10-K
Table of Contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
☒ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2024
OR
☐TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Commission File Number: 001-37906
ORGANOGENESIS HOLDINGS INC.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
(State or Other Jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer
Incorporation or Organization) Identification No.)
85 Dan Road
Canton, MA02021
(Address of Principal Executive Offices, Including Zip Code)
(781) 575-0775
(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 each exchange on which registered
Class A Common Stock, $0.0001 par value ORGO Nasdaq Capital 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. Yes ☐No☒
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐No☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ☐ Accelerated filer ☒
Non-accelerated filer ☐ Smaller reporting company ☐
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.☒
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
The aggregate market value of the voting common shares held by non-affiliates of the registrant was approximately $199.9 million, computed by reference to the closing sale price of the Class A common stock as reported by The Nasdaq Capital Market on June 30, 2024, the last trading day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter. The Company has no non-voting common shares.
The number of shares of the registrant’s Class A common stock outstanding as of February 24, 2025 was 126,828,092.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Certain information required to be provided in Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K will be provided by a Definitive Proxy Statement for our 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the "Proxy Statement") to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on or before April 30, 2025.
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ORGANOGENESIS HOLDINGS INC.
ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
FOR FISCAL YEAR ENDED December 31, 2024
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
PART I
Item 1. Business 3
Item 1A. Risk Factors 15
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 48
Item 1C. Cybersecurity 48
Item 2. Properties 48
Item 3. Legal Proceedings 49
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 49
PART II
Item 6. Reserved 51
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 64
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 64
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 64
Item 9B. Other Information 66
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections 66
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 67
Item 11. Executive Compensation 67
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services 67
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules 68
SIGNATURES 72
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the sections entitled "Business," "Risk Factors" and "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," contains forward-looking statements. These statements may relate to, but are not limited to, expectations of our future results of operations, business strategies and operations, financing plans, potential growth opportunities, potential market opportunities and the effects of competition, as well as assumptions relating to the foregoing. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified. These risks and other factors include, but are not limited to, those listed under "Risk Factors." In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "could," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "intend," "potential," "might," "would," "continue" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are only predictions. Actual events or results may differ materially.
As used herein, except as otherwise indicated by context, references to "we," "us," "our," "the Company," "Organogenesis" and "ORGO" will refer to Organogenesis Holdings Inc. and its subsidiaries.
TRADEMARKS AND SERVICE MARKS
All trademarks, trade names, product names, graphics and logos of Organogenesis contained herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Organogenesis Holdings Inc. or its subsidiaries, as applicable, in the United States and/or other countries. All other party trademarks, trade names, product names, graphics and logos contained herein are the property of their respective owners. The use or display of other parties’ trademarks, trade names, product names, graphics or logos is not intended to imply, and should not be construed to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of Organogenesis by such other party.
Solely for convenience, the trademarks, service marks and trade names referred to in this annual report are listed without the ®, (sm) and (TM) symbols, but we will assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights or the rights of the applicable licensors to these trademarks, service marks and trade names.
Summary Risk Factors
Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those described in Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. You should carefully consider these risks and uncertainties when investing in our Class A common stock. The principal risks and uncertainties affecting our business include the following:
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Our success will depend in part on the extent to which coverage and adequate reimbursement for the costs of our products and related services will be available from government payers, private health insurers, and other third-party payers and it is uncertain whether such reimbursement will be available or, if such reimbursement is available, the rate at which it will be available. The rate of reimbursement and coverage for the use of our products has been and may continue to be unstable, unpredictable and subject to changes in government and private payer policies (including but not limited to the adoption or implementation of new or revised Medicare Local Coverage Determinations (LCDs)) that could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Currently, not all of our products are covered by all payers.
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Many existing and potential customers for our products are members of group purchasing organizations (GPOs) and/or integrated delivery networks (IDNs), including accountable care organizations or public-based purchasing organizations, and our business is partly dependent on major contracts with these organizations. Cost-containment efforts of our customers, GPOs, IDNs, third-party payers, and governmental organizations could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
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We could be subject to legal exposure if we do not comply with our reporting and payment obligations under Medicare, the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, or any other governmental pricing programs in which our products or product candidates may participate, including through additional rebate or discount requirements, fines, sanctions, and litigation.
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We have remediated our previously reported material weaknesses as of December 31, 2024. However, we cannot guarantee that additional material weaknesses or significant deficiencies will not occur in the future. If our internal control over financial reporting or our disclosure controls and procedures are not effective, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results or prevent fraud, which may cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information and may lead to a decline in our stock price.
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We face significant and continuing competition, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
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Rapid technological change could cause our products to become obsolete, and if we do not enhance our product offerings through our research and development efforts, we may be unable to effectively compete.
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To be commercially successful, we must convince physicians that our products are safe and effective alternatives to existing treatments and that our products should be used in their procedures.
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Our failure to comply with regulatory obligations could result in negative effects on our business.
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The FDA may determine that certain of our products that are, or are derived from, human cells or tissues, such as Affinity, Novachor, and NuShield, do not qualify for regulation solely under Section 361 of the Public Health Services Act, or PHSA. To the extent that any of these products are deemed not to be HCT/Ps or Section 361 HCT/Ps, the FDA may require that we revise our labeling and marketing claims for these products or that we suspend sales of such products until FDA approval is obtained, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
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The FDA may determine that our suspension of NuCel and ReNu commercialization on May 31, 2021 was not conducted in a timely or otherwise proper manner. To the extent that our suspension of any of these products is determined not to comply with the 361 HCT/P Guidance, we may be subject to regulatory sanctions, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
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Because we depend upon a limited group of suppliers and manufacturers for our products, including Apligraf, Affinity, CYGNUS, Novachor, NuShield and PuraPly Antimicrobial products, we may incur significant product development costs or experience material delivery delays if there is an interruption in supply from any one of these suppliers or manufacturers, which could materially impact sales of our products.
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Uncertainty and adverse changes in the general economic conditions, including recent turmoil in the global banking system, may negatively affect our business.
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Our operating results may fluctuate significantly as a result of a variety of factors, many of which are outside of our control. For example, although we have reported net income for each fiscal year since the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, we incurred significant losses in past years and we may incur losses in the future.
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Significant disruptions of our information technology systems or breaches of information security could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
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Our patents and other intellectual property rights may not adequately protect our products.
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We engage in transactions with related parties and the transactions present possible conflicts of interest that could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
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Enacted or future legislation, as well as other potential regulatory reform or other healthcare reform initiatives, may result in reductions in federal funding for healthcare and/or place downward pressure on the price or reimbursement that we may receive for any approved product, which could adversely affect the operation of our business.
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The outstanding shares of our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 (Convertible Preferred Stock) reduce the relative voting power of holders of our Class A common stock, dilute the ownership of those holders, and may adversely affect the market price of our Class A common stock.
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The holders of our Convertible Preferred Stock have special rights to exercise influence over us and our board of directors.
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Our Convertible Preferred Stock has rights, preferences, and privileges that are not held by, and are preferential to, the rights of holders of our Class A common stock, which could adversely affect our liquidity and financial condition, and may result in the interests of the Investors differing from holders of our Class A common stock.
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PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Overview
Organogenesis is a leading regenerative medicine and tissue innovations company focused on empowering healing through the development, manufacturing, and sale of products for the advanced wound care, and surgical and sports medicine markets.
Our mission is to provide an integrated portfolio of healing and tissue solutions that improve lives while lowering the overall cost of health care. Several of our existing and pipeline products in our portfolio have Premarket Application (PMA) approval, or 510(k) clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Our solutions address large and growing markets driven by aging demographics and increases in comorbidities such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular and peripheral vascular disease. We offer our differentiated products and in-house customer support to a wide range of health care customers including hospitals, wound care centers, government facilities, ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and physician offices.
In the Advanced Wound Care market, we focus on the development and commercialization of products for the treatment of chronic and acute wounds. We have a portfolio of regenerative medicine products capable of supporting patients from early in the wound healing process through wound closure. Our products that address the Advanced Wound Care market include Apligraf for the treatment of venous leg ulcers (VLUs) and diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs); Dermagraft for the treatment of DFUs (manufacturing and distribution currently suspended pending transition to a new manufacturing facility or engagement of a third-party manufacturer); PuraPly AM as an antimicrobial barrier and native, cross-linked extracellular matrix scaffold for a broad variety of wound types; CYGNUS Dual as a dual-layered amniotic membrane that promotes an optimal environment for wound healing; and VIA Matrix, Affinity, Novachor, and NuShield placental allografts to address a variety of wound sizes and types as a protective barrier and extracellular matrix scaffold.
In the Surgical & Sports Medicine market, we are leveraging our broad regenerative medicine capabilities to address chronic and acute surgical wounds and tendon and ligament injuries. Our Sports Medicine products include NuShield as a surgical barrier and PuraForce as a reinforcement matrix in targeted soft tissue repairs; and Affinity, Novachor, PuraPly MZ, PuraPly AM, and PuraPly SX for management of open wounds in the surgical setting. Additionally, our Phase 3 clinical study evaluating the safety and efficacy of ReNu in symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA) is ongoing, and we expect to submit the biologics license application (BLA) in the second half of 2025. We also plan to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ReNu in symptomatic hip OA.
Recent Developments
License and Manufacturing Agreement with Vivex Biologics, Inc.
We enter into license and manufacturing agreements from time to time in the ordinary course of our business. In November 2023, we entered into a trademark license and manufacturing agreement with Vivex Biologics, Inc. (Vivex) to sell its CYGNUS Dual (Dual) and CYGNUS Matrix (Matrix) products, with the option to license the VIA Matrix (VIA) products. In March 2024, we exercised the option to license VIA, and accordingly in July 2024, entered into the first amendment to the trademark license and manufacturing agreement (together with the original agreement, the Vivex Agreement).
We paid an upfront licensing fee to Vivex to sell Dual and Matrix, and also agreed to pay a fixed milestone payment for Dual in the event that its average sales price (ASP) is published by certain government agencies for a specified period of time, which we remitted in December 2024. We remitted the option payment for VIA in April 2024. Additionally, we are required to pay a low double-digit royalty on the Net Sales of Dual and VIA, and a high single-digit royalty on the Net Sales of Matrix, respectively, during the royalty term, as defined in the Vivex Agreement. The royalty term is commensurate with the initial term of the contract and will continue for each subsequent renewal period. The initial term of the agreement expires on December 31, 2026 and can be renewed for up to five additional one-year terms.
Biomanufacturing facility in Smithfield, Rhode Island
In November 2024, we entered into a lease with DIV Technology Way, LLC (Davis) for a 122,000-square foot state-of-the-art biomanufacturing facility located in Smithfield, Rhode Island (Smithfield Facility). We intend to build out the Smithfield Facility for the manufacture of Dermagraft, Apligraft, and PuraPly, which we expect to commence in 2027. We are obligated under the lease to complete our build out of the Smithfield Facility within thirty-six (36) months of the lease signing, and will receive an allowance from Davis to partially offset the cost of the build out. The initial term of the lease expires in May 2041, with two ten-year renewal
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options. We have a one-time right of first offer to purchase the Smithfield Facility and have a right to terminate the lease for a payment to Davis of $1.3 million, if we have not secured certain anticipated state and local tax incentives by March 31, 2025.
Series A Convertible Preferred Stock Financing and Class A Common Stock Repurchases
On November 12, 2024, we entered into a subscription agreement with Avista Healthcare Partners III, L.P. (Avista Onshore) and AHP III Orchestra Holdings, L.P. (together with Avista Onshore, the Investors, and each an Investor) pursuant to which the Investors purchased 130,000 shares of our Series A Convertible Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share (Convertible Preferred Stock), for a purchase price of $1,000 per share, or aggregate gross proceeds of $130.0 million to us, prior to deduction of commissions, fees and expenses (Offering). The net proceeds will be used to fund strategic growth initiatives including, but not limited to, operating and commercial activities, clinical development programs, working capital, capital expenditures, debt repayment and for general corporate purposes. In addition, approximately $25.5 million of the net proceeds were used to fund the repurchase of an aggregate of 7,921,731 shares of Class A common stock from certain existing stockholders of the Company, including certain of its directors and their affiliates that are members of the Significant Stockholders Group. 7,421,731 of the shares of Class A common stock were repurchased at a price per share equal to $3.1597, which represented the 10-day trailing volume weighted average price of the Class A common stock as of market close on November 11, 2024 and 500,000 shares of Class A common stock were repurchased at a price per share equal to $4.057 per share, which represented the 10-day trailing volume weighted average price of the Class A common stock as of market close on November 26, 2024, pursuant to stock repurchase agreements entered into on November 12, 2024 and November 27, 2024, respectively, between us and such stockholders (Stock Repurchase Agreements, and each stock repurchase thereunder, a Repurchase).
Pursuant to the Certificate of Designations of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock (Certificate of Designation), each share of Convertible Preferred Stock is initially convertible into 263.7358 shares of Class A common stock, subject to adjustment as provided therein. The Convertible Preferred Stock ranks senior to shares of Class A common stock with respect to payment of dividends and the distribution of assets upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up. The Convertible Preferred Stock initially has a liquidation preference of $1,000 per share; provided that the liquidation preference upon a change of control on or before November 12, 2026 will be increased to be no less than $1,500 per share. Holders of the Convertible Preferred Stock will be entitled to a regular dividend at the rate of 8.0% per annum, compounding and payable quarterly in kind or in cash, at our election, subject to the 19.99% ownership limitations described below. Any accrued but unpaid dividends will become part of the liquidation preference of such share, as set forth in the Certificate of Designation.
Until we receive stockholder approval, as contemplated by Nasdaq listing rules, with respect to the issuance of shares of Class A common stock upon conversion of the Convertible Preferred Stock in excess of the limitations imposed by such rules, holders of Convertible Preferred Stock (Preferred Stockholders) the Investors cannot convert the Convertible Preferred Stock into a number of shares of Class A common stock in excess of 26,502,042 shares, which represents 19.99% of the outstanding shares of Class A common stock at the time of signing the Subscription Agreement, or to the extent such conversion will result in a Preferred Stockholder beneficially owning greater than 19.99% of the Company’s then-outstanding shares. If, prior to receipt of the stockholder approval, a Preferred Stockholder elects to convert any Convertible Preferred Stock that would result in the issuance, when aggregated with the number of shares previously issued upon conversion of the Convertible Preferred Stock, of more than 19.99% of the outstanding shares of Class A common stock at the time of signing the Subscription Agreement, then we will, in lieu of issuing shares of Class A common stock, pay the Preferred Stockholder a cash amount equal to the product of the number of shares of Class A common stock that could not be issued due to such limitation and the 10-day trailing volume weighted average price of the Class A common stock as of the trading day immediately prior to the conversion date (Cash-in-Lieu Payments), which Cash-in-Lieu Payments shall be paid no later than November 4, 2026, together with accrued interest of 10% per annum, to the extent an earlier cash payment is prohibited pursuant to the terms of our credit agreement.
The Convertible Preferred Stock is subject to certain transfer restrictions, and contains terms regarding anti-dilution, liquidation preference, and preemptive rights, and its holders will vote together with the Class A common stock on an as-converted basis. The Convertible Preferred Stock is redeemable at the option of the Preferred Stockholders at any time after November 12, 2031, and is convertible at our option after the second anniversary of issuance if the closing price of our Class A common stock equals or exceeds 200% of the conversion price for twenty trading days out of a period of thirty consecutive trading days. The Preferred Stockholders are entitled to elect one member and one observer to our Board of Directors, subject to the terms of the Convertible Preferred Stock and applicable listing standards.
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Market Overview
Advanced Wound Care Market
Wounds represent a large and growing burden on the public health as well as a significant cost to the health care system. Wounds are divided into two primary types, chronic and acute. It is estimated that approximately 27 million patients suffer from chronic and acute wounds in the United States each year, excluding surgical incisions. Chronic wounds account for most of the expenses due to their complexity and length of treatment.
Chronic wounds are wounds that have not appropriately closed after four weeks of traditional treatment such as dressings. While the underlying etiology of these chronic wounds is different, at a cellular level many of the problems that result in failed healing are the same. These include uncontrolled inflammatory processes, shortages of cell types, and reduced growth factors secreted or sensitivity to those factors by cells that are critical to healing, and that result in disrupted cell signaling pathways. Chronic wounds include:
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VLUs: wounds that occur in the lower extremities when blood does not circulate properly to the heart, caused by abnormal or damaged veins.
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DFUs: open sores or wounds that occur in patients with diabetes and are commonly located on the bottom of the foot.
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Pressure Ulcers: localized injuries to the skin and/or underlying tissues as a result of pressure or pressure in combination with shear.
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Surgical Wounds: acute wounds caused by surgical incisions that become chronic wounds if they do not heal properly.
The wound care market includes traditional dressings such as bandages, gauzes, and ointments and advanced wound care products such as mechanical devices, advanced dressings, and biologics. These advanced wound care products target chronic and acute wounds not adequately addressed by traditional therapies. Our products are primarily classified as skin substitutes, which fall within the biologics category of the Advanced Wound Care market. As of 2021, the global total addressable market for both acute and chronic wounds is estimated at approximately $20 billion.
Surgical & Sports Medicine Market
A surgical or acute wound is an injury that causes a rapid break in the skin and sometimes the underlying tissue. Acute wounds can be traumatic wounds, such as abrasions, lacerations, penetrating injuries or burns, or surgical wounds (skin grafts, dehiscences, necrotizing soft tissue infections) from surgical incisions. In contrast to chronic wounds, which would normally heal but stall due to biologic factors, acute wounds can be so severe that they overwhelm the body’s normal healing capacity. Biofilm and other infectious conditions, particularly in acute wounds with a high risk of infection such as open fractures, may also pose challenges to the healing of acute wounds.
In tendon and ligament repair, conventional surgical approaches rely on mechanical fixation to temporarily approximate damaged tissues, assuming that the natural healing process will then result in a permanent repair. Patients with impaired healing may be unable to generate the necessary tissue structures, resulting in unacceptable failure rates over time.
OA and other degenerative conditions, as well as soft tissue injuries such as tendinosis and fasciitis, are currently treated by injection with steroids or hyaluronic acid (HA). However, steroids offer pain relief for only a limited period and have been shown to further degrade some types of tissues over time, worsening the underlying condition. The evidence of HA’s efficacy has been questioned, and it is clear that a significant percentage of patients do not adequately respond to HA treatment. Patients who fail these less invasive therapies have limited options and may require surgical intervention, including total joint replacement.
Orthobiologics have been shown to be an effective alternative to traditional treatments. Due to their anti-inflammatory and pro-healing effects, they go beyond mechanical intervention to support the healing process in the damaged tissue and often result in faster healing times and shorter hospital stays. The orthobiologics market includes bone morphogenetic protein, viscosupplementation with HA, synthetic bone graft substitutes, and stem cell therapy, in addition to demineralized bone matrix (DBM) and allograft. Our current product pipeline includes Sports Medicine solutions based on placental-based technologies (ReNu). There is a rapidly growing body of clinical and scientific evidence indicating the potential of these products, particularly orthobiologics, in surgical applications, resulting in increased adoption of these products. As of 2023, the total addressable OA market is estimated at approximately $7 billion.
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Our Commercial Products
We focus our efforts on medical conditions that involve difficult-to-heal wounds and musculoskeletal injuries. Healing difficulties arise from a variety of causes and in various types of tissue and anatomic areas. Impaired healing is commonly associated with an inability to move beyond the inflammatory stages of healing, resulting in a chronic wound or injury, an ongoing inflammatory cycle, and an inability to achieve normal tissue healing. Biofilm and other infectious conditions also play a key role in disrupting wound healing processes. Regenerative medicine is a collection of technologies aimed at generating tissue as close as possible to native or natural tissue, to replace damaged tissue, and to fill or replace defects. Demand for these technologies is increasing as physician understanding of the underlying wound healing processes grows and as demographic and population health trends result in the increased prevalence of systemic comorbidities that contribute to healing problems throughout the body. Our products use regenerative medicine technologies to provide solutions in the Advanced Wound Care (Chronic Wound) and Surgical (Acute Wound) & Sports Medicine markets.
Advanced Wound Care
Affinity and Novachor are fresh, amnion and chorion placental allografts, respectively, for application in the care of chronic and acute wounds as protective barriers and extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffolds. We believe both products are one of only a few placental tissue products containing viable amniotic cells, and are unique in that they undergo our proprietary AlloFresh process that hypothermically stores the products in their fresh state, never dried or frozen, which retains their native benefits and structure. Regulated as human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based product, or HCT/P, under Section 361 of the Public Health Service Act (the PHSA), these products are referred to as Section 361 HCT/Ps, or simply 361 HCT/Ps. Affinity was launched in 2014 by NuTech Medical and acquired by us in 2017. Novachor was launched in December 2021.
Apligraf is a bioengineered bi-layered skin substitute that is the only product that has, to date, received PMA approval for the treatment of both VLUs and DFUs. Launched in 1998, Apligraf drives faster healing and more complete wound closure through its tissue-engineered structure, which includes an outer layer of protective skin cells (human epidermal keratinocytes), and an inner layer of cells (human dermal fibroblasts) contained within a collagen matrix. Apligraf is the leading skin substitute product for the treatment of VLUs, and its effectiveness has been established based on an extensive clinical history with over one million units shipped. We believe Apligraf is also the first and only wound-healing therapy to demonstrate in a randomized controlled trial, or RCT, a significant change in patients’ VLU wound tissue, showing a shift from a non-healing gene profile to a healing profile. Apligraf plays an active role in healing by providing the wound with living human skin cells, growth factors and other proteins produced by the cells, and a collagen matrix.
Dermagraft is a dermal substitute grown from human dermal fibroblasts and has received PMA approval for the treatment of DFUs. Launched in 2001 by Smith & Nephew and acquired by us in 2014, this product helps to restore the compromised wound bed to facilitate healing. The living cells in Dermagraft produce many of the same proteins and growth factors that support the healing response in healthy skin. In addition to an FDA-monitored RCT demonstrating its superiority to conventional therapy in the healing of DFUs, studies based on real-world evidence and Medicare data have demonstrated its superior clinical efficacy and value as compared to competitive wound care products and conventional therapy. Dermagraft can be applied weekly (up to eight times) over a twelve-week period and contains a temporary mesh fabric that is dissolvable and becomes part of the body’s own healing processes. Manufacturing of Dermagraft was suspended in the fourth quarter of 2021 and sales of Dermagraft were suspended in the second quarter of 2022. We currently plan to transition our Dermagraft manufacturing to our newly leased biomanufacturing facility in Smithfield, Rhode Island, which we expect will begin in 2027, and will result in substantial long-term cost savings. In the period when Dermagraft is not available, we expect that customers will be willing to substitute Apligraf for Dermagraft and that the suspension of Dermagraft sales will not have a material impact on our net revenue.
NuShield is a dehydrated placental allograft and surgical barrier that is topically or surgically applied to the target tissue to provide a protective barrier and ECM scaffold to support native healing. Regulated as a 361 HCT/P, NuShield is processed using our proprietary LayerLoc process, which preserves the native structure of the amnion and chorion membranes, including the intermediate or spongy layer, and their native structural and regulatory proteins. NuShield is available in multiple sizes, can be used as a protective barrier and ECM scaffold to help support native healing of chronic and acute wounds of many sizes, and can be stored at room temperature with a five-year shelf life. NuShield was launched in 2010 by NuTech Medical and acquired by us in 2017.
PuraPly Antimicrobial, or PuraPly AM, was developed to address the challenges posed by bioburden and excessive inflammation in the wound. Functioning as an antimicrobial barrier skin substitute, PuraPly AM is a purified native porcine type I collagen matrix embedded with polyhexamethylene biguanide, or PHMB, a localized broad-spectrum antimicrobial. PuraPly AM was launched in 2016 and has received 510(k) clearance for the management of multiple wound types, including partial and full-thickness wounds, pressure ulcers, venous ulcers, diabetic ulcers, chronic vascular ulcers, tunneled/undermined wounds, surgical wounds, trauma wounds, draining wounds, and first- and second-degree burns. The combination of PHMB with a native collagen matrix helps manage bioburden while supporting healing across a wide variety of wound types, regardless of severity or duration. Line extensions include PuraPly XT, which contains additional layers of collagen matrix and a higher level of PHMB. Extra-fenestrated (EF) versions
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of the products allow for added conformability and fluid drainage. We also developed and received 510(k) clearance for PuraPly without PHMB, which we refer to as "PuraPly," including a micronized version, PuraPly MZ, for those patients who do not require an antimicrobial agent.
CYGNUS Dual is a dual-layered amniotic tissue graft used to treat chronic and acute wounds that can be stored at room temperature and has a five-year shelf life. It is manufactured in accordance with FDA regulations and American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) standards using a methodology that helps maintain the inherent levels of key extracellular matrices, including carbohydrates, growth factors, and cytokines.
Surgical & Sports Medicine
We market our NuShield product for surgical and orthopedic applications. NuShield may be used as a surgical barrier or as an on-lay or wrap barrier to support soft tissue repairs. When used as a barrier membrane, the native biological characteristics of this placental tissue may help support the healing of soft tissue defects, particularly in difficult-to-heal locations or challenging patient populations.
We market our Affinity and Novachor products as placental allografts for acute surgical wounds and our PuraPly AM and PuraPly SX products as antimicrobial barriers for the management of open wounds in the surgical setting.
PuraForce is a bioengineered porcine collagen surgical matrix for use in soft tissue reinforcement applications. PuraPly MZ is a micronized particulate version of PuraPly that allows application in powder or gel form for the management of open wounds in the surgical setting.
Our Business Strategy
We continue to leverage our comprehensive product portfolio and relationships with key constituents to deepen our presence in the Advanced Wound Care market. We believe the breadth and flexibility of our portfolio allows and will continue to allow us to address a wide variety of wound types (chronic and acute), sizes, and reimbursement levels, offering significant new opportunities for growth. Furthermore, we believe our expanded product portfolio is enhancing the ability of our sales representatives to reach and penetrate customer accounts in various: sites of care, including, but not limited to,: operating rooms and surgical settings, physicians’ offices, wound care centers, long term care facilities, and critical access hospitals; as well as: clinical specialties, including, but not limited to, podiatry; and, various surgical categories, including: vascular, plastic, general, orthopedic, trauma, and dermatology, contributing to strong growth over time. Additionally, we believe there is significant room for expansion of the Advanced Wound Care market as a whole and our wound biologics product category in particular as more physicians and payers are educated about the benefits of regenerative medicine technologies versus traditional therapies, and as the incidence of chronic and acute wounds increases with the growing impact of societal disease states, such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, that cause these conditions. We continue to invest to support physician and payer education as well as preclinical and clinical trials, real-world evidence, and other research to confirm the benefits of our products. We will continue to seek expanded payer coverage for all of our products, particularly PuraPly AM/XT, Novachor, NuShield and Affinity, for which we do not yet have the broad commercial payer coverage enjoyed by Apligraf and Dermagraft.
We entered the Surgical & Sports Medicine market with the acquisition of NuTech Medical and its established and leading presence in placental-based products in 2017. We plan to continue to accelerate penetration into this market with our placental-based and collagen biomaterial products by leveraging our established commercial and operational infrastructure including our direct sales force and independent sales agencies. We also plan to continue to take advantage of significant opportunities to cross-sell within our established customer bases in both the Advanced Wound Care and Surgical & Sports Medicine markets. We believe that the Surgical & Sports Medicine market presents a strong near-term opportunity with respect to our current product portfolio as well as a significant long-term opportunity with respect to chronic inflammatory and degenerative conditions. Given our experience in the Advanced Wound Care market and regenerative medicine in general, we believe we are well positioned to capture this opportunity.
We have a robust pipeline of products in both the Advanced Wound Care and Surgical & Sports Medicine markets that we expect to launch in the next few years. We expect these products will deepen our portfolios and allow us to address additional clinical applications, such as patients requiring care for burns of varying degrees. In addition, we anticipate our ongoing efforts to complete clinical studies and publish research regarding our products will further enhance physician and payer receptiveness to our products over time. Our proven research and development capabilities and established technology platforms also support a robust and adaptable product pipeline for future applications.
We plan to continue to expand the reach and penetration of our products by optimizing our sales organization to serve the Advanced Wound Care and Surgical & Sports Medicine markets. This effort should allow us to achieve more focused and effective sales coverage for specific market categories, broaden our geographic footprint, and leverage our expanding relationships with large
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hospital systems and GPOs. We also plan to increase our focus on sales outside of the United States, including the European Union and the Middle East. Currently, substantially all of our sales are in the United States.
We have demonstrated our ability to successfully identify and integrate assets that complement our strategy through the acquisitions of Dermagraft and TransCyte from Shire and our placental-based products from NuTech Medical. We continue to evaluate tuck-in acquisitions which complement our existing portfolios in both the Advanced Wound Care and Surgical & Sports Medicine markets and will leverage our established commercial and manufacturing infrastructure.
Platform Technologies
Our proven research and development capabilities and established technology platforms support a robust and adaptable product pipeline for future applications. The platform technologies in which we have deep experience include:
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Bioengineered Cultured Cellular Products: The development and production of bioengineered cultured cellular products have been a core competency since our founding. Our Apligraf, Dermagraft, and TransCyte products all draw from our expertise in this area.
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Collagen Biomaterial Technology Platform: Our porcine collagen biomaterial technology platform incorporates proprietary tissue cleaning processes and allows us to bioengineer products for specific applications by controlling thickness, strength, and remodeling rates. We currently hold 510(k) clearances for a number of products in this platform with indications ranging from tendon reinforcement to plastic surgery and general surgery applications.
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Placental-Based Products: Our placental-based products are based on significant expertise in the processing of placental tissues and fluids to yield products with desirable characteristics. We have expertise using the full array of available tissue types and multiple processing methodologies, including our proprietary AlloFresh and LayerLoc processing methods. Our proprietary AlloFresh process hypothermically stores our Affinity product in its fresh state, never dried or frozen, which retains its native benefits and structure. Our proprietary LayerLoc process preserves the native structure of the amnion and chorion membranes, optimized to provide excellent strength, flexibility, and handling.
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Antimicrobial Technology: Our PHMB antimicrobial technology provides clinical and competitive advantage for multiple wound indications. PHMB is a broad-spectrum effective antimicrobial that prevents biofilm reformation. We have developed multiple product versions incorporating PHMB that have demonstrated clinical benefit to control bioburden and support wound healing when used following wound debridement.
Product Pipeline
We have a robust pipeline of products under development for both the Advanced Wound Care and Surgical & Sports Medicine markets. We believe our pipeline efforts will deepen our comprehensive portfolio of offerings as well as allow us to address additional clinical applications.
PuraPly and PuraPlyAM Line Extensions
The PuraPly portfolio is comprised of a purified native collagen matrix. PuraPly AM and PuraPly SX are native collagen scaffolds that also provide an antimicrobial barrier utilizing a broad spectrum antimicrobial agent (PHMB). We have several line extensions in development.
Placental Portfolio Expansion
We have placental products under development. Our research and development (R&D) team continues to research and develop additional product concepts from our placental technology platform, as well as to collaborate with our Business Development team to assess additional product in-licensing or acquisition opportunities.
Apligraf and Dermagraft Line Extensions
We have two development projects underway to develop additional sizes of Apligraf and Dermagraft. The objective is to develop at least one additional smaller size of each product to optimize clinical utilization for smaller wounds such as DFUs. These types of changes to living cell-based products require significant development and validation work and will require FDA PMA Supplement approval for the changes. Therefore, we expect the duration of the development projects to be several years before commercial products will be available. Manufacturing of Dermagraft line extensions is dependent on the completion of manufacturing and supply capabilities for the product.
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FortiShield
FortiShield is a biosynthetic wound matrix made from a semi-permeable silicone membrane bonded to a kitted nylon fabric and coated with collagen, to provide a flexible dressing that is designed to adhere to the application site, provide a barrier to the external environment, and allow for excess exudate drainage. FortiShield is intended for use as a temporary protective covering, and to provide a moist wound healing environment on cleanly debrided wounds after hemostasis has been established. The primary indication for the product is as a transitional wound matrix for second degree burns. There are additional chronic and acute wound applications. The product received 510(k) clearance in May 2023. Commercial launch is dependent upon the completion of manufacturing and supply capabilities for the product.
TransCyte
TransCyte is a bioengineered tissue scaffold that promotes burn healing and has received PMA approval for the treatment of deep second- and third-degree burns. TransCyte is a flexible, durable product that provides bioactive dermal components, an outer protective barrier, increased re-epithelialization and pain relief for patients suffering from burns. Full launch is dependent on the completion of manufacturing capabilities.
ReNu
ReNu is a cryopreserved suspension derived from human amniotic membrane and cells derived from amniotic fluid. The initial target indication for ReNu is for the management of symptoms associated with knee OA. We are in the planning stages for clinical studies of ReNu to support the management of symptoms associated with hip OA, and we believe ReNu may have potential as a treatment for additional OA and tissue regeneration applications, which would need to be clinically evaluated further before any such approved uses.
Ongoing Clinical Studies
We believe gathering robust and comprehensive clinical and real-world outcomes data is an essential component of developing a competitive product portfolio and driving further penetration in the markets where we compete. We continue to invest in generating clinical data for our Advanced Wound Care and Surgical & Sports Medicine products, and believe such data enhance sales efforts with physicians and reimbursement dynamics with payers over time. As used herein, p value is a measure of statistical significance. The lower the p value, the more likely it is that the results of a clinical trial or study are statistically significant rather than an experimental anomaly. Generally, to be considered statistically significant, such results must have a p value <0.05.
As noted above, we completed a phase 3 prospective, multicenter, double-blind, randomized, saline-controlled clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of amniotic suspension allograft (ASA, ReNu) in patients with knee OA, and completed topline analysis in the second quarter of 2024. We reported results consistent with the predefined requirements for study success: statistically significant reduction in knee pain (p=0.0177) and statistically significant maintenance of function (p<0.0001) at six months.
We completed enrollment in a second phase 3 prospective, multicenter, double-blind, randomized, saline-controlled clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of ASA in patients with OA of the knee in the second quarter of 2024. This clinical trial completed enrollment with 594 randomized subjects with Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) severity 2 to 4 knee OA. The study performed the prespecified interim analysis on 50% of the planned 474 subjects after six-months of follow up in the fourth quarter of 2024. The DMC recommended the clinical trial proceed without modification and without increase in sample size. The DMC also reviewed available safety data and found the safety data to be consistent with the known safety profile for ASA (ReNu). We expect to have all patients completing the study by the end of the second quarter of 2025, and to complete the initial statistical analysis and have top-line data results from the second phase 3 study to share publicly in September 2025. Our current timeline targets completion of the final clinical study report required for the BLA submission in the fourth quarter of 2025, and expect to submit the BLA by the end of 2025.
Commercial Infrastructure
Sales and Marketing
Our current Advanced Wound Care portfolio is sold throughout the United States via an experienced direct sales force. We use a mix of direct sales representatives and independent agencies to service the Surgical & Sports Medicine market. As of December 31, 2024, we had 256 direct sales representatives and approximately 160 independent agencies. These sales representatives are supported by teams of professionals focused on sales management, sales operations and effectiveness, ongoing training, analytics, and marketing.
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Sales generated by our direct sales forces in the United States have represented, and we anticipate will continue to represent, a majority of our revenues. In addition, we have obtained marketing registrations, developed commercial and distribution capabilities, and are currently selling products in several countries outside of the United States. Our Apligraf productis currently distributed by our direct sales force in Switzerland, and through independent sales agents in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Our NuShield product is also distributed by our direct sales force in Switzerland, and through independent sales agents in Kuwait. We have obtained marketing registration for our Dermagraft product in Mexico, but we are not currently distributing it. Additionally, we are evaluating the regulatory pathways and market potential for our products in other major markets, including the European Union.
Customer Support Services
We offer in-house customer support services, including our reimbursement support team, our medical and technical support team, and our field-based medical science liaison team. We believe that providing these essential support services in-house creates a competitive advantage by allowing us to align our support services with our sales efforts leading to improvements in the overall customer experience.
Research and Development
Our R&D team works to design products that are intended to improve patient outcomes, simplify techniques, shorten procedures, reduce hospitalization and rehabilitation times, and, as a result, reduce costs. We conduct research and development activities at our laboratory facilities in Canton, MA, Birmingham, AL, and San Diego, CA. We have an internal team that is comprised of individuals with significant experience and training at leading colleges and universities with regenerative medicine graduate programs. In addition to our internal staff, our external network of development labs, testing labs, and expert clinicians aid us in our research and development process.
The majority of our product portfolio, including Apligraf, our PuraPly product family, our collagen biomaterial technology platform product family, and all of our placental-based products, was developed by our R&D team at our three facilities. We have proven competencies to bring products to market through a broad range of regulatory classifications.
Manufacturing and Suppliers
We manufacture our primary non-placental-based products and use third-party manufacturers for our placental-based products. We have significant expansion capabilities in our in-house manufacturing facilities and we believe that our contract manufacturers are well positioned to support future expansion.
We have robust internal compliance processes to maintain the quality and reliability of our products. We conduct annual internal audits, combined with external audits by regulatory agencies, to monitor our quality control practices. We are registered with the FDA as a medical device manufacturing establishment and a HCT/P registered establishment. We are also accredited by the AATB and licensed with several states per their tissue banks regulations. All of our contract manufacturers are registered with the FDA as HCT/P establishments and are AATB accredited.
We utilize third-party raw material suppliers to support our internal manufacturing processes. All prospective suppliers are subject to a rigorous vetting process to ensure quality and reliability. Additionally, our approved suppliers are audited at pre-determined intervals to ensure continued reliability.
The manufacture of our products is dependent on the availability of sufficient quantities of source tissue, which is the primary component of our products. Source tissue includes donated human tissue, porcine tissue, and bovine tissue. We acquire donated human tissue directly through institutional review board-approved protocols at multiple hospitals, as well as through tissue procurement firms engaged by us or by our contract manufacturers. We have two qualified porcine tissue suppliers, and currently one source of bovine tissue. Historically, we have not experienced significant difficulty locating and obtaining the suppliers or materials necessary to fulfill our production requirements.
Government Regulation
FDA Regulation of Product Registration, Manufacture, and Promotion
We market medical products in the United States that have either been approved or cleared by the FDA prior to marketing, or do not require FDA premarket review. Our marketed products that have received marketing authorization from the FDA have done so under one of the following agency pathways: 510(k) clearance for a Class II medical device or approval of a PMA for a Class III
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medical device. These medical products are regulated by the FDA under the PHSA or the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) along with the FDA’s implementing regulations. These federal statutes and regulations govern, among other things, the following activities that we perform or are performed on our behalf and will continue to perform or have performed on our behalf: the production, research, development, testing, manufacture, quality control, packaging, labeling, storage, approval, advertising, and promotion, distribution of our products into interstate commerce, record keeping, service and surveillance, complaint handling, repair or recall of products, adverse event reporting and other field safety corrective actions.
FDA Regulatory Review and Approval Process
With respect to the manufacture of medical devices and biologics, the FDA regulates and inspects equipment, facilities, laboratories, and processes used in the manufacturing and testing of products prior to providing approval to market products. After receiving approval from the FDA, additional regulatory review or inspection may be required if we make a material change in manufacturing equipment, location or process. Our manufacturing processes must comply with the FDA’s Quality System Regulation, or QSR, for our medical device products. The QSR requires that each device manufacturer establish and implement a quality system under which the manufacturer monitors the manufacturing process and maintains records that show compliance with FDA regulations and the manufacturer’s written specifications and procedures relating to the devices. Among other things, these regulations require that manufacturers establish performance requirements before production and follow requirements applicable to design controls, testing, record keeping, documentation, manufacturing standards, labeling, complaint handling, and management review.
Manufacturers of biologics must comply with the FDA’s applicable Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) regulations, including quality control and quality assurance and maintenance of records and documentation. Manufacturers and others involved in the manufacture and distribution of such products also must register their establishments with the FDA and certain state agencies. Both domestic and foreign manufacturing establishments must register and provide additional information to the FDA upon their initial participation in the manufacturing process. Concurrent with clinical trials, companies usually complete additional preclinical studies and must also develop additional information about the physical characteristics of the biologic product candidate, as well as finalize a process for manufacturing the product candidate in commercial quantities in accordance with cGMP requirements. To help reduce the risk of the introduction of adventitious agents or of causing other adverse events with the use of biologic products, the PHSA emphasizes the importance of manufacturing control for products whose attributes cannot be precisely defined. The manufacturing process must be capable of consistently producing quality batches of the product candidate and, among other requirements, the sponsor must develop methods for testing the identity, strength, quality, potency, and purity of the final biologic product. Additionally, appropriate packaging must be selected and tested and stability studies must be conducted to demonstrate that the biologic product candidate does not undergo unacceptable deterioration over its shelf life.
In addition, we must comply with medical device reporting regulations and corrections and removal reporting regulations. Medical device reporting regulations require that manufacturers report to the FDA if their devices may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury or malfunctioned in a way that would likely cause or contribute to a death or serious injury if it were to recur. Corrections and removal reporting regulations require that manufacturers report to the FDA field corrections and product recalls or removals if undertaken to reduce a risk to health posed by the device or to remedy a violation of the FDCA that may present a risk to health. The FDA may also order a mandatory recall if there is a reasonable probability that the device would cause serious adverse health consequences or death.
Certain human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based products, or HCT/Ps, are regulated under Section 361 of the PHSA and are referred to as "Section 361 HCT/Ps" or simply "361 HCT/Ps," while other HCT/Ps are subject to the FDA’s regulatory requirements for medical devices and/or biologics. A product that is regulated as a 361 HCT/P may be commercially distributed without prior FDA clearance or approval. Pursuant to 21 CFR 1271.10, in order to be regulated as a 361 HCT/P, and hence exempt from premarket review, an HCT/P must be minimally manipulated, intended for homologous use, and manufactured without being combined with another article (except for water, crystalloids, or sterilizing, preserving, or storage agents). The HCT/P must also either have no systemic effect and not be dependent upon the metabolic activity of living cells for its primary function or, if it has a systemic effect, be intended for autologous use, for allogeneic use in a first-degree or second-degree blood relative or for reproductive use. We believe that Affinity and NuShield generally fulfill the relevant criteria under 21 CFR 1271.10. In light of the 361 HCT/P Guidance, our labeling and marketing claims for Affinity and NuShield clarify that they are intended for use as protective barriers, and thus qualify as Section 361 HCT/Ps. However, the FDA could disagree with our conclusion and require premarket approval or clearance for Affinity, NuShield, or any placental-based sheet product we presently have or may have in the future market, which would disrupt the marketing of these products, potentially expose us to regulatory sanctions, and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Section 361 HCT/Ps are subject to specific FDA regulations that include cGTPs, donor eligibility determination requirements, adverse event reporting, and advertising and labeling requirements. cGTP regulations govern the methods used in, and the facilities and controls used for, the manufacture of HCT/Ps, including but not limited to all steps in recovery, donor screening, donor testing, processing, storage, labeling, packaging, and distribution.
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The FDA is authorized to expedite the review of BLAs in several ways. Under the Fast Track program, the sponsor of a biologic product candidate may request the FDA to designate the product for a specific indication as a Fast Track product concurrent with or after the filing of the BLA. Biologic products are eligible for Fast Track designation if they are intended to treat a serious or life-threatening condition and demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs for the condition. Fast Track designation applies to the combination of the product candidate and the specific indication for which it is being studied. In addition to other benefits, such as the ability to have greater interactions with the FDA, the FDA may initiate review of sections of a Fast Track BLA before the application is complete, a process known as rolling review. We plan to request Priority Review of the ReNu BLA.
Any product submitted to the FDA for marketing, including under a Fast Track program, may be eligible for other types of FDA programs intended to expedite development and review, such as breakthrough therapy designation, regenerative medicine advance therapy designation, priority review and accelerated approval.
Post-approval Requirements
FDA regulation of biologic products continues after approval, particularly with respect to cGMP requirements, including quality control and quality assurance and maintenance of records and documentation. Other post-approval requirements applicable to biologic products include reporting of cGMP deviations that may affect the identity, potency, purity and overall safety of a distributed product, record-keeping requirements, reporting of adverse effects, reporting updated safety and efficacy information and complying with electronic record and signature requirements. Failure to comply with the applicable United States requirements at any time during the product development process, approval process or after approval, may subject an applicant or manufacturer to administrative or judicial civil or criminal actions and adverse publicity. These actions could include refusal to approve pending applications or supplemental applications, withdrawal of an approval, clinical hold, suspension or termination of a clinical trial by an Institutional Review Board (IRB), warning or untitled letters, product recalls, product seizures, total or partial suspension of production or distribution, injunctions, fines or other monetary penalties, refusals of government contracts, mandated corrective advertising or communications with healthcare providers, debarment, restitution, disgorgement of profits or other civil or criminal penalties.
Advertising, marketing and promotional activities for devices and biologics are also subject to FDA oversight and must comply with the statutory standards of the FDCA, and the FDA’s implementing regulations. The FDA’s oversight authority review of marketing and promotional activities encompasses, but is not limited to, direct-to-consumer advertising, healthcare provider-directed advertising and promotion, sales representative communications to healthcare professionals, promotional programming and promotional activities involving electronic media. The FDA also regulates industry-sponsored scientific and educational activities that make representations regarding product safety or efficacy in a promotional context. A sponsor also must comply with the FDA’s advertising and promotion requirements, such as the prohibition on promoting products for uses or in patient populations that are not described in the product’s approved labeling (known as off-label use). The FDA may take enforcement action against a company for promoting unapproved uses of a product or for other violations of its advertising and labeling laws and regulations. Enforcement actions may include product seizures, injunctions, civil or criminal penalties or regulatory letters, which may require corrective advertising or other corrective communications to healthcare professionals.
Reimbursement
Our customers primarily consist of hospitals, wound care centers, government facilities, ASCs, and physician offices, all of which rely on coverage and reimbursement for our products by Medicare, Medicaid, and other third-party payers. Governmental healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, typically have published and defined coverage criteria and published reimbursement rates for medical products, services, and procedures that are established by law or regulation. Non-government payers have their own coverage criteria and often negotiate payment rates for medical products, services, and procedures. Many also require prior authorization as a prerequisite to coverage. In addition, in the United States, an increasing percentage of insured individuals are receiving their medical care through managed care programs, which monitor utilization and also may require prior authorization for the products and services that a member receives. Coverage and reimbursement from government and commercial payers are not assured and are subject to change.
Medicare, the federally funded program that provides healthcare coverage for senior citizens and people with disabilities, is the largest third-party payer in the United States. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administers the Medicare program and, for Medicare Parts A and B (often referred to as "traditional Medicare") uses Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) to process claims, develop coverage policies and make payments within designated geographic jurisdictions. CMS does not currently have a national coverage determination related to skin substitutes. Coverage for our skin substitute products falls under the jurisdiction of the Part A/B MACs. Medicare coverage for these products is determined by each MAC for its specific jurisdiction; coverage by MACs can be determined either through case-by-case review of claims for medical necessity or based on local coverage determinations (LCDs). Implementation of LCDs by one or more MACs can therefore affect coverage policy for certain products or product candidates and/or certain uses of those products, depending on the scope of the LCD(s). Additionally, Medicare Advantage
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(MA) Plans (Medicare Part C) are required to cover items and services that are covered by Medicare Parts A and B, and MA Plans are not required to cover items and services that are not covered by Medicare Parts A and B. MA Plans also must specify any additional benefits that they provide as supplemental benefits approved by CMS.
Private payers often, but not always, follow the lead of Medicare or other governmental payers in making coverage and reimbursement determinations. Therefore, achieving favorable Medicare coverage and reimbursement can sometimes be a significant factor in obtaining favorable coverage and reimbursement for products by private payers. While most private payers currently cover Apligraf and Dermagraft, and some cover Affinity, most of those payers provide limited coverage for our other products, such as PuraPly, PuraPly AM, NuShield and CYGNUS.
Currently, Medicare makes a separate payment for our products when used in the physician office at a payment rate based on the average sales price (ASP) methodology, including ASP plus 6% for some products. In the outpatient hospital and ASC settings, Medicare payment for all our products is currently bundled into the payment for the application procedure.
Coverage policies and third-party reimbursement rates may change at any time. Even if favorable coverage and reimbursement status is attained for one or more of our products or product candidates, less favorable coverage policies and reimbursement rates may be implemented in the future. It is difficult to predict whether changes in Medicare and/or other third-party coverage and reimbursement policies could be implemented that would affect our products and product candidates.
Intellectual Property
Our success depends in part on our ability to protect our proprietary technology and intellectual property and operate without infringing the patents and other proprietary rights of third parties. We rely on a combination of trademark, trade secret, patents, copyright, and other measures to protect the intellectual property rights that we consider important to our business. We also rely on know-how and continuing technological innovation to develop and maintain our competitive position. Other than a license from Novartis Pharma AG for trademark and domain name rights to Apligraf and an exclusive license from RESORBA Medical GmbH, or Resorba, to a United States patent for a collagen-based wound dressing containing PHMB, we do not have any additional material licenses to any technology or intellectual property rights.
As of December 31, 2024, we owned 49 issued patents globally, of which 17 were United States patents. As of December 31, 2024, we owned 21 pending patent applications, of which 9 were patent applications pending in the United States. Many of our issued patents are currently expected to expire between 2027 and 2042. The expiration of these patents is not expected to have a material impact on our business. Additionally, we own or have rights to trademarks or trade names that are used in our business and in conjunction with the sale of our products, including 14 United States trademark registrations and 36 foreign trademark registrations, as of December 31, 2024.
Seasonality
Revenues during our fourth quarter tend to be stronger than other quarters because many hospitals increase their purchases of our products during the fourth quarter to coincide with the end of their budget cycles in the United States. Satisfaction of deductibles through the course of the year also results in increased revenues later in the year. In general, our first quarter usually has lower revenues than the preceding fourth quarter, the second and third quarters have higher revenues than the first quarter, and the fourth quarter revenues are the highest in the year.
Competition
We operate in highly competitive markets that are subject to rapid technological change. Additionally, due to lower barriers to entry in the Section 361 HCT/P regulated market, competition in the placenta-based and allograft tissue field is intense and subject to new entrants and evolving market dynamics. We are aware of several companies that compete, or are developing technologies, in our current and future product areas. Our products compete primarily with skin substitute products, placental-based technology products, orthobiologics products, other advanced wound care and traditional wound care products, among others. We also compete in the marketplace to recruit and retain qualified scientific, management and sales personnel, as well as to acquire technologies and technology licenses complementary to our products or advantageous to our business.
Success in these markets depends primarily on product efficacy, ease of product use, product price, availability of coverage and adequate third-party reimbursement, customer support services for technical, clinical, and reimbursement support, and customer
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preference for, and loyalty to, the products. We believe that the demonstrated clinical efficacy of our products, the breadth of our product portfolio, our in-house customer support services, our customer relationships and reputation offer us advantages over our competitors. We also believe our success in obtaining third-party reimbursement, our strong position with group purchasing organizations, and the established clinical evidence for our products are competitive advantages. In addition, we believe we are one of the few regenerative medicine companies offering PMA approved and 510(k) cleared products in addition to our 361 HCT/Ps.
Human Capital Resources
Our success is realized through the engagement and commitment of our people. As of December 31, 2024, we had approximately 869 employees worldwide. In managing our business, we focus on a number of factors with respect to the attraction, development, and retention of our employees, including:
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We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We seek to attract a diverse slate of candidates, including from historically underrepresented groups. We believe that diversity and inclusion in the workplace enhance employee engagement and stimulate innovation, and that people in diverse groups work better, share information more broadly and consider a wider range of views. We pride ourselves on our diverse workforce, which we believe has been and will continue to be a major contributor to our growth and innovation, and intend to continue to make diversity and inclusion a focus of our efforts regarding our workforce.
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We aim to maintain an "open door" culture, and encourage employees to voice their concerns, questions, suggestions and comments. We strive to foster an atmosphere where employees openly share ideas and where people are treated with dignity and respect. Our goal is to provide a productive working environment based on mutual respect and the highest level of ethical and lawful conduct. We have also established a hotline for employees to report suspected violations of law and concerns related to accounting, auditing, compliance and ethical violations.
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We provide our employees a competitive wage and evaluate our compensation programs to ensure that our employees are paid fairly for the valuable work they are doing. We are also committed to achieving internal pay equity and rewarding outstanding performance. We offer our employees competitive benefits and are proud that we have not raised employee contributions to our healthcare benefits for 8 years running.
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We aim to foster a culture where learning is continuous, and we strive to promote from within. We believe in our people and their ability to accept new responsibilities and challenges and to grow with us to contribute to our success. Growth is fostered through professional development and learning programs as well as practical experience. Employees receive regular performance reviews to support their progress and development.
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We recognize the benefits of a healthy workforce and offer our employees the opportunity to participate in wellness activities and programs throughout the year. We also support the mental health of our employees by offering Mental Health and Wellness training for managers and employees. We also provide an employee assistance program for employees and their families that provides free counseling sessions and offers other resources for employees. Additionally, our healthcare benefit allows for reimbursement for fitness and weight loss programs.
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We prioritize the health and safety of our employees. Guided by an Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) manual that is regularly reviewed, we have a dedicated EHS team, who seek to prevent and reduce workplace risks and injuries through various programs, training, projects, services, and assistance, such as ergonomic evaluation, hazard reporting, risk assessment, and first aid training. We require all work-related injuries or illnesses to be reported. This information is reviewed bi-monthly by our EHS Team and Safety Committee for analysis and trending.
Available Information
Our Internet website address is http://www.organogenesis.com. Through our website, we make available, free of charge, our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and any amendments to those reports, as well as proxy statements, and, from time to time, other documents as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. These SEC reports can be accessed through the "Investors" section of our website. The information found on our website is not part of this or any other report we file with or furnish to the SEC.
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Item 1A. Risk factors
An investment in our securities, including our common stock, involves a high degree of risk. Investors should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below, together with the information included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents we file with the SEC.
Risks Related to Organogenesis and its business
Our operating results may fluctuate significantly as a result of a variety of factors, many of which are outside of our control.
We are subject to the following factors, among others, that may negatively affect our operating results:
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the announcement or introduction of new products by our competitors;
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failure of government healthcare programs and private health plans to cover our products or to timely and adequately reimburse the users of our products;
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the rate of reimbursement by government and private insurers for use of our products;
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any change in Medicare payment policy which provides a competitive advantage to our competitor’s products;
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any change in government healthcare programs’ and private health plans’ policies regarding sales and reimbursement of durable medical equipment (DME), including a prohibition on physician-owned DME supplier entities;
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our ability to upgrade and develop our systems and infrastructure to accommodate growth;
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our ability to attract and retain key personnel in a timely and cost-effective manner;
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our ability to offer our wound care and surgical products and supplies using our existing sales force and distribution network;
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the amount and timing of operating costs and capital expenditures relating to the expansion of our business, operations, and infrastructure;
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changes in, or enactment of new laws or regulations promulgated by federal, state, or local governments;
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cost containment initiatives or policies developed by government and commercial payers that create financial incentives not to use our products;
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our inability to demonstrate that our products are cost-effective or superior to competing products;
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our ability to develop new products;
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discovery of product defects during the manufacturing process;
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initiation of a government investigation into potential non-compliance with laws or regulations;
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issuance of government advisory opinions or program bulletins that could negatively affect one or more of our sales models;
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sanctions imposed by federal or state governments due to non-compliance with laws or regulations;
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recall of one or more of our products by the FDA due to noncompliance with FDA requirements; and
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general economic conditions as well as economic conditions specific to the healthcare industry.
Rapid technological change could cause our products to become obsolete, and if we do not enhance our product offerings through our research and development efforts, we may be unable to effectively compete.
The technologies underlying our products are subject to rapid and profound technological change. Competition intensifies as technical advances in each field are made and become more widely known. We can give no assurance that others will not develop services, products, or processes with significant advantages over the products, services, and processes that we offer or are seeking to develop. Any such occurrence could have a material and adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
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We plan to enhance and broaden our product offerings in response to changing customer demands and competitive pressure and technologies, but we may not be successful. The success of any new product offering or enhancement to an existing product will depend on numerous factors, including our ability to:
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properly identify and anticipate physician and patient needs;
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develop and introduce new products or product enhancements in a timely manner;
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adequately protect our intellectual property and avoid infringing upon the intellectual property rights of third parties;
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demonstrate the safety and efficacy of new products, including through the conduct of additional clinical trials;
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obtain the necessary regulatory clearances or approvals for new products or product enhancements;
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achieve adequate coverage and reimbursement for our products; and
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compete successfully against other skin substitutes and other modalities for treating wounds such as negative-pressure wound therapy and hyperbaric oxygen.
If we do not develop and, when necessary, obtain regulatory clearance or approval for new products or product enhancements in time to meet market demand, or if there is insufficient demand for these products or enhancements, our results of operations will suffer. Our research and development efforts may require a substantial investment of time and resources before we are adequately able to determine the commercial viability of a new product, technology, material or other innovation. In addition, even if we are able to successfully develop enhancements or new generations of our products, these enhancements or new generations of products may not be covered or reimbursed by government healthcare programs such as Medicare or private health plans, may not produce sales in excess of the costs of development and/or may be quickly rendered obsolete by changing customer preferences or the introduction by our competitors of products embodying new technologies or features.
To be commercially successful, we must convince physicians that our products are safe and effective alternatives to existing treatments and that our products should be used in their procedures.
We believe physicians will only adopt our products if they determine, based on experience, clinical data and published peer-reviewed journal articles, that the use of our products in a particular procedure is a favorable alternative to conventional methods. Physicians also are more interested in using cost-effective products and may practice in settings like Accountable Care Organizations, or ACOs, or Medical Homes, where they face considerable cost-containment pressure. In general, physicians may be slow to change their medical treatment practices and use of our products for many reasons, including but not limited to: their lack of experience using our products; pressure to contain costs; preference for other treatment modalities or our competitors’ products; perceived liability risks generally associated with the use of new products and procedures; limited availability of coverage and/or reimbursement from third-party payers; and the time that must be dedicated to training.
We believe recommendations for, and support of our products by, influential physicians are essential for market acceptance and adoption. If we do not receive this support (e.g., because we are unable to demonstrate favorable long-term clinical data), physicians and hospitals may not use our products, which would significantly reduce our ability to achieve expected revenue and would prevent us from sustaining profitability.
We face the risk of product liability claims and may not be able to obtain or maintain adequate product liability insurance.
Our business exposes us to the risk of product liability claims that are inherent in the manufacturing, processing, investigating, and marketing of medical devices and human tissue products. We are, and may in the future be, subject to product liability claims and lawsuits, including potential class actions or mass tort claims, alleging that our products have resulted or could result in an unsafe condition or injury. Product liability claims may be made by patients and their families, healthcare providers, or others selling our products. Defending a lawsuit, regardless of merit, could be costly, divert management attention, and result in adverse publicity, which could result in the withdrawal of, or reduced acceptance of, our products in the market. If we cannot successfully defend against product liability claims, we could incur substantial liability and costs. Additionally, regardless of merit or eventual outcome, product liability claims may result in harm to our business reputation, investigations by regulators, significant defense costs, distraction of and substantial monetary awards to patients or other claimants, among other adverse consequences.
Although we have product liability insurance that we believe is adequate, this insurance is subject to deductibles and coverage limitations and we may not be able to maintain this insurance. Also, it is possible that claims could exceed the limits of our coverage or be excluded from coverage under our policy. If we are unable to maintain product liability insurance at an acceptable cost or on acceptable terms with adequate coverage or otherwise protect ourselves against potential product liability claims or we underestimate
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the amount of insurance we need, we could be exposed to significant liabilities, which may harm our business. One or more product liability claims could cause our stock price to decline and, if our liability exceeds our insurance coverage, could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Interruptions in the supply of our products or inventory loss may adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Our products are manufactured using technically complex processes requiring specialized facilities, highly specific raw materials, and other production constraints. The complexity of these processes, as well as strict company and government standards for the manufacture and storage of our products, subjects us to production risks.
In addition to ongoing production risks, process deviations or unanticipated effects of approved process changes may result in non-compliance with regulatory requirements including stability requirements or specifications. Most of our products must be stored and transported within a specified temperature range. For example, if environmental conditions deviate from that range, our products’ remaining shelf-lives could be impaired or their safety and efficacy could be adversely affected, making them unsuitable for use. These deviations may go undetected. The occurrence of actual or suspected production and distribution problems can lead to lost inventories, and recalls, with consequential reputational damage and the risk of product liability. The investigation and remediation of any identified problems can cause production delays and result in a loss of our market share and negatively affect our revenues and operations.
Because we depend upon a limited group of suppliers and manufacturers for our products, including Apligraf, Affinity, CYGNUS, Novachor, NuShield and PuraPly Antimicrobial products, we may incur significant product development costs or experience material delivery delays if we lose any significant supplier, which could materially impact sales of our products.
We obtain some of the components for our products from a limited group of suppliers. These suppliers must be able to provide us with these components in substantial quantities, in compliance with regulatory requirements, in accordance with agreed-upon specifications, at acceptable costs, and on a timely basis. Our efforts to maintain a continuity of supply may not be successful. Manufacturing disruptions experienced by our suppliers may jeopardize our supply of these components. Due to the stringent regulations and requirements of the FDA regarding the manufacture of our products, we may not be able to quickly establish additional or replacement sources for certain components or materials. A change in suppliers could require significant effort or investment. A reduction or interruption in manufacturing, or an inability to secure alternative sources of raw materials or components, could have a material effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
In addition, one or more of our suppliers may refuse to extend us credit with respect to our purchasing or leasing equipment, supplies, products, or components, or may only agree to extend us credit on significantly less favorable terms or subject to more onerous conditions. This could significantly disrupt our ability to purchase or lease required equipment, supplies, products and components in a cost-effective and timely manner and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Any casualty, natural disaster, other disruption of any of our sole-source suppliers’ operations, or any unexpected loss of any existing exclusive supply contract, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Our products are dependent on the availability of tissue from human donors, and any disruption in supply could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Many of the products that we manufacture require that we obtain human tissue. The success of our business depends upon, among other factors, the availability of tissue from human donors. Any failure to obtain tissue from our sources will interfere with our ability to effectively meet the demand for our products incorporating human tissue. The processing of human tissue for our products is very labor-intensive and it is therefore difficult to maintain a steady supply stream. The availability of donated tissue could also be adversely impacted by regulatory changes, public opinion of the donor process as well as our own reputation in the industry. The challenges we may face in obtaining adequate supplies of human tissue involve several risks, including limited control over the availability, quality, and delivery schedules. In addition, any interruption in the supply of any human tissue component could materially harm our ability to manufacture our products until a new source of supply, if any, could be found. We may be unable to find a sufficient alternative supply channel in a reasonable time period or on commercially reasonable terms, if at all, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
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Increased prices for, or unavailability of, raw materials used in our products could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Our profitability is affected by the prices of the raw materials used in the manufacture of our products. These prices may fluctuate based on a number of factors beyond our control, including changes in supply and demand, general economic conditions, labor costs, fuel-related delivery costs, competition, import duties, excises and other indirect taxes, currency exchange rates, and government regulation. Due to the highly competitive nature of the healthcare industry and the cost containment efforts of our customers and third-party payers, we may be unable to pass along cost increases for key components or raw materials through higher prices to our customers. If the cost of key components or raw materials increases, and we are unable fully to recover these increased costs through price increases or offset these increases through other cost reductions, we could experience lower margins and profitability. Significant increases in the prices of raw materials, due to inflation or otherwise, that cannot be recovered through productivity gains, price increases or other methods could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We continue to invest significant capital to maximize our sales and marketing infrastructure, and there can be no assurance that these efforts will result in significant increases in sales.
We are committed to maximizing our internal sales and marketing capabilities, including by optimizing our sales force to further support the marketing and sales of the products acquired in connection with our 2017 acquisition of NuTech Medical and our 2020 acquisition of CPN Biosciences. As a result, we continue to invest in sales and marketing resources for our products to allow us to reach new customers and potentially increase sales. These expenses impact our operating results, and there can be no assurance that we will continue to be successful in significantly increasing the sales of our products.
The impairment or termination of our relationships with independent sales agencies, whom we do not control, could materially and adversely affect our ability to generate revenues and profits. We intend to develop additional relationships with independent sales agencies in order to increase revenue from certain of our products; our inability to do so may prevent us from increasing sales.
We derive a portion of our revenues through our relationships with independent sales agencies. The impairment or termination of these relationships for any reason could materially and adversely affect our ability to generate revenues and profits. Because the independent sales agency often controls the customer relationships within its territory, there is a risk that if our relationship with the independent sales agency ends, our relationship with the customer will be lost. Also, because we do not control an independent sales agency’s field sales agents, there is a risk we will be unable to ensure that our sales processes, regulatory compliance, and other priorities will be consistently communicated and executed by the distributor. If we fail to maintain relationships with our key independent sales agencies, or fail to ensure that our independent sales agencies adhere to our sales processes, regulatory compliance, and other priorities, this could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. We may have liability for the actions of independent sales agencies in marketing our products and our lack of control over their activities impedes our ability to prevent, detect or address such non-compliance.
We intend to develop relationships and arrangements with additional independent sales agencies in order to increase our sales with respect to certain of our products. However, we may fail to develop such relationships, in which case we may not be able to increase our sales. Our success is partially dependent upon our ability to retain and motivate our independent sales agencies and their representatives to sell our products in certain territories. They may not be successful in implementing our marketing plans. Some of our independent sales agencies may not sell our products exclusively and may offer similar products from other companies. Our independent sales agencies may terminate their contracts with us, may devote insufficient sales efforts to our products, or may focus their sales efforts on other products that produce greater commissions for them, which could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. We also may not be able to find additional independent sales agencies who will agree to market and/or distribute those products on commercially reasonable terms, if at all. If we are unable to establish new independent sales agency relationships or renew current sales agency agreements on commercially acceptable terms, our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, because we do not control these independent sales agencies as closely as our employees, while we may take steps to mitigate the risks associated with noncompliance by independent sales agencies, there remains a risk they do not comply with regulatory requirements or our requirements or our policies which could also adversely affect our business.
We will need to continue to expand our organization, and managing growth may be more difficult than expected.
Managing our growth may be more difficult than we expect. We anticipate that a period of significant expansion will be required to penetrate and service the markets for our existing and anticipated future products and to continue to develop new products. This expansion will place a significant strain on management, operational and financial resources. To manage the expected growth of
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our operations, we must both modify our existing operational and financial systems, procedures and controls and implement new systems, procedures and controls. We must also expand our finance, administrative, and operations staff. Management may be unable to hire, train, retain, motivate, and manage necessary personnel or to identify, manage, and exploit existing and potential strategic relationships and market opportunities.
In addition to expanding our organization, we are expanding our manufacturing capabilities, which requires significant capital expenditures. If these capital expenditures are higher than expected, it may adversely affect our financial condition and capital resources. In addition, if the expansion of our manufacturing facilities is delayed, for regulatory or other reasons, it may limit our ability to expand the size of our organization and to meet our corporate goals. Even if we are able to expand our manufacturing facilities as we plan, we may not realize the full expected benefit of our investment.
We may expand our business through acquisitions, licenses, investments, and other commercial arrangements in other companies or technologies. Such acquisitions or commercial arrangements may entail significant risks.
We periodically evaluate strategic opportunities to acquire companies, divisions, technologies, products, and rights through licenses, distribution agreements, investments, and outright acquisitions to grow our business. Business acquisitions involve the risk of unknown liabilities associated with the acquired business, which could be material. We may not realize the increased revenues, cost savings, and synergies that we anticipate from an acquisition in the near term or at all due to many factors. Incurring unknown liabilities or the failure to realize the anticipated benefits of an acquisition could materially and adversely affect our business and we may lose our entire investment or be unable to recover our initial investment, which could include the cost of acquiring licenses or distribution rights, acquiring products, purchasing initial inventory, or investments in early-stage companies. Inability to recover our investment, or any write off of such investment, associated goodwill, or assets, could have a material and adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
New lines of business or new products and services may subject us to additional risks.
From time to time, we may implement or may acquire new lines of business, or we may offer new products and services within existing lines of business. There are risks and uncertainties associated with these efforts, particularly in instances where the markets are not fully developed or are evolving. In developing and marketing new lines of business and new products and services, we may invest significant time and resources. External factors, such as regulatory compliance obligations, competitive alternatives, lack of market acceptance, and shifting market preferences, may also affect the successful implementation of a new line of business or a new product or service. Failure to successfully manage these risks in the development and implementation of new lines of business or new products or services could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Significant disruptions of information technology systems or breaches of information security could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Our business depends on the availability, reliability, and security of our information systems, networks, data, and intellectual property. In the ordinary course of business, we collect, store, and transmit large amounts of confidential information (including, but not limited to, personal information and intellectual property). Any disruption, compromise, or breach of our systems or data due to a cybersecurity threat or incident could adversely affect our operations, customer service, product development, sales, competitive position, and privacy and confidentiality of our stakeholders. Such a breach could expose us to business interruption, lost revenue, ransom payments, remediation costs, liabilities to affected parties, cybersecurity protection costs, lost assets, litigation, regulatory scrutiny and actions, reputational harm, customer dissatisfaction, harm to our vendor relationships, or loss of market share.
Cyberattacks have become increasingly more prevalent and much harder to detect, defend against or prevent. As the frequency of cyberattacks and resulting breaches reported by other businesses and governments increases, we expect to continue to devote significant resources to improve and maintain our information technology (IT) infrastructure. We have incurred and may in the future incur significant costs in order to implement, maintain and/or update security systems we believe are necessary to protect our IT infrastructure. As the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access or to sabotage systems change frequently and are often not recognized until launched against a target, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventive measures. A breakdown in existing controls and procedures around our cyber-security environment may prevent us from detecting, reporting or responding to cyber incidents in a timely manner and could have a material adverse effect on our financial position and value of our stock. We cannot guarantee that our implemented processes for IT and risk mitigation measures will be effective for IT systems under our control.
We also have outsourced significant elements of our operations to third parties, including significant elements of our information technology infrastructure and, as a result, we are managing many independent vendor relationships with third parties who may or could have access to our confidential information. The size and complexity of our information technology and information
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security systems, and those of our third-party vendors with whom we contract (and the large amounts of confidential information that is present on them), make such systems potentially vulnerable to service interruptions or to security breaches from inadvertent or intentional actions by our employees or vendors, or from malicious attacks by third parties. Such attacks are of ever-increasing levels of sophistication and are made by groups and individuals with a wide range of motives (including, but not limited to, industrial espionage and market manipulation) and expertise. While we have invested significantly in the protection of data and information technology, there can be no assurance that our efforts will prevent service interruptions or security breaches. For example, in August 2020, our information technology (IT) systems were exposed to a ransomware attack, which partially impaired certain IT systems for a short period of time. We finished investigating the incident, together with legal counsel and other incident response professionals. We did not experience any material losses related to the ransomware attack and were able to recover all data quickly, with only a minimal and temporary interruption to our business. While we have implemented measures to protect our data security and information technology systems, such measures may not prevent these events. Although we have cyber-insurance coverage that may cover certain events described above, this insurance is subject to deductibles and coverage limitations and we may not be able to maintain this insurance. Also, it is possible that claims could exceed the limits of our coverage.
If a breach of our measures protecting personal data covered by HIPAA, the HITECH Act, or the CCPA occurs, we may incur significant liabilities.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, as amended by the HITECH Act, and the regulations that have been issued under it, impose certain obligations, including mandatory contractual terms, with respect to safeguarding the privacy, security and transmission of protected health information. The requirements and restrictions apply to "covered entities" (which include health care providers and insurers) as well as to their business associates that receive protected health information from them in order to provide services to or perform certain activities on their behalf. The statute and regulations also impose notification obligations on covered entities and their business associates in the event of a breach of the privacy or security of protected health information. We occasionally receive protected health information from our customers in the course of our business.
In addition, California has enacted the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which came into effect on January 1, 2020. Pursuant to the CCPA, certain businesses are required, among other things, to make certain enhanced disclosures related to California residents regarding the use or disclosure of their personal information, allow California residents to opt-out of certain uses and disclosures of their personal information without penalty, provide Californians with other choices related to personal data in our possession, and obtain opt-in consent before engaging in certain uses of personal information relating to Californians under the age of 16. The California Attorney General may seek substantial monetary penalties and injunctive relief in the event of our non-compliance with the CCPA. The CCPA also allows for private lawsuits from Californians in the event of certain data breaches. Aspects of the CCPA remain uncertain, and we may be required to make modifications to our policies or practices in order to comply. Aside from California, Texas and several other major states impose rigorous local medical privacy requirements.
It is possible the data protection laws may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent with our practices. If so, this could result in government-imposed fines or orders requiring that we change our practices, which could adversely affect our business. In addition, these privacy regulations may differ from country to country and state to state, and may vary based on whether testing is performed in the United States or in the local country. Complying with these various laws and regulations could cause us to incur substantial costs or require us to change our business practices and compliance procedures in a manner adverse to our business. Further, compliance with data protection laws and regulations could require us to take on more onerous obligations in our contracts, restrict our ability to collect, use and disclose data, or in some cases, impact our ability to operate in certain jurisdictions. We can provide no assurance that we are or will remain in compliance with diverse privacy and security requirements in all of the jurisdictions in which we do business. If we fail to comply or are deemed to have failed to comply with applicable privacy protection laws and regulations such failure could result in government enforcement actions and create liability for us, which could include substantial civil and/or criminal penalties, as well as private litigation and/or adverse publicity that could negatively affect our operating results and business.
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We engage in transactions with related parties and such transactions present possible conflicts of interest that could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We have entered into a significant number of transactions with related parties. Related party transactions create the possibility of conflicts of interest with regard to our management, including that:
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we may enter into contracts between us, on the one hand, and related parties, on the other, that are not as a result of arm’s-length transactions;
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our executive officers and directors that hold positions of responsibility with related parties may be aware of certain business opportunities that are appropriate for presentation to us as well as to such other related parties and may present such business opportunities to such other parties; and
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our executive officers and directors that hold positions of responsibility with related parties may have significant duties with, and spend significant time serving, other entities and may have conflicts of interest in allocating time.
Such conflicts could cause an executive officer or a director to seek to advance his or her economic interests or the economic interests of certain related parties above ours. Conversely, we may not be able to enter into transactions with third parties on terms as favorable as the terms of existing transactions with related parties. Further, the appearance of conflicts of interest created by related party transactions could impair the confidence of our investors. It is possible that a conflict of interest could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We incurred non-cash impairment and write down charges during 2024 which adversely affected our fiscal year 2024 operating results and we may be required to incur additional future impairment and write down charges, which could adversely affect our operating results.
Our long-term assets include property and equipment of $89.1 million and $116.2 million, of which $63.3 million and $60.8 million represents the value of improvements to our leased assets, and of which $21.9 million and $59.1 million represents construction in progress (each as described more fully in Note 8, Property and Equipment, Net, to our audited consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K), as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we recorded impairment of property and construction and a write-down of capitalized internal-use software costs in the amounts of $18.8 million and $4.0 million, respectively. We did not recognize any impairment charges with respect to our long-lived assets during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
We review our long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. If an asset is determined to be impaired, the asset is written down to fair value, which is determined based on appraised value. Any such impairment could result in a non-cash charge equal to the full carrying value of the associated assets. Changes in our assumptions with respect to our expected use of our long-lived assets may result in additional impairment and write down charges in the future, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We may be required to record a significant charge to earnings if our goodwill and other amortizable intangible assets, or other assets become impaired.
We are required under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP) to test goodwill for impairment at least annually and to review our goodwill, amortizable intangible assets, and other assets acquired through merger and acquisition activity, for impairment when events or changes in circumstance indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. Factors that could lead to impairment of goodwill, amortizable intangible assets, and other assets acquired via acquisitions include significant adverse changes in the business climate and actual or projected operating results (affecting our company as a whole or affecting any particular segment) and declines in the financial condition of our business. We may be required in the future to record additional charges to earnings if our goodwill, amortizable intangible assets, or other investments become impaired. Any such charge would adversely impact our financial results.
Our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards may be subject to certain limitations.
As of December 31, 2024, we had state net operating loss carry-forwards of approximately $7.4 million expiring from the year ended December 31, 2027 through 2038. We had state research and development tax credits of approximately $1.1 million, expiring in the year ended December 31, 2038. It is uncertain whether and to what extent applicable federal and state tax laws will limit the
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deductibility of our operating loss and credit carryforwards, though we are already subject to limitations in net operating loss utilization in certain states.
In addition, our ability to utilize our federal net operating loss carryforwards may be limited under Section 382 of the Code. In the event of an "ownership change", Section 382 imposes an annual limitation on the amount of post-ownership change taxable income that may be offset with pre-ownership change net operating losses of the loss corporation experiencing the ownership change. An "ownership change" is defined by Section 382 as a cumulative change in ownership of our company of more than 50% within a three-year period. As of December 31, 2021, we performed a study and determined that there is no limitation on our federal net operating losses. Current or future changes in our stock ownership may trigger an "ownership change," some of which may be outside our control. Accordingly, our ability to utilize our net operating loss carryforwards to offset federal taxable income, if any, could be limited by Section 382, which could potentially result in increased future tax liability to us.
We previously identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting, which has now been remediated. If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial reporting, we may not be able to report our financial results timely and accurately, which could adversely affect investor confidence in the Company, and in turn, our results of operations and our stock price.
Effective internal controls are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and operate successfully as a public company. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) requires that companies evaluate and report on their systems of internal control over financial reporting.
As disclosed in Item 9A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we previously identified a material weakness in our internal controls over financial reporting relating to the design and maintenance of effective controls over information technology general controls and proper segregation of duties to support the initiation and recording of transactions and the resulting impact on business process controls and applications that rely on such data. We completed our remediation efforts related to the material weakness by, among other things, implementing certain modules in a new company-wide enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to provide additional systematic controls and segregation of duties for our accounting processes; implementing additional controls to mitigate existing risks of proper segregation and change configurations; adding personnel to our accounting and finance team with the requisite accounting and internal controls knowledge and experience to sufficiently enhance our internal controls environment; designing and implementing new information technology general controls to ensure proper segregation of duties in our change management processes; engaging an outside firm to assist management with performing control design and operating effectiveness testing; reporting the results of control testing to the key stakeholders across our organization, including our Audit Committee, on testing progress and defined corrective actions; monitoring and reporting on the results of control remediation; and documenting and structuring the Company’s processes to meet SOX 404(b) requirements.
Although we have remediated this material weakness in our internal controls over financial reporting, any failure to maintain effective internal controls could cause a delay in compliance with our reporting obligations, SEC rules and regulations or Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which could subject us to a variety of administrative sanctions, including, but not limited to, SEC enforcement action, ineligibility for short form registration, the suspension or delisting of our common stock from the stock exchange on which it is listed and the inability of registered broker-dealers to make a market in our common stock, which could adversely affect our business and the trading price of our common stock.
Risks Related to Regulation of Our Products and Other Government Regulations
Our products are subject to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and corresponding rebate obligations that took effect on January 1, 2023, and we may owe rebates, which could be material, on our Apligraf, Dermagraft, and PuraPly products and possibly other products.
Section 90004 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, enacted in November 2021, requires manufacturers to pay a refund to the federal government if more than a certain applicable percentage of their single-use product is not administered to a patient and is discarded ("wasted") by providers. Because there is a lack of consistency and uniformity in wound sizes, it is likely that some skin substitute product is discarded with every treatment. The rebate obligation took effect January 1, 2023. In the calendar year 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) rulemaking, CMS exempted skin substitutes from this refund requirement for calendar quarters in 2025. This exemption is based on a possibility that CMS will, in future rulemaking, stop paying for skin substitutes using the ASP methodology and bundle payment into the payment for the application of the product. It is unclear whether CMS will
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continue exempting skin substitute products from this refund requirement in subsequent years and what impact any future regulatory actions may have on the ASP reimbursement landscape and our products and/or product candidates.
We may encounter substantial delays or difficulties in our clinical trials.
Before obtaining marketing approval from regulatory authorities for the sale of our product candidates, we must conduct extensive clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of the product candidates. Clinical testing is expensive, time-consuming and uncertain as to the outcome. We have limited experience with clinical trials. We cannot guarantee that any clinical trials will be conducted as planned or completed on schedule, if at all. A failure of one or more clinical trials can occur at any stage of testing.
Events that may prevent successful or timely completion of clinical development include:
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the FDA may require additional clinical trials in connection with the premarket review of product candidates;
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delays in reaching a consensus with the FDA or other regulatory authorities on trial design;
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delays in reaching agreement on acceptable terms with prospective contract research organizations, or CROs, and clinical trial sites;
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delays in opening clinical trial sites or obtaining required IRB or independent ethics committee approval at each clinical trial site;
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our decision or the requirement of regulators or IRBs to suspend or terminate clinical research for various reasons, including noncompliance with regulatory requirements, a finding that the participants are being exposed to unacceptable health risks, or the imposition of a clinical hold as a result of a serious adverse event or after an inspection of our clinical trial operations or clinical trial sites;
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failure by us, any CROs we engage or any other third parties to adhere to clinical trial or regulatory requirements;
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failure by us, any CROs we engage or any other third parties to perform in accordance with Good Clinical Practice, or GCP, cGMPs, or applicable regulatory guidelines in the United States and other international markets;
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failure by physicians to adhere to delivery protocols leading to variable results;
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delays in the testing, validation, manufacturing and delivery of our product candidates to the clinical trial sites, including delays by third parties with whom we have contracted to perform certain of those functions;
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insufficient or inadequate supply or quality of our product candidates or other materials necessary to conduct clinical trials of our product candidates;
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delays in having patients complete participation in a clinical trial or return for post-treatment follow-up;
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clinical trial sites or patients dropping out of a clinical trial at a rate higher than we anticipate;
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enrollment of clinical trial participants that are not representative of the intended user population;
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selection of clinical endpoints that require prolonged periods of clinical observation or analysis of the resulting data;
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receipt of negative or inconclusive clinical trial results;
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occurrence of serious adverse events associated with the product candidate that are viewed to outweigh its potential benefits;
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occurrence of serious adverse events in clinical trials of the same class of agents conducted by other sponsors; and
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changes in regulatory requirements and guidance that require amending or submitting new clinical protocols.
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ReNu is in Phase 3 clinical development for the management of symptoms associated with knee OA. Our anticipated timeline for these and other trials and studies on our clinical trial candidates may be subject to delays due to factors such as those discussed above.
Any inability to successfully complete preclinical and clinical development could result in additional costs to us or impair our ability to generate revenues from product sales, regulatory, development and commercialization milestones and royalties. In addition, if we make manufacturing or formulation changes to our product candidates, we may need to conduct additional studies to bridge our modified product candidates to earlier versions. Clinical trial delays also could shorten any periods during which we may have the exclusive right to commercialize our product candidates or allow our competitors to bring products to market before we do, which could impair our ability to successfully commercialize our product candidates and may harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Success in research and preclinical studies or early clinical trial results may not be indicative of results obtained in later trials. Likewise, preliminary, initial or interim data from clinical trials should be considered carefully and with caution since the final data may be materially different from the preliminary, initial or interim data, particularly as more patient data become available.
Results from preclinical studies or early clinical trials, including feasibility studies, or earlier conducted clinical trials are not necessarily predictive of future clinical trial results, and interim results of a clinical trial are not necessarily indicative of final results. Our clinical trial candidates, including ReNu, may fail to show the desired safety and efficacy in clinical development despite demonstrating positive results in preclinical studies or having successfully advanced through initial or earlier clinical trials or preliminary stages of clinical trials. From time to time, we have and may in the future publish or report preliminary, initial or interim data. Preliminary, initial or interim data from our clinical trials and those of our partners may not be indicative of the final results of the trial and are subject to the risk that one or more of the clinical outcomes may materially change as patient enrollment continues and/or more patient data become available. In this regard, such data may show initial evidence of clinical benefit, but as patients continue to be followed and more patient data becomes available, there is a risk that any therapeutic effects will not be durable in patients and/or will decrease over time, or cease entirely. Preliminary, initial or interim data also remain subject to audit and verification procedures that may result in the final data being materially different from such preliminary, initial or interim data. As a result, preliminary, initial or interim data should be considered carefully and with caution until the final data are available.
There is no guarantee that any of our clinical trials will be successful. In addition, there is a high failure rate for drugs, biologic products and cell therapies proceeding through clinical trials. Many companies in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries have suffered significant setbacks in late-stage clinical trials even after achieving promising results in preclinical testing and earlier-stage clinical trials. Data obtained from preclinical and clinical activities are subject to varying interpretations, which may delay, limit or prevent regulatory approval. Any such setbacks could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals or clearances for certain of our products will be expensive and time-consuming and may impede our ability to fully exploit our technologies or otherwise limit our ability to meet other business objectives.
As biological products and medical devices, many of the products that we market require regulatory approvals or clearances from the FDA, or from similar regulatory authorities outside of the United States, before they may legally be distributed in commerce. In particular, such products may require FDA approval of BLAs, under Section 351 of the PHSA, Premarket Approval, or PMA, submissions under Section 515 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or FDCA, or may require clearance under Section 510(k) of the FDCA. Although we believe that we have all necessary regulatory approvals or clearances legally required for the products that we currently market, the introduction of new or modified products, or new or modified FDA regulatory rules, may require us to secure new approvals or clearances. Additionally, the FDA may take the position that some of the products that we currently market without premarket approval or clearance in fact require such approval or clearance. The process of obtaining an approved BLA or PMA requires the expenditure of substantial time, effort and financial resources and may take years to complete. Although obtaining clearance under section 510(k) is somewhat less burdensome, it is also associated with significant costs and resource commitments. The fee for filing a BLA, PMA or 510(k) notification, and the annual user fees for any establishment that manufactures biologics or medical devices, as well as product fees applicable to each approved product are substantial.
In May 2024, we announced that our Phase 3 RCT evaluating the safety and efficacy of ReNu, a cryopreserved ASA for the management of symptoms associated with knee OA, achieved its primary endpoint upon the analysis of positive top line data. There are significant costs associated with conducting clinical trials to support approvals that cannot necessarily be estimated with any accuracy until investigational plans have been developed. Moreover, data obtained from clinical activities may show a lack of safety or efficacy or may be inconclusive or susceptible to varying interpretations, any of which could delay, limit or prevent regulatory approval. Failure or delay can occur at any time during the clinical trial process. Success in preclinical testing and early clinical trials
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does not ensure that later clinical trials will be successful. Even product candidates in later stages of clinical trials may fail to show the required safety profile or meet the efficacy endpoints despite having progressed through preclinical studies and initial clinical trials. A number of companies in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries have suffered significant setbacks in advanced clinical trials due to lack of efficacy or adverse safety profiles, notwithstanding promising results in earlier trials. We cannot be certain that we will not face similar setbacks. Even with positive clinical trial results, there may be other barriers to approval or clearance, and the FDA may not grant approval or clearance on a timely basis, or at all. Even if the FDA clears or approves our products, the clinical data submitted to the FDA may not be sufficient for payers to cover and/or adequately reimburse our customers for use of our products. Additionally, the FDA may limit the indications for use in an approval or clearance, or place other conditions on an approval, that could restrict the commercial application of the products.
Regenerative medicine advanced therapy, or RMAT, designation for our product candidates may not lead to faster development or regulatory processes nor does it increase the likelihood that such product candidates will receive marketing approval.
RMAT was introduced as a new designation under the 21st Century Cures Act for the development and review of certain regenerative medicine therapies. To receive RMAT designation, a regenerative medicine product candidate must be intended to treat, modify, reverse, or cure a serious or life-threatening disease or condition with preliminary clinical evidence indicating that the drug has the potential to address the unmet medical needs. RMAT designation does not require evidence to indicate that the drug may offer a substantial improvement over available therapies, as breakthrough designation requires.
An RMAT product candidate receives intensive guidance on an efficient product development program; involvement of senior managers and experienced staff on a proactive, collaborative and cross-disciplinary review; and a rolling review. Regenerative medicine therapies that qualify for RMAT designation may also qualify for other FDA expedited programs, including fast track designation, breakthrough therapy designation, accelerated approval and priority review designation, if they meet the criteria for such programs. However, RMAT designation does not assure that marketing approval will be granted and, if granted, that the approval process would be any faster than it would have otherwise been.
In January 2021, we announced RMAT designation for ReNu for the management of symptoms associated with knee OA. However, there is no guarantee that the receipt of RMAT designation will result in a faster development process, review or approval for ReNu for the management of symptoms associated with knee OA or increase the likelihood that ReNu will be granted marketing approval for the management of symptoms associated with knee OA. Likewise, any future RMAT designation or other expedited review status such as breakthrough therapy designation for any of our other product candidates neither guarantees a faster development process, review or approval nor improves the likelihood of the grant of marketing approval by FDA for any such product candidate compared to drugs considered for approval under conventional FDA procedures. In addition, the FDA may withdraw any RMAT or other expedited review status at any time. We may seek RMAT or breakthrough therapy designation for our other product candidates, but the FDA may not grant this status to any such product candidates.
We may seek fast track designation by the FDA for one or more of our product candidates, but we might not receive such designation, and even if we do, such designation may not actually lead to a faster development or regulatory review or approval process.
If a product is intended for the treatment of a serious or life-threatening condition and the product demonstrates the potential to address unmet needs for this condition, the treatment sponsor may apply for FDA fast track designation. Even if we receive fast track designation, fast track designation does not ensure that we will receive marketing approval or that approval will be granted within any particular time frame. We may not experience a faster development, regulatory review or approval process with fast track designation compared to conventional FDA procedures. Additionally, the FDA may withdraw fast track designation if it believes that the designation is no longer supported by data from our clinical development program. Fast track designation alone does not guarantee qualification for the FDA’s priority review procedures.
A breakthrough therapy designation by the FDA for a product candidate may not lead to a faster development or regulatory review or approval process, and it would not increase the likelihood that the product candidate will receive marketing approval.
We may seek a breakthrough therapy designation for one or more product candidates. A breakthrough therapy is defined as a product candidate that is intended, alone or in combination with one or more other drugs, to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition, and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the product candidate may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints, such as substantial treatment effects observed early in clinical development. For product candidates that have been designated as breakthrough therapies, interaction and communication between the FDA and the sponsor of the trial can help to identify the most efficient path for clinical development while minimizing the number of
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patients placed in ineffective control regimens. Product candidates designated as breakthrough therapies by the FDA are also eligible for priority review if supported by clinical data at the time of the submission of the new drug application.
Designation as a breakthrough therapy is within the discretion of the FDA. Accordingly, even if we believe that one of our product candidates meets the criteria for designation as a breakthrough therapy, the FDA may disagree and instead determine not to make such designation. In any event, the receipt of a breakthrough therapy designation for a product candidate may not result in a faster development process, review or approval compared to product candidates considered for approval under conventional FDA procedures and it would not assure ultimate approval by the FDA. In addition, even if one or more of our product candidates qualify as breakthrough therapies, the FDA may later decide that the product candidate no longer meets the conditions for qualification or it may decide that the time period for FDA review or approval will not be shortened.
We must comply with applicable post-marketing regulatory obligations, which could include obtaining new regulatory approvals or clearances.
Following approval or clearance, some types of changes to the approved or cleared product, such as adding new indications or additional labeling claims or introducing manufacturing changes, are subject to FDA review and approval, which may require further nonclinical or clinical testing. The costs and other resource burdens associated with obtaining new regulatory approvals or clearances for existing or future products may limit the resources available to us to fully exploit our technologies or may otherwise limit our ability to carry out other business activities. Depending on the nature of the change, we may determine that the change may be carried out without obtaining premarket approval or clearance. The FDA or another regulatory body could disagree with our conclusion and require such premarket approval or clearance, which would disrupt the marketing of these products, potentially expose us to regulatory sanctions, and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The FDA may determine that certain of our products that are, or are derived from, human cells or tissues, such as Affinity, Novachor, and NuShield, do not qualify for regulation solely under Section 361 of the Public Health Services Act, or PHSA. To the extent that any of these products are deemed not to be HCT/Ps or Section 361 HCT/Ps, the FDA may require that we revise our labeling and marketing claims for these products or that we suspend sales of such products until FDA approval is obtained, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Certain of the products that we manufacture, process and distribute are, or are derived from, human cells or tissues, including amniotic tissue. The FDA has specific regulations governing human cells, tissues and cellular and tissue-based products, or HCT/Ps. In particular, HCT/Ps that meet certain criteria set forth in the FDA’s regulations at 21 C.F.R. § 1271.10 are regulated solely under Section 361 of the PHSA, so-called "Section 361 HCT/Ps", and are not subject to any premarket clearance or approval requirements. They are also subject to less stringent post-market regulatory requirements than products regulated under Section 351 of the PHSA and/or under Sections 505, 510 or 515 of the FDCA. The Company has believed that certain of our HCT/Ps, including our products derived from amniotic membrane, qualify for regulation as Section 361 HCT/Ps. However, the regulatory classification of an HCT/P as a Section 361 HCT/P depends in part on the purposes for which the product is intended and in part on the processing to which an HCT/P is subject. On November 16, 2017, the FDA issued a final guidance document entitled, "Regulatory Considerations for Human Cells, Tissues, and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products: Minimal Manipulation and Homologous Use", or 361 HCT/P Guidance, which provides FDA’s current thinking on how to apply the existing regulatory criteria for regulation as a Section 361 HCT/P. These include, in addition to other requirements, requirements that an HCT/P be both minimally manipulated and intended for homologous use. In general, "minimal manipulation" is a standard referring to the degree to which the original characteristics of an HCT/P have been altered by processing and "homologous use" refers to the requirement that an HCT/P perform the same basic function in the donor as in the recipient. Any action by the FDA to apply the principles set forth in the 361 HCT/P Guidance to the HCT/Ps that we distribute could have adverse consequences for us and make it more difficult or expensive for us to conduct our business.
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In light of the 361 HCT/P Guidance, our labeling and marketing claims for our placental-based membrane products, including our Affinity, NuShield, and Novachor products, clarify that they are intended as protective barriers, and thus meet the homologous use requirement to qualify as Section 361 HCT/Ps. However, the FDA could disagree with our conclusion and require premarket approval or clearance for Affinity, NuShield, or any placental-based sheet product we market, which would disrupt the marketing of these products, potentially expose us to regulatory sanctions, and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Further, we believe it is necessary to obtain FDA approval of a BLA for NuCel and ReNu because those products may be deemed to be more than minimally manipulated, not for homologous use, or otherwise not regulated as Section 361 HCT/Ps. We continue to conduct clinical studies of ReNu to support FDA approval of a BLA for the management of symptoms associated with knee OA and, based on favorable feasibility studies that are subject to further evaluation, we believe ReNu has potential as a treatment for additional OA and tissue regeneration applications. We have discontinued clinical development of NuCel. If we obtain BLA approval for ReNu, compliance with applicable post-market regulatory requirements will involve significant time and substantial costs. Even for those products that remain regulated as Section 361 HCT/Ps, increasing regulatory scrutiny within the industry in which we operate could lead to heightened requirements, compliance with which could be costly. The costs and other resource burdens associated with any of these regulatory outcomes may limit the resources available to us to fully exploit our technologies or may otherwise limit our ability to carry out other business activities.
The 361 HCT/P Guidance originally indicated that the FDA was providing a 36-month enforcement grace period to allow time for distributors of HCT/Ps to make any regulatory submissions and obtain any premarket approvals necessary to comply with the guidance. In July 2020, the FDA announced that the enforcement grace period would be extended until May 31, 2021 as a result of the challenges presented by the COVID-19 public health emergency. On April 21, 2021, the FDA reaffirmed that the enforcement grace period would end on May 31, 2021, at which time we ceased commercial distribution of ReNu and NuCel. Although we believe our suspension of ReNu and NuCel commercialization was timely and proper, the FDA and other regulators may disagree with how or when such commercialization practices were conducted, which could expose us to regulatory sanctions, and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
To the extent that the FDA may determine that certain of our products that are, or are derived from, human cells or tissues do not qualify for regulation solely under Section 361 of the PHSA, the introduction of new tissue products would become more expensive, expansion of our tissue product offerings could be significantly delayed, and we could be subject to additional post-market regulatory requirements or suspension of product sales until FDA approval is obtained.
As stated above, in light of the 361 HCT/P Guidance, the FDA may determine that the types of cell- and tissue-based products that we distribute—and in particular, products derived from allografts consisting of human skin or amniotic tissue—are subject to premarket clearance or approval requirements. Should the FDA make such a determination, products of this type, including future products that we seek to introduce, will be much more costly to commercialize, as we will likely have to carry out preclinical work in animals and/or clinical trials in humans to support approval. Such preclinical work and clinical trials are expensive and time-consuming with no guarantee of success. In addition, these products will be subject to more stringent post-market regulatory requirements than those that currently apply, including but not limited to more stringent restrictions on advertising and promotion of these products, as well as more extensive adverse event reporting. In the future, we may also wish to market our existing HCT/P products for new intended uses that may render them ineligible for regulation as Section 361 HCT/Ps and cause them to require premarket clearance or approval and comply with post-market regulations under the medical device or biological product provisions of the FDCA and/or PHSA instead. Compliance with these requirements will involve significant time and substantial costs and could limit the resources available to us to fully exploit our technologies, including limiting our ability to introduce new allograft-derived products.
We conduct a range of nonclinical, as well as clinical trials, comparative effectiveness, economic and other studies of our products. Unfavorable results from these trials or studies or from similar trials or studies conducted by others may negatively affect the use or adoption of our products by physicians, hospitals, and payers, which could have a negative impact on the market acceptance of these products and their profitability.
We conduct a variety of nonclinical and clinical trials, comparative effectiveness studies and economic and other studies of our products, including our ongoing clinical trial for ReNu, in an effort to generate comprehensive clinical and real-world outcomes data and cost-effectiveness data in order to obtain product approval and drive further penetration in the markets we serve. In the event that these trials and studies, or similar trials and studies conducted by others, yield unfavorable results, those results could negatively affect the use or adoption of our products by physicians, hospitals, and payers, thereby compromising market acceptance and profitability.
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Our business is subject to continuing and evolving significant regulatory obligations by the FDA and other authorities, compliance with which is expensive and time-consuming and may impede our ability to fully exploit our technologies or otherwise limit our ability to meet other business objectives.
Aside from the obligation to obtain regulatory approvals or clearances, companies such as ours have ongoing regulatory obligations that are expensive and time-consuming to meet. In particular, the production and marketing of our products are subject to extensive regulation and review by the FDA and numerous other governmental authorities both in the United States and abroad. As noted above, some of the products that we distribute are considered Section 361 HCT/Ps. The FDA’s regulation of HCT/Ps includes requirements for registration and listing of products; donor screening and testing; processing and distribution, known as "Current Good Tissue Practices," or cGTP; labeling; record keeping and adverse-reaction reporting; and inspection and enforcement. Moreover, it is likely that the FDA’s regulation of HCT/Ps will continue to evolve in the future. Complying with any such new regulatory requirements may entail significant time delays and expense, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.