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 other programs 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 CASC-674.
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.
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.
In
June 2017, an investigator-sponsored trial was initiated to evaluate tucatinib in patients with colorectal cancer. Additional
investigator-sponsored clinical trials of tucatinib in other indications may also be initiated in the future. We may also
initiate additional clinical trials of tucatinib. 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 tucatinib’s acceptance in the market, make competition easier or make
it more difficult or expensive for us to distribute and sell tucatinib.
We
rely on agreements with third parties for our product candidate technology. Failure to maintain those agreements could
prevent us from continuing to develop and commercialize our product candidates.
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.
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 lose our rights to CASC-578. Further,
we may in the future have a dispute with Sentinel Oncology which may adversely impact our business objectives regarding CASC-578
or require us to enter into additional licenses.
We
also have a development and option agreement for our CASC-674 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 CASC-674 program. Further,
even if we exercise our option we may in the future have a dispute with Adimab which may adversely impact our business objectives
regarding CASC-674 or require us to enter into additional licenses.
An
adverse result in potential future disputes with our licensors and partners may impact our ability to develop and commercialize
tucatinib and our other product candidates, 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.
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
tucatinib’s 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 September 30, 2017, our accumulated
deficit was approximately $612.5 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.
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 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 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 a pivotal Phase 2 clinical trial and following patients in ongoing Phase 1b clinical trials 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 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.
We
may be unable to maintain the benefits associated with orphan drug designation, including the potential for market exclusivity,
for tucatinib, and may be unsuccessful in obtaining orphan drug designation or transfer of designations obtained by others
for future product candidates.
Regulatory
authorities in some jurisdictions, including the United States and Europe, may designate drugs intended to treat relatively
small patient populations as orphan drugs. Under the U.S. Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may designate a drug as an orphan drug
if it is intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is defined as a patient population of fewer than 200,000 individuals
in the United States. In the United States, orphan drug designation entitles a party to financial incentives such as opportunities
for grant funding towards clinical trial costs, tax credits for qualified clinical research costs, and prescription drug user
fee waivers.
Generally,
if a drug with an orphan drug designation subsequently receives the first marketing approval for the indication for which
it has such designation, the drug is entitled to a period of marketing exclusivity, which precludes EMA or the FDA from approving
another marketing application for the same drug and indication for that time period, except in limited circumstances. If our
competitors are able to obtain orphan drug exclusivity prior to us for products that constitute the same active moiety and
treat the same indications as our product candidates, we may not be able to have competing products approved by the applicable
regulatory authority for a significant period of time. The applicable period is seven years in the United States.
As
part of our business strategy, we have sought and received orphan drug designation for tucatinib in the United States for
the treatment of HER2+ colorectal cancer and the treatment of breast cancer patients with brain metastases. However, orphan
drug designation does not guarantee future orphan drug marketing exclusivity.
Additionally,
even though we have obtained an orphan drug designation for tucatinib, and even if we obtain orphan drug exclusivity for this
product candidate and other product candidates, that exclusivity may not effectively protect tucatinib from competition because
drugs with different active moieties can be approved for the same condition. Even after an orphan drug is approved, the FDA
can also subsequently approve a later application for a 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 shown to be safer in a substantial portion of the target
populations, more effective or makes a major contribution to patient care. In addition, 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.
Moreover, orphan drug 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 we are unable to manufacture sufficient quantities of the product to meet the
needs of patients with the rare disease or condition. Orphan drug designation does not shorten the development time or regulatory
review time of a drug and does not give the drug any advantage in the regulatory review or approval process.
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 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 management’s 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.
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 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.
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 affected.
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 Hatch–Waxman 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 adverse 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 because 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. 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.
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 EGFR/HER2 oral kinase
inhibitor for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer and neratinib (Nerlynx®) is a EGFR/HER2/HER4 inhibitor indicated
for extended adjuvant use that is also being studied for use in metastatic breast cancer. Margetuximab is a HER2 targeted,
Fc-optimized antibody which is in late-stage clinical development.
With
respect to CASC-578 and CASC-674, there are multiple competing product candidates in clinical trials and 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.
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 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, 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.
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 clinical 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 may 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.
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 September 30, 2017, New Enterprise Associates and its affiliates (NEA), Baupost, Inc., Redmile Group, LLC (Redmile) and
Biotechnology Value Fund and its affiliates (BVF) collectively held combined voting power over approximately 49% of the outstanding
shares of our common stock, based on the Schedules 13D and 13G filed by them with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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, Redmile 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
September 30, 2017, we had outstanding preferred stock convertible into 7,248,601 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.