coll-20251231
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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
For the year ended December 31, 2025
OR
For the transition period from to
Commission File Number 001-37372
Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
(781) 713-3699
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of exchange on which registered:
Common stock, par value $0.001 per share COLL The NASDAQ Global Select Market
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yesx No o
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes oNox
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yesx No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yesx No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. x
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. o
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). o
Indicate by checkmark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes o No x
As of June 30, 2025, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, the aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was approximately $926.4 million, based on the closing price of the registrant’s common stock on The NASDAQ Global Select Market on June 30, 2025 of $29.57 per share. Shares of the registrant’s common stock held by each officer and director and each person known to the registrant to own 10% or more of the outstanding common stock of the registrant have been excluded in that such persons may be deemed affiliates. This determination of affiliate status is not a determination for other purposes.
As of January 31, 2026, there were 31,753,211 shares of the registrant's common stock, par value, $0.001 per share, outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the registrant's definitive proxy statement for its 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the "Proxy Statement"), to be filed within 120 days of the registrant's year ended December 31, 2025, are incorporated by reference in Part II and Part III of this Report on Form 10-K. Except with respect to information specifically incorporated by reference in this Form 10-K, the Proxy Statement is not deemed to be filed as part of this Form 10-K.
Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page No.
PART I
Item 1. Business 3
Item 1A. Risk Factors 22
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 42
Item 1C. Cybersecurity 42
Item 2. Properties 43
Item 3. Legal Proceedings 43
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 43
PART II
Item 6. [Reserved] 45
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk 58
Item 8. Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 59
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 59
Item 9B. Other Information 62
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections 62
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 62
Item 11. Executive Compensation 63
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services 63
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules 64
SIGNATURES 67
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Forward-Looking Statements
Statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K that are not statements of historical or current facts, such as those under the heading “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements discuss our current expectations and projections relating to our financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business. These statements may be preceded by, followed by or include the words “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “intend,” “outlook,” “plan,” “potential,” “project,” “projection,” “seek,” “may,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “can,” “can have,” “likely,” the negatives thereof and other words and terms of similar meaning.
Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions; they are not guarantees of performance. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events. Although we believe that our assumptions made in connection with the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot assure you that the assumptions and expectations will prove to be correct.
You should understand that the following important factors could affect our future results and could cause those results or other outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements:
•our ability to commercialize and grow sales of our products;
•our ability to maintain regulatory approval of our products, and any related restrictions, limitations, and/or warnings in the label of an approved product;
•the size of the markets for our products, and our ability to service those markets;
•the success of competing products that are or become available;
•our ability to obtain and maintain reimbursement and third-party payor contracts with favorable terms for our products;
•the costs of commercialization activities, including marketing, sales and distribution;
•the rate and degree of market acceptance of our products;
•changing market conditions for our products;
•the outcome of any patent infringement, opioid-related or other litigation that may be brought by or against us;
•the outcome of any governmental investigation related to the manufacture, marketing and sale of opioid medications;
•the performance of our third-party suppliers and manufacturers;
•our ability to secure adequate supplies of active pharmaceutical ingredients for each of our products, manufacture adequate quantities of commercially salable inventory and maintain our supply chain;
•our ability to effectively manage our relationships with licensors and to commercialize products that we in-license from third parties;
•our ability to attract collaborators with development, regulatory and commercialization expertise;
•our ability to obtain funding for our business development;
•our ability to realize all the anticipated benefits from our future acquisitions;
•our ability to comply with the terms of our outstanding indebtedness;
•regulatory and legislative developments in the United States, including the adoption of opioid stewardship and similar taxes that may impact our business;
•our ability to obtain and maintain sufficient intellectual property protection for our products;
•our ability to comply with stringent government regulations relating to the manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical products, including U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (“DEA”) compliance;
•our customer concentration, which may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations;
•the accuracy of our estimates regarding expenses, revenue, capital requirements and need for additional financing; and
•the other risks, uncertainties and factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
In light of these risks and uncertainties, expected results or other anticipated events or circumstances discussed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (including the exhibits hereto) might not occur. We undertake no obligation, and specifically decline any obligation, to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, even if experience or future developments make it clear that projected results expressed or implied in such statements will not be realized, except as may be required by law.
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These and other risks are described under the heading “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Those factors and the other risk factors described therein are not necessarily all of the important factors that could cause actual results or developments to differ materially from those expressed in any of our forward-looking statements. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could harm our results. Consequently, there can be no assurance that actual results or developments anticipated by us will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, us. Given these uncertainties, prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements.
PART I
Item 1. Business
Overview
Our mission is to build a leading, diversified biopharmaceutical company committed to improving the lives of people living with serious medical conditions. We have developed, licensed, and acquired a portfolio of meaningfully differentiated products for use in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (“ADHD”) and moderate to severe pain. We commercialize our products, consisting of Jornay PM, Belbuca, Xtampza ER, Nucynta ER and Nucynta IR (collectively the “Nucynta Products”), and Symproic, in the United States.
Jornay PM
On September 3, 2024, we acquired Ironshore, which had developed and obtained commercial approval to market Jornay PM in the United States.
Jornay PM is a central nervous system (“CNS”) stimulant prescription medicine that contains methylphenidate HCl, a Schedule II methylphenidate, which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) in August 2018 for the treatment of ADHD in people six years of age and older and currently the only FDA-approved stimulant medication that is dosed in the evening.
The acquisition of Ironshore expands our business beyond pain management and establishes a commercial presence in neuropsychiatry via the ADHD market.
Belbuca
Belbuca is a buccal film that contains buprenorphine, a Schedule III opioid, and was approved by the FDA in October 2015 for severe and persistent pain that requires an extended treatment period with a daily opioid analgesic and for which alternative options are inadequate.
Xtampza ER
Xtampza ER is an abuse-deterrent, extended-release, oral formulation of oxycodone, a Schedule II opioid. Xtampza ER is formulated using our novel abuse-deterrent technology platform, DETERx, which provides extended-release delivery, which is designed to deter abuse and misuse (e.g., crushing, chewing, heating, and injecting). This technology combines an active opioid ingredient with a fatty acid and waxes to form microspheres that are filled into a capsule. These wax-based microspheres are designed to resist particle size reduction and dose dumping when subjected to physical and chemical manipulation.
We are committed to ongoing monitoring and public dissemination of our real-world abuse and diversion data, regardless of the results. The two main sources of real-world abuse, misuse, and diversion data are RADARS® and Inflexxion, an IBH Company. The Researched Abuse, Diversion and Addiction-Related Surveillance (RADARS) System collects product-and geographically-specific data on abuse, misuse, and diversion of prescription drugs through its multiple data sources. Abuse, misuse, and diversion of Xtampza ER has remained low compared to commonly abused Schedule II opioid analgesics since its introduction into the U.S. market. Methods to defeat the tamper resistant properties of Xtampza ER have been reported. However, there is no indication of widespread or expanding abuse or misuse in the data streams evaluated. Potential limitations are based upon the fact that the Poison Center and Treatment Center Program cases involve self-reporting which may lead to: (i) differential misidentification among drug groups which may affect observed differences, and (ii) case counts of drug groups comprised primarily of branded products (other abuse-deterrent formulations of ER opioids) may be overestimated when based on self-reporting and drug groups comprised primarily of generic products (non-abuse-deterrent formulations of ER opioids and IR oxycodone) may be underestimated. The RADARS data represents a single snapshot in time and is subject to change. Therefore, we plan to continue monitoring real world data characterizing the rate of abuse, misuse, and diversion of Xtampza ER.
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Nucynta Products
The Nucynta Products are extended-release (“ER”) and immediate-release (“IR”) oral formulations of tapentadol, a Schedule II opioid. In November 2008, the FDA approved Nucynta ER and Nucynta IR. Nucynta ER is indicated for the management of severe and persistent pain that requires an extended treatment period with a daily opioid analgesic, 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 and pediatric patients aged 6 years and older with a body weight of at least 40 kg. In August 2023, the FDA granted New Patient Population exclusivity for Nucynta IR in pediatric patients. This grant extended the period of U.S. exclusivity for Nucynta IR from June 27, 2025 to July 3, 2026. In June 2024, the FDA granted pediatric exclusivity to the Nucynta Products for an additional six months, to January 3, 2027 for Nucynta IR and December 27, 2025 for Nucynta ER.
We have entered into an authorized generic agreement with Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. (“Hikma”), pursuant to which we granted Hikma rights relating to an authorized generic version of the Nucynta Products in the United States. In January 2026, a generic equivalent of Nucynta IR 50mg, 75mg and 100mg tablets was approved under an abbreviated New Drug Application (“ANDA”) filed by a third party with the FDA, which carves out pediatric use from its label.As a result of the anticipated launch of the third-party generic equivalent of Nucynta IR, Hikma launched a generic version of Nucynta IR on February 25, 2026. Hikma is expected to launch a generic version of Nucynta ER in the first quarter of 2026.
Symproic
Symproic, an oral formulation of naldemedine, was approved by the FDA in March 2017 for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation (“OIC”) in adult patients with chronic non-cancer pain, including patients with chronic pain related to prior cancer or its treatment who do not require frequent (e.g., weekly) opioid dosage escalation.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) & Treatment
ADHD
ADHD is a CNS disorder characterized by developmentally inappropriate levels of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Diagnosis of ADHD requires a comprehensive clinical evaluation based on identifying patients who exhibit the core symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
In 2022–2023, approximately 11.4% of children or 7.1 million aged 3–17 and 6% of adults or 15.5 million had a current diagnosis of ADHD in the United States.
ADHD often begins in childhood and can persist into adulthood. The prevalence of children ever diagnosed increases by age. Over 90% of individuals with childhood ADHD will continue to struggle with residual, fluctuating symptoms and impairments through young adulthood.
ADHD symptoms may present as predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive/impulsive, or combined inattentive/hyperactive/impulsive. ADHD may contribute to low self-esteem, troubled relationships, and difficulty at school or work.
Treatment for ADHD
Patients with ADHD seek treatment primarily due to functional impairment while physicians have historically focused on achieving symptom control. The current era of ADHD management is marked by a rich and diverse treatment options that expands from cognitive behavioral therapy, training interventions, to pharmacotherapy or a combination approach.
Stimulants and nonstimulants are approved for the treatment of ADHD; however, stimulants are considered first-line therapy in children, adolescents, and adults with ADHD because of their greater efficacy. Although their mechanisms of action differ, both amphetamine and methylphenidate have been shown to exhibit efficacy in the management of ADHD by increasing dopamine and norepinephrine availability in the corticostriatal systems that subserve behaviors related to cognition and executive function.
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Pain, Pain Management, and Opioid Abuse in the United States
Acute and Chronic Pain
Pain can be classified along many different variables, including severity, duration and etiology. There are two broad categories of pain based on duration: acute pain, or pain that is self-limited and generally requires treatment for no more than up to a few weeks, and chronic pain, or pain that lasts beyond the healing of an injury or that persists longer than 3 to 6 months. The overall prevalence of chronic pain among adults in the United States is 24.3%. Additionally, 8.5% of the U.S. adult population suffer from high-impact chronic pain that frequently limits life or work activities.
In 2021, the economic costs of chronic pain in the United States were estimated to be $722.8 billion, including $530.6 billion in medical care costs and $192.2 billion in lost work productivity, which does not include the cost of care for institutionalized individuals (e.g., nursing home residents, prisoners), military personnel, or children, or the costs associated with caregiving. The estimated annual costs of chronic pain exceed the costs for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
Role of Prescription Opioids in the Treatment of Pain
Prescription opioids continue to serve as important tools in the treatment of acute and chronic pain where alternative treatments have been inadequate. Prescription opioids are available in immediate-release formulations as well as in long-acting/extended-release formulations, which incorporate a time-release mechanism designed to deliver steady amounts of opioid, typically over 12 to 24 hours. Extended-release opioids are designed to offer more convenient dosing with a longer period of consistent blood levels of the active drug as compared to immediate-release formulations.
In 2025, there were approximately 133.2 million prescriptions for opioids written in the United States, representing a 2.4% decline from 2023 levels and including approximately 9.5 million prescriptions for long-acting/extended-release opioids, and approximately 123.7 million prescriptions for immediate-release opioids. After marked increases in opioid prescriptions from 2000 to 2015, prescriptions decreased each year since 2015, correlating with rising awareness of the extent and impact of the opioid crisis. However, prescription levels in 2020 returned to levels similar to those seen in the year 2000, when 143.8 million prescriptions for opioids were written in the United States, including 11.4 million prescriptions for extended-release opioids and 132.4 million prescriptions for immediate-release opioids.
Increasingly, practitioners and regulators are focusing on multidisciplinary, multimodal approaches to pain management, including exercise, physical therapy and psychotherapy, and opioid and non-opioid medications. Recognizing the role that opioid therapy continues to play in effective management of moderate to severe pain in appropriate patients, these groups are advocating for best practices that support appropriate opioid prescribing to help mitigate the risks of abuse, addiction and other adverse events associated with prescription opioids.
Prescription Opioid Abuse in the United States
Prescription opioids of all kinds, including both immediate-release and extended-release formulations, are subject to manipulation, diversion, misuse, and abuse. Besides their accepted uses for analgesia, opioids produce a general sense of well-being or euphoria by reducing tension, anxiety, and aggression. These effects contribute to the attractiveness of opioids for abuse and, indeed, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) has described abuse of prescription drugs in the United States as a vast and deadly epidemic. The beginning of the opioid overdose epidemic in the late 1990s was marked by a rise in prescription opioid overdose deaths. For a variety of reasons, heroin use began increasing in 2010, and had surpassed prescription opioids as a cause of opioid-related overdose by 2016. Meanwhile, the predominant opioid cause of death in 2013 involved synthetic opioids other than methadone. While opioid-related overdose deaths declined slightly in 2018 (in contrast to the sharp increases during 2014 to 2017), the number of drug overdose deaths was still ten times higher in 2023 than in 1999.
Despite heightened awareness of the risks associated with opioid use, abuse of prescription opioids, including extended-release formulations, continues to be a public health issue. In 2024, 7.6 million, or 2.6% of people aged 12 and older, reported opioid misuse in the prior year as collected by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (“SAMHSA”). In 2023, the number of reported deaths involving prescription opioids declined to 13,026, an improvement from 2017 levels.
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Extended-release opioids may be especially attractive to people who abuse opioids because, if the extended-release mechanism can be defeated through tampering, many extended-release products quickly deliver a relatively large amount of active pharmaceutical ingredient (“API”) (i.e., an effect known as “dose dumping”). By manipulating these products, people who abuse opioids achieve a more intense euphoria as a result of rapid increases in the blood concentration of the API.
In response to issues surrounding abuse of prescription opioids, pharmaceutical companies have developed novel, abuse-deterrent formulation strategies. Abuse-deterrent formulations, including the DETERx platform that is incorporated in Xtampza ER, target the known or expected routes of abuse, such as crushing in order to snort or dissolving in order to inject, for the specific opioid drug substance. The FDA has encouraged the development of prescription opioids with abuse-deterrent formulations to help combat the opioid crisis, and expanding access to abuse deterrent formulations is part of the FDA’s comprehensive Opioids Action Plan. These technologies, however, do not eliminate the possibility of misuse and abuse. Moreover, no abuse deterrence technology, including DETERx, is able to deter the most common form of abuse, i.e., swallowing a number of intact capsules or tablets to achieve a feeling of euphoria.
Legislative and Regulatory Actions
In response to widespread prescription opioid abuse, the U.S. government and a number of state legislatures enacted new legislation and regulations intended to fight the opioid epidemic. At the federal level (in addition to the DEA and FDA efforts discussed elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K), in 2016 the CDC issued clinical practice prescribing guidelines intended to reduce opioid-related harms by encouraging primary care physicians to limit the amount of morphine milligram equivalents (“MMEs”) that they prescribe for chronic pain patients. On November 4, 2022, the CDC released updated guidance on prescribing opioids for pain. The 2022 prescribing guidelines replaced the 2016 guidelines but retained their principles for prescribing opioids for chronic pain. The updated CDC guidelines note that although opioids should not be considered first-line therapy for pain management, this does not mean that patients should be required to sequentially fail nonpharmacologic and nonopioid therapy before proceeding to opioid therapy, but rather the expected benefits specific to the clinical context should be weighed against risks before initiating therapy.
In addition to CDC, the Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), and the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense (“VA-DoD”) issued clinical practice guidelines in 2017 and updated most recently in 2022 for the evaluation and management of care for patients with chronic pain who are on or being considered for opioid treatment. These guidelines are grounded in patient-centered care and the 2022 update provides algorithms for determining the appropriateness of opioids for chronic pain, determining the initiation of opioids, and maintaining, tapering, discontinuing or switching from full agonist opioid treatment.
While much, if not most, of the state level efforts have focused primarily on increasing people’s access to substance abuse treatment and harm reduction measures, some initiatives more directly impact manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioid products; these laws include requirements that manufacturers fund statewide drug take-back programs or pay opioid-specific taxes or “impact fees” and laws that limit the amount of opioid products that a physician may prescribe. Recent years have also seen a variety of proposed and enacted laws and regulations at the federal, state and local level intended to reduce, or limit increases in, pharmaceutical prices, including prescription drug price disclosure laws. Other jurisdictions may enact similar or novel measures intended to reduce or constrain the growth of pharmaceutical spending or otherwise impose policy measures (either opioid-specific or applicable to the pharmaceutical industry as a whole) that could increase our operating costs associated with compliance.
Manufacturing of Our Products
Overview
Jornay PM is manufactured pursuant to supply agreements with third-party manufacturers. Jornay PM drug product is manufactured by Coating Place Inc, in Verona, Wisconsin. Starting in 2026, capsules will be shipped to Patheon in Cincinnati, Ohio to be bottled and packed. This manufacturing process was previously performed by Patheon in Manati, Puerto Rico.
Belbuca and Symproic are manufactured pursuant to supply agreements with third-party manufacturers. Belbuca laminate (i.e., bulk product) is produced by Adhesives Research in Glen Rock, Pennsylvania and LTS Therapy Systems (formerly Tapemark) in St. Paul, Minnesota. Belbuca laminate is then sent to LTS Therapy Systems (formerly Tapemark) in St. Paul, Minnesota where it is converted into individual dosage units and, ultimately, into finished goods.
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Xtampza ER is manufactured using a proprietary process. This process is reproducible, scalable, and cost-efficient, and we believe that the microsphere formulation — and the related manufacturing process — is unique in the extended-release opioid market. To date, we have produced Xtampza ER through a contract manufacturing organization, Patheon, a subsidiary of Thermo Fisher Scientific, pursuant to a third-party supply agreement. Our microsphere production is currently conducted in a dedicated manufacturing suite as we transitioned the microsphere production to the new suite in 2021. Patheon has an established record of manufacturing FDA-approved products in the United States, including products containing controlled substances. We own all of the intellectual property, including know-how and specialized manufacturing equipment, necessary to be able to qualify the manufacturing equipment currently located at Patheon’s facility at an alternative location (and with an alternative vendor) if necessary.
The Nucynta Products are manufactured pursuant to supply agreements with third-party manufacturers. Nucynta ER is currently manufactured by Patheon in Cincinnati, Ohio. Nucynta IR is manufactured by Halo Pharmaceutical, Inc. in Whippany, New Jersey.
Symproic is manufactured pursuant to supply agreements with third-party manufacturers. Symproic is manufactured by UPM Pharmaceuticals in Bristol, Tennessee and packaged by Sharp Packaging Solutions in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Drug Substances
The API used to formulate the products in our portfolio and DEA drug scheduling are as follows:
Product API DEA Drug Schedule
Xtampza ER Oxycodone Schedule II
Nucynta IR Tapentadol Schedule II
Nucynta ER Tapentadol Schedule II
Jornay PM Methylphenidate Schedule II
Belbuca Buprenorphine Schedule III
Symproic Naldemedine Not a controlled substance
Oxycodone, tapentadol, methylphenidate, and buprenorphine are classified as narcotic controlled substances under U.S. federal law. Xtampza ER, Jornay PM and the Nucynta Products are classified by the DEA as Schedule II controlled substances, meaning these products have a high potential for abuse and dependence but are recognized as having an accepted medical use. Belbuca is classified as a Schedule III controlled substance, meaning it has a moderate to low potential for abuse. Due to the controlled substances classification, the manufacturing, shipping, dispensing and storing of these products are subject to a high degree of regulation, as described in more detail under the caption “— Government Regulation — DEA and Opioid Regulation.”
We currently procure the API used in our products from a sole supplier or limited number of suppliers.
Marketing and Commercialization
We commercialize our products in the United States through two dedicated field sales forces, one focused on our pain portfolio and the other on ADHD. Our pain sales force consists of approximately 105 sales representatives and managers that call on the approximately 10,000 health care professionals who write approximately 67% of the branded extended-release opioid prescriptions in the United States, with a primary focus on pain specialists. Our ADHD sales force consists of approximately 200 sales representatives and managers that call on the approximately 21,000 health care professionals who write approximately 60% of the pediatric and adolescent extended release stimulant prescriptions in the United States. We also employ a market-access team to support our formulary approval and payor contracting across our portfolio.
Our marketing strategy focuses on increasing awareness of the differentiated features of our products. As an integral part of educating clinicians regarding the properties and differentiated profiles of our products, our sales force is trained to share information relating to significant risks associated with prescription opioids and stimulants, as applicable, including risks relating to addiction, abuse, and misuse.
We primarily sell our products to wholesalers that, in turn, distribute our products to retail outlets (such as drug store and supermarket chains and independent pharmacies), managed health care organizations and government agencies. Customers in the managed health care market include health maintenance organizations, nursing homes, hospitals, clinics, pharmacy benefit management companies and mail order customers.
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Intellectual Property
The protection of patents, designs, trademarks and other proprietary rights that we own or license is critical to our success and competitive position. Xtampza ER is protected by twelve issued patents in the United States (which cover both the abuse-deterrent technology and methods of using it to treat patients), one granted and two pending applications in the European Patent Office, two issued patents in Canada, and one issued patent in each of Japan and Australia. Finally, we have six patent applications pending in the United States, one pending patent application in each of Canada and Japan, and one pending Patent Cooperation Treaty (“PCT”) application. One of our issued U.S. patents expired in 2025 and the remaining are projected to expire in 2030 and 2036. Our pending patent applications in the United States, if issued, would be projected to expire in 2030 and 2036. In addition, we use a unique and proprietary process to manufacture our products that requires significant know-how, which we currently protect as trade secrets.
Nucynta IR is protected by one issued patent in the United States (which covers both the drug substance and drug product) that expired in 2025. Nucynta IR is also covered by New Patient Population exclusivity in pediatric patients that is projected to expire in 2027. Nucynta ER is protected by three issued patents in the United States (which cover the drug substance, drug product, certain characteristics of the dosage form, and methods of treating patients), one of which expired in 2025 and the remaining two are projected to expire in 2028 and 2029. Belbuca is protected by three issued patents in the United States (which cover a method of treating patients) that are projected to expire in 2027 and 2032. Jornay PM is protected by sixteen patents in the United States (which cover the pharmaceutical composition, formulation, and methods of treating patients) that are projected to expire in 2032.
We are party to a license agreement with Grünenthal Gmbh (the “Grünenthal License”) pursuant to which we license the right to commercialize the Nucynta Products in the United States and its territories and a license agreement with Shionogi (the “Shionogi License”) pursuant to which we license the right to commercialize Symproic in the United States and its territories.
We have concluded that some of our technology is best protected as proprietary know-how, rather than through obtaining patents. Except for the Grünenthal License and the Shionogi License, our technology and products are not in-licensed from any third party, and we own all of the rights to Xtampza ER, Belbuca and Jornay PM. We believe we have freedom to operate in the United States and other countries, but there can be no assurance that other companies, known and unknown, will not attempt to assert their intellectual property against us.
We also rely on trademarks and trade designs to develop and maintain our competitive position. We have received trademark registration for Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc., DETERx, and Xtampza ER in the United States, and acquired trademarks associated with the Nucynta Products in connection with our acquisition of assets and commercialization responsibilities of the Nucynta Products from Assertio Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Nucynta Acquisition”); Belbuca and Symproic in connection with our acquisition of BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. (“BDSI”) (“the BDSI Acquisition”); and Jornay PM in connection with the acquisition of Ironshore.
Our business depends upon the skills, knowledge and experience of our scientific and technical personnel, as well as that of our advisors, consultants and other contractors. To help protect our proprietary know-how that is not patentable, we rely on trade secret protection and confidentiality agreements to protect our interests. To this end, we generally require our employees, consultants and advisors to enter into confidentiality agreements prohibiting the disclosure of confidential information and, in some cases, requiring disclosure and assignment to us of the ideas, developments, discoveries and inventions important to our business. Additionally, these confidentiality agreements require that our employees, consultants and advisors do not bring to us, or use without proper authorization, any third party’s proprietary technology.
Competition
Our industry is characterized by rapidly advancing technologies, intense competition, and a strong emphasis on proprietary products. Our competitors include major multinational pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies and universities and other research institutions. However, our primary source of competition stems from the generic opioid and stimulant markets, including both long-acting/extended-release and immediate-release drugs. Non-opioid alternative drugs are also being developed and marketed by a number of other pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, such as Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, which in January 2025 obtained approval for suzetrigine for the treatment of moderate to severe acute pain in adults. Belbuca, Xtampza ER, and the Nucynta Products compete with oral opioids, transdermal opioids, local anesthetic patches, and implantable and external infusion pumps that can be used for infusion of opioids and local anesthetics. Jornay PM competes with currently marketed, branded and generic methylphenidate products for the treatment of ADHD. Most of the existing and potential competitors have significantly more financial and other resources than we do. We believe the key competitive factors that will affect the commercial success of our products include the
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therapeutic efficacy, convenience of dosing and distribution and, in the case of Xtampza ER, the degree of abuse deterrence of competing products, as well as their safety, cost and tolerability profiles.
Government Regulation
FDA Approval Process
In the United States, pharmaceutical products are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and other federal and state statutes and regulations govern the research, development, testing, manufacture, storage, recordkeeping, approval, labeling, promotion and marketing, distribution, post-approval monitoring and reporting, sampling, and import and export of pharmaceutical products. Failure to comply with applicable U.S. requirements may subject a company to a variety of administrative or judicial sanctions, such as warning or untitled letters, product recalls, product seizures, total or partial suspension of production or distribution, withdrawal of the product from the market, injunctions, fines, civil penalties, and criminal prosecution. Failure to meet FDA requirements for approval would also result in a medication not being approved for marketing.
The process of developing a pharmaceutical product and obtaining FDA approval to market the medication in the United States typically involves:
•completion of preclinical laboratory and animal testing and formulation studies in compliance with the FDA’s good laboratory practices (“GLP”) and regulations;
•submission to the FDA of an Investigational New Drug (“IND”) application for human clinical testing, which becomes effective 30 days after submission and, if not placed on clinical hold, before human clinical trials may begin in the United States;
•approval by an independent institutional review board, at each clinical trial site before each trial may be initiated;
•performance of adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials in accordance with current good clinical practices (“GCP”) and FDA regulations to establish the safety and effectiveness of the proposed drug product for each indication for which FDA approval is sought;
•satisfactory completion of an FDA pre-approval inspection of the facility or facilities at which the product is manufactured to assess compliance with the FDA’s current good manufacturing practices (“cGMP”) and regulations;
•submission to the FDA of a NDA or, in the case of a generic drug, an ANDA;
•satisfactory completion of a review by an FDA advisory committee, if convened; and
•FDA review and approval of the NDA or ANDA.
Satisfaction of FDA pre-market approval requirements typically takes many years and the actual time required may vary substantially based upon the application type, complexity, and novelty of the product or disease.
Preclinical tests include laboratory evaluation of product chemistry, formulation, stability and toxicity, as well as animal studies to assess the characteristics and potential safety and efficacy of the product candidate. The conduct of the preclinical tests must comply with federal regulations and requirements, including GLPs. The results of preclinical testing are submitted to the FDA as part of an IND application along with other information, including information about product chemistry, manufacturing and controls, and a proposed clinical trial protocol. Long-term preclinical tests, such as animal tests of reproductive toxicity and carcinogenicity, may continue after the IND application is submitted. The IND becomes effective 30 days after receipt by the FDA, unless the FDA raises concerns or questions regarding the proposed clinical trials and places the IND on clinical hold within that 30-day time period. In such a case, the IND sponsor and the FDA must resolve any outstanding concerns or questions before the clinical trial can begin. The FDA may also impose clinical holds on a drug candidate at any time before or during clinical trials due to safety concerns or non-compliance.
Clinical trials involve the administration of the investigational new drug to healthy volunteers or subjects under the supervision of a qualified investigator. Clinical trials must be conducted: (i) in compliance with federal regulations and GCP, an international standard for the design, conduct, performance, monitoring, auditing, recording, analyses, and reporting of clinical trials that provides assurance that the data and reported results are credible and accurate, and that the rights, integrity, and confidentiality of trial subjects are protected; and (ii) under protocols detailing, among other things, the objectives of the trial, the parameters to be used in monitoring safety, and any effectiveness criteria to be evaluated. Each protocol, and any subsequent amendments to the protocol, must be submitted to the FDA as part of the IND. Further, each clinical trial must be reviewed and approved by an independent institutional review board, or IRB, at or servicing each institution at which the clinical trial will be conducted. An IRB is charged with protecting the welfare and rights of trial participants and considers such items as whether the risks to individuals participating in the clinical trials are minimized and are reasonable in relation to anticipated benefits. The IRB also approves the informed consent form that must be
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provided to each clinical trial subject or his or her legal representative and must monitor the clinical trial until completed. There are also requirements governing the reporting of ongoing clinical trials and completed clinical trial results to public registries such as www.ClinicalTrials.gov. Failure to timely register a clinical trial or to submit study results to such public registries can give rise to civil monetary penalties and also prevent a non-compliant party from receiving future grant funds from the federal government.
Clinical trials to support NDAs for marketing approval are typically conducted in three sequential phases, but the phases may overlap or be combined.
•Phase 1: This phase includes the initial introduction of an investigational new drug into patients or healthy volunteer subjects. These studies are typically closely monitored and designed to determine the metabolism and pharmacological actions of the drug in humans, the side effects associated with increasing doses, and, in some cases, early evidence of effectiveness.
•Phase 2: This phase includes well-controlled, closely monitored studies conducted in a relatively small number of patients (typically no more than several hundred patients) to assess effectiveness of the drug for particular indication(s) in patients with the diseases or condition under study as well as to determine the common short-term side effects and risks associated with the drug.
•Phase 3: This phase includes expanded controlled and uncontrolled trials which are performed after preliminary evidence suggesting effectiveness of the drug has been obtained. These studies typically include several hundred to several thousand patients and are conducted to gather additional information about the effectiveness and safety of the drug in order to evaluate the overall risk-benefit relationship and provide an adequate basis for labeling.
Post-approval trials, sometimes referred to as Phase 4 clinical trials, may be conducted after initial marketing approval. These trials are used to gain additional experience from the treatment of patients in the intended therapeutic indication. In certain instances, the FDA may mandate the performance of Phase 4 clinical trials as a condition of approval on an NDA.
Progress reports detailing the results of the clinical trials must be submitted at least annually to the FDA and more frequently if serious adverse events occur. Written IND safety reports must be submitted to the FDA and investigators for serious and unexpected suspected adverse events, findings from other studies or animal or in vitro testing that suggest a significant risk for human subjects and any clinically important increase in the rate of a serious suspected adverse reaction over that listed in the protocol or investigator brochure. The sponsor must submit an IND safety report within 15 calendar days after the sponsor determines that the information qualifies for reporting. The sponsor also must notify the FDA of any unexpected fatal or life-threatening suspected adverse reaction within seven calendar days after the sponsor’s initial receipt of the information.
Furthermore, the FDA or the sponsor may suspend or terminate a clinical trial at any time on various grounds, including a finding that the research subjects are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk. Similarly, an IRB can suspend or terminate approval of a clinical trial at its institution if the clinical trial is not being conducted in accordance with the IRB’s requirements or if the drug has been associated with unexpected serious harm to patients. Additionally, some clinical trials are overseen by an independent group of qualified experts organized by the clinical trial sponsor, known as a data safety monitoring board or committee. This group provides authorization for whether a trial may move forward at designated check points based on access to certain data from the trial.
Concurrent with clinical trials, companies usually complete additional animal studies and also must develop additional information about the chemistry and physical characteristics of the drug as well as finalize a process for manufacturing the product in commercial quantities in accordance with cGMP requirements. The manufacturing process must be capable of consistently producing quality batches of product and, among other things, companies must develop methods for testing the identity, strength, quality and purity of the final product. Additionally, appropriate packaging must be selected and tested and stability studies must be conducted to demonstrate that the drug does not undergo unacceptable deterioration over its shelf life.
For opioid products designed to deter abuse, FDA guidance regarding studies and clinical trials dictates what types of studies should be conducted to demonstrate abuse-deterrence, how those studies and clinical trials will be evaluated, and what product labeling claims may be approved based on the results of those studies and clinical trials. There are four categories of abuse-deterrence studies and clinical trials: Categories 1, 2 and 3 consist of pre-marketing studies and clinical trials designed to evaluate a product candidate’s abuse potential under controlled conditions, while Category 4 studies analyze post-market data to assess the impact of abuse-deterrent properties on actual abuse. The final guidance also provides examples of product label claims that may be made based on the results of the corresponding studies and clinical trials.
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After completion of the required clinical testing, an NDA is prepared and submitted to the FDA. The FDA conducts a preliminary review of all NDAs within the first 60 days after submission before accepting them for filing. Pursuant to agreements reached during reauthorization of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (“PDUFA”), the FDA has a goal of acting on most original NDAs within six months or ten months of the application filing date, depending on the nature of the drug and whether the application is assigned a priority or standard review. The FDA has a number of programs intended to help expedite testing, review, and approval of drug candidates that meet certain eligibility criteria. The FDA may refer applications for novel drug products, or drug products that present difficult questions of safety or effectiveness, to an advisory committee – typically a panel that includes clinicians and other experts – for review, evaluation, and a recommendation as to whether the application should be approved and under what conditions. The FDA is not bound by the recommendation of an advisory committee, but it generally follows such recommendations.
If the FDA’s evaluations of the NDA and of the sponsor’s manufacturing facilities are favorable, the FDA will issue an approval letter, and the sponsor may begin marketing the drug for the approved indications, subject to any post-approval requirements, described further below. If the FDA determines it cannot approve the NDA in its current form, it will issue a complete response letter indicating that the application will not be approved in its current form. The complete response letter usually describes the specific deficiencies that the FDA identified in the application and may require additional clinical or other data or impose other conditions that must be met in order to obtain approval of the NDA. After receiving a complete response letter, the applicant may resubmit the application addressing all deficiencies in the letter or withdraw the application. Addressing the deficiencies noted by the FDA can be costly and can result in significant delays prior to approval. Moreover, even if the applicant believes it has addressed the deficiencies, it is possible that approval may not ultimately be obtained.
Where a sponsor wishes to expand the originally approved prescribing information, such as by adding a new indication, it must submit and obtain approval of a sNDA. Changes to an indication generally require additional clinical studies, which can be time-consuming and require the expenditure of substantial additional resources. Under PDUFA, the target timeframe for the review of a sNDA to add a new clinical indication is six or ten months from the receipt date, depending on whether or not the sNDA has priority review. As with an NDA, if the FDA determines that it cannot approve a sNDA in its current form, it will issue a complete response letter as discussed above.
REMS
The FDA has the authority to require a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (“REMS”), either as a condition of the approval of an NDA or after approval. A REMS is a program to manage known or potential serious risks associated with a drug product and may be required by the FDA to ensure that the benefits of a drug outweigh its risks. If the FDA determines a REMS is necessary for a new drug, the drug sponsor must submit a proposed REMS plan as part of its NDA prior to approval. The FDA may also impose a REMS requirement on a drug already on the market if the FDA determines, based on new safety information, that a REMS is necessary to ensure that the drug’s benefits continue to outweigh its risks. A REMS can include medication guides, communication plans for healthcare professionals, and Elements To Assure Safe Use (“ETASU”). In addition, the REMS must include a timetable for periodically assessing the strategy, at a minimum, at 18 months, three years, and seven years after the REMS approval. The requirement for a REMS can materially affect the potential market and profitability of a drug.
In July 2012, the FDA approved a class-wide REMS for extended-release and long-acting opioid products (Opioid Analgesic REMS). Extended-release formulations of oxycodone, morphine, hydrocodone and hydromorphone, for example, are required to have a REMS. The goal of the Opioid Analgesic REMS is to educate prescribers and other healthcare providers (including pharmacists and nurses) on the treatment and monitoring of patients with pain. Manufacturers subject to this class-wide REMS must work together to implement the REMS as part of the Opioid Analgesic REMS Program Companies ("RPC"), which is a collaboration of drug product companies to implement a single shared REMS to reduce the burden on the healthcare system accessed from the RPC REMs website. The content on this website is determined by, hosted on behalf of, and is financially supported by the RPC. The central component of the extended-release/long-acting opioid REMS program is an education program for healthcare providers who prescribe, and healthcare providers involved in the treatment and monitoring of patients who receive opioid analgesics. Specifically, the REMS includes a product-specific Medication Guide and the Patient Counseling Guide available for distribution to patients who are dispensed the drug, as well as a number of ETASU. These ETASU include REMS-compliant accredited continuing education for healthcare providers, which includes all healthcare providers who prescribe or are involved in the management of patients with pain; information provided to prescribers that they can use to educate patients in the safe use, storage, and disposal of opioids; and information provided to prescribers about the existence of the REMS and the strong recommendation that they complete the available training. Prescriber training required to be offered as part of the REMS is conducted by accredited, independent continuing education providers, without cost to healthcare professionals, under
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unrestricted grants funded by the opioid analgesic manufacturers. Moreover, REMS assessments must be submitted on an annual basis to assess the extent to which the ETASU are meeting the goals of the REMS and whether the goals or elements should be modified.
In September 2018, and pursuant to its Opioids Action Plan, the FDA approved the final class-wide REMS, which includes several measures to facilitate communication of the risks associated with opioid pain medications to patients and health care professionals. For the first time, FDA notified companies that have NDAs or ANDAs for certain opioid analgesic drug products (“NDA/ANDA holders”) of the elements required for a single REMS for opioid analgesic products, whether branded or generic. The REMS requires that training be made available to health care providers who are involved in the management of patients with pain (including nurses and pharmacists) and requires that the education cover broad information about appropriate pain management, including alternatives to opioids for the treatment of pain. In connection with the 2018 REMS, the FDA also approved new product labeling containing information about the health care provider education available through the 2018 REMS. On October 31, 2024, FDA approved a modification to the opioid analgesic REMS to require manufacturers of opioid analgesics dispensed in outpatient settings to provide pre-paid drug mail-back envelopes (“MBEs”) upon request to become available by March 31, 2025 to pharmacies and other dispensers of opioid analgesics. As of March 31, 2025, we have made MBEs available on request by pharmacies in accordance with this requirement. Any products mailed-back under this program are sent to a destruction site that operates in compliance with DEA regulations
Advertising and Promotion
The FDA and other federal regulatory agencies closely regulate the marketing and promotion of drugs through, among other things, guidance and regulations for direct-to-consumer advertising, communications regarding unapproved uses, industry-sponsored scientific and educational activities, and promotional activities involving the internet. A product cannot be commercially promoted before it is approved. After approval, product promotion can include only those claims relating to safety and efficacy that are consistent with the labeling approved by the FDA. Healthcare providers are permitted to prescribe drugs for “off-label” uses — that is, uses not approved by the FDA and therefore not described in the drug’s labeling — because the FDA does not regulate the practice of medicine. However, FDA regulations impose stringent restrictions on manufacturers’ communications regarding off-label uses. Failure to comply with applicable FDA requirements and restrictions in this area may subject a company to adverse publicity and enforcement action by the FDA, the U.S. Department of Justice, or the Office of the Inspector General of HHS, as well as state authorities. This could subject a company to a range of penalties that could have a significant commercial impact, including civil and criminal fines and agreements that materially restrict the manner in which a company promotes or distributes drug products.
Post-Approval Requirements
Once an NDA is approved, a product will be subject to pervasive and continuing regulation by the FDA, including, among other things, requirements relating to drug listing and establishment registration, recordkeeping, periodic reporting, product sampling and distribution, adverse event reporting and advertising, marketing and promotion restrictions. In addition, the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (“DSCSA”), was enacted in 2013 with the aim of building an electronic system to identify and trace certain prescription drugs and biologics distributed in the United States. The DSCSA mandates phased-in and resource-intensive obligations for pharmaceutical manufacturers, wholesale distributors, and dispensers that culminated in November 2023. The FDA established a one-year stabilization period until November 2024 for trading partners to continue to build and validate interoperable systems and processes to meet certain requirements of the DSCSA. In late 2024, the FDA announced it is allowing a further exemption period for eligible trading partners who have successfully completed or made documented efforts to complete data connections with their immediate trading partners but still face challenges exchanging data. The exemption period for eligible manufacturers and repackagers extended until May 27, 2025. The law’s requirements include the quarantine and prompt investigation of a suspicious product, to determine if it is illegitimate, notifying trading partners and the FDA of any illegitimate product, and compliance with product tracking and tracing requirements.
Adverse event reporting and submission of periodic reports is required following FDA approval of an NDA. The FDA also may require, in addition to REMS discussed above, post-market testing, known as Phase 4 testing, and surveillance to monitor the effects of an approved product, or the FDA may place conditions on an approval that could restrict the distribution or use of the product. In addition, quality control, drug manufacture, packaging, and labeling procedures must continue to conform to cGMPs after approval. Drug manufacturers and certain of their subcontractors are required to register their establishments with the FDA and certain state agencies. Registration subjects entities to periodic announced or unannounced inspections by the FDA or these state agencies, during which the agency inspects manufacturing facilities to assess compliance with cGMPs. Regulatory authorities may withdraw product approvals, request product recalls, or take
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other punitive action if a company fails to comply with regulatory standards, if it encounters problems following initial marketing, or if previously unrecognized problems are subsequently discovered.
The FDA may require post-approval studies, including post-marketing surveillance and observational studies and clinical trials, if the FDA finds that scientific data, including information regarding related drugs, warrant them. The purpose of such studies would be to collect additional information to assess a known serious risk or signals of serious risk related to the drug or to monitor for or identify an unexpected serious risk when available data indicate the potential for such a risk. The FDA may also require a labeling change if it becomes aware of new safety information that it believes should be included in the labeling of a drug. Discovery of previously unknown problems with a drug or the failure to comply with applicable FDA requirements can have negative consequences, including adverse publicity, judicial or administrative enforcement, untitled or warning letters from the FDA, mandated corrective advertising or communications with doctors, and civil or criminal penalties, among others.
The FDA held a meeting of the Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee on April 19, 2023. The committee discussed post-marketing requirements (“PMRs”) 3033-11, issued to holders of NDAs for extended-release and long-acting opioid analgesics to evaluate long-term efficacy of opioid analgesics and the risk of opioid-induced hyperalgesia. The discussion focused on a clinical trial designed to address these objectives. The proposed design of study 3033-11, the enriched enrollment randomized withdrawal design, was not supported.
From time to time, legislation is drafted, introduced, passed in Congress and signed into law that could significantly change the statutory provisions governing the approval, manufacturing, and marketing of products regulated by the FDA. In addition to new legislation, FDA regulations, guidances, and policies are often revised or reinterpreted by the agency in ways that may significantly affect the manner in which pharmaceutical products are regulated and marketed.
The Hatch-Waxman Amendments
Orange Book Listing
In seeking approval for a drug through an NDA, applicants are required to list with the FDA each patent with claims that cover the applicant’s product. Upon approval of a drug, each of the patents listed in the application for the drug is then published in the FDA’s Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations, commonly known as the Orange Book. Drugs listed in the Orange Book can, in turn, be cited by potential generic competitors as referenced listed drugs (“RLDs”) in support of approval of an ANDA. An ANDA provides for marketing of a drug product that has the same active pharmaceutical ingredient in the same strengths and dosage form as the RLD and has been shown through bioequivalence testing to be therapeutically equivalent to the RLD. Other than the requirement for bioequivalence testing, ANDA applicants are not required to conduct, or submit results of, preclinical or clinical tests to prove the safety or efficacy of their drug product. Drugs approved in this way are commonly referred to as “generic equivalents” to the listed drug and can often be substituted by pharmacists under prescriptions written for the original listed drug.
The ANDA applicant is required to make certain certifications to the FDA concerning any patents listed for the approved product in the FDA’s Orange Book. Specifically, the applicant must certify that: (i) the required patent information has not been filed; (ii) the listed patent has expired; (iii) the listed patent has not expired, but will expire on a particular date and approval is sought after patent expiration; or (iv) the listed patent is invalid or will not be infringed by the new product. The ANDA applicant may also elect to submit a section viii statement certifying that its proposed ANDA label does not contain (or carves out) any language regarding the patented method-of-use rather than make certifications concerning a listed method-of-use patent. If the applicant does not challenge the listed patents, the ANDA application will not be approved until all the listed patents claiming the referenced product have expired.
A certification that the new product will not infringe the already approved product’s listed patents, or that such patents are invalid, is called a Paragraph IV certification. If the ANDA applicant has provided a Paragraph IV certification to the FDA, the applicant must also send notice of the Paragraph IV certification to the NDA and patent holders once the ANDA has been accepted for filing by the FDA. The NDA and patent holders may then initiate a patent infringement lawsuit in response to the notice of the Paragraph IV certification. The filing of a patent infringement lawsuit within 45 days of the receipt of a Paragraph IV certification automatically prevents the FDA from approving the ANDA until the earlier of 30 months, expiration of the patent, settlement of the lawsuit, or a decision in the infringement case that is favorable to the ANDA applicant.
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Exclusivity
Upon approval of an NDA for a new chemical entity (“NCE”), which is a drug that contains no active moiety that has been approved by the FDA in any other NDA, that drug receives five years of marketing exclusivity during which time the FDA cannot receive any ANDA seeking approval of a generic version of that drug or any Section 505(b)(2) NDA, discussed in more detail below, that relies on the FDA’s findings of safety and effectiveness regarding the NCE drug. A sponsor may obtain a three-year period of exclusivity for a change to an approved drug, such as the addition of a new indication to the labeling or a new formulation, if the supplement includes reports of new clinical trials (other than bioavailability clinical trials) essential to the approval of the supplement.
An ANDA may be submitted one year before NCE exclusivity expires if a Paragraph IV certification is filed. If there is no listed patent in the Orange Book, there may not be a Paragraph IV certification, and, thus, no ANDA may be filed before the expiration of the exclusivity period. No ANDA application will receive final approval before any applicable non-patent exclusivity listed in the Orange Book for the referenced product has expired.
Section 505(b)(2) NDAs
A Section 505(b)(2) NDA is a special type of NDA often used by applicants seeking approval for new or improved formulations or new uses of previously approved active moieties. Under Section 505(b)(2) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, in lieu of developing all of the information normally required for approval of an NDA, an applicant may rely, in part, on data developed by another party and for which the applicant has not obtained a right of reference. Most commonly, 505(b)(2) applicants rely on the FDA’s findings of safety and effectiveness in a prior approval of a similar product (although they may also rely on information in published literature). A 505(b)(2) application that references a prior approval may seek approval for some or all of the referenced product’s labeled indications and/or for a different indication not included in the referenced product’s label.
To the extent that the Section 505(b)(2) applicant is relying on the FDA’s findings of safety and effectiveness for an already approved product, the applicant is required to certify to the FDA concerning any patents listed for the approved product in the Orange Book to the same extent that an ANDA applicant would. Thus, approval of a Section 505(b)(2) NDA can be stalled until all the listed patents claiming the referenced product have expired; until any non-patent exclusivity listed in the Orange Book for the referenced product has expired; and, in the case of a Paragraph IV certification and subsequent patent infringement suit, until the earlier of 30 months, settlement of the lawsuit or a decision in the infringement case that is favorable to the Section 505(b)(2) applicant. In the interim period, the FDA may grant tentative approval. Tentative approval indicates that the FDA has determined that the applicant meets the standards for approval as of the date that the tentative approval is granted. Final regulatory approval can only be granted if the FDA is assured that there is no new information that would affect final regulatory approval. As with traditional NDAs, a Section 505(b)(2) NDA may be eligible for three-year marketing exclusivity, assuming the NDA includes reports of new clinical trials (other than bioavailability clinical trials) essential to the approval of the NDA. For further detail regarding our litigation with Purdue regarding our Section 505(b)(2) NDA for Xtampza ER, refer to “Item 3. Legal Proceedings”.
DEA and Opioid Regulation
Several of our products are regulated as “controlled substances” as defined in the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”), which establishes registration, security, recordkeeping, reporting, storage, distribution, importation, exportation, and other requirements administered by the DEA.
The DEA regulates controlled substances as Schedule I, II, III, IV or V substances. Schedule I substances have no established medicinal use and may not be marketed or sold in the United States. A pharmaceutical product may be listed as Schedule II, III, IV or V, with Schedule II substances considered to present the highest risk of abuse and Schedule V substances the lowest relative risk of abuse among such substances.
Jornay PM, Xtampza ER, and the Nucynta Products are listed by the DEA as Schedule II controlled substances under the CSA, while Belbuca is listed as a Schedule III controlled substance. Consequently, the manufacturing, shipping, storing, selling and use of these products is subject to a high degree of regulation. Also, distribution and dispensing of these drugs are highly regulated. Schedule II drugs are subject to the strictest requirements for registration, security, recordkeeping, and reporting. Further, all Schedule II drug prescriptions must be signed by a physician, presented to a pharmacist, and may not be refilled without a new prescription.
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Annual DEA registration is required for any facility that manufactures, distributes, dispenses, imports, or exports any controlled substance. The registration is specific to the particular location, activity, and controlled substance schedule. For example, separate registrations are needed for import and manufacturing, and each registration will specify which schedules of controlled substances are authorized.
In addition, a DEA quota system controls and limits the availability and production of controlled substances in Schedule I or II. Annually, the DEA establishes an aggregate quota for how much active opioid ingredients, such as oxycodone, tapentadol, and methylphenidate, may be produced in total in the United States based on the DEA’s estimate of the quantity needed to meet legitimate scientific and medicinal needs. The limited aggregate amount of opioids that the DEA allows to be produced in the United States each year is allocated among individual companies, who must submit applications, at least twice a year, to the DEA for individual production and procurement quotas. Jornay PM, Xtampza ER, and the Nucynta Products are regulated as Schedule II controlled substances, and thus, are subject to the DEA’s production and procurement quota system. Our contract manufacturers must receive a quarterly quota from the DEA to produce or procure any Schedule I or Schedule II substance, including methylphenidate for use in manufacturing Jornay PM, oxycodone base for use in manufacturing Xtampza ER and tapentadol for use in manufacturing the Nucynta Products. The DEA may adjust aggregate production quotas and individual production and procurement quotas from time to time during the year, although the DEA has substantial discretion in whether or not to make such adjustments.
Distributions of any Schedule I or II controlled substance must also be accompanied by special order forms, with copies provided to the DEA.
The DEA also requires drug manufacturers to design and implement a system that identifies suspicious orders of controlled substances, such as those of unusual size, those that deviate substantially from a normal pattern and those of unusual frequency, prior to completion of the sale. A compliant suspicious order monitoring system includes well-defined due diligence, “know your customer” efforts and order monitoring.
To enforce these requirements, the DEA conducts periodic inspections of registered establishments that handle controlled substances. Failure to maintain compliance with applicable requirements, particularly as manifested in loss or diversion, can result in administrative, civil, or criminal enforcement action that could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. The DEA may seek civil penalties, refuse to renew necessary registrations, or initiate administrative proceedings to revoke those registrations. In certain circumstances, violations could result in criminal proceedings.
Individual states also independently regulate controlled substances. We and our contract manufacturers are subject to state regulation on the distribution of these products.
Federal laws have been enacted to address the national epidemics of prescription opioid abuse and illicit opioid use. In 2016, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (“CARA”), was enacted to address the national epidemics of prescription opioid abuse and heroin use. CARA expands the availability of naloxone for law enforcement and other first responders, forms an interagency task force to develop best practices for pain management with opioid medications and provides resources to improve state monitoring of opioids. The Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (“SUPPORT Act”), which was signed into law in November 2018, includes a number of measures directed towards regulation and improvement of treatment for substance use-disorder and increased coverage by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) of medically-assisted treatment options. In addition, the SUPPORT Act requires HHS to report to Congress on existing barriers to access to abuse-deterrent opioid formulations by Medicare Part C and D beneficiaries.
Healthcare Fraud and Abuse Laws and Compliance Requirements
We are subject to federal, state and local laws targeting fraud and abuse in the healthcare industry, violations of which can lead to civil and criminal penalties, including fines, imprisonment and exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs. These laws are potentially applicable to us as both a manufacturer and a supplier of products and they also apply to hospitals, physicians and other potential purchasers of our products. The applicable federal fraud and abuse laws apply to products or services reimbursed by federal healthcare programs. Some states, however, have applicable fraud and abuse laws that apply more broadly to include products or services reimbursed by private payors.
The federal Anti-Kickback Statute (“AKS”) (42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b)) prohibits knowingly and willfully soliciting, receiving, offering or providing remuneration, directly or indirectly, to induce either the referral of an individual, or the furnishing, recommending, or arranging for a good or service, for which payment may be made under a federal healthcare program such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Remuneration is not defined in the AKS and has been broadly
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interpreted to include anything of value, including for example, gifts, discounts, coupons, the furnishing of supplies or equipment, credit arrangements, payments of cash, waivers of payments, ownership interests and providing anything at less than its fair market value. Under the AKS and the applicable criminal healthcare fraud statutes, a person or entity need not have actual knowledge of this statute or specific intent to violate it in order to have committed a violation. In addition, the government may assert that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the AKS, constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the civil False Claims Act (discussed below) or the civil monetary penalties statute, which imposes fines against any person who is determined to have presented or caused to be presented claims to a federal healthcare program that the person knows or should know is for an item or service that was not provided as claimed or is false or fraudulent. The AKS and implementing regulations provide exceptions under certain “safe harbors” for discounting, rebating or personal services arrangements, among other things. However, the lack of uniform court interpretation of the AKS makes compliance with the law difficult. Violations of the AKS can result in significant criminal fines, exclusion from participation in Medicare and Medicaid and follow-on civil litigation, among other things, for both entities and individuals.
Other federal healthcare fraud-related laws also provide criminal liability for violations. The Criminal Healthcare Fraud statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1347, for example, prohibits knowingly and willfully executing a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private third-party payors. Federal criminal law at 18 U.S.C. § 1001, among other sections, prohibits knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services.
The civil False Claims Act and similar state laws impose liability on any person or entity who, among other things, knowingly presents, or causes to be presented, a false or fraudulent claim for payment by a federal healthcare program. The qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act and similar state laws allow a private individual to bring civil actions on behalf of the federal or state government and to share in any monetary recovery. The Federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act and similar state laws impose reporting requirements for various types of payments to physicians, other licensed healthcare practitioners and teaching hospitals. Failure to comply with required reporting requirements under these laws could subject manufacturers and others to substantial civil monetary penalties. In addition, government entities and private litigants have asserted claims under state consumer protection statutes against pharmaceutical and medical device companies for alleged false or misleading statements in connection with the marketing, promotion and/or sale of pharmaceutical and medical device products, including state investigations and litigation by certain government entities regarding our marketing of opioid products.
The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) created additional federal criminal statutes that prohibit knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program or obtain, by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations, or promises, any of the money or property owned by, or under the custody or control of, any healthcare benefit program, regardless of the payor (e.g., public or private) and knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up by any trick or device a material fact or making any materially false statements in connection with the delivery of, or payment for, healthcare benefits, items or services relating to healthcare matters. Like the AKS, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the “ACA”) amended the intent standard for certain healthcare fraud statutes under HIPAA such that a person or entity no longer needs to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it in order to have committed a violation.
HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (“HITECH”) and their respective implementing regulations, also impose requirements on certain covered healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses as well as their respective business associates that perform services for them that involve the creation, use, receipt, maintenance or disclosure of individually identifiable health information, relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information. HITECH also created four new tiers of civil monetary penalties, amended HIPAA to make civil and criminal penalties directly applicable to business associates, and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for damages or injunctions in federal courts to enforce HIPAA and seek attorneys’ fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions.
Federal price reporting laws require manufacturers to calculate and report complex pricing metrics to government programs, where such reported prices may be used in the calculation of reimbursement and/or discounts on approved products. In addition, federal consumer protection and unfair competition laws broadly regulate marketplace activities and activities that potentially harm consumers. There are also analogous state and foreign laws and regulations, such as state and foreign anti-kickback, false claims, consumer protection and unfair competition laws which may apply to pharmaceutical business practices, including but not limited to, research, distribution, sales and marketing arrangements as well as submitting claims involving healthcare items or services reimbursed by any third-party payor, including commercial insurers; state laws that require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the pharmaceutical industry’s
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voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government that otherwise restricts payments that may be made to healthcare providers and other potential referral sources; state laws that require drug manufacturers to file reports with states regarding pricing and marketing information, such as the tracking and reporting of gifts, compensation and other remuneration and items of value provided to healthcare professionals and entities; state and local laws requiring the registration of pharmaceutical sales representatives; and state and foreign laws governing the privacy and security of health information in certain circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and may not have the same effect, thus complicating compliance efforts.
Because of the breadth of these laws and the narrowness of the statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbors available, it is possible that some of a pharmaceutical manufacturer’s business activities could be subject to challenge under one or more of such laws. Efforts to ensure that business arrangements comply with applicable healthcare laws involve substantial costs. It is possible that governmental and enforcement authorities will conclude that a pharmaceutical manufacturer’s business practices do not comply with current or future statutes, regulations or case law interpreting applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations. If any such actions are instituted against a pharmaceutical manufacturer, and it is not successful in defending itself or asserting its rights, those actions could have a significant impact on its business, including the imposition of significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, disgorgement, imprisonment, monetary fines, possible exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs, reporting obligations and oversight if we become subject to integrity and oversight agreements to resolve allegations of non-compliance, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings, and curtailment of operations, any of which could adversely affect a pharmaceutical manufacturer’s ability to operate its business and the results of operations. In addition, commercialization of any drug product outside the U.S. will also likely be subject to foreign equivalents of the healthcare laws mentioned above, among other foreign laws.
Third-Party Payor Coverage and Reimbursement
The commercial success of our products will depend, in part, upon the availability of coverage and adequate reimbursement from third-party payors at the federal, state and private levels. Third-party payors include governmental programs such as Medicare or Medicaid, private insurance plans and managed care plans. These third-party payors may deny coverage or reimbursement for a product or therapy in whole or in part if they determine that the product or therapy was not medically appropriate or necessary. Also, third-party payors have attempted to control costs by limiting coverage through the use of formularies and other cost-containment mechanisms and the amount of reimbursement for particular procedures or drug treatments. In addition, some third-party payors also require preapproval of coverage for new or innovative devices or drug therapies before they will reimburse healthcare providers who prescribe such therapies. Payors may also impose step edits, prior authorization requirements, quantity limits, or preferential tiering for lower-cost or generic alternatives, which could delay or limit patient access to our products.
The cost of pharmaceuticals and devices continues to generate substantial governmental and third-party payor interest. We expect that the pharmaceutical industry will continue to experience pricing pressures due to the trend toward managed healthcare, the increasing influence of managed care organizations and additional legislative proposals. As a result, our operations and business could be adversely affected by current and future third-party payor policies as well as healthcare legislative reforms.
While we cannot predict whether any proposed cost-containment measures will be adopted or otherwise implemented in the future, the impact of changes in agency leadership, or whether the Trump Administration may propose additional regulatory reforms, these requirements or any announcement or adoption of such proposals could have a material adverse effect on our ability to obtain adequate prices for our products and any other products we may seek to commercialize, and to operate profitably.
Healthcare Reform
In the United States, there have been a number of legislative and regulatory changes to the healthcare system that could affect our future results of operations. In particular, there have been and continue to be a number of initiatives at the U.S. federal and state levels that seek to reduce healthcare costs. The Medicare Modernization Act imposed new requirements for the distribution and pricing of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries. Under Part D, Medicare beneficiaries may enroll in prescription drug plans offered by private entities which will provide coverage of outpatient prescription drugs. Part D plans include both stand-alone prescription drug benefit plans and prescription drug coverage as a supplement to Medicare Advantage plans. Unlike Medicare Part A and B, Part D coverage is not standardized. Part D prescription drug plan sponsors are not required to pay for all covered Part D drugs, and each drug plan can develop its own drug formulary that identifies which drugs it will cover and at what tier or level. However, Part D prescription drug formularies must
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include drugs within each therapeutic category and class of covered Part D drugs, though not necessarily all the drugs in each category or class. Any formulary used by a Part D prescription drug plan must be developed and reviewed by a pharmacy and therapeutic committee. Government payment for some of the costs of prescription drugs may increase demand for our products. However, any negotiated prices for our products covered by a Part D prescription drug plan will likely be lower than the prices we might otherwise obtain. Moreover, while the Medicare Modernization Act applies only to drug benefits for Medicare beneficiaries, private payors often follow Medicare coverage policy and payment limitations in setting their own payment rates. Any reduction in payment that results from Medicare Part D may result in a similar reduction in payments from non-governmental payors.
In March 2010, the ACA was enacted, which significantly changed the way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private insurers. Among the provisions of the ACA of importance to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry are the following:
•an annual, non-deductible fee on any entity that manufactures or imports certain branded prescription drugs and biologic agents, apportioned among these entities according to their market share in certain government healthcare programs;
•an increase in the rebates a manufacturer must pay under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program to 23.1% and 13% of the average manufacturer price for branded and generic drugs, respectively;
•a Medicare Part D coverage gap discount program, in which manufacturers must agree to offer 50% (later amended to 70%) point-of-sale discounts to negotiated prices of applicable brand drugs to eligible beneficiaries during their coverage gap period, as a condition for the manufacturer’s outpatient drugs to be covered under Medicare Part D, a program that has since been eliminated by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022;
•extension of manufacturers’ Medicaid rebate liability to covered drugs dispensed to individuals who are enrolled in Medicaid managed care organizations;
•expansion of eligibility criteria for Medicaid programs by, among other things, allowing states to offer Medicaid coverage to additional individuals and by adding new mandatory eligibility categories for certain individuals with income at or below 133% of the Federal Poverty Level, thereby potentially increasing manufacturers’ Medicaid rebate liability;
•expansion of the entities eligible for discounts under the Public Health Service pharmaceutical pricing program;
•a licensure framework for follow-on biologic products;
•a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to oversee, identify priorities in, and conduct comparative clinical effectiveness research, along with funding for such research;
•a requirement to annually report drug samples that manufacturers and distributors provide to physicians; and
•establishment of a Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation at CMS to test innovative payment and service delivery models to lower Medicare and Medicaid spending, potentially including prescription drug spending.
The ACA has been subject to challenges in the courts. On June 17, 2021, in an appeal from a lower court decision holding that the individual mandate under the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional, the Supreme Court ruled that the plaintiffs lacked standing to challenge the law as they had not alleged personal injury traceable to the allegedly unlawful conduct. As a result, the Supreme Court did not rule on the constitutionality of the ACA or any of its provisions.
In addition, other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted since the Affordable Care Act was enacted. The Budget Control Act of 2011 and subsequent legislation has resulted in reductions to Medicare payments to providers of up to 2% per fiscal year, which will remain in effect through 2031 unless additional action is taken by Congress.
The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 reduced Medicare payments to several providers and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years. These laws may result in additional reductions in Medicare and other healthcare funding, which could have a material adverse effect on our customers and, accordingly, our financial operations.
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 eliminated the statutory Medicaid drug rebate cap, previously set at 100% of a drug’s average manufacturer price, for single source and innovator multiple source drugs, effective January 1, 2024. As a result, manufacturers may be required to pay Medicaid rebates that exceed the sales price of a drug, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (“IRA”) contains substantial drug pricing reforms, including the establishment of a drug price negotiation program within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that would require manufacturers to charge a negotiated “maximum fair price” for certain selected drugs or pay an excise tax for noncompliance. Another component of the IRA includes the establishment of rebate payment requirements on Medicare
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Part D drugs which penalize price increases that outpace inflation. The IRA also redesigned Medicare Part D to reallocate cost across the various stakeholders: CMS, payors, manufacturers, and beneficiaries. Certain aspects of the Part D redesign took effect in 2024 which ultimately shifts some liability from beneficiaries to the payors. All remaining components of the Part D Redesign took effect starting on January 1, 2025, including, eliminating the previous coverage gap which has been replaced with greater exposure for manufacturers after the beneficiary pays their deductible. Additionally, the exemption previously applied on the low-income subsidy (“LIS”) population has been removed and increases manufacturer rebate exposure for that population. Some manufacturers, including Collegium, may be able to qualify for a “phase in” of rebate utilization for the LIS population which should limit our exposure in the short term, but will increase it over time. The implementation of the IRA is currently subject to ongoing litigation that challenges the constitutionality of the IRA’s Medicare drug price negotiation program. The IRA could have the effect of reducing the prices we can charge and reimbursement we receive for our products, thereby reducing our profitability, and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. The effect of the IRA on our business and the pharmaceutical industry in general is not yet known.
In addition, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 imposed significant reductions in Medicaid funding, additional work requirements for certain Medicaid beneficiaries and more frequent eligibility redeterminations. These changes are expected to place increased pressure on state Medicaid budgets and could reduce enrollment, utilization and reimbursement levels for prescription drugs, including our products, which could adversely affect our business.
The Trump Administration has issued several executive orders and supported regulatory initiatives in 2025 that could significantly affect prescription drug pricing. On May 12, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish and communicate most-favored-nation (“MFN”) price targets and to pursue rulemaking to impose MFN-based pricing if sufficient progress is not achieved, while also supporting direct-to-patient sales models for manufacturers meeting such targets. The executive order further contemplates additional actions, including potential modification of marketing approvals or use of drug importation authorities, if manufacturers do not comply.
In December 2025, CMS issued proposed rules that would create alternative payment models for Medicaid, Medicare Part B, and Medicare Part D that incorporate international reference-indexed MFN pricing principles, including proposed mandatory rebate models for certain single-source drugs under Medicare Part B and Part D. These proposals are expected to face legal challenges, and their timing, scope and ultimate impact on manufacturer pricing and revenues remain uncertain.
Further, the White House in January 2026 released the “Great Healthcare Plan,” calling for Congress to codify the Trump Administration’s MFN drug-pricing deals (including to extend the results of recent voluntary negotiations following the May 2025 executive order), and also proposing measures that could affect pharmaceutical pricing and utilization dynamics more broadly, including expanding over-the-counter availability for certain verified-safe drugs and additional PBM/health insurance transparency and subsidy reforms. Any such legislation or implementing regulations could affect our pricing flexibility, contracting strategy, distribution channels, and net revenues. In addition, the Trump Administration is likely to propose additional new regulations that reform healthcare delivery in the United States, including related to healthcare and drug costs and pharmacy benefit manager reform, among other areas, the effect of which on our business and the pharmaceutical industry in general is not yet known.
Our Environmental, Social, and Governance (“ESG”) Initiatives
Our commitment to serving as a responsible corporate citizen is rooted in our longstanding history of advancing our mission, executing our commercial strategy, governing our business to drive efficiency and value creation, and supporting our communities. We have prioritized corporate governance and risk mitigation; employee development and culture; our environmental footprint; and giving back to our communities. As a reflection of this commitment, our annual Corporate Scorecard has included metrics relating to our performance relative to specific ESG initiatives.
In February 2026, we published our fourth annual ESG report on our corporate website highlighting our ESG accomplishments to date. The information contained in our ESG report is not a part of, nor is it incorporated by reference into, this Form 10-K.
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Human Capital Management
Collegium Culture and Employee Engagement
Our employees are foundational to our current and future success, and we believe that their engagement and commitment are among our most valuable assets. As we seek to build and sustain a challenging, inspiring, and inclusive environment for our employees, we have focused on talent acquisition and retention; employee training and development; nurturing a positive culture; and employee health and safety.
At Collegium, we recognize that we have a responsibility to hold ourselves to the highest standard of business and professional ethics. Our Core Values are the foundational principles of our organization and guide our work, how we interact with each other and our communities and influence the business strategies we employ to fulfill our mission. Our Core Values are: Uphold Integrity, Embrace Differences, Encourage Expression, and Be Accountable.
We prioritize transparency, recognition, and collaboration to support our team’s engagement. We facilitate transparent communications through various channels, such as quarterly all-employee meetings, small-group employee conversations with our Chief Executive Officer, and periodic employee engagement surveys.
Talent Acquisition and Retention
We seek to identify, recruit, retain, incentivize, and integrate our existing and new employees, advisors, and consultants. All full-time employees receive stock-based and cash-based compensation awards through the compensation cycle; stock-based compensation includes restricted stock units for the entire organization. The principal purposes of our equity and cash incentive plans are to attract, retain and reward personnel as they strive to increase stockholder value and contribute to the success of our company by motivating such individuals to perform to the best of their abilities and achieve our objectives.
Employee Training and Development
We believe career development begins with good conversations between employees and their managers that ensure regular feedback, and we have implemented tools and annual processes that allow all employees in conjunction with their managers to explore possibilities and drive development action. Our comprehensive performance review process ensures our employees are on track with their development throughout the year.
Employee Health and Safety
We believe that the success of our business is fundamentally connected to the well-being of our employees; accordingly, we are committed to their health, safety, and wellness. We provide all employees and their families with access to a variety of innovative, flexible, and convenient health and wellness programs.
Employees
As of December 31, 2025, we had a total of 423 full-time employees.
Our Executive Officers
The following table lists the positions, names and ages of our executive officers as of February 26, 2026:
Name Age Position(s)
Vikram Karnani 51 Director, President and Chief Executive Officer
Colleen Tupper 50 Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Scott Dreyer 53 Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer
Thomas Smith 65 Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer
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Vikram Karnani, Director, President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Karnani has served as our President and Chief Executive Officer, and as director, since November 2024. Mr. Karnani previously served as Executive Vice President and President, Global Commercial Operations and Medical Affairs at Amgen Inc. (“Amgen”), a global biotechnology company. Mr. Karnani joined Amgen in October 2023 through Amgen’s acquisition of Horizon Therapeutics plc (“Horizon”). Mr. Karnani joined Horizon in 2014, holding numerous leadership positions including Executive Vice President and President, International, from August 2020 until October 2023; Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer from March 2018 to August 2020; Senior Vice President, Rheumatology Business Unit from February 2017 to March 2018; and General Manager, Specialty Business Unit from July 2014 until February 2017. Prior to joining Horizon, Mr. Karnani was with Fresenius Kabi AG (“Fresenius Kabi”), a global health care company, where he served as Vice President of the therapeutics and cell therapy business from October 2011 to July 2014. Mr. Karnani also held various positions in business development, corporate strategy and strategic marketing within Fenwal Inc., a global blood technology company that was acquired by Fresenius Kabi,from November 2008 to October 2011. Mr. Karnani has a master’s degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Case Western Reserve University and a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from University of Bombay, India.
Colleen Tupper, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Ms. Tupper joined us in May 2021 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining us, Ms. Tupper most recently served as Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Business Unit as well as a member of the U.S. Business Unit Executive Leadership Team and the Global Finance Leadership Team at Takeda from January 2019 to April 2021. Prior to that role, Ms. Tupper held several roles of increasing responsibility at Shire Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Takeda in 2019) including Vice President, U.S. Commercial Finance; Vice President, Finance Integration Lead; and Vice President, Head of Finance Global Neuroscience and Ophthalmics. Earlier in her career, Ms. Tupper served in various finance and accounting roles at both Shire Pharmaceuticals and Antigenics (now Agenus). Ms. Tupper received a B.S. in Accounting from Franklin Pierce University.
Scott Dreyer, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. Mr. Dreyer was appointed as our Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer in July 2018. Mr. Dreyer joined us in January 2018 as Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing, Commercial Capabilities and Training. He has over 25 years of commercial experience across sales, marketing, commercial operations and strategic planning, all within the biopharma industry. Most recently, Mr. Dreyer was Senior Vice President, Marketing and Commercial Operations for The Medicines Company. Prior to joining The Medicines Company, he was Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer-U.S. at Biogen. Prior to Biogen, Mr. Dreyer held various commercial leadership positions of increasing responsibility at Merck & Co, including Vice President-U.S. Hospital and Oncology Sales and Commercial Operations, Vice President-U.S. Primary Care Sales, Executive Director U.S. Regional Marketing Leader – Neuroscience, Executive Director Customer Marketing and Solutions, Sr. Director of Strategic Planning and Director of Cardiovascular Marketing. Mr. Dreyer received his B.S. in Biology from Messiah College.
David Dieter, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Mr. Dieter has served as our Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary since March 2025. Mr. Dieter previously served as an independent legal advisor from October 2024 until February 2025 within the biopharma industry. Prior to this, Mr. Dieter served as Vice President, Legal at Horizon Therapeutics USA, Inc. (“Horizon USA”) (which was acquired by Amgen in October 2023) where he managed internal and external legal counsel and served as an advisor to leadership across business functions on corporate and commercial matters, as well as international expansion, from October 2021 until February 2024, after which time he was not employed until October 2024. Mr. Dieter was previously Associate General Counsel at Horizon USA, where he also assisted with Horizon USA’s business development transactions, from January 2017 until October 2021. Before Horizon USA, David held several leadership roles at Takeda, including Vice President, Government Affairs and Associate General Counsel for Commercial Law. Earlier in his career, Mr. Dieter was a Partner at Freeborn & Peters, a mid-sized, full-service law firm which has since merged with Smith Gambrell Russell, and an Associate at Perkins Coie, a global law firm. Mr. Dieter received a B.A. in Economics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and a J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law, Champaign.
Thomas Smith, M.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Smith has served as our Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer since March 2022 following the acquisition of BDSI. Dr. Smith has more than 25 years of experience in a variety of leadership roles at various major pharmaceutical companies, including serving as the Chief Medical Officer for BDSI from July 2018 until March 2022, Charleston Laboratories from January 2017 to July 2018, Ameritox and Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals. Prior to these roles, Dr. Smith served in scientific, medical and clinical leadership roles at Abbott Laboratories, Teva Pharmaceuticals and Kendle International. He is a member of several medical and scientific societies, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Dr. Smith earned his M.D. from the Indiana University School of Medicine and a B.S. from Purdue University.
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Our Corporate Information
We are headquartered in Stoughton, Massachusetts and our common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market (“NASDAQ”) under the trading symbol “COLL.”
Our predecessor was incorporated in Delaware in April 2002 under the name Collegium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and in October 2003, our predecessor changed its name to Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc. In July 2014, we reincorporated in the Commonwealth of Virginia pursuant to a merger whereby Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc., a Delaware corporation, merged with and into Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc., a Virginia corporation, with the Virginia corporation surviving the merger.
Available Information
We maintain a website at www.collegiumpharma.com. We make available, free of charge on our website, our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and all amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”), as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file those reports with, or furnish them to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). We also make available, free of charge on our website, the reports filed with the SEC by our officers, directors and 10% shareholders pursuant to Section 16 under the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after copies of those filings are provided to us by those persons. The SEC also maintains a website, at www.sec.gov, that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding us and other issuers that file electronically. The information contained on, or that can be accessed through, our website is not a part of or incorporated by reference in this Form 10-K.
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.
Risk Factors Summary
Our business is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including those risks discussed at length below. These risks include, among others, the following principal risk factors that make an investment in our company speculative or risky. You are encouraged to carefully review our full discussion of the material risk factors relevant to an investment in our business, which follows the brief bulleted list of our principal risk factors set forth below:
•Our ability to maintain profitability is dependent upon our ability to continue successfully commercializing our products and any products we may acquire in the future;
•We have substantial outstanding indebtedness, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations;
•Adverse developments affecting the financial services industry could adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations;
•If we cannot continue successfully commercializing our products and any products that we may acquire in the future, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected and the price of our common stock may decline;
•Despite receiving approval by the FDA, additional data may emerge that could change the FDA’s position on the product labeling of any of our products, including our abuse-deterrent claims with respect to Xtampza ER, and our ability to market our products successfully may be adversely affected;
•Belbuca, Xtampza ER, and the Nucynta Products are subject to mandatory Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (“REMS”) programs, which could increase the cost, burden and liability associated with the commercialization of these products;
•Failure to comply with ongoing governmental regulations for marketing our products, and in particular any failure to promote Xtampza ER’s abuse deterrent labeling in compliance with FDA regulations, 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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•Unfavorable outcomes in intellectual property litigation could be costly and potentially limit our ability to commercialize our products;
•If we are unable to obtain or maintain intellectual property rights for our technologies, products or any products we may acquire, we may lose valuable assets or be unable to compete effectively in our market;
•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;
•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;
•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;
•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;
•Our products 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;
•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;
•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;
•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 opioid products and may adversely impact external investor perceptions of our business;
•If the FDA or other applicable regulatory authorities approve generic products with claims that compete with our opioid products, our sales could decline;
•If the third-party manufacturers of our products fail to devote sufficient time and resources to these products, or their performance is substandard, and/or we encounter challenges with our dedicated manufacturing suite 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;
•Because we currently rely on a sole supplier or limited number of suppliers to manufacture the active pharmaceutical ingredient of our products, any production problems with any of these suppliers could have a material adverse effect on us;
•We depend on wholesale pharmaceutical distributors for retail distribution of our products; if we lose any of our significant wholesale pharmaceutical distributors or their distribution network is disrupted, our financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected;
•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;
•We may not realize all the anticipated benefits from our future acquisitions, and we may be unable to successfully integrate future acquisitions;
•Our business may be adversely affected by certain events or circumstances outside our control, including macroeconomic conditions and geopolitical turmoil;
•Litigation or regulatory action regarding opioid medications could negatively affect our business;
•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;
•Commercial sales of our products 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;
•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; and
•The price of our common stock may be volatile and you may lose all or part of your investment.
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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 that we may 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 that we may 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;
•sustain a commercial organization capable of sales, marketing and distribution for the products we sell;
•obtain coverage and adequate reimbursement from third parties, including government payors;
•acquire new products, or develop new indications or line extensions for existing products, in the event that revenues from our existing products are impacted by price controls, loss of intellectual property exclusivity or competition; and
•comply with existing and changing laws and regulations that apply to the pharmaceutical industry, including opioid manufacturers, and to our products specifically, including FDA post-marketing requirements.
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, 2025, we had a gross U.S. federal net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforward of approximately $66.6 million and state NOL carryovers of approximately $192.4 million. The U.S. federal and state NOL carryforwards expire at various dates through 2037. Federal NOLs and certain state NOLs incurred in 2018 and onward have an indefinite expiration under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and applicable state statutes. We also had U.S. federal tax credits of approximately $0.7 million. We do not have any state tax credits. 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. Refer to Note 19, Income Taxes, to our consolidated financial statements included in Part IV of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for more information.
We have substantial outstanding indebtedness, which may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In December 2025, we entered into a Credit Agreement by and among us, the lenders from time to time party thereto and Truist Bank, as administrative agent (the “2025 Credit Agreement”), of which $580.0 million in principal was outstanding as of December 31, 2025 (the “2025 Term Loan”). In addition, we have $241.5 million in 2.875% convertible senior notes due in 2029 (the “2029 Convertible Notes”).
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, and among other things:
•requiring the dedication of a substantial portion of our cash flows from operations to service our indebtedness, which will reduce the amount of cash available for operations, working capital, capital expenditures, expansion, acquisitions or general corporate or other purposes;
•limiting our ability to obtain additional financing;
•limiting our flexibility to plan for, or react to, changes in our business;
•exposing us to the risk of increased interest rates as certain of our borrowings, including the 2025 Term Loan, are at variable rates of interest;
•diluting the interests of our existing shareholders as a result of issuing shares of our common stock upon conversion of the 2029 Convertible Notes;
•placing us at a possible competitive disadvantage with competitors that are less leveraged than we are or have better access to capital; and
•increasing our vulnerability to downturns in our business, our industry or the economy in general.
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Holders of our 2029 Convertible Notes, 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, and any failure by us to repurchase notes or to pay the cash amounts due upon the conversion when required would constitute a default under the indenture.
Additionally, the indenture governing the 2029 Convertible Notes and our 2025 Credit Agreement contain certain covenants and obligations applicable to us, including, without limitation, 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, which could limit our ability to capitalize on business opportunities that may arise or otherwise place us at a competitive disadvantage relative to our competitors.
Failure to comply with covenants in the indenture governing the 2029 Convertible Notes or in the 2025 Credit Agreement would constitute an event of default under those instruments, notwithstanding our ability to meet our debt service obligations. A default under the indenture or a fundamental change could also result in a default under one or more of the 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 that would become due. The 2025 Credit Agreement includes various customary remedies for the lenders following an event of default, including the acceleration of repayment of outstanding amounts under the 2025 Credit Agreement and execution upon the collateral securing obligations under the 2025 Credit Agreement. In addition, because our assets are pledged as a security under the 2025 Credit Agreement, if we are not able to cure any default or repay outstanding borrowings, our assets would be subject to the risk of foreclosure by our lenders.
Further, amounts outstanding under our 2025 Credit Agreement bear an annual interest rate equal to term Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) plus a spread adjustment ranging from 2.75% to 3.75%. We have not hedged our interest rate exposure with respect to our floating rate debt. Accordingly, our interest expense for any period will fluctuate based on SOFR and other variable interest rates, as applicable. To the extent the interest rates applicable to our floating rate debt increase, our interest expense will increase, in which event we may have difficulties making interest payments and funding our other fixed costs, and our available cash flow for general corporate requirements may be adversely affected.
Adverse developments affecting the financial services industry, including events or concerns involving liquidity, defaults or non-performance by financial institutions or transactional counterparties, could adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Events involving limited liquidity, defaults, non-performance or other adverse developments that affect financial institutions, transactional counterparties or other companies in the financial services industry or the financial services industry generally, or concerns or rumors about any events of these kinds or other similar risks, have in the past and may in the future lead to market-wide liquidity problems. For example, in early 2023, several financial institutions closed and were taken into receivership by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”). Although we assess our banking and customer relationships as we believe necessary or appropriate, our access to funding sources and other credit arrangements in amounts adequate to finance or capitalize our current and projected future business operations could be significantly impaired by factors that affect us, the financial services industry or economy in general. Further, investor concerns regarding domestic or international financial systems could result in less favorable commercial financing terms, including higher interest rates or costs and tighter financial and operating covenants, or systemic limitations on access to credit and liquidity sources, thereby making it more difficult for us to acquire financing on acceptable terms or at all. Any decline in available funding or access to cash and liquidity resources could, among other risks, adversely impact our ability to meet our financial obligations, which could have material adverse impacts on our liquidity and our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
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Risks Related to our Products
If we cannot continue successfully commercializing our products and any products that we may acquire in the future, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected and the price of our common stock may decline.
Our business and future success are substantially dependent on our ability to continue successfully commercializing our products, including Jornay PM, Belbuca, Xtampza ER, the Nucynta Products, Symproic, and any products that we may acquire in the future.
Our ability to continue successfully commercializing our products will depend on many factors, including but not limited to:
•our ability to manufacture commercial quantities of our products at reasonable cost and with sufficient speed to meet commercial demand;
•our ability to execute sales and marketing strategies successfully and continually;
•our success in educating physicians, patients and caregivers about the benefits, administration, use and coverage of our products;
•with respect to Xtampza ER, the perceived availability and advantages, relative cost, relative safety and relative efficacy of other abuse-deterrent products and treatments with similar indications;
•our ability to defend successfully any challenges to our intellectual property or suits asserting patent infringement relating to our products;
•the availability and quality of coverage and adequate reimbursement for our products;
•a continued acceptable safety profile of our products;
•our ability to acquire new products, or develop new indications or line extensions for existing products, in the event that revenues from our existing products are impacted by price controls, loss of intellectual property exclusivity or competition; and
•our ability to comply with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, including any additional manufacturing or packaging requirements that may become applicable to certain opioid products.
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 any of our products, including our abuse-deterrent claims with respect to Xtampza ER, and our ability to market our products 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 a supplemental NDA 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 any of our products at any time, which can impact our ability to generate product sales. For example, on July 31, 2025, the FDA announced that it will be requiring safety related labeling changes for all opioid pain medications, including clearer risk information, dosing warnings, use limits, treatment guidance, safe discontinuation instructions, information on overdose reversal agents, an enhanced drug interaction warning, additional overdose risk information, and digestive health information. We have implemented the required labeling changes and continue to monitor and comply with applicable FDA requirements. Additionally, 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. The imposition of label changes now or in the future could delay or preclude us from realizing the full commercial potential of our products.
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Our opioid 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 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. As opioids, Xtampza ER, the Nucynta Products and Belbuca are subject to the Opioid Analgesic REMS.
Any modification of the Opioid Analgesic REMS by the FDA to impose additional or more burdensome requirements could increase the costs associated with marketing these products and/or reduce the willingness of healthcare providers to prescribe these products, which would have a material adverse effect on our ability to continue to successfully commercialize and generate sufficient revenue from these products.
Failure to comply with ongoing governmental regulations for marketing our products, and in particular any failure to promote Xtampza ER’s abuse deterrent labeling in compliance with FDA regulations, could delay or inhibit our ability to generate revenues from their sale and could also expose us to claims or other sanctions.
In addition to scrutiny by the FDA, advertising and promotion of any pharmaceutical product marketed in the United States is heavily scrutinized by, among others, the Department of Justice, the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 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 government agencies. In September 2025, the FDA announced increased scrutiny of advertising and promotional practices, with a particular focus on direct-to-consumer (“DTC”) advertising, and released a large number of untitled and warning letters citing allegedly misleading claims in the marketing of prescription pharmaceutical products. This heightened enforcement environment increases the risk that our promotional materials, even if we believe them to be compliant, could be challenged by the FDA or by consumers or plaintiffs’ counsel. If we cannot successfully manage the promotion of our products, we could become subject to significant liability, which would materially adversely affect our business and financial condition.
In particular, 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.
Engaging in off-label promotion of our products, including Xtampza ER, could subject us to false claims liability under federal and state statutes, and other litigation and/or investigations, and could lead to the issuance of warning letters or untitled letters, suspension or withdrawal of our products from the market, recalls, fines, disgorgement money, operating restrictions, injunctions, and civil or criminal prosecution. Any of these consequences would harm the commercial success of our products, including Xtampza ER.
Further, 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 realizing the full commercial potential of our products.
Risks Related to Intellectual Property
Unfavorable outcomes in intellectual property litigation could be costly 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.
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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, reexaminations, inter partes reviews 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 products we may acquire, 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 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, including in connection with our pending litigation against generic competitors that have filed Paragraph IV Certifications relating to certain of our products. 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
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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 United States Patent and Trademark Office (“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
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 we cannot guarantee that we will continue to be successful in marketing our products. In connection with the Ironshore Acquisition, we acquired the sales force supporting Jornay PM and we cannot guarantee that we will be able to successfully grow the Jornay PM sales infrastructure, while continuing to support and maintain our existing sales organization. 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, including with respect to our acquisition of Jornay PM, 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:
•our inability to recruit and retain adequate numbers of effective sales and marketing personnel;
•the inability of sales personnel to reach adequate numbers of physicians who may prescribe our products; and
•unforeseen costs and expenses associated with creating and maintaining an independent sales and marketing organization.
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.
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 continue to accept and use our products, or accept and use any new products that we may acquire. Acceptance and use of our products will depend on a number of factors including:
•approved indications, warnings and precautions language that may be less desirable than competitive products;
•perceptions of physicians and other healthcare community members of the safety and efficacy of our products;
•perceptions by members of the healthcare community, including physicians, about the relevance and efficacy of our abuse deterrent technology;
•the availability of competitive products;
•the pricing and cost-effectiveness of our products relative to competing products;
•the potential and perceived advantages of our products over alternative treatments;
•the convenience and ease of administration to patients of our products;
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•actual and perceived availability and quality of coverage and reimbursement for our products from government or other third-party payors;
•negative publicity related to our products or negative or positive publicity related to our competitors’ products;
•the prevalence and severity of adverse side effects;
•policy initiatives by FDA, HHS, DEA, or other federal or state agencies regarding opioids;
•our ability to comply with the Opioid Analgesic REMS; and
•the effectiveness of marketing and distribution efforts by us and any licensees and distributors.
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 Jornay PM, Belbuca, Xtampza ER, the Nucynta Products, and Symproic for substantially all of our revenues for the foreseeable future, the failure of these products to maintain market acceptance would harm our business prospects. For example, on July 2, 2025, the FDA announced it will be revising the labeling of all extended-release ADHD products to warn about the risk of weight loss and other adverse reactions (side effects) in patients younger than 6 years taking these medications. It is unknown whether this label update may result in adverse consequences for future Jornay PM prescribing or use since it is an extended-release product.