pen-20201231
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020
or
For the transition period from _____ to _____
Commission file number: 001-37557
Penumbra, Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
One Penumbra Place
Alameda, CA94502
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
(510) 748-3200
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant of Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class Trading Symbol Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, Par value $0.001 per share PEN The New York Stock Exchange
Securities registered pursuant of 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: x No: o
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes: oNo: x
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: x No: o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted 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 and post such files). Yes: x No: o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer x Accelerated filer o
Non-accelerated filer o Smaller reporting company o
Emerging growth company o
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C.7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. x
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes: ☐ No: x
As of June 30, 2020, the aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates was approximately $6.0 billion, based on the closing price as reported on the New York Stock Exchange as of such date.
As of February 9, 2021, the registrant had 36,448,693 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement for its 2021 annual meeting of stockholders, which is to be filed not more than 120 days after the registrant’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Table of Contents
Penumbra, Inc.
FORM 10-K
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
PART I
Item 1. Business. 5
Item 1A. Risk Factors. 20
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments. 49
Item 2. Properties. 49
Item 3. Legal Proceedings. 49
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures. 49
PART II
Item 6. Selected Financial Data. 52
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk. 70
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data. 71
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures. 111
Item 9B. Other Information. 113
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance. 114
Item 11. Executive Compensation. 114
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services. 114
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules. 115
Signatures
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K (this “Form 10-K”) includes forward-looking statements in addition to historical information. These forward-looking statements are included throughout this Form 10-K, including in the sections entitled “Business,” “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and in other sections of this Form 10-K. In some cases, you can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential,” “opportunity” or “continue,” the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us, may include projections of our future financial performance, our anticipated growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business.
These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including those factors discussed in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in this Form 10-K. You should specifically consider the numerous risks outlined in the section of this Form 10-K entitled “Risk Factors.” Although we believe the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, level of activity, performance or achievements. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this Form 10-K to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this Form 10-K or to reflect new information or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.
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RISK FACTORS SUMMARY
Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those highlighted in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item IA of this Form 10-K. These risks include, but are not limited to, the following:
•we have a limited operating history and may not be able to sustain our growth, achieve profitability or generate positive cash flows from operations in the future;
•our existing products may be rendered obsolete and we may be unable to effectively introduce and market new products or may fail to keep pace with advances in technology;
•delays in product introductions could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows;
•we face significant competition, and if we are unable to compete effectively, we may not be able to achieve or maintain significant market penetration or improve our results of operations;
•the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have adversely affected and could in the future adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows;
•we face risks related to our controlling interest in MVI Health Inc., including our inexperience with virtual reality technology, and we may be unsuccessful in developing and commercializing products using virtual reality technology;
•our future growth depends, in part, on our ability to further penetrate our current customer base and increase the frequency of use of our products by our customers;
•our future growth depends, in part, on significantly expanding our user base to include additional specialist physicians and other healthcare professionals in both our existing and future target end markets;
•we may not have the resources to successfully market and sell our products, which would adversely affect our business and results of operations;
•third-party reimbursement may not be available or adequate for the procedures or therapies for which our products are used, and may be subject to change;
•we have generated a significant portion of our revenue and revenue growth from a limited number of product families, and our revenue and business prospects would be adversely affected if sales of any of these product families were to decline;
•we must maintain and further develop relationships with specialist physicians and other healthcare providers, and if specialist physicians and other healthcare providers do not recommend and endorse, or use, our products or if our relationships with specialist physicians and other healthcare providers deteriorate, our products may not be accepted or maintain acceptance in the marketplace, which would adversely affect our business and results of operations;
•we may not be able to achieve or maintain satisfactory pricing and margins for our products;
•we cannot be certain that we will be able to manufacture our products in high volumes at commercially reasonable costs;
•we are required to maintain high levels of inventory, which consume a significant amount of our working capital and could lead to permanent write-downs or write-offs of our inventory;
•defects or failures or alleged defects or failures associated with our products could lead to recalls, safety alerts, or product-related or securities litigation, as well as significant costs and negative publicity;
•our products are continually the subject of clinical trials conducted by us, our competitors, or other third parties, the results of which may be unfavorable, or perceived as unfavorable, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations;
•our future success depends in part upon establishing an interventional stroke care pathway in the United States that integrates the use of mechanical thrombectomy into the treatment of ischemic stroke;
•we are subject to stringent domestic and foreign medical device regulation, which may impede the approval or clearance process for our products, hinder our development activities and manufacturing processes and, in some cases, result in the recall or seizure of previously approved or cleared products;
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•we are subject to federal, state and foreign healthcare laws and regulations that could result in significant liability, require us to change our business practices and restrict our operations in the future;
•we rely on a variety of intellectual property rights, and if we are unable to maintain or protect our intellectual property, our business and results of operations will be harmed; and
•we may become involved in lawsuits or other proceedings to protect or enforce our patents or other intellectual property rights or to defend against accusations of infringement, which could be expensive, time consuming and unsuccessful.
The above list represents a summary of the risks that could affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and the trading price of our common stock. Additional information regarding such risks may be found in the section of this Form 10-K entitled “Risk Factors,” and you should carefully review and consider such risk factors in addition to the above summary. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and future prospects could be materially and adversely harmed by any of these risks.
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PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS.
Overview
References herein to “we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company,” and “Penumbra,” refer to Penumbra, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries unless expressly indicated or the context requires otherwise.
Penumbra is a global healthcare company focused on innovative therapies. We design, develop, manufacture and market novel products and have a broad portfolio that addresses challenging medical conditions in markets with significant unmet need. Our team focuses on developing, manufacturing and marketing novel medical devices for use by specialist physicians and healthcare providers to drive improved clinical outcomes. We believe that the cost-effectiveness of our products is attractive to our customers.
Since our founding in 2004, we have had a strong track record of organic product development and commercial expansion that has established the foundation of our global organization. We have successfully developed, obtained regulatory clearance or approval for, and introduced products into the neurovascular market since 2007, vascular market since 2013 and neurosurgical market since 2014, respectively. We continue to expand our portfolio of product offerings, while developing and iterating on our currently available products.
We attribute our success to our culture built on cooperation, our highly efficient product innovation process, our disciplined approach to product and commercial development, our deep understanding of our target end markets and our relationships with specialist physicians and healthcare providers. We believe these factors have enabled us to rapidly innovate in a highly efficient manner.
We sell our products to healthcare providers primarily through our direct sales organization in the United States, most of Europe, Canada and Australia, as well as through distributors in select international markets. We generated revenue of $560.4 million, $547.4 million and $444.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. This represents an annual increase of 2.4% and 23.0%, respectively. We generated operating losses of $38.9 million and $0.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2018, respectively, and operating income of $47.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2019.
Our results for the year ended December 31, 2020 were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which continues to impact our business. While our business falls within the category of healthcare operations, which are essential businesses that have generally been permitted to continue operating during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, disruptions to our operations as a result of the pandemic. While we have seen positive trends in certain areas of our business beginning in May 2020, we remain mindful of the negative impacts on business trends we experienced in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The general impact of COVID-19 on our business has been negative and we are unable to reliably predict the full impact that COVID-19 will have on our business due to numerous uncertainties, including the severity and duration of the pandemic, the global resurgences of cases, additional actions that may be taken by governmental authorities in response to the pandemic, the impact of the pandemic on the business of our customers, distributors and suppliers, other businesses and worldwide economies in general, our ability to have access to our customers to provide training and case support, and other factors identified in Part I, Item 1A “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We will continue to evaluate the nature and extent of the impact of COVID-19 on our business, consolidated results of operations, and financial condition.
Our Markets
We concentrate on improving treatment outcomes for patients with certain forms of vascular disease and strive to improve the long-term quality of life for patients recovering from or undergoing rehabilitation related to diseases, injuries, or illnesses who could benefit from virtual reality healthcare applications. Vascular disease refers to any condition that affects the circulatory system and typically manifests as a blockage or rupture of an artery or a vein. When the treatment for vascular disease is performed from within a vessel, it is referred to as an endovascular procedure. Endovascular device markets are conventionally classified according to the anatomic location of the disorder, and are generally divided into neuro, which includes neurovascular and neurosurgical, and vascular, which includes peripheral vascular and cardiovascular. In both of these markets, our main product technologies include thrombectomy devices to remove clots and embolization devices to treat aneurysms and to occlude vessels. With regard to virtual reality healthcare technology, rehabilitation includes exercises which aim to restore a patient to improved or normal function through training and other therapy for both acute and chronic illnesses, injuries, or disabilities. Virtual reality healthcare technology may also have the potential to benefit patients who aim to address a variety of other conditions.
We generated revenue of $292.6 million, $331.7 million and $294.3 million from our neuro product category for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. We generated revenue of $267.8 million, $215.7 million, and
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$150.6 million from our vascular product category for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The Company designs, develops, manufactures and markets novel products, and operates as one operating segment.
While reliable third party data is not available for many markets outside the United States, we believe there are substantial additional market opportunities for our neuro and vascular products throughout the world.
The Neuro Market
The neuro market is comprised of vascular diseases and disorders in the brain, including ischemic stroke, brain aneurysms, hemorrhagic stroke and other conditions. Our solutions address the intervention of these diseases, and the rehabilitation related to, and potential other healthcare applications of virtual reality technology to these conditions.
Globally, stroke is the second-leading cause of death, and the third-leading cause of serious long-term disability. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts (ruptures). It is estimated that nearly 14 million strokes occur annually and that there are more than 80 million survivors of stroke globally. In the United States, the American Heart Association (“AHA”) and American Stroke Association (“ASA”) estimate that nearly 800,000 strokes occur annually, and lead to approximately 140,000 deaths per year. It is estimated that there are more than 7 million survivors of stroke in the United States. The majority of stroke survivors require rehabilitation in order to relearn motor skills lost through the brain damage caused by stroke. Within the United States, nearly 66% of stroke survivors receive some form of rehabilitation.
Some of the more common neurovascular diseases we focus on are:
•Ischemic Stroke: Ischemic strokes, caused by the blockage of an artery in the brain, represent approximately 87% of strokes, or approximately 700,000 patients annually, in the United States. Of these cases, we estimate that approximately 200,000 are treatable with mechanical thrombectomy, which involves removal of the clot causing the blockage by mechanical means and restoring blood flow to the blocked vessels. Outside of the United States, we estimate that there are approximately 9.7 million ischemic strokes annually and that 1.9 million of these patients are treatable with mechanical thrombectomy. Studies have shown that patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy had improved functional outcomes compared with treatment with clot-busting drugs such as tPA alone.
•Brain Aneurysm:An aneurysm is a weak area in a blood vessel that usually enlarges and is often described as a “ballooning” of the blood vessel. Approximately 1.5% to 5.0% of the general population has or will develop a brain aneurysm and about 6 million people in the United States may currently have a brain aneurysm. If a patient has had an aneurysm, there is a 15% to 20% likelihood that the patient will have one or more additional aneurysms. The primary endovascular procedure for treating unruptured aneurysms uses a repair technique called embolization, in which the aneurysm is packed with coils in a minimally invasive procedure.
•Hemorrhagic Stroke: Hemorrhagic strokes, caused by the sudden rupture of a brain artery that leads to bleeding into or around the brain, represent approximately 13% of strokes in the United States. Brain aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations (“AVM”) can both cause hemorrhagic stroke. According to independent sources, every year 0.5% to 3.0% of people with a brain aneurysm and 1.0% to 3.0% of people with an AVM may suffer from bleeding. According to the AHA and ASA, once a brain aneurysm or an AVM bleeds, the chance of death is 30% to 40% and 10% to 15%, respectively. Intracerebral hemorrhage, a type of hemorrhagic stroke, occurs when a vessel within the brain bursts, allowing blood to leak inside the brain.
In addition to products addressing these specific diseases, our neuro access products and virtual reality technology platform address other diseases and potentially broader neuro conditions as well.
The Vascular Market
Vascular diseases are diseases occurring in vessels in the body outside of the brain. Such diseases are very similar to those experienced in the neurovasculature. Just as the disruption of blood flow to the brain has high mortality and morbidity, disruptions in the peripheral vasculature can also have serious adverse consequences. There are approximately 1.4 million incidences of clot in the peripheral vasculature each year in the United States. We estimate that of that patient incidence, approximately 425,000 patients are currently treated either surgically, interventionally, or with lytics for treatment of the following vascular diseases:
•Venous Thromboembolism (“VTE”): Deep Vein Thrombosis, (“DVT”) and Pulmonary Embolism (“PE”) are collectively referred to as VTE. DVT occurs when a blood clot develops in veins deep in the body and PE occurs when a blood clot becomes lodged in the lung. DVT can result in PE if a blood clot in the leg breaks loose and travels to the lungs.
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•Peripheral Arterial Occlusion (“PAO”):Acute PAO occurs when a blood clot develops in major peripheral arteries.
•Clot associated with Arteriovenous Graft or Fistula: Arteriovenous grafts or fistulas are created for access to dialyze the blood of patients with end-stage renal disease. It is common for clots to form within these access vessels when patients undergo dialysis long-term.
In addition to products addressing the above diseases and conditions, our peripheral embolization products address other diseases and conditions such as aneurysm, vessel malformations, bleeding, endoleaks, ovarian veins and varicoceles.
In addition, we estimate that there are approximately 200,000 patients each year in the United States suffering from clot in the coronary vasculature that we believe could benefit from aspiration technology. Thrombus in the coronary vasculature is typically associated with the following condition:
•Acute Coronary Syndrome: Acute Coronary Syndrome is a term used to describe a variety of conditions associated with sudden, reduced blood flow to the heart. One such condition is a heart attack (myocardial infarction) — when cell death results in damaged or destroyed heart tissue. These heart attacks can often be associated with high thrombus burden in the coronary arteries.
Our Product Portfolio
Since our founding in 2004 we have developed a product portfolio that includes 7 product families within our major markets. The following table summarizes our product offerings.
Product Families Key Product Brands Descriptions
LANTERN Microcatheter for delivery of detachable coils and occlusion devices
Neuro Products
Our neuro products fall into the following broad product families:
Thrombectomy Products
Our Penumbra System brand of products offers a form of mechanical thrombectomy used by specialist physicians to revascularize blood vessels that are blocked by clots in the intracranial vasculature. These products are aspiration-based. The
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Penumbra System is a fully integrated mechanical thrombectomy system consisting of reperfusion catheters and separators, the 3D Revascularization Device, aspiration tubing, and aspiration pump.
Penumbra System Reperfusion Catheters are the cornerstone of the Penumbra System and are manufactured using a variety of proprietary processes and materials science innovations for use in revascularization of patients with acute ischemic stroke.
The Penumbra System Reperfusion Catheters, powered by Penumbra ENGINE or Penumbra Pump MAX, are designed for trackability and to maximize thrombus removal force. We believe these design features contribute to improved clinical outcomes and reduced procedure times. Penumbra System Reperfusion Catheters include the Penumbra JET family, ACE family and MAX families of catheters, designed to address a broad range of occlusions.
Following the voluntary recall of the Penumbra JET 7 Reperfusion Catheter with Xtra Flex technology in December 2020, the Penumbra JET 7 Reperfusion Catheter with Standard Tip and ACE68 Reperfusion Catheter offer the largest lumens within our reperfusion catheter families and the greatest aspiration power partnered with the Penumbra ENGINE. For distal occlusions, the Penumbra JET D Reperfusion Catheter is designed to maximize aspiration power and navigability.
Designed specifically for use with aspiration technology, the 3D Revascularization Device is a component of the Penumbra System that offers a technologically-advanced structure designed to treat large vessel occlusion in combination with Penumbra JET 7 and ACE Reperfusion Catheters.
Either Penumbra ENGINE or Penumbra Pump MAX is connected to our reperfusion catheters and provides the aspiration suction force. We developed our proprietary aspiration source as a fully-integrated system specifically for mechanical thrombectomy by aspiration.
Embolization Products
Penumbra SMART COIL is a family of detachable coils, designed to treat patients with a wide range of neurovascular lesions, including the small and medium sized aneurysms that comprise the majority of the neurovascular coiling market. The design of Penumbra SMART COIL allows the level of softness to be determined not only by the diameter of the platinum filament, but also by a structural component inside the coil itself. This development enables Penumbra SMART COIL to become progressively softer within the span of an individual coil.
Penumbra Coil 400 is a family of detachable coils developed to offer an improved alternative for the treatment of larger aneurysms and other larger, more complex lesions. We implemented several proprietary design innovations to enable the coil to maintain shape while achieving biomechanically stable occlusion. Given the size and handling of Penumbra Coil 400, it is able to achieve higher packing density with fewer coils compared to competitive coiling systems.
Access Products
Most endovascular procedures require access to the diseased area using guidewires and catheters. Accessing the brain through the tortuous neurovasculature has been a substantial challenge for physicians treating vascular disorders in the brain. Companies that developed catheters and other products for neurovascular applications historically leveraged technologies developed for use in coronary or peripheral vascular interventions. This approach created challenges given the vastly different anatomy, structure and sizing of the neurovascular vessels.
The Neuron family of guide catheters and the Penumbra distal delivery catheters (“DDC”) enable many endovascular procedures in the tortuous anatomy of the neurovasculature. The Neuron delivery catheter is a variable stiffness guide catheter with increased support in the aortic arch, easier access, and trackability into the intracranial vasculature. The design of Neuron enables physicians to position the catheter much higher in the anatomy than conventional guide catheters.
The BENCHMARK catheter features additional improvements in aortic arch support, ease-of-use, and trackability. In addition to improved proximal support in the arch through multi-geometry metal reinforcement, the distal tip is softer and more trackable, while maintaining distal shaft radiopacity for improved visualization. The BENCHMARK also is available pre-packaged with a Select catheter to obviate the need for a neurovascular guide catheter exchange, which may reduce the number of devices needed per procedure and shorten procedure times.
In the fourth quarter of 2020, we launched our BENCHMARK BMX 96 Access System, which provides a wider internal diameter without increasing the outer diameter of the delivery catheter, enabling more working room for all neurovascular procedures while maintaining the same size access site as our Neuron MAX Long Sheath.
Neurosurgical Tools
Artemis Neuro Evacuation Device leverages our expertise in thrombectomy and access to offer a minimally invasive approach to surgical removal of fluid and tissue from the ventricles and cerebrum. The Artemis Neuro Evacuation Device
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works with a neuroendoscope through a sheath to access hematomas. Together with the Penumbra Pump MAX aspiration source, Artemis offers powerful and controlled hematoma evacuation.
Virtual Reality Platform
The REAL Immersive System is a proprietary, 3D immersive virtual reality tool that has the potential to benefit patients over a broad range of healthcare applications, including neurological and other rehabilitation. This technology builds on our experience with the disease of stroke and is initially being commercialized for conducting upper body rehabilitation in a clinical setting. Studies have shown that adding virtual reality therapy to conventional therapy is effective in improving rehabilitation outcomes, particularly with systems that are fully immersive, customized for the healthcare setting, and fun and engaging for patients. We intend to continue to pursue healthcare applications where our virtual reality platform can improve the quality of life of patients with a variety of conditions.
Vascular Products
The peripheral vasculature presents unique challenges that differ from the neurovasculature. Many peripheral arteries and veins are significantly larger than those found in the brain and therefore have higher blood flow rates. More importantly, they must be able to accommodate larger pressure gradients and sustain structural integrity despite substantial movement and flexing of the organs and musculature that surround them. Imaging can also be more challenging as physicians have to view their equipment through many more layers of organs and tissue than in the brain. The coronary vasculature also presents unique challenges.
Our vascular products fall into the following broad product families:
Thrombectomy
Indigo System
The Indigo System was designed for continuous aspiration mechanical thrombectomy, leveraging the success of the Penumbra System in ischemic stroke. It is an easy to use thrombectomy system that is powerful, highly trackable, and suited to a wide range of clot morphology in the peripheral arterial, peripheral venous, pulmonary arteries and coronary vasculature. The Indigo System is comprised of three principal components:
•Continuous Aspiration Mechanical Thrombectomy Catheters are robust, durable, trackable and suited for the peripheral and coronary anatomy. We have introduced multiple sizes of catheters for use in both the peripheral and coronary vasculature. CAT Catheters are available in a wide range of sizes and lengths to address a wide range of vessel sizes and clot locations. Lightning 12, our next generation aspiration system for peripheral thrombectomy, combines the CAT 12 Aspiration Catheter with Lightning Intelligent Aspiration, enabling physicians to focus on optimizing thrombus removal using the system’s unique clot detection mechanism while helping to mitigate blood loss for arterial and venous applications including the treatment of pulmonary embolism.
•Indigo Separators are advanced and retracted through the aspiration catheter at the proximal margin of the primary occlusion to facilitate clearing of the thrombus from the catheter tip. In the peripheral vasculature, clots often form in long segments and are more resistant to traditional aspiration techniques. The Indigo System with the Separator enables a practitioner to remove a wide range of clot morphology from both peripheral and coronary vasculature.
•Penumbra ENGINE or Penumbra Pump MAX is connected to our CAT catheters and provides the aspiration suction force. We developed our proprietary aspiration source as a fully-integrated system specifically for mechanical thrombectomy by aspiration.
Embolization
Ruby Coil System
The Ruby Coil System consists of detachable coils that are specifically designed for peripheral applications. Ruby Coils have a controlled mechanical detachment mechanism that permits the physician to deliver and reposition the coil until the final satisfactory position is reached before detachment.
The Ruby Coil System is used in a variety of clinical applications, including, but not limited to:
•active extravasations, or the escape of blood into surrounding tissue;
•selective embolization in patients with visceral aneurysms;
•exclusion of branches prior to chemoembolization and radioembolization;
•embolization in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding;
•embolization of branches prior to stent graft procedures;
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•procedures after stent grafting in patients with persistent type II endoleaks and sac enlargement;
•treatment of patients with varicocele and pelvic congestion syndrome;
•high flow arterial venous malformations;
•post trans intrahepatic shunt placement;
•balloon retrograde transvenous obliteration; and
•exclusion of hepatic branches prior to liver resection.
LANTERN
The Penumbra LANTERN Delivery Microcatheter is a low-profile microcatheter with a high-flow lumen that enables large-volume coil delivery. LANTERN features a radiopaque distal shaft for enhanced visibility and dual distal marker bands for precise coil deployment in tortuous anatomy.
POD (Penumbra Occlusion Device) System
POD addresses a specific need in the peripheral embolization market to rapidly and precisely occlude a target vessel. Our POD device utilizes technology that delivers both variable sizing and variable softness to provide a single device solution for rapid and precise embolization of the target vessel. The technology achieves this range of features through the design of a distal anchoring segment, thereby immediately anchoring the device in a range of vessel diameters. The proximal segment of the POD achieves dense occlusion by packing a softer, smaller diameter segment tightly behind the anchored portion.
The Packing Coil is a complementary device for use with our other peripheral embolization products. It is uniquely designed to pack densely behind Ruby Coils and POD to occlude arteries and veins throughout the peripheral vasculature including aneurysms. Both POD and Packing Coil are detached instantly with a sterile detachment handle.
Research and Development
Our research and development team has a track record of product innovation and significant product improvements. Since inception, we have introduced multiple brands in either the United States, international markets, or both.
We believe our ability to rapidly develop innovative products is in large part attributable to the fully integrated product innovation process that we have implemented, and the management philosophy behind that process. In addition, we have recruited and retained engineers with a variety of backgrounds and experience to support the development of innovative therapies. Substantially all of our research and development efforts are based at our campus in Alameda, California.
Manufacturing
We currently maintain our manufacturing facilities in Alameda and Roseville, California and currently produce substantially all of our products in-house. Our manufacturing facilities are International Organization for Standardization (“ISO”) 13485 compliant. We received ISO 13485:2016 certification of our Alameda facility in 2018 and successfully completed our most recent annual surveillance review in 2020. We received ISO 13485:2016 certification of our Roseville facility in 2020. In 2007, our Quality Management System (“QMS”) was first audited to the European Union’s Medical Device Directive (“MDD”) in support of product CE marking, and we successfully completed our most recent annual surveillance review in 2020. We have elected to participate in the Medical Device Single Audit Program (“MDSAP”) which allows for certification and review of compliance to standards and regulations required in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Australia, and Japan by a single auditing organization. We received our first MDSAP certification in 2018 and successfully completed our most recent annual surveillance review in 2020.
We use annual internal audits to ensure strong quality control practices. An internal, on-going staff training and education program contributes to our quality assurance program; training is documented and considered part of the employee evaluation process.
We believe we have adequate supplies or sources of availability of raw materials necessary to meet our needs. However, there are risks and uncertainties with respect to the supply of raw materials, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and measures taken in response thereto, particularly where provided by a single supplier, which could impact availability in sufficient quantities to meet our needs. In an effort to manage risk associated with raw materials supply, we work closely with suppliers to help ensure availability and continuity of supply while maintaining high quality and reliability. We also utilize long-term supply contracts with some suppliers to help maintain continuity of supply and manage the risk of price increases. Where possible, we seek second source suppliers or suppliers that have alternate manufacturing sites at which they could manufacture our parts.
Sales and Marketing
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We sell our products directly in the United States, most of Europe, Canada and Australia, subject to required regulatory clearances and approvals. We have complemented our direct sales organization with distributors in most international markets.
We currently sell our products in the United States through our dedicated salesforce in our major markets, neuro and vascular. In addition, we have employed an additional team of Care Specialists, who will serve as the primary resource for sales and clinical support of the REAL Immersive System in the United States. Our sales representatives and sales managers generally have substantial medical device experience and market our products directly to a variety of specialist physicians engaged in the treatment of vascular disorders, who are the end users of our products and significantly influence hospital buying decisions relating to medical devices. We are focused on developing strong relationships with specialist physicians and devote significant resources to training and educating physicians in the use and benefits of our products. The principal specialist physicians and healthcare providers in our two target end markets include:
•Neuro:Interventional neuroradiologists, neurosurgeons, interventional neurologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and physiatrists.
•Vascular: Interventional radiologists, vascular surgeons and interventional cardiologists.
In addition to our direct sales organizations, we work with distributors in certain geographic areas where we have determined that selling through distributors is likely to be more effective.
In December 2020, we entered into a distribution and technology licensing arrangement with our partner in China, pursuant to which, in addition to engaging in a standard distribution arrangement for certain of our products, we agreed to license the technology for certain of our products to permit our partner to manufacture and commercialize such products in China, in exchange for fixed payments upon the transfer of the licensed technology and upon the provision of related regulatory support, as well as royalty payments on downstream sales of the licensed products. We believe this arrangement will allow us to monetize our technology while helping us to mitigate market risk.
Our direct sales have been, and we anticipate will continue to represent, a majority of our revenues. In 2020, direct sales accounted for approximately 86% of our revenue, with the balance generated by independent distributors that sell our products outside of the United States and by the new arrangement with our partner in China, which includes licensing royalty and distribution revenue.
Backlog
We typically accept and ship orders on the day purchase orders are received or the next business day. Furthermore, if requested, we generally permit customers to cancel or reschedule without penalty. As a result, we do not believe that our backlog at any particular time is material, nor is it a reliable indication of future revenue.
Reimbursement
In the United States, hospitals are the primary purchasers of our products. Hospitals in turn bill various third-party payors, such as Medicare, Medicaid and private health insurance plans, for the total healthcare services required to treat the patient. Government agencies and some other payors determine whether to provide coverage for a particular procedure and to reimburse hospitals for inpatient treatment at a fixed rate based on the Medicare severity diagnosis-related group (“MS-DRG”) as determined by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”). The fixed rate of reimbursement is generally based on the patients’ diagnosis and the procedure performed, and is unrelated to the specific medical device used in that procedure. Medicare rates for the same or similar procedures vary due to geographic location, nature of facility in which the procedure is performed (i.e., teaching or community hospital) and other factors. Private payors vary in their coverage and payment policies. While some may look to coverage and payment by Medicare as a guide, most formulate their own coverage and payment policies.
Some payors may deny reimbursement if they determine that the device used in a treatment was unnecessary, not cost-effective, or used for a non-approved indication. We cannot assure you that government or private third-party payors will cover and reimburse the procedures performed using our products in whole or in part in the future, that payment rates will be adequate, or that reimbursement rates will not change in the future.
Outside the United States, market acceptance of medical devices depends partly upon the availability of reimbursement within the prevailing healthcare payment system. Reimbursement levels vary significantly by country, and by region within some countries. Reimbursement is obtained from a variety of sources, including government-sponsored and private health insurance plans, and combinations of both. A small number of countries may require us to gather additional clinical data before recognizing coverage and reimbursement for our products. It is our intent to complete the requisite clinical studies and obtain coverage and reimbursement approval in countries where it makes economic sense to do so.
The increased emphasis on managed healthcare in the United States and on country and regional pricing and reimbursement controls in international markets will put additional pressure on product pricing, reimbursement and usage,
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which may adversely affect our product sales and results of operations. These pressures can arise from rules and practices of insurers and managed care organizations, judicial decisions and governmental laws and regulations related to Medicare, Medicaid and healthcare reform, medical device reimbursement policies and pricing in general. Our ability to achieve market acceptance or significant sales volume will depend in large part on the availability of coverage and the level of reimbursement for procedures performed using our products under healthcare payment systems in such markets.
All third-party reimbursement programs, whether government funded or insured commercially, whether in the United States or internationally, are developing increasingly sophisticated methods of controlling health care costs through prospective reimbursement and capitation programs, group purchasing, redesign of benefits, second opinions required prior to major surgery, review and analysis of claims, encouragement of and incentives for maintaining healthier lifestyles, and exploration of more cost-effective methods of delivering health care. These types of programs and legislative or regulatory changes to reimbursement policies could potentially limit the amount which healthcare providers may be willing to pay for medical devices.
Competition
The medical device industry is intensely competitive, subject to rapid change and significantly affected by new product introductions and other market activities of industry participants. We compete with a number of manufacturers and distributors of neuro and vascular medical devices. Our most notable competitors are Boston Scientific, Inari, Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Stryker and Terumo. Most of these competitors are large, well-capitalized companies with longer operating histories and greater resources than we have. As a consequence, they are able to spend more on product development, marketing, sales and other product initiatives than we can. We also compete with a number of smaller medical device companies that have single products or a limited range of products. Some of our competitors have:
•significantly greater name recognition;
•broader or deeper relations with healthcare professionals, customers, group purchasing organizations, and third-party payors;
•more established distribution networks;
•additional lines of products and the ability to offer rebates or bundle products to offer greater discounts or other incentives to gain a competitive advantage;
•greater experience in conducting research and development, manufacturing, clinical trials, marketing and obtaining regulatory clearance or approval for products; and
•greater financial and human resources for product development, sales and marketing and patent litigation.
We compete primarily on the basis that our products are able to treat patients with neuro and vascular diseases and disorders safely and effectively. Our continued success depends on our ability to:
•develop innovative, proprietary products that can cost-effectively address significant clinical needs;
•continue to innovate and develop scientifically advanced technology;
•obtain and maintain regulatory clearances or approvals;
•demonstrate efficacy in Penumbra-sponsored and third-party clinical trials and studies;
•apply technology across product lines and markets;
•attract and retain skilled research and development and sales personnel; and
•cost-effectively manufacture and successfully market and sell products.
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 patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright and other intellectual property rights and measures to protect our 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. We do not have any material licenses to any technology or intellectual property rights. Our subsidiary, MVI Health Inc. (“MVI”), currently has an exclusive license granted by Sixense Enterprises Inc. (“Sixense”) for Sixense’s intellectual property in the fields of healthcare and wellness.
As of December 31, 2020, we owned and/or had rights to 86 issued patents globally, of which 33 were U.S. patents. As of December 31, 2020, we owned and/or had rights to 34 pending patent applications, of which 17 were patent applications
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pending in the United States. Subject to payment of required maintenance fees, annuities and other charges, 18 of our issued patents are currently expected to expire between 2025 and 2026; 13 of these patents relate to components of the Penumbra System and the Indigo System, one of these patents relates to methods performed by the former Apollo System, and four of these patents relate to components of devices that have not been commercialized. An additional three of our issued patents, which relate to components of devices that have not been commercialized, are expected to expire in 2027. Twenty-six of our issued patents, which relate to components of the Penumbra Coil 400, Ruby Coil System and Smart Coil System, are currently expected to expire between 2029 and 2037. Fourteen patents pertaining to the 3D Revascularization Device are projected to expire between 2032 and 2034. Thirteen patents related to our REAL System are expected to expire in 2036. Twelve patents that pertain to products that have not yet been commercialized are projected to expire between 2028 and 2036. Some of our pending patent applications pertain to components and methods of use associated with currently commercialized products. Our pending patent applications may not result in issued patents and we can give no assurance that any patents that have issued or might issue in the future will protect our current or future products or provide us with any competitive advantage. See the section titled “Risk Factors-Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property” for additional information.
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 24 U.S. trademark registrations and 110 foreign trademark registrations as of December 31, 2020. Included in the registered trademarks is a mark with our company name and logo.
We also seek to protect our proprietary rights through a variety of other methods, including confidentiality agreements and proprietary information agreements with suppliers, employees, consultants and others who may have access to our proprietary information.
Government Regulation
Our products are subject to extensive and ongoing regulation by the United States Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the “FD&C Act”) and its implementing regulations, as well as other federal and state regulatory bodies in the United States and comparable authorities in other countries under other statutes and regulations. The laws and regulations govern, among other things, product design and development, pre-clinical and clinical testing, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, storage, record keeping and reporting, handling of patient data and information clearance or approval, marketing, distribution, promotion, import and export, pricing and discounts, post-marketing surveillance and interactions with healthcare professionals. Failure to comply with applicable requirements may subject a device and/or its manufacturer to a variety of administrative sanctions, such as issuance of warning letters, import detentions, civil monetary penalties, and/or judicial sanctions, such as product seizures, injunctions and criminal prosecution.
United States
FDA’s Premarket Clearance and Approval Requirements
Each medical device we seek to commercially distribute in the United States will require either a prior 510(k) clearance, unless it is exempt, or a premarket approval (“PMA”) from the FDA. Medical devices are classified into one of three classes-Class I, Class II or Class III-depending on the degree of risk associated with each medical device and the extent of control needed to provide reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness. Class I devices are deemed to be low risk and are subject to the general controls of the FD&C Act, such as provisions that relate to adulteration; misbranding; registration and listing; notification, including repair, replacement, or refund; records and reports; and good manufacturing practices. Most Class I devices are classified as exempt from premarket notification under Section 510(k) of the FD&C Act, and therefore may be commercially distributed without obtaining 510(k) clearance from the FDA. Class II devices are subject to both general controls and special controls to provide reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness. Special controls include performance standards, postmarket surveillance, patient registries, and guidance documents. A manufacturer may be required to submit to the FDA a premarket notification requesting clearance to commercially distribute some Class II devices. Devices which pose the greatest risk, such as life-sustaining or life-supporting devices, or devices deemed not substantially equivalent to a previously cleared 510(k) device, are Class III devices. A Class III device must receive FDA approval of a PMA application before the device can be marketed in the United States. However, there are some Class III devices for which the FDA has not yet called for a PMA. For these devices, the manufacturer must submit a premarket notification and obtain 510(k) clearance in order to commercially distribute these devices. The FDA can also impose sales, marketing or other restrictions on devices in order to assure that they are used in a safe and effective manner.
510(k) Clearance Pathway
When a 510(k) clearance is required, a premarket notification must be submitted to the FDA demonstrating that the proposed device is substantially equivalent to a predicate device, which is a previously cleared and legally marketed 510(k) device or a device that was in commercial distribution before May 28, 1976. By regulation, a premarket notification must be submitted to the FDA and receive 510(k) clearance from the FDA before the device can be marketed in the United States. The Medical Device User Fee Amendments (“MDUFA”) performance goal for a traditional 510(k) clearance is 90 calendar days. As a practical matter, however, clearance often takes longer, because the review clock is paused by the FDA to allow time to
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resolve any questions they may have on the 510(k) file. To demonstrate substantial equivalence, the manufacturer must show that the proposed device has the same intended use as the predicate device, and it either has the same technological characteristics, or different technological characteristics and the information in the premarket notification demonstrates that the device does not raise new questions of safety and effectiveness. The FDA may require further information, including clinical data, to make a determination regarding substantial equivalence. If the FDA determines that the device, or its intended use, is not substantially equivalent to a previously cleared device or use, the FDA will place the device into Class III, subject to the applicant’s option to submit a De Novo request for the FDA to make a risk-based classification of the device into Class I or II.
There are three types of 510(k)s: traditional, special and abbreviated. Special 510(k)s are appropriate for certain technological, design, and labeling changes to a device which necessitates a new 510(k) but where the method(s) to evaluate the change(s) are well-established, and whether the results can be sufficiently reviewed in a summary or risk analysis format. Abbreviated 510(k)s are for devices that conform to a recognized standard. The special and abbreviated 510(k)s are intended to streamline review, and the FDA intends to process special 510(k)s within 30 days of receipt.
Premarket Approval Pathway
A PMA application under section 515 of the FD&C Act must be submitted to the FDA for Class III devices that support or sustain human life, are of substantial importance in preventing impairment of human health, or which present a potential, unreasonable risk of illness or injury. The PMA application process is much more demanding than the 510(k) premarket notification process. A PMA is based on a determination by the FDA that the PMA application contains sufficient valid scientific evidence to assure that the device is safe and effective for its intended use(s).
After a PMA application is submitted, the FDA has 45 days to determine whether the application is sufficiently complete to permit a substantive review and thus whether the FDA will file the application for review. The FDA has 180 days to review a PMA application, although the review of an application generally occurs over a significantly longer period of time and can take up to several years. During this review period, the FDA may request additional information or clarification of the information provided. Also, an advisory panel of experts from outside the FDA may be convened to review and evaluate the application and provide recommendations to the FDA as to the approvability of the device. Although the FDA is not bound by the advisory panel decision, the panel’s recommendations are important to the FDA’s overall decision making process. In addition, the FDA may conduct a preapproval inspection of the manufacturing facility to ensure compliance with the Quality System Regulation (“QSR”). The FDA also may inspect one or more clinical sites to assure compliance with the FDA’s regulations.
Upon completion of the PMA application review, the FDA may: (i) approve the PMA which authorizes commercial marketing with specific prescribing information for one or more indications, which can be more limited than those originally sought; (ii) issue an approvable letter which indicates the FDA’s belief that the PMA application is approvable and states what additional information the FDA requires, or the post-approval commitments that must be agreed to prior to approval; (iii) issue a not approvable letter which outlines steps required for approval, but which are typically more onerous than those in an approvable letter, and may require additional clinical trials that are often expensive and time consuming and can delay approval for months or even years; or (iv) deny the PMA application. If the FDA issues an approvable or not approvable letter, the applicant has 180 days to respond, after which the FDA’s review clock is reset.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are almost always required to support a PMA and are sometimes required for 510(k) clearance. In the United States, for significant risk devices, these trials require submission of an application for an Investigational Device Exemption (“IDE”) to the FDA. The IDE application must be supported by appropriate data, such as animal and laboratory testing results, showing it is safe to test the device in humans and that the testing protocol is scientifically sound. The IDE must be approved in advance by the FDA for a specific number of patients at specified study sites. During the trial, the sponsor must comply with the FDA’s IDE requirements for investigator selection, trial monitoring, reporting, and recordkeeping. The investigators must obtain patient informed consent, rigorously follow the investigational plan and study protocol, control the disposition of investigational devices, and comply with all reporting and recordkeeping requirements. Clinical trials for significant risk devices may not begin until the IDE application is approved by the FDA and the appropriate institutional review boards (“IRBs”), at the clinical trial sites. An IRB is an appropriately constituted group that has been formally designated to review and monitor medical research involving subjects and which has the authority to approve, require modifications in, or disapprove research to protect the rights, safety and welfare of human research subjects. A nonsignificant risk device does not require FDA approval of an IDE; however, the clinical trial must still be conducted in compliance with various requirements of FDA’s IDE regulations and be approved by an IRB at the clinical trials sites. We, the FDA or the IRB at each site at which a clinical trial is being performed may withdraw approval of a clinical trial at any time for various reasons, including a belief that the risks to study subjects outweigh the benefits or a failure to comply with FDA or IRB requirements. Even if a trial is completed, the results of clinical testing may not demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of the device, may be equivocal or may otherwise not be sufficient to obtain approval or clearance of the product.
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Sponsors of clinical trials of devices are required to register with clinicaltrials.gov, a public database of clinical trial information. Information related to the device, patient population, phase of investigation, study sites and investigators, and other aspects of the clinical trial is made public as part of the registration.
Ongoing Regulation by the FDA
Even after a device receives clearance or approval by the FDA and is placed on the market in the United States, there are requirements and regulations that must be followed. These include:
•establishment registration and device listing;
•the QSR, which requires manufacturers, including third-party manufacturers, to follow design, testing, control, documentation, and other quality assurance procedures during all aspects of the manufacturing process;
•labeling regulations and prohibitions against product adulteration and misbranding (e.g., the promotion of products that do not have the appropriate market clearance or promotion for “off-label” uses), and other requirements related to promotional activities;
•medical device reporting regulations, which require that manufacturers report to the FDA if their device may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury or if their device malfunctioned and the device or a similar device marketed by the manufacturer would be likely to cause or contribute to a death or serious injury if the malfunction were to recur;
•corrections and removal reporting regulations, which require that manufacturers report to the FDA field corrections or removals if undertaken to reduce a risk to health posed by a device or to remedy a violation of the FD&C Act that may present a risk to health; and
•post market surveillance regulations, which apply to certain Class II or Class III devices when necessary to protect the public health or to provide additional safety and effectiveness data for the device.
After a device receives 510(k) clearance, any modification that could significantly affect its safety or effectiveness, or that would constitute a major change in its intended use, will require a new 510(k) or possibly a PMA. The FDA requires each manufacturer to make this determination initially, but the FDA can review any such decision and may disagree with a manufacturer’s determination. If the FDA disagrees with our determination not to seek a new 510(k) clearance, the FDA may retroactively require us to seek 510(k) clearance or possibly a PMA. The FDA could also require us to cease marketing and distribution and/or recall the modified device until 510(k) clearance or a PMA approval is obtained. Also, in these circumstances, there may be significant regulatory fines and penalties.
Changes to an approved PMA device, including changes in indications, labeling, or manufacturing processes or facilities, require submission and FDA approval of a new PMA application or PMA supplement, as appropriate, before the change can be implemented. Supplements to a PMA often require the submission of the same type of information required for an original PMA application, with the exception that the supplement is generally limited to the information needed to support the proposed change from the device covered by the original PMA.
FDA regulations require us to register our manufacturing facilities as a medical device manufacturer. Additionally, the California Department of Health Services (“CDHS”) requires us to register as a medical device manufacturer within the state. Because of this, the FDA and the CDHS may inspect our facilities on a routine basis for compliance with the QSR. These regulations require that we manufacture our products and maintain related documentation in a prescribed manner with respect to manufacturing, testing and control activities. We have undergone and expect to continue to undergo regular QSR inspections in connection with the manufacture of our products at our facilities. Further, the FDA requires us to comply with various FDA regulations regarding labeling. Failure by us or by our suppliers to comply with applicable regulatory requirements can result in enforcement action by the FDA or state authorities, which may include any of the following sanctions:
•warning or untitled letters, fines, injunctions, consent decrees and civil penalties;
•customer notifications, voluntary or mandatory recall or seizure of our products;
•operating restrictions, partial suspension or total shutdown of production;
•delay in processing submissions or applications for new products or modifications to existing products;
•withdrawing approvals that have already been granted; and
•criminal prosecution.
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The Medical Device Reporting laws and regulations require us to provide information to the FDA when we receive or otherwise become aware of information that reasonably suggests our device may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury as well as a device malfunction that likely would cause or contribute to death or serious injury if the malfunction were to recur. Our approach has been to file such reports with the FDA even in cases where reporting might not otherwise be required out of an abundance of caution. In addition, the FDA prohibits an approved device from being marketed for off-label use. The FDA and other agencies actively enforce the laws and regulations prohibiting the promotion of off-label uses, and a company that is found to have improperly promoted off-label uses may be subject to significant liability, including substantial monetary penalties and criminal prosecution.
Newly discovered or developed safety or effectiveness data may require changes to a product’s labeling, including the addition of new warnings and contraindications, and also may require the implementation of other risk management measures. Also, new government requirements, including those resulting from new legislation, may be established, or the FDA’s policies may change, which could delay or prevent regulatory clearance or approval of our products under development.
We are also subject to other federal, state and local laws, and regulations relating to safe working conditions, laboratory, and manufacturing practices.
Regulatory Inspections
We are subject to periodic inspections by the FDA and other regulatory entities, such as a European Notified Body, related to the regulatory requirements that apply to medical devices designed and manufactured, and clinical trials sponsored, by us. When the FDA conducts an inspection, the inspectors will identify any deficiencies they believe exist in the form of a notice of inspectional observations, or Form FDA 483. If we receive a notice of inspectional observations or deficiencies from the FDA following an inspection, we would be required to respond in writing, and would be required to undertake corrective and/or preventive or other actions in order to address the FDA’s or other regulators’ concerns. Failure to address the FDA’s concerns may result in the issuance of a warning letter or other enforcement or administrative actions.
European Union
Our products are regulated in the European Union as medical devices per the European Union Directive (93/42/EEC), also known as the Medical Device Directive (the “MDD”). An authorized third party, also called a Notified Body, must approve products for CE marking, other than those of risk class I. The CE mark is contingent upon continued compliance to the applicable regulations, harmonized standards and the quality system requirements of the ISO 13485 standard.
The new European Medical Devices Regulation 2017/745 (the “EU MDR”), which was published in May 2017 with a transition period of three years, replaced the MDD and was initially scheduled to be fully implemented on May 26, 2020, with no further applications under the previous directives permitted and therefore requiring that we update our quality management system processes to meet the new EU MDR requirements. On April 17, 2020, the European Parliament postponed the implementation of the EU MDR by 12 months. This delay of the EU MDR implementation was in response to the exceptional circumstances associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential impact it may have had on the EU MDR implementation. We are currently finalizing the updates to our quality management system processes to meet the new EU MDR requirements. We are also updating our technical documentation to meet the EU MDR requirements and are planning with our notified body the submission and review under EU MDR. Under the new EU MDR requirements, CE certificates issued under the previous directives prior to May 2021 will remain valid in accordance with their term beyond the expiration of the transition period, but will become void at the latest on May 27, 2024, however certain limitations set forth in the EU MDR, such as the inability to substantially change medical devices without notified body approval will apply. We do not expect such limitations to have any material impact on our ability to supply our products to the market in the region covered by the EU MDR.
Other Regions
Most major markets have different levels of regulatory requirements for medical devices. Modifications to the cleared or approved products may require a new regulatory submission in all major markets. The regulatory requirements, and the review time, vary significantly from country to country.
Fraud and Abuse and Other Healthcare Regulation
Anti-Kickback Statute
We are subject to various federal and state healthcare laws, including, but not limited to, anti-kickback laws. In particular, the federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits persons or entities from knowingly and willfully soliciting, offering, receiving or paying any remuneration, directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or in kind, in exchange for or to induce either the referral of an individual for the furnishing or arranging for a good or service, or for the purchasing, leasing, ordering, or arranging for or recommending any good, facility, service or item for which payment may be made in whole or in part under
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federal healthcare programs, such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The federal Anti-Kickback Statute is broad and prohibits many arrangements and practices that are lawful in businesses outside of the healthcare industry. The term “remuneration” expressly includes kickbacks, bribes, or rebates and also has been broadly interpreted to include anything of value, including, for example, gifts, discounts, the furnishing of supplies or equipment, credit arrangements, payments of cash, waivers of payments, ownership interests and providing anything at less than its fair market value.
There are a number of statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbors protecting certain business arrangements from prosecution under the federal Anti-Kickback Statute. These statutory exceptions and safe harbors set forth provisions that, if all their applicable requirements are met, will assure healthcare providers and other parties that they may not be prosecuted under the federal Anti-Kickback Statute. The failure of a transaction or arrangement to fit precisely within one or more applicable statutory exceptions or safe harbors does not necessarily mean that it is illegal or that prosecution will be pursued. However, conduct and business arrangements that do not fully satisfy all requirements of an applicable safe harbor may result in increased scrutiny by government enforcement authorities and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis based on a cumulative review of all of its facts and circumstances. Additionally, the intent standard under the federal Anti-Kickback Statute was amended under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (“Affordable Care Act”), to a stricter standard such that a person or entity no longer needs to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it in order to have committed a violation. The Affordable Care Act provides that the government may assert that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the federal civil False Claims Act which is discussed below. Penalties for violations of the anti-kickback statute include, but are not limited to, criminal, civil and/or administrative penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, individual imprisonment, possible exclusion from Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs, and the curtailment or restructuring of operations. Various states have adopted laws similar to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, and some of these state laws may be broader in scope in that some of these state laws extend to all payors and may not contain safe harbors. In addition, many foreign jurisdictions in which we operate have similar laws and regulations.
Federal Civil False Claims Act. The federal civil False Claims Act prohibits, among other things, persons or entities from knowingly presenting or causing to be presented a false or fraudulent claim to, or the knowing use of false statements to obtain payment from or approval by, the federal government. Suits filed under the federal civil False Claims Act, known as “qui tam” actions, can be brought by any individual on behalf of the government. These individuals, sometimes known as “relators” or, more commonly, as “whistleblowers,” may share in any amounts paid by the entity to the government in fines or settlement. As a result, qui tam actions continue to cause healthcare companies to have to defend cases brought under the federal civil False Claims Act. If an entity is determined to have violated the federal civil False Claims Act, it may be required to pay up to three times the actual damages sustained by the government, plus civil penalties for each separate false claim. Various states have adopted laws similar to the federal civil False Claims Act, and many of these state laws are broader in scope and apply to all payors, and therefore, are not limited to only those claims submitted to the federal government.
Federal Civil Monetary Penalties Statute. The federal Civil Monetary Penalties Statute, among other things, imposes fines against any person who is determined to have presented, or caused to be presented, claims to a federal healthcare program that the person knows, or should know, is for an item or service that was not provided as claimed or is false or fraudulent.
Sunshine Act. The Affordable Care Act also included a provision, commonly referred to as the Sunshine Act, that requires any manufacturer of a covered device that provides payments or other transfers of value to a physician or teaching hospital, or to a third party at the request of a physician or teaching hospital, to submit to CMS on an annual basis information about the payments or other transfers of value, with the reported information to be made public on a searchable website. Such reporting requirement was expanded by the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, which requires manufacturers, beginning January 1, 2021, to report payments or transfers of value to physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and certified nurse midwives in addition to physicians and teaching hospitals. Similar laws have been enacted at the state level and in foreign jurisdictions, including France.
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Anti-Bribery Laws. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) prohibits U.S. companies and their representatives from offering or making payments to foreign officials for the purpose of securing a business advantage. In many countries, the healthcare professionals we regularly interact with may meet the definition of a foreign government official for purposes of the FCPA. Similar anti-bribery laws are in effect in many of the countries in which we operate.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended (“HIPAA”) created several new federal crimes, including healthcare fraud and false statements relating to healthcare matters. The healthcare fraud statute prohibits knowingly and willfully executing a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private third-party payors. The false statements statute prohibits knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement in
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connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services. In addition, HIPAA and its implementing regulations established uniform standards for certain covered entities, which are healthcare providers, health plans and healthcare clearinghouses, as well as their business associates, governing the conduct of specified electronic healthcare transactions and protecting the security and privacy of protected health information.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, commonly referred to as the economic stimulus package, included an expansion of HIPAA’s privacy and security standards called the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (“HITECH”). Among other things, HITECH created four tiers of civil monetary penalties and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for damages or injunctions in federal courts to enforce the federal HIPAA laws and seek attorneys’ fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions.
Human Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2020, we had approximately 3,300 employees worldwide. None of our U.S. employees are represented by a collective bargaining agreement. Some of our employees outside of the United States are subject to mandatory, industry-specific collective bargaining agreements or the protections of statutory works councils as required by local law. We have never experienced a work stoppage. We believe our employee relations are good.
In managing our business, we focus on a number of measures and objectives with respect to the attraction, development and retention of our employees that we believe are important to our business, including diversity, communication, compensation, tenure, professional development, and health, well-being and safety:
•We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and to have a diverse employee population and leadership team: for example, over 50% of our employees are female, almost half of our senior management team are female, and more than 75% of our employee population in the U.S. are from a minority background. 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 cornerstone of our efforts regarding our workforce.
•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 and ethical violations.
•We provide our employees a competitive wage that is aimed to allow them to meet the standard cost of living in their region. We evaluate our compensation programs to ensure that our employees are paid fairly for the valuable work they are doing, and we are rewarding outstanding performance. We are also committed to achieving internal pay equity. We offer our employees competitive benefits that follow local country standards.
•We are proud to have achieved, based on turnover rates, loyal tenure among our employees. Our turnover has historically been lower than data reflecting industry market trends, including other companies in the U.S. Life Sciences Industry and the U.S. Technology Industry. We believe that our lower turnover rate is evidence of the success of our culture based on cooperation and the satisfaction of our employees, which helps drive innovation and growth at our company through the long-term development of skills and experience among our workforce.
•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 leading projects or teams. Employees receive regular performance reviews to support their progress and development.
•We recognize the benefits of a healthy workforce. We provide employees at our Alameda campus with an on-site restaurant that offers fresh food at discounted pricing for employees, as well as an on-site fitness center, which has been closed during the COVID-19 pandemic in accordance with local and state health guidelines. Employees in the U.S. are also eligible for a gym discount at a local commercial fitness chain. We also support the mental health of our employees by offering an employee assistance program for employees and their families in the U.S. that provides free counseling sessions and offers other resources for employees.
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•We prioritize the health and safety of our employees. Guided by a strategic plan that is regularly reviewed, we have a dedicated Employee Health and Safety team, who seek to prevent and reduce workplace risks and injuries through various programs, projects, services, and assistance, such as ergonomic evaluation, hazard reporting, risk assessment, and first aid training. Employee safety is also supported by an access control system at all facilities and a dedicated 24/7 Security team on the Alameda and Roseville campuses. We require all work-related injuries or illnesses to be reported. This information is reviewed monthly by our Safety Committee for analysis and trending.
•We are committed to maintaining and improving the safety of our employees and our workplace. For example, we have taken a number of steps to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our employees, including continuing to pay employees impacted by the pandemic, avoiding layoffs, and implementing changes to how we manufacture our products and to other processes in order to prioritize the health and safety of our employees and to operate under the protocols mandated by local and state authorities, with measures such as changes to shift schedules, physical distancing, contact tracing, symptom assessments and other safety measures. We will continue to assess, identify and implement measures to support the health and safety of our employees during the pandemic.
Facilities
We maintain approximately 305,000 square feet of research and development, manufacturing and administrative facilities in seven buildings at our campus in Alameda, California. The leases for these seven buildings expire in 2029 to 2035, subject to our option to renew certain leases for an additional five to fifteen years. From time to time through February 1, 2035, if any space in any of the buildings located in the same business park as our campus becomes vacant, that space will be added to the lease. The maximum additional space that could be added under this provision of the lease as of December 31, 2020 is approximately 175,000 square feet. The Company has a right of first offer to lease any space that becomes available after such date. We also lease approximately 160,000 square feet of manufacturing facility in Roseville, California. The lease for this building expires in 2034, subject to our option to renew the lease for an additional five to ten years. In addition, we lease approximately 20,000 square feet of warehouse space in Livermore, California, and approximately 45,000 square feet of warehouse space in Salt Lake City, Utah. The leases for the Livermore warehouse space expire in 2022. The lease for the Salt Lake City warehouse expires in 2024, subject to our option to renew the lease for an additional three to nine years.
On September 3, 2019, we entered into a lease for an additional space of approximately 127,000 square feet at our headquarters in the Harbor Bay Business Park in Alameda, California, which has not yet commenced as of December 31, 2020. This additional space is in a to-be-constructed building located at 1310 Harbor Bay Business Parkway and we anticipate substantial completion will occur by the end of 2021.
We also lease office and warehouse space in Germany, Italy, Australia, and Brazil. The offices in Germany and Australia support our direct sales operations in Europe and Australasia, respectively, the office in Brazil supports our Latin America marketing efforts through our distribution partners, and the offices in Italy support the operations of Crossmed S.p.A., our wholly-owned subsidiary in Italy, including supporting our direct sales operations in Italy, San Marino, Vatican City, and Switzerland. We also warehouse and distribute finished products to our international customers utilizing a third-party logistics provider in the Netherlands.
Legal Proceedings
From time to time, we are subject to claims and assessments in the ordinary course of business. For more information regarding our current legal proceedings, please refer to the section entitled “Legal Proceedings” in Part I, Item 3 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Such matters are subject to many uncertainties and there can be no assurance that legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business or otherwise will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
Available Information
We make our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports, available free of charge at our website as soon as reasonably practicable after they have been filed with the SEC. Our website address is www.penumbrainc.com. Information contained in or accessible through our website is not part of this report. The SEC maintains a website that contains the materials we file with the SEC at www.sec.gov.
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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS.
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking information based on our current expectations. Because our business is subject to many risks and our actual results may differ materially from any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of us, this section includes a discussion of important factors that could affect our business, operating results, financial condition and the trading price of our common stock. You should carefully consider these risk factors, together with all of the other information included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K as well as our other publicly available filings with the SEC. If any of the following risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition, results of operations and future prospects could be materially and adversely harmed.
Business Risks
We have a limited operating history and may not be able to sustain our growth, achieve profitability or generate positive cash flows from operations in the future.
We were founded in 2004 and did not generate any revenue until 2007. Moreover, while we have successfully developed, obtained regulatory clearance or approval for, and introduced a number of products in the neuro market since 2007, we first introduced products in the peripheral vascular and neurosurgical markets in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Accordingly, we only have a limited operating history upon which investors can evaluate our business and prospects, and this limited operating history may not be indicative of our future results. We incurred operating losses in 2018 and 2020. We can give no assurance that we will be profitable or cash flow positive in the future.
Our sales, general and administrative expenses have increased, and we expect that they will continue to increase, to support our past and anticipated future growth. We have also expended significant amounts on research and development to develop our products, and we expect to continue to do so. We also expend significant amounts on maintaining inventory levels of raw materials, components and finished products to meet anticipated customer demand. In addition, our coil products are sold on a consignment basis, which requires us to expend significant amounts on inventory that is placed at many customer locations. Our ability to sustain our growth, and achieve profitability and generate positive operating cash flow in the future may be influenced by many factors, including:
•our ability to achieve and maintain market acceptance of our products;
•unanticipated problems and additional costs relating to the development and testing of new products;
•our ability to introduce, manufacture at scale, build new inventory and commercialize new products;
•our ability to produce sufficient quantities of our products to meet demand;
•the impact of competition;
•the timing and impact of market, reimbursement and regulatory developments;
•our ability to expand into new markets;
•pricing pressure from competitors;
•the availability and adequacy of third-party reimbursement for procedures in which our products are used; and
•our ability to obtain and maintain adequate intellectual property protection for our products and technologies.
If we encounter difficulties with any of the foregoing or unexpected expenses, it could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
Our existing products may be rendered obsolete and we may be unable to effectively introduce and market new products or may fail to keep pace with advances in technology.
The medical device market is characterized by rapidly advancing technology. Our success and growth depends, in part, on our ability to anticipate technological advancements and competitive innovations and introduce new products to adapt to these advancements and innovations. To compete in the marketplace, we have made, and we must continue to make, substantial investments in new product development, whether internally through research and development or externally through licensing or acquisitions. We can give no assurance that we will be successful in identifying, developing or acquiring, and marketing new products or enhancing our existing products. In addition, we can give no assurance that new products or alternative treatment techniques developed by competitors will not render our current or future products obsolete or inferior, technologically or economically.
The success of any new products that we develop or acquire depends on achieving and maintaining market acceptance. Market acceptance for our current and new products could be affected by a number of factors, including:
•our ability to market and distribute our products effectively;
•the availability, perceived efficacy and pricing of alternative products from our competitors;
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•the development of new products or alternative treatments by others that render our products and technologies obsolete;
•the price, quality, effectiveness and reliability of our products;
•our customer service and reputation;
•our ability to convince specialist physicians and other healthcare providers to use our products on their patients; and
•the timing of market entry of new products or alternative treatments.
Our competition may respond more quickly to new or emerging technologies or a changing clinical landscape, undertake more extensive marketing campaigns, have greater financial, marketing and other resources than us or be more successful in attracting potential customers and strategic partners. Given these factors, we cannot assure you that we will be able to continue or increase our level of success. Our failure to introduce new and innovative products in a timely manner, and our inability to maintain or grow the market acceptance of our existing products, could result in write-offs of our inventory and otherwise have a material and adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
Delays in product introductions could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
The medical device market is highly competitive and designs change often to adjust to shifting market preferences and other factors. Therefore, product life cycles are relatively short. As a result, any delays in our product launches may significantly impede our ability to enter or compete in a given market and may reduce the sales that we are able to generate from these products. We may experience delays in any phase of a product launch, including during research and development, clinical trials, regulatory review, manufacturing and marketing. Delays in product introductions could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
We face significant competition, and if we are unable to compete effectively, we may not be able to achieve or maintain significant market penetration or improve our results of operations.
The medical device industry is intensely competitive, subject to rapid change and significantly affected by new product introductions and other market activities of industry participants. We compete with a number of manufacturers and distributors of neuro and vascular devices. Our most notable competitors are Boston Scientific, Inari, Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Stryker and Terumo. Most of these competitors are large, well-capitalized companies with longer operating histories and greater resources than us. We also compete with a number of smaller medical device companies that have a single product or a limited range of products. Our competitors may be able to spend more on product development, marketing, sales and other product initiatives, or be more focused in their spending and activities, than we can. Some of our competitors have:
•significantly greater name recognition;
•broader or deeper relations with healthcare professionals, customers, group purchasing organizations and third-party payors;
•more established distribution networks;
•additional lines of products and the ability to offer rebates or bundle products to offer greater discounts or other incentives to gain a competitive advantage;
•greater experience in conducting research and development, manufacturing, clinical trials, marketing and obtaining regulatory clearance or approval for products; and
•greater financial and human resources for product development, sales and marketing and patent litigation.
We compete primarily on the basis that our products are able to treat patients with neurovascular and vascular diseases and disorders safely and effectively, with improved outcomes and procedural cost savings. Our continued success depends on our ability to:
•develop innovative, proprietary products that can cost-effectively address significant clinical needs;
•continue to innovate and develop scientifically advanced technology;
•obtain and maintain regulatory clearances or approvals;
•demonstrate efficacy in Penumbra-sponsored and third-party clinical trials and studies;
•apply technology across product lines and markets;
•attract and retain skilled research and development and sales personnel; and
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•cost-effectively manufacture and successfully market and sell products.
We cannot assure you that we will be able to compete effectively on the basis of these factors. Additionally, our competitors with greater financial resources could acquire or develop new technologies or products that effectively compete with our existing or future products. If we are unable to effectively compete, it would materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
The ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have adversely affected and could in the future adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.
In December 2019, a strain of coronavirus, known as COVID-19, surfaced in Wuhan, China and resulted in an outbreak throughout the world. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Governments, public institutions, and other organizations in countries and localities throughout the world have taken and are continuing to take certain emergency measures to combat the spread of COVID-19, including implementation of restrictions on travel and orders that restrict the operations of institutions such as schools and businesses. While the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and government response is not yet known, we have experienced negative impacts from this pandemic and it could materially harm our business, results of operations and financial condition in the future.
For example, on March 18, 2020, the United States Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released guidance for U.S. healthcare providers recommending the delay of elective surgeries and non-essential medical, surgical, and dental procedures in order to preserve personal protective equipment, beds, and ventilators for use in combating COVID-19. This guidance and similar guidance from other public health authorities resulted in the deferral of procedures in which our products are used, which thereby reduced demand for our products in the relevant periods. Any similar guidance in the future could also further reduce demand for our products in future periods. Furthermore, once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides there may be constraints in the capacities and financial resources of hospitals and other healthcare providers to perform procedures that had been deferred due to COVID-19, which could have an adverse effect on demand for our products following the end of the pandemic. Many hospitals have also implemented restrictions on vendor access, potentially limiting our ability to provide product and case support.
In addition, due to domestic and international governmental orders restricting certain activities in response to COVID-19, including in Alameda, California, where our corporate headquarters and many of our operations, including our principal manufacturing facility, are located, we continue to experience certain disruptions in our business, including changes to our on-site operations to reduce manufacturing capacity and implement social distancing, reductions in our suppliers’ ability to source, maintain inventory and ship raw materials in alignment with our demands, work stoppages, slowdowns and delays, including having most of our employees working outside of our offices, travel restrictions, reduced access to our customers for product training and case support, and cancellation of events, delays in product development efforts and related clinical trials and regulatory clearances and approvals, and other negative impacts on our capacity to manufacture, our suppliers’ capacity to source and ship raw materials and our distributors’ ability to sell and support the use of our products.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also caused significant uncertainty and volatility in global financial markets and the trading prices for the common stock of medical device companies, including Penumbra. Due to such volatility, we may not be able to raise additional capital, if needed, on favorable terms, or at all. Further adverse economic events resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, including a prolonged recession, depression or other sustained economic downturn, could materially and adversely affect our business, access to capital markets and the value of our common stock.
The ultimate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is highly uncertain and subject to change. In particular, a delay in wide distribution of vaccines, or a lack of public acceptance of vaccines, could lead people to continue to self-isolate and not participate in the economy at pre-pandemic levels for a prolonged period of time. Further, even if vaccines are widely distributed and accepted, there can be no assurance that vaccines will ultimately be successful in limiting or stopping the spread of COVID-19. We do not yet know the full extent of potential impacts on our business, healthcare systems, the medical device industry or the global economy as a whole. However, these effects could adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.
We face risks related to our controlling interest in MVI Health Inc., including our inexperience with virtual reality technology, and we may be unsuccessful in developing and commercializing products using virtual reality technology.
In 2017, we formed MVI as a joint venture with Sixense to explore healthcare applications using virtual reality technology, with each party holding 50% of the issued and outstanding equity of MVI. On August 31, 2018, we purchased an additional 40% of the equity interest in MVI from Sixense for an initial cash purchase price of $20.0 million, excluding additional contingent consideration relating to anti-dilution protection provided to Sixense. We now own a 90% controlling interest in MVI and Sixense retains the remaining 10% minority interest.
Our company is experienced in and has a strong history of bringing technology to healthcare markets. While we are familiar with the healthcare markets that we plan to target initially, we do not have extensive experience with virtual reality
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technology and are relying on new hires and consultants with expertise in the field. Apart from funds we have invested to date to purchase our interest in MVI, we continue to invest substantial additional funds for research and development at MVI, to establish manufacturing operations, to hire dedicated sales and marketing personnel and to commercialize products. We consolidate MVI’s financial results into our consolidated financial statements, so losses at MVI could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
We can give no assurance that we will be successful in developing and commercializing products using virtual reality technology. To date, our efforts have been focused on developing the REAL Immersive System and our commercial launch of this product is in its early stages. We have not yet determined that the business model we are pursuing to bring virtual reality technology to the healthcare field will be successful. Our ability to successfully commercialize healthcare applications using virtual reality technology may be influenced by many factors, including:
•our inability to develop new products and content;
•unanticipated problems and additional costs relating to the development and testing of new products;
•our ability to install, set up and service new customers;
•our ability to achieve and maintain market acceptance;
•our reliance on technology licensed from Sixense;
•our possible reliance on a limited number of suppliers for key components of the products we develop;
•maintaining an appropriate program for compliance with regulations related to the privacy and security of individually-identifiable patient information, including but not limited to HIPAA;
•our ability to introduce, manufacture at scale, build new inventory and commercialize new products;
•our ability to produce sufficient quantities of products to meet demand;
•the impact of competition, including with respect to the hardware and software underlying our virtual technology platform;
•the timing and impact of market, reimbursement and regulatory developments, including our ability to obtain any required regulatory approvals or clearances outside the United States;
•our ability to expand into new markets; and
•our ability to obtain and maintain adequate intellectual property protection for our products and technologies.
Our future growth depends, in part, on our ability to further penetrate our current customer base and increase the frequency of use of our products by our customers.
We will need to continue to make specialist physicians and other healthcare providers aware of the benefits of our products to generate increased demand and frequency of use, and thus increase sales to our hospital customers. Although we are attempting to increase the number of patients treated with our products through our established relationships and focused sales efforts, we cannot provide assurance that our efforts will increase the use of our products. If we are unable to increase the frequency of use of our products by specialist physicians and other healthcare providers, our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows could be materially adversely affected.
Our future growth depends, in part, on significantly expanding our user base to include additional specialist physicians and other healthcare professionals in both our existing and future target end markets.
Currently, the primary users of our neurovascular and vascular products are specialist physicians, including interventional neuroradiologists, neurosurgeons, interventional neurologists, interventional radiologists, interventional cardiologists and vascular surgeons. We may enter new target end markets with different users in the future. Our revenue growth will depend in part on our ability to convince specialist physicians and other healthcare professionals in our existing and future target end markets of our products’ efficacy, to educate them in the proper use of our products and to sell our products to their affiliated hospitals or other organizations. Convincing specialist physicians and other healthcare professionals to use new products and to dedicate the time and energy necessary for adequate education in the use of our products is challenging, especially in new markets where treatments or therapies using our products are not established. Expanding our customer base in existing and new target end markets may require, among other things, additional clinical evidence supporting patient benefits, training in a manner to which we are not accustomed, or other resources that we do not readily have available or are not cost effective for us to provide. If we are unable to convert specialist physicians or other healthcare professionals in existing or new target end markets to the use of our products, our sales growth will be limited, which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
We may not have the resources to successfully market and sell our products, which would adversely affect our business and results of operations.
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The marketing and sales of our products requires us to invest in training and education and employ a salesforce that is large enough to interact with the specialist physicians and others who use our products. Entering new markets also requires a significant amount of time and expense in order to identify and establish relationships with key opinion leaders among the specialist physicians and others who may use our products in those markets. We may not have adequate resources to market and sell our products successfully against larger competitors. If we cannot market and sell our products successfully, our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows could be materially adversely affected.
Third-party reimbursement may not be available or adequate for the procedures or therapies for which our products are used, and may be subject to change.
Our ability to commercialize new products successfully in both the United States and international markets depends in part on the availability of, and hospitals’ and other customers’ ability to obtain, adequate levels of third-party reimbursement for the procedures in which our products are used. In the United States, the cost of medical care is funded, in substantial part, by government insurance programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and private and corporate health insurance plans. Third-party payors may deny reimbursement if they determine that a device used in a procedure has not received appropriate FDA or other governmental regulatory clearances or approvals, is not used in accordance with cost-effective treatment methods as determined by the payor, or is experimental, unnecessary or inappropriate. Our ability to commercialize our products successfully will depend, in large part, on the extent to which adequate reimbursement levels for the cost of their use are obtained from government authorities, private health insurers and other organizations, such as health maintenance organizations. Further, healthcare in the United States and international markets is also being affected by economic pressure to contain reimbursement levels and costs. Changing reimbursement models either domestically or internationally could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
We have generated a significant portion of our revenue and revenue growth from a limited number of product families, and our revenue and business prospects would be adversely affected if sales of any of these product families were to decline.
We have generated most of our revenue and revenue growth from a limited number of product families. If any one or more of these product families were adversely affected because of regulatory, third-party reimbursement or intellectual property issues or any other reason, or if one of our competitors introduced one or more products that specialist physicians believe are superior to our products, our revenue from one of these product families could decline. A significant decline in our sales of any of these product families could also negatively impact our financial condition and our ability to conduct product development activities, and therefore negatively impact our business prospects.
If specialist physicians and other healthcare providers do not recommend and endorse, or use, our products or if our relationships with specialist physicians and other healthcare providers deteriorate, our products may not be accepted or maintain acceptance in the marketplace, which would adversely affect our business and results of operations.
Our products are sold primarily to hospitals for use by specialist physicians and other healthcare providers practicing at their facilities. In order for us to sell our products, specialist physicians and other healthcare providers must recommend and endorse them for the hospital to purchase them, and must use them in treating their patients to generate follow-on sales. We may not obtain the necessary recommendations or endorsements for new products from specialist physicians and other healthcare providers, nor may we be able to maintain the current or future level of acceptance and usage of our products. Acceptance of our products depends on educating the medical community as to the distinctive characteristics, perceived benefits, safety, clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of our products compared to products of our competitors or treatments that do not use our products, and on training specialist physicians and other healthcare providers in the proper application and use of our products. We invest in significant training and education of our sales representatives, specialist physicians and other healthcare providers to achieve market acceptance of our products, with no assurance of success. If we are not successful in obtaining and maintaining the recommendations or endorsements of specialist physicians and other healthcare providers for our products, if specialist physicians and other healthcare providers prefer our competitors’ products or other alternative treatments that do not use our products, or if our products otherwise do not gain or maintain market acceptance, our business could be adversely affected.
In addition, the research, development, marketing and sales of our products are dependent, in part, upon our working relationships with specialist physicians and other healthcare providers. We rely on them to provide us with knowledge and feedback regarding our products and the marketing of our products. If we are unable to develop or maintain strong relationships with specialist physicians and other healthcare providers and receive their advice and input, the development and marketing of our products could suffer, which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
We may not be able to achieve or maintain satisfactory pricing and margins for our products.
Manufacturers of medical devices have a history of price competition, and we can give no assurance that we will be able to achieve satisfactory prices for our products or maintain prices at the levels we have historically achieved. If we are unable to
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achieve or maintain our prices, or if our costs increase and we are unable to offset such increase with an increase in our prices, our margins could erode and we may be unable to achieve or maintain profitable operations in the future.
We cannot be certain that we will be able to manufacture our products in high volumes at commercially reasonable costs.
We currently maintain our primary manufacturing operations at our facilities in Alameda and Roseville, California. We currently produce substantially all of our products at these facilities, and we can give no assurance that these facilities will be adequate for our future needs. We may need to expend significant capital resources and further increase the size of our manufacturing capabilities as we grow our business. We could, however, encounter problems related to:
•capacity constraints;
•production yields;
•quality control;
•equipment availability; and
•shortages of qualified personnel.
Our continuous product innovation limits our ability to identify and implement manufacturing efficiencies. Failure to do so may reduce our ability to manufacture our products at commercially reasonable costs. If we are unable to manufacture our products in high volumes at commercially reasonable costs, it could materially affect our ability to adequately increase production of our products and fulfill customer orders on a timely basis, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
We are required to maintain high levels of inventory, which consume a significant amount of our working capital and could lead to permanent write-downs or write-offs of our inventory.
We maintain a significant inventory of raw materials, components and finished goods, which subjects us to a number of risks and challenges. Our hospital customers typically maintain only small quantities of our products at their facilities, so as products are used, they order replacements that typically require prompt delivery. As a result, we must maintain sufficient levels of finished goods to permit rapid shipment of products following receipt of a customer order. In turn, we must also maintain a sufficient supply of raw materials and components inventory to permit rapid manufacturing and re-stocking of finished goods. Furthermore, our coil inventory is supplied to hospital customers on a consignment basis, which means that it is classified as part of our inventory for financial reporting purposes but is maintained at the hospital location until it is used. We have built, and will continue to build, a significant inventory of coils in order to support the introduction of and to provide adequate consignment stock for our new and existing coil products.
Maintaining a significant inventory of raw materials, components and finished goods, including coils, consumes a significant amount of our working capital. This working capital could be used for other purposes, such as research and development or sales and marketing activities. As we grow our business, we may need substantial additional capital to fund higher levels of inventory, which may materially adversely affect our liquidity or result in dilution to our stockholders if we sell additional equity securities or leverage if we raise debt capital to finance our working capital requirements.
Maintaining a significant inventory of raw materials, components and finished goods, including coils, also subjects us to the risk of inventory excess and obsolescence, which may lead to a permanent write-down or write-off of our inventory. While in inventory, our components and finished goods may become obsolete, and we may over-estimate the amount of inventory needed, which may lead to excessive inventory. In these circumstances we would write-down or write-off our inventory and may be required to expend additional resources or be constrained in the amount of end product that we can produce. Furthermore, our products have a limited shelf life due to sterilization requirements, and part or all of a given product or component may expire, resulting in a decrease in value and potentially a permanent write-down of our inventory. In the event that a substantial portion of our inventory becomes excess or obsolete, it could materially adversely affect our results of operations.
Defects or failures or alleged defects or failures associated with our products could lead to recalls, safety alerts or product-related or securities litigation, as well as significant costs and negative publicity.
Manufacturing flaws, component failures, design defects, off-label uses or inadequate disclosure of product-related information could result in an unsafe condition or the injury or death of a patient. These problems could lead to a recall of, or issuance of a safety alert relating to, our products and result in significant costs, negative publicity and adverse competitive pressure. While we have had product recalls, including the recall of the JET 7 Reperfusion Catheter with Xtra Flex technology in December 2020, they have all been voluntary. The circumstances giving rise to recalls are, however, unpredictable, and any recalls of existing or future products could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
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The medical device industry has historically been subject to extensive litigation over product liability claims. There are high rates of mortality and other complications associated with some of the medical conditions suffered by the patients whom specialist physicians use our devices to treat, and we may be subject to product liability claims if our products cause, or merely appear to have caused, an injury or death. In addition, an injury or death that is caused by the activities of our suppliers, such as those that provide us with components and raw materials, or by an aspect of a treatment used in combination with our products, such as a complementary drug or anesthesia, may be the basis for a claim against us by patients, hospitals, health-care providers or others purchasing or using our products, even if our products were not the actual cause of such injury or death. An adverse outcome involving one of our products could result in reduced market acceptance and demand for all of our products, and could harm our reputation and our ability to market our products in the future. In some circumstances, adverse events arising from or associated with the design, manufacture or marketing of our products could result in the suspension or delay of regulatory reviews of our premarket notifications or applications for marketing. Any of the foregoing problems could disrupt our business and have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operation, financial condition or cash flows.
Although we carry product liability insurance in the United States and in other countries in which we conduct business, including for clinical trials and product marketing, we can give no assurance that such coverage will be available or adequate to satisfy any claims. Product liability insurance is expensive, subject to significant deductibles and exclusions, and may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all. If we are unable to obtain or maintain insurance at an acceptable cost or on acceptable terms with adequate coverage or otherwise protect against potential product liability claims, we could be exposed to significant liabilities. A product liability claim, recall or other claim with respect to uninsured liabilities or for amounts in excess of insured liabilities could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Defending a product liability suit, regardless of its merit or eventual outcome, could be costly, could divert management’s attention from our business and might result in adverse publicity, which could result in reduced acceptance of our products in the market, product recalls or market withdrawals.
In addition, the occurrence of an adverse event relating to our products, a product recall or a product liability claim against us may cause our stock price to decline, which could result in securities class action litigation claims against us. We are currently involved in one such lawsuit, as described in more detail below under “Legal Proceedings,” and we may be the target of this type of litigation in the future. Any such litigation could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our management’s attention and resources.
Our products are continually the subject of clinical trials conducted by us, our competitors, or other third parties, the results of which may be unfavorable, or perceived as unfavorable, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
As a part of the regulatory process of obtaining marketing clearance or approval for new products and new indications for existing products, as well as to provide specialist physicians with ongoing information regarding the efficacy of our products, we conduct and participate in numerous clinical trials with a variety of study designs, patient populations and trial endpoints. Our competitors and third parties also conduct clinical trials of our products without our participation. Unfavorable or inconsistent clinical data from existing or future clinical trials conducted by us, our competitors or third parties, or the market’s or regulators’ perception of clinical data, could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
Our future success depends in part upon establishing an interventional stroke care pathway in the United States that integrates the use of mechanical thrombectomy into the treatment of ischemic stroke.
The stroke care pathway in the United States generally begins with emergency responders who are responsible for transporting the patient to a hospital facility. With a small number of exceptions (such as for trauma), emergency responders in the United States generally operate under a protocol that transports patients to the nearest hospital, which decreases the likelihood that the patient will be transported to a stroke center that has a developed stroke team and an interventional approach to the treatment of stroke. Further, there is no agreed upon standard of care among physicians or hospitals regarding the treatment of ischemic stroke patients, and treatment protocols vary according to the particular hospital, often resulting in significant delays and gaps in patients being assessed for and receiving interventional treatment. The absence of a uniform protocol among hospitals and among physicians within the same hospital means that we have to educate each hospital and stroke center about protocols that integrate our products for the treatment of stroke.
We believe that the stroke care system in the United States has not been historically geared towards interventional treatment of stroke due to the absence of clinical evidence that interventional techniques were effective. Specialist physician societies and we and our competitors are making efforts to alter the existing stroke care pathway, but we anticipate that these efforts will take years to be fully successful. The success of these efforts may depend on whether we and our competitors can effectively use recent positive clinical studies to convince specialist physicians that intervention yields superior clinical results relative to cases where intervention is not used.
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Establishing an interventional stroke pathway that integrates the use of interventional treatments, including our products, will depend upon many factors, including:
•effectively educating hospitals and specialist physicians about the clinical evidence supporting intervention, as well as the use, benefits and cost-effectiveness of our products;
•improving the speed with which patients are assessed for and receive interventional treatments; and
•the success of legislative efforts aimed at increasing the likelihood that patients are transported to a hospital or stroke center where interventional treatments are available.
Even if these efforts are successful, it may be years before existing systems and care pathways are changed. These factors may make it difficult to grow our business.
Any data that is gathered in the course of clinical trials may be significantly more favorable than the typical results achieved by practicing specialist physicians, which could negatively impact rates of adoption of our products.
Even if the data collected from clinical trials indicates positive results, each specialist physician’s actual experience with our products will vary. Clinical trials often involve procedures performed by specialist physicians who are technically proficient and high volume users. Consequently, the results reported in clinical trials may be significantly more favorable than typical results of other users. If specialist physicians’ experiences indicate, or they otherwise believe, that our products are not as safe or effective as other treatment options with which they are more familiar, or clinical trial data indicates the same, adoption of our products may suffer, which could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
Negative publicity regarding our products or marketing tactics by competitors or other third parties could reduce demand for our products, which would adversely affect sales and our financial performance.
We may experience, from time to time, negative exposure in clinical publications or in marketing campaigns of our competitors. Such publications or campaigns may present negative individual physician experience regarding the safety or effectiveness of our products or may suggest our competitors’ products are superior to ours, based on studies or clinical trials conducted or funded by competitors or that involved competitive products.
Our reputation and competitive position may also be harmed by other publicly available information suggesting that our products are not safe. For example, we file adverse event reports under Medical Device Reporting (“MDR”) obligations with the FDA that are publicly available on the FDA’s website. We are required to file MDRs if our products may have caused or contributed to a serious injury or death or malfunctioned in a way that could likely cause or contribute to a serious injury or death if it were to recur. Our approach has been to file MDRs even in cases where reporting might not otherwise be required out of an abundance of caution. Any such MDR could result in negative publicity and could harm our reputation and future sales.
In addition, our reputation may be adversely impacted by other third parties, including parties engaged in the short selling of our stock. Short selling is the practice of selling securities that the seller does not own but rather has borrowed from a third-party with the intention of buying identical securities back at a later date to return to the lender. The short seller hopes to profit from a decline in the value of the securities between the sale of the borrowed securities and the purchase of the replacement shares, as the short seller expects to pay less in that purchase than it received in the sale. As it is in the short seller’s best interests for the price of the stock to decline, many short sellers publish, or arrange for the publication of, negative opinions regarding the relevant issuer and its business prospects in order to create negative market momentum and generate profits for themselves after selling a stock short. We have been in the past, and may continue to be in the future, subject to such attacks by short sellers.
Our dependence on key suppliers puts us at risk of interruptions in the availability of our products, which could reduce our revenue and adversely affect our results of operations. In addition, increases in prices for raw materials and components used in our products could adversely affect our results of operations.
We require the timely delivery of sufficient amounts of components and materials to manufacture our products. For reasons of quality assurance, cost effectiveness or availability, we procure certain raw materials and components from a single or limited number of suppliers. We generally acquire such raw materials and components through purchase orders placed in the ordinary course of business, and as a result we may not have a significant inventory of these materials and components and generally do not have any guaranteed or contractual supply arrangements with many of these suppliers. Our reliance on these suppliers subjects us to risks that could harm our business, including, but not limited to, difficulty locating and qualifying alternative suppliers.
Our dependence on third-party suppliers involves several other risks, including limited control over pricing, availability, quality and delivery schedules. Suppliers of raw materials and components may decide, or be required, for reasons beyond our control, to cease supplying raw materials and components to us or to raise their prices. Shortages of raw materials, quality
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control problems, production capacity constraints or delays by our suppliers could negatively affect our ability to meet our production requirements and result in increased prices for affected materials or components. We may also face delays, yield issues and quality control problems if we are required to locate and secure new sources of supply. While we have not experienced any to date, any material shortage, constraint or delay may result in delays in shipments of our products, which could materially adversely affect our results of operations. Increases in prices for raw materials and components used in our products could also materially adversely affect our results of operations.
In addition, the FDA and regulators outside of the United States may require additional testing of any raw materials or components from new suppliers prior to our use of these materials or components. In the case of a device with clearance under Section 510(k) of the FD&C Act, referred to as a 510(k), we may be required to submit a new 510(k) if a change in a raw material or component supplier results in a change in a material or component supplied that is not within the 510(k) cleared device specifications. If we need to establish additional or replacement suppliers for some of these materials or components, our access to the materials or components might be delayed while we qualify such suppliers and obtain any necessary FDA approvals or clearances. Our suppliers may also be subject to regulatory inspection and scrutiny. Any adverse regulatory finding or action against those suppliers could impact their ability to supply us with raw materials and components for our products.
Finally, some of our products are sterilized prior to use at a third-party sterilizer in the United States. Recently, certain other sterilization facilities in the United States have undergone temporary closures mandated by state agencies due to concerns over the impact of emissions of ethylene oxide from such facilities. While such facilities have been permitted to resume certain operations due to increased emissions controls and/or the need to sterilize protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic, any future closures could lead to increased demand for sterilization services at the facility we currently use to sterilize our products, which could prevent us from being able to sterilize our products at a pace sufficient to meet product demand and/or result in an increase in the cost of sterilization services. In addition, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed regulations aimed at reducing hazardous air pollutants, including emissions of ethylene oxide, and any future regulatory action that requires sterilization facilities to close or to take steps to modify their sterilization processes could impact the supply of sterilization services as well as the cost for such services. While we recently obtained back-up sterilization capacity, if the sterilization facility we currently use were to close, even on a temporary basis, due to the limited number of sterilization facilities and the time required to approve and license, and gain regulatory approval for us to use, a sterilization facility, we may not be able to replace lost sterilization capacity on a timely basis, which could materially adversely affect our results of operations.
Our corporate culture has contributed to our success, and if we cannot maintain this culture as we grow, we could lose the innovative approach, creativity, and teamwork fostered by our culture, and our business may be harmed.
We believe that a critical contributor to our success has been our corporate culture, which we believe fosters innovation, teamwork, and a focus on execution, as well as facilitates critical knowledge transfer and knowledge sharing. As we grow, we may find it difficult to maintain these important aspects of our corporate culture, which could limit our ability to innovate and operate effectively. Any failure to preserve our culture could also negatively affect our ability to retain and recruit personnel or execute on our business strategy.
If our facilities were to become inoperable, we would be unable to continue to develop and manufacture our products until we were able to restore full research, manufacturing and administrative capabilities at our facilities or secure a new facility, and as a result, our business would be harmed.
We currently maintain our research and development, administrative and primary manufacturing operations in buildings located at our campus in Alameda, California. Alameda is situated on or near earthquake fault lines, and our facilities are built on filled land, which could be prone to liquefaction in a major earthquake. Should one or more of our buildings be significantly damaged or destroyed by natural or man-made disasters, such as earthquakes, fires or other events, it could take months to relocate or rebuild, during which time our employees may seek other positions, our research, development and manufacturing would cease or be delayed and our products may be unavailable. While we have additional manufacturing capacity at our Roseville, California facility, such space may not be sufficient to replace lost manufacturing capacity in the event one or more of our Alameda buildings are damaged or destroyed. Moreover, in the event we are required to obtain additional production capacity due to one or more of our Alameda buildings being damaged or destroyed, because of the time required to approve and license a manufacturing facility under FDA and non-U.S. regulatory requirements, we may not be able to resume production on a timely basis even if we are able to obtain replacement production capacity. While we maintain property and business interruption insurance, such insurance has limits and would only cover the cost of rebuilding and relocating and lost profits, but not losses we may suffer due to our products being replaced by competitors’ products. The inability to perform our research, development and certain of our manufacturing activities, combined with our limited inventory of raw materials and components and manufactured products, may cause specialist physicians to discontinue using our products or harm our reputation, and we
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may be unable to reestablish relationships with those specialist physicians in the future. Consequently, a catastrophic event at our Alameda facility could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
Natural disasters and other events beyond our control could harm our business.
Natural disasters or other catastrophic events, such as earthquakes, flooding, wildfires, power shortages, pandemics such as COVID-19, terrorism, political unrest, telecommunications failure, vandalism, cyberattacks, geopolitical instability, war, drought, sea level rise and other events beyond our control may cause damage or disruption to our operations, the operations of our suppliers and service providers, international commerce and the global economy, and could seriously harm our revenue and financial condition and increase our costs and expenses. The geographic location of our Alameda, California headquarters and production facilities, as well as the facilities of certain of our key suppliers and service providers, subject them to earthquake and wildfire risks. If a major earthquake, wildfire or other natural disaster were to damage our facilities or the facilities of suppliers and service providers, or impact the ability of our employees or the employees of our suppliers and service providers to travel to their workplace, we may experience potential impacts ranging from production and shipping delays to lost revenues and increased costs, which could significantly harm our business. Moreover, planned widespread blackouts during the peak wildfire season, such as those instituted in October 2019 by Pacific Gas and Electric, the public electric utility in the Northern California region, to avoid and contain wildfires sparked during strong wind events by downed power lines or equipment failure particularly if prolonged or frequent, could impact our operations and the operations of our suppliers and service providers located in the Northern California region. Many of our employees and the employees of such suppliers and service providers reside in Alameda County or surrounding counties and may be unable to travel to work for the duration of any power shut off. We do not have multiple-site capacity for all of our operations in the event of a business disruption, and our insurance may not be sufficient to cover losses or additional expense that we may sustain. Furthermore, other parties in our supply chain are similarly vulnerable to natural disasters or other sudden, unforeseen, and severe adverse events. A natural disaster or other catastrophic event in any of our major markets could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.
To successfully market and sell our products internationally, we must address a number of unique challenges applicable to international markets.
For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, we derived 28.6%, 35.1% and 34.7%, respectively, of our revenue from international sales. To accommodate our international sales, we have invested significant financial and management resources to develop an international infrastructure that will meet the needs of our customers. We anticipate that a significant portion of our revenue will continue to be derived from sales of our products in foreign markets and that the percentage of our overall revenue that is derived from these markets may increase in the future. This revenue and related operations will continue to be subject to the risks and challenges associated with international operations, including:
•reliance on distributors;
•varying coverage and reimbursement policies, processes and procedures;
•difficulties in staffing and managing international operations from which sales are conducted;
•difficulties in penetrating markets in which our competitors’ products or alternative procedures that do not use our products are more established;
•reduced protection for intellectual property rights in some countries;
•export licensing requirements or restrictions, trade regulations and foreign tax laws;
•fluctuating foreign currency exchange rates;
•foreign certification, regulatory requirements and legal requirements;
•lengthy payment cycles and difficulty in collecting accounts receivable;
•customs clearance and shipping delays;
•reliance on third-party logistics providers who warehouse and distribute finished products to our international customers;
•pricing pressure in international markets;
•political and economic instability;
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•preference for locally produced products;
•higher incidence of corruption or unethical business practices; and
•events resulting in negative impacts to, or uncertainty regarding, global trade, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the reversal or renegotiation of international trade agreements and partnerships or the imposition of tariffs.
If we are unable to successfully address these challenges, we may not be able to grow our international sales and our results of operations may suffer as a result.
Over the long term, we intend to grow our business internationally and to do so, we will need to spend substantial sums to expand or develop direct sales capabilities in existing and new geographic areas, generate additional sales through existing distributors or attract additional distributors, or enter into other arrangements with third parties in international markets to commercialize our products in such markets. In December 2020, we agreed to license the technology for certain of our products to our Chinese partner to permit our partner to manufacture and commercialize such products in China, in exchange for fixed payments upon the transfer of the licensed technology and upon the provision of related regulatory support, as well as royalty payments on downstream sales of the licensed products. We can provide no assurance that this arrangement, which is novel for us, will be successful, or that we will benefit commercially from licensing our technology to a third party in exchange for fixed payments as opposed to selling our products through a distributor. In addition, transferring a portion of our technology to a partner based in China carries risks relating to the intellectual property being transferred. Historically, China has not protected intellectual property rights to the same extent as the United States, and infringement of intellectual property rights continues to pose a serious risk in doing business in China. Monitoring and preventing unauthorized use is difficult, and the measures we may take to protect our intellectual property rights may not be adequate to prevent misappropriation.
As a result of our international operations, we are required to comply with tax requirements in multiple jurisdictions, the scope and impact of which may be unclear. Moreover, tax authorities in jurisdictions in which we do business could disagree with tax positions that we take, including, for example, our inter-company pricing policies, or could assert that we owe more taxes than we currently pay due to the level and nature of our activities in such jurisdictions.
The June 2016 referendum by British voters to exit the European Union and the commencement of the official withdrawal process by the United Kingdom government in March 2017 has created uncertainties affecting business operations in the United Kingdom and the European Union. In December 2020, the United Kingdom and the European Union entered into a trade agreement governing commercial relations after the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union, which occurred on January 31, 2020. While it is difficult to predict the full extent of the impact of the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union, changes in the legal and regulatory environments to which our business is subject, trade relations between the United Kingdom and the European Union and other parties, and economic uncertainty in the region could adversely impact our business and results of operations.
In 2018, the United States imposed tariffs on goods imported from China and certain other countries, which has resulted in retaliatory tariffs by China and other countries. Additional tariffs imposed by the United States on a broader range of imports, or further retaliatory trade measures taken by China or other countries in response, could result in an increase in supply chain costs or other pricing pressures that we may not be able to offset or may otherwise adversely impact our business and results of operations.
We rely on our distributors to market and sell our products in certain international markets.
We have established a direct sales capability in the United States, most of Europe, Canada and Australia, which we have complemented with distributors in certain other international markets. Sales to distributors represented 14.2%, 20.5% and 18.1% of our revenue in 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Our success outside of the United States, most of Europe, Canada and Australia depends largely upon marketing arrangements with distributors, in particular their sales expertise and their relationships with specialist physicians and affiliated hospitals in their geographic areas. Distributors may terminate their relationship with us, sell competitive products or devote insufficient sales efforts or other resources to our products. We do not control our distributors, and they may not be successful in implementing our marketing plans. In addition, many of our distributors initially obtain and maintain foreign regulatory approval for the sale of our products in their respective countries, and their efforts in obtaining and maintaining regulatory approval may not be as robust as we desire or expect. As our business grows, we may seek to expand or otherwise modify our arrangements with our existing distributors and/or retain the services of additional distributors. For example, in December 2020 we entered into an agreement to license the technology for certain of our products to our Chinese partner to permit our partner to manufacture and commercialize such products in China, in exchange for fixed payments upon the transfer of the licensed technology and upon the provision of related regulatory support, as well as royalty payments on downstream sales of the licensed products. However, there can be no assurances that this arrangement, which is novel for us, or other similar arrangements that we may enter into in the future, will be successful. Our failure to maintain our relationships with our existing distributors, or our failure to recruit and retain additional skilled
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distributors in existing or new international markets, could have an adverse effect on our operations. If current or future distributors do not perform adequately, or if we lose a significant distributor, we may not be able to maintain existing levels of international revenue or realize expected long term international revenue growth. We have in the past experienced turnover with some of our distributors that has adversely affected sales in the countries in which those distributors operate. Similar occurrences could happen in the future.
Most of our customer relationships outside of the United States are with governmental entities, and we could be materially adversely affected by violations of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar anti-bribery laws in non-U.S. jurisdictions.