AMARIN CORP PLCUKfalseFYfive
yearshttp://www.amarincorp.com/20221231#AccruedLiabilitiesAndOtherLiabilitiesCurrentUnlimited37.5000-0000000Unlimited00008974480000897448us-gaap:RetainedEarningsMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel1Memberus-gaap:MoneyMarketFundsMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310000897448us-gaap:MoneyMarketFundsMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2021-12-310000897448amrn:StateMembercountry:USus-gaap:EarliestTaxYearMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:AdditionalPaidInCapitalMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448us-gaap:CertificatesOfDepositMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310000897448us-gaap:LeaseholdImprovementsMember2022-12-310000897448us-gaap:ResearchAndDevelopmentExpenseMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:CorporateDebtSecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:HLSTherapeuticsIncorporationMember2021-12-310000897448us-gaap:AdditionalPaidInCapitalMember2020-12-310000897448amrn:AmarinPharmaceuticalsIrelandLimitedMembercountry:IE2021-01-012021-12-310000897448us-gaap:CommonStockMember2019-12-310000897448us-gaap:DomesticCountryMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:LicensingAndRoyaltyMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448amrn:TwoThousandAndSeventeenEmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember2020-12-012021-05-310000897448amrn:Accountingstandardupdate201609Member2021-01-012021-12-3100008974482022-06-060000897448us-gaap:NewJerseyDivisionOfTaxationMemberus-gaap:EarliestTaxYearMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448country:IE2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:OrdinarySharesMember2023-02-240000897448amrn:KowaPharmaceuticalsAmericaIncorporationMemberamrn:CoPromotionAgreementMember2021-12-310000897448amrn:BridgewaterMemberus-gaap:SubsequentEventMember2023-02-012023-02-010000897448us-gaap:TreasuryStockMember2020-12-310000897448us-gaap:AdditionalPaidInCapitalMember2019-12-310000897448amrn:TwoThousandAndSeventeenEmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember2021-05-310000897448amrn:BridgewaterMember2019-08-152019-08-150000897448country:AEamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:BiologixMemberamrn:VascepaMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:ForeignGovernmentDebtSecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2021-12-310000897448amrn:IrelandAndUnitedKingdomMember2020-01-012020-12-310000897448us-gaap:LatestTaxYearMemberamrn:FederalMembercountry:US2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:EddingMemberamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMember2022-12-310000897448us-gaap:CorporateDebtSecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2021-12-310000897448amrn:OtherCountryMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:CustomerConcentrationRiskMemberamrn:CustomerCMemberus-gaap:AccountsReceivableMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:CARESActMember2020-03-272020-03-270000897448us-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2021-12-310000897448amrn:PotentialMarketingApprovalOneMemberamrn:FurtherIndicationForAMROneZeroOneMember2022-12-310000897448us-gaap:SalesRevenueNetMemberus-gaap:CustomerConcentrationRiskMemberamrn:CustomerAMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:TwoThousandAndSeventeenEmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember2022-11-300000897448country:USamrn:FederalMemberus-gaap:EarliestTaxYearMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:PreferredStockMember2019-12-310000897448amrn:RepoSecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:EddingMembersrt:MaximumMemberamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:ProductReturnsMember2021-12-310000897448us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:CorporateDebtSecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2021-12-310000897448us-gaap:LeaseholdImprovementsMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:CommercialPaperMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2021-12-310000897448us-gaap:SalesRevenueNetMemberus-gaap:CustomerConcentrationRiskMember2022-12-310000897448us-gaap:AllowanceForCreditLossMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountMember2021-12-310000897448amrn:TwoThousandAndSeventeenEmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember2022-05-310000897448us-gaap:AssetBackedSecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310000897448us-gaap:ComputerEquipmentMember2021-12-310000897448amrn:TwoThousandAndSeventeenEmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember2019-12-012020-05-310000897448us-gaap:LicenseMemberamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:HLSTherapeuticsIncorporationMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:AllowanceForCreditLossMember2021-12-310000897448amrn:ProductReturnsMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448us-gaap:SellingGeneralAndAdministrativeExpensesMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448us-gaap:AdditionalPaidInCapitalMember2022-12-310000897448us-gaap:NewJerseyDivisionOfTaxationMemberus-gaap:LatestTaxYearMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448country:BHamrn:MarineMemberamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:BiologixMemberamrn:VascepaMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:CustomerAMemberus-gaap:CustomerConcentrationRiskMemberus-gaap:AccountsReceivableMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448srt:MaximumMemberus-gaap:RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMemberamrn:EmployeesMemberamrn:StockIncentivePlanTwentyTwentyAndTwentyElevenMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:OtherIncentiveProgramsMember2020-12-310000897448amrn:ComprehensiveCostReductionPlanMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310000897448us-gaap:InternalRevenueServiceIRSMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:RebatesChargebacksAndDiscountsMember2021-12-310000897448amrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:HLSTherapeuticsIncorporationMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448amrn:PerformanceBasedRestrictedStockUnitsMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448us-gaap:AdditionalPaidInCapitalMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMember2020-01-012020-12-310000897448us-gaap:CommonStockMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:LicensingAndRoyaltyMember2020-01-012020-12-3100008974482021-01-012021-12-310000897448amrn:CARESActMember2020-01-012020-12-3100008974482021-12-310000897448us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:ForeignGovernmentDebtSecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310000897448us-gaap:ForeignGovernmentDebtSecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:BiologixMemberamrn:VascepaMembercountry:QAamrn:ReduceItMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:BiologixMember2016-03-012016-03-310000897448us-gaap:RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMemberamrn:StockIncentivePlanTwentyTwentyMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:EddingMembersrt:MinimumMemberamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:HLSTherapeuticsIncorporationMember2020-01-012020-01-310000897448amrn:KowaPharmaceuticalsAmericaIncorporationMemberamrn:CoPromotionAgreementMember2018-01-012018-12-310000897448amrn:IrelandAndUnitedKingdomMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:CommonStockMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448amrn:FoodAndDrugAdministrationMembercountry:DEus-gaap:FacilityClosingMember2022-08-192022-08-190000897448srt:MinimumMemberus-gaap:SoftwareDevelopmentMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448srt:MaximumMemberus-gaap:SoftwareDevelopmentMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel1Memberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310000897448srt:MaximumMember2020-01-012020-12-310000897448amrn:MarketingApprovalInEuropeMemberamrn:FurtherIndicationForAMROneZeroOneMember2021-03-260000897448us-gaap:SubsequentEventMemberamrn:BridgewaterMember2023-02-010000897448us-gaap:TreasuryStockMember2022-12-310000897448us-gaap:RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember2020-01-012020-12-310000897448us-gaap:AssetBackedSecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2021-12-310000897448amrn:EddingMemberamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberus-gaap:ProductMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:MochidaPharmaceuticalCoLtdMemberamrn:InLicensesAgreementMember2021-01-012021-01-310000897448us-gaap:CertificatesOfDepositMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2021-12-310000897448amrn:AgencySecurityMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310000897448us-gaap:LatestTaxYearMembercountry:GB2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:FurnitureAndFixturesMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:OneTimeTerminationBenefitsMemberamrn:GoToMarketStrategyMember2021-12-310000897448us-gaap:RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMemberamrn:StockIncentivePlanTwentyTwentyAndTwentyElevenMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:AssetBackedSecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:FoodAndDrugAdministrationMember2022-07-132022-07-130000897448amrn:EddingMemberamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMember2021-12-310000897448us-gaap:RestructuringChargesMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:AllowanceForEstimatedChargebacksMember2021-12-310000897448us-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:CorporateDebtSecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:LaxdaleMilestoneSharesMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448amrn:TwoThousandAndSeventeenEmployeeStockPurchasePlanMembersrt:MaximumMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:EddingMemberamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberus-gaap:ProductMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448amrn:MarineMemberamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:BiologixMemberamrn:VascepaMembercountry:KW2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMemberamrn:StockIncentivePlanTwentyTwentyAndTwentyElevenMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448us-gaap:ComputerEquipmentMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:StockIncentivePlanTwentyTwentyAndStockIncentivePlanTwentyElevenMemberus-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:BiologixMemberamrn:VascepaMembercountry:LB2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:MarineMembercountry:AEamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:BiologixMemberamrn:VascepaMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:MarketingApprovalInEuropeMemberamrn:FurtherIndicationForAMROneZeroOneMember2022-07-130000897448us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:CertificatesOfDepositMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2021-12-310000897448country:IEamrn:NonTradingActivityMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:AdditionalPaidInCapitalMember2021-12-310000897448us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel1Memberus-gaap:USTreasurySecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:RebatesChargebacksAndDiscountsMember2022-12-310000897448us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:CommercialPaperMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2021-12-310000897448us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:ForeignGovernmentDebtSecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2021-12-310000897448amrn:VASCEPAHalfGramMember2022-01-012022-12-3100008974482020-12-310000897448amrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:HLSTherapeuticsIncorporationMember2020-02-012020-02-290000897448amrn:MochidaPharmaceuticalCoLtdMemberamrn:InLicensesAgreementMember2022-01-012022-01-310000897448country:IE2020-01-012020-12-310000897448us-gaap:AllowanceForCreditLossMember2022-12-310000897448us-gaap:LeaseholdImprovementsMember2021-12-310000897448amrn:OutLicensesAgreementMember2023-01-01amrn:HLSTherapeuticsIncorporationMember2022-12-310000897448us-gaap:SalesRevenueNetMemberamrn:CustomerBMemberus-gaap:CustomerConcentrationRiskMember2021-01-012021-12-3100008974482021-09-220000897448amrn:MochidaPharmaceuticalCoLtdMemberus-gaap:ResearchAndDevelopmentExpenseMemberamrn:InLicensesAgreementMember2018-01-012018-12-310000897448country:IEus-gaap:LatestTaxYearMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:TwoThousandAndSeventeenEmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:AllowanceForEstimatedChargebacksMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:RebatesChargebacksAndDiscountsMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448amrn:ProductReturnsMember2020-12-310000897448us-gaap:RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMemberamrn:StockIncentivePlanTwentyTwentyAndTwentyElevenMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448us-gaap:TreasuryStockMember2019-12-310000897448amrn:CustomerBMemberus-gaap:SalesRevenueNetMemberus-gaap:CustomerConcentrationRiskMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:CommonStockMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:EmployeesMemberamrn:StockIncentivePlanTwentyTwentyAndTwentyElevenMemberamrn:PerformanceBasedRestrictedStockUnitsMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:RetainedEarningsMember2022-12-310000897448us-gaap:CommonStockMember2020-01-012020-12-310000897448amrn:EddingMemberamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448amrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:HLSTherapeuticsIncorporationMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448srt:MinimumMemberus-gaap:ComputerEquipmentMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:AllowanceForCreditLossMember2020-12-310000897448us-gaap:ProductMember2022-01-012022-12-3100008974482019-12-310000897448us-gaap:CommercialPaperMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:CARESActMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:TreasuryStockMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448us-gaap:ProductMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448amrn:DublinMember2022-10-012022-10-010000897448amrn:EddingMemberamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:BiologixMemberus-gaap:ProductMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448us-gaap:SalesRevenueNetMemberus-gaap:CustomerConcentrationRiskMemberamrn:CustomerCMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448amrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:HLSTherapeuticsIncorporationMemberamrn:HealthCanadaMember2017-09-012017-09-300000897448amrn:OtherCountryMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448amrn:MarineMemberamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:BiologixMemberamrn:VascepaMembercountry:LB2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:TreasuryStockMember2020-01-012020-12-310000897448amrn:TwoThousandAndSeventeenEmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember2021-06-012021-11-300000897448country:SAamrn:MarineMemberamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:BiologixMemberamrn:VascepaMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448country:BHamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:BiologixMemberamrn:VascepaMemberamrn:ReduceItMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:DomesticCountryMembersrt:MaximumMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448country:GBus-gaap:EarliestTaxYearMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel1Memberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2021-12-310000897448us-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448srt:MinimumMember2022-12-310000897448us-gaap:LatestTaxYearMemberamrn:StateMembercountry:US2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMemberamrn:EmployeesMemberamrn:StockIncentivePlanTwentyTwentyAndTwentyElevenMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:StockIncentivePlanTwentyTwentyMemberus-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:RebatesChargebacksAndDiscountsMember2020-12-310000897448us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel1Memberus-gaap:MoneyMarketFundsMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2021-12-310000897448amrn:EddingMemberamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMember2015-02-012015-02-280000897448amrn:AchievementOfReduceItTrialMemberamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:HLSTherapeuticsIncorporationMember2017-09-012017-09-300000897448amrn:Accountingstandardupdate201609Member2020-01-012020-12-310000897448us-gaap:RetainedEarningsMember2020-12-310000897448us-gaap:RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448amrn:TwoThousandAndSeventeenEmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember2021-12-012022-05-310000897448amrn:FurtherIndicationForAMROneZeroOneMemberamrn:PotentialMarketingApprovalTwoMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:FoodAndDrugAdministrationMember2022-07-130000897448srt:MaximumMemberamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:HLSTherapeuticsIncorporationMember2017-09-300000897448us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberamrn:RepoSecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310000897448us-gaap:SalesRevenueNetMemberus-gaap:CustomerConcentrationRiskMemberamrn:CustomerCMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:LicenseMemberamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:HLSTherapeuticsIncorporationMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448us-gaap:PreferredStockMember2020-01-012020-12-310000897448us-gaap:CustomerConcentrationRiskMemberamrn:CustomerCMemberus-gaap:AccountsReceivableMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448amrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:HLSTherapeuticsIncorporationMemberus-gaap:ProductMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448amrn:DublinMember2022-10-010000897448amrn:EddingMemberamrn:ClinicalTrialApplicationMemberamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMember2016-03-012016-03-310000897448us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2021-12-310000897448us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:CertificatesOfDepositMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:TwoThousandAndSeventeenEmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember2020-06-012020-11-300000897448amrn:StockIncentivePlanTwentyTwentyMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:EmployeesMemberamrn:StockIncentivePlanTwentyTwentyAndTwentyElevenMemberamrn:PerformanceBasedRestrictedStockUnitsMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448amrn:TradingActivityMembercountry:IE2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:TwoThousandAndSeventeenEmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember2022-06-012022-11-300000897448us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel1Memberus-gaap:USTreasurySecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2021-12-310000897448amrn:OtherIncentiveProgramsMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:CustomerConcentrationRiskMemberamrn:CustomerAMemberus-gaap:AccountsReceivableMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448amrn:OtherIncentiveProgramsMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:CustomerBMemberus-gaap:CustomerConcentrationRiskMemberus-gaap:AccountsReceivableMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:RebatesChargebacksAndDiscountsMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberus-gaap:SubsequentEventMemberamrn:CslSeqirusMember2023-02-280000897448amrn:EmployeesMemberamrn:StockIncentivePlanTwentyTwentyAndTwentyElevenMemberus-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:TwoThousandAndSeventeenEmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember2020-11-300000897448amrn:AmarinPharmaceuticalsIrelandLimitedMembercountry:IE2020-01-012020-12-310000897448amrn:BridgewaterMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:UsAndNonusMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:ProductReturnsMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:BiologixMemberamrn:VascepaMemberamrn:ReduceItMembercountry:LB2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:ZugSwitzerlandMember2022-02-012022-02-010000897448us-gaap:ShortTermInvestmentsMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:AgencySecurityMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel1Memberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:KowaPharmaceuticalsAmericaIncorporationMemberamrn:CoPromotionAgreementMember2018-12-310000897448us-gaap:DomesticCountryMembersrt:MinimumMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:RetainedEarningsMember2020-01-012020-12-310000897448amrn:MoneyMarketInstrumentsMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:AllowanceForCreditLossMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448us-gaap:SoftwareDevelopmentMember2021-12-310000897448amrn:VASCEPAOneGramMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:StockIncentivePlanTwentyTwentyAndTwentyElevenMemberus-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:ProductReturnsMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:RestructuringChargesMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448amrn:LongTermInvestmentsMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448srt:MinimumMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:BridgewaterMember2019-08-150000897448us-gaap:TreasuryStockMember2021-12-310000897448us-gaap:RetainedEarningsMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:SellingGeneralAndAdministrativeExpensesMember2020-01-012020-12-310000897448amrn:LicensingAndRoyaltyMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:SellingGeneralAndAdministrativeExpensesMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:LicenseMemberamrn:EddingMemberamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:EddingMemberamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMember2023-01-012022-12-3100008974482020-01-012020-12-310000897448us-gaap:ResearchAndDevelopmentExpenseMember2020-01-012020-12-310000897448us-gaap:RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember2022-12-310000897448us-gaap:RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember2022-12-310000897448us-gaap:CommonStockMember2021-12-310000897448amrn:Accountingstandardupdate201609Member2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:EmployeesMemberamrn:StockIncentivePlanTwentyTwentyAndTwentyElevenMemberus-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448us-gaap:FurnitureAndFixturesMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:HLSTherapeuticsIncorporationMember2018-09-012018-09-300000897448amrn:MarineMemberamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:BiologixMemberamrn:VascepaMembercountry:QA2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:IrelandAndUnitedKingdomMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberamrn:RepoSecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2021-12-310000897448srt:MinimumMemberus-gaap:RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMemberamrn:EmployeesMemberamrn:StockIncentivePlanTwentyTwentyAndTwentyElevenMember2022-01-012022-12-3100008974482022-06-300000897448amrn:RepoSecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2021-12-310000897448country:IE2021-01-012021-12-310000897448us-gaap:LicenseMemberamrn:EddingMemberamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448amrn:OtherIncentiveProgramsMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448amrn:TwoThousandAndSeventeenEmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:CommonStockMember2020-12-310000897448us-gaap:AdditionalPaidInCapitalMember2020-01-012020-12-310000897448amrn:AmericanDepositaryShareMember2023-02-240000897448us-gaap:SalesRevenueNetMemberus-gaap:CustomerConcentrationRiskMemberamrn:CustomerAMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448us-gaap:RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember2021-12-310000897448us-gaap:RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMemberamrn:EmployeesMemberamrn:StockIncentivePlanTwentyTwentyAndTwentyElevenMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448srt:MaximumMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:CARESActMember2021-01-012021-12-3100008974482022-01-012022-12-310000897448srt:MaximumMemberus-gaap:StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:SoftwareDevelopmentMember2022-12-310000897448srt:MaximumMember2022-12-310000897448us-gaap:FurnitureAndFixturesMember2021-12-310000897448us-gaap:RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember2022-01-012022-12-3100008974482022-12-310000897448country:AEamrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:BiologixMemberamrn:VascepaMemberamrn:ReduceItMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448srt:MaximumMemberus-gaap:ComputerEquipmentMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:TwoThousandAndSeventeenEmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember2021-11-300000897448us-gaap:EmployeeStockOptionMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:MoneyMarketFundsMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:OtherIncentiveProgramsMember2021-12-310000897448amrn:KowaPharmaceuticalsAmericaIncorporationMemberamrn:CoPromotionAgreementMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:AmarinPharmaceuticalsIrelandLimitedMembercountry:IE2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:ProductMember2020-01-012020-12-310000897448country:IEus-gaap:EarliestTaxYearMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:HLSTherapeuticsIncorporationMember2022-12-310000897448us-gaap:RetainedEarningsMember2019-12-310000897448amrn:CustomerBMemberus-gaap:CustomerConcentrationRiskMemberus-gaap:AccountsReceivableMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448us-gaap:ResearchAndDevelopmentExpenseMember2021-01-012021-12-310000897448srt:MinimumMemberus-gaap:StateAndLocalJurisdictionMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:HLSTherapeuticsIncorporationMemberus-gaap:ProductMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448amrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:HLSTherapeuticsIncorporationMember2017-09-012017-09-300000897448us-gaap:RetainedEarningsMember2021-12-310000897448us-gaap:USTreasurySecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310000897448us-gaap:AssetBackedSecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2021-12-310000897448amrn:OutLicensesAgreementMemberamrn:BiologixMemberus-gaap:ProductMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448us-gaap:FairValueInputsLevel2Memberus-gaap:CommercialPaperMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2022-12-310000897448us-gaap:TreasuryStockMember2022-01-012022-12-310000897448srt:MaximumMemberus-gaap:VehiclesMember2022-12-310000897448amrn:ZugSwitzerlandMember2022-02-010000897448us-gaap:USTreasurySecuritiesMemberus-gaap:FairValueMeasurementsRecurringMember2021-12-310000897448amrn:TwoThousandAndSeventeenEmployeeStockPurchasePlanMember2020-05-31iso4217:USDxbrli:sharesiso4217:EURxbrli:pureamrn:Itemamrn:Segmentxbrli:sharesamrn:RenewalOptioniso4217:GBPxbrli:sharesamrn:Salesiso4217:GBPiso4217:USDamrn:Customer
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form
10-K
☑
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended
December 31,
2022
OR
☐
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from to
Commission File No.
0-21392
Amarin Corporation plc
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
|
|
|
|
England and Wales
|
Not applicable
|
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
|
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
|
Iconic Offices, The Greenway,
Block C Ardilaun Court,
112-114 St Stephens Green,
Dublin
2,
Ireland
(Address of principal executive offices)
+353
(0) 1
6699 020
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the
Act:
|
|
|
Title of each class
|
Trading Symbol
|
Name of each exchange on which registered
|
American Depositary Shares (ADS(s)), each ADS
representing the right to receive one (1) Ordinary Share
of
|
AMRN
|
NASDAQ Stock Market LLC
|
Securities registered pursuant to section 12(g) of the Act:
None.
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned
issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Yes
☑
No
☐
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file
reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.
Yes
☐
No
☑
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all
reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or
for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file
such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements
for the past 90 days.
Yes
☑
No
☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted
electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted
pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter)
during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the
registrant was required to submit such files).
Yes
☑
No
☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large
accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a
smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the
definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,”
“smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule
12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Large accelerated filer
|
☑
|
Accelerated filer
|
☐
|
|
|
|
|
Non-accelerated filer
|
☐
|
Smaller reporting company
|
☐
|
|
|
|
|
Emerging growth company
|
☐
|
|
|
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the
registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period
for complying with any new or revised financial accounting
standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on
and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness
of its internal control over financial reporting under Section
404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the
registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit
report.
☑
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act,
indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the
registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an
error to previously issued financial statements ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are
restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based
compensation received by any of the registrant's executive officers
during the relevant recovery period pursuant to
§240.10D-1(b).
☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company
(as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
Yes
☐
No
☑
The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common
equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2022
was approximately $721.2
million, based upon the closing price on the NASDAQ Global Market
reported for such date.
406,115,721 shares were outstanding as of February 24, 2023,
including
385,785,809
shares held as American Depositary Shares (ADSs), each representing
one Ordinary Share, 50 pence par value per share, and
20,329,912
Ordinary Shares.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Certain information required to be disclosed in Part III of this
Annual Report on Form 10-K is incorporated by reference from the
registrant’s definitive proxy statement to be filed not later than
120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Annual
Report on Form 10-K.
Table of Contents
PART
I
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND INDUSTRY DATA
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking
statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact
contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are forward-looking
statements, including statements regarding the progress and timing
of our clinical programs, regulatory filings and commercialization
activities, and the potential clinical benefits, safety and market
potential of our product candidates, as well as more general
statements regarding our expectations for future financial and
operational performance, regulatory environment, and market trends.
In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by
terminology such as “may,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “expects,”
“aims,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,”
“predicts,” “projects,” “potential,” or “continue”; the negative of
these terms; or other comparable terminology. These statements
include but are not limited to statements regarding the commercial
success of and benefits and market opportunity for VASCEPA (brand
name VAZKEPA in Europe but predominately referenced in this
document by its brand name in the United States and other countries
where it is approved, VASCEPA or icosapent ethyl) and factors that
can affect such success; plans to obtain regulatory approvals and
favorable market access and pricing in several jurisdictions, to
expand promotion of VASCEPA and statements regarding cost and
pricing of VASCEPA and other treatments; interpretation of court
decisions; plans with respect to litigation; expectation on
determinations and policy positions of the United States Food and
Drug Administration, or U.S. FDA; the safety and efficacy of our
product and product candidates; expectation regarding the potential
for VASCEPA to be partnered, developed and commercialized outside
of the United States; expectation on the scope and strength of our
intellectual property protection and the likelihood of securing
additional patent protection; estimates of the potential markets
for our product candidates; estimates of the capacity of
manufacturing and other facilities to support our products; our
operating and growth strategies; our industry; our projected cash
needs, liquidity and capital resources; and our expected future
revenues, operations and expenditures.
Forward-looking statements are only current predictions and are
subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other
factors that may cause our or our industry’s actual results, levels
of activity, performance, or achievements to be materially
different from those anticipated by such statements. These factors
include, among other things, those listed under “Risk Factors” in
Item 1A of Part I of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and elsewhere
in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. These and other factors could
cause results to differ materially from those expressed in these
forward-looking statements.
Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the
forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form
10-K are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results,
performance, or achievements. Except as required by law, we are
under no duty to update or revise any of such forward-looking
statements, whether as a result of new information, future events
or otherwise, after the date of this Annual Report on Form
10-K.
Unless otherwise indicated, information contained in this Annual
Report on Form 10-K concerning our product candidates, the number
of patients that may benefit from these product candidates and the
potential commercial opportunity for our product candidates, is
based on information from independent industry analysts and
third-party sources (including industry publications, surveys, and
forecasts), our internal research, and management estimates.
Management estimates are derived from publicly available
information released by independent industry analysts and
third-party sources, as well as data from our internal research,
and based on assumptions made by us based on such data and our
knowledge of such industry, which we believe to be reasonable. None
of the sources cited in this Annual Report on Form 10-K has
consented to the inclusion of any data from its reports, nor have
we sought their consent. Our internal research has not been
verified by any independent source, and we have not independently
verified any third-party information. While we believe that such
information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K is
generally reliable, such information is inherently imprecise. In
addition, projections, assumptions, and estimates of our future
performance are necessarily subject to a high degree of uncertainty
and risk due to a variety of factors, including those described in
“Risk Factors” in Item 1A of Part I of this Annual Report on Form
10-K and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. These and
other factors could cause results to differ materially from those
expressed in the estimates made by the independent parties and by
us.
1
Item 1.
Business
References in this Annual Report on Form 10-K to “Amarin,” the
“Company,” “we,” “our” and “us” refer to Amarin Corporation plc and
its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, unless otherwise
indicated.
This Annual Report on Form 10-K includes the registered and
unregistered trademarks and service marks of other
parties.
Amarin Corporation plc is a public limited company incorporated
under the laws of England and Wales. Amarin Corporation plc was
originally incorporated in England as a private limited company on
March 1, 1989 under the Companies Act 1985, and re-registered in
England as a public limited company on March 19, 1993.
Our principal office is located at Iconic Offices, The Greenway,
Block C Ardilaun Court, 112-114 St Stephens Green, Dublin 2
Ireland. Our registered office is located at One New Change, London
EC4M 9AF, England. Our primary office for our European market
access team is located at Überbauung Metalli, Gotthardstrasse 2,
Zug CH-6300, Switzerland. Our primary office in the United States
is located at 440 Route 22, Bridgewater, NJ 08807, USA. Our
telephone number at that location is (908) 719-1315.
For purposes of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, our ordinary
shares may also be referred to as “common shares” or “common
stock.”
Overview
We are a pharmaceutical company focused on the commercialization
and development of therapeutics to improve cardiovascular, or CV,
health and reduce CV risk. Our commercialized product,
VASCEPA®
(icosapent ethyl) was first approved by the United States, or U.S.,
Food and Drug Administration, or U.S. FDA, for use as an adjunct to
diet to reduce triglyceride, or TG, levels in adult patients with
severe (≥500 mg/dL) hypertriglyceridemia, or the MARINE indication,
and commercially launched in 2013. On December 13, 2019, the U.S.
FDA approved an indication and label expansion for VASCEPA based on
the landmark results of our cardiovascular outcomes trial,
REDUCE-IT®,
or Reduction of Cardiovascular Events with EPA – Intervention
Trial. VASCEPA is the first and only drug approved by the U.S. FDA
as an adjunct to maximally tolerated statin therapy for reducing
persistent cardiovascular risk in select high risk-patients, or the
REDUCE-IT indication. On March 26, 2021, the European Commission,
or EC, granted approval of the marketing authorization application
in the European Union, or EU, for VAZKEPA®,
hereinafter along with the U.S. brand name VASCEPA, collectively
referred to as VASCEPA, which is the first and only EC approved
therapy to reduce cardiovascular risk in high-risk statin-treated
patients with elevated TG levels. On April 22, 2021, we announced
that we received marketing authorization from the Medicines and
Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, or MHRA, for VAZKEPA in
England, Wales and Scotland to reduce cardiovascular
risk.
VASCEPA is currently available by prescription in the U.S. and
certain other countries throughout the world, as described below.
We are responsible for the supply of VASCEPA to all markets in
which the branded product is sold, either directly by us or to and
through our collaborations with third-party companies. We are not
responsible for providing any generic company with drug product.
Geographies outside the United States in which VASCEPA is sold and
under regulatory review are not subject to the U.S. patent
litigation and judgment described below and no similar litigation
is pending outside of the United States.
United States
VASCEPA is sold principally to a limited number of major
wholesalers, as well as selected regional wholesalers and mail
order pharmacy providers, or collectively, our distributors or our
customers, most of whom in turn resell VASCEPA to retail pharmacies
for subsequent resale to patients and healthcare providers. Since
VASCEPA was made commercially available in 2013, more than twenty
million estimated normalized total prescriptions of VASCEPA have
been reported by Symphony Health. In 2020, following our
unsuccessful appeals of a court ruling in favor of two generic drug
companies, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Inc., or Dr. Reddy’s, and
Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., or Hikma, and certain of their
affiliates, several of our patents covering the MARINE indication
were declared invalid. As a result, the following generic versions
of VASCEPA have obtained U.S. FDA approval with labeling consistent
with the MARINE indication and have entered the U.S. market with a
1-gram capsule:
|
|
|
|
|
Company
|
|
FDA MARINE Indication Approval
|
|
Launch Date
|
Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.
|
|
May 2020
|
|
November 2020
|
Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Inc.
|
|
August 2020
|
|
June 2021
|
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
|
|
September 2020
|
|
September 2022
(1)
|
Apotex, Inc.
|
|
June 2021
|
|
January 2022
|
(1) - Teva launched a 0.5-gram capsule in September 2022 and a
1-gram capsule in January 2023.
2
In June 2022, to address shifts within our U.S. business due to
these generic competitors, we announced a comprehensive cost and
organizational restructuring plan which is expected to result in
savings of $100.0 million over the subsequent twelve months
compared to 2021 operating expenses. Our U.S. cost reduction plan
included:
•
U.S. workforce reduction:
The reduction of our U.S. field force and corporate positions. Our
U.S. field force was reduced from approximately 300 sales
representatives to approximately 75 sales
representatives.
•
Streamlined operational expenditures:
Includes reductions and reallocations in overall selling, general
and administrative expenses as well as savings related to refining
our research and development strategy to a more focused, stepwise
approach for our fixed-dose combination, or FDC,
program.
In alignment with our U.S. cost reduction plan, our focus is
primarily on engaging with our top VASCEPA brand prescribers,
maintaining our exclusive formulary coverage with specific payers,
and implementing targeted promotional initiatives amid the
continued pressure from generic competitors.
Europe
In 2021, we received marketing authorization and regulatory
approval in the EU, England, Wales and Scotland.
Launch of VAZKEPA in individual countries depends on the timing of
achieving product reimbursement on a country-by-country basis. To
date we have filed thirteen dossiers to gain market access in
European countries, including in all of the largest countries in
Europe. In most European countries, securing product reimbursement
is a requisite to launching. In certain countries, such as Denmark,
individual patient reimbursement is allowed prior to national,
general organization reimbursement. In countries where individual
price reimbursement allowed prior to national reimbursement,
product can be made available on a patient by patient basis, while
national reimbursement negotiations are ongoing. In all countries,
securing adequate reimbursement is a requisite for commercial
success of any therapeutic. The time required to secure
reimbursement tends to vary from country to country and cannot be
reliably predicted. While we believe that we have strong arguments
regarding the cost effectiveness of VAZKEPA, the success of such
reimbursement negotiations have a significant impact on the
assessment of the commercial opportunity of VAZKEPA in Europe.
Through the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we have
received and made VAZKEPA available under individual reimbursement
or received national reimbursement and launched commercial
operations in the following countries, respectively.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Country
|
|
Individual Reimbursement
|
|
National Reimbursement
|
|
Product Availability
|
|
Launch Date
|
Sweden
|
|
NA
|
|
March 2022
|
|
March 2022
|
|
March 2022
|
Finland
|
|
NA
|
|
October 2022
|
|
December 2022
|
|
December 2022
|
United Kingdom
|
|
NA
|
|
July 2022
|
|
October 2022
|
|
October 2022
|
Austria
|
|
September 2022
|
|
NA
|
|
September 2022
|
|
NA
|
Denmark
|
|
June 2022
|
|
NA
|
|
June 2022
|
|
NA
|
In order to launch impactfully throughout Europe, we are building a
core team of experienced professionals and highly capable local
commercial teams involved with pre-launch planning and other
commercial preparation activities and we are leveraging third-party
relationships for various support activities. We are implementing
an impactful and cost-effective hybrid commercial model balancing
optimally digital and face-to-face approach, which will be utilized
throughout Europe as launches are rolled out.
Patients at high risk for cardiovascular disease tend to be treated
more often by specialists, such as cardiologists rather than by
general practitioners. Privacy laws and other factors impact the
availability of data to inform European commercial operations at
individual physician level. Generally, less data is available and
at reduced frequencies than in the United States. However, this
greater concentration of at-risk patients being treated by
specialists in Europe should allow for more efficient promotion in
Europe than in the United States. In Europe, VAZKEPA has the
benefit of ten years of market protection, and we have been issued
a patent that expires in 2033 with additional pending applications
that could extend exclusivity into 2039.
In September 2021, as part of the German reimbursement process,
VAZKEPA was made available in Germany with temporary reimbursement
while negotiations for final reimbursement were ongoing and VAZKEPA
was included in the country's electronic prescribing system as of
October 1, 2021. On August 19, 2022, reimbursement negotiations
were concluded without agreement. As a result, we discontinued our
German business operations as of September 1, 2022. Following the
local reimbursement process and initiated by G-KV, we moved to the
Arbitration Board. In November 2022, the Arbitration Board process
was concluded without reaching a deal. German legislation allows
re-submission of a pricing and reimbursement dossier with new data
and we plan to resubmit once we have a new dossier
ready.
3
Rest of World
China
In February 2015, we entered into an exclusive agreement with
Eddingpharm (Asia) Macao Commercial Offshore Limited, or Edding, to
develop and commercialize VASCEPA in what we refer to as the China
Territory, consisting of the territories of Mainland China, Hong
Kong, Macau and Taiwan. On February 23, 2022 the Hong Kong
Department of Health completed their evaluation of the clinical
trial conducted in China and approved the use of VASCEPA under the
REDUCE-IT indication. In China, on October 10, 2022, following the
completion of product testing by the China National Institutes for
Food and Drug Control, or NIFDC, the final National Medical
Products Administration, or NMPA, review of the VASCEPA NDA was
initiated with Edding expecting approval by the end of 2022. Due to
delays at the Center for Drug Evaluation, or CDE, as a result of
the resurgence of COVID-19 in the Beijing area at the end of 2022,
Edding has communicated that an approval in Mainland China could be
achieved by mid-year of 2023.
Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
In March 2016, we entered into an agreement with Biologix FZCo, or
Biologix, to register and commercialize VASCEPA in several Middle
Eastern and North African countries. Biologix obtained approval of
VASCEPA under the MARINE and REDUCE-IT indications, and
subsequently launched commercially in the following
countries:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Country
|
|
MARINE
|
|
REDUCE-IT
|
|
|
Launch Date
|
|
Lebanon
|
|
March 2018
|
|
August 2021
|
|
|
June 2018
|
|
United Arab Emirates
|
|
July 2018
|
|
October 2021
|
|
|
February 2019
|
|
Qatar
|
|
December 2019
|
|
April 2021
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
Bahrain
|
|
April 2021
|
|
April 2022
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
Kuwait
|
|
December 2021
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
Saudi Arabia
|
|
March 2022
|
|
|
—
|
|
|
|
—
|
|
VASCEPA is under registration in additional countries in the MENA
region.
Canada
In September 2017, we entered into an agreement with HLS
Therapeutics Inc., or HLS, to register, commercialize and
distribute VASCEPA in Canada. In March 2019, HLS received formal
confirmation from Health Canada that Canadian regulatory authority
has granted priority review status for the upcoming New Drug
Submission, which was filed in April 2019. In December 2019, HLS
received formal confirmation from Health Canada that the Canadian
regulatory authority granted approval for VASCEPA to reduce the
risk of cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death, non-fatal
myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, coronary revascularization
or hospitalization for unstable angina) in statin-treated patients
with elevated triglycerides, who are at high risk of cardiovascular
events due to: established cardiovascular disease, or diabetes, and
at least one other cardiovascular risk factor. In January 2020, HLS
obtained regulatory exclusivity designation and launched
commercially in February 2020. In July 2020, the Canadian Agency
for Drugs and Technologies in Health recommended that VASCEPA be
reimbursed by participating public drug plans for statin-treated
patients with established cardiovascular diseases and elevated
triglycerides. In April 2022, HLS completed negotiations with
Canada’s pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance for the terms and
conditions under which VASCEPA would qualify for public market
reimbursement in Canada. Following these negotiations, HLS signed a
Letter of Intent which allows HLS to work with all participating
provincial jurisdictions to secure coverage from publicly funded
drug plans across Canada, and for VASCEPA to potentially be added
to their respective plans. HLS also received notification by the
Patented Medical Prices Review Board that, further to its review,
VASCEPA’s price did not trigger the investigation criteria for
excessive pricing. As of December 31, 2022, reimbursement coverage
is approximately 70% of publicly covered lives and 95% for private
coverage. Public reimbursement is now available in Ontario, Quebec,
Saskatchewan, New Brunswick Northwest Territories and for the
Non-Insured Health Benefits program for the First Nations and Inuit
people. Coverage of patients with established cardiovascular
disease represents a substantial portion of VASCEPA’s approved
label in Canada. VASCEPA has the benefit of data protection
afforded through Health Canada until the end of 2027, in addition
to separate patent protection with expiration dates that could
extend into 2039.
Other
We continue to assess other potential partnership opportunities for
VASCEPA with companies outside of the United States and Europe with
the intention of partnering in all other international markets
where VASCEPA receives local regulatory approval. We have completed
the first of a three year plan to submit and obtain regulatory
approval in 20 additional countries in order to ensure that
patients in the top 50 cardiometabolic markets worldwide can
benefit from VASCEPA. Through the date of this Annual Report on
Form 10-K, we have filed for regulatory review in 10 countries and
have received approval in seven countries outside of European
Medicines Agency, or EMA, regulatory approval authority, including
in Switzerland, Australia and New Zealand, under the
4
REDUCE-IT indication. In February 2023, we entered into an
agreement with CSL Seqirus to secure pricing and reimbursement,
commercialize and distribute VAZKEPA in Australia and New
Zealand.
Clinical Trials
The REDUCE-IT Study (basis for expanded U.S. FDA approved
indication and label expansion in December 2019)
The REDUCE-IT study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of
VASCEPA in reducing major cardiovascular events in an at-risk
patient population also receiving statin therapy. REDUCE-IT was a
multinational, prospective, randomized, double-blind,
placebo-controlled, parallel-group study to evaluate the
effectiveness of VASCEPA, as an add-on to statin therapy, in
reducing first major cardiovascular events in an at-risk patient
population compared to statin therapy alone. The control arm of the
study was comprised of patients on optimized statin therapy plus
placebo. The active arm of the study was comprised of patients on
optimized statin therapy plus VASCEPA. All subjects enrolled in the
study had elevated triglyceride levels and either established
coronary heart disease or risk factors for coronary heart
disease.
In August 2011, we reached agreement with the U.S. FDA on a special
protocol assessment, or SPA, agreement for the design of the
REDUCE-IT cardiovascular outcomes study. An SPA is an evaluation by
the U.S. FDA of a protocol with the goal of reaching an agreement
that the Phase 3 trial protocol design, clinical endpoints, and
statistical analyses are acceptable to support regulatory approval.
The U.S. FDA agreed that, based on the information we submitted to
the agency, the design and planned analysis of the REDUCE-IT study
adequately addressed the objectives necessary to support a
regulatory submission. An SPA is generally binding upon the U.S.
FDA unless a substantial scientific issue essential to determining
safety or efficacy of the drug is identified after the testing
begins.
It is believed that the effects of the omega-3 acid
eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA, are not due to a single mode of
action, such as triglyceride lowering, but rather to multiple
mechanisms working together. Studies in the scientific literature
explore potentially beneficial effects of EPA on multiple
atherosclerosis processes, including endothelial function,
oxidative stress, foam cell formation, inflammation/cytokines,
plaque formation/progression, platelet aggregation, thrombus
formation, and plaque rupture. With respect to triglyceride levels,
our scientific rationale for the REDUCE-IT study was supported by
(i) epidemiological data that suggests elevated triglyceride levels
correlate with increased cardiovascular disease risk, (ii) genetic
data that suggest triglyceride and/or triglyceride-rich
lipoproteins (as well as LDL-C, known as bad cholesterol) are
independently in the causal pathway for cardiovascular disease and
(iii) clinical data that suggest substantial triglyceride reduction
in patients with elevated baseline triglyceride levels correlates
with reduced cardiovascular risk. The REDUCE-IT study was designed
to determine the clinical benefit, if any, of stable EPA therapy in
statin-treated patients with elevated triglyceride
levels.
In September 2011, we engaged a clinical research organization, or
CRO, and began initial trial and clinical site preparation for
REDUCE-IT. In December 2011, we announced that the first patient
was dosed in the study. In 2016, we completed patient enrollment
and randomization of 8,179 individual patients into the REDUCE-IT
study. Our personnel remained blinded to the efficacy and safety
data from the REDUCE-IT study until after the study was completed
and the database was locked in 2018.
On November 10, 2018, we announced primary results from our
REDUCE-IT study as late-breaking clinical results at the 2018
Scientific Sessions of the AHA and the results were concurrently
published in
The New England Journal of Medicine.
REDUCE-IT met its primary endpoint demonstrating a 25% RRR, to a
high degree of statistical significance (p<0.001), in first
occurrence of MACE in the intent-to-treat patient population with
use of VASCEPA 4 grams/day as compared to placebo. Patients
qualified to enroll in REDUCE-IT had LDL-C between 41-100 mg/dL
(median baseline LDL-C 75 mg/dL) controlled by statin therapy and
various cardiovascular risk factors including persistent elevated
TG between 135-499 mg/dL (median baseline 216 mg/dL) and either
established cardiovascular disease (secondary prevention cohort) or
age 50 or more with diabetes mellitus and at least one other CV
risk factor (primary prevention cohort). Approximately 59% of the
patients had diabetes at baseline, approximately 71% of the
patients had established cardiovascular disease at time of
enrollment and approximately 29% were primary prevention subjects
at high risk for cardiovascular disease. REDUCE-IT also showed a
26% RRR in its key secondary composite endpoint of cardiovascular
death, heart attacks and stroke (p<0.001). We expended more than
$300.0 million to fund completion of the REDUCE-IT
study.
VASCEPA in the REDUCE-IT study demonstrated a number needed to
treat, or NNT, of 21 for the first occurrence of MACE in the
5-point primary composite endpoint. NNT is a statistical concept
intended to provide a measurement of the impact of a medicine or
therapy by estimating the number of patients that need to be
treated in order to have an impact on one person.
An additional seven secondary endpoints were achieved below the key
secondary endpoint, in order of sequential statistical testing
within the prespecified hierarchy:
•
Cardiovascular death or nonfatal heart attack: 25% RRR
(p<0.001)
•
Fatal or nonfatal heart attack: 31% RRR (p<0.001)
•
Urgent or emergent revascularization: 35% RRR
(p<0.001)
5
•
Cardiovascular death: 20% RRR (p=0.03)
•
Hospitalization for unstable angina: 32% RRR (p=0.002)
•
Fatal or nonfatal stroke: 28% RRR (p=0.01)
•
Total mortality, nonfatal heart attack or nonfatal stroke: 23% RRR
(p<0.001)
The next prespecified secondary endpoint in the hierarchy was the
only such endpoint that did not achieve statistical significance
although it trended positively:
•
Total mortality, which includes mortality from non-cardiovascular
and cardiovascular events: 13% RRR (p=0.09)
Positive REDUCE-IT results were consistent across various patient
subgroups, including female/male, diabetic/non-diabetic and
secondary/primary prevention.
Overall adverse event rates in REDUCE-IT were similar across
treatment groups and VASCEPA was well tolerated. VASCEPA was
associated with an increase (3% vs 2%) in the reported rate of
atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter requiring hospitalization in
a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The incidence of atrial
fibrillation was greater in patients with a previous history of
atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. It is not known whether
patients with allergies to fish and/or shellfish are at an
increased risk of an allergic reaction to VASCEPA. VASCEPA was
associated with an increase (12% vs 10%) in the reported rate of
bleeding in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The reported
incidence of bleeding was greater in patients receiving concomitant
antithrombotic medications, such as aspirin, clopidogrel or
warfarin.
Common adverse reactions in the cardiovascular outcomes trial
(incidence ≥3% and ≥1% more frequent than placebo) were:
musculoskeletal pain (4% vs 3%), peripheral edema (7% vs 5%),
constipation (5% vs 4%), gout (4% vs 3%), and atrial fibrillation
(5% vs 4%). Common adverse reactions in the hypertriglyceridemia
trials (incidence >1% more frequent than placebo) were:
arthralgia (2% vs 1%) and oropharyngeal pain (1% vs 0.3%). Patients
receiving VASCEPA and concomitant anticoagulants and/or
anti-platelet agents for bleeding are to be monitored. In the
REDUCE-IT trial, cardiovascular benefits appeared not to be
influenced significantly by TG levels at baseline (above or below
150 mg/dL baseline range) or as achieved at one year, potentially
suggesting mechanisms at work with use of VASCEPA that are
independent of baseline TG levels or therapy-driven reduction in TG
levels. Determining the mechanisms responsible for the benefit
shown in REDUCE-IT was not the focus of REDUCE-IT. As summarized
from the primary results of REDUCE-IT in
The New England Journal of Medicine,
potential VASCEPA mechanisms of action at work in REDUCE-IT may
include TG reduction, anti-thrombotic effects, antiplatelet or
anticoagulant effects, membrane-stabilizing effects, effects on
stabilization and/or regression of coronary plaque and inflammation
reduction, each as supported by earlier stage mechanistic
studies.
The U.S. FDA granted Priority Review designation to our March 2019
supplemental new drug application, or sNDA, seeking an expanded
indication for VASCEPA in the United States based on the positive
results of the REDUCE-IT study. The U.S. FDA grants Priority Review
designation to applications for drugs that, if approved, have the
potential to offer significant improvements in the effectiveness
and safety of the treatment of serious conditions when compared to
standard applications. In November 2019, the U.S. FDA held an
Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee, or EMDAC,
meeting to review the REDUCE-IT sNDA. The EMDAC voted unanimously
(16-0) to recommend approval of an indication and label expansion
for VASCEPA to reduce cardiovascular events in high-risk patients
based on the REDUCE-IT results. On December 13, 2019, the U.S. FDA
approved a new indication and label expansion for VASCEPA capsules.
VASCEPA is the first and only drug approved by the U.S. FDA as an
adjunct to maximally tolerated statin therapy to reduce the risk of
myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary revascularization, and
unstable angina requiring hospitalization in adult patients with
elevated TG levels (≥150 mg/dL) and either established
cardiovascular disease or diabetes mellitus and two or more
additional risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Based on REDUCE-IT results, as of the date of the filing of this
Annual Report on Form 10-K, 30 clinical treatment guidelines,
consensus statements or scientific statements from medical
societies or journals have been updated recommending the use of
icosapent ethyl in appropriate at-risk patients, including those
statements which we were informed of by our global partners in
Canada, China and the Middle East as well as guidelines which were
newly received during the fourth quarter of 2022 as listed
below:
•
In November 2022, the American Society of Preventive Cardiology
published a clinical practice statement delineating key attributes
that define the field of preventive cardiology, including that
REDUCE-IT established that icosapent ethyl, or IPE, reduced CV
events among patients fasting TG 135 to 499 mg/dL and that results
from REDUCE-IT have not been replicated in trials using mixed
omega-3 fatty acids suggesting that the CV benefit is attributed to
EPA.
•
In November 2022, NICE released its guidelines on lipid management,
which included that IPE is recommended for patients with
established CVD and elevated fasting TG and who are taking statins
with LDL-C levels between 1.04 and 2.60 mmol/L, as per the
REDUCE-IT results.
6
•
In December 2022, the Finnish Medical Association and the Finnish
Association of Internists published updated guidelines on
dyslipidemia treatment, including that IPE is indicated for
patients on statin therapy who have elevated TG levels and are at
particularly high risk for arterial disease.
•
In December 2022, the National Society of Cardiometabolic Medicine
in China released its consensus statement on the role of omega-3
fatty acids in the prevention and treatment of CVD in Chinese
patients. The consensus statement reviewed current knowledge about
omega-3 fatty acids and their use in managing CVD in the Chinese
population. The following key recommendations were included on use
of IPE:
o
High-dose IPE can confer CV benefits in patients with high TG
levels at high risk for ASCVD and who have additional CV risk
factors.
o
EPA levels may be the driving force behind CV benefit reported with
IPE, a concept supported by JELIS and REDUCE-IT trials in which
serum EPA levels were inversely associated with CV risk in a
dose-response relationship as well as in a sub-analysis of
REDUCE-IT, which showed that the CV reduction reported with IPE was
attributed to changes in EPA levels rather than lipid
biomarkers.
o
IPE is the only omega-3 fatty acid approved by the FDA, Health
Canada and the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, for CV risk
reduction in patients with CVD or diabetes with other ASCVD risk
factors.
During 2022, we announced the following data which added to our
growing body of knowledge on VASCEPA as a result of our continued
analysis of the REDUCE-IT trial results:
•
In March 2022, a post hoc sub-analysis of REDUCE-IT, published in
the Journal of the American Heart Association, or JAHA, found
VASCEPA reduced the risk of cardiovascular death, strokes, heart
attacks, coronary revascularization and unstable angina by 34% in
patients with a history of percutaneous coronary intervention, or
PCI, noting 8.5% and 5.4% absolute risk reductions, respectively,
for the primary and secondary composite endpoints.
•
In May 2022, a post hoc sub-analysis of REDUCE-IT, published in the
Journal of the American College of Cardiology found VASCEPA
significantly reduced the total ischemic event risk of
cardiovascular death, stroke, myocardial infarction, coronary
revascularization, or hospitalization for unstable angina by 35% in
patients who had a prior heart attack.
•
In May 2022, we presented data at the 2022 European Society of
Cardiology Congress that VASCEPA significantly reduced ST-segment
elevation myocardial infarction by 40% and non-ST segment elevated
myocardial by 27%.
•
In August 2022, a post hoc exploratory analysis of REDUCE-IT found
VASCEPA significantly reduced the risk of cardiovascular death,
strokes, heart attacks, coronary revascularization and unstable
angina in current/former smokers by 23% and former smokers by
29%.
The MARINE Trial (first U.S. FDA-approved label for VASCEPA
approved in July 2012)
The MARINE trial was a Phase 3, multi-center, placebo-controlled,
randomized, double-blind, 12-week study for patients with very high
triglycerides which was completed in 2010.
In November 2010, we reported topline data for the MARINE trial. In
the trial, VASCEPA met its primary endpoint at doses of 4 grams and
2 grams per day with median placebo-adjusted reductions in
triglyceride levels of 33% (p < 0.0001) compared to placebo for
4 grams and 20% (p = 0.0051) compared to placebo for 2 grams. The
median baseline triglyceride levels were 703 mg/dL, 680 mg/dL and
657 mg/dL for the patient groups treated with placebo, 4 grams of
VASCEPA and 2 grams of VASCEPA, respectively. VASCEPA was well
tolerated in the MARINE trial, with a safety profile comparable to
placebo and there were no treatment-related serious adverse events
observed.
Observed Clinical Safety of VASCEPA in MARINE, ANCHOR and Early
Development
In the MARINE and ANCHOR trials, patients dosed with VASCEPA
demonstrated a safety profile similar to placebo. There were no
treatment-related serious adverse events in the MARINE study or in
the ANCHOR study. In the MARINE and ANCHOR trials, the most
commonly reported adverse reaction (incidence >2% and greater
than placebo) in VASCEPA treated patients was arthralgia (joint
pain) (2.3% for VASCEPA vs. 1.0% for placebo). There was no
reported adverse reaction > 3% and greater than
placebo.
Prior to commencing the REDUCE-IT, MARINE and ANCHOR trials, we
conducted a pre-clinical program for VASCEPA, including toxicology
and pharmacology studies. In addition, we previously investigated
VASCEPA in central nervous system disorders in several
double-blind, placebo-controlled studies, including Phase 3 trials
in Huntington’s disease. Over 1,000 patients
7
were dosed with VASCEPA in these studies, with over 100 receiving
continuous treatment for a year or more. In all studies performed
to date, VASCEPA has shown a favorable safety and tolerability
profile.
In addition to the REDUCE-IT, MARINE and ANCHOR trials, we
completed a 28-day pharmacokinetic study in healthy volunteers, a
26-week study to evaluate the toxicity of VASCEPA in transgenic
mice and multiple pharmacokinetic drug-drug interaction studies in
healthy subjects in which we evaluated the effect of VASCEPA on
certain common prescription drugs. All findings from these studies
were consistent with our expectations and confirmed the overall
safety profile of VASCEPA.
Clinical Study in China
Edding completed a Phase 3 study of VASCEPA in China, the study
design of which was similar to, but larger than, our MARINE study.
In November 2020, along with Edding, we announced statistically
significant topline positive results. The study, which investigated
VASCEPA as a treatment for patients with very high triglycerides
(≥500 mg/dL), met its primary efficacy endpoint as defined in the
clinical trial protocol and demonstrated a safety profile similar
to placebo. There were no treatment-related serious adverse events
in this study. On February 23, 2022, the Hong Kong Department of
Health completed their evaluation and approved the use of VASCEPA
under the REDUCE-IT indication. Edding has communicated that an
approval in Mainland China could be achieved by mid-year of
2023.
Collaboration with Mochida
In Japan, ethyl-EPA is marketed under the product name of Epadel by
Mochida Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., or Mochida, and is indicated for
hyperlipidemia and peripheral vascular disease. In an outcomes
study called the Japan EPA Lipid Intervention Study, or JELIS
study, which consisted of more than 18,000 patients followed over
multiple years, Epadel, when used in conjunction with statins, was
shown to reduce cardiovascular events by 19% compared to the use of
statins alone. In this study, cardiovascular events decreased by
approximately 53% compared to statins alone in the subset of
primary prevention patients with triglyceride levels of
150
mg/dL (median of 272 mg/dL at entry) and HDL-C <40
mg/dL.
In June 2018, we entered into a multi-faceted collaboration with
Mochida related to the development and commercialization of drug
products and indications based on the active pharmaceutical
ingredient in VASCEPA, the omega-3 acid, EPA. Among other terms in
the agreement, we obtained an exclusive license to certain Mochida
intellectual property to advance our interests in the United States
and certain other territories. In addition, the parties will
collaborate to research and develop new products and indications
based on EPA for our commercialization in the United States and
certain other territories. The potential new product and indication
opportunities contemplated under this agreement are currently in
early stages of development. Upon closing of the collaboration
agreement, we made a non-refundable, non-creditable upfront payment
of approximately $2.7 million. In addition, the agreement provides
for milestone payments from us upon the achievement of certain
product development milestones and royalties on net sales of future
products arising from the collaboration, if any.
In November 2022, the data related to RESPECT-EPA was presented at
the American Heart Association, or AHA, 2022 Scientific Sessions, A
Randomized Trial for Evaluation in Secondary Prevention Efficacy of
Combination Therapy - Statin and Eicosapentaenoic Acid and
PROMINENT, Pemafibrate to Reduce Cardiovascular Outcomes by
Reducing Triglycerides in Patients with Diabetes Study. The
RESPECT-EPA clinical trial is an independent study funded by the
Japanese Heart Foundation and is the third study to show CV benefit
consistent with REDUCE-IT and JELIS. The study achieved a
borderline statistical significance with a 21.5% reduction in the
primary composite endpoint measuring cardiovascular risk and
achieved a statistically significant 26.6% reduction in the
secondary composite endpoint.
Fixed-Dose Combination
On January 10, 2022, we announced that we have initiated
development of a fixed-dose combination product that has both
icosapent ethyl and a statin.
Potential Benefits and Market Opportunity for VASCEPA
VASCEPA, encapsulated in 1-gram capsules, is 1-gram of icosapent
ethyl, or ethyl-EPA, and contains no docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA.
Icosapent ethyl is the only active ingredient. We believe that
icosapent ethyl, in the stable form as it is presented in VASCEPA,
is more effective than if combined with other omega-3 molecules. In
particular, based on clinical evidence, we believe that the removal
of DHA mitigates against the LDL-C raising effect observed in
omega-3 compositions that include DHA. Based on the results of the
REDUCE-IT trial, VASCEPA was the first omega-3 based product, or
any type of product, to demonstrate a statistically significant
reduction in cardiovascular risk beyond cholesterol lowering
therapy in high-risk patients approved for treatment. Prior to
REDUCE-IT, based on the MARINE trial, VASCEPA was the first omega-3
based product to demonstrate statistically significant triglyceride
reduction without a statistically significant increase in LDL-C in
this very high triglyceride population.
8
Guidelines for the management of very high triglyceride levels
(500
mg/dL) suggest that reducing triglyceride levels is the primary
treatment goal in these patients to reduce the risk of acute
pancreatitis. Treating LDL-C remains an important secondary goal.
Other important parameters to consider in patients with very high
triglycerides include levels of apolipoprotein B, or apo B,
non-HDL-C, and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or VLDL-C.
The effect of VASCEPA on the risk for pancreatitis in patients with
hypertriglyceridemia has not been determined.
We believe that the results of the REDUCE-IT, ANCHOR and MARINE
clinical trials of VASCEPA and VASCEPA’s EPA only/DHA-free
composition position VASCEPA to achieve a global “best-in-class”
prescription therapy in studied patient populations. Potential
mechanisms of action at work in the reduction of cardiovascular
events seen in REDUCE-IT as discussed in
The New England Journal of Medicine
publication of REDUCE-IT primary results include TG reduction,
anti-thrombotic effects, antiplatelet or anticoagulant effects,
membrane-stabilizing effects, effects on stabilization and/or
regression of coronary plaque and inflammation reduction.
Mechanisms responsible for the benefit shown in REDUCE-IT were not
studied in REDUCE-IT as that was not the purpose of an outcomes
study. While the mechanisms of action of VASCEPA have been broadly
studied and continue to be studied, similar to other drugs with
multifactorial mechanisms of action, such as aspirin, statins and
metformin, we may never fully determine to what extent, if any,
each of these effects or others may be responsible for the CV risk
reduction benefit demonstrated in REDUCE-IT.
United States
Heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events represent
the leading cause of death and disability among men and women in
western societies. According to the
Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2022 Update
from the AHA, CVD is the underlying cause of death in approximately
one out of every three deaths – one death approximately every 36
seconds. Approximately 127 million adults in the United States live
with one or more types of cardiovascular disease with an estimated
1 million new or recurrent coronary events and 795,000 new or
recurrent strokes occurring each year. An estimated 28 million
adults
20
years of age have high total serum cholesterol levels
(240
mg/dL), and an estimated 70 million adults
20
years of age have borderline high or high low-density lipoprotein
(“bad”) cholesterol, or LDL-C, levels (130
mg/dL). According to the Cardiovascular Disease: A Costly Burden
for America Projections Through 2035 from the AHA, 45% of the
United States population is projected to have some form of CVD by
2035 and total costs of CVD are expected to reach $1.1 trillion in
2035, with direct medical costs projected to reach $749.0 billion
and indirect costs estimated to reach $368.0 billion.
It is estimated that more than 50 million adults in the United
States have elevated triglyceride levels ≥150 mg/dL. Additionally,
approximately 2 to 3 million adults in the United States have very
high triglyceride levels (500
mg/dL), the condition for which VASCEPA received its initial drug
approval from the U.S. FDA in 2012 based on the MARINE clinical
trial. There are approximately 5 to 15 million people in the United
States that meet the specific REDUCE-IT inclusion criteria.
Additionally, the U.S. FDA-approved label for VASCEPA mentions
maximally tolerated statin therapy in the indication statement.
Since 1976, mean triglyceride levels have increased, along with the
growing epidemic of obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2
diabetes mellitus. In contrast, mean LDL-C levels have decreased.
Multiple primary and secondary prevention trials have shown a
significant RRR of 25% to 35% in the risk of cardiovascular events
with statin therapy, leaving significant persistent residual CV
risk despite the achievement of target LDL-C levels.
Europe and Rest of World
Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of disease burden
in the world. There are more than 500 million people reportedly
living with cardiovascular diseases globally, with 290 million in
China. In the European Union, there are approximately 60 million
people reportedly living with cardiovascular disease, including
approximately 38 million diagnosed with ischemic heart disease,
stroke or peripheral heart disease. The proportion of patients
dying from cardiovascular disease is reportedly higher in Europe
than in the United States and there are more patients on statin
therapy in Europe in aggregate compared to the United
States.
Caring for cardiovascular disease in Europe is expensive with
annual spending estimated to currently exceed €200 billion
annually.
Manufacturing and Supply for VASCEPA
We manage the manufacturing and supply of VASCEPA and have done so
since we began clinical development of VASCEPA prior to the drug’s
marketing approval by the U.S. FDA in 2012. We rely on contract
manufacturers in each step of our commercial and clinical product
supply chain. These steps include API, manufacturing, encapsulation
of the active pharmaceutical ingredient, or API, product packaging
and supply-related logistics. Our approach to product supply
procurement is designed to mitigate risk of supply interruption and
maintain an environment of cost competition through diversification
of contract manufacturers at each stage of the supply chain and
lack of reliance on any single supplier.
The regulatory process generally requires extensive details as part
of the submission provided to a country or region in connection
with a company's request for regulatory approval. Suppliers must be
specifically identified as part of the submission for
9
qualification and approval for commercialization in a country or
region. As a result, only supply, as approved, may be used in
finished goods available for sale in a specific country or region.
The U.S. FDA has approved several international large-scale API
manufacturers, global encapsulation leaders and multiple U.S.-based
packagers for use in the manufacturing of VASCEPA. All of our
manufacturing facilities were approved by the U.S. FDA following
successful preapproval inspections and they remain active
manufacturers of VASCEPA under U.S. FDA authority. The European
Regulatory Authorities has approved an additional European-based
packager for use in the manufacturing of VAZKEPA for the European
markets.
The API material that constitutes ethyl-EPA is a chemical
modification of a naturally occurring substance that is derived
from specific fish sourced from qualified producers. The fishing
from which the raw material for VASCEPA is derived is regulated by
local government agencies under policies designed to ensure
sustainability of the marine life supply. A limited number of other
manufacturers have the ability, scale, know-how, sufficient supply
chain capability and suitable, industrial-scale facilities to
produce ethyl-EPA to the required level of purity. We have worked
with our suppliers to build required scale, quality and
cost-efficiency needed to meet our current and anticipated future
market requirements. Among the conditions for U.S. FDA approval of
a pharmaceutical product is the requirement that the manufacturer’s
quality control and manufacturing procedures are validated and
conform to pharmaceutical current Good Manufacturing Practice, or
cGMP, which, under applicable regulations, must be followed at all
times. The U.S. FDA typically inspects manufacturing facilities
before regulatory approval of a product candidate, such as VASCEPA,
and on a periodic basis after the initial approval. Consistent with
cGMP regulations, pharmaceutical manufacturers must expend
resources and time to ensure compliance with product specifications
as well as production, record keeping, quality control, reporting,
and other regulatory requirements.
Similar to the U.S. FDA, regulators in other countries in which we,
or our partners, sell or seek to sell VASCEPA, regulate
manufacturer’s quality control and manufacturing procedures. For
Europe, various suppliers have been inspected and approved by
European regulatory authorities and we do not anticipate supply
availability limiting our launch in Europe.
Production of VASCEPA, from sourcing of starting materials through
stocking of finished goods inventory requires significant
coordination between companies and considerable lead-times. We are
often making purchasing decisions for supply more than a year in
advance of anticipated product sales. Planning for capacity
expansion also requires significant lead-times as, for example,
creation of new manufacturing facilities for API can require
multiple years to construct, equip and qualify.
In 2022, we reviewed our contractual supplier purchase obligations
and have taken steps to amend supplier agreements to align supply
arrangements with current and future market demand, while we
decrease our current inventory levels primarily related to North
America approved inventory. As of December 31, 2022, we had
inventory of $392.4 million, of which approximately 90% is
inventory approved for use in North America. We continue to
negotiate with our contract suppliers to align our supply
arrangements with current and future global market
demand.
Competition
General
The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are highly
competitive. There are many pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology
companies, public and private universities and research
organizations actively engaged in the research and development of
products that may be similar to our product. It is probable that
the number of companies seeking to develop products and therapies
similar to our product will increase. Many of these and other
existing or potential competitors have substantially greater
financial, technical and human resources than we do and may be
better equipped to develop, manufacture and market products. These
companies may develop and introduce products and processes
competitive with, more efficient than or superior to ours. In
addition, other technologies or products may be developed that have
an entirely different approach or means of accomplishing the
intended purposes of our products, which might render our
technology and products noncompetitive or obsolete.
United States
Our competitors include large, well-established pharmaceutical and
generic companies, specialty and generic pharmaceutical sales and
marketing companies, and specialized cardiovascular treatment
companies.
In 2020, following our unsuccessful appeals of a court ruling in
favor of two generic drug companies, Dr. Reddy's, and Hikma, and
certain of their affiliates, or collectively, the Defendants,
several of the Company's patents covering the MARINE indication
were declared invalid. As a result, the following generic versions
of VASCEPA have obtained U.S. FDA approval with labeling consistent
with the MARINE indication of VASCEPA, have entered the U.S. market
and represent our main competitors:
10
|
|
|
|
|
Company
|
|
FDA MARINE Indication Approval
|
|
Launch Date
|
Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.
|
|
May 2020
|
|
November 2020
|
Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Inc.
|
|
August 2020
|
|
June 2021
|
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc.
|
|
September 2020
|
|
September 2022
(1)
|
Apotex, Inc.
|
|
June 2021
|
|
January 2022
|
(1) - Teva launched a 0.5-gram capsule in September 2022 and a
1-gram capsule in January 2023.
Woodward Pharma Services LLC currently sells
Lovaza®,
which it acquired from GlaxoSmithKline plc in the third quarter of
2021. Lovaza, a prescription-only omega-3 fatty acid indicated for
patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia was approved by the U.S.
FDA in 2004 and has been on the market in the United States since
2005. Multiple generic versions of Lovaza are available in the
United States. Other large companies with competitive products
include AbbVie, Inc., which currently sells
Tricor®
and Trilipix®
for the treatment of severe hypertriglyceridemia and
Niaspan®,
which is primarily used to raise high-density lipoprotein
cholesterol, or HDL-C, but is also used to lower triglycerides.
Multiple generic versions of Tricor, Trilipix and Niaspan are also
available in the United States. We compete with these drugs, and in
particular, multiple low-cost generic versions of these drugs, in
our U.S. FDA-approved indicated uses, even though such products do
not have U.S. FDA approval to reduce CV risk on top of statin
therapy.
AstraZeneca conducted a long-term outcomes study to assess Statin
Residual Risk Reduction With EpaNova in HiGh Cardiovascular Risk
PatienTs With Hypertriglyceridemia, or STRENGTH. The study was a
randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled (corn oil), parallel
group design that is believed to have enrolled approximately 13,000
patients with hypertriglyceridemia and low HDL and high risk for
cardiovascular disease randomized 1:1 to either corn oil plus
statin or Epanova plus statin, once daily. On January 13, 2020,
following the recommendation of an independent Data Monitoring
Committee, AstraZeneca decided to close the STRENGTH trial due to
its low likelihood of demonstrating benefit to patients with mixed
dyslipidemia who are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Full data from the STRENGTH trial was presented at the AHA’s
Scientific Sessions in November 2020 confirming that Epanova failed
to meet the primary endpoint of CV risk reduction, and published in
Journal of the American Medical Association, or JAMA, in December
2020. In addition, in March 2017, Kowa Research Institute (a
subsidiary of the Japanese company Kowa Co., Ltd) initiated a Phase
3 cardiovascular outcomes trial titled PROMINENT examining the
effect of pemafibrate (experimental name K-877) in reducing
cardiovascular events in Type II diabetic patients with
hypertriglyceridemia. In April 2022, Kowa Research Institute
announced the decision to not continue the PROMINENT study as the
primary endpoint was unlikely to be met. Results of the PROMINENT
trial were presented at the 2022 AHA Scientific Session in November
2022, confirming that pemafibrate did not lower the incidence of
cardiovascular events among the studied population.
We are also aware of other pharmaceutical companies that are
developing products that, if successfully developed, approved and
marketed, would compete with VASCEPA. It is not fully clear at this
time what the impact of COVID-19 will be on each of these
programs.
Based on prior communications from the U.S. FDA, including
communications in connection with its review of the ANCHOR
indication for VASCEPA, it is our understanding that the U.S. FDA
is not prepared to approve any therapy for treatment of
cardiovascular risk based on biomarker modification without
cardiovascular outcomes study data, with the potential exception of
therapies which lower LDL-cholesterol, depending on the
circumstances. In particular, it is our understanding that the U.S.
FDA is not prepared to approve any therapy based primarily on data
demonstrating lowering of triglyceride levels. In our view, this
position from the U.S. FDA did not change based on the REDUCE-IT
study particularly in light of significant independence of the
positive benefit demonstrated in the REDUCE-IT study from
triglyceride levels and benefit from the REDUCE-IT study supporting
that the positive effects of VASCEPA are unique to VASCEPA and
extend beyond triglyceride reduction. If the U.S. FDA were to
change this position, it could potentially have a negative impact
on us by making it easier for other products to achieve a
cardiovascular risk reduction indication without the need in
advance to conduct a long and expensive cardiovascular outcomes
study.
VASCEPA also faces competition from dietary supplement
manufacturers marketing omega-3 products as nutritional
supplements. Such products are classified as food, not as
prescription drugs or as over-the-counter drugs, by the U.S. FDA in
the United States. Most regulatory regimes outside the United
States are similar in this regard. Some of the promoters of such
products have greater resources than us and are not restricted to
the same standards as are prescription drugs with respect to
promotional claims or manufacturing quality, consistency and
subsequent product stability. We have taken successful legal action
against supplement manufacturers attempting to use the REDUCE-IT
results to promote their products. Still, we cannot be sure
physicians and pharmacists will view the U.S. FDA-approved,
prescription-only status, and EPA-only purity and stability of
VASCEPA or the U.S. FDA’s stringent regulatory oversight, as
significant advantages versus omega-3 dietary supplements
regardless of clinical study results and other scientific
data.
11
Europe and Rest of World
On March 26, 2021, the EC granted approval of the marketing
authorization application in the EU for VAZKEPA as an approved
therapy to reduce cardiovascular risk in high-risk statin-treated
patients with elevated TG levels, which is based on the REDUCE-IT
indication. There is currently no other drug that is approved for
cardiovascular risk reduction in at-risk patients in Europe. In
addition, there is currently no other direct competition for Canada
and the Middle East. However, consistent with the U.S., our
competitors include large, well-established pharmaceutical
companies, specialty and generic pharmaceutical companies,
marketing companies, and specialized cardiovascular treatment
companies.
Recent CV outcomes trials and meta-analyses with low and high dose
omega-3 fatty acid mixtures containing DHA have not shown
substantial benefit in patients receiving contemporary medical
therapy, including statins. Due to failed low dose omega-3 CV
outcomes trials, the European regulatory authorities have concluded
that omega-3 fatty acid medicines (specifically
Lovaza®/Omacor®)
at a dose of 1-gram per day are not effective in preventing further
events for patients who have had a heart attack. The STRENGTH trial
of an omega-3 mixture studied at 4-grams per day also failed to
demonstrate cardiovascular benefit.
In addition, VASCEPA also faces competition from dietary supplement
manufacturers marketing omega-3 productions as nutritional
supplements. In Europe, such products are classified as food, not
as prescription drugs or as over-the-counter drugs.
Limitations of Current Therapies
HTG is a prevalent lipid disorder in approximately 25% of the U.S.
adult population. Both epidemiological and genetic data have shown
associations between HTG and coronary heart disease. Many of those
patients are taking statin therapy directed at lowering the risk of
CVD by lowering their LDL-C levels, primarily. Recently, real world
administrative database analyses have reported an increased CVD
risk as well as direct healthcare costs associated with HTG despite
statin therapy and controlled LDL-C compared to those with
TG<150 mg/dL.
Regulatory Matters
Government Regulation and Regulatory Matters
Any product development activities related to VASCEPA or products
that we may develop or acquire in the future will be subject to
extensive regulation by various government authorities, including
the U.S. FDA and comparable regulatory authorities in other
countries, which regulate the design, research, clinical and
nonclinical development, testing, manufacturing, storage,
distribution, import, export, labeling, advertising and marketing
of pharmaceutical products. Generally, before a new drug can be
sold, considerable data demonstrating its quality, safety and
efficacy must be obtained, organized into a format specific to each
regulatory authority, submitted for review and approved by the
regulatory authority. The data are generated in two distinct
development stages: preclinical and clinical. Drugs must be
approved by regulatory authorities before they are first marketed
for example, by the U.S. FDA through the new drug application, or
NDA, process in the United States or the marketing authorization
application, or MAA, process under the EMA in the EU. For new
chemical entities, the preclinical development stage generally
involves synthesizing the active component, developing the
formulation, determining the manufacturing process and controls, as
well as carrying out non-human toxicology, pharmacology and drug
metabolism studies which support subsequent clinical
testing.
The clinical stage of development can generally be divided into
Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials. In Phase 1,
generally, a small number of healthy volunteers are initially
exposed to a single dose and then multiple doses of the product
candidate. The primary purpose of these studies is to assess the
metabolism, pharmacologic action, side effect tolerability and
safety of the drug. Phase 2 trials typically involve studies in
disease-affected patients to determine the dose required to produce
the desired benefits. At the same time, safety and further
pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic information is collected. Phase
3 trials generally involve large numbers of patients at multiple
sites, in multiple countries and are designed to provide the
pivotal data necessary to demonstrate the effectiveness of the
product for its intended use and its safety in use, provide an
adequate basis for physician labeling and may include comparisons
with placebo and/or other comparator treatments. The duration of
treatment is often extended to mimic the actual use of a product
during marketing.
United States Drug Development and Approval
In the United States, the process of obtaining regulatory approvals
and the subsequent compliance with appropriate federal, state,
local, and foreign statutes and regulations require the expenditure
of substantial time and financial resources. Failure to comply with
the applicable United States requirements at any time during the
product development process, approval process or after approval,
may subject an applicant to administrative or judicial sanctions.
These sanctions could include the U.S. FDA’s refusal to approve
pending applications, withdrawal of an approval, a clinical hold,
warning or untitled letters, product recalls, product seizures,
total or partial suspension of production or distribution
injunctions, fines, refusals of government contracts, restitution,
disgorgement, or civil or criminal penalties. Any agency or
judicial enforcement action could have a material adverse effect on
us.
12
Prior to the start of human clinical studies for a new drug in the
United States, preclinical laboratory and animal tests are often
performed under the U.S. FDA’s Good Laboratory Practices
regulations, or GLP, and an IND is filed with the U.S. FDA. Similar
filings are required in other countries; however, data requirements
and other information needed for a complete submission may differ
in other countries. The amount of data that must be supplied in the
IND depends on the phase of the study. Phase 1 studies typically
require less data than larger Phase 3 studies. A clinical plan must
be submitted to the U.S. FDA prior to commencement of a clinical
trial. If the U.S. FDA has concerns about the clinical plan or the
safety of the proposed studies, it may suspend or terminate the
study at any time. Studies must be conducted in accordance with
Good Clinical Practice, or GCP, including the requirement that
subjects provide their informed consent, and regular reporting of
study progress and any adverse experiences is required. Studies are
also subject to review by independent institutional review boards,
or IRBs, responsible for overseeing studies at particular sites and
protecting human research study subjects. An independent IRB may
also suspend or terminate a study once initiated.
U.S. FDA Review Process
The results of nonclinical studies and clinical trials, together
with other information, including manufacturing information and
information on the composition of the drug and proposed labeling,
are submitted to the U.S. FDA in an NDA requesting approval to
market the drug for one or more specified indications. Each NDA is
typically accompanied by a user fee and there is also an annual
prescription drug product program fee for human drugs. The U.S. FDA
reviews an NDA to determine, among other things, whether a drug is
safe and effective for its intended use and whether the product is
being manufactured in accordance with cGMP requirements to assure
and preserve the product’s identity, strength, quality and purity.
The U.S. FDA will conduct a pre-approval inspection of the
manufacturing facilities for the new drug and may audit data from
clinical trials to ensure compliance with GCP requirements.
Additionally, the U.S. FDA may refer applications for novel drug
products or drug products which present difficult questions of
safety or efficacy to an advisory committee, typically a panel that
includes clinicians and other experts, for review, evaluation and a
recommendation as to whether the application should be approved and
under what conditions. The U.S. FDA is not bound by the
recommendations of an advisory committee, but it considers such
recommendations carefully when making decisions.
After the U.S. FDA evaluates an NDA, it will issue an approval
letter or a complete response letter. An approval letter authorizes
commercial marketing of the drug with specific prescribing
information for specific indications. A complete response letter
indicates that the review cycle of the application is complete and
the application will not be approved in its present form, and
usually describes all the specific deficiencies in the NDA
identified by the U.S. FDA. The complete response letter may
require additional clinical data and/or additional clinical
trial(s), and/or other information. If a complete response letter
is issued, the applicant may either resubmit the NDA, addressing
all of the deficiencies identified in the letter, withdraw the
application, or request a hearing. Even if such data and
information is submitted, the U.S. FDA may ultimately decide that
the NDA does not satisfy the criteria for approval.
Following the approval process of any drug product, the U.S. FDA
may require post-marketing testing and surveillance to monitor the
effects of approved products or it may place conditions on
approvals including potential requirements or risk management plans
that could restrict the commercial promotion, distribution,
prescription or dispensing of products. Product approvals may be
withdrawn for non-compliance with regulatory requirements or if
problems occur following initial marketing.
Off-label Promotion in the United States
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or FDCA, has been
interpreted by the U.S. FDA and the U.S. government to make it
illegal for pharmaceutical companies to promote their U.S.
FDA-approved products for uses that have not been approved by the
U.S. FDA. Companies that market drugs for off-label uses or
indications have been subject to related costly litigation,
criminal penalties and civil liability under the FDCA and the False
Claims Act. However, recent case law has called into question the
extent to which government in the United States, including the U.S.
FDA, can, and is willing to seek to, prevent truthful and
non-misleading speech related to off-label uses of U.S.
FDA-approved products such as VASCEPA.
If our promotional activities or other operations are found to be
in violation of any law or governmental regulation through existing
or new interpretations, we may be subject to prolonged litigation,
penalties, including civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines
and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations. Also, if
governmental parties or our competitors view our claims as
misleading or false, we could also be subject to liability based on
fair competition-based statutes, such as the Lanham Act. Any of
such negative circumstances could adversely affect our ability to
operate our business and our results of operations.
Post-Marketing Requirements in the United States
Following approval of a new product, a pharmaceutical company
generally must engage in numerous specific monitoring and
recordkeeping activities, such as routine safety surveillance, and
must continue to submit periodic and other reports to the
applicable regulatory agencies, including any cases of adverse
events and appropriate quality control records. Such reports
submitted to the U.S. FDA may result in changes to the label and/or
other post-marketing requirements or actions, including product
withdrawal. Additionally, under the Food and Drug Omnibus Reform
Act of 2022, or FDORA, sponsors of approved drugs must provide six
months’ notice to the FDA of any changes in marketing status, such
as the withdrawal of a drug, and failure to do so could result in
the
13
FDA placing the product on a list of discontinued products, which
would revoke the product’s ability to be marketed.These are viable
risks once a product is on the market. Additionally, modifications
or enhancements to the products or labeling or changes of site of
manufacture are often subject to the approval of the U.S. FDA and
other regulators, which may or may not be received or may result in
a lengthy review process.
Prescription drug advertising is subject to federal, state and
foreign regulations. In the United States, the U.S. FDA regulates
prescription drug promotion, including direct-to-consumer
advertising. Prescription drug promotional materials must be
submitted to the U.S. FDA in conjunction with their first use. Any
distribution of prescription drug products and pharmaceutical
samples must comply with the U.S. Prescription Drug Marketing Act,
or the PDMA, a part of the FDCA.
In the United States, once a product is approved, its manufacture
is subject to comprehensive and continuing regulation by the U.S.
FDA. U.S. FDA regulations require that products be manufactured in
specific approved facilities and in accordance with pharmaceutical
cGMPs, and NDA holders must list their products and register their
manufacturing establishments with the U.S. FDA and certain state
agencies. Third-party manufacturers and other entities involved in
the manufacture and distribution of approved drugs, and those
supplying products, ingredients, and components of them, are also
required to register their establishments with the U.S. FDA and
certain state agencies. These regulations also impose certain
organizational, procedural and documentation requirements with
respect to manufacturing and quality assurance activities. NDA
holders using contract manufacturers, laboratories or packagers are
responsible for the selection and monitoring of qualified firms,
and, in certain circumstances, qualified suppliers to these firms.
These firms and, where applicable, their suppliers are subject to
inspections by the U.S. FDA at any time, and the discovery of
violative conditions, including failure to conform to cGMPs, could
result in enforcement actions that interrupt the operation of any
such facilities or the ability to distribute products manufactured,
processed or tested by them. In addition, manufacturers and other
parties involved in the drug supply chain for prescription drug
products must also comply with product tracking and tracing
requirements and for notifying the U.S. FDA of counterfeit,
diverted, stolen and intentionally adulterated products or products
that are otherwise unfit for distribution in the United
States.
U.S. FDA Marketing Exclusivity and Generic Competition
The FDCA, as amended by the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term
Restoration Act of 1984, as amended, or the Hatch-Waxman
Amendments, provides for market exclusivity provisions that can
help protect the exclusivity of new drugs by delaying the
acceptance and final approval of certain competitive drug
applications. New chemical entity, or NCE, marketing exclusivity
precludes approval during the five-year exclusivity period of
certain 505(b)(2) applications and ANDAs submitted by another
company for another version of the drug. The timelines and
conditions under the ANDA process that permit the start of patent
litigation and allow the U.S. FDA to approve generic versions of
brand name drugs like VASCEPA differ based on whether a drug
receives three-year, or five-year, NCE marketing
exclusivity.
NCE marketing exclusivity precludes approval during the five-year
exclusivity period of certain 505(b)(2) applications and ANDAs
submitted by another company for another version of the drug.
However, an application may be submitted after four years if it
contains a certification of patent invalidity or non-infringement.
In such case, the pioneer drug company is afforded the benefit of a
30-month stay against the launch of such a competitive product that
extends from the end of the five-year exclusivity period. A pioneer
company could also be afforded extensions to the stay under
applicable regulations, including a six-month pediatric exclusivity
extension or a judicial extension if applicable requirements are
met. In May 2016, after litigation, the U.S. FDA determined that
VASCEPA was entitled to NCE marketing exclusivity. The related
30-month stay expired on January 26, 2020, seven-and-a-half years
after U.S. FDA approval of VASCEPA.
A three-year period of exclusivity under the Hatch-Waxman
Amendments is generally granted for a drug product that contains an
active moiety that has been previously approved, when the
application contains reports of new clinical investigations (other
than bioavailability studies) conducted by the sponsor that were
essential to approval of the application. Accordingly, we expect to
receive three-year exclusivity in connection with any future
regulatory approvals of VASCEPA. For example, we received such
three-year regulatory exclusivity in connection with the approval
based on the REDUCE-IT outcomes study results. Such three-year
exclusivity protection precludes the U.S. FDA from approving a
marketing application for an ANDA, a product candidate that the
U.S. FDA views as having the same conditions of approval as VASCEPA
(for example, the same indication and/or other conditions of use),
or a 505(b)(2) NDA submitted to the U.S. FDA with VASCEPA as the
reference product, for a period of three years from the date of
U.S. FDA approval. The U.S. FDA may accept and commence review of
such applications during the three-year exclusivity period. Such
three-year exclusivity grant does not prevent a company from
challenging the validity of patents at any time, subject to any
prior four-year period pending from a grant of five-year
exclusivity. This three-year form of exclusivity may also not
prevent the U.S. FDA from approving an NDA that relies only on its
own data to support the change or innovation.
Regulatory exclusivity is in addition to exclusivity afforded by
issued patents related to VASCEPA.
14
European Union Drug Development and Approval
The below EU rules relating to drug development, approval and
post-approval are generally applicable in the European Economic
Area, or EEA, which consists of the EU Member States, Norway,
Liechtenstein and Iceland.
Clinical Trials Regulation
In April 2014, the EU adopted Clinical Trials Regulation (EU) No
536/2014, which replaced the Clinical Trials Directive 2001/20/EC
on January 31, 2022 and overhauled the system of approvals for
clinical trials. Specifically, the new Regulation, which is
directly applicable in all EU Member States, such that no national
implementing legislation in each EU Member State is required, aims
to simplify and streamline the approval of clinical trials in the
EU. For example, the new Regulation provides for a streamlined
application procedure through a single entry point and strictly
defined deadlines for the assessment of clinical trial
applications.
Drug Review and Approval
Medicinal products can only be commercialized after obtaining a
marketing authorization. To obtain regulatory approval of a
medicinal product in the EU, a company must submit a marketing
authorization application, or MAA. Centralized marketing
authorizations are issued by the EC through the centralized
procedure based on the opinion of the CHMP of the EMA and are valid
throughout the EU as well as Iceland, Norway and Lichtenstein. The
centralized procedure is mandatory for certain types of products,
such as biotechnology medicinal products, orphan medicinal
products, advanced-therapy medicinal products such as gene-therapy,
somatic cell-therapy or tissue-engineered medicines, and medicinal
products containing a new active substance indicated for the
treatment of HIV, AIDS, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders,
diabetes, auto-immune and other immune dysfunctions, and viral
diseases. The centralized procedure is optional for products
containing a new active substance not yet authorized in the EU, or
for products that constitute a significant therapeutic, scientific
or technical innovation or which are in the interest of public
health in the EU.
Under the centralized procedure, the maximum timeframe for the
evaluation of an MAA by the EMA is 210 days, excluding clock stops,
when additional written or oral information is to be provided by
the applicant in response to questions asked by the CHMP. Clock
stops may extend the timeframe of evaluation of an MAA considerably
beyond 210 days. Where the CHMP gives a positive opinion, it
provides the opinion together with supporting documentation to the
EC, who makes the final decision to grant a marketing
authorization, which is issued within 67 days of receipt of the
EMA's recommendation. Accelerated assessments may be granted by the
CHMP in exceptional cases, when a medicinal product is expected to
be of major public health interest, particularly from the point of
view of therapeutic innovation. The timeframe for the evaluation of
an MAA under the accelerated assessment procedure is 150 days,
excluding clock stops, but it is possible that the CHMP may revert
to the standard time limit for the centralized procedure if it
determines that the application is no longer appropriate to conduct
an accelerated assessment.
National marketing authorizations, which are issued by the
competent authorities of the Member States of the EU and only cover
their respective territory, are available for products not falling
within the mandatory scope of the centralized procedure. Where a
product has already been authorized for marketing in a Member State
of the EU, this national marketing authorization can be recognized
in other EU Member States through the mutual recognition procedure.
If the product has not received a national marketing authorization
in any EU Member State at the time of application, it can be
approved simultaneously in various Member States through the
decentralized procedure.
Now that the United Kingdom, which comprises Great Britain and
Northern Ireland, has left the EU, Great Britain is no longer
covered by centralized marketing authorizations, while under the
Northern Ireland Protocol centralized marketing authorizations
continue to be recognized in Northern Ireland. All medicinal
products with a centralized marketing authorization were
automatically converted to Great Britain marketing authorizations
on January 1, 2021. For a period of three years from January 1,
2021, the MHRA may rely on a decision taken by the EC on the
approval of a new marketing authorization in the centralized
procedure, in order to quickly grant a Great Britain marketing
authorization despite a separate application being required. On
January 24, 2023, the MHRA announced that a new international
recognition framework will be put in place from January 1, 2024.
Under this new framework, the MHRA will have regard to decisions on
the approval of a marketing authorization made by the EMA and
certain other regulators when considering whether to grant a UK
marketing authorization. The MHRA also has the power to have regard
to marketing authorizations approved in EU Member States through
decentralized or mutual recognition procedures with a view to more
quickly granting a marketing authorization in the UK or Great
Britain.
Periods of Authorization and Renewals
A marketing authorization in the EU is valid for five years, in
principle, and it may be renewed after five years on the basis of a
re-evaluation of the risk benefit balance by the EMA for a
centrally authorized product, or by the competent authority of the
authorizing Member State for a nationally authorized product. Once
renewed, the marketing authorization is valid for an unlimited
period, unless the EC or the competent authority decides, on
justified grounds relating to pharmacovigilance, to proceed with
one additional five-year renewal period. Any authorization that is
not followed by the placement of the product on the EU market, in
the
15
case of the centralized procedure, or on the market of the
authorizing Member State for a nationally authorized product,
within three years after authorization, or if the product is
removed from the market for three consecutive years, ceases to be
valid.
Data and Market Exclusivity
In the EU, upon receiving marketing authorization, innovative
medicinal products generally receive eight years of data
exclusivity and an additional two years of market exclusivity. If
granted, data exclusivity prevents generic or biosimilar applicants
from referencing the innovator's pre-clinical and clinical trial
data contained in the dossier of the reference product when
applying for a generic or biosimilar marketing authorization in the
EU, during a period of eight years from the date on which the
reference product was first authorized in the EU. During the
additional two year period of market exclusivity, a generic or
biosimilar marketing authorization application can be submitted,
and the innovator's data may be referenced, but no generic or
biosimilar product can be marketed until the expiration of the
market exclusivity. The overall ten year period will be extended to
a maximum of eleven years if, during the first eight years of those
ten years, the marketing authorization holder obtains an
authorization for one or more new therapeutic indications which,
during the scientific evaluation prior to authorization, is held to
bring a significant clinical benefit in comparison to the existing
therapies. There is no guarantee that a product will be considered
by the EMA to be an innovative medicinal product and products may
not qualify for data exclusivity. Even if a product is considered
to be an innovative medicinal product so that the innovator gains
the prescribed period of data exclusivity, another company may
market another version of the product if such company obtained a
marketing authorization based on an MAA with a complete and
independent data package of pharmaceutical tests, preclinical tests
and clinical trials.
Regulatory Requirements after obtaining Marketing
Authorization
Where a marketing authorization for a medicinal product in the EU
is obtained, the holder of the marketing authorization is required
to comply with a range of requirements applicable to the
manufacturing, marketing, promotion and sale of medicinal products.
These include:
•
Compliance with the EU's stringent pharmacovigilance or safety
reporting rules must be ensured. These rules can impose
post-authorization studies and additional monitoring
obligations.
•
The manufacturing of authorized medicinal products, for which a
separate manufacturer's license is mandatory, must also be
conducted in strict compliance with the applicable EU laws,
regulations and guidance, including Directive 2001/83/EC, Directive
2003/94/EC, Regulation (EC) No 726/2004 and the European Commission
Guidelines Manufacturing Practice. These requirements include
compliance with EU cGMP standards when manufacturing medicinal
products and active pharmaceutical ingredients, including the
manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients outside of the EU
with the intention to import the active pharmaceutical ingredients
into the EU.
•
The marketing and promotion of authorized medical products,
including industry-sponsored continuing medical education and
advertising directed toward the prescribers of medical products
and/or the general public, are strictly regulated in the EU.
Direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription medicines is
prohibited across the EU.
Foreign Regulation of New Drug Compounds
In addition to regulations in the United States, we may be subject
to a variety of regulations in other jurisdictions governing, among
other things, clinical trials and any commercial sales and
distribution of our products.
Whether or not we obtain U.S. FDA approval for a product, we must
obtain the requisite approvals from regulatory authorities in all
or most foreign countries prior to the commencement of clinical
trials or marketing of the product in those countries. Certain
countries outside of the United States have a similar process that
requires the submission of a clinical trial application, or CTA,
much like the IND prior to the commencement of human clinical
trials. In Europe, for example, a CTA must be submitted to each
country’s national health authority and an independent ethics
committee, much like the U.S. FDA and IRB, respectively. Once the
CTA is approved in accordance with a country’s requirements,
clinical trial development may proceed. Similarly, clinical trials
conducted in countries such as Australia, Canada, and New Zealand,
require review and approval of clinical trial proposals by an
ethics committee, which provides a combined ethical and scientific
review process. Most countries in which clinical studies are
conducted require the approval of the clinical trial proposals by
both the national regulatory body and an ethics
committee.
The requirements and process governing the conduct of clinical
trials, product licensing, pricing and reimbursement vary from
country to country. In all cases, the clinical trials must be
conducted in accordance with GCP, which have their origin in the
World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki, the applicable
regulatory requirements, and guidelines developed by the
International Conference on Harmonization, or ICH, for GCP
practices in clinical trials.
16
Fraud and Abuse Laws and Data Regulation
In addition to U.S. FDA restrictions on marketing of pharmaceutical
products, several other types of state and federal laws restrict
certain marketing practices in the biopharmaceutical industry.
These laws include Anti-Kickback Statutes and false claims
statutes.
The federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits, among other things,
any person or entity knowingly and willfully offering, paying,
soliciting, or receiving remuneration, directly or indirectly, in
cash or in kind, to induce or in return for a referral or the
purchasing, leasing, ordering, or arranging for or recommending the
purchase, lease, or order of any healthcare facility, item or
service reimbursable under Medicare, Medicaid, or other federal
healthcare programs. This statute has been interpreted to apply to
arrangements between pharmaceutical manufacturers on one hand and
prescribers, purchasers, and formulary managers on the other.
Liability may be established without a person or entity having
actual knowledge of the federal anti-kickback statute or specific
intent to violate it. In addition, the government may assert that a
claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the
federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent
claim for purposes of the federal civil False Claims Act. Although
there are a number of statutory exemptions and regulatory safe
harbors protecting certain activities from prosecution, the
exemptions and safe harbors are drawn narrowly, and practices that
involve remuneration intended to induce prescribing, purchases, or
recommendations may be subject to scrutiny if they do not qualify
for an exemption or safe harbor. Our practices may not in all cases
meet all of the criteria for safe harbor protection from
anti-kickback liability. Moreover, there are no safe harbors for
many common practices, such as educational and research grants or
patient or product support programs. On November 20, 2020, the
United States Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS,
Office of Inspector General, or OIG, finalized further
modifications to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute. Under the final
rules, OIG added safe harbor protections under the Anti-Kickback
Statute for certain coordinated care and value-based arrangements
among clinicians, providers, and others. These rules, with
exceptions, became effective January 19, 2021. We continue to
evaluate what effect, if any, these rules will have on our
business.
The federal civil and criminal false claim laws, including the
civil monetary penalty laws and the civil False Claims Act
prohibits, among other things, any person or entity from knowingly
presenting, or causing to be presented, a false or fraudulent claim
for payment of government funds, or knowingly making or using, or
causing to be made or used, a false record or statement material to
an obligation to pay money to the government or knowingly
concealing, or knowingly and improperly avoiding, decreasing, or
concealing an obligation to pay money or transmit properly to the
federal government. Manufacturers can be held liable under the
False Claims Act even when they do not submit claims directly to
government payors if they are deemed to “cause” the submission of
false or fraudulent claims. The False Claims Act also permits a
private individual acting as a “whistleblower” to bring actions on
behalf of the federal government alleging violations of the statute
and to share in any monetary recovery. Recently, several
pharmaceutical and other healthcare companies have been
investigated or faced enforcement actions under the federal civil
False Claims Act for a variety of alleged improper marketing
activities, including allegations that they caused false claims to
be submitted because of the company’s marketing of the product for
unapproved, and thus allegedly non-reimbursable, uses. Federal
enforcement agencies also have showed increased interest in
pharmaceutical companies’ product and patient assistance programs,
including reimbursement and co-pay support services, and a number
of investigations into these programs have resulted in significant
civil and criminal settlements. Pharmaceutical and other healthcare
companies also are subject to other federal false claims laws,
including, among others, federal criminal healthcare fraud and
false statement statutes that extend to non-government health
benefit programs.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as
amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and
Clinical Health Act of 2009, or HITECH, including the Final Omnibus
Rule published in January 2013, collectively referred to herein as
HIPAA, among other things, imposes criminal and civil liability for
knowingly and willfully executing a scheme to defraud any
healthcare benefit program, including private third-party payor and
knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a
material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or
fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of or payment
for healthcare benefits, items or services. In addition, HITECH
imposes certain requirements relating to the privacy, security and
transmission of individually identifiable health information. It
requires certain covered healthcare providers, health plans, and
healthcare clearinghouses as well as their respective business
associates that perform services for them that involve the use, or
disclosure of, individually identifiable health information,
relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually
identifiable health information. HITECH also created new tiers of
civil monetary penalties, amended HIPAA to make civil and criminal
penalties directly applicable to business associates, and gave
state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for
damages or injunctions in federal courts to enforce the federal
HIPAA laws and seek attorneys’ fees and costs associated with
pursuing federal civil actions.
The federal Physician Payment Sunshine Act, implemented as the Open
Payments Program, requires manufacturers of drugs, devices,
biologics, and medical supplies for which payment is available
under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program
(with certain exceptions) to report annually to the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, information related to
direct or indirect payments and other transfers of value to
physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists,
podiatrists and chiropractors) and teaching hospitals, as well as
ownership and investment interests held in the company by
physicians and their immediate family members. Effective January 1,
2022, applicable manufacturers are also required to report
information regarding
17
payments and transfers of value provided to physician assistants,
nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse
anesthetists, and certified nurse-midwives.
The federal government price reporting laws require us to calculate
and report complex pricing metrics in an accurate and timely manner
to government programs. Additionally, federal consumer protection
and unfair competition laws broadly regulate marketplace activities
and activities that potentially harm consumers.
Many foreign countries and the majority of states also have
statutes or regulations similar to the federal Anti-Kickback
Statute and False Claims Act, which may apply to sales or marketing
arrangements and claims involving healthcare items or services
reimbursed by non-governmental third-party payors, including
private insurers. Other states or localities may have laws that
require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the pharmaceutical
industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant
compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government or
otherwise restrict payments that may be made to healthcare
providers; restrict the ability of manufacturers to offer co-pay
support to patients for certain prescription drugs; require drug
manufacturers to report information related to clinical trials, or
information related to payments and other transfers of value to
physicians and other healthcare providers or marketing
expenditures; relate to insurance fraud in the case of claims
involving private insurers; and/or require identification or
licensing of sales representatives.
Some state laws require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the
pharmaceutical industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the
relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government
in addition to requiring manufacturers to report information
related to payments to physicians and other healthcare providers,
marketing expenditures, and drug pricing information. Certain state
and local laws require the registration of pharmaceutical sales
representatives. State and foreign laws, including for example the
California Consumer Privacy Act, or CCPA, and the European Union
General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, also govern the
privacy and security of health information in some circumstances,
many of which differ from each other in significant ways and often
are not preempted by HIPAA, thus complicating compliance
efforts.
The CCPA creates new individual privacy rights for California
consumers (as defined in the law) and places increased privacy and
security obligations on entities handling personal data of
consumers or households. The CCPA will require covered companies to
provide certain disclosures to consumers about its data collection,
use and sharing practices, and to provide affected California
residents with ways to opt-out of certain sales or transfers of
personal information. The CCPA went into effect on January 1, 2020,
and the California Attorney General has commenced enforcement
against violators as of July 1, 2020. While there is currently an
exception for protected health information that is subject to HIPAA
and clinical trial regulations, as currently written, the CCPA may
impact our business activities.
The REDUCE-IT cardiovascular outcomes trial was conducted in part
through clinical sites in the EEA. As a result, we are subject to
additional privacy restrictions pursuant to European data
protection laws, such as the GDPR. We may decide to conduct
clinical trials or continue to enroll subjects in our ongoing or
future clinical trials, which may result in us becoming subject to
additional privacy restrictions. The collection, use, storage,
disclosure, transfer, or other processing of personal data
regarding individuals in the EEA including personal health data, is
subject to the GDPR. The GDPR is wide-ranging in scope and imposes
numerous requirements on companies that process personal data,
including requirements relating to processing health and other
sensitive data, obtaining consent of the individuals to whom the
personal data relates, providing information to individuals
regarding data processing activities, implementing safeguards to
protect the security and confidentiality of personal data,
providing notification of data breaches, ensuring certain
accountability measures are in place and taking certain measures
when engaging third-party processors. The GDPR also imposes strict
rules on the transfer of personal data to countries outside the EU,
including the United States, and permits data protection
authorities to impose large penalties for violations of the GDPR,
including potential fines of up to €20 million or 4% of annual
global revenues, whichever is greater. The GDPR also confers a
private right of action on data subjects and consumer associations
to lodge complaints with supervisory authorities, seek judicial
remedies, and obtain compensation for damages resulting from
violations of the GDPR. Compliance with the GDPR will be a rigorous
and time-intensive process that may increase our cost of doing
business or require us to change our business practices, and
despite those efforts, there is a risk that we may be subject to
fines and penalties, litigation, and reputational harm in
connection with our European activities. Further, since the UK's
exit of the EU, often referred to as Brexit, companies have to now
comply with the GDPR and also the United Kingdom GDPR, or UK GDPR,
which, together with the amended UK Data Protection Act of 2018,
retains the GDPR in UK national law. The UK GDPR follows fines up
to the greater of £17.5 million or 4% of global turnover. The GDPR
and UK GDPR, and other applicable data protection laws, impose
restrictions in relation to the international transfer of personal
data. For example, in order to transfer data outside of the EEA or
the UK to a non-adequate country, the GDPR and UK GDPR (as
applicable) requires us to enter into an appropriate transfer
mechanism, and may require us to take additional steps to ensure an
essentially equivalent level of data protection. These transfer
mechanisms are subject to change, and implementing new or revised
transfer mechanisms or ensuring an essentially equivalent
protection may involve additional expense and potentially increased
compliance risk. In the event a legislator, government, regulator
or court imposes additional restrictions on international
transfers, there may be operational interruption in the performance
of services for customers and internal processing of employee
information. Such restrictions may also increase our obligations in
relation to carrying out international transfers of personal data,
and incur additional expense and increased regulatory liabilities.
On June 28,
18
2021, the EC adopted an adequacy decision in respect of transfers
of personal data to the UK for a four year period until June 27,
2025. Similarly, the UK has determined that it considers all of the
EEA to be adequate for the purposes of data protection. This
ensures that data flows between the UK and the EEA remain
unaffected.
Despite Brexit, the GDPR and UK GDPR remain largely aligned.
Currently, the most impactful point of divergence between the GDPR
and the UK GDPR relates to these transfer mechanisms as explained
above. There may be further divergence in the future, including
with regard to administrative burdens. The UK has announced plans
to reform the country’s data protection legal framework in its Data
Reform Bill, which will introduce significant changes from the
GDPR. This may lead to additional compliance costs and could
increase our overall risk exposure as we may no longer be able to
take a unified approach across the EEA and the UK, and we will need
to amend our processes and procedures to align with the new
framework.
Because of the breadth of these laws and the narrowness of the
exceptions or safe harbors, it is possible that some of our
business activities could be subject to challenge under one or more
of such laws. Such a challenge could have a material adverse effect
on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
These laws may impact, among other things, our proposed sales,
marketing and education programs. In addition, we may be subject to
patient privacy regulation by both the federal government and the
states in which we conduct our business.
If our promotional activities or other operations are found to be
in violation of any of the laws described above or any other
governmental regulations or guidance that apply to us through
existing or new interpretations, we may be subject to prolonged
litigation, penalties, including administrative, civil and criminal
penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, the exclusion from
participation in federal and state healthcare programs, individual
imprisonment, reputational harm and the curtailment or
restructuring of our operations, as well as additional reporting
obligations and oversight if we become subject to a corporate
integrity agreement or other agreement to resolve allegations of
non-compliance with these laws. Also, if governmental parties or
our competitors view our claims as misleading or false, we could
also be subject to liability based on fair competition-based
statutes, such as the Lanham Act. Any of such negative
circumstances could adversely affect our ability to operate our
business and our results of operations.
In the U.S., to help patients afford our approved product, we may
utilize programs to assist them, including patient assistance
programs, or PAPs and co-pay coupon programs for eligible patients.
PAPs are regulated by and subject to guidance from HHS OIG. In
addition, at least one insurer has directed its network pharmacies
to no longer accept co-pay coupons for certain specialty drugs
identified by the insurer. Our co-pay coupon programs could become
the target of similar insurer actions. In addition, in November
2013, the CMS issued guidance to the issuers of qualified health
plans sold through the ACA's, as defined herein, marketplaces
encouraging such plans to reject patient cost-sharing support from
third parties and indicating that the CMS intends to monitor the
provision of such support and may take regulatory action to limit
it in the future. The CMS subsequently issued a rule requiring
individual market qualified health plans to accept third-party
premium and cost-sharing payments from certain government-related
entities. In September 2014, the OIG of the HHS issued a Special
Advisory Bulletin warning manufacturers that they may be subject to
sanctions under the federal anti-kickback statute and/or civil
monetary penalty laws if they do not take appropriate steps to
exclude Part D beneficiaries from using co-pay coupons.
Accordingly, companies exclude these Part D beneficiaries from
using co-pay coupons.
On December 2, 2020, the HHS published a regulation removing safe
harbor protection for price reductions from pharmaceutical
manufacturers to plan sponsors under Part D, either directly or
through pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, unless the price
reduction is required by law. The rule also creates a new safe
harbor for price reductions reflected at the point-of-sale, as well
as a safe harbor for certain fixed fee arrangements between PBMs
and manufacturers. Pursuant to court order, the removal and
addition of the aforementioned safe harbors were delayed and recent
legislation imposed a moratorium on implementation of the rule
until January 1, 2026. This deadline was delayed to January 1, 2027
by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. The Inflation Reduction
Act of 2022 further delayed implementation of this rule to January
1, 2032. Further, on December 31, 2020, CMS published a new rule,
effective January 1, 2023, requiring manufacturers to ensure the
full value of co-pay assistance is passed on to the patient or
these dollars will count toward the Average Manufacturer Price and
Best Price calculation of the drug. On May 21, 2021, PhRMA sued the
HHS in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, to
stop the implementation of the rule claiming that the rule
contradicts federal law surrounding Medicaid rebates. On May 17,
2022, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted
PhRMA’s motion for summary judgement invalidating the Medicaid
Accumulator Rule. We cannot predict how the implementation of and
any further changes to this rule will affect our business. We
cannot predict how the implementation of and any further changes to
this rule will affect our business.
United States Healthcare Reform and Legislation
In the United States and foreign jurisdictions, there have been a
number of legislative and regulatory changes to the healthcare
system that could affect our future results of operations. In
particular, there have been and continue to be a number of
initiatives at the United States federal and state levels that seek
to reduce healthcare costs. The Medicare Prescription Drug,
Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, or the MMA, imposed new
requirements for the distribution and pricing of prescription drugs
for
19
Medicare beneficiaries. Under Part D, Medicare beneficiaries may
enroll in prescription drug plans offered by private entities which
will provide coverage of outpatient prescription drugs. Part D
plans include both stand-alone prescription drug benefit plans and
prescription drug coverage as a supplement to Medicare Advantage
plans. Unlike Medicare Part A and B, Part D coverage is not
standardized. Part D prescription drug plan sponsors are not
required to pay for all covered Part D drugs, and each drug plan
can develop its own drug formulary that identifies which drugs it
will cover and at what tier or level. However, Part D prescription
drug formularies must include drugs within each therapeutic
category and class of covered Part D drugs, though not necessarily
all the drugs in each category or class. Any formulary used by a
Part D prescription drug plan must be developed and reviewed by a
pharmacy and therapeutic committee. Government payment for some of
the costs of prescription drugs may increase demand for our
products for which we receive marketing approval. However, any
negotiated prices for our products covered by a Part D prescription
drug plan will likely be lower than the prices we might otherwise
obtain. Moreover, while the MMA applies only to drug benefits for
Medicare beneficiaries, private payers often follow Medicare
coverage policy and payment limitations in setting their own
payment rates. Any reduction in payment that results from the MMA
may result in a similar reduction in payments from non-governmental
payers. In addition, there has been renewed interest in amending
the Social Security Act to allow Medicare to negotiate prices for
prescription drugs covered under Medicare Part B. If this were to
be enacted by Congress and signed by the President, the prices we
obtain for our products covered under Part B could be lower than
the prices we might otherwise obtain, and it could exert a similar
lowering pressure on payments from non-governmental
payers.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, or AHRQ,
established by the MMA and provided additional funding by the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, conducts
comparative effectiveness research on different treatments for the
same illness. Although the results of the comparative effectiveness
studies are not intended to mandate coverage policies for public or
private payers, it is possible that comparative effectiveness
research demonstrating benefits in a competitor’s product could
adversely affect the sales of our product candidates. If
third-party payers do not consider our products to be
cost-effective compared to other available therapies, they may not
cover our products as a benefit under their plans or, if they do,
the level of payment may not be sufficient to allow us to sell our
products on a profitable basis.
In March 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as
amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of
2010, or collectively the ACA, was enacted, which has substantially
changed the way healthcare is financed by both governmental and
private insurers and has significantly impacted the pharmaceutical
industry. Among the provisions of the ACA of greatest importance to
the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry are the
following:
•
an annual, nondeductible fee on any entity that manufactures or
imports certain branded prescription drugs and biologic products,
apportioned among these entities according to their market share in
certain government healthcare programs, that began in
2011;
•
expanded eligibility criteria for Medicaid programs by, among other
things, allowing states to offer Medicaid coverage to certain
individuals with income at or below 133% of the federal poverty
level, thereby potentially increasing a manufacturer’s Medicaid
rebate liability;
•
expanded manufacturers’ rebate liability under the Medicaid Drug
Rebate Program by increasing the minimum rebate for both branded
and generic drugs and revising the definition of “average
manufacturer price,” or AMP, for calculating and reporting Medicaid
drug rebates on outpatient prescription drug prices;
•
addressed a new methodology by which rebates owed by manufacturers
under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program are calculated for drugs
that are inhaled, infused, instilled, implanted or
injected;
•
expanded the types of entities eligible for the 340B drug discount
program;
•
established the Medicare Part D coverage gap discount program by
requiring manufacturers to provide a 50% point-of-sale-discount,
which was increased to 70% by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (as
of January 1, 2019), off the negotiated price of applicable brand
drugs to eligible beneficiaries during their coverage gap period as
a condition for the manufacturers’ outpatient drugs to be covered
under Medicare Part D;
•
increases the minimum Medicaid rebates owed by manufacturers under
the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program and extends the rebate program to
individuals enrolled in Medicaid managed care
organization;
•
establishes annual fees and taxes on manufacturers of certain
branded prescription drugs;
•
a licensure framework for follow-on biologic products;
•
a new Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to oversee,
identify priorities in, and conduct comparative clinical
effectiveness research, along with funding for such research;
and
20
•
establishment of a Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation at
the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to test innovative
payment and service delivery models to lower Medicare and Medicaid
spending, potentially including prescription drug spending that
began on January 1, 2011.
Certain provisions of the ACA have yet to be implemented and others
have been subject to judicial challenges, as well as efforts to
repeal or replace them or to alter their interpretation or
implementation. Prior to the Biden administration, on October 13,
2017, former President Trump signed an Executive Order terminating
the cost-sharing subsidies that reimburse insurers under the ACA.
The former Trump administration concluded that cost-sharing
reduction, or CSR, payments to insurance companies required under
the ACA have not received necessary appropriations from Congress
and announced that it will discontinue these payments immediately
until those appropriations are made. Several state Attorney
Generals filed suit to stop the administration from terminating the
subsidies, but their request for a restraining order was denied by
a federal judge in California on October 25, 2017. On August 14,
2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled in
two separate cases that the federal government is liable for the
full amount of unpaid CSRs for the years preceding and including
2017. For CSR claims made by health insurance companies for the
years 2018 and later, further litigation will be required to
determine to amounts due, if any. Further, on June 14, 2018, the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that the
federal government was not required to pay more than $12.0 billion
in ACA risk corridor payments to third-party payors who argued the
payments were owed to them. On April 27, 2020, the U.S. Supreme
Court reversed the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit's
decision and remanded the case to the U.S. Court of Federal Claims,
concluding that the government has an obligation to pay these risk
corridor payments under the relevant formula.
Concurrently, Congress has considered legislation that would repeal
or repeal and replace all or part of the ACA. While Congress has
not passed comprehensive repeal legislation, it has enacted laws
that modify certain provisions of the ACA such as the Tax Cuts and
Jobs Act enacted on December 22, 2017, or the Tax Act, which
included a provision that decreased the tax-based shared
responsibility payment for individuals who fail to maintain minimum
essential coverage under section 5000A of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986, commonly referred to as the “individual mandate,” to $0,
effective January 1, 2019. On December 14, 2018, a federal district
court in Texas ruled the individual mandate is a critical and
inseverable feature of the ACA, and therefore, because it was
repealed as part of the Tax Act, the remaining provisions of the
ACA are invalid as well. On December 18, 2019, the Fifth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals held that the individual mandate is
unconstitutional, and remanded the case to the lower court to
reconsider its earlier invalidation of the full ACA. On June 17,
2021, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed the most recent judicial
challenge to the ACA brought by several states without specifically
ruling on the constitutionality of the ACA. Prior to the Supreme
Court's decision, President Biden issued an Executive Order to
initiate a special enrollment period from February 15, 2021 through
August 15, 2021 for purposes of obtaining health insurance coverage
through the ACA marketplace. The Executive Order also instructed
certain governmental agencies to review and reconsider their
existing policies and rules that limit access to healthcare,
including among others, re-examining Medicaid demonstration
projects and waiver programs that include work requirements, and
policies that create unnecessary barriers to obtaining access to
health insurance coverage through Medicaid or the ACA. Litigation
and legislation over the ACA are likely to continue, with
unpredictable and uncertain results. We continue to evaluate the
effect that the ACA and its possible repeal and replacement could
have on our business.
Further, other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted
in the United States since the ACA was enacted. The Bipartisan
Budget Act of 2018 among other things, amended the Medicare
statute, effective January 1, 2019, to close the coverage gap in
most Medicare drug plans, commonly referred to as the “donut hole.”
On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed into law the Further
Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 1865), which repeals the
“Cadillac” tax on certain high-cost employer-sponsored insurance
plans, the health insurance provider tax based on market share, and
the medical device excise tax on non-exempt medical devices. It is
impossible to determine whether similar taxes could be instated in
the future. In January 2013, President Obama signed into law the
American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, which, among other things,
further reduced Medicare payments to several providers, including
hospitals, imaging centers and cancer treatment centers, and
increased the statute of limitations period for the government to
recover overpayments to providers from three to five
years.
It is unclear how the ACA and its implementation, as well as
efforts to repeal, replace, or invalidate, the ACA or its
implementing regulations, or portions thereof, and other
legislative changes adopted since, will affect our business. It is
possible that the ACA will continue to exert pressure on
pharmaceutical pricing, especially under the Medicare and Medicaid
programs, and may also increase our regulatory burdens and
operating costs. Additional legislative changes, regulatory
changes, and judicial challenges related to the ACA remain
possible. We will continue to evaluate the effect that the ACA as
well as its possible repeal, replacement, or invalidation, in whole
or in part, has on our business.
Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement
In the United States and markets in other countries, patients who
are prescribed treatments for their conditions and providers
performing the prescribed services generally rely on third-party
payors to reimburse all or part of the associated healthcare costs.
Our ability to successfully commercialize our product therefore
depends significantly on the availability of adequate financial
coverage and reimbursement from third-party payors, including, in
the United States, governmental payors such as Medicare and
Medicaid, as
21
well as managed care organizations, private health insurers and
other organizations. Third-party payors decide which drugs they
will pay for and establish reimbursement and copayment levels.
Third-party payors are increasingly challenging the prices charged
for medicines and examining their cost effectiveness, in addition
to their safety and efficacy. We may need to conduct expensive
pharmacoeconomic studies in order to demonstrate the cost
effectiveness of our products. Even with studies, our products may
be considered less safe, less effective or less cost effective than
other products, and third-party payors may not provide coverage and
reimbursement for our product candidates, in whole or in part.
Reimbursement of newly approved products and coverage may be more
limited than the purposes for which the medicine is approved by the
U.S. FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities. Product
candidates may not be considered medically necessary or cost
effective. In the United States, the principal decisions about
reimbursement for new medicines are typically made by CMS, an
agency within the HHS. CMS decides whether and to what extent a new
medicine will be covered and reimbursed under Medicare and private
payors tend to follow CMS to a substantial degree.
Outside the United States, ensuring coverage and adequate payment
for a product also involves challenges. Pricing of prescription
pharmaceuticals is subject to government control in many countries.
Pricing negotiations with government authorities can extend well
beyond the receipt of regulatory approval for a product and may
require a clinical trial that compares the cost-effectiveness of a
product to other available therapies. The conduct of such a
clinical trial could be expensive and result in delays in
commercialization.
In some foreign countries, the proposed pricing for a drug must be
approved before it may be lawfully marketed. The requirements
governing drug pricing vary widely from country to country. For
example, the European Union provides options for its Member States
to restrict the range of medicinal products for which their
national health insurance systems provide reimbursement and to
control the prices of medicinal products for human use. To obtain
reimbursement or pricing approval, some of these countries may
require the completion of clinical trials that compare the cost
effectiveness of a particular product candidate to currently
available therapies. A Member State may approve a specific price
for the medicinal product or it may instead adopt a system of
direct or indirect controls on the profitability of the company
placing the medicinal product on the market. There can be no
assurance that any country that has price controls or reimbursement
limitations for pharmaceutical products will allow favorable
reimbursement and pricing arrangements for any of our product
candidates. Historically, products launched in the European Union
do not follow price structures of the U.S. and generally prices,
particularly when for the same product and the same indication as
in the U.S., tend to be significantly lower.
Price negotiations are conducted in each EU (and UK) country for
new medicines between the manufacturer and the national government
pricing committee, or the parties. In many cases, there is no
specific timeline for negotiation conclusion and the dynamics
depends on the discussions between both parties. Analyzing a
benchmark of innovative cardiovascular and metabolic products in
recent years, the average time to price negotiation from marketing
authorization ranged from 12 months in England to 52 months in
countries like France. Recent macro-economic context has put
additional pressure on EU authorities in their ability to allocate
large budgets for innovative medicines. After this negotiation
phase concludes between the parties, a confidential agreement is
signed for usually 3 to 5 years with a specific public budget
allocation and a price is published, or the list price. For retail
products like VAZKEPA in the UK, Sweden or Finland there are no
confidential deals with authorities impacting net
prices.
A decision by a third-party payor not to cover a product could
reduce physician utilization once the product is approved and have
a material adverse effect on sales, results of operations and
financial condition. Additionally, a third-party payor’s decision
to provide coverage for a product does not imply that an adequate
reimbursement rate will be approved. Further, one payor’s
determination to provide coverage for a product does not assure
that other payors will also provide coverage and reimbursement for
the product, and the level of coverage and reimbursement can differ
significantly from payor to payor. In the United States, no uniform
policy of coverage and reimbursement for drug products exists among
third-party payors. Coverage and reimbursement for drug products
can differ significantly from payor to payor. The process for
determining whether a third-party payor will provide coverage for a
product may be separate from the process for setting the price or
reimbursement rate that the payor will pay for the product once
coverage is approved.
The containment of healthcare costs has become a priority of
federal, state and foreign governments, and the prices of products
have been a focus in this effort. Governments have shown
significant interest in implementing cost-containment programs,
including price controls, restrictions on reimbursement and
requirements for substitution of generic products. Adoption of
price controls and cost-containment measures, and adoption of more
restrictive policies in jurisdictions with existing controls and
measures, could further limit a company’s revenue generated from
the sale of any approved products. Coverage policies and
third-party payor reimbursement rates may change at any time. Even
if favorable coverage and reimbursement status is attained for one
or more products for which a company or its collaborators receive
regulatory approval, less favorable coverage policies and
reimbursement rates may be implemented in the future.
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan
Act of 2021 into law, which eliminates the statutory Medicaid drug
rebate cap, currently set at 100% of a drug’s average manufacturer
price, for single source and innovator multiple source drugs,
beginning January 1, 2024.
22
In August 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, or IRA was
signed into law. The IRA includes several provisions that will
impact our business to varying degrees, including provisions that
reduce the out-of-pocket cap for Medicare Part D beneficiaries to
$2,000 starting in 2025; impose new manufacturer financial
liability on certain drugs in Medicare Part D, allow the U.S.
government to negotiate Medicare Part B and Part D price caps for
certain high-cost drugs and biologics without generic or biosimilar
competition, require companies to pay rebates to Medicare for
certain drug prices that increase faster than inflation, and delay
the rebate rule that would limit the fees that pharmacy benefit
managers can charge. Further, under the IRA, orphan drugs are
exempted from the Medicare drug price negotiation program, but only
if they have one rare disease designation and for which the only
approved indication is for that disease or condition. If a product
receives multiple rare disease designations or has multiple
approved indications, it will not qualify for the orphan drug
exemption.
Political, economic and regulatory influences are subjecting the
healthcare industry in the United States to fundamental changes.
There have been, and we expect there will continue to be,
legislative and regulatory proposals to change the healthcare
system in ways that could impact our ability to sell our products
profitably. We anticipate that the United States Congress, state
legislatures and the private sector will continue to consider and
may adopt healthcare policies intended to curb rising healthcare
costs. These cost containment measures include: controls on
government funded reimbursement for drugs; new or increased
requirements to pay prescription drug rebates to government
healthcare programs; controls on healthcare providers; challenges
to the pricing of drugs or limits or prohibitions on reimbursement
for specific products through other means; requirements to try less
expensive products or generics before a more expensive branded
product; changes in drug importation laws; expansion of use of
managed care systems in which healthcare providers contract to
provide comprehensive healthcare for a fixed cost per person; and
public funding for cost effectiveness research, which may be used
by government and private third-party payors to make coverage and
payment decisions. Further, federal budgetary concerns could result
in the implementation of significant federal spending cuts,
including cuts in Medicare and other health related spending in the
near term. For example, on August 2, 2011, the Budget Control Act
of 2011, among other things, included aggregate reductions of
Medicare payments to providers of 2% per fiscal year. These
reductions went into effect on April 1, 2013 and, due to subsequent
legislative amendments to the statute, will remain in effect
through 2030, with the exception of a temporary suspension from May
1, 2020 through March 31, 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the temporary suspension, a 1% payment reduction was
effective beginning April 1, 2022 through June 30, 2022, and the 2%
payment reduction resumed on July 1, 2022.
Payors also are increasingly considering new metrics as the basis
for reimbursement rates, such as average sales price, average
manufacturer price and actual acquisition cost. CMS surveys and
publishes retail community pharmacy acquisition cost information in
the form of National Average Drug Acquisition Cost files to provide
state Medicaid agencies with a basis of comparison for their own
reimbursement and pricing methodologies and rates. It is difficult
to project the impact of these evolving reimbursement mechanics on
the willingness of payors to cover our products. We participate in
the Medicaid Drug Rebate program, the 340B drug pricing program,
and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or VA, Federal Supply
Schedule, or FSS, pricing program. Under the Medicaid Drug Rebate
program, we are required to pay a rebate to each state Medicaid
program for our covered outpatient drugs that are dispensed to
Medicaid beneficiaries and paid for by a state Medicaid program as
a condition of having federal funds being made available to the
states for our drugs under Medicaid and Part B of the Medicare
program.
23
Federal law requires that any company that participates in the
Medicaid Drug Rebate program also participate in the 340B drug
pricing program in order for federal funds to be available for the
manufacturer’s drugs under Medicaid and Medicare Part B. The 340B
program requires participating manufacturers to agree to charge
statutorily defined covered entities no more than the 340B “ceiling
price” for the manufacturer’s covered outpatient drugs. These 340B
covered entities include a variety of community health clinics and
other entities that receive health services grants from the Public
Health Service, as well as hospitals that serve a disproportionate
share of low-income patients. The 340B ceiling price is calculated
using a statutory formula, which is based on the average
manufacturer price and Medicaid rebate amount for the covered
outpatient drug as calculated under the Medicaid Drug Rebate
program. There have been several changes to the 340B drug pricing
program, which imposes ceilings on prices that drug manufacturers
can charge for medications sold to certain health care facilities.
On December 27, 2018, the District Court for the District of
Columbia invalidated a reimbursement formula change under the 340B
drug pricing program, and CMS subsequently altered the FY’s 2019
and 2018 reimbursement formula on specified covered outpatient
drugs, or SCODs. The court ruled this change was not an
“adjustment” which was within the Secretary’s discretion to make
but was instead a fundamental change in the reimbursement
calculation. However, most recently, on July 31, 2020, the U.S.
Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit overturned
the district court’s decision and found that the changes were
within the Secretary’s authority. On September 14, 2020, the
plaintiffs-appellees filed a Petition for Rehearing En Banc, i.e.,
before the full court, but was denied on October 16, 2020.
Plaintiffs-appellees filed a petition for a writ of certiorari at
the U.S. Supreme Court on February 10, 2021. On Friday July 2,
2021, the Supreme Court granted the petition. On June 15, 2022, the
Supreme Court unanimously reversed the Court of Appeals’ decision,
holding that HHS’s 2018 and 2019 reimbursement rates for 340B
hospitals were contrary to the statute and unlawful. We continue to
review developments impacting the 340B program. It is unclear how
these developments could affect covered hospitals who might
purchase our future products and affect the rates we may charge
such facilities for our approved products in the future, if
any.
In order to be eligible to have our products paid for with federal
funds under the Medicaid and Medicare Part B programs and purchased
by certain federal agencies and grantees, we participate in the
VA/FSS pricing program. Under this program, we are obligated to
make our products available for procurement on an FSS contract and
charge a price to four federal agencies - the VA, U.S. Department
of Defense, Public Health Service and U.S. Coast Guard - that is no
higher than the statutory Federal Ceiling Price, or FCP. The FCP is
based on the non-federal average manufacturer price, or Non-FAMP,
which we calculate and report to the VA on a quarterly and annual
basis. We also participate in the Tricare Retail Pharmacy program,
under which we pay quarterly rebates on utilization of innovator
products that are dispensed through the Tricare Retail Pharmacy
network to Tricare beneficiaries. The rebates are calculated as the
difference between the annual Non-FAMP and FCP.
The Medicaid Drug Rebate program, 340B program, and VA/FSS pricing
program, and the risks relating to price reporting and other
obligations under these programs, are further discussed under the
heading “If
we fail to comply with our reporting and payment obligations under
the Medicaid Drug Rebate program or other governmental pricing
programs, we could be subject to additional reimbursement
requirements, penalties, sanctions and fines, which could have a
material adverse effect on our business, financial condition,
results of operations and growth prospects”
in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Recently, there have been several U.S. Congressional inquiries and
proposed and adopted federal and state legislation designed to,
among other things, bring more transparency to drug pricing, reduce
the cost of prescription drugs under Medicare, review the
relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and
reform government program reimbursement methodologies for drugs. At
the federal level, President Biden signed an Executive Order on
July 9, 2021 affirming the administration's policy to (i) support
legislative reforms that would lower the prices of prescription
drug and biologics, including by allowing Medicare to negotiate
drug prices, imposing inflation caps and supporting the development
and market entry of lower-cost generic drugs and biosimilars; and
(ii) support the enactment of a public health insurance option.
Among other things, the Executive Order also directs HHS to provide
a report on actions to combat excessive pricing of prescription
drugs, to enhance the domestic drug supply chain, to reduce the
price that the Federal government pays for drugs, and to address
price gouging in the industry; and directs the U.S. FDA to work
with states and Indian Tribes that propose to develop section 804
Importation Programs in accordance with the Medicare Prescription
Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, and the U.S.
FDA's implementing regulations. The U.S. FDA released such
implementing regulations on September 24, 2020, which went into
effect on November 30, 2020, providing guidance for states to build
and submit importation plans for drugs from Canada. Further, on
November 20, 2020, CMS issued an Interim Final Rule implementing
the Most Favored Nation, or MFN, Model under which Medicare Part B
reimbursement rates will be calculated for certain drugs and
biologicals based on the lowest price drug manufacturers receive in
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries
with a similar gross domestic product per capita. On December 29,
2021, CMS rescinded the Most Favored Nations rule. Further,
authorities in Canada have passed rules designed to safeguard the
Canadian drug supply from shortages. If implemented, importation of
drugs from Canada may materially and adversely affect the price we
receive for any of our products. Additionally, on December 2, 2020,
HHS published a regulation removing safe harbor protection for
price reductions from pharmaceutical manufacturers to plan sponsors
under Part D, either directly or through pharmacy benefit managers,
unless the price reduction is required by law. The rule also
creates a new safe harbor for price reductions reflected at the
point-of-sale, as well as a safe harbor for certain fixed fee
arrangements between pharmacy benefit managers and manufacturers.
Pursuant to the court order, the removal and addition of the
aforementioned safe harbors were delayed and recent legislation
imposed a moratorium on implementation of the rule until January 1,
2026. This deadline was delayed to January 1, 2027 by the
Bipartisan Safer Communities
24
Act. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 further delayed
implementation of this rule to January 1, 2032. Further, on
December 31, 2020, CMS published a new rule, effective January 1,
2023, requiring manufacturers to ensure the full value of co-pay
assistance is passed on to the patient or these dollars will count
toward the Average Manufacturer Price and Best Price calculation of
the drug. On May 21, 2021, PhRMA sued the HHS in the U.S. District
Court for the District of Columbia, to stop the implementation of
the rule claiming that the rule contradicts federal law surrounding
Medicaid rebates. On May 17, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the
District of Columbia granted PhRMA’s motion for summary judgement
invalidating the Medicaid Accumulator Rule. Although a number of
these and other proposed measures may require authorization through
additional legislation to become effective, and the Biden
administration may reverse or otherwise change these measures, both
the Biden administration and Congress have indicated that it will
continue to seek new legislative measures to control drug
costs.
In addition, on May 30, 2018, the Right to Try Act was signed into
law. The law, among other things, provides a federal framework for
certain patients to access certain investigational new drug
products that have completed a Phase 1 clinical trial and that are
undergoing investigation for U.S. FDA approval. Under certain
circumstances, eligible patients can seek treatment without
enrolling in clinical trials and without obtaining U.S. FDA
permission under the U.S. FDA expanded access program. There is no
obligation for a pharmaceutical manufacturer to make its drug
products available to eligible patients as a result of the Right to
Try Act.
Individual states in the United States have also increasingly
passed legislation and implemented regulations designed to control
pharmaceutical product pricing, including price or patient
reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain
product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency
measures, and, in some cases, designed to encourage importation
from other countries and bulk purchasing. For example, the State of
California enacted legislation that requires notice for exceeding
specified limits on annual drug price increases and other
legislation that seeks to limit the use of co-pay cards in certain
situations.
Other Regulatory Matters
Manufacturing, sales, promotion, importation, and other activities
related to approved products are also subject to regulation by
numerous regulatory authorities, including, in the United States,
the U.S. FDA, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services,
other divisions of the Department of Health and Human Services, the
Drug Enforcement Administration, the Consumer Product Safety
Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, the Occupational Safety
& Health Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency,
and state and local governments. Sales, marketing and
scientific/educational programs must comply with the Food, Drug,
and Cosmetic Act, the Anti-Kickback Statute, and the False Claims
Act and similar state laws. Pricing and rebate programs must comply
with the Medicaid rebate requirements of the U.S. Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act of 1990. If products are made available to
authorized users of the Federal Supply Schedule of the General
Services Administration, additional laws and requirements apply.
Products must meet applicable child-resistant packaging
requirements under the U.S. Poison Prevention Packaging Act. The
distribution of pharmaceutical products is subject to additional
requirements and regulations, including extensive record-keeping,
licensing, storage and security requirements intended to prevent
the unauthorized sale of pharmaceutical products.
The failure to comply with regulatory requirements subjects firms
to possible legal or regulatory action. Depending on the
circumstances, failure to meet applicable regulatory requirements
can result in criminal prosecution, fines or other penalties,
injunctions, recall or seizure of products, total or partial
suspension of production, denial or withdrawal of product
approvals, or refusal to allow a firm to enter into supply
contracts, including government contracts. In addition, even if a
firm complies with U.S. FDA and other requirements, new information
regarding the safety or effectiveness of a product could lead the
U.S. FDA to modify or withdraw a product approval. Prohibitions or
restrictions on sales or withdrawal of future products marketed by
us could materially affect our business in an adverse
way.
Changes in regulations or statutes or the interpretation of
existing regulations could impact our business in the future by
requiring, for example: (i) changes to our manufacturing
arrangements; (ii) additions or modifications to product labeling;
(iii) the recall or discontinuation of our products; or (iv)
additional record-keeping requirements. If any such changes were to
be imposed, they could adversely affect the operation of our
business.
Patents, Proprietary Technology, Trade Secrets
Our success depends in part on our ability to obtain and maintain
intellectual property protection for our drug candidates,
technology and know-how, and to operate without infringing the
proprietary rights of others. While certain key patents related to
our product based on the MARINE clinical study were determined to
be invalid as obvious by a district court in the United States, it
remains the case that our ability to successfully implement our
business plan and to protect our products with our intellectual
property will depend in large part on our ability to:
•
obtain, defend and maintain patent protection and market
exclusivity for our current and future products;
•
preserve any trade secrets relating to our current and future
products;
25
•
acquire patented or patentable products and technologies;
and
•
operate without infringing the proprietary rights of third
parties.
We have prosecuted, and are currently prosecuting, multiple patent
applications to protect the intellectual property developed during
the VASCEPA development program. As of the date of this Annual
Report on Form 10-K, we had more than 100 patent applications in
the United States that have been either issued or allowed, most of
which are listed in the FDA publication entitled Approved Drug
Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations also known as the
FDA Orange Book. There are more than 30 additional patent
applications pending in the United States.
Currently-issued U.S. patents will expire between 2027 and 2033 and
contain claims directed to the methods of using icosapent ethyl to
treat hypertriglyceridemia, severe hypertriglyceridemia and
cardiovascular risk reduction. Our VASCEPA patent portfolio also
includes many granted patents in foreign jurisdictions including
pending foreign and Patent Cooperation Treaty, or PCT patent
applications. Currently-granted European patents directed to the
same subject matter as above will expire between 2027 and 2033, and
may be subject to a potential further extension of a patent right.
Granted patents in other foreign jurisdictions will expire between
2030 and 2033 and may be subject to a potential further patent term
extension, depending on the country. Pending applications covering
VASCEPA/VAZKEPA may, if granted, provide exclusivity for the drug
until 2039.
Patents and applications described above are either owned by Amarin
or exclusively licensed from others.
We have pending patent applications worldwide related to potential
new uses of icosapent ethyl or other derivatives of EPA and
potential new formulations thereof. Patents maturing from such
pending applications would expire between 2030 and 2043.
A Notice of Allowance is issued after the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office, or USPTO, makes a determination that a patent can be
granted from an application. A Notice of Allowance does not afford
patent protection until the underlying patent is issued by the
USPTO. No assurance can be given that applications with issued
notices of allowance will be issued as patents or that any of our
pending patent applications will issue as patents. No assurance can
be given that, if and when issued, our patents will prevent
competitors from competing with VASCEPA. For example, we may choose
to not assert all issued patents in patent litigation and patents
or claims within patents may be determined to be
invalid.
Geographies outside the United States in which VASCEPA is sold or
under regulatory review are not subject to the U.S. patent
litigation and judgment. No litigation involving potential generic
versions of VASCEPA is pending outside the United States. Outside
the United States, VASCEPA is currently available by prescription
in certain European countries, Canada, Lebanon and the United Arab
Emirates. In Canada, VASCEPA has the benefit of data protection
afforded through Health Canada until the end of 2027, in addition
to separate patent protection with expiration dates that could
extend into 2039. We are pursuing additional regulatory approvals
for VASCEPA in Europe, China and the Middle East. In China and the
Middle East, we are pursuing such regulatory approvals and
subsequent commercialization of VASCEPA with commercial partners.
The EC approval provides ten years of market protection in the EU.
Furthermore, patent protection in Europe includes: one allowed
patent related to the use of a pharmaceutical composition comprised
of 4g of 96% EPA ethyl ester to treat the REDUCE-IT population
expiring 2033. In addition, pending patent applications in Europe,
if granted, may have the potential to extend exclusivity into
2039.
We may be dependent in some cases upon third-party licensors to
pursue filing, prosecution and maintenance of patent rights or
applications owned or controlled by those parties, including, for
example, under our collaboration with Mochida. It is possible that
third parties will obtain patents or other proprietary rights that
might be necessary or useful to us. In cases where third parties
are first to invent a particular product or technology, or first to
file after various provisions of the America Invents Act of 2011
went into effect on March 16, 2013, it is possible that those
parties will obtain patents that will be sufficiently broad so as
to prevent us from utilizing such technology or commercializing our
current and future products.
Although we intend to make reasonable efforts to protect our
current and future intellectual property rights and to ensure that
any proprietary technology we acquire or develop does not infringe
the rights of other parties, we may not be able to ascertain the
existence of all potentially conflicting claims. Therefore, there
is a risk that third parties may make claims of infringement
against our current or future products or technologies. In
addition, third parties may be able to obtain patents that prevent
the sale of our current or future products or require us to obtain
a license and pay significant fees or royalties in order to
continue selling such products.
We may in the future discover the existence of products that
infringe patents that we own or that have been licensed to us. If
we were to initiate legal proceedings against a third party to stop
such an infringement, such proceedings could be costly and time
consuming, regardless of the outcome. No assurances can be given
that we would prevail, and it is possible that, during such a
proceeding, our patent rights could be held to be invalid,
unenforceable or both. Although we intend to protect our trade
secrets and proprietary know-how through confidentiality agreements
with our manufacturers, employees and consultants, we may not be
able to prevent parties subject to such confidentiality agreements
from breaching these agreements or third parties from independently
developing or learning of our trade secrets.
26
We anticipate that competitors may from time to time oppose our
efforts to obtain patent protection for new technologies or to
submit patented technologies for regulatory approvals. Competitors
may seek to oppose our patent applications to delay the approval
process or to challenge our granted patents, for example, by
requesting a reexamination of our patent at the USPTO, or by filing
an opposition in a foreign patent office, even if the opposition or
challenge has little or no merit. For example, one of our patents
was revoked in an opposition proceeding in Europe due to a
determination of improper claim amendments under a provision of law
not applicable in the United States. Such proceedings are generally
highly technical, expensive, and time consuming, and there can be
no assurance that such a challenge would not result in the
narrowing or complete revocation of any patent of ours that was so
challenged.
Human Capital Management
As of December 31, 2022, we had approximately 365 full-time
employees located in fifteen countries. Attracting, developing and
retaining key scientific, technical, research, marketing, sales and
other personnel is critical to our ability to implement and execute
our business plan and is key to the success of the business. Our
ability to recruit and retain such talent depends on a number of
factors, including compensation and benefits, talent development,
career opportunities and work environment.
Diversity and Inclusion
We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce helps us better
connect our work with the needs of our patients, physicians,
partners and other stakeholders. In our hiring and recruiting of
prospective candidates, we give priority to attitude, intelligence,
competency for the position and assessment of what they can
contribute to our company. We promote employees based on merit with
emphasis on accomplishments over effort while supporting the
benefits of diversity. In our hiring, promotion, compensation,
retention and other employment practices, we regularly evaluate
whether women and minority populations are being treated equally.
We seek ways to continually improve in this area. While we
acknowledge and support the benefits of diversity, individual
hiring and promotion decisions are made irrespective of personal
characteristics such as race, disability, gender, sexual
orientation, religion, or age.
|
|
|
|
2022 Workforce Diversity Representation (U.S. Only)
|
|
|
Gender
|
Race
|
Executive Leadership
|
20%
|
16%
|
Management
|
42%
|
36%
|
Sales Professionals and Other Associates
|
58%
|
29%
|
In the above table, executive leadership is defined as positions of
vice president and above. Management is defined as positions of
director, manager or equivalent roles.
Employee Development & Engagement
We believe in a direct management-employee engagement model by
which managers and employees maintain a regular dialogue about
working conditions, compensation, compliance, safety and
advancement opportunities. We communicate frequently and
transparently with our employees through a variety of communication
methods, including written communications and quarterly town hall
meetings. We believe these engagement efforts keep our employees
informed about our strategy, purpose and priorities, which is
consistent with our core values of integrity, operational
excellence, collaboration and commitment to quality and we believe
this engagement motivates our employees to do their best work. Our
core values promote an empowering, supportive atmosphere where we
work together to put patients first and improve patient care
through our actions and products. We encourage employees to share
ideas and learn from each other, while expecting high standards of
quality and continuous improvement.
Compensation and Benefits
We are committed to rewarding, supporting, and developing our
employees who make it possible to deliver on our strategy. To that
end, we offer a comprehensive rewards program aimed at the varying
health and financial needs of our employees. Our program includes
market-competitive salaries and wages, bonuses and broad-based
stock grants, healthcare benefits, retirement plans with employer
matching provisions, paid time off and family leave and a strong
commitment to corporate wellness. In addition, we have implemented
a hybrid workplace model for our offices throughout the world. We
utilize independent consultants to help us ensure that
27
our compensation and benefits are competitive with market practices
and compliant with laws and regulations in the various geographies
in which we operate.
Organizational Structure
At March 1, 2023, we had the following subsidiaries:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subsidiary Name
|
|
Country of
Incorporation
or Registration
|
|
Proportion of
Ownership Interest and
Voting Power Held
|
|
Amarin Pharmaceuticals Ireland Limited
|
|
Ireland
|
|
100%
|
|
Amarin Pharma, Inc.
|
|
United States
|
|
100%
|
|
Ester Neurosciences Limited
|
|
Israel
|
|
100%
|
|
Amarin Switzerland GmbH
|
|
Switzerland
|
|
100%
|
|
Amarin Germany GmbH
|
|
Germany
|
|
100%
|
|
Amarin France SAS
|
|
France
|
|
100%
|
|
Amarin UK Limited
|
|
United Kingdom
|
|
100%
|
|
Amarin Italy S.r.l.
|
|
Italy
|
|
100%
|
|
Amarin Switzerland GmbH Sucursal Espana
|
|
Spain
|
|
100%
|
|
Amarin Switzerland GmbH Austrian branch
|
|
Austria
|
|
100%
|
|
Amarin Belgium, branch of Amarin Switzerland GmbH
|
|
Belgium
|
|
100%
|
|
Amarin Denmark, filial af Amarin Switzerland GmbH
|
|
Denmark
|
|
100%
|
|
Amarin Switzerland GmbH, Suomen sivuliike
|
|
Finland
|
|
100%
|
|
Amarin Switzerland GmbH Greek branch
|
|
Greece
|
|
100%
|
|
Amarin Switzerland GmbH Dutch branch
|
|
Netherlands
|
|
100%
|
|
Amarin Switzerland GmbH Norwegian branch
|
|
Norway
|
|
100%
|
|
Amarin Switzerland GmbH, Sucursal em Portugal
|
|
Portugal
|
|
100%
|
|
Amarin Switzerland GmbH Sweden filial
|
|
Sweden
|
|
100%
|
As of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, our principal
operating activities were being conducted by Amarin Corporation
plc, together with Amarin Pharmaceuticals Ireland Limited and
Amarin Pharma, Inc. Operating activity being conducted by the
European subsidiaries were in support of Amarin Pharmaceuticals
Ireland Limited. Ester Neurosciences Limited had no operating
activities.
Available Information
Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q,
Current Reports on Form 8-K (including exhibits), and amendments to
reports filed pursuant to Sections 13(a) and 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act,
are made available free of charge on or through our website
at
www.amarincorp.com
as soon as reasonably practicable after such reports are filed
with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission, or
SEC. The SEC also maintains a website,
www.sec.gov,
that contains reports and other information regarding issuers that
file electronically with the SEC. We are not, however, including
the information contained on our website, or information that may
be accessed through links on our website, as part of, or
incorporating such information by reference into, this Annual
Report on Form 10-K.
Financial Information
The financial information required under this Item 1 is
incorporated herein by reference to Item 8 of this Annual Report on
Form 10-K.
28
Item 1A.
Risk
Factors
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking
information based on our current expectations. Because our actual
results may differ materially from any forward-looking statements
that we make or that are made on our behalf, this section includes
a discussion of important factors that could affect our actual
future results, including, but not limited to, our ability to
successfully commercialize VASCEPA and VAZKEPA, collectively
referred to as VASCEPA, our capital resources, the progress and
timing of our clinical programs, the safety and efficacy of our
product candidates, risks associated with regulatory filings, the
potential clinical benefits and market potential of our product
candidates, commercial market estimates, future development
efforts, patent protection, effects of healthcare reform, reliance
on third parties, effects of tax reform, and other risks set forth
below.
Summary Risk Factors
Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that
you should be aware of in evaluating our business. These risks
include, but are not limited to, the following:
•
We are substantially dependent upon VASCEPA (icosapent ethyl), its
commercialization in the United States and its development, launch
and commercialization in Europe and other major
markets.
•
In the United States, we face increasing competition from generic
drug companies in the near term and our revenues and results of
operations could continue to be materially and adversely
affected.
•
In Europe, we are seeking relevant pricing approvals in various
countries; however, we may not be successful in obtaining such
approvals in a timely manner or at all and even if successfully
obtained, we may not be successful in commercializing VAZKEPA in
Europe.
•
Factors outside of our control make it more difficult for VASCEPA
to achieve a level of market acceptance by physicians, patients,
healthcare payors and others in the medical community at levels
sufficient to achieve commercial success.
•
Our recent cost reduction and organizational restructuring plans,
and any similar efforts we may undertake in the future, may not be
successful in mitigating risks and challenges associated with our
Company's U.S. business and establishing a more significant
international footprint.
•
The manufacture, supply and commercialization, including
promotional activities, of VASCEPA is subject to regulatory
scrutiny.
•
We may not be able to compete effectively against our competitors’
pharmaceutical product, including generic products. In addition, we
face competition from omega-3 fatty acids that are marketed by
other companies as non-prescription dietary supplements, subjecting
us to non-prescription competition and consumer
substitution.
•
The commercial value of VASCEPA outside the United States may be
smaller than we anticipate, including if we are unable to secure
favorable product reimbursement levels, which can vary from country
to country. If we are unable to realize product reimbursement rates
at reasonable levels, or at all, patient access to VASCEPA may be
limited.
•
Our supply of product for the commercial market and clinical trials
is dependent upon relationships with third-party manufacturers and
suppliers, including manufacturers and suppliers who may require us
to comply with burdensome minimum purchase commitments, which may
be greater than our supply needs.
•
Our dependence on third parties in the distribution channel from
our manufacturers to patients subject us to risks that limit our
profitability and could limit our ability to supply VASCEPA to
large market segments.
•
We have limited experience commercializing VASCEPA outside the
United States, and we may not be successful in building an
infrastructure, including a sales force, that can navigate the
regulatory and other dynamics outside of the United States. We are
currently, and may continue to be, substantially dependent on third
parties for our international
29
efforts, and we may not be successful in negotiating or
establishing relationships with business partners to support and
maintain control over our international activities.
•
We are dependent on patents, proprietary rights and confidentiality
obligations of our employees, agents, business partners and third
parties to protect the commercial value and potential of
VASCEPA.
•
Enforcing our patent rights is challenging and costly and, even if
we are able to successfully enforce our patent rights, our issued
patents may not prevent competitors from competing with
VASCEPA.
•
We have pending patent applications relating to VASCEPA and its
use. There can be no assurance that any of these applications will
issue patents, and even if patent protection is obtained, it may be
insufficient to minimize competition or support our
commercialization efforts.
The summary risk factors described above should be read together
with the text of the full risk factors below and in the other
information set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including
our consolidated financial statements and the related notes, as
well as in other documents that we file with the SEC. If any such
risks and uncertainties actually occur, our business, prospects,
financial condition and results of operations could be materially
and adversely affected. The risks summarized above or described in
full below are not the only risks that we face. Additional risks
and uncertainties not currently known to us, or that we currently
deem to be immaterial may also materially adversely affect our
business, prospects, financial condition and results of
operations.
Risks Related to the Commercialization and Development of
VASCEPA
We are substantially dependent upon VASCEPA (icosapent ethyl), its
commercialization in the United States and its development, launch
and commercialization in Europe and other major markets.
We currently derive substantially all of our revenue from sales of
VASCEPA. We may be substantially dependent on sales of VASCEPA for
many years. Our financial condition and the success of our company
will be materially adversely affected, we may have to further
restructure our current operations, and our business prospects will
be limited if we experience any negative developments relating to
VASCEPA. For example, in the first quarter of 2020, the U.S.
District Court for the District of Nevada issued a ruling in favor
of two generic drug companies, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Inc., or
Dr. Reddy's, and Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., or Hikma, and
certain of their affiliates, that declared as invalid several
patents of ours protecting the first U.S. FDA-approved use of our
drug, to reduce severely high triglyceride levels, or the MARINE
indication. We were unsuccessful in our appeals and our stock price
was adversely and materially impacted by the ruling, the results of
the appeals process and the introduction of generic competition. If
other proprietary rights protecting VASCEPA or its use are
challenged, our stock price could further decline, particularly if
such challenges, which are costly to defend, are
successful.
Although we are exploring ways to broaden our development and
commercial pipeline, such efforts are likely to be time consuming,
costly and may utilize resources that could otherwise be focused on
commercializing VASCEPA. For example, it took over a decade of
preceding product development before we received marketing approval
for VAZKEPA in March 2021 from the European Commission, or the
EC.
Likewise, if we seek to diversify our development programs or
product offerings through licensing or acquisitions, such
transactions are also time-consuming, may be dilutive to existing
shareholdings, and may be initially disruptive to operations. These
transactions may not be available on favorable terms, or at all.
These dynamics can restrict our ability to respond rapidly to
adverse business conditions for VASCEPA. If development of, or
demand for, VASCEPA does not meet expectations, we may not have the
ability to effectively shift our resources to the development of
alternative products, or do so in a timely manner, without
suffering material adverse effects on our business. As a result,
the lack of alternative markets and products we develop could
constrain our ability to generate revenues and achieve
profitability.
In the United States, we face increasing competition from generic
drug companies in the near term and our revenues and results of
operations could continue to be materially and adversely
affected.
Following the patent litigation rulings against us, generic
versions of VASCEPA began launching in the United States in
November 2020, and several generic versions are currently available
including for both the 0.5-gram and 1-gram capsules, and we expect
that VASCEPA could face more competition from generic companies in
the United States. Increasing sales of generic versions of VASCEPA
could continue to have a material and adverse impact on our
revenues and results of operations in the United States.
Generally, once a generic version of a drug is available in the
market, the generic version is typically used in many U.S. states
to fill a prescription for any use of the drug, subject to state
substitution laws. Although, we intend to vigorously defend our
intellectual property rights related to VASCEPA, there can be no
assurance that we will be successful in preventing use of generic
versions of VASCEPA in indications for which they have not been
approved by U.S. FDA, even if such use is determined to infringe
certain of our patent claims.
30
Given the changing dynamic in the U.S. market, we initiated cost
and organizational restructuring plans which reduced our U.S.
commercial team from approximately 300 sales representatives to
approximately 75 sales representatives by the end of 2022. Although
this streamlining has resulted in an improved expense structure,
such efforts could impact employee morale and make hiring and
retaining talented personnel more challenging, may not result in
all of the cost-savings or other benefits we anticipate and are
costly to implement.
In Europe, we are seeking relevant pricing approvals in various
countries; however, we may not be successful in obtaining such
approvals in a timely manner or at all and even if successfully
obtained, we may not be successful in commercializing VAZKEPA in
Europe.
We continue our development efforts to support commercialization of
VASCEPA in major markets outside the United States, particularly in
light of the level of competition, including from generic products,
in the United States. This process is conducted on a
country-by-country basis and is time-consuming and complex, and,
even though the EC approved the marketing authorization for VAZKEPA
in March 2021, and we have received positive national pricing and
reimbursement decisions in England and Wales, Sweden and Finland,
there is no guarantee that we will be able to negotiate and obtain
further reimbursement and pricing terms on favorable terms, or at
all, in the countries where we are pursuing commercialization.
Further, successful progress or pricing terms in one country may
not be indicative of our outcomes in other jurisdictions. For
example, although the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care
Excellence, or NICE, announced final guidance for reimbursement for
VAZKEPA®
and use across the National Health Service, or NHS, in England and
Wales, we decided to discontinue business operations in Germany
following the conclusion of negotiations with the National
Association of Statutory Health Insurance Funds during which a
viable agreement on the reimbursement price of VAZKEPA could not be
reached. The Arbitration Board process concluded without an
agreement in November 2022 and although we plan to resubmit a
pricing and reimbursement dossier with new data in Germany once we
have a new dossier ready, we may be unable to resume commercial
operations in Germany. We may not be successful in obtaining
additional approvals in a timely manner with acceptable terms, or
in additional countries and if we are unable to do so, and continue
to face increased competition in the United States, our financial
position could be materially and adversely impacted.
We have been developing VAZKEPA on our own in Europe, where we have
limited experience. We are exploring possible strategic
collaborations in smaller markets within Europe and in other major
markets, which will increase our reliance on third parties, over
whom we have limited control. We currently have multiple partners
for the development and commercialization of VASCEPA in select
geographies and are assessing potential partners to commercialize
VASCEPA in other parts of the world. For example, we have strategic
collaborations for the development and commercialization of VASCEPA
in Canada, the Middle East and Greater China. However, we cannot
make any guarantees as to the success of these efforts or that our
beliefs about the value potential are accurate, or that we will be
able to rely upon these third parties; if commercialization plans
for VASCEPA do not meet expectations in major markets such as the
United States and Europe, our business and prospects could be
materially and adversely affected.
The commercial value of VASCEPA outside the United States may be
smaller than we anticipate, including if we are unable to secure
favorable product reimbursement levels, which can vary from country
to country. If we are unable to realize product reimbursement rates
at reasonable levels, or at all, patient access to VASCEPA may be
limited.
There can be no assurance as to the market for VASCEPA outside the
United States. For example, despite having received EC approval to
commercialize VAZKEPA in Europe and through our partner, Edding,
marketing approval for VASCEPA in Hong Kong as well as we expect to
obtain through Edding, marketing approval for VASCEPA in Mainland
China, Macau and Taiwan, applicable regulatory agencies may impose
restrictions on the product’s conditions for use, distribution or
marketing and in some cases may impose ongoing requirements for
post-market surveillance, post-approval studies or clinical
trials.
Further, securing adequate reimbursement is critical for commercial
success of any therapeutic and pricing and reimbursement levels of
medications in markets outside the United States can be
unpredictable and vary considerably on a country-by-country basis.
In some foreign countries, including major markets in Europe, the
pricing of prescription pharmaceuticals is subject to governmental
control. In these countries, pricing negotiations with individual
governmental authorities can take six to 12 months or longer after
the receipt of regulatory marketing approval for a product, and is
not always successful. For example, after the conclusion of
negotiations with the National Association of Statutory Health
Insurance Funds, a viable agreement on the reimbursement price of
VAZKEPA in Germany could not be reached. As a result of the
negotiation outcome, we discontinued our German operations as of
September 1, 2022. In November 2022 the Arbitration Board process
concluded without an agreement.
Further, in certain European countries, securing product
reimbursement is a requisite to commercial launch. To obtain
reimbursement or pricing approval in some countries, we may be
required to conduct a pharmacoeconomic study that compares the
cost-effectiveness of VASCEPA to other available therapies. Such
pharmacoeconomic studies can be costly and the results uncertain.
The time required to secure reimbursement tends to vary from
country to country and cannot be reliably predicted at this time.
Our business could be harmed if reimbursement of our products is
unavailable, delayed or limited in scope or amount or if pricing is
set at unsatisfactory levels. If the pricing and reimbursement
levels of VASCEPA are lower than we anticipate, then affordability
of, and market access to, VASCEPA may be adversely affected and
thus market potential in these territories would suffer.
31
We or our partners may even choose to not proceed with marketing
VASCEPA in a market, even after obtaining all necessary regulatory
approval, due to negative commercial dynamics. Further, with regard
to any indications for which we may gain approval in territories
outside the United States, the number of actual patients with the
condition included in such approved indication may be smaller than
we anticipate. In addition, we could face competition from products
similar or deemed equivalent to VASCEPA in various jurisdictions
through regulatory pathways that are more lenient than in the
United States or in jurisdictions in which we do not have
exclusivity from regulations or intellectual property. If any of
these market dynamics exist, the commercial potential in these
territories for our product would suffer.
We have limited experience as a company in commercializing VASCEPA
outside of the United States and may be unsuccessful in developing
sales internationally.
We may be unsuccessful in expanding our global footprint. For
example, we are launching VAZKEPA on our own in the most
commercially significant markets in Europe. The commercial launch
of a new pharmaceutical product is a complex and resource heavy
undertaking for a company to manage and be impacted by decisions by
and interactions with local regulators, and we have no prior
experience as a company operating a commercial-stage pharmaceutical
business in Europe. For example, and as noted above, a viable
agreement on the reimbursement price of VAZKEPA in Germany could
not be reached with German regulators and we have discontinued our
Germany business operations. Given the amount of time and
resources, including capital, needed to support regulatory and
commercial efforts aimed at international expansion, if we are
unsuccessful or delayed in generating revenues overseas, our
results of operations could be materially and adversely
impacted.
Factors that could inhibit our efforts to successfully
commercialize VASCEPA include:
•
the impact of the expiration of regulatory exclusivities and entry
into the market of additional generic versions of
VASCEPA;
•
our inability to attract and retain adequate numbers of effective
sales and marketing personnel, particularly in light of our recent
reductions in force;
•
our inability to adequately train our sales and marketing personnel
and our inability to adequately monitor compliance with applicable
regulatory and other legal requirements;
•
if we have overestimated the addressable market;
•
the inability of our sales personnel to obtain access to or
persuade adequate numbers of physicians to prescribe or patients to
use VASCEPA;
•
regulators may impose restrictions on VASCEPA’s conditions for use,
distribution or marketing, and may impose ongoing requirements for
post-market surveillance, post-approval studies or clinical trials,
which may be costly or result in label or other use
restrictions;
•
complexities and challenges in connection with pricing and
reimbursement, including our ability to secure adequate
reimbursement coverage, which in Europe is almost exclusively
covered through public national funding, and not individual private
insurance companies;
•
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;
•
an inability by us or our partners to obtain regulatory and
marketing approval or establish marketing channels in foreign
jurisdictions;
•
unforeseen costs and expenses associated with operating a new
independent sales and marketing organization; and
•
the continued or resumed impact from COVID-19 on healthcare
providers, patients and personnel which may vary considerably from
jurisdiction to jurisdiction, as well as on local restrictions and
practices, including the complexities of having to understand and
navigate multiple and evolving sets of protocols and the
accessibility and rates of vaccinations in various
geographies.
If we experience one or more of the setbacks described above, we
may not be able to pursue international regulatory and commercial
efforts in a cost effective manner, or at all, which could cause
our stock price to decline.
Our ability to generate meaningful revenues outside of the United
States may be limited, including due to the strict price controls
and reimbursement limitations imposed by payors outside of the
United States.
Our ability to generate meaningful revenues of VASCEPA outside of
the United States is dependent on the availability and extent of
coverage and reimbursement from third-party payors. In many markets
around the world, these payors, including
32
government health systems, private health insurers and other
organizations, remain focused on reducing the cost of healthcare,
and their efforts have intensified as a result of rising healthcare
costs and economic challenges. Drugs remain heavily scrutinized for
cost containment. As a result, payors are becoming more restrictive
regarding the use of biopharmaceutical products and scrutinizing
the prices of these products while requiring a higher level of
clinical evidence to support the benefits such products bring to
patients and the broader healthcare system. These pressures are
intensified where our products are subject to competition,
including from biosimilars.
In many countries outside the United States, government-sponsored
healthcare systems are the primary payors for drugs. With
increasing budgetary constraints and differing views on or
challenges in valuing medicines, governments and payors in many
countries are applying a variety of measures to exert downward
price pressure. These measures can include mandatory price
controls, price referencing, therapeutic-reference pricing,
increases in mandates, incentives for generic substitution and
biosimilar usage and government-mandated price cuts. In this
regard, many countries have health technology assessment
organizations that use formal economic metrics such as
cost-effectiveness to determine prices, coverage and reimbursement
of new therapies; and these organizations are expanding in
established and emerging markets. Many countries also limit
coverage to populations narrower than the regulatory agency
approved product label or impose volume caps to limit utilization.
We expect that countries will continue to take aggressive actions
to seek to reduce expenditures on drugs. Similarly, fiscal
constraints may also affect the extent to which countries are
willing to approve new and innovative therapies and/or allow access
to new technologies.
The dynamics and developments discussed above serve to create
pressure on the pricing and potential usage of our products and the
industry. Given the diverse interests in play among payors,
biopharmaceutical manufacturers, policy makers, healthcare
providers and independent organizations, if and whether the parties
involved can achieve alignment on the matters discussed above
remains unclear and the outcome of any such alignment is difficult
to predict. If reimbursement of VASCEPA is unavailable or limited
in scope or amount, or if pricing is set at unsatisfactory levels,
our ability to successfully commercialize VASCEPA outside of the
United States may be harmed, which could have a material and
negative impact on our overall business.
Government and commercial payor actions outside of the United
States have affected and will continue to affect access to and
sales of our products
Outside of the United States, we expect countries will continue to
take actions to reduce their drug expenditures. International
reference pricing, or IRP, has been widely used by many countries
outside of the United States to control costs based on an external
benchmark of a product’s price in other countries. IRP policies can
change quickly and frequently and may not reflect differences in
the burden of disease, indications, market structures, or
affordability differences across countries or regions. In addition,
countries may refuse to reimburse or may restrict the reimbursed
population for a product when their national health technology
assessments do not consider a medicine to demonstrate sufficient
clinical benefit beyond existing therapies or to meet certain cost
effectiveness thresholds. Some countries also allow additional
rebates or discounts to be negotiated. The outcome of such
negotiations can be uncertain and could become publicly disclosed
in the future. Some countries decide on reimbursement between
potentially competing products through national or regional tenders
that often result in one product receiving most or all of the sales
in that country or region. Thus, there can be no certainty that we
will negotiate satisfactory reimbursement or pricing rates in
markets outside of the United States in a timely manner, or at all,
or even if we are successful in obtaining satisfactory coverage and
reimbursement, we may be unsuccessful in sustaining such coverage
and reimbursement, or could face challenges as to the timeliness or
certainty of payment by payors to physicians and other providers,
which would have a material and adverse impact on our
commercialization efforts outside of the United States. We as an
organization have limited experience in navigating the pricing and
reimbursement regimes, outside of the United States, which foreign
regimes are varied and complex, which might hinder our
effectiveness in establishing satisfactory pricing, coverage and
reimbursement levels in a timely manner or at all.
Factors outside of our control may make it more difficult for
VASCEPA to achieve market acceptance by physicians, patients,
healthcare payors and others in the medical community at levels
sufficient to achieve commercial success.
In January 2013, we launched VASCEPA based on the U.S. FDA approval
of our MARINE indication, for use as an adjunct to diet to reduce
triglyceride levels in adult patients with severe (TG
>500
mg/dL) hypertriglyceridemia. Guidelines for the management of very
high triglyceride levels suggest that the primary goal of reducing
triglyceride levels in this patient population is reduction in the
risk of acute pancreatitis. A secondary goal for this patient
population is to reduce cardiovascular risk. The effect of VASCEPA
on the risk for pancreatitis in patients with severe
hypertriglyceridemia has not been determined and our U.S.
FDA-approved labeling and promotional efforts state this
fact.
In December 2019, the U.S. FDA approved another indication and
label expansion for VASCEPA as an adjunct to statin therapy to
reduce the risk of MACE events in adult patients with elevated TG
levels (≥150 mg/dL) and established cardiovascular disease or
diabetes mellitus and two or more additional risk factors for
cardiovascular disease, or our REDUCE-IT indication.
Despite U.S. FDA approval for this indication and expanded label
for VASCEPA, we may not meet expectations for market acceptance by
physicians, patients, healthcare payors and others in the medical
community for this approved use, especially in light of
33
generic competition. If VASCEPA does not achieve an adequate level
of acceptance, we may not generate product revenues sufficient to
become profitable, or, even if we do achieve profitability, we may
not be able to generate consistent profitability. The degree of
market acceptance of VASCEPA for its approved indications and uses
or otherwise will depend on a number of factors,
including:
•
the impact of and outcome of adjudicated, settled and pending
patent litigation;
•
the commercialization and pricing of any current or potential
generic versions of VASCEPA;
•
the perceived efficacy and safety of VASCEPA by prescribing
healthcare professionals and patients, as compared to no treatment
and as compared to alternative treatments in various at-risk
patient populations;
•
the prevalence and severity of any side effects and warnings in
VASCEPA's approved labeling internationally;
•
peer review of different elements of data supporting our REDUCE-IT
indication over time;
•
continued review and analysis of the results of our clinical data
supporting our REDUCE-IT indication by regulatory authorities
internationally;
•
our ability to offer VASCEPA for sale at competitive
prices;
•
convenience and ease of administration compared to alternative
treatments;
•
the willingness of the target patient population to try new
therapies and of physicians to prescribe these
therapies;
•
the scope, effectiveness and strength of product education,
marketing and distribution support, including our sales and
marketing teams;
•
publicity concerning VASCEPA or competing products;
•
our ability to continually promote VASCEPA in the United States
consistent with and outside of U.S. FDA-approved labeling and the
related perception thereof;
•
sufficient third-party coverage or reimbursement for VASCEPA and
its prescribed uses, on-label and off-label;
•
natural disasters, including pandemics such as the COVID-19
pandemic, international conflicts, and political unrest which could
inhibit our ability to promote VASCEPA regionally and which could
negatively affect product demand by creating obstacles for patients
to seek treatment and fill prescriptions;
•
new policies or laws affecting VASCEPA sales, such as state and
federal efforts to affect drug pricing and provide or remove
healthcare coverage that includes reimbursement for prescription
drugs; and
•
the actual and perceived efficacy of the product and the prevalence
and severity of any side effects and warnings in VASCEPA’s approved
labeling internationally.
Any one or more of the above factors could have a negative impact
on our ability to successfully commercialize VASCEPA, which would
in turn have a negative impact on our financial
condition.
Additional data or related interpretations that are generated or
arise over time related to REDUCE-IT might not meet expectations,
and the perception of REDUCE-IT results and VASCEPA revenue
potential may suffer and our stock price may decline.
While the U.S. FDA approved the expanded label for VASCEPA for the
REDUCE-IT indication in 2019, additional data assessment by
international regulatory authorities or otherwise could yield
additional information to inform greater understanding of study
outcome, which information could impact the perception of VASCEPA.
Such data or interpretations may not be favorable for us.
Generally, trial data assessment sufficient to convey a complete
picture of trial outcome can take years to complete and publish.
When new data are assessed and released or presented it could
exceed, match or may not meet investor expectations.
In addition, the same set of data can sometimes be interpreted to
reach different conclusions, as when Health Canada approved an
indication based on our REDUCE-IT trial data that was different in
certain respects than that approved by U.S. FDA and by the EC in
Europe. It is possible the scope of subsequent regulatory
approvals, if any, could likewise differ based on the same data.
Conflicting interpretations of data, or new data, could impact
public and medical community perception of the totality of the
efficacy and safety data from REDUCE-IT.
34
Regulatory authorities and medical guideline committees outside of
the United States and Europe may consider the following additional
factors, which could lead to evaluations of the totality of the
efficacy and safety data from REDUCE-IT that differ from those of
the U.S. FDA or the EC:
•
the magnitude of the treatment benefit and related risks on the
primary composite endpoint, its components, secondary endpoints and
the primary and secondary risk prevention cohorts;
•
consideration of which components of the composite or secondary
endpoints have the most clinical significance;
•
the consistency of the primary and secondary outcomes;
•
the consistency of findings across cohorts and important
subgroups;
•
safety considerations and risk/benefit considerations (such as
those related to adverse events, including bleeding and atrial
fibrillation generally and in different
sub-populations);
•
consideration of REDUCE-IT results in the context of other clinical
studies;
•
consideration of the cumulative effect of VASCEPA in studied
patients; and
•
study conduct and data quality, integrity and consistency,
including aspects such as analyses regarding the placebo used in
REDUCE-IT and other studies of VASCEPA and its impact, if any, on
the reliability of clinical data.
If regulatory authorities and medical guideline committees outside
of the United States and Europe draw conclusions that differ from
those of the U.S. FDA or the EC, the U.S. FDA or the EC could
reevaluate its conclusions as to the safety and efficacy of
VASCEPA. Likewise, if additional data or analyses released from
time to time do not meet expectations, the perception of REDUCE-IT
results and the perceived and actual value of VASCEPA may suffer.
In these instances our revenue and business could suffer and our
stock price could significantly decline.
Ongoing clinical trials or new clinical data involving VASCEPA and
similar moderate-to-high doses of eicosapentaenoic acid or
icosapent ethyl could adversely impact public perception of
VASCEPA’s clinical profile and the commercial and regulatory
prospects of VASCEPA.
Ongoing trials of moderate-to-high doses of VASCEPA and icosapent
ethyl, or a similar eicosapentaenoic acid product could render new
or adverse information on the effects of VASCEPA and its commercial
and regulatory prospects.
For example, the Randomized Trial for Evaluation in Secondary
Prevention Efficacy of Combination Therapy–Statin and EPA
(RESPECT-EPA; UMIN Clinical Trials Registry number, UMIN000012069)
is a study examining Japanese patients with chronic coronary artery
disease receiving LDL-C lowering treatment by statin therapy.
Results from this study were presented during the 2022 American
Heart Association Scientific Sessions in November 2022 and were
consistent with the evidence from the REDUCE-IT study.
In November 2020, we announced statistically significant topline
results from a Phase 3 clinical trial of VASCEPA, conducted by our
partner in China, Eddingpharm (Asia) Macao Commercial Offshore
Limited, or Edding, which investigated VASCEPA as a treatment for
patients with very high triglycerides. Even though such results
from these trials were positive, additional clinical development
efforts may be necessary in these markets to demonstrate the
effectiveness of VASCEPA, which may be costly to pursue, or may not
produce the desired or expected results.
If the outcomes of any study involving VASCEPA and icosapent ethyl
is unfavorable, the perception of existing clinical results of
VASCEPA, such as MARINE or REDUCE-IT, or the perceived clinical
profile and commercial value of VASCEPA and its regulatory status,
or perceptions about the potential for VASCEPA, including as a
treatment for broader indications, may suffer. If this occurs our
revenue and business could suffer and our stock price could
significantly decline.
Our recent cost reduction and organizational restructuring plans,
and any similar efforts we may undertake in the future, may not be
successful in mitigating risks and challenges associated with our
Company's U.S. business and establishing a more significant
international footprint.
If we are not successful in our efforts to continue to market and
sell VASCEPA in the United States, including following the
implementation of our cost reduction and organizational
restructuring plan, our anticipated revenues or our expenses could
be materially and negatively affected, and we may not maintain
profitability in the United States or obtain profitability
internationally, may need to cut back on research and development
activities or we may need to implement other cost-containment
measures, or we may need to raise additional funding that could
result in substantial dilution or impose considerable restrictions
on our business.
35
Our promotional initiatives have had to adjust over the last
several years, given the impact of COVID-19 and international
instability, which efforts have been costly and require
considerable resources. Shifts from traditional face-to-face
interactions to mostly virtual outreach, specifically, access to
healthcare professionals through digital or other channels, were
not as productive as in-person interactions in promoting use of
VASCEPA and we have been pursuing increased face-to-face
interactions with targeted health care professionals as protocols
have eased and travel has resumed to more stable levels. Such
efforts are costly and there can be no assurance that they will
result in an increase in VASCEPA prescriptions and sales in the
near future, or at all.
The manufacture, supply and commercialization, including
promotional activities, of VASCEPA is subject to regulatory
scrutiny.
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or FDCA, has been
interpreted by the U.S. FDA and the U.S. government to make it
illegal for pharmaceutical companies to promote their U.S.
FDA-approved products for uses that have not been approved by the
U.S. FDA. Companies that market drugs for off-label uses or
indications have been subject to related costly litigation,
criminal penalties and civil liability under the FDCA and the FCA.
However, case law over the last several years has called into
question the extent to which the U.S. government, including the
U.S. FDA, can, and is willing to seek to, prevent truthful and
non-misleading speech related to off-label uses of U.S.
FDA-approved products such as VASCEPA.
As a result of a lawsuit that we and a group of independent
physicians filed against the U.S. FDA in 2015, we were granted
preliminary relief through the court’s declaratory judgment that
confirmed we may engage in truthful and non-misleading speech
promoting the off-label use of VASCEPA to healthcare professionals,
i.e., to treat patients with persistently high triglycerides, and
that such speech may not form the basis of a misbranding action
under the FDCA. The U.S. FDA did not appeal the court’s ruling and
ultimately settled this litigation under terms by which the U.S.
FDA and the U.S. government agreed to be bound by the conclusions
from the federal court order that we may engage in truthful and
non-misleading speech promoting the off-label use of VASCEPA and
that certain statements and disclosures that we proposed to make to
healthcare professionals were truthful and non-misleading. As part
of the settlement, given, as expressed in the court’s opinion, that
the dynamic nature of science and medicine is that knowledge is
ever-advancing and that a statement that is fair and balanced one
day may become incomplete or otherwise misleading in the future as
new studies are done and new data is acquired, we agreed that we
bear the responsibility to ensure that our communications regarding
off-label use of VASCEPA remain truthful and non-misleading,
consistent with the federal court ruling.
While we believe we are now permitted under applicable law to more
broadly promote VASCEPA, the U.S. FDA-approved labeling for VASCEPA
did not change as a result of this litigation and settlement, and
neither government nor other third-party coverage or reimbursement
to pay for the off-label use of VASCEPA promoted under the court
declaration was required.
Promotional activities in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical
industries generally are subject to considerable regulatory
scrutiny and, may be subject to enhanced scrutiny to ensure that
our promotion remains within the scope covered by the settlement.
For example, under the settlement, we remain responsible for
ensuring our speech is truthful and non-misleading, which is
subject to a considerable amount of judgment. We, the U.S. FDA, the
U.S. government, our competitors and other interested parties may
not agree on the truthfulness and non-misleading nature of our
promotional materials. Federal and state governments or agencies
may also seek to find other means to prevent our promotion of
unapproved truthful and non-misleading information about
VASCEPA.
In June 2020, we received a civil investigative demand, or CID,
from the U.S. Department of Justice, or the DOJ, informing us that
the DOJ is investigating whether aspects of our promotional speaker
programs and copayment waiver program during the period from
January 1, 2015 to the present violated the U.S. Anti-Kickback
Statute and the U.S. Civil False Claims Act, or the FCA, in
relation to the sale and marketing of VASCEPA by us and our
previous co-marketing partner, Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc.,
or Kowa America. Similarly, in March 2021, the United States
Federal Trade Commission, or the FTC, issued a CID to us in
connection with the FTC’s investigation of whether we have engaged
in, or are engaging in, anticompetitive practices or unfair methods
of competition relating to VASCEPA. The New York State attorney
general similarly issued a subpoena to us regarding the same
subject matter on which the FTC CID is focused. The inquiries
require us to produce documents and answer written questions, or
interrogatories, relevant to specified time periods. Although we
are cooperating with the government, we cannot predict when these
investigations will be resolved, the outcome of the investigations
or their potential impact on our business. Such investigations can
be lengthy, costly and could materially affect and disrupt our
business. If the government determines that we have violated the
U.S. Anti-Kickback Statute, the FCA or antitrust regulations, we
could be subject to significant civil and criminal fines and
penalties.
If our promotional activities or other operations are found to be
in violation of any law or governmental regulation through existing
or new interpretations, we may be subject to prolonged litigation,
penalties, including civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines
and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations. Also, if
governmental parties or our competitors view our claims as
misleading or false, we could be subject to liability based on fair
competition-based statutes, such as the Lanham Act. Any allegations
that our promotional activities are not truthful or misleading,
even allegations without merit, could cause reputational harm and
adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our
results of operations.
36
We may not be able to compete effectively against our competitors’
pharmaceutical product, including generic products. In addition, we
face competition from omega-3 fatty acids that are marketed by
other companies as non-prescription dietary supplements, subjecting
us to non-prescription competition and consumer
substitution.
The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are highly
competitive. There are many pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology
companies, public and private universities and research
organizations actively engaged in the research and development of
products that may be similar to our product. We expect that the
number of companies seeking to develop products and therapies
similar to VASCEPA will increase. Many of these and other existing
or potential competitors may have substantially greater financial,
technical and human resources than we do and may be better equipped
to develop, manufacture and market products. These companies may
develop and introduce products and processes competitive with, more
efficient than or superior to ours. In addition, other technologies
or products may be developed that have an entirely different
approach or means of accomplishing the intended purposes of our
products, which might render our technology and products
noncompetitive or obsolete.
Our competitors include large, well-established pharmaceutical and
generic companies, specialty and generic pharmaceutical sales and
marketing companies, and specialized cardiovascular treatment
companies. With generic versions of VASCEPA launched in the U.S. by
companies such as Hikma, Dr. Reddy's, Apotex and Teva, who have
greater resources than us, and with the potential for further
generic versions being launched, it may not be viable for us to
continue to invest in market education to grow the market and our
ability to maintain current promotional efforts and attract
favorable commercial terms in several aspects of our business will
likely be adversely affected as we face increased generic
competition, or if we launch our own generic version of
VASCEPA.
We also face considerable competition in the United States from
branded products and generic versions of competing branded products
and formulations, including Lovaza®,
Tricor,®
Trilipix®
and Niaspan®,
all of which have multiple generic competing versions. We compete
with these drugs, in our U.S. FDA-approved indicated uses, even
though such products do not have U.S. FDA approval to reduce CV
risk on top of statin therapy.
For a more detailed discussion of our competitors, and potential
competing drugs in development, in the United States and the rest
of the world, see our discussion above in
Item 1. Business - Competition.
Further, drugs in development that are expected to compete with
VASCEPA if they are ultimately approved and commercialized, and the
perceived safety and efficacy of such commercialized drugs or drug
products, could have a negative impact on the perceived safety and
efficacy of VASCEPA.
Based on prior communications from the U.S. FDA, including
communications in connection with its review of the ANCHOR
indication for VASCEPA, it is our understanding that the U.S. FDA
is not prepared to approve any therapy for treatment of
cardiovascular risk based on biomarker modification without
cardiovascular outcomes study data, with the potential exception of
therapies which lower LDL-cholesterol, depending on the
circumstances. In particular, it is our understanding that the U.S.
FDA is not prepared to approve any therapy based primarily on data
demonstrating lowering of triglyceride levels. In our view, this
position from the U.S. FDA did not change based on the REDUCE-IT
study particularly in light of significant independence of the
positive benefit demonstrated in the REDUCE-IT study from
triglyceride levels and benefit from the REDUCE-IT study supporting
that the positive effects of VASCEPA are unique to VASCEPA and
extend beyond triglyceride reduction. If the U.S. FDA were to
change this position, it could potentially have a negative impact
on us by making it easier for other products to achieve a
cardiovascular risk reduction indication without the need in
advance to conduct a long and expensive cardiovascular outcomes
study.
VASCEPA also faces competition from dietary supplement
manufacturers marketing omega-3 products as nutritional
supplements. Such products are classified as food, not as
prescription drugs or over-the-counter drugs, by the U.S. FDA in
the United States with similar regulatory regimes in Europe and
elsewhere. Some of the promoters of such products have greater
resources than us and are not restricted to the same standards as
are prescription drugs with respect to promotional claims or
manufacturing quality, consistency and subsequent product
stability. Although we have taken successful legal action against
supplement manufacturers attempting to use the REDUCE-IT results to
promote their products, we cannot be sure physicians and
pharmacists will view the U.S. FDA-approved, prescription-only
status, and EPA-only purity and stability of VASCEPA or U.S. FDA’s
stringent regulatory oversight, as significant advantages versus
omega-3 dietary supplements regardless of clinical study results
and other scientific data.
Consistent with the U.S., our competitors include large,
well-established and experienced pharmaceutical companies,
specialty and generic pharmaceutical companies, marketing
companies, and specialized cardiovascular treatment companies and
we have no experience as a company self-commercializing a product
outside of the United States.
Recent CV outcomes trials and meta-analyses with low and high dose
omega-3 fatty acid mixtures containing DHA have not shown
substantial benefit in patients receiving contemporary medical
therapy, including statins. Due to failed low dose omega-3 CV
outcomes trials, the European regulatory authorities have concluded
that omega-3 fatty acid medicines (specifically
Lovaza®/Omacor®)
at a dose of 1-gram per day are not effective in preventing further
events for patients who have had a heart attack. The STRENGTH trial
of an omega-3 mixture studied at 4-grams per day also failed to
demonstrate cardiovascular benefit.
37
As generic company competitors seek to compete with copies of
VASCEPA in the United States and elsewhere we could face additional
challenges to our patents and additional patent
litigation.
The FDCA, as amended by the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term
Restoration Act of 1984, as amended, or the Hatch-Waxman
Amendments, permits the U.S. FDA to approve ANDAs for generic
versions of brand name drugs like VASCEPA. We refer to the process
of generic drug applications as the “ANDA process.” The ANDA
process permits competitor companies to obtain marketing approval
for a drug product with the same active ingredient, dosage form,
strength, route of administration, and labeling as the approved
brand name drug, but without having to conduct and submit clinical
studies to establish the safety and efficacy of the proposed
generic product. In place of such clinical studies, an ANDA
applicant needs to submit data demonstrating that its product is
bioequivalent to the brand name product, usually based on
pharmacokinetic studies.
As an alternate path to U.S. FDA approval for modifications of
products previously approved by the U.S. FDA, an applicant may
submit a new drug application, or NDA, under Section 505(b)(2) of
the FDCA (enacted as part of the Hatch-Waxman Amendments). This
statutory provision permits the filing of an NDA where at least
some of the information required for approval comes from studies
not conducted by or for the applicant and for which the applicant
has not obtained a right of reference from the owner of the data.
The Hatch-Waxman Amendments permit the applicant to rely upon the
U.S. FDA findings of safety and effectiveness of a drug that has
obtained U.S. FDA approval based on preclinical or clinical studies
conducted by others. In addition to relying on U.S. FDA prior
findings of safety and effectiveness for a referenced drug product,
the U.S. FDA may require companies to perform additional
preclinical or clinical studies to support approval of the
modification to the referenced product.
If an application for a generic version of a branded product or a
Section 505(b)(2) application relies on a prior U.S. FDA finding of
safety and effectiveness of a previously-approved product including
an alternative strength thereof, the applicant is required to
certify to the U.S. FDA concerning any patents listed for the
referenced product in the U.S. FDA publication called “Approved
Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations,” otherwise
known as the “Orange Book.” Specifically, the applicant must
certify in the application that:
•
there is no patent information listed for the reference
drug;
•
the listed patent has expired for the reference drug;
•
the listed patent for the reference drug has not expired, but will
expire on a particular date and approval is sought after patent
expiration; or
•
the listed patent for the reference drug is invalid, unenforceable,
or will not be infringed by the manufacture, use or sale of the
product for which the ANDA or 505(b)(2) NDA is
submitted.
The Hatch-Waxman Amendments require an applicant for a drug product
that relies, in whole or in part, on the U.S. FDA’s prior approval
of VASCEPA, to notify us of its application, a “paragraph IV”
notice, if the applicant is seeking to market its product prior to
the expiration of the patents that both claim VASCEPA and are
listed in the Orange Book. A bona fide paragraph IV notice may not
be given under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments until after the generic
company receives from the U.S. FDA an acknowledgement letter
stating that its ANDA is sufficiently complete to permit a
substantive review.
The paragraph IV notice is required to contain a detailed factual
and legal statement explaining the basis for the applicant’s
opinion that the proposed product does not infringe our patents,
that the relevant patents are invalid, or both. After receipt of a
valid notice, the branded product manufacturer has the option of
bringing a patent infringement suit in federal district court
against any generic company seeking approval for its product within
45 days from the date of receipt of each notice. If such a suit is
commenced within this 45-day period, the Hatch-Waxman Amendments
provide for a 30-month stay on U.S. FDA’s ability to give final
approval to the proposed generic product, which period begins on
the date the paragraph IV notice is received. Generally, during a
period of time in which generic applications may be submitted for a
branded product based on a product’s regulatory exclusivity status,
if no patents are listed in the Orange Book before the date on
which a complete ANDA application for a product (excluding an
amendment or supplement to the application) is submitted, an ANDA
application could be approved by U.S. FDA without regard to a stay.
For products entitled to five-year exclusivity status, the
Hatch-Waxman Amendments provide that an ANDA application may be
submitted after four years following U.S. FDA approval of the
branded product if it contains a certification of patent invalidity
or non-infringement to a patent listed in the Orange Book. In such
a case, the 30-month stay runs from the end of the five-year
exclusivity period. Statutory stays may be shortened or lengthened
if either party fails to cooperate in the litigation and it may be
terminated if the court decides the case in less than 30 months. If
the litigation is resolved in favor of the ANDA applicant before
the expiration of the 30-month period, the stay will be immediately
lifted and the U.S. FDA’s review of the application may be
completed. Such litigation is often time-consuming and costly and
may result in generic competition if such patents are not upheld or
if the generic competitor is found not to infringe such
patents.
In addition to the ANDA patent litigation described above, we could
face patent litigation related to the patents filed in the Orange
Book related to the REDUCE-IT study. A three-year period of
exclusivity under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments is generally granted
for a drug product that contains an active moiety that has been
previously approved, such as when the application
contains
38
reports of new clinical investigations (other than bioavailability
studies) conducted by the sponsor that were essential to approval
of the application. Accordingly, we received three-year exclusivity
in connection with the approval of our sNDA for REDUCE-IT study
results. Such three-year exclusivity protection precludes, unless
otherwise agreed, the U.S. FDA from approving a marketing
application for an ANDA, a product candidate that the U.S. FDA
views as having the same conditions of approval as VASCEPA (for
example, the same indication and/or other conditions of use), or a
505(b)(2) NDA submitted to the U.S. FDA with VASCEPA as the
reference product until December 13, 2022, three years from the
date of U.S. FDA approval of the REDUCE-IT sNDA. While this
three-year exclusivity would generally prevent such an approval
based on our REDUCE-IT indication during such time, it does not
preclude tentative or final approval of an ANDA based on our MARINE
indication. The U.S. FDA may accept and commence review of such
REDUCE-IT-related applications during the three-year exclusivity
period. Such three-year exclusivity grant does not prevent a
company from challenging the validity of REDUCE-IT patents during
such period. This three-year form of exclusivity may also not
prevent the U.S. FDA from approving an NDA that relies only on its
own data to support the change or innovation. Regulatory
exclusivity is in addition to exclusivity afforded by issued
patents related to VASCEPA.
We may also face challenges to the validity of our patents through
a procedure known as inter partes review. Inter partes review is a
trial proceeding conducted through the Patent Trial and Appeal
Board, of the USPTO. Such a proceeding could be introduced against
us within the statutory one-year window triggered by service of a
complaint for infringement related to an ANDA filing or at any time
by an entity not served with a complaint. Such proceedings may
review the patentability of one or more claims in a patent on
specified substantive grounds such as allegations that a claim is
obvious on the basis of certain prior art.
We cannot predict the outcome of the pending lawsuits, any appeals,
or any subsequently filed lawsuits or inter partes
review.
Generally, if an ANDA filer meets the approval requirements for a
generic version of VASCEPA to the satisfaction of the U.S. FDA
under its ANDA, U.S. FDA may grant tentative approval to the ANDA
during a Hatch-Waxman 30-month stay period and during the
Hatch-Waxman 36-month regulatory exclusivity period. A tentative
approval is issued to an ANDA applicant when its application is
approvable prior to the expiration of any exclusivities applicable
to the branded, reference listed drug product. A tentative approval
does not allow the applicant to market the generic drug product and
postpones the final ANDA approval until applicable exclusivity
protections have expired.
Generic versions of VASCEPA made available in the market, even if
based on a MARINE indication, are often used to fill a prescription
for any intended use of the drug. If any approved ANDA filers are
able to supply the product in significant commercial quantities,
generic companies could introduce generic versions of VASCEPA in
the market, as Hikma, Dr. Reddy's, Apotex and Teva have done.
Although any such introduction of a generic version of VASCEPA
would also be subject to any litigation settlement terms and patent
infringement claims (including any new claims and those that may
then be subject to an appeal), pursuing such litigation may be
prohibitively costly or could put a substantial constraint on our
resources.
On July 9, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order
directing the U.S. FDA to, among other things, continue to clarify
and improve the approval framework for generic drugs and identify
and address any efforts to impede generic drug
competition.
Any significant degree of generic market entry would limit our U.S.
sales, which would have a significant adverse impact on our
business and results of operations. In addition, even if a
competitor’s effort to introduce a generic product is ultimately
unsuccessful, the perception that such development is in progress
and/or news related to such progress or news related to litigation
outcomes could materially affect the reputation of VASCEPA or the
perceived value of our company and our stock price. In addition,
generic market entry, whether limited to its approved indication or
not, can create market disruption which leads to an overall slowing
of market growth regardless of whether the net price of the generic
entry is higher or lower than the net price of the branded drug.
Such disruption includes potential stock shortages of the generic
market entry at retail pharmacies and wholesalers which can cause
filling of prescriptions for patients to be delayed or abandoned.
Sponsors of generic entries typically do not fund market education
initiatives to help healthcare professionals and at-risk patients
learn about a new drug, which, particularly for a recently launched
drug, can potentially limit overall growth. And certain States
impose restrictions on the promotion of branded drugs, particularly
if the generic market entry is less expensive than the branded
drug. While some companies with generic competition elect to launch
an authorized generic form of the drug to counter the perception,
real or imagined, that generics are less expensive, if launched, an
authorized generic is typically aligned with reduction or
elimination of promotion of the associated branded drug, thus
limiting the extent of market growth and potentially contracting
the overall size of the realized market penetration. While an
authorized generic could be profitable the market opportunity for
growth from an authorized generic is likely less than from
promotion of a branded drug, and as such we have not launched an
authorized generic version of VASCEPA to date, but may elect to do
so in the future.
The active pharmaceutical ingredient in VASCEPA is difficult and
time consuming to manufacture, often requires considerable advanced
planning and long-term financial commitments to ensure sufficient
capacity is available when needed. One of our generic competitors
has filed a lawsuit against us claiming we have engaged in
anticompetitive practices related to our building of adequate
supply for our needs, and government agencies are investigating our
business as it relates to the supply of the
39
active pharmaceutical ingredient in VASCEPA. Consumer lawsuits with
similar allegations have also been filed. This dynamic and
resulting regulatory scrutiny could be costly for us and could
negatively and materially interfere with our business
plans.
The active pharmaceutical ingredient in VASCEPA is difficult and
time consuming to manufacture, often requires considerable advanced
planning and necessitates long-term financial commitments to ensure
sufficient capacity is available when needed. We have invested over
a decade of resources and expenses to develop with our third-party,
active pharmaceutical ingredient, or API, supply chain the
technical knowhow, manufacturing processes and obtained related
regulatory approvals that have helped enable our suppliers to
supply our clinical and commercial needs globally. Despite such
efforts, the stability of the supply chain is largely out of our
control and is subject to market and supply volatility and the
actions of third parties. Any disruption to the supply chain,
including the manufacturing processes and availability of API,
would be disruptive to our business and would have a negative
impact on our results of operations.
In April 2021, Dr. Reddy’s filed a complaint against us in the
United States District Court District of New Jersey (case no.
2:21-cv-10309) alleging various antitrust violations stemming from
alleged anticompetitive practices related to the supply of active
pharmaceutical ingredient of VASCEPA. Damages sought include
recovery for alleged economic harm to Dr. Reddy’s, payors, and
consumers, treble damages and other costs and fees. Injunctive
relief against the alleged violative activities is also being
sought by Dr. Reddy’s. Consumer group lawsuits followed claiming
similar violations and alleging, for example, that such alleged
violations resulted in higher prices to consumers. In addition, in
February 2023, Hikma filed a complaint against us in the United
States District Court District of New Jersey (case no.
3:23-cv-01016) with consistent allegations as the Dr. Reddy's
complaint. Such litigation can be lengthy, costly and could
materially affect and disrupt our business.
In addition, as noted above, we have also received a CID from the
U.S. FTC and a subpoena from the New York Attorney General with
respect to practices relating to our supply of the active
pharmaceutical ingredient in VASCEPA. The government inquiries
require us to produce documents and answer related questions
relevant to specified time periods. We are cooperating with the
agencies. Such investigations can be lengthy, costly and could
materially affect and disrupt our business. We cannot predict when
these investigations will be resolved, the outcome of the
investigations or their potential impact on our business. If a
government determines that we have violated antitrust law, we could
be subject to significant civil fines and penalties.
VASCEPA is a prescription-only omega-3 fatty acid product. Omega-3
fatty acids are also marketed by other companies as
non-prescription dietary supplements. As a result, in the U.S.,
VASCEPA is subject to non-prescription competition and consumer
substitution.
Our only product, VASCEPA, is a prescription-only form of EPA, an
omega-3 fatty acid in ethyl ester form. Mixtures of omega-3 fatty
acids in triglyceride form are naturally occurring substances
contained in various foods, including fatty fish. Omega-3 fatty
acids are marketed by others in a number of chemical forms as
non-prescription dietary supplements. We cannot be sure physicians
and other providers will view the U.S. FDA approval, pharmaceutical
grade purity and proven efficacy and safety of VASCEPA as having a
superior therapeutic profile to unproven and loosely regulated
omega-3 fatty acid dietary supplements. In addition, the U.S. FDA
has not yet enforced to the full extent of its regulatory authority
what we view as illegal claims made by certain omega-3 fatty acid
product manufacturers to the extent we believe appropriate under
applicable law and regulations, for example, claims that certain of
such chemically altered products are dietary supplements and that
certain of such products reduce triglyceride levels or could reduce
cardiovascular risk.
Also, for over a decade, subject to certain limitations, the U.S.
FDA has expressly permitted dietary supplement manufacturers that
sell supplements containing the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and/or DHA
to make the following qualified health claim directly to consumers:
Supportive but not conclusive research shows that consumption of
EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary
heart disease. Such companies are not, however, permitted, based on
U.S. FDA enforcement activity, to make claims that suggest or imply
treatment of cardiovascular disease.
These factors enable dietary supplements to compete with VASCEPA.
We may not be successful in such efforts, or such efforts may prove
too costly to be effective.
In addition, the net price of VASCEPA to patients even after
insurance reimbursement and offered discounts could be
significantly higher than the prices of commercially available
omega-3 fatty acids marketed by other companies as dietary
supplements (through the lack of coverage by insurers or
otherwise), physicians and pharmacists may recommend these retail
alternatives instead of writing or filling prescriptions for
VASCEPA or patients may elect on their own to take commercially
available omega-3 fatty acids. Also, insurance plans may
increasingly impose policies that directly or indirectly favor
supplement use over VASCEPA. VASCEPA pricing might not be
sufficient for healthcare providers or patients to elect VASCEPA
over alternative treatments that may be perceived as less expense
or more convenient to access. If healthcare providers or patients
favor dietary supplements over prescribing VASCEPA, we may be
constrained in how we price our product or VASCEPA’s market
acceptance may be less than expected, which would have a negative
impact on our revenues and results of operations.
40
Our products and marketing efforts are subject to extensive
post-approval government regulation.
Once a product candidate receives U.S. FDA marketing approval,
numerous post-approval requirements apply. Among other things, the
holder of an approved NDA is subject to periodic and other
monitoring and reporting obligations enforced by the U.S. FDA and
other regulatory bodies, including obligations to monitor and
report adverse events and instances of the failure of a product to
meet the specifications in the approved application. Application
holders must also submit advertising and other promotional material
to regulatory authorities and report on ongoing clinical
trials.
With respect to sales and marketing activities, advertising and
promotional materials must comply with U.S. FDA rules in addition
to other applicable federal and local laws in the United States and
in other countries. The result of our litigation and settlement
with the U.S. FDA, as discussed above, may cause the government to
scrutinize our promotional efforts or otherwise monitor our
business more closely. Industry-sponsored scientific and
educational activities also must comply with U.S. FDA and other
requirements. In the United States, the distribution of product
samples to physicians must comply with the requirements of the U.S.
Prescription Drug Marketing Act. Manufacturing facilities remain
subject to U.S. FDA inspection and must continue to adhere to the
U.S. FDA’s pharmaceutical current good manufacturing practice
requirements, or cGMPs. Application holders must obtain U.S. FDA
approval for product and manufacturing changes, depending on the
nature of the change. In addition, drug manufacturers and other
entities involved in the manufacture and distribution of approved
drugs are subject to periodic unannounced inspections by the U.S.
FDA and state agencies for compliance with cGMP
requirements.
We participate in the U.S. Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, the
Federal Supply Schedule, or FSS, of the U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs, or the VA, and other government drug programs, and,
accordingly, are subject to complex laws and regulations regarding
reporting and payment obligations. We must also comply with
requirements to collect and report adverse events and product
complaints associated with our products. Our activities are also
subject to U.S. federal and state consumer protection and unfair
competition laws, non-compliance with which could subject us to
significant liability. Similar requirements exist in many of these
areas in other countries.
Depending on the circumstances, failure to meet post-approval
requirements can result in criminal prosecution, fines or other
penalties, injunctions, recall or seizure of products, total or
partial suspension of production, denial or withdrawal of
pre-marketing product approvals, or refusal to allow us to enter
into supply contracts, including government contracts. We may also
be held responsible for the non-compliance of our partners, such as
our former co-promotion partner Kowa America. As discussed above,
in June 2020, we received a CID from the DOJ informing us that the
DOJ is investigating whether aspects of our promotional speaker
programs and copayment waiver programs during the period from
January 1, 2015 to the present violated the U.S. Anti-Kickback
Statute and the U.S. FCA in relation to the sale and marketing of
VASCEPA by us and our previous co-marketing partner, Kowa America.
The New York State attorney general similarly issued a subpoena to
us regarding the same subject matter on which the FTC CID is
focused. The inquiries require us to produce documents and answer
written questions, or interrogatories, relevant to specified time
periods. We cannot predict when these investigations will be
resolved, the outcome of the investigations or their potential
impact on our business. If the government determines that we have
violated the U.S. Anti-Kickback Statute, the FCA or antitrust
regulations, we could be subject to significant civil and criminal
fines and penalties, and our reputation may be harmed. In addition,
even if we comply with U.S. FDA and other requirements, new
information regarding the safety or effectiveness of a product
could lead the U.S. FDA to modify or withdraw a product approval.
Newly discovered or developed safety or effectiveness data may
require changes to a drug’s approved labeling and marketing,
including the addition of new warnings and contraindications, and
also may require the implementation of other risk management
measures. Adverse regulatory action, whether pre- or post-approval,
can potentially lead to product liability claims and increase our
product liability exposure. We must also compete against other
products in qualifying for coverage and reimbursement under
applicable third-party payment and insurance programs.
In addition, all of the above factors may also apply to any
regulatory approval for VASCEPA obtained in territories outside the
United States. In Europe, for example, restrictions regarding
off-label promotion are in some ways more stringent than in the
United States, including restrictions covering certain
communications with shareholders. Given our inexperience with
marketing and commercializing products outside the United States,
in certain territories we may need to rely on third parties, such
as our partners in Canada, China and the Middle East, to assist us
in dealing with any such issues and we will have limited or no
control over such partners.
Legislative or regulatory reform of the healthcare system in the
United States and foreign jurisdictions may affect our ability to
profitably sell VASCEPA.
Our ability to commercialize VASCEPA or any future products
successfully, alone or with collaborators, will depend in part on
the extent to which coverage and reimbursement for the products
will be available from government and health administration
authorities, private health insurers and other third-party payors.
The continuing efforts of the U.S. and foreign governments,
insurance companies, managed care organizations and other payors of
healthcare services to contain or reduce healthcare costs may
adversely affect our ability to set prices for our products which
we believe are fair, and our ability to generate revenues and
achieve and maintain
41
profitability. Refer to
Item 1. Business - United States Healthcare Reform and
Legislation
and
Item 1. Business - Pharmaceutical Pricing and Reimbursement
for further details.
In addition, it is time-consuming and expensive for us to go
through the process of seeking coverage and reimbursement from
Medicare and private payors. Our products may not be considered
cost effective, and government and third-party private health
insurance coverage and reimbursement may not be available to
patients for any of our future products or sufficient to allow us
to sell our products on a competitive and profitable basis. Our
results of operations could be adversely affected by ACA and by
other healthcare reforms that may be enacted or adopted in the
future. In addition, increasing emphasis on managed care in the
United States will continue to put pressure on the pricing of
pharmaceutical products. For example, proposals are being
considered to expand the use of dietary supplements in addition to
or in place of drugs in government and private payor plans. In
addition, cost control initiatives could decrease the price that we
or any potential collaborators could receive for any of our future
products and could adversely affect our profitability.
These and similar regulatory dynamics, including the entry of
generic versions of VASCEPA into the market, and the potential for
additional generic versions in the near term, can affect our
ability to commercialize VASCEPA on commercially reasonable terms
and limit the commercial value of VASCEPA.
If we fail to comply with our reporting and payment obligations
under the Medicaid Drug Rebate program or other governmental
pricing programs, we could be subject to additional reimbursement
requirements, penalties, sanctions and fines, which could have a
material adverse effect on our business, financial condition,
results of operations and growth prospects.
We participate in the Medicaid Drug Rebate program, the 340B drug
pricing program, and the VA’s FSS pricing program. Under the
Medicaid Drug Rebate program, we are required to pay a rebate to
each state Medicaid program for our covered outpatient drugs that
are dispensed to Medicaid beneficiaries and paid for by a state
Medicaid program as a condition of having federal funds being made
available to the states for our drugs under Medicaid and Medicare
Part B. Those rebates are based on pricing data reported by us on a
monthly and quarterly basis to CMS, the federal agency that
administers the Medicaid Drug Rebate program. These data include
the average manufacturer price and, in the case of innovator
products, the best price for each drug which, in general,
represents the lowest price available from the manufacturer to any
commercial entity in the U.S. in any pricing structure, calculated
to include all sales and associated rebates, discounts and other
price concessions. Our failure to comply with these price reporting
and rebate payment obligations could negatively impact our
financial results.
The ACA made significant changes to the Medicaid Drug Rebate
program. CMS issued a final regulation, which became effective in
2016, to implement the changes to the Medicaid Drug Rebate program
under the ACA. The issuance of the final regulation has increased
and will continue to increase our costs and the complexity of
compliance, has been and will continue to be time-consuming to
implement, and could have a material adverse effect on our results
of operations, particularly if CMS challenges the approach we take
in our implementation of the final regulation.
Federal law requires that any company that participates in the
Medicaid Drug Rebate program also participate in the Public Health
Service’s 340B drug pricing program in order for federal funds to
be available for the manufacturer’s drugs under Medicaid and
Medicare Part B. The 340B program requires participating
manufacturers to agree to charge statutorily defined covered
entities no more than the 340B “ceiling price” for the
manufacturer’s covered outpatient drugs. These 340B covered
entities include a variety of community health clinics and other
entities that receive health services grants from the Public Health
Service, as well as hospitals that serve a disproportionate share
of low-income patients. The 340B ceiling price is calculated using
a statutory formula based on the average manufacturer price and
Medicaid rebate amount for the covered outpatient drug as
calculated under the Medicaid Drug Rebate program, and in general,
products subject to Medicaid price reporting and rebate liability
are also subject to the 340B ceiling price calculation and discount
requirement. Any additional future changes to the definition of
average manufacturer price and the Medicaid rebate amount under the
ACA, other legislation, or in regulation could affect our 340B
ceiling price calculations and negatively impact our results of
operations.
The Health Resources and Services Administration, or HRSA, which
administers the 340B program, issued a final regulation regarding
the calculation of the 340B ceiling price and the imposition of
civil monetary penalties on manufacturers that knowingly and
intentionally overcharge covered entities, which became effective
on January 1, 2019. We also are required to report our 340B ceiling
prices to HRSA on a quarterly basis. Implementation of the civil
monetary penalties regulation and the issuance of any other final
regulations and guidance could affect our obligations under the
340B program in ways we cannot anticipate. In addition, legislation
may be introduced that, if passed, would further expand the 340B
program to additional covered entities or would require
participating manufacturers to agree to provide 340B discounted
pricing on drugs used in the inpatient setting.
Pricing and rebate calculations vary across products and programs,
are complex, and are often subject to interpretation by us,
governmental or regulatory agencies and the courts. In the case of
our Medicaid pricing data, if we become aware that our reporting
for a prior quarter was incorrect, or has changed as a result of
recalculation of the pricing data, we are obligated to resubmit the
corrected data for up to three years after those data originally
were due. Such restatements and recalculations increase our costs
for
42
complying with the laws and regulations governing the Medicaid Drug
Rebate program and could result in an overage or underage in our
rebate liability for past quarters. Price recalculations also may
affect the ceiling price at which we are required to offer our
products under the 340B program or could require us to issue
refunds to 340B covered entities.
Significant civil monetary penalties can be applied if we are found
to have knowingly submitted any false pricing information to CMS,
or if we fail to submit the required price data on a timely basis.
Such conduct also could be grounds for CMS to terminate our
Medicaid drug rebate agreement, in which case federal payments may
not be available under Medicaid or Medicare Part B for our covered
outpatient drugs. Significant civil monetary penalties also can be
applied if we are found to have knowingly and intentionally charged
340B covered entities more than the statutorily mandated ceiling
price. We cannot assure you that our submissions will not be found
by CMS or HRSA to be incomplete or incorrect.
In order to be eligible to have our products paid for with federal
funds under the Medicaid and Medicare Part B programs and purchased
by certain federal agencies and grantees, as noted above, we
participate in the VA’s FSS pricing program. As part of this
program, we are obligated to make our products available for
procurement on an FSS contract under which we must comply with
standard government terms and conditions and charge a price that is
no higher than the statutory Federal Ceiling Price, or FCP, to four
federal agencies (the VA, U.S. Department of Defense, or DOD,
Public Health Service, and the U.S. Coast Guard). The FCP is based
on the Non-Federal Average Manufacturer Price, or Non-FAMP, which
we calculate and report to the VA on a quarterly and annual basis.
Pursuant to applicable law, knowing provision of false information
in connection with a Non-FAMP filing can subject a manufacturer to
significant penalties for each item of false information. These
obligations also contain extensive disclosure and certification
requirements.
We also participate in the Tricare Retail Pharmacy program, under
which we pay quarterly rebates on utilization of innovator products
that are dispensed through the Tricare Retail Pharmacy network to
Tricare beneficiaries. The rebates are calculated as the difference
between the annual Non-FAMP and FCP. We are required to list our
covered products on a Tricare Agreement in order for these products
to be eligible for DOD formulary inclusion. If we overcharge the
government in connection with our FSS contract or Tricare
Agreement, whether due to a misstated FCP or otherwise, we are
required to refund the difference to the government. Failure to
make necessary disclosures and/or to identify contract overcharges
can result in allegations against us under the FCA and other laws
and regulations. Unexpected refunds to the government, and
responding to a government investigation or enforcement action,
would be expensive and time-consuming, and could have a material
adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of
operations and growth prospects.
Changes in reimbursement procedures by government and other
third-party payors may limit our ability to market and sell our
approved drugs. These changes could have a material adverse effect
on our business and financial condition.
In the U.S., Europe and other regions globally, sales of
pharmaceutical drugs are dependent, in part, on the availability of
reimbursement to the consumer from third-party payors, such as
government and private insurance plans. Third-party payors decide
which products and services they will cover and the conditions for
such coverage. Third party payors also establish reimbursement
rates for those products and services. Increasingly, third-party
payors are challenging the prices charged for medical products and
services. Some third-party payor benefit packages restrict
reimbursement, charge copayments to patients, or do not provide
coverage for specific drugs or drug classes.
In addition, certain U.S. based healthcare providers are moving
toward a managed care system in which such providers contract to
provide comprehensive healthcare services, including prescription
drugs, for a fixed cost per person. We are unable to predict the
reimbursement policies employed by third-party healthcare payors
may not be favorable to us.
We expect to experience pricing and reimbursement pressures in
connection with the sale of our products due to the trend toward
managed healthcare, the increasing influence of health maintenance
organizations and additional legislative and executive proposals,
as well as the availability of generic versions of VASCEPA. In
addition, we may confront limitations in, or exclusions from,
insurance coverage for our products, particularly as generic
competition intensifies. If we fail to successfully secure and
maintain reimbursement coverage for our approved drugs or are
significantly delayed in doing so, we may have difficulty achieving
market acceptance of our approved drugs and investigational drug
candidates for which we obtain approval, and our business may be
harmed. Congress has enacted healthcare reform and may enact
further reform, which could adversely affect the pharmaceutical
industry as a whole, and therefore could have a material adverse
effect on our business.
Ongoing healthcare legislative and regulatory reform measures may
have a material adverse effect on our business and results of
operations.
In the U.S. and some foreign jurisdictions, there have been a
number of legislative and regulatory changes and proposed changes
regarding the healthcare system that could, among other things,
prevent or delay marketing approval of our product candidates,
restrict or regulate post-approval activities and affect our
ability to profitably sell any products for which we obtain
marketing approval.
43
Changes in regulations, statutes or the interpretation of existing
regulations could impact our business in the future by requiring,
for example: (i) changes to our manufacturing arrangements; (ii)
additions or modifications to product labeling; (iii) the recall or
discontinuation of our products; or (iv) additional record-keeping
requirements. If any such changes were to be imposed, they could
adversely affect the operation of our business. Refer to
Item 1. Business - Current and Future Legislation
and
Item 1. Business - United States Healthcare Reform and
Legislation.
There have been, and likely will continue to be, legislative and
regulatory proposals at the foreign, federal and state levels
directed at broadening the availability of healthcare and
containing or lowering the cost of healthcare. The enactment and
implementation of cost containment measures or other healthcare
reforms may prevent us from being able to generate revenue, attain
profitability, or commercialize our product. Such reforms could
have an adverse effect on anticipated revenue from product
candidates that we may successfully develop and for which we may
obtain regulatory approval and may affect our overall financial
condition and ability to develop product candidates.
Failure to comply with health and data protection laws and
regulations could lead to government enforcement actions (which
could include civil or criminal penalties), private litigation,
and/or adverse publicity and could negatively affect our operating
results and business.
We and any potential collaborators may be subject to federal,
state, and foreign data protection laws and regulations (i.e., laws
and regulations that address privacy and data security). In the
United States, numerous federal and state laws and regulations,
including federal health information privacy laws, state data
breach notification laws, state health information privacy laws,
and federal and state consumer protection laws (e.g., Section 5 of
the Federal Trade Commission Act), that govern the collection, use,
disclosure and protection of health-related and other personal
information could apply to our operations or the operations of our
collaborators. In addition, we may obtain health information from
third parties (including research institutions from which we obtain
clinical trial data) that are subject to privacy and security
requirements under the federal Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA. Although we are not directly
subject to HIPAA – other than with respect to providing certain
employee benefits – we could potentially be subject to criminal
penalties if we, our affiliates, or our agents knowingly obtain,
use, or disclose individually identifiable health information
maintained by a HIPAA-covered entity in a manner that is not
authorized or permitted by HIPAA. In addition, state laws govern
the privacy and security of health information in specified
circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant
ways and may not have the same effect, thus complicating compliance
efforts.
Compliance with U.S. and international data protection laws and
regulations could require us to take on more onerous obligations in
our contracts, restrict our ability to collect, use and disclose
data, or in some cases, impact our ability to operate in certain
jurisdictions. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations
could result in government enforcement actions (which could include
civil, criminal and administrative penalties), private litigation,
and/or adverse publicity and could negatively affect our operating
results and business. Moreover, clinical trial subjects, employees
and other individuals about whom we or our potential collaborators
obtain personal information, as well as the providers who share
this information with us, may limit our ability to collect, use and
disclose the information. Claims that we have violated individuals’
privacy rights, failed to comply with data protection laws, or
breached our contractual obligations, even if we are not found
liable, could be expensive and time-consuming to defend and could
result in adverse publicity that could harm our operating results
and business.
European data collection is governed by restrictive regulations
governing the use, processing and cross-border transfer of personal
information.
The REDUCE-IT cardiovascular outcomes trial was conducted in part
through clinical sites in the EEA. As a result, we are subject to
additional privacy restrictions. The collection and use of personal
health data in the EU is governed by the provisions of the GDPR.
The GDPR imposes several requirements relating to the legal basis
for processing personal data which may include the consent of the
individuals to whom the personal data relates, the information
provided to the individuals and the security and confidentiality of
the personal data. The GDPR also imposes strict rules on the
transfer of personal data out of the EEA to third countries,
including the United States. A decision by the Court of Justice of
the European Union, or CJEU, in 2020 invalidated the EU-U.S.
Privacy Shield Framework, which was one of the primary mechanisms
used by U.S. companies to import personal information from Europe
in compliance with the GDPR's cross-border data transfer
restrictions, and raised questions about whether the EC's Standard
Contractual Clauses, or SCCs, one of the primary alternatives to
the Privacy Shield, can lawfully be used for personal information
transfers from Europe to the United States or most other countries.
Furthermore, on June 4, 2021, the EC issued new forms of standard
contractual clauses for data transfers from controllers or
processors in the EEA, or otherwise subject to the GDPR, to
controllers or processors established outside the EEA, and not
subject to the GDPR. The new forms of standard contractual clauses
have replaced the standard contractual clauses that were adopted
previously under the Data Protection Directive. They require a
case-by-case assessment of the law in the recipient country to
ensure it provides “essentially equivalent” protections to
safeguard the transferred personal data as the EEA, and require
businesses to adopt supplementary measures if such standard is not
met The new SCCs do not apply to the UK, but the UK Information
Commissioner’s Office has published its own transfer mechanism, the
International Data Transfer Agreement, or UK IDTA, which entered
into force on March 21, 2022, and enables data transfers
originating from the UK. It requires a similar assessment of the
data protection provided in the importer’s country. We will be
required to transition to the new forms of transfer mechanisms and
doing so will require significant effort and cost. The new
transfer
44
mechanisms may also impact our business as companies based in
Europe may be reluctant to utilize the new clauses to legitimize
transfers of personal information to third countries given the
burdensome requirements of transfer impact assessments and the
substantial obligations that the new standard contractual clauses
impose upon exporters. Failure to comply with the requirements of
the GDPR or the UK GDPR, and the related national data protection
laws of the EEA Member States or the UK may result in substantial
fines. The GDPR may impose additional responsibility and liability
in relation to personal data that we process and we may be required
to put in place additional mechanisms ensuring compliance with
these and/or new data protection rules. This may be costly, onerous
and adversely affect our business, financial condition, prospects
and results of operations.
The U.S. FDA, other regulatory agencies and industry organizations
strictly regulate the promotional claims that may be made about
prescription products and promotional efforts such as speaker
programs. If we or our partners are found to have improperly
promoted uses, efficacy or safety of VASCEPA or otherwise are found
to have violated the law or applicable regulations, we may become
subject to significant fines and other liability. The government
may seek to find means to prevent our promotion of truthful and
non-misleading information beyond the current court ruling and
litigation settlement or seek to find violations of other laws or
regulations in connection with the promotional efforts we undertake
on our own or through third parties.
The U.S. FDA and other regulatory agencies strictly regulate the
promotional claims that may be made about prescription products. In
particular, in general, the U.S. government’s position has been
that a product may not be promoted for uses that are not approved
by the U.S. FDA as reflected in the product’s approved labeling.
The Federal government has levied large civil and criminal fines
against companies for alleged improper promotion and has enjoined
several companies from engaging in off-label promotion. The U.S.
FDA has also requested that companies enter into consent decrees or
permanent injunctions under which specified promotional conduct is
changed or curtailed. Even though we received U.S. FDA marketing
approval for VASCEPA for the MARINE indication and for the
REDUCE-IT indication, and our settlement with the U.S. FDA affords
us a degree of protection for other promotional efforts, physicians
may still prescribe VASCEPA to their patients for use in the
treatment of conditions that are not included as part of the
indication statement in our U.S. FDA-approved VASCEPA label or our
settlement. If we are found to have promoted VASCEPA outside the
terms of the litigation settlement or in violation of what federal
or state government may determine to be acceptable, we may become
subject to significant government fines and other related
liability, such as under the FDCA, the FCA, or other theories of
liability. Government may also seek to hold us responsible for the
non-compliance of our former co-promotion partner, Kowa America, or
our commercialization partners outside the United States or other
third-parties that we retain to help us implement our business
plan.
In addition, incentives exist under applicable laws that encourage
competitors, employees and physicians to report violations of rules
governing promotional activities for pharmaceutical products. These
incentives could lead to so-called “whistleblower lawsuits” as part
of which such persons seek to collect a portion of moneys allegedly
overbilled to government agencies due to, for example, promotion of
pharmaceutical products beyond labeled claims. These incentives
could also lead to suits that we have mischaracterized a
competitor’s product in the marketplace and we may, as a result, be
sued for alleged damages to our competitors. Such lawsuits, whether
with or without merit, are typically time-consuming and costly to
defend. Such suits may also result in related shareholder lawsuits,
which are also costly to defend.
For example, the June 2020, CIDs from the DOJ informing us that the
DOJ is investigating whether aspects of our promotional speaker
programs and copayment waiver program violated the U.S.
Anti-Kickback Statute and from the FCA relating to the sale and
marketing of VASCEPA by us and our previous co-marketing partner,
Kowa America, as well as the March 2021, CID from the FTC in
connection with the FTC’s investigation of whether we have engaged
in, or are engaging in, anticompetitive practices or unfair methods
of competition relating to VASCEPA require us to produce documents
and answer written questions, or interrogatories, relevant to
specified time periods. As does the subpoena from the New York
State attorney general regarding the same subject matter on which
the FTC CID is focused. Such investigations can be lengthy, costly
and could materially affect and disrupt our business. If the
government determines that we have violated the U.S. Anti-Kickback
Statute, the FCA or antitrust regulations we could be subject to
significant civil and criminal fines and penalties.
We may not be successful in developing and receiving regulatory
approval for VASCEPA in other jurisdictions or marketing future
products if we cannot meet the extensive regulatory requirements of
regulatory agencies, such as for quality, safety, efficacy and data
privacy.
The success of our research and development efforts is dependent in
part upon our ability, and the ability of our partners or potential
partners, to meet regulatory requirements in the jurisdictions
where we or our partners or potential partners ultimately intend to
sell such products once approved. The development, manufacture and
marketing of pharmaceutical products are subject to extensive
regulation by governmental authorities in the United States and
elsewhere. In the United States, the U.S. FDA generally requires
preclinical testing and clinical trials of each drug to establish
its safety and efficacy and extensive pharmaceutical development to
ensure its quality before its introduction into the market.
Regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions impose similar
requirements. The process of obtaining regulatory approvals is
lengthy and expensive and the issuance of such approvals is
uncertain.
45
The commencement and rate of completion of clinical trials and the
timing of obtaining marketing approval from regulatory authorities
may be delayed by many factors, including, among others:
•
the lack of efficacy during clinical trials;
•
the inability to manufacture sufficient quantities of qualified
materials under cGMPs for use in clinical trials;
•
slower than expected rates of patient recruitment;
•
the inability to observe patients adequately after
treatment;
•
changes in regulatory requirements for clinical trials or
preclinical studies;
•
the emergence of unforeseen safety issues in clinical trials or
preclinical studies;
•
delay, suspension, or termination of a trial by the institutional
review board responsible for overseeing the study at a particular
study site;
•
unanticipated changes to the requirements imposed by regulatory
authorities on the extent, nature or timing of studies to be
conducted on quality, safety and efficacy;
•
compliance with laws and regulations related to patient data
privacy;
•
government or regulatory delays or “clinical holds” requiring
suspension or termination of a trial; and
•
political instability or other social or government protocols
affecting our clinical trial sites.
Even if we obtain positive results from our efforts to seek
regulatory approvals, from early stage preclinical studies or
clinical trials, we may not achieve the same success in future
efforts. Clinical trials that we or potential partners conduct may
not provide sufficient safety and efficacy data to obtain the
requisite regulatory approvals for product candidates. The failure
of clinical trials to demonstrate safety and efficacy for our
desired indications could harm the development of that product
candidate as well as other product candidates, and our business and
results of operations would suffer.
For example, in connection with U.S. FDA’s review of REDUCE-IT data
and sNDA in 2019, the agency determined that an interaction between
mineral oil and statins leading to decreased absorption of statins
cannot be excluded when the two are co-administered as could have
been the case in some patients in REDUCE-IT and that, in the
agency’s view, indirect evidence suggested the presence of a
potential inhibitory effect on statin absorption by mineral oil.
However, U.S. FDA’s exploratory analysis indicated that the effect
of LDL cholesterol values on the time to the primary endpoint was
numerically small and unlikely to change the overall conclusion of
treatment benefit. U.S. FDA then relied on this assessment and all
data available to it to approve a new indication statement and
labeling based on REDUCE-IT results. This matter illustrates that
concerns such as this may arise in the future that could affect our
product development, regulatory reviews or the public perception of
our products and our future prospects, including REDUCE-IT
results.
Any approvals that are obtained may be limited in scope, may
require additional post-approval studies or may require the
addition of labeling statements, including boxed warnings, focusing
on product safety that could affect the commercial potential for
our product candidates. Any of these or similar circumstances could
adversely affect our ability to gain approval for new indications
and affect revenues from the sale of our products. Even in
circumstances where products are approved by a regulatory body for
commercialization, the regulatory or legal requirements may change
over time, or new safety or efficacy information may be identified
concerning a product, which may lead to the withdrawal of a product
from the market or similar use restrictions. The discovery of
previously unknown problems with a clinical trial or product, or in
connection with the manufacturer of products, may result in
regulatory issues that prevent proposed future approvals of a
product and/or restrictions on that product or manufacturer,
including withdrawal of an indication or the product from the
market, which would have a negative impact on our potential revenue
stream.
As we continue to scale our infrastructure for commercializing
VASCEPA based on market dynamics for VASCEPA in the United States
and commercial initiatives and plans for VAZKEPA in Europe and
other parts of the world, we may encounter difficulties in managing
the size and adaptability of our operations
successfully.
The process of establishing, maintaining, expanding and
streamlining a commercial infrastructure is difficult, expensive
and time-consuming, particularly when such efforts need to adapt to
changing market and business dynamics. We implemented cost and
organizational restructuring plans, which included a reduction to
our U.S. commercial team to approximately 75 sales representatives
by the end of 2022. Our sales team promotes VASCEPA to a targeted
group of physicians and other healthcare professionals in select
geographies in the United States who recognize the potential
benefit to patients, and this team is not large enough to call upon
a sufficient number of physicians.
46
In addition to sales force reductions in the United States, we
continue to work on our own and with our international partners to
support regulatory efforts outside the United States based on
REDUCE-IT results. If we are successful in obtaining sufficient
approvals and adequate pricing and reimbursement levels in major
markets in Europe and elsewhere, we will need to ensure that our
operations are adequate to support a commercial launch and
continued promotion. Although we are preparing for growth in Europe
and elsewhere by expanding our infrastructure, we are operating
with streamlined teams and will need to expand internally and we
expect that we will need to manage additional relationships with
various collaborative partners, suppliers and other third parties.
Future growth and streamlining efforts will impose significant
added responsibilities on members of management, including the need
to identify, recruit, maintain and integrate the right number of
employees. For example, in Europe we have built out our team
subsequent to EC approval of the marketing authorization acceptance
in 2021, with plans to continue to expand our European staff as
deemed appropriate on a country by country basis. The time required
to secure reimbursement tends to vary from country to country and
cannot be reliably predicted at this time. While we believe that we
have strong arguments regarding the cost effectiveness of VAZKEPA,
the success of such reimbursement negotiations could have a
significant impact on our ability to hire and retain personnel and
realize the commercial opportunity of VAZKEPA in Europe. Our future
financial performance and our ability to commercialize VASCEPA and
to compete effectively will depend, in part, on our ability to
manage our future growth effectively, and such efforts may be
disrupted by ongoing or reinstated COVID-19 protocols. To that end,
we must be able to manage our development efforts effectively, and
hire, train, integrate and retain an appropriate level of
management, administrative and sales and marketing personnel and
have limited experience managing a commercial organization. We may
not be able to accomplish these tasks, and our failure to
accomplish any of them could prevent us from successfully growing
our company.
Our life-cycle management, in large part, currently depends on our
ability to develop, obtain regulatory approval and commercialize a
fixed-dose combination of VASCEPA and yet to be disclosed
statins.
Our life-cycle management is substantially dependent on our ability
to develop, obtain regulatory approval and commercialize a
fixed-dose combination of VASCEPA and yet to be disclosed statins.
Due to the risks and uncertainties involved in progressing through
development and bioequivalence or even potential additional trials
(as may be required by specific regulatory agencies), and the time
and cost involved in obtaining regulatory approvals, we cannot
reasonably estimate the timing, completion dates and costs, or
range of costs, of our drug development program, or of the
successful development of any particular fixed-dose combination.
The potential success of any fixed-dose combination will depend on
a number of factors, including the following:
•
Our ability to successfully manufacture a combination of VASCEPA
and a statin;
•
Our ability to maintain a supply of necessary statin for use in the
fixed-dose combination;
•
Our ability to obtain regulatory approvals for any and all markets
in which we intend to commercialize a fixed-dose combination of
VASCEPA and a statin;
•
Our ability to obtain payor acceptance and market access for a
fixed-dose combination product of VASCEPA and a statin;
and
•
Our ability to achieve market acceptance of a fixed-dose
combination of VASCEPA and a statin.
The continued scale, scope and duration of business interruptions
caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and related recovery efforts remain
uncertain.
Despite recent improvements, the ongoing presence of COVID-19 has
created significant volatility, uncertainty and disruption in
healthcare, social, supply and economic infrastructures. The extent
to which the coronavirus pandemic will continue to impact our
business, operations and financial results will depend on numerous
evolving factors that we may not be able to accurately predict or
plan around, including:
•
the duration, volatility and scope of the pandemic, including
resurgences, and the efficacy of recovery efforts;
•
governmental, business and individuals’ actions that have been and
continue to be taken in response to the pandemic;
•
the impact of the pandemic on economic and political activity and
actions taken in response;
•
the effect on patients, healthcare providers and business partners,
including patients’ ability to access supplies of VASCEPA and the
willingness of patients to visit doctors for non-urgent medical
examination or to visit labs for blood tests to assess biomarkers
such as lipid levels;
•
our ability to commercialize VASCEPA, including if travel
restrictions, social distancing and other containment measures are
resumed or intensified;
•
the enrollment or monitoring of patients in clinical trials,
particularly at clinical trial sites located in highly impacted
jurisdictions and jurisdictions where vaccination rates are
low;
47
•
the ability to access, secure and otherwise obtain and deliver
sufficient and timely commercial or clinical supplies of VASCEPA at
reasonable prices and sufficient to meet demand if the production
capabilities of suppliers is disrupted;
•
disruptions in regulatory oversight and actions if regulators and
industry professionals continue to expend significant and
unexpected resources addressing COVID-19;
•
the availability of coverage and reimbursement from government and
health administration authorities, private health insurers and
other third-party payors if the system continues to be overly
strained;
•
the ability of regulators to complete inspections and reviews of
operations and applications, respectively, in a timely manner;
and
•
any further, prolonged or reinstated closures of our and our
partners’ offices, operations and facilities impeding our ability
to work together as a company and with our business and healthcare
partners.
Even as the impacts of the pandemic appear to subside, additional
variants may emerge and as vaccine usage and protocols evolve,
face-to-face interactions may continue to be challenging for us to
predict. The circumstances surrounding COVID-19 vary geographically
and vary over time, with continued risk of potential resurgences in
COVID-19 cases, and the possibility of reinstitution of protocols,
in various geographies as the efficacy of the vaccine on various
strains remains uncertain. While we have supplemented our
face-to-face interactions with virtual outreach, these efforts may
not be as impactful as traditional, in-person interactions.
Specifically, access to healthcare professionals through the
internet or other channels, may not be as productive as in-person
interactions.
The disruptions associated with the coronavirus pandemic could
delay the potential timing of subsequent steps for the launch of
commercialization of VAZKEPA in Europe. Additionally, COVID-19 has
already and could continue to limit our ability to have access with
healthcare professionals to help educate them regarding VAZKEPA so
that they are more likely to prescribe it to their at-risk
patients. And, similar to our experience in the United States, the
effects of COVID-19 and related preventative measures may reduce
the frequency at which at-risk patients seek non-urgent
preventative medical care.
Risks Related to Our Reliance on Third Parties
Our supply of product for the commercial market and clinical trials
is dependent upon relationships with third-party manufacturers and
suppliers, including manufacturers and suppliers who may require us
to comply with burdensome minimum purchase commitments, which may
be greater than our supply needs.
We have no in-house manufacturing capacity and rely entirely on
contract manufacturers for our clinical and commercial product
supply. We cannot provide assurance that we will successfully
manufacture any product we may develop, either independently or
under manufacturing arrangements, if any, with our third-party
manufacturers. Moreover, if our manufacturers should cease doing
business with us or experience delays, shortages of supply or
excessive demands on their capacity, or if they insist on
burdensome terms, such as excessive minimum supply commitments, we
may not be able to obtain adequate quantities of product in a
timely manner, at cost efficient levels or at all. If we are not
able to continue to operate our business relationships in a manner
that is sufficiently profitable for us and our suppliers, certain
members of our supply chain could compete with us through supply to
competitors, such as generic drug companies, through breach of our
agreements or otherwise.
Any manufacturing problem, natural or manmade disaster affecting
manufacturing facilities, government action, or the loss of a
contract manufacturer could potentially be disruptive to our
operations and result in lost sales. Any reliance on suppliers may
involve several risks, including a potential inability to obtain
critical materials and reduced control over production costs,
delivery schedules, reliability and quality. Any unanticipated
disruption to future contract manufacture caused by problems at
suppliers could delay shipment of products, increase our cost of
goods sold and/or result in lost sales. If our suppliers were
unable to supply us with adequate volumes of active pharmaceutical
ingredient, or API, (drug substance) or encapsulated bulk product
(drug product), it would have a material adverse effect on our
ability to continue to commercialize VASCEPA.
We have contractual freedom to source the API for VASCEPA and to
procure other services supporting our supply chain. We have entered
into supply agreements with multiple suppliers who also rely on
other third-party suppliers to manufacture the API and other
elements necessary for the sale of VASCEPA. We continue to take
steps to negotiate our contract supply agreements to align supply
arrangements with current and future global market
demand.
Expanding manufacturing capacity and qualifying such capacity is
complex and subject to numerous regulations and other operational
challenges. We require supply capacity to support our direct and
indirect commercialization of VASCEPA. We are also committed to
providing supply to our commercial partners and distributors in
Canada, China, the Middle East and North Africa, and we anticipate
potential additional supply requirements as we pursue commercial
opportunities in other countries. The resources of our suppliers
vary and are limited; costs associated with projected expansion and
qualification can be significant, and lead-times for supply
purchases and capacity expansion are long requiring certain supply
related decisions and commitment to be made in advance
of
48
commercial launch, including in China and various European
countries. Our aggregate capacity to produce API is dependent upon
the continued qualification of our API suppliers and, depending on
the ability of existing suppliers to meet our supply demands, and
the ability to qualify any new suppliers. If no additional API
supplier is approved by the U.S. FDA as part of an sNDA, our API
supply will be limited to the API we purchase from previously
approved suppliers. For example, the EMA has not yet approved use
of each of our suppliers used for VASCEPA in the United States for
supply of VAZKEPA in the EU.
Further, there can be no guarantee that current suppliers and
future suppliers with which we have contracted to encapsulate API
will be continually qualified to manufacture the product to our
specifications or that current and any future suppliers will have
the manufacturing capacity to meet anticipated demand for
VASCEPA.
If our third-party manufacturing capacity is not appropriately
qualified and/or compliant with applicable regulatory requirements,
we may not be able to supply sufficient quantities of VASCEPA to
meet anticipated demand.
We cannot guarantee that we can contract with any future
manufacturer on acceptable terms or that any such alternative
supplier will not require capital investment from us in order for
them to meet our requirements. Alternatively, our purchase of
supply, or any minimum purchase requirements, may exceed actual
demand for VASCEPA.
For example, certain of our agreements with our suppliers include
minimum purchase obligations and limited exclusivity provisions.
These purchases are generally made on the basis of rolling 12-month
forecasts which in part are binding on us and the balance of which
are subject to adjustment by us subject to certain limitations.
Certain of our agreements also include contractual minimum purchase
commitments regardless of the rolling 12-month forecasts. We may
not purchase sufficient quantities of VASCEPA to meet actual demand
or we may be required to purchase more supply than needed to meet
actual demand.
If our minimum purchase commitments exceed our supply needs for
VASCEPA, we may have to renegotiate with partners in our supply
chain who may not be incentivized to renegotiate terms that are
favorable to us, or at all. If we are unable to secure adequate
levels of supply to meet demand, our financial condition could be
negatively and materially impacted.
Our dependence on third parties in the distribution channel from
our manufacturers to patients subject us to risks that limit our
profitability and could limit our ability to supply VASCEPA to
large market segments.
We sell VASCEPA principally to a limited number of major
wholesalers, as well as selected regional wholesalers and mail
order pharmacy providers, or collectively, our distributors or our
customers, that in turn resell VASCEPA to retail pharmacies for
subsequent resale to patients and healthcare providers. These
parties exercise a substantial amount of bargaining power over us
given their control over large segments of the market for VASCEPA.
This bargaining power has led us to bear increasingly higher
discounts in the sale of VASCEPA. In addition, payors have broad
latitude to change individual products’ formulary position or to
implement other barriers that inhibit patients from receiving
therapies prescribed by their healthcare professionals. These payor
barriers include requirements that patients try another drug before
VASCEPA, known as step edits, and the requirement that prior
authorization be obtained by a healthcare provider after a
prescription is written before a patient will be reimbursed by
their health plan for the cost of a VASCEPA prescription. Further,
pharmacy benefit managers implement plans that act as disincentives
for VASCEPA use, such as increasingly higher deductibles. One
practical impact of higher deductibles is that they may cause
patients to delay filling prescriptions for asymptomatic, chronic
care medications such as hypertriglyceridemia earlier in the year,
until patients meet their deductible and the cost of VASCEPA is
then borne more by their insurance carrier. Collectively, these
dynamics negatively affect our profitability for the sale of
VASCEPA and could increase over time further impacting our
operating results. Consolidation among these industry participants
could increase the pressure on us from these market
dynamics.
The manufacture, packaging and distribution of pharmaceutical
products such as VASCEPA are subject to U.S. FDA regulations and
those of similar foreign regulatory bodies. If we or our
third-party manufacturers fail to satisfy these requirements, our
product development and commercialization efforts may be materially
harmed.
The manufacture, packaging and distribution of pharmaceutical
products, such as VASCEPA, are regulated by the U.S. FDA and
similar foreign regulatory bodies and must be conducted in
accordance with the U.S. FDA’s cGMPs and comparable requirements of
foreign regulatory bodies. There are a limited number of
manufacturers that operate under these cGMPs as well as the
International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements
for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use, or ICH,
regulations and guidelines, that are both capable of manufacturing
VASCEPA and willing to do so. Failure by us or our third-party
manufacturers to comply with applicable regulations, requirements,
or guidelines could result in sanctions being imposed on us,
including fines, injunctions, civil penalties, failure of
regulatory authorities to grant marketing approval of our products,
delays, suspension or withdrawal of approvals, license revocation,
seizures or voluntary recalls of product, operating restrictions
and criminal prosecutions and penalties, any of which could
significantly and adversely affect our business. If we are not able
to manufacture VASCEPA to required specifications through our
current and potential API suppliers, we may be delayed in
successfully supplying the product to meet anticipated demand and
our anticipated future revenues and financial results may be
materially adversely affected.
49
Changes in the manufacturing process or procedure, including a
change in the location where the product is manufactured or a
change of a third-party manufacturer, may require prior U.S. FDA
review and pre-approval of the manufacturing process and procedures
in accordance with the U.S. FDA’s cGMPs. Any new facility may be
subject to a pre-approval inspection by the U.S. FDA and would
again require us to demonstrate product comparability to the U.S.
FDA. If any third-party manufacturer with whom we contract fails to
perform its obligations, we may be forced to manufacture the
materials ourselves, for which we may not have the capabilities or
resources, or enter into an agreement with a different third-party
manufacturer, which we may not be able to do on reasonable terms,
if at all. In either scenario, our clinical trials or commercial
distribution could be delayed significantly as we establish
alternative supply sources. In some cases, the technical skills
required to manufacture our products or product candidates may be
unique or proprietary to the original third-party manufacturer and
we may have difficulty, or there may be contractual restrictions
prohibiting us from, transferring such skills to a back-up or
alternate supplier, or we may be unable to transfer such skills at
all. In addition, if we are required to change third-party
manufacturer for any reason, we will be required to verify that the
new third-party manufacturer maintains facilities and procedures
that comply with quality standards and with all applicable
regulations. We will also need to verify, such as through a
manufacturing comparability study, that any new manufacturing
process will produce our product according to the specifications
previously submitted to or approved by the U.S. FDA or another
regulatory authority. The delays associated with the verification
of a new third-party manufacturer could negatively affect our
ability to develop product candidates or commercialize our products
in a timely manner or within budget. Furthermore, a third-party
manufacturer may possess technology related to the manufacture of
our product candidate that such third-party manufacturer owns
independently. This would increase our reliance on such third-party
manufacturer or require us to obtain a license from such
third-party manufacturer in order to have another third-party
manufacturer manufacture our products or product candidates. In
addition, in the case of the third-party manufacturers that supply
any future product candidates, changes in manufacturers often
involve changes in manufacturing procedures and processes, which
could require that we conduct bridging studies between our prior
clinical supply used in our clinical trials and that of any new
manufacturer. We may be unsuccessful in demonstrating the
comparability of clinical supplies which could require the conduct
of additional clinical trials.
There are comparable foreign requirements under ICH guidelines. In
addition, certain past COVID-19 restrictions have affected
Regulatory Agencies' ability to conduct facility inspections and
may affect the timing of further approvals. This review may be
costly and time consuming and could delay or prevent the launch of
a product.
Furthermore, the U.S. FDA and foreign regulatory agencies require
that we be able to consistently produce the API and the finished
product in commercial quantities and of specified quality on a
repeated basis, including demonstrated product stability, and
document our ability to do so. This requirement is referred to as
process validation. Process validation includes stability testing,
measurement of impurities and testing of other product
specifications by validated test methods. If the U.S. FDA does not
consider the result of the process validation or required testing
to be satisfactory, the commercial supply of VASCEPA may be
delayed, or we may not be able to supply sufficient quantities of
VASCEPA to meet anticipated demand. On March 27, 2020, former
President Trump signed into law the CARES Act in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been
public concern over the availability and accessibility of critical
medical products, and the CARES Act enhances U.S. FDA’s existing
authority with respect to drug shortage measures. Under the CARES
Act, we must have in place a risk management plan that identifies
and evaluates the risks to the supply of approved drugs for certain
serious diseases or conditions for each establishment where the
drug or API is manufactured. The risk management plan will be
subject to U.S. FDA review during an inspection. If we experience
shortages in the supply of our marketed products, our results could
be materially impacted.
The U.S. FDA and similar foreign regulatory bodies may also
implement new requirements, or change their interpretation and
enforcement of existing requirements, for manufacture, packaging or
testing of products at any time. If we or our approved suppliers
are unable to comply, we may be subject to regulatory, civil
actions or penalties, or we may be prevented from manufacturing or
selling VASCEPA, all of which could significantly and adversely
affect our business. Furthermore, reductions in government
operations due to pandemic mitigation efforts, or other factors,
may delay timely regulatory review by U.S. FDA or similar foreign
regulatory bodies. For example, since March 2020 when foreign and
domestic inspections of facilities were largely placed on hold, the
U.S. FDA has been working to resume pre-pandemic levels of
inspection activities, including routine surveillance, bioresearch
monitoring and pre-approval inspections. Should the U.S. FDA
determine that an inspection is necessary for approval and an
inspection cannot be completed during the review cycle due to
restrictions on travel, and the U.S. FDA does not determine a
remote interactive evaluation to be adequate, the agency has stated
that it generally intends to issue, depending on the circumstances,
a complete response letter or defer action on the application until
an inspection can be completed. During the COVID-19 public health
emergency, a number of companies announced receipt of complete
response letters due to the FDA’s inability to complete required
inspections for their applications. Regulatory authorities outside
the U.S. may adopt similar restrictions or other policy measures in
response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and may experience delays
in their regulatory activities.
We have limited experience commercializing VASCEPA outside the
United States, and we may not be successful in building an
infrastructure, including a sales force, that can navigate the
regulatory and other dynamics outside of the United States. We are
currently, and may continue to be, substantially dependent on third
parties for our international efforts, and we may not be
50
successful in negotiating or establishing relationships with
business partners to support and maintain control over our
international activities.
We have expanded our VASCEPA commercialization activities outside
of the United States through several contractual arrangements in
territories including China, the Middle East, North Africa and
Canada. We continue to assess other opportunities to develop
VASCEPA commercialization outside of the United States through
similar arrangements.
For example, Edding is responsible for development and
commercialization activities in the China Territory and associated
expenses under our development, commercialization and supply
agreement with them. Additionally, Edding is required to conduct
clinical trials in the China Territory to secure regulatory
approval in certain territories. Although Edding has successfully
undertaken clinical trials and approval initiatives under our
arrangement with them, including the announcement of statistically
significant positive topline results from Edding’s Phase 3 clinical
trial of VASCEPA and has obtained approval for VASCEPA under the
REDUCE-IT indication in Hong Kong, with anticipated approval in
Mainland China expected by mid-year of 2023, Edding may be required
to undertake clinical development efforts in these markets, or
Edding may face challenges or be unsuccessful in pursuing
commercial launch. Further, any development and regulatory efforts
in the China Territory may be negatively impacted if the
coronavirus pandemic worsens, continues or spreads, and if
resources by regulators and industry professionals continue to be
diverted to address the prolonged coronavirus pandemic. Any
development and regulatory efforts in the China Territory may be
negatively impacted by heightened political tension between China
and the United States, including in connection with COVID-19 and
other issues expressed between the countries regarding trade
practices, tariffs and honoring intellectual property rights. If
Edding is not able to effectively develop and commercialize VASCEPA
in the China Territory, we may not be able to generate revenue from
the DCS Agreement resulting from the sale of VASCEPA in the China
Territory.
We are party to arrangements with Biologix FZCo, or Biologix, to
register and commercialize VASCEPA in several Middle Eastern and
North African countries and with HLS Therapeutics Inc., or HLS, to
register, commercialize and distribute VASCEPA in Canada. Although
Biologix is currently actively commercializing VASCEPA in the
United Arab Emirates and Lebanon, and HLS is currently
commercializing VASCEPA in Canada, we are completely reliant on
these third parties to secure approval and successfully
commercialize the product in those markets, which markets can be
complex and challenging. Further, development and commercialization
across the Middle East and North Africa is subject to similar risks
as in the China Territory, and has been negatively impacted by
COVID-19 and the destabilized local economies in the
region.
If Edding, Biologix or HLS, or other third parties who we rely on
for development and commercialization of VASCEPA, do not
successfully carry out their contractual obligations or meet
expected deadlines, our recourse and remedies against these parties
is limited
Our efforts to launch and support commercialization of VAZKEPA on
our own in Europe is a complex undertaking for a company that,
other than our launch of VAZKEPA in Germany in September 2021
(where operations were subsequently discontinued) and the launch of
VAZKEPA in certain countries in the fourth quarter of 2022,
including the UK in October 2022, has not launched or otherwise
commercialized a product in Europe and could be subject to
significant risks of execution to our successful development and
revenue generation of VAZKEPA in Europe.
We have limited experience working with partners outside the United
States to develop and market our products in non-U.S.
jurisdictions. In order for our partners to market and sell VASCEPA
in any country outside of the United States for any indication, it
will be necessary to obtain regulatory approval from the
appropriate regulatory authorities. The requirements and timing for
regulatory approval, which may include conducting clinical trials,
vary widely from country to country and may in some cases be
different than or more rigorous than requirements in the United
States. Any failure by us or our partners to obtain approval for
VASCEPA in non-U.S. jurisdictions in a timely manner may limit the
commercial success of VASCEPA and our ability to grow our
revenues.
Our relationships with healthcare providers and physicians and
third-party payors are subject to applicable anti-kickback, fraud
and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations, which could
expose us to criminal sanctions, civil penalties, contractual
damages, reputational harm and diminished profits and future
earnings.
Healthcare providers, physicians and third-party payors in the
United States and elsewhere play a primary role in the
recommendation and prescription of pharmaceutical products.
Arrangements with third-party payors and customers can expose
pharmaceutical manufacturers to broadly applicable fraud and abuse
and other healthcare laws and regulations, which may constrain the
business or financial arrangements and relationships through which
such companies sell, market and distribute pharmaceutical products.
In particular, the promotion, sales and marketing of healthcare
items and services, as well as a wide range of pricing,
discounting, marketing and promotion, structuring and
commission(s), certain customer incentive programs and other
business arrangements, are subject to extensive laws designed to
prevent fraud, kickbacks, self-dealing and other abusive practices.
These laws and regulations may restrict or prohibit a wide range of
pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, structuring and
commission(s), certain customer incentive programs and other
business arrangements generally. Activities subject to these laws
also involve the
51
improper use of information obtained in the course of patient
recruitment for clinical trials. Refer to “Item
1.
Business - Government Regulation - Fraud and Abuse Laws and Data
Regulation"
for further details.
The distribution of pharmaceutical products is subject to
additional requirements and regulations, including extensive
record-keeping, licensing, storage and security requirements
intended to prevent the unauthorized sale of pharmaceutical
products. In addition, manufacturers and other parties involved in
the drug supply chain for prescription drug products must also
comply with product tracking and tracing requirements and for
notifying U.S. FDA of counterfeit, diverted, stolen and
intentionally adulterated products or products that are otherwise
unfit for distribution in the United States.
The scope and enforcement of each of these laws is uncertain and
subject to rapid change in the current environment of healthcare
reform, especially in light of the lack of applicable precedent and
regulations. Federal and state enforcement bodies continue to give
regular and close scrutiny to interactions between healthcare
companies and healthcare providers, and such scrutiny often leads
to investigations, prosecutions, convictions and settlements in the
healthcare industry. Ensuring business arrangements comply with
applicable healthcare laws, as well as responding to possible
investigations by government authorities, can be time- and
resource-consuming and can divert a company’s attention from the
business. For example, the June 2020 CIDs from the DOJ informing us
that the DOJ is investigating whether aspects of our promotional
speaker programs and copayment waiver program violated the U.S.
Anti-Kickback Statute, and from the FCA relating to the sale and
marketing of VASCEPA by us and our previous co-marketing partner,
Kowa America as well as the March 2021 CID from the FTC in
connection with the FTC’s investigation of whether we have engaged
in, or are engaging in, anticompetitive practices or unfair methods
of competition relating to VASCEPA require us to produce documents
and answer written questions, or interrogatories, relevant to
specified time periods. As does the subpoena from the New York
State attorney general regarding the same subject matter on which
the FTC CID is focused. As noted, we are cooperating with the
government, but we cannot predict when these investigations will be
resolved, the outcome of the investigations or their potential
impact on our business. Such investigations can be lengthy, costly
and could materially affect and disrupt our business. If the
government determines that we have violated the U.S. Anti-Kickback
Statute, the FCA or antitrust regulations, we could be subject to
significant civil and criminal fines and penalties. The failure to
comply with any of these laws or regulatory requirements subjects
entities to possible legal or regulatory action. Depending on the
circumstances, failure to meet applicable regulatory requirements
can result in significant civil, criminal and administrative
penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, individual imprisonment,
exclusion from participation in federal and state funded healthcare
programs (such as Medicare and Medicaid), contractual damages and
the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, as well as
additional reporting obligations and oversight if we become subject
to a corporate integrity agreement or other agreement to resolve
allegations of non-compliance with these laws. Any action for
violation of these laws, even if successfully defended, could cause
a pharmaceutical manufacturer to incur significant legal expenses
and divert management’s attention from the operation of the
business. If any of the physicians or other healthcare providers or
entities with whom we expect to do business is found not to be in
compliance with applicable laws, that person or entity may be
subject to criminal, civil or administrative sanctions, including
exclusions from government funded healthcare programs. Prohibitions
or restrictions on sales or withdrawal of future marketed products
could materially affect business in an adverse way.
It is not always possible to identify and deter employee
misconduct, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent
inappropriate conduct may not be effective in controlling unknown
or unmanaged risks or losses or in protecting us from governmental
investigations or other actions or lawsuits stemming from a failure
to be in compliance with such laws or regulations.
Third party patient assistance programs that receive financial
support from companies have become the subject of enhanced
government and regulatory scrutiny. Government enforcement agencies
have shown increased interest in pharmaceutical companies' product
and patient assistance programs, including reimbursement support
services, and a number of investigations into these programs have
resulted in significant civil and criminal settlements. The U.S.
government has established guidelines that suggest that it is
lawful for pharmaceutical manufacturers to make donations to
charitable organizations who provide co-pay assistance to Medicare
patients, provided that such organizations, among other things, are
bona fide charities, are entirely independent of and not controlled
by the manufacturer, provide aid to applicants on a first-come
basis according to consistent financial criteria and do not link
aid to use of a donor's product. However, donations to patient
assistance programs have received some negative publicity and have
been the subject of multiple government enforcement actions,
related to allegations regarding their use to promote branded
pharmaceutical products over other less costly alternatives.
Specifically, in recent years there have been multiple settlements
resulting out of government claims challenging the legality of
their patient assistance programs under a variety of federal and
state laws. It is possible that we may make grants to independent
charitable foundations that help financially needy patients with
their premium, co-pay, and co-insurance obligations. If we choose
to do so, and if we or our vendors or donation recipients are
deemed to fail to comply with relevant laws, regulations or
evolving government guidance in the operation of these programs, we
could be subject to damages, fines, penalties, or other criminal,
civil, or administrative sanctions or enforcement actions. We
cannot ensure that our compliance controls, policies, and
procedures will be sufficient to protect against acts of our
employees, business partners, or vendors that may violate the laws
or regulations of the jurisdictions in which we operate. Regardless
of whether we have complied with the law, a government
investigation could impact our business practices, harm our
reputation, divert the attention of management, increase our
expenses, and reduce the availability of foundation support for our
patients who need assistance. Further, it is possible that changes
in
52
insurer policies regarding co-pay coupons and/or the introduction
and enactment of new legislation or regulatory measures impacting
patients using affected products could have a material adverse
effect on our sales, business and financial condition. For example,
on December 31, 2020, CMS published a new rule, effective January
1, 2023, requiring manufacturers to ensure the full value of co-pay
assistance is passed on to the patient or these dollars will count
toward the Average Manufacturer Price and Best Price calculation of
the drug. On May 17, 2022, the U.S. District Court for the District
of Columbia granted the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers
of America's, or PhRMA, motion for summary judgment invalidating
the accumulator adjustment rule. Although a number of these and
other proposed measures may require authorization through
additional legislation to become effective, and the current U.S.
presidential administration may reverse or otherwise change these
measures, both the current U.S. presidential administration and
Congress have indicated that they will continue to seek new
legislative measures to control drug costs. We cannot predict how
the implementation of and any further changes to this rule will
affect our business.
In addition, with the approval and commercialization of any of our
products outside the United States, we will also likely be subject
to foreign equivalents of the healthcare laws mentioned above,
among other foreign laws.
We rely on third parties to conduct our clinical trials, and those
third parties may not perform satisfactorily, including failing to
meet established deadlines for the completion of such clinical
trials.
Our reliance on third parties for clinical development activities
reduces our control over these activities. However, if we sponsor
clinical trials, we are responsible for ensuring that each of our
clinical trials is conducted in accordance with the general
investigational plan and protocols for the trials. Moreover, the
U.S. FDA requires us to comply with requirements, commonly referred
to as good clinical practices, for conducting, recording, and
reporting the results of clinical trials to ensure that data and
reported results are credible and accurate and that the rights,
integrity and confidentiality of trial participants are protected.
Our reliance on third parties does not relieve us of these
responsibilities and requirements. Furthermore, these third parties
may also have relationships with other entities, some of which may
be our competitors. If these third parties do not successfully
carry out their contractual duties or meet expected deadlines, we
may be delayed in obtaining regulatory approvals for our product
candidates and may be delayed in our efforts to successfully
commercialize our product candidates for targeted
diseases.
Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property
We are dependent on patents, proprietary rights and confidentiality
obligations of our employees, agents, business partners and third
parties to protect the commercial value and potential of
VASCEPA.
Our success depends in part on our ability to obtain and maintain
intellectual property protection for our drug candidates,
technology and know-how, and to operate without infringing the
proprietary rights of others. Refer to “Item
1.Business - Patents, Proprietary Technology, Trade Secrets
for further details.
Enforcing our patent rights is challenging and costly and, even if
we are able to successfully enforce our patent rights, our issued
patents may not prevent competitors from competing with
VASCEPA.
We plan to vigorously defend our rights under issued patents,
however such defense activities can be costly to pursue and may not
have the desired results. For example, on November 30, 2020 we
filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Hikma for making,
selling, offering to sell and importing generic icosapent ethyl
capsules in and into the United States in a manner that we allege
has induced the infringement of patents covering the use of VASCEPA
to reduce specified cardiovascular risk. On January 25, 2021, we
expanded the scope of this patent infringement lawsuit to include a
health care insurance provider, Health Net, LLC. On January 4,
2022, the district court hearing the case granted Hikma's motion to
dismiss. On October 13, 2022, the district court granted final
judgement and we have appealed this decision but cannot predict the
outcome or the impact on our business. We entered into a settlement
agreement with Health Net, LLC on December 26, 2022. We likewise
plan to engage in similar patent litigation should other
competitors arise with products that infringe our intellectual
property rights.
Patent litigation is a time-consuming and costly process. There can
be no assurance that we will be successful in enforcing this patent
or that it will not be successfully challenged and invalidated.
Even if we are successful in enforcing this patent, the process
could take years to reach conclusion. Other drug companies may
challenge the validity, enforceability, or both of our patents and
seek to design its products around our issued patent claims and
gain marketing approval for generic versions of VASCEPA or branded
competitive products based on new clinical studies. The
pharmaceutical industry is highly competitive and many of our
competitors have greater experience and resources than we have. Any
such competition could undermine sales, marketing and collaboration
efforts for VASCEPA, and thus reduce, perhaps materially, the
revenue potential for VASCEPA.
Even if we are successful in enforcing our issued patents, we may
incur substantial costs and divert management’s time and attention
in pursuing these proceedings, which could have a material adverse
effect on us. Patent litigation is costly and time consuming, and
we may not have sufficient resources to bring these actions to a
successful conclusion.
53
We have pending patent applications relating to VASCEPA and its
use. There can be no assurance that any of these applications will
issue patents, and even if patent protection is obtained, it may be
insufficient to minimize competition or support our
commercialization efforts.
We have filed and are prosecuting numerous families of patent
applications in the United States and internationally with claims
designed to protect the proprietary position of VASCEPA. For
certain of these patent families, we have filed multiple patent
applications. Collectively the patent applications include numerous
independent claims and dependent claims. Several of our patent
applications contain claims that are based upon what we believe are
unexpected and favorable findings from our clinical trials.
However, our pending patent applications may not be granted or, if
they grant, that they will prevent competitors from competing with
VASCEPA.
Securing patent protection for a product is a complex process
involving many legal and factual questions. The patent applications
we have filed in the United States and internationally are at
varying stages of examination, the timing of which is outside our
control. The process to getting a patent granted can be lengthy and
claims initially submitted are often modified in order to satisfy
the requirements of the patent office. This process includes
written and public communication with the patent office. The
process can also include direct discussions with the patent
examiner. There can be no assurance that the patent office will
accept our arguments with respect to any patent application or with
respect to any claim therein. We cannot predict the timing or
results of any patent application. In addition, we may elect to
submit, or the patent office may require, additional evidence to
support certain of the claims we are pursuing. Furthermore, third
parties may attempt to submit publications for consideration by the
patent office during examination of our patent applications.
Providing such additional evidence and publications could prolong
the patent office’s review of our applications and result in us
incurring additional costs. We cannot be certain what commercial
value any granted patent in our patent estate will provide to
us.
Despite the use of confidentiality agreements and/or proprietary
rights agreements, which themselves may be of limited
effectiveness, it may be difficult for us to protect our trade
secrets.
In addition to our patent portfolio and strategy, we will also rely
upon trade secrets and know-how to help protect our competitive
position. We rely on trade secrets to protect technology in cases
when we believe patent protection is not appropriate or obtainable.
However, trade secrets are difficult to protect. While we require
certain of our academic collaborators, contractors and consultants
to enter into confidentiality agreements, we may not be able to
adequately protect our trade secrets or other proprietary
information.
Risks Related to Our Business
If the estimates we make, or the assumptions on which we rely, in
preparing our projected guidance prove inaccurate, our actual
results may vary from those reflected in our projections and
accruals.
In January 2023, we disclosed our 2023 financial outlook. Such
outlook and estimates are based on estimates, assumptions and the
judgment of management. Because of the inherent nature of
estimates, including during the uncertainty of our European launch
and the impact from U.S. generic competition, we have suspended
providing net revenue guidance, as there could be significant
differences between our estimates and the actual amount of product
demand. If we fail to realize or if we change or update any element
of our publicly disclosed financial guidance as we have done in the
past or other expectations about our business and initiative
change, our stock price could decline in value.
The loss of key personnel could have an adverse effect on our
business, particularly in light of our announcement of management
succession plan.
We are highly dependent upon the efforts of our senior management.
The loss of the services of one or more members of senior
management could have a material adverse effect on us. Given our
rapidly expanding enterprise coupled with a streamlined management
structure and sales force, the departure of any key person could
have a significant impact and would be potentially disruptive to
our business until such time as a suitable replacement is hired.
Furthermore, because of the specialized nature of our business, as
our business plan progresses, we will be highly dependent upon our
ability to attract and retain qualified scientific, technical and
key management personnel. As we continue to expand our
commercialization efforts, particularly on a global scale, we may
experience continued or increased turnover among members of our
senior management team. We may have difficulty identifying,
attracting and integrating new executives to replace any such
losses. As we expand commercialization efforts in Europe, we need
to rapidly hire employees and ensure that they are well trained and
working cohesively with core values which are consistent with our
existing operations and which, we believe, help improve our
position for success. In the United States, employees are
increasingly being recruited by other companies. While our business
remains focused on continued promotion of VASCEPA in the United
States, and expansion in Europe, the current and potential threat
of generic competition and our recent reductions in force can
create employee uncertainty which could lead to increased employee
turnover. There is intense competition for qualified personnel in
the areas of our activities. In this environment, we may not be
able to attract or retain the personnel necessary for the
development of our business, particularly if we do not achieve
profitability. The failure to recruit key scientific, technical and
management personnel would be detrimental to our ability to
implement our business plan.
54
Our internal computer systems, or those of our third‑party clinical
research organizations or other contractors or consultants, may
fail or suffer security breaches, which could result in a material
disruption of our commercial, research and development and other
programs.
Despite the implementation of security measures, our internal
computer systems and those of our third‑party clinical research
organizations and other contractors and consultants are vulnerable
to damage from computer viruses, unauthorized access, natural
disasters, terrorism, war, and telecommunication and electrical
failures. Any such incident could cause interruptions in our
operations or a material disruption of our programs. To the extent
that any disruption or security breach results in a loss of or
damage to our data or applications or other data or applications
relating to our technology or products candidates, or inappropriate
disclosure of confidential or proprietary information, we could
incur liabilities and our research and development program could be
delayed.
We could be subject to risks caused by misappropriation, misuse,
leakage, falsification or intentional or accidental release or loss
of information maintained in the information systems and networks
of our company and our vendors, including personal information of
our employees and patients, and company and vendor confidential
data. In addition, outside parties may attempt to penetrate our
systems or those of our vendors or fraudulently induce our
personnel or the personnel of our vendors to disclose sensitive
information in order to gain access to our data and/or systems. We
may experience threats to our data and systems, including malicious
codes and viruses, phishing and other cyber-attacks. The number and
complexity of these threats continue to increase over time. For
example, in June 2019, a report published by security researchers
claimed that a database belonging to one of our vendors containing
information about individuals who use or have expressed interest in
VASCEPA was accessible to unauthorized users. Although we were
informed that such breach did not include social security numbers
or credit card information, a more material breach could occur in
the future. If a material breach of our information technology
systems or those of our vendors occurs, the market perception of
the effectiveness of our security measures could be harmed and our
reputation and credibility could be damaged. We could be required
to expend significant amounts of money and other resources to
repair or replace information systems or networks and to repair
reputational costs. In addition, we could be subject to regulatory
actions and/or claims made by individuals and groups in private
litigation involving privacy issues related to data collection and
use practices and other data privacy laws and regulations,
including claims for misuse or inappropriate disclosure of data, as
well as unfair or deceptive practices. We may incur significant
costs or divert significant internal resources as a result of any
regulatory actions or private litigation. Any of the foregoing
consequences may adversely affect our business and financial
condition.
Although we develop and maintain systems and controls designed to
prevent these events from occurring, and we have a process to
identify and mitigate threats, the development and maintenance of
these systems, controls and processes is costly and requires
ongoing monitoring and updating as technologies change and efforts
to overcome security measures become increasingly sophisticated.
Moreover, despite our efforts, the possibility of these events
occurring cannot be eliminated entirely. As we outsource more of
our information systems to vendors, engage in more electronic
transactions with payors and patients, and rely more on cloud-based
information systems, the related security risks will increase and
we will need to expend additional resources to protect our
technology and information systems. In addition, there can be no
assurance that our internal information technology systems or those
of our third-party contractors, or our consultants’ efforts to
implement adequate security and control measures, will be
sufficient to protect us against breakdowns, service disruption,
data deterioration or loss in the event of a system malfunction, or
prevent data from being stolen or corrupted in the event of a
cyberattack, security breach, industrial espionage attacks or
insider threat attacks which could result in financial, legal,
business or reputational harm.
We are subject to potential product liability.
We are subject to the potential risk of product liability claims
relating to the manufacturing and marketing of VASCEPA. Any person
who is injured as a result of using VASCEPA may have a product
liability claim against us without having to prove that we were at
fault.
In addition, we could be subject to product liability claims by
persons who took part in clinical trials involving our current or
former development stage products. A successful claim brought
against us could have a material adverse effect on our business. We
cannot guarantee that a product liability claim will not be
asserted against us in the future.
A change in our tax residence and/or tax laws could have a negative
effect on our future profitability.
We expect that our tax jurisdiction will remain in Ireland. Under
current UK legislation, a company incorporated in England and
Wales, or which is centrally managed and controlled in the UK, is
regarded as resident in the UK for taxation purposes. Under current
Irish legislation, a company is regarded as resident for tax
purposes in Ireland if it is centrally managed and controlled in
Ireland, or, in certain circumstances, if it is incorporated in
Ireland. Up to December 31, 2019, where a company was treated as
tax resident under the domestic laws of both the UK and Ireland,
then the provisions of article 4(3) of the Double Tax Agreement, or
DTA, between the UK and Ireland provided that such enterprise would
be treated as resident only in the jurisdiction in which its place
of effective management is situated. We had at all times sought to
conduct our affairs in such a way so as to be solely resident in
Ireland for tax purposes by virtue of having our place of effective
management situated in Ireland.
55
These rules regarding determination of tax residence changed
effective January 1, 2020, when a modified Ireland-UK DTA came into
effect pursuant to the OECD’s Multilateral Instrument, or MLI.
Under the modified Ireland-UK DTA, from January 1, 2020, we would
be solely tax resident in Ireland and not tax resident in the UK if
we continued to be centrally managed and controlled in Ireland and
if it were mutually agreed between the Irish and UK tax authorities
under the MLI “tie-breaker rule” that we are solely tax resident in
Ireland. Having made the relevant submission under the amended
provisions, we received confirmation effective January 1, 2020 of
the mutual agreement of Irish and UK tax authorities that we are
solely tax resident in Ireland for the purposes of the modified
DTA.
However, we cannot assure you that we are or will continue to be
solely resident in Ireland for tax purposes. It is possible that in
the future, whether as a result of a change in law or the practice
of any relevant tax authority or as a result of any change in the
conduct of our affairs, we could become, or be regarded as having
become resident in a jurisdiction other than Ireland. Should we
cease to be an Irish tax resident, we may be subject to a charge to
Irish capital gains tax on our assets and the basis on which our
income is taxed may also change. Similarly, if the tax residency of
our Irish or UK subsidiaries were to change from their current
jurisdiction, they may be subject to a charge to local capital
gains tax on their assets and the basis on which their income is
taxed may also change.
Our and our subsidiaries’ income tax returns are periodically
examined by various tax authorities, including the Internal Revenue
Service, or the IRS, and states. For example, the IRS began an
examination of our 2018 U.S. income tax return in the first quarter
of 2020. Although the outcome of tax audits is always uncertain and
could result in significant cash tax payments, we do not believe
the outcome of any ongoing or future audits will have a material
adverse effect on our consolidated financial position or results of
operations.
We could be adversely affected by our exposure to customer
concentration risk.
A significant portion of our sales are to wholesalers in the
pharmaceutical industry. Three customers individually accounted for
10% or more of our U.S. gross product sales. Customers A, B, and C
accounted for 35%, 31%, and 27%, respectively, of gross product
sales for the year ended December 31, 2022 and represented 35%,
21%, and 39%, respectively, of the gross accounts receivable
balance as of December 31, 2022. Customers A, B, and C accounted
for 37%, 28%, and 27%, respectively, of gross product sales for the
year ended December 31, 2021 and represented 39%, 22%, and 35%,
respectively, of the gross accounts receivable balance as of
December 31, 2021. We expect that we may have customer
concentration risk as we enter additional countries. There can be
no guarantee that we will be able to sustain our accounts
receivable or gross sales levels from our key customers. If, for
any reason, we were to lose, or experience a decrease in the amount
of business with our largest customers, whether directly or through
our distributor relationships, our financial condition and results
of operations could be negatively affected.
Risks Related to Our Financial Position and Capital
Requirements
We have a history of operating losses and anticipate that we will
incur continued losses for an indefinite period of time.
We have not yet reached sustained profitability. For the fiscal
year ended December 31, 2022 and 2020, we reported net losses of
approximately $105.8 million and $18.0 million, respectively. For
the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, we reported net income of
approximately $7.7 million. We had an accumulated deficit as of
December 31, 2022 of $1.5 billion. Substantially all of our
operating losses resulted from costs incurred in connection with
our research and development programs, from general and
administrative costs associated with our operations, and costs
related to the commercialization of VASCEPA. Additionally, as a
result of our significant expenses relating to commercialization
and research and development, we expect to continue to incur
significant operating losses for an indefinite period. Because of
the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with developing and
commercializing pharmaceutical products, we are unable to predict
the magnitude of these future losses. Our historic losses, combined
with expected future losses, have had and will continue to have an
adverse effect on our cash resources, shareholders’ deficit and
working capital.
We may never generate sufficient revenue to achieve a steady state
of profitability.
Our ability to become profitable on a sustained basis depends upon
our ability to generate revenue. We have been generating product
revenue from sales of VASCEPA since January 2013, but we may not be
able to generate sufficient revenue to achieve a steady state of
profitability. Our ability to generate profits on sales of VASCEPA
is subject to the market acceptance and commercial success of
VASCEPA and our ability to manufacture commercial quantities of
VASCEPA through third parties at acceptable cost levels, and may
also depend upon our ability to effectively market and sell VASCEPA
through our strategic collaborations.
Even though VASCEPA has been approved by the U.S. FDA for marketing
in the United States for two important indications, received
marketing authorization in Europe, and is approved in smaller
jurisdictions, it may not gain enough market acceptance to support
consistent profitability. We anticipate continuing to incur
significant costs associated with expanding the commercialization
of VASCEPA. We may not achieve profitability on a sustained basis
in the near term due to high costs associated with, for example,
our expanded commercialization efforts in the United States and our
expected commercialization efforts in Europe. If we are unable
to
56
consistently generate robust product revenues, we will not become
profitable on a sustained basis in the near term, if ever, and may
be unable to continue operations without continued
funding.
Our operating results are unpredictable and may fluctuate. If our
operating results are below the expectations of securities analysts
or investors, the trading price of our stock could
decline.
Our operating results are difficult to predict and will likely
fluctuate from quarter to quarter and year to year, and VASCEPA
prescription figures will likely fluctuate from month to month.
VASCEPA sales are difficult to predict from period to period and as
a result, you should not rely on VASCEPA sales results in any
period as being indicative of future performance, and sales of
VASCEPA may be below the expectation of securities analysts or
investors in the future. We believe that our quarterly and annual
results of operations may be affected by a variety of factors,
including those risks and uncertainties described in this Part II,
Item 1A and the following:
•
the recent and future potential launches of additional generic
versions of VASCEPA;
•
continued and prolonged disruption to our business, or delays in
resuming normal business activities, or reinstating restrictions
after protocols have been lifted, from the COVID-19
pandemic;
•
the continuing evolution of the medical community’s and the
public’s perception of the REDUCE-IT study results;
•
the level of demand for VASCEPA, due to changes in prescriber
sentiment, quarterly changes in distributor purchases, and other
factors;
•
the extent to which coverage and reimbursement for VASCEPA is
available from government and health administration authorities,
private health insurers, managed care programs and other
third-party payors and the timing and extent to which such coverage
and reimbursement changes;
•
the timing, cost and level of investment in our sales and marketing
efforts to support VASCEPA sales, and our cost and reorganization
efforts, including our recent cost reduction plan, and the
resulting effectiveness of those efforts;
•
disruptions or delays in our or our partners’ commercial or
development activities, including as a result of political
instability, civil unrest, terrorism, pandemics or other natural
disasters, such as the coronavirus pandemic;
•
the timing and ability of efforts outside the United States, to
develop, register and commercialize VASCEPA in Europe, the China
Territory, several Middle Eastern and North African countries, and
Canada, for example, including obtaining necessary regulatory
approvals, favorable pricing and establishing marketing
channels;
•
additional developments regarding our intellectual property
portfolio and regulatory exclusivity protections, if
any;
•
outcomes of litigation and other legal proceedings;
and
•
our ongoing regulatory dialogue.
We may require substantial additional resources to fund our
operations. If we cannot find additional capital resources, we will
have difficulty in operating as a going concern and growing our
business.
We currently operate with limited resources. We believe that our
cash and cash equivalents balance of $217.7 million and short-term
investment balance of $91.7 million as of December 31, 2022, will
be sufficient to fund our projected operations for at least 12
months from the issuance date of consolidated financial statements
included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We have
based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and
we could deplete our capital resources sooner than we expect or
fail to achieve positive cash flow. Depending on the level of cash
generated from operations, and depending in part on the rate of
prescription growth for VASCEPA, additional capital may be required
to support planned VASCEPA promotion and potential VASCEPA
promotion beyond which we are currently executing and for
commercialization of VAZKEPA in Europe. If additional capital is
required and we are unable to obtain additional capital on
satisfactory terms, or at all, we may be forced to delay, limit or
eliminate certain promotional activities. We anticipate that
quarterly net cash outflows in future periods will be variable as a
result of the timing of certain items, including our purchases of
API and VASCEPA promotional and educational activities, including
launch activities in Europe, on our operations and those of our
customers and any current or potential generic
competition.
In order to fully realize the market potential of VASCEPA, we may
need to enter into a new strategic collaboration or raise
additional capital.
Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors,
including:
•
the timing, amount and consistency of revenue generated from the
commercial sale of VASCEPA;
57
•
the costs associated with commercializing VASCEPA in the United
States and sales force sizing, and for commercializing VAZKEPA in
Europe, including hiring experienced professionals, and for
additional regulatory approvals internationally, if any, the cost
and timing of securing commercial supply of VASCEPA and the timing
of entering into any new strategic collaboration with others
relating to the commercialization of VASCEPA, if at all, and the
terms of any such collaboration;
•
continued costs associated with litigation and other legal
proceedings and governmental inquiries;
•
the time and costs involved in obtaining additional regulatory
approvals for VASCEPA based on REDUCE-IT results
internationally;
•
the extent to which we continue to develop internally, acquire or
in-license new products, technologies or businesses;
and
•
the cost of filing, prosecuting, defending and enforcing any patent
claims and other intellectual property rights.
If we require additional funds and adequate funds are not available
to us in amounts or on terms acceptable to us or on a timely basis,
or at all, our commercialization efforts for VASCEPA, and our
business generally, may suffer materially.
Changes in tax laws could have a material adverse effect on our
business, financial condition and results of operations.
Tax law and policies in the United States and Ireland are unsettled
and may be subject to significant change, including based on
adjustments in political perspectives and administration shifts. In
the United States and internationally, how to tax entities with
international operations, like us, has been subject to significant
re-evaluation. We believe we developed VASCEPA in and from Ireland
based on understanding of applicable requirements. In recent years,
particularly since 2013 when commercial sale of VASCEPA commenced
in the United States, the majority of our consolidated operations
have been in the United States. Ownership of VASCEPA continues to
reside with our wholly-owned Ireland-based subsidiary, Amarin
Pharmaceuticals Ireland Ltd., and oversight and operations of that
entity are structured to be maintained in Ireland. In order to
effectively utilize our accumulated net operating loss
carryforwards for tax purposes in Ireland, our operations,
particularly for this subsidiary, need to be active in Ireland
under applicable requirements. In addition, utilization of these
accumulated net operating loss carryforwards assumes that tax
treaties between Ireland and other countries, particularly the
United States, do not change in a manner that limit our future
ability to offset earnings with these operating loss carryforwards
for tax purposes.
Similarly, a change in our Irish tax residence could materially
affect our ability to obtain and maintain profitability, if
otherwise achievable. Changes in tax law and tax rates,
particularly in the United States and Ireland, could also impact
our assessment of deferred taxes. Any change in our assessment of
the realizability or the timing for realizing deferred taxes could
have a negative impact our future profitability.
Changes in tax laws (including in response to the COVID-19
pandemic) or tax rulings, or changes in interpretations of existing
laws, could cause us to be subject to additional income-based taxes
and non-income taxes (such as payroll, sales, use, value-added,
digital tax, net worth, property, and goods and services taxes),
which in turn could materially affect our financial position and
results of operations. In particular, there have been a number of
significant changes to the U.S. federal income tax rules in recent
years and additional tax reform proposed by the Biden
administration may be enacted. The effect of any such tax reform is
uncertain. As we continue to expand internationally, we will be
subject to varied and complex tax regimes, and the tax laws of one
jurisdiction may impact our expansion to or operations in other
jurisdictions. Additionally, new, changed, modified, or newly
interpreted or applied tax laws could increase our partners’ and
our compliance, operating and other costs, as well as the costs of
our products. As we expand the scale of our business activities,
any changes in the taxation of such activities may increase our
effective tax rate and harm our business, financial condition, and
results of operations.
The IRA was enacted into law on August 16, 2022. Included in the
IRA was a provision to implement a 15% corporate alternative
minimum tax on corporations whose average annual adjusted financial
statement income during the most recently completed three-year
period exceeds $1.0 billion. This provision is effective for tax
years beginning after December 31, 2022. We are in the process of
evaluating the provisions of the IRA.
Risks Related to Ownership of our ADSs and Common Shares
The price of our ADSs and common shares may be volatile.
The stock market has from time to time experienced significant
price and volume fluctuations that may be unrelated to the
operating performance of particular companies. In addition, the
market prices of the securities of many pharmaceutical and medical
technology companies have been especially volatile in the past, and
this trend is expected to continue in the future.
As of February 24, 2023, we had 406,115,721 common shares
outstanding including 385,785,809 shares held as ADSs and
20,329,912 held as ordinary shares (which are not held in the form
of ADSs). There is a risk that there may not be sufficient
liquidity
58
in the market to accommodate significant increases in selling
activity or the sale of a large block of our securities. Our ADSs
have historically had limited trading volume, which may also result
in volatility. If any of our large investors seek to sell
substantial amounts of our ADSs, particularly if these sales are in
a rapid or disorderly manner, or other investors perceive that
these sales could occur, the market price of our ADSs could
decrease significantly.
The market price of our ADSs and common shares may also be affected
by factors such as:
•
developments or disputes concerning ongoing patent prosecution
efforts and any future patent or proprietary rights;
•
litigation and regulatory developments in the United States
affecting our VASCEPA promotional rights, and regulatory
developments in other countries;
•
actual or potential medical results relating to our products or our
competitors’ products;
•
interim failures or setbacks in product development;
•
innovation by us or our competitors;
•
currency exchange rate fluctuations; and
•
period-to-period variations in our results of
operations.
Further, the effects of Brexit are uncertain and may have a
negative effect on global economic conditions, financial markets
and our business, which could reduce the price of our ADSs and
common shares. In particular, Brexit could lead to a period of
considerable uncertainty in relation to the UK financial and
banking markets, as well as on the regulatory process in Europe,
which could cause the broader global financial markets to
experience significant volatility. Asset valuations, currency
exchange rates and credit ratings may also be subject to increased
market volatility due to the ongoing uncertainty. Lack of clarity
about future UK laws and regulations as the United Kingdom
determines which EU rules and regulations to replace or replicate
could decrease foreign direct investment in the UK, increase costs,
disrupt our business, depress economic activity and restrict our
access to capital, any of which could negatively impact the price
of our ADSs and common shares.
Actual or potential sales of our common shares by our employees,
including members of our senior management team, pursuant to
pre-arranged stock trading plans could cause our stock price to
fall or prevent it from increasing for numerous reasons, and actual
or potential sales by such persons could be viewed negatively by
other investors.
In accordance with the guidelines specified under Rule 10b5-1 under
the Exchange Act and our policies regarding stock transactions, a
number of our directors and employees, including members of our
senior management team, have adopted and may continue to adopt
pre-arranged stock trading plans to sell a portion of our common
stock that they beneficially own. Generally, sales under such plans
by members of our senior management team and directors require
public filings. Actual or potential sales of our ADSs by such
persons could cause the price of our ADSs to fall or prevent it
from increasing for numerous reasons. For example, a substantial
amount of our ADSs becoming available (or being perceived to become
available) for sale in the public market could cause the market
price of our ADSs to fall or prevent it from increasing. Also,
actual or potential sales by such persons could be viewed
negatively by other investors.
If we were to be characterized as a passive foreign investment
company there could be adverse consequences to U.S.
investors.
A non-U.S. corporation will be classified as a passive foreign
investment company, or PFIC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes
for any taxable year, if either (i) 75% or more of its gross income
for such year consists of certain types of “passive” income or (ii)
50% or more of the value of its assets (determined on the basis of
a quarterly average) during such year produce or are held for the
production of passive income. Passive income generally includes
dividends, interest, royalties, rents, annuities, net gains from
the sale or exchange of property producing such income and net
foreign currency gains. In addition, a non-U.S. corporation will be
treated as owning its proportionate share of the assets and earning
its proportionate share of the income of any other corporation in
which it owns, directly or indirectly, no more than 25% (by value)
of the stock.
Based on certain estimates of our gross income and gross assets,
the latter determined by reference to the expected value of our
ADSs and shares, we believe that we will not be classified as a
PFIC for the taxable year ended December 31, 2022, and we do not
expect to be treated as a PFIC in any future taxable year for the
foreseeable future. However, because PFIC status is based on our
income, assets and activities for the entire taxable year, which we
expect may vary substantially over time, it is not possible to
determine whether we will be characterized as a PFIC for any
taxable year until after the close of the taxable year. Moreover,
we must determine our PFIC status annually based on tests that are
factual in nature, and our status in future years will depend on
our income, assets and activities in each of those years. There can
be no assurance that we will not be considered a PFIC for any
taxable year.
59
We do not intend to pay cash dividends on the ordinary shares in
the foreseeable future.
We have never paid dividends on ordinary shares and do not
anticipate paying any cash dividends on the ordinary shares in the
foreseeable future. Under English law, any payment of dividends
would be subject to relevant legislation and our Articles of
Association, which requires that all dividends must be approved by
our board of directors and, in some cases, our shareholders, and
may only be paid from our distributable profits available for the
purpose, determined on an unconsolidated basis.
The rights of our shareholders may differ from the rights typically
offered to shareholders of a U.S. corporation.
We are incorporated under English law. The rights of holders of
ordinary shares and, therefore, certain of the rights of holders of
ADSs, are governed by English law, including the provisions of the
Companies Act 2006, and by our Articles of Association. These
rights differ in certain respects from the rights of shareholders
in typical U.S. corporations. The principal differences include the
following:
•
Under English law and our Articles of Association, each shareholder
present at a meeting has only one vote unless demand is made for a
vote on a poll, in which case each holder gets one vote per share
owned. Under U.S. law, each shareholder typically is entitled to
one vote per share at all meetings.
•
Under English law, it is only on a poll that the number of shares
determines the number of votes a holder may cast. You should be
aware, however, that the voting rights of ADSs are also governed by
the provisions of a deposit agreement with our depositary
bank.
•
Under English law, subject to certain exceptions and
disapplications, each shareholder generally has preemptive rights
to subscribe on a proportionate basis to any issuance of ordinary
shares or rights to subscribe for, or to convert securities into,
ordinary shares for cash. Under U.S. law, shareholders generally do
not have preemptive rights unless specifically granted in the
certificate of incorporation or otherwise.
•
Under English law and our Articles of Association, certain matters
require the approval of 75% of the shareholders who vote (in person
or by proxy) on the relevant resolution (or on a poll of
shareholders representing 75% of the ordinary shares voting (in
person or by proxy)), including amendments to the Articles of
Association. This may make it more difficult for us to complete
corporate transactions deemed advisable by our board of directors.
Under U.S. law, generally only majority shareholder approval is
required to amend the certificate of incorporation or to approve
other significant transactions.
•
In the United Kingdom, takeovers may be structured as takeover
offers or as schemes of arrangement. Under English law, a bidder
seeking to acquire us by means of a takeover offer would need to
make an offer for all of our outstanding ordinary shares/ADSs. If
acceptances are not received for 90% or more of the ordinary
shares/ADSs under the offer, under English law, the bidder cannot
complete a “squeeze out” to obtain 100% control of us. Accordingly,
acceptances of 90% of our outstanding ordinary shares/ADSs will
likely be a condition in any takeover offer to acquire us, not 50%
as is more common in tender offers for corporations organized under
Delaware law. By contrast, a scheme of arrangement, the successful
completion of which would result in a bidder obtaining 100% control
of us, requires the approval of a majority of shareholders voting
at the meeting and representing 75% of the ordinary shares voting
for approval.
•
Under English law and our Articles of Association, shareholders and
other persons whom we know or have reasonable cause to believe are,
or have been, interested in our shares may be required to disclose
information regarding their interests in our shares upon our
request, and the failure to provide the required information could
result in the loss or restriction of rights attaching to the
shares, including prohibitions on certain transfers of the shares,
withholding of dividends and loss of voting rights. Comparable
provisions generally do not exist under U.S. law.
•
The quorum requirement for a shareholders’ meeting is a minimum of
two shareholders entitled to vote at the meeting and present in
person or by proxy or, in the case of a shareholder which is a
corporation, represented by a duly authorized officer (although the
marketplace rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market require that
shareholders holding at least one-third of our outstanding shares
of voting stock are present at the meeting or by proxy). Under U.S.
law, a majority of the shares eligible to vote must generally be
present (in person or by proxy) at a shareholders’ meeting in order
to constitute a quorum. The minimum number of shares required for a
quorum can be reduced pursuant to a provision in a company’s
certificate of incorporation or bylaws, but typically not below
one-third of the shares entitled to vote at the
meeting.
Shareholder protections found in provisions under the UK City Code
on Takeovers and Mergers, or the Takeover Code, do not apply to
us.
The Takeover Code provides a framework within which takeovers of
certain companies organized in the United Kingdom are regulated and
conducted. However, because our place of central management and
control is currently outside of the United Kingdom, we are not
subject to the Takeover Code. As a result, our shareholders are not
entitled to the benefit of certain takeover offer
60
protections provided under the Takeover Code. The following is a
brief summary of some of the most important rules of the Takeover
Code which, as noted, does not apply to us:
•
In connection with a potential offer, if following an approach by
or on behalf of a potential bidder, the company is “the subject of
rumor or speculation” or there is an “untoward movement” in the
company’s share price, there is a requirement for the potential
bidder to make a public announcement about a potential offer for
the company, or for the company to make a public announcement about
the potential offer.
•
When a person or group of persons who are treated as “acting in
concert” with each other (a) acquires interests in shares carrying
30% or more of the voting rights of a company (which percentage is
treated by the Takeover Code as the level at which effective
control is obtained) or (b) increases the aggregate percentage
interest they have when they are already interested in not less
than 30% and not more than 50%, they must make a cash offer to all
other shareholders at the highest price paid by them in the 12
months before the offer was announced.
•
When interests in shares of any class representing 10% of shares of
that class have been acquired for cash by an offeror (i.e., a
bidder) during the offer period (i.e., broadly speaking, the period
after the potential offer has been made public) and within 12
months prior to commencement of the offer period, the offer must be
in cash or be accompanied by a cash alternative for all
shareholders of that class at the highest price paid by the offeror
in that period. Further, if an offeror acquires any interest in
shares for cash during the offer period, the offer for the shares
must be in cash or accompanied by a cash alternative at a price at
least equal to the price paid for such shares during the offer
period.
•
If after an announcement is made, the offeror acquires an interest
in shares in an offeree company (i.e., a target) at a price higher
than the value of the offer, the offer must be increased
accordingly.
•
The offeree company must appoint a competent independent adviser
whose advice on the financial terms of the offer must be made known
to all the shareholders, together with the opinion of the board of
directors of the offeree company.
•
Favorable deals for selected shareholders are not permitted, except
in certain circumstances where independent shareholder approval is
given and the arrangements are regarded as fair and reasonable in
the opinion of the financial adviser to the offeree.
•
All shareholders must be given the same information.
•
The directors of those parties issuing takeover circulars must
include statements taking responsibility for the contents
thereof.
•
Profit forecasts, quantified financial benefits statements and
asset valuations must be made to specified standards and must be
reported on by professional advisers.
•
Misleading, inaccurate or unsubstantiated statements made in
documents or to the media must be publicly corrected
immediately.
•
Actions during the course of an offer (or even before if the board
of the offeree company is aware that an offer is imminent) by the
offeree company, which might frustrate the offer are generally
prohibited unless shareholders approve these plans (or the bidder
consents to the proposed course of action). Frustrating actions
would include, for example, issuing new shares, lengthening the
notice period for directors under their service contract or
agreeing to sell off material parts of the target
group.
•
Stringent requirements are laid down for the disclosure of dealings
in relevant securities during an offer, including the prompt
disclosure of positions and dealing in relevant securities by the
parties to an offer and any person who is interested (directly or
indirectly) in 1% or more of any class of relevant
securities.
•
Employees of both the offeror and the offeree company and the
trustees of the offeree company’s pension scheme must be informed
about an offer. In addition, the offeree company’s employee
representatives and pension scheme trustees have the right to have
a separate opinion on the effects of the offer on employment and
pension schemes appended to the offeree board of directors’
circular or published on a website.
U.S. shareholders may not be able to enforce civil liabilities
against us.
We are incorporated under the laws of England and Wales, and our
subsidiaries are incorporated in various jurisdictions, including
foreign jurisdictions. A number of the officers and directors of
each of our subsidiaries are non-residents of the United States,
and all or a substantial portion of the assets of such persons are
located outside the United States. As a result, it may not be
possible for investors to affect service of process within the
United States upon such persons or to enforce against them
judgments obtained in U.S. courts predicated upon the civil
liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United
States. We have been advised by our English solicitors that there
is doubt as to the enforceability in England in original actions,
or in actions for
61
enforcement of judgments of U.S. courts, of civil liabilities to
the extent predicated upon the federal securities laws of the
United States.
U.S. holders of the ADSs or ordinary shares may be subject to U.S.
federal income taxation at ordinary income tax rates on
undistributed earnings and profits.
There is a risk that we will be classified as a controlled foreign
corporation, or CFC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If we
are classified as a CFC, any ADS holder or shareholder that is a
U.S. person that owns directly, indirectly or by attribution, 10%
or more of the voting power of our outstanding shares may be
subject to U.S. income taxation at ordinary income tax rates on all
or a portion of our undistributed earnings and profits attributable
to “subpart F income.” Such 10% holder may also be taxable at
ordinary income tax rates on any gain realized on a sale of
ordinary shares or ADS, to the extent of our current and
accumulated earnings and profits attributable to such shares. The
CFC rules are complex and U.S. holders of the ordinary shares or
ADSs are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the
possible application of the CFC rules to them in their particular
circumstances.
General Risk Factors
Potential technological changes in our field of business create
considerable uncertainty.
The pharmaceutical industry in which we operate is characterized by
extensive research efforts and rapid technological progress. New
developments in research are expected to continue at a rapid pace
in both industry and academia. We cannot assure you that research
and discoveries by others will not render some or all of our
programs or product candidates uncompetitive or obsolete. Our
business strategy is based in part upon new and unproven
technologies to the development of therapeutics to improve
cardiovascular health. We cannot assure you that unforeseen
problems will not develop with these technologies or applications
or that any commercially feasible products will ultimately be
developed by us.
Legal, political and economic uncertainty surrounding the exit of
the UK from the EU may be a source of instability in international
markets, create significant currency fluctuations, adversely affect
our operations in the UK and pose additional risks to our business,
revenue, financial condition, and results of operations.
The continued uncertainty concerning the UK’s legal, political and
economic relationship with the EU after Brexit may be a source of
instability in the international markets, create significant
currency fluctuations, and/or otherwise adversely affect trading
agreements or similar cross-border co-operation arrangements
whether economic, tax, fiscal, legal, regulatory or
otherwise.
These developments, or the perception that any of them could occur,
may have a significant adverse effect on global economic conditions
and the stability of global financial markets, and could
significantly reduce global market liquidity and limit the ability
of key market participants to operate in certain financial markets.
In particular, it could also lead to a period of considerable
uncertainty in relation to the UK financial and banking markets, as
well as on the regulatory process in Europe. Asset valuations,
currency exchange rates and credit ratings may also be subject to
increased market volatility.
If the UK and the EU are unable to implement acceptable agreements
or if other EU member states pursue withdrawal, barrier-free access
between the UK and other EU member states or among the European
Economic Area, or EEA, overall could be diminished or eliminated.
The long-term effects of Brexit will depend on any agreements (or
lack thereof) between the UK and the EU.
Such a withdrawal from the EU is unprecedented, and it is unclear
how the UK’s access to the European single market for goods,
capital, services and labor within the EU, or single market, and
the wider commercial, legal and regulatory environment, will impact
our current and future operations (including business activities
conducted by third parties and contract manufacturers on our
behalf) and clinical activities in the UK. In addition to the
foregoing, our UK operations support our current and future
operations and clinical activities in other countries in the EU and
EEA and these operations and clinical activities could be disrupted
by the ongoing effects of Brexit.
We may also face new regulatory costs and challenges that could
have an adverse effect on our operations. The impact of the terms
of the recent trade deal between the UK and EU are uncertain. Since
the regulatory framework in the UK covering quality, safety and
efficacy of pharmaceutical products, clinical trials, marketing
authorization, commercial sales and distribution of pharmaceutical
products is derived from EU directives and regulations, Brexit
could materially impact the future regulatory regime with respect
to the commercialization of our products in the UK. Any delay in
commercializing our products in the UK and/or the EU could restrict
our ability to generate revenue and achieve and sustain
profitability. The uncertainty around the UK’s future relationship
with the EU continues to cause economic uncertainty which could
adversely impact customer confidence resulting in customers
reducing their spending budgets on our solutions, which could
adversely affect our business, revenue, financial condition,
results of operations and could adversely affect the market price
of our ADSs.
Negative economic conditions would likely have a negative effect on
our ability to obtain financing on acceptable terms.
62
While we may seek additional funding through public or private
financings, we may not be able to obtain financing on acceptable
terms, or at all. There can be no assurance that we will be able to
access equity or credit markets in order to finance our current
operations or expand development programs for VASCEPA, or that
there will not be deterioration in financial markets and confidence
in economies, particularly in light of the continued volatility
attributed to COVID-19 and other global instability. We may also
have to scale back or further restructure our operations. If we are
unable to obtain additional funding when needed, we may be required
to curtail or terminate some or all of our research or development
programs or our commercialization strategies.
Raising additional capital may cause dilution to our existing
shareholders, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish
rights.
We may seek additional capital through a combination of private and
public equity offerings, debt financings and collaboration,
strategic and licensing arrangements. To the extent that we raise
additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt
securities, your ownership interest will be diluted, and the terms
may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect
your rights as a shareholder.
Debt financing, if available, may involve agreements that include
burdensome covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take
specific actions such as incurring additional debt, making capital
expenditures or declaring dividends. If we raise additional funds
through collaboration, strategic alliance and licensing
arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable
rights to our technologies, VASCEPA or product candidates beyond
the rights we have already relinquished, or grant licenses on terms
that are not favorable to us.
Potential business combinations or other strategic transactions may
disrupt our business or divert management’s attention.
On a regular basis, we explore potential business combination
transactions, including an acquisition of us by a third party,
exclusive licenses of VASCEPA or other strategic transactions or
collaborations with third parties. The consummation and performance
of any such future transactions or collaborations will involve
risks, such as:
•
diversion of managerial resources from day-to-day
operations;
•
exposure to litigation from the counterparties to any such
transaction, other third parties or our shareholders;