10-K
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025
OR
For the transition period from _________________ to _________________
Commission File Number: 001-38433
Q32 Bio Inc.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its Charter)
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (781) 999-0232
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class TradingSymbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered
Common stock, par value $0.0001 per share QTTB The Nasdaq Capital Market
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. YES ☐NO☒
Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act. YES ☐NO☒
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. YES☒ NO ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit such files). YES☒ NO ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ☐ Accelerated filer ☐
Non-accelerated filer ☒ Smaller reporting company ☒
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.☐
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). YES ☐ NO ☒
The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the Registrant, based on the closing price of the shares of common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market on June 30, 2025, the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was approximately $10.4 million.
The number of shares of Registrant’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, outstanding as of March 1, 2026 was 14,629,463.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Certain portions of the information required to be furnished pursuant to Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K will be set forth in, and incorporated by reference from, the Registrant’s definitive proxy statement for the annual meeting of stockholders or an amendment to this Annual Report on Form 10-K which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025.
Auditor Firm Id: 42Auditor Name: Ernst & Young LLPAuditor Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Table of Contents
Page
PART I
Item 1. Business 1
Item 1A. Risk Factors 28
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 74
Item 1C. Cybersecurity 74
Item 2. Properties 75
Item 3. Legal Proceedings 75
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 75
PART II
Item 6. [Reserved] 76
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 92
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 93
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 93
Item 9B. Other Information 93
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections 74
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 94
Item 11. Executive Compensation 94
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services 94
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules 95
i
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains statements that are not historical facts and are considered forward-looking within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding our or our management team’s expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. In addition, any statements that refer to projections, forecasts or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K may include, for example, statements about:
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our ability to achieve and sustain profitability in the future;
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our strategies, prospects, plans, expectations or objectives of management for our future operations;
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estimates of our future expenses, revenues, capital requirements, cash runway, and our needs for additional financing;
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our estimates of and anticipated use of our existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities;
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the progress, scope or timing of the development of our product candidates;
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our expectations surrounding the potential safety, efficacy, and regulatory and clinical progress of our product candidates, including bempikibart, and our anticipated milestones and timing therefor;
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our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval of our product candidates;
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our ability to achieve and maintain market acceptance and adoption of our product candidates;
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the benefits that may be derived from any of our future products or the commercial or market opportunity with respect to any of our future products;
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our ability to maintain patent protection for our product candidates and protect our intellectual property rights;
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our ability to successfully compete against other companies developing similar products to ours;
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our anticipated operations, financial position, ability to raise capital to fund our operations, revenues, costs or expenses;
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our ability to continue to achieve benefits and improvements in connection with the strategic restructuring plan, including the reduction in force;
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our ability to retain our key executives and to attract and retain highly qualified personnel;
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our ability to successfully protect against cyber-attacks, security breaches and other disruptions to our information technology systems;
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our ability to establish and maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial reporting;
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the effect of unfavorable macroeconomic conditions or market volatility resulting from global economic conditions or geopolitical developments, including fluctuating interest rates and inflation and capital market disruptions, changes in governmental agencies, government shutdowns, international tariffs, trade protection measures, public health crises, economic sanctions and potential economic slowdowns or recessions, or similar events;
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our reliance on third parties in the supply and manufacture of our product candidates;
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the impact of applicable laws and regulations, whether in the U.S. or foreign jurisdictions, and any changes thereto;
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the statements regarding our future economic conditions or performance, statements of belief and any statement of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing; and
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other risks and uncertainties, including those listed under the caption “Risk Factors.”
These forward-looking statements are based on information available to us at the time of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and current expectations, forecasts and assumptions, and involve a number of judgments, risks and uncertainties. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing our views as of any subsequent date, and except as otherwise required by applicable law, we do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
The outcome of the events described in these forward-looking statements is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors. As a result of a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, our actual results or performance may be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including those set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K in the section titled “Risk Factors” and in our periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Our SEC filings are available publicly on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, or should underlying
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assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and plans could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.
This Annual Report on Form 10-K includes statistical and other industry and market data that we obtained from industry publications and research, surveys and studies conducted by third parties. Industry publications and third-party research, surveys and studies generally indicate that their information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, although they do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information. We are responsible for all of the disclosure contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and we believe these industry publications and third-party research, surveys and studies are reliable.
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SUMMARY OF MATERIAL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR BUSINESS
Our ability to implement our business strategy is subject to numerous risks that you should be aware of before making an investment decision. These risks include the following, among others:
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We have incurred significant operating losses since inception, expect to incur significant losses for the foreseeable future and may not be able to achieve or sustain profitability in the future. We have no products for sale, have not generated any product revenue and may never generate product revenue or become profitable.
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We will require substantial additional capital to finance our operations in the future. If we are unable to raise such capital when needed, or on acceptable terms, we may be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate clinical trials, product development programs or future commercialization efforts.
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We have a limited operating history and have no products approved for commercial sale, which may make it difficult for you to evaluate our current business and likelihood of success and viability.
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We face competition from entities that have developed or may develop programs for the diseases we plan to address with bempikibart or other product candidates.
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Bempikibart and the rest of our pipeline are in early stages of development and may fail in development or suffer delays that materially and adversely affect their commercial viability. If we or our current or future collaborators are unable to complete development of, or commercialize, our product candidates, or experience significant delays in doing so, our business will be materially harmed.
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We are substantially dependent on the success of our most advanced product candidate, bempikibart, and our clinical trials of our lead candidate may not be successful.
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Our rights to develop and commercialize our product candidates are, and in the future may be, subject to the terms and conditions of licenses granted to us by others. If we fail to comply with our obligations in the agreements under which we license intellectual property rights from third parties, or these agreements are terminated, or we otherwise experience disruption to our business relationships with our licensors, we could lose license rights that are important to our business.
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Our ability to protect our patents and other proprietary rights is uncertain, exposing us to the possible loss of competitive advantage.
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Our business could be adversely affected by economic downturns, inflation, changes in interest rates, natural disasters, public health crises, political crises, government shutdowns, geopolitical events or other macroeconomic conditions, which could have a material and adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
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We rely on third parties in the supply and manufacture of our product candidates for our research, preclinical and clinical activities, and may do the same for commercial supplies of our product candidates.
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Our quarterly and annual operating results may fluctuate in the future. As a result, we may fail to meet or exceed the expectations of research analysts or investors, which could cause our stock price to decline and negatively impact our financing or funding ability, as well as negatively impact our ability to exist as a standalone company.
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If we are unable to attract and retain qualified key management and scientists, staff, consultants and advisors, our ability to implement our business plan may be adversely affected.
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Our failure to meet the continued listing requirements of the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) could result in a delisting of our securities.
The summary risk factors described above should be read together with the text of the full risk factors below in the section titled “Risk Factors” and the other information set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including our consolidated financial statements and the related notes, as well as in other documents that we file with the SEC. The risks summarized above or described in full below are not the only risks that we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not precisely known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial may also materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and future growth prospects.
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PART I
Item 1. Business.
Overview
We are a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on developing novel biologics to effectively and safely restore healthy immune balance in patients with alopecia areata (“AA”) and other autoimmune and inflammatory diseases driven by pathological immune dysfunction.
Bempikibart (ADX-914)
Bempikibart (ADX-914), our most advanced product candidate, is a fully human anti–interleukin-7 receptor alpha (“IL-7Rα”), antagonist monoclonal antibody designed to re-regulate adaptive immune function by potently blocking signaling mediated by interleukin-7 (“IL-7”), and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (“TSLP”). We have completed two Phase 2a clinical trials evaluating bempikibart, SIGNAL-AA Part A, for the treatment of AA, and SIGNAL-AD, for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (“AD”).
In December 2024, we announced topline results from both of these trials, as well as our intention to advance bempikibart for the treatment of AA. In April 2025, we announced dosing of the first patients in both the Part A open-label extension and Part B of the SIGNAL-AA Phase 2a clinical trial and in October 2025, we announced completion of enrollment in SIGNAL-AA Part B. Bempikibart is being evaluated for the treatment of AA in the ongoing Part B of the SIGNAL-AA Phase 2a clinical trial. Enrollment has been completed in the Part B portion of the clinical trial, with 33 patients enrolled, and dosing remains ongoing. We expect to report 36-week topline data from the SIGNAL-AA Part B trial in mid-2026.
Patients in the SIGNAL-AA Part A and the SIGNAL-AD Phase 2a clinical trials were dosed with 200mg subcutaneous (“SC”) bempikibart every two weeks. In SIGNAL-AA Part A, 44 patients with severe and very severe AA were enrolled. Patients were dosed for 24 weeks and followed for an additional 12 weeks following the end of treatment. At the 24-week endpoint, we observed more hair regrowth in treated patients compared to placebo and evidence of durable responses in patients. The average hair regrowth across patients in the trial continued to improve from week 24 to week 36 despite patients being off therapy during the 12-week follow-up period. In AD, bempikibart was evaluated in two parts, Part A (15 patients) and Part B (106 patients). While encouraging results were seen in Part A, the primary endpoint was not met in Part B.
Across the trials, at the 200mg Phase 2a dose, we achieved our desired receptor occupancy (“RO”) and observed favorable pharmacokinetics (“PK”) / pharmacodynamic (“PD”) properties, consistent with those from the Phase 1 clinical trial. Minimal anti-drug antibodies (“ADAs”) were observed in the trials.
In addition, across the two trials, we observed changes in biomarkers consistent with the IL-7Rα mechanism and activity mediated by both the TSLP and IL-7 receptors. In the SIGNAL-AD trial, we observed meaningful decreases in key Th2 biomarkers of TARC, IgE, and eosinophils, each of which were statistically significant at multiple timepoints suggestive of potent TSLP inhibition. In the SIGNAL-AA trial, we observed a CD3+ T cell decrease, which was also statistically significant at multiple timepoints, suggestive of potent IL-7 inhibition. These findings were consistent with expected target engagement and IL-7Rα blockade. Across all clinical trials, bempikibart has been dosed in over 150 participants to-date and has demonstrated a favorable safety and tolerability profile, with no Grade 3 or higher related adverse events.
The Part B portion of SIGNAL-AA is an open-label clinical trial dosing severe or very severe AA patients with a maximum duration of current episode of four years. Patients will be treated with bempikibart for 36 weeks, with follow-up out to 52 weeks. Dosing includes an initial loading regimen of 200mg of bempikibart dosed weekly for four doses, followed by a maintenance dose of 200mg every-other-week over a 32-week period for a total dosing period of 36 weeks. Efficacy will be evaluated on the basis of mean percentage change from baseline in Severity of Alopecia Tool (“SALT”) scores as well as the proportion of subjects achieving various relative and absolute SALT score improvements at week 36, with follow-up through week 52. The trial is intended to support advancement into pivotal trials upon completion, pending review of the results. We expect to report 36-week topline data from the SIGNAL-AA Part B trial in mid-2026.
In April 2025, we announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”) has granted Fast Track designation (“FTD”) to bempikibart for the treatment of AA. FTD is a process designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of new drugs to treat serious diseases and fill an unmet medical need with the purpose of getting important new drugs to patients earlier. A drug that receives FTD may be eligible for more frequent meetings and communications with the FDA to
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discuss development plans and ensure the collection of appropriate data needed to support approval and for a rolling review of an application for marketing approval.
ADX-097
In addition to bempikibart, our strategy has been focused on the advancement of our proprietary tissue-targeted complement inhibitor platform. ADX-097, a Phase 2 asset from this platform, is a humanized anti-C3d monoclonal antibody (“mAb”) fusion protein that completed Phase 1 clinical trials. However, in February 2025, we announced a corporate restructuring to focus on the advancement of bempikibart for the treatment of patients with AA. On November 28, 2025, we entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement with Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. (“Akebia”) pursuant to which we sold to Akebia substantially all of our assets related to the research, development, manufacture and commercialization of ADX-097 (the “ADX-097 Asset Sale”). Following the ADX-097 Asset Sale, Akebia is now responsible for the future development and commercialization of ADX-097. As consideration for the ADX-097 Asset Sale, we received an upfront payment of $7.0 million and will receive a payment of $3.0 million on the six-month anniversary of the transaction. We will also receive a near-term milestone payment of $2.0 million upon the earlier of achievement of the first milestone under the Asset Purchase Agreement or December 31, 2026. In addition to these payments, we are eligible to receive up to $580 million upon the achievement of specified milestones, including up to $92.5 million related to development and regulatory milestones and up to $487.5 million related to commercial milestones. We are also eligible to receive tiered royalties on potential future sales of ADX-097 ranging from low single-digit to mid-teen percentages of annual net sales. The royalties will expire on a country-by-country basis on the later to occur of (a) the date of expiration of the last-to-expire valid claim of any transferred patent right that covers such product in such country, and (b) the tenth anniversary of the first commercial sale of such product.
Development Pipeline
Our development pipeline is shown in the figure below.
Figure 1: Our Development Pipeline.
Bempikibart (ADX-914)
Our most advanced product candidate, bempikibart, is a fully human antibody designed to potently block IL-7- and TSLP-mediated signaling via their cognate receptors. Increased levels of IL-7 and TSLP are associated with inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
T cell pathology has been strongly implicated in AA. TH1 has long been implicated in the pathogenesis of AA supporting the potential for bempikibart to directly address the underlying driver of follicle damage and hair loss. In addition, given that AA is a disease often diagnosed in young adults, there is a critical need for effective novel treatments with a safety profile suitable for long-term, chronic treatment.
We own and have in-licensed various patents, patent applications, know-how and trade secrets relating to the development and commercialization of our IL-7Rα -targeted antagonistic antibody therapy candidates and platform technologies. Patents that
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have issued or may issue in the future protect composition of the bempikibart product candidate to the beginning of 2040, and protect methods of use to 2044, excluding any patent term adjustments and/or any patent term extensions.
We have completed two Phase 2a clinical trials and are advancing bempikibart for the treatment of AA in the ongoing Phase 2a Part B clinical trial and Phase 2a Part A open-label extension trial.
ADX-096/Complement Inhibitor Platform
In addition to ADX-097, we developed a proprietary tissue-targeted complement platform, which is designed to inhibit complement activation in the tissue while minimizing systemic complement blockade, a key differentiator versus current complement therapeutics. Other assets developed from our proprietary platform include ADX-096, a C3d mAb – CR11-10 fusion protein with preclinical data supportive of its use in ophthalmologic indications as well as potential utility in a broad range of other indications, and C3d mAb fusions and nanobodies designed for tissue-targeted complement inhibition. We retain the rights to our wholly owned tissue-targeted complement inhibitor platform, including ADX-096 and other remaining early-stage assets, and are continuing to evaluate strategic options for these programs.
We believe that the tissue-directed approach to addressing complement dysregulation has the potential to drive improved efficacy and better safety across indications. This tissue-directed complement inhibiting approach also has the potential to avoid the additive infection risk associated with systemic complement treatments, which is of significant importance to patients where the underlying condition is marked by high mortality due to infection.
Complement activation is an essential part of innate and humoral immunity, and uncontrolled and sustained tissue complement activity plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of multiple human inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The first approved complement inhibitor, eculizumab, targets C5 systemically, one of the effector arms of the complement pathway. The next generation of marketed and development stage complement therapeutics continue to rely on systemic complement blockade. While commercial and clinical success provide validation of complement as a therapeutic target, clinical experience reveals the inherent drawbacks of systemic inhibition as a therapeutic approach, including:
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limited activity due to reliance on systemic blockade for control of complement dysregulation at the tissue level;
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high treatment burden, including high doses and/or frequent administration due to high abundance and rapid turnover of most target complement proteins; and
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infection risk due to systemic blockade.
Our aim is to solve for these inherent drawbacks with our proprietary approach designed to generate tissue targeted inhibitors of complement activation, which have the following advantages:
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enhanced activity through tissue targeted inactivation of convertases directly at the site of destruction;
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convenient dosing with a subcutaneous route and weekly dosing, with potential for every 2 week dosing; and
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improved risk/benefit profile by maximizing therapeutic index while maintaining intact systemic immune surveillance.
We retain the rights to our wholly owned tissue-targeted complement inhibitor platform, including ADX-096 and other remaining early-stage assets and are continuing to evaluate strategic options for these programs.
Our Team
We have assembled a team of industry-leading research, drug development, and operational experts, who have deep experience in advancing drug candidates in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The team is led by Jodie Morrison, our Chief Executive Officer, who brings extensive biopharma leadership experience from early stage through mid-size public biotech and pharmaceutical companies; Shelia Violette, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Scientific Officer, has more than 30 years of biotech experience in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases and served as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Atlas Venture; Lee Kalowski, President and Chief Financial Officer, has 20 years of life science industry experience and has previously served as CFO at multiple biotech companies and in equity research; Maria Marzilli, Chief Business Officer, has over 20 years of industry experience across strategy, corporate development, and program and alliance management.
Our company was built upon the discoveries and findings from renowned researchers in immunology: Michael Holers, M.D. and Joshua Thurman, M.D., from the University of Colorado and Stephen Tomlinson, Ph.D. from the Medical University
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of South Carolina. They are pioneers in the field of tissue targeted regulation of complement system. The portfolio was expanded in 2019 with the in-licensing of bempikibart, currently our most advanced product candidate.
Since our inception, we have been supported by leading biotechnology investors and pharmaceutical companies including OrbiMed, Atlas Venture, Abingworth, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Acorn Bioventures, Osage University Partners, CU Healthcare Innovation Fund and Sanofi Ventures.
Our Strategy
Our mission is to develop therapeutics that restore healthy immune regulation for patients with severe autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Our strategic initiatives are to:
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Advance bempikibart for the treatment of AA in the SIGNAL-AA Phase 2a Part B clinical trial. In Part B, we enrolled 33 patients for 36 weeks of treatment, with follow-up through 52 weeks. We expect to report 36-week topline data from the SIGNAL-AA Part B trial in mid-2026. The trial is intended to support advancement into pivotal trials upon completion, pending review of the results;
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Advance bempikibart for the treatment of AA in the SIGNAL-AA Phase 2a Part A open-label extension (OLE). We initiated an open-label extension (OLE) following the same bempikibart dosing regimen leveraged in Part A to enable longer-term follow-up of patients and to further elucidate the durability of response and potential remittive effect;
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Maximize value of our tissue-targeted complement inhibitor platform. We believe that the tissue-directed approach to addressing complement dysregulation has the potential to drive improved efficacy and better safety across indications and we intend to maximize the value of ADX-096 and our tissue-targeted complement inhibitor platform as we evaluate our strategic options.
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Our Programs
Bempikibart
Bempikibart blocks both IL-7 and TSLP cytokine signaling pathways. IL-7 lowers the threshold needed for T cells to respond in low antigen microenvironments promoting pathogenic T-effector cell function, induces TH2 cell-mediated antibody production, and inhibits the immunosuppressive properties of T regulatory cells. When uncontrolled, IL-7 can promote inflammation and autoimmune disease. By blocking IL-7 signaling, we believe bempikibart has the potential to re-regulate immunity by rebalancing the T-effector / T-regulatory ratio to inhibit inflammation and invoke tolerance, and mitigating T-cell dependent autoantibody responses. TSLP is a cytokine that promotes TH2 cell differentiation and production of TH2 cytokines, such as IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, and promotes inflammation, particularly at the epidermis, in response to environmental stimuli. IL-7 and TSLP signaling have been biologically linked to numerous inflammatory and autoimmune diseases including our initial target diseases of AA and AD. The figure below illustrates the mechanistic rationale for bempikibart.
Figure 2: Bempikibart Has the Potential to Inhibit Pathogenic T-cells That Directly Drive Hair Follicle Destruction and Suppress the Function of T-regulatory Cells.
Rights to Bempikibart
In October 2023, Amgen Inc. (“Amgen”) completed the acquisition of Horizon Therapeutics public limited company (“Horizon plc”). Following the acquisition, Legacy Q32 agreed with Amgen to mutually terminate the Collaboration and Option Agreement (the “Horizon Collaboration Agreement”) and the Asset Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”, and together with the Horizon Collaboration Agreement, the “Horizon Agreements”), each between Legacy Q32 and Horizon Therapeutics Ireland DAC (“Horizon”).
In November 2023, Legacy Q32 entered into a termination agreement with Horizon (the “Horizon Termination Agreement”), pursuant to which Horizon’s option to acquire the bempikibart program was terminated. As a result, Legacy Q32 retained the initial consideration and development funding received under the Horizon Collaboration Agreement and regained full development and commercial rights to bempikibart. In consideration for the Horizon Termination Agreement, Legacy Q32 agreed to pay Horizon regulatory and sales milestones payments of up to an aggregate amount of $75.1 million upon the first achievement of certain regulatory and sales milestones with respect to bempikibart.
In November 2025, we entered into an amendment to the Horizon Termination Agreement (the “Amgen Amendment”) with Amgen, pursuant to which we issued Horizon a one-time equity grant of 553,695 shares of our common stock as full
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consideration of the milestone payments under the Horizon Termination Agreement. Following the transactions contemplated by the Amgen Amendment, we have no remaining obligations to Amgen, including with respect to the $75.1 million in regulatory and sales-based milestone payments set forth in the Horizon Collaboration Agreement. For more information, see the section titled “Business—Collaboration and License Agreements” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Bempikibart Preclinical and Clinical Data
Bempikibart was evaluated in a series of in vitro assays and demonstrated potent inhibition of IL-7-and TSLP-mediated intracellular signaling.
Bempikibart, or a mouse surrogate, SB14, was evaluated in vivo in animal models of inflammation and autoimmunity. Activity was observed as determined by various endpoints, including disease activity measures, body weight, inflammatory cytokine production and tissue damage.
Preclinical studies evaluating bempikibart PK, PD and toxicology were carried out in non-Good Laboratory Practice (“GLP”) single dose and GLP repeat dose studies of 6 weeks, 3-months, and 6-months duration in cynomolgus monkeys. Bempikibart exposure was maintained above the desired PK threshold throughout the dosing phase in most animals despite detectable ADAs. PD evaluations included T cell receptor occupancy (“RO”) inhibition of IL-7–induced phosphorylation of STAT5 (“pSTAT5”) an immediate proximal marker of IL-7R intracellular signaling, and keyhole limpet hemocyanin (“KLH”) induced T cell dependent antibody response. There was a favorable PK/PD relationship, with bempikibart demonstrating >95% RO, ≥90% inhibition of pSTAT5 and up to 80% suppression of a KLH-induced IgG response.
Bempikibart was generally well tolerated in all preclinical studies described above. The no-observed-adverse-effect level (“NOAEL”) in the 6-month GLP study was 150 mg/kg, the highest dose tested, with exposure >50x the anticipated area under the curve at the dose presently being utilized for the ongoing Phase 2 studies.
Phase 1 Clinical Trial Results
We completed a Phase 1 trial to assess the safety, PK, and PD of bempikibart after subcutaneous (“SC”) administration in healthy volunteers. Pharmacodynamic analyses showed bempikibart treatment at SC doses achieving desired RO and inhibition of IL-7 mediated intracellular signaling, as demonstrated by phosphorylation of STAT5 (“pSTAT5”) in T-cells. At doses greater than 1 mg/kg, bempikibart demonstrated sustained full RO for at least 2 weeks. In addition, a separate analysis of overall numbers of lymphocytes and lymphocyte subsets demonstrated modest, dose-dependent effects consistent with the expected and desired bempikibart pharmacology.
Safety data showed that bempikibart demonstrated a favorable safety profile at single doses up to the highest evaluated dose of 4 mg/kg and repeat doses of 1 mg/kg every 2 weeks in healthy subjects. There were no safety-related treatment discontinuations, no serious or severe AEs reported, and no deaths.
The Role of IL-7 and TSLP in AA
AA is an immune-mediated disorder that results in hair loss and shares some similarity in pathophysiology with AD. Studies have indicated that multiple immunomodulators are involved in the development of AA, with hair follicle immune privilege collapse being a key marker in the course of the disease. Immune system activation in lesional skin contributes to the progression of disease.
IL-7 has been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of AA. IL-7 expression is upregulated at the site of AA lesions and animal studies demonstrated IL-7–dependent acceleration of disease progression and beneficial effects with IL-7Rα inhibition. Cumulatively, substantial evidence suggests that inhibition of IL-7Rα may be an effective modulator of the T-cell response that could act to reverse alopecia.
Current Treatment Landscape and Unmet Need in AA
AA is an autoimmune condition that affects hair follicles and leads to hair loss. This condition may develop at any age and in both sexes, and the incidence of this disease has been estimated to be 2% of the population worldwide. The disease most commonly affects scalp and facial hair and although some patients recover spontaneously, many patients progress to alopecia totalis (total scalp hair loss) or alopecia universalis (total body hair loss). The disease is associated with significant quality of life impairment and is associated with a high burden of psychosocial comorbidities, such as depression. Although pathophysiology
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has not been fully delineated, development of the condition is mediated by inflammatory mechanisms, and it is thought to have genetic and environmental components. IL-7 upregulation has been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of AA, and evidence suggests that inhibition of IL-7Rα may be an effective modulator of the T-cell response driving injury in the disease.
Janus kinase (“JAK”) inhibitors are the only current FDA-approved treatments for severe and very severe AA. Although JAK inhibitors have demonstrated hair regrowth in patients with severe disease (≥50% hair loss), responsiveness is often not durable after treatment cessation and the drug class carries increased risk of serious side effects that may preclude this option for some patient populations. Other standard-of-care approaches for AA include topical corticosteroids, immunotherapy, and light therapy, as well as the off-label use of other therapies. Because hair loss can affect such disparate body locations, these treatments often have limited usefulness across the patient population.
Further Clinical Development of Bempikibart: Clinical Trial Plan
For patients with a wide range of autoimmune diseases, we believe the blockade of IL-7 and/or TSLP signaling may offer a new therapeutic approach to modulate the autoimmune response. A high unmet medical need exists for more broadly effective therapies in these conditions, and we are developing bempikibart with the goal of addressing this need. Based on the totality of data to date, bempikibart has shown a favorable safety profile and has not been associated with clinically meaningful ADA. At exposures that can be achieved via SC administration, bempikibart has shown full receptor occupancy and signaling inhibition.
Overall, the available clinical and nonclinical data for bempikibart support the continued clinical development of bempikibart. To this end, we are continuing to advance bempikibart into Part B of the SIGNAL-AA Phase 2a Clinical Trial.
SIGNAL-AA Phase 2a Clinical Trial
SIGNAL-AA is a Phase 2a, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, proof-of-concept clinical trial evaluating the efficacy, safety and tolerability of bempikibart in participants with severe and very severe AA, as defined by a baseline Severity of Alopecia Tool (“SALT”) score of 50-100. In Part A of the trial, bempikibart or placebo was dosed SC for 24 weeks, with a follow-up period of 12 weeks. Following completion of the SIGNAL-AA Part A clinical trial, eligible patients were allowed to enroll in the SIGNAL-AA Part A open label extension (“OLE”) to enable longer-term follow-up. The SIGNAL-AA Part A OLE clinical trial remains ongoing.
The study recruited adults with a current episode of severe hair loss with no spontaneous improvement over the past six months, along with the investigator’s assessment that hair loss had been stable for at least three months and regrowth was possible.
Forty-four participants were enrolled and randomly assigned (3:1) to receive 200 mg bempikibart or placebo administered SC every two weeks for 24 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint was the mean relative percent change in SALT score at 24 weeks compared with baseline. A key secondary endpoint was the percentage of patients achieving a SALT score of less than or equal to 20 (SALT-20) compared to placebo. Patients were followed for an additional 12 weeks after end of treatment.
Compared to placebo, the average hair regrowth and achievement of SALT-20 was greater in patients on bempikibart compared to patients on placebo. Average hair re-growth continued to improve in the 12-week period through week 36, despite patients being off therapy. Bempikibart was observed to be generally well tolerated in the SIGNAL-AA trial. There were no serious adverse events (“SAEs”) or Grade 3 or higher adverse events related to treatment.
SIGNAL-AA Part B is an open-label clinical trial that enrolled 33 severe or very severe AA patients with a maximum duration of current episode of four years. Patients are treated with bempikibart for 36 weeks, with follow-up out to 52 weeks. Dosing includes an initial loading regimen of 200mg of bempikibart dosed weekly for four doses, followed by a maintenance dose of 200mg every-other-week over a 32-week period for a total of 36 weeks. Efficacy will be evaluated on the basis of mean percentage change from baseline in SALT scores as well as the proportion of subjects achieving various relative and absolute SALT improvements at week 36, with follow-up through week 52. The trial is intended to enable advancement into pivotal trials upon completion, pending review of the results. We expect to report 36-week topline data from the SIGNAL-AA Part B trial in mid-2026.
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Collaboration and License Agreements
Bempikibart—License Agreement – Bristol-Myers Squibb Company
In September 2019, we entered into a license agreement, as amended in August 2021 and July 2022 (the “BMS License Agreement”) with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (“BMS”), pursuant to which we obtained sublicensable licenses from BMS to research, develop and commercialize licensed products, including bempikibart, for any and all uses worldwide. The licenses granted to us are exclusive with respect to BMS’s patent rights and know-how relating to certain antibody fragments (including certain fragments of bempikibart) and non-exclusive with respect to BMS’s patent rights and know-how relating to the composition of matter and use of a specific region of bempikibart. BMS retained the right for it and its affiliates to use the exclusively licensed patents and know-how for internal, preclinical research purposes. Under the BMS License Agreement, we are prohibited from engaging in certain clinical development or commercialization of any antibody other than a licensed compound with the same mechanism of action until the earlier of the expiration of our obligation to pay BMS royalties or September 2029.
In consideration for the license, we made an upfront payment to BMS of $8 million, issued 6,628,788 Series A preferred shares to BMS and agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to develop and commercialize at least one licensed product in key geographic markets. In addition, we agreed to pay BMS (i) development and regulatory milestone payments in aggregate amounts ranging from $32 million to $49 million per indication for the first three indications and commercial milestone payments in an aggregate amount of up to $215 million on net sales of licensed products, (ii) tiered royalties ranging from rates in the mid-single digit percentages to up to 10% of net sales, with increasing rates depending on the cumulative net sales, (iii) up to 60% of sublicense income, which percentage decreases based on the development stage of bempikibart at the time of the sublicensing event, and (iv) ongoing fees associated with the prosecution, maintenance, or filing of the licensed patents.
Our obligation to pay BMS royalties under subsection (ii) above commences, on a licensed product-by-licensed product and country-by-country basis, on the first commercial sale of a licensed product in a country and expires on the later of (x) 12 years from the first commercial sale of such licensed product in such country, (y) the last to expire licensed patent right covering bempikibart or such licensed product in such country, and (z) the expiration or regulatory or marketing exclusivity for such licensed product in such country (the “Royalty Term”). If we undergo a change of control prior to certain specified phase of development, the development and milestone payments are subject to increase by a low double-digit percentage and the royalty rates are subject to increase by a low sub-single-digit percentage.
Unless terminated earlier by either party pursuant to its terms, the BMS License Agreement will expire on a country-by-country and licensed product-by-licensed product basis upon the expiration of the last to expire Royalty Term with respect to such licensed product in such country. Either party may terminate the BMS License Agreement for the other party’s material breach, subject to a specified notice and cure period. BMS may terminate the BMS License Agreement if we fail to meet its diligence obligations under the BMS License Agreement, for our insolvency, or if we or our affiliates challenges the validity, scope, enforceability, or patentability of any of the licensed patents. We may terminate the BMS License Agreement for any reason upon prior written notice to BMS, with a longer notice period if a licensed product has received regulatory approval. If the BMS Agreement is terminated for our material breach, BMS will regain rights to bempikibart and we must grant BMS an exclusive license under our patent rights covering bempikibart, subject to a low single-digit percentage royalty on net sales of bempikibart payable to us by BMS.
Bempikibart – Collaboration and Option Agreement, Asset Purchase Agreement and Termination Agreement – Horizon Therapeutics Ireland DAC
From August 2022 until November 2023, Legacy Q32 was a party to the Horizon Agreements with Horizon, pursuant to which Legacy Q32 received $55.0 million in initial consideration and staged development funding to complete two ongoing Phase 2 trials for bempikibart, and granted Horizon an option to acquire the bempikibart program at a prespecified price, subject to certain adjustments.
In October 2023, Amgen completed the acquisition of Horizon plc. Following the acquisition of Horizon plc, Legacy Q32 agreed with Amgen to mutually terminate the Horizon Agreements and in November 2023, Legacy Q32 entered into the Horizon Termination Agreement, pursuant to which Horizon’s option to acquire the bempikibart program was terminated. As a result, Legacy Q32 retained all initial consideration and development funding received under the Horizon Collaboration Agreement and regained full development and commercial rights to bempikibart. In consideration for the Horizon Termination Agreement, Legacy Q32 agreed to pay Horizon regulatory and sales milestones payments of up to an aggregate amount of $75.1 million upon the first achievement of certain regulatory and sales milestones with respect to bempikibart.
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On November 7, 2025, we entered into the Amgen Amendment pursuant to which we issued Horizon a one-time equity grant of 553,695 shares of our common stock as full consideration of the milestone payments outlined in the Horizon Termination Agreement. Following the transactions contemplated by the Amgen Amendment, we have no remaining obligations to Amgen, including with respect to the $75.1 million in regulatory and sales-based milestone payments set forth in the Horizon Collaboration Agreement. Therefore, we derecognized the refund liability previously recorded for the $55.0 million of cash received under the Horizon Collaboration Agreement and recognized collaboration arrangement revenue for the difference between the equity issuance, and the refund liability as the consideration was no longer constrained.
ADX-097—License Agreement – The Regents of the University of Colorado
In August 2017, we entered into an exclusive license agreement, as amended in February 2018, September 2018, and April 2019 (the “Colorado License Agreement”) with The Regents of the University of Colorado (“Colorado”), pursuant to which we obtained worldwide, royalty-bearing, sublicensable licenses under certain patents and know-how owned by Colorado and Medical University of South Carolina (“MUSC”) relating to the research, development and commercialization of ADX-097. The licenses granted to us are exclusive with respect to certain patent families and know-how and non-exclusive with certain other patent families and know-how. The licenses granted to us are also subject to certain customary retained rights of Colorado and MUSC and rights of the United States government owing to federal funding giving rise to inventions covered by the licensed patents. We agreed to use commercially reasonable efforts to develop, manufacture and commercialize ADX-097, including by using commercially reasonable efforts to achieve specified development and regulatory milestones by specified dates.
In addition, we agreed to pay Colorado (i) development and sales milestone payments in an aggregate amount of up to $2.2 million per licensed product for the first three products, (ii) tiered royalty rates on cumulative net sales of licensed products in the low single digit percentages, (iii) 15% of sublicense income and (iv) ongoing fees associated with the prosecution, maintenance, or filing of the licensed patents. Our obligation to pay royalties to Colorado commences, on a licensed product-by-licensed product and country-by-country basis, from the first commercial sale of a licensed product in any country and expires on the later of (i) the last to expire valid claim within the licensed patents covering such licensed product in such country, and (ii) 20 years following the effective date of the Colorado License Agreement, or April 2037 (the “Royalty Term”).
On November 28, 2025, in connection with the ADX-097 Asset Sale, the Colorado License Agreement was amended and restated and all of our rights and obligations thereunder were transferred to Akebia.
Competition
We expect to face intense competition from other biopharmaceutical companies that are developing agents for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Drug development is highly competitive and subject to rapid and significant technological advancements. Our ability to compete will significantly depend upon our ability to complete necessary clinical trials and regulatory approval processes, and effectively market any drug that we may successfully develop. Our current and potential future competitors include pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, as well as academic institutions and government agencies. The primary competitive factors that will affect the commercial success of any product candidate for which we may receive marketing approval include efficacy, safety and tolerability profile, dosing convenience, price, coverage, reimbursement and public opinion. Many of our existing or potential competitors have substantially greater financial, technical and human resources than we do and significantly greater experience in the discovery and development of product candidates, as well as in obtaining regulatory approvals of those product candidates in the U.S. and in foreign countries. Our current and potential future competitors also have significantly more experience commercializing drugs that have been approved for marketing. Mergers and acquisitions in the biopharmaceutical industry could result in even more resources being concentrated among a small number of our competitors. Accordingly, competitors may be more successful than us in obtaining regulatory approval for therapies and in achieving widespread market acceptance of their drugs. It is also possible that the development of a cure or more effective treatment method for any of our targeted indications by a competitor could render our product candidate non-competitive or obsolete, or reduce the demand for our product candidate before we can recover its development and commercialization expenses.
Manufacturing
We do not currently own or operate facilities for product manufacturing, testing, storage, and distribution. We contract with third parties for the manufacture, storage and distribution of our product candidates. Because we rely on contract manufacturers, we employ and contract with personnel with extensive technical, manufacturing, analytical and quality experience. Our staff has strong knowledge and understanding of the extensive regulations that govern manufacturing, documentation, quality assurance, and quality control of drug supply that are required to support our regulatory filings.
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Intellectual Property
We strive to protect and enhance the proprietary technology, inventions, and improvements that are commercially important to our business, including by seeking, maintaining, and defending patent rights, whether developed internally or licensed from third parties. We also rely on trade secrets and know-how relating to our proprietary technology and product candidates, continuing technological innovation, and in-licensing opportunities to develop, strengthen, and maintain our proprietary position in the field of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Our future success depends, in part, on our ability to obtain and maintain patent and other proprietary protection for our commercially important technology, inventions, and know-how, defend and enforce our intellectual property rights (in particular our patent rights), preserve the confidentiality of our trade secrets, and operate without infringing, misappropriating, or violating the valid and enforceable patents and proprietary rights of third parties. Our ability to stop third parties from making, using, selling, offering to sell, or importing products identical or similar to ours may depend on the extent to which we have rights under valid and enforceable patents that cover these activities.
The patent position of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies are generally uncertain and can involve complex legal, scientific, and factual issues. We cannot predict whether the patent applications we are currently pursuing will issue as patents in any particular jurisdiction or whether the claims of any issued patents will provide sufficient proprietary protection from competitors. We also cannot ensure that patents will issue with respect to any patent applications that we or our licensors may file in the future, nor can we ensure that any of our owned or licensed patents or future patents will be commercially useful in protecting our product candidates and methods of manufacturing. In addition, the coverage claimed in a patent application may be significantly reduced before a patent is issued, and its scope can be reinterpreted and even challenged after issuance. As a result, we cannot guarantee that any of our products will be protected or remain protectable by valid and enforceable patents. Moreover, any of our patents may be challenged, circumvented, or invalidated by third parties.
Prosecution is a lengthy process, during which the scope of the claims initially submitted for examination by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) may be significantly narrowed before issuance, if issued at all. We expect this may be the case with respect to some of our pending patent applications referred to below.
With respect to bempikibart, as of December 31, 2025, we exclusively licensed from BMS one patent family relating to antibodies against the IL-7R alpha subunit and uses thereof comprising two issued U.S. patents, two issued patents in Japan, one issued patent in each of Australia, China (with extension to Macao), Chile, Indonesia, Malaysia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea and Taiwan, one pending U.S. patent application, and 23 pending patent applications in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Europe, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, and Oman. The issued patents are expected to expire in January 2040 and any patents that issue from these pending patent applications are expected to expire in 2040, without accounting for potentially available patent term adjustments or extensions in the U.S. or abroad.
We also own one international PCT patent application relating to the use of bempikibart for the treatment of hair-loss disorders such as AA, and another international PCT patent application relating to the use of bempikibart for the treatment of AD, both beginning to enter national stage in the United States, Europe, Japan, Brazil, China, India, Russia (via Eurasia Patent Office), Australia, Canada, Israel, South Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, and South Africa. Any patents that issue from patent applications derived from or claiming priority to these pending PCT applications are expected to expire in 2044, without accounting for potentially available patent term adjustments or extensions in the U.S. or abroad.
We also own one international PCT patent application relating to the use of bempikibart for the treatment of certain difficult to treat hair-loss disorders, such as severe or very severe AA, or patients having had AA for a long duration; and another international PCT patent application relating to the use of bempikibart for the treatment of certain T-cell mediated inflammatory and/or autoimmune diseases. Any patents that issue from patent applications derived from or claiming priority to these pending PCT applications are expected to expire in 2046, without accounting for potentially available patent term adjustments or extensions in the U.S. or abroad.
Under the Asset Purchase Agreement entered into with Akebia Therapeutics, Inc., we retain rights under certain patents and applications solely to research, develop, manufacture, commercialize, and otherwise exploit any ADX-096 molecule or product, including, as of December 31, 2025, one patent family relating to ADX-096 and the underlying anti-C3d antibodies. This family includes two relevant issued U.S. patents, one pending U.S. patent application, one issued patent in each of Australia, Canada, South Korea, Malaysia, Russia and Japan, two pending Japanese patent applications, and 19 other pending applications in Australia, China, Europe, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, South Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman. The issued patent that covers ADX-096, and any patents that issue from these pending patent applications are expected to expire in December 2039, without accounting for potentially available patent term adjustments or extensions in the U.S. or abroad.
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As of December 31, 2025, our retained rights also include a pending international Patent Cooperation Treaty, or PCT, patent application that covers the use of ADX-096 for targeted treatment of complement-media disease through local complement inhibition based on detection of a urinary biomarker. Any patents that issue from patent applications derived from or claiming priority to this PCT application are expected to expire in 2044, without accounting for potentially available patent term adjustments or extensions in the U.S. or abroad.
While we believe that the specific and generic claims contained in our patents provide protection for the claimed compounds, pharmaceutical compositions and methods of use, third parties may nevertheless challenge such claims. If any such claims are invalidated or rendered unenforceable for any reason, we could lose valuable intellectual property rights and our ability to prevent others from competing with our products and technology would be impaired.
The term of individual patents depends upon the legal term of the patents in the countries in which they are obtained. In most countries in which we pursue patent protection, the patent term is 20 years from the earliest date of filing a non-provisional patent application. In the United States, the term of a patent covering an FDA-approved drug may, in certain cases, be eligible for a patent term extension under the Hatch-Waxman Act as compensation for the loss of patent term during the FDA regulatory review process. The period of extension may be up to five years, but the remaining term of a patent cannot be extended beyond a total of 14 years from the date of product approval. Only one patent among those eligible for an extension and only those claims covering the approved drug, a method for using it, or a method for manufacturing it may be extended. Similar provisions are available in Europe and in certain other jurisdictions to extend the term of a patent that covers an approved drug. We intend to seek patent term extension for patents covering our products if available.
In addition to patent protection, we may also rely, in some circumstances, on trade secrets to protect our technology. To that end, we also enter into confidentiality agreements with those who have access to our confidential information, including our employees, contractors, consultants, collaborators and advisors. We also enter into agreements requiring assignment of inventions with selected consultants, scientific advisors, and collaborators. However, trade secrets are difficult to protect. These agreements may not provide meaningful protection and may be breached without an adequate remedy for any such breach. In addition, our trade secrets and/or confidential information and know-how may become known or be independently developed by a third party, or misused by any collaborator to whom we disclose such information. Despite any measures taken to protect our intellectual property, unauthorized parties may attempt to copy aspects of our products or obtain or use information that we regard as proprietary. Although we take steps to protect our proprietary information, third parties may independently develop the same or similar proprietary information or may otherwise gain access to our proprietary information. As a result, we may be unable to meaningfully protect our trade secrets and proprietary information.
Our success will also depend in part on not infringing upon the proprietary rights of third parties. It is uncertain whether the issuance of any third-party patent would require us to alter our strategies, obtain licenses, or cease certain activities. Our breach of any license agreements or failure to obtain a license to proprietary rights that we need may have an adverse impact on our business.
For more information and comprehensive risks related to our proprietary technology, inventions, improvements and product candidates, see the section titled “Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Intellectual Property” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Government Regulation
The FDA, and other regulatory authorities at federal, state and local levels, as well as in foreign countries, extensively regulate, among other things, the research, development, testing, manufacture, quality control, import, export, safety, effectiveness, labeling, packaging, storage, distribution, record keeping, approval, advertising, promotion, marketing, post-approval monitoring and post-approval reporting of biologics such as those we are developing. We, along with third-party contractors, will be required to navigate the various preclinical, clinical and commercial approval requirements of the governing regulatory agencies of the countries in which we are currently conducting and in the future may conduct studies or seek approval or licensure of our product candidates. Failure to comply with the applicable U.S. requirements at any time during the product development process, approval process or post-market may subject an applicant to administrative or judicial sanctions. These sanctions could include, among other actions, the FDA’s refusal to approve pending applications, withdrawal of an approval, a clinical hold, untitled or warning letters, product recalls or market withdrawals, product seizures, total or partial suspension of production or distribution, injunctions, fines, refusals of government contracts, restitution, disgorgement and civil or criminal penalties. Any agency or judicial enforcement action could have a material adverse effect on our business.
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U.S. Biologics Regulation
In the United States, biological products are subject to regulation under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the “FDCA”) and the Public Health Service Act (the “PHSA”) and their implementing regulations, as well as other federal, state, local, and foreign statutes and regulations. The process required by the FDA before biologic product candidates may be marketed in the United States generally involves the following:
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completion of preclinical laboratory tests and animal studies performed in accordance with applicable regulations, including the FDA’s Good Laboratory Practices (“GLP”);
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submission to the FDA of an investigational new drug application (“IND”) which must become effective before clinical trials may begin and must be updated annually or when significant changes are made;
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approval by an independent institutional review board (“IRB”), or independent ethics committee at each clinical site before the trial may commence;
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manufacture of the proposed biologic candidate in accordance with current Good Manufacturing Practices (“cGMPs”);
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performance of adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials in accordance with applicable IND regulations, Good Clinical Practice (“GCP”) requirements and other clinical-trial related regulations to establish the safety, purity and potency of the proposed biologic product candidate for its intended purpose;
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preparation of and submission to the FDA of a biologics license application (“BLA”) after completion of all pivotal clinical trials;
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a determination by the FDA within 60 days of its receipt of a BLA to file the application for review;
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satisfactory completion of an FDA Advisory Committee review, if applicable;
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satisfactory completion of an FDA pre-approval inspection of the manufacturing facility or facilities at which the proposed product is produced to assess compliance with cGMPs, and to assure that the facilities, methods and controls are adequate to preserve the biological product’s continued safety, purity and potency, and potential audit of selected clinical investigation sites to assess compliance with GCPs and cGMPs;
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payment of user fees for FDA review of the BLA, unless a waiver is applicable; and
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FDA review and approval of a BLA to permit commercial marketing of the product for a particular indication(s) for use in the United States.
Preclinical and Clinical Development
Prior to beginning the first clinical trial with a product candidate, a sponsor must submit an IND to the FDA. An IND is a request for authorization from the FDA to administer an investigational new drug product to humans. The central focus of an IND submission is on the general investigational plan and the protocol or protocols for preclinical studies and clinical trials. The IND also includes results of animal and in vitro studies assessing the toxicology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology and pharmacodynamic characteristics of the product, chemistry, manufacturing and controls information, and any available human data or literature to support the use of the investigational product. An IND must become effective before clinical trials may begin. The IND automatically becomes effective 30 days after receipt by the FDA, unless the FDA, within the 30-day period, raises safety concerns or questions about the proposed clinical trial. In such a case, the IND may be placed on clinical hold and the IND sponsor and the FDA must resolve any outstanding concerns or questions before the clinical trial can begin. Submission of an IND therefore may or may not result in FDA authorization to begin a clinical trial.
Clinical trials involve the administration of the investigational product to human subjects under the supervision of qualified investigators in accordance with GCPs, which include the requirement that all research participants provide their informed consent for their participation in any clinical study. Clinical trials are conducted under protocols detailing, among other things, the objectives of the study, the parameters to be used in monitoring safety and the effectiveness criteria to be evaluated. A separate submission to the existing IND must be made for each successive clinical trial conducted during product development and for any subsequent protocol amendments. Furthermore, an independent IRB for each site proposing to conduct the clinical trial must review and approve the plan for any clinical trial and its informed consent form before the clinical trial begins at that site, and must monitor the study until completed.
Regulatory authorities, the IRB or the sponsor may suspend a clinical trial at any time on various grounds, including a finding that the subjects are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk or that the trial is unlikely to meet its stated objectives.
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Some studies also include oversight by an independent group of qualified experts organized by the clinical study sponsor, known as a data safety monitoring board, which provides authorization for whether or not a study may move forward at designated check points based on access to certain data from the study and may recommend halting the clinical trial if it determines that there is an unacceptable safety risk for subjects or other grounds, such as no demonstration of efficacy. There are also requirements governing the reporting of ongoing preclinical studies and clinical trials and clinical study results to public registries. Sponsors of clinical trials of FDA-regulated products, including biological products, are required to register and disclose certain clinical trial information, which is publicly available at www.clinicaltrials.gov.
A sponsor who wishes to conduct a clinical trial outside of the United States may, but need not, obtain FDA authorization to conduct the clinical trial under an IND. If a foreign clinical trial is not conducted under an IND, the sponsor may submit data from the clinical trial to the FDA in support of a BLA. The FDA will accept a well-designed and well-conducted foreign clinical trial not conducted under an IND if the trial was conducted in accordance with GCP requirements and the FDA is able to validate the data through an onsite inspection if deemed necessary.
For purposes of BLA approval, human clinical trials are typically conducted in three sequential phases that may overlap.
Phase 1. The investigational product is initially introduced into healthy human subjects or patients with the target disease or condition. These studies are designed to test the safety, dosage tolerance, absorption, metabolism and distribution of the investigational product in humans, the side effects associated with increasing doses, and, if possible, to gain early evidence on effectiveness.
Phase 2. The investigational product is administered to a limited patient population with a specified disease or condition to evaluate the preliminary efficacy, optimal dosages and dosing schedule and to identify possible adverse side effects and safety risks. Multiple Phase 2 clinical trials may be conducted to obtain information prior to beginning larger and more expensive Phase 3 clinical trials.
Phase 3. The investigational product is administered to an expanded patient population to further evaluate dosage, to provide statistically significant evidence of clinical efficacy and to further test for safety, generally at multiple geographically dispersed clinical trial sites. These clinical trials are intended to establish the overall risk/benefit ratio of the investigational product and to provide an adequate basis for product approval.
In some cases, the FDA may require, or companies may voluntarily pursue, additional clinical trials after a product is approved to gain more information about the product. These so-called Phase 4 studies may be made a condition to approval of the BLA. Concurrent with clinical trials, companies may complete additional animal studies and develop additional information about the biological characteristics of the product candidate, and must finalize a process for manufacturing the product in commercial quantities in accordance with cGMP requirements. The manufacturing process must be capable of consistently producing quality batches of the product candidate and, among other things, must develop methods for testing the safety, purity and potency of the final product. Additionally, appropriate packaging must be selected and tested and long-term stability studies must be conducted to demonstrate that the product candidate does not undergo unacceptable deterioration over its shelf life.
During all phases of clinical development, regulatory agencies require extensive monitoring and auditing of all clinical activities, clinical data and clinical study investigators. Written IND safety reports must be promptly submitted to the FDA and the investigators for serious and unexpected suspected adverse events, any findings from other studies, tests in laboratory animals or in vitro testing that suggest a significant risk for human subjects, or any clinically important increase in the rate of a serious suspected adverse reaction over that listed in the protocol or investigator brochure. The sponsor must submit an IND safety report within 15 calendar days after the sponsor determines that the information qualifies for reporting. The sponsor also must notify the FDA of any unexpected fatal or life-threatening suspected adverse reaction within seven calendar days after the sponsor’s initial receipt of the information.
BLA Submission and Review
Assuming successful completion of all required testing in accordance with all applicable regulatory requirements, the results of product development, preclinical studies and clinical trials are submitted to the FDA as part of a BLA requesting approval to market the product for one or more indications. FDA approval of a BLA must be obtained before a biologic may be marketed in the United States. The BLA must include all relevant data available from pertinent preclinical studies and clinical trials, including negative or ambiguous results as well as positive findings, together with detailed information relating to the product’s chemistry, manufacturing, controls, and proposed labeling, among other things. Data can come from company-sponsored clinical studies intended to test the safety and effectiveness of the product, or from a number of alternative sources,
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including studies initiated and sponsored by investigators. The submission of a BLA requires payment of a substantial application user fee to the FDA, unless a waiver or exemption applies.
In addition, under the Pediatric Research Equity Act (“PREA”) a BLA or supplement to a BLA must contain data to assess the safety and effectiveness of the biological product candidate for the claimed indications in all relevant pediatric subpopulations and to support dosing and administration for each pediatric subpopulation for which the product is safe and effective. The Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act requires that a sponsor who is planning to submit a marketing application for a biological product that includes a new active ingredient, new indication, new dosage form, new dosing regimen or new route of administration submit an initial pediatric study plan (“PSP”) within sixty days after an end-of-Phase 2 meeting or, if there is no such meeting, as early as practicable before the initiation of the Phase 3 or Phase 2/3 study as may be agreed between the sponsor and FDA. The initial PSP must include an outline of the pediatric study or studies that the sponsor plans to conduct, including study objectives and design, age groups, relevant endpoints and statistical approach, or a justification for not including such detailed information, and any request for a deferral of pediatric assessments or a full or partial waiver of the requirement to provide data from pediatric studies along with supporting information. The FDA and the sponsor must reach an agreement on the PSP. A sponsor can submit amendments to an agreed-upon initial PSP at any time if changes to the pediatric plan need to be considered based on data collected from preclinical studies, early phase clinical trials and/or other clinical development programs. Unless otherwise required by regulation, PREA does not apply to any biological product for an indication for which orphan designation has been granted.
Within 60 days following submission of the application, the FDA reviews the BLA to determine if it is substantially complete before the agency accepts it for filing. The FDA may refuse to file any BLA that it deems incomplete or not properly reviewable at the time of submission and may request additional information. In this event, the BLA must be resubmitted with the additional information. Once a BLA has been accepted for filing, the FDA’s goal is to review standard applications within ten months after the filing date, or, if the application qualifies for priority review, six months after the FDA accepts the application for filing. In both standard and priority reviews, the review process may also be extended by FDA requests for additional information or clarification. The FDA reviews a BLA to determine, among other things, whether a product is safe, pure and potent and the facilities in which it is manufactured, processed, packed or stored meet standards designed to assure the product’s continued safety, purity and potency. The FDA may convene an advisory committee to provide clinical insight on application review questions. The FDA is not bound by the recommendations of an advisory committee, but it considers such recommendations carefully when making decisions.
Before approving a BLA, the FDA will typically inspect the facility or facilities where the product is manufactured. The FDA will not approve an application unless it determines that the manufacturing processes and facilities are in compliance with cGMP requirements and adequate to assure consistent production of the product within required specifications. Additionally, before approving a BLA, the FDA will typically inspect one or more clinical sites to assure compliance with GCPs. If the FDA determines that the application, manufacturing process or manufacturing facilities are not acceptable, it typically will outline the deficiencies in the submission and often will request additional testing or information. Notwithstanding the submission of any requested additional information, the FDA ultimately may decide that the application does not satisfy the regulatory criteria for approval.
After the FDA evaluates a BLA and conducts inspections of manufacturing facilities where the investigational product and/or its drug substance will be produced, the FDA may issue an approval letter or a complete response letter (a “Complete Response Letter”). An approval letter authorizes commercial marketing of the product with specific prescribing information for specific indications. A Complete Response Letter will describe all of the deficiencies that the FDA has identified in the BLA, except that where the FDA determines that the data supporting the application are inadequate to support approval, the FDA may issue the Complete Response Letter without first conducting required inspections, testing submitted product lots and/or reviewing proposed labeling. In issuing the Complete Response Letter, the FDA may recommend actions that the applicant might take to place the BLA in condition for approval, including requests for additional information or clarification. If a Complete Response Letter is issued, the applicant may either resubmit the BLA, addressing all of the deficiencies identified in the letter, or withdraw the application or request an opportunity for a hearing. The FDA may delay or refuse approval of a BLA if applicable regulatory criteria are not satisfied, require additional testing or information and/or require post-marketing testing and surveillance to monitor safety or efficacy of a product.
If regulatory approval of a product is granted, such approval will be granted for particular indications and may entail limitations on the indicated uses for which such product may be marketed. For example, the FDA may approve the BLA with a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (“REMS”) to ensure the benefits of the product outweigh its risks. A REMS is a safety strategy to manage a known or potential serious risk associated with a product and to enable patients to have continued access to such medicines by managing their safe use, and could include medication guides, physician communication plans, or elements to assure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries and other risk minimization tools. The FDA also may
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condition approval on, among other things, changes to proposed labeling or the development of adequate controls and specifications. Once approved, the FDA may withdraw the product approval if compliance with pre-and post-marketing requirements is not maintained or if problems occur after the product reaches the marketplace. The FDA may require one or more Phase 4 post-market studies and surveillance to further assess and monitor the product’s safety and effectiveness after commercialization, and may limit further marketing of the product based on the results of these post-marketing studies.
Expedited Development and Review Programs
The FDA offers a number of expedited development and review programs for qualifying product candidates. The fast track designation is intended to expedite or facilitate the process for development and review of new products that meet certain criteria. Specifically, new product candidates are eligible for fast track designation if they are intended to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition and demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs for the disease or condition. Fast track designation applies to the combination of the product candidate and the specific indication for which it is being studied. The sponsor of a fast track product candidate has opportunities for more frequent interactions with the review team during product development and, once a BLA is submitted, the product candidate may be eligible for priority review. A fast track product candidate may also be eligible for rolling review, where the FDA may consider for review sections of the BLA on a rolling basis before the complete application is submitted, if the sponsor provides a schedule for the submission of the sections of the BLA, the FDA agrees to accept sections of the BLA and determines that the schedule is acceptable, and the sponsor pays any required user fees upon submission of the first section of the BLA.
A product candidate intended to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition may also be eligible for breakthrough therapy designation to expedite its development and review. A product candidate can receive breakthrough therapy designation if preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the product candidate, alone or in combination with one or more other drugs or biologics, may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints, such as substantial treatment effects observed early in clinical development. The designation includes all of the fast track program features, as well as more intensive FDA interaction and guidance beginning as early as Phase 1 and an organizational commitment to expedite the development and review of the product, including involvement of senior managers.
Any marketing application for a biologic submitted to the FDA for approval, including a product candidate with a fast track designation and/or breakthrough therapy designation, may be eligible for other types of FDA programs intended to expedite the FDA review and approval process, such as priority review and accelerated approval. A product candidate is eligible for priority review if it has the potential to provide a significant improvement in the treatment, diagnosis or prevention of a serious disease or condition. For original BLAs, priority review designation means the FDA’s goal is to take action on the marketing application within six months of the 60-day filing date (as compared to ten months under standard review).
Additionally, product candidates studied for their safety and effectiveness in treating serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions may receive accelerated approval upon a determination that the product candidate has an effect on a surrogate endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit, or on a clinical endpoint that can be measured earlier than irreversible morbidity or mortality, that is reasonably likely to predict an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical benefit, taking into account the severity, rarity, or prevalence of the condition and the availability or lack of alternative treatments. As a condition of accelerated approval, the FDA will generally require the sponsor to perform adequate and well-controlled post-marketing clinical studies with due diligence to verify and describe the anticipated effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical benefit. Under the Food and Drug Omnibus Reform Act of 2022 (“FDORA”) the FDA may require, as appropriate, that such studies be underway prior to approval or within a specific time period after the date of approval for a product granted accelerated approval. Under FDORA, the FDA has increased authority for expedited procedures to withdraw approval of a product or indication approved under accelerated approval if the sponsor fails to conduct the required post-marketing studies or if such studies fail to verify the predicted clinical benefit. In addition, the FDA currently requires as a condition for accelerated approval pre-approval of promotional materials, which could adversely impact the timing of the commercial launch of the product.
Fast track designation, breakthrough therapy designation and priority review do not change the standards for approval but may expedite the development or approval process. Even if a product candidate qualifies for one or more of these programs, the FDA may later decide that the product no longer meets the conditions for qualification or decide that the time period for FDA review or approval will not be shortened.
Orphan Drug Designation and Exclusivity
Under the Orphan Drug Act of 1983, the FDA may grant orphan drug designation to a product candidate intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is generally a disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United
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States, or 200,000 or more individuals in the United States for which there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing and making available in the United States a drug or biologic for this type of disease or condition will be recovered from sales in the United States for that product candidate. Orphan drug designation must be requested before submitting a BLA. After the FDA grants orphan drug designation, the identity of the therapeutic agent and its potential orphan use are disclosed publicly by the FDA. The orphan drug designation does not convey any advantage in, or shorten the duration of, the regulatory review or approval process.
If a product that has orphan drug designation subsequently receives the first FDA approval for the disease or condition for which it has such designation, the product is entitled to orphan drug exclusive approval (or exclusivity), which means that the FDA may not approve any other applications, including a full BLA, to market the same product for the same approved use or indication for seven years, except in limited circumstances, such as a showing of clinical superiority to the product with orphan drug exclusivity by means of greater effectiveness, greater safety or providing a major contribution to patient care or if the holder of the orphan drug exclusivity cannot assure the availability of sufficient quantities of the orphan drug to meet the needs of patients with the disease or condition for which the product was designated. Orphan drug exclusivity does not prevent the FDA from approving a different drug or biologic for the same disease or condition, or the same drug or biologic for a different disease or condition. Among the other benefits of orphan drug designation are tax credits for certain research and a waiver of the BLA application fee.
A designated orphan drug may not receive orphan drug exclusivity if it is approved for a use that is broader than the indication for which it received orphan drug designation. In addition, exclusive marketing rights in the United States may be lost if the FDA later determines that the request for designation was materially defective or if the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient quantities of the product to meet the needs of patients with the rare disease or condition.
Post-Approval Requirements
Any products manufactured or distributed by us pursuant to FDA approvals are subject to pervasive and continuing regulation by the FDA, including, among other things, requirements relating to record-keeping, reporting of adverse experiences, periodic reporting, product sampling and distribution, and advertising and promotion of the product. As part of the manufacturing process, the manufacturer is required to perform certain tests on each lot of the product before it is released for distribution. After a BLA is approved for a biological product, the product also may be subject to official lot release. If the product is subject to official release by the FDA, the manufacturer submits batch data from each lot of product to the FDA together with a release protocol showing a summary of the history of manufacture of the lot and the results of all of the manufacturer’s tests performed on the lot. The FDA also may perform certain confirmatory tests on lots of some products before releasing the lots for distribution by the manufacturer. In addition, the FDA conducts laboratory research related to the regulatory standards on the safety, purity, potency and effectiveness of biologics. After approval, most changes to the approved product, such as adding new indications or other labeling claims, are subject to prior FDA review and approval. There also are continuing user fee requirements, under which the FDA assesses an annual program fee for each product identified in an approved BLA. Biologic manufacturers and their subcontractors are required to register their establishments with the FDA and certain state agencies, and are subject to periodic unannounced inspections by the FDA and certain state agencies for compliance with cGMPs, which impose certain procedural and documentation requirements upon us and our third-party manufacturers. Changes to the manufacturing process are strictly regulated, and, depending on the significance of the change, may require prior FDA approval before being implemented. FDA regulations also require investigation and correction of any deviations from cGMPs and impose reporting requirements upon us and any third-party manufacturers that we may decide to use. Accordingly, manufacturers must continue to expend time, money and effort in the area of production and quality control to maintain compliance with cGMPs and other aspects of regulatory compliance.
The FDA may withdraw approval if compliance with regulatory requirements and standards is not maintained or if problems occur after the product reaches the market. Later discovery of previously unknown problems with a product, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or with manufacturing processes, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements, may result in revisions to the approved labeling to add new safety information; imposition of post-market studies or clinical studies to assess new safety risks; or imposition of distribution restrictions or other restrictions under a REMS program. Other potential consequences include, among other things:
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restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of a product, complete withdrawal of the product from the market or product recalls;
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fines, warning letters or holds on post-approval clinical studies;
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refusal of the FDA to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications, or suspension or revocation of existing product approvals;
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product seizure or detention, or refusal of the FDA to permit the import or export of products;
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consent decrees, corporate integrity agreements, debarment or exclusion from federal healthcare programs;
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mandated modification of promotional materials and labeling and the issuance of corrective information;
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the issuance of safety alerts, Dear Healthcare Provider letters, press releases and other communications containing warnings or other safety information about the product; or
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injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.
The FDA closely regulates the marketing, labeling, advertising and promotion of biologics. Such products can only be promoted in a manner that is consistent with the approved label. The FDA and other agencies actively enforce the laws and regulations prohibiting the promotion of off-label uses. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in, among other things, adverse publicity, warning letters, corrective advertising and potential civil and criminal penalties. Physicians may prescribe legally available products for uses that are not described in the product’s labeling and that differ from those tested by the sponsor and approved by the FDA. Such off-label uses are common across medical specialties. Physicians may believe that such off-label uses are the best treatment for many patients in varied circumstances. The FDA does not regulate the behavior of physicians in their choice of treatments. The FDA does, however, restrict manufacturer’s communications on the subject of off-label use of their products.
Biosimilars and Reference Product Exclusivity
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (collectively, the “ACA”) includes a subtitle called the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009 (“BPCIA”), which created an abbreviated approval pathway for biological products that are highly similar, or “biosimilar,” to or interchangeable with an FDA-approved reference biological product. The FDA has issued several guidance documents outlining an approach to review and approval of biosimilars.
Biosimilarity, which requires that there be no clinically meaningful differences between the biological product and the reference product in terms of safety, purity, and potency, is generally shown through analytical studies, animal studies, and a clinical study or studies. Interchangeability requires that a product is biosimilar to the reference product and the product must demonstrate that it can be expected to produce the same clinical results as the reference product in any given patient and, for products that are administered multiple times to an individual, the biologic and the reference biologic may be alternated or switched after one has been previously administered without increasing safety risks or risks of diminished efficacy relative to exclusive use of the reference biologic. A product shown to be biosimilar or interchangeable with an FDA-approved reference biological product may rely in part on the FDA’s previous determination of safety and effectiveness for the reference product for approval, which can potentially reduce the cost and time required to obtain approval to market the product.
Under the BPCIA, an application for a biosimilar product may not be submitted to the FDA until four years following the date that the reference product was first licensed by the FDA. In addition, the approval of a biosimilar product may not be made effective by the FDA until 12 years from the date on which the reference product was first licensed. During this 12-year period of exclusivity, another company may still market a competing version of the reference product if the FDA approves a full BLA for the competing product containing that applicant’s own preclinical data and data from adequate and well-controlled clinical trials to demonstrate the safety, purity and potency of its product. The BPCIA also created certain exclusivity periods for biosimilars approved as interchangeable products. FDA-approved interchangeable biosimilars may be substituted for the reference product without the intervention of the prescribing health care provider, subject to state pharmacy laws, which differ by state. The BPCIA is complex and continues to be interpreted and implemented by the FDA.
A biological product can also obtain pediatric market exclusivity in the United States. Pediatric exclusivity, if granted, adds six months to existing exclusivity periods for all formulations, dosage forms, and indications of the biologic. This six-month exclusivity, which runs from the end of other exclusivity protection, may be granted based on the voluntary completion of a pediatric study in accordance with an FDA-issued “Written Request” for such a study, provided that at the time pediatric exclusivity is granted there is not less than nine months of term remaining.
As discussed below, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (“IRA”) is a significant new law that intends to foster generic and biosimilar competition and to lower drug and biologic costs.
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Other Healthcare Laws and Compliance Requirements
Pharmaceutical companies are subject to additional healthcare regulation and enforcement by the federal government and by authorities in the states and foreign jurisdictions in which they conduct their business. Such laws include, without limitation: the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (“AKS”); the federal False Claims Act (“FCA”); the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”), and similar foreign, federal and state fraud, abuse and transparency laws.
The AKS prohibits, among other things, persons and entities from knowingly and willfully soliciting, receiving, offering or paying remuneration, to induce, or in return for, either the referral of an individual, or the purchase, lease, order, arrangement, or recommendation of an item or service for which payment may be made under any federal healthcare program. The term remuneration has been interpreted broadly to include anything of value. The AKS has been interpreted to apply to arrangements between pharmaceutical manufacturers on one hand, and prescribers and purchasers on the other. The government often takes the position that to violate the AKS, only one purpose of the remuneration need be to induce referrals, even if there are other legitimate purposes for the remuneration. A person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute or specific intent to violate it to have committed a violation. There are a number of statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbors protecting some common activities from AKS prosecution, but they are drawn narrowly and practices that involve remuneration, such as consulting agreements, that may be alleged to be intended to induce prescribing, purchasing or recommending may be subject to scrutiny if they do not qualify for an exception or safe harbor. Our practices may not in all cases meet all of the criteria for protection under a statutory exception or regulatory safe harbor. Failure to meet all of the requirements of a particular applicable statutory exception or regulatory safe harbor does not make the conduct per se illegal under the AKS. Instead, the legality of the arrangement will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis based on a cumulative review of all of its facts and circumstances. Violations are subject to civil and criminal fines and penalties for each violation, plus up to three times the remuneration involved, imprisonment, and exclusion from government healthcare programs. In addition, 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 False Claims Act or federal civil monetary penalties.
Civil and criminal false claims laws, including the FCA, and civil monetary penalty laws, which impose criminal and civil penalties and can be enforced through civil whistleblower or qui tam actions, prohibit, among other things, individuals or entities from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, claims for payment of federal government funds, including in federal healthcare programs, that are false or fraudulent; knowingly making, using or causing to be made or used, a false statement of record material to a false or fraudulent claim or obligation to pay or transmit money or property to the federal government or knowingly concealing or knowingly and improperly avoiding or decreasing an obligation to pay money to the federal government. Pharmaceutical and other healthcare companies have been prosecuted under these laws for engaging in a variety of different types of conduct that “caused” the submission of false claims to federal healthcare programs. Under the AKS, for example, a claim resulting from a violation of the AKS is deemed to be a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the FCA. Manufacturers can be held liable under the federal False Claims Act even when they do not submit claims directly to government payors if they are deemed to “cause” the submission of false or fraudulent claims. The federal False Claims Act also permits a private individual acting as a “whistleblower” to bring actions on behalf of the federal government alleging violations of the federal False Claims Act and to share in any monetary recovery.
HIPAA created additional federal criminal statutes that prohibit, among other things, executing a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private third-party payors, and knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up by any trick or device a material fact or making any materially false statements or representations relating to healthcare matters. Similar to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it in order to have committed a violation.
HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (“HITECH”) and their respective implementing regulations, including the Final Omnibus Rule published in January 2013, which impose requirements on certain covered healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses as well as their respective business associates, independent contractors or agents of covered entities, that perform services for them that involve the creation, maintenance, receipt, use, or disclosure of, individually identifiable health information relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information. HITECH also created new tiers of civil monetary penalties, amended HIPAA to make civil and criminal penalties directly applicable to business associates, and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for damages or injunctions in federal courts to enforce the federal HIPAA laws and seek attorneys’ fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions. In addition, there may be additional federal, state and non-U.S. laws which govern the privacy and security of health and other personal information in certain circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and may not have the same effect, thus complicating compliance efforts.
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The U.S. federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act requires certain manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, with specific exceptions, to annually report to the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (“CMS”) information related to payments or other transfers of value made to various healthcare professionals including physicians, certain other licensed health care practitioners, and teaching hospitals, as well as ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members.
If any of our product candidates are approved, we will also be subject to federal price reporting laws and federal consumer protection and unfair competition laws. Federal price reporting laws require manufacturers to calculate and report complex pricing metrics to government programs, where such reported prices may be used in the calculation of reimbursement and/ or discounts on approved products. Federal consumer protection and unfair competition laws broadly regulate marketplace activities and activities that potentially harm consumers.
Further, we are subject to additional similar U.S. state and foreign law equivalents of each of the above federal laws, which, in some cases, differ from each other in significant ways, and may not have the same effect, thus complicating compliance efforts. If our operations are found to be in violation of any of such laws or any other governmental regulations that apply, it may be subject to penalties, including, without limitation, civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, exclusion from government-funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid or similar programs in other countries or jurisdictions, integrity oversight and reporting obligations to resolve allegations of non-compliance, disgorgement, individual imprisonment, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and the curtailment or restructuring of its operations.
Data Privacy and Security
Numerous state, federal and foreign laws govern the collection, dissemination, use, access to, confidentiality and security of personal information, including health-related information. As our operations and business grow, we may become subject to or affected by U.S. federal and state laws and regulations, including HIPAA and its implementing regulations, as amended, that govern the collection, use, disclosure, and protection of health-related and other personal information. At the federal level, in addition to HIPAA, failing to take appropriate steps to keep consumers’ personal information secure may constitute unfair acts or practices in or affecting commerce in violation of Section 5(a) of the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) Act, 15 U.S.C § 45(a). The FTC expects a company’s data security measures to be reasonable and appropriate in light of the sensitivity and volume of consumer information it holds, the size and complexity of its business and the cost of available tools to improve security and reduce vulnerabilities. Regulators and legislators in the U.S. are also increasingly scrutinizing and restricting certain personal data transfers and transactions involving foreign countries. For example, the Department of Justice’s January 8, 2025, rule on “Preventing Access to U.S. Sensitive Personal Data and Government-Related Data by Countries of Concern or Covered Persons,” prohibits data brokerage transactions involving certain sensitive personal data categories, including health data, genetic data, and biospecimens, to countries of concern, including China. The regulations also restrict certain investment agreements, employment agreements and vendor agreements involving such data and countries of concern, absent specified cybersecurity controls. Actual or alleged violations of these regulations may be punishable by criminal and/or civil sanctions, and may result in exclusion from participation in federal and state programs.
In addition, numerous U.S. states have introduced comprehensive privacy laws which govern the privacy and security of personal information. For example, in California the California Consumer Protection Act (“CCPA”), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”) established a comprehensive privacy framework for covered businesses by creating an expanded definition of personal information, establishing data privacy rights for consumers in the State of California, imposing special rules on the collection of consumer data from minors, and creating a statutory damages framework for violations of the CCPA and for businesses that fail to implement reasonable security procedures and practices to prevent data breaches. While clinical trial data and information governed by HIPAA are currently exempt from the current version of the CCPA, other personal information may be applicable and possible changes to the CCPA may broaden its scope. In addition, the CPRA imposed additional obligations on companies covered by the CCPA, including by expanding consumers’ rights with respect to certain sensitive personal information and by establishing the California Privacy Protection Agency to enforce the CCPA.
Other states have passed similar privacy legislation and more states may do so in the future. Such legislation adds additional complexity, variation in requirements, restrictions and potential legal risk, require additional investment of resources in compliance programs. These laws may impact our strategies and the availability of previously useful data and could result in increased compliance costs and/or changes in business practices and policies. The existence of comprehensive privacy laws in different states in the country make our compliance obligations more complex and costly and may increase the likelihood that we may be subject to enforcement actions or otherwise incur liability for noncompliance. There are also states that are specifically regulating consumer health information. For example, Washington’s My Health My Data Act regulates the collection and sharing of health information and has a private right of action, which further increases the relevant compliance risk. Connecticut and Nevada have also passed similar laws regulating consumer health data. In addition, other states have
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proposed and/or passed legislation that regulates the privacy and/or security of certain specific types of information. For example, a small number of states, including Illinois and Texas, have passed laws that regulate biometric data specifically. These various privacy and security laws may impact our business activities, including our identification of research subjects, relationships with business partners and ultimately the marketing and distribution of our products. State laws are changing rapidly and there have been discussions in the U.S. Congress of new comprehensive federal data privacy laws to which we could become subject to, if enacted.
Non-U.S. laws, including for example the European data protection laws, also govern the privacy and security of health information in some circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and often are not preempted by HIPAA, thus complicating compliance efforts. The collection, use, storage, disclosure, transfer, or other processing of personal information regarding individuals in the EEA and UK, including personal health data, is subject to the EU General Data Protection Regulation (“EU GDPR”) with respect to the EEA and the UK General Data Protection Regulation and UK Data Protection Act 2018 with respect to the UK (“UK GDPR”) and collectively with the EU GDPR referred to as the “GDPR” in this document unless specified otherwise. The GDPR is wide-ranging in scope and imposes numerous requirements on companies that process personal information, including requirements relating to processing of special categories of personal information (such as health data), relying on a legal basis or condition for processing personal information, where required obtaining consent of the individuals to whom the personal information relates, providing information to individuals regarding data processing activities, conducting privacy impact assessments for “high risk” processing, implementing safeguards to protect the security and confidentiality of personal information, implementing limitations on the retention of personal information, providing mandatory notification of data breaches, and taking certain measures when engaging third-party processors. The GDPR also imposes strict rules on the transfer of personal information to countries outside the EEA and UK to non-adequate territories, including the United States in certain circumstances unless derogation exists or a valid GDPR transfer mechanism (for example, the European Commission approved Standard Contractual Clauses (“SCCs”) and the UK International Data Transfer Agreement/Addendum (“UK IDTA”)) have been put in place. Where relying on the SCCs /UK IDTA for data transfers, we may also be required to carry out transfer impact assessments to assess whether the recipient is subject to local laws which allow public authority access to personal information. Failure to comply with the GDPR, and any supplemental EEA Member State or UK national data protection laws which may apply by virtue of the location of the individuals whose personal information we collect, may result in substantial penalties, including potential fines of up to €20 million (£17.5 million for the UK GDPR) or 4% of annual global revenues for the preceding financial year, whichever is greater. The GDPR also confers a private right of action on data subjects and consumer associations to lodge complaints with supervisory authorities, seek judicial remedies, and obtain compensation for damages resulting from violations of the GDPR. The GDPR increases our responsibility and liability in relation to personal information that we process where such processing is subject to the GDPR, and requires us to put in place additional mechanisms to ensure compliance with the GDPR, including as implemented by individual countries. Compliance with the GDPR will be a rigorous and time-intensive process that may increase our cost of doing business or require us to change our business practices, and despite those efforts, there is a risk that we may be subject to fines and penalties, litigation, and reputational harm in connection with our European activities.
All of these evolving compliance and operational requirements impose significant costs, such as costs related to organizational changes, implementing additional protection technologies, training employees and engaging consultants and legal advisors, which are likely to increase over time. In addition, such requirements may require us to modify our data processing practices and policies, utilize management’s time and/or divert resources from other initiatives and projects. Failure, or perceived failure, to comply with these laws, where applicable, can result in damage to our reputation, as well as proceedings or litigation by governmental agencies or other third parties as well as the imposition of significant civil and/or criminal penalties and private class action litigation. Privacy and security laws, regulations, and other obligations are constantly evolving, may conflict with each other to complicate compliance efforts, and can result in investigations, proceedings, or actions that lead to significant civil and/or criminal penalties and restrictions on data processing. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Coverage and Reimbursement
In the United States and markets in other countries, patients generally rely on third-party payors to reimburse all or part of the costs associated with their treatment. Adequate coverage and reimbursement from governmental healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and commercial payors is critical to new product acceptance. Our ability to successfully commercialize our product candidates will depend in part on the extent to which coverage and adequate reimbursement for these products and related treatments will be available from government health administration authorities, private health insurers and other organizations. Even if coverage is provided, the approved reimbursement amount may not be high enough to allow it to establish or maintain pricing sufficient to realize a sufficient return on its investment. Government authorities and third-party payors, such as private health insurers and health maintenance organizations, decide which medications they will pay for and establish reimbursement levels.
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Significant uncertainty exists as to the coverage and reimbursement status of any pharmaceutical or biological product for which we obtain regulatory approval. Sales of any product, if approved, depend, in part, on the extent to which such product will be covered by third-party payors, such as federal, state, and foreign government healthcare programs, commercial insurance and managed healthcare organizations, and the level of reimbursement, if any, for such product by third-party payors. Decisions regarding whether to cover any of our product candidates, if approved, the extent of coverage and amount of reimbursement to be provided are made on a plan-by-plan basis. Further, no uniform policy for coverage and reimbursement exists in the United States, and coverage and reimbursement can differ significantly from payor to payor. Third-party payors often rely upon Medicare coverage policy and payment limitations in setting their own reimbursement rates, but also have their own methods and approval process apart from Medicare determinations. As a result, the coverage determination process is often a time-consuming and costly process that will require it to provide scientific and clinical support for the use of our product candidates to each payor separately, with no assurance that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be applied consistently or obtained in the first instance. Factors payors consider in determining reimbursement are based on whether the product is:
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a covered benefit under its health plan;
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safe, effective and medically necessary;
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appropriate for the specific patient;
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cost-effective; and
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neither experimental nor investigational.
Third-party payors are increasingly challenging the prices charged for medical products and services, examining the medical necessity and reviewing the cost effectiveness of pharmaceutical or biological products, medical devices and medical services, in addition to questioning safety and efficacy. Adoption of price controls and cost-containment measures, and adoption of more restrictive policies in jurisdictions with existing controls and measures, could further limit sales of any product that receives approval. Decreases in third-party reimbursement for any product or a decision by a third-party not to cover a product could reduce physician usage and patient demand for the product.
For products administered under the supervision of a physician, obtaining coverage and adequate reimbursement may be particularly difficult because of the higher prices often associated with such drugs. Additionally, separate reimbursement for the product itself or the treatment or procedure in which the product is used may not be available, which may impact physician utilization. In addition, companion diagnostic tests require coverage and reimbursement separate and apart from the coverage and reimbursement for their companion pharmaceutical or biological products. Similar challenges to obtaining coverage and reimbursement, applicable to pharmaceutical or biological products, will apply to companion diagnostics.
In addition, net prices for drugs may be reduced by mandatory discounts or rebates required by government healthcare programs or private payors and by any future relaxation of laws that presently restrict imports of drugs from countries where they may be sold at lower prices than in the United States. Increasingly, third-party payors are requiring that drug companies provide them with predetermined discounts from list prices and are challenging the prices charged for medical products. We cannot be sure that reimbursement will be available for any product candidate that it commercializes and, if reimbursement is available, the level of reimbursement. In addition, many pharmaceutical manufacturers must calculate and report certain price reporting metrics to the government, such as average sales price (“ASP”) and best price. Penalties may apply in some cases when such metrics are not submitted accurately and timely. Further, these prices for drugs may be reduced by mandatory discounts or rebates required by government healthcare programs.
Finally, in some foreign countries, the proposed pricing for a drug must be approved before it may be lawfully marketed. The requirements governing drug pricing vary widely from country to country. For example, the European Union (“EU”) provides options for its member states to restrict the range of medicinal products for which their national health insurance systems provide reimbursement and to control the prices of medicinal products for human use. To obtain reimbursement or pricing approval, some of these countries may require the completion of clinical trials that compare the cost effectiveness of a particular product candidate to currently available therapies. A member state may approve a specific price for the medicinal product or it may instead adopt a system of direct or indirect controls on the profitability of the company placing the medicinal product on the market. There can be no assurance that any country that has price controls or reimbursement limitations for pharmaceutical products will allow favorable reimbursement and pricing arrangements for any of our product candidates. Historically, products launched in the EU do not follow price structures of the U.S. and generally prices tend to be significantly lower.
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Healthcare Reform
The United States and some foreign jurisdictions are considering or have enacted a number of reform proposals to change the healthcare system. There is significant interest in promoting changes in healthcare systems with the stated goals of containing healthcare costs, improving quality or expanding access. In the United States, the pharmaceutical industry has been a particular focus of these efforts and has been significantly affected by federal and state legislative initiatives, including those designed to limit the pricing, coverage, and reimbursement of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical products, especially under government-funded health care programs, and increased governmental control of drug pricing.
The ACA, which was enacted in 2010, substantially changed the way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private insurers in the United States, and significantly affected the pharmaceutical industry. The ACA contains a number of provisions of particular import to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, including, but not limited to, those governing enrollment in federal healthcare programs. Since its enactment, there have been judicial and Congressional challenges to certain aspects of the ACA, and we expect there will be additional challenges and amendments to the ACA in the future.
Other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted since the ACA was enacted. For example, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 eliminated the statutory Medicaid drug rebate cap, previously set at 100% of a drug’s average manufacturer price, for single source and innovator multiple source drugs, effective January 1, 2024. The Budget Control Act of 2011 and subsequent legislation, among other things, created measures for spending reductions that include aggregate reductions of Medicare payments to providers of 2% per fiscal year, which remain in effect through 2031. Also, the U.S. American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 further reduced Medicare payments to several types of providers and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years. Due to the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, estimated budget deficit increases resulting from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, and subsequent legislation, Medicare payments to providers were further reduced starting on January 1, 2025. These laws and regulations may result in additional reductions in Medicare and other healthcare funding available for healthcare providers and may otherwise affect the price we can obtain for any of our product candidates for which we may obtain regulatory approval or the frequency with which any such product candidate is prescribed or used.
The IRA includes several provisions that may impact our business to varying degrees, including provisions that reduce the out-of-pocket spending cap for Medicare Part D beneficiaries from $7,050 to $2,000 starting in 2025, thereby effectively eliminating the coverage gap; impose new manufacturer financial liability on certain drugs under Medicare Part D, allow the U.S. government to negotiate Medicare Part B and Part D price caps for certain high-cost drugs and biologics without generic or biosimilar competition; require companies to pay rebates to Medicare for certain drug prices that increase faster than inflation; and delay until January 1, 2032 the implementation of the HHS rebate rule that would have limited the fees that pharmacy benefit managers can charge. Further, under the IRA, orphan drugs are exempted from the Medicare drug price negotiation program, but only if they have one orphan designation and for which the only approved indication is for that disease or condition. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 ("OBBBA"), this restriction was eliminated; and effective for the 2028 initial price applicability year, all orphan drugs, regardless of the number of orphan drug designations or indications, are exempt from the Medicare drug price negotiation program. The implementation of the IRA is currently subject to ongoing litigation that challenges the constitutionality of the IRA’s Medicare drug price negotiation program. Although the effects of the IRA on our business and the healthcare industry in general are not yet known, we are taking into consideration the potential impact of the IRA on our development and commercialization activities.
Moreover, there has recently been heightened governmental scrutiny over the manner in which manufacturers set prices for their marketed products, which has resulted in several Congressional inquiries and proposed and enacted federal and state measures designed to, among other things, reduce the cost of prescription drugs, bring more transparency to product pricing, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for drug products.
Further, the U.S. government, state legislatures and foreign governments have continued implementing cost-containment programs, including price controls, restrictions on coverage and reimbursement and requirements for substitution of generic products. The IRA includes several provisions that may impact our business to varying degrees, including provisions that reduce the out-of-pocket spending cap for Medicare Part D beneficiaries from $7,050 to $2,000 starting in 2025, thereby effectively eliminating the coverage gap; impose new manufacturer financial liability on certain drugs under Medicare Part D, allow the U.S. government to negotiate Medicare Part B and Part D price caps for certain high-cost drugs and biologics without generic or biosimilar competition; require companies to pay rebates to Medicare for certain drug prices that increase faster than inflation; and delay until January 1, 2032 the implementation of the HHS rebate rule that would have limited the fees that pharmacy benefit managers can charge. Further, under the IRA, orphan drugs are exempted from the Medicare drug price negotiation program, but only if they have one rare disease designation and for which the only approved indication is for that disease or
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condition. If a product receives multiple rare disease designations or has multiple approved indications, it may not qualify for the orphan drug exemption. The implementation of the IRA is currently subject to ongoing litigation challenging the constitutionality of the IRA’s Medicare drug price negotiation program. The effects of the IRA on our business and the healthcare industry in general is not yet known.
President Trump has also issued multiple executive orders that have sought to reduce prescription drug costs. Although a number of these and other proposed measures may require authorization through additional legislation to become effective, and the Trump administration may reverse or otherwise change these measures, both the Trump administration and Congress have indicated that they will continue to seek new legislative measures to control drug costs.
On April 15, 2025, the Trump Administration published Executive Order 14273, “Lowering Drug Prices by Once Again Putting Americans First,” which generally directs the federal government to take measures to reduce drug prices, including eliminating the so-called “pill penalty” under the Inflation Reduction Act that creates a distinction between small molecule and large molecule products for purposes of determining when a drug may be eligible for drug price negotiation. On May 12, 2025, the Trump Administration published Executive Order 14297, “Delivering Most-Favored-Nation Prescription Drug Pricing to American Patients” which generally, among other things, directs the federal government to establish and communicate most-favored-nation (“MFN”) price targets to pharmaceutical manufacturers to bring prices for American patients in line with comparably developed nations. Further, the Executive Order directs the federal government to support regulatory paths to allow direct-to-patient sales for companies that meet these targets. It also states that the Administration will take additional aggressive action (for example, examining whether marketing approvals should be modified or rescinded or opening the door for individual drug importation waivers) should manufacturers fail to offer American consumers the MFN lowest price. It also directs the Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative to “take all necessary and appropriate action to ensure foreign countries are not engaged in any act, policy, or practice that may be unreasonable or discriminatory or that may impair United States national security . . . including by suppressing the price of pharmaceutical products below fair market value in foreign countries.” Notably, a similar “Most Favored Nation” pricing rule enacted under the first Trump Administration was subject to an injunction resulting from judicial challenges to the rule, which was formally rescinded by the former Biden Administration in August 2021.
On December 19, 2025, CMS released two proposed rules that would incorporate MFN pricing principles into federal reimbursement for prescription drugs. The first proposal, the Global Benchmark for Efficient Drug Pricing Model (“GLOBE”) for Medicare Part B, would require manufacturers of specified single source drugs and sole source biologics to pay incremental rebates based on international benchmark prices, with participation triggered for products meeting CMS’s spending and eligibility criteria. The second proposal, the Guarding U.S. Medicare Against Rising Drug Costs (“GUARD”) model for Medicare Part D, would similarly mandate manufacturer rebates for qualifying sole source drugs where the Medicare net price exceeds an MFN benchmark derived from international reference pricing methodologies. As proposed, GLOBE would begin a five year performance period on October 1, 2026 and GUARD would begin its performance period in 2027. These proposals will likely be subject to legal challenges that could delay their implementation or modify their impact on manufacturer pricing and revenue. Additionally, in November 2025, CMS introduced the GENErating cost Reductions fOr U.S. Medicaid (“GENEROUS”) Model, a voluntary MFN framework for manufacturers participating in the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program. Although it is voluntary, the GENEROUS Model could also impact the drug pricing landscape for manufacturers.
Notwithstanding the IRA and President Trump’s executive orders, continued legislative and enforcement interest exists in the United States with respect to specialty drug pricing practices. Specifically, we expect regulators to continue pushing for transparency to drug pricing, reducing the cost of prescription drugs under Medicare, reviewing the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, and reforming government program reimbursement methodologies for drugs.
Individual states in the United States have also become increasingly active in passing legislation and implementing regulations designed to control pharmaceutical and biological product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain drug access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, and designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing. Legally mandated price controls on payment amounts by third-party payors or other restrictions could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. In addition, regional healthcare authorities and individual hospitals are increasingly using bidding procedures to determine what pharmaceutical products and which suppliers will be included in their prescription drug and other healthcare programs. This could reduce the ultimate demand for its drugs or put pressure on its drug pricing, which could negatively affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
In addition, at the state level, legislatures have increasingly passed legislation and implemented regulations similar to those under consideration at the federal level, as well as laws designed to control pharmaceutical and biotherapeutic product pricing, including restrictions on pricing or reimbursement at the state government level, limitations on discounts to patients,
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marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, restrictions or other limitations on patient assistance, and, in some cases, policies to encourage importation from other countries (subject to federal approval) and bulk purchasing. Certain states are also pursuing cost containment efforts through Prescription Drug Affordability Boards (“PDABs”) and similar entities. While many PDABs have been granted authority to promote drug price transparency and reporting, some states have granted PDABs more expansive authority, including to set Upper Payment Limits (“UPIs”) on select, high price drugs. The adoption and implementation of UPLs may put downward pressure on drug prices and impact our company’s future revenues.
Regulation Outside of the United States
EU Drug Development
In addition to regulations in the United States, we are subject to a variety of regulations in other jurisdictions governing clinical studies, commercial sales, and distribution of our products. Most countries outside of the United States require that clinical trial applications be approved by the local regulatory authority for each clinical study. In the EU, for example, an application must be submitted to the national competent authority and an independent ethics committee in each country in which we intend to conduct clinical trials, much like the FDA and IRB, respectively. Under the new Clinical Trials Regulation (EU) No 536/2014, which replaced the Clinical Trials Directive 2001/20/EC on January 31, 2022, a single application is now made through the Clinical Trials Information System for clinical trial authorization in up to 30 EU/EEA countries at the same time and with a single set of documentation.
The assessment of applications for clinical trials is divided into two parts (Part I contains scientific and medicinal product documentation and Part II contains the national and patient-level documentation). Part I is assessed by a coordinated review by the competent authorities of all EU Member States in which an application for authorization of a clinical trial has been submitted (Member States Concerned), based on a draft assessment report prepared by a Reporting Member State. Part II is assessed separately by each Member State Concerned. The role of the relevant ethics committees in the assessment procedure will continue to be governed by the national law of the Member State Concerned, however overall related timelines are defined by the Clinical Trials Regulation. The new Clinical Trials Regulation also provides for simplified reporting procedures for clinical trial sponsors.
EU Drug Review and Approval
In addition, whether or not we obtain FDA approval for a product, we must obtain approval of a product by the comparable regulatory authorities of countries outside the United States before we can commence marketing of the product in those countries. The approval process and requirements vary from country to country, so the number and type of nonclinical, clinical, and manufacturing studies needed may differ, and the time may be longer or shorter than that required for FDA approval.
To obtain regulatory approval for our medicinal products under the EU regulatory system, a marketing authorization application (“MAA”) needs to be submitted. There are a number of potential routes open to obtain a marketing authorization (“MA”). The centralized procedure allows applicants to obtain a MA that is valid throughout the EU, and the additional Member States of the European Economic Area, such as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway (collectively, the “EEA”). It is compulsory for medicinal products manufactured using biotechnological processes, orphan medicinal products, advanced therapy medicinal products (gene-therapy, somatic cell-therapy or tissue-engineered medicines) and human products containing a new active substance which is not authorized in the EU and which is intended for the treatment of HIV, AIDS, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, auto-immune and other immune dysfunctions, viral diseases or diabetes. The centralized procedure is optional for any other products containing new active substances not authorized in the EU or for products which constitute a significant therapeutic, scientific, or technical innovation or for which a centralized authorization is in the interests of patients at EU level. When a company wishes to place on the market a medicinal product that is eligible for the centralized procedure, it sends an application directly to the European Medicines Agency (“EMA”), to be assessed by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (“CHMP”). The CHMP is responsible for conducting the assessment of whether a medicine meets the required quality, safety, and efficacy requirements, and whether the product has a positive risk/benefit profile. The procedure results in a European Commission decision, which is valid in all EU Member States. The centralized procedure is as follows: full copies of the MAA are sent to a rapporteur and a co-rapporteur designated by the competent EMA scientific committee. They coordinate the EMA’s scientific assessment of the medicinal product and prepare draft reports. Once the draft reports are prepared (other experts might be called upon for this purpose), they are sent to the CHMP, whose comments or objections are communicated to the applicant. The rapporteur acts as an EMA contact person for the applicant and continues to play this role, even after the MA has been granted.
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The rapporteur and co-rapporteur then assess the applicant’s replies, submit them for discussion to the CHMP, and taking into account the conclusions of this debate, prepare a final assessment report. Once the evaluation is completed, the CHMP gives a favorable or unfavorable opinion as to whether to grant the authorization. When the opinion is favorable, it shall include the draft summary of product characteristics (“SmPC”), the package leaflet, and the texts proposed for the various packaging materials. The time limit for the evaluation procedure is 210 days (excluding clock stops, when additional written or oral information is to be provided by the applicant in response to questions asked by the CHMP). The EMA then has fifteen days to forward its opinion to the European Commission, which will make a binding decision on the grant of an MA within 67 days of the receipt of the CHMP opinion.
There are two other procedures in the EU for the grant of an MA in multiple EU Member States. The decentralized procedure provides for approval by one or more concerned Member States, of an assessment of an application performed by one Member State, known as the Reference Member State. Under this procedure, an applicant submits an application, or dossier, and related materials including a draft SmPC, and draft labeling and package leaflet, to the Reference Member State and concerned Member States. The Reference Member State prepares a draft assessment and drafts of the related materials within 120 days after receipt of a valid application. Within 90 days of receiving the Reference Member State’s assessment report, each concerned Member State must decide whether to approve the assessment report and related materials. If a Member State cannot approve the assessment report and related materials on the grounds of potential serious risk to the public health, the disputed points may eventually be referred to the European Commission, whose decision is binding on all Member States. Where a product has already been authorized for marketing in a EU Member State, this national MA can be recognized in other Member States through the mutual recognition procedure.
EU New Chemical Entity Exclusivity
In the EU, innovative medicinal products approved on the basis of a complete and independent data package qualify for eight years of data exclusivity upon marketing authorization and an additional two years of market exclusivity. The data exclusivity, if granted, prevents generic or biosimilar applicants from referencing the innovator’s preclinical and clinical trial data contained in the dossier of the reference product when applying for a generic or biosimilar MA in the EU, during a period of eight years from the date on which the reference product was first authorized in the EU. During the additional two-year period of market exclusivity, a generic or biosimilar MAA can be submitted, and the innovator’s data may be referenced, but no generic or biosimilar product can be placed on the EU market until the expiration of the market exclusivity. The overall ten-year period will be extended to a maximum of 11 years if, during the first eight years of those ten years, the marketing authorization holder obtains an authorization for one or more new therapeutic indications which, during the scientific evaluation prior to their authorization, are determined to bring a significant clinical benefit in comparison with currently approved therapies. There is no guarantee that a product will be considered by the EMA to be an innovative medicinal product, and products may not qualify for data exclusivity. Even if a product is considered to be an innovative medicinal product so that the innovator gains the prescribed period of data exclusivity, however, another company could nevertheless also market another version of the product if such company obtained an MA based on an MAA with a complete and independent data package of pharmaceutical tests, preclinical tests and clinical trials.
EU Orphan Designation and Exclusivity
The criteria for designating an “orphan medicinal product” in the EU are similar in principle to those in the United States. Under Article 3 of Regulation (EC) 141/2000, a medicinal product may be designated as an orphan medicinal product if it is intended for the diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of a life-threatening or chronically debilitating condition that affects no more than five in 10,000 persons in the EU when the application is made. In addition, orphan designation can be granted if the product is intended for a life threatening, seriously debilitating, or serious and chronic condition in the EU and, without incentives, it is unlikely that sales of the product in the EU would be sufficient to justify the necessary investment in its development. Orphan designation is only available if there is no other satisfactory method approved in the EU of diagnosing, preventing, or treating the applicable orphan condition, or if such a method exists, the proposed orphan medicinal product will be of significant benefit to patients affected by such condition, as defined in Regulation (EC) 847/2000.
Orphan designation provides opportunities for fee reductions, protocol assistance, and access to the centralized procedure. Fee reductions are limited to the first year after an MA, except for small and medium enterprises. In addition, if a product which has an orphan designation subsequently receives a centralized MA for the indication for which it has such designation, the product is entitled to orphan market exclusivity, which means the EMA may not approve any other application to market a similar medicinal product for the same indication for a period of ten years. A “similar medicinal product” is defined as a medicinal product containing a similar active substance or substances as contained in an authorized orphan medicinal product, and which is intended for the same therapeutic indication. The exclusivity period may be reduced to six years if, at the end of the fifth year, it is shown that the designation criteria are no longer met, including where it is shown that the product is sufficiently
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profitable not to justify maintenance of market exclusivity. Additionally, an MA may be granted to a similar medicinal product for the same indication at any time if:
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the second applicant can establish that its product, although similar to the authorized product, is safer, more effective or otherwise clinically superior;
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the MA holder of the authorized product consents to a second orphan medicinal product application; or
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the MA holder of the authorized product cannot supply enough orphan medicinal product.
EU Pediatric Investigation Plan
A pediatric investigation plan (“PIP”) in the EU is aimed at ensuring that the necessary data are obtained to support the authorization of a medicine for children, through studies in children. All applications for MAs for new medicines have to include the results of studies as described in an agreed PIP, unless the medicine is exempt because of a deferral or waiver. This requirement also applies when an MA holder wants to add a new indication, pharmaceutical form, or route of administration for a medicine that is already authorized and covered by intellectual property rights. Several rewards and incentives for the development of pediatric medicines for children are available in the EU. Medicines authorized across the EU with the results of studies from a PIP included in the product information are eligible for an extension of their supplementary protection certificate (“SPC”) by six months (provided an application for such extension is made at the same time as filing the SPC application for the product, or at any point up to two years before the SPC expires). This is the case even when the studies’ results are negative. For orphan medicinal products, the incentive is an additional two years of market exclusivity. Scientific advice and protocol assistance at the EMA are free of charge for questions relating to the development of pediatric medicines. Medicines developed specifically for children that are already authorized but are not protected by a patent or supplementary protection certificate are eligible for a pediatric-use MA (“PUMA”). If a PUMA is granted, the product will benefit from ten years of market protection as an incentive.
PRIME Scheme