regn-20241231
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024
OR
For the transition period from __________ to __________
REGENERON PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
(914) 847-7000
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class Trading Symbol Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock - par value $.001 per share REGN NASDAQ Global Select Market
Securities registered pursuant to section 12(g) of the Act: None
Class of Common Stock Number of Shares
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
REGENERON PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page Numbers
PART I
Item 1. Business 2
Item 1A. Risk Factors 34
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 67
Item 1C. Cybersecurity 67
Item 2. Properties 68
Item 3. Legal Proceedings 68
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 68
PART II
Item 6. [Reserved] 70
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 84
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 85
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 85
Item 9B. Other Information 86
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections 86
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 86
Item 11. Executive Compensation 86
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services 86
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules 87
SIGNATURE PAGE 92
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PART I
Item 1. Business
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties relating to future events and the future performance of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (where applicable, together with its subsidiaries, "Regeneron," "Company," "we," "us," and "our"), and actual events or results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Words such as "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "believe," "seek," "estimate," variations of such words, and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These statements concern, and these risks and uncertainties include, among others:
•the nature, timing, and possible success and therapeutic applications of products marketed or otherwise commercialized by Regeneron and/or its collaborators or licensees (collectively, "Regeneron's Products") and product candidates being developed by Regeneron and/or its collaborators or licensees (collectively, "Regeneron's Product Candidates") and research and clinical programs now underway or planned, including without limitation those discussed or referenced in this report, Regeneron's and its collaborators' earlier-stage programs, and the use of human genetics in Regeneron's research programs;
•the likelihood and timing of achieving any of our anticipated development milestones referenced in this report;
•safety issues resulting from the administration of Regeneron's Products and Regeneron's Product Candidates in patients, including serious complications or side effects in connection with the use of Regeneron's Products and Regeneron's Product Candidates in clinical trials;
•the likelihood, timing, and scope of possible regulatory approval and commercial launch of Regeneron's Product Candidates and new indications for Regeneron's Products, including without limitation those discussed or referenced in this report;
•the extent to which the results from the research and development programs conducted by us and/or our collaborators may be replicated in other studies and/or lead to advancement of product candidates to clinical trials, therapeutic applications, or regulatory approval;
•ongoing regulatory obligations and oversight impacting Regeneron's Products, research and clinical programs, and business, including those relating to patient privacy;
•determinations by regulatory and administrative governmental authorities which may delay or restrict our ability to continue to develop or commercialize Regeneron's Products and Regeneron's Product Candidates;
•competing drugs and product candidates that may be superior to, or more cost effective than, Regeneron's Products and Regeneron's Product Candidates (including biosimilar versions of Regeneron's Products);
•uncertainty of the utilization, market acceptance, and commercial success of Regeneron's Products and Regeneron's Product Candidates and the impact of studies (whether conducted by Regeneron or others and whether mandated or voluntary) or recommendations and guidelines from governmental authorities and other third parties on the commercial success of Regeneron's Products and Regeneron's Product Candidates;
•our ability to manufacture and manage supply chains for multiple products and product candidates;
•the ability of our collaborators, suppliers, or other third parties (as applicable) to perform manufacturing, filling, finishing, packaging, labeling, distribution, and other steps related to Regeneron's Products and Regeneron's Product Candidates;
•the availability and extent of reimbursement of Regeneron's Products from third-party payors, including private payor healthcare and insurance programs, health maintenance organizations, pharmacy benefit management companies, and government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid;
•coverage and reimbursement determinations by such payors and new policies and procedures adopted by such payors;
•changes in laws, regulations, and policies affecting the healthcare industry;
•the costs of developing, producing, and selling products or unanticipated expenses;
•our ability to meet any of our financial projections or guidance, including without limitation capital expenditures, and changes to the assumptions underlying those projections or guidance;
•the potential for any license or collaboration agreement, including our agreements with Sanofi and Bayer (or their respective affiliated companies, as applicable), to be cancelled or terminated;
•the impact of public health outbreaks, epidemics, or pandemics on our business; and
•risks associated with litigation and other proceedings and government investigations relating to the Company and/or its operations (including without limitation those described in Note 16 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in this report), risks associated with intellectual property of other parties and pending or future litigation relating thereto (including without limitation the patent litigation and other related proceedings described further in Note 16 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in this report), the ultimate outcome of any such proceedings and investigations, and the impact any of the foregoing may have on our business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition.
These statements are made based on management's current beliefs and judgment, and the reader is cautioned not to rely on any such statements. In evaluating such statements, shareholders and potential investors should specifically consider the various
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factors identified under Part I, Item 1A. "Risk Factors," which could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. We do not undertake any obligation to update (publicly or otherwise) any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
General
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a fully integrated biotechnology company that invents, develops, manufactures, and commercializes medicines for people with serious diseases. Our products and product candidates in development are designed to help patients with eye diseases, allergic and inflammatory diseases, cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, hematologic conditions, infectious diseases, and rare diseases.
Our core business strategy is to maintain a strong foundation in scientific research and drug development using our proprietary technologies, and to build on that foundation with our clinical development, manufacturing, and commercial capabilities. Our objective is to continue to advance as an integrated, multi-product biotechnology company that provides patients and medical professionals with important medicines for preventing and treating human diseases.
Selected financial information is summarized as follows:
Year Ended December 31,
For purposes of this report, references to our products encompass products commercialized by us and/or our collaborators or licensees and references to our product candidates encompass product candidates in development by us and/or our collaborators or licensees (in the case of collaborated or licensed products or product candidates under the terms of the applicable collaboration or license agreements), unless otherwise stated or required by the context.
Products
Products that have received marketing approval are summarized in the table below. Certain products have also received marketing approval in countries outside the United States, European Union ("EU"), or Japan.
Product Disease Territory
U.S. EU Japan
Diabetic macular edema ("DME") a a a
Diabetic retinopathy ("DR") a
EYLEA® (aflibercept) Injection(a) wAMD a a a
DME a a a
DR a
Myopic choroidal neovascularization ("mCNV") a a
Neovascular glaucoma ("NVG") a
Retinopathy of prematurity ("ROP") a a a
Asthma (in adults and adolescents) a a a
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Product (continued) Disease Territory
U.S. EU Japan
Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis ("CRSwNP") (in adults) a a a
CRSwNP (in adolescents) a
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ("COPD") a a
Prurigo nodularis a a a
Chronic spontaneous urticaria ("CSU") (in adults and adolescents) a
Metastatic or locally advanced basal cell carcinoma ("BCC") a a
Metastatic or locally advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma ("CSCC") a a
Metastatic or recurrent second-line cervical cancer a a
HeFH in pediatrics and adolescents (8–17 years of age) a a
Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia ("HoFH") a
Kevzara® (sarilumab) Injection(b) Rheumatoid arthritis ("RA") a a a
Polymyalgia rheumatica ("PMR") a a
Polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis ("pJIA") a a
REGEN-COV®(d) COVID-19 a a
OrdsponoTM (odronextamab) Follicular lymphoma ("FL") a
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma ("DLBCL") a
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Product (continued) Disease
Territory
U.S. EU Japan
Recurrent pericarditis (in adults and adolescents) a
(b) In collaboration with Sanofi
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The table below includes net product sales of Regeneron-discovered products. Such net product sales are recorded by us or others, as further described in the footnotes to the table. We believe the information in the table is useful to investors as it demonstrates our pipeline productivity and our ability to innovate, discover, and develop new products, and bring those products to market either alone or based on contractual arrangements with other parties, which has a direct impact on our results of operations and financial condition. The table also shows the degree to which we, a collaborator, and/or a licensee is currently commercializing the products discovered by Regeneron. In addition, this information allows management and investors to assess the commercial trends and developments impacting Regeneron-discovered products. In arrangements where our collaborator or licensee is currently commercializing such products and is recording net product sales as a result, the net product sales shown in the table also are an important metric for management's review and assessment of (i) the revenues we record for our share of profits and/or royalties from such sales and (ii) the impact of our obligation to supply commercial product to certain of these collaborators or licensees.
Year Ended December 31,
(In millions) U.S. ROW(g) Total U.S. ROW Total U.S. ROW Total
(g) Rest of world ("ROW")
Programs in Clinical Development
Product candidates in Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical development, which are being developed by us and/or our collaborators, are summarized in the table below.
There are numerous uncertainties associated with drug development, including uncertainties related to safety and efficacy data from each phase of drug development (including any post-approval studies), uncertainties related to the enrollment and performance of clinical trials, changes in regulatory requirements, changes to drug pricing and reimbursement regulations and requirements, and changes in the competitive landscape affecting a product candidate. The planning, execution, and results of our clinical programs are significant factors that can affect our operating and financial results.
Refer to Part I, Item 1A. "Risk Factors" for a description of risks and uncertainties that may affect our clinical programs. Any of such risks and uncertainties may, among other matters, negatively impact the development timelines set forth in the table below.
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Ophthalmology
Immunology & Inflammation
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REGN5713-5715Multi-antibody therapy to Bet v 1 –Birch allergy
REGN1908-1909(f)Multi-antibody therapy to Fel d 1 –Cat allergy
Solid Organ Oncology
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Hematology
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REGN7257Antibody to IL2Rg –Aplastic anemia
REGN7999Antibody to TMPRSS6 –Iron overload in beta-thalassemia
Internal Medicine/Genetic Medicines
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REGN5381Agonist antibody to NPR1 –Heart failure
(a) In collaboration with Bayer outside the United States
(b) In collaboration with Sanofi
(c) FDA granted Orphan Drug designation
(d) FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy designation
(e) FDA granted Fast Track designation
(i) BioNTech's BNT116 is an mRNA cancer vaccine.
(j) In collaboration with Intellia
(m) FDA granted Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy ("RMAT") designation
(n) Studied in combination with semaglutide with and without garetosmab
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Additional Information - Clinical Development Programs
Linvoseltamab
In August 2024, the FDA issued a CRL for the BLA for linvoseltamab in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma that has progressed after at least three prior therapies. The sole approvability issue identified related to findings from a pre-approval inspection at a third-party fill/finish manufacturer. In January 2025, the Company resubmitted the BLA following resolution of third-party manufacturing issues, and an FDA decision on the BLA is anticipated by mid-2025.
Dupixent
In September 2024, the Company and Sanofi announced that the first Phase 3 trial (Study A) of Dupixent in adults with uncontrolled and severe CPUO did not achieve statistical significance in its primary itch responder endpoint (despite favorable numerical improvements), but showed nominally significant improvements in all other itch endpoints. The Dupixent Phase 3 program in CPUO consists of Study A and Study B. Study B recently initiated as a subsequent pivotal trial.
Select Early-Stage Clinical Development Updates
In 2024, a Phase 1 study of linvoseltamab, in combination with dupilumab, in severe food allergy was initiated.
In 2024, a Phase 1 combination cohort of nezastomig and REGN4336 (bispecific antibody targeting PSMA and CD3) in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer was initiated.
Descriptions of Marketed Products Studied in Additional Indications and Product Candidates in Late-Stage Clinical Development
EYLEA HD (aflibercept) 8 mg
EYLEA HD is a soluble fusion protein that acts as a vascular endothelial growth factor ("VEGF") inhibitor. Through a novel formulation, it is designed to deliver a concentrated dose of aflibercept to block VEGF-A and PLGF and inhibit the growth of new blood vessels and decrease vascular permeability to treat various retinal diseases, including wAMD, DME, and DR.
Dupixent (dupilumab)
Dupixent is a fully human monoclonal antibody that inhibits signaling of the IL-4 and IL-13 pathways, and is not an immunosuppressant. IL-4 and IL-13 are key and central drivers of the type 2 inflammation that play a major role in atopic dermatitis, asthma, CRSwNP, COPD, EoE, prurigo nodularis, CSU, and potentially other chronic allergic and inflammatory diseases.
Kevzara (sarilumab)
Kevzara is a fully human monoclonal antibody that binds specifically to the IL-6 receptor and inhibits IL-6-mediated signaling. IL-6 is an immune system protein produced in increased quantities in patients with RA and has been associated with disease activity, joint destruction, and other systemic problems.
Itepekimab
Itepekimab is an investigational, fully human monoclonal antibody that inhibits IL-33, a protein that is believed to play a key role in lung inflammation in COPD.
REGN5713-5715
REGN5713-5715 is an investigational combination of two fully human monoclonal antibodies designed to treat allergic inflammatory conditions caused by the allergen Bet v 1, which is the main allergen responsible for birch pollen allergies. Birch pollen allergy is one of the most common causes of seasonal allergies that occur in the spring, and is also believed to trigger "oral allergy syndrome" food reactions to related allergens found in nuts and fruits such as apples, pears, and cherries.
REGN1908-1909
REGN1908-1909 is an investigational combination of two fully human monoclonal antibodies that is designed to specifically bind and block the Fel d 1 allergen, thus preventing it from binding and triggering the endogenous antibodies that cause allergies (i.e., immunoglobulin E antibodies). Cat allergy is primarily caused by exposure to Fel d 1, the major allergen in cat dander produced by all cats.
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Libtayo (cemiplimab)
Libtayo is a fully human monoclonal antibody targeting the immune checkpoint receptor PD-1 on T-cells. The PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint pathway is a well-known mechanism by which cancers evade immune destruction. Regeneron is studying Libtayo as monotherapy and in combination with either conventional or novel therapeutic approaches in various solid tumors and blood cancers. It is also being studied in combination with proprietary anti-cancer assets of other companies. Libtayo has also been approved by regulatory authorities in a number of cancer indications, including advanced NSCLC, BCC, CSCC, and cervical cancer.
Fianlimab
Fianlimab is an investigational, fully human monoclonal antibody targeting the immune checkpoint receptor LAG-3 on T-cells. In melanoma and NSCLC, LAG-3 expression in the tumor microenvironment may be associated with therapeutic resistance to PD-1 inhibitors. Fianlimab is being investigated in combination with Libtayo to determine whether concurrent blockade of LAG-3 and PD-1 can help overcome this resistance and release the brakes on T-cell activation.
Pozelimab
Pozelimab is a fully human monoclonal antibody designed to block complement factor C5 in order to treat diseases mediated by abnormal complement pathway activity, and is approved by the FDA for CHAPLE. Pozelimab is being studied in investigational combinations with an investigational small interfering RNA ("siRNA") therapy, cemdisiran, in PNH, myasthenia gravis, and geographic atrophy.
Ordspono (odronextamab)
Odronextamab is a bispecific monoclonal antibody designed to bridge CD20 on cancer cells with CD3-expressing T cells to facilitate local T-cell activation and cancer-cell killing. We are studying odronextamab in several types of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Linvoseltamab
Linvoseltamab is an investigational bispecific monoclonal antibody designed to bind to CD3 while also binding and bridging T-cells to the BCMA protein on multiple myeloma cells. We are studying whether linvoseltamab may help to activate T-cells via their CD3 receptors and trigger targeted, T-cell mediated killing of multiple myeloma. We are also studying linvoseltamab in precursor conditions to multiple myeloma, including high-risk MGUS and high-risk smoldering myeloma.
Nex-z
Nex-z is an investigational CRISPR-based therapy to be systemically delivered to edit genes inside the human body and is being studied as a treatment for ATTR amyloidosis. ATTR amyloidosis is a progressive and fatal disorder resulting from deposition of insoluble amyloid fibrils into multiple organs and tissues leading to systemic failure. Delivered with in vivo technology, nex-z offers the possibility of halting and reversing the disease by driving a deep, consistent, and potentially lifelong reduction in transthyretin ("TTR") protein after a single dose.
Garetosmab
Garetosmab is an investigational, fully human monoclonal antibody that binds to and neutralizes Activin A, which drives the abnormal bone formation that is the main pathology of the ultra-rare genetic disorder FOP. This abnormal bone formation in soft tissue outside of the normal skeleton, a process known as heterotopic ossification, leads to loss of mobility and premature death in FOP patients. Garetosmab is being investigated to determine whether it can help reduce and/or prevent the formation of heterotopic bone lesions by neutralizing the Activin A protein.
Mibavademab
Mibavademab is an investigational, fully human monoclonal antibody that binds to and activates the leptin receptor, which modulates the control of food intake, energy expenditure, and glucose/lipid metabolism. We are studying mibavademab as a potential treatment for generalized lipodystrophy.
Other Programs
Our preclinical research programs include the areas of oncology/immuno-oncology, angiogenesis, ophthalmology, metabolic and related diseases, muscle diseases and disorders, inflammation and immune diseases, bone and cartilage, pain and neurobiology, auditory conditions, enzyme replacement therapy, cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases, and diseases related to aging. These preclinical research programs include both rare diseases and those involving broader populations.
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Research and Development Technologies
Many proteins that play an important role in biology and disease are secreted by cells or located on the cell surface. Moreover, cells communicate through secreted factors and surface molecules. Our scientists have developed two different technologies to make protein therapeutics that potently and specifically block, activate, or inhibit the action of specific cell surface or secreted molecules. The first technology fuses receptor components to the constant region of an antibody molecule to make a class of drugs we call "Traps." EYLEA HD, EYLEA, ZALTRAP, and ARCALYST are drugs generated using our Trap technology. VelociSuite® is our second technology platform, which is used for discovering, developing, and producing fully human antibodies that can address both secreted and cell-surface targets. We also leverage VelociSuiteto produce new classes of bispecific antibodies. Additionally, we use genetic medicine platforms as complementary approaches to these core technologies to potentially treat or cure diseases.
VelociSuite
VelociSuite consists of VelocImmune®, VelociGene®, VelociMouse®, VelociMab®, Veloci-Bi®, VelociT®, VelociHum®, and other related technologies. The VelocImmune mouse platform is utilized to produce fully human antibodies. VelocImmune was generated by leveraging our VelociGene technology (see below), in a process in which six megabases of mouse immunoglobulin gene loci were replaced, or "humanized," with corresponding human immunoglobulin gene loci. VelocImmune mice can be used efficiently to generate fully human antibodies to targets of therapeutic interest. VelocImmune and our entire VelociSuite offer the potential to increase the speed and efficiency through which human antibody therapeutics may be discovered and validated, thereby improving the overall efficiency of our early-stage drug development activities. We are utilizing the VelocImmune technology to produce our next generation of therapeutic antibody drug candidates for preclinical and clinical development.
Our VelociGene platform allows custom and precise manipulation of very large sequences of DNA to produce highly customized alterations of a specified target gene, or genes, and accelerates the production of knock-out and transgenic expression models. In producing knock-out models, a color or fluorescent marker may be substituted in place of the actual gene sequence, allowing for high-resolution visualization of precisely where the gene is active in the body during normal body functioning as well as in disease processes. For the optimization of preclinical development and pharmacology programs, VelociGene offers the opportunity to humanize targets by replacing the mouse gene with the human homolog or variants thereof. Thus, VelociGene allows scientists to rapidly identify the physical and biological effects of deleting or over-expressing the target gene, as well as to characterize and test potential therapeutic molecules.
Our VelociMouse technology platform allows for the direct and immediate generation of genetically altered mice from embryonic stem cells ("ES cells"), thereby avoiding the lengthy process involved in generating and breeding knockout mice from chimeras. Mice generated through this method are normal and healthy and exhibit a 100% germ-line transmission. Furthermore, mice developed using our VelociMouse technology are suitable for direct phenotyping or other studies.
We have also developed our VelociMab platform for the rapid screening of antibodies and rapid generation of expression cell lines for our Traps and our VelocImmune human antibodies.
We have utilized our VelociSuite technologies to develop a class of potential drug candidates, known as bispecific antibodies. Veloci-Bi allows for the generation of full-length bispecific antibodies similar to native antibodies that are amenable to production by standard antibody manufacturing techniques, and are likely to have favorable antibody-like pharmacokinetic properties. In the area of immunotherapies in oncology, we are exploring the use of bispecific antibodies that target tumor antigens and the CD3 receptor on T-cells to harness the oncolytic properties of T-cells. We are exploring additional indications and applications for our bispecific technologies, including CD28 and 4-1BB costimulatory bispecifics. We are also exploring a variety of alternative antibody formats (AltibodiesTM) that can bring binding partners together in restrained geometries.
The VelociT mouse extends our research and drug discovery capabilities into cell-mediated immunity and therapeutic T-cell receptors ("TCRs") for oncology and other indications. VelociT was developed by using our VelociGene technology to humanize genes encoding TCRα and TCRβ variable sequences, CD4 and CD8 co-receptors, β2m, and class-I and -II major histocompatibility complexes. As a result, VelociT mice can be utilized to produce fully human TCRs, providing for customized modeling of T-cell function in different diseases and a powerful platform for the discovery of unique TCR-based therapies. We are also able to produce antibodies that recognize intracellular peptides bound in the groove of human leukocyte antigen ("HLA"), enabling the targeting of intracellular proteins in cancer cells.
VelociHum is our immunodeficient mouse platform that can be used to accurately test human therapeutics against human immune cells and to study human tumor models. Through genetic humanizations, VelociHum mice have been optimized to allow for better development of human immune cells in vivo, as well as to allow for engraftment of primary patient-derived tumors that do not take in other commercially available mice.
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Regeneron Genetics Center®
Regeneron Genetics Center LLC (RGC®), a wholly owned subsidiary of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., leverages de-identified clinical, genomic, and other types of molecular data from properly consented human volunteers from around the world to identify medically relevant associations in a blinded fashion designed to preserve a patient's privacy while uncovering the unique characteristics of their health and wellness. The objective of RGC is to expand the use of human genetics for discovering and validating genetic factors that cause or influence a range of diseases where there are major unmet medical needs, with the prospect of improving the drug discovery and development process and to advance innovation in clinical care design. RGC is undertaking multiple collaborative approaches to study design and implementation, including large population-based efforts that engage study participants to more discrete disease specific and founder populations with data on strategic phenotypes of interest. RGC utilizes laboratory automation and innovative approaches to cloud computing to achieve high-quality throughput, attaining nearly 3 million samples sequenced to date.
In January 2025, it was announced that RGC was selected by UK Biobank consortium members to complete proteomic assay data generation for the recently announced UK Biobank Pharma Proteomics Project.
In January 2025, RGC entered into an agreement with Truveta Inc. pursuant to which RGC will sequence exomes and conduct genotyping and imputation of up to ten million de-identified consented volunteers using biospecimens provided by Truveta health system members across the United States.
In addition, central to the ongoing work of RGC is the portfolio of collaborations with over 150 academic and clinical collaborators around the world, including the University of Colorado, Geisinger Health System, Mayo Clinic, University of Pennsylvania, UCLA Medical Center, UK Biobank, University of Oxford, and the University of Cambridge. These collaborations provide access to biological samples and associated phenotype data from properly consented patient volunteers for purposes of genomic research. RGC undertakes genetic sequencing of these samples to create a unique resource of de-identified genetic data and associated phenotype data for research. Furthermore, RGC has deployed bulk RNA sequencing, whole genome sequencing, and an O-LINK proteomic assay to complement whole exome sequencing and genotyping. In addition, RGC leverages organoid models, siRNA, and CRISPR knockout models to validate genetic associations that lead to new therapeutic targets. RGC continues to publish results from its research efforts in journals and publications in partnership with its collaborators to advance the field of genomics.
These efforts at RGC have led to the identification of more than 30 novel genetic targets. Through our Regeneron Genetics Medicines initiative, we are currently advancing these targets using either our VelociSuite technologies or other technologies, such as siRNA gene silencing, genome editing, and targeted viral-based gene delivery and expression. See the "Collaboration, License, and Other Agreements" section below for descriptions of our collaborations with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Intellia Therapeutics, Inc.
Collaboration, License, and Other Agreements
Sanofi
We are collaborating with Sanofi on the global development and commercialization of Dupixent, Kevzara, and itepekimab (the "Antibody Collaboration"). Under the terms of the Antibody Collaboration, Sanofi is generally responsible for funding 80% to 100% of agreed-upon development costs. We are obligated to reimburse Sanofi for 30% to 50% of worldwide development expenses that were funded by Sanofi based on our share of collaboration profits; however, we are only required to apply 20% of our share of profits from the collaboration each calendar quarter to reimburse Sanofi for these development expenses. As of December 31, 2024, the total amount of our contingent reimbursement obligation (i.e., "development balance") to Sanofi in connection with such development expenses was approximately $1.635 billion.
Under our collaboration agreement, Sanofi records product sales for commercialized products, and Regeneron has the right to co-commercialize such products on a country-by-country basis. We co-commercialize Dupixent in the United States and in certain countries outside the United States. We supply certain commercial bulk product to Sanofi. We and Sanofi equally share profits from sales within the United States, and share profits outside the United States on a sliding scale based on sales starting at 65% (Sanofi)/35% (us) and ending at 55% (Sanofi)/45% (us).
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Bayer
We and Bayer are parties to a license and collaboration agreement for the global development and commercialization of EYLEA 8 mg and EYLEA outside the United States. Agreed-upon development expenses incurred by the Company and Bayer are generally shared equally. Bayer is responsible for commercialization activities outside the United States, and the companies share equally in profits from such sales.
We are obligated to reimburse Bayer for 50% of the development costs that it has incurred under the agreement from our share of the collaboration profits. The reimbursement payment in any quarter will equal 5% of the then outstanding repayment obligation, but never more than our share of the collaboration profits in the quarter unless we elect to reimburse Bayer at a faster rate.
Within the United States, we retain exclusive commercialization rights and are entitled to all profits from such sales.
Alnylam
In 2019, we and Alnylam entered into a collaboration to discover, develop, and commercialize RNAi therapeutics for a broad range of diseases by addressing therapeutic disease targets expressed in the eye and central nervous system ("CNS"), in addition to a select number of targets expressed in the liver. For each program, we provide Alnylam with a specified amount of funding at program initiation and at lead candidate designation. During 2023, we paid a $100.0 million development milestone to Alnylam (in connection with a CNS program) and Alnylam is eligible to receive an additional $100.0 million clinical proof-of-principle milestone in connection with an eye program.
Under the terms of the collaboration, the parties perform discovery research until designation of lead candidates. Following designation of a lead candidate, the parties may further advance such lead candidate under either a co-development/co-commercialization collaboration agreement ("Co-Co Collaboration Agreement") or a license agreement structure. The initial target nomination and discovery period of five years has been automatically extended until the earlier of seven years from the effective date of the collaboration or the achievement of certain milestones (the "Research Term"). In addition, we have an option to extend the Research Term for an additional five-year period for a research extension fee of $300.0 million.
For CNS programs and liver programs, under a Co-Co Collaboration Agreement, the party designated as the lead party will lead development and commercialization of the program and the parties will split profits and share costs equally, subject to certain co-funding opt-outs at specified clinical trial phases or under other conditions.
Under a license agreement, the lead party is designated as the licensee and has the right to develop and commercialize the collaboration product under such program. The licensee will be responsible for its own costs and expenses incurred. The licensee will pay to the licensor certain development and/or commercialization milestone payments, as well as certain tiered royalty payments to the licensor based on the aggregate annual net sales of the collaboration product.
We have entered into various license agreements with Alnylam, with us as the licensee, including for cemdisiran as a monotherapy and for a combination consisting of cemdisiran and pozelimab.
During the second quarter of 2024, we elected to no longer co-develop ALN-APP pursuant to a Co-Co Collaboration Agreement; as a result, Alnylam retains the right to develop and commercialize such product and we will receive a royalty on sales (if any).
Intellia
We and Intellia Therapeutics, Inc. are parties to a license and collaboration agreement to advance CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology for in vivo therapeutic development. Nex-z, which is in clinical development, is subject to a co-development and co-commercialization arrangement pursuant to which Intellia will lead development and commercialization activities and the parties share an agreed-upon percentage of development expenses and profits (if commercialized). In addition, we also have non-exclusive rights to independently develop and commercialize ex vivo gene edited products.
In September 2023, we expanded the license and collaboration agreement to develop additional in vivo CRISPR-based gene editing therapies focused on neurological and muscular diseases. Intellia will lead the design of the editing methodology, we will lead the design of the targeted viral vector delivery approach, and the parties share costs equally. Each company will have the opportunity to lead potential development and commercialization of product candidates for one target, and the company that is not leading development and commercialization will have the option to enter into a co-development and co-commercialization agreement for the target.
In addition, in October 2023, we elected to extend the period for selecting targets under the license and collaboration agreement for an additional two years until April 2026; as a result, we made a $30.0 million extension payment to Intellia.
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In March 2024, Intellia elected to opt-out of further development activities pursuant to the Factor IX co-development and co-commercialization agreement; as a result, we retain the right to develop and commercialize products directed to Factor IX (which is currently in Phase 1 clinical development), and Intellia will be entitled to receive milestone payments and royalties on sales (if any).
Decibel
In 2017, we entered into an agreement with Decibel Therapeutics, Inc. to discover and develop new potential therapeutics to protect, repair and restore hearing (including DB-OTO, which is currently in clinical development, and preclinical programs for GJB2-related and stereocilin-related hearing loss).
In 2023, we acquired Decibel by paying $101.3 million in cash (or $4.00 per share of Decibel common stock). In addition, Decibel shareholders received one non-tradeable contingent value right ("CVR") per share of Decibel common stock, entitling them to receive up to an additional $3.50 per share in cash upon achievement of certain development milestones for DB-OTO within specified time periods. During 2024, the first and second (final) development milestones contemplated by the CVRs were achieved. As a result, we have paid an aggregate amount of $97.1 million, which was the maximum amount that holders of the CVRs were entitled to receive (including the payment in respect of the second development milestone made in 2025).
2seventy bio
In 2018, we entered into a collaboration agreement with bluebird bio, Inc. (which subsequently spun out 2seventy bio, Inc. in 2021) to research, develop, and commercialize novel cell therapy approaches to address cancer.
In April 2024, we acquired full development and commercialization rights to 2seventy bio's oncology and autoimmune preclinical and clinical stage cell therapy pipeline. Under the terms of the agreement, we made a $5.0 million up-front payment, and have assumed ongoing program, infrastructure, and personnel costs related to the product candidates acquired. We are obligated to pay 2seventy bio a regulatory milestone upon the first major market approval of the first approved product; and, with respect to any approved product, a low single-digit percent royalty on sales. In addition, we separately entered into sublease agreements for a portion of 2seventy bio's facilities.
Manufacturing
We currently manufacture bulk drug materials and products at our manufacturing facilities in Rensselaer, New York and Limerick, Ireland. These facilities consist of owned and leased manufacturing, office, laboratory, and warehouse space. In addition, we have constructed a fill/finish facility in Rensselaer, New York that is undergoing process validation as required by regulatory authorities.
We currently have approximately 100,000 liters of cell culture capacity at our Rensselaer facility and approximately 120,000 liters of cell culture capacity at our Limerick facility. Each of these facilities is approved by the FDA and certain other regulatory agencies to manufacture our bulk drug materials and products.
Certain bulk drug materials and products are also manufactured by our collaborators, and certain raw materials or products necessary for the manufacture and formulation of our products and product candidates are provided by single-source unaffiliated third-party suppliers. In addition, we rely on our collaborators or third parties to perform packaging, filling, finishing, labeling, distribution, laboratory testing, and other services related to the manufacture of our products and product candidates. See Part I, Item 1A. "Risk Factors - Risks Related to Manufacturing and Supply" for further information.
Among the conditions for marketing approval of a new drug or biologic product is the requirement that the prospective manufacturer's quality control and manufacturing procedures conform to the good manufacturing practice ("GMP") regulations of the health authority. In complying with standards set forth in these regulations, manufacturers must continue to expend time, money, and effort in the areas of production and quality control to ensure full technical compliance. Manufacturing establishments, both foreign and domestic, are also subject to inspections by or under the authority of the FDA and by other national, federal, state, and local agencies.
Commercial
Our medicines are marketed through our commercial group, which includes experienced professionals in the fields of marketing, sales, professional education, patient education, reimbursement and market access, trade and distribution, commercial operations, commercial analytics, and market research.
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In the United States, we sell our marketed products primarily to wholesalers and specialty distributors that serve pharmacies, hospitals, government agencies, physicians, and other healthcare providers. We had sales to two customers (Besse Medical, a subsidiary of Cencora, Inc., and McKesson Corporation) that each accounted for more than 10% of total gross product revenue for the year ended December 31, 2024. On a combined basis, our product sales to these customers accounted for 74% of our total gross product revenue for the year ended December 31, 2024. We promote approved medicines to healthcare professionals via our team of field employees, as well as medical journals, medical exhibitions, distribution of literature and samples, and online channels. In addition, we advertise certain products directly to consumers and maintain websites with information about our medicines. The commercial group also evaluates opportunities for our targets and product candidates and prepares for market launches of new medicines.
We have established certain commercial capabilities outside the United States in connection with co-commercializing Dupixent in accordance with our Sanofi collaboration and with obtaining the rights, in 2022, to commercialize Libtayo outside the United States.
Competition
We face substantial competition from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Our ability to compete depends, to a great extent, on how fast we can develop safe and effective product candidates, complete clinical testing and approval processes, and supply commercial quantities of the product to the market. Competition among products approved for sale is based on efficacy, safety, reliability, ease of administration, dosing frequency, availability, price, patent and other intellectual property position, and other factors.
Marketed Products
The table below provides an overview of the current competitive landscape for key products marketed by us and/or our collaborators in such products' currently approved indications. The table below is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not exhaustive. For additional information regarding the substantial competition these marketed products face, including potential future competition from product candidates in clinical development, see also Part I, Item 1A. "Risk Factors - Risks Related to Commercialization of Our Marketed Products, Product Candidates, and New Indications for Our Marketed Products - The commercial success of our products and product candidates is subject to significant competition."
Marketed Product Competitor Product Competitor Indication Territory(a)
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Susvimo® (ranibizumab ocular implant) Genentech/Roche wAMD, DME United States
Beovu® (brolucizumab) Injection Novartis AG wAMD, DME United States, EU, Japan
TezspireTM (tezepelumab-ekko) AstraZeneca/Amgen Asthma United States, EU, Japan
Fasenra® (benralizumab) AstraZeneca Asthma United States, EU, Japan
Tecentriq® (atezolizumab) Roche Various cancers United States, EU, Japan
Imfinzi® (durvalumab) AstraZeneca Various cancers United States, EU, Japan
Bavencio® (avelumab) Pfizer/Merck KGaA Various cancers United States, EU, Japan
Jemperli® (dostarlimab) GSK Various cancers United States, EU
UnloxcytTM (cosibelimab) Checkpoint Therapeutics, Inc. CSCC United States
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Product Candidates
Our late-stage and earlier-stage clinical candidates (including those being developed in collaboration with our collaborators) face competition from many pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. For example, we are aware of other pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies actively engaged in the research and development of antibody-based products against targets that are also the targets of our early- and late-stage product candidates. These companies are using various technologies in competition with our VelocImmune technology and our other antibody generation technologies, including their own antibody generation technologies and other approaches such as RNAi, chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T cell), and gene therapy technologies. We are also aware of other companies developing or marketing small molecules that may compete with our antibody product candidates in various indications, if such product candidates obtain regulatory approval in those indications.
For additional information regarding our product candidates (including those being developed in collaboration with our collaborators) and the substantial competition they face, see also Part I, Item 1A. "Risk Factors - Risks Related to Commercialization of Our Marketed Products, Product Candidates, and New Indications for Our Marketed Products - The commercial success of our products and product candidates is subject to significant competition."
Other Areas
Many pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are attempting to discover new therapeutics for indications in which we invest substantial time and resources. In these and related areas, intellectual property rights have been sought and certain rights have been granted to competitors and potential competitors of ours, and we may be at a substantial competitive disadvantage in such areas as a result of, among other things, our inferior intellectual property position or lack of experience, trained personnel, and expertise. A number of corporate and academic competitors are involved in the discovery and development of novel therapeutics that are the focus of other research or development programs we are now conducting. Some of these competitors are currently conducting advanced preclinical and clinical research programs in these areas. These and other competitors also may have established substantial intellectual property and other competitive advantages.
If any of these or other competitors announces a successful clinical study involving a product that may be competitive with one of our product candidates or the grant of marketing approval by a regulatory agency for a competitive product, such developments may have an adverse effect on our business, operating results, financial condition, cash flows, or future prospects.
We also compete with academic institutions, governmental agencies, and other public or private research organizations, which conduct research, seek patent and other intellectual property protection, and establish collaborative arrangements for the development and marketing of products that would provide royalties or other consideration for use of their technology. These institutions have become more active in seeking patent and other intellectual property protection and licensing arrangements to collect royalties or other consideration for use of the technology they have developed. Products developed in this manner may compete directly with products we develop. We also compete with others in acquiring technology from these institutions, agencies, and organizations.
Patents, Trademarks, and Trade Secrets
We rely on a combination of intellectual property laws, including patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, and domain name protection laws, as well as confidentiality and license agreements, to protect our intellectual property and proprietary rights.
Our success depends, in part, on our ability to obtain patents, maintain trade secret protection, and operate without infringing on the proprietary rights of third parties (see Part I, Item 1A. "Risk Factors - Risks Related to Intellectual Property and Market Exclusivity - We may be restricted in our development, manufacturing, and/or commercialization activities by patents or other proprietary rights of others, and could be subject to awards of damages if we are found to have infringed such patents or rights"; and Note 16 to our Consolidated Financial Statements). Our policy is to file patent applications to protect technology, inventions, and improvements that we consider important to our business and operations. We hold an ownership interest in a number of issued patents in the United States and other countries with respect to our products and technologies. In addition, we hold an ownership interest in thousands of patent applications in the United States and other countries.
Our patent portfolio includes granted patents and pending patent applications covering our VelociSuite technologies, including our VelocImmune mouse platform which produces fully human antibodies. Our remaining issued patents covering these technologies will expire between 2025 and 2032. However, we continue to file patent applications directed to improvements to these technology platforms.
Our patent portfolio also includes issued patents and pending applications relating to commercialized products and our product candidates in clinical development. These patents cover, among other things, proteins, DNA and RNA molecules, manufacturing patents, method of use patents, and pharmaceutical compositions and formulations.
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The following table describes our U.S. patents, European patents ("EP"), and Japanese patents ("JP") that are of particular relevance to key products marketed or otherwise commercialized by us and/or our collaborators. The noted expiration dates include any patent term adjustments, and certain of these patents may also be entitled to term extensions. We continue to pursue additional patents and patent term extensions in the United States and other jurisdictions covering various aspects of our products that may, if issued, extend exclusivity beyond the expiration of the patents listed in the table below. One or more patents with the same or earlier expiry date may fall under the same "general subject matter class" for certain products and may not be separately listed. We also own various patents with claims relating to methods of making, formulating, and/or using the active molecules contained within our key products, but that do not cover indications, methods of use or processes currently approved by regulatory agencies or used by us and/or our collaborators. Such patents are not listed in the following table.
Product Molecule Territory Patent No. General Subject Matter Class Expiration
EP 2944306 Formulation (Supplementary Protection Certificate) (May 25, 2028)(b)
Dupixent dupilumab US 7,608,693 Composition of Matter March 28, 2031(e)
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Dupixent (continued) US 11,167,004 Methods of Treatment September 21, 2037
Libtayo cemiplimab US 9,987,500 Composition of Matter September 18, 2035
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In addition to our patent portfolio, in the United States and certain other countries, our competitive position may be enhanced due to the availability of market exclusivity under relevant law (for additional information regarding market exclusivity, see Part I, Item 1A. "Risk Factors - Risks Related to Intellectual Property and Market Exclusivity - Loss or limitation of patent rights, and regulatory pathways for biosimilar competition, have in the past reduced and could reduce in the future the duration of market exclusivity for our products"). The effect of expiration of a patent relating to a particular product also depends upon other factors, such as the nature of the market and the position of the product in it, the growth of the market, the complexities and economics of the process for manufacture of the active ingredient of the product, and the requirements of new drug provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act or similar laws and regulations in other countries.
We also are the nonexclusive licensee of a number of additional patents and patent applications. These include a license agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb, E. R. Squibb & Sons, L.L.C., and Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. to obtain a license under certain patents owned and/or exclusively licensed by one or more of these parties that includes the right to develop and sell Libtayo. Under the agreement, we paid royalties of 8.0% on worldwide sales of Libtayo through December 31, 2023, and are obligated to pay royalties of 2.5% from January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2026.
Patent law relating to the patentability and scope of claims in the biotechnology field is evolving and our patent rights are subject to this additional uncertainty. The degree of patent protection that will be afforded to our products in the United States and other important commercial markets is uncertain and is dependent upon the scope of protection decided upon by the patent offices, courts, and governments in these countries. There is no certainty that our existing patents or others, if obtained, will provide us protection from competition or provide commercial benefit.
Others may independently develop similar products or processes to those developed by us, duplicate any of our products or processes or, if patents are issued to us, design around any products and processes covered by our patents. We expect to continue, when appropriate, to file product and process applications with respect to our inventions. However, we may not file any such
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applications or, if filed, the patents may not be issued. Patents issued to or licensed by us may be infringed by the products or processes of others.
We seek to file and maintain trademarks around the world based on commercial activities in most jurisdictions where we have, or desire to have, a business presence for a particular product or service. Trademark protection varies in accordance with local law, and continues in some countries as long as the trademark is used and in other countries as long as the trademark is registered. Trademark registrations generally are for fixed but renewable terms.
Defense and enforcement of our intellectual property rights is expensive and time consuming, even if the outcome is favorable to us. It is possible that patents issued or licensed to us will be successfully challenged, that a court may find that we are infringing validly issued patents of third parties, or that we may have to alter or discontinue the development of our products or pay licensing fees to take into account patent rights of third parties (see Part I, Item 1A. "Risk Factors - Risks Related to Intellectual Property and Market Exclusivity - We may be restricted in our development, manufacturing, and/or commercialization activities by patents or other proprietary rights of others, and could be subject to awards of damages if we are found to have infringed such patents or rights"; and Note 16 to our Consolidated Financial Statements).
Government Regulation
Regulation by government authorities in the United States and other countries is a significant factor in the research, development, manufacture, and marketing of our products and our product candidates. A summary of the primary areas of government regulation that are relevant to our business is provided below. For a description of material regulatory risks we face, also refer to Part I, Item 1A. "Risk Factors."
Preclinical Requirements
The activities required before a product candidate may be marketed in the United States or elsewhere begin with preclinical tests. Preclinical tests include laboratory evaluations of, among other things, product chemistry and formulation and toxicological and pharmacological studies in animal species to assess the toxicity and dosing of the product candidate. In the United States, certain preclinical trials must comply with the FDA's Good Laboratory Practice requirements ("GLPs") and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal Welfare Act. The results of these studies must be submitted to the FDA or the relevant regulatory authority outside the United States as part of an IND or other clinical trial application (as applicable), which must be reviewed by the FDA or the relevant government authority before proposed clinical testing can begin in the applicable country or jurisdiction. In the United States, unless the FDA raises concerns, the IND becomes effective 30 days following its receipt by the FDA, and the clinical trial proposed in the IND may begin. The FDA or other regulatory authorities may ask for additional data in order to begin a clinical trial. Rules that are equivalent in scope but which vary in application apply in other countries.
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Product Approval
All of our product candidates require regulatory approval by relevant government authorities before they can be commercialized. In particular, human therapeutic products are subject to rigorous preclinical and clinical trials and other pre-market approval requirements by the FDA, European Medicines Agency ("EMA"), and regulatory authorities of other countries. The structure and substance of the FDA and other countries' pharmaceutical regulatory practices may evolve over time. The ultimate outcome and impact of such developments cannot be predicted.
Clinical trials involve the administration of a drug to healthy human volunteers or to patients under the supervision of a qualified investigator. The conduct of clinical trials is subject to extensive regulation, including compliance with the FDA's bioresearch monitoring regulations and Good Clinical Practice requirements ("GCPs"), which establish standards for recruiting for, conducting, recording data from, and reporting the results of, clinical trials, and are intended to assure that the data and reported results are credible, representative, and accurate, and that the rights, safety, and well-being of study participants are protected. Clinical trials must be conducted under protocols that detail the study objectives, parameters for monitoring safety, and the efficacy criteria, if any, to be evaluated. In addition, each clinical trial must be reviewed and approved by, and conducted under the auspices of, an Institutional Review Board ("IRB") for each clinical site within the United States or, where applicable, an Ethics Committee and/or the competent authority for clinical sites outside the United States. Companies sponsoring the clinical trials, investigators, and IRBs/Ethics Committees also must comply with, as applicable, regulations and guidelines for obtaining informed consent from the study patients, following the protocol and investigational plan, adequately monitoring the clinical trial, and timely reporting of adverse events. Foreign studies conducted under an IND must meet the same requirements that apply to studies being conducted in the United States. Data from a foreign study not conducted under an IND may be submitted in support of a BLA if the study was conducted in accordance with GCPs and the FDA is able to validate the data. The sponsor of a clinical trial or the sponsor's designated responsible party may be required to register certain information about the trial and disclose certain results on government or independent registry websites, such as clinicaltrials.gov.
Typically, clinical testing involves a three-phase process, which may overlap or be subdivided in some cases. Phase 1 trials are usually conducted with a small number of healthy volunteers to determine the early safety profile, metabolism, and pharmacological actions of the product candidate, the side effects associated with increasing doses, and, if possible, to gain early evidence of effectiveness. Although Phase 1 trials are typically conducted in healthy human subjects, in some instances, the trial subjects are patients with the targeted disease or condition. Phase 2 clinical trials are conducted with a relatively small sample of the intended patient population to provide enough data to evaluate the preliminary safety, tolerability, and efficacy of different potential doses of the product candidate. Phase 3 clinical trials are larger trials conducted with patients with the target disease or disorder intended to gather additional information about dosage, safety, and effectiveness necessary to evaluate the drug's overall risk-benefit profile. Phase 3 data often form the core basis on which the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities evaluate a product candidate's safety and effectiveness when considering the product application for regulatory approval. If concerns arise about the safety of the product candidate, the FDA or other regulatory authorities can stop clinical trials by placing them on a "clinical hold" pending receipt of additional data, which can result in a delay or termination of a clinical development program. The sponsoring company, the FDA or other regulatory authorities, or the IRB or Ethics Committee and competent authority may suspend or terminate a clinical trial at any time on various grounds, including a finding that the patients are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk.
The results of the preclinical and clinical testing of a biologic product candidate are then submitted to the FDA in the form of a BLA for evaluation to determine whether the product candidate may be approved for commercial sale under the Public Health Service Act. When a BLA is submitted, the FDA makes an initial determination as to whether the application is sufficiently complete to be accepted for review. If the application is not, the FDA may refuse to accept the BLA for filing and request additional information. A refusal to file, which requires resubmission of the BLA with the requested additional information, delays review of the application. If the application is accepted for review, the FDA reviews the application to determine, among other things, whether a product is safe and effective for its intended use and whether the manufacturing controls are adequate to assure and preserve the product's identity, strength, quality, and purity.
FDA performance goals generally provide for action on a BLA within 10 months of the 60-day filing date (or within 12 months of the BLA submission). That deadline can be extended by FDA under certain circumstances, including by the FDA's requests for additional information. The targeted action date can be 6 months after the 60-day filing date (or 8 months after BLA submission) for product candidates that are granted priority review designation because they are intended to treat serious or life-threatening conditions and demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs. The FDA has other programs to expedite development and review of product candidates that address serious or life-threatening conditions.
For some BLAs, the FDA may convene an advisory committee to seek insights and recommendations on issues relevant to approval of the application. Although the FDA is not bound by the recommendation of an advisory committee, the agency considers such recommendations carefully when making decisions. Before approving a new drug or biologic product, the FDA
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also requires that the facilities at which the product will be manufactured or advanced through the supply chain be in compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices, or cGMP, requirements and regulations governing, among other things, the manufacture, shipment, and storage of the product. The FDA will typically inspect such facilities for compliance with these requirements and regulations prior to approving a BLA. The FDA also can audit the sponsor of the BLA to determine if the clinical studies were conducted in compliance with current GCPs. After review of a BLA, the FDA may grant marketing approval, request additional information, or issue a CRL outlining the deficiencies in the submission. The CRL may require additional testing or information, including additional preclinical or clinical data, for the FDA to reconsider the application. Even if such additional information and data are submitted, the FDA may decide that the BLA still does not meet the standards for approval. Data from clinical trials are not always conclusive and the FDA may interpret data differently than the sponsor. If FDA grants approval, an approval letter authorizes commercial marketing of the product candidate with specific prescribing information for specific indications.
Any approval required by the FDA for any of our product candidates may not be obtained on a timely basis, or at all. The designation of a clinical trial as being of a particular phase is not necessarily indicative that such a trial will be sufficient to satisfy the parameters of a particular phase, and a clinical trial may contain elements of more than one phase notwithstanding the designation of the trial as being of a particular phase. The results of preclinical studies or early-stage clinical trials may not predict long-term safety or efficacy of our compounds when they are tested or used more broadly in humans. Additionally, as a condition of approval, the FDA may impose restrictions that could affect the commercial prospects of a product and increase our costs, such as a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy ("REMS") to mitigate certain specific safety risks, and/or post-approval commitments or requirements to conduct additional clinical trials or non-clinical studies or to conduct surveillance programs to monitor the product's effects.
Approval of a product candidate by comparable regulatory authorities in countries outside the United States is generally required prior to commencement of marketing of the product in those countries. The approval procedure varies among countries and may involve different or additional testing, and the time required to obtain such approval may differ from that required for FDA approval. Approval by a regulatory authority in one jurisdiction does not guarantee approval by comparable regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions. In the European Economic Area ("EEA") (which is comprised of 27 Member States of the EU plus Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein), medicinal products can only be commercialized after a related Marketing Authorization has been granted. Marketing authorization for biologics must be obtained through a centralized procedure, which allows a company to submit a single application to the EMA. If a related positive opinion is provided by the EMA, the EC will grant a centralized marketing authorization that is valid in the EEA.
In many jurisdictions, pediatric data or an approved Pediatric Investigation Plan ("PIP"), or a waiver of such studies, is required to have been approved by regulatory authorities prior to submission of a marketing application. In some EU countries, we may also be required to have an approved PIP before we can begin enrolling pediatric patients in a clinical trial. In the United States, under the Pediatric Research Equity Act ("PREA"), certain applications for approval must include an assessment, generally based on clinical study data, of the safety and effectiveness of the subject product in relevant pediatric populations, unless a waiver or deferral is granted. However, a pediatric study plan is not required for orphan products and the timing of the submission is subject to negotiation with FDA, but such plan cannot be submitted later than submission of a BLA.
Various federal, state, and foreign statutes and regulations also govern or influence the research, manufacture, safety, labeling, storage, record keeping, marketing, transport, and other aspects of developing and commercializing pharmaceutical product candidates. The lengthy process of seeking these approvals and the compliance with applicable statutes and regulations require the expenditure of substantial resources. Any failure by us or our collaborators or licensees to obtain, or any delay in obtaining, regulatory approvals could adversely affect the manufacturing or marketing of our products and our ability to receive product or royalty revenue.
For additional information regarding U.S. and foreign regulatory approval processes and requirements, see Part I, Item 1A. "Risk Factors - Risks Related to Maintaining Approval of Our Marketed Products and the Development and Obtaining Approval of Our Product Candidates and New Indications for Our Marketed Products - Obtaining and maintaining regulatory approval for drug products is costly, time-consuming, and highly uncertain. If we or our collaborators do not maintain regulatory approval for our marketed products, and obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates or new indications for our marketed products, we will not be able to market or sell them, which would materially and negatively impact our business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition."
Post-Approval Regulation
The FDA and comparable regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions may also require us to conduct additional clinical trials or to make certain changes related to a product after granting approval of the product. The FDA has the explicit authority to require postmarketing studies (also referred to as post-approval or Phase 4 studies) and labeling changes based on new safety information, and may impose and enforce a REMS at the time of approval or after the product is on the market. Post-approval modifications to
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the drug, such as changes in indications, labeling, or manufacturing processes or facilities, may require a sponsor to develop additional data or conduct additional preclinical studies or clinical trials, to be submitted in a new or supplemental BLA, which would require FDA approval.
Following approval, the FDA and comparable regulatory authorities outside the United States regulate the marketing and promotion of our products, which must comply with the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and applicable FDA regulations and standards thereunder and equivalent foreign laws. The review of promotional activities by the FDA and comparable regulatory authorities outside the United States includes, but is not limited to, healthcare provider-directed and direct-to-consumer advertising, communications regarding unapproved uses, industry-sponsored scientific and educational activities, promotional activities involving the Internet, and sales representatives' communications. FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities' regulations impose restrictions on manufacturers' communications regarding unapproved uses, but under certain conditions manufacturers may engage in non-promotional, balanced, scientific communication regarding such use. Failure to comply with applicable FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities' requirements and restrictions in this area may subject a company to adverse publicity and enforcement action by the FDA, the Department of Justice, or the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as state authorities and comparable regulatory authorities outside the United States. This could subject a company to a range of penalties that could have a significant commercial impact, including civil and criminal fines and agreements that materially restrict the manner in which a company promotes or distributes a drug. See Part I, Item 1A. "Risk Factors - Other Regulatory and Litigation Risks - Our business activities have been, and may in the future be, challenged under U.S. federal or state and foreign healthcare laws, which may subject us to civil or criminal proceedings, investigations, or penalties."
Adverse-event reporting and submission of periodic reports are required following marketing approval. The FDA requires BLA holders to employ a system for obtaining and reviewing safety information, adverse events, and product complaints associated with each drug and to submit safety reports to the FDA, with expedited reporting timelines in certain situations. Based on new safety information after approval, the FDA can, among other things, mandate product labeling changes, require new post-marketing studies, impose or modify a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy for the product, or suspend or withdraw approval of the product. We may be subject to audits by the FDA and other regulatory authorities to ensure that we are complying with the applicable requirements. Rules that are equivalent in scope but which vary in application apply in countries outside the United States in which we conduct clinical trials.
The holder of an EU marketing authorization for a medicinal product must also comply with the EU's pharmacovigilance legislation. This includes requirements to conduct pharmacovigilance, or the assessment and monitoring of the safety of medicinal products. Marketing authorization holders are required to maintain a Pharmacovigilance System Master File ("PSMF"), which supports and documents the compliance of the marketing authorization holder with the requirements of EU pharmacovigilance legislation. Marketing authorization holders are also required to have a Qualified Person for Pharmacovigilance ("QPPV"), who, among other things, maintains the PSMF. A QPPV must reside in the EEA and must also prepare pharmacovigilance reports, respond to potential requests from competent authorities concerning pharmacovigilance on a 24-hour basis, and provide competent authorities with any other information that may be relevant to the safety of the medicinal product in accordance with Good Pharmacovigilance Practices.
The EC can also require marketing authorization holders to conduct post-authorization safety and/or efficacy studies. A post-authorization safety study ("PASS") is a study that is carried out after a medicinal product has been authorized to obtain further information on a medicinal product's safety, or to measure the effectiveness of risk-management measures. Such studies may be clinical trials or non-interventional studies. A post-authorization efficacy study ("PAES") is a study that is carried out for complementing available efficacy data in the light of well-reasoned scientific uncertainties on aspects of the evidence of benefits that is to be or only can be addressed post-authorization. The EC may, in particular, impose a PASS and/or PAES on marketing authorization holders when a marketing authorization is granted upon conditions. The EC may grant conditional marketing authorizations in the interest of public health, when there is less comprehensive clinical data available than would be required, if the EC considers that the benefit of immediate availability may outweigh the risk that the absence of the required clinical data poses.
In addition, we and our third-party suppliers are required to maintain compliance with cGMP, and are subject to inspections by the FDA or comparable regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions to confirm such compliance. Changes of suppliers or modifications of methods of manufacturing may require amending our application(s) to the FDA or such comparable foreign regulatory authorities and acceptance of the change by the FDA or such comparable foreign regulatory authorities prior to release of product(s). FDA regulations also require investigation and correction of any deviations from cGMP and impose reporting and documentation requirements upon us and our third-party suppliers. Prescription drug manufacturers in the U.S. must comply with applicable provisions of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act and provide and receive product tracing information, maintain appropriate licenses, ensure they only work with other properly licensed entities, and have procedures in place to identify and
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properly handle suspect and illegitimate products. We may also be subject to state regulations related to the manufacturing and distribution of our products.
Failure to comply with these laws, regulations, and conditions of product approval may lead the FDA and comparable regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions to take regulatory action or seek sanctions, including fines, issuance of warning letters, civil penalties, injunctions, suspension of manufacturing operations, operating restrictions, withdrawal of FDA approval of a product, seizure or recall of products, and criminal prosecution.
Pricing and Reimbursement
Sales in the United States of our marketed products are dependent, in large part, on the availability and extent of reimbursement from third-party payors, including private payor healthcare and insurance programs, health maintenance organizations, pharmacy benefit management companies, and government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Sales of our marketed products in other countries are dependent, in large part, on coverage and reimbursement mechanisms and programs administered by health authorities in those countries. See Part I, Item 1A. "Risk Factors - Risks Related to Commercialization of Our Marketed Products, Product Candidates, and New Indications for Our Marketed Products - Changes to product reimbursement and coverage policies and practices may materially harm our business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition."
We participate in, and have certain price reporting obligations to, the Medicaid Drug Rebate program, state Medicaid supplemental rebate program(s), and other governmental pricing programs. We also have obligations to report the average sales price for certain drugs to the Medicare program. Under the Medicaid Drug Rebate program, we are required to pay a rebate to each state Medicaid program for our covered outpatient drugs that are dispensed to Medicaid beneficiaries and paid for by a state Medicaid program as a condition of having federal funds being made available for our drugs under Medicaid and Part B of the Medicare program.
Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that is administered by the states for low-income and disabled beneficiaries. Medicaid rebates are based on pricing data reported by us on a monthly and quarterly basis to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ("CMS"), the federal agency that administers the Medicaid and Medicare programs. These data include the average manufacturer price and, in the case of innovator products, the best price for each drug which, in general, represents the lowest price available from the manufacturer to any entity in the U.S. in any pricing structure, calculated to include all sales and associated rebates, discounts, and other price concessions. The amount of the rebate is adjusted upward if the average manufacturer price increases more than inflation (measured by reference to the Consumer Price Index - Urban). Effective January 1, 2024, the rebate is no longer capped at 100% of the average manufacturer price and, as a result, the rebate liability of manufacturers could increase.
If we become aware that our Medicaid reporting for a prior quarter was incorrect, or has changed as a result of recalculation of the pricing data, we are obligated to resubmit the corrected data for up to three years after those data originally were due, which revisions could affect our rebate liability for prior quarters. If we fail to pay the required rebate amount or report pricing data on a timely basis, we may be subject to civil monetary penalties and/or termination of our Medicaid Drug Rebate program agreement, in which case federal payments may not be available under Medicaid or Medicare Part B for our covered outpatient drugs. For additional information regarding risks related to our price reporting and rebate payment obligations, see Part I, Item 1A. "Risk Factors - Other Regulatory and Litigation Risks - If we fail to comply with our reporting and payment obligations under the Medicaid Drug Rebate program or other governmental pricing programs, we could be subject to additional reimbursement requirements, penalties, sanctions and fines, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and future prospects."
Medicare is a federal program that is administered by the federal government that covers individuals age 65 and over or that are disabled as well as those with certain health conditions. Medicare Part B generally covers drugs that must be administered by physicians or other healthcare practitioners; are provided in connection with certain durable medical equipment; or are certain oral anti-cancer drugs and certain oral immunosuppressive drugs. Medicare Part B pays for such drugs under a payment methodology based on the average sales price of the drugs. Manufacturers, including us, are required to report average sales price information to CMS on a quarterly basis. The manufacturer-submitted information may be used by CMS to calculate Medicare payment rates. Manufacturers must pay refunds to Medicare for single-source drugs or biological products, or biosimilar biological products, reimbursed under Medicare Part B and packaged in single-dose containers or single-use packages for units of discarded drug reimbursed by Medicare Part B in excess of 10% of total allowed charges under Medicare Part B for that drug. Manufacturers that fail to pay refunds could be subject to civil monetary penalties. Further, the Inflation Reduction Act ("IRA") has established a Medicare Part B inflation rebate scheme under which, generally speaking, manufacturers owe rebates if the average sales price of a Part B drug increases faster than the pace of inflation. Failure to timely pay a Part B inflation rebate is subject to a civil monetary penalty.
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The IRA also created a drug price negotiation program requiring the government to set prices for select high-expenditure drugs covered under Medicare Parts B and D. Starting in 2023 and 2026, the government is authorized to select Part D and Part B drugs, respectively, for inclusion in the drug price negotiation program, with established prices to go into effect for selected Part D drugs in 2026 and for selected Part B drugs in 2028, in each case absent certain disqualifying events. Failure to comply with requirements under the drug price negotiation program is subject to an excise tax and a civil monetary penalty. This or any other legislative change could impact the market conditions for our products. See Part I, Item 1A. "Risk Factors - Risks Related to Commercialization of Our Marketed Products, Product Candidates, and New Indications for Our Marketed Products - Changes to product reimbursement and coverage policies and practices may materially harm our business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition."
Civil monetary penalties can be applied if we are found to have knowingly submitted any false pricing or other information to the government, if we are found to have made a misrepresentation in the reporting of our average sales price, or if we fail to submit the required data on a timely basis. Such conduct also could be grounds for CMS to terminate our Medicaid drug rebate agreement, in which case federal payments may not be available under Medicaid or Medicare Part B for our covered outpatient drugs.
Federal law requires that any company that participates in the Medicaid Drug Rebate program also participate in the Public Health Service's 340B drug pricing program (the "340B program") in order for federal funds to be available for the manufacturer's drugs under Medicaid and Medicare Part B. The 340B program, which is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration ("HRSA"), requires participating manufacturers to agree to charge statutorily defined covered entities no more than the 340B "ceiling price" for the manufacturer's covered outpatient drugs. Covered entities include hospitals that serve a disproportionate share of financially needy patients, community health clinics, and other entities that receive certain types of grants under the Public Health Service Act. The federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the "PPACA") expanded the list of covered entities to include certain free-standing cancer hospitals, critical access hospitals, rural referral centers, and sole community hospitals, but exempts "orphan drugs" from the ceiling price requirements for these covered entities. The 340B ceiling price is calculated using a statutory formula, which is based on the average manufacturer price and Medicaid rebate amount for the covered outpatient drug as calculated under the Medicaid Drug Rebate program. In general, products subject to Medicaid price reporting and rebate liability are also subject to the 340B ceiling price calculation and discount requirement.
HRSA issued a final regulation regarding the calculation of the 340B ceiling price and the imposition of civil monetary penalties on manufacturers that knowingly and intentionally overcharge covered entities. If we are found to have knowingly and intentionally charged 340B covered entities more than the statutorily mandated ceiling price, we could be subject to significant civil monetary penalties and/or such failure also could be grounds for HRSA to terminate our agreement to participate in the 340B program, in which case our covered outpatient drugs would no longer be eligible for federal payment under Medicaid or Medicare Part B. Moreover, HRSA has established an administrative dispute resolution ("ADR") process for claims by covered entities that a manufacturer has engaged in overcharging, and by manufacturers that a covered entity violated the prohibitions against diversion or duplicate discounts. Such claims are to be resolved through an ADR panel of government officials rendering a decision that could be appealed only in federal court. An ADR proceeding could subject us to onerous procedural requirements and could result in additional liability. HRSA has also implemented a price reporting system under which we are required to report our 340B ceiling prices to HRSA on a quarterly basis, which then publishes those prices to 340B covered entities.
In order to be eligible to have our products paid for with federal funds under the Medicaid and Medicare Part B programs and purchased by certain federal agencies and grantees, we participate in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ("VA") Federal Supply Schedule ("FSS") pricing program. FSS participation is required for our products to be purchased by the VA, Department of Defense ("DoD"), Coast Guard, and Public Health Service ("PHS"). Prices for innovator drugs purchased by the VA, DoD, Coast Guard, and PHS are subject to a cap (known as the "Federal Ceiling Price") equal to 76% of the annual non-federal average manufacturer price ("non-FAMP") minus, if applicable, an additional discount. The additional discount applies if non-FAMP increases more than inflation (measured by reference to the Consumer Price Index - Urban). We also participate in the Tricare Retail Pharmacy Program, under which we pay quarterly rebates to DoD for prescriptions of our innovator drugs dispensed to Tricare beneficiaries through Tricare Retail network pharmacies. The governing statute provides for civil monetary penalties for failure to provide information timely or for knowing submission of false information to the government.
Medicare Part D provides coverage to enrolled Medicare patients for self-administered drugs (i.e., drugs that are not administered by a physician). Medicare Part D is administered by private prescription drug plans approved by the U.S. government and, subject to detailed program rules and government oversight, each drug plan establishes its own Medicare Part D formulary for prescription drug coverage and pricing, which the drug plan may modify from time to time. The prescription drug plans negotiate pricing with manufacturers and pharmacies, and may condition formulary placement on the availability of manufacturer discounts. In addition, manufacturers, including us, are required to provide to CMS a 70% discount on brand name prescription drugs utilized by Medicare Part D beneficiaries when those beneficiaries are in the coverage gap phase of the Part D benefit design. The IRA includes a sunset provision with respect to the coverage gap discount program starting in 2025 and replaces it
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with a new manufacturer discount program. In addition, the IRA has established a Medicare Part D inflation rebate scheme under which, generally speaking, manufacturers will owe additional rebates if the average manufacturer price of a Part D drug increases faster than the pace of inflation. Failure to timely pay a Part D inflation rebate or otherwise comply with obligations under the Medicare Part D inflation rebate scheme is subject to a civil monetary penalty.
Private payor healthcare and insurance providers, health maintenance organizations, and pharmacy benefit managers in the United States are adopting more aggressive utilization management techniques and are increasingly requiring significant discounts and rebates from manufacturers as a condition to including products on formulary with favorable coverage and copayment/coinsurance. These payors may not cover or adequately reimburse for use of our products or may do so at levels that disadvantage them relative to competitive products.
Outside the United States, within the EU, our products are paid for by a variety of payors, with governments being the primary source of payment. Government health authorities in the EU determine or influence reimbursement of products, and set prices or otherwise regulate pricing. Negotiating prices with governmental authorities can delay commercialization of our products. Governments may use a variety of cost-containment measures to control the cost of products, including price cuts, mandatory rebates, value-based pricing, and reference pricing (i.e., referencing prices in other countries or prices of competitive products and using those reference prices to set a price). Budgetary pressures in many EU countries are continuing to cause governments to consider or implement various cost-containment measures, such as price freezes, increased price cuts and rebates, and expanded generic substitution and patient cost-sharing.
Other Regulatory Requirements
We are subject to healthcare "fraud and abuse" laws, such as the federal civil False Claims Act, the anti-kickback provisions of the federal Social Security Act, and other state and federal laws and regulations. Federal and state anti-kickback laws prohibit, among other things, payments or other remuneration to induce or reward someone to purchase, prescribe, endorse, or recommend a product that is reimbursed under federal or state healthcare programs. Federal false claims laws prohibit any person from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, a false claim for payment of government funds, or knowingly making, or causing to be made, a false statement to get a false claim paid. See Part I, Item 1A. "Risk Factors - Other Regulatory and Litigation Risks - Our business activities have been, and may in the future be, challenged under U.S. federal or state and foreign healthcare laws, which may subject us to civil or criminal proceedings, investigations, or penalties."
We are subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, and similar anti-bribery or anti-corruption laws, regulations or rules of other countries in which we operate, including the U.K. Bribery Act. See Part I, Item 1A. "Risk Factors - Other Regulatory and Litigation Risks - Risks from the improper conduct of employees, agents, contractors, or collaborators could adversely affect our reputation and our business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition."
We are subject to privacy and data protection laws in the United States and abroad, including health privacy laws, data breach notification laws, consumer protection laws, data localization laws, biometric privacy laws, and genetic privacy laws.
In the United States, there are numerous federal and state laws and regulations governing data privacy of personal data and the collection, use, disclosure, and protection of health data, genetic data, consumer data, and children's data. At the federal level, most U.S. healthcare providers, including research institutions from which we or our collaborators obtain clinical trial data, are subject to privacy and security regulations promulgated under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, and their implementing regulations (collectively, "HIPAA"). While Regeneron is not directly subject to HIPAA, other than potentially with respect to providing certain employee benefits, we could be subject to criminal penalties if we, our affiliates, or our agents knowingly receive protected health information in a manner that is not permitted under HIPAA. The Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") also sets expectations for taking appropriate steps to safeguard consumers' personal information and for providing a level of privacy or security commensurate to promises made to individuals. Failure to meet these FTC standards may constitute unfair or deceptive acts or practices in violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act. The FTC also has the power to enforce the Health Breach Notification Rule, which imposes notification obligations on companies for breaches of certain health information contained in personal health records. Enforcement by the FTC under the FTC Act and Health Breach Notification Rule can result in civil penalties or enforcement actions. In addition, at the state level, many state consumer privacy laws recently went into effect and many other consumer privacy laws are expected to go into effect in the near future. These laws include certain transparency and other requirements to protect personal data and grant residents with certain rights regarding their personal data. These laws and regulations are constantly evolving and may impose limitations on our business activities.
Outside the United States, our activities subject us to additional data protection authority oversight and require us to comply with stringent local and regional data privacy laws. Such laws include the EU's General Data Protection Regulations ("GDPR"), which has a wide range of compliance obligations relating to the processing and protection of personal data. Violations of the GDPR carry significant financial penalties for noncompliance. The GDPR also confers a private right of action on data subjects and
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consumer associations to file complaints with data protection authorities, seek judicial remedies, and obtain compensation for damages resulting from violations of the GDPR. Many other jurisdictions outside the United States have adopted and continue to adopt varying privacy and data protection legislation, the continued emergence of which has increased the costs and complexity of compliance.
In addition to the foregoing, our present business is, and our future business may be, subject to regulation under the United States Atomic Energy Act, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, national restrictions, and other current and potential future local, state, federal, and foreign regulations.
Business Segments
We manage our business as one segment which includes all activities related to the discovery, development, and commercialization of medicines for serious diseases. For financial information related to our one segment, see our Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes.
Human Capital Resources
We compete in the highly competitive biotechnology and pharmaceuticals industries. Attracting, developing, and retaining skilled and experienced employees in research and development, manufacturing, sales and marketing, and other positions is crucial to our ability to compete effectively. Our ability to recruit and retain such employees depends on a number of factors, including our corporate culture and work environment, informed by our values and behaviors (which we call "The Regeneron Way") and our philosophy of "Doing Well by Doing Good"; talent development and career opportunities; and compensation and benefits.
Integrity is a core value at Regeneron. Both the Company and each of our employees have a responsibility to act ethically and with integrity at all times. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics brings together Regeneron's key policy principles and establishes the Company's expectations for all of our employees to act in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations.
Employee Profile
As of December 31, 2024, we had 15,106 full-time employees, consisting of 11,914 employed in the United States, 2,168 employed in Ireland, and 1,024 employed in other countries (primarily in the United Kingdom, Japan, and Germany). Of these employees, 2,562 were within our research and preclinical development organization, 2,151 were within our global clinical development and regulatory affairs organization, and 6,846 were within our industrial operations and product supply organization. Company-wide, nearly 1,700 of our full-time employees hold a Ph.D. and/or M.D. We also supplement our workforce with independent contractors, contingent workers, and temporary workers, as needed. None of our employees are represented by a labor union, and our management considers its relations with our employees to be good.
Culture and Development
Our employees represent a broad range of backgrounds, just like the people who take our medicines, and bring a wide array of perspectives and experiences that have helped us achieve our leadership position in the biotechnology and pharmaceuticals industries and the global marketplace. Our strategy is rooted in the understanding that a better workplace drives better science and that better science drives a better world. We believe that by fostering an inclusive culture and bringing diverse voices and perspectives to the discourse, we improve our ability to fulfill our mission to repeatedly bring important medicines to patients with serious diseases. We empower employee-led cross-functional resource groups, functional/site-level councils, and other interest groups, who connect around a common passion to build a culture of inclusion and collaboration. In recent years, we have expanded our mentoring program and inclusive leadership workshops for senior leaders and new managers, focusing on our diverse talent base to increase leadership skills, connection, and visibility of underrepresented talent.
While we are proud of our workforce diversity representation shown in the table below, we seek to continuously improve in this area. In early 2021, we launched a global strategy to advance diversity, focused on creating a better workplace, better science, and better world; and implemented a new governance model that includes councils comprised of senior leaders who provide oversight and guidance on our diversity efforts and support the execution of our strategy. In order to better understand our employees' perspectives, we also measure inclusion and belonging as part of our annual employee engagement survey. Our board of directors and/or an appropriate committee thereof receives a detailed update on our efforts at least once a year and continues to monitor our progress.
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2024 Workforce Diversity Representation*
Female Representation (Global) 50.0%
People of Color Representation (U.S. Only)** 31.6%
* Based on full-time employees as of December 31, 2024
Externally, we support diversity efforts in our community, including by supporting young scientific talent in underrepresented communities. For example, as part of our $100 million, 10-year commitment to support the Regeneron Science Talent Search ("STS"), we allocate $3.1 million annually to fund the Society for Science’s science, technology, engineering, and math ("STEM") outreach and equity programs. We have also been the title sponsor of the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair ("ISEF") since 2019 and made an additional $34 million, 5-year commitment to this program in 2023. Also in 2023, the Together for CHANGETM ("Changing Healthcare for People of African Ancestry through InterNational Genomics & Equity") initiative was launched by a coalition of Meharry Medical College, the Regeneron Genetics Center, AstraZeneca, Novo Nordisk, and Roche to improve health outcomes for people of African ancestry and enhance their representation in STEM careers. Among our other efforts, we have developed a STEM pilot program with post-primary-school and high-school students in the New York State Capital Region and Limerick, Ireland that aspires to build long-term relationships with students from disadvantaged socio-economic groups, to encourage and support them in their studies, to inspire them to attend college, and, ultimately, to build a deeper more diverse talent pipeline. We also continue to take steps to further integrate diversity considerations into the design and selection of sites for our clinical studies to make sure they reflect the diversity of patients with the diseases under investigation.
Employee Wellness, Health, and Safety
The wellbeing of our employees is a primary focus as we believe that the most productive people are those who are at their best, both physically and mentally. We provide several programs related to employee health and wellness, including onsite amenities and programs such as meditation and prayer rooms and fitness centers. We also prioritize mental health initiatives and have taken further action to reduce or remove barriers to quality mental healthcare for our employees and their family members. In addition, we provide support for work-life balance through flex-time, remote working arrangements, child and elder care, and paid parental leave, among others.
Occupational health and safety is critical to our success. We are committed to meeting or exceeding all environmental, health, safety ("EHS") and security regulations and have a range of programs, policies, and procedures to ensure the safety of all people who come to work at Regeneron. In addition, our 2025 global responsibility goals include a commitment to focus on workplace injury prevention in our drive toward zero incidents.
Employee Growth and Development
We invest significant resources to develop talent with the right capabilities to deliver the growth and innovation needed to support our continued success. Our Talent department is dedicated to promoting individual, leader, team, and organizational development through a number of tools and services. We offer a variety of professional development courses for our employees and support employee continuing education, including through educational reimbursement and tuition forgiveness programs. In addition, we continue to invest in our current and future leaders through a number of leadership development courses and programs and feedback and coaching opportunities. In 2024, nearly 30% of job openings were filled by existing employees who were seeking career development opportunities.
Employee Engagement
We believe engaging our employees, from their first day and throughout their career, is key to fostering new ideas and driving commitment and productivity. We communicate frequently and transparently with our employees through a variety of communication methods, including video and written communications, company forums and town halls, annual engagement surveys, and pulse surveys.
We are also committed to fostering employee volunteerism to reach our 2025 global responsibility goal of driving employee volunteer levels above national standards. Employees are encouraged and empowered to support organizations and causes that are important to them including through, among other things, our matching gift program, volunteer-time-off policy, and our annual company-wide service event, Day for Doing Good. In 2024, over 7,800 employees volunteered approximately 45,400 hours,
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including approximately 49% of our employees who volunteered nearly 27,400 hours to approximately 220 nonprofits during our Day for Doing Good. Additionally, through our Matching Gift Program, we matched approximately $2.3 million in employee contributions in 2024, supporting over 2,300 charities. In 2024, we were named to the Civic 50 of most community-minded companies in the United States for the eighth consecutive year.
The success of our employee engagement efforts is demonstrated by our employee retention rate of 94% in 2024, as well as the fact that 88% of our employees who responded to our annual engagement survey said Regeneron is a great place to work. Additionally, we have placed in the top five for the past 14 years in Science magazine’s annual "Top Employers Survey" of the global biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry.
Compensation and Benefits
We are committed to rewarding and supporting our employees in order to continue to attract and retain top talent. We believe this commitment supports our core strategy of creating and advancing a high-quality product pipeline and delivering medicines to people in need. Employee engagement, commitment, and achievements are key drivers of pipeline success and therefore our long-term performance. The primary underpinning of our pay philosophy is to award stock-based pay to all eligible employees to ensure that when we deliver for patients and for shareholders, everyone shares in the upside growth. Our practice, therefore, has been to award initial stock-based grants to all new hires, in addition to our comprehensive annual stock-based compensation program. Total employee compensation packages (which vary by country and region) include market-competitive pay (with the opportunity to receive above-market rewards), broad-based grants of stock-based awards, comprehensive healthcare benefits, parental leave, child and elder care support, retirement savings options, and matching contributions in connection with employee savings plans.
Corporate Information
We make available free of charge on or through our Internet website (http://www.regeneron.com) our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and, if applicable, amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").
Investors and other interested parties should note that we use our media and investor relations website (http://investor.regeneron.com) and our social media channels to publish important information about Regeneron, including information that may be deemed material to investors. We encourage investors and other interested parties to review the information we may publish through our media and investor relations website and the social media channels listed on our media and investor relations website, in addition to our SEC filings, press releases, conference calls, and webcasts.
The information contained on our websites and social media channels is not included as a part of, or incorporated by reference into, this report.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
We operate in an environment that involves a number of significant risks and uncertainties. We caution you to read the following risk factors, which have affected, and/or in the future could affect, our business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition. The risks described below include forward-looking statements, and actual events and our actual results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition. Furthermore, additional risks and uncertainties are described under other captions in this report and should also be considered by our investors. For purposes of this section (as well as this report in general), references to our products encompass products marketed or otherwise commercialized by us and/or our collaborators or licensees; and references to our product candidates encompass product candidates in development by us and/or our collaborators or licensees (in the case of collaborated or licensed products or product candidates under the terms of the applicable collaboration or license agreements), unless otherwise stated or required by the context. In this section, we first provide a summary of the more significant risks and uncertainties we face and then provide a full set of risk factors and discuss them in greater detail.
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Summary of Risk Factors
As noted above, we are subject to a number of risks that if realized could materially harm our business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition. Some of the more significant risks and uncertainties we face include those summarized below. The summary below is not exhaustive and is qualified by reference to the full set of risk factors set forth in this "Risk Factors" section. Please carefully consider all of the information in this Form 10-K, including the full set of risks set forth in this "Risk Factors" section, and in our other filings with the SEC before making an investment decision regarding Regeneron.
Commercialization Risks
•We are substantially dependent on the success of EYLEA, EYLEA HD, and Dupixent.
•Sales of our products are dependent on the availability and extent of coverage and reimbursement from third-party payors, including private payors and government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.
•Product reimbursement and coverage policies and practices could change due to various factors such as drug price control measures that have been or may be enacted or introduced in the United States by various federal and state authorities.
•The commercial success of our products is subject to significant competition from products or product candidates that may be superior to, or more established or cost effective than, our products or product candidates.
•We and our collaborators on which we rely to commercialize some of our marketed products may be unable to continue to successfully commercialize or co-commercialize our products, both in and outside the United States.
Regulatory and Development Risks
•Drug development and obtaining and maintaining regulatory approval for drug products is costly, time-consuming, and highly uncertain.
•Serious complications or side effects in connection with the use or development of our products or product candidates could cause our regulatory approvals to be revoked or limited or lead to delay or discontinuation of development of our product candidates or new indications for our marketed products.
•We may be unable to formulate or manufacture our product candidates in a way that is suitable for clinical or commercial use, which would delay or prevent continued development of such candidates and/or receipt of regulatory approval or commercial sale.
•Many of our products are intended to be used in combination with drug-delivery devices, which may result in additional regulatory, commercialization, and other risks.
Intellectual Property and Market Exclusivity Risks
•We may not be able to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets, and our patents or other means of defending our intellectual property may be insufficient to protect our proprietary rights.
•Patents or proprietary rights of others may restrict our development, manufacturing, and/or commercialization efforts and subject us to patent litigation and other proceedings that could find us liable for damages.
•Loss or limitation of patent rights, and regulatory pathways for biosimilar competition, have in the past reduced and could reduce in the future the duration of market exclusivity for our products.
Manufacturing and Supply Risks
•We rely on limited internal and contracted manufacturing and supply chain capacity, which could adversely affect our ability to commercialize our products and to advance our clinical pipeline. As we increase our production in response to higher product demand or in anticipation of a potential regulatory approval, our current manufacturing capacity will likely not be sufficient, and our dependence on our collaborators and/or contract manufacturers may increase, to produce adequate quantities of drug material for both commercial and clinical purposes.
•Expanding our manufacturing capacity and establishing fill/finish capabilities has been and will continue to be costly and we may be unsuccessful in doing so in a timely manner, which could delay or prevent the launch and successful commercialization of our products approved for marketing and could jeopardize our clinical development programs.
•Our ability to manufacture products may be impaired if any of our or our collaborators' manufacturing activities, or the activities of other third parties involved in our manufacture and supply chain, are found to infringe patents of others.
•If sales of our marketed products do not meet the levels currently expected, or if the launch of any of our product candidates is delayed or unsuccessful, we may face costs related to excess inventory or unused capacity at our manufacturing facilities and at the facilities of third parties or our collaborators.
•Third-party service or supply failures, failures at our manufacturing facilities in Rensselaer, New York and Limerick, Ireland, or failures at the facilities of any other party participating in the supply chain would adversely affect our ability to supply our products.
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•Our or our collaborators' failure to meet the stringent requirements of governmental regulation in the manufacture of drug products or product candidates could result in incurring substantial remedial costs, delays in the development or approval of our product candidates or new indications for our marketed products and/or in their commercial launch if regulatory approval is obtained, and a reduction in sales.
Other Regulatory and Litigation Risks
•If the testing or use of our products harms people, or is perceived to harm them even when such harm is unrelated to our products, we could be subject to costly and damaging product liability claims.
•Our business activities have been, and may in the future be, challenged under U.S. federal or state and foreign healthcare laws, which may subject us to civil or criminal proceedings, investigations, or penalties.
•If we fail to comply with our reporting and payment obligations under the Medicaid Drug Rebate program or other governmental pricing programs, we could be subject to additional reimbursement requirements, penalties, sanctions, and fines.
•We face risks from the improper conduct of our employees, agents, contractors, or collaborators, including those relating to potential non-compliance with relevant laws and regulations such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the U.K. Bribery Act.
•Our operations are subject to environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations, including those governing the use of hazardous materials.
•Changes in laws, regulations, and policies affecting the healthcare industry could adversely affect our business.
•Tax liabilities and risks associated with our operations outside the United States could adversely affect our business.
•We face risks related to the personal data we collect, process, and share.
Risks Related to Our Reliance on or Transactions with Third Parties
•If our collaborations with Sanofi or Bayer or other third parties are terminated or breached, our ability to develop, manufacture, and commercialize certain of our products and product candidates in the time expected, or at all, may be materially harmed.
•Our collaborators and service providers may fail to perform adequately in their efforts to support the development, manufacture, and commercialization of our drug candidates and current and future products.
•We have undertaken and may in the future undertake strategic acquisitions, and any difficulties from integrating such acquisitions or failure to realize the expected benefits from such acquisitions could adversely affect our business, operating results, and financial condition.
Other Risks Related to Our Business and Our Common Stock
•Our business is dependent on our key personnel and will be harmed if we cannot recruit and retain key members of our senior management team, including leaders in our research, development, manufacturing, and commercial organizations.
•Significant disruptions of information technology systems or breaches of data security could adversely affect our business.
•Public health outbreaks, epidemics, or pandemics (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) have adversely affected and may in the future adversely affect our business.
•Our indebtedness could adversely impact our business.
•Our stock price is extremely volatile.
•Our existing shareholders may be able to exert substantial influence over matters requiring shareholder approval and over our management.
* * *
Risks Related to Commercialization of Our Marketed Products, Product Candidates, and New Indications for Our Marketed Products
We are substantially dependent on the success of EYLEA, EYLEA HD, and Dupixent.
We are substantially dependent on the success of EYLEA and, since its August 2023 FDA approval, EYLEA HD. EYLEA net product sales have historically represented a substantial portion of our revenues, and we expect that there will continue to be a concentration of our net sales from the net product sales of EYLEA HD and EYLEA. For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, our aggregate EYLEA HD and EYLEA net product sales in the United States represented 42% and 45% of our total revenues, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2024, EYLEA HD U.S. net product sales represented 20% of our aggregate EYLEA HD and EYLEA U.S. net product sales. If we are successful in commercializing EYLEA HD, we expect that our dependence on EYLEA HD will grow relative to our historical dependence on EYLEA. If we experience difficulty with the commercialization of EYLEA HD or EYLEA in the United States or if Bayer experiences any difficulty with the
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commercialization of EYLEA HD or EYLEA outside the United States, if EYLEA net product sales experience a sustained decline in or outside the United States without an offset from EYLEA HD net product sales, or if we and Bayer are unable to maintain or obtain marketing approvals of these products (as applicable), we may experience a reduction in revenue and may not be able to stay profitable at the levels we previously achieved or at all, and our business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition may be materially harmed.
Commercialization of EYLEA and EYLEA HD in the United States and elsewhere is subject to significant competition (as described further below under "The commercial success of our products and product candidates is subject to significant competition"), which we expect to continue to increase in the future. For the year ended December 31, 2024, EYLEA U.S. net product sales declined by 17% compared to the same period in 2023. Following the expiration of the U.S. regulatory exclusivity period for EYLEA (i.e., the period during which no biosimilar product can be approved by the FDA) in May 2024, several biosimilar versions of EYLEA have been approved by the FDA, and one such product has launched in the United States. EYLEA and/or EYLEA HD net product sales recorded by us are likely to be negatively impacted by biosimilar competition in the United States, which may have a material adverse impact on our results of operations. In addition, we expect that competition for EYLEA outside the United States will increase in the future when biosimilar versions of EYLEA (including those already approved but not yet launched) are brought to market in additional countries, which may negatively impact the amount of collaboration revenue we earn from Bayer. While we anticipate several important 2025 milestones relevant to further commercialization of EYLEA HD as shown in the table under Part I, Item 1. "Business - Programs in Clinical Development," there can be no assurance that any such milestones will be achieved or, if achieved, that they will enable us and Bayer to accelerate the ongoing launch and further commercialization of EYLEA HD. The degree to which EYLEA HD net product sales may offset further potential decrease in EYLEA net product sales, resulting from the factors discussed above or otherwise, is uncertain.
We also are substantially dependent on our share of profits from the commercialization of Dupixent under our Antibody Collaboration with Sanofi. For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, Sanofi collaboration revenue (most of which is attributable to our share of profits from the commercialization of Dupixent) represented 32% and 29% of our total revenues, respectively. If we or Sanofi were to experience any difficulty with the commercialization of Dupixent or if we or Sanofi are unable to maintain current marketing approvals of Dupixent, we may experience a reduction in revenue and our business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition may be materially harmed.
If we or our collaborators are unable to continue to successfully commercialize our products, our business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition will be materially harmed.
We expect that the degree of commercial success of our marketed products will continue to depend on many factors, including the following (as applicable):
•effectiveness of the commercial strategy in and outside the United States for the marketing of our products, including pricing strategy;
•sufficient coverage of, and reimbursement for, our marketed products by third-party payors, including Medicare and Medicaid in the United States and other government and private payors in the United States and foreign jurisdictions, as well as U.S. and foreign payor restrictions on eligible patient populations and the reimbursement process (including drug price control measures that have been or may be enacted or introduced in the United States by various federal and state authorities);
•our ability and our collaborators' ability to maintain sales of our marketed products in the face of competitive products and to differentiate our marketed products from competitive products, including as applicable product candidates currently in clinical development; and, in the case of EYLEA and EYLEA HD, the existing and potential new branded and biosimilar competition (discussed further under "The commercial success of our products and product candidates is subject to significant competition - Marketed Products" below) and the willingness of retinal specialists and patients to start or continue treatment with such products or to switch from a competitive product to one of our products;
•the safety and efficacy of our marketed products (particularly those launched recently, such as EYLEA HD) seen in a broader patient group (i.e., real-world use);
•the effect of existing and new healthcare laws and regulations currently being considered or implemented in the United States and globally, including measures requiring the U.S. government in the future to negotiate the prices of certain drugs and price reporting and other disclosure requirements and the potential impact of such requirements on physician prescribing practices and payor coverage;
•serious complications or side effects in connection with the use of our marketed products, as discussed under "Risks Related to Maintaining Approval of Our Marketed Products and the Development and Obtaining Approval of Our Product Candidates and New Indications for Our Marketed Products - Serious complications or side effects in connection with the use of our products and in clinical trials for our product candidates and new indications for our marketed products could cause our regulatory approvals to be revoked or limited or lead to delay or discontinuation of
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development of our product candidates or new indications for our marketed products, which could severely harm our business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition" below;
•maintaining and successfully monitoring commercial manufacturing arrangements for our marketed products with third parties who perform fill/finish or other steps in the manufacture of such products to ensure that they meet our standards and those of regulatory authorities, including the FDA, which extensively regulate and monitor pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities;
•our ability to meet the demand for commercial supplies of our marketed products;
•the outcome of the pending proceedings relating to EYLEA (described further in Note 16 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in this report), as well as other risks relating to our marketed products and product candidates associated with intellectual property of other parties and pending or future litigation relating thereto (as discussed under "Risks Related to Intellectual Property and Market Exclusivity" below);
•the outcome of the pending government proceedings and investigations and other matters described in Note 16 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in this report (including the civil proceedings initiated or joined by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts); and
•the results of post-approval studies, whether conducted by us or by others and whether mandated by regulatory agencies or voluntary, and studies of other products that could implicate an entire class of products or are perceived to do so.
More detailed information about the risks related to the commercialization of our marketed products is provided in the risk factors below.
We and our collaborators are subject to significant ongoing regulatory obligations and oversight with respect to the products we or our collaborators commercialize. If we or our collaborators fail to maintain regulatory compliance for any of such products, the applicable marketing approval may be withdrawn, which would materially harm our business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition.
We and our collaborators are subject to significant ongoing regulatory obligations and oversight with respect to the products we or they commercialize for the products' currently approved indications in the United States, EU, Japan, and other countries. If we or our collaborators fail to maintain regulatory compliance or satisfy other obligations for such products' currently approved indications (including because the product does not meet the relevant endpoints of any required post-approval studies (such as those required under an accelerated approval by the FDA or other similar type of approval), or for any of the reasons discussed below under "Risks Related to Maintaining Approval of Our Marketed Products and the Development and Obtaining Approval of Our Product Candidates and New Indications for Our Marketed Products - Obtaining and maintaining regulatory approval for drug products is costly, time-consuming, and highly uncertain. If we or our collaborators do not maintain regulatory approval for our marketed products, and obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates or new indications for our marketed products, we will not be able to market or sell them, which would materially and negatively impact our business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition."), the applicable marketing approval may be withdrawn, which would materially harm our business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition. Failure to comply may also subject us to sanctions, product recalls, or withdrawals of previously approved marketing applications. See also "Risks Related to Manufacturing and Supply - Our or our collaborators' failure to meet the stringent requirements of governmental regulation in the manufacture of drug products or product candidates could result in incurring substantial remedial costs, delays in the development or approval of our product candidates or new indications for our marketed products and/or in their commercial launch if regulatory approval is obtained, and a reduction in sales" below.
Sales of our marketed products are dependent on the availability and extent of coverage and reimbursement from third-party payors.
Sales of our marketed products in the United States are dependent, in large part, on the availability and extent of reimbursement from third-party payors, including private payor healthcare and insurance programs, health maintenance organizations, pharmacy benefit management companies ("PBMs"), and government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Sales of our marketed products in other countries are also dependent, in large part, on complex coverage and reimbursement mechanisms and programs in those countries.
Our future revenues and profitability will be adversely affected in a material manner if such third-party payors do not adequately defray or reimburse the cost of our marketed products. If these entities do not provide coverage and reimbursement with respect to our marketed products or provide an insufficient level of coverage and reimbursement, such products may be too costly for many patients to afford them, and physicians may not prescribe them. Many third-party payors cover only selected drugs, or may prefer selected drugs, making drugs that are not covered or preferred by such payors more expensive for patients. Third-party payors may also require prior authorization for reimbursement, or require failure on another type of treatment before covering a particular drug, particularly with respect to higher-priced drugs. As our currently marketed products and most of our product candidates are biologics, bringing them to market may cost more than bringing traditional, small-molecule drugs to market due to the complexity
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associated with the research, development, production, supply, and regulatory review of such products. Given cost sensitivities in many healthcare systems, our currently marketed products and product candidates are likely to be subject to continued pricing pressures, which may have an adverse impact on our business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition.
In addition, in order for private insurance and governmental payors (such as Medicare and Medicaid in the United States) to reimburse the cost of our marketed products, we must maintain, among other things, our FDA registration and our National Drug Code, formulary approval by PBMs, and recognition by insurance companies and CMS. There is no certainty that we will be able to obtain or maintain the applicable requirements for reimbursement (including relevant formulary coverage, as discussed further below) of our current and future marketed products, which may have a material adverse effect on our business.
In addition, PBMs and other managed-care organizations often develop formularies to reduce their cost for medications. The breadth of the products covered by formularies varies considerably from one PBM to another. Failure to be included in such formularies or to achieve favorable formulary status may negatively impact the utilization and market share of our marketed products. If our marketed products are not included within an adequate number of formularies, adequate reimbursement levels are not provided, the eligible insured patient population for our products is limited, or a key payor refuses to provide reimbursement for our products in a particular jurisdiction altogether, this could have a material adverse effect on our and our collaborators' ability to commercialize the applicable product.
In many countries outside the United States, pricing, coverage, and level of reimbursement of prescription drugs are subject to governmental control, and we and our collaborators may be unable to obtain coverage, pricing, and/or reimbursement on terms that are favorable to us or necessary for us or our collaborators to successfully commercialize our marketed products in those countries. In some of these countries, the proposed pricing for a drug must be approved before it may be lawfully marketed. The requirements governing drug pricing and reimbursement vary widely from country to country, and may take into account the clinical effectiveness, cost, and service impact of existing, new, and emerging drugs and treatments. For example, the 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. 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. In addition, in many countries outside the United States, we or our collaborators must participate in a tender process for public procurement of our products, and any failure to obtain acceptable pricing in the tender process could adversely affect our business. Our results of operations may suffer if we or our collaborators are unable to market our products in countries outside the United States or if coverage and reimbursement for our marketed products in such countries is limited or delayed. As discussed below under "If we are unable to establish sufficient commercial capabilities outside the United States for products we intend to commercialize or co-commercialize outside the United States, our business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition may be adversely affected," we will need to manage these and other commercialization-related risks in order for us to successfully maintain and/or further develop sufficient commercial capabilities outside the United States (including those necessary for our successful commercialization and co-commercialization of Libtayo and Dupixent, respectively).
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Changes to product reimbursement and coverage policies and practices may materially harm our business, prospects, operating results, and financial condition.
Government and other third-party payors (including PBMs) are challenging the prices charged for healthcare products and increasingly limiting, and attempting to limit, both coverage and level of reimbursement for prescription drugs, such as by requiring outcomes-based or other pay-for-performance pricing arrangements. They are also imposing restrictions on eligible patient populations and the reimbursement process, including by means of required prior authorizations and utilization management criteria, such as step therapy (i.e., requiring the use of less costly medications before more costly medications are approved for coverage). Private payor healthcare and insurance providers, health maintenance organizations, and PBMs are increasingly requiring significant discounts and rebates from manufacturers as a condition to including products on formulary with favorable coverage and copayment/coinsurance. In addition, many payors continue to adopt benefit plan changes that shift a greater portion of prescription costs to patients, including more limited benefit plan designs, higher patient co-pay or co-insurance obligations, and limitations on patients' use of commercial manufacturer co-pay payment assistance programs (including through co-pay accumulator adjustment or maximization programs). Some states have also enacted or are considering legislation to control the prices and reimbursement of prescription drugs, including by establishing Prescription Drug Affordability Boards (or similar entities) to review high-cost drugs, setting upper payment limits, and/or implementing marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures. Additionally, state Medicaid programs are increasingly requesting manufacturers to pay supplemental rebates and requiring prior authorization by the state program for use of any prescription drug for which supplemental rebates are not being paid. It is likely that federal and state legislatures and health agencies will continue to focus on additional healthcare reform measures in the future that will impose additional constraints on prices and reimbursements for our marketed products.
Further, there have been several recent U.S. Congressional inquiries and recently approved or proposed federal and state legislation, regulations, and policies (in addition to those already in effect) designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to drug pricing, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs, reduce the out-of-pocket cost of prescription drugs, and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for drugs. Notably, in 2022 the U.S. Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act ("IRA"), which includes, among other items, provisions regarding the following:
•Implementation of a Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program (the "Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program"). The Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program requires the government to set prices for select high-expenditure drugs covered under Medicare Parts B and D. Starting in 2023 and 2026, the government is authorized to select Part D and Part B drugs, respectively, for inclusion in the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, with established prices to go into effect for selected Part D drugs in 2026 and for selected Part B drugs in 2028, in each case absent certain disqualifying events.
•Medicare Inflation Based Rebates. The IRA includes measures requiring manufacturers to pay rebates where increases to the average sales price or average manufacturer price of drugs covered under Medicare Parts B and D, respectively, exceed the rate of inflation.
•Medicare Part D Program Redesign. The IRA implements changes to the Medicare Part D benefits to limit patient out-of-pocket drug costs and shift program liabilities from patients to other stakeholders, including health plans, manufacturers, and the government.
The extent to which the policy changes described above will ultimately impact reimbursement levels of our marketed products, including those covered under Medicare Part B (such as EYLEA and EYLEA HD), or our product candidates that may be covered under Medicare Part B or Medicare Part D in the future, is currently unclear.
At the state level, legislatures are becoming increasingly aggressive in passing legislation and implementing regulations designed to control pharmaceutical and biological product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access, and price and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures. In some cases, these measures are designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing. A reduction in the availability or extent of reimbursement from U.S. government programs (including as a result of the legislation, proposals, initiatives, and developments described above) could have a material adverse effect on the sales of EYLEA, EYLEA HD, or our other marketed products. Economic pressure on state budgets may also have a similar impact.
The commercial success of our products and product candidates is subject to significant competition.
Marketed Products
We face substantial competition from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Many of our competitors have substantially greater research, preclinical and clinical product development, and manufacturing capabilities, as well as financial, marketing, and human resources, than we do. Our competitors, regardless of their size, may also enhance their competitive position if they acquire or discover patentable inventions, form collaborative arrangements, or merge with other pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies. There is significant actual and potential future competition for each of our marketed products.
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EYLEA and EYLEA HD. EYLEA and EYLEA HD face significant competition in the marketplace. For example, each of EYLEA and EYLEA HD competes in one or more of its approved indications with other VEGF inhibitors. These include Genentech/Roche's Vabysmo® (faricimab-svoa) and Susvimo® (ranibizumab ocular implant); Novartis and Genentech/Roche's Lucentis® (ranibizumab); Novartis' Beovu® (brolucizumab); and biosimilar versions of Lucentis commercialized in the United States by Biogen Inc. and Sandoz Group AG. In addition, biosimilar versions of EYLEA have been approved both in and outside the United States. These include Amgen's PavbluTM (aflibercept-ayyh), which recently launched in the United States. We expect that biosimilar competition for EYLEA will increase in the future when additional biosimilar versions of EYLEA are launched in the United States and other countries, the timing of which will depend on, among other factors, the outcome of the pending patent litigation proceedings described in Note 16 to our Consolidated Financial Statements and the expiration of the patents protecting EYLEA (including those set forth under Part I - Item 1. "Business - Patents, Trademarks, and Trade Secrets"). Ophthalmologists are also using off-label, third-party repackaged versions of Genentech/Roche's approved VEGF antagonist, bevacizumab, for the treatment of certain of EYLEA's and EYLEA HD's respective indications, and we are aware of another company developing an ophthalmic formulation of such product that has been approved in the EU. In DME (and, in the case of EYLEA, also RVO), EYLEA and EYLEA HD also compete with intravitreal implants of corticosteroids. We are also aware of a number of companies working on the development of product candidates and extended delivery devices for the potential treatment of one or more of EYLEA's and EYLEA HD's respective indications, including those that act by blocking VEGF and VEGF receptors (including therapies designed to extend the treatment interval) and/or other targets. In addition, we are aware of several other companies developing biosimilar versions of EYLEA, EYLEA HD, and/or other approved anti-VEGF treatments. Other potentially competitive products in development include products for use in combination with EYLEA and/or other anti-VEGF treatments, small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors, gene therapies, and other eye-drop formulations, devices, and oral therapies. There also is a risk that third parties repackage ZALTRAP for off-label use and sale for the treatment of diseases of the eye, even though ZALTRAP has not been manufactured and formulated for use in intravitreal injections. We are aware of claims by third parties, including those based on published clinical data, alleging that ZALTRAP may be safely administered to the eye.
EYLEA HD was approved by the FDA in August 2023 for the treatment of wAMD, DME, and DR and entered the highly competitive environment described above. Our success in commercializing EYLEA HD will depend on a number of factors, including the degree of success and relative timing of our commercial launch and uptake efforts as compared to those of relevant competition, the extent to which we and our collaborators are able to differentiate EYLEA HD from competitive products (such as on the basis of dosing frequency, the method of administration, or the breadth of indications in which the product is approved), the safety and efficacy of EYLEA HD seen in a broader patient group (i.e., real-world use), the extent of payor coverage and reimbursement, and the applicability of any restrictions imposed by payors, such as step therapy.
Dupixent. The market for Dupixent's current and potential future indications is also increasingly competitive. In atopic dermatitis, there are systemic JAK inhibitors and antibodies against IL-13 and IL-4Ra approved or in development for atopic dermatitis. There is also an antibody against IL-31R approved for atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis. In addition, a number of companies are developing antibodies against other targets, including OX40(L), that may compete with Dupixent in atopic dermatitis and other indications (including asthma and/or prurigo nodularis). In asthma, competitors to Dupixent include antibodies against the IL-5 ligand or the IL-5 receptor, immunoglobulin E, or thymic stromal lymphopoietin ("TSLP"); and some of these antibodies are either approved or in development for indications that also compete or may compete in the future with Dupixent in CRSwNP, EoE, and COPD. There are several other potentially competitive products in development that may compete with Dupixent in asthma, COPD, and potential future indications, including antibodies against the IL-33 ligand or receptor. Dupixent also faces competition from inhaled products in asthma, COPD, and potential future indications.
Libtayo. Libtayo also faces significant competition. There are several competitors that are marketing and/or developing antibodies against PD-1 and/or PDL-1 (some of which were approved in the relevant indications and commercialized before Libtayo), including Merck's Keytruda® (pembrolizumab), Bristol-Myers Squibb's Opdivo® (nivolumab), Roche's Tecentriq® (atezolizumab), AstraZeneca's Imfinzi® (durvalumab), and Checkpoint Therapeutics' UnloxcytTM (cosibelimab). While Libtayo is currently approved for intravenous administration only, certain of these products are also approved or in development for subcutaneous use.
Other marketed products. There is also significant actual and potential future competition for other products marketed or otherwise commercialized by us and/or our collaborators under our collaboration agreements with them. For example, there are several companies that are marketing and/or developing antibodies or other molecules (such as small interfering RNA molecules, or siRNAs) against PCSK9, ANGPTL3 and IL-6 and/or IL-6R, which currently (or, for product candidates in development, may in the future if approved) treat the same conditions as Praluent, Evkeeza, and Kevzara, respectively.
Product Candidates
Our VelocImmune® technology, other antibody generation technologies, and late-stage and earlier-stage clinical candidates face competition from many pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies using various technologies, including antibody generation
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