ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations in conjunction with the audited financial statements and the notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In addition, you should read the “Risk Factors” and “Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” sections of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion of important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results described in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis.
For a full discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2023, including a year-over-year comparison to the year ended December 31, 2022, please read the “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, which we filed with the SEC on February 27, 2024.
Overview
We are a leading clinical-stage biotechnology company seeking to improve lives through the curative potential of gene therapy. Our investigational gene therapies are designed to deliver functional genes to address genetic defects in cells, enabling the production of therapeutic proteins or antibodies that are intended to impact disease. Through a single administration, gene therapy could potentially alter the course of disease significantly and deliver improved patient outcomes with long-lasting effects.
Overview of Product Candidates
We have developed a broad pipeline of gene therapy programs using our proprietary adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy delivery platform (NAV Technology Platform) as a one-time treatment to address an array of diseases. Our lead programs and product candidates are described below:
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ABBV-RGX-314: We are developing ABBV-RGX-314 (surabgene lomparvovec) in collaboration with AbbVie as a potential one-time treatment for chronic retinal conditions that cause total or partial vision loss, including wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) and diabetic retinopathy (DR). ABBV-RGX-314 is currently being evaluated in multiple clinical trials, including two pivotal trials (ATMOSPHERE and ASCENT), one Phase II bridging study, one long-term follow-up study and a fellow eye sub-study in patients with wet AMD, all utilizing subretinal delivery. Additionally, two Phase II clinical trials in patients with wet AMD (AAVIATE) and DR (ALTITUDE) are ongoing along with two corresponding long-term follow-up studies, all utilizing in-office suprachoroidal delivery. Within the Phase II study in DR, we are also evaluating ABBV-RGX-314 in diabetic macular edema (DME). ABBV-RGX-314 uses the NAV® AAV8 vector to deliver a gene encoding a therapeutic antibody fragment to inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). We have licensed certain exclusive rights to the SCS Microinjector® from Clearside Biomedical, Inc. (Clearside) to deliver gene therapy treatments to the suprachoroidal space of the eye.
Wet AMD
Subretinal Delivery
Enrollment continues to be on track in the ATMOSPHERE® and ASCENTTM pivotal trials for the treatment of patients with wet AMD using subretinal delivery. These trials are expected to support global regulatory submissions with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Topline data from these trials are expected to be shared in 2026.
Suprachoroidal Delivery
The AAVIATE® trial is a multi-center, open label, randomized, controlled, dose-escalation Phase II trial to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of suprachoroidal delivery of ABBV-RGX-314 for the treatment of wet AMD. As of July 29, 2024, ABBV-RGX-314 at dose level 3 with short course prophylactic steroid eye drops continues to be well tolerated with no drug-related serious adverse events (SAEs) and no cases of intraocular inflammation, endophthalmitis, vasculitis, retinal artery occlusion, choroidal effusion or hypotony. Mild episcleritis occurred in three patients, all resolved and completed treatment with topical steroids. There were no cases of elevated intraocular pressure. Based on this favorable safety profile, the Phase II AAVIATE trial is initiating enrollment in a new cohort to evaluate ABBV-RGX-314 at dose level 4 (1.5x10e12 GC/eye). Patients in this cohort will also receive short course prophylactic steroid eye drops.
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DR and DME
The ALTITUDE® trial is a multi-center, open label, randomized, controlled, dose-escalation Phase II trial to evaluate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of ABBV-RGX-314 using suprachoroidal delivery for the treatment of DR. Based on positive interim results from this trial, we, with partner AbbVie, conducted an End-of-Phase II meeting with the FDA in the fourth quarter of 2024. In January 2025, we and AbbVie announced we will plan a Phase III program for ABBV-RGX-314 in DR. The program is expected to support global regulatory submissions.
The ALTITUDE trial is now enrolling a new cohort of patients with center-involved DME. DME is a vision-threatening complication of DR; an estimated 34 million people globally have DME. Patients will receive a one-time, in-office injection of ABBV-RGX-314 at dose level 4 (1.5x10e12 GC/eye) with short course prophylactic steroid eye drops.
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RGX-202: We are developing RGX-202 as an investigational AAV therapeutic for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Duchenne), using the NAV AAV8 vector to deliver a transgene for a novel microdystrophin that includes the functional elements of the C-Terminal domain as well as a muscle-specific promoter to support a targeted therapy for improved resistance to muscle damage associated with Duchenne.
AFFINITY DUCHENNE® is a multicenter, open-label Phase I/II/III trial to evaluate the safety, tolerability and clinical efficacy of a one-time intravenous dose of RGX-202 in patients with Duchenne aged one and older. The initiation of the pivotal study as well as positive safety and efficacy data from the Phase I/II portion of the study, including the first functional data, were announced in November 2024. In March 2025, we announced that the pivotal study was nearly 50% enrolled, and we expect to complete enrollment in the study in 2025, share top line data in the first half of 2026 and submit a Biologics License Application (BLA) under the accelerated approval pathway in mid-2026.
We expect to share additional Phase I/II biomarker data at the 2025 Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Clinical & Scientific Conference, including the first biomarker data from the cohort of patients aged 1-3. The company expects to share additional efficacy and safety data, including additional functional data, in the first half of 2025.
We are also recruiting patients in the AFFINITY BEYOND® trial, an observational screening study. The primary objective is to evaluate the prevalence of AAV8 antibodies in patients with Duchenne up to 12 years of age. Information collected in this study may be used to identify potential participants for the AFFINITY DUCHENNE trial and potential future trials of RGX-202.
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RGX-121: We are developing RGX-121 (clemidsogene lanparvovec) in collaboration with Nippon Shinyaku in the United States and certain countries in Asia as an investigational one-time AAV therapeutic for the treatment of Mucopolysaccharidosis Type II (MPS II), also known as Hunter syndrome, using the NAV AAV9 vector to deliver the gene that encodes the iduronate-2-sulfatase enzyme.
In the pivotal phase of the Phase I/II/III CAMPSIITE® trial, RGX-121 achieved its primary endpoint, a reduction in cerebrospinal fluid Heparan sulfate levels of D2S6, a biomarker indicative of brain disease activity, with statistical significance. In September 2024, we announced positive data from the pivotal dose level of RGX-121 demonstrating long-term systemic effect. We plan to use levels of cerebrospinal fluid Heparan sulfate D2S6 as a surrogate endpoint reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit for accelerated approval. A BLA for RGX-121 seeking accelerated approval was submitted to the FDA in March 2025, which we believe is likely to be eligible for priority review. We expect potential approval of RGX-121 in the second half of 2025.
Potential approval of the BLA for RGX-121 could result in receipt of a Rare Pediatric Disease Priority Review Voucher in 2025, assuming the statutory criteria are met. If approved, RGX-121 would be the first approved gene therapy and one-time treatment for MPS II.
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RGX-111: We are developing RGX-111 in collaboration with Nippon Shinyaku in the United States and certain countries in Asia as an investigational one-time AAV therapeutic for the treatment of Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I (MPS I), also known as Hurler syndrome, using the NAV AAV9 vector to deliver the IDUA gene.
In November 2023, future development of RGX-111 was halted as a result of a strategic pipeline prioritization and corporate restructuring. Prior to that announcement, RGX-111 was demonstrated to be well tolerated and indicated encouraging biomarker and neurodevelopmental results in a Phase I/II study. Efforts to continue development of RGX-111 are set to be reinitiated following our announcement in January 2025 of a strategic partnership with Nippon Shinyaku.
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Strategic Pipeline Prioritization and Restructuring
In November 2023, we implemented a strategic pipeline prioritization and corporate restructuring designed to prioritize the development of ABBV-RGX-314, RGX-202 and RGX-121, and to seek strategic alternatives for our other clinical stage product candidates: (i) RGX-111 for the treatment of MPS I, (ii) RGX-181 for the treatment of late-infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 (CLN2) disease, and (iii) RGX-381 for the treatment of the ocular manifestations of CLN2 disease. The restructuring plan included a reduction in workforce and other planned operating expenses, primarily in rare neurodegenerative disease development, early research and other general and administrative areas. We implemented a reduction in workforce of approximately 15%, which was substantially completed in the fourth quarter of 2023. For additional information regarding the corporate restructuring, please refer to Note 14, “Restructuring” to the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements.
Collaboration and License Agreement with AbbVie
In September 2021, we entered into a collaboration and license agreement with AbbVie Global Enterprises Ltd. (AbbVie), a subsidiary of AbbVie Inc., to jointly develop and commercialize ABBV-RGX-314 (the AbbVie Collaboration Agreement). Pursuant to the AbbVie Collaboration Agreement, both we and AbbVie are active participants in the development of ABBV-RGX-314 and development expenses are shared between the parties in accordance with the agreement. The Company will lead the manufacturing of ABBV-RGX-314 for clinical development and U.S. commercial supply, and AbbVie will lead the global commercialization of ABBV-RGX-314. We received an up-front fee of $370.0 million from AbbVie upon the effective date of the AbbVie Collaboration Agreement in November 2021, and we are eligible to receive up to $1.38 billion from AbbVie upon the achievement of specified development and sales-based milestones. Additionally, the parties will share equally in the net profits and net losses associated with the commercialization of ABBV-RGX-314 in the United States, and we are eligible to receive tiered royalties on net sales by AbbVie of ABBV-RGX-314 outside the United States. For additional information regarding the AbbVie Collaboration Agreement, please refer to Note 10, “License and Collaboration Agreements—AbbVie Collaboration and License Agreement” to the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements.
Collaboration and License Agreement with Nippon Shinyaku
In January 2025, we entered into a collaboration and license agreement with Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd. (Nippon Shinyaku) for the development and commercialization of RGX-121 and RGX-111 (the Nippon Shinyaku Collaboration Agreement). Pursuant to the Nippon Shinyaku Collaboration Agreement, we are responsible for the development of RGX-121 and RGX-111 in the United States, and Nippon Shinyaku is responsible for development in licensed territories outside the United States. We are responsible for the manufacturing of RGX-121 and RGX-111 for clinical development and commercial supply, and manufacturing expenses will be allocated between the parties in accordance with the terms of the Nippon Shinyaku Collaboration Agreement. Nippon Shinyaku will be responsible, at its sole cost, for the commercialization of RGX-121 and RGX-111 in the licensed territories. Under the terms of the Nippon Shinyaku Collaboration Agreement, we will receive an up-front payment of $110.0 million from Nippon Shinyaku following the effective date of the agreement in March 2025 and we are eligible to receive up to $700.0 million from Nippon Shinyaku upon the achievement of specified development and sales-based milestones. We are also eligible to receive double-digit royalties on net sales of RGX-121 and RGX-111 by Nippon Shinyaku, subject to specified offsets and reductions. We also retain all rights to, and any proceeds related to the sale of, any priority review vouchers that may be issued upon the potential approvals of RGX-121 and RGX-111. For additional information regarding the Nippon Shinyaku Collaboration Agreement, please refer to Note 10, “License and Collaboration Agreements—Nippon Shinyaku Collaboration and License Agreement” to the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements.
Overview of Our NAV Technology Platform
In addition to our internal product development efforts, we also selectively license the NAV Technology Platform and other intellectual property rights to other leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, which we refer to as NAV Technology Licensees. As of December 31, 2024, our NAV Technology Platform was being applied in one commercial product, Zolgensma®, and the preclinical and clinical development of a number of other licensed products. Licensing the NAV Technology Platform allows us to maintain our internal product development focus on our core disease indications and therapeutic areas while still expanding the NAV gene therapy pipeline, developing a greater breadth of treatments for patients, providing additional technological and potential clinical proof-of-concept for our NAV Technology Platform and creating potential additional revenue opportunities.
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Financial Overview
Revenues
Our revenues to date consist primarily of license and royalty revenue resulting from the licensing of our NAV Technology Platform and other intellectual property rights. We have not generated any revenues from commercial sales of our own products. If we fail to complete the development of our product candidates in a timely manner or obtain regulatory approval and adequate labeling, our ability to generate future revenues will be materially compromised.
We license our NAV Technology Platform and other intellectual property rights to other biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, including collaborators for the joint development and commercialization of our product candidates. The terms of the licenses vary, and licenses may be exclusive or non-exclusive and may be sublicensable by the licensee. Licenses may grant intellectual property rights for purposes of internal and preclinical research and development only, or may include the rights, or options to obtain future rights, to commercialize drug therapies for specific diseases using the NAV Technology Platform and other licensed rights. License agreements generally have a term at least equal to the life of the underlying patents, but are terminable at the option of the licensee. Consideration from licensees under our license agreements may include: (i) up-front and annual fees, (ii) milestone payments based on the achievement of certain development and sales-based milestones, (iii) sublicense fees, (iv) royalties on sales of licensed products, (v) fees for services related to the development of licensed products and (vi) other consideration payable upon optional goods and services purchased by licensees.
Future license and royalty revenues are dependent on the successful development and commercialization of licensed products, which is uncertain, and revenues may fluctuate significantly from period to period. Additionally, we may never receive consideration in our license agreements that is contemplated on option fees, development and sales-based milestone payments, royalties on sales of licensed products or sublicense fees, given the contingent nature of these payments. Our revenues are concentrated among a low number of licensees and licenses are terminable at the option of the licensee. The termination of our licenses by licensees may materially impact the amount of revenue we recognize in future periods. Please refer to Note 17, “Segment and Geographical Information” to the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements for a description of segment and geographical information regarding our revenues.
Zolgensma Royalties
Royalty revenue to date consists primarily of royalties on net sales of Zolgensma, which is marketed by Novartis Gene Therapies, Inc. (formerly AveXis, Inc.) (Novartis Gene Therapies), a wholly owned subsidiary of Novartis AG (Novartis), for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Zolgensma is a licensed product under our license agreement with Novartis Gene Therapies for the development and commercialization of treatments for SMA using the NAV Technology Platform.
Operating Expenses
Our operating expenses consist primarily of cost of revenues, research and development expenses and general and administrative expenses. Personnel costs including salaries, wages, benefits, bonuses and stock-based compensation expense, comprise a significant component of research and development and general and administrative expenses. We allocate indirect expenses associated with our facilities, information technology costs, depreciation and other overhead costs between research and development and general and administrative categories based on employee headcount and the nature of work performed by each employee or using other reasonable allocation methodologies.
Cost of Revenues
Our cost of revenues consists primarily of upstream fees due to our licensors as a result of revenue generated from the licensing of our NAV Technology Platform and other intellectual property rights, including sublicense fees and royalties on net sales of licensed products. Sublicense fees are based on a percentage of license fees received by us from licensees and are recognized in the period that the underlying license revenue is recognized. Royalties are based on a percentage of net sales of licensed products by licensees and are recognized in the period that the underlying sales occur. Future costs of revenues are uncertain due to the nature of our license agreements and significant fluctuations in cost of revenues may occur from period to period.
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Research and Development Expense
Our research and development expenses consist primarily of:
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salaries, wages and personnel-related costs, including benefits, travel and stock-based compensation, for our scientific personnel and others performing research and development activities;
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costs related to executing preclinical studies and clinical trials;
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costs related to acquiring, developing and manufacturing materials for preclinical studies and clinical trials;
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fees paid to consultants and other third parties who support our product candidate development;
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other costs in seeking regulatory approval of our product candidates; and
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direct costs and allocated costs related to laboratories and facilities, depreciation expense, information technology and other overhead.
Up-front fees incurred in obtaining technology licenses for research and development activities, as well as associated milestone payments, are charged to research and development expense as incurred if the technology licensed has no alternative future use.
We expect to continue to incur significant research and development expenses for the foreseeable future as we continue the development of our product candidates and engage in early research and development for prospective product candidates and new technologies. The following table summarizes our research and development expenses incurred during the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 (in thousands):
Years Ended December 31,
Direct Expenses
Unallocated Expenses
* Certain amounts reported in prior years have been reclassified to conform to the current year's presentation.
Direct expenses related to the development of ABBV-RGX-314 for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 include net cost reimbursement from AbbVie under our eye care collaboration of $78.3 million, $74.2 million and $19.3 million, respectively, which were recorded as a reduction of research and development expenses. Net cost reimbursement from AbbVie includes reimbursement of personnel and overhead costs attributable to the development of ABBV-RGX-314, the underlying costs of which are reported as unallocated expenses in the table above. We typically utilize our employee and infrastructure resources across our development programs. As a result, we generally do not allocate personnel and other internal costs, such as facilities and other overhead costs, to specific product candidates or development programs.
Platform and early research reported in the table above includes direct costs not identifiable with a specific lead product candidate, including costs associated with our research and development platform used across programs, process and analytical development, early research and development for prospective product candidates and new technologies, and other costs in support of research and development activities.
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Direct expenses related to the development of product candidates for which we have discontinued internal development are included in other product candidates in the table above. We expect to continue to incur minor development expenses associated with long-term follow up studies for certain discontinued product candidates.
General and Administrative Expense
Our general and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries, wages and personnel-related costs, including benefits, travel and stock-based compensation, for employees performing functions other than research and development. This includes certain personnel in executive, commercial, corporate development, finance, legal, human resources, information technology, facilities and administrative support functions. Additionally, general and administrative expenses include costs associated with accounting, legal, commercial and other corporate advisory services, obtaining and maintaining patents, insurance, information systems and other general corporate activities, as well as facility-related costs and other corporate overhead costs not otherwise allocated to research and development expense. We expect that our general and administrative expenses will increase as we continue to develop, and potentially commercialize, our product candidates.
Other Income (Expense)
Interest Income from Licensing
In accordance with our revenue recognition policy, interest income from licensing consists of imputed interest recognized from significant financing components identified in our license agreements with NAV Technology Licensees.
Investment Income
Investment income consists of interest income earned and gains and losses realized from our cash and cash equivalents, marketable securities and non-marketable equity securities. Cash equivalents are comprised of money market mutual funds and highly liquid debt securities with original maturities of 90 days or less at acquisition. Marketable securities are comprised of available-for-sale debt securities.
Interest Expense
Interest expense consists primarily of interest imputed on the liability related to the sale of future Zolgensma royalties to entities managed by Healthcare Royalty Management, LLC (collectively, HCR). Interest expense is recognized using the effective interest method, based on our estimate of total royalty payments expected to be received by HCR under the royalty purchase agreement. For further information regarding the royalty purchase agreement with HCR, please refer to Note 7, “Liability Related to Sale of Future Royalties” to the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
This Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is based on our consolidated financial statements, which we have prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities for the periods presented. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities, and other reported amounts, that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ materially from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
Our significant accounting policies are fully described in Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to our audited consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We believe the following accounting policies are critical to the process of making significant judgments and estimates in the preparation of our financial statements and understanding and evaluating our reported financial results.
Revenue Recognition
We recognize revenue in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASC 606). ASC 606 requires entities to recognize revenue when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to customers at an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. The following five steps are performed to determine the appropriate revenue recognition for arrangements within the scope
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of ASC 606: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer, (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (iii) determine the transaction price, (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies the performance obligations.
We apply the five-step model to contracts that are within the scope of ASC 606 only when it is probable that we will collect the consideration we are entitled to in exchange for the goods or services we transfer to the customer. At contract inception, for contracts within the scope of ASC 606, we assess the goods or services promised within each contract and determine those that are performance obligations and whether each promised good or service is distinct. We then recognize as revenue the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to respective performance obligations when (or as) the respective performance obligations are satisfied.
We evaluate our contracts with customers for the presence of significant financing components. If a significant financing component is identified in a contract and provides a financing benefit to the customer, the transaction price for the contract is adjusted to account for the financing portion of the arrangement, which is recognized as interest income over the financing term using the effective interest method. In determining the appropriate interest rates for significant financing components, we evaluate the credit profile of the customer and prevailing market interest rates and select an interest rate in which we believe would be charged to the customer in a separate financing arrangement over a similar financing term.
License and Royalty Revenue
We license our NAV Technology Platform and other intellectual property rights to other biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. The terms of the licenses vary, and licenses may be exclusive or non-exclusive and may be sublicensable by the licensee. Licenses may grant intellectual property rights for purposes of internal and preclinical research and development only, or may include the rights, or options to obtain future rights, to commercialize drug therapies for specific diseases using our NAV Technology Platform and other licensed rights. License agreements generally have a term at least equal to the life of the underlying patents, but are terminable at the option of the licensee. Consideration payable to us under our license agreements may include: (i) up-front and annual fees, (ii) milestone payments based on the achievement of certain development and sales-based milestones, (iii) sublicense fees, (iv) royalties on sales of licensed products, (v) fees for services related to the development of licensed products and (vi) other consideration payable upon optional goods and services purchased by licensees.
Our license agreements are accounted for as contracts with customers within the scope of ASC 606, with the exception of transactions for which the counterparty is determined not to be a customer. At the inception of each license agreement, we determine the contract term for purposes of applying the requirements of ASC 606. Licenses are generally terminable at the option of the licensee with advance notice to us. For each license granted, including licenses granted upon the exercise of license options, we evaluate these termination rights to determine whether a substantive termination penalty would be incurred by the licensee upon termination. If the licensee incurs a substantive termination penalty upon termination, the contract term for revenue recognition purposes is generally equal to the stated term of the license, which is the life of the underlying licensed patents. Alternatively, if the licensee does not incur a substantive termination penalty upon termination, the contract term for revenue recognition purposes may be shorter than the stated term of the license, in which case the termination rights may be accounted for as contract renewal options. The determination of whether a substantive termination penalty is associated with the termination rights requires significant judgment. In making this determination, we consider, among other things, the nature of the intellectual property rights that would be returned to us upon termination, including the exclusivity of the licensed rights and the stage of development of the licensed products, the payment terms, including the amount and timing of non-refundable or guaranteed payments, and the business purpose of the termination rights granted to the licensee. Generally, the most significant judgment in determining whether a substantive termination penalty exists relates to the amount of any up-front or guaranteed non-refundable payments relative to the amount of annual payments that may be avoided by the licensee upon termination of the license. We consider all of the facts and circumstances relevant to each license when making this determination.
Performance obligations under our license agreements may include (i) the delivery of intellectual property licenses, (ii) options granted to licensees to acquire additional licenses, to the extent the options represent material rights to the licensee, and (iii) research and development services to be performed by us related to licensed products. License agreements may provide licensees with contract renewal options or options to acquire additional licenses, goods or other services. Options are evaluated at the inception of the license agreement to determine whether they provide material rights to the licensee. In making this determination, we consider whether the options are priced at an incremental discount to the standalone selling price for the underlying licenses, goods or services, in which case the option is considered to be a material right to the licensee and is accounted for as a separate performance obligation under the current license agreement. At the inception of each license agreement which contains performance obligations for research and development services, we evaluate whether the license is distinct from the research and development services, which requires judgment. In making this determination, we consider, among other things, the stage of development of the licensed products and whether the research and development services will significantly impact further development of the licensed products. If it is
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determined that the license is not distinct from the research and development services, the license is combined with the research and development services into a single performance obligation.
We evaluate the transaction price of our license agreements at the inception of each agreement and at each reporting date. The transaction price includes the fixed consideration payable to us during the contract term, as well as any variable consideration to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal of revenue will not occur in the future. Fixed consideration under the license agreements may include up-front and annual fees payable during the contract term and fees for development services related to licensed products. Variable consideration under the license agreements may include development and sales-based milestone payments, sublicense fees and royalties on sales of licensed products. Consideration contingent upon the exercise of options by a licensee is excluded from the transaction price and not accounted for as part of the license agreement until the option is exercised.
The transaction price for each license agreement is allocated to the underlying performance obligations based on their relative standalone selling prices and recognized as revenue when (or as) the performance obligations are satisfied. Consideration allocated to performance obligations for the delivery of an intellectual property license is recognized as revenue in full upon the delivery of the license to the licensee. Consideration allocated to performance obligations for license options is recognized as revenue in full upon the earlier of the option exercise or expiration. The exercise of a license option by a licensee is accounted for as a new license for revenue recognition purposes. Consideration allocated to performance obligations for research and development services is recognized as revenue as the services are performed by us.
Up-front and annual licenses fees payable to us over the contract term of each license are included in the transaction price, and the portion of this consideration allocated to the performance obligation for the delivery of the intellectual property license is recognized as revenue in full upon the delivery of the license to the licensee. If annual license fees are payable to us in periods beyond 12 months from the delivery of the license, a significant financing component is deemed to exist which provides a financing benefit to the licensee. If a significant financing component is identified, we adjust the transaction price for the license to include only the present value of the annual license fees payable to us over the contract term. The discounted portion of the license fees is recognized as interest income from licensing over the financing period of the license.
Development milestone payments are payable to us upon the achievement of specified development milestones. At the inception of each license agreement that contains development milestone payments, we evaluate whether the milestones are considered probable of achievement and estimate the amount to be included in the transaction price using the most likely amount method. If it is probable that a significant revenue reversal will not occur in the future, milestone payments are included in the transaction price and recognized as revenue upon the delivery of the license. Milestone payments contingent on the achievement of development milestones that are not within our control or the control of the licensee, such as regulatory approvals, are not considered probable of being achieved and are excluded from the transaction price until the milestone is achieved. At each reporting date, we re-evaluate the probability of achievement of each outstanding development milestone and, if necessary, adjust the transaction price for any milestones for which the probability of achievement has changed due to current facts and circumstances. Any such adjustments are recorded on a cumulative catch-up basis and recognized as revenue in the period of the adjustment.
Royalties on sales of licensed products, sales-based milestone payments, including milestones payable upon first commercial sales of licensed products, and sublicense fees based on the receipt of certain fees by licensees from any sublicensees are excluded from the transaction price of each license and recognized as revenue in the period that the related sales or sublicenses occur, provided that the associated license has been delivered to the licensee.
Royalty revenue to date consists primarily of royalties on net sales of Zolgensma, which is a licensed product under our license agreement with Novartis Gene Therapies for the development and commercialization of treatments for SMA. We recognize royalty revenue from net sales of Zolgensma in the period in which the underlying products are sold by Novartis Gene Therapies, which in certain cases may require us to estimate royalty revenue for periods of net sales which have not yet been reported to us. Estimated royalties are reconciled to actual amounts reported in subsequent periods, and any differences are recognized as an adjustment to royalty revenue in the period the royalties are reported.
We receive payments from licensees based on the billing schedules established in each license agreement. Amounts recognized as revenue which have not yet been received from licensees, including unbilled royalties, are recorded as accounts receivable when our rights to the consideration are conditional solely upon the passage of time. Amounts recognized as revenue which have not yet been received from licensees are recorded as contract assets when our rights to the consideration are not unconditional. Contract assets are recorded as other current assets on the consolidated balance sheets. If a licensee elects to terminate a license prior to the end of the license term, the licensed intellectual property is returned to us and any consideration recorded as accounts receivable or contract assets which is not contractually payable by the licensee is charged off as a reduction of license revenue in the period of the termination. Amounts received by us prior to the delivery of underlying performance obligations are deferred and recognized as
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revenue upon the satisfaction of the performance obligations. Deferred revenue which is not expected to be recognized within 12 months from the reporting date is recorded as non-current on the consolidated balance sheets.
Collaborative Arrangements
We evaluate our agreements with collaboration partners to determine whether they are within the scope of ASC 808, Collaborative Arrangements (ASC 808). Such arrangements are within the scope of ASC 808 if they involve joint operating activities performed by parties that are both active participants in the activities and exposed to significant risks and rewards dependent on the commercial success of such activities. This evaluation is performed throughout the life of the arrangement based on any changes in the roles and responsibilities of the parties under the arrangement. For collaboration arrangements within the scope of ASC 808 that contain multiple elements, we identify the various transactions with the counterparty and determine if any unit of account is more reflective of a transaction with a customer and therefore should be accounted for within the scope of ASC 606. For transactions that are accounted for pursuant to ASC 808, an appropriate method of recognition and presentation is determined and consistently applied. For transactions that are accounted for pursuant to ASC 606, we apply the five-step model as described in our revenue recognition policies.
For additional information regarding our collaborative arrangements, including our collaborations with AbbVie and Nippon Shinyaku, refer to Note 10, “License and Collaboration Agreements” to the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements.
Accrued Research and Development Expenses
We estimate our accrued research and development expenses as of each balance sheet date. This process involves reviewing contracts and purchase orders with service providers, identifying services that have been performed on our behalf and estimating the level of service performed, the expected remaining period of performance and the associated expenses incurred for the service when we have not yet been invoiced or otherwise notified of actual cost. Depending on the timing of payments to the service providers and the estimated expenses incurred, we may record net prepaid or accrued research and development expenses relating to these costs.
Examples of estimated accrued research and development expenses include fees paid to:
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Contract research organizations (CROs) and other vendors in connection with preclinical development and clinical studies;
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Contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) and other vendors related to process development and manufacturing of materials for use in preclinical development and clinical studies; and
•
service providers for professional service fees such as consulting and other research and development related services.
Our understanding of the status and timing of services performed relative to the actual status and timing may vary and may result in us reporting changes in estimates in any particular period. To date, there have been no material differences from our estimates to the amount actually incurred.
Stock-based Compensation
We account for our stock-based compensation awards in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation (ASC 718). ASC 718 requires all stock-based awards to employees and nonemployees to be recognized as expense based on the grant date fair value of the awards. Our stock-based awards include stock options and restricted stock units granted to employees and nonemployees and shares issued to employees under our employee stock purchase plan.
Our stock-based awards may be subject to either service or performance-based vesting conditions. Compensation expense related to awards with service-based vesting conditions is recognized on a straight-line basis based on the estimated grant date fair value over the requisite service period of the award, which is generally the vesting term. Compensation expense related to awards with performance-based vesting conditions is recognized based on the estimated grant date fair value over the requisite service period using the accelerated attribution method to the extent achievement of the performance condition is probable.
We have elected to not estimate forfeitures of stock-based awards and account for forfeitures as they occur.
We estimate the fair value of our stock option awards using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, which requires the input of subjective assumptions, including (i) the fair value of the underlying common stock, (ii) the expected stock price volatility, (iii) the expected term of the award, (iv) the risk-free interest rate and (v) expected dividends. The fair value of our common stock, as used as an input to determine the fair value of our stock option awards, is based on the closing price of our common stock on the date of the
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grant. We estimate expected stock price volatility based on the historical volatility of our common stock over a period of time commensurate with the expected term of our stock option awards. Due to the lack of sufficient historical data, we estimate the expected term of our employee stock options using the “simplified” method, whereby the expected term equals the arithmetic average of the vesting term and the original contractual term of the option. For stock options granted to nonemployees, we use the contractual term of the award rather than expected term to estimate the fair value of the award. We estimate the risk-free interest rates for periods within the expected term of its options based on the rates of U.S. Treasury securities with maturity dates commensurate with the expected term of the associated awards. We assume a dividend yield of zero for our common stock as we have never paid dividends and do not expect to pay dividends for the foreseeable future.
We estimate the fair value of our restricted stock units based on the closing price of our common stock on the date of the grant.
Interest Expense on Liability Related to Sale of Future Royalties
We recorded a liability for the net proceeds received from the sale of our Zolgensma royalty payments to HCR. The liability is amortized over the estimated life of the arrangement using the effective interest method. The total amount of royalty payments received by HCR under the agreement, less the net proceeds we received from the sale, is recorded as interest expense over the life of the arrangement. We estimate the effective interest rate based on our estimate of total future royalty payments to be received by HCR under the agreement. We reassess these estimates at each reporting date and adjust the effective interest rate and amortization of the liability on a prospective basis as necessary.
Income Taxes
We account for income taxes in accordance with ASC 740, Income Taxes, which provides for deferred taxes using an asset and liability approach. We recognize deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the consolidated financial statements or tax returns. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Valuation allowances are provided if based upon the weight of available evidence, it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.
As of December 31, 2024, we had federal net operating loss (NOL) carryforwards of $373.6 million, U.S. state NOL carryforwards of $408.9 million and federal and state research and development tax credit carryforwards of $87.2 million (net of unrecognized tax benefits of $0.1 million) which may be available to offset future income tax liabilities. Our federal NOL carryforwards and a portion of our state NOL carryforwards as of December 31, 2024 may be carried forward indefinitely. The remaining portion of our state NOL carryforwards and our federal and state credit carryforwards as of December 31, 2024 expire at various dates between 2029 and 2044.
We have evaluated the positive and negative evidence bearing upon the realizability of our deferred tax assets, including our NOL and credit carryforwards. Based on our history of operating losses, and other relevant facts and circumstances, we concluded that it is more likely than not that the benefit of our deferred tax assets will not be realized. Accordingly, we provided a full valuation allowance for our net deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2024 and 2023.
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Results of Operations
Our consolidated results of operations were as follows (in thousands):
Years Ended December 31, Change
Revenues
Operating Expenses
Credit losses (recoveries) (5,000 ) — — (5,000 ) —
Impairment of long-lived assets 2,101 — — 2,101 —
Other Income (Expense)
Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023
License and Royalty Revenue. License and royalty revenue decreased by $6.9 million, from $90.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 to $83.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2024.The decrease was primarily attributable to non-recurring development milestone revenue recognized in 2023, and Zolgensma royalty revenues, which decreased from $85.3 million in 2023 to $81.5 million in 2024.As reported by Novartis, sales of Zolgensma in 2024 were $1.21 billion, consistent with 2023, and the product continues to treat mainly incident patients in established markets. The decrease in Zolgensma royalties was primarily attributable to fluctuations in the effective royalty rate under the license agreement with Novartis.
Research and Development Expense. Research and development expenses decreased by $23.7 million, from $232.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 to $208.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The decrease was primarily attributable to the following:
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a decrease of $10.5 million in personnel-related costs for research and development personnel, including a $2.6 million decrease in stock-based compensation expense, primarily driven by the reduction in workforce associated with our corporate restructuring in the fourth quarter of 2023;
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a decrease of $10.3 million in manufacturing expenses and other costs of clinical supply for our lead product candidates, largely driven by ABBV-RGX-314 and RGX-121 clinical supply costs;
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a decrease of $6.2 million in preclinical activities and other early-stage research and development; and
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a decrease of $6.1 million in costs for laboratories and facilities used by research and development personnel, including a $1.1 million decrease in depreciation expense allocated to research and development functions, primarily driven by a decrease in laboratory supplies and consumables.
The decrease in research and development expenses was partially offset by an increase of $10.5 million in costs associated with clinical trial activities, largely driven by clinical trial expenses for ABBV-RGX-314 and RGX-202.
General and Administrative Expense. General and administrative expenses decreased by $11.9 million, from $88.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 to $76.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The decrease was primarily attributable to professional services and consulting fees, including legal and other corporate advisory services, and other corporate overhead expenses.
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Credit Losses (Recoveries). We recognized credit recoveries of $5.0 million during the year ended December 31, 2024 related to the full collection of amounts due under our settlement agreement with Abeona Therapeutics Inc. (Abeona), for which we had previously recorded an allowance for credit losses. For further information regarding the settlement agreement with Abeona and the allowance for credit losses, please refer to Note 10, “License and Collaboration Agreements – Settlement Agreement with Abeona Therapeutics” to the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements. We did not record any credit losses or recoveries during the year ended December 31, 2023.
Investment Income. Investment income increased by $7.4 million, from $11.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 to $18.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The increase was largely attributable to the achievement of milestones associated with the acquisition of our non-marketable equity securities of Corlieve Therapeutics SAS (Corlieve) by uniQure N.V. (uniQure) in July 2021. The Company recognized realized gains of $6.6 million and $2.2 million upon the achievement of such milestones during 2024 and 2023, respectively. The remaining increase was primarily attributable to higher yields on investments in cash equivalents and marketable debt securities.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Sources of Liquidity
As of December 31, 2024, we had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $244.9 million, which were primarily derived from the sale of our common stock and pre-funded warrants and license fees received under the AbbVie Collaboration Agreement, as described below. We expect that our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of December 31, 2024, along with the up-front payment of $110.0 million expected to be received under the Nippon Shinyaku Collaboration Agreement, will enable us to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements, and are sufficient to meet our financial commitments and obligations, for at least the next 12 months from the date of this report, based on our current business plan. Our recent sources of liquidity include the following events and transactions:
•
In March 2024, we completed a public offering of 4,565,260 shares of our common stock at a price of $23.00 per share and 1,521,740 pre-funded warrants to purchase shares of our common stock at a price of $22.9999 per pre-funded warrant, which equaled the public offering price per share of the common stock less the $0.0001 exercise price of each pre-funded warrant. The aggregate net proceeds received from the offering were $131.1 million, net of underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses.
•
In September 2021, we entered into the AbbVie Collaboration Agreement for the development and commercialization of ABBV-RGX-314. Pursuant to the AbbVie Collaboration Agreement, we received an up-front fee of $370.0 million from AbbVie upon the effective date of the agreement in November 2021, and we are eligible to receive up to $1.38 billion from AbbVie upon the achievement of specified development and sales-based milestones. Additionally, the parties will share equally in the net profits and net losses associated with the commercialization of ABBV-RGX-314 in the United States, and we are eligible to receive tiered royalties on net sales by AbbVie of ABBV-RGX-314 outside the United States.
•
In January 2025, we entered into the Nippon Shinyaku Collaboration Agreement for the development and commercialization of RGX-121 and RGX-111 in the United States and certain countries in Asia. Pursuant the Nippon Shinyaku Collaboration Agreement, we will receive an up-front payment of $110.0 million following the effective date of the agreement in March 2025 and are eligible to receive up to $700.0 million upon the achievement of specified development and sales-based milestones. We are also eligible to receive double-digit royalties on net sales of RGX-121 and RGX-111 by Nippon Shinyaku, subject to specified offsets and reductions.
We intend to devote the majority of our current capital to preclinical research, clinical development, seeking regulatory approval of our product candidates and, if approved, commercialization of our product candidates, as well as additional capital expenditures needed to support these activities. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with the development and commercialization of gene therapy product candidates, we are unable to estimate the total amount of operating expenditures and capital outlays necessary to complete the development of our product candidates. Additionally, our estimates are based on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we may use our available capital resources sooner than we currently expect which could accelerate our liquidity needs.
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At-the-Market Offering Programs
In September 2023, we entered into an ATM Equity OfferingSM Sales Agreement with BofA Securities, Inc. (BofA) pursuant to which we may offer and sell shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $150.0 million from time to time through BofA, acting as our sales agent (the BofA ATM Program). We terminated the BofA ATM Program effective in November 2024. No shares of common stock were sold under the BofA ATM Program prior to its termination.
In December 2024, we entered into a Sales Agreement with Leerink Partners LLC (Leerink) pursuant to which we may offer and sell shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $150.0 million from time to time through Leerink, acting as our sales agent (the Leerink ATM Program). As of December 31, 2024, no shares of common stock had been sold under the Leerink ATM Program. We intend to use proceeds obtained from the sale of shares under the Leerink ATM Program, if any, for general corporate purposes.
Private Placement
In July 2023, we sold 257,466 shares of our common stock in a private placement transaction for which we received aggregate net proceeds of $4.9 million, net of offering expenses.
Cash Flows
Our consolidated cash flows were as follows (in thousands):
Years Ended December 31,
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities 92,683 (34,966 ) (28,840 )
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Our net cash used in operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2024 decreased by $45.3 million from the year ended December 31, 2023, largely as a result of lower operating expenses and increased cost reimbursement received from AbbVie under our ABBV-RGX-314 collaboration in 2024. We expect to continue to incur regular net cash outflows from operations for the foreseeable future as we continue the development and advancement of our product candidates and other research programs.
For the year ended December 31, 2024, our net cash used in operating activities of $173.1 million consisted of a net loss of $227.1 million, offset by adjustments for non-cash items of $48.4 million and favorable changes in operating assets and liabilities of $5.5 million. Adjustments for non-cash items primarily consisted of stock-based compensation expense of $38.5 million and depreciation and amortization expense of $16.2 million, partially offset by realized gains on investments, credit recoveries and the accretion of discounts on marketable debt securities during the period. The changes in operating assets and liabilities include a decrease in total accounts receivable of $9.7 million, which was driven largely by a decrease in Zolgensma royalties receivable and the full collection of amounts due under our settlement agreement with Abeona, for which we recorded a $5.0 million credit recovery during the period. The changes in operating assets and liabilities also include a total decrease in prepaid expenses and other current assets of $12.0 million, which was driven primarily by decreases in prepaid fees to CROs and net cost reimbursement due from AbbVie under our ABBV-RGX-314 collaboration. The favorable changes in operating assets and liabilities were partially offset by a decrease in accrued expenses and other current liabilities of $12.1 million, which was driven primarily by decreases in accruals for external research and development services and sublicense and royalties due to licensors. Other changes in operating working capital occurred in the normal course of business.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, our net cash used in operating activities of $218.4 million consisted of a net loss of $263.5 million and unfavorable changes in operating assets and liabilities of $10.9 million, offset by adjustments for non-cash items of $56.0 million. The changes in operating assets and liabilities include an increase in other current assets of $10.5 million, which was driven primarily by an increase in net cost reimbursement due from AbbVie under our ABBV-RGX-314 collaboration. Other changes in operating working capital occurred in the normal course of business. Adjustments for non-cash items primarily consisted of stock-based compensation expense of $40.3 million and depreciation and amortization expense of $17.3 million.
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Cash Flows from Investing Activities
For the year ended December 31, 2024, our net cash provided by investing activities consisted of $290.2 million in maturities of marketable debt securities and $5.8 million in proceeds received from uniQure upon the achievement of milestones associated with their acquisition of Corlieve, offset by $190.1 million used to purchase marketable debt securities and $2.4 million used to purchase property and equipment.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, our net cash provided by investing activities consisted of $285.5 million in maturities of marketable debt securities and $2.0 million in proceeds received from uniQure upon the achievement of milestones associated with their acquisition of Corlieve, offset by $86.6 million used to purchase marketable debt securities and $10.0 million used to purchase property and equipment.
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
For the year ended December 31, 2024, our net cash provided by financing activities primarily consisted of $131.1 million in net proceeds received from the public offering of common stock and pre-funded warrants completed in March 2024, net of underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses paid during the period, and $2.7 million in proceeds received from the exercise of stock options and issuance of common stock under our employee stock purchase plan. Our net cash provided by financing activities was partially offset by $39.9 million of Zolgensma royalties paid, net of imputed interest, under our royalty purchase agreement with HCR.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, our net cash used in financing activities primarily consisted of $42.3 million of Zolgensma royalties paid, net of imputed interest, under our royalty purchase agreement with HCR. Our net cash used in financing activities was partially offset by $4.9 million in net proceeds received from a private placement of our common stock in July 2023 and $3.3 million in proceeds received from the exercise of stock options and issuance of common stock under our employee stock purchase plan.
Additional Capital Requirements
Our material capital requirements from known contractual and other obligations primarily relate to vendor service contracts and purchase commitments, in-license agreements, operating lease agreements and our Zolgensma royalty purchase agreement with HCR.
In the normal course of business, we enter into services agreements with CROs, CMOs and other third parties. Generally, these agreements provide for termination upon notice, with specified amounts due upon termination based on the timing of termination and the terms of the agreement. The amounts and timing of payments under these agreements are uncertain and contingent upon the initiation and completion of the services to be provided.
Obligations to licensors under our in-license agreements may include sublicense fees, milestones fees, royalties and reimbursement of patent maintenance costs. Sublicense fees are payable to licensors when we sublicense underlying intellectual property to third parties; the fees are based on a percentage of the license fees we receive from sublicensees. Milestone fees are payable to licensors upon our future achievement of certain development, regulatory and commercial milestones. Royalties are payable to licensors based on a percentage of net sales of licensed products. Patent maintenance costs are payable to licensors as reimbursement for the cost of maintaining licensed patents. Due to the contingent nature of the payments, the amounts and timing of payments to licensors under our in-license agreements are uncertain and may fluctuate significantly from period to period.
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In March 2022, we entered into a letter agreement (the Penn Letter Agreement) with The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) to buy out our obligation to pay sublicense fees under our license agreement with Penn (the Penn License). Pursuant to the letter agreement, we are obligated to pay Penn a total of $12.0 million to satisfy any other past or future obligations to pay sublicense fees under the Penn License, which is payable in four equal annual installments of $3.0 million beginning in March 2023. We are no longer obligated to pay sublicense fees to Penn under the license agreement, but remain obligated to pay Penn royalties on net sales of licensed products, milestone fees and reimbursement of certain patent maintenance costs in accordance with the Penn License. As of December 31, 2024, we had $6.0 million remaining payable to Penn under the Penn Letter Agreement, in addition to other amounts payable Penn under the Penn License.
We have entered into a number of long-term operating leases for office, laboratory and manufacturing space in Rockville, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and New York, New York, as well as a number of laboratory and other equipment leases. As of December 31, 2024, we had recorded total lease liabilities of $82.0 million under our operating leases. Please refer to Note 6, “Leases” to the accompanying consolidated financial statements for further information regarding our lease commitments.
Under the terms of our royalty purchase agreement with HCR, our future Zolgensma royalties, less amounts payable by us to certain licensors, will be payable to HCR up to a specified capped amount. As of December 31, 2024, the total amount of future Zolgensma royalties to be paid to HCR under the agreement was $95.6 million. We have no obligation to repay any amounts to HCR if total future Zolgensma royalty payments are not sufficient to repay these amounts.
Future Funding Requirements
We have incurred cumulative losses since our inception and had an accumulated deficit of $932.1 million as of December 31, 2024. Our transition to recurring profitability is dependent upon achieving a level of revenues adequate to support our cost structure, which depends heavily on the successful development, approval and commercialization of our product candidates. We do not expect to achieve such revenues, and expect to continue to incur losses, for at least the next several years. We expect to continue to incur significant research and development and general and administrative expenses for the foreseeable future as we continue the development of, and seek regulatory approval for, our product candidates. Subject to obtaining regulatory approval for our product candidates, we expect to incur significant commercialization expenses for product sales, marketing, manufacturing and distribution. Additionally, we expect to continue to incur capital expenditures associated with building out additional laboratory and manufacturing capacity to further support the development of our product candidates and potential commercialization efforts. As a result, we will need significant additional capital to fund our operations, which we may obtain through one or more equity offerings, debt financings or other third-party funding, including potential strategic alliances and licensing or collaboration arrangements.
Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including:
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the timing of enrollment, commencement and completion of our clinical trials;
•
the results of our clinical trials;
•
the results of our preclinical studies for our product candidates and any subsequent clinical trials;
•
the scope, progress, results and costs of drug discovery, laboratory testing, preclinical development and clinical trials for our product candidates;
•
the costs associated with building out additional laboratory and manufacturing capacity;
•
the costs, timing and outcome of regulatory review of our product candidates;
•
the impact of any government-imposed tariffs on cost of goods and services, particularly related to partnered product candidates;
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the costs of future product sales, medical affairs, marketing, manufacturing and distribution activities for any of our product candidates for which we receive marketing approval;
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revenue, if any, received from commercial sales of our products, should any of our product candidates receive marketing approval;
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revenue received from commercial sales of Zolgensma and the timing and amount of Zolgensma royalties paid to HCR under our royalty purchase agreement;
•
revenue received from other commercial sales of our licensees’ and collaborators’ products, should any of their product candidates receive marketing approval, and other revenue received under our licensing agreements and collaborations;
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•
the costs of preparing, filing and prosecuting patent applications, maintaining and enforcing our intellectual property rights and defending any intellectual property-related claims;
•
our current licensing agreements or collaborations remaining in effect, including the AbbVie Collaboration Agreement relating to ABBV-RGX-314 and the Nippon Shinyaku Collaboration Agreement relating to RGX-121 and RGX-111, and our ability to timely achieve any milestones set forth in such agreements or collaborations;
•
our ability to establish and maintain additional licensing agreements or collaborations on favorable terms, if at all; and
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the extent to which we acquire or in-license other product candidates and technologies.
The issuance of additional securities, whether equity or debt, by us, including through our at-the-market program, or the possibility of such issuance, may cause the market price of our common stock to decline. Adequate additional financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. We also could be required to seek funds through arrangements with partners or otherwise that may require us to relinquish rights to our intellectual property, our product candidates or otherwise agree to terms unfavorable to us.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements during the periods presented, and we do not currently have, any off-balance sheet arrangements, as defined in the rules and regulations of the SEC.
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ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Interest Rate Risk
We are exposed to market risk related to changes in interest rates. Our primary exposure to interest rate risk results from the cash equivalents and marketable securities in our investment portfolio. Our primary objectives in managing our investment portfolio are to preserve principal, maintain proper liquidity to meet operating needs and maximize yields. At any time, significant changes in interest rates can affect the fair value of the investment portfolio and its interest earnings. Currently, we do not hedge these interest rate exposures. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, we had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $244.9 million and $314.1 million, respectively. Our cash equivalents and marketable securities as of December 31, 2024 consisted of money market mutual funds, U.S. government and agency securities, certificates of deposit and corporate bonds. If market interest rates were to increase immediately and uniformly by 100 basis points, or one percentage point, from levels at December 31, 2024, we estimate that the increase would have resulted in a hypothetical decline of $0.8 million in the net fair value of our interest-sensitive securities as of December 31, 2024. A similar increase in market interest rates as of December 31, 2023 would have resulted in an estimated hypothetical decline of $1.5 million in the net fair value of our interest-sensitive securities as of December 31, 2023.
Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Risk
We are exposed to foreign currency exchange rate risk as a result of entering into transactions denominated in currencies other than U.S. dollars, primarily including euros and British pounds. All foreign currency transactions settle on the applicable spot exchange basis at the time such payments are made. Accordingly, an adverse movement in foreign exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the aforementioned currencies could impact our results of operations and cash flows. Currently, we do not hedge these foreign currency exchange rate exposures. The effect of a hypothetical 10% change in foreign currency exchange rates applicable to our business would not materially harm our business, financial condition or results of operations.
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
The financial statements and related financial statement schedules required to be filed are listed in the Index to Consolidated Financial Statements and are incorporated herein.
ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
None.
ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Conclusion Regarding the Effectiveness of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2024. The term “disclosure controls and procedures,” as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), means controls and other procedures of a company that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the company’s management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Based on this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of December 31, 2024, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at a reasonable assurance level.
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Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Internal control over financial reporting is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) promulgated under the Exchange Act as a process designed by, or under the supervision of, our principal executive and principal financial officers and effected by our Board of Directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and includes those policies and procedures that:
•
pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of our assets;
•
provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that our receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of our management and directors; and
•
provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Under the supervision and with the participation of management, including our principal executive and financial officers, we assessed our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria for effective internal control over financial reporting established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013), issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). In our management’s opinion, we have maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria established in the COSO 2013 framework.
The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024 has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report which accompanies our audited consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2024 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Limitations on the Effectiveness of Controls
Control systems, no matter how well conceived and operated, are designed to provide a reasonable, but not an absolute, level of assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, have been detected. Because of the inherent limitations in any control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.
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ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plans
The adoption or termination of contracts, instructions or written plans for the purchase or sale of our securities by our Section 16 officers and directors for the three months ended December 31, 2024, each of which is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense of Rule 10b5-1(c) (Rule 10b5-1 Plan), were as follows:
Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plan Aggregate # of
Provides for Securities to be
Name Title Action Date Adopted Expiration Date Purchase/Sale Purchased/Sold (b)
(a)
Entities affiliated with Allan M. Fox, a director of the Company, include AMF Family Gift Trust LLC, AMF Gift Trust LLC, HBF Gift Trust LLC and Quaker Gray LLC (collectively, the Fox LLCs). Mr. Fox maintains voting and investment control over the shares held by the Fox LLCs in his capacity as manager of the Fox LLCs.
(b)
The aggregate number of shares in this column includes shares that may be forfeited or withheld to satisfy exercise price and tax withholding obligations at the time of vesting.
Other than as described above, during the three months ended December 31, 2024, none of our directors or Section 16 reporting officersadopted or terminated any Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement or non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement (as such terms are defined in Item 408 of the SEC's Regulation S-K).
ITEM 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS
Not applicable.
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PART III
ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The information required by this item will be included in our proxy statement for the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 (2025 Proxy Statement) under the headings “Election of Directors,” “Information about our Executive Officers” and “Corporate Governance” and is incorporated herein by reference.
We maintain a code of business conduct and ethics that qualifies as a “code of ethics” under Item 406 of the SEC’s Regulation S-K and applies to each of our directors, officers and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer and controller, or persons performing similar functions. The code of business conduct and ethics is available in the corporate governance section of our corporate website at www.regenxbio.com. Any amendment or waiver of the “code of ethics” provisions of the code of business conduct and ethics for an executive officer or director may be granted only by our Board of Directors or a committee thereof and must be timely disclosed as required by applicable law. We intend to satisfy the disclosure requirements regarding any such amendment or waiver applicable to any principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller, or persons performing similar functions, in a current report filed with the SEC on Form 8-K or on our corporate website at www.regenxbio.com.
ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The information required by this item will be included in our 2025 Proxy Statement under the headings “Corporate Governance,” “Director Compensation” and “Executive Compensation” and is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
The information required by this item will be included in our 2025 Proxy Statement under the headings “Executive Compensation” and “Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” and is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
The information required by this item will be included in our 2025 Proxy Statement under the headings “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions” and “Corporate Governance” and is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
The information required by this item will be included in our 2025 Proxy Statement under the heading “Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” and is incorporated herein by reference.
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PART IV
ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
(a)
The following documents are filed as part of, or incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K:
1.
Financial Statements. See Index to Consolidated Financial Statements under Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
2.
Financial Statement Schedules. All schedules have been omitted because the information required to be presented in them is not applicable or is shown in the financial statements or related notes.
3.
Exhibits. We have filed, or incorporated into this Annual Report on Form 10-K by reference, the exhibits listed on the accompanying Exhibit Index immediately following the financial statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
(b)
Exhibits. See Item 15(a)(3) above.
(c)
Financial Statement Schedules. See Item 15(a)(2) above.
ITEM 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY
Not applicable.
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REGENXBIO INC.
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Page
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID: 238) 88
Consolidated Financial Statements:
Consolidated Balance Sheets 90
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss 91
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Equity 92
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 93
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 94
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of REGENXBIO Inc.
Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of REGENXBIO Inc. and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, and the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, of stockholders’ equity and of cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2024, including the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). We also have audited the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2024 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO.
Basis for Opinions
The Company's management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting appearing under Item 9A. Our responsibility is to express opinions on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
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Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Critical Audit Matters
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (i) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (ii) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
Revenue Recognition – Royalty Revenue
As described in Notes 2 and 10 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company recognizes royalty revenue on sales of licensed products. The Company’s consolidated royalty revenue was $81.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024.
The principal consideration for our determination that performing procedures relating to royalty revenue recognition is a critical audit matter is a high degree of auditor effort in performing procedures related to the Company’s revenue recognition.
Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the consolidated financial statements. These procedures included testing the effectiveness of controls over the revenue recognition process. These procedures also included, among others, (i) obtaining and inspecting third party royalty reports and the related cash settlement, where applicable, (ii) testing the completeness and accuracy of data provided by management, and (iii) evaluating the financial statement presentation and related disclosures.
/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Washington, District of Columbia
March 13, 2025
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2015.
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REGENXBIO INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands, except per share data)
As of December 31,
Assets
Current assets
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current liabilities
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 38,070 49,703
Liability related to sale of future royalties 34,309 50,567
Liability related to sale of future royalties 25,378 43,485
Commitments and contingencies (Note 8)
Stockholders’ equity
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (741 ) (4,429 )
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 465,989 $ 573,970
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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REGENXBIO INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
(in thousands, except per share data)
Years Ended December 31,
Revenues
Operating Expenses
Credit losses (recoveries) (5,000 ) — —
Impairment of long-lived assets 2,101 — —
Other Income (Expense)
Interest income from licensing 174 25 342
Income Tax Benefit — 152 84
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Net loss per share, basic and diluted $ (4.59 ) $ (6.02 ) $ (6.50 )
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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REGENXBIO INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(in thousands)
Accumulated
Additional Other Total
Common Stock Paid-in Comprehensive Accumulated Stockholders’
Shares Amount Capital Loss Deficit Equity
Vesting of restricted stock units, net of tax 60 — (284 ) — — (284 )
Exercise of stock options, net of tax 332 — 2,804 — — 2,804
Issuance of common stock under employee stock purchase plan 76 — 1,742 — — 1,742
Stock-based compensation expense — — 40,788 — — 40,788
Vesting of restricted stock units, net of tax 164 — (419 ) — — (419 )
Exercise of stock options, net of tax 223 — 1,521 — — 1,521
Stock-based compensation expense — — 40,267 — — 40,267
Unrealized gain on available-for-sale securities, net — — — 10,972 — 10,972
Vesting of restricted stock units, net of tax 345 — (910 ) — — (910 )
Exercise of stock options, net of tax 291 — 1,512 — — 1,512
Exercise of pre-funded warrants 197 — — — — —
Stock-based compensation expense — — 38,463 — — 38,463
Unrealized gain on available-for-sale securities, net — — — 3,688 — 3,688
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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REGENXBIO INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(in thousands)
Years Ended December 31,
Cash flows from operating activities
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities
Provision for credit losses (recoveries) (5,000 ) — —
Net realized loss (gain) on investments (6,616 ) (2,205 ) 79
Impairment of long-lived assets 2,101 — —
Changes in operating assets and liabilities
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities (12,124 ) 2,452 (25,616 )
Cash flows from investing activities
Cash flows from financing activities
Taxes paid related to net settlement of stock-based awards (910 ) (419 ) (284 )
Proceeds from private placement of common stock, net of issuance costs — 4,874 —
Offering expenses related to at-the-market offering programs (323 ) (470 ) —
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities 92,683 (34,966 ) (28,840 )
Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash
Supplemental cash flow information
Cash paid (received) for income taxes $ (72 ) $ (142 ) $ 11,812
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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REGENXBIO INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
1. Nature of Business
REGENXBIO Inc. (the Company) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company seeking to improve lives through the curative potential of gene therapy. The Company's investigational gene therapies use adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors from its proprietary gene delivery platform (NAV Technology Platform). The NAV® Technology Platform consists of exclusive rights to a large portfolio of proprietary AAV vectors. The Company has developed a broad pipeline of gene therapy product candidates using the NAV Technology Platform as a one-time treatment to address an array of diseases. In addition to its internal product development efforts, the Company also selectively licenses the NAV Technology Platform and other intellectual property rights to other leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies (NAV Technology Licensees). As of December 31, 2024, the NAV Technology Platform was being applied by NAV Technology Licensees in one commercial product, Zolgensma®, and in the preclinical and clinical development of a number of other licensed products. Additionally, the Company has licensed intellectual property rights to collaborators for the joint development and commercialization of certain product candidates. The Company was formed in 2008 in the State of Delaware and is headquartered in Rockville, Maryland.
Liquidity
In January 2025, the Company and Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd. (Nippon Shinyaku) entered into a collaboration and license agreement (the Nippon Shinyaku Collaboration Agreement) for the joint development and commercialization of RGX-121 for the treatment of Mucopolysaccharidosis Type II (MPS II) and RGX-111 for the treatment of Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I (MPS I). Pursuant the Nippon Shinyaku Collaboration Agreement, the Company will receive an up-front payment of $110.0 million following the effective date of the agreement and is eligible to receive up to $700.0 million upon the achievement of specified development and sales-based milestones. The Nippon Shinyaku Collaboration Agreement became effective in March 2025. Please refer to Note 10 for further information on the Nippon Shinyaku Collaboration Agreement.
The Company has incurred cumulative losses since inception and as of December 31, 2024, had generated an accumulated deficit of $932.1 million. The Company's ability to transition to recurring profitability is dependent upon achieving a level of revenues adequate to support its cost structure, which depends heavily on the successful development, approval and commercialization of its product candidates. The Company may never achieve recurring profitability and, unless and until it does, will continue to need to raise additional capital through equity offerings, licensing and collaboration arrangements, or other non-dilutive financings. There is no assurance that the Company will be able to raise sufficient capital or obtain financing on favorable terms, or at all. The Company’s ability to continue as a going concern may be impacted by the development and potential commercialization of its product candidates and its ability to raise additional capital to fund its operations. If the Company is unable to raise capital sufficient to meet its working capital needs in the future, it may be forced to delay expenditures, reduce the scope of its development activities or make other changes to its operating plans.
As of December 31, 2024, the Company had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $244.9 million. Management believes that its cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of December 31, 2024, along with the up-front payment of $110.0 million expected to be received under the Nippon Shinyaku Collaboration Agreement, is sufficient to fund operations for at least the next 12 months from the date these consolidated financial statements were issued.
2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) and include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Foreign Currency Transactions
The functional currency of the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries is the U.S. dollar. Transaction gains and losses that arise from exchange rate fluctuations on transactions denominated in currencies other than the U.S. dollar are included in results of operations as incurred. During the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022, the Company recorded aggregate net foreign currency transaction losses of $0.9 million, $0.3 million and $0.7 million, respectively, which are included in other operating expenses (income) in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
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Use of Estimates
The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities for the periods presented. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and various other factors that it believes are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities, and other reported amounts, that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ materially from these estimates. Estimates are used in the following areas, among others: license and royalty revenue, the allowance for credit losses, accrued research and development expenses and other accrued liabilities, stock-based compensation expense, interest expense under the liability related to the sale of future royalties, income taxes and fair value measurements.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with original maturities of 90 days or less at acquisition to be cash equivalents.
Restricted Cash
Restricted cash consists of deposits held at financial institutions that are used to collateralize irrevocable letters of credit required under the Company’s lease agreements and certain other agreements with third parties. The following table provides a reconciliation of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash as reported on the consolidated balance sheets to the total of these amounts as reported at the end of the period in the consolidated statements of cash flows (in thousands):
As of December 31,
Total cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash $ 59,556 $ 36,552 $ 98,982
Marketable Securities
Marketable securities consist of available-for-sale debt securities and are carried at fair value. Marketable debt securities with remaining maturity dates exceeding 12 months which are not intended to be sold prior to maturity for use in current operations are classified as non-current assets. Unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale debt securities, net of any related tax effects, are excluded from results of operations and are included in other comprehensive income (loss) and reported as a separate component of stockholders’ equity until realized. The Company uses the aggregate portfolio approach to release the tax effects of unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale debt securities in accumulated other comprehensive loss. Purchase premiums and discounts on marketable debt securities are amortized or accreted into the cost basis over the life of the related security as adjustments to the yield using the effective-interest method. Interest income is recognized when earned. Realized gains and losses from the sale or maturity of marketable securities are based on the specific identification method and are included in results of operations as investment income.
At each reporting date, the Company evaluates available-for-sale debt securities which have an amortized cost basis in excess of the fair value of the security to determine if the unrealized loss or any potential credit losses should be recognized in results of operations. If the Company does not have the intent and ability to hold the security until recovery of the unrealized loss, the difference between the fair value and amortized cost basis of the security is charged to results of operations resulting in a new amortized cost basis of the security. If the Company has the intent and ability to hold the security until recovery of the unrealized loss, the security is evaluated for potential credit losses. If a credit loss is deemed to exist, the credit loss is recognized in results of operations and an allowance for credit losses is recorded against the amortized cost basis of the security. In determining whether a credit loss exists related to impaired available-for-sale debt securities, the Company considers, among other factors, the extent of the unrealized loss relative to the amortized cost basis, the credit rating of the issuer and any recent changes thereto, current and expected future economic conditions, and any adverse events or other changes in circumstances that have occurred which may indicate a potential credit loss. The Company did not record an allowance for credit losses on its available-for-sale debt securities as of December 31, 2024 or 2023.
Accounts Receivable
Accounts receivable primarily consist of consideration due to the Company resulting from its license agreements with customers. Accounts receivable include amounts invoiced to licensees as well as rights to consideration which have not yet been invoiced, including unbilled royalties, and for which payment is conditional solely upon the passage of time. If a licensee elects to terminate a license prior to the end of the license term, the licensed intellectual property is returned to the Company and any accounts
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receivable from the licensee which are not contractually payable to the Company are charged off as a reduction of license revenue in the period of the termination. Accounts receivable which are not expected to be received by the Company within 12 months from the reporting date are stated net of a discount to present value and recorded as non-current assets on the consolidated balance sheets. The present value discount is recognized as a reduction of revenue in the period in which the accounts receivable are initially recorded and is accreted as interest income from licensing over the term of the receivables.
Accounts receivable are stated net of an allowance for credit losses, if deemed necessary based on the Company’s evaluation of collectability and potential credit losses. Management assesses the collectability of its accounts receivable using the specific identification of account balances, and considers the credit quality and financial condition of its significant customers, historical information regarding credit losses and the Company’s evaluation of current and expected future economic conditions. If necessary, an allowance for credit losses is recorded against accounts receivable such that the carrying value of accounts receivable reflects the net amount expected to be collected. Accounts receivable balances are written off against the allowance for credit losses when the potential for collectability is considered remote. Please refer to Note 10 for further information regarding the allowance for credit losses related to accounts receivable.
Concentrations of Credit Risk and Off-balance Sheet Risk
Cash and cash equivalents, marketable debt securities and accounts receivable are financial instruments that are potentially subject to concentrations of credit risk. The Company’s cash and cash equivalents are deposited in accounts at multiple financial institutions, and amounts may exceed federally insured limits. The Company believes it is not exposed to significant credit risk due to the financial strength of the depository institutions in which the cash and cash equivalents are held. The Company’s marketable debt securities consist of investment grade securities and may be subject to concentrations of credit risk. The Company has adopted an investment policy which limits potential concentrations of investments and establishes minimum acceptable credit ratings, thereby reducing credit risk exposure. As of December 31, 2024, the Company believes that it is not exposed to significant credit risk related to accounts receivable due to the credit quality and history of collections from its significant customers, and the Company is unaware of any concentrations of credit risk related to accounts receivable from significant customers with deteriorated credit quality. The Company has no financial instruments with off-balance sheet risk of loss.
The following table summarizes those customers who represented at least 10% of revenues or total net accounts receivable for the periods presented:
Revenues Accounts Receivable, Net
Years Ended December 31, As of December 31,
Leases
The Company accounts for its lease arrangements in accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 842, Leases (ASC 842). Under ASC 842, the Company classifies its leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase by the Company. Lease classification is evaluated at the inception of the lease agreement. Regardless of classification, the Company records a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term greater than 12 months. All of the Company’s leases are classified as operating leases. Operating lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease, with the exception of variable lease expenses which are recognized as incurred.
The Company identifies leases in its contracts if the contract conveys the right to control the use of identified property, plant or equipment for a period of time in exchange for consideration. The Company does not allocate lease consideration between lease and nonlease components and records a lease liability equal to the present value of the remaining fixed consideration under the lease. The interest rates implicit in the Company’s leases are generally not readily determinable. Accordingly, the Company uses its estimated incremental borrowing rate at the commencement date of the lease to determine the present value discount of the lease liability. The Company estimates its incremental borrowing rate for each lease based on an evaluation of its expected credit rating and the prevailing market rates for collateralized debt in a similar economic environment with similar payment terms and maturity dates commensurate with the term of the lease. The right-of-use asset for each lease is equal to the lease liability, adjusted for unamortized initial direct costs and lease incentives and prepaid or accrued rent. Initial direct costs of entering into a lease are included in the right-of-use asset and amortized as lease expense over the term of the lease. Lease incentives, such as tenant improvement allowances, are recorded as a reduction of the right-of-use asset and amortized as a reduction of lease expense over the term of the lease. The Company excludes options to extend or terminate leases from the calculation of the lease liability unless it is reasonably certain the option will be exercised.
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The Company evaluates its right-of-use assets for impairment in accordance with its policy for long-lived assets. To the extent an impairment of a right-of-use asset is recognized, the remaining carrying value of the asset is subsequently amortized as lease expense on a straight-line basis from the date of impairment to the earlier of the end of the right-of-use asset’s useful life or the end of the lease term.
The Company determines the classification of subleases at the inception of the sublease, as well as whether the Company has been relieved of its primary obligation under the original lease. All of the Company's subleases are classified as operating leases and, in each case, the Company has not been relieved of its primary obligation under the original lease and continues to account for the original lease as it did prior to the commencement of the sublease. Sublease income is recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the sublease as a reduction of the related lease expense of the original lease. Initial direct costs of entering into a sublease are deferred and amortized on a straight-line basis over the term of the sublease as a reduction of sublease income.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Maintenance and repairs that do not improve or extend the lives of the respective assets are expensed to operations as incurred. Upon disposal, the related cost and accumulated depreciation is removed from the accounts and any resulting gain or loss is included in the results of operations. Depreciation and amortization is calculated using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, which are as follows:
Estimated Useful Life
Computer equipment and software 3 years
Furniture and fixtures 5 years
Laboratory and manufacturing equipment 5 to 15 years
Leasehold improvements Shorter of lease term or estimated useful life
Cloud Computing Arrangements
The Company capitalizes certain costs associated with the implementation of cloud computing arrangements that are accounted for as service contracts. Once implementation activities are substantially complete and the cloud-based application is ready for its intended use, capitalization ceases and amounts capitalized are amortized on a straight-line basis over the term of the hosting arrangement. Capitalized implementation costs for cloud-based applications and associated amortization are classified on the consolidated balance sheets and statements of operations and comprehensive loss in the same manner as the costs of the associated hosting arrangement. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had recorded capitalized costs, net of amounts amortized, of less than $0.1 million and $1.0 million, respectively, related to the implementation of cloud-based software applications, which were included in prepaid expenses and other assets on the consolidated balance sheets. Amortization of capitalized implementation costs for cloud-based applications recorded for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 was $1.0 million, $1.4 million and $1.3 million, respectively, and was included in general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
Impairment of Long-lived Assets
The Company's long-lived assets consist primarily of property and equipment and operating lease right-of-use assets. The Company evaluates its long-lived assets for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable. Recoverability is measured by comparison of the book values of the assets to estimated future net undiscounted cash flows that the assets are expected to generate. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be recognized is measured by the amount by which the book value of the assets exceed their fair value, which is measured based on the projected discounted future net cash flows arising from the assets. Please refer to Note 5 and Note 6 for further information on impairment of long-lived assets.
Non-marketable Equity Securities
Non-marketable equity securities consist of equity investments in other entities in which the Company’s ownership interest is below 20% and the Company does not have significant influence over the operations of the entity, or for which the equity securities are not common stock or in-substance common stock. The Company’s non-marketable equity securities do not have readily determinable fair values and are measured at cost less impairment, adjusted for observable price changes for identical or similar investments of the same issuer. Please refer to Note 4 for further information on non-marketable equity securities.
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Fair Value Measurements
The Company is required to disclose information on all assets and liabilities reported at fair value that enables an assessment of the inputs used in determining the reported fair values. ASC 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, establishes a hierarchy of inputs used in measuring fair value that maximizes the use of observable inputs and minimizes the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the observable inputs be used when available. Observable inputs are inputs that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Company. Unobservable inputs are inputs that reflect the Company’s assumptions about the inputs that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, and are developed based on the best information available in the circumstances. The fair value hierarchy applies only to the valuation inputs used in determining the reported fair value of the investments and is not a measure of the investment credit quality. The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are described below:
•
Level 1—Valuations based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date.
•
Level 2—Valuations based on quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.
•
Level 3—Valuations that require inputs that reflect the Company’s own assumptions that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable.
To the extent that valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised by the Company in determining fair value is greatest for assets and liabilities categorized in Level 3. The level within the fair value hierarchy of an asset or liability measured at fair value is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement. The fair values of the Company’s Level 2 financial instruments are based on quoted market prices or broker or dealer quotations for similar assets. These investments are initially valued at the transaction price and subsequently valued utilizing third-party pricing providers or other market observable data. Please refer to Note 4 for further information on the Company's fair value measurements.
Liability Related to Sale of Future Royalties
As discussed in Note 7, the Company recorded a liability for the net proceeds received from the sale of its Zolgensma royalty payments to entities managed by Healthcare Royalty Management, LLC (collectively, HCR). The liability is accounted for as debt since the return to HCR is explicitly capped under the royalty purchase agreement, and is amortized over the estimated life of the arrangement using the effective interest method. The total amount of royalty payments received by HCR under the agreement, less the net proceeds received by the Company, is recorded as interest expense over the life of the arrangement. The Company estimates the effective interest rate based on its estimate of total royalty payments to be received by HCR under the agreement. The Company reassesses these estimates at each reporting date and adjusts the effective interest rate and amortization of the liability on a prospective basis as necessary.
Due to its continuing involvement in the underlying license agreement with Novartis Gene Therapies, Inc. (formerly AveXis, Inc.) (Novartis Gene Therapies), the Company continues to recognize royalty revenue on net sales of Zolgensma and records the royalty payments to HCR as a reduction of the liability when paid. As such payments are made to HCR, the balance of the liability will be effectively repaid over the life of the royalty purchase agreement. The portion of the liability related to the sale of future royalties which is expected to be amortized within 12 months of the reporting date is recorded as a current liability, with the remaining portion of the liability recorded as a non-current liability.
Pre-funded Warrants
Warrants are accounted for based on the specific terms of the warrant agreements. The Company's pre-funded warrants are indexed to the Company's common stock and meet the criteria to be classified as equity. Proceeds from the issuance of pre-funded warrants are recorded within additional paid-in capital and are not subject to remeasurement. Please refer to Note 9 for further information regarding pre-funded warrants issued by the Company.
Revenue Recognition
The Company recognizes revenue in accordance with ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASC 606). ASC 606 requires entities to recognize revenue when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to customers at an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. The following five steps
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are performed to determine the appropriate revenue recognition for arrangements within the scope of ASC 606: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer, (ii) identify the performance obligations in the contract, (iii) determine the transaction price, (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies the performance obligations.
The Company applies the five-step model to contracts that are within the scope of ASC 606 only when it is probable that the Company will collect the consideration it is entitled to in exchange for the goods or services it transfers to the customer. At contract inception, for contracts within the scope of ASC 606, the Company assesses the goods or services promised within each contract and determines those that are performance obligations and whether each promised good or service is distinct. The Company then recognizes as revenue the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to respective performance obligations when (or as) the respective performance obligations are satisfied.
The Company evaluates its contracts with customers for the presence of significant financing components. If a significant financing component is identified in a contract and provides a financing benefit to the customer, the transaction price for the contract is adjusted to account for the financing portion of the arrangement, which is recognized as interest income over the financing term using the effective interest method. In determining the appropriate interest rates for significant financing components, the Company evaluates the credit profile of the customer and prevailing market interest rates and selects an interest rate in which it believes would be charged to the customer in a separate financing arrangement over a similar financing term.
License and Royalty Revenue
The Company licenses its NAV Technology Platform and other intellectual property rights to other biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, including collaborators for the joint development and commercialization of its product candidates. The terms of the licenses vary, and licenses may be exclusive or non-exclusive and may be sublicensable by the licensee. Licenses may grant intellectual property rights for purposes of internal and preclinical research and development only, or may include the rights, or options to obtain future rights, to commercialize drug therapies for specific diseases using the Company’s NAV Technology Platform and other licensed rights. License agreements generally have a term at least equal to the life of the underlying patents, but are terminable at the option of the licensee. Consideration payable to the Company under its license agreements may include: (i) up-front and annual fees, (ii) milestone payments based on the achievement of certain development and sales-based milestones, (iii) sublicense fees, (iv) royalties on sales of licensed products, (v) fees for services related to the development of licensed products and (vi) other consideration payable upon optional goods and services purchased by licensees.
The Company’s license agreements are accounted for as contracts with customers within the scope of ASC 606, with the exception of transactions for which the counterparty is determined not to be a customer. At the inception of each license agreement, the Company determines the contract term for purposes of applying the requirements of ASC 606. Licenses are generally terminable at the option of the licensee with advance notice to the Company. For each license granted, including licenses granted upon the exercise of license options, the Company evaluates these termination rights to determine whether a substantive termination penalty would be incurred by the licensee upon termination. If the licensee incurs a substantive termination penalty upon termination, the contract term for revenue recognition purposes is generally equal to the stated term of the license, which is the life of the underlying licensed patents. Alternatively, if the licensee does not incur a substantive termination penalty upon termination, the contract term for revenue recognition purposes may be shorter than the stated term of the license, in which case the termination rights may be accounted for as contract renewal options. The determination of whether a substantive termination penalty is associated with the termination rights requires significant judgment. In making this determination, the Company considers, among other things, the nature of the intellectual property rights that would be returned to the Company upon termination, including the exclusivity of the licensed rights and the stage of development of the licensed products, the payment terms, including the amount and timing of non-refundable or guaranteed payments, and the business purpose of the termination rights granted to the licensee. Generally, the most significant judgment in determining whether a substantive termination penalty exists relates to the amount of any up-front or guaranteed non-refundable payments relative to the amount of annual payments that may be avoided by the licensee upon termination of the license. The Company considers all of the facts and circumstances relevant to each license when making this determination.
Performance obligations under the Company’s license agreements may include (i) the delivery of intellectual property licenses, (ii) options granted to licensees to acquire additional licenses, to the extent the options represent material rights to the licensee, and (iii) research and development services to be performed by the Company related to licensed products. License agreements may provide licensees with contract renewal options or options to acquire additional licenses, goods or other services. Options are evaluated at the inception of the license agreement to determine whether they provide material rights to the licensee. In making this determination, the Company considers whether the options are priced at an incremental discount to the standalone selling price for the underlying licenses, goods or services, in which case the option is considered to be a material right to the licensee and is accounted for as a separate performance obligation under the current license agreement. At the inception of each license agreement which contains
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performance obligations for research and development services, the Company evaluates whether the license is distinct from the research and development services, which requires judgment. In making this determination, the Company considers, among other things, the stage of development of the licensed products and whether the research and development services will significantly impact further development of the licensed products. If it is determined that the license is not distinct from the research and development services, the license is combined with the research and development services into a single performance obligation.
The Company evaluates the transaction price of its license agreements at the inception of each agreement and at each reporting date. The transaction price includes the fixed consideration payable to the Company during the contract term, as well as any variable consideration to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal of revenue will not occur in the future. Fixed consideration under the license agreements may include up-front and annual fees payable during the contract term and fees for development services performed by the Company. Variable consideration under the license agreements may include development and sales-based milestone payments, sublicense fees and royalties on sales of licensed products. Consideration contingent upon the exercise of options by a licensee is excluded from the transaction price and not accounted for as part of the license agreement until the option is exercised.
The transaction price for each license agreement is allocated to the underlying performance obligations based on their relative standalone selling prices and recognized as revenue when (or as) the performance obligations are satisfied. Consideration allocated to performance obligations for the delivery of an intellectual property license is recognized as revenue in full upon the delivery of the license to the licensee. Consideration allocated to performance obligations for license options is recognized as revenue in full upon the earlier of the option exercise or expiration. The exercise of a license option by a licensee is accounted for as a new license for revenue recognition purposes. Consideration allocated to performance obligations for research and development services is recognized as revenue as the services are performed by the Company.
Up-front and annual licenses fees payable to the Company over the contract term of each license are included in the transaction price, and the portion of this consideration allocated to the performance obligation for the delivery of the intellectual property license is recognized as revenue in full upon the delivery of the license to the licensee. If annual license fees are payable to the Company in periods beyond 12 months from the delivery of the license, a significant financing component is deemed to exist which provides a financing benefit to the licensee. If a significant financing component is identified, the Company adjusts the transaction price for the license to include only the present value of the annual license fees payable to the Company over the contract term. The discounted portion of the license fees is recognized as interest income from licensing over the financing period of the license.
Development milestone payments are payable to the Company upon the achievement of specified development milestones. At the inception of each license agreement that contains development milestone payments, the Company evaluates whether the milestones are considered probable of achievement and estimates the amount to be included in the transaction price using the most likely amount method. If it is probable that a significant revenue reversal will not occur in the future, milestone payments are included in the transaction price and recognized as revenue upon the delivery of the license. Milestone payments contingent on the achievement of development milestones that are not within the control of the Company or the licensee, such as regulatory approvals, are not considered probable of being achieved and are excluded from the transaction price until the milestone is achieved. At each reporting date, the Company re-evaluates the probability of achievement of each outstanding development milestone and, if necessary, adjusts the transaction price for any milestones for which the probability of achievement has changed due to current facts and circumstances. Any such adjustments are recorded on a cumulative catch-up basis and recognized as revenue in the period of the adjustment.
Royalties on sales of licensed products, sales-based milestone payments, including milestones payable upon first commercial sales of licensed products, and sublicense fees based on the receipt of certain fees by licensees from any sublicensees are excluded from the transaction price of each license and recognized as revenue in the period that the related sales or sublicenses occur, provided that the associated license has been delivered to the licensee.
Royalty revenue to date consists primarily of royalties on net sales of Zolgensma, which is a licensed product under the Company’s license agreement with Novartis Gene Therapies, a wholly owned subsidiary of Novartis AG (Novartis), for the development and commercialization of treatments for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The Company recognizes royalty revenue from net sales of Zolgensma in the period in which the underlying products are sold by Novartis Gene Therapies, which in certain cases may require the Company to estimate royalty revenue for periods of net sales which have not yet been reported to the Company. Estimated royalties are reconciled to actual amounts reported in subsequent periods, and any differences are recognized as an adjustment to royalty revenue in the period the royalties are reported.
The Company receives payments from licensees based on the billing schedules established in each license agreement. Amounts recognized as revenue which have not yet been received from licensees, including unbilled royalties, are recorded as accounts receivable when the Company’s rights to the consideration are conditional solely upon the passage of time. Amounts recognized as revenue which have not yet been received from licensees are recorded as contract assets when the Company’s rights to the
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consideration are not unconditional. Contract assets are recorded as other current assets on the consolidated balance sheets if the consideration is expected to be realized within 12 months from the reporting date, or as other assets if the consideration is expected to be realized in periods beyond 12 months from the reporting date. If a licensee elects to terminate a license prior to the end of the license term, the licensed intellectual property is returned to the Company and any consideration recorded as accounts receivable or contract assets which is not contractually payable by the licensee is charged off as a reduction of license revenue in the period of the termination. Amounts received by the Company prior to the delivery of underlying performance obligations are deferred and recognized as revenue upon the satisfaction of the performance obligations by the Company. Deferred revenue which is not expected to be recognized within 12 months from the reporting date is recorded as non-current on the consolidated balance sheets.
Collaborative Arrangements
The Company evaluates its agreements with collaboration partners to determine whether they are within the scope of ASC 808, Collaborative Arrangements (ASC 808). Such arrangements are within the scope of ASC 808 if they involve joint operating activities performed by parties that are both active participants in the activities and exposed to significant risks and rewards dependent on the commercial success of such activities. This evaluation is performed throughout the life of the arrangement based on any changes in the roles and responsibilities of the parties under the arrangement. For collaboration arrangements within the scope of ASC 808 that contain multiple elements, the Company identifies the various transactions with the counterparty and determines if any unit of account is more reflective of a transaction with a customer and therefore should be accounted for within the scope of ASC 606. For transactions that are accounted for pursuant to ASC 808, an appropriate method of recognition and presentation is determined and consistently applied. For transactions that are accounted for pursuant to ASC 606, the Company applies the five-step model as described in its revenue recognition policies.
For transactions accounted for as collaborative arrangements under ASC 808, payments to and from collaboration partners associated with multiple activities in a collaboration arrangement are classified based on the nature of each separate activity. Payments associated with development activities performed are recorded as research and development expense when owed to collaboration partners, or as a reduction of research and development expense when due from collaboration partners. Payments associated with commercialization activities performed are recorded as general and administrative expense when owed to collaboration partners, or as a reduction of general and administrative expense when due from collaboration partners. At the end of each reporting period, the Company records a net amount due to or from collaboration partners for activities performed by the parties under the collaboration.
Cost of Revenues
Cost of revenues consists primarily of sublicense fees and royalties on net sales of licensed products as specified in the Company’s agreements with its licensors. Sublicense fees are based on a percentage of license fees received by the Company from licensees and are recognized in the period that the underlying revenue is recognized. Royalties are based on a percentage of net sales of licensed products by licensees and are recognized in the period that the underlying sales occur. Amounts which are payable to licensors in periods beyond 12 months from the reporting date are recorded as non-current liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets.
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development costs are expensed as incurred in performing research and development activities. Advance payments for goods or services related to research and development activities are deferred and expensed as the goods are delivered or the services are performed. Research and development costs include salaries, wages, benefits and other personnel costs, laboratory and facilities costs, allocated overhead costs, license and milestone fees, and costs of goods and services associated with preclinical research and clinical trial activities, associated manufacturing-related activities, regulatory activities and other related services performed by third parties. At the end of each reporting period, the Company compares payments made to third-party service providers to the estimated expenses incurred based on the services provided and progress toward completion of the research or development objectives. Such estimates are subject to change as additional information becomes available. Depending on the timing of payments to the service providers and the estimated expenses incurred, the Company may record net prepaid or accrued research and development expenses relating to these costs. Up-front fees incurred in obtaining technology licenses, as well as milestone payments to licensors, are charged to research and development expense as incurred if the technology licensed has no alternative future use.
Stock-based Compensation
The Company accounts for its stock-based compensation awards in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation (ASC 718). ASC 718 requires all stock-based awards to employees and nonemployees to be recognized as expense
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based on the grant date fair value of the awards. The Company’s stock-based awards include stock options and restricted stock units granted to employees and nonemployees and shares issued to employees under its employee stock purchase plan.
The Company’s stock-based awards may be subject to either service or performance-based vesting conditions. Compensation expense related to awards with service-based vesting conditions is recognized on a straight-line basis based on the estimated grant date fair value over the requisite service period of the award, which is generally the vesting term. Compensation expense related to awards with performance-based vesting conditions is recognized based on the estimated grant date fair value over the requisite service period using the accelerated attribution method to the extent achievement of the performance condition is probable.
The Company has elected to not estimate forfeitures of stock-based awards and accounts for forfeitures as they occur.
The Company estimates the fair value of its stock option awards using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, which requires the input of subjective assumptions, including (i) the fair value of the underlying common stock, (ii) the expected stock price volatility, (iii) the expected term of the award, (iv) the risk-free interest rate and (v) expected dividends. The Company estimates expected stock price volatility based on the historical volatility of its common stock over a period of time commensurate with the expected term of its stock option awards. Due to the lack of sufficient historical data, the Company estimates the expected term of its employee stock options using the “simplified” method, whereby the expected term equals the arithmetic average of the vesting term and the original contractual term of the option. For stock options granted to nonemployees, the Company uses the contractual term of the award rather than expected term to estimate the fair value of the award. The Company estimates the risk-free interest rates for periods within the expected term of its options based on the rates of U.S. Treasury securities with maturity dates commensurate with the expected term of the associated awards. The Company assumes a dividend yield of zero for its common stock as it has never paid dividends and does not expect to pay dividends for the foreseeable future.
The Company estimates the fair value of restricted stock units based on the fair value of the Company’s common stock on the date of the grant.
Income Taxes
Income taxes are accounted for in accordance with ASC 740, Income Taxes (ASC 740), which provides for deferred taxes using an asset and liability approach. The Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the consolidated financial statements or tax returns. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. Valuation allowances are provided, if based upon the weight of available evidence, it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.
The Company accounts for uncertain tax positions in accordance with the provisions of ASC 740. When uncertain tax positions exist, the Company recognizes the tax benefit of tax positions to the extent that the benefit will more likely than not be realized. The determination as to whether the tax benefit will more likely than not be realized is based upon the technical merits of the tax position as well as consideration of the available facts and circumstances.
The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had no accrued interest or penalties related to uncertain tax positions and no amounts have been recognized in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
Restructuring Expenses
The Company records costs and liabilities associated with exit and disposal activities in accordance with ASC 420, Exit or Disposal Cost Obligations (ASC 420)and ASC 712, Compensation – Nonretirement Postemployment Benefits (ASC 712). Such costs are based on estimates of fair value in the period liabilities are incurred. The Company evaluates and adjusts these costs as appropriate for changes in circumstances as additional information becomes available. Please refer to Note 14 for further information regarding restructuring expenses.
Net Loss Per Share
Basic net loss per share is calculated by dividing net loss applicable to common stockholders by the weighted-average common shares outstanding during the period, without consideration for common stock equivalents. Diluted net loss per share is calculated by adjusting the weighted-average common shares outstanding for the dilutive effect of common stock equivalents outstanding for the period, determined using the treasury-stock method. For purposes of computing both basic and diluted net loss per share, pre-funded
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warrants are considered outstanding shares upon issuance because the underlying shares may be issued for nominal consideration and are exercisable after the original issuance date. Contingently convertible shares in which conversion is based on non-market-priced contingencies are excluded from the calculations of both basic and diluted net loss per share until the contingency has been fully met. For purposes of the diluted net loss per share calculation, common stock equivalents are excluded from the calculation of diluted net loss per share if their effect would be anti-dilutive.
Comprehensive Loss
Comprehensive loss includes net loss as well as unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale debt securities, net of income tax effects and reclassification adjustments for realized gains and losses.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
In November 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2023-07, Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures, which enhances certain interim and annual disclosure requirements of reportable segment information, including information about significant segment expenses. Additionally, the standard requires entities with a single reportable segment to provide all disclosures required by ASC 280, Segment Reporting. The Company adopted this standard for annual reporting periods beginning January 1, 2024 and interim reporting periods beginning January 1, 2025, on a retrospective basis for all periods presented. Please refer to Note 17 for further information regarding reportable segment information.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures, which enhances the disclosure of an entity's effective tax rate reconciliation and requires the disclosure of income taxes paid to be disaggregated by jurisdiction. The standard is effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2025, with early adoption permitted. Upon the adoption of this standard, the Company will modify its disclosures for income taxes, as applicable.
In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, Income Statement – Reporting Comprehensive Income – Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses. The new standard requires disclosures about specific types of expenses included in the expense captions presented on the face of the income statement as well as disclosures about selling expenses. The standard is effective for the Company for annual periods beginning January 1, 2027 and interim periods beginning January 1, 2028, with early adoption permitted. The standard may be applied either prospectively to financial statements issued for reporting periods after the effective date or retrospectively to any or all prior periods presented in the financial statements. The Company is evaluating the impact of this standard on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
3. Marketable Securities
The following tables present a summary of the Company’s marketable securities, which consist solely of available-for-sale debt securities (in thousands):
Amortized Cost UnrealizedGains UnrealizedLosses Fair Value
Amortized Cost UnrealizedGains UnrealizedLosses Fair Value
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As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, no available-for-sale debt securities had remaining maturities greater than two years. The amortized cost of marketable debt securities is adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts to maturity, or to the earliest call date for callable debt securities purchased at a premium.
As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the balance in accumulated other comprehensive loss consisted solely of unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale debt securities, net of reclassification adjustments for realized gains and losses and income tax effects. Unrealized gain (loss) on available-for-sale securities, net, as presented in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss consisted of the following (in thousands):
Years Ended December 31,
Unrealized gain (loss) before reclassifications $ 3,688 $ 10,972 $ (12,904 )
Realized losses (gains) reclassified to investment income — — 72
The following tables present the fair values and unrealized losses of available-for-sale debt securities held by the Company in an unrealized loss position for less than 12 months and 12 months or greater (in thousands):
Less than 12 Months 12 Months or Greater Total
U.S. government and agency securities $ — $ — $ 22,917 $ (77 ) $ 22,917 $ (77 )
Less than 12 Months 12 Months or Greater Total
As of December 31, 2024, available-for-sale debt securities held by the Company which were in an unrealized loss position consisted of 22 investment grade security positions. The Company has the intent and ability to hold such securities until recovery, and based on the credit quality of the issuers and low severity of each unrealized loss position relative to its amortized cost basis, the Company did not identify any credit losses associated with its available-for-sale debt securities. The Company did not recognize any impairment or credit losses on available-for-sale debt securities during the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022.
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4. Fair Value Measurements
Financial instruments reported at fair value on a recurring basis include cash equivalents and marketable securities. The following tables present the fair value of cash equivalents and marketable securities in accordance with the fair value hierarchy discussed in Note 2 (in thousands):
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
Cash equivalents:
Money market mutual funds $ — $ 43,895 $ — $ 43,895
U.S. government and agency securities — 2,498 — 2,498
Marketable securities:
U.S. government and agency securities — 44,215 — 44,215
Total cash equivalents and marketable securities $ — $ 233,733 $ — $ 233,733
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
Cash equivalents:
Money market mutual funds $ — $ 13,024 $ — $ 13,024
Marketable securities:
U.S. government and agency securities — 70,569 — 70,569
Total cash equivalents and marketable securities $ — $ 292,631 $ — $ 292,631