Set forth below and elsewhere in this report, and in other documents we
file with the SEC, are descriptions of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results contemplated by the forward-looking statements contained in this report. Because of the following factors, as well
as other variables affecting our operating results, past financial performance should not be considered a reliable indicator of future performance and investors should not use historical trends to anticipate results or trends in future periods. The
risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones facing us. Other events that we do not currently anticipate or that we currently deem immaterial may also affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Risks Relating to our Business
Product candidates that appear promising in research and development may be delayed or may fail to reach later stages of clinical
development.
The successful development of pharmaceutical products is highly uncertain. Product candidates that appear promising
in research and development may be delayed or fail to reach later stages of development. For example, preliminary data from our Phase 1b trial of
ONT-10
in combination with the
T-cell
agonist antibody, varlilumab, did not demonstrate sufficient activity to move forward with the program. We, therefore, decided not to continue this trial and, in February 2016, we terminated our
collaboration agreement with Celldex. The ongoing or future trials for tucatinib
(ONT-380)
and our preclinical research and development of
CASC-578
or TIGIT antibody may
fail to demonstrate that these product candidates are sufficiently safe and effective to warrant further development.
Furthermore,
decisions regarding the further development of product candidates must be made with limited and incomplete data, which makes it difficult to accurately predict whether the allocation of limited resources and the expenditure of additional capital on
specific product candidates will result in desired outcomes. Preclinical and clinical data can be interpreted in different ways, and negative or inconclusive results or adverse medical events during a clinical trial could delay, limit or prevent the
development of a product candidate, which could harm our business, financial condition or the trading price of our securities. There can be no assurance as to whether or when we will receive regulatory approvals for any of our product candidates,
including tucatinib,
CASC-578
and TIGIT antibody.
There is no assurance that tucatinib will
be safe, effective or receive regulatory approval for any indication.
Tucatinib is a late-stage clinical development candidate
and the risks associated with its development are significant. Promising preclinical data in animal models and early clinical data may not be predictive of later clinical trial results. Clinical data from our pivotal HER2CLIMB clinical trial may
fail to establish that tucatinib is effective in treating HER2+ breast cancer or associated brain metastases or may indicate safety profile concerns not indicated by earlier clinical data.
In December 2014, we announced that interim data from our ongoing Phase 1b combination trials indicated preliminary clinical activity and
tolerability in a heavily pretreated patient population. Updates to some of these data provided further preliminary evidence of clinical activity and tolerability, including in brain metastases. Based upon this data, we commenced a Phase 2 clinical
trial of tucatinib in February 2016 and are continuing that trial as our pivotal HER2CLIMB trial. However, none of these trials are complete, and even if final Phase 1b data are encouraging, the results from the pivotal HER2CLIMB clinical trial and
any other clinical trials may not indicate a favorable safety and efficacy profile for tucatinib or may otherwise fail to support continued development of this product candidate.
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In December 2016, we announced that, following discussions with the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) and discussions with our external Steering Committee, we amended the HER2CLIMB clinical trial of tucatinib by increasing the sample size so that, if successful, the trial could serve as a single pivotal study to support a new drug application.
The primary endpoint remains progression-free survival (PFS) and the sample size has been increased to approximately 480 patients from 180 patients. Patients will also be followed for overall survival which is a secondary endpoint. Key objectives
related to assessing activity in brain metastases include a secondary endpoint of PFS in a subset of patients with brain metastases. There is no assurance that the clinical data will achieve these endpoints in whole or in part. For example, the
clinical data may achieve the primary endpoint in the overall study population, but not achieve the secondary endpoint in patients with brain metastases. We have not received a Special Protocol Assessment for the HER2CLIMB study. Thus, even if some
or all of the endpoints are achieved and we file an NDA seeking approval for the commercial sale of tucatinib in metastatic breast cancer, there is no assurance that the FDA will approve the application.
We plan to initiate one or more investigator-sponsored clinical trials of tucatinib in other indications and we may initiate additional
clinical trials of this product candidate. Data from clinical trials we or investigators may initiate in other indications may fail to demonstrate that tucatinib is effective in the indications studied or safety profile concerns may arise. In that
event, even if the pivotal HER2CLIMB succeeds in reaching its endpoints and receives regulatory approval, we may not be able to continue development of tucatinib in other indications or to receive regulatory approval for additional indications,
which may limit the commercial potential of tucatinib and harm our business.
Reports of adverse events or safety concerns involving
tucatinib could delay or prevent us from obtaining regulatory approval.
Reports of adverse events or safety concerns involving
tucatinib or the combination of tucatinib with capecitabine or trastuzumab being studied in the HER2CLIMB study or the combination of tucatinib with other drugs could interrupt, delay or halt the HER2CLIMB clinical trial and/or other clinical trials
of tucatinib. Tucatinib alone and in combination with other drugs has been studied in a limited number of patients to date and the known safety information is correspondingly limited. With study in additional patients, more severe or unanticipated
adverse events may be experienced by patients. Reports of adverse events or safety concerns involving tucatinib could result in regulatory authorities denying approval of tucatinib or limiting its use. There are no assurances that patients receiving
tucatinib in combination with other drugs will not experience serious adverse events in the future or that unexpected or unanticipated adverse events will not occur. Further, there are no assurances that patients receiving tucatinib with
co-morbid
diseases will not experience new or different serious adverse events in the future.
Adverse
events may also negatively impact the sales of tucatinib, if it is approved for sale in any jurisdiction. If tucatinib is approved for sale in the United States, we could be required to implement a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy to address
safety concerns, which could adversely affect tucatinibs acceptance in the market, make competition easier or make it more difficult or expensive for us to distribute and sell tucatinib.
We rely on our license agreement with Array Biopharma, Inc. for our tucatinib technology. Failure to maintain that license agreement
could prevent us from continuing to develop and commercialize tucatinib.
We entered into an exclusive license agreement with
Array BioPharma, Inc. for our tucatinib technology. If Array BioPharma were to terminate our license agreement or if we are unable to maintain the exclusivity of that license agreement, we may be unable to continue to develop tucatinib. Further, we
may in the future have a dispute with Array BioPharma which may impact our ability to develop and commercialize tucatinib or require us to enter into additional licenses. An adverse result in potential future disputes with our licensor may impact
our ability to develop and commercialize tucatinib, may require us to enter into additional licenses, or may require us to incur additional costs in litigation or settlement. In addition, continued development and commercialization of tucatinib and
our other product candidates may require us to secure licenses to additional technologies. We may not be able to secure these licenses on commercially reasonable terms, if at all.
We also have an exclusive license from Sentinel Oncology for our Chk1 program. If Sentinel Oncology were to terminate our license agreement or
if we are unable to maintain the exclusivity of that license agreement, we may be unable to continue to develop
CASC-578.
Further, we may in the future have a dispute with Sentinel Oncology which may impact
our ability to develop and commercialize CASC-578or require us to enter into additional licenses. An adverse result in potential future disputes with our licensor may impact our ability to develop and commercialize
CASC-578,
may require us to enter into additional licenses, or may require us to incur additional costs in litigation or settlement. In addition, continued development and commercialization of CASC-578may
require us to secure licenses to additional technologies. We may not be able to secure these licenses on commercially reasonable terms, if at all.
We also have a development and option agreement for our TIGIT antibody program with Adimab. If Adimab were to terminate that agreement or if
we do not exercise our option to acquire a license from Adimab, we may be unable to continue our TIGIT antibody program. Further, even if we exercise our option we may in the future have a dispute with Adimab which may impact our ability to develop
and commercialize a TIGIT antibody or require us to enter into additional licenses. An adverse result in
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potential future disputes with our Adimab may impact our ability to develop and commercialize a TIGIT antibody, may require us to enter into additional licenses, or may require us to incur
additional costs in litigation or settlement. In addition, continued development and commercialization of our TIGIT antibody program may require us to secure licenses to technologies in addition to a license from Adimab. We may not be able to secure
these licenses on commercially reasonable terms, if at all.
Our development programs for our Chk1 kinase inhibitor and TIGIT
antibodies is at an early stage, and one or both of those programs may not be successful or warrant further internal investment.
Our development efforts for our Chk1 kinase inhibitor and TIGIT antibodies are at an early stage. We have not yet completed any
IND-enabling
preclinical studies for our Chk1 kinase inhibitor or TIGIT antibody programs, and future research and preclinical development of our Chk1 kinase inhibitor or TIGIT antibodies may indicate that one or
both of those programs do not have sufficient indications of clinical benefit or acceptable tolerability. If our preclinical research and development efforts do not support further development of our Chk1 kinase inhibitor or TIGIT antibodies, we may
suspend such development activities.
Our ability to continue with our planned operations is dependent on our success at raising
additional capital sufficient to meet our obligations on a timely basis. If we fail to obtain additional financing when needed, we may be unable to complete the development, regulatory approval and commercialization of our product candidates.
We have expended and will continue to expend substantial funds in connection with our product development activities and clinical
trials and regulatory approvals. Conducting a large pivotal trial and other clinical trials and
IND-enabling
studies is very costly and our funds are very limited. Accordingly, to commercialize tucatinib, if
our HER2CLIMB trial is successful, to continue tucatinibs development into other indications, and to fund the continued development of our other programs, we will need to raise additional funds from the sale of our securities, partnering
arrangements or other financing transactions in order to finance the commercialization of tucatinib and our other product candidates. We cannot be certain that additional financing will be available when and as needed or, if available, that it will
be available on acceptable terms. If financing is available, it may be on terms that adversely affect the interests of our existing stockholders or restrict our ability to conduct our operations. To the extent that we raise additional funds through
collaboration and licensing arrangements, we may be required to relinquish some rights to our technologies or product candidates, or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us. Our actual capital requirements will depend on numerous
factors, including:
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the pace of enrollment in the HER2CLIMB trial and the actual costs of that trial;
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whether we enter into licensing or collaboration arrangements for any of our product candidates that reduce our costs to develop those product candidates;
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activities and arrangements related to the commercialization of our product candidates;
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the progress of our research and development programs;
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the progress of preclinical and clinical testing of our product candidates;
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the time and cost involved in obtaining regulatory approvals for our product candidates;
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the cost of filing, prosecuting, defending and enforcing any patent claims and other intellectual property rights with respect to our intellectual property;
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the effect of competing technological and market developments;
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the effect of changes and developments in our existing licensing and other relationships; and
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the terms of any new collaborative, licensing and other arrangements that we may establish.
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If we require additional financing and cannot secure sufficient financing on acceptable terms, we may need to delay, reduce or eliminate some
or all of our research and development programs, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
We have a history of net losses, we anticipate additional losses and we may never become profitable.
Other than the year ended December 31, 2008, we have incurred net losses in each fiscal year since we commenced our research activities,
and we do not anticipate realizing net income for the foreseeable future. As of March 31, 2017, our accumulated deficit was approximately $583.7 million. Our losses have resulted primarily from expenses incurred in research and development
of our product candidates. We make significant capital commitments to fund the development of our product candidates. If these development efforts are unsuccessful, the development costs would be incurred without any future revenue, which could have
a material adverse effect on our financial condition. We do not know when or if we will complete our product development efforts, receive regulatory approval for any of our product candidates, or successfully commercialize any approved products. As
a result, it is difficult to predict the extent of any future losses or the time required to achieve profitability, if at all. Any failure of tucatinib or our other product candidates to complete successful clinical trials and obtain regulatory
approval and any failure to become and remain profitable could adversely affect the price of our common stock and our ability to raise capital and continue operations.
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We may be unable to enter into licensing or collaboration relationships.
We may from time to time seek to enter into licensing or collaboration relationships. Proposing, negotiating and implementing an economically
viable licensing or collaboration arrangement is a lengthy and complex process. We compete for partnering arrangements and license agreements with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and other institutions. Our competitors may have stronger
relationships with third parties with whom we are interested in collaborating or may have more established histories of developing and commercializing products. As a result, our competitors may have a competitive advantage in entering into
partnering or licensing arrangements with such third parties. In addition, even if we generate interest in a partnering or licensing arrangement, we may not be able to enter into such arrangements on terms that we find acceptable, if at all. If we
do enter into such arrangements, our obligations under the arrangement may require commitments of time and resources that may additional resources.
The failure to enroll patients in the HER2CLIMB study or in other clinical trials may cause delays in developing our product candidates.
We may encounter delays if we are unable to enroll enough patients to timely complete the pivotal HER2CLIMB clinical trial or any
of our other clinical trials. Patient enrollment depends on many factors, including the size of the patient population, the ability to engage clinical sites, the nature of the protocol, the proximity of patients to clinical sites, the eligibility
criteria for the trial, and competition for patients with competing trials. The HER2CLIMB clinical trial has specific criteria for enrollment that may limit the number of patients eligible to participate in the trial and only a small fraction of
potentially eligible patients in a given patient population ever seek to participate in a clinical trial. We undertake feasibility studies to help us determine the number of investigative sites required to enroll the patients needed for a given
clinical trial, but the results of those studies are estimates and enrollment may be substantially slower than anticipated. Moreover, when one product candidate is evaluated in multiple clinical trials, patient enrollment in ongoing trials can be
adversely affected by negative results from completed trials. Our product candidates are focused in oncology, which can be a difficult patient population to recruit. If we fail to enroll patients for HER2CLIMB or our other clinical trials, HER2CLIMB
or our other clinical trials may be delayed or suspended, which could delay our ability to generate revenues or raise capital to fund our operations. To enroll patients, we may have to seek additional clinical sites which cause additional expense
and time with no guarantee of recruiting patients to our trials.
There is no assurance that we will be granted regulatory approval
for tucatinib for metastatic breast cancer or any other indication or be granted regulatory approval for any of our other product candidates.
We are currently conducting a pivotal clinical trial and following patients in Phase 1b trials of tucatinib. There can be no assurance that
these and future studies and trials will demonstrate sufficient safety and efficacy to obtain the requisite regulatory approvals. A number of companies in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, including our company, have suffered
significant setbacks in advanced clinical trials, even after promising results in earlier trials.
Further, we may be unable to submit
applications to regulatory agencies within the time frame we currently expect. Once submitted, applications must be approved by various regulatory agencies before we can commercialize the product described in the application. Additionally, even if
applications are submitted, regulatory approval may not be obtained for any of our product candidates, and regulatory agencies could require additional clinical trials to verify safety or efficacy, which could make further development of our product
candidates impracticable. If our product candidates are not shown to be safe and effective in clinical trials, we may not receive regulatory approval, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of
operations.
We currently rely on third-party manufacturers and other third parties to manufacture, package and supply tucatinib.
Any disruption in production, inability of these third parties to produce adequate, satisfactory quantities to meet our needs or other impediments with respect to, manufacturing and supply could adversely affect our ability to continue and the
HER2CLIMB and other clinical trials of tucatinib, delay submissions of our regulatory applications or adversely affect our ability to commercialize tucatinib in a timely manner, or at all.
We are responsible for the manufacturing, labeling, packaging and distribution of tucatinib, which we outsource to third parties. Manufacture
and supply of drug products such as tucatinib is a complex process involving multiple steps and multiple manufacturers and service providers. If our third-party manufacturers cease or interrupt production, if our third-party manufacturers and other
service providers fail to supply satisfactory materials, products or services for any reason or experience performance delays or quality concerns, or if materials or products are lost in transit or in the manufacturing process, such interruptions
could substantially delay progress on our programs or impact clinical trial drug supply, with the potential for additional costs and a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our product candidates have not yet been manufactured on a commercial scale. Manufacturing at commercial scale may require third-party
manufacturers to increase manufacturing capacity, which may require the manufacturers to fund capital
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improvements to support the scale up of manufacturing and related activities. With respect to a product candidate, we may be required to provide all or a portion of these funds. Third-party
manufacturers may not be able to successfully increase manufacturing capacity for a product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval in a timely or economic manner, or at all. If any manufacturer is unable to provide commercial quantities of
a product candidate, we will need to successfully transfer manufacturing technology to a new manufacturer. Engaging a new manufacturer for a particular product candidate could require us to conduct comparative studies or use other means to determine
equivalence between that product candidate manufactured by a new manufacturer and the product candidate manufactured by the existing manufacturer, which could delay or prevent commercialization of our product candidate. If any of these manufacturers
is unable or unwilling to increase its manufacturing capacity or if alternative arrangements are not established on a timely basis or on acceptable terms, the development and commercialization of the particular product candidate may be delayed or
there may be a shortage in supply.
Manufacturers of our product candidates and related service providers must comply with GMP
requirements enforced by the FDA through its facilities inspection program or by foreign regulatory agencies. These requirements include quality control, quality assurance and the maintenance of records and documentation. Manufacturers of our
products and related service providers may be unable to comply with these GMP requirements and with other FDA, state and foreign regulatory requirements. We have little control over our manufacturers or service providers compliance with
these regulations and standards. A failure to comply with these requirements may result in fines and civil penalties, suspension of production, or restrictions on the use of products produced, suspension or delay in product approval, product seizure
or recall, or withdrawal of product approval. If the safety of any quantities supplied is compromised due to our manufacturers or other service providers failure to adhere to GMP or other applicable laws or for other reasons, we may not
be able to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates, the development and commercialization of our product candidates may be delayed and there may be a shortage in supply, which may prevent successful commercialization of our products.
Preclinical and clinical trials are expensive and time consuming, and any failure or delay in commencing or completing clinical
trials for our product candidates could severely harm our business.
We are currently conducting Phase 1b clinical trials and a
pivotal Phase 2 clinical trial for tucatinib. Each of our product candidates must undergo extensive preclinical studies and clinical trials as a condition to regulatory approval. Preclinical studies and clinical trials are expensive and take many
years to complete. The commencement and completion of clinical trials for our product candidates may be delayed by many factors, including:
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safety issues or side effects;
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delays in patient enrollment and variability in the number and types of patients available for clinical trials;
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our ability to engage to timely engage suitable clinical trial sites that have personnel with the expertise required to conduct our clinical trial;
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poor effectiveness of product candidates during clinical trials;
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governmental or regulatory delays and changes in regulatory requirements, policy and guidelines;
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our ability to satisfy regulatory requirements to commence a clinical trial and conduct the clinical trial in accordance with good clinical practices;
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our ability to manufacture or obtain from third parties materials sufficient for use in preclinical studies and clinical trials; and
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varying interpretation of data by the FDA and similar foreign regulatory agencies.
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It is
possible that none of our product candidates will complete clinical trials in any of the markets in which we intend to sell those product candidates. Accordingly, we may not receive the regulatory approvals necessary to market our product
candidates. Any failure or delay in commencing or completing clinical trials or obtaining regulatory approvals for product candidates would prevent or delay their commercialization and severely harm our business and financial condition.
In addition, both prior to and after regulatory approval of a product, regulatory agencies may require us to delay, restrict or discontinue
clinical trials on various grounds, including a finding that the subjects or patients are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk. In addition, all statutes and regulations governing the conduct of clinical trials are subject to change in the
future, which could affect the cost of such clinical trials. Any unanticipated delays in clinical studies could delay our ability to generate revenues and harm our financial condition and results of operations.
We rely on third parties to conduct our clinical trials. If these third parties do not perform as contractually required or otherwise
expected, we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for or be able to commercialize our product candidates.
We rely on
third parties, such as contract research and clinical organizations, medical institutions, clinical investigators and contract laboratories, to assist in conducting our clinical trials. We have, in the ordinary course of business, entered into
26
agreements with these third parties. Nonetheless, we are responsible for confirming that each of our clinical trials is conducted in accordance with its general investigational plan and protocol.
Moreover, the FDA and foreign regulatory agencies require us to comply with regulations and standards, commonly referred to as good clinical practices, for conducting, recording and reporting the results of clinical trials to assure that data and
reported results are credible and accurate and that the trial participants are adequately protected. Our reliance on third parties does not relieve us of these responsibilities and requirements. If these third parties do not successfully carry out
their contractual duties or regulatory obligations or meet expected deadlines, if the third parties need to be replaced or if the quality or accuracy of the data they obtain is compromised due to the failure to adhere to our clinical protocols or
regulatory requirements or for other reasons, our clinical trials may be extended, delayed, suspended or terminated, and we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates.
Our product candidates may never achieve market acceptance even if we obtain regulatory approvals.
Even if we receive regulatory approvals for the commercial sale of our product candidates, the commercial success of these product candidates
will depend on, among other things, their acceptance by physicians, patients, third-party payers such as health insurance companies, and other members of the medical community as a therapeutic and cost-effective alternative to competing products and
treatments. New patterns of care, alternative new treatments or different reimbursement and payer paradigms, possibly due to economic conditions or governmental policies, could negatively impact the commercial viability of our product candidates. If
our product candidates fail to gain market acceptance, we may be unable to earn sufficient revenue to continue our business. Market acceptance of, and demand for, any product that we may develop and commercialize will depend on many factors,
including:
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our ability to provide acceptable evidence of safety and efficacy;
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the prevalence and severity of adverse side effects;
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availability, relative cost and relative efficacy of alternative and competing treatments;
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the effectiveness of our marketing and distribution strategy;
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publicity concerning our products or competing products and treatments; and
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our ability to obtain sufficient third-party insurance coverage or reimbursement.
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If our
product candidates do not become widely accepted by physicians, patients, third-party payers and other members of the medical community, our business, financial condition and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.
Even if regulatory approval is received for our product candidates, we are subject to ongoing regulatory obligations that, if not met,
may adversely affect our ability to commercialize an approved product.
We are subject to ongoing regulatory obligations following
approval of a product including potential requirements for additional clinical trials, ongoing GMP manufacturing requirements, and other requirements. If a product is approved for commercial sale, safety concerns may arise that were not present in
clinical trials or occur at higher rates than in our clinical trials of the product which may result in regulatory restrictions. In addition, reports of adverse events or safety concerns could result in the FDA or other regulatory authorities
denying or withdrawing approval of the product for any or all indications. There is no assurance that patients will not experience such adverse events or safety concerns.
In addition, we will be required to comply with other limitations and restrictions imposed by U.S., state and foreign governments in
connection with the marketing of an approved product and reimbursement for approved products. Our failure to meet any of these requirements may have an adverse effect on our ability to commercialize an approved product and our business would suffer.
In addition, if we fail to comply with any applicable requirements, we could be subject to penalties, including:
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suspension of clinical trials;
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product liability litigation;
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total or partial suspension of manufacturing or costly new manufacturing requirements;
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withdrawal of regulatory approval;
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operating restrictions;
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disgorgement of profits;
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Any of these penalties may result in substantial costs to us and could adversely affect our
ability to commercialize an approved product and our business would suffer.
Failure to obtain regulatory approval in foreign
jurisdictions would prevent us from marketing our products internationally.
We intend to have our product candidates marketed
outside the United States. In order to market our products in the European Union and many other
non-U.S.
jurisdictions, we must obtain separate regulatory approvals and comply with numerous and varying
regulatory requirements. To date, we have not filed for marketing approval for any of our product candidates and may not receive the approvals necessary to commercialize our product candidates in any market.
The approval procedure varies among countries and may include all of the risks associated with obtaining FDA approval. The time required to
obtain foreign regulatory approval may differ from that required to obtain FDA approval, and additional clinical trials, testing and data review may be required. We may not obtain foreign regulatory approvals on a timely basis, if at all.
Additionally, approval by the FDA does not ensure approval by regulatory agencies in other countries, and approval by one foreign regulatory authority does not ensure approval by regulatory agencies in other foreign countries or by the FDA. However,
a failure or delay in obtaining regulatory approval in one jurisdiction may have a negative effect on the regulatory approval process in other jurisdictions, including approval by the FDA. The failure to obtain regulatory approval in foreign
jurisdictions could limit commercialization of our products, reduce our ability to generate profits and harm our business.
We may
expand our business through the acquisition of companies or businesses or by entering into collaborations or
in-licensing
product candidates that could disrupt our business and harm our financial condition.
We have in the past and may in the future seek to expand our pipeline and capabilities by acquiring one or more companies or
businesses, entering into collaborations or
in-licensing
one or more product candidates. For example, in December 2014, we entered into a license agreement with Array for exclusive rights to develop and
commercialize tucatinib. Acquisitions, collaborations and
in-licenses
involve numerous risks, including:
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substantial cash expenditures;
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potentially dilutive issuance of equity securities;
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incurrence of debt and contingent liabilities, some of which may be difficult or impossible to identify at the time of acquisition;
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potential adverse consequences if the acquired assets are worth less than we anticipated or we are unable to successfully develop and commercialize the acquired assets for any reason;
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difficulties in assimilating the operations and technology of the acquired companies;
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potential disputes, including litigation, regarding contingent consideration for the acquired assets;
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the assumption of unknown liabilities of the acquired businesses;
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diverting our managements attention away from other business concerns;
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entering markets in which we have limited or no direct experience; and
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potential loss of our key employees or key employees of the acquired companies or businesses.
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Our experience in making acquisitions, entering collaborations and
in-licensing
product candidates is
limited. We cannot assure you that any acquisition, collaboration or
in-license
will result in short-term or long-term benefits to us. We may incorrectly judge the value or worth of an acquired company or
business or
in-licensed
product candidate. In addition, our future success may depend in part on our ability to manage the growth and technology integration associated with any of these acquisitions,
collaborations and
in-licenses.
We cannot assure you that we will be able to successfully combine our business with that of acquired businesses, manage collaborations or integrate
in-licensed
product candidates or that such efforts would be successful. Furthermore, the development or expansion of our business or any acquired business or company or any collaboration or
in-licensed
product candidate may require a substantial capital investment by us. We may also seek to raise funds by selling shares of our capital stock, which could dilute our current stockholders ownership
interest, or securities convertible into our capital stock, which could dilute current stockholders ownership interest upon conversion. We may also incur debt obligations, which could require us to comply with covenants which could restrict
our ability to operate our business and negatively impact the value of our common stock.
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Our success depends in large part on our and our licensors ability to obtain and
maintain patent and other intellectual property protection worldwide with respect to our proprietary technology and products that are important to our business.
Our ability to successfully commercialize our technology and products and to compete effectively may be materially adversely affected if we
are unable to obtain and maintain effective intellectual property rights to our technologies and product candidates throughout the world. The intellectual property position of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies generally is highly uncertain
and involves complex legal and factual questions. The process of filing patent applications in the United States and abroad is expensive and time-consuming, and we or our licensors may not be able to file and prosecute all necessary or desirable
patent applications at a reasonable cost or in a timely manner.
In recent years, there have been significant changes in both the patent
laws and interpretation of the patent laws in the United States and other countries. As a result, the issuance, scope, validity, enforceability and commercial value of our and our licensors patent rights are highly uncertain. Our owned and
licensed patents may be challenged in the courts or patent offices in the United States and abroad. Such challenges may result in patent claims being narrowed, invalidated or held unenforceable, which could limit our ability to obtain and maintain
patent protection for our products and could prevent us from effectively blocking others from commercializing competitive technologies and products or limit the duration of the patent protection for our technology and products.
Our and our licensors pending and future patent applications may not result in patents being issued which protect our technology or
products. Our competitors may be able to circumvent our owned or licensed patents by developing similar or alternative technologies or products in a
non-infringing
manner.
We have
in-licensed
or acquired a portion of our intellectual property necessary to develop
certain of our product candidates. If we fail to comply with our obligations in our intellectual property licenses with third parties, we could lose such licenses or intellectual property rights that are important to our business.
We are a party to intellectual property license agreements with other parties, including with respect to tucatinib, and expect to enter into
additional license agreements in the future. In some circumstances, we may not have the right to may enter into additional license agreements in the future. In some circumstances, we may not have the right to control the preparation, filing and
prosecution of patent applications, or to maintain the patents, covering technology or products that we license from third parties. Therefore, we cannot be certain that these patents and applications will be prosecuted and enforced in a manner
consistent with the best interests of our business. In addition, if the parties who license patents to us fail to maintain such patents, or lose rights to those patents, the rights we have licensed may be reduced or eliminated. If we fail to meet
our obligations in our license agreements, our licensors may have the right to terminate these agreements, in which event we may lose intellectual property rights to a product candidate that is covered by the agreement. Termination of these licenses
or reduction or elimination of our licensed rights may result in our having to negotiate new or reinstated licenses with less favorable terms or our not having sufficient intellectual property rights to operate our business.
Protection of trade secrets and confidential information is difficult and we may not be successful in protecting our rights to our
unpatented proprietary
know-how
and trade secrets, thus harming our business and competitive position.
We rely on unpatented proprietary
know-how,
trade secrets and continuing technological innovations to
develop and maintain our competitive position. We employ various methods, including confidentiality agreements with employees and consultants, customers, suppliers and potential collaborators to protect our
know-how
and trade secrets. However, these agreements may not adequately protect us or provide an adequate remedy. Our trade secrets or
know-how
may become known or be
independently discovered by our competitors. Unpatented proprietary rights, including trade secrets and
know-how,
can be difficult to protect and lose their value if they are discovered or disclosed.
Further, we may not be able to deter current and former employees, contractors and other parties from breaching confidentiality agreements and
misappropriating our proprietary information. It is possible that other parties may copy or otherwise obtain and use our information and proprietary technology without authorization.
We may be subject to claims that our employees have wrongfully used or disclosed intellectual property of their former employers, which
may cause us to spend substantial resources and distract our personnel from their normal responsibilities.
Many of our employees
were previously employed at universities or other companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. Although we try to ensure that our employees do not use the proprietary information or
know-how
of others, we may be subject to claims that we or our employees have used or disclosed proprietary information of a former employer. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to
paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, legal proceedings relating to the defense may cause us to incur significant expenses and. reduce our
resources available for development activities.
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If our trademarks are not adequately protected, we may not be able to build name
recognition in our markets of interest and our business may be adversely affected.
Our trademarks, CASCADIAN THERAPEUTICS and
CASCADIAN, may be challenged, infringed, circumvented or declared generic or determined to be infringing on other marks. We may not be able to protect our rights to this trademark and build name recognition in our markets of interest. Over the long
term, if we are unable to establish name recognition based on our trademark, then we may not be able to compete effectively and our business may be adversely.
If we are unable to obtain intellectual property rights to develop or market our products or we infringe on a third-party patent or
other intellectual property rights, we may need to alter or terminate a product development program.
If our product candidates
infringe or conflict with the rights of others, we may not be able to manufacture or market our product candidates, which could have a material and adverse effect on us.
While conducting clinical trials, we are exempt from patent infringement based on the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act
or HatchWaxman Act, (codified in relevant part at 35 U.S.C. §271(e)), which provides an exemption for activities conducted in order to obtain FDA approval of a drug product. However, issued patents held by others may limit our ability to
develop commercial products. All issued patents are entitled to a presumption of validity under the laws of the United States. If we need licenses to such patents to permit us to develop or market our product candidates, we may be required to pay
significant fees or royalties, and we cannot be certain that we would be able to obtain such licenses on commercially reasonable terms, if at all. Competitors or third parties may obtain patents that may cover subject matter we use in developing the
technology required to bring our product candidates to market.
We know that others have filed patent applications in various
jurisdictions that relate to several areas in which we are developing products. Some of these patent applications have already resulted in the issuance of patents and some are still pending. We may be required to alter our processes or product
candidates, pay licensing fees or cease activities.
If use of technology incorporated into or used to produce our product candidates is
challenged, or if our processes or product candidates conflict with patent rights of others, third parties could bring legal actions against us, in the United States, Europe, and elsewhere, claiming damages and seeking to enjoin manufacturing and
marketing of the affected products. Additionally, it is not possible to predict with certainty what patent claims may issue from pending applications. In the United States, for example, patent prosecution can proceed in secret prior to issuance of a
patent. As a result, third parties may be able to obtain patents with claims relating to our product candidates or technology, which they could attempt to assert against us. Further, as we develop our products, third parties may assert that we
infringe the patents currently held or licensed by them and it is difficult to predict the outcome of any such action. Ultimately, we could be prevented from commercializing a product, or forced to cease some aspect of our business operations as a
result of claims of patent infringement or violation of other intellectual property rights, which could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may incur substantial costs as a result of litigation or other proceedings relating to patent and other intellectual property rights,
and we may be unable to protect our rights in, or to use, our technology.
There has been significant litigation in the
biopharmaceutical industry over patents and other proprietary rights and if we become involved in any litigation, it could consume a substantial portion of our resources, regardless of the outcome of the litigation. If these legal actions are
successful, in addition to any potential liability for damages, we could be required to obtain a license, grant cross-licenses and pay substantial royalties in order to continue to manufacture or market the affected products.
The cost of litigation to uphold the validity of patents to prevent infringement or to otherwise protect our proprietary rights can be
substantial. If the outcome of litigation is averse to us, third parties may be able to use the challenged technologies without payment to us. There is also the risk that, even if the validity of a patent were upheld, a court would refuse to stop
the other party from using the inventions, including on the ground that its activities do not infringe that patent. There is no assurance that we would prevail in any legal action or that any license required under a third-party patent would be made
available on acceptable terms or at all. If any of these events were to occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations would be materially and adversely effected.
If any products we develop become subject to unfavorable pricing regulations, third-party reimbursement practices or healthcare reform
initiatives, our ability to successfully commercialize our products will be impaired.
Our future revenues, profitability and
access to capital will be affected by the continuing efforts of governmental and private third-party payers to contain or reduce the costs of health care through various means. We expect a number of federal, state and foreign proposals to control
the cost of drugs through government regulation. We are unsure of the impact that the potential repeal of recent health care reform legislation may have on our business or what actions federal, state, foreign and private payers may take or reforms
that may be implemented in the future. Therefore, it is difficult to predict the effect of any potential reform on our business.
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Our ability to commercialize our products successfully will depend, in part, on the extent to which reimbursement for the cost of such products and related treatments will be available from
government health administration authorities, such as Medicare and Medicaid in the United States, private health insurers and other organizations. Significant uncertainty exists as to the reimbursement status of newly approved health care products,
particularly for indications for which there is no current effective treatment or for which medical care typically is not sought. Adequate third-party coverage may not be available to enable us to maintain price levels sufficient to realize an
appropriate return on our investment in product research and development. If adequate coverage and reimbursement levels are not provided by government and third-party payers for use of our products, our products may fail to achieve market acceptance
without a substantial reduction in price or at all and our results of operations will be harmed.
Governments often impose strict
price controls, which may adversely affect our future profitability.
We intend to seek approval to market our future products in
both the United States and foreign jurisdictions. If we obtain approval in one or more foreign jurisdictions, we will be subject to rules and regulations in those jurisdictions relating to our product. In some foreign countries, particularly in the
European Union, prescription drug pricing is subject to government control. In these countries, pricing negotiations with governmental authorities can take considerable time after the receipt of marketing approval for a drug candidate. To obtain
reimbursement or pricing approval in some countries, we may be required to conduct a clinical trial that compares the cost-effectiveness of our future product to other available therapies.
Domestic and foreign governments continue to propose and pass legislation designed to reduce the cost of healthcare, including drugs. In the
United States, there have been, and we expect that there will continue to be, federal and state proposals to implement similar governmental control. In addition, increasing emphasis on managed care in the United States will continue to put pressure
on the pricing of pharmaceutical products. While the current federal administration has indicated an intent to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act, or
collectively, PPACA, the current administration has also indicated an intent to address prescription drug pricing and recent Congressional hearings have brought increased public attention to the costs of prescription drugs.
We anticipate that healthcare reform measures that may be adopted in the future, may result in more rigorous coverage criteria and downward
pressure on the price for any approved product, and could seriously harm our prospects. Any reduction in reimbursement from Medicare or other government programs may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payers. If reimbursement of
our future products is unavailable or limited in scope or amount, or if pricing is set at unsatisfactory levels, we may be unable to achieve or sustain profitability.
We face potential product liability exposure, and if successful claims are brought against us, we may incur substantial liability for a
product candidate which may limit its commercial potential.
The use of tucatinib or our other product candidates in clinical
trials and the sale of any products for which we obtain marketing approval expose us to the risk of product liability claims. Product liability claims might be brought against us by consumers, health care providers, pharmaceutical companies or other
third parties. If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against these claims, we will incur substantial liabilities. Regardless of merit or eventual outcome, liability claims may result in:
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decreased demand for approved products;
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delay in completing or failure to complete enrollment in any clinical trial of the affected product;
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impairment of our business reputation;
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withdrawal of clinical trial participants;
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costs of related litigation;
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substantial monetary awards to patients or other claimants;
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the inability to commercialize our product candidates.
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Although we currently have product
liability insurance coverage for our clinical trials for expenses or losses up to a $10 million aggregate annual limit, our insurance coverage may not reimburse us or may not be sufficient to reimburse us for any or all expenses or losses we
may suffer. Moreover, insurance coverage is becoming increasingly expensive and, in the future, we may not be able to maintain insurance coverage at a reasonable cost or in sufficient amounts to protect us against losses due to clinical trial or
product liability. We intend to expand our insurance coverage to include the sale of commercial products if we obtain marketing approval for tucatinib or our other product candidates in development, but we may be unable to obtain commercially
reasonable product liability insurance for any products approved for marketing. On occasion, large judgments have been awarded in class action lawsuits based on products that had unanticipated side effects. A successful product liability claim or
series of claims brought against us could cause our stock price to fall and, if judgments exceed our insurance coverage, could decrease our cash and adversely affect our business.
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We face substantial competition, which may result in others discovering, developing or
commercializing products before, or more successfully, than we do.
The life sciences industry is highly competitive, and we face
significant competition from many pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical and biotechnology companies that are researching and marketing products designed to address cancer indications for which we are currently developing products or for which we may
develop products in the future. Our future success depends on our ability to demonstrate and maintain a competitive advantage with respect to the design, development and commercialization of tucatinib and our other product candidates. We expect any
product candidate that we commercialize on our own or with a collaboration partner will compete with existing, market-leading products and products in development. The following information provides a landscape view of known marketed products or
programs in development that compete with our product candidates:
Tucatinib is an inhibitor of the receptor tyrosine kinase HER2, also
known as ErbB2. There are multiple marketed products which target HER2, including the antibodies trastuzumab (Herceptin
®
) and pertuzumab
(Perjeta
®
) and the antibody toxin conjugate ado-trastuzumab emtansine or
T-DM1
(Kadcyla
®
). In
addition, lapatinib (Tykerb
®
) is a dual HER1/HER2 oral kinase inhibitor for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Neratinib is a HER1/HER2/HER4 inhibitor and margetuximab is a HER2
targeted, Fc-optimized antibody, both of which are in late-stage clinical development.
With respect to checkpoint kinase 1 Inhibitors,
there are currently no marketed drugs which specifically target Chk1. There are a few compounds in clinical trials, the most advanced of which is in a Phase 2 study. With respect to our TIGIT antibody program, no marketed products currently target
TIGIT, and there are at least two TIGIT antibodies in early stage clinical trials and several in preclinical development.
Many of our
potential competitors have substantially greater financial, technical and personnel resources than we have. In addition, many of these competitors have significantly greater commercial infrastructures than we have. Our ability to compete
successfully will depend largely on our ability to:
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design and develop product candidates that are superior to other products in the market;
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attract qualified scientific, medical, sales and marketing and commercial personnel;
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obtain patent and/or other proprietary protection for our processes and product candidates;
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obtain required regulatory approvals; and
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successfully collaborate with others, as needed, in the design, development and commercialization of our product candidates.
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In addition, established competitors may invest significant resources to quickly discover and develop novel compounds that could make
tucatinib or our other product candidates obsolete. In addition, any new product that competes with a generic market-leading product must demonstrate compelling advantages in efficacy, convenience, tolerability and safety in order to overcome severe
price competition and to be commercially successful. If we are not able to compete effectively against our current and future competitors, our business will not grow and our financial condition and operations will suffer.
If we are unable to enter into agreements with partners to perform sales and marketing functions, or build these functions ourselves, we
will not be able to commercialize our product candidates.
We currently do not have any internal sales, marketing or distribution
capabilities. In order to commercialize tucatinib or any of our other product candidates, we must either acquire or internally develop a selling, marketing and distribution infrastructure or enter into agreements with partners to perform these
services for us. We may not be able to enter into such arrangements on commercially acceptable terms, if at all. Factors that may inhibit our efforts to commercialize our product candidates without entering into arrangements with third parties
include:
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our inability to recruit and retain adequate numbers of effective sales and marketing personnel;
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the inability of sales personnel to obtain access to or persuade adequate numbers of physicians to prescribe our products;
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the lack of complementary products to be offered by sales personnel, which may put us at a competitive disadvantage relative to companies with more extensive product lines; and
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unforeseen costs and expenses associated with creating a sales and marketing organization.
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If
we are not able to partner with a third party and are not successful in recruiting sales and marketing personnel or in building a sales and marketing and distribution infrastructure, we will have difficulty commercializing tucatinib or any of our
other product candidates, which would adversely affect our business and financial condition. The complexity of regulations regarding the sales and marketing of pharmaceutical products may require costly and time-consuming efforts to train any sales
and marketing personnel, which would negatively impact our financial condition and business operations.
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If we lose key personnel, or we are unable to attract and retain highly-qualified personnel
on a cost-effective basis, it will be more difficult for us to manage our existing business operations and to identify and pursue new growth opportunities.
Our success depends in large part upon our ability to attract and retain highly qualified scientific, clinical, manufacturing, and management
personnel. In addition, future growth will require us to continue to implement and improve our managerial, operational and financial systems, and continue to retain, recruit and train additional qualified personnel, which may impose a strain on our
administrative and operational infrastructure. Any difficulties in hiring or retaining key personnel or managing this growth could disrupt our operations. The competition for qualified personnel in the biopharmaceutical field is strong. We are
highly dependent on our continued ability to attract, retain and motivate highly-qualified management, clinical and scientific personnel. Due to our limited resources, and the strong competition for qualified personnel, we may not be able to
effectively recruit, train and retain additional qualified personnel. If we are unable to retain key personnel or manage our growth effectively, we may not be able to implement our business plan.
Furthermore, we have not entered into
non-competition
agreements with all of our key employees and we
do not maintain key person life insurance on any of our officers, employees or consultants. The loss of the services of existing personnel, the failure to recruit additional key scientific, technical and managerial personnel in a timely
manner, and the loss of our employees to our competitors would each harm our research, development and clinical programs and our business.
Our business is subject to complex environmental legislation that increases both our costs and the risk of noncompliance.
Our business involves the use of hazardous material, which requires us to comply with environmental regulations and we will be required to
adjust to. new and upcoming requirements relating to the materials composition of our product candidates. If we use hazardous materials in a manner that causes contamination or injury or violates laws, we may be liable for damages. Environmental
regulations could have a material adverse effect on the results of our operations and our financial position. We maintain insurance for any liability associated with our hazardous materials activities, and it is possible in the future that our
coverage would be insufficient if we incurred a material environmental liability.
If we fail to establish and maintain proper and
effective internal controls, our ability to produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis could be impaired, which would adversely affect our consolidated operating results, our ability to operate our business, and our stock price, and
could result in litigation or similar actions.
Ensuring that we have adequate internal financial and accounting controls and
procedures in place to produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis is a costly and time-consuming effort that needs to be
re-evaluated
frequently. Failure on our part to have effective internal
financial and accounting controls would cause our financial reporting to be unreliable, could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results, and financial condition, and could cause the trading price of our common stock to fall
dramatically. Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of our financial reporting and the preparation of financial
statements for external purposes in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Our management does not believe that our internal control over financial reporting will 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 systems 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, if any, within the company will be detected.
We cannot be certain that the actions we have taken to ensure we have adequate internal controls over financial reporting will be sufficient.
In future periods, if the process required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act reveals any material weaknesses or significant deficiencies, the correction of any such material weaknesses or significant deficiencies could require remedial
measures which could be costly and time-consuming. In addition, in such a case, we may be unable to produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis. Any associated accounting restatement could create a significant strain on our internal
resources and cause delays in our release of quarterly or annual financial results and the filing of related reports, increase our costs and cause management distraction. Any of the foregoing could cause investors to lose confidence in the
reliability of our consolidated financial statements, which could cause the market price of our common stock to decline and make it more difficult for us to finance our operations and growth.
We may face risks related to securities litigation that could result in significant legal expenses and settlement or damage awards.
We have in the past been, and may in the future become, subject to claims and litigation alleging violations of the securities
laws or other related claims, which could harm our business and require us to incur significant costs. We are generally obliged, to the extent permitted by law, to indemnify our current and former directors and officers who are named as defendants
in these types of lawsuits. Any future litigation may require significant attention from management and could result in significant legal expenses, settlement costs or damage awards that could have a material impact on our financial position,
results of operations, and cash flows.
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Risks Related to the Ownership of Our Common Stock
The trading price of our common stock may be volatile.
The market prices for and trading volumes of securities of biopharmaceutical companies, including our securities, have been historically
volatile. For example, we experienced significant volatility following a press release regarding our Phase 1b studies of tucatinib in December 2015. The market has from time to time experienced significant price and volume fluctuations unrelated to
the operating performance of particular companies. The market price of our common shares may fluctuate significantly due to a variety of factors, including:
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the results of preclinical testing and clinical trials by us, our competitors and/or companies that are developing products that are similar to ours (regardless of whether such products are potentially competitive with
ours);
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public concern as to the safety of products developed by us or others;
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our ability to timely enroll patients and complete our pivotal HER2CLIMB clinical study;
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the results of the HER2CLIMB study or other studies of tucatinib that we or investigators may undertake;
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our ability to execute our business strategies;
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technological innovations or new therapeutic products;
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governmental regulations;
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developments in patent or other proprietary rights;
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general market conditions in our industry or in the economy as a whole;
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comments by securities analysts;
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comments made on social media platforms, including blogs, websites, message boards and other forms of Internet-based communications;
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difficulty with the market interpreting and understanding complex data;
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the issuance of additional shares of common stock, or securities convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, shares of our common stock in connection with financings, acquisitions or otherwise;
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the incurrence of debt; and
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political instability, natural disasters, war and/or events of terrorism.
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We may seek
to raise additional capital in the future; however, such capital may not be available to us on reasonable terms, if at all, when or as we require additional funding. If we issue additional shares of our common stock or other securities that may be
convertible into, or exercisable or exchangeable for, our common stock, our existing stockholders would experience further dilution.
We expect that we will seek to raise additional capital from time to time in the future. For example, in January 2017 we sold 26,659,300
shares of our common stock and 1,818 shares of our Series E preferred stock in concurrent but separate public offerings.
Future
financings may involve the issuance of debt, equity and/or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for our equity securities. These financings may not be available to us on reasonable terms or at all when and as we require
funding. In addition, we will need to increase our authorized capital to ensure that we have shares of common stock available for issuance in any future equity financings. An increase in our authorized capital will require approval of a majority of
our stockholders and we may not be able to obtain that approval. If we are able to consummate financings, the trading price of our common stock could be adversely affected and/or the terms of such financings may adversely affect the interests of our
existing stockholders. Any failure to obtain additional working capital when required would have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition and would be expected to result in a decline in our stock price. Any issuances of our
common stock, preferred stock, or securities such as warrants or notes that are convertible into, exercisable or exchangeable for, our capital stock, would have a dilutive effect on the voting and economic interest of our existing stockholders.
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Several stockholders own a significant percentage of our outstanding capital stock and will
be able to influence stockholder and management decisions, which may conflict with your interests as a stockholder.
As of
January 26, 2017, New Enterprise Associates and its affiliates (NEA), Baupost, Inc., and Biotechnology Value Fund and its affiliates (BVF) collectively held combined voting power over approximately 40% of the outstanding shares of our common
stock. Additionally, NEA holds shares of our preferred stock convertible into up to 1,818,000 additional shares of our common stock and BVF holds shares of our preferred stock convertible into up to 5,430,601 additional shares of our common stock.
As a result of their respective ownership positions, NEA, Baupost, and BVF each may have the ability to significantly influence matters requiring stockholder approval, including, without limitation, the election or removal of directors, an increase
in our authorized common stock, mergers, acquisitions, changes of control of our company and sales of all or substantially all of our assets. As a result, of this concentration of ownership, these stockholders may have a significant influence in our
management and affairs. This influence may delay, deter or prevent acts that may be favored by our other stockholders, as the interests of these stockholders may not always coincide with the interests of our other stockholders. In addition, this
concentration of share ownership may adversely affect the trading price of our shares because it may limit the trading volume and purchase demand for outstanding shares, could adversely affect our stock price should any of these stockholders elect
to sell some or all of their shares, and investors may perceive disadvantages in owning shares in a company with significant stockholders.
Because we do not expect to pay dividends on our common stock, stockholders will benefit from an investment in our common stock only if
it appreciates in value.
We have never paid cash dividends on our common shares and have no present intention to pay any
dividends in the future. We are not profitable and do not expect to earn any material revenues for at least several years, if at all. As a result, we intend to use all available cash and liquid assets in the development of our business. Any future
determination about the payment of dividends will be made at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon our earnings, if any, capital requirements, operating and financial conditions and on such other factors as our board of
directors deems relevant. As a result, the success of an investment in our common stock will depend upon any future appreciation in its value. There is no guarantee that our common stock will appreciate in value or even maintain the price at which
stockholders have purchased their shares.
We can issue shares of preferred stock that may adversely affect the rights of a
stockholder of our common stock.
Our certificate of incorporation authorizes us to issue up to 10,000,000 shares of preferred
stock with designations, rights, and preferences determined from
time-to-time
by our board of directors. Accordingly, our board of directors is empowered, without
stockholder approval, to issue preferred stock with dividend, liquidation, conversion, voting or other rights superior to those of holders of our common stock. For example, an issuance of shares of preferred stock could:
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adversely affect the voting power of the holders of our common stock;
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make it more difficult for a third party to gain control of us;
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discourage bids for our common stock at a premium;
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limit or eliminate any payments that the holders of our common stock could expect to receive upon our liquidation; or
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otherwise adversely affect the market price or our common stock.
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We have in the past issued,
and we may at any time in the future issue, additional shares of authorized preferred stock. As of March 31, 2017, we had outstanding preferred stock convertible into 8,498,625 shares of common stock. If the holders of such shares of preferred
stock convert their shares into common stock, existing holders of our common stock will experience dilution.
Our management has
broad discretion over the use of proceeds from the sale of shares of our common and preferred stock and may not use such proceeds in ways that increase the value of our stock price.
In our June 2016 public offering, we sold 6,708,333 shares of common stock and 17,250 shares of Series D convertible preferred stock for net
proceeds of approximately $43.3 million and in our January 2017 public offering, we sold 26,659,300 shares of our common stock and 1,818 shares of our Series E convertible preferred stock in concurrent but separate public offerings for net
proceeds of approximately $88.0 million. We have broad discretion over the use of proceeds from the sale of these shares, and we could spend the proceeds in ways that do not improve our results of operations or enhance the value of our common
stock. Our failure to apply these funds effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, delay the development of tucatinib and our other product candidates and cause the price of our common stock to decline.
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