Overview
We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of therapies for glaucoma and other diseases of the eye. Glaucoma is a disease of the eye that is typically characterized by structural evidence of optic nerve damage, vision loss and consistently elevated intraocular pressure, or IOP. Our lead product candidate,
trabodenoson
, is a first-in-class selective adenosine mimetic that we rationally designed to lower IOP by restoring the eye’s natural pressure control mechanism. We developed this molecule to selectively stimulate a particular adenosine subreceptor in the eye with the effect of augmenting the intrinsic function of the eye’s trabecular meshwork, or TM. The TM regulates the pressure inside the eye and is also the main outflow path for the fluid inside of the eye that often builds up pressure in patients with glaucoma. We believe that by restoring the natural function of the TM and this outflow path, rather than changing the fundamental dynamics of pressure regulation in the eye,
trabodenoson
’s mechanism of action should result in a lower risk of unintended side effects and long term safety issues than other mechanisms of action. Additionally,
trabodenoson
’s unique mechanism of action in the TM should complement the activity of existing glaucoma therapies that exert their IOP-lowering effects on different parts of the in-flow and out-flow system of the eye.
Our product pipeline includes
trabodenoson
monotherapy delivered in an eye drop formulation, as well as a fixed-dose combination, or FDC, of
trabodenoson
with
latanoprost
given once-daily, or QD. We are also evaluating the potential of
trabodenoson
to slow the loss of vision associated with glaucoma and degenerative retinal diseases.
The recently completed Phase 3 pivotal trial, MATrX-1, did not meet its primary endpoint because it did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference in absolute IOP from placebo at every single one of the 12 time points comprising the primary endpoint. This was due to a larger than expected treatment effect in the placebo/vehicle group, as compared to both our prior Phase 2 data and a recent meta-analysis examining placebo responses from 10 placebo-controlled trials, which showed a placebo/vehicle result of -2.01 mmHg (Raber, et al). During analysis of the IOP data from the trial, a treatment-by-site interaction was found where a small number of sites (4 sites out of a total of 55) caused an important change in the expected vehicle results. The review of the MATrX-1 data is ongoing and upon completion of all analyses, we plan to request a meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, in the first half of 2017 to discuss these findings.
Statistically significant results for the primary endpoint of our completed Phase 2 clinical trial, and secondary endpoints of our completed MATrX-1 Phase 3 trial (Daily IOP Change from Diurnal Baseline and Analysis of Responders (subjects whose IOP decreased by >= 5 mmHg from baseline)), indicate that
trabodenoson
monotherapy has IOP-lowering effects, with a favorable safety and tolerability profile.
Our completed Phase 2 trial of
trabodenoson
co-administered with
latanoprost
, a prostaglandin analogue, or PGA, demonstrated IOP-lowering in patients who have previously had inadequate responses to treatment with
latanoprost
. These patients represent PGA poor-responders, as evidenced by persistently elevated IOP at levels that typically require the addition of a second drug to further lower IOP.
Upon successful completion of additional Phase 3 studies, we plan to submit a New Drug Application, or NDA, to the FDA for marketing approval of
trabodenoson
for the treatment of glaucoma in the United States. We plan to submit a marketing authorization application, or MAA, in Europe after filing our NDA for approval of
trabodenoson
in the United States.
According to the British Journal of Ophthalmology, there were an estimated 2.8 million Americans with glaucoma in 2010. Once glaucoma develops, it is a chronic condition that requires life-long treatment. PGAs are the most widely prescribed drug class for glaucoma and include the most widely prescribed glaucoma drug,
latanoprost
. When PGA monotherapy is insufficient to control IOP or is poorly tolerated, non-PGA products, such as beta blockers, alpha agonists and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, are generally used either as an add-on therapy to the PGA or as an alternative monotherapy. Both PGAs and non-PGAs can cause adverse effects in the eye. In addition, non-PGA drugs can have adverse effects in the rest of the body and have been shown to have poor tolerability profiles. As a result, we believe there is a significant unmet need for a treatment that effectively lowers IOP by restoring outflow and the natural pressure control by the TM, that has a favorable safety and tolerability profile, and that works effectively in combination with other treatments.
Additionally, no existing treatments offer the potential to directly treat the underlying cause of glaucoma associated vision loss: the death of retinal ganglion cells, or RGCs, the nerve tissue in the retina that relays the visual signal to the brain. We believe that a drug with the potential to make these cells more resilient to the stress caused by glaucoma would achieve broad market acceptance as the treatment preferred among patients and physicians.
1
We own a large patent estate covering a wide range of countries and markets for our current product candidates and have patents and pending patent applications related to
trabodenoson
pharmaceutical compositions and methods of use for
trabodenoson
, certain of which can extend patent protection through to 2031 and 2034. If
trabodenoson
receives marketing approval in the United States, we plan to commercialize it by establishing our own specialty sales force in the United States.
Our Strategy
Our goal is to become a leading biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of novel therapies to treat glaucoma. The key elements of our strategy are as follows:
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•
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Complete clinical development and seek marketing approval for our lead product candidate, trabodenoson monotherapy
. In 2012, we completed a Phase 2 trial of
trabodenoson
monotherapy, which demonstrated statistically significant IOP-lowering and a favorable safety profile. We had an End-of-Phase 2 meeting with the FDA in 2015 to discuss our Phase 3 program for
trabodenoson
monotherapy and to confirm the design and endpoints for the Phase 3 pivotal trials. At the meeting, we reached agreement on the design of our initial Phase 3 study, as well as the overall regulatory path for
trabodenoson
. We completed our initial Phase 3 pivotal trial, MATrX-1, and reported top-line data on January 3, 2017. MATrX-1 did not meet its primary endpoint because it did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference in absolute IOP from placebo at every single one of the 12 time points comprising the primary endpoint. The review of the MATrX-1 data is ongoing and upon completion of all analyses, we plan to request a meeting with the FDA in the first half of 2017 to discuss both these findings and the subsequent necessary steps needed to attain marketing approval of
trabodenoson
monotherapy for the treatment of glaucoma in the United States. If we file an NDA for approval of
trabodenoson
monotherapy in the United States, we plan to submit an MAA in Europe.
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•
|
Complete clinical development and seek marketing approval of a fixed-dose combination product that includes both trabodenoson and latanoprost
. As many as half of glaucoma patients, typically those with more severe disease, need to use two or more glaucoma drugs to sufficiently reduce their IOP. The initial treatment for glaucoma patients is usually the use of a prescription eye drop from the PGA drug class. However, as PGAs are often unable to lower IOP sufficiently to reach the patient’s medically targeted level, non-PGA products are used either as an add-on therapy to the PGA or as an alternative monotherapy in place of PGAs. There are currently no FDC products approved for use in the United States that include a PGA. We intend to formulate and conduct clinical development in order to seek marketing approval for an FDC product that includes both
trabodenoson
and
latanoprost
, the best-selling PGA. We believe that the favorable safety and tolerability profile and complementary mechanism of action of
trabodenoson
could, if approved, make an FDC with
latanoprost
a highly effective, well-tolerated and more convenient QD regimen for treating glaucoma in patients who have a less functional TM and therefore need additional help lowering their IOP. Our completed Phase 2 trial of
trabodenoson
co-administered with the PGA,
latanoprost
, demonstrated IOP-lowering in patients who have previously had inadequate responses to the PGA,
latanoprost
. These patients represent PGA poor-responders, as evidenced by persistently elevated IOP at levels that typically require the addition of a second drug to further lower IOP.
|
|
•
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Establish a specialty sales force to maximize the commercial potential of trabodenoson in the United States
. We have retained worldwide commercial rights to
trabodenoson
. If
trabodenoson
receives marketing approval in the United States, we plan to commercialize it by establishing a glaucoma-focused specialty sales force of approximately 150 people targeting ophthalmologists and optometrists throughout the United States. For markets outside the United States, we intend to explore partnership opportunities through collaboration and licensing arrangements.
|
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•
|
Evaluate the potential of trabodenoson and other assets to slow the loss of vision associated with glaucoma and degenerative retinal diseases or for additional ophthalmic indications.
Based on an animal model that indicated
trabodenoson
’s potential to directly protect RGCs, the nerve tissue in the retina that relays the visual signal to the brain, we plan to conduct clinical trials to measure the rate of vision loss over time, rather than IOP control, in patients treated with
trabodenoson
. Should the results of these trials be positive, we plan to seek labeling indicative of
trabodenoson
’s potential to change the course of glaucoma-related vision loss, beyond that of IOP-lowering effect alone. In addition, this effect, if proven, could address the subset of glaucoma patients that do not have high IOPs, but still suffer from vision loss over time. We are also evaluating other potential indications where therapy with
trabodenoson
may be beneficial. To begin this process, we are conducting pre-clinical trials for optic neuropathies and degenerative retinal diseases. In addition, we are evaluating other preclinical assets in additional ocular indications.
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Glaucoma Overview
Glaucoma is a disease of the eye in which damage to the optic nerve leads to progressive, irreversible vision loss. Its characteristics can include structural evidence of optic nerve damage, vision loss and consistently elevated IOP.
2
Physiology of the Eye
The eye is a fibrous sack which must stay “inflated” with a fluid that maintains the eye’s form, known as aqueous humor, at the proper pressure in order to maintain its shape and effectively focus light to the retina where the light stimulus is then relayed to the brain and converted into a visual image. To maintain the eye’s pressure—and therefore its shape—and as a means to provide nutrients to eye tissue, aqueous humor is constantly produced inside the eye by a tissue known as the ciliary body. The ciliary body sits just behind the iris, which is the colored part of the eye. Aqueous humor flows forward through a hole in the center of the iris, called the pupil, and down into the angle defined by the front of the iris and the back of the cornea, which is the clear covering on the front of the eye. This angle is the same angle referred to in Primary Open Angle Glaucoma, or POAG, the most common form of glaucoma. Below is a diagram depicting certain parts of the eye, including the ciliary body, iris and the angle defined by the front of the iris and the back of the cornea:
3
In this angle, in front of the outer rim of the iris, is the TM, a natural, pressure-regulating drain. It is here that in a healthy, well-functioning eye, approximately 70% of the aqueous humor exits and flows into a drainage canal known as Schlemm’s canal, which empties back into the venous drainage system. The remaining approximately 30% of the aqueous humor leaves the eye through a secondary pathway called the uveoscleral pathway. The diagram below reflects the TM and the uveoscleral pathway, the two pathways for the aqueous humor to leave the eye.
4
Development of High IOP and its Effects on Glaucoma
In a typical glaucoma patient, there is resistance to drainage of the aqueous fluid (i.e., not enough aqueous humor exits the eye), creating excess pressure and compressing the retina, the layer of tissue covering the inside of the back half of the eye that actually converts light into nerve impulses. For people to “see,” these impulses—the visual signal—must be relayed through the optic nerve back to the brain for processing. The cells in the retina require nutrients and oxygen that are delivered via blood vessels entering and exiting the eye through the same opening as the nerve fibers carrying the visual signal. However, when IOP is too high, it is more difficult to pump blood enriched in oxygen and nutrients into the retina. The diagram below reflects the anatomy of the eye and how elevated IOP can impair the nerve tissue in the retina and the optic nerve head.
The deprivation of blood supply to the retina may damage RGCs, the nerve tissue in the retina that relays the visual signal to the brain. These RGCs have long tails called axons that extend back to the brain to carry the visual image. In fact, the optic nerve is nothing more than a bundle of these axons extending to the vision processing center of the brain. When an RGC dies, one of the connections between the retina and the brain is lost, and like most cases when a nerve is damaged or cut—like in a spinal cord injury—there is no known way to repair the damage and, as a result, some portion of vision is permanently lost. Therefore, the root cause of vision loss in glaucoma is not high IOP per se, but the impact of high IOP on the retina, and specifically the RGCs.
5
Clinical Definition of Glaucoma
There are two key elements to the clinical definition of glaucoma: structural evidence of optic nerve damage and vision loss. Common risk factors include age, family history, corneal thickness and high IOP, commonly measured in millimeters of mercury, or mmHg. Currently, the only known way to treat glaucoma and slow the progression of vision loss is to reduce IOP. While treatment approaches are based on an assessment of the patient’s risk factors for vision loss, elevated IOP is by far the best understood contributor to development of glaucoma. We believe that the general treatment patterns in the figure below, relative to a patient’s IOP, are typical.
The Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study, or the OHTS, was a large, randomized academic trial published in 2002 that followed a total of 1,636 participants who initially had no evidence of glaucoma-related damage. The OHTS found that higher IOPs generally indicate a higher risk for progression to glaucoma. An IOP of 10 to 21 mmHg is generally considered in the normal range. Individuals with IOPs greater than 21 and up to 25 mmHg will often not be prescribed drug therapy unless they have evidence of both structural changes and some vision loss, or some combination of these and other risk factors for future vision loss. In fact, the United Kingdom’s National Institute of Health and Care Excellence Guidelines, or NICE Guidelines, for the treatment of suspected glaucoma (structural changes but without vision loss) plus elevated IOP, does not recommend treatment of eyes with corneal thickness of 555-590 nm and IOP of 25 mmHg or below. Drug treatment is much more common when patients have IOPs greater than 25 mmHg.
Glaucoma Market
According to the British Journal of Ophthalmology, there were an estimated 2.8 million Americans with glaucoma in 2010. According to the Archives of Ophthalmology, that number will reach approximately 3.4 million by 2020. Approximately 120,000 of these patients are suffering from blindness as a result of destruction to their optic nerve. Glaucoma can affect patients of all ages and ethnicities. However, according to the Archives of Ophthalmology, the prevalence rate (the proportion of people in the population that have glaucoma) increases with age. The most significant increases in prevalence rates occur above 55 years of age. The prevalence in the population aged 65 years and younger is approximately twice that of the population 55 years or younger. Glaucoma is a chronic condition with no known cure and as a result patients are typically treated for the rest of their lives. Patients with glaucoma report decreased quality-of-life, difficulties with daily functioning, including driving, and are more likely to report falls and motor vehicle collisions.
6
According to IMS Health, sales of glaucoma drugs in 2013 were approximately $2.0 billion in the United States and $5.6 billion worldwide and 31.2 million prescriptions were written for glaucoma medications in the United States. According to IMS Health, approximately two-thirds of these prescriptions were for generic drugs, including
latanoprost
and
timolol
, which are the top two selling drugs for the treatment of glaucoma. Due to the lack of innovation in medications for glaucoma, most of the drugs used to treat glaucoma are generic drugs. IMS Health projects U.S. sales of glaucoma drugs to be $3.1 billion in 2018, an increase of approximately 54% over 2013 sales.
Existing Glaucoma Treatments
The initial treatment for glaucoma patients is typically the use of a prescription eye drop from a class of drugs called PGAs. According to IMS Health, prescriptions for PGAs make up more than half of all prescriptions for glaucoma medications. The PGAs’ primary mechanism of action for treating glaucoma is thought to be increasing fluid outflow through the uveoscleral pathway. A number of adverse effects are known to occur in all drugs in the PGA class and, as a result, these side effects are assumed to be associated with the mechanism of action. Most notable of these side effects is eye redness, or conjunctival hyperemia.
When PGAs are insufficient to control IOP or are poorly tolerated, non-PGA products are used either as an add-on therapy to the PGA or as an alternative monotherapy in place of a PGA. Non-PGAs can include a beta-blocker, an alpha (adrenergic) agonist or a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor alone. FDC products containing these non-PGAs are dominated by beta-blocker combinations, which can take the form of a beta-blocker combined with an alpha agonist (Combigan
®
), or a beta-blocker combined with a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor (Cosopt
®
or generic equivalent). Finally, there is a non-PGA combination (Simbrinza
®
) which consist solely of an alpha agonist and a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor. Non-PGA drugs generally have poorer tolerability in the eye than PGA drugs, and some have systemic adverse effects that limit the patient population in which they can be used safely. Moreover, their IOP-lowering effect is generally less than that of PGAs and the vast majority of non-PGAs are required to be dosed multiple times daily.
7
The existing classes of treatment available for glaucoma each have varying mechanisms of action, levels of IOP-lowering, side effects and other adverse effects, as described in the following table.
Summary of Existing Glaucoma Treatments:
Drug Classification
(Generic Names)
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Mechanism of
Action*
|
|
IOP Reduction**
|
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Known Side Effects*
|
|
Other Precautions, Warnings,
Contraindications and
Adverse Effects*
|
|
|
|
|
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|
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|
|
Prostaglandin analog
latanoprost
Travatan
(travoprost)
Lumigan
(bimatoprost)
|
|
Increase uveoscleral and/or trabecular outflow
|
|
6-8 mmHg
(25%-33%)
|
|
- Eye redness (conjunctival hyperemia)
- Visual disturbances (blurred vision, loss of visual acuity)
- Itching (pruritis)
- Burning
- Stinging
- Eye pain
- Darkening of the eyelids (periocular hyperpigmentation)
- Permanent eye (iris) color change
|
|
- Macular edema
- History of herpetic keratitis
- Ocular edema
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Beta-adrenergic antagonist, or beta-blocker
timolol
|
|
Decrease aqueous production
|
|
N/A mmHg
(20%-25%)
|
|
- Burning
- Stinging
- Eye lid swelling (Blepharitis)
- Corneal inflammation (keratitis)
- Itching (pruritis)
- Eye pain
- Dry eyes, foreign body sensation
- Visual disturbances
- Drooping eye lids (ptosis)
- Swelling of retina (cystoid macular edema)
|
|
- Muscle weakness
- Anaphylaxis
- Severe respiratory and cardiac reactions
- Contraindicated in bronchial asthma (or history of), severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, sinus bradycardia (slower heart rate), second or third degree atrioventricular block, overt cardiac failure, cardiogenic shock
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Alpha-adrenergic agonist, or alpha agonist
brimonidine
|
|
Decrease aqueous production; increase uveoscleral outflow
|
|
2-6 mmHg
(20%-25%)
|
|
- Allergic conjunctivitis
- Eye redness (conjunctival hyperemia)
- Itchy eyes (eye pruritis)
|
|
- Severe cardiovascular disease
- Depression
- Cerebral or coronary insufficiency
- High blood pressure (orthostatic hypertension)
- Contraindicated in patients on monoamine oxidase inhibitor therapy
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Carbonic anhydrase inhibitor
dorzolamide
brinzolamide
|
|
Decrease aqueous production
|
|
3-5 mmHg
(15%-20%)
|
|
- Bitter taste
- Burning
- Stinging
- Allergic conjunctivitis
- Corneal inflammation (superficial punctate keratitis)
|
|
- Conjunctivitis
- Eye lid reactions
- Sulfonamide allergy
|
*
|
According to FDA-approved labeling.
|
**
|
mmHg, according to FDA-approved labeling; % from baseline, according to American Academy of Ophthalmology Glaucoma Panel.
|
8
The chart below illustrates the respective proportions of glaucoma prescriptions issued in 2013 by class, according to IMS Health.
Glaucoma Treatments Currently in Development.
We believe there are currently two leading classes of new drugs in clinical development for glaucoma: Rho kinase inhibitors and adenosine mimetics.
A Rho kinase inhibitor is currently in Phase 3 clinical trials and is the furthest along of the potential new glaucoma drug therapies: Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s AR-13324. Like with PGAs, conjunctival hyperemia has been reported with the Rho kinase inhibitor class.
Adenosine mimetics are compounds that mimic or simulate some of the actions or effects of adenosine, a naturally-occurring molecule with many, diverse biologic effects. There are four known subreceptors that are specific to adenosine: A1, A2a, A2b and A3. These subreceptors can cause many effects if stimulated. In the adenosine mimetic group, there are compounds targeting three different adenosine subreceptors: A1, A2a and A3. We believe that A1 selectivity is necessary for optimal IOP-lowering effect. To our knowledge, the two compounds being developed by other companies that were selective for the A2a subreceptor have been discontinued from clinical development for glaucoma. A third compound being developed that we believe targets both the A1 (IOP-lowering) and the A3 (IOP-increasing) subreceptors is still being studied. We believe that because this third compound is dosed orally, it is challenging to isolate its pharmacologic effects solely to the eye. We believe we are the only company to be developing an adenosine mimetic highly selective for the A1 subreceptor for ophthalmic indications.
Market Opportunity
Since 1996, there have been no new drug classes approved in the United States for glaucoma. As a result, there are persistent inadequacies in the tools that ophthalmologists use to manage patients with glaucoma. Thus, we believe there is a need for an innovative glaucoma treatment that offers:
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•
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significant IOP-lowering;
|
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•
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a favorable safety and tolerability profile;
|
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•
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a novel mechanism of action that complements existing therapies; and
|
9
Our Solution—
Trabodenoson
Trabodenoson
is a first-in-class selective adenosine mimetic that is designed to lower IOP with a mechanism of action that we believe augments the natural function of the TM. In addition, by enhancing a naturally occurring process to make the eye function more like that of a younger, healthier eye, rather than changing the fundamental dynamics of pressure regulation in the eye, we believe there is a lower risk of unintended side effects that could result in safety or tolerability issues in the long term. We believe
trabodenoson
enhances metabolic activity in the TM, which helps clear the pathway for the aqueous humor, the fluid in the eye, to flow out of the eye, thereby lowering IOP. We believe that
trabodenoson
’s mechanism of action improves the function of the eye, and that
trabodenoson
has the potential to be used as a monotherapy in place of current glaucoma treatments. In addition, we expect that
trabodenoson
’s purported mechanism of action in the TM should complement the activity of all currently-approved glaucoma drugs that work in other ways to lower IOP.
We believe the following elements of
trabodenoson
’s product profile will drive its adoption, if approved, in the glaucoma market:
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•
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Meaningful IOP-Lowering.
After three months of monotherapy treatment in a Phase 3 clinical trial, MATrX-1, in glaucoma patients who had discontinued any other medications, trabodenoson (500 mcg) lowered IOP by an average of 4.25 mmHg from diurnal baseline. Moreover, daily average IOP reduction was statistically significantly greater than placebo at days 84, 42, and 14, with marginal significance at day 28. MATrX-1 did not meet its primary endpoint because it did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference in absolute IOP from placebo at every single one of the 12 time points comprising the primary endpoint. This was due to a larger than expected treatment effect in the placebo/vehicle group, as compared to both our prior Phase 2 data and a recent meta-analysis examining placebo responses from 10 placebo-controlled trials, which showed a placebo/vehicle result of -2.01 mmHg (Raber, et al). During analysis of the IOP data from the trial, a treatment-by-site interaction was found where a small number of sites (4 sites out of a total of 55) caused an important change in the expected vehicle results. The review of the MATrX-1 data is ongoing and upon completion of all analyses, we plan to request a meeting with the FDA in the first half of 2017 to discuss these findings.
|
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•
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Favorable Safety Profile.
Prior to MATrX-1, in four completed
trabodenoson
clinical trials over a wide range of doses, no patients had been withdrawn due to a
trabodenoson
-related side effect in the eye. In our multiple-dose Phase 3 MATrX-1 monotherapy clinical trial, drug-related dropouts were 1.1 % of patients across all doses tested. Furthermore, in our completed multiple-dose Phase 2 trial of
trabodenoson
co-administered with
latanoprost
in a population of PGA poor-responders, there also was no change in the rate of hyperemia from study baseline after four, eight or 12 weeks of treatment. No systemic effects of the drug have been identified, despite rigorous monitoring including cardiac and renal function, when administered as an eye drop. We believe this safety profile could be important in the potential for
trabodenoson
to become a preferred treatment alternative for patients that experience undesired side effects with existing therapies.
|
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•
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Unique, Complementary Mechanism of Action.
We believe that
trabodenoson
’s mechanism of action augments a naturally occurring process by clearing the path for aqueous humor outflow in the TM. We expect that this mechanism of action should complement all currently-approved glaucoma drugs which work in other ways to lower IOP, including by reducing aqueous humor production and increasing outflow through the uveoscleral pathway. This complementary mechanism was confirmed in patients already receiving
latanoprost
therapy in a recently completed multiple-dose Phase 2 trial. In this Phase 2 trial of
trabodenoson
co-administered with
latanoprost
in a population of PGA poor-responders, patients on
latanoprost
experienced an additional 5.8 mmHg IOP lowering from their study baseline and 4.3 mmHg from their diurnal baseline after 12 weeks treatment (eight weeks BID plus four weeks QD). These results make
trabodenoson
, with its favorable safety profile, a candidate to add to other glaucoma medications when a further reduction of the IOP is desirable.
|
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•
|
Convenient Dosing.
Current Phase 2 clinical data indicate that QD dosing with
trabodenoson
in PGA poor-responders is well tolerated and lowers IOP significantly. We believe a QD dosing regimen minimizes the burden on patients to remember to take their medication, thus, we believe, potentially improving compliance with the therapy. If confirmed and approved in our Phase 3 program, QD dosing would make
trabodenoson
easier to use than most non-PGA products, and
trabodenoson
’s dosing frequency would match the best-in-class PGAs, which would facilitate an FDC with a PGA that could be dosed QD.
|
We believe that
trabodenoson
’s IOP-lowering results, complementary mechanism of action, dosing and safety profile make it well suited for use in an FDC with a PGA, which could be a convenient option for patients currently using two or more glaucoma drugs to lower IOP.
10
Trabodenoson Discovery—Background
Adenosine is a naturally occurring molecule that has a broad array of biological effects. Its effects are mediated through activity at four known adenosine-specific subreceptors: A1, A2a, A2b and A3. These subreceptors are present throughout the body on the cells of different tissues, and at different concentrations. When adenosine binds and activates these different subreceptors, it can cause many diverse effects.
In 1995, a study was published in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics describing how adenosine mimetics can lower IOP by activating adenosine A1 subreceptors in rabbits. In 2001, an animal study published by the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine confirmed that stimulation of A1 lowered IOP, but that stimulating A2a or A3 subreceptors increased IOP.
Our scientists began a rational deconstruction of this complex biology in order to isolate the protective activity of adenosine and to incorporate it into novel therapeutics. Beginning with the structure of adenosine, we created a series of molecules to bind with, and therefore induce the biological effects associated with stimulation of a single adenosine subreceptor. In this way, the undesired biological actions of native adenosine were systematically removed, one by one by eliminating the activity at non-target subreceptors. This rational drug design process relied heavily on our understanding of structure activity relationships, which relate the variation in the structure of the adenosine mimetics and their ability to bind and activate ideally just one adenosine subreceptor. Ultimately, a number of molecules emerged from these efforts with isolated and specialized activity, including some adenosine mimetics that only targeted the A1 subreceptor, leading to the discovery of
trabodenoson
.
The high affinity binding of
trabodenoson
to the A1 subreceptor is shown by the small Ki in the table below, and its selectivity for this IOP-lowering activity is indicated by much higher Ki’s for A2a and A3 receptors where its binding is relatively weak.
Trabodenoson is a Potent and Selective A1 Adenosine Mimetic
|
|
A1
|
|
|
A2a
|
|
|
A3
|
|
|
Selectivity Ratios
|
Compound
|
|
(Ki, nM)
|
|
|
(Ki, nM)
|
|
|
(Ki, nM)
|
|
|
A2a/A1
|
|
A3/A1
|
Trabodenoson
|
|
|
0.97
|
|
|
|
4,690
|
|
|
|
704
|
|
|
4,835x
|
|
725x
|
Trabodenoson’s key characteristics include:
|
1.
|
Potency—Ki in single-digit nM range (0.97nM);
|
|
2.
|
High Selectivity—over A2a> 1000-fold and A3>500-fold;
|
|
3.
|
Ease of Fat Solubility—allowing corneal penetration so it can reach the TM; and
|
|
4.
|
A high compatibility with the often sensitive tissues in the front of the eye.
|
We believe that
trabodenoson
is the only adenosine mimetic with high selectivity for the single desired target of action, the A1 subreceptor, and that stimulation of this subreceptor in the TM effects a meaningful improvement in the metabolic activity in the TM that helps to clear the pathway for the aqueous humor to flow out of the eye, lowering IOP. This metabolic activity takes the form of an increase or up-regulation of proteases—such as Protease A or MMP-2—that digests and removes accumulated proteins that can block the healthy flow of the aqueous humor out of an eye with glaucoma. This metabolic activity is a naturally occurring or endogenous process that is enhanced by treatment with
trabodenoson
. We believe this process does not radically change the way the TM controls eye pressure, but rather restores the natural process of pressure control in the TM, which is different from other therapies that decrease aqueous humor production or increase the permeability of the eye to increase outflow.
11
Product Pipeline
Our product pipeline includes
trabodenoson
, as a monotherapy delivered in an eye drop formulation, as well as an FDC that includes
trabodenoson
plus
latanoprost
in an eye drop formulation, which we refer to as our FDC product candidate. We are also evaluating the potential for
trabodenoson
to directly target optic neuropathies and degenerative retinal diseases. The following table summarizes key information about our product development programs.
Trabodenoson
Our first product candidate, trabodenoson, is a monotherapy dosed in an eye drop. Our clinical trials have shown that trabodenoson has significant IOP-lowering effects, convenient dosing and a favorable safety profile when compared to the currently available glaucoma treatments, such as PGAs and non-PGAs. MATrX-1 did not meet its primary endpoint because it did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference in absolute IOP from placebo at every single one of the 12 time points comprising the primary endpoint. This was due to a larger than expected treatment effect in the placebo/vehicle group, as compared to both our prior Phase 2 data and a recent meta-analysis examining placebo responses from 10 placebo-controlled trials, which showed a placebo/vehicle result of -2.01 mmHg (Raber, et al). During analysis of the IOP data from the trial, a treatment-by-site interaction was found where a small number of sites (4 sites out of a total of 55) caused an important change in the expected vehicle results. The review of the MATrX-1 data is ongoing and upon completion of all analyses, we plan to request a meeting with the FDA in the first half of 2017 to discuss these findings.
Trabodenoson-Latanoprost Fixed-Dose Combination
Our second product candidate is a combination of
trabodenoson
with a PGA,
latanoprost
, to create an FDC. As many as half of glaucoma patients, typically those with more severe disease, need to use two or more glaucoma drugs to sufficiently reduce their IOP. The available FDC products increase IOP-lowering but also have unpleasant tolerability challenges in the eye, as well as the adverse effects, safety warnings, precautions and contraindications that the two individually-dosed drugs carry in their FDA-approved package inserts. An FDC product containing a PGA plus a non-PGA has not yet been approved in the United States. We believe that none have gained FDA approval because the modest incremental benefit in IOP-lowering seen when a non-PGA is added to a PGA is too small in the context of the added side effects and clinical risks that come with the combined drugs. In contrast, based on our completed Phase 2 study in which
trabodenoson
therapy was co-administered with
latanoprost
, we believe that an FDC containing a PGA and
trabodenoson
would be well received in the glaucoma market, especially for use in patients with higher IOPs that currently use two or more glaucoma drugs to lower IOP.
We expect that
trabodenoson
will not adversely affect the safety profile of
latanoprost
, or any other currently-approved PGA, because of its favorable safety and tolerability profile from our completed Phase 2 trial in which
trabodenoson
and
latanoprost
were co-administered. We believe that
trabodenoson
’s mechanism for lowering IOP complements the mechanism of action of
latanoprost
and other PGAs, which work primarily on the secondary uveoscleral outflow, because
trabodenoson
is believed to act through the TM, the largest aqueous humor outflow path in the eye. In fact, our IOP-lowering studies in cynomolgus monkeys have shown that IOP-lowering is significantly better when the eye is treated with both
trabodenoson
and
latanoprost
, as compared to treatment with
latanoprost
alone.
Our completed Phase 2 trial of trabodenoson co-administered with
latanoprost
also demonstrated IOP-lowering in patients who have previously had inadequate responses to
latanoprost
. These patients represent PGA poor-responders, as evidenced by persistently elevated IOP at levels that typically require the addition of a second drug to further lower IOP. The safety profile of trabodenoson co-
12
administered with
latanoprost
is similar to that of trabodenoson monotherapy. Moreover, trabodenoson had a sufficiently long duration of action, allowing it to be effectively dosed QD in conjunction with
latanoprost
. Assuming the trabodenoson safety profile remains favorable, a trabodenoson-
latanoprost
FDC therapy could present a much improved risk/benefit profile over other combinations of currently-approved PGAs and non-PGAs. Currently, a Phase 2 dose-ranging, fixed-dose combination trial investigating combinations of trabodenoson and
latanoprost
in a single eye drop is ongoing. Results are anticipated in mid-2017.
Trabodenoson for Optic Neuropathy and Degenerative Retinal Diseases
The neuroprotective potential of
trabodenoson
is supported by the basic biology of adenosine, which has shown that the stimulation of the A1 receptor can protect tissues of the central nervous system. A pre-clinical study of the impact of high IOP on RGCs showed that
trabodenoson
could protect this key population of cells in the retina that, when lost, result in the irreversible vision loss associated with glaucoma. While we have not yet conducted a formal program of studies to prove neuroprotection, we plan to study the potential of
trabodenoson
monotherapy and our FDC product candidate to slow the loss of vision significantly more than attributable to IOP lowering alone, either in glaucoma patients or in other rarer forms of optic neuropathies.
Clinical Data and Development Strategy
Our Phase 3 program for
trabodenoson
as a monotherapy incorporates the FDA-acceptable clinical endpoint of IOP, in studies with three months of treatment. We had an End-of-Phase 2 meeting with the FDA in 2015 to discuss our Phase 3 program for
trabodenoson
monotherapy, and to confirm the design and endpoints for the Phase 3 pivotal trials. At the meeting, we reached agreement on the design for our initial Phase 3 study, as well as the overall regulatory path for
trabodenoson
. The trial design for the initial Phase 3 study was a five-arm superiority trial including three doses of
trabodenoson
. The primary endpoint of the study was IOP, determined at four timepoints during the day, after 4, 6 and 12 weeks of treatment. The IOP of the
trabodenoson
treated subjects was statistically compared to those of placebo treated subjects. A timolol arm was included for study validation, but not for statistical comparison.
We initiated our Phase 3 program for
trabodenoson
monotherapy in October 2015
and
reported top-line data from the first pivotal trial in the program on January 3, 2017. While MATrX-1 did not meet its primary endpoint, it did demonstrate efficacy as compared to placebo. We are planning to complete the analyses of this trial, then request a meeting with the FDA in the first half of 2017 to discuss these findings.
We are planning to commence our Phase 3 program for the FDC of
trabodenoson
and
latanoprost
in 2018.
Clinical Results
MATrX-1 Trabodenoson Phase 3 Tolerability, Safety and Efficacy of Monotherapy in Glaucoma Patients
MATrX-1 was a Phase 3 randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial of trabodenoson in approximately 300 subjects diagnosed with POAG or OHT. MATrX-1 assessed the efficacy, safety and tolerability of trabodenoson over three months of treatment. The primary endpoint was reduction of IOP as compared to the placebo treatment arm. In addition, the study contained a timolol 0.5% arm to validate the sensitivity of the patient population and serve as an internal control. IOP was measured at four time points during the day: 8AM, 10AM, 12PM, and 4PM on Days 14, 28, 42 and 84. Three doses of trabodenoson ophthalmic suspension were administered: 3%/1000 mcg once daily, 4.5%/1500 mcg twice daily, and 6%/2000 mcg once daily. The trial enrolled patients with a diagnosis of POAG or OHT and an IOP greater than or equal to 24 mmHg and less than or equal to 34 mmHg.
In early 2017 we announced the results of MATrX-1. The results showed a skewed distribution of the IOP data resulting from outliers, as identified from histogram and distribution statistics. To minimize their effects, a statistical approach using medians was considered more appropriate than an approach primarily based on means. Therefore, the analyses of IOP were performed using median data.
Results
Total subjects randomized and treated was 300. The demographics of the trial were well balanced with a distribution of roughly 2/3rd POAGs to 1/3rd OHT subjects. Mean baseline IOPs ranged from 26.3 to 26.8 mmHg for all groups except for the timolol group which had a baseline IOP of 27.4 mmHg, as shown below.
13
Efficacy
The data showed that trabodenoson 6% once-a-day (QD) was the most effective dose, with IOP lowering that was comparable to that observed in Phase 2. Average Daily IOPs Change from Diurnal baseline at all days tested were statistically significantly lower than placebo, and the overall efficacy of the 6% QD dose was approximately 4.25 mmHg at the end of the study. While the trial did not meet its primary endpoint of demonstrating statistical separation from placebo/vehicle on three days (each with four IOP time points) for a total of twelve time points throughout the trial (see below); this was primarily due to two factors: a placebo response that was substantially greater than that observed in Phase 2 (see below), and 4 ‘outlier’ sites out of a total 55 sites that had results well outside of the range of other sites.
14
These 4 ‘outlier’ sites had a few subjects (n=5) randomized to the placebo arm with extreme placebo/vehicle responses that were clearly outside the norm or expected physiology. When all the data (from active as well as placebo subjects) from these 4 ‘outlier’ sites were removed from the analyses, despite a reduction in the overall sample size by 29 subjects, statistical significance was greatly increased, as shown below. This indicates the strong confounding effect of these few, but extreme placebo/vehicle outliers on the efficacy results.
Safety
All doses of
trabodenoson
were well-tolerated, with approximately 1.6% of patients discontinuing the study due to drug-related side effects. There were no serious adverse events, or SAEs, related to trabodenoson. Consistent with prior trials, no evidence of significant systemic effects was observed. Notably, hyperemia was comparable between the trabodenoson and placebo arms. Also, there were no reports of drug-related eye pain, itching or irritation in any of the trabodenoson arms.
15
Trabodenoson Phase 2 Tolerability, Safety and Efficacy of Monotherapy in Glaucoma Patients
In 2012, we completed a successful Phase 2 dose-ranging clinical trial in 144 patients with OHT (ocular hypertension with no visual field loss) or POAG, which demonstrated a clear dose response to
trabodenoson
. Statistically significant results for the primary endpoint of our Phase 2 clinical trials indicate that
trabodenoson
has IOP-lowering effects in line with the best existing therapies, with a favorable safety and tolerability profile at all doses tested. The trial was randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled, and evaluated the efficacy, tolerability, safety, and pharmacokinetics of
trabodenoson
over two or four weeks of BID dosing with eye drops. Separate groups of patients received
trabodenoson
doses of 50, 100 or 200 mcg for two weeks, or 500 mcg for four weeks, and their IOP-lowering efficacy and safety data were compared to groups of patients dosed concurrently with placebo eye drops, also BID.
The primary efficacy endpoint was IOP (measured throughout the day). The primary efficacy analysis calculated the reduction in IOP from the patients’ IOP at the beginning of the study (recorded before active drug was administered at the study 8 AM baseline). A second analysis calculated the reduction in IOP from a time-matched diurnal baseline. The IOP drop from baseline for each dose group (50, 100, 200 and 500 mcg) was then compared statistically to the IOP drop of a matched placebo group treated concurrently.
Results
Patient Population: The characteristics of the patients in the dose groups were similar, including their ages, baseline IOPs, and diagnoses (OHT or POAG). The table below reflects information regarding the demographics of the patient populations that participated in the study, and shows that both diagnoses groups had similar baseline IOPs, and that groups treated with
trabodenoson
had characteristics that were similar to the placebo groups to which they were compared.
Baseline Demographics and IOP
|
|
|
|
|
|
Trabodenoson Dose
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Placebo
|
|
|
50 mcg
|
|
|
100 mcg
|
|
|
200 mcg
|
|
|
500 mcg
|
|
|
Total Active
|
|
Mean Age
|
|
|
59
|
|
|
|
56.6
|
|
|
|
55.6
|
|
|
|
53.8
|
|
|
|
57.6
|
|
|
|
56.3
|
|
n
|
|
|
59
|
|
|
|
17
|
|
|
|
17
|
|
|
|
17
|
|
|
|
34
|
|
|
|
85
|
|
Baseline IOP (mmHg)
|
|
|
26.6
|
|
|
|
26.1
|
|
|
|
25.6
|
|
|
|
26.1
|
|
|
|
26.2
|
|
|
|
26
|
|
OHT n(%)
|
|
22(37.3)
|
|
|
6(35.3)
|
|
|
8(47.1)
|
|
|
6(35.3)
|
|
|
14(41.2)
|
|
|
34(40.0)
|
|
Baseline IOP (mmHg)
|
|
|
26.7
|
|
|
|
27.2
|
|
|
|
25
|
|
|
|
27.1
|
|
|
|
26.3
|
|
|
|
26.3
|
|
POAG n(%)
|
|
37(62.7)
|
|
|
11(64.7)
|
|
|
9(52.9)
|
|
|
11(64.7)
|
|
|
20(58.8)
|
|
|
51(60.0)
|
|
Baseline IOP (mmHg)
|
|
|
26.5
|
|
|
|
25.5
|
|
|
|
26.1
|
|
|
|
25.5
|
|
|
|
26.1
|
|
|
|
25.9
|
|
16
Efficacy
Both the 200 mcg dose and the 500 mcg doses at day 14, and the 500 mcg dose at day 28, met the primary endpoint demonstrating statistically significant improvements in IOP relative to the matched placebo (p<0.05 indicating a greater than 95% probability that the result was not a random event). Moreover, a clear increase in IOP-lowering efficacy was seen with increasing doses of
trabodenoson
(i.e. a dose response), and the most efficacious
trabodenoson
dose tested was the highest dose of 500 mcg.
Trabodenoson
’s primary efficacy endpoint (IOP drop from baseline) measured after four weeks of treatment (at day 28) had improved significantly from the same endpoint when measured after two weeks of treatment (at day 14). This improvement with additional treatment time was statistically significant (p=0.016). In the figure below, a clear trend for increasing IOP-lowering efficacy with increasing dose is evident. For the 500 mcg dose, the statistically significant increase in efficacy between day 14 and day 28 is illustrated on the right side of the figure.
On average, doubling doses between 50 and 500 mcg increases IOP lowering from diurnal baseline by approximately 0.7 mmHg.
17
The IOP-lowering at the highest and most efficacious dose (500 mcg) was evaluated in various patient sub-populations to gain a sense of the ability to generalize the results over a diverse patient population. The figure below compares the IOP drop from study baseline (the primary endpoint analysis) for all patients (far left) to various sub-populations to the right of that. All of these patient subgroups responded to
trabodenoson
’s IOP-lowering effect.
When we rationally designed
trabodenoson
, our primary objective was to restore pressure regulation in eyes with high IOP, a risk factor for glaucoma. A healthy eye has a natural circadian rhythm that dictates a pattern of IOP over the day. We found that this pattern, or the shape of the IOP circadian rhythm curve throughout the day, is relatively unchanged by
trabodenoson
treatment, except that the overall IOP during the day is reduced by
trabodenoson
treatment as intended. We believe this indicates that the TM has been restored to an improved function resulting in a more normal average pressure, and that this normal daily IOP pattern indicates that the fundamental biology of pressure management in the eye has been preserved. The natural daily changes in IOP still exist, but at a significantly lower average pressure that we believe is less damaging to RGCs and the optic nerve. The figure below shows the primary efficacy parameter for the trial, IOP, at several timepoints throughout the day (diurnal IOP) for the highest dose tested and the placebo group at day 28.
Furthermore, after 28 days of BID dosing, the IOP-lowering effect persisted for an additional 24 hours after the last dose of medication, which we believe indicates the potential for
trabodenoson
monotherapy to be dosed QD.
18
Safety and Tolerability
There were no SAEs or patients that withdrew due to safety findings that occurred once the drug was given. There were no signs of systemic safety issues in any of the non-ocular examinations, ECG evaluations or laboratory tests performed. Systemically, administration of
trabodenoson
eye drops was found to be well-tolerated. There were no changes noted from internal eye examinations or visual testing during drug treatment. The rate of conjunctival hyperemia in patients treated with
trabodenoson
was unchanged from the placebo run-in period (study baseline). There was no maximum tolerated dose determined because all doses tested were well-tolerated.
Trabodenoson Phase 2 Co-Administered with Latanoprost in Glaucoma Patients
In October 2014, we received top-line results from a Phase 2 trial in patients with POAG or OHT, in which
trabodenoson
eye drops were co-administered with
latanoprost
eye drops. The objective of the study was to evaluate the safety and additional IOP-lowering effect of
trabodenoson
when added either BID or QD to
latanoprost
. This trial enrolled 101 patients who had IOPs of greater than or equal to 24 mmHg despite one month of previous treatment with
latanoprost
. These patients are considered PGA poor-responders, as evidenced by persistently elevated IOP at levels that typically require the addition of a second drug to further lower IOP. The trial was randomized, double-masked, placebo- and active- controlled.
Following four weeks of
latanoprost
eye drops, otherwise healthy patients with an IOP greater than 24 mmHg and a diagnosis of either OHT or POAG were randomized for Part 1 of the study. In Part 1, the study arm consisted of BID-dosed
trabodenoson
(1.5%; 500 mcg nominal dose) plus
latanoprost
0.005%, at the approved dose, QD. The control arm consisted of timolol 0.5%, an approved BID dose plus
latanoprost
0.005% QD. Patients in both arms were treated for a total of eight weeks in Part 1 of the study to evaluate the additive effects of
trabodenoson
BID to
latanoprost
QD, with an active control consisting of timolol BID.
At the end of Part 1, after eight weeks of treatment, patients began Part 2 of the study. In Part 2, the study arm was switched to a QD dose of
trabodenoson
(3.0%, 1,000 mcg nominal dose) plus
latanoprost
0.005% QD, and patients in the control arm were switched to placebo QD plus
latanoprost
0.005% QD. Part 2 was designed to measure the additive effects of
trabodenoson
QD to
latanoprost
QD over an additional four weeks. The number of patients planned for enrollment was ~100 (50 patients per arm) for Part 1 and ~80 (40 patients per arm) for Part 2. This trial is outlined below.
The primary efficacy endpoint was IOP, measured throughout the day. The efficacy analyses calculated the reduction in IOP from the patients’ IOP at study baseline and diurnal baseline (recorded after taking
latanoprost
for four weeks but before
trabodenoson
or
timolol
were added). In Part 1, these IOP drops from baseline, on
latanoprost
, were compared to the IOP drops of the control arm treated concurrently with
timolol
. In Part 2, the IOP drop from baseline in patients receiving
trabodenoson
QD plus
latanoprost
QD was compared to patients receiving placebo QD plus
latanoprost
QD.
Safety evaluations included recording of withdrawals or terminations and adverse events, or AEs. In each patient, both eyes were evaluated at regular intervals with internal eye exams (including pupil dilation with slit lamp examination of the inside of the eye) and external eye examinations (of the outside surface of the eye, eye lids and surrounding tissue). Visual function was also assessed. Overall health was assessed by physical exam, vital signs (including heart rate and blood pressure), electrocardiograms, or ECGs, for heart function and analysis of urine and blood samples (clinical chemistry). Plasma samples were collected to analyze the pharmacokinetic parameters, such as the half-life of any drug detected in the systemic circulation.
19
Results
Patient Population: The characteristics of the patients in the dose groups were similar, including their age, and baseline IOPs, which were not adequately controlled following a four-week run-in using
latanoprost
therapy. The table below includes information on the demographics of the patients that participated in the study.
Baseline Demographics and IOP
|
|
Part 1
|
|
|
Part 2
|
|
ITT population
|
|
Trabodenoson
BID
|
|
|
Timolol
BID
|
|
|
Trabodenoson
QD
|
|
|
Placebo
QD
|
|
n
|
|
|
50
|
|
|
|
51
|
|
|
|
37
|
|
|
|
43
|
|
Mean Age
|
|
|
62
|
|
|
|
61
|
|
|
|
63
|
|
|
|
61
|
|
Baseline IOP using
latanoprost
(mmHg)
|
|
|
25.71
|
|
|
|
25.86
|
|
|
|
25.68
|
|
|
|
25.86
|
|
OHT n (%)
|
|
23(46%)
|
|
|
13(25.5%)
|
|
|
15(40.5%)
|
|
|
12(28%)
|
|
Baseline IOP using
latanoprost
(mmHg)
|
|
|
25.78
|
|
|
|
25.65
|
|
|
|
25.93
|
|
|
|
25.29
|
|
POAG n (%)
|
|
27(54%)
|
|
|
38(74.5%)
|
|
|
22(59.5%)
|
|
|
31(72%)
|
|
Baseline IOP using
latanoprost
(mmHg)
|
|
|
25.65
|
|
|
|
25.93
|
|
|
|
25.50
|
|
|
|
26.08
|
|
Discontinuations:
In Part 1, there were four discontinuations due to either protocol violations or exclusionary criteria (three patients were in the
trabodenoson
group and one was in the
timolol
group). In Part 2, there were two discontinuations; one was discontinued due to an AE and the other did not to return during follow-up, but provided no explanation (both were in the placebo group).
Efficacy
After eight weeks of BID dosing in Part 1, patients treated with
trabodenoson
co-administered with
latanoprost
experienced further mean reductions of IOP of 3.4 and 4.9 mmHg from diurnal and study baselines, respectively, beyond the IOP-lowering of
latanoprost
. After switching to QD
trabodenoson
in Part 2, and treating for an additional four weeks, QD dosing with
trabodenoson
resulted in a mean reduction in IOP of 4.3 and 5.8 mmHg from diurnal and study baseline, respectively, from the IOP on
latanoprost
alone. At the end of Part 2 (after 12 weeks), the IOP-lowering seen in the Study Eye (the eye treated with
trabodenoson
) was statistically significantly greater than the IOP drop of the patient’s Control Eye (the patient’s other eye that only received QD
latanoprost
).
20
In Part 1 the IOP drop at the end of 8 weeks of treatment, in this population of
latanoprost
poor-responders, was less than
timolol
BID (0.5%) which dropped pressure 6.1 and 7.6 mmHg, on average from diurnal and study baselines, respectively.
In Part 2 of the trial, QD
trabodenoson
lowered IOP an additional 4.3 and 5.8 mmHg from diurnal and study baseline, respectively, beyond the effect of
latanoprost
alone in this population of
latanoprost
poor-responders.
Consistency of Results across Phase II Studies
Mean reductions in IOP from study baseline ranging from 5.0 mmHg after four weeks of BID treatment to 5.8 mmHg after four weeks of QD treatment in the trial were similar to the 6.5 mmHg IOP reduction seen at the end of the four week
Trabodenoson
Phase 2 Tolerability, Safety and Efficacy of Monotherapy in Glaucoma Patients
trial (the monotherapy trial). In the monotherapy trial, patients received only
trabodenoson
. The patients in the 2014 additivity trial represented a different patient population than those studied in the monotherapy trial. These patients had inadequate responses to
latanoprost
, as evidenced by persistently high IOP, despite
latanoprost
treatment for four weeks prior to randomization. This patient population typically requires the addition of a second drug to their PGA therapy to further lower IOP. Patients in the monotherapy trial, by contrast, were removed from all glaucoma medications, and thus represented a typical patient population studied in a Phase 3 glaucoma trial. Despite these differences in the patient populations, the efficacy of
trabodenoson
was consistent across trials, suggesting that
trabodenoson
’s mechanism of action is effective across a wide-range of glaucoma disease severity.
21
Both OHT and POAG patients responded to
trabodenoson
with POAG subjects showing the largest IOP drops.
Safety and Tolerability
With the exception of a single patient who received placebo plus
latanoprost
, no patients dropped out of the trial as a result of a drug-related adverse effect or due to drug intolerability.
Trabodenoson
was well tolerated in the eye, with no drug related hyperemia detectable by ocular exam at four, eight or 12 weeks. Mild hyperemia seen on the first day of dosing in a minority of patients was back to baseline by the 10-week post dose ocular exams.
Trabodenoson
had no detectable systemic effects in any of the non-ocular examinations, ECG evaluations or laboratory tests performed. Overall AEs were similar in the BID phase (
Trabodenoson
36%;
Timolol
29%), with the
trabodenoson
rate dropping to 26% without the first-day hyperemias, and were also similar in the QD phase (
Trabodenoson
16%; Placebo 14%) between treatment groups. However,
timolol
(dosed in one eye only) had systemic AEs associated with systemic beta blockade, including: dizziness, headache, fatigue and symptomatic sinus bradycardia.
Patients randomized to
timolol
also had lower pulse rates than in the
trabodenoson
group (the pulse rate was measured 30 minutes and one hour after dosing). This difference was statistically significant in the overall data (p=0.033) as well as at the individual timepoints (p=0.041 and p=0.030 at the 30 minute and one hour post-dose timepoints, respectively).
22
The pulse rates for both groups are shown in the boxplot below, which includes the minimum and maximum values, median (white line), and the boundaries of the upper and lower quartiles (top and bottom of the box).
Trabodenoson Repeat-Dose Safety and Tolerability in Adult Healthy Volunteers
We conducted a randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation trial in healthy volunteers, aged 35-65, with the primary objective of characterizing the safety and tolerability profile of
trabodenoson
and identifying a maximum tolerated dose (a dose that was associated with limiting or intolerable side effects).
Ten subjects were assigned to each of seven consecutive cohorts (six to active
trabodenoson
and four to matched placebo). Cohorts 1 through 6 consisted of sequential, escalating doses (200, 400, 800, 1600, 2400 and 3200 mcg of
trabodenoson
) which were given topically to a single eye, BID, for 14 days. The 3200 mcg dose was the highest dose that could be administered to a single eye at one time due to, among others, the limitations of the formulation. Cohort 7 included eight step-wise escalating doses of
trabodenoson
, given in both eyes. Doses given to this cohort ranged from 200-3200 mcg in a single eye and totaled 1800-6400 mcg for both eyes combined. Dose escalation to the next dose level proceeded only after masked review of the safety data from the preceding dose level.
Systemic safety assessments included: AEs, other medications used, physical examinations, vital signs, clinical laboratory tests of blood and urine samples, extensive monitoring of cardiac function and health (12-lead ECG tracings, continuous cardiac monitoring and cardiac troponin concentrations), lung function testing (FEV
1
), sleep (Karolinska Sleepiness Scale), kidney function and withdrawals or terminations. No systemic safety signals were found at any of the doses tested.
Ocular safety assessments included vision tests (visual acuity), IOP measurements, as well as internal and external eye examinations. No significant changes were seen in IOP measurements and examination of the periorbital area, eyelids, eyelashes, pupils, cornea, iris and sclera. The only ocular finding was short-lived, self-limited conjunctival hyperemia that was dose-related, usually mild in severity, decreased with continuing exposure, and was not accompanied by evidence that it was related to inflammation, such as persistent anterior chamber cells or flare. The incidence of clinically significant eye redness reported as an AE was extremely low (1 of 42) in subjects randomized to
trabodenoson
.
Early Terminations and Withdrawals
Three subjects randomized to placebo were terminated early from the study for reasons unrelated to the study drug. Only one subject assigned to active study drug was withdrawn. The study subject’s laboratory tests revealed findings consistent with gallbladder disease (chronic cholecystitis), so the subject was withdrawn from the clinical trial (without unmasking the subject’s treatment assignment) and referred for a surgical consult resulting in the subject having chronic gallbladder stones removed.
23
Pharmacokinetic Data
The pharmacokinetics data indicated that the exposure to
trabodenoson
generally increased in a dose-dependent manner. At the highest three doses, there were no apparent increases in systemic exposure with increasing dose. This plateau effect suggests that little additional drug is absorbed into systemic circulation following doses above 4800 mcg (2400 mcg per eye), as reflected in the figure below.
Conclusions
In conclusion, no safety or tolerability issues were identified in either the eye or the body as a whole. Due to the lack of clinically significant findings following in depth safety testing for systemic and ocular effects of
trabodenoson
, no maximum tolerated dose could be identified. Systemic exposure to
trabodenoson
appeared to be limited above ocular doses totaling 4800 mcg, indicating an apparent limitation to the amount of drug that can be delivered to the body by dosing in the eye.
Trabodenoson Monotherapy Tolerability, Safety and Efficacy
We conducted a Phase 1/2 multi-center, randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation trial in 70 adults with POAG and OHT with the primary objective of characterizing the safety and tolerability of increasing doses of a pilot formulation of
trabodenoson
monotherapy.
Subjects were sequentially assigned to one of seven consecutive cohorts (eight to active
trabodenoson
and four to matched placebo); consisting of sequential, escalating single-doses of 2.5, 7.5, 20, 60, 180, 350 or 700 mcg of
trabodenoson
given topically to a single study eye.
Efficacy (IOP-lowering), tolerability, safety and pharmacokinetics assessments were performed following study drug administration, and dose escalation from one cohort to the next cohort proceeded only after masked review of the safety data from the preceding cohort.
Conclusions
In conclusion,
trabodenoson
monotherapy ophthalmic solution up to and including 700 mcg were well-tolerated. This preliminary formulation of
trabodenoson
demonstrated activity at lowering IOP following single doses of 350 mcg and 700 mcg in patients with POAG or OHT.
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Development Strategy
Trabodenoson
We had an End-of-Phase 2 meeting with the FDA in 2015 to discuss our Phase 3 program for
trabodenoson
monotherapy and to confirm the design and endpoints for the Phase 3 pivotal trials. At the meeting, we reached agreement on the design of our initial Phase 3 study, as well as the overall regulatory path for
trabodenoson
. We commenced our Phase 3 program for
trabodenoson
monotherapy in October 2015 and reported top-line results in January 2017. The recently completed Phase 3 pivotal trial, MATrX-1, did not meet its primary endpoint because it did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference in absolute IOP from placebo at every single one of the 12 time points comprising the primary endpoint. This was due to a larger than expected treatment effect in the placebo/vehicle group, as compared to both our prior Phase 2 data and a recent meta-analysis examining placebo responses from 10 placebo-controlled trials, which showed a placebo/vehicle result of -2.01 mmHg (Raber, et al). During analysis of the IOP data from the trial, a treatment-by-site interaction was found where a small number of sites (4 sites out of a total of 55) caused an important change in the expected vehicle results. The review of the MATrX-1 data is ongoing and upon completion of all analyses, we plan to request a meeting with the FDA in the first half of 2017 to discuss these findings.
The overall program will encompass a total subject exposure to
trabodenoson
of at least 1,300 patients. The final design of the second Phase 3 trial will be impacted by the findings of the initial Phase 3 trial. Following a run-in period, the second Phase 3 trial is expected to run for at least 12 weeks of active treatment with the primary endpoint of IOP-lowering over the day.
The initial Phase 3 trial was a three-month study with five treatment arms, for a total of approximately 300 patients with 3
trabodenoson
treatment arms. The
trabodenoson
doses evaluated were 1,000 mcg QD, 2,000 mcg QD, and 1,500 mcg BID. The trial investigated both once-daily (QD) and twice-daily (BID) dosing, as some patients may benefit from a twice daily dosing regimen. The primary efficacy endpoint of the study was IOP, measured at four time points during the day after 4, 6 and 12 weeks of treatment. The IOP of the
trabodenoson
treated subjects was statistically compared to those of placebo treated subjects. A timolol arm was included for study validation, but not for statistical comparison.
The FDA requires that a total of at least 1,300 patients be exposed to at least a single dose of
trabodenoson
, and the complete submission package must also contain safety data from at least 300 patients treated with
trabodenoson
for at least six months, and at least 100 patients treated for at least a year. These longer-term treatments will be accomplished in a long-term safety trial conducted at the highest anticipated
trabodenoson
dose. If the primary objectives of all trials in our Phase 3 program are met, we plan to submit an NDA to the FDA for marketing approval of
trabodenoson
for the treatment of glaucoma in the United States.
Fixed-Dose Combination of Trabodenoson and Latanoprost
We are also developing an FDC of
trabodenoson
and
latanoprost
. We have not filed a separate investigational new drug application, or IND, for the FDC, as we expect to be able to rely on the existing
trabodenoson
IND. Similarly, we have not conducted a Phase 1 trial for the FDC as we were able to rely on the safety and tolerability data generated in our completed trials for
trabodenoson
as a monotherapy.
The results of the Phase 2 trial that evaluated the efficacy and safety of the combination of
latanoprost
and
trabodenoson
, at two dose levels, and when given QD and BID, informed the design and format of the currently ongoing study which was structured to evaluate the safety and efficacy of various dose combinations and dosing patterns of an FDC of
latanoprost
and
trabodenoson
. The commencement of our Phase 2 program for the FDC product candidate as well as future FDC trials will depend on successful cGMP manufacturing of stable FDC dosage forms. We initiated our Phase 2 program in 2016 and plan to start our Phase 3 FDC program in 2018. We expect our FDC product candidate to benefit many patients with higher IOPs and more severe disease that typically require more aggressive medical treatment. For this reason, the patient population for the FDC program is expected to carry a higher disease burden. As with the monotherapy product development, the FDA requirements for long-term dosing data (at least 300 patients treated with the FDC for at least six months, and at least 100 patients treated for at least a year) will require the program to include a long-term safety study.
Neuroprotection and Degenerative Retinal Diseases
We plan to study the neuroprotective potential of
trabodenoson
monotherapy and our FDC product candidate to slow the loss of vision significantly more than attributable to IOP-lowering alone either in glaucoma patients or other rarer forms of optic neuropathy. While supported by the basic biology of adenosine, we have not yet conducted a formal program of studies to prove neuroprotection and have not filed an IND related to this program. This evaluation may include longer longitudinal studies in glaucoma patients, as potentially smaller patient groups with rapidly-progressing optic nerve damage. Although treatment times will be measured in years rather than months, this effort can run in parallel to the normal development trials, or may be included in the objectives of the planned long-term safety trials. The regulatory path for such an indication is thus far uncharted, so significant regulatory as well as clinical risk
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is anticipated for such a program and close interaction with regulatory agencies will be required. Due to the speculative nature of the development, it is difficult at this time to predict if or when an NDA submission in support of neuroprotection indication may be submitted. We plan to continue pre-clinical and proof-of-concept trials for optic neuropathies and degenerative retinal diseases in 2017.
Competition
The pharmaceutical industry is characterized by rapidly advancing technologies, intense competition and a strong emphasis on proprietary products. While we believe that our experience and scientific knowledge provide us with competitive advantages, we face competition from established branded and generic pharmaceutical companies, such as Novartis International AG and its subsidiary Alcon Labs, Pfizer/Allergan Inc., Bausch + Lomb, Inc. (now a unit of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.), Merck & Co., Inc., Santen Inc., Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and smaller biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, as well as from academic institutions, government agencies and private and public research institutions, which may in the future develop products to treat glaucoma. Any product candidates that we successfully develop and commercialize will compete with existing therapies and new therapies that may become available in the future. We believe that the key competitive factors affecting the success of our product candidates, if approved, are likely to be efficacy, safety, convenience, price, tolerability and the availability of coverage and adequate reimbursement from governmental authorities and other third-party payors.
Many of our competitors have significantly greater financial resources and expertise in research and development, manufacturing, preclinical testing, conducting clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approvals and marketing approved products than we do. Glaukos Corporation recently commercialized a trabecular micro-bypass stent that is implanted in the eye during cataract surgery and allows fluid to flow from the anterior of the eye into the collecting channels, bypassing the TM. In addition, early-stage companies that are also developing glaucoma treatments, such as Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which is developing a Rho kinase/norepinephrine transport inhibitor, may prove to be significant competitors. We expect that our competitors will continue to develop new glaucoma treatments, which may include eye drops, oral treatments, surgical procedures, implantable devices or laser treatments.
Other early-stage companies may also compete through collaborative arrangements with large and established companies. Mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries may result in even more resources being concentrated among a smaller number of our competitors. These competitors also compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific and management personnel and establishing clinical trial sites and patient registration for clinical trials, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our programs.
Our commercial opportunity could be reduced or eliminated if our competitors develop and commercialize products that are safer, more effective, have fewer adverse effects, are more convenient or are less expensive than any products that we may develop. Our competitors also may obtain FDA or other regulatory approval for their products more rapidly than we may obtain approval for ours. In addition, our ability to compete may be affected because in many cases physicians, insurers or other third-party payors may encourage the use of generic products. The market for glaucoma prescriptions is highly competitive and is currently dominated by generic drugs, such as
latanoprost
and timolol, and additional products are expected to become available on a generic basis over the coming years. If any of our product candidates are approved, we expect that they will be priced at a premium over competitive generic products and consistent with other branded glaucoma drugs.
Manufacturing
Trabodenoson
is a small molecule that is capable of being manufactured in reliable and reproducible synthetic processes from readily available starting materials. We believe the chemistry used to manufacture
trabodenoson
is amenable to a scale up and does not require unusual equipment in the manufacturing process. We do not currently operate manufacturing facilities for clinical or commercial production of our product candidates. We currently rely on third-party manufacturers to produce the active pharmaceutical ingredient and final drug product for our clinical trials. We manage such production with all our vendors on a purchase order basis in accordance with applicable master service and supply agreements. We do not have long-term agreements with these manufacturers or any other third-party suppliers.
Latanoprost
and timolol, used in our clinical trials, are available in commercial quantities from multiple reputable third-party manufacturers. We intend to procure quantities on a purchase order basis for our clinical and commercial production. If any of our existing third-party suppliers should become unavailable to us for any reason, we believe that there are a number of potential replacements, although we might experience a delay in our ability to obtain alternative suppliers. We also do not have any current contractual relationships for the manufacture of commercial supplies of our product candidates if they are approved. With respect to commercial production of our product candidates in the future, we plan to outsource production of the active pharmaceutical ingredients and final drug product manufacturing if they are approved for marketing by the applicable regulatory authorities.
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We expect to continue to develop drug candidates that can be produced in a cost effective manner at contract manufacturing facilities. However, should a supplier or manufacturer on which we have relied to produce a product candidate provide us with a faulty product or such product is later recalled, we would likely experience delays and additional costs, each of which could be significant.
Intellectual Property
Our success depends in part on our ability to obtain and maintain proprietary protection for our products and product candidates, technology and know-how, to operate without infringing the proprietary rights of others and to prevent others from infringing our proprietary rights.
We own a patent portfolio covering the
trabodenoson
compound that includes issued patents in the United States, Europe, Japan, and several other countries. These composition-of-matter patents are scheduled to expire by early 2026 in the United States and by mid-2025 abroad. We also own an issued U.S. patent and have pending patent applications in Europe and Japan relating to the use of
trabodenoson
for reducing IOP. The issued U.S. patent is scheduled to expire in 2031 and the pending foreign patent applications, if issued, are scheduled to expire by 2030. In 2016, we had a U.S. composition-of-matter patent issued that covers polymorphs of
trabodenoson
. This patent is scheduled to expire in 2033. A detailed freedom-to-operate analysis has been conducted and we are not aware of any third party rights or impediments to commercializing
trabodenoson
for use in ophthalmic indications in the United States or Europe.
Our patent portfolio includes issued U.S. patents relating to combinations of
trabodenoson
with carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, beta blockers and prostaglandins (PGAs). These U.S. patents are scheduled to expire in 2031 and 2032. At the end of 2016, we also had an ophthalmic formulation patent issue in the U.S. that covers our current ophthalmic formulation. This U.S. patent is scheduled to expire in 2034.
We are also pursuing additional patent applications in the United States and abroad relating to:
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combinations of
trabodenoson
with PGAs, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors or beta blockers, in patent applications which, if issued, are scheduled to expire by 2031;
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polymorphs of
trabodenoson
, in patent applications which, if issued, are scheduled to expire by 2033;
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formulations of
trabodenoson
, in patent applications which, if issued, are scheduled to expire by 2034; and
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ocular neuroprotective uses of
trabodenoson
, in patent applications which, if issued, are scheduled to expire by 2034.
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As we advance the development of our
trabodenoson
products and clinical development we continue to look at opportunities to file additional patent applications covering new and innovative developments to ensure we have a patent portfolio that is multifaceted. For such additional applications, we will continue to seek patent protection in the United States and other jurisdictions that are important in the ophthalmic markets.
In addition to our patents and patent applications, we keep certain of our proprietary information as trade secrets, which we seek to protect by confidentiality agreements with our employees and third parties, and by seeking to maintain the physical security of our premises and physical and electronic security of our information technology systems.
Government Regulation
FDA Regulation and Marketing Approval
In the United States, the FDA regulates drugs under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, or FDCA, and related regulations. Drugs are also subject to other federal, state and local statutes and regulations. Failure to comply with the applicable United States regulatory requirements at any time during the product development process, approval process or after approval may subject an applicant to administrative or judicial sanctions and non-approval of product candidates. These sanctions could include, among other things, the imposition by the FDA or an Institutional Review Board, or IRB, of a clinical hold on trials, the FDA’s refusal to approve pending applications or related supplements, withdrawal of an approval, untitled or warning letters, product recalls, product seizures, total or partial suspension of production or distribution, injunctions, fines, restitution, disgorgement, civil penalties or criminal prosecution. Such actions by government agencies could also require us to expend a large amount of resources to respond to the actions. Any agency or judicial enforcement action could have a material adverse effect on us.
The FDA and comparable regulatory agencies in state and local jurisdictions and in foreign countries impose substantial requirements upon the clinical development, approval, manufacture, distribution and marketing of pharmaceutical products. These agencies and other federal, state and local entities regulate research and development activities and the testing, manufacture, quality control, safety, effectiveness, labeling, packaging, storage, distribution, record keeping, approval, post-approval monitoring,
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advertising, promotion, sampling and import and export of our products. Our drugs must be approved by the FDA through the NDA process before they may be legally marketed in the United States. See “The NDA Approval Process” below.
The process required by the FDA before drugs may be marketed in the United States generally involves the following:
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completion of non-clinical laboratory tests, animal studies and formulation studies conducted according to Good Laboratory Practices, or GLP, or other applicable regulations;
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submission of an IND, which allows clinical trials to begin unless FDA objects within 30 days;
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adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials to establish the safety and efficacy of the proposed drug for its intended use or uses conducted in accordance with FDA regulations and Good Clinical Practices, or GCP, which are international ethical and scientific quality standards meant to ensure that the rights, safety and well-being of trial participants are protected and that the integrity of the data is maintained;
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preparation and submission to the FDA of an NDA;
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review of the product by an FDA advisory committee, where appropriate or if applicable;
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satisfactory completion of pre-approval inspection of manufacturing facilities and clinical trial sites at which the product, or components thereof, are produced to assess compliance with cGMP requirements and of selected clinical trial sites to assess compliance with GCP requirements; and
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FDA approval of an NDA which must occur before a drug can be marketed or sold.
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Preclinical Studies
Preclinical studies include laboratory evaluation of the purity and stability of the manufactured drug substance or active pharmaceutical ingredient and the formulated drug or drug product, as well as in vitro and animal studies to assess the safety and activity of the drug for initial testing in humans and to establish a rationale for therapeutic use. The conduct of preclinical studies is subject to federal regulations and requirements, including GLP regulations. The results of the preclinical tests, together with manufacturing information, analytical data, any available clinical data or literature and plans for clinical studies, among other things, are submitted to the FDA as part of an IND.
Companies usually must complete some long-term preclinical testing, such as animal tests of reproductive adverse events and carcinogenicity, and must also develop additional information about the chemistry and physical characteristics of the drug and finalize a process for manufacturing the drug in commercial quantities in accordance with cGMP requirements. The manufacturing process must be capable of consistently producing quality batches of the drug candidate and, among other things, the manufacturer must develop methods for testing the identity, strength, quality and purity of the final drug product. Additionally, appropriate packaging must be selected and tested and stability studies must be conducted to demonstrate that the drug candidate does not undergo unacceptable deterioration over its shelf life.
IND and Clinical Trials
Clinical trials involve the administration of the investigational product to human subjects under the supervision of qualified investigators in accordance with GCP requirements. Clinical trials are conducted under written study protocols detailing, among other things, the objectives of the study, the parameters to be used in monitoring safety and the effectiveness criteria to be evaluated. Prior to commencing the first clinical trial, an initial IND, which contains the results of preclinical testing along with other information, such as information about product chemistry, manufacturing and controls and a proposed protocol, must be submitted to the FDA. The IND automatically becomes effective 30 days after receipt by the FDA unless the FDA within the 30-day time period raises concerns or questions about the drug product or the conduct of the clinical trial and imposes a clinical hold. A clinical hold may also be imposed at any time while the IND is in effect. In such a case, the IND sponsor must resolve any outstanding concerns with the FDA before the clinical trial may begin or re-commence. Accordingly, submission of an IND may or may not result in the FDA allowing clinical trials to commence or continue.
A sponsor who wishes to conduct a clinical trial outside the United States may, but need not, obtain FDA authorization to conduct the clinical trial under an IND. If a foreign clinical trial is not conducted under an IND, the sponsor may submit data from the clinical trial to the FDA in support of an NDA or IND so long as the clinical trial is conducted in compliance with GCP, and the FDA is able to validate the data from the study through an onsite inspection if the agency deems it necessary.
A separate submission to the existing IND must be made for each successive clinical trial to be conducted during product development. Further, an independent IRB for each site at which the clinical trial will be conducted must review and approve the clinical trial before it commences at that site. Informed written consent must also be obtained from each trial subject. Regulatory
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authorities, including the FDA, an IRB, a data safety monitoring board or the sponsor, may suspend or terminate a clinical trial at any time on various grounds, including a finding that the participants are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk or that the clinical trial is not being conducted in accordance with FDA requirements.
For purposes of NDA approval, human clinical trials are typically conducted in sequential phases that may overlap:
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Phase 1– the drug is initially given to healthy human subjects or patients and tested for safety, dosage tolerance, absorption, metabolism, distribution and excretion. These trials may also provide early evidence on effectiveness. During Phase 1 clinical trials, sufficient information about the investigational drug’s pharmacokinetics and pharmacologic effects may be obtained to permit the design of well-controlled and scientifically valid Phase 2 clinical trials.
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Phase 2– trials are conducted in a limited number of patients in the target population to identify possible adverse effects and safety risks, to determine the efficacy of the product for specific targeted diseases and to determine dosage tolerance and optimal dosage. Multiple Phase 2 clinical trials may be conducted by the sponsor to obtain information prior to beginning larger and more expensive Phase 3 clinical trials.
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Phase 3– when Phase 2 evaluations demonstrate that a dosage range of the product appears effective and has an acceptable safety profile, and provide sufficient information for the design of Phase 3 trials, Phase 3 trials are undertaken to provide statistically significant evidence of clinical efficacy and to further test for safety in an expanded patient population at multiple clinical trial sites. They are intended to further evaluate dosage, effectiveness and safety, to establish the overall benefit-risk relationship of the investigational drug and to provide an adequate basis for product labeling and approval by the FDA. In most cases, the FDA requires two adequate and well-controlled Phase 3 clinical trials to demonstrate the efficacy of the drug.
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All clinical trials must be conducted in accordance with FDA regulations, GCP requirements and their protocols in order for the data to be considered reliable for regulatory purposes. Progress reports detailing the results of the clinical trials must be submitted at least annually to the FDA and more frequently if serious adverse events occur. Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials may not be completed successfully within any specified period, or at all.
An investigational drug product that is a combination of two different drugs in a single dosage form must comply with an additional rule that requires that each component make a contribution to the claimed effects of the drug product and the dosage of each component (amount, frequency, duration) is such that the combination is safe and effective for a significant patient population requiring such concurrent therapy as defined in the labeling of the drug product. This typically requires larger studies that test the drug against each of its components. In addition, typically, if a drug product is intended to treat a chronic disease, as is the case with our products, safety and efficacy data must be gathered over an extended period of time, which can range from six months to three years or more.
Government regulation may delay or prevent marketing of product candidates or new drugs for a considerable period of time and impose costly procedures upon our activities.
Disclosure of Clinical Trial Information
Sponsors of clinical trials of FDA-regulated products, including drugs, are required to register and disclose certain clinical trial information. Information related to the product, patient population, phase of investigation, study sites and investigators, and other aspects of the clinical trial is then made public as part of the registration. Sponsors are also obligated to disclose the results of their clinical trials after completion. Disclosure of the results of these trials can be delayed until the new product or new indication being studied has been approved up to a maximum of two years. Competitors may use this publicly available information to gain knowledge regarding the progress of development programs.
The NDA Approval Process
In order to obtain approval to market a drug in the United States, a marketing application must be submitted to the FDA that provides data establishing to the FDA’s satisfaction the safety and effectiveness of the investigational drug for the proposed indication. Each NDA submission requires a substantial user fee payment unless a waiver or exemption applies. The application includes all relevant data available from pertinent non-clinical or preclinical studies and clinical trials, including negative or ambiguous results as well as positive findings, together with detailed information relating to the product’s chemistry, manufacturing, controls and proposed labeling, among other things. Data can come from company-sponsored clinical trials intended to test the safety and effectiveness of a use of a product, or from a number of alternative sources, including studies initiated by investigators that meet GCP requirements.
During the development of a new drug, sponsors are given opportunities to meet with the FDA at certain points. These points may be prior to submission of an IND, at the End-of-Phase 1 or 2, and before an NDA is submitted. Meetings at other times may be
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requested. These meetings can provide an opportunity for the sponsor to share information about the data gathered to date, for the FDA to provide advice and for the sponsor and the FDA to reach agreement on the next phase of development. Sponsors typically use the End-of-Phase 2 meetings to discuss their Phase 2 clinical results and present their plans for the pivotal Phase 3 trials that they believe will support approval of the new drug.
The results of product development, non-clinical studies and clinical trials, along with descriptions of the manufacturing process, analytical tests conducted on the chemistry of the drug, proposed labeling and other relevant information are submitted to the FDA as part of an NDA requesting approval to market the product. The FDA reviews all NDAs submitted to ensure that they are sufficiently complete for substantive review before it accepts them for filing. It may request additional information rather than accept a NDA for filing. In this event, the NDA must be resubmitted with the additional information. The resubmitted application also is subject to review before the FDA accepts it for filing. The FDA has 60 days from its receipt of an NDA to conduct an initial review to determine whether the application will be accepted for filing based on the agency’s threshold determination that the application is sufficiently complete to permit substantive review. If the NDA submission is accepted for filing, the FDA reviews the NDA to determine, among other things, whether the proposed product is safe and effective for its intended use, and whether the product is being manufactured in accordance with cGMP to assure and preserve the product’s identity, strength, quality and purity. The FDA has agreed to specific performance goals on the review of NDAs and seeks to review standard NDAs for new molecular entities in 10 months from the 60-day filing date (typically 12 months from submission of the NDA). The review process may be extended by the FDA for three additional months to consider certain late-submitted information or information intended to clarify information already provided in the submission. After the FDA completes its substantive review of an NDA, it will communicate to the sponsor that the drug will either be approved, or it will issue a complete response letter to communicate that the NDA will not be approved in its current form and inform the sponsor of changes that must be made or additional clinical, non-clinical or manufacturing data that must be received before the application can be approved, with no implication regarding the ultimate approvability of the application or the timing of any such approval, if ever. If or when those deficiencies have been addressed to the FDA’s satisfaction in a resubmission of the NDA, the FDA may issue an approval letter. FDA has committed to reviewing such resubmissions in two to six months depending on the type of information included. The FDA may refer applications for novel drug products or drug products that 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, if so, under what conditions. The FDA is not bound by the recommendations of an advisory committee, but it considers such recommendations carefully when making decisions.
Before approving an NDA, the FDA typically will inspect the facilities at which the product is manufactured. The FDA will not approve the product unless it determines that the manufacturing processes and facilities are in compliance with cGMP requirements and adequate to assure consistent production of the product within required specifications. Additionally, before approving an NDA, the FDA may inspect one or more clinical sites to assure compliance with GCP. If the FDA determines that the application, manufacturing process or manufacturing facilities are not acceptable, it typically will outline the deficiencies and often will request additional testing or information. This may significantly delay further review of the application. If the FDA finds that a clinical site did not conduct the clinical trial in accordance with GCP, the FDA may determine the data generated by the clinical site should be excluded from the primary efficacy analyses provided in the NDA. Additionally, notwithstanding the submission of any requested additional information, the FDA ultimately may decide that the application does not satisfy the regulatory criteria for approval.
The FDA may require, or companies may pursue, additional clinical trials after a product is approved. These so-called Phase 4 trials may be made a condition to be satisfied for continuing drug approval. The results of Phase 4 trials can confirm the effectiveness of a product candidate and can provide important safety information. In addition, the FDA has authority to require sponsors to conduct post-marketing trials to specifically address safety issues identified by the agency. See “Post-Marketing Requirements” below.
The FDA also has authority to require a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, or a REMS, from manufacturers to ensure that the benefits of a drug outweigh its risks. A sponsor may also voluntarily propose a REMS as part of the NDA submission. The need for a REMS is determined as part of the review of the NDA. Based on statutory standards, elements of a REMS may include “Dear Doctor letters,” a medication guide, more elaborate targeted educational programs, and in some cases distribution and use restrictions, referred to as “elements to assure safe use,” or ETASU. ETASU can include, but are not limited to, special training or certification for prescribing or dispensing, dispensing only under certain circumstances, special monitoring and the use of patient registries. These elements are negotiated as part of the NDA approval, and in some cases the approval date may be delayed. Once adopted, REMS are subject to periodic assessment and modification.
Changes to some of the conditions established in an approved application, including changes in indications, labeling, manufacturing processes or facilities, require submission and FDA approval of a new NDA or NDA supplement before the change can be implemented. An NDA supplement for a new indication typically requires clinical data similar to that in the original application, and the FDA uses the same procedures and actions in reviewing NDA supplements as it does in reviewing NDAs.
Even if a product candidate receives regulatory approval, the approval may be limited to specific disease states, patient populations and dosages, or might contain significant limitations on use in the form of warnings, precautions or contraindications, or in the form of onerous risk management plans, restrictions on distribution or use, or post-marketing trial requirements. Further, even after regulatory approval is obtained, later discovery of previously unknown problems with a product may result in restrictions on the product,
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including safety labeling or imposition of a REMS, the requirement to conduct post-market studies or clinical trials
or even complete withdrawal of the product from the market. Delay in obtaining, or failure to obtain, regulatory approval for our products, or obtaining approval but for significantly limited use, would harm our business. In addition, we cannot predict what adverse governmental regulations may arise from future United States or foreign governmental action.
The Hatch-Waxman Amendments
Under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, referred to as the Hatch-Waxman Amendments, a portion of a product’s U.S. patent term that was lost during clinical development and regulatory review by the FDA may be restored by returning up to five years of patent life for a patent that covers a new product or its use. This period is generally one-half the time between the effective date of an IND (falling after issuance of the patent) and the submission date of an NDA, plus the time between the submission date of an NDA and the approval of that application, provided the sponsor acted with diligence. Patent term restorations, however, cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the date of product approval and only one patent applicable to an approved drug may be extended and the extension must be applied for prior to expiration of the patent. The USPTO, in consultation with the FDA, reviews and approves the application for any patent term extension or restoration.
Market Exclusivity
Market exclusivity provisions under the FDCA also can delay the submission or the approval of certain competing applications. The FDCA provides a five-year period of non-patent marketing exclusivity within the United States to the first applicant to gain approval of an NDA for a new chemical entity. A drug is a new chemical entity if the FDA has not previously approved any other new drug containing the same active moiety, which is the molecule or ion responsible for the action of the drug substance. During the exclusivity period, the FDA may not accept for review an Abbreviated New Drug Application, or ANDA, or a 505(b)(2) NDA submitted by another company for a drug product that contains the protected active moiety. However, an application may be submitted after four years if it contains a certification of patent invalidity or non-infringement to one of the patents listed with the FDA by the innovator NDA holder. The FDCA also provides three years of marketing exclusivity for an NDA, 505(b)(2) NDA or supplement to an existing NDA if new clinical investigations, other than bioavailability studies, that were conducted or sponsored by the applicant are deemed by the FDA to be essential to the approval of the application, or supplement, for example, for new indications, dosages or strengths of an existing drug. During the exclusivity period, the FDA may not approve an ANDA or 505(b)(2) application for the same conditions of approval as the innovator drug. This three-year exclusivity protects only the conditions of approval associated with the new clinical investigations and does not prohibit the FDA from approving ANDAs or 505(b)(2) applications with different conditions of approval. For example, if three-year exclusivity protected a new extended-release dosage form, the exclusivity would not block approval of an ANDA or 505(b)(2) application for the original immediate-release version of the drug. Five-year and three-year exclusivity will not delay the submission or approval of a full NDA; however, an applicant submitting a full NDA would be required to conduct or obtain a right of reference to all of the non-clinical studies and adequate and well-controlled clinical trials necessary to demonstrate safety and effectiveness.
Pediatric exclusivity is another type of non-patent marketing exclusivity in the United States and, if granted, provides for the attachment of an additional six months of marketing protection to the term of any existing regulatory exclusivity, including the non-patent exclusivity. This six-month exclusivity may be granted if an NDA sponsor submits pediatric data that fairly respond to a written request from the FDA for such data.
Post-Marketing Requirements
Following approval of a new product, a pharmaceutical company and the approved product are subject to continuing regulation by the FDA, including, among other things, monitoring and recordkeeping activities, reporting to the applicable regulatory authorities of adverse experiences with the product, providing the regulatory authorities with updated safety and efficacy information, product sampling and distribution requirements, and complying with promotion and advertising requirements, which include, among others, standards for direct-to-consumer advertising, restrictions on promoting drugs for uses or in patient populations that are not described in the drug’s approved labeling, or off-label use, limitations on industry-sponsored scientific and educational activities and requirements for promotional activities involving the internet. Although physicians may, in their independent professional medical judgment, prescribe legally available drugs for off-label uses, manufacturers typically may not market or promote such off-label uses. Modifications or enhancements to the product or its labeling or changes of the site of manufacture are often subject to the approval of the FDA and other regulators, who may or may not grant approval or may include a lengthy review process.
Prescription drug advertising is subject to federal, state and foreign regulations. In the United States, the FDA regulates prescription drug promotion, including direct-to-consumer advertising. Prescription drug promotional materials must be submitted to the 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.
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In the United States, once a product is approved, its manufacturing is subject to comprehensive and continuing regulation by the FDA. The FDA regulations require that products be manufactured in specific approved facilities and in accordance with cGMP. We rely, and expect to continue to rely, on third parties for the production of clinical and commercial quantities of our products in accordance with cGMP regulations. cGMP regulations require among other things, quality control and quality assurance as well as the corresponding maintenance of records and documentation and the obligation to investigate and correct any deviations from cGMP. Drug manufacturers and other entities involved in the manufacture and distribution of approved drugs are required to register their establishments with the FDA and certain state agencies, and are subject to periodic unannounced inspections by the FDA and certain state agencies for compliance with cGMP and other laws. Accordingly, manufacturers must continue to expend time, money and effort in the area of production and quality control to maintain cGMP compliance. 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 FDA at any time, and the discovery of violative conditions, including failure to conform to cGMP, could result in enforcement actions that interrupt the operation of any such product or may result in restrictions on a product, manufacturer, or holder of an approved NDA, including, among other things, recall or withdrawal of the product from the market.
In addition, the manufacturer and/or sponsor under an approved NDA are subject to annual product and establishment fees. These fees are typically increased annually.
The FDA also may require post-marketing testing, also known as Phase 4 testing, to monitor the effects of an approved product or place conditions on an approval via a REMS that could restrict the distribution or use of the product. Discovery of previously unknown problems with a product or the failure to comply with applicable FDA requirements can have negative consequences, including adverse publicity, judicial or administrative enforcement, untitled or warning letters from the FDA, mandated corrective advertising or communications with doctors, withdrawal of approval, and civil or criminal penalties, among others. Newly discovered or developed safety or effectiveness data may require changes to a product’s approved labeling, including the addition of new warnings and contraindications, and also may require the implementation of other risk management measures. Also, new government requirements, including those resulting from new legislation, may be established, or the FDA’s policies may change, which could delay or prevent regulatory approval of our products under development.
Coverage and Reimbursement
Sales of any products for which we receive regulatory approval for commercial sale will depend in part on the availability of reimbursement from third-party payors, including government healthcare program administrative authorities, managed care organizations, private health insurers, and other entities. Patients who are prescribed medications for the treatment of their conditions, and their prescribing physicians, generally rely on third-party payors to reimburse all of part of the costs associated with their prescription drugs. Patients are unlikely to use our products unless coverage is provided and reimbursement is adequate to cover a significant portion of the cost of our products. Therefore, our products, once approved, may not obtain market acceptance unless coverage is provided and reimbursement is adequate to cover a significant portion of the cost of our products.
The process for determining whether a third-party payor will provide coverage for a drug product typically is separate from the process for setting the price of a drug product or for establishing the reimbursement rate that the payor will pay for the drug product once coverage is approved. Third-party payors may limit coverage to specific drug products on an approved list, also known as a formulary, which might not include all of the FDA-approved drugs for a particular indication. A decision by a third-party payor not to cover our product candidates could reduce physician utilization of our products once approved. Moreover, a third-party payor’s decision to provide coverage for a drug product does not imply that an adequate reimbursement rate will be approved. Adequate third-party reimbursement may not be available to enable us to maintain price levels sufficient to realize an appropriate return on our investment in product development. Additionally, coverage and reimbursement for drug products can differ significantly from payor to payor. One third-party payor’s decision to cover a particular drug product or service does not ensure that other payors will also provide coverage for the medical product or service, or will provide coverage at an adequate reimbursement rate. As a result, the coverage determination process will require us to provide scientific and clinical support for the use of our products to each payor separately and will be a time-consuming process.
The containment of healthcare costs has become a priority of federal, state and foreign governments, and the prices of drugs have been a focus in this effort. Third-party payors are increasingly challenging the prices charged for drug products and medical services, examining the medical necessity and reviewing the cost effectiveness of drug products and medical services, in addition to questioning safety and efficacy. If these third-party payors do not consider our products to be cost-effective compared to other available therapies, they may not cover our products after FDA approval or, if they do, the level of payment may not be sufficient to allow us to sell our products at a profit.
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In particular, our success may depend on our ability to obtain coverage and adequate reimbursement through Medicare Part D plans for our products that obtain regulatory approval. The Medicare Part D program provides a voluntary prescription drug benefit to 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 Parts A and B, Part D coverage is not standardized. In general, Part D prescription drug plan sponsors have flexibility regarding coverage of 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, with certain exceptions. Any formulary used by a Part D prescription drug plan must be developed and reviewed by a pharmacy and therapeutics committee. Government payment for some of the costs of prescription drugs may increase demand for products for which we receive regulatory approval. However, any negotiated prices for our future products covered by a Part D prescription drug plan will likely be discounted, thereby lowering the net price realized on our sales to pharmacies. Moreover, while the Part D program applies only to drug benefits for Medicare beneficiaries, private payors often follow Medicare coverage policy and payment limitations in setting their own payment rates. Any reduction in payment that results from Medicare Part D may result in a similar reduction in payments from non-government payors.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provides funding for the federal government to compare the effectiveness of different treatments for the same illness. A plan for the research will be developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the National Institutes for Health, and periodic reports on the status of the research and related expenditures will be made to Congress. Although the results of the comparative effectiveness studies are not intended to mandate coverage policies for public or private payors, it is not clear what effect, if any, the research will have on the sales of our product candidates, if any such product or the condition that it is intended to treat is the subject of a study. It is also possible that comparative effectiveness research demonstrating benefits in a competitor’s product could adversely affect the sales of our product candidates, once approved. If third-party payors do not consider our products to be cost-effective compared to other available therapies, they may not cover our products after approval 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 addition, 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. 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 products. Historically, products launched in the European Union do not follow price structures of the United States and generally tend to be significantly lower.
Anti-Kickback and False Claims Laws and Other Regulatory Matters
In the United States, among other things, the research, manufacturing, distribution, sale and promotion of drug products and medical devices are potentially subject to regulation and enforcement by various federal, state and local authorities in addition to the FDA, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, other divisions of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (e.g., the Office of Inspector General), the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, state Attorneys General and other state and local government agencies. Our current and future business activities, including for example, sales, marketing and scientific/educational grant programs must comply with healthcare regulatory laws, as applicable, which may include the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute, the Federal False Claims Act, as amended, the privacy and security regulations promulgated under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, as amended, physician payment transparency laws, and similar state laws. Pricing and rebate programs must comply with the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program requirements of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990, as amended, and the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992, as amended. If products are made available to authorized users of the Federal Supply Schedule of the General Services Administration, additional laws and requirements apply. The handling of any controlled substances must comply with the U.S. Controlled Substances Act and Controlled Substances Import and Export Act. Products must meet applicable child-resistant packaging requirements under the U.S. Poison Prevention Packaging Act. All of these activities are also potentially subject to federal and state consumer protection and unfair competition laws.
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 Federal Anti-Kickback Statute makes it illegal for any person or entity, including a prescription drug manufacturer (or a party acting on its behalf) to knowingly and willfully, directly or indirectly, in cash or in kind, solicit, receive, offer, or pay any remuneration that is intended to induce the referral of business, including the purchasing, leasing, ordering or arranging for or
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recommending the purchase, lease or order of, any good, facility, item or service for which payment may be made, in whole or in part, under a federal healthcare program, such as Medicare or Medicaid. The term “remuneration” has been broadly interpreted to include anything of value. The Federal Anti-Kickback Statute has been interpreted to apply to arrangements between pharmaceutical manufacturers on one hand and prescribers, purchasers and formulary managers on the other. Although there are a number of statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbors protecting some common activities from prosecution, the exceptions and safe harbors are drawn narrowly. Practices that involve remuneration that may be alleged to be intended to induce prescribing, purchases or recommendations may be subject to scrutiny if they do not qualify for an exception or safe harbor. Failure to meet all of the requirements of a particular applicable statutory exception or regulatory safe harbor does not make the conduct per se illegal under the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute. Instead, the legality of the arrangement will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis based on a cumulative review of all of its facts and circumstances. Additionally, the intent standard under the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute was amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care Education and Reconciliation Act, or collectively the ACA, to a stricter standard such that a person or entity no longer needs to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it in order to have committed a violation. In addition, the ACA codified case law 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 False Claims Act. Violations of this law are punishable by up to five years in prison, criminal fines, administrative civil money penalties, and exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs. In addition, many states have adopted laws similar to the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute. Some of these state prohibitions apply to the referral of patients for healthcare services reimbursed by any insurer, not just federal healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Due to the breadth of these federal and state anti-kickback laws, and the potential for additional legal or regulatory change in this area, it is possible that our future business activities, including our sales and marketing practices and/or our future relationships with ophthalmologists and optometrists might be challenged under anti-kickback laws, which could harm us.
Federal false claims and false statement laws, including the civil False Claims Act, prohibits any person or entity from, among other things, knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, for payment to federal programs (including Medicare and Medicaid) claims for items or services, including drugs, that are false or fraudulent. This statute has been interpreted to prohibit presenting claims for items or services not provided as claimed, or claims for medically unnecessary items or services. Although we would not submit claims directly to payors, manufacturers can be held liable under these laws if they are deemed to “cause” the submission of false or fraudulent claims by, for example, providing inaccurate billing or coding information to customers or promoting a product off-label. In addition, our future activities relating to the reporting of wholesaler or estimated retail prices for our products, the reporting of prices used to calculate Medicaid rebate information and other information affecting federal, state and third-party reimbursement for our products, and the sale and marketing of our products, are subject to scrutiny under this law. For example, pharmaceutical companies have been found liable under the Federal Civil False Claims Act in connection with their off-label promotion of drugs. Penalties for a civil False Claims Act violation include three times the actual damages sustained by the government, plus mandatory civil penalties of between $5,500 and $11,000 for each separate false claim, the potential for exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs, and, although the Federal False Claims Act is a civil statute, conduct that results in a False Claims Act violation may also implicate various federal criminal statutes. If the government were to allege that we were, or convict us of, violating these false claims laws, we could be subject to a substantial fine and may suffer a decline in our stock price. In addition, private individuals have the ability to bring actions under the Federal Civil False Claims Act and certain states have enacted laws modeled after the Federal False Claims Act.
Additionally, HIPAA created additional federal criminal statutes that prohibit, among other things, knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private third-party payors 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.
There are also an increasing number of state laws that require manufacturers to make reports to states on pricing and marketing information. Many of these laws contain ambiguities as to what is required to comply with the laws. In addition, as discussed below, a similar federal requirement under the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, requires certain manufacturers to track and report to the federal government certain payments provided to physicians and teaching hospitals made in the previous calendar year, as well as certain ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members. These laws may affect our sales, marketing and other promotional activities by imposing administrative and compliance burdens on us. In addition, given the lack of clarity with respect to these laws and their implementation, our reporting actions could be subject to the penalty provisions of the pertinent state and federal authorities.
In addition, we may be subject to data privacy and security regulation by both the federal government and the states in which we conduct our business. HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, or HITECH, and their respective implementing regulations, including the Final Omnibus Rule published on January 25, 2013, imposes specified requirements relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information on certain types of individuals and organizations. In addition, certain state laws govern the privacy and security of health information in certain circumstances, many of which differ from each other and from HIPAA in significant ways and may not have the same effect, thus complicating compliance efforts.
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The failure to comply with regulatory requirements subjects us to possible legal or regulatory action. Depending on the circumstances, failure to meet applicable regulatory requirements can result in significant criminal, civil and/or administrative penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, injunctions, recall or seizure of products, total or partial suspension of production, denial or withdrawal of product approvals, refusal to allow us to enter into supply contracts, including government contracts, contractual damages, reputational harm, administrative burdens, diminished profits and future earnings, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, any of which could adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our results of operations.
We plan to develop a comprehensive compliance program that establishes internal controls to facilitate adherence to the law and program requirements to which we will or may become subject because we intend to commercialize products that could be reimbursed under a federal healthcare program and other governmental healthcare programs.
Changes in law or the interpretation of existing law 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.
Affordable Care Act and Other Reform Initiatives
In the United States and some foreign jurisdictions, there have been, and likely will continue to be, a number of legislative and regulatory changes and proposed changes regarding the healthcare system directed at broadening the availability of healthcare and containing or lowering the cost of healthcare.
By way of example, in March 2010, the ACA was enacted. The ACA includes measures that have or will significantly change the way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private insurers. Among the provisions of the ACA of greatest importance to the pharmaceutical industry are the following:
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The Medicaid Drug Rebate Program requires pharmaceutical manufacturers to enter into and have in effect a national rebate agreement with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in exchange for state Medicaid coverage of most of the manufacturer’s drugs. ACA made several changes to the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, including increasing pharmaceutical manufacturers’ rebate liability by raising the minimum basic Medicaid rebate on most branded prescription drugs and biologic agents to 23.1% of average manufacturer price, or AMP, and adding a new rebate calculation for “line extensions” (i.e., new formulations, such as extended release formulations) of solid oral dosage forms of branded products, as well as potentially impacting their rebate liability by modifying the statutory definition of AMP.
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The ACA expanded the types of entities eligible to receive discounted 340B pricing, although, with the exception of children’s hospitals, these newly eligible entities will not be eligible to receive discounted 340B pricing on orphan drugs used in orphan indications. In addition, because 340B pricing is determined based on AMP and Medicaid drug rebate data, the revisions to the Medicaid rebate formula and AMP definition described above could cause the required 340B discounts to increase. The ACA imposed a requirement on manufacturers of branded drugs and biologic agents to provide a 50% discount off the negotiated price of branded drugs dispensed to Medicare Part D beneficiaries in the coverage gap (i.e., “donut hole”).
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The ACA imposed an annual, nondeductible fee on any entity that manufactures or imports certain branded prescription drugs and biologic agents, apportioned among these entities according to their market share in certain government healthcare programs, although this fee would not apply to sales of certain products approved exclusively for orphan indications.
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The ACA included the Federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act, which requires certain pharmaceutical manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, with specific exception, to track certain financial arrangements with physicians and teaching hospitals, including any “transfer of value” provided, as well as any ownership or investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members. Covered manufacturers were required to begin collecting data on August 1, 2013 and submit reports on aggregate payment data to CMS for the first reporting period (August 1, 2013—December 31, 2013) by March 31, 2014, and were required to report detailed payment data for the first reporting period and submit legal attestation to the completeness and accuracy of such data by June 30, 2014. Thereafter, covered manufacturers must submit reports by the 90th day of each subsequent calendar year. The information reported was made publicly available on a searchable website in September 2014.
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The ACA established a new Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to oversee, identify priorities in, and conduct comparative clinical effectiveness research, along with funding for such research. The research conducted by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute may affect the market for certain pharmaceutical products.
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The ACA created the Independent Payment Advisory Board which has the authority to recommend certain changes to the Medicare program to reduce expenditures by the program that could result in reduced payments for prescription drugs. Under certain circumstances, these recommendations will become law unless Congress enacts legislation that will achieve the same or greater Medicare cost savings.
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The ACA established the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation within CMS to test innovative payment and service delivery models to improve quality of care and lower program costs of Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, potentially including prescription drug spending. Funding has been allocated to support the mission of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation through 2019.
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Many of the details regarding the implementation of the ACA are yet to be determined, and at this time, it remains unclear the full effect that the ACA would have on our business.
Other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted in the United States since the ACA was enacted. For example, in August 2011, the Budget Control Act of 2011, among other things, created measures for spending reductions by Congress. A Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, tasked with recommending a targeted deficit reduction of at least $1.2 trillion for the years 2012 through 2021, was unable to reach required goals, thereby triggering the legislation’s automatic reduction to several government programs. This includes aggregate reductions of Medicare payments to providers up to 2% per fiscal year, which went into effect in April 2013 and will remain in effect through 2024 unless additional Congressional action is taken. 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. Any reduction in reimbursement from Medicare or other government programs may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payors, which may adversely affect our future profitability.
European Union Drug Development
In the European Union, our products will also be subject to extensive regulatory requirements. As in the United States, medicinal products can only be marketed if an MAA from the competent regulatory agencies has been obtained, and the various phases of preclinical and clinical research in the European Union are subject to significant regulatory controls. Although the EU Clinical Trials Directive 2001/20/EC has sought to harmonize the EU clinical trial regulatory framework, setting out common rules for the control and authorization of clinical trials in the EU, the EU Member States have transposed and applied the provisions of the Directive differently. This has led to significant variations in the member state regimes. Under the current regime, before a clinical trial can be initiated it must be approved by two distinct bodies in each of the EU countries where the trial is to be conducted: the National Competent Authority, or NCA, and one or more Ethics Committees, or ECs. In addition, all serious adverse reactions to the investigated drug that occur during the clinical trial must be reported to the NCA and ECs of the Member State where they occurred.
The EU clinical trials legislation is currently undergoing a revision process mainly aimed at making more uniform and streamlining the clinical trials authorization process, simplifying adverse event reporting procedures, improving the supervision of clinical trials and increasing the transparency of clinical trials.
European Union Drug Review Approval
In the European Economic Area, or EEA, which is comprised of the 28 Member States of the European Union plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, medicinal products can only be commercialized after obtaining an MAA. There are two types of MAAs: the Community MAA, which is issued by the European Commission through the Centralized Procedure based on the opinion of the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, a body of the EMA, and which is valid throughout the entire territory of the EEA; and the National MAA, which is issued by the competent authorities of the Member States of the EEA and only authorized marketing in that Member State’s national territory and not the EEA as a whole.
The Centralized Procedure is mandatory for certain types of products, such as biotechnology medicinal products, orphan medicinal products and medicinal products containing a new active substance indicated for the treatment of AIDS, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, auto-immune and viral diseases. The Centralized Procedure is optional for products containing a new active substance not yet authorized in the EEA, or for products that constitute a significant therapeutic, scientific or technical innovation or which are in the interest of public health in the EU. The National MAA is 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 EEA, this
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National MAA can be recognized in another Member States through the Mutual Recognition Procedure. If the product has not received a National MAA in any Member State at the time of application, it can be approved simultaneously in various Member States through the Decentralized Procedure. Under the Decentralized Procedure an identical dossier is submitted to the competent authorities of each of the Member States in which the MAA is sought, one of which is selected by the applicant as the Reference Member State, or RMS. If the RMS proposes to authorize the product, and the other Member States do not raise objections, the product is granted a national MAA in all the Member States where the authorization was sought. Before granting the MAA, the EMA or the competent authorities of the Member States of the EEA make an assessment of the risk-benefit balance of the product on the basis of scientific criteria concerning its quality, safety and efficacy.
Other Regulations
We are also subject to numerous federal, state and local laws relating to such matters as safe working conditions, manufacturing practices, environmental protection, fire hazard control and disposal of hazardous or potentially hazardous substances. We may incur significant costs to comply with such laws and regulations now or in the future.
Employees
We had twenty-four employees as of March 1, 2017. None of our employees are represented by any collective bargaining unit. We believe that we maintain good relations with our employees.
Corporate Information
We were incorporated in Delaware in 1999. Our principal executive offices are located at 91 Hartwell Avenue, Lexington, MA 02421, and our telephone number is (781) 676-2100. Our internet address is www.inotekpharma.com. We use our website as means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. We make available on our website, free of charge, our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. Our SEC reports can be accessed through the Investors section of our website. Further, a copy of this Annual Report on Form 10-K is located at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D. C. 20549. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room can be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding our filings at www.sec.gov. The information found on our website is not incorporated by reference into this report or any other report we file with or furnish to the SEC. Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “ITEK.”
Research and Development
For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, our research and development expenses were $32.0 million, $12.6 million and $5.6 million, respectively.
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We operate in an industry that involves numerous risks and uncertainties. You should carefully consider the following information about these risks, together with the other information appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including our financial statements and related notes hereto. The occurrence of any of the following risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and future growth prospects. The risks and uncertainties described below may change over time and other risks and uncertainties, including those that we do not currently consider material, may impair our business. In these circumstances, the market price of our common stock could decline.
Risks Related to Our Financial Position and Need for Additional Capital
We currently have no source of revenue and may never become profitable.
We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a limited operating history. Our ability to generate revenue and become profitable depends upon our ability to successfully complete the development of our product candidates for the treatment of glaucoma and obtain the necessary regulatory approvals for our product candidates. We have never been profitable, have no products approved for commercial sale and to date have not generated any revenue from product sales. Even if we receive regulatory approval for the sale of our product candidates, we do not know when such product candidates will generate revenue, if at all. Our ability to generate product revenue depends on a number of factors, including our ability to:
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successfully complete clinical development, and receive regulatory approval, for our product candidates, including
trabodenoson
monotherapy and
trabodenoson
with
latanoprost
as a fixed-dose combination, or FDC;
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set an acceptable price for our product candidates and obtain coverage and adequate reimbursement from third-party payors;
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establish sales, marketing and distribution systems for our product candidates;
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add operational, financial and management information systems and personnel, including personnel to support our clinical, manufacturing and planned future commercialization efforts;
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have commercial quantities of our product candidates manufactured at acceptable cost levels;
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successfully market and sell our product candidates in the United States and enter into partnerships or other arrangements to commercialize our product candidates outside the United States; and
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maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio.
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In addition, because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with product development, we are unable to predict the timing or amount of increased expenses, or when, or if, we will be able to achieve or maintain profitability. In addition, our expenses could increase beyond expectations if we are required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, and comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities, or other regulatory authorities to perform studies or clinical trials in addition to those that we currently anticipate. Even if our product candidates are approved for commercial sale, we anticipate incurring significant costs associated with the commercial launch of these products.
Our ability to become and remain profitable depends on our ability to generate revenue. Even if we are able to generate revenues from the sale of our product candidates, we may not become profitable and may need to obtain additional funding to continue operations. If we fail to become profitable or are unable to sustain profitability on a continuing basis, then we may be unable to continue our operations at planned levels and be forced to reduce our operations. Even if we do achieve profitability, we may not be able to sustain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. Our failure to become and remain profitable would decrease the value of our Company and could impair our ability to raise capital, expand our business or continue our operations. A decline in the value of our Company could also cause you to lose all or part of your investment.
We have a history of net losses and anticipate that we will continue to incur net losses for the foreseeable future.
We have a history of losses and anticipate that we will continue to incur net losses for the foreseeable future. Our net losses were $42.9 million, $68.0 million and $9.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively. As of December 31, 2016, we had an accumulated deficit of $238.9 million.
Investment in pharmaceutical product development is highly speculative because it entails substantial upfront expenditures and significant risk that a product candidate will fail to gain regulatory approval or become commercially viable. We have devoted most of our financial resources to research and development, including our non-clinical development activities and clinical trials. We are not currently generating revenues, and we cannot estimate with precision the extent of our future losses. We do not currently have any products that are available for commercial sale and we may never generate revenue from selling products or achieve profitability. We
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expect to continue to incur substantial and increasing losses through the projected commercialization of our product candidates. None of our product candidates have been approved for marketing in the United States and may never receive such approval. As a result of these factors, we are uncertain when or if we will achieve profitability and, if so, whether we will be able to sustain it. Our ability to produce revenue and achieve profitability is dependent on our ability to complete the development of our product candidates, obtain necessary regulatory approvals, and have our products manufactured and successfully marketed. We cannot assure you that we will be profitable even if we successfully commercialize our products. Failure to become and remain profitable may adversely affect the market price of our common stock and our ability to raise capital and continue operations.
In February 2015, we completed our initial public offering of 6,667,000 shares of our common stock at a price of $6.00 per share and a concurrent offering of $20.0 million aggregate principal amount of 5.0% Convertible Senior Notes due in 2020, or the 2020 Convertible Notes. In March 2015, the underwriters exercised 299,333 shares of common stock at $6.00 per share and $1.0 million of the 2020 Convertible Notes pursuant to their overallotment options. We received net proceeds of approximately $36.5 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and offering-related costs, from our equity issuances and approximately $18.9 million in net proceeds, after deducting underwriting discounts and offering-related costs, from our debt issuances.
In August 2015, we completed an underwritten public offering of our common stock, or the Follow-on Offering. We issued 6,210,000 shares of our common stock at a price of $12.75 per share, including 810,000 shares from the underwriters’ full exercise of their overallotment option, and we received net proceeds of $74.0 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and offering-related costs.
In 2016, we sold 482,689 shares of common stock pursuant to our ATM and received net proceeds of $4.0 million.
In August 2016, we closed an underwritten public offering of $52.0 million aggregate principal amount of 5.75% Convertible Senior Notes due 2021, including $2.0 million from an exercise of the underwriters’ overallotment option, or the 2021 Convertible Notes, and received net proceeds of approximately $48.7 million after deducting underwriting discounts and offering-related costs. (See Note 5 in the accompanying notes to the financial statements).
We expect our research and development expenses to continue to be significant in connection with our product development activities, including our Phase 2 clinical trial for our FDC product candidate which commenced in July 2016, and our planned Phase 3 programs. In addition, if we obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates, we expect to incur increased sales and marketing expenses. As a result, we expect to continue to incur significant and increasing operating losses and negative cash flows for the foreseeable future. These losses have had and will continue to have a material adverse effect on our stockholders’ deficit, financial position, cash flows and working capital.
We will need to obtain additional financing to fund our operations and, if we are unable to obtain such financing, we may be unable to complete the development and commercialization of our primary product candidates.
Our operations have consumed substantial amounts of cash since inception. As of December 31, 2016, our cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments aggregated $126.5 million. We estimate that these funds will be sufficient to fund our projected operating requirements into 2019. We will need to obtain additional financing to conduct additional trials for the approval of our drug candidates and complete the development of any additional product candidates we might acquire. Moreover, our fixed expenses such as rent and other contractual commitments are substantial and may increase in the future.
Adequate additional funding may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. If we are unable to raise capital when needed or on attractive terms, we would be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate our research and development programs or future potential commercialization efforts. Our forecast of the period of time through which our financial resources will be adequate to support our operating requirements is a forward-looking statement and involves risks and uncertainties, and actual results could vary as a result of a number of factors, including the factors discussed elsewhere in this “Risk Factors” section. We have based this forecast on a number of assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and changing circumstances beyond our control may cause us to consume capital more rapidly than we currently anticipate.
Our future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including, but not limited to:
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the progress, timing, scope and costs of our clinical trials, including the ability to enroll patients in our planned and potential future clinical trials in a timely manner;
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the time and cost necessary to obtain regulatory approvals that may be required by regulatory authorities;
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our ability to successfully commercialize our product candidates;
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the amount of sales and other revenues from product candidates that we may commercialize, if any, including the selling prices for such product candidates and the availability of coverage and adequate reimbursement from third parties;
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selling and marketing costs associated with our product candidates, including the cost and timing of expanding our marketing and sales capabilities;
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the terms and timing of any potential future collaborations, licensing or other arrangements that we may establish;
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cash requirements of any future acquisitions and/or the development of other product candidates;
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the costs of operating as a public company;
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the time and cost necessary to respond to technological and market developments;
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the costs of maintaining and expanding our existing intellectual property rights; and
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the costs of filing, prosecuting, defending and enforcing any patent claims and other intellectual property rights.
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Until we can generate a sufficient amount of revenue, we may finance future cash needs through public or private equity offerings, license agreements, debt financings, collaborations, strategic alliances, marketing or distribution arrangements or a combination thereof. Additional funds may not be available when we need them on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all. General market conditions or the market price of our common stock may not support capital raising transactions such as an additional public or private offering of our common stock or other securities. In addition, our ability to raise additional capital may be dependent upon our stock being quoted on The NASDAQ Global Market, or NASDAQ, or upon obtaining shareholder approval. There can be no assurance that we will be able to satisfy the criteria for continued listing on NASDAQ or that we will be able to obtain shareholder approval if it is necessary. If adequate funds are not available, we may be required to delay or reduce the scope of or eliminate one or more of our research or development programs or our commercialization efforts.
We may seek to access the public or private capital markets whenever conditions are favorable, even if we do not have an immediate need for additional capital at that time. In addition, if we raise additional funds through collaborations, strategic alliances or marketing, distribution or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams or product candidates or to grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. Our inability to obtain additional funding when we need it could seriously harm our business.
Additional capital that we may need to operate or expand our business may not be available.
We may require additional capital to operate or expand our business. If we raise additional funds through the issuance of equity or convertible securities, the percentage ownership of holders of our common stock could be significantly diluted and these newly issued securities may have rights, preferences or privileges senior to those of holders of our common stock. Furthermore, volatility in the credit or equity markets may have an adverse effect on our ability to obtain debt or equity financing or the cost of such financing. If we do not have funds available to enhance our solution, maintain the competitiveness of our technology and pursue business opportunities, this could have an adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.
The indenture governing our 2021 Convertible Notes contain restrictions that will limit our operating flexibility, and we may incur additional debt in the future that may include similar or additional restrictions.
The indenture governing our 2021 Convertible Notes contain covenants that, among other things, restrict our and our subsidiaries’ ability to take specific actions, even if we believe them to be in our best interest. These covenants include restrictions on our ability and the ability of our future subsidiaries to incur additional indebtedness and issue certain types of preferred stock, other than certain permitted indebtedness and preferred stock. In addition, the indenture governing our 2021 Convertible Notes will include a covenant that limits our ability to merge or consolidate with other entities in certain circumstances. These covenants and restrictions limit our operational flexibility and could prevent us from taking advantage of business opportunities as they arise, growing our business or competing effectively.
A breach of any of these covenants or other provisions in our future debt agreements could result in an event of default, which if not cured or waived, could result in the 2021 Convertible Notes or such debt becoming immediately due and payable. This, in turn, could cause any of our other debt existing at such time to become due and payable as a result of cross-default or cross-acceleration provisions contained in the agreements governing such other debt. In the event that some or all of our debt is accelerated and becomes immediately due and payable, we may not have the funds to repay, or the ability to refinance, such debt.
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Servicing our debt requires a significant amount of cash, and we may not have sufficient cash flow from our business to pay our substantial debt.
We currently have no source of revenue. Our ability to make scheduled payments of the principal of, to pay interest on or to refinance our indebtedness, including the 2021 Convertible Notes, depends on our future performance, which is subject to economic, financial, competitive and other factors, most of which are beyond our control. Our business has not historically generated cash flow from operating activities and may not in the future generate cash flow from operating activities sufficient to service our obligations under our 2021 Convertible Notes and any future indebtedness we may incur and to make necessary capital expenditures. If we are unable to generate such cash flow, we may be required to adopt one or more alternatives, such as reducing or delaying investments or capital expenditures, selling assets, restructuring debt or obtaining additional equity capital on terms that may be onerous or highly dilutive. Our ability to refinance our indebtedness will depend on the capital markets and our financial condition at such time. We may not be able to engage in any of these activities or engage in these activities on desirable terms, which could result in a default on our debt obligations.
We may not have the ability to raise the funds necessary to repurchase our 2021 Convertible Notes upon a fundamental change, and our future debt may contain limitations on our ability to repurchase the 2021 Convertible Notes.
Holders of our 2021 Convertible Notes have the right to require us to repurchase their 2021 Convertible Notes upon the occurrence of a fundamental change, the occurrence of certain change of control transactions or delisting events, at a fundamental change repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the 2021 Convertible Notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the fundamental change repurchase date. However, we may not have enough available cash or be able to obtain financing at the time we are required to make repurchases of 2021 Convertible Notes surrendered therefor. In addition, our ability to repurchase the 2021 Convertible Notes may be limited by law, by regulatory authority or by agreements governing our future indebtedness. Our failure to repurchase 2021 Convertible Notes at a time when the repurchase is required by the indenture would constitute a default under the indenture. A default under the indenture or the fundamental change itself could also lead to a default under agreements governing our future indebtedness, if any. If the repayment of the related indebtedness were to be accelerated after any applicable notice or grace periods, we may not have sufficient funds to repay the indebtedness and repurchase the 2021 Convertible Notes.
The fundamental change repurchase feature of our 2021 Convertible Notes may delay or prevent an otherwise beneficial attempt to take over our company.
The terms of our 2021 Convertible Notes require us to repurchase the 2021 Convertible Notes in cash in the event of a fundamental change. A takeover of our company, if such takeover constituted a “fundamental change,” would trigger an option of the holders of the 2021 Convertible Notes to require us to repurchase the 2021 Convertible Notes. This may have the effect of delaying or preventing a takeover of our company that would otherwise be beneficial to investors in the 2021 Convertible Notes.
Risks Related to Development, Potential Regulatory Approval and Commercialization
We depend substantially on the success of our product candidates, particularly trabodenoson monotherapy and trabodenoson FDC, which are still in development. We may be unable to successfully develop and commercialize our product candidates, especially in light of our MATrX-1 clinical trial’s failure to meet its primary endpoint, or may experience significant delays in doing so, which would materially harm our business.
Our business and the ability to generate revenue related to product sales, if ever, will depend on the successful development, formulation and manufacturing, regulatory approval and commercialization of our product candidates
trabodenoson
monotherapy and
trabodenoson
FDC, which are still in development, and other potential products we may develop or license. In January 2017, we announced top-line data from our MATrX-1 pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial, which failed to meet its primary endpoint. MATrX-1 did not meet its primary endpoint because it did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference in absolute IOP from placebo at every single one of the 12 time points comprising the primary endpoint. This was due to a larger than expected treatment effect in the placebo/vehicle group, as compared to both our prior Phase 2 data and a recent meta-analysis examining placebo responses from 10 placebo-controlled trials, which showed a placebo/vehicle result of -2.01 mmHg (Raber, et al). During analysis of the IOP data from the trial, a treatment-by-site interaction was found where a small number of sites (4 sites out of a total of 55) caused an important change in the expected vehicle results. The review of the MATrX-1 data is ongoing and upon completion of all analyses, we plan to request a meeting with the FDA in the first half of 2017 to discuss these findings. While we believe these results, along with further exploratory analyses, will be integral in determining the path forward for our
trabodenoson
monotherapy, there can be no assurance that we will be able to pursue further development efforts or obtain regulatory approval.
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We have invested a significant portion of our efforts and financial resources in the development of our existing product candidates. The success of our product candidates will depend on several factors, including:
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successful completion of clinical trials, and the supporting non-clinical toxicology, formulation development, and manufacturing of supplies for the clinical program in accordance with current Good Manufacturing Practices, or cGMP;
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receipt of regulatory approvals from the FDA and other applicable regulatory authorities outside the United States;
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maintenance of existing relationships and establishment of arrangements with third-party manufacturers;
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obtaining and maintaining patent and trade secret protection and regulatory exclusivity;
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protecting our rights in our intellectual property;
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launching commercial sales of our product candidates, if and when approved;
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acceptance of any approved product by the medical community and patients;
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obtaining coverage and adequate reimbursement from third-party payors for product candidates, if and when approved;
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effectively competing with other products; and
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achieving a continued acceptable safety and efficacy profile for our product candidates following regulatory approval, if and when received.
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If we do not achieve one or more of these factors in a timely manner or at all, we could experience significant delays or an inability to successfully develop and commercialize our product candidates, which would materially harm our business and we may not be able to earn sufficient revenues and cash flows to continue our operations.
Our product candidates are
trabodenoson
as a monotherapy and as an FDC consisting of
trabodenoson
with a prostaglandin analog, or PGA. We have no other product candidates in our near term product pipeline. As a result, we are substantially dependent on the successful development and commercialization of
trabodenoson
. The results of our chronic toxicology program could identify a safety problem, or our current and upcoming pivotal trials of
trabodenoson
monotherapy or our current Phase 2 program for the FDC product candidate could fail to demonstrate efficacy in lowering IOP, especially in light of our Phase 3 results, or could identify safety issues related to
trabodenoson
, which would materially and adversely affect our development strategy.
Our MATrX-1 pivotal Phase 3 trial of trabodenoson for the treatment of primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension did not meet the primary endpoint, which could continue to harm our business and further disappoint our stockholders and cause the trading price of our common stock to continue to decrease.
Our lead product candidate in development is
trabodenoson
for the treatment of primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. In January 2017, we announced top-line data from our MATrX-1 pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial, which failed to meet its primary endpoint. Currently, management in conjunction with its clinical and regulatory advisors are evaluating the clinical and regulatory pathway forward, although this is subject to ongoing review and evaluation. No assurance can be given that a clinical and regulatory pathway forward will be possible without significantly more capital invested in the Company or will otherwise be successful. Further, no assurance can be given that additional capital would be available or that such capital would be available at acceptable terms.
We have not obtained regulatory approval for any of our product candidates in the United States or in any other country.
We currently do not have any product candidates that have gained regulatory approval for sale in the United States or in any other country, and we cannot guarantee that we will ever have marketable products. Our business is substantially dependent on our ability to complete the development of, obtain regulatory approval for and successfully commercialize product candidates in a timely manner. We cannot commercialize product candidates in the United States without first obtaining regulatory approval to market each product from the FDA; similarly, we cannot commercialize product candidates outside of the United States without obtaining regulatory approval from comparable foreign regulatory authorities. We have completed a Phase 2 trial in which we tested
trabodenoson
co-administered with
latanoprost
. We attended an End-of-Phase 2 meeting with the FDA for
trabodenoson
monotherapy in the first half of 2015 and initiated a pivotal Phase 3 program in the fourth quarter of 2015, which consists of two Phase 3 monotherapy pivotal trials and a long-term safety study. We completed our initial Phase 3 trial and reported top-line data on January 3, 2017. Because the primary endpoint of the trial was not met, we plan to discuss with the FDA the subsequent necessary steps needed to attain marketing approval of
trabodenoson
monotherapy for the treatment of glaucoma in the United States. We cannot predict whether any of our future trials, including our planned long-term safety trial of
trabodenoson
, will be successful or whether regulators will agree with our conclusions regarding the preclinical studies and clinical trials we have conducted to date or
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will conduct. Moreover, any determination of changes in a study design and its confirmation with the FDA could result in a significant range of costs for the Phase 3 pivotal and long-term safety trials.
Before obtaining regulatory approvals for the commercial sale of any product candidate for a target indication, we must demonstrate in preclinical studies and well-controlled clinical trials, and, with respect to approval in the United States, to the satisfaction of the FDA, that the product candidate is safe and effective for use for that target indication and that the manufacturing facilities, processes and controls are adequate. In the United States, we have not submitted a New Drug Application, or NDA, for any of our product candidates. An NDA must include extensive preclinical and clinical data and supporting information to establish the product candidate’s safety and effectiveness for each desired indication. The NDA must also include significant information regarding the chemistry, manufacturing and controls for the product. Obtaining approval of an NDA is a lengthy, expensive and uncertain process, and approval may not be obtained. If we submit an NDA to the FDA, the FDA must decide whether to accept or reject the submission for filing. We cannot be certain that any submissions will be accepted for filing and reviewed by the FDA or, if accepted and reviewed, will be approved.
Regulatory authorities outside of the United States, such as in Europe and Japan and in emerging markets, also have requirements for approval of drugs for commercial sale with which we must comply prior to marketing in those areas. Regulatory requirements can vary widely from country to country and could delay or prevent the introduction of our product candidates. Clinical trials conducted in one country may not be accepted by regulatory authorities in other countries, and obtaining regulatory approval in one country does not mean that regulatory approval will be obtained in any other country. Approval processes vary among countries and can involve additional product testing and validation and additional administrative review periods. Seeking non-U.S. regulatory approval could require additional non-clinical studies or clinical trials, which could be costly and time consuming. The non-U.S. regulatory approval process may include all of the risks associated with obtaining FDA approval or additional risks. For all of these reasons, we may not obtain non-U.S. regulatory approvals on a timely basis, if at all.
The process to develop, obtain regulatory approval for and commercialize product candidates is long, complex and costly both inside and outside of the United States, and approval is never guaranteed. Even if our product candidates were to successfully obtain approval from the regulatory authorities, any approval might significantly limit the approved indications for use, or require that precautions, contraindications, or warnings be included on the product labeling, or require expensive and time-consuming post-approval clinical trials or surveillance as conditions of approval. Following any approval for commercial sale of our product candidates, certain changes to the product, such as changes in manufacturing processes and additional labeling claims, will be subject to additional FDA review and approval. Also, regulatory approval for any of our product candidates may be withdrawn. If we are unable to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates in one or more jurisdictions, or any approval contains significant limitations, our target market will be reduced and our ability to realize the full market potential of our product candidates will be harmed. Furthermore, we may not be able to obtain sufficient funding or generate sufficient revenue and cash flows to continue the development of any other product candidate in the future.
We are reevaluating our clinical and regulatory pathway forward for our trabodenoson monotherapy product candidate, and our product candidate might not be approved by regulatory authorities or introduced commercially for at least several years, if at all.
In January 2017, we announced disappointing top-line data from our MATrX-1 pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial, which failed to meet its primary endpoint. Currently, management in conjunction with its clinical and regulatory advisors are evaluating the clinical and regulatory pathway forward based on the data from the MATrX-1 trial. Going forward,
trabodenoson
will require further development and clinical testing and investment prior to obtaining required regulatory approvals, if ever, and commercialization in the United States and abroad. We cannot provide assurance that a new clinical and regulatory pathway will be successful or that
trabodenoson
will be developed successfully. Even if a viable clinical and regulatory pathway forward is identified, we cannot provide assurance that
trabodenoson
will:
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prove to be safe and effective in clinical studies;
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meet applicable regulatory standards or obtain required regulatory approvals;
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demonstrate substantial protective or therapeutic benefits in the prevention or treatment of any disease;
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be capable of being produced in commercial quantities at reasonable costs;
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obtain coverage and favorable reimbursement rates from insurers and other third-party payors; or
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be marketed successfully or achieve market acceptance by physicians and patients.
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Regulatory approval may be substantially delayed or may not be obtained for one or all of our product candidates if regulatory authorities require additional time or studies to assess the safety and efficacy of our product candidates.
We may be unable to initiate or complete development of our product candidates on schedule, if at all. To complete the studies for our product candidates, we will require additional funding. In addition, if regulatory authorities require additional time or studies to assess the safety or efficacy of our product candidates, we may not have or be able to obtain adequate funding to complete the necessary steps for approval for any or all of our product candidates. Preclinical studies and clinical trials required to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of our product candidates are time consuming and expensive and together take several years or more to complete. Delays in regulatory approvals or rejections of applications for regulatory approval in the United States, Europe, Japan or other markets may result from many factors, including:
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our inability to obtain sufficient funds required for a clinical trial;
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requests from regulatory authorities for additional analyses, reports, data, non-clinical and preclinical studies and clinical trials;
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questions from regulatory authorities regarding interpretations of data and results and the emergence of new information regarding our product candidates or other products;
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clinical holds, other regulatory objections to commencing or continuing a clinical trial or the inability to obtain regulatory approval to commence a clinical trial in countries that require such approvals;
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failure to reach agreement with the FDA or comparable non-US regulatory authorities regarding the scope or design of our clinical trials;
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our inability to manufacture in a timely manner or obtain from third parties sufficient quantities or quality of the product candidates or other materials required for a clinical trial;
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our inability to enroll a sufficient number of patients who meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria in our clinical trials. For example, we are seeking patients with elevated levels of IOP for our clinical trials, which are more difficult to find;
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our inability to conduct the clinical trial in accordance with regulatory requirements or our clinical protocols;
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our inability to reach agreements on acceptable terms with prospective contract research organizations, or CROs, and trial sites, the terms of which can be subject to extensive negotiation and may vary significantly among different CROs and trial sites;
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our inability to identify and maintain a sufficient number of trial sites, many of which may already be engaged in other clinical trial programs, including some that may be for the same indications targeted by our product candidates;
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any determination that a clinical trial presents unacceptable health risks;
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lack of adequate funding to continue the clinical trial due to unforeseen costs or other business decisions;
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our inability to obtain approval from Institutional Review Boards, or IRBs, to conduct clinical trials at their respective sites;
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difficulty in maintaining contact with patients after treatment, resulting in incomplete data; and
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unfavorable or inconclusive results of clinical trials and supportive non-clinical studies, including unfavorable results regarding the effectiveness of product candidates during clinical trials.
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Changes in regulatory requirements and guidance may also occur and we may need to amend clinical trial protocols submitted to applicable regulatory authorities to reflect these changes. Amendments may require us to resubmit clinical trial protocols to IRBs for re-examination, which may impact the costs, timing or successful completion of a clinical trial.
If the FDA requires us to change the design of our planned pivotal trials, the actual costs of these trials may be greater than what we estimated based on our current expectations regarding the design of these trials. If we are required to conduct additional clinical trials or other studies with respect to any of our product candidates beyond those that we initially contemplated, if we are unable to successfully complete our clinical trials or other studies or if the results of these studies are not positive or are only modestly positive, we may be delayed in obtaining regulatory approval for that product candidate, we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval at all or we may obtain approval for indications that are not as broad as intended. Our product development costs will also increase if we experience delays in testing or approvals and we may not have sufficient funding to complete the testing and approval process. Significant clinical trial delays could allow our competitors to bring products to market before we do and impair our ability to commercialize our products if and when approved. If any of this occurs, our business will be materially harmed.
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We have successfully formulated our fixed-dose combination product candidate in a way that is suitable for Phase 2 clinical use. However, we have not successfully manufactured the product at commercial scale, nor completed stability testing to confirm its acceptability for commercial use. Any such delay or failure could materially harm our commercial prospects, result in higher costs and deprive us of product candidate revenues.
We completed a Phase 2 trial and are currently conducting an additional Phase 2 trial to evaluate the efficacy, tolerability and safety of
trabodenoson
when co-administered with commercially-available
latanoprost
eye drops. We have formulated our FDC product candidate to include these two drugs in a single eye drop. However, we may never be able to formulate or manufacture our FDC product candidate at commercial scale, or be able to demonstrate that the product is stable enough to commercialize. Any delay or failure to develop a suitable product formulation or manufacturing process for our FDC product candidate could materially harm our commercial prospects, result in higher costs or deprive us of potential product revenues.
Failure can occur at any stage of clinical development. If the clinical trials for our product candidates are unsuccessful, we could be required to abandon development.
A failure of one or more clinical trials can occur at any stage of testing for a variety of reasons. The outcome of preclinical testing and early clinical trials may not be predictive of the outcome of later clinical trials, and interim results of a clinical trial do not necessarily predict final results. In addition, adverse events may occur or other risks may be discovered in any clinical trials that will cause us to suspend or terminate our clinical trials. In some instances, there can be significant variability in safety and/or efficacy results between different trials of the same product candidate due to numerous factors, including but not limited to changes in or adherence to trial protocols, differences in size and type of the patient populations and the rates of dropout among clinical trial participants. We have exposed 414 clinical trial subjects to
trabodenoson
. The FDA expects that a total of at least 1,300 patients will be exposed to at least a single dose of
trabodenoson
before submission of an NDA, and the complete NDA submission package must also contain safety data from at least 300 patients treated with
trabodenoson
for at least six months, and at least 100 patients treated for at least a year. Our future clinical trial results therefore may not demonstrate safety and efficacy sufficient to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates. Moreover, we still need to evaluate the long-term safety effects of our product candidates, the results of which could adversely affect our clinical development program.
Flaws in the design of a clinical trial may not become apparent until the clinical trial is well-advanced. We have limited experience in designing clinical trials and may be unable to design and execute a clinical trial to support regulatory approval. In addition, clinical trials often reveal that it is not practical or feasible to continue development efforts. Further, we have never submitted an NDA for any product candidates.
We may voluntarily suspend or terminate our clinical trials if at any time we believe that they present an unacceptable risk to participants. Further, regulatory agencies and IRBs may at any time order or data safety monitoring boards may at any time recommend to the sponsor the temporary or permanent discontinuation of our clinical trials or request that we cease using investigators in the clinical trials if they believe that the clinical trials are not being conducted in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements, or that they present an unacceptable safety risk to participants.
If the results of our clinical trials for our current product candidates or clinical trials for any future product candidates do not achieve the primary efficacy endpoints or demonstrate unexpected safety issues, the prospects for approval of our product candidates will be materially adversely affected. Moreover, preclinical and clinical data are often susceptible to varying interpretations and analyses, and many companies that believed their product candidates performed satisfactorily in preclinical studies and clinical trials have failed to achieve similar results in later clinical trials, including longer term trials, or have failed to obtain regulatory approval of their product candidates. Many compounds that initially showed promise in clinical trials or earlier stage testing have later been found to cause undesirable or unexpected adverse effects that have prevented further development of the compound. In addition, we have typically only tested our product candidates in a single eye, which may not accurately predict the efficacy or safety of our product candidates when dosed in both eyes. Our recently completed Phase 3 did not produce the results that we expected, and potential future Phase 3 pivotal trials and long-term safety studies of
trabodenoson
monotherapy may not produce the results that we expect or desire. Our current and planned clinical trials are also designed to test the use of
trabodenoson
in combination with
latanoprost
in a single dosage form. Accordingly, the efficacy of our primary product candidates may not be similar or correspond directly to their efficacy when used as a monotherapy. Our current product candidates remain subject to the risks associated with clinical drug development as indicated above.
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In addition to the circumstances noted above, we may experience numerous unforeseen events that could cause our clinical trials to be delayed, suspended or terminated, or which could delay or prevent our ability to receive regulatory approval or commercialize our product candidates, including:
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clinical trials of our product candidates may produce negative or inconclusive results, and we may decide, or regulators may require us, to conduct additional clinical trials or implement a clinical hold;
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the number of patients required for clinical trials of our product candidates may be larger than we anticipate, enrollment in these clinical trials may be slower than we anticipate or participants may drop out of these clinical trials at a higher rate than we anticipate;
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our third-party contractors may fail to comply with regulatory requirements or meet their contractual obligations to us in a timely manner, or at all;
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regulators or IRBs may not authorize us or our investigators to commence a clinical trial or conduct a clinical trial at a prospective trial site;
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we may have delays in reaching or fail to reach agreement on acceptable clinical trial contracts or clinical trial protocols with prospective trial sites;
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we may elect or be required to suspend or terminate clinical trials of our product candidates based on a finding that the participants are being exposed to health risks;
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the cost of clinical trials of our product candidates may be greater than we anticipate;
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the supply or quality of our product candidates or other materials necessary to conduct clinical trials of our product candidates may be insufficient or inadequate; and
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our product candidates may have undesirable adverse effects or other unexpected characteristics.
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If we elect or are required to suspend or terminate a clinical trial of any of our product candidates, our commercial prospects will be adversely impacted and our ability to generate product revenues may be delayed or eliminated.
Our product candidates may have undesirable adverse effects, which may delay or prevent regulatory approval or, if approval is received, require our products to be taken off the market, require them to include safety warnings or otherwise limit their sales.
Unforeseen adverse effects from any of our product candidates could arise either during clinical development or, if approved, after the approved product has been marketed. In particular, we are aware of the known potential of adenosine and adenosine-like drugs to affect the heart if present in the systemic circulation at high enough levels.
Any undesirable adverse effects that may be caused by our product candidates could interrupt, delay or halt clinical trials and could result in the denial of regulatory approval by the FDA and comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities for any or all targeted indications, and in turn prevent us from commercializing our product candidates and generating revenues from their sale. In addition, if any of our product candidates receives regulatory approval and we or others later identify undesirable adverse effects caused by the product, we could face one or more of the following consequences:
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regulatory authorities may require the addition of labeling statements, such as a “black box” warning or a contraindication, or other labeling changes;
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regulatory authorities may withdraw their approval of the product;
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regulatory authorities may seize the product;
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we may be required to change the way that the product is administered, conduct additional clinical trials or recall the product;
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regulatory authorities nay impose a REMS;
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we may be subject to litigation or product liability claims, fines, injunctions, or criminal penalties; and
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our reputation may suffer.
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Any of these events could prevent us from achieving or maintaining market acceptance of the affected product or could substantially increase the costs and expenses of commercializing such product, which in turn could delay or prevent us from generating significant revenues from its sale.
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Trabodenoson
is an adenosine mimetic. Adenosine is used therapeutically to manage cardiovascular arrhythmias, such as paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, a type of accelerated heart rate. All of our data to date reflects that
trabodenoson
does not have systemic effects, including no impact on the cardiovascular system when dosed in the eye. However, we are still conducting additional trials for
trabodenoson
and systemic effects may arise in future trials. Furthermore, if
trabodenoson
has the perception of having potential adverse effects because it is an adenosine mimetic, it may be negatively viewed by ophthalmologists and optometrists, patients, patient advocacy groups, third-party payors and the medical community which would adversely affect the market acceptance of our product candidates. In addition, the use of our product candidates outside the indications approved for use, or off-label use, or the use of our product candidate in an inappropriate manner, may increase the risk of injury to patients. If approved, clinicians may use our products for off-label uses, as the FDA does not restrict or regulate a clinician’s choice of treatment within the practice of medicine. Off-label use of our products may increase the risk of product liability claims against us. Product liability claims are expensive to defend and could divert our management’s attention and result in substantial damage awards against us.
If our product candidates receive regulatory approval, we will be subject to ongoing regulatory requirements and we may face future development, manufacturing and regulatory difficulties.
Our product candidates, if approved, will also be subject to ongoing regulatory requirements for labeling, packaging, storage, advertising, promotion, sampling, record-keeping, submission of safety and other post-market approval information, importation and exportation. In addition, approved products, manufacturers and manufacturers’ facilities are required to comply with extensive FDA and European Medicines Agency, or EMA, requirements and the requirements of other similar agencies, including ensuring that quality control and manufacturing procedures conform to cGMP requirements. As such, we and our potential future contract manufacturers will be subject to continual review and periodic inspections to assess compliance with cGMP. Accordingly, we and others with whom we work will be required to expend time, money and effort in all areas of regulatory compliance, including manufacturing, production and quality control. We will also be required to report certain adverse reactions and production problems, if any, to the FDA, EMA and other similar foreign agencies and to comply with certain requirements concerning advertising and promotion for our product candidates. Promotional communications with respect to prescription drugs also are subject to a variety of legal and regulatory restrictions and must be consistent with the information in the product’s approved labeling. Accordingly, once approved, we may not promote our products, if any, for indications or uses for which they are not approved.
If a regulatory agency discovers previously unknown problems with a product, such as adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or problems with the facility where the product is manufactured, or disagrees with the promotion, marketing or labeling of a product, it may impose restrictions on that product or us, including requiring withdrawal of the product from the market. If our product candidates fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements, a regulatory agency may:
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issue warning letters or untitled letters;
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require product recalls;
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mandate modifications to promotional materials or require us to provide corrective information to healthcare practitioners;
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require us or our potential future collaborators to enter into a consent decree or permanent injunction, which can include shutdown of manufacturing facilities, imposition of various fines, reimbursements for inspection costs, required due dates for specific actions and penalties for noncompliance;
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impose other administrative or judicial civil or criminal penalties or pursue criminal prosecution;
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withdraw regulatory approval;
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refuse to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications filed by us or by our potential future collaborators;
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impose restrictions on operations, including costly new manufacturing requirements; or
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seize or detain products.
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If we are unable to effectively establish a direct sales force in the United States, our business may be harmed.
We currently do not have an established sales organization and do not have a marketing or distribution infrastructure. To achieve commercial success for any approved product, we must either develop a sales and marketing organization or outsource these functions to third parties. If
trabodenoson
receives marketing approval in the United States, we plan to commercialize it by establishing a glaucoma-focused specialty sales force of approximately 150 people targeting high-prescribing ophthalmologists and optometrists throughout the United States. We will need to incur significant additional expenses and commit significant additional time and management resources to establish and train a sales force to market and sell our products. We may not be able to successfully establish these capabilities despite these additional expenditures.
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Factors that may inhibit our efforts to successfully establish a sales force include:
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our inability to compete with other pharmaceutical companies to recruit, hire, train and retain adequate numbers of effective sales and marketing personnel with requisite knowledge of our target market;
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the inability of sales personnel to obtain access to adequate numbers of ophthalmologists and optometrists to prescribe any future approved products;
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unforeseen costs and expenses associated with creating an independent sales and marketing organization; and
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a delay in bringing products to market after efforts to hire and train our sales force have already commenced.
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In the event we are unable to successfully market and promote our products, our business may be harmed.
We currently intend to explore the licensing of commercialization rights or other forms of collaboration outside of the United States, which will expose us to additional risks of conducting business in international markets.
The non-U.S. markets are an important component of our growth strategy. If we fail to obtain licenses or enter into collaboration arrangements with selling parties, or if these parties are not successful, our revenue-generating growth potential will be adversely affected. Moreover, international business relationships subject us to additional risks that may materially adversely affect our ability to attain or sustain profitable operations, including:
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efforts to enter into collaboration or licensing arrangements with third parties in connection with our international sales, marketing and distribution efforts may increase our expenses or divert our management’s attention from the acquisition or development of product candidates;
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changes in a specific country’s or region’s political and cultural climate or economic condition;
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differing regulatory requirements for drug approvals and marketing internationally, which could result in our being required to conduct additional clinical trials or other studies before being able to successfully commercialize our product candidates in any jurisdiction outside the United States;
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differing reimbursement regimes and price controls in certain non-U.S. markets;
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difficulty of effective enforcement of contractual provisions in local jurisdictions;
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potentially reduced protection for intellectual property rights;
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potential third-party patent rights in countries outside of the United States;
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unexpected changes in tariffs, trade barriers and regulatory requirements;
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economic weakness, including inflation, or political instability, particularly in non-U.S. economies and markets, including several countries in Europe;
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compliance with tax, employment, immigration and labor laws for employees traveling abroad;
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the effects of applicable foreign tax structures and potentially adverse tax consequences;
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foreign currency fluctuations, which could result in increased operating expenses and reduced revenue, and other obligations incidental to doing business in another country;
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workforce uncertainty in countries where labor unrest is more common than in the United States;
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the potential for so-called parallel importing, which is what happens when a local seller, faced with high or higher local prices, opts to import goods from a foreign market (with low or lower prices) rather than buying them locally;
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failure of our employees and contracted third parties to comply with Office of Foreign Asset Control rules and regulations and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act;
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production shortages resulting from any events affecting raw material supply or manufacturing capabilities abroad; and
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business interruptions resulting from geo-political actions, including war and terrorism, or natural disasters, including earthquakes, volcanoes, typhoons, floods, hurricanes and fires.
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These and other risks may materially adversely affect our ability to attain or sustain revenue from international markets.
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We face competition from established branded and generic pharmaceutical companies and if our competitors are able to develop and market products that are preferred over our products, our commercial opportunity will be reduced or eliminated.
The development and commercialization of new drug products is highly competitive. We face competition from established branded and generic pharmaceutical companies, smaller biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, as well as from academic institutions, government agencies and private and public research institutions, which may in the future develop products to treat glaucoma. Any product candidates that we successfully develop and commercialize will compete with existing therapies and new therapies that may become available in the future. Many of our competitors have significantly greater financial resources and expertise in research and development, manufacturing, preclinical testing, conducting clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approvals and marketing approved products than we do. Glaukos Corporation recently commercialized a trabecular micro-bypass stent that is implanted in the eye during cataract surgery and allows fluid to flow from the anterior of the eye into the collecting channels, bypassing the TM. In addition, early-stage companies that are also developing glaucoma treatments may prove to be significant competitors, such as Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which is developing a Rho kinase/norepinephrine transport inhibitor. We expect that our competitors will continue to develop new glaucoma treatments, which may include eye drops, oral treatments, surgical procedures, implantable devices or laser treatments. Other early-stage companies may also compete through collaborative arrangements with large and established companies. Mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries may result in even more resources being concentrated among a smaller number of our competitors. Our commercial opportunity will be reduced or eliminated if our competitors develop and commercialize products that are safer, more effective, have fewer adverse effects, are more convenient or are less expensive than our product candidates. The market for glaucoma prescriptions is highly competitive and is currently dominated by generic drugs, such as
latanoprost
and
timolol
, and additional products are expected to become available on a generic basis over the coming years. If any of our product candidates are approved, we expect that they will be priced at a premium over competitive generic products and consistent with other branded glaucoma drugs.
If our competitors market products that are more effective, safer, have fewer side effects or are less expensive than our product candidates or that reach the market sooner than our potential future products, if any, we may not achieve commercial success.
The commercial success of our product candidates will depend on the degree of market acceptance among ophthalmologists and optometrists, patients, patient advocacy groups, third-party payors and the medical community.
Our product candidates may not gain market acceptance among ophthalmologists and optometrists, patients, patient advocacy groups, third-party payors and the medical community. There are a number of available therapies marketed for the treatment of glaucoma. Some of these drugs are branded and subject to patent protection, but most others, including
latanoprost
and many beta blockers, are available on a generic basis. Many of these approved drugs are well established therapies and are widely accepted by ophthalmologists and optometrists, patients and third-party payors. Insurers and other third-party payors may also encourage the use of generic products. Additionally, in patients with normal tension glaucoma whose IOP falls into the normal range, IOP is generally much more difficult to reduce. In these patients,
trabodenoson
may offer little or no clinical benefit, which may ultimately limit its utility in this subpopulation of glaucoma patients. The degree of market acceptance of our product candidates will depend on a number of factors, including:
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the market price, affordability and patient out-of-pocket costs of our product candidates relative to other available products, which are predominantly generics;
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the degree to which our product candidates obtain coverage and adequate reimbursement;
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the effectiveness of our product candidates as compared with currently available products and any products that may be approved in the future;
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patient willingness to adopt our product candidates in place of current therapies;
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varying patient characteristics including demographic factors such as age, health, race and economic status;
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changes in the standard of care for the targeted indications for any of our product candidates;
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the prevalence and severity of any adverse effects or perception of any potential side effects;
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limitations or warnings contained in a product candidate’s FDA-approved labeling;
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limitations in the approved clinical indications for our product candidates;
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relative convenience and ease of administration;
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the strength of our selling, marketing and distribution capabilities;
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the quality of our relationship with patient advocacy groups;
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sufficient third-party coverage and reimbursement; and
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product liability claims.
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In addition, the potential market opportunity for our product candidates is difficult to precisely estimate. Our estimates of the potential market opportunity for our product candidates include several key assumptions based on our industry knowledge, industry publications, third-party research reports and other surveys. If any of these assumptions proves to be inaccurate, then the actual market for our product candidates could be smaller than our estimates of our potential market opportunity. If the actual market for our product candidates is smaller than we expect, our product revenue may be limited, and it may be more difficult for us to achieve or maintain profitability. If we fail to achieve market acceptance of our product candidates in the United States and abroad, our revenue will be more limited and it will be more difficult to achieve profitability.
If we fail to obtain and sustain coverage and an adequate level of reimbursement for our product candidates by third-party payors, potential future sales would be materially adversely affected.
The course of treatment for glaucoma patients primarily includes older drugs, and the leading products for the treatment of glaucoma currently in the market, including
latanoprost
and
timolol
, are available as generic brands. There will be no commercially viable market for our product candidates without coverage and adequate reimbursement from third-party payors, and any coverage and reimbursement policy may be affected by future healthcare reform measures. We cannot be certain that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be available for our product candidates or any other future product candidates we develop. Additionally, even if there is a commercially viable market, if the level of reimbursement is below our expectations, our anticipated revenue and gross margins will be adversely affected.
Third-party payors, such as government or private healthcare insurers, carefully review and increasingly question and challenge the coverage of and the prices charged for drugs. Reimbursement rates from private health insurance companies vary depending on the company, the insurance plan and other factors. Reimbursement rates may be based on reimbursement levels already set for lower cost drugs and may be incorporated into existing payments for other services. A current trend in the U.S. healthcare industry is toward cost containment. Large public and private payors, managed care organizations, group purchasing organizations and other similar organizations are exerting increasing influence on decisions regarding the use of, and reimbursement levels for, particular treatments. Such third-party payors, including Medicare, may question the coverage of, and challenge the prices charged for, medical products and services, and many third-party payors limit coverage of or reimbursement for newly approved healthcare products. In particular, third-party payors may limit the covered indications. Cost-control initiatives could decrease the price we might establish for our product candidates, which could result in product revenues being lower than anticipated. We believe our drugs will be priced significantly higher than existing generic drugs and consistently with current branded drugs. Patients who are prescribed medications for the treatment of their conditions, and their prescribing physicians, generally rely on third-party payors to reimburse all or part of the costs associated with their prescription drugs. Patients are unlikely to use our products unless coverage is provided and reimbursement is adequate to cover a significant portion of the cost of our products. If we are unable to show a significant benefit relative to existing generic drugs, Medicare, Medicaid and private payors may not be willing to cover or provide adequate reimbursement for our drugs, which would significantly reduce the likelihood of them gaining market acceptance. In the United States, no uniform policy requirement for coverage and reimbursement for drug products exists among third-party payors. Therefore, coverage and reimbursement for drug products can differ significantly from payor to payor.
We expect that private insurers will consider the efficacy, cost effectiveness, safety and tolerability of our product candidates in determining whether to approve coverage and set reimbursement levels for such products. Obtaining these approvals can be a time consuming and expensive process. Our business and prospects would be materially adversely affected if we do not receive approval for coverage and reimbursement of our product candidates from private insurers on a timely or satisfactory basis. Limitations on coverage and reimbursement could also be imposed by government payors, such as the local Medicare carriers, fiscal intermediaries, or Medicare Administrative Contractors. Further, Medicare Part D, which provides a pharmacy benefit to certain Medicare patients, does not require participating prescription drug plans to cover all drugs within a class of products. Our business could be materially adversely affected if private or governmental payors, including Medicare Part D prescription drug plans were to limit access to, or deny or limit reimbursement of, our product candidates or other potential products.
Reimbursement systems in international markets vary significantly by country and by region, and reimbursement approvals must be obtained on a country-by-country basis. In some foreign markets, prescription pharmaceutical pricing remains subject to continuing governmental control even after initial approval is granted. For example, reimbursement in the European Union must be negotiated on a country-by-country basis and in many countries the product cannot be commercially launched until reimbursement is approved. The negotiation process in some countries can exceed 12 months. To obtain reimbursement or pricing approval in some countries, we may be required to conduct a clinical trial that compares the cost-effectiveness of our products to other available therapies.
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If the prices for our product candidates decrease or if governmental and other third-party payors do not provide coverage and adequate reimbursement levels, our revenue, potential for future cash flows and prospects for profitability will suffer.
Recently enacted and future legislation may increase the difficulty and cost of commercializing our product candidates and may affect the prices we may obtain.
In the United States and some foreign jurisdictions, there have been a number of legislative and regulatory changes and proposed changes regarding the healthcare system that could prevent or delay regulatory approval of our product candidates, restrict or regulate post-marketing activities and affect our ability to profitably sell our product candidates for which we obtain regulatory approval.
In March 2010, President Obama signed into law the ACA, a sweeping law intended to, among other things, broaden access to health insurance, reduce or constrain the growth of healthcare spending, enhance remedies against healthcare fraud and abuse, add new transparency requirements for healthcare and health insurance industries, impose new taxes and fees on the health industry and impose additional health policy reforms. Among other changes that affect the pharmaceutical industry, the ACA increased manufacturers’ rebate liability under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program by increasing the minimum rebate amount for both branded and generic drugs and revised the definition of average manufacturer price, or AMP, which may also increase the amount of Medicaid drug rebates manufacturers are required to pay to states. The legislation also expanded Medicaid drug rebates, which previously had been payable only on fee-for-service utilization, to Medicaid managed care utilization, and created an alternative rebate formula for certain new formulations of certain existing products that is intended to increase the rebates due on those drugs. Further, the ACA imposed a significant annual fee on companies that manufacture or import branded prescription drug products and requires manufacturers to provide a 50% point-of-sale discount off the negotiated price of applicable branded drugs dispensed to beneficiaries in the Medicare Part D coverage gap, referred to as the “donut hole.” Substantial new provisions affecting compliance have also been enacted, including the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, as described above. Although it is too early to determine the full effect of the ACA, the new law appears likely to continue the downward pressure on pharmaceutical pricing, especially under the Medicare program, and may also increase our regulatory burdens and operating costs.
Other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted in the United States since the ACA was enacted. In August 2011, the Budget Control Act of 2011, among other things, created measures for spending reductions by Congress. A Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, tasked with recommending a targeted deficit reduction of at least $1.2 trillion for the years 2012 through 2021, was unable to reach the required goals, thereby triggering the legislation’s automatic reduction to several government programs. This includes aggregate reductions of Medicare payments to providers up to 2% per fiscal year, which went into effect in April 2013 and will remain in effect through 2024 unless additional Congressional action is taken. 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. Any reduction in reimbursement from Medicare or other government programs may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payors, which may adversely affect our future profitability.
Legislative and regulatory proposals have been introduced at both the state and federal level to expand post-approval requirements and restrict sales and promotional activities for pharmaceutical products. We are not sure whether additional legislative changes will be enacted, or whether the FDA regulations, guidance or interpretations will be changed, or what the impact of such changes on the marketing approvals of our product candidates, if any, may be. In addition, increased scrutiny by the U.S. Congress of the FDA’s approval process may significantly delay or prevent marketing approval, as well as subject us to more stringent product labeling and post-marketing approval testing and other requirements.
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. We cannot predict whether future healthcare initiatives will be implemented at the federal or state level or in countries outside of the United States in which we may do business in the future, or the effect any future legislation or regulation will have on us.
Governments outside the United States tend to impose strict price controls, which may adversely affect our revenues, if any.
The pricing of prescription pharmaceuticals is also subject to governmental control outside of the United States. In these countries, pricing negotiations with governmental authorities can take considerable time after the receipt of marketing approval for a product. To obtain reimbursement or pricing approval in some countries, we may be required to conduct a clinical trial that compares the cost-effectiveness of our product candidates to other available therapies. If reimbursement of our products is unavailable or limited in scope or amount, or if pricing is set at unsatisfactory levels, our business could be harmed, possibly materially.
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If we are found in violation of federal or state “fraud and abuse” laws or other healthcare laws, we may face penalties, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operation.
In the United States, we are subject to various federal and state healthcare “fraud and abuse” laws, including anti-kickback laws, false claims laws and other laws intended, among other things, to reduce fraud and abuse in federal and state healthcare programs. The Federal Anti-Kickback Statute makes it illegal for any person or entity, including a prescription drug manufacturer (or a party acting on its behalf), to knowingly and willfully solicit, receive, offer or pay any remuneration, directly or indirectly, in cash or in kind, that is intended to induce or reward the referral of business, including the purchase, lease, order or arranging for or recommending the purchase, lease or order of any good, facility, item or service for which payment may be made, in whole or in part, under a federal healthcare program, such as Medicare or Medicaid. Although we seek to structure our business arrangements in compliance with all applicable requirements, many healthcare fraud and abuse laws are broadly written, and it may be difficult to determine precisely how the law will be applied in specific circumstances. Accordingly, it is possible that our practices may be challenged under the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute. The federal false claims and civil monetary penalties laws, including the civil False Claims Act prohibits any individual or entity from, among other things, knowingly presenting or causing to be presented for payment to the government, including the federal healthcare programs, claims for reimbursed drugs or services that are false or fraudulent, or making a false statement to avoid, decrease, or conceal an obligation to pay money to the federal government. The civil False Claims Act has been interpreted to prohibit presenting claims for items or services that were not provided as claimed, or claims for medically unnecessary items or services. Cases have been brought under false claims laws alleging that off-label promotion of pharmaceutical products or the provision of kickbacks have resulted in the submission of false claims to governmental healthcare programs. In addition, private individuals have the ability to bring actions on behalf of the government under the civil False Claims Act as well as under the false claims laws of several states. Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, we are prohibited from, among other things, knowingly and willfully executing a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private payors, or 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 to obtain money or property of any healthcare benefit program.
Additionally, the federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act within the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care Education and Reconciliation Act, or collectively the ACA, and its implementing regulations, require that certain manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, with specific exceptions, report annually to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, information related to certain payments or other transfers of value provided to physicians and teaching hospitals, and certain ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members.
Many states have adopted laws similar to the aforementioned laws, including state anti-kickback and false claims laws, some of which apply to the referral of patients for healthcare services reimbursed by any source, not just governmental payors. In addition, some states have passed laws that require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the April 2003 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General Compliance Program Guidance for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and/or the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America’s Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals. Several states also impose other marketing restrictions or require pharmaceutical companies to make marketing or price disclosures to the state. There may be ambiguities as to what is required to comply with these state requirements and if we fail to comply with an applicable state law requirement we could be subject to penalties.
In addition, we may be subject to data privacy and security regulation by both the federal government and the states in which we conduct our business. HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, or HITECH, and their respective implementing regulations, including the Final Omnibus Rule published on January 25, 2013, imposes specified requirements relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information on certain types of individuals and organizations. Among other things, HITECH makes HIPAA’s privacy and security standards directly applicable to business associates, defined as independent contractors or agents of covered entities that create, receive, maintain or transmit protected health information in connection with providing a service for or on behalf of a covered entity. HITECH also created four new tiers of civil monetary penalties 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. In addition, many state laws govern the privacy and security of health information in certain circumstances, many of which differ from each other and from HIPAA in significant ways and may not have the same effect, thus complicating compliance efforts.
Law enforcement authorities are increasingly focused on enforcing these laws, and it is possible that some of our practices may be challenged under these laws. Efforts to ensure that our business arrangements with third parties will comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations will involve substantial costs. It is possible that the government could allege violations of, or convict us of violating, these laws. If we are found in violation of one of these laws, we could be subject to significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, individual imprisonment, exclusion from governmental funded federal or state healthcare programs, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings, and the curtailment or
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restructuring of our operations. Were this to occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations and cash flows may be materially adversely affected.
If we face allegations of noncompliance with the law and encounter sanctions, our reputation, revenues and liquidity may suffer, and our products could be subject to restrictions or withdrawal from the market.
Any government investigation of alleged violations of law could require us to expend significant time and resources in response, and could generate negative publicity. Any failure to comply with ongoing regulatory requirements may significantly and adversely affect our ability to commercialize and generate revenues from our products. If regulatory sanctions are applied or if regulatory approval is withdrawn, the value of our company and our operating results will be adversely affected. Additionally, if we are unable to generate revenues from our product sales, our potential for achieving profitability will be diminished and the capital necessary to fund our operations will be increased.
We may not be able to identify additional therapeutic opportunities for our product candidates or to expand our portfolio of products.
We may explore other therapeutic opportunities with
trabodenoson
and seek to develop and commercialize a portfolio of new ophthalmic drugs or explore non-ophthalmic opportunities in addition to our product candidates that we are currently developing. We have no potential products in our research and development pipeline other than those potential products that are formulations of
trabodenoson
or that apply
trabodenoson
for the treatment of glaucoma, other neuropathies and degenerative retinal diseases.
Research programs to pursue the development of our product candidates for additional indications and to identify new potential products or product candidates and disease targets require substantial technical, financial and human resources whether or not we ultimately are successful. Our research programs may initially show promise in identifying potential indications and/or potential products, yet fail to yield results for clinical development for a number of reasons, including:
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the research methodology used may not be successful in identifying potential indications and/or potential products;
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product candidates may, after further study, be shown to have harmful adverse effects or other characteristics that indicate they are unlikely to be effective drugs; or
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it may take greater human and financial resources to identify additional therapeutic opportunities for our product candidates or to develop suitable potential products through internal research programs and clinical trials than we will possess, thereby limiting our ability to diversify and expand our product portfolio.
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Because we have limited financial and managerial resources, we focus on research programs and product candidates for specific indications. As a result, we may forego or delay pursuit of opportunities with other potential products or product candidates or for other indications that later prove to have greater commercial potential or a greater likelihood of success. Our resource allocation decisions may cause us to fail to capitalize on viable commercial products or profitable market opportunities.
Accordingly, there can be no assurance that we will ever be able to identify additional therapeutic opportunities for our product candidates or to develop suitable potential products through internal research programs, which could materially adversely affect our future growth and prospects.
If we reallocate our resources to acquire or develop one or more new product candidates, we may not be successful in developing such new product candidates and we will once again be subject to all the risks and uncertainties associated with research and development of products and technologies.
We have explored the possibility of reallocating our resources toward developing, acquiring, by acquisition or in-license, new product candidates. If we decide to acquire one or more new product candidates, we cannot guarantee that any such acquisition would result in the identification and successful development of one or more approved and commercially viable products. The development of products and technologies is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including:
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the time, costs and uncertainty associated with the clinical testing required to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of a product candidate to obtain regulatory approvals;
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the ability to raise sufficient funds to fund the research and development of any one or more new product candidates;
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the ability to find third party strategic partners to assist or share in the costs of product development, and potential
dependence on such strategic partners, to the extent Inotek may rely on strategic partners for future sales, marketing or distribution;
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the ability to protect the intellectual property rights associated with any one or more new product candidates;
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ability to comply with ongoing regulatory requirements;
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government restrictions on the pricing and profitability of products in the United States and elsewhere; and
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the extent to which third-party payers, including government agencies, private health care insurers and other health care payers, such as health maintenance organizations, and self-insured employee plans, will cover and pay for newly approved therapies.
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Risks Related to Our Reliance on Third Parties
We currently depend on third parties to conduct some of the operations of our clinical trials and other portions of our operations, and we may not be able to control their work as effectively as if we performed these functions ourselves.
We rely on third parties, such as CROs, clinical data management organizations, medical institutions and clinical investigators, to oversee and conduct our clinical trials, and to perform data collection and analysis of our product candidates. We expect to rely on these third parties to conduct clinical trials of any other potential products that we develop. These parties are not our employees and we cannot control the amount or timing of resources that they devote to our program. In addition, any CRO that we retain will be subject to the FDA’s regulatory requirements or similar foreign standards and we do not have control over compliance with these regulations by these providers. Our agreements with third-party service providers are on trial-by-trial and project-by-project bases. Typically, we may terminate the agreements with notice and occasionally the third party service provider may terminate the agreement without notice. Typically, we are responsible for the third party’s incurred costs and occasionally we have to pay cancellation fees. If any of our relationships with our third-party CROs terminate, we may not be able to enter into arrangements with alternative CROs or to do so on commercially reasonable terms. We also rely on other third parties to store and distribute drug supplies for our clinical trials. Any performance failure on the part of our distributors could delay clinical development or regulatory approval of our product candidates or commercialization of our product candidates, producing additional losses and depriving us of potential product revenue.
Our reliance on these third parties for clinical development activities reduces our control over these activities but does not relieve us of our responsibilities, and we remain responsible for ensuring that each of our clinical trials is conducted in accordance with the general investigational plan, the protocols for the trial and the FDA’s regulations and international standards, referred to as Good Clinical Practice, or GCP, requirements, for conducting, recording and reporting the results of clinical trials to assure that data and reported results are credible and accurate and that the rights, integrity and confidentiality of trial participants are protected. Preclinical studies must also be conducted in compliance with other requirements, such as Good Laboratory Practice, or GLP, and the Animal Welfare Act. Managing performance of third-party service providers can be difficult, time consuming and cause delays in our development programs. We currently have a small number of employees, which limits the internal resources we have available to identify and monitor our third-party providers.
Furthermore, these third parties may conduct clinical trials for competing drugs or may have relationships with other entities, some of which may be our competitors. As such, the ability of these third parties to provide services to us may be limited by their work with these other entities. The use of third-party service providers requires us to disclose our proprietary information to these parties, which could increase the risk that this information will be misappropriated.
If these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or obligations and meet expected deadlines, if they need to be replaced or if the quality or accuracy of the clinical data they obtain is compromised due to the failure to adhere to our clinical protocols according to regulatory requirements or for other reasons, our financial results and the commercial prospects for our current product candidates or our other potential products could be harmed, our costs could increase and our ability to obtain regulatory approval and commence product sales could be delayed.
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We have no manufacturing capacity or experience and anticipate continued reliance on third-party manufacturers for the development and commercialization of our product candidates in accordance with manufacturing regulations.
We do not currently, nor currently intend to, operate manufacturing facilities for clinical or commercial production of our product candidates. We have no experience in drug formulation, and we lack the resources and the capabilities to manufacture our product candidates and potential products on a clinical or commercial scale. We do not intend to develop facilities for the manufacture of product candidates for clinical trials or commercial purposes in the foreseeable future. We currently rely on third-party manufacturers to produce the active pharmaceutical ingredient and final drug product for our clinical trials. We currently have only one supplier of active pharmaceutical ingredient. We manage such production with all our vendors on a purchase order basis in accordance with applicable master service and supply agreements. We do not have long-term agreements with any of these or any other third-party suppliers. To the extent we terminate our existing supplier arrangements in the future and seek to enter into arrangements with alternative suppliers, we might experience a delay in our ability to obtain adequate supply for our clinical trials and commercialization. We also do not have any current contractual relationships for the manufacture of commercial supplies of any of our product candidates if and when they are approved. Our third-party manufacturers have made only a limited number of lots of our product candidates to date and have not made any commercial lots. The manufacturing processes for our product candidates have never been tested at commercial scale, and the process validation requirement has not yet been satisfied for any product candidate. These manufacturing processes and the facilities of our third-party manufacturers will be subject to inspection and approval by the FDA before we can commence the manufacture and sale of our product candidates, and thereafter on an ongoing basis. Some of our third-party manufacturers have never been inspected by the FDA and have not been through the FDA approval process for a commercial product. Some of our third-party manufacturers are subject to FDA inspection from time to time. Failure by these third-party manufacturers to pass such inspections and otherwise satisfactorily complete the FDA approval regimen with respect to our product candidates may result in regulatory actions such as the issuance of FDA Form 483 inspectional observations, warning letters or injunctions or the loss of operating licenses. Based on the severity of the regulatory action, our clinical or commercial supply of our product candidates could be interrupted or limited, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
With respect to commercial production of our product candidates in the future, we plan on outsourcing production of the active pharmaceutical ingredients and final product manufacturing if and when approved for marketing by the applicable regulatory authorities. This process is difficult and time consuming and we can give no assurance that we will enter commercial supply agreements with any contract manufacturers on favorable terms or at all.
Reliance on third-party manufacturers entails risks, including:
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manufacturing delays if our third-party manufacturers give greater priority to the supply of other products over our product candidates or otherwise do not satisfactorily perform according to the terms of their agreements with us;
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the possible termination or nonrenewal of the agreement by the third party at a time that is costly or inconvenient for us;
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the possible breach of the manufacturing agreement by the third party;
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product loss due to contamination, equipment failure or improper installation or operation of equipment or operator error;
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the failure of the third-party manufacturer to comply with applicable regulatory requirements; and
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the possible misappropriation of our proprietary information, including our trade secrets and know-how.
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Our manufacturers may not perform as agreed or may not remain in the contract manufacturing business. In the event of a natural disaster, business failure, strike or other difficulty, we may be unable to replace a third-party manufacturer in a timely manner and the production of our product candidates and potential products could be interrupted, resulting in delays and additional costs. We may also have to incur other charges and expenses for products that fail to meet specifications and undertake remediation efforts.
If third-party manufacturers fail to comply with manufacturing regulations, our financial results and financial condition will be adversely affected.
Before a third party can begin the commercial manufacturing of our product candidates and potential products, their manufacturing facilities, processes and quality systems must be in compliance with applicable regulations. Due to the complexity of the processes used to manufacture pharmaceutical products and product candidates, any potential third-party manufacturer may be unable to initially pass federal, state or international regulatory inspections in a cost effective manner. If contract manufacturers fail to pass such inspection, our commercial supply of drug substance will be significantly delayed and may result in significant additional costs. In addition, pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities are continuously subject to inspection by the FDA and comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities, before and after product approval, and must comply with cGMP. Our contract manufacturers may encounter difficulties in achieving quality control and quality assurance and may experience shortages in qualified personnel. In addition, contract manufacturers’ failure to achieve and maintain high manufacturing standards in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements, or the incidence of manufacturing errors, could result in patient injury, product liability claims, product
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shortages, product recalls or withdrawals, delays or failures in product testing or delivery, cost overruns or other problems that could seriously harm our business. If a third-party manufacturer with whom we contract is unable to comply with manufacturing regulations, we may also be subject to fines, unanticipated compliance expenses, recall or seizure of our products, product liability claims, total or partial suspension of production and/or enforcement actions, including injunctions, and criminal or civil prosecution. These possible sanctions could materially adversely affect our financial results and financial condition.
Furthermore, 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, will require prior FDA review and/or approval of the manufacturing process and procedures in accordance with the FDA’s regulations, or comparable foreign requirements. This review may be costly and time consuming and could delay or prevent us from conducting our clinical trials or launching a product. The new facility will also be subject to pre-approval inspection. In addition, we have to demonstrate that the product made at the new facility is equivalent to the product made at the former facility by physical and chemical methods, which are costly and time consuming. It is also possible that the FDA may require clinical testing as a way to prove equivalency, which would result in additional costs and delay.
Any collaboration arrangement that we may enter into in the future may not be successful, which could adversely affect our ability to develop and commercialize our current and future product candidates.
We plan to seek collaboration arrangements with pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies for the development or commercialization of our current and future product candidates outside of the United States. We will face, to the extent that we decide to enter into collaboration agreements, significant competition in seeking appropriate collaborators. Moreover, collaboration arrangements are complex and time consuming to negotiate, document and implement. We may not be successful in our efforts to establish and implement collaborations or other alternative arrangements should we choose to enter into such arrangements, and the terms of the arrangements may not be favorable to us. If and when we collaborate with a third party for development and commercialization of a product candidate, we can expect to relinquish some or all of the control over the future success of that product candidate to the third party. The success of our collaboration arrangements will depend heavily on the efforts and activities of our collaborators. Collaborators generally have significant discretion in determining the efforts and resources that they will apply to these collaborations. To the extent such collaborators have programs that are competitive with our product candidates, they may decide to focus time and resources on development of those programs rather than our product candidates.
Disagreements between parties to a collaboration arrangement regarding clinical development and commercialization matters can lead to delays in the development process or commercializing the applicable product candidate and, in some cases, termination of the collaboration arrangement. These disagreements can be difficult to resolve if neither of the parties has final decision making authority. Collaborations with pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies and other third parties often are terminated or allowed to expire by the other party. Any such termination or expiration would adversely affect us financially and could harm our business reputation.
If we are not able to establish collaborations, we may have to alter our development and commercialization plans.
The development and potential commercialization of our product candidates will require substantial additional cash to fund expenses. For some of our product candidates, we may decide to collaborate with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for the development and potential commercialization of those product candidates.
We face significant competition in seeking appropriate collaborators. Whether we reach a definitive agreement for collaboration will depend, among other things, upon our assessment of the collaborator’s resources and expertise, the terms and conditions of the proposed collaboration and the proposed collaborator’s evaluation of a number of factors. Those factors may include the design or results of clinical trials, the likelihood of approval by the FDA or similar regulatory authorities outside the United States, the potential market for the subject product candidate, the costs and complexities of manufacturing and delivering such product candidate to patients, the potential of competing products, the existence of uncertainty with respect to our ownership of technology, which can exist if there is a challenge to such ownership without regard to the merits of the challenge, and industry and market conditions generally. The collaborator may also consider alternative product candidates or technologies for similar indications that may be available to collaborate on and whether such collaboration could be more attractive than the one with us for our product candidates. We may also be restricted under future license agreements from entering into agreements on certain terms with potential collaborators. Collaborations are complex and time-consuming to negotiate and document. In addition, there have been a significant number of recent business combinations among large pharmaceutical companies that have resulted in a reduced number of potential future collaborators.
If we are unable to reach agreements with suitable collaborators on a timely basis, on acceptable terms, or at all, we may have to curtail the development of a product candidate, reduce or delay its development program or one or more of our other development programs, delay its potential commercialization or reduce the scope of any sales or marketing activities, or increase our expenditures and undertake development or commercialization activities at our own expense. If we elect to fund and undertake development or
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commercialization activities on our own, we may need to obtain additional expertise and additional capital, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms or at all. If we fail to enter into collaborations and do not have sufficient funds or expertise to undertake the necessary development and commercialization activities, we may not be able to further develop our product candidates or bring them to market and generate product revenue.
Risks Related to Intellectual Property
We may not be able to protect our proprietary technology in the marketplace.
We depend on our ability to protect our proprietary technology. We rely largely on trade secret and patent laws, and confidentiality, licensing and other agreements with employees and third parties, all of which offer only limited protection. Our success depends in large part on our ability and any future licensee’s ability to obtain and maintain patent protection in the United States and other countries with respect to our proprietary technology and products. We believe we will continue to be able to obtain, through prosecution of our current pending patent applications, adequate patent protection for our proprietary drug technology. If we are compelled to spend significant time and money protecting or enforcing our patents or patent applications, designing around patents held by others or licensing or acquiring, potentially for large fees, patents or other proprietary rights held by others, our business and financial prospects may be harmed. If we are unable to effectively protect the intellectual property that we own, other companies may be able to offer the same or similar products for sale, which could materially adversely affect our competitive business position and harm our business prospects. Our patents may be challenged, narrowed, invalidated, or circumvented, which could limit our ability to stop competitors from marketing the same or similar products or limit the length of term of patent protection that we may have for our products.
The patent positions of pharmaceutical products are often complex and uncertain. The breadth of claims allowed in pharmaceutical patents in the United States and many jurisdictions outside of the United States is not consistent. For example, in many jurisdictions the support standards for pharmaceutical patents are becoming increasingly strict. Some countries prohibit method of treatment claims in patents. Changes in either the patent laws or interpretations of patent laws in the United States and other countries may diminish the value of our intellectual property or create uncertainty. In addition, publication of information related to our current product candidates and potential products may prevent us from obtaining or enforcing patents relating to these product candidates and potential products, including, without limitation, composition-of-matter patents, which are generally believed to offer the strongest patent protection.
Our intellectual property consists of issued patents and pending patent applications related to our product candidates and other proprietary technology which cover compositions of matter, methods of use, combinations with other glaucoma products, formulations, polymorphs and the protection of the optic nerve. For
trabodenoson
, the composition patents are scheduled to expire in 2025 and 2026, in Europe and the United States, respectively. The
trabodenoson
polymorph US patent is scheduled to expire in 2033. See “Business—Intellectual Property” included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, for further information about our issued patents and patent applications.
Patents that we own or may license in the future do not necessarily ensure the protection of our product candidates for a number of reasons, including without limitation the following:
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we may not have been the first to make the inventions covered by our patents or pending patent applications;
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we may not have been the first to file patent applications for these inventions;
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any patents issued to us may not cover our products as ultimately developed;
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our pending patent applications may not result in issued patents, and even if they issue as patents, they may not provide us with any competitive advantages, or may be challenged and invalidated by third parties;
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our patents may not be broad or strong enough to prevent competition from other products that are identical or similar to our product candidates;
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there can be no assurance that the term of a patent can be extended under the provisions of patent term extension afforded by U.S. law or similar provisions in foreign countries, where available;
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our patents, and patents that we may obtain in the future, may not prevent generic entry into the U.S. market for our
trabodenoson
and other product candidates;
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we may be required to disclaim part of the term of one or more patents;
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there may be prior art of which we are not aware that may affect the validity or enforceability of a patent claim;
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there may be patents issued to third parties that will affect our freedom to operate;
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if our patents are challenged, a court could determine that they are invalid or unenforceable;
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there might be significant changes in the laws that govern patentability, validity and infringement of our patents that adversely affects the scope of our patent rights;
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a court could determine that a competitor’s technology or product does not infringe our patents;
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our patents could irretrievably lapse due to failure to pay fees or otherwise comply with regulations or could be subject to compulsory licensing; and
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we may fail to obtain patents covering important products and technologies in a timely fashion or at all.
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In addition, on September 16, 2011, the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, or the Leahy-Smith Act, was signed into law. The Leahy-Smith Act includes a number of significant changes to U.S. patent law. These include provisions that affect the way patent applications will be prosecuted and may also affect patent litigation. The United States Patent Office is currently developing regulations and procedures to govern administration of the Leahy-Smith Act, and many of the substantive changes to patent law associated with the Leahy-Smith Act have not yet become effective. Accordingly, it is not clear what, if any, impact the Leahy-Smith Act will have on the operation of our business. However, the Leahy-Smith Act, in particular the first-to-file provision, and its implementation could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our patent applications and the enforcement or defense of our issued patents, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
If we encounter delays in our development or clinical trials, the period of time during which we could market our product candidates under patent protection would be reduced.
Our competitors may seek to invalidate our patents.
Our competitors may be able to circumvent our patents by developing similar or alternative technologies or products in a non-infringing manner. Our competitors may seek to market generic versions of any approved products by submitting Abbreviated New Drug Applications, or ANDAs, to the FDA in which our competitors claim that our patents are invalid, unenforceable and/or not infringed. Alternatively, our competitors may seek approval to market their own products similar to or otherwise competitive with our products. In these circumstances, we may need to defend and/or assert our patents, including by filing lawsuits alleging patent infringement. In any of these types of proceedings, a court or other agency with jurisdiction may find our patents invalid and/or unenforceable. We may also fail to identify patentable aspects of our research and development before it is too late to obtain patent protection. Even if we have valid and enforceable patents, these patents still may not provide protection against competing products or processes sufficient to achieve our business objectives.
The issuance of a patent is not conclusive as to its inventorship, scope, ownership, priority, validity or enforceability. In that regard, third parties may challenge our patents in the courts or patent offices in the United States and abroad. Such challenges may result in loss of exclusivity or freedom to operate or in patent claims being narrowed, invalidated or held unenforceable, in whole or in part, which could limit our ability to stop others from using or commercializing similar or identical technology and products, or limit the duration of the patent protection of our technology and product candidates. In addition, given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of new product candidates, patents protecting such candidates might expire before or shortly after such candidates are commercialized.
A significant portion of our intellectual property portfolio currently includes pending patent applications that have not yet issued as patents. If our pending patent applications fail to issue our business will be adversely affected.
Our commercial success will depend significantly on maintaining and expanding patent protection for our product candidates, as well as successfully defending our current and future patents against third-party challenges. As of December 31, 2016, we own at least 50 issued patents and have at least 40 pending patent applications in the United States and a number of foreign jurisdictions relating to our current product candidates and proprietary technology. See “Business—Intellectual Property” included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 for further information about our issued patents and patent applications. Our intellectual property consists of patents and pending patent applications related to our product candidates and other proprietary technology which cover compositions of matter, methods of use, combinations with other glaucoma products, formulations, polymorphs and the protection of the optic nerve. For
trabodenoson
, the composition of matter patents are scheduled to expire in 2025 and 2026, in Europe and the United States, respectively. The
trabodenoson
polymorph US patent is scheduled to expire in 2033.
There can be no assurance that our patent applications will issue as patents in the United States or foreign jurisdictions in which such applications are pending. Even if patents do issue on any of these applications, there can be no assurance that a third party will not challenge their validity or that we will obtain sufficient claim scope in those patents to prevent a third party from competing successfully with our products.
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We may not be able to enforce our intellectual property rights throughout the world.
The laws of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. Many companies have encountered significant problems in protecting and defending intellectual property rights in certain foreign jurisdictions. The legal systems of some countries, particularly developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents and other intellectual property protection, especially those relating to life sciences. To the extent we are able to obtain patents or other intellectual property rights in any foreign jurisdictions, it may be difficult for us to prevent infringement of our patents or misappropriation of these intellectual property rights. For example, some foreign countries have compulsory licensing laws under which a patent owner must grant licenses to third parties. In addition, many countries limit the enforceability of patents against third parties, including government agencies or government contractors. In these countries, patents may provide limited or no benefit.
Proceedings to enforce our patent rights in foreign jurisdictions could result in substantial costs and divert our efforts and attention from other aspects of our business. Accordingly, our efforts to protect our intellectual property rights in such countries may be inadequate. In addition, changes in the law and legal decisions by courts in the United States and foreign countries may affect our ability to obtain adequate protection for our technology and the enforcement of intellectual property.
Obtaining and maintaining our patent protection depends on compliance with various procedural, document submission, fee payment and other requirements imposed by governmental patent agencies, and our patent protection could be reduced or eliminated for non-compliance with these requirements.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office, or the USPTO, and various foreign governmental patent agencies require compliance with a number of procedural, documentary, fee payment and other provisions during the patent process. There are situations in which noncompliance can result in abandonment or lapse of a patent or patent application, resulting in partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction. In this event, competitors might be able to enter the market earlier than would otherwise have been the case.
We may infringe the intellectual property rights of others, which may prevent or delay our product development efforts and stop us from commercializing or increase the costs of commercializing our products.
Our commercial success depends significantly on our ability to operate without infringing the patents and other intellectual property rights of third parties. For example, there could be issued patents of which we are not aware that our product candidates or potential products infringe. There also could be patents that we believe we do not infringe, but that we may ultimately be found to infringe.
Moreover, patent applications are in some cases maintained in secrecy until patents are accepted or issued. The publication of discoveries in the scientific or patent literature frequently occurs substantially later than the date on which the underlying discoveries were made and patent applications were filed. Because patents can take many years to issue, there may be currently pending applications of which we are unaware that may later result in issued patents that our product candidates or potential products infringe. For example, pending applications may exist that claim or can be amended to claim subject matter that our product candidates or potential products infringe. Competitors may file continuing patent applications claiming priority to already issued patents in the form of continuation, divisional, or continuation-in-part applications, in order to maintain the pendency of a patent family and attempt to cover our product candidates.
Third parties may assert that we are employing their proprietary technology without authorization and may sue us for patent or other intellectual property infringement. These lawsuits are costly and could adversely affect our results of operations and divert the attention of managerial and scientific personnel. If we are sued for patent infringement, we would need to demonstrate that our product candidates, potential products or methods either do not infringe the claims of the relevant patent or that the patent claims are invalid or unenforceable, and we may not be able to do this. Proving invalidity or unenforceability is difficult. For example, in the United States, proving invalidity requires a showing of clear and convincing evidence to overcome the presumption of validity enjoyed by issued patents. Even if we are successful in these proceedings, we may incur substantial costs and the time and attention of our management and scientific personnel could be diverted in pursuing these proceedings, which could have a material adverse effect on us. In addition, we may not have sufficient resources to bring these actions to a successful conclusion. If a court holds that any third-party patents are valid, enforceable and cover our products or their use, the holders of any of these patents may be able to block our ability to commercialize our products unless we acquire or obtain a license under the applicable patents or until the patents expire. We may not be able to enter into licensing arrangements or make other arrangements at a reasonable cost or on reasonable terms. Any inability to secure licenses or alternative technology could result in delays in the introduction of our products or lead to prohibition of the manufacture or sale of products by us. Even if we are able to obtain a license, it may be non-exclusive, thereby giving our competitors access to the same technologies licensed to us. We could be forced, including by court order, to cease commercializing the infringing technology or product. In addition, in any such proceeding or litigation, we could be found liable for monetary damages, including treble damages and attorneys’ fees if we are found to have willfully infringed a patent. A finding of infringement could
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prevent us from commercializing our product candidates or force us to cease some of our business operations, which could materially harm our business. Any claims by third parties that we have misappropriated their confidential information or trade secrets could have a similar negative impact on our business. In addition, any uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of any litigation could have a material adverse effect on our ability to raise the funds necessary to continue our operations.
We may face claims of infringement, misappropriation or other violations of the rights of third-party intellectual property holders.
Pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies and academic institutions may compete with us in the commercialization of
trabodenoson
for use in ophthalmic indications and filing patent applications potentially relevant to our business. In order to contend with the strong possibility of third-party intellectual property conflicts, we periodically conduct freedom-to-operate studies, but such studies may not uncover all patents relevant to our business.
From time to time, we find it necessary or prudent to obtain licenses from third-party intellectual property holders. Where licenses are readily available at reasonable cost, such licenses are considered a normal cost of doing business. In other instances, however, we may use the results of freedom-to-operate studies to guide our early-stage research away from areas where we are likely to encounter obstacles in the form of third-party intellectual property. For example, where a third party holds relevant intellectual property and is a direct competitor, a license might not be available on commercially reasonable terms or available at all. We strive to identify potential third-party intellectual property issues in the early stages of research of our research programs, in order to minimize the cost and disruption of resolving such issues.
In spite of these efforts to avoid obstacles and disruptions arising from third-party intellectual property, it is impossible to establish with certainty that our products will be free of claims that we infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate the rights of third-party intellectual property holders. Even with modern databases and online search engines, freedom-to-operate searches are imperfect and may fail to identify relevant patents and published applications. Even when a third-party patent is identified, we may conclude that we do not infringe the patent or that the patent is invalid. If the third-party patent owner disagrees with our conclusion and we continue with the business activity in question, patent litigation may result. We might decide to initiate litigation in an attempt to have a court declare the third-party patent invalid or non-infringed by our activity.
We may be subject to claims that we or our employees have misappropriated the intellectual property, including trade secrets, of a third party, or claiming ownership of what we regard as our own intellectual property.
Many of our employees were previously employed at universities, biotechnology companies or other pharmaceutical companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. Some of these employees, including each member of our senior management, executed proprietary rights, non-disclosure and non-competition agreements in connection with such previous employment. Although we try to ensure that our employees do not use the intellectual property and other proprietary information or know-how of others in their work for us, we may be subject to claims that we or these employees have used or disclosed such intellectual property, including trade secrets or other proprietary information. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. We are not aware of any threatened or pending claims related to these matters or concerning the agreements with our senior management, but litigation may be necessary in the future to defend against such claims. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management.
In addition, while we typically require our employees, consultants and contractors who may be involved in the development of intellectual property to execute agreements assigning such intellectual property to us, we may be unsuccessful in executing such an agreement with each party who in fact develops intellectual property that we regard as our own, which may result in claims by or against us related to the ownership of such intellectual property. If we fail in prosecuting or defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights. Even if we are successful in prosecuting or defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to our management and scientific personnel.
We may be unable to adequately prevent disclosure of trade secrets and other proprietary information.
We rely on trade secrets to protect our proprietary know-how and technological advances, especially where we have not filed a patent application or where we do not believe patent protection is appropriate or obtainable. However, trade secrets are difficult to protect. We rely in part on confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants, outside scientific collaborators, sponsored researchers and other advisors to protect our trade secrets and other proprietary information. However, any party with whom we have executed such an agreement may breach that agreement and disclose our proprietary information, including our trade secrets. Accordingly, these agreements may not effectively prevent disclosure of confidential information and may not provide an adequate remedy in the event of unauthorized disclosure of confidential information. Costly and time-consuming litigation could be necessary to enforce and determine the scope of our proprietary rights. In addition, others may independently discover our trade secrets and
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proprietary information. Further, the FDA, as part of its Transparency Initiative, a proposal by the FDA to increase disclosure and make data more accessible to the public, is currently considering whether to make additional information publicly available on a routine basis, including information that we may consider to be trade secrets or other proprietary information, and it is not clear at the present time how the FDA’s disclosure policies may change in the future, if at all. Failure to obtain or maintain trade secret protection could enable competitors to use our proprietary information to develop products that compete with our products or cause additional, material adverse effects upon our competitive business position and financial results.
Detecting the disclosure or misappropriation of a trade secret and enforcing a claim that a party illegally disclosed or misappropriated a trade secret is difficult, expensive and time-consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition, some courts inside and outside the United States are less willing or unwilling to protect trade secrets. If any of our trade secrets were to be lawfully obtained or independently developed by a competitor, we would have no right to prevent them, or those to whom they communicate it, from using that technology or information to compete with us. If any of our trade secrets were to be disclosed to or independently developed by a competitor, our competitive position would be harmed.
Any lawsuits relating to infringement of intellectual property rights brought by or against us will be costly and time consuming and may adversely impact the price of our common stock.
We may be required to initiate litigation to enforce or defend our intellectual property. These lawsuits can be very time consuming and costly. There is a substantial amount of litigation involving patent and other intellectual property rights in the pharmaceutical industry generally. Such litigation or proceedings could substantially increase our operating expenses and reduce the resources available for development activities or any future sales, marketing or distribution activities.
In any infringement litigation, any award of monetary damages we receive may not be commercially valuable. Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation, there is a risk that some of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure during litigation. Moreover, there can be no assurance that we will have sufficient financial or other resources to file and pursue such infringement claims, which typically last for years before they are resolved. Further, any claims we assert against a perceived infringer could provoke these parties to assert counterclaims against us alleging that we have infringed their patents. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of such litigation or proceedings more effectively than we can because of their greater financial resources. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of patent litigation or other proceedings could have a material adverse effect on our ability to compete in the marketplace.
In addition, our patents and patent applications could face other challenges, such as interference proceedings, opposition proceedings, re-examination proceedings, and other forms of post-grant review. In the United States, for example, post-grant review has recently been expanded. Any of these challenges, if successful, could result in the invalidation of, or in a narrowing of the scope of, any of our patents and patent applications subject to challenge. Any of these challenges, regardless of their success, would likely be time consuming and expensive to defend and resolve and would divert our management and scientific personnel’s time and attention.
In addition, there could be public announcements of the results of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments, and if securities analysts or investors perceive these results to be negative, it could have a material adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.
We will need to obtain FDA approval of any proposed product names, and any failure or delay associated with such approval may adversely affect our business.
Any name we intend to use for our product candidates will require approval from the FDA regardless of whether we have secured a formal trademark registration from the USPTO. The FDA typically conducts a review of proposed product names, including an evaluation of the potential for confusion with other product names. The FDA may also object to a product name if it believes the name inappropriately implies certain medical claims or contributes to an overstatement of efficacy. If the FDA objects to any of our proposed product names, we may be required to adopt an alternative name for our product candidates. If we adopt an alternative name, we would lose the benefit of our existing trademark applications for such product candidate and may be required to expend significant additional resources in an effort to identify a suitable product name that would qualify under applicable trademark laws, not infringe the existing rights of third parties and be acceptable to the FDA. We may be unable to build a successful brand identity for a new trademark in a timely manner or at all, which would limit our ability to commercialize our product candidates.
If we do not obtain additional protection under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments and similar foreign legislation extending the terms of our patents and obtaining data exclusivity for our product candidates, our business may be materially harmed.
Depending upon the timing, duration and specifics of FDA regulatory approval for our product candidates, one or more of our U.S. patents may be eligible for limited patent term restoration under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, referred to as the Hatch-Waxman Amendments. The Hatch-Waxman Amendments permit a patent restoration term of up to five
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years as compensation for patent term lost during product development and the FDA regulatory review process. Patent term restorations, however, cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the date of product approval by the FDA.
The application for patent term extension is subject to approval by the USPTO, in conjunction with the FDA. It takes at least six months to obtain approval of the application for patent term extension. We may not be granted an extension because of, for example, failing to apply within applicable deadlines, failing to apply prior to expiration of relevant patents or otherwise failing to satisfy applicable requirements. Moreover, the applicable time period or the scope of patent protection afforded could be less than we request. If we are unable to obtain patent term extension or restoration or the term of any such extension is less than we request, the period during which we will have the right to exclusively market our product will be shortened and our competitors may obtain earlier approval of competing products, and our ability to generate revenues could be materially adversely affected.
Risks Related to Our Business Operations and Industry
We will need to significantly increase the size of our organization, and we may experience difficulties in managing growth.
We are currently a small company with twenty-four full-time employees as of March 1, 2017, and we outsource to consultants or other organizations a portion of our operations, including but not limited to research and development and conduct of clinical trials and certain administrative functions. In order to commercialize our product candidates, we will need to substantially increase our operations. We plan to continue to build our compliance, financial and operating infrastructure to ensure the maintenance of a well-managed company. We expect to significantly expand our employment base when we reach the full commercial stages of our current product candidates’ life cycle.
Future growth will impose significant added responsibilities on members of management, including the need to identify, recruit, maintain and integrate additional employees. In addition, to meet our obligations as a public company, we will need to increase our general and administrative capabilities. Our management, personnel and systems currently in place may not be adequate to support this future growth. Our future financial performance and our ability to commercialize our product candidates and to compete effectively will depend, in part, on our ability to manage any future growth effectively. To that end, we must be able to:
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manage our clinical trials and the regulatory process effectively;
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manage the manufacturing of product candidates and potential products for clinical and commercial use;
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integrate current and additional management, administrative, financial and sales and marketing personnel;
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develop a marketing and sales infrastructure;
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hire new personnel necessary to effectively commercialize our product candidates;
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develop our administrative, accounting and management information systems and controls; and
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hire and train additional qualified personnel.
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Product candidates that we may acquire or develop in the future may be intended for patient populations that are large. In order to continue development and marketing of these product candidates, if approved, we would need to significantly expand our operations. Our staff, financial resources, systems, procedures or controls may be inadequate to support our operations and our management may be unable to manage successfully future market opportunities or our relationships with customers and other third parties. In particular, we will need to build out our finance, accounting and reporting infrastructure to meet our reporting obligations as a public company. Because we have never had this infrastructure, there may be increased risk that we will not be able to adequately meet these reporting obligations in a timely manner.
We are a clinical-stage company and it may be difficult for you to evaluate the success of our business to date and to assess our future viability.
We are a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of therapies for glaucoma. Our operations to date have been limited to organizing and staffing our company, business planning, raising capital, conducting research and developing our product candidates. We have not yet demonstrated our ability to successfully complete a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial, obtain regulatory approval of a product candidate, manufacture a commercial scale product, or arrange for a third party to do so on our behalf, or conduct sales and marketing activities necessary for successful product commercialization. Consequently, any predictions about our future success or viability may not be as accurate as they could be if we had a longer operating history and more experience with late stage development and commercialization of product candidates.
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In addition, as a new business, we may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other known and unknown factors. We will need to transition from a company with a product development focus to a company capable of supporting commercial activities. We may not be successful in such a transition.
We depend upon our key personnel and our ability to attract and retain employees.
Our future growth and success depend on our ability to recruit, retain, manage and motivate our employees. We are highly dependent on our senior management team and our scientific founders, as well as the other principal members of our management and scientific teams. Although we have formal employment agreements with our executive officers, these agreements do not prevent them from terminating their employment with us at any time. The loss of the services of any member of our senior management or scientific team or the inability to hire or retain experienced management personnel could adversely affect our ability to execute our business plan and harm our operating results.
Because of the specialized scientific and managerial nature of our business, we rely heavily on our ability to attract and retain qualified scientific, technical and managerial personnel. In particular, the loss of David P. Southwell, our President and Chief Executive Officer, Rudolf A. Baumgartner, M.D., our Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, or Dale Ritter, our Vice President—Finance, could be detrimental to us if we cannot recruit suitable replacements in a timely manner. We do not currently carry “key person” insurance on the lives of members of executive management. The competition for qualified personnel in the pharmaceutical field is intense. Due to this intense competition, we may be unable to continue to attract and retain qualified personnel necessary for the development of our business or to recruit suitable replacement personnel. In addition, we rely on consultants and advisors, including scientific and clinical advisors, to assist us in formulating our research and development and commercialization strategy. Our consultants and advisors may be employed by employers other than us and may have commitments under consulting or advisory contracts with other entities that may limit their availability to us.
Our disclosure controls and procedures may not prevent or detect all errors or acts of fraud.
We are subject to the periodic reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to reasonably assure that information required to be disclosed by us in reports we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management, and recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. We believe that any disclosure controls and procedures or internal controls and procedures, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met.
These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people or by an unauthorized override of the controls. Accordingly, because of the inherent limitations in our control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.
If we engage in acquisitions or mergers in the future, we will incur a variety of costs and we may never realize the anticipated benefits of such acquisitions.
We may attempt to acquire companies, businesses, technologies, services, products or other product candidates or merge with other companies in the future that we believe are a strategic fit with our business. We have no present agreement regarding any material acquisitions or other transactions. However, if we do undertake any acquisitions or mergers, the process of integrating an acquired or merged business, technology, service, product candidates or potential products into our business may result in unforeseen operating difficulties and expenditures, including diversion of resources and management’s attention from our core business. In addition, we may fail to retain key executives and employees of acquired or merged companies, which may reduce the value of the acquisition or merger, or give rise to additional integration costs. Future acquisitions or mergers could result in additional issuances of equity securities that would dilute the ownership of existing stockholders. Future acquisitions or mergers could also result in the incurrence of debt, actual or contingent liabilities or the amortization of expenses related to other intangible assets, any of which could adversely affect our operating results. In addition, we may fail to realize the anticipated benefits of any acquisition or merger.
Our business is affected by macroeconomic conditions.
Various macroeconomic factors could adversely affect our business and the results of our operations and financial condition, including changes in inflation, interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates and overall economic conditions and uncertainties, including those resulting from current and future conditions in the global financial markets. For instance, if inflation or other factors were to significantly increase our business costs, it may not be feasible to pass through price increases to patients. Interest rates, the liquidity of the credit markets and the volatility of the capital markets could also affect the value of our investments and our ability to liquidate our investments in order to fund our operations.
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Interest rates and the ability to access credit markets could also adversely affect the ability of patients, payors and distributors to purchase, pay for and effectively distribute our products. Similarly, these macroeconomic factors could affect the ability of our potential future contract manufacturers, sole-source or single-source suppliers or licensees to remain in business or otherwise manufacture or supply product. Failure by any of them to remain in business could affect our ability to manufacture products.
If product liability lawsuits are successfully brought against us, our insurance may be inadequate and we may incur substantial liability.
We face an inherent risk of product liability claims as a result of the clinical testing of our product candidates. We will face an even greater risk if we commercially sell our product candidates or any other potential products that we develop. We maintain product liability insurance with an aggregate limit of $10 million that cover our clinical trials and we plan to maintain insurance against product liability lawsuits for commercial sale of our product candidates. Historically, the potential liability associated with product liability lawsuits for pharmaceutical products has been unpredictable. Although we believe that our current insurance is a reasonable estimate of our potential liability and represents a commercially reasonable balancing of the level of coverage as compared to the cost of the insurance, we may be subject to claims in connection with our clinical trials and, in the future, commercial use of our product candidates, for which our insurance coverage may not be adequate, and the cost of any product liability litigation or other proceeding, even if resolved in our favor, could be substantial.
For example, we may be sued if any product we develop allegedly causes injury or is found to be otherwise unsuitable during clinical testing, manufacturing, marketing or sale. Any such product liability claims may include allegations of defects in manufacturing, defects in design, a failure to warn of dangers inherent in the product, negligence, strict liability or a breach of warranties. Large judgments have been awarded in class action lawsuits based on drugs that had unanticipated adverse effects. Claims could also be asserted under state consumer protection acts. If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against product liability claims, we may incur substantial liabilities or be required to limit commercialization of our product candidates. Regardless of the merits or eventual outcome, liability claims may result in:
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reduced resources of our management to pursue our business strategy;
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decreased demand for our product candidates or potential products that we may develop;
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injury to our reputation and significant negative media attention;
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withdrawal of clinical trial participants;
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termination of clinical trial sites or entire trial programs;
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initiation of investigations by regulators;
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product recalls, withdrawals or labeling, marketing or promotional restrictions;
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significant costs to defend resulting litigation;
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diversion of management and scientific resources from our business operations;
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substantial monetary awards to trial participants or patients;
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the inability to commercialize any products that we may develop.
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We will need to increase our insurance coverage if our product candidates receive marketing approval and we begin selling them. However, the product liability insurance we will need to obtain in connection with the commercial sales of our product candidates, if and when they receive regulatory approval, may be unavailable in meaningful amounts or at a reasonable cost. In addition, insurance coverage is becoming increasingly expensive. If we are unable to obtain or maintain sufficient insurance coverage at an acceptable cost or to otherwise protect against product liability claims, it could prevent or inhibit the development and commercial production and sale of our product candidates, if and when they obtain regulatory approval, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and prospects.
Additionally, we do not carry insurance for all categories of risk that our business may encounter. Some of the policies we currently maintain include general liability, employment practices liability, auto, property, workers’ compensation, products liability and directors’ and officers’ insurance. We do not know, however, if we will be able to maintain insurance with adequate levels of coverage. Any significant uninsured liability may require us to pay substantial amounts, which would materially adversely affect our financial position, cash flows and results of operations.
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Business interruptions could delay us in the process of developing our products and could disrupt our sales.
Our headquarters is located in Lexington, Massachusetts. We are vulnerable to natural disasters, such as severe storms and other events that could disrupt our business operations. We do not carry insurance for natural disasters and we may not carry sufficient business interruption insurance to compensate us for losses that may occur. Any losses or damages we incur could have a material adverse effect on our business operations.
Our business and operations would suffer in the event of system failures.
Despite the implementation of security measures, our internal computer systems, and those of our CROs and other third parties on which we rely, are vulnerable to damage from computer viruses, unauthorized access, natural disasters, terrorism, war and telecommunication and electrical failures. If such an event were to occur and cause interruptions in our operations, it could result in a material disruption of our drug development programs. For example, the loss of clinical trial data from completed or ongoing or planned clinical trials could result in delays in our regulatory approval efforts and significantly increase our costs to recover or reproduce the data. To the extent that any disruption or security breach were to result in a loss of or damage to our data or applications, or inappropriate disclosure of confidential or proprietary information, we could incur liability and the further development of our product candidates could be delayed.
A breach of the Company’s computer systems and networks could materially adversely affect the Company’s business and financial condition
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Our business requires us, including some of our vendors, to use and store personally identifiable and other sensitive information, such as health and medical data, for employees and patients. The security measures put in place by the Company, and such vendors, cannot provide absolute security, and the Company and our vendors’ information technology infrastructure may be vulnerable to criminal cyber-attacks or data security incidents due to employee error, malfeasance, or other vulnerabilities. The techniques used by criminals to obtain unauthorized access to sensitive data are increasing in sophistication and are often novel, or change frequently. Such attacks now often take the form of phishing, spear-phishing, and other forms of human engineering and impersonation. These attacks could target not only personally identifiable information of the Company’s employees and patients but the Company’s intellectual property, trade secrets (such as drug formulations), and other proprietary information. The Company may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventative measures. As a result, there is no guarantee that despite the Company’s best efforts, the Company will not become the victim of such an attack in the future, that unauthorized parties will not gain access to sensitive data stored on the Company’s systems or the systems of Company’s vendors, or that any such incident will be discovered in a timely manner.
Any such incident could compromise the Company’s or such vendors’ networks, and the information stored by the Company or such vendors could be accessed, misused, shared publicly, corrupted, lost, held for ransom, or stolen, resulting in fraud, including wire fraud related to Company assets, corporate espionage, or other harm. Moreover, if a data security incident or breach affects the Company’s systems or such vendors’ systems or results in the unauthorized release of personally identifiable information, the Company’s reputation could be materially harmed and the Company may be exposed to a risk of loss or litigation and possible liability, which could result in a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations, and financial condition. In the event clinical or other medical data from patients enrolled in clinical trials is exposed to unauthorized persons, either by the Company or the Company’s vendors, the Company could face challenges enrolling patients in future trials. The Company’s insurance coverage may not cover or may be inadequate to cover the losses it could incur should the Company experience a major data security event.
Our employees, independent contractors, principal investigators, consultants, commercial partners and vendors may engage in misconduct or other improper activities, including noncompliance with regulatory standards and requirements and insider trading, which could significantly harm our business.
We are exposed to the risk of fraud or other misconduct by employees and independent contractors, such as principal investigators, consultants, commercial partners and vendors. Misconduct by these parties could include failures to comply with the regulations of the FDA and comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities, provide accurate information to the FDA and comparable non-U.S. regulatory authorities, comply with fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws in the United States and abroad, report financial information or data accurately or disclose unauthorized activities to us. In particular, sales, marketing and other business arrangements in the healthcare industry are subject to extensive laws intended to prevent fraud, misconduct, kickbacks, self-dealing and other abusive practices. These laws may restrict or prohibit a wide range of business activities, including, but not limited to, research, manufacturing, distribution, pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, sales commission, customer incentive programs and other business arrangements. Misconduct could also involve the improper use of information obtained in the course of clinical trials, which could result in regulatory sanctions and serious harm to our reputation. We adopted a code of ethics, but it is not always possible to identify and deter employee and other third-party misconduct, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent this
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activity 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 comply with these laws. If any such actions are instituted against us resulting from such misconduct those actions could have a significant impact on our business, including the imposition of significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, monetary fines, disgorgement, possible exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings and curtailment or restructuring of our operations, any of which could adversely affect our ability to operate.
We and our development partners, third-party manufacturers and suppliers use biological materials and may use hazardous materials, and any claims relating to improper handling, storage or disposal of these materials could be time consuming or costly.
We and our development partners, third-party manufacturers and suppliers may use hazardous materials, including chemicals and biological agents and compounds that could be dangerous to human health and safety or the environment. Our operations and the operations of our third-party manufacturers and suppliers also produce hazardous waste products. Federal, state and local laws and regulations govern the use, generation, manufacture, storage, handling and disposal of these materials and wastes. Compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations may be expensive and current or future environmental laws and regulations may impair our product development efforts. In addition, we cannot entirely eliminate the risk of accidental injury or contamination from these materials or wastes. We do not carry specific biological or hazardous waste insurance coverage, and our property, casualty and general liability insurance policies specifically exclude coverage for damages and fines arising from biological or hazardous waste exposure or contamination. Accordingly, in the event of contamination or injury, we could be held liable for damages or be penalized with fines in an amount exceeding our resources, and our clinical trials or regulatory approvals could be suspended.
The availability of our common stock and securities linked to our common stock for sale in the future could reduce the market price of our common stock.
In the future, we may issue equity and equity-linked securities to raise cash for acquisitions or otherwise. We may also acquire interests in other companies by using a combination of cash and our common stock or just our common stock. We may also issue preferred stock or additional securities convertible into our common stock or preferred stock. Any of these events may dilute your ownership interest in our company and have an adverse effect on the price of our common stock.
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock
If we fail to maintain the listing of our common stock with a U.S. national securities exchange, the liquidity of our common stock could be adversely affected.
If our common stock is delisted by NASDAQ, our common stock may be eligible to trade on the OTC Bulletin Board or another over-the-counter market. Any such alternative would likely result in it being more difficult for us to raise additional capital through the public or private sale of equity securities and for investors to dispose of, or obtain accurate quotations as to the market value of, our common stock. In addition, there can be no assurance that our common stock would be eligible for trading on any such alternative exchange or markets.
The market price of our common stock may be highly volatile, and you may not be able to resell your shares at or above your purchase price of our shares.
Our initial public offering was completed in February 2015. Therefore, there has only been a public market for our common stock for a short period of time. Our common stock is listed on NASDAQ. Since shares of our common stock were sold in our initial public offering in February 2015 at $6.00 per share, our stock price has reached a high of $19.45 per share and a low of $1.50 per share through March 1, 2017.
The trading price of our common stock is likely to continue to be volatile, and you can lose all or part of your investment in us. In fact, following our announcement of the results of our Phase 3 monotherapy clinical trial on January 3, 2017, the price of our common stock dropped $4.35 per share, or 71%, from $6.10 per share as of the close of business on December 30, 2016, to $1.75 per share as of the close of business on January 3, 3017. The following factors, in addition to other factors described in this “Risk Factors” section and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, may have a significant impact on the market price of our common stock:
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announcements of regulatory approval or a complete response letter, or specific label indications or patient populations for its use, or changes or delays in the regulatory review process;
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announcements of therapeutic innovations or new products by us or our competitors;
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adverse actions taken by regulatory agencies with respect to our clinical trials, manufacturing supply chain or sales and marketing activities;
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any adverse changes to our relationship with manufacturers or suppliers;
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the results of our testing and clinical trials;
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the results of our efforts to acquire or license additional product candidates;
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variations in the level of expenses related to our existing product candidates or preclinical and clinical development programs;
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any intellectual property infringement actions in which we may become involved;
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announcements concerning our competitors or the pharmaceutical industry in general;
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achievement of expected product sales and profitability;
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manufacture, supply or distribution shortages;
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actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly or annual operating results;
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changes in financial estimates or recommendations by securities analysts;
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trading volume of our common stock;
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sales of our common stock by us, our executive officers and directors or our stockholders in the future;
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sales by us of securities linked to our common stock;
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general economic and market conditions and overall fluctuations in the U.S. equity markets;
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changes in accounting principles; and
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the loss of any of our key scientific or management personnel.
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In addition, the stock market, in general, and small pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of these companies. Broad market and industry factors may negatively affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. Further, a significant decline in the financial markets and other related factors beyond our control may cause our stock price to decline rapidly and unexpectedly.
We and our management are parties to a lawsuit which, if adversely decided against, could adversely affect our business and cause the price of our common stock to continue to decrease. We may also be subject to other securities litigation in the future, which is expensive and could divert management attention.
Our share price has been and may continue to be volatile, and in the past companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their stock have been subject to securities class action litigation. This risk is especially relevant for us because our stock price declined following our announcement of top-line data from our Phase 3 clinical trial of
trabodenoson
for the treatment of primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. On January 6, 2017, a purported stockholder of the Company filed a putative class action in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, against the Company, David Southwell, Rudolf Baumgartner, Dale Ritter, and William McVicar, captioned Whitehead v. Inotek Pharmaceuticals Corporation, et al., No. 1:17-cv-10025. The complaint alleges violations of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and SEC Rule 10b-5 based on allegedly false and misleading statements and omissions regarding our MATrX-1 Phase 3 clinical trial of
trabodenoson
. The lawsuit seeks among other things, unspecified compensatory damages, interest, attorneys’ fees and costs, and unspecified equitable/injunctive relief. The Company will vigorously defend plaintiff’s claims on the factual record, which it believes will prove that the Company is not liable to the plaintiff in any regard. This litigation or future litigation of this type could result in substantial costs and diversion of management’s attention and resources, which could adversely impact our business. Any adverse determination in this or future litigation could also subject us to significant liabilities.
Our existing principal stockholders, executive officers and directors own a significant percentage of our common stock and will be able to exert a significant control over matters submitted to our stockholders for approval.
As of February 15, 2017, our officers and directors, and stockholders who individually own more than 5% of our outstanding common stock, in the aggregate, beneficially owned approximately 44% of our common stock.
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This significant concentration of share ownership may adversely affect the trading price for our common stock because investors often perceive disadvantages in owning stock in companies with controlling stockholders. As a result, these stockholders, if they acted together, could significantly influence all matters requiring approval by our stockholders, including the election of directors and the approval of mergers or other business combination transactions. These stockholders may be able to determine all matters requiring stockholder approval. The interests of these stockholders may not always coincide with our interests or the interests of other stockholders or noteholders. This may also prevent or discourage unsolicited acquisition proposals or offers for our common stock that you may feel are in your best interest as a stockholder or noteholder, and they may act in a manner that advances their best interests and not necessarily those of other stockholders or noteholders, including seeking a premium value for their common stock, and might affect the prevailing market price for our common stock and 2021 Convertible Notes.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market by our existing stockholders could cause our stock price to fall.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock or any of our securities linked to our common stock, or the perception that these sales might occur, could depress the market price of our common stock and could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities or equity-linked securities. As of December 31, 2016, we have 26,986,318 outstanding shares of common stock, which excludes 6,483,791 shares of common stock issuable upon conversion of the 2021 Convertible Notes, 2,675,458 shares of common stock issuable upon the exercise of stock options outstanding and exercisable at a weighted-average exercise price of $6.30 per share and 470,000 unvested Restricted Stock Units outstanding as of December 31, 2016.
If securities or industry analysts do not publish or cease publishing research or reports about us, our business or our market, or if they adversely change their recommendations or publish negative reports regarding our business or our stock, our stock price and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our common stock will be influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts may publish about us, our business, our market or our competitors. We do not have any control over these analysts and we cannot provide any assurance that analysts will cover us or provide favorable coverage. If any of the analysts who may cover us adversely change their recommendation regarding our stock, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, our stock price could decline. If any analyst who may cover us were to cease coverage of our company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.
Because we do not intend to declare cash dividends on our shares of common stock in the foreseeable future, stockholders must rely on appreciation of the value of our common stock for any return on their investment.
We currently anticipate that we will retain future earnings for the development, operation and expansion of our business and do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. In addition, the terms of any future debt agreements may preclude us from paying dividends. As a result, we expect that only appreciation of the price of our common stock, if any, will provide a return to holders of our common stock for the foreseeable future.
If we are unable to substantially utilize our net operating loss carryforward, our financial results will be adversely affected.
As of December 31, 2016 we had federal and state net operating losses of approximately $105.3 million and $62.7 million, respectively, which may be utilized against future federal and state income taxes, respectively. In general, a corporation that undergoes an “ownership change” is subject to limitations on its ability to utilize its pre-change net operating losses, or NOLs, to offset future taxable income. In general, an ownership change occurs if the aggregate stock ownership of certain stockholders (generally 5% stockholders, applying certain look-through and aggregation rules) increases by more than fifty percentage points over such stockholders’ lowest percentage ownership during the testing period (generally three years). Purchases of our common stock in amounts greater than specified levels, which are beyond our control, or prior issuances of our common stock, could create a limitation on our ability to utilize our NOLs for tax purposes in the future. Limitations imposed on our ability to utilize NOLs could cause federal and state income taxes to be paid earlier than would be paid if such limitations were not in effect and could cause such NOLs to expire unused, in each case reducing or eliminating the benefit of such NOLs. Furthermore, we may not be able to generate sufficient taxable income to utilize our NOLs before they expire. If any of these events occur, or have occurred in the past, we may not derive some or all of the expected benefits from our NOLs. We have determined that we have experienced prior ownership changes occurring in 2005, 2007, and 2015. NOLs generated prior to these changes, although subject to an annual limitation, can be utilized in future years as well as any post change NOLs. In addition, at the state level there may be periods during which the use of NOLs is suspended or otherwise limited, which would accelerate or may permanently increase state taxes owed.
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The requirements associated with being a public company require significant company resources and management attention.
We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the listing requirements of the securities exchange on which our common stock is traded and other applicable securities rules and regulations. The Exchange Act requires that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition and maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. In addition, subsequent rules implemented by the SEC and NASDAQ may also impose various additional requirements on public companies. As a result, we incur substantial legal, accounting and other expenses. Further, the corporate infrastructure demanded of a public company may divert management’s attention from implementing our growth strategy. We have made, and will continue to make, changes to our corporate governance standards, disclosure controls and financial reporting and accounting systems to meet our reporting obligations. However, the measures we take may not be sufficient to satisfy our obligations as a public company, which could subject us to delisting of our common stock, fines, sanctions and other regulatory action and potentially civil litigation.
We will incur increased costs as a result of operating as a public company, and our management team will be required to devote substantial time to new compliance initiatives.
Now that we are a public company, we will incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and rules subsequently implemented by the SEC and The NASDAQ Stock Market have imposed various requirements on public companies, including establishment and maintenance of effective disclosure and financial controls and corporate governance practices. Our management and other personnel will need to devote a substantial amount of time to these compliance initiatives. Moreover, these rules and regulations will increase our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time-consuming and costly.
Pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or Section 404, we will be required to furnish a report by our management on our internal control over financial reporting, including an attestation report on internal control over financial reporting issued by our independent registered public accounting firm. However, while we remain an emerging growth company, we will not be required to include an attestation report on internal control over financial reporting issued by our independent registered public accounting firm. To achieve compliance with Section 404 within the prescribed period, we will be engaged in a process to document and evaluate our internal control over financial reporting, which is both costly and challenging. In this regard, we will need to continue to dedicate internal resources, potentially engage outside consultants and adopt a detailed work plan to assess and document the adequacy of internal control over financial reporting, continue steps to improve control processes as appropriate, validate through testing that controls are functioning as documented and implement a continuous reporting and improvement process for internal control over financial reporting. Despite our efforts, there is a risk that neither we nor our independent registered public accounting firm will be able to conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is effective as required by Section 404. This could result in an adverse reaction in the financial markets due to a loss of confidence in the reliability of our consolidated financial statements.
The JOBS Act will allow us to postpone the date by which we must comply with some of the laws and regulations intended to protect investors and to reduce the amount of information we provide in our reports filed with the SEC, which could undermine investor confidence in our company and adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
For so long as we remain an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act, we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various requirements that are applicable to public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including:
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the provisions of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requiring that our independent registered public accounting firm provide an attestation report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting;
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the “say on pay” provisions (requiring a non-binding stockholder vote to approve compensation of certain executive officers) and the “say on golden parachute” provisions (requiring a non-binding stockholder vote to approve golden parachute arrangements for certain executive officers in connection with mergers and certain other business combinations) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, or Dodd-Frank Act, and some of the disclosure requirements of the Dodd-Frank Act relating to compensation of its chief executive officer;
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the requirement to provide detailed compensation discussion and analysis in proxy statements and reports filed under the Exchange Act, and instead provide a reduced level of disclosure concerning executive compensation; and
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any rules that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board requiring mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditor’s report on the financial statements.
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We may take advantage of these exemptions until we are no longer an “emerging growth company.” We would cease to be an “emerging growth company” upon the earliest of: (i) December 31, 2020; (ii) the last day of the first fiscal year in which our annual gross revenues are $1 billion or more; (iii) the date on which we have, during the previous three-year period, issued more than $1
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billion in non-convertible debt securities; or (iv) as of the end of any fiscal year in which the market value of our common stock held by non-affiliates exceeded $700 million as of the end of the second quarter of that fiscal year.
Although we are still evaluating the JOBS Act, we currently intend to take advantage of some, but not all, of the reduced regulatory and reporting requirements that will be available to us so long as we qualify as an “emerging growth company.” For example, we have irrevocably elected under Section 107 of the JOBS Act not to take advantage of the extension of time to comply with new or revised financial accounting standards available under Section 102(b) of the JOBS Act. Our independent registered public accounting firm will not be required to provide an attestation report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting so long as we qualify as an “emerging growth company,” which may increase the risk that weaknesses or deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting go undetected. Likewise, so long as we qualify as an “emerging growth company,” we may elect not to provide you with certain information, including certain financial information and certain information regarding compensation of our executive officers, that we would otherwise have been required to provide in filings we make with the SEC, which may make it more difficult for investors and securities analysts to evaluate our company. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock, and our stock price may be more volatile and may decline.
Some provisions of our charter document, Delaware law and the indenture that governs our 2021 Convertible Notes may have anti-takeover effects that could discourage an acquisition of us by others, even if an acquisition would be beneficial to our stockholders, and may prevent attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management.
Provisions in our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and our bylaws as well as provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or DGCL, could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us or increase the cost of acquiring us, even if doing so would benefit our stockholders, including transactions in which stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares. These provisions include:
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establishing a classified board of directors such that not all members of the board are elected at one time;
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allowing the authorized number of our directors to be changed only by resolution of our board of directors;
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limiting the removal of directors by the stockholders;
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authorizing the issuance of “blank check” preferred stock, the terms of which may be established and shares of which may be issued without stockholder approval;
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prohibiting stockholder action by written consent, thereby requiring all stockholder actions to be taken at a meeting of our stockholders;
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eliminating the ability of stockholders to call a special meeting of stockholders;
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establishing advance notice requirements for nominations for election to the board of directors or for proposing matters that can be acted upon at stockholder meetings; and
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requiring the approval of the holders of at least 75% of the votes that all our stockholders would be entitled to cast to amend or repeal our bylaws.
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These provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our board of directors, which is responsible for appointing the members of our management. In addition, we are subject to Section 203 of the DGCL, which generally prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in any of a broad range of business combinations with an interested stockholder for a period of three years following the date on which the stockholder became an interested stockholder, unless such transactions are approved by our board of directors. This provision could have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control, whether or not it is desired by or beneficial to our stockholders.
In addition, the terms of our 2021 Convertible Notes require us to repurchase the 2021 Convertible Notes in cash in the event of a fundamental change. A takeover of our company, if such takeover constituted a “fundamental change,” would trigger an option of the holders of the 2021 Convertible Notes to require us to repurchase the 2021 Convertible Notes. This may have the effect of delaying or preventing a takeover of our company that would otherwise be beneficial to investors in the 2021 Convertible Notes.