indemnifying Party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Party, and after notice from the Indemnifying Party to such Indemnified Party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the Indemnifying Party will not be liable to such Indemnified Party under this Section 6.3 (Claim Procedures) for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. In any such proceeding, an Indemnified Party will have the right to retain its own counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnifying Party, but the reasonable fees and expenses of such counsel will be at the expense of such Indemnified Party unless (a) the Indemnifying Party has assumed the defense of such proceeding and has failed within a reasonable time to retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Party or (b) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the Indemnifying Party and the Indemnified Party and representation of both parties by the same counsel would be inappropriate due to actual or potential conflicts of interests between them based on the advice of such counsel. It is agreed that the Indemnifying Party will not, in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of more than one separate law firm (in addition to local counsel where necessary) for all such Indemnified Parties. The Indemnifying Party will not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, which will not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed. No Indemnifying Party will, without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Party, which will not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any Indemnified Party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such Indemnified Party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such Indemnified Party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding.
6.4.Limitations on Liability. EXCEPT [***], NO PARTY WILL BE LIABLE FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES UNDER THIS SECTION 6 (INDEMNIFICATION) AS A RESULT OF ANY BREACH OR VIOLATION OF ANY REPRESENTATION, WARRANTY, COVENANT, OR AGREEMENT OF SUCH PARTY (INCLUDING UNDER THIS SECTION 6 (INDEMNIFICATION)) UNDER OR PURSUANT TO THIS AGREEMENT.
6.5.Liability Cap. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY PROVISION TO THE CONTRARY SET FORTH IN THIS AGREEMENT OTHER THAN SECTION 9.15, VIRIDIAN’S AGGREGATE LIABILITY AS A RESULT OF ANY BREACH OR VIOLATION OF ANY REPRESENTATION, WARRANTY, COVENANT, OR AGREEMENT OF VIRIDIAN (INCLUDING UNDER THIS SECTION 6 (INDEMNIFICATION)) UNDER OR PURSUANT TO THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT EXCEED [***].
    -25-


6.6.Exclusive Remedy. Except as set forth in Section 9.12 (Specific Performance) and, solely in the case of an Insolvency Proceeding, with respect to the exercise of remedies with respect to the security interests granted under Section 2.4 (True Sale) (including Schedule A), from and after Effective Date, the rights of the Parties pursuant to (and subject to the conditions of) this Section 6 (Indemnification) will be the sole and exclusive remedy of the Parties and their respective Affiliates with respect to any claims (whether based in contract, tort, or otherwise) resulting from or relating to any breach of the representations, warranties, covenants, and agreements made under this Agreement or any certificate, document, or instrument delivered hereunder, and each Party hereby waives, to the fullest extent permitted under applicable Law, and agrees not to assert any other claim or action in respect of any such breach. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary set forth in this Section 6.6 (Exclusive Remedy), claims for fraud, gross negligence, or willful misconduct will not be waived or limited in any way by this Section 6 (Indemnification).
6.7.Tax Treatment of Indemnification Payments. For all purposes hereunder, any indemnification payments made pursuant to this Section 6 (Indemnification) will be treated as an adjustment to the Consideration to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law.
7.CONFIDENTIALITY
7.1.Confidentiality. Except as provided in this Section 7 (Confidentiality) or otherwise agreed in writing by the Parties, the Parties agree that each Party will, and will cause its Affiliates to, keep confidential and not publish or otherwise disclose and not use for any purpose other than as provided for in this Agreement (which includes the exercise of any rights or the performance of any obligations hereunder or thereunder) any information furnished to it (the “Receiving Party”) by or on behalf of the other Party (the “Disclosing Party”) under or in connection with this Agreement (such information, “Confidential Information” of the Disclosing Party), except that Confidential Information will not include, and the terms of this Section 7 (Confidentiality) will not apply to, any such information that the Receiving Party can demonstrate through competent written evidence:
(a)is known by the Receiving Party without an obligation of confidentiality at the time of its receipt from the Disclosing Party, and not through a prior disclosure by or on behalf of the Disclosing Party or any of its Affiliates or disclosees, as documented by the Receiving Party’s business records;
(b)is available to the public before its receipt from the Disclosing Party;
(c)became available to the public or otherwise part of the public domain after its disclosure by the Disclosing Party and other than through any act or omission of the Receiving Party or any of its Affiliates or disclosees in breach of this Agreement;
(d)except with respect to any information that is a Marketing Approval Application for a Product or any portion thereof, including any information related to a Marketing Approval Application for a Product, or is identified by a Party as a “trade secret” or that qualifies as a “trade secret” under applicable Law, is subsequently disclosed to the Receiving Party without obligation of confidentiality by a Third Party who may rightfully do so and is not under a conflicting obligation of confidentiality to the Disclosing Party or any of its Affiliates or disclosees; or
(e)except with respect to any information that is a Marketing Approval Application for a Product or any portion thereof, including any information related to a Marketing Approval Application for a Product, or is identified by a Party as a “trade secret” or that qualifies as a “trade secret” under applicable Law, is developed by the Receiving Party independently and without use of or reference to any Confidential Information received from the Disclosing Party, as documented by the Receiving Party’s business records.
    -26-


7.1.1No combination of features or disclosures will be deemed to fall within the foregoing exclusions merely because individual features are published or available to the public or in the rightful possession of the Receiving Party unless the combination itself and principle of operation are published or available to the general public or in the rightful possession of the Receiving Party.
7.1.2All Reports and other information provided by Viridian to the Buyer hereunder, including all Net Sales Reports, will be the Confidential Information of Viridian. The terms of this Agreement will be the Confidential Information of both Parties, with each Party being the Receiving Party and Disclosing Party with respect thereto.
7.2.Authorized Disclosure.
7.2.1Permitted Circumstances. The Receiving Party may disclose Confidential Information to the extent such disclosure is reasonably necessary in the following situations:
(a)if required by applicable Law, including as may be required in connection with any filings made with, or by the disclosure policies of a major stock exchange (in which case the terms of such disclosures will be governed by Section 7.2.2 (Confidential Treatment)); provided that the Receiving Party (other than as required by the disclosure policies of a major stock exchange): (i) uses reasonable efforts to inform the Disclosing Party prior to making any such disclosures and reasonably cooperate with the Disclosing Party in seeking a protective order or other appropriate remedy (including redaction), and (ii) whenever possible, request confidential treatment of such information in accordance with Section 7.2.2 (Confidential Treatment);
(b)complying with a valid order of a court of competent jurisdiction or other Governmental Entity;
(c)for audit purposes, provided that each recipient of Confidential Information will be bound by enforceable obligations of confidentiality and non-use at least as stringent as those imposed upon the Parties pursuant to Section 7 (Confidentiality) prior to any such disclosure;
(d)upon the prior written consent of the Disclosing Party (but solely to the extent of such consent);
(e)in connection with a court proceeding to enforce its rights under applicable Law, this Agreement, the Closing Date [***], any other [***], or any security agreement entered into in connection with the Back-up Security Interest [***];
(f)disclosure of this Agreement and its terms to its actual or potential investors and other sources of funding, including debt financing, actual or potential providers of Indebtedness, or actual or potential partners, collaborators, or acquirers, actual or potential Purchasers of the Net Sales Payments and their respective accountants, financial advisors, and other professional representatives, provided that (i) such disclosure will be made only to the extent customarily required to consummate such investment, financing, transaction, partnership, collaboration, or acquisition, (ii) each recipient of Confidential Information will be bound by enforceable obligations of confidentiality and non-use at least as stringent as those imposed upon the Parties pursuant to Section 7 (Confidentiality) prior to any such disclosure or otherwise customary for such type and scope of disclosure, and (iii) any such disclosure is limited to the maximum extent practicable for the particular context in which it is being disclosed; or
(g)in connection with an assignment permitted pursuant to Section 9.5 (Assignment).
    -27-


7.2.2Confidential Treatment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Receiving Party is required to make a disclosure of the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information pursuant to Section 7.2.1(a) (Permitted Circumstances) or Section 7.2.1(b) (Permitted Circumstances), it will provide the Disclosing Party with prompt notice (unless such notification is prohibited by applicable Law or a valid order of a court of competent jurisdiction or other Governmental Entity) so that the Disclosing Party may seek a protective order or other appropriate remedy or waive compliance with the provisions of this Agreement. If, in the absence of a protective order or receipt of a waiver from the Disclosing Party hereunder, the Receiving Party is, in the opinion of the Receiving Party’s legal counsel, compelled to disclose the Confidential Information or else stand liable for contempt or other censure or significant penalty, then the Receiving Party may furnish only that portion of the Confidential Information that it is legally required to furnish and will exercise its best efforts to preserve the confidentiality of the Confidential Information, including by cooperating with the Disclosing Party to obtain a protective order or other reliable assurance that confidential treatment will be accorded the Confidential Information. Without limiting the foregoing, the Buyer acknowledges that it may be necessary for Viridian to file this Agreement with the SEC and otherwise disclose the terms of this Agreement in its reports filed with the SEC, and Viridian agrees that it will provide the Buyer a reasonable opportunity to review and comment on any proposed redactions to the copy of this Agreement to be filed with the SEC, which comments Viridian will consider in good faith if made timely. Any such permitted disclosure will not relieve the Receiving Party of its obligations hereunder. In any event, the Buyer will not file any patent application based upon or using any Confidential Information of Viridian provided hereunder.
7.3.Disclosures; Public Announcement. The Parties will agree on the substance and timing of initial press releases to be made by each of Viridian and DRI following the Effective Date. After the issuance of such press release, neither Party will, and each Party will cause its respective Affiliates and disclosees not to, issue a press release or other public announcement or otherwise make any public disclosure with respect to this Agreement or the subject matter hereof without the prior written consent of the other Party, except (a) to make subsequent public disclosures reiterating information in such press release (or other information previously approved by the other Party for such public release), so long as the information in such release or other public disclosure remains true, correct, and the most current information with respect to the subject matters set forth therein, (b) to factually identify the Buyer (or its assignee) as the recipient of the Net Sales Payments, (c) to respond to questions in respect of the Party (or its assignee) using only the factual information disclosed in the initial press release (or other information previously approved by the other Party for such purpose), (d) to disclose the receipt or payment of any Consideration, exercise of the Put/Call Option, the occurrence of the Cap Date, or any other material payment terms, or (e) as may be required by applicable Law (in which case the Party required to make the press release or other public announcement or disclosure will allow the other Party reasonable time to comment on, and, if applicable, reasonably direct the Disclosing Party to seek confidential treatment in respect of portions of, such press release or other public announcement or disclosure in advance of such issuance); provided that, in each case ((a)-(e)), each Party will not use the other Party’s name for promotional or marketing purposes. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, nothing set forth herein will limit Viridian’s ability to make any disclosures related to: (i) the commencement, completion, material data, or key results of any Clinical Trials for the Products or [***] Products; (ii) sales or other distributions of the Products or [***] Products in any country or jurisdiction; or (iii) the receipt of Marketing Approval for a Product or [***] Product in any country or jurisdiction.
7.4.Confidentiality Agreement. As of the date hereof, that certain Mutual Confidentiality Agreement between [***], dated as of [***], is hereby terminated without further force and effect, superseded by this Section 7 (Confidentiality) of this Agreement and all obligations between the Parties relating to confidentiality, including information that was provided in the Data [***], will be governed by this Section 7 (Confidentiality) of this Agreement.
    -28-


8.TERMINATION
8.1.Termination On the Cap Date or Put/Call Option Effective Date. On the first to occur of the Cap Date or Put/Call Option Effective Date, this Agreement will automatically, and without any further actions of the Parties, be deemed irrevocably terminated, effective as of the Cap Date or Put/Call Option Effective Date, as applicable.
8.2.Return of Confidential Information. At the Disclosing Party’s election and upon the Disclosing Party’s request, the Receiving Party will return (at the Disclosing Party’s expense) or destroy all tangible materials comprising, bearing, or containing any Confidential Information of the Disclosing Party that is in the Receiving Party’s or any of its Affiliates’ possession or control and provide written certification of such return or destruction (except to the extent any information is the Confidential Information of both Parties or to the extent that the Receiving Party has the continuing right to use the Confidential Information under this Agreement); provided that the Receiving Party may retain one copy of such Confidential Information for its legal archives.
8.3.Survival. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 8 (Termination), the following provisions will survive termination of this Agreement: Section 1 (Definitions), Section 2.3 (No Assumed Obligations), Section 6 (Indemnification), Section 7 (Confidentiality) solely for the period of time specified therein, Section 8.2 (Return of Confidential Information), this Section 8.3 (Survival), Section 9.3 (Headings), Section 9.4 (Notices), Section 9.5 (Assignment), Section 9.6 (Amendment and Waiver), Section 9.7 (Entire Agreement), Section 9.8 (No Third Party Beneficiaries), Section 9.9 (Governing Law), Section 9.10 (Jurisdiction; Venue.), Section 9.11 (Severability), Section 9.12 (Specific Performance), Section 9.13 (Counterparts), Section 9.14 (Relationship of the Parties), Section 9.15 (Expenses), and Section 9.16 (Construction). Termination of the Agreement will not relieve any Party of liability in respect of breaches under this Agreement by any Party on or prior to termination.
9.MISCELLANEOUS
9.1.[***].
9.2.Solvency; No Fraudulent Transfer. After giving effect to the transaction contemplated hereunder, including payment of the First Payment, Viridian and its Subsidiaries, in each case on a consolidated basis, (a) shall be able to pay their debts as they become due, (b) shall have assets with a fair saleable value on a going concern basis greater than the amounts required to pay their consolidated debts (including a reasonable estimate of contingent liabilities) and (c) shall not have unreasonably small capital to carry on their business. No transfer of property is being made under this Agreement with the intent to hinder, delay, or defraud either present or future creditors of Viridian or its Subsidiaries.
9.3.Headings. The table of contents and the descriptive headings of the several Sections of this Agreement and the Exhibits and Schedules are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Agreement, and will not control or affect, in any way, the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.
9.4.Notices. All notices and other communications under this Agreement will be in writing and will be by email with PDF attachment, facsimile, courier service, or personal delivery to the following addresses, or to such other addresses as will be designated from time to time by a Party in accordance with this Section 9.4 (Notices):
If to Viridian, to it at:
Viridian Therapeutics, Inc.
221 Crescent Street, Suite 103A
Waltham, Massachusetts, 02453
    -29-



Attention: Chief Legal Officer
Email: [***]
with a copy to:
Ropes & Gray LLP
800 Boylston Street; Prudential Tower
Boston, MA 02199
Attention: [***]
Email: [***]
If to the Buyer, to it at:
DRI Healthcare Acquisitions LP
c/o Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
1 First Canadian Place
100 King Street West
Suite 6200, P.O. Box 50
Toronto, Ontario, M5X 1B8
Email: [***]

with a copy to:
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
1285 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10019
Attention: [***]
Email: [***]
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
1395 Brickell Ave #1200
Miami, FL 33131
Attention: [***]
Email: [***]
All notices and communications under this Agreement will be deemed to have been duly given (a) when delivered by hand, if personally delivered, (b) when sent, if by email with PDF attachment, with an acknowledgement of receipt being produced by the recipient’s email account, or (c) one (1) Business Day following sending within the United States by overnight delivery via commercial one-day overnight courier service.
9.5.Assignment. Viridian may not assign, in whole or in part, this Agreement, or any of its rights or obligations hereunder or thereunder, without the Buyer’s prior written consent, in its sole discretion, except for in connection with a Sale or Permitted Out-License, and only if upon Closing any such transaction, Viridian causes [***]. The Buyer may freely assign (in whole or in part) the Revenue Participation Right, together with the provisions associated with enforcement of the Revenue Participation Right and to compel payments of the Net Sales Payments; [***]. This Agreement will be binding upon, inure to the benefit of, and be enforceable by, the Parties and their respective permitted successors and assigns. Any purported assignment in violation of this Section 9.5 (Assignment) will be null and void.
    -30-


9.6.Amendment and Waiver. This Agreement may be amended, modified, or supplemented only in a writing signed by each of the Parties. Any provision of this Agreement may be waived only in a writing signed by the Party granting such waiver. No failure or delay on the part of any Party in exercising any right, power, or remedy hereunder will operate as a waiver thereof, nor will any single or partial exercise of any such right, power, or remedy preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power, or remedy. No course of dealing between the Parties will be effective to amend, modify, supplement, or waive any provision of this Agreement.
9.7.Entire Agreement. This Agreement, the Exhibits annexed hereto, and the Disclosure Schedule constitute the entire understanding between the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede all other understandings and negotiations with respect thereto.
9.8.No Third Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement is for the sole benefit of Viridian and the Buyer and their permitted successors and assigns and nothing herein, expressed or implied, will give or be construed to give to any Person, other than the Parties and such successors and assigns, any legal or equitable rights hereunder, except that the Indemnified Parties will be third party beneficiaries of the benefits provided for in Section 6.1 (General Indemnity).
9.9.Governing Law. This Agreement will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York without giving effect to any choice or conflict of Law provision or rule that would cause the application of the Laws of any other jurisdiction.
9.10.Jurisdiction; Venue.
9.10.1EACH OF THE PARTIES HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY SUBMITS, FOR ITSELF AND ITS RESPECTIVE PROPERTY AND ASSETS, TO THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF ANY NEW YORK STATE COURT OR FEDERAL COURT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA SITTING IN NEW YORK COUNTY, NEW YORK, AND ANY APPELLATE COURT THEREOF, IN ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, OR FOR RECOGNITION OR ENFORCEMENT OF ANY JUDGMENT IN RESPECT THEREOF, AND THE BUYER AND VIRIDIAN HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY AGREE THAT ALL CLAIMS IN RESPECT OF ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING MAY BE HEARD AND DETERMINED IN ANY SUCH NEW YORK STATE COURT OR, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN SUCH FEDERAL COURT. THE BUYER AND VIRIDIAN HEREBY AGREE THAT A FINAL JUDGMENT IN ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING WILL BE CONCLUSIVE AND MAY BE ENFORCED IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS BY SUIT ON THE JUDGMENT OR IN ANY OTHER MANNER PROVIDED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EACH OF THE BUYER AND VIRIDIAN HEREBY SUBMITS TO THE EXCLUSIVE PERSONAL JURISDICTION AND VENUE OF SUCH NEW YORK STATE AND FEDERAL COURTS. THE BUYER AND VIRIDIAN AGREE, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THAT PROCESS MAY BE SERVED ON THE BUYER OR VIRIDIAN IN THE SAME MANNER THAT NOTICES MAY BE GIVEN PURSUANT TO SECTION 9.4 (NOTICES).
9.10.2EACH OF THE PARTIES HEREBY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT IT MAY LEGALLY AND EFFECTIVELY DO SO, ANY OBJECTION THAT IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE TO THE LAYING OF VENUE OF ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT IN ANY NEW YORK STATE OR FEDERAL COURT. EACH OF THE BUYER AND VIRIDIAN HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE DEFENSE OF AN INCONVENIENT FORUM TO THE MAINTENANCE OF SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING IN ANY SUCH COURT.
    -31-


9.10.3EACH PARTY HEREBY JOINTLY AND SEVERALLY WAIVES ANY AND ALL RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER DOCUMENT DELIVERED HEREUNDER OR IN CONNECTION HEREWITH, OR ANY TRANSACTION ARISING FROM OR CONNECTED TO ANY OF THE FOREGOING. EACH OF THE PARTIES REPRESENTS THAT THIS WAIVER IS KNOWINGLY, WILLINGLY, AND VOLUNTARILY GIVEN.
9.11.Severability. If any term or provision of this Agreement is for any reason be held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable in any situation in any jurisdiction, then, to the extent that the economic and legal substance of the transactions contemplated hereby is not affected in a manner that is materially adverse to either Party, all other terms and provisions of this Agreement will nevertheless remain in full force and effect and the enforceability and validity of the offending term or provision will not be affected in any other situation or jurisdiction.
9.12.Specific Performance. Each of the Parties acknowledges and agrees that the other Party would be damaged irreparably in the event any provision of this Agreement is not performed in accordance with its specific terms or otherwise is breached or violated. Accordingly, each of the Parties agrees that, without posting bond or other undertaking, the other Party will be entitled to seek an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches or violations of the provisions of this Agreement and to seek to enforce specifically this Agreement and the terms and provisions hereof, including any and all payment obligations of Buyer, in any action, suit, or other proceeding instituted in any court of the United States or any state thereof having jurisdiction over the Parties and the matter in addition to any other remedy to which it may be entitled, at law or in equity. Each of the Parties further agrees that, in the event of any action for specific performance in respect of such breach of violation, it will not assert the defense that a remedy at law would be adequate.
9.13.Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by the Parties in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed will be deemed to be an original and all of which taken together will constitute one and the same agreement. Copies of executed counterparts transmitted by telecopy, facsimile, or other similar means of electronic transmission, including “PDF,” will be considered original executed counterparts, provided that receipt of such counterparts is confirmed.
9.14.Relationship of the Parties. The relationship between the Buyer and Viridian is solely that of purchaser and seller, and neither the Buyer nor Viridian has any fiduciary or other special relationship with the other Party or any of its Affiliates. This Agreement is not a partnership or similar agreement, and nothing contained herein will be deemed to constitute the Buyer and Viridian as a partnership, an association, a joint venture, or any other kind of entity or legal form for any purposes, including any Tax purposes. The Buyer and Viridian agree that they will not take any inconsistent position with respect to such treatment in a filing with any Governmental Entity.
9.15.Expenses. All fees, costs, and expenses (including any legal, accounting, financial advisory, and banking fees) incurred in connection with the preparation, negotiation, execution, and delivery of this Agreement and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby will be paid by the Party hereto incurring such fees, costs, and expenses. [***].
9.16.Construction. Except where the context expressly requires otherwise, (a) the use of any gender herein will be deemed to encompass references to either or both genders, and the use of the singular will be deemed to include the plural (and vice versa), (b) the words “include,” “includes,” and “including” will be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation” or “but not limited to,” (c) the word “will” will 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 will 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
    -32-


any person will be construed to include the person’s successors and assigns, (f) the words “herein,” “hereof,” and “hereunder” and words of similar import, will each be construed to refer to this Agreement in its entirety and not to any particular provision hereof, (g) all references herein to Articles, Sections, Schedules, or Exhibits will be construed to refer to Articles, Sections, Schedules, or Exhibits of this Agreement, and references to this Agreement include all Schedules hereto, (h) the word “notice” means notice in writing (whether or not specifically stated) and will 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,” “approve,” or the like will require that such agreement, consent, or approval be specific and in writing, whether by written agreement, letter, approved minutes, or otherwise (but excluding email and instant messaging), (j) references to any specific law, rule, or regulation, or Section or other division thereof, will be deemed to include the then-current amendments thereto or any replacement or successor law, rule or regulation thereof, and (k) the term “or” will be interpreted in the inclusive sense commonly associated with the term “and/or.”
[Signature Page Follows]

    -33-


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have caused this Agreement to be executed and delivered by their respective representatives thereunto duly authorized as of the Effective Date.

Viridian Therapeutics, Inc.
By:/s/ Steve Mahoney    
Name: Steve Mahoney
Title: President and Chief Executive Officer


DRI HEALTHCARE ACQUISITIONS LP


By: DRC Management III LLC 2
Its: General Partner


By: /s/ Grant Cellier    
Name: Grant Cellier
Title: Manager


[Signature Page to Purchase and Sale Agreement]
EX-21.1 4 fy2025ex211subsidiaries.htm EX-21.1 Document

Exhibit 21.1
 
Subsidiaries of the Registrant
 
 
Name of Subsidiary
Jurisdiction of Incorporation
 
 
Viridian Therapeutics Europe Limited
England and Wales
Viridian Therapeutics S.á.r.l.
Luxembourg
Viridian Securities Corporation
Massachusetts
 




EX-23.1 5 ex23_1xfinalconsentx2025.htm EX-23.1 Document
Exhibit 23.1
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
We consent to the incorporation by reference in the registration statements (Nos. 333-237413, 333-251367, 333-273390, 333-275805, and 333-290056) on Form S-3 and (Nos. 333-216112, 333-223672, 333-230271, 333-237165, 333-250906, 333-254771, 333-263490, 333-266895, 333-270475, 333-273813, 333-285505, and 333-289291) on Form S-8 of our report dated February 26, 2026, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Viridian Therapeutics, Inc. and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting.

/s/ KPMG LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
February 26, 2026

EX-31.1 6 fy202510kex311.htm EX-31.1 Document

Exhibit 31.1
 
CERTIFICATION
 
I, Stephen Mahoney, certify that:
 
1.    I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K, or this report, of Viridian Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation;
 
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.
 
Date: February 26, 2026 By: /s/ Stephen Mahoney
Stephen Mahoney
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)


EX-31.2 7 fy202510kex312.htm EX-31.2 Document

Exhibit 31.2
 
CERTIFICATION
 
I, Seth Harmon, certify that:
 
1.    I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K, or this report, of Viridian Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation;
 
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.
 
Date: February 26, 2026   By: /s/ Seth Harmon
      Seth Harmon
      Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer; Principal Accounting Officer)



EX-32.1 8 fy202510kex321.htm EX-32.1 Document

Exhibit 32.1
 
SECTION 1350 CERTIFICATION
 
Each of the undersigned, Stephen Mahoney, Chief Executive Officer of Viridian Therapeutics, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Seth Harmon, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, do hereby certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to the best of his knowledge (1) the Annual Report on Form 10-K of the Company for the annual period ended December 31, 2025, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (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.  

/s/ Stephen Mahoney
Stephen Mahoney
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)
Date: February 26, 2026
    /s/ Seth Harmon
    Seth Harmon
      Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer; Principal Accounting Officer)
Date: February 26, 2026

This certification accompanies and is being “furnished” with this Report, shall not be deemed “filed” by the Company for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or otherwise subject to liability under that Section and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into 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 of this Report, irrespective of any general incorporation language contained in such filing. A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906, or other document authenticating, acknowledging, or otherwise adopting the signature that appears in typed form within the electronic version of this written statement required by Section 906, has been provided to the Company and will be retained by the Company and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.