Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. Investors should carefully consider the risks described below, as well as all other information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including our financial statements, the notes thereto and the section entitled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition, operating results, prospects and ability to accomplish our strategic objectives could be materially harmed. As a result, the trading price of our common stock could decline and investors could lose all or part of their investment. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations and the market price of our common stock.

Risks Related to Our Financial Position and Capital Needs

Our ability to maintain profitability is dependent upon our ability to continue successfully commercializing our products and any products and product candidates that we may develop or acquire in the future. Our failure to do so successfully could impair our growth strategy and plans and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, and operating results.

Our ability to maintain profitability depends upon our ability to realize the full commercial potential of our products and to commercialize successfully any other products and product candidates that we may develop, in-license or acquire in the future. Our ability to generate revenue from our current or future products depends on a number of factors, including our ability to:

● realize a commercially viable price for our products;

● manufacture commercial quantities of our products at acceptable cost levels;

If we fail to maintain profitability on a continuing basis, then we may be unable to continue our operations at planned levels and be forced to reduce our operations.

Our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes may be limited.

As of December 31, 2020, we had a federal net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforward of approximately $226.8 million and state NOL carryovers of approximately $170.3 million, which are available to offset future taxable income. The U.S. federal NOL carryforwards begin to expire in 2022, and the state NOL carryforwards begin to expire in 2030. We also had U.S. federal tax credits of approximately $4.6 million, and state tax credits of approximately $1.2 million. These tax attributes are generally subject to a limited carryover/carryback period and are also subject to the annual limitations that may be imposed under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. As of December 31, 2020, and December 31, 2019, we have provided a full valuation allowance for deferred tax assets including NOL and tax credit carryovers.

We have outstanding indebtedness in the form of our 2.625% Convertible Senior Notes and our Loan Agreement with BioPharma, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In February 2020, in connection with the Nucynta Acquisition, we incurred (i) $143.8 million in principal amount of indebtedness in the form of 2.625% Convertible Senior Notes due in 2026 (the “Convertible Notes”) and (ii) $200.0 million in secured indebtedness pursuant to our Loan Agreement with BioPharma Credit PLC, as collateral agent and lender, and BioPharma Credit Investments V (Master) LP, as lender (as amended from time to time, the “Loan Agreement”). We may also incur additional indebtedness to meet future financing needs. Our existing and future levels of indebtedness could have significant negative consequences for our security holders and our business, results of operations and financial condition by, among other things:

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● limiting our ability to obtain additional financing;

● limiting our flexibility to plan for, or react to, changes in our business;

Holders of our Convertible Notes will have the right to require us to repurchase our Convertible Notes for cash following a fundamental change, or to pay any cash amounts due upon conversion of our Convertible Notes. Further, our noteholders, subject to a limited exception described in the notes, may require us to repurchase their notes following a fundamental change at a cash repurchase price generally equal to the principal amount of the notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any. In addition, upon conversion, we will satisfy part or all of our conversion obligation in cash unless we elect to settle conversions solely in shares of our common stock. We may not have enough available cash or be able to obtain financing at the time we are required to repurchase the notes or pay the cash amounts due upon conversion. Applicable law, regulatory authorities and the agreements governing our other indebtedness may restrict our ability to repurchase the notes or pay the cash amounts due upon conversion. Additionally, our Loan Agreement contains certain covenants and obligations applicable to us, including, without limitation, covenants that require us and our subsidiaries to maintain $200 million in annual net sales and covenants that limit our ability to incur additional indebtedness or liens, make acquisitions or other investments or dispose of assets outside the ordinary course of business.

Failure to comply with covenants in the indenture governing the Convertible Notes or in the Loan Agreement would constitute an event of default under these instruments, notwithstanding our ability to meet our debt service obligations. Our failure to repurchase notes or to pay the cash amounts due upon conversion when required will 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 other indebtedness, which may result in that other indebtedness becoming immediately payable in full. In such event, we may not have sufficient funds to satisfy all amounts due under our other indebtedness (including the Loan Agreement) and the notes. The Loan Agreement includes various customary remedies for the lenders following an event of default, including the acceleration of repayment of outstanding amounts under the Loan Agreement and execution upon the collateral securing obligations under the Loan Agreement. If we fail to comply with such covenants and terms, we may be in default and the maturity of the related debt could be accelerated and become immediately due and payable. In addition, because our assets are pledged as a security under the Loan Agreement, if we are not able to cure any default or repay outstanding borrowings, our assets are subject to the risk of foreclosure by our lenders. Moroever, a default on indebtedness under the Loan Agreement could result in a default under the terms of the indenture governing our Convertible Notes. There is no guarantee that we would be able to satisfy our obligations if any of our indebtedness is accelerated.

Risks Related to our Products

If we cannot continue successfully commercializing Xtampza ER or the Nucynta Products, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected and the price of our common stock may decline.

To date, we have invested substantial resources in the development of Xtampza ER, which has been approved by the FDA. In February 2018, we began marketing the Nucynta Products. Our business and future success are substantially dependent on our ability to continue successfully commercializing these products.

Our ability to continue successfully commercializing Xtampza ER and the Nucynta Products will depend on many factors, including but not limited to:

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● a continued acceptable safety profile of our products; and

Many of these matters are beyond our control and are subject to other risks described elsewhere in this “Risk Factors” section. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that we will be able to continue successfully commercializing or to generate sufficient revenue from our products. If we cannot do so, or are significantly delayed in doing so, our business will be materially harmed.

Despite receiving approval by the FDA, additional data may emerge that could change the FDA’s position on the product labeling of Xtampza ER and our ability to market Xtampza ER successfully may be adversely affected.

Xtampza ER was approved with label language describing abuse-deterrent properties of the formulation with respect to the nasal and IV routes of abuse, consistent with Guidance for Industry, “Abuse-Deterrent Opioids- Evaluation and Labeling.” In November 2017, the FDA approved an sNDA for Xtampza ER to include comparative oral pharmacokinetic data from a clinical study evaluating the effect of physical manipulation by crushing Xtampza ER compared with OxyContin and a control (oxycodone hydrochloride immediate-release), results from an oral human abuse potential study and the addition of an oral abuse deterrent claim.

The FDA can require changes to the product labeling for Xtampza ER or the Nucynta Products at any time which can impact our ability to generate product sales. In particular, if the FDA determines that our post-marketing data for Xtampza ER does not demonstrate that the abuse-deterrent properties result in reduction of abuse, or demonstrates a shift to routes of abuse that present a greater risk, the FDA may find that product labeling revisions are needed, and potentially require the removal of our abuse-deterrence claims, which would have a material adverse effect on our ability to continue successfully commercializing Xtampza ER.

Xtampza ER and the Nucynta Products are subject to mandatory REMS programs, which could increase the cost, burden and liability associated with the commercialization of these products.

The FDA has imposed a class-wide REMS on all IR, ER and long acting (“LA”) opioid drug products (known as the Opioid Analgesic REMS). The FDA continually evaluates whether the REMS program is meeting its goal of ensuring that the benefit of these drugs continue to outweigh their risks, and whether the goals or elements of the program should be modified. If the FDA determines that additional measures are necessary, the modification of the Opioid Analgesic REMS to impose additional or more burdensome requirements could increase the costs associated with marketing our products and/or reduce the willingness of healthcare providers to prescribe our products, both which would have a material adverse effect on our ability to continue successfully commercializing, or to generate sufficient revenue from, our products.

We could fail to promote Xtampza ER’s abuse deterrent labeling in compliance with FDA regulations.

Xtampza ER has FDA-approved product labeling that describes its abuse deterrent features, which allows us to promote those features and differentiate Xtampza ER from other opioid products containing the same active pharmaceutical ingredients. Because the FDA closely regulates promotional materials and other promotional activities, even though the FDA approved product labeling includes a description of the abuse deterrent characteristics of Xtampza ER, the FDA may object to our marketing claims and product advertising campaigns. This could lead to the issuance of warning letters or untitled letters, suspension or withdrawal of our products from the market, recalls, fines, disgorgement of money, operating restrictions, injunctions, and civil or criminal prosecution. Any of these consequences would harm the commercial success of Xtampza ER.

Failure to comply with ongoing governmental regulations for marketing any product, including Xtampza ER and the Nucynta Products, could delay or inhibit our ability to generate revenues from their sale and could also expose us to claims or other sanctions.

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Advertising and promotion of any pharmaceutical product marketed in the United States, including Xtampza ER and the Nucynta Products, is heavily scrutinized by, among others, the FDA, the Department of Justice, the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), state attorneys general, members of Congress and the public. Violations, including promotion of our products for unapproved or off-label uses, are subject to enforcement letters, inquiries and investigations, and civil and criminal sanctions by the FDA or other government agencies.

Engaging in off-label promotion of our products could also subject us to false claims liability under federal and state statutes, and other litigation and/or investigations, which could lead to civil and criminal penalties and fines, and could also require us to enter into agreements that materially restrict the manner in which we promote or distribute our drug products.

In addition, after product approval, subsequent discovery of serious and unanticipated adverse events associated with the product; the emergence of other problems with the product, manufacturer or facility; or our failure to make required regulatory submissions may result in adverse regulatory actions, including withdrawal of the product from the market or the requirement to add or strengthen label warnings about the product. The failure to obtain or maintain requisite governmental approvals or the imposition of additional or stronger warnings could delay or preclude us from further developing, marketing or realizing the full commercial potential of our products.

Risks Related to Intellectual Property

Unfavorable outcomes in intellectual property litigation could result in costly litigation and potentially limit our ability to commercialize our products.

Our commercial success depends upon our ability to commercialize products without infringing the intellectual property rights of others. Our current or future products, or any uses of them, may now or in the future infringe third-party patents or other intellectual property rights. We cannot currently determine the ultimate scope and validity of patents which may be granted to third parties in the future or which patents might be asserted to be infringed by the manufacture, use and sale of our products.

If we are found to infringe a third party’s intellectual property rights, we could be required to obtain a license from such third party to continue developing or commercializing our products and technology. However, we may not be able to obtain any required license on commercially reasonable terms or at all. 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 prevent us from commercializing our products or force us to cease some of our business operations.

Any litigation, including any interference or derivation proceedings to determine priority of inventions, oppositions or other post-grant review proceedings to patents in the United States, or litigation against our collaborators may be costly and time consuming and could have a material adverse effect on our operating results, our ability to raise capital needed to commercialize products and our overall financial condition. We expect that litigation may be necessary in some instances to determine the validity and scope of our proprietary rights. Litigation may be necessary in other instances to determine the validity, scope or non-infringement of certain patent rights claimed by third parties to be pertinent to the manufacture, use or sale of our products. Ultimately, the outcome of such litigation, including our pending litigation with Purdue, could compromise the validity and scope of our patents or other proprietary rights or hinder our ability to manufacture and market our products.

If we are unable to obtain or maintain intellectual property rights for our technologies, products or any future product candidates which we may develop, we may lose valuable assets or be unable to compete effectively in our market.

We depend on our ability to protect our proprietary technology. We rely on patent and trademark laws, unpatented trade secrets and know-how, and confidentiality, licensing and other agreements with employees and third parties, all of which

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offer only limited protection. Our success depends in large part on our ability to obtain and maintain patent protection in the United States with respect to our proprietary technology and products.

The steps we have taken to protect our proprietary rights may not be adequate to preclude misappropriation of our proprietary information or infringement of our intellectual property rights in the United States. The rights already granted under any of our currently issued patents and those that may be granted under future issued patents may not provide us with the proprietary protection or competitive advantages we are seeking.

We have been, and may continue to be, forced to litigate to enforce or defend our intellectual property, which could be expensive, time consuming and unsuccessful, and result in the loss of valuable assets.

We have been, and may continue to be, forced to litigate to enforce or defend our intellectual property rights against infringement and unauthorized use by competitors, and to protect our trade secrets. In so doing, we may place our intellectual property at risk of being invalidated, rendered unenforceable or limited or narrowed in scope.

This litigation is expensive and time consuming. Many of our current and potential competitors have the ability to dedicate substantially greater resources to defend their intellectual property rights than we can.

Accordingly, despite our efforts, we may not be able to prevent third parties from infringing upon or misappropriating our intellectual property. Litigation could result in substantial costs and diversion of management resources, which could have a material adverse effect on our operating results, our ability to raise capital needed to commercialize products and our overall financial condition. In addition, an adverse result in any litigation proceeding could put one or more of our patents at risk of being invalidated, held unenforceable or interpreted narrowly.

If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets, our business and competitive position would be harmed.

In addition to seeking patents for some of our technology and products, we rely on trade secrets, including unpatented know-how, technology and other proprietary information, to maintain our competitive position. We seek to protect these trade secrets, in part, by entering into non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements with parties who have access to them, such as our employees, corporate collaborators, outside scientific collaborators, contract manufacturers, consultants, advisors and other third parties. Despite these efforts, any of these parties may breach the agreements and disclose our proprietary information, including our trade secrets, and we may not be able to obtain adequate remedies for such breaches. 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 in the United States may be 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 such competitor, or those with whom they communicate, from using that technology or information to compete with us. If any of our trade secrets were to be disclosed or independently developed, our competitive position would be harmed.

Obtaining and maintaining our patent protection depends on compliance with various procedural, document submissions, fee payment and other requirements imposed by governmental patent agencies, and our patent protection could be reduced or eliminated for non-compliance with these requirements.

The USPTO requires compliance with a number of procedural, documentary, fee payment and other similar provisions during the patent application process. In addition, periodic maintenance fees on issued patents are required to be paid to the USPTO in several stages over the lifetime of the patents. While an inadvertent lapse can in many cases be cured by payment of a late fee or by other means in accordance with the applicable rules, there are situations in which noncompliance can result in abandonment or lapse of the patent or patent application, resulting in partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction. Non-compliance events that could result in abandonment or lapse of a patent or patent application include, but are not limited to, failure to respond to official actions within prescribed time limits, non-payment of fees, and failure to properly legalize and submit formal documents. If we fail to maintain the patents and patent applications covering our products, our competitive position would be adversely affected.

Risks Related to the Commercialization of Our Products

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If we are unable to utilize our own sales and marketing capabilities successfully or enter into strategic alliances with marketing collaborators, we may not continue to be successful in commercializing our products and may be unable to generate sufficient product revenue.

Our commercial organization continues to evolve, and in light of its short history and limited track record, we cannot guarantee that we will continue to be successful in marketing our products. In addition, we compete with other pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with extensive and well-funded sales and marketing operations to recruit, hire, train and retain sales and marketing personnel. If we are unable to continue to grow and maintain adequate sales, marketing and distribution capabilities, whether independently or with third parties, we may not be able to generate sufficient product revenue and may not remain profitable. Factors that may inhibit our efforts to continue successfully commercializing our products in the United States include:

If we are not successful in retaining sales and marketing personnel or in maintaining our sales and marketing infrastructure or if we do not preserve strategic alliances with marketing collaborators, agreements with contract sales organizations or collaboration arrangements, we will have difficulty in continuing to commercialize our products.

Additionally, our sales, marketing and distribution capabilities may be hindered as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. In response to the outbreak and the resulting mandatory closure of non-essential businesses and imposition of “social distancing” measures recommended by U.S. public health officials, our sales personnel have transitioned partly or entirely to remote work. The safety and well-being of our employees is our highest priority and we expect to maintain mitigating measures until such time as mandated closures are lifted and public health officials change their recommendations, and we have, and will continue to, equip our personnel with the tools and resources needed to effectively continue their sales and marketing efforts in a manner that complies with all relevant regulations, whether in person or from a remote setting. We face the risk, however, that limitations on activities within the healthcare sector and on economic activity generally will impede our ability to continue successfully commercializing our products. The travel restrictions and “social distancing” recommendations resulting from the spread of COVID-19 have impacted our sales professionals’ ability to travel to and meet with customers in person. The outbreak has also prompted healthcare providers to limit our and our wholesalers’ and distributors’ access to physicians and other key healthcare personnel, which may inhibit our and our customers’ ability to meet existing, or generate new, demand for our products. If we are unable to successfully commercialize our products during the COVID-19 outbreak, our ability to generate sufficient product revenue may be adversely affected.

If the medical community, patients, and healthcare payors do not accept and use our products, we will not achieve sufficient product revenues and our business will suffer.

Physicians and others in the medical community, patients, and healthcare payors may not accept and use our products. Acceptance and use of our products will depend on a number of factors including:

● the availability of competitive products;

● the convenience and ease of administration to patients of our products;

● the prevalence and severity of adverse side effects;

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● our ability to comply with the Opioid Analgesic REMS; and

If our products fail to have an adequate level of acceptance by the medical community, patients, or healthcare payors, we will not be able to generate sufficient revenue to remain profitable. Since we expect to rely on sales generated by Xtampza ER and the Nucynta Products for substantially all of our revenues for the foreseeable future, the failure of Xtampza ER or the Nucynta Products to maintain market acceptance would harm our business prospects.

Our products contain, and our future product candidates may contain, controlled substances, the manufacture, use, sale, importation, exportation and distribution of which are subject to regulation by state and federal law enforcement and other regulatory agencies.

Our products contain, and our future product candidates may contain, controlled substances that are subject to state and federal laws and regulations regarding their manufacture, use, sale, importation, exportation and distribution. Xtampza ER’s active ingredient, oxycodone, and the Nucynta Products’ active ingredient, tapentadol, are both classified as Schedule II controlled substances under the CSA and regulations of the DEA. A number of states also independently regulate these drugs, including oxycodone and tapentadol, as controlled substances.

We and our suppliers, manufacturers, contractors, customers and distributors are required to obtain and maintain applicable registrations from state and federal law enforcement and regulatory agencies and comply with state and federal laws and regulations regarding the manufacture, use, sale, importation, exportation and distribution of controlled substances. In light of the COVID-19 public health emergency, the DEA now allows the issuance of a prescription for a controlled substance after examination of a patient through telemedicine technology as an in-person examination may not be possible.

Furthermore, the amount of Schedule II substances that can be obtained for clinical trials and commercial distribution is limited by the CSA and DEA regulations. For more information, see “Business—Government Regulation—DEA and Opioid Regulation.” We may not be able to obtain sufficient quantities of these controlled substances in order to meet commercial demand. If commercial demand for Xtampza ER, or any of our other approved products, increases and we cannot meet such demand in a timely fashion because of our limited supply of its active pharmaceutical ingredient (in the case of Xtampza ER, oxycodone) then physicians may perceive such product as unavailable and may be less likely to prescribe it in the future.

In addition, controlled substances are also subject to regulations governing manufacturing, labeling, packaging, testing, dispensing, production and procurement quotas, recordkeeping, reporting, handling, shipment and disposal. These regulations increase the personnel needs and the expense associated with development and commercialization of our products that include controlled substances. The DEA and some states conduct periodic inspections of registered establishments that handle controlled substances.

Failure to obtain and maintain required registrations or to comply with any applicable regulations could delay or preclude us from developing and commercializing our products that contain controlled substances and subject us to enforcement action. The DEA may seek civil penalties, refuse to renew necessary registrations or initiate proceedings to revoke those registrations. In some circumstances, violations could lead to criminal proceedings. Because of their restrictive nature, these regulations could limit commercialization of our products containing controlled substances.

Current and future legislation may increase the difficulty and cost for us to continue to commercialize our products and may reduce the prices we are able to obtain for our products.

In the United States, there have been a number of legislative and regulatory changes and proposed changes regarding the healthcare system generally, and the manufacturing, distribution, and marketing of opioids in particular, that could prevent or delay marketing approval of future product candidates, restrict or regulate post-approval activities or affect our ability to profitably sell our products for which we obtain marketing approval. For example, several states, including New York, have recently imposed taxes or fees on the sale of opioids. Other states could impose similar taxes or fees, and such laws and proposals can vary in the tax and fee amounts imposed and the means of calculation. Liabilities for taxes or assessments under any such laws could have an adverse impact on our results of operations.

California and several other states have enacted legislation related to prescription drug pricing transparency and it is

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unclear the effect this legislation will have on our business. Laws intended to broaden access to health insurance, reduce or constrain the growth of healthcare spending, enhance remedies against fraud and abuse, add new transparency requirements for health care and health insurance industries, impose new taxes and fees on the health industry and impose additional health policy reforms may continue the downward pressure on pharmaceutical pricing, especially under the Medicare program, and may also increase our regulatory burdens and operating costs.

Legislative and regulatory proposals have been made to expand post-approval requirements and restrict sales and promotional activities for pharmaceutical products. We cannot be 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 of our products may be. In addition, increased scrutiny by the U.S. Congress of the FDA’s approval process may subject us to more stringent product labeling and post-marketing testing and other requirements.

Our products may become subject to unfavorable pricing regulations or third-party coverage and reimbursement policies, which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Such pricing regulations may address the rebates that manufacturers offer to pharmaceutical benefit managers, or the discounts that manufacturers provide others within the pharmaceutical distribution chain.

The regulations that govern marketing approvals, pricing and reimbursement for new drug products can vary widely. Current and future legislation may significantly change the approval requirements in ways that could involve additional costs and cause delays in obtaining approvals. Pricing limitations may hinder our ability to recoup our investment in our products.

Our ability to commercialize any product successfully will also depend in part on the extent to which coverage and adequate reimbursement for these products and related treatments will be available from government health administration authorities, private health insurers and other organizations. Government authorities and third-party payors, such as private health insurers and health maintenance organizations, determine which medications they will cover and establish reimbursement levels and tiers of preference based on the perceived value and innovation of a given product. A primary trend in the U.S. healthcare industry and elsewhere is cost containment. Government authorities and other third-party payors have attempted to control costs by limiting coverage and the amount of reimbursement for particular medications and establishing administrative hurdles that incentivize use of generic and/or lower cost products first. Increasingly, third-party payors are requiring that drug companies provide them with discounts and rebates from list prices and are challenging the prices charged for medical products. We have agreed to provide such discounts and rebates to certain third-party payors. We expect increasing pressure to offer larger discounts and rebates. Additionally, a greater number of third-party payors may seek discounts and rebates in order to offer or maintain access for our products. We cannot be sure that high-quality coverage and reimbursement will be available for any product that we commercialize and, if reimbursement is available, what the level of reimbursement will be and whether it will be satisfactory.

Reimbursement rates may vary according to the use of the drug and the clinical setting in which it is used, may be based on reimbursement levels already set for lower cost drugs and may be incorporated into existing payments for other services. Net prices for drugs may be reduced by mandatory discounts or rebates required by government healthcare programs or private payors and by any future relaxation of laws that presently restrict imports of drugs from policy and payment limitations in setting their own reimbursement policies. Our inability to expand and maintain coverage and profitable reimbursement rates from both government-funded and private payors for our products could have a material adverse effect on our operating results, our ability to raise capital needed to commercialize products and our overall financial condition.

The Affordable Care Act and any changes in healthcare law may increase the difficulty and cost for us to continue to commercialize our products and affect the prices we may obtain.

The United States and many foreign jurisdictions have enacted or proposed legislative and regulatory changes affecting the healthcare system that may affect our ability to profitably sell our product and product candidates, if approved. The United States government, state legislatures and foreign governments also have shown significant interest in implementing cost-containment programs to limit the growth of government-paid healthcare costs, including price controls, restrictions on reimbursement and requirements for substitution of generic products for branded prescription drugs.

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The Affordable Care Act was intended to broaden access to health insurance, reduce or constrain the growth of healthcare spending, enhance remedies against fraud and abuse, add transparency requirements for the healthcare and health insurance industries, impose new taxes and fees on the health industry and impose additional health policy reforms. There have been significant ongoing judicial, administrative, executive and legislative efforts to modify or eliminate the Affordable Care Act, and the Affordable Care Act has also been subject to challenges in the courts. See “Business—Government Regulation—Healthcare Reform.”

Further changes to and under the Affordable Care Act remain possible, although the new Biden administration has signaled that it plans to build on the Affordable Care Act and expand the number of people who are eligible for subsidies under it. President Biden indicated that he intends to use executive orders to undo changes to the Affordable Care Act made by the Trump administration and would advocate for legislation to build on the Affordable Care Act. It is unknown what form any such changes or any law proposed to replace the Affordable Care Act would take, and how or whether it may affect our business in the future. We expect that changes to the Affordable Care Act, the Medicare and Medicaid programs, changes allowing the federal government to directly negotiate drug prices and changes stemming from other healthcare reform measures, especially with regard to healthcare access, financing or other legislation in individual states, could have a material adverse effect on the healthcare industry.

Any reduction in reimbursement from Medicare, Medicaid, or other government programs may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payers. The implementation of cost containment measures or other healthcare reforms may prevent us from being able to generate revenue and maintain profitability.

Social issues around the abuse of opioids, including law enforcement concerns over diversion of opioids and regulatory and enforcement efforts to combat abuse, could decrease the potential market for our products and may adversely impact external investor perceptions of our business.

Law enforcement and regulatory agencies may apply policies and guidelines that seek to limit the availability or use of opioids. Such efforts may inhibit our ability to commercialize our products.

Aggressive enforcement and unfavorable publicity regarding, for example, the use or misuse of oxycodone or other opioid drugs; the limitations of abuse-resistant formulations; the ability of people who abuse drugs to discover previously unknown ways to abuse opioid drugs, including Xtampza ER and the Nucynta Products; public inquiries and investigations into prescription drug abuse; litigation; or regulatory activity regarding sales, marketing, distribution or storage of opioid drugs could have a material adverse effect on our reputation. Such negative publicity could reduce the potential size of the market for our products, decrease the revenues we are able to generate from their sale and adversely impact external investor perceptions of our business. Similarly, to the extent opioid abuse becomes less prevalent or less urgent of a public health issue, regulators and third party payers may not be willing to pay a premium for abuse-deterrent formulations of opioid.

Federal laws have been enacted to address the national epidemics of prescription opioid abuse and illicit opioid use, including the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act and the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act. These laws are described in more detail under the caption “Business— Governmental Regulation — DEA and Opioid Regulation.”

If the FDA or other applicable regulatory authorities approve generic products with abuse deterrent claims that compete with our products, our sales could decline.

Once an NDA, including a Section 505(b)(2) application, is approved, the product covered thereby becomes a “listed drug” which can, in turn, be cited by potential competitors in support of approval of an ANDA. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, FDA regulations and other applicable regulations and policies provide incentives to manufacturers to create modified, non-infringing versions of a drug to facilitate the approval of an ANDA or other application for generic substitutes. These generic equivalents would be significantly less costly than ours to bring to market and companies that produce generic equivalents are generally able to offer their products at lower prices. Thus, after the introduction of a generic competitor, a significant percentage of the sales of any branded product are typically lost to the generic product. Accordingly, competition from generic equivalents to our products would substantially limit our ability to generate revenues and therefore to obtain a return on the investments we have made in our products. In November 2017, FDA issued a final guidance to assist industry in the development of generic versions of approved opioids with abuse-deterrent formulations, including recommendations about the types of studies that companies should conduct to

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demonstrate that the generic drug is no less abuse-deterrent than its brand-name counterpart. In the second half of 2018, the FDA posted three revised product-specific guidances related to generic abuse-deterrent opioid formulations, including one guidance specifically relating to Xtampza ER, which recommend specific in vivo studies and in vitro study considerations for abuse deterrence evaluations. These guidances are part of FDA’s wider focus on assisting developers of generic abuse-deterrent formulations navigate the regulatory path to market more quickly. Earlier market entry of generic abuse-deterrent formulations could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Risks Related to Our Dependence on Third Parties

If the third-party manufacturers of Xtampza ER or the Nucynta Products fail to devote sufficient time and resources to these products, or their performance is substandard, and/or we encounter challenges with our dedicated facility at our third-party manufacturer’s site for the manufacturing of Xtampza ER, our costs may be higher than expected and could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We do not own any manufacturing facilities and have limited experience in drug development and commercial manufacturing. We currently have no plans to build our own clinical or commercial scale manufacturing facility and do not have the resources and expertise to manufacture and test, on a commercial scale, the technical performance of our products. We currently rely, and expect to continue to rely, on a limited number of experienced personnel and contract manufacturers for our products, as well as other vendors to formulate, test, supply, store and distribute our products and we control only certain aspects of their activities.

In 2020, we completed the build-out of a dedicated manufacturing suite at a site operated by our contract manufacturing organization, Patheon, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific. This dedicated facility requires the maintenance of regulatory approvals and other costs, all of which we will need to absorb. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to leverage the dedicated manufacturing suite in a profitable manner. If the demand for Xtampza ER and any future related products never meets our expectations and forecasts, or if we do not produce the output we plan, we may not be able to realize the return on investment we anticipated, which would have a negative impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

Although we have identified alternate sources for these services, it would be time-consuming, and require us to incur additional cost, to qualify these sources. Our reliance on a limited number of vendors and, in particular, Patheon as our single manufacturer for Xtampza ER and the future manufacturer of Nucynta ER, exposes us to the following risks, any of which could impact commercialization of our products, result in higher costs, or deprive us of potential product revenues:

Failure to obtain the necessary active pharmaceutical ingredients, excipients or components necessary to manufacture our products could adversely affect our ability to continue to commercialize the product, which could in turn adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition. Certain components of Xtampza ER are naturally derived products, for which we rely on sole suppliers. The inability of any of our raw material suppliers to provide components

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that meet our specifications and requirements could adversely impact our ability to manufacture our product. Furthermore, the quota procurement process limits the amount of DEA-controlled active pharmaceutical ingredient we have available for manufacture. Consequently, we are limited in our ability to execute a business strategy that builds appreciable safety stock of finished drug product.

Our reliance on third parties reduces our control over our development and commercialization activities but does not relieve us of our responsibility to ensure compliance with all required legal, regulatory and scientific standards. The FDA and other regulatory authorities require that our products to be manufactured according to cGMP. Any failure by our third-party manufacturer to comply with cGMP or failure to scale up manufacturing processes, including any failure to deliver sufficient quantities of products in a timely manner, could lead to a shortage of commercial product. In addition, such failure could be the basis for the FDA to issue a warning or untitled letter, withdraw approvals for products previously granted to us, or take other regulatory or legal action, including recall or seizure, total or partial suspension of production, suspension of ongoing clinical trials, refusal to approve pending applications or supplemental applications, detention of product, refusal to permit the import or export of products, injunction, imposing civil penalties or pursuing criminal prosecution.

Any stock out, or failure to obtain sufficient supplies of any of our products, or the necessary active pharmaceutical ingredients, excipients or components necessary to manufacture each of our products, could adversely affect our ability to commercialize such products, which could in turn adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

Because we currently rely on a sole supplier to manufacture the active pharmaceutical ingredient of our products, any production problems with our supplier could have a material adverse effect on us.

We presently depend upon a single supplier for the active pharmaceutical ingredient for Xtampza ER (oxycodone base) and the Nucynta Products (tapentadol), and we contract with this supplier for commercial supply to manufacture our products. Further, and effective January 2021, our sole supplier also supplies our primary competitor in the extended-release oxycodone space, Purdue. Although we have identified an alternate source for oxycodone base for Xtampza ER, it would be time-consuming and costly to qualify this source. Any changes that our supplier makes to the respective drug substance raw materials, intermediates, or manufacturing processes would introduce technical and regulatory risks to our downstream drug product supply. If our supplier were to terminate an arrangement for an active pharmaceutical ingredient, or fail to meet our supply needs (including as a result of disruptions in personnel or the global supply chain resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak), we might incur substantial costs and be forced to delay our development or commercialization programs. Any such delay could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Manufacturing issues may arise that could increase product and regulatory approval costs, delay commercialization or limit commercial supply.

In our current commercial manufacturing operations, and as we scale up manufacturing of our products and conduct required stability testing, we may encounter product, packaging, equipment and process-related issues that may require refinement or resolution in order to proceed with our planned clinical trials, obtain regulatory approval for commercial marketing and build commercial supplies. In the future, we may identify impurities, which could result in increased scrutiny by regulatory authorities, delays in our clinical programs and regulatory approval, increases in our operating expenses, failure to obtain or maintain approval or limitations in our commercial supply.

We depend on wholesale pharmaceutical distributors for retail distribution of our products; if we lose any of our significant wholesale pharmaceutical distributors, that loss may materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

A significant percentage of our product shipments are to a limited number of independent wholesale pharmaceutical distributors. Three of our wholesale pharmaceutical distributors represented 34%, 31% and 31% of our product shipments for the year ended December 31, 2020. Our loss of any of these wholesale pharmaceutical distributors’ accounts, or a material reduction in their purchases, a significant disruption to transportation infrastructure or other means of distribution of our products, including as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects. The significance of each wholesale pharmaceutical distributor account to our business adversely impacts our ability to negotiate favorable commercial terms with each such distributor, and as a result, we may be forced to accept terms that adversely impact our results of operations.

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In addition, these wholesale customers comprise a significant part of the distribution network for pharmaceutical products in the United States. This distribution network has undergone, and may continue to undergo, significant consolidation marked by mergers and acquisitions. As a result, a small number of large wholesale distributors control a significant share of the market. Consolidation of drug wholesalers has increased, and may continue to increase, competitive and pricing pressures on pharmaceutical products. We cannot guarantee that we can manage these pricing pressures or that wholesaler purchases will not fluctuate unexpectedly from period to period.

Our products could be subject to post-marketing requirements, which requirements may, in some cases, not be capable of timely or satisfactory completion without participation in consortia over which we have limited control.

Our products are subject to a comprehensive regulatory scheme, including post-marketing requirements (“PMRs”) to conduct epidemiological studies and clinical trials. We intend to fulfill our PMRs by virtue of our participation in the Opioid PMR Consortium (“OPC”). Although we retain discretion in how to discharge such PMRs, the scale and scope of the studies required by the FDA make it cost prohibitive to discharge these requirements other than by joining the OPC that was formed to conduct them. We are a member of OPC and engage in decision-making as a member of that organization, but do not have a majority. If the OPC fails to conduct sufficiently rigorous studies or is unable to achieve the patient enrollment or other requirements established by the FDA, we may be unable to satisfy our PMRs and the FDA may choose to withdraw or otherwise restrict its approval of our products. Such withdrawal or restriction would have an adverse impact on our business and financial condition.

We rely on third parties to conduct our non-clinical and clinical trials. If these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or meet expected deadlines, or if they terminate their agreement with us, we may not be able to maintain regulatory approval for our products and our business could suffer a material adverse effect.

We have relied upon and plan to continue to rely upon contract research organizations (“CROs”) to monitor and manage data for any non-clinical and clinical programs that we may conduct, including the OPC PMR studies discussed above. We rely on these parties for execution of our non-clinical and clinical trials, and control only certain aspects of their activities. Nevertheless, we are responsible for ensuring that each of our studies and clinical trials are conducted in accordance with the applicable protocol, legal, regulatory and scientific standards, and our reliance on the CROs does not relieve us of our regulatory responsibilities. If we or any of our CROs fail to comply with applicable GCP and other regulations, including as a result of any recent changes in such regulations, the clinical data generated in our clinical trials may be deemed unreliable and the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities may require us to perform additional clinical trials before approving our marketing applications. In addition, our clinical trials must be conducted with product produced under cGMP requirements. While we have agreements governing the activities of our CROs, we have limited influence over their actual performance. Failure to comply with applicable regulations in the conduct of the clinical trials for our products would have an adverse impact on our commercial efforts.

Risks Related to Our Business and Strategy

Our business may be adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 has sickened millions of people across the world and, in March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Federal, state and city governments have taken significant measures to curtail the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, including issuing “shelter in place” or similar orders, closing non-essential businesses and imposing severe travel restrictions. The outbreak and any preventative or protective actions that we, our manufacturers, suppliers, licensors and other collaborators or governmental authorities may take with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted and may continue to disrupt our business and the U.S. and global economies as a whole. The COVID-19 pandemic poses the risk that we or our employees, contractors, suppliers, and other partners may be prevented from conducting business activities for an indefinite period of time, including due to a substantial percentage of personnel contracting the virus or due to shutdowns that have been or may be requested or mandated by governmental authorities. The full extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will affect the U.S. and global economies is unknown.

The COVID-19 pandemic has, and will likely continue to have, a substantial impact on the delivery of healthcare services in the United States. Healthcare providers have reduced staffing and limited access for non-patients, including our sales professionals. In addition, as discussed above, travel restrictions due to COVID-19 have impacted our sales

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professionals’ ability to travel to customers, which has had, and will continue to have, a negative impact on our sales and the market penetration of our products. Moreover, the spread of COVID-19 has had, and may continue to have, an impact on the number of patients seeking and receiving treatment for conditions that might otherwise result in the prescription of our products, as patients increasingly make efforts to avoid or postpone seeking non-essential medical care and hospitals cancel elective surgeries due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These circumstances may result in reduced demand for our products and negatively impact our sales and results of operations.

The extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our results of operation will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of COVID-19, the rate and manner in which it spreads, the duration of the pandemic, travel restrictions imposed by the United States and other countries, business closures or business disruption in the United States and other countries, a reduction in time spent out of home and the actions taken throughout the world, including in our markets, to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact. These actions could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations, and we will continue to monitor the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic closely.

Litigation or regulatory action regarding opioid medications could negatively affect our business.

Beginning in 2018, lawsuits alleging damages related to opioids have been filed naming us as a defendant along with other manufacturers of prescription opioid medications. These lawsuits, filed in multiple jurisdictions, are brought by various local governments as well as private claimants, against various manufacturers, distributors and retail pharmacies throughout the United States. These lawsuits generally contend that we have engaged in improper marketing practices related to Xtampza ER and the Nucynta Products. Plaintiffs seek a variety of remedies, including abatement, restitution, civil penalties, disgorgement of profits, treble damages, attorneys’ fees and injunctive relief. In some of the lawsuits, the plaintiffs have alleged joint and several liability among the defendants, meaning that any given defendant may be found liable for the activities of other defendants. None of the complaints specify the exact amount of damages at issue. These cases are generally in early stages of litigation.

In addition, certain governmental and regulatory agencies are focused on the abuse of opioid medications, a concern we share, and we have received Civil Investigative Demands or subpoenas from four state attorneys general investigating our sales and marketing of opioids and seeking documents relating to the manufacture, marketing and sale of opioid medications. We are cooperating fully in these investigations. Managing litigation and responding to governmental investigations is costly and may involve a significant diversion of management attention. Such proceedings are unpredictable and may develop over lengthy periods of time. An adverse resolution of any of these lawsuits or investigations may involve injunctive relief or substantial monetary penalties, either or both of which could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, results of operations and cash flows.

We face substantial competition from other biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, which may result in others discovering, developing or commercializing products more successfully than we do.

The competition in the pain and opioid market is intense. We have competitors both in the United States and internationally, including major multinational pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies and universities and other research institutions. Our products compete with oral opioids, transdermal opioids, local anesthetic patches, stimulants and implantable and external infusion pumps that can be used for infusion of opioids and local anesthetics. Products of these types are marketed by Actavis, BioDelivery Sciences, Endo, Mallinckrodt, Purdue, Teva, and others. Some of these current and potential future competitors may be addressing the same therapeutic areas or indications as we are. Many of our current and potential future competitors have significantly greater research and development capabilities than we do, have substantially more marketing, manufacturing, financial, technical, human and managerial resources than we do, and have more institutional experience than we do.

Our competitors have developed or may be in the process of developing technologies that are, or in the future may be, the basis for competitive products that are safer, more effective or less costly than our products and, therefore, present a serious competitive threat to our product offerings. The widespread acceptance of currently available therapies with which our products compete may limit market acceptance of our products. Oral medications, transdermal drug delivery systems, such as drug patches, injectable products and implantable drug delivery devices are currently available treatments for chronic pain, are widely accepted in the medical community and have a long history of use. These

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treatments will compete with our products and the established use of these competitive products may limit the potential for our products to receive widespread acceptance.

Commercial sales of our products, and clinical trials of our products and any future product candidates, may expose us to expensive product liability claims, and we may not be able to maintain product liability insurance on reasonable terms or at all.

We currently carry product liability insurance. Product liability claims may be brought against us by patients; clinical trial participants; healthcare providers; or others using, administering or selling our products. If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against claims that our products caused injuries, we could incur substantial liabilities. We may not be able to maintain insurance coverage at a reasonable cost or in an amount adequate to satisfy any liability that may arise. Regardless of merit or eventual outcome, liability claims may cause us to incur significant costs to defend the litigation.

Our relationships with customers and payors are subject to applicable anti-kickback, fraud and abuse, transparency, and other healthcare laws and regulations, which could expose us to criminal sanctions, civil penalties, exclusion from government healthcare programs, contractual damages, reputational harm, administrative burdens, and diminished profits and future earnings.

Healthcare providers, physicians and payors play a primary role in the recommendation and prescription of our products. Our arrangements with payors and customers may expose us to broadly applicable fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations that may constrain the business or financial arrangements and relationships through which we market, sell and distribute our products and any product candidates for which we may obtain marketing approval.

Even though we do not and will not control referrals of healthcare services or bill Medicare, Medicaid or other third-party payors directly, we may provide reimbursement guidance and support regarding our products to our customers and patients. Federal and state healthcare laws and regulations pertaining to fraud and abuse and patients’ rights are and will be applicable to our business. If a government authority were to conclude that we provided improper advice to our customers and/or encouraged the submission of false claims for reimbursement, we could face action by government authorities. If our operations are found to be in violation of any of these laws or any other governmental regulations that may apply to us, we may be subject to significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, imprisonment, exclusion from participation in government funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations.

We or the third parties upon whom we depend may be adversely affected by natural disasters and/or health epidemics, and our business continuity and disaster recovery plans may not adequately protect us from a serious disaster.

Natural disasters could severely disrupt our operations, and have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and prospects. If a natural disaster, power outage, health epidemic (such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic) or other event occurred that prevented us from using all or a significant portion of our facilities, that damaged critical infrastructure, such as the manufacturing facilities of our third-party contract manufacturers, or that otherwise disrupted operations, it might become difficult or, in certain cases, impossible for us to continue our business, and any disruption could last for a substantial period of time.

The disaster recovery and business continuity plans we have in place, and the technology that we may rely upon to implement such plans, may prove inadequate in the event of a serious disaster or similar event. We may incur substantial expenses as a result of the limited nature of our disaster recovery and business continuity plans, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operation.

Risks Related to Our Common Stock

The price of our common stock may be volatile and you may lose all or part of your investment.

The market price of our common stock is highly volatile and may be subject to wide fluctuations in response to numerous factors described in these Risk Factors, some of which are beyond our control. The stock market in general, and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in particular, have experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of these companies, including very recently in connection with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in decreased stock prices for many companies notwithstanding the lack of a fundamental change in their underlying business models or prospects. Broad

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market and industry factors may negatively affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. The realization of any of these risks, or any of a broad range of other risks discussed in this report, could have a material adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.

We are subject to anti-takeover provisions in our second amended and restated articles of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws and under Virginia law that could delay or prevent an acquisition of our company, even if the acquisition would be beneficial to our shareholders.

Certain provisions of Virginia law, the state in which we are incorporated, and our second amended and restated articles of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws could hamper a third party’s acquisition of us, or discourage a third party from attempting to acquire control of us. These provisions could limit the price that certain investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock. In addition, these provisions make it more difficult for our shareholders to remove our Board of Directors or management or elect new directors to our Board of Directors.

If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may not be able to report our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows accurately, which may adversely affect investor confidence in us and, as a result, the value of our common stock.

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective internal control over financial reporting. We are required, under Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, to furnish a report by management on, among other things, the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. If we identify one or more material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, we will be unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective. We cannot assure you that there will not be material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting in the future. Any failure to maintain internal control over financial reporting could severely inhibit our ability to accurately report our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Further, we could lose investor confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, the market price of our common stock could decline, and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by NASDAQ, the SEC or other regulatory authorities. Failure to remedy any material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting, or to implement or maintain other effective control systems required of public companies, could also restrict our future access to capital markets.

Sales of our common stock in the public market, either by us or by our current shareholders, or the perception that these sales could occur, could cause a decline in the market price of our securities. Moreover, the exercise of options and warrants and other issuances of shares of common stock or securities convertible into or exercisable for shares of common stock will dilute your ownership interests and may adversely affect the future market price of our common stock.

Sales of our common stock in the public market, either by us or by our current shareholders, or the perception that these sales could occur, could cause a decline in the market price of our securities. All of the shares of our common stock held by our current shareholders may be immediately eligible for resale in the open market either in compliance with an exemption under Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act, or pursuant to an effective resale registration statement that we have previously filed with the SEC. Such sales, along with any other market transactions, could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

As of December 31, 2020, there were outstanding options to purchase an aggregate of 3,860,481 shares of our common stock at a weighted average exercise price of $17.78 per share, of which options to purchase 2,373,097 shares of our common stock were then exercisable. In addition, as of December 31, 2020, we had an outstanding warrant to purchase 1,041,667 shares of our common stock at an exercise price of $19.20 per share. The exercise of options and warrants at prices below the market price of our common stock could adversely affect the price of shares of our common stock. Additional dilution may result from the issuance of shares of our common stock in connection with collaborations or manufacturing arrangements or in connection with other financing efforts.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

Not applicable.

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Item 2. Properties

Our corporate headquarters are located in Stoughton, Massachusetts, where we lease 50,678 square feet of office and laboratory space. We use this facility for research and development, commercial and general and administrative purposes. The corporate headquarters lease expires in July 2029 and the lease term may be extended for two additional five-year terms at our election.

We believe that our existing facilities are adequate for our current and expected future needs. We may seek to negotiate new leases or evaluate additional or alternate space for our operations. We believe that appropriate alternative space is readily available on commercially reasonable terms.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

Discussion of legal matters is incorporated by reference from Note 11 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of Part II of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Market Information

Our common stock is publicly traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “COLL” since May 7, 2015. Prior to May 7, 2015, there was no public trading market for our common stock.

Holders

As of January 31, 2021, there were 24 holders of record of our common stock. The number of holders of record does not include beneficial owners whose shares are held by nominees in street name.

Dividends

We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our common stock, and we do not expect to pay any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.

Stock Performance Graph

The following graph shows a comparison from May 7, 2015, the date on which our common stock first began trading on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, of the total cumulative shareholder return on an assumed investment of $100.00 in cash in our common stock as compared to the same investment in the NASDAQ Composite Index and the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index, all through December 31, 2020. Such returns are based on historical results and are not intended to

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suggest future performance. Data for the NASDAQ Composite Index and NASDAQ Biotechnology Index assume reinvestment of dividends, however no dividends have been declared on our common stock to date.

December 31, December 31,

The performance graph and related information shall not be deemed to be “soliciting material” or to be “filed” with the SEC, nor shall such information be incorporated by reference into any future filing under the Securities Act, except to the extent that we specifically incorporate it by reference into such filing.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

There were no unregistered sales of equity securities during the period covered by this Form 10-K.

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Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

The following table sets forth purchases of our common stock for the three months ended December 31, 2020:

(1) All of the shares were transferred to us from employees in satisfaction of minimum tax withholding obligations associated with the vesting of restricted stock units during the period.

Item 6. Selected Financial Data

Not applicable.

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this Form 10-K. The following discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Our actual results and the timing of certain events could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of many factors. We discuss factors that we believe could cause or contribute to these differences below and elsewhere in this Form 10-K, including those set forth under “Forward-looking Statements” and “Risk Factors”, as revised and supplemented by those risks described from time to time in other reports which we file with the SEC.

Overview

We are a specialty pharmaceutical company committed to being the leader in responsible pain management. Our portfolio includes Xtampza ER, an abuse-deterrent, extended-release, oral formulation of oxycodone, and Nucynta ER and Nucynta IR (collectively, the “Nucynta Products”), which are extended-release (“ER”) and immediate-release (“IR”) formulations of tapentadol.

Xtampza ER was approved by the FDA in April 2016 for the management of pain severe enough to require daily, around-the-clock, long-term opioid treatment and for which alternative treatment options are inadequate. We commercially launched Xtampza ER in June 2016.

Nucynta ER is indicated for the management of pain severe enough to require daily, around the clock, long-term opioid treatment, including neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy in adults, and for which alternate treatment options are inadequate. Nucynta IR is indicated for the management of acute pain severe enough to require an opioid analgesic and for which alternative treatments are inadequate in adults. We began shipping and recognizing product sales on the Nucynta Products on January 9, 2018 and began marketing the Nucynta Products in February 2018. We initially licensed the right to commercialize the Nucynta Products in the United States through a Commercialization Agreement with Assertio Therapeutics, Inc. (formerly known as Depomed) (“Assertio”) entered into in December 2017 (the “Nucynta Commercialization Agreement”). On February 6, 2020, we entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with Assertio (the “Nucynta Purchase Agreement”), pursuant to which we agreed to acquire from Assertio certain assets related to the Nucynta Products (the “Nucynta Acquisition”), including the license from Grünenthal GmbH (“Grünenthal”), for an aggregate purchase price of $375.0 million. On February 13, 2020, we closed the Nucynta

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Acquisition in accordance with the Nucynta Purchase Agreement. Upon closing, the Nucynta Commercialization Agreement was effectively terminated. Our prior royalty obligation to Assertio ceased and our only remaining royalty obligation is to pay 14% of net sales of the Nucynta Products directly to Grünenthal.

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, we generated $310.0 million in net revenues, comprised of $128.0 million from sales of Xtampza ER and $182.0 million from sales of the Nucynta Products.

Outlook

We expect to continue to incur significant commercialization expenses related to marketing, manufacturing, distribution, selling and reimbursement activities. We are promoting Xtampza ER to approximately 11,000 health care professionals who write approximately 65% of the branded extended-release oral opioid prescriptions in the United States with a sales team of approximately 145 sales representatives and managers. We are promoting the Nucynta Products to the same health care professionals to whom we promote Xtampza ER, leveraging our existing sales organization. We have historically paid royalties to Assertio on all revenues from the sale of Nucynta Products based on certain net sales thresholds. Upon the closing of the Nucynta Acquisition and the termination of the Nucynta Commercialization Agreement (except for certain sections that survive in accordance with the Nucynta Purchase Agreement) in February 2020, our prior royalty obligation to Assertio ceased and our only remaining royalty obligation is to pay 14% of net sales of the Nucynta Products directly to Grünenthal.

We were historically not profitable and incurred net losses in each year since inception until 2020. We generated net income of $26.8 million in the year ended December 31, 2020 and incurred a net loss of $22.7 million in the year ended December 31, 2019. As of December 31, 2020, we had an accumulated deficit of $333.1 million. Substantially all of our net losses resulted from costs incurred in connection with selling, general and administrative costs associated with our operations and research and development programs.

In December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus began infecting people in China; since then, the disease caused by that virus, COVID-19, has sickened millions of people across the world and in March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. The pandemic has severely impacted global economic activity, and many countries and many states in the United States have reacted to the outbreak by instituting quarantines, mandating business and school closures and restricting travel. As of the date of the filing of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we expect the COVID-19 pandemic and actions taken to contain it to impact our revenue (due to fewer new patients beginning therapy with our products and adverse impact on our ability to promote our products due to closure or limited operations of many physicians’ offices) and have decreased certain operating expenses, including travel, marketing and expenses associated with participation in congresses that have been postponed. We believe that the disruptions caused by COVID-19 will continue and there remains substantial uncertainty as to when such disruptions will cease (or ease).

Financial Operations Overview

Product Revenues

Product revenue through the year ended December 31, 2020 has been generated from product sales of Xtampza ER and the Nucynta Products. In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, product sales are recorded upon delivery of products to customers, net of a provision for estimated chargebacks, rebates, sales incentives and allowances, distribution service fees, and returns.

Cost of Product Revenues

Cost of product revenues include amortization of the intangible asset acquired in connection with the Nucynta Acquisition and the prior Nucynta Commercialization Agreement (“Nucynta Intangible Asset”), royalty expense, the cost of active pharmaceutical ingredient, the cost of producing finished goods that correspond with revenue for the reporting period, as well as certain period costs related to freight, packaging, stability and quality testing. Please refer to

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Note 4, License Agreements, and Note 9, Intangible Assets, for further detail around the Nucynta Intangible Asset and royalty expense.

Research and Development Expenses

Research and development expenses consist of costs associated with our research and development activities for our products. These costs are expensed as incurred and include compensation and employee-related costs, including stock-based compensation; costs associated with conducting our clinical and non-clinical activities, including clinical and non-clinical trials that we conduct for post-marketing requirements; and costs for laboratory supplies, depreciation of lab equipment, and other expenses including allocated expenses for rent and maintenance of facilities.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Selling, general and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries and employee-related costs, including stock-based compensation and travel expenses for our employees in executive, finance, sales and marketing and administrative functions. Other selling, general and administrative expenses include facility-related costs and professional fees for directors, accounting and legal services, and expenses associated with obtaining and maintaining patents. As we continue to invest in the commercialization of our products, we expect our selling, general and administrative expenses to be substantial for the foreseeable future.

Interest Expense

Interest expense consists primarily of cash and non-cash interest costs related to the term notes and convertible notes issued in connection with the Nucynta Acquisition. Historically, interest expense has also related to the Nucynta Commercialization Agreement and cash interest costs from the Loan and Security Agreement with Silicon Valley Bank (“SVB”).

Interest Income

Interest income consists of interest earned on our cash and cash equivalents.

Provision for Income Taxes

Provision for income taxes consists of state income tax for certain states that enacted changes in tax laws that prevent us from using our state-level NOLs to offset taxable income in 2020. We did not record income tax expense in 2019 due to the utilization of federal and state NOLs carried forward to offset taxable income.

Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgments and Estimates

Our management’s discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”). The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities in our consolidated financial statements. Estimates include revenue recognition, including the estimates of product returns, units prescribed, discounts and allowances related to commercial sales of our products, estimates utilized in the valuation of inventory, estimates of useful lives with respect to intangible assets, accounting for stock-based compensation, contingencies, intangible assets and tax valuation allowances. We base our estimates and assumptions on historical experience when available and on various factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

While our significant accounting policies are described in more detail in Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, to our consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this on Form 10-K, we believe the following accounting policies to be most critical to the significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.

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Revenue Recognition

Our accounting policy for revenue recognition will have a substantial impact on reported results and relies on certain estimates. Estimates are based on historical experience, current conditions and various other assumptions that we believe are reasonable, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets, liabilities and equity and the amounts of revenues and expenses. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.

Product Revenue

Our only source of revenue to date has been generated by sales of our products, which are primarily sold to distributors (“customers”), which in turn sell the product to pharmacies for the treatment of patients (“end users”). For the year ended December 31, 2020, in accordance with ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”), revenue for product sales is recognized when a customer obtains control of promised goods or services, in an amount that reflects the consideration which the entity expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. This generally occurs upon delivery; when estimated provisions for chargebacks, rebates, sales incentives and allowances, distribution service fees, and returns are reasonably determinable. Therefore, product sales are recorded upon delivery net of estimated chargebacks, rebates, sales incentives and allowances, distribution service fees, as well as estimated product returns.

Prior to the adoption of ASC 606 on January 1, 2018, we recognized revenue in accordance with ASC Topic 605, Revenue Recognition (“legacy GAAP”), or when there was persuasive evidence of an arrangement; when title and risk of loss had passed to the customer; when estimated provisions for chargebacks, rebates, sales incentives and allowances, distribution service fees, and returns were reasonably determinable; and when collectability was reasonably assured. The satisfaction of these criteria generally occurred upon delivery of products to customers, or the sell-in method of revenue recognition under legacy GAAP. In addition, we recognized the transaction price net of estimated chargebacks, rebates, sales incentives and allowance. Given that timing of recognition for product sales under legacy GAAP and ASC 606 occurred on the delivery of products to customers and there were no differences in transaction price under legacy GAAP and ASC 606, the adoption of Topic 606 did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, equity or cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2018.

Sales Deductions

Sales deductions consist primarily of provisions for (1) rebates and incentives, including managed care rebates, government rebates, co-pay program incentives, and sales incentives and allowances; (2) product returns, including return estimates for both the Nucynta Products and Xtampza ER; and (3) trade allowances and chargebacks, including fees for distribution service fees, prompt pay discounts, and chargebacks. We estimate the amount of variable consideration that should be included in revenue under the expected value method for all sales deductions other than trade allowances, which are estimated under the most likely amount method. These provisions reflect our best estimates of the amount of revenue to which we are entitled based on the terms of our contracts.

Provisions for rebates and incentives are based on the estimated amount of rebates and incentives to be claimed on the related sales from the period. As our rebates and incentives are based on products dispensed to patients, we are required to estimate the expected value of claims at the time of product delivery to distributors. Given that distributors sell the product to pharmacies, which in turn dispense the product to patients, claims can be submitted significantly after the related sales are recognized. Our estimates of these claims are based on the historical experience of existing or similar programs, including current contractual and statutory requirements, specific known market events and trends, industry data, and estimated distribution channel inventory levels. Accruals and related reserves required for rebates and incentives are adjusted as new information becomes available, including actual claims. If actual results vary, we may need to adjust these estimates, which could have an effect on revenue and earnings in the period of the adjustment.

Provisions for product returns are based on product-level historical trends, as well as relevant market events and other factors. For the Nucynta Products, estimates of product returns are primarily based on historical trends as the Nucynta Products have been commercially sold for a number of years. For Xtampza ER, since the product has only been commercially sold since June 2016, estimates of product returns are based on a combination of historical returns processed to date, taking into consideration the expiration date of product upon delivery to customers, as well as

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forecasted customer buying patterns, shipment and prescription trends, channel inventory levels, and other specifically known market events and trends.

Provisions for trade allowances and chargebacks are primarily based on customer-level contractual terms. Accruals and related reserves are adjusted as new information becomes available, which generally consists of actual trade allowances and chargebacks processed relating to sales recognized in the period.

Intangible Assets

We record the fair value of finite-lived intangible assets as of the transaction date. Intangible assets are then amortized over their estimated useful lives using either the straight-line method, or if reliably determinable, based on the pattern in which the economic benefit of the asset is expected to be utilized. We test intangible assets for potential impairment whenever triggering events or circumstances present an indication of impairment. If the sum of expected undiscounted future cash flows of the intangible assets is less than the carrying amount of such assets, the intangible assets would be written down to the estimated fair value, calculated based on the present value of expected future cash flows.

As of December 31, 2020, our only intangible asset is related to the Nucynta Intangible Asset.

Results of Operations

In this section, we discuss the results of our operations for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. For a discussion of the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to the year ended December 31, 2018, please refer to Part II, Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019.

Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2020 and 2019

The following table summarizes the results of our operations for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019:

Years ended December 31,

(in thousands)

Cost of product revenues

Operating expenses

Income (loss) from operations 56,232 (23,748)

Income (loss) before income taxes 27,582 (22,722)

Provision for income taxes 830 —

Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2020 and 2019

Product revenues, net were $310.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 (“2020”), compared to $296.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 (“2019”). The $13.3 million increase related to an increase in revenue for Xtampza ER of $23.0 million, offset by a decrease in revenue for the Nucynta Products of $9.7 million. For 2020, Xtampza ER revenue was $128.0 million, compared to $105.0 million for 2019. The increase in revenue for Xtampza ER was primarily related to an increase in sales volume due to increasing demand. For 2020, Nucynta IR and ER

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revenue was $116.3 million and $65.7 million, respectively, compared to $117.7 million and $74.0 million, respectively, for 2019. The decrease in revenue for the Nucynta Products was primarily related to lower sales volume, partially offset by an increase in price.

Cost of product revenues (excluding intangible asset amortization) was $69.5 million for 2020, compared to $178.9 million for 2019. The $109.4 million decrease was primarily related to a decrease in royalty expense for the Nucynta Products. In 2019, we recognized $118.6 million in sales-based royalty expense due to Assertio under the terms of the Nucynta Commercialization Agreement, representing a full year of royalty expense compared to $14.2 million in 2020, when our sales-based royalty obligations to Assertio ceased upon closing of the Nucynta Acquisition on February 13, 2020.

Intangible asset amortization was $60.7 million for 2020, compared to $14.8 million for 2019. The $45.9 million increase was primarily related to the Nucynta Acquisition, in which $367.1 million of consideration was allocated to the existing intangible asset as incremental cost in 2020. The intangible asset is being amortized on a straight-line basis over its estimated useful life of approximately six years.

Research and development expenses were $9.8 million for 2020, compared to $10.3 million for 2019. The $568,000 decrease was primarily related to a decrease in trial related costs.

Selling, general and administrative expenses were $113.8 million for 2020, compared to $116.4 million for 2019. The $2.6 million decrease was primarily related to:

● an increase in insurance of $917,000, primarily due to higher premiums;

● an increase in subscriptions, licenses and support of $648,000;

Interest expense was $28.9 million for 2020, compared to $909,000 for 2019. The $28.0 million increase was primarily due to interest expense recognized in 2020 associated with the term notes and convertible notes issued in connection with the Nucynta Acquisition.

Interest income was $232,000 for 2020, compared to $1.9 million for 2019. The $1.7 million decrease was primarily due to lower interest rates earned on money market funds.

Provision for income taxes was $830,000 for 2020, compared to none for 2019. The increase was primarily due to state income tax expense as, in 2020, certain states enacted changes in tax laws that prevent us from using our state-level NOLs to offset taxable income. In addition, we continue to generate more taxable income from sales of our products in states in which we do not have sufficient state-level NOLs to fully offset state taxable income. We did not record income tax expense in 2019 due to the utilization of federal and state NOLs carried forward to offset taxable income.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Sources of liquidity

We have incurred net losses and negative cash flows from operations since inception until 2020. Historically, we have funded our operations primarily through the private placements of our preferred stock and convertible notes, public

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offerings of common stock and convertible notes, and commercial bank debt. As of December 31, 2020, we had $174.1 million in cash and cash equivalents.

Borrowing Arrangements and Equity Offerings

The following transactions represent the material changes in borrowing arrangements and equity offerings that were previously disclosed in our most recent Annual Report.

Pharmakon Term Notes

On February 6, 2020, in connection with the execution of the Nucynta Purchase Agreement, we, together with our subsidiary, Collegium Securities Corporation, entered into the Loan Agreement with BioPharma Credit PLC, as collateral agent and lender; and BioPharma Credit Investments V (Master) LP, as lender. The Loan Agreement provides for a $200.0 million secured term loan (the “term notes”), the proceeds of which were used to finance a portion of the purchase price paid pursuant to the Nucynta Purchase Agreement.

The term notes will mature on the calendar quarter end immediately following the 48-month anniversary of the closing of the Nucynta Acquisition, and is guaranteed by our material domestic subsidiaries and is also secured by substantially all of our material domestic assets. The term notes will bear interest at a rate based upon LIBOR (subject to a LIBOR floor of 2.0%), plus a margin of 7.5% per annum. We are required to repay the term notes by making equal quarterly payments.

The Loan Agreement contains certain covenants and obligations of the parties, including, without limitation, covenants that require us to maintain $200.0 million in annual net sales and covenants that limit our ability to incur additional indebtedness or liens, make acquisitions or other investments or dispose of assets outside the ordinary course of business. Failure to comply with these covenants would constitute an event of default under the Loan Agreement, notwithstanding our ability to meet its debt service obligations. The Loan Agreement also includes various customary remedies for the lenders following an event of default, including the acceleration of repayment of outstanding amounts under the Loan Agreement and execution upon the collateral securing obligations under the Loan Agreement.As of December 31, 2020, the Company was in compliance with all of its covenants.

2026 Convertible Notes

On February 13, 2020, in connection with the execution of the Nucynta Purchase Agreement, we issued 2.625% convertible senior notes due 2026 (the “convertible notes”), in the aggregate principal amount of $143.8 million, in a public offering registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. The proceeds were used to finance a portion of the purchase price paid pursuant to the Nucynta Purchase Agreement.

The convertible notes are senior, unsecured obligations and will accrue interest at a rate of 2.625% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears on February 15 and August 15 of each year, beginning on August 15, 2020. The notes will mature on February 15, 2026, unless earlier repurchased, redeemed or converted. Before August 15, 2025, noteholders will have the right to convert their notes only upon the occurrence of certain events. From and after August 15, 2025, noteholders may convert their notes at any time at their election until the close of business on the scheduled trading day immediately before the maturity date. We will settle conversions by paying or delivering, as applicable, cash, shares of our common stock or a combination of cash and shares of our common stock, at our election. The initial conversion rate is 34.2618 shares of common stock per $1,000 principal amount of notes, which represents an initial conversion price of approximately $29.19 per share of common stock. The conversion rate and conversion price will be subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events.

Silicon Valley Bank Term Loan Facility

From August 2012 until January 2020, we maintained a term loan facility with Silicon Valley Bank, which was amended in connection with, and as a condition to, consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Nucynta Commercialization Agreement. Under the amended term loan, we had a term loan facility in an amount of $11.5 million, which replaced our previously existing term loan facility. The proceeds were used to finance certain payment obligations under the Nucynta Commercialization Agreement and to repay the balance of the previously existing term loan. In January 2020, in anticipation of consummation of the Nucynta Acquisition and related financing activities, we repaid all of our outstanding indebtedness under the amended term loan.

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Cash flows

In this section, we discuss cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the year ended December 31, 2019. For a discussion of the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to the year ended December 31, 2018, please refer to Part II, Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019.

Years ended December 31,

Net cash provided by operating activities $ 93,942 $ 27,783

Net cash used in investing activities (373,772) (6,438)

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities 286,474 2,041

Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 6,644 $ 23,386

Operating activities. Cash provided by operating activities was $93.9 million in 2020, compared to cash provided by operating activities of $27.8 million in 2019. The $66.1 million increase in cash provided by operating activities was primarily due to higher net income as adjusted for non-cash adjustments related to the Nucynta Acquisition, which resulted in higher intangible asset amortization and higher non-cash interest expense from the term notes and convertible notes. These increases were partially offset by decreases in working capital accounts.

Investing activities. Cash used in investing activities was $373.8 million in 2020, compared to cash provided by investing activities of $6.4 million in 2019. The $367.4 million increase in cash used in investing activities was primarily related to the Nucynta Acquisition. The remaining change is primarily related to the timing of purchases of property, plant, and equipment primarily for the dedicated production suite at our contract manufacturing organization.

Financing activities. Cash provided by financing activities was $286.5 million in 2020, compared to cash provided by financing activities of $2.0 million in 2019. The $284.5 million increase in cash provided by financing activities was primarily related to net proceeds from the term notes of $192.1 million and issuance of the convertible notes of $138.3 million, both of which were issued in 2020. This increase was partially offset by term note repayments of $37.5 million and the SVB term loan repayment of $11.5 million. The remaining change is primarily related to changes in proceeds from the issuance of shares under our employee stock purchase plan and proceeds from exercises of stock options, offset by payments made for employee restricted stock tax withholdings.

Funding requirements

We believe that our cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2020, together with expected cash inflows from the commercialization of our products, will enable us to fund our operating expenses, debt service and capital expenditure requirements under our current business plan for the foreseeable future. However, we are subject to all the risks common to the commercialization and development of new pharmaceutical products, and we may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other unknown factors that may adversely affect our business.

Certain economic or strategic considerations may cause us to seek additional cash through private or public debt or equity offerings. Such funds may not be available when needed, or, we may not be able to obtain funding on favorable terms, or at all. If we are unable to raise additional capital in sufficient amounts or on terms acceptable to us, we may have to significantly delay, scale back or discontinue the development or commercialization of one or more of our products. If we raise additional funds through the issuance of additional debt or equity securities, it could result in dilution to our existing shareholders, increased fixed payment obligations and the existence of securities with rights that may be senior to those of our common stock. If we incur indebtedness, we could become subject to covenants that would restrict our operations and potentially impair our competitiveness, such as limitations on our ability to incur additional debt, limitations on our ability to acquire, sell or license intellectual property rights and other operating restrictions that could adversely impact our ability to conduct our business. Any of these events could significantly harm our business, financial condition and prospects.

Our forecast that our financial resources will be adequate to support our operations is a forward-looking statement and

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involves risks and uncertainties, and actual results could vary as a result of a number of factors. We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could utilize our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect. The amount and timing of future funding requirements, both near- and long-term, will depend on many factors, including:

● the generation of reasonable levels of revenue from products sales;

● the cost of litigation related to opioid marketing and distribution practices;

● our need to expand our regulatory and compliance functions; and

● the effect of competing technological and market developments.

If we cannot capitalize on our business opportunities because we lack sufficient capital, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

Contractual Obligations

The following table summarizes our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2020 that will affect our future liquidity:

Less than More than

Total 1 year 1 - 3 years 3 - 5 years 5 years

(in thousands)

Purchase obligations (2) 6,000 3,000 3,000 — —

We also have employment agreements with executive officers that would require us to make severance payments to them if we terminate their employment without cause or the executives resign for good cause. These payments are contingent upon the occurrence of various future events, and the amounts payable under these provisions depend upon the level of compensation at the time of termination of employment, are therefore not calculable at this time.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement our financial results presented on a GAAP basis, we have included information about non-GAAP adjusted income and adjusted EBITDA. We use these non-GAAP financial measures to understand, manage and evaluate the Company as we believe they represent the performance of our core business. Because these non-GAAP financial measures are important internal measures for the Company, we believe that the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures provides analysts, investors, lenders and other third parties insight into management’s view and assessment of the Company’s ongoing operating performance. In addition, we believe that the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures, when viewed with our results under GAAP and the accompanying reconciliation, provide supplementary information that may be useful to analysts, investors, lenders, and other third parties in assessing the Company’s performance and results from period to period. We report these non-GAAP financial measures to portray the results of our major operations prior to considering certain income statement elements. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for, or superior to, net income or other financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP.

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Non-GAAP Adjusted Income

Non-GAAP adjusted income is not based on any standardized methodology prescribed by GAAP and represents GAAP net income (loss) adjusted to exclude stock-based compensation expense, amortization expense, non-cash interest expense, certain royalty costs recognized in connection with the Nucynta Commercialization Agreement and the provision for income taxes. Non-GAAP adjusted income as used by us may be calculated differently from, and therefore may not be comparable to, similarly titled measures used by other companies.

Three months ended Year ended

December 31, December 31,

Non-GAAP adjustments:

Non-cash interest expense(3) 2,545 — 8,972 —

Nucynta royalty adjustment (4) — — 14,216 —

Provision for income taxes (5) 304 — 830 —

Adjusted EBITDA

Adjusted EBITDA represents GAAP net income (loss) adjusted to exclude interest expense, interest income, income tax expense, depreciation, amortization, and stock-based compensation. Adjusted EBITDA as used by us may be calculated differently from, and therefore may not be comparable to, similarly titled measures used by other companies.

There are several limitations related to the use of adjusted EBITDA rather than net income (loss), which is the nearest GAAP equivalent, such as:

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Three months ended Year ended

December 31, December 31,

Adjustments:

Provision for income taxes 304 — 830 —

First Quarter Second Quarter Third Quarter Fourth Quarter

Adjustments:

Interest income (212) (14) (3) (3)

Provision for income taxes — 246 280 304

First Quarter Second Quarter Third Quarter Fourth Quarter

Adjustments:

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements during the periods presented, as defined under SEC rules.

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risks

We are exposed to market risk related to changes in interest rates. As of December 31, 2020, we had cash and cash equivalents consisting of cash and money market funds of $174.1 million. Our primary exposure to market risk is interest rate sensitivity, which is affected by changes in the general level of U.S. interest rates, particularly because our money market funds are short-term highly liquid investments. Due to the short-term duration and the low risk profile of

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our investments, an immediate 10% change in interest rates would not have a material effect on the fair market value of our portfolio.

Item 8. Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

Our consolidated financial statements, together with the reports of our independent registered public accounting firms, begin on page F-1 of this Form 10-K.

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

None.

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management, with the participation of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act, as of the end of the period covered by this report. The term “disclosure controls and procedures” as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act, means controls and other procedures of a company that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Based on this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2020.

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Internal control over financial reporting refers to the process designed by, or under the supervision of, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and effected by our Board of Directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of consolidated financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and includes those policies and procedures that:

(1) pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of our assets;

COLL US Equity

COLL · 10-K · period ended 2020-12-31

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

Item 2. Properties

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Item 6. Selected Financial Data

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risks

Item 8. Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures

COLL US Equity☆

COLL · 10-K · period ended 2020-12-31

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

Item 2. Properties

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Item 6. Selected Financial Data

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risks

Item 8. Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures

COLL US Equity