10-K
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022
OR
Commission File Number 001-39219
Revolution Medicines, Inc.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its Charter)
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (650) 481-6801
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class TradingSymbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐No ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ☒ Accelerated filer ☐
Non-accelerated filer ☐ Smaller reporting company ☐
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the Registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the Registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the Registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
The aggregate market value of the common stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant as of June 30, 2022 (the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter) was approximately $1,231 million, based on the closing price of the Registrant’s common stock, as reported by the Nasdaq Global Select Market on June 30, 2022 of $19.49 per share.
The number of shares of the Registrant’s Common Stock outstanding on the Nasdaq Global Select Market as ofFebruary 23, 2023 was 90,491,696.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the Registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement relating to the Registrant’s 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated herein by reference in Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K to the extent stated herein. The proxy statement will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days of the Registrant’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.
Table of Contents
Page
PART I 4
Item 1. Business 4
Item 1A. Risk Factors 30
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 75
Item 2. Properties 76
Item 3. Legal Proceedings 76
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 76
Item 6. [Reserved.] 78
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 91
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 93
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 121
Item 9B. Other Information 121
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections 121
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 122
Item 11. Executive Compensation 122
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services 122
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules 123
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements concerning our business, operations and financial performance and condition, as well as our plans, objectives and expectations for our business, operations and financial performance and condition. Any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that are in some cases beyond our control and may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.
In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “due,” “estimate,” “expect,” “goal,” “intend,” “may,” “objective,” “plan,” “predict,” “potential,” “positioned,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” and other similar expressions that are predictions of or indicate future events and future trends, or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:
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the scope, progress, results and costs of developing our product candidates or any other future product candidates, and conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials;
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the scope, progress, results and costs related to the research and development of our pipeline;
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the timing of and costs involved in obtaining and maintaining regulatory approval for any of current or future product candidates, and any related restrictions, limitations and/or warnings in the label of an approved product candidate;
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our expectations regarding the potential market size and size of the potential patient populations for our product candidates and any future product candidates, if approved for commercial use;
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our ability to maintain and establish new collaborations, licensing or other arrangements and the financial terms of any such agreements;
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our commercialization, marketing and manufacturing capabilities and expectations;
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the rate and degree of market acceptance of our product candidates, as well as the pricing and reimbursement of our product candidates, if approved;
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the implementation of our business model and strategic plans for our business, product candidates and technology, including additional indications for which we may pursue;
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the scope of protection we are able to establish and maintain for intellectual property rights covering our product candidates, including the projected term of patent protection;
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estimates of our expenses, future revenue, capital requirements, our needs for additional financing and our ability to obtain additional capital;
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developments and projections relating to our competitors and our industry, including competing therapies and procedures;
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regulatory and legal developments in the United States and foreign countries;
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the performance of our third-party suppliers and manufacturers;
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our ability to attract and retain key scientific or management personnel;
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our expectations regarding our ability to obtain, maintain, enforce and defend our intellectual property protection for our product candidates; and
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other risks and uncertainties, including those listed under the caption “Risk Factors.”
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We have based these forward-looking statements largely on management’s current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about our business and the industry in which we operate and management’s beliefs and assumptions and are not guarantees of future performance or development and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are in some cases beyond our control. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions described in the section titled “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Because forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The events and circumstances reflected in our forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur and actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Except as required by applicable law, we do not plan to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein until after we distribute this Annual Report on Form 10-K, whether as a result of any new information, future events or otherwise.
In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and while we believe such information forms a reasonable basis for such statements, such information may be limited or incomplete, and our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all potentially available relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain, and you are cautioned not to unduly rely upon these statements.
Investors and others should note that we may announce material business and financial information to our investors using our investor relations website (https://ir.revmed.com), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, webcasts, press releases and conference calls. We use these mediums, including our website, to communicate with our members and public about our company, our products and other issues. It is possible that the information that we make available may be deemed to be material information. We therefore encourage investors and others interested in our company to review the information that we make available on our website.
Summary of Material Risks Associated with Our Business
The principal risks and uncertainties affecting our business include the following:
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We are a clinical-stage precision oncology company with a limited operating history and no products approved for commercial sale. We have incurred significant losses since inception. We expect to incur losses for at least the next several years and may never achieve or maintain profitability, which, together with our limited operating history, makes it difficult to assess our future viability.
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We have never generated revenue from product sales and may never be profitable.
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We will require substantial additional financing to achieve our goals, which may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all. A failure to obtain this necessary capital when needed could force us to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development or commercialization efforts.
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We are early in our development efforts. Our business is dependent on the successful development of our current and future product candidates. If we are unable to advance our current or future product candidates through clinical trials, obtain marketing approval and ultimately commercialize any product candidates we develop, or experience significant delays in doing so, our business will be materially harmed.
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Preclinical development is uncertain. Our preclinical programs may experience delays or may never advance to clinical trials, which would adversely affect our ability to obtain regulatory approvals or commercialize our product candidates on a timely basis or at all, which would have an adverse effect on our business.
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Historically, direct inhibition of any RAS protein has been challenging due to a lack of tractable, or “druggable,” binding pockets. Given this approach is unproven, it may not be successful.
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The results of preclinical studies and early-stage clinical trials may not be predictive of future results.
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If we encounter difficulties enrolling patients in our clinical trials, our clinical development activities could be delayed or otherwise be adversely affected.
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We are a party to a collaboration agreement with Sanofi, which has been terminated effective as of June 2023. Until the effectiveness of this termination, we are dependent on our collaboration with Sanofi for the development of RMC-4630 and must successfully manage the transition of all rights, obligations and activities under the agreement from Sanofi to us.
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We are currently developing, and may in the future develop, our product candidates in combination with
other therapies, which exposes us to additional risks.
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We face significant competition, and if our competitors develop and market products that are more effective, safer or less expensive than the product candidates we develop, our commercial opportunities will be negatively impacted.
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If we and our collaborators are unable to obtain and maintain sufficient patent and other intellectual property protection for our product candidates and technology, our competitors could develop and commercialize products and technology similar or identical to ours, and we may not be able to compete effectively in our market or successfully commercialize any product candidates we may develop.
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The COVID-19 pandemic, or other epidemic and pandemic diseases or governmental or other actions taken in response to them, could significantly disrupt our business.
The summary risk factors described above should be read together with the text of the full risk factors below in the section entitled “Risk Factors” and the other information set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including our consolidated financial statements and the related notes, as well as in other documents that we file with the SEC. The risks summarized above or described in full below are not the only risks that we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not precisely known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial may also materially and adversely affect our business, competitive position, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and growth prospects.
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PART I
Item 1. Business.
Overview
We are a clinical-stage precision oncology company focused on developing targeted therapies to inhibit frontier targets in RAS-addicted cancers. We possess sophisticated structure-based drug discovery capabilities built upon deep chemical biology and cancer pharmacology know-how and innovative, proprietary technologies that enable the creation of small molecules tailored to unconventional binding sites. Our understanding of genetic drivers and adaptive resistance mechanisms in cancer, coupled with robust drug discovery and medicinal chemistry capabilities, has guided us to establish a deep pipeline targeting critical signaling nodes within the RAS pathway and associated pathways. This cohesive approach underpins our clinical strategy of exploring mechanism-based dosing paradigms and in-pathway combinations to optimize treatment for cancer patients.
Our research and development pipeline comprises RAS(ON) inhibitors that bind directly to RAS variants, which we refer to as RAS(ON) Inhibitors, and RAS companion inhibitors that target key nodes in the RAS pathway or associated pathways, which we refer to as RAS Companion Inhibitors. Our RAS Companion Inhibitors (e.g., SHP2, mTORC1 and SOS1 inhibitors) are designed primarily for combination treatment strategies involving one or more therapeutic agents, which may include our RAS(ON) Inhibitors. Our long-term goal is to combine our RAS(ON) Inhibitors with selected RAS Companion Inhibitors or other therapies on behalf of patients based on molecular tumor features.
RAS(ON) Inhibitors
Our RAS(ON) Inhibitors are based on our proprietary tri-complex technology platform, which enables a highly differentiated approach to inhibiting the active, GTP-bound form of RAS, which we refer to as RAS(ON). We are developing a portfolio of compounds that we believe are the first and only RAS(ON) Inhibitors to use this mechanism of action. We believe that direct inhibitors of RAS(ON) will suppress cell growth and survival and be less susceptible to adaptive resistance mechanisms recognized for RAS(OFF) Inhibitors. We plan to evaluate our RAS(ON) Inhibitors alone and in combination with other drugs and investigational drug candidates, particularly in-pathway agents.
We currently consider three development-stage candidates as the first wave of RAS(ON) Inhibitors that we are advancing:
RMC-6236
RMC-6236, our RASMULTI(ON) Inhibitor, is designed as a first-in-class, potent, oral, RAS-selective tri-complex inhibitor of multiple RAS(ON) variants including cancer drivers at all three of the major mutation hotspot positions, G12, G13, and Q61. RMC-6236 inhibits all three major RAS isoforms, suppressing the mutant cancer driver and cooperating wild-type RAS proteins.
A monotherapy dose-escalation study of RMC-6236 is ongoing and, based on early observations from this study, we believe that RMC-6236 is orally bioavailable and has achieved dose-dependent exposures in patients that are consistent with our preclinical projections. The compound has been generally well-tolerated, including at dose levels at which we have observed clear signals of anti-tumor activity, as reflected in the interim clinical data reported below. We continue in dose escalation and we currently expect to provide additional evidence of first-in-class single agent activity for this compound in mid-2023.
RMC-6291
RMC-6291 is designed as a first-in-class, potent, oral and selective tri-complex inhibitor of KRASG12C(ON). It is designed to exhibit subnanomolar potency for suppressing RAS pathway signaling and growth of KRASG12C-bearing cancer cells and is engineered to be highly selective for KRASG12C over wild type RAS and other cellular targets. RMC-6291 is designed to be differentiated from first-generation KRASG12C(OFF) inhibitors, which sequester the KRASG12C(OFF) form, by its mechanism of directly inhibiting the KRASG12C(ON) form.
A monotherapy dose-escalation study of RMC-6291 is ongoing and, based on early observations from this study, we believe that RMC-6291 is orally bioavailable in patients, that it is exhibiting pharmacokinetics consistent with our expectations based on preclinical experiments and that we are dosing the compound in a pharmacologically active range with acceptable safety and tolerability. We currently expect to provide preliminary evidence of a superior profile for this compound in the second half of 2023.
RMC-9805
RMC-9805 is designed as a first-in-class, potent, oral and selective tri-complex inhibitor of KRASG12D(ON). It is designed to exhibit low nanomolar potency for suppressing RAS pathway signaling and growth of KRASG12D-bearing cancer cells and is engineered to
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covalently inactivate KRASG12D irreversibly. We currently expect to announce dosing of the first patient in a monotherapy dose-escalation study of this compound in mid-2023.
Additional RAS(ON) Inhibitors
Beyond this first wave of RAS(ON) Inhibitors, we have other RAS(ON) Inhibitor compounds currently in our research and development pipeline, including our development candidate RMC-8839, which is designed as a first-in-class, potent, oral and selective, covalent tri-complex inhibitor of KRASG13C(ON) and RMC-0708, which is designed as a first-in-class, potent, oral and selective, non-covalent tri-complex inhibitor of KRASQ61H(ON). RMC-8839 is designed to exhibit picomolar potency for suppressing RAS pathway signaling and growth of KRASG13C-bearing cancer cells and is engineered to covalently inactivate KRASG13C for irreversible inhibition. RMC-0708 is designed to exhibit picomolar potency for suppressing RAS pathway signaling and growth of KRASQ61H-bearing cancer cells and is engineered for selective inhibition of KRASQ61H over other RAS isoforms via non-covalent binding interactions. We are pursuing pipeline expansion programs focused on KRASG12R, KRASG12V, KRASG13D, RASQ61X and other targets.
RAS Companion Inhibitors
RMC-4630
Our RAS Companion Inhibitor RMC-4630 is designed as a potent and selective inhibitor of SHP2, a central node in the RAS signaling pathway. RMC-4630 is being evaluated in a Phase 1/2 clinical program. In 2018, we entered into a collaborative research, development and commercialization agreement with Aventis, Inc. (an affiliate of Sanofi) (the Sanofi Agreement) with respect to SHP2 inhibitors, including RMC-4630. The Sanofi Agreement has been terminated effective as of June 2023, and following the effectiveness of termination, we will regain all global rights granted under the Sanofi Agreement (except as necessary to permit Sanofi to perform any surviving obligations under the Sanofi Agreement), including decision-making regarding research and development, and rights to all commercial proceeds, from RMC-4630.
Our highest priority hypothesis regarding RMC-4630 is that it can deliver additional clinical benefit to patients with RAS-addicted tumors treated with a RAS inhibitor. Below is a list of the clinical studies of RMC-4630 in combination with RAS inhibitors:
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an Amgen-sponsored Phase 1b study of RMC-4630 in combination with Amgen’s KRASG12C(OFF) inhibitor, sotorasib (LUMAKRAS(R));
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RMC-4630-03, a Phase 2 study of RMC-4630 in combination with sotorasib that we are sponsoring under a clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with Amgen; and
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a Sanofi-sponsored Phase 1/2 study of RMC-4630 in combination with Mirati Therapeutics’ KRASG12C(OFF) inhibitor, adagrasib (KRAZATI(R)).
Amgen is currently evaluating RMC-4630 in a Phase 1b study in combination with Amgen’s KRASG12C(OFF) agent sotorasib in Amgen’s CodeBreaK 101c study. In August 2022, Amgen reported results from this study at the 2022 World Conference on Lung Cancer.
As a complement to the CodeBreaK 101c study, we are sponsoring RMC-4630-03, which is an additional global Phase 2 study of RMC-4630 in combination with sotorasib for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) carrying a KRASG12C mutation who have failed prior standard therapy and who have not previously been treated with a RAS inhibitor. We are sponsoring the RMC-4630-03 study under our global partnership with Sanofi and conducting the trial in collaboration with Amgen, which is supplying sotorasib globally under a clinical collaboration and supply agreement. We currently plan to provide topline data from this study in the second half of 2023.
Sanofi has sponsored a combination study under the Sanofi Agreement and under a clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement between Sanofi and Mirati to evaluate RMC-4630 (also known as SAR442720) in combination with Mirati’s KRASG12C(OFF) inhibitor, adagrasib. We expect that this study will be wound down in connection with the termination of the Sanofi Agreement.
There are also several clinical studies of RMC-4630 that do not involve combinations with RAS inhibitors:
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RMC-4630-01, a Phase 1 study of RMC-4630 as monotherapy;
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a Sanofi-sponsored Phase 1/2 study of RMC-4630 in combination with the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab (Keytruda®), which we expect will be wound down in connection with the termination of the Sanofi Agreement; and
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a combination of RMC-4630 with an ERK inhibitor in patients with pancreatic cancer as part of an investigator-sponsored study by Netherlands Cancer Institute.
RMC-5552
Our RAS Companion Inhibitor RMC-5552 is designed as a selective inhibitor of hyperactivated mTORC1 signaling in tumors. We are evaluating RMC-5552 first as a monotherapy in a Phase 1 study (RMC-5552-001), and plan to evaluate RMC-5552 in combination with RAS inhibitors for patients with cancers harboring a RAS mutation and co-occurring mutations in the mTOR signaling pathway.
We have reported initial findings from the ongoing dose escalation portion of the RMC-5552-001 study and currently expect to provide additional evidence of single agent activity for this compound in 2023.
We have agreed to supply RMC-5552 to the Regents of the University of California on behalf of its San Francisco campus (UCSF) for an investigator-initiated Phase 1/1b trial by UCSF of RMC-5552 in patients with recurrent glioblastoma.
RMC-5845
Our RAS Companion Inhibitor RMC-5845 targets SOS1, a protein that plays a key role in converting RAS(OFF) to RAS(ON) in cells. RMC-5845 is intended for select combination therapies for certain genetically-defined tumors. This compound is ready for preparation of an IND based on our preclinical development. We continue to evaluate whether to advance RMC-5845 into clinical development in the context of other assets in our portfolio.
RMC-6236
Our RASMULTI(ON) Inhibitor, RMC-6236, is designed to inhibit essentially all RAS(ON) proteins, including normal or wild-type RAS proteins that may help augment oncogenic signaling to tumor cells that have a mutant RAS as a primary driver. Given this broad activity of RMC-6236, we believe it may also be useful as a RAS Companion Inhibitor and we may evaluate the potential benefit from combining RMC-6236 with a RAS inhibitor, including with a RAS(ON) mutant-selective inhibitor such as RMC-6291.
Our strategy
Our goal is to develop and commercialize novel targeted therapies to outsmart RAS-addicted cancers for the benefit of patients. RAS proteins drive 30% of human cancers (Prior et al, Cancer Research 2020), and are largely unserved by targeted therapeutics. The KRASG12C mutation has been clinically validated as a therapeutic target, and the evidence is strong that numerous other oncogenic mutations in the RAS family of proteins are likewise compelling cancer targets. Our collection of RAS(ON) Inhibitors, designed to have best-in-class preclinical profiles and/or first-in-class potential, is tailored to target RAS cancer mutations that together comprise the vast majority of RAS-addicted cancers.
Data from the ongoing development of first-generation KRASG12C inhibitors have clearly demonstrated that selective targeting of RAS cancer drivers is often insufficient to confer deep and durable clinical benefit, as RAS cancers are also supported and maintained by other cellular proteins we call RAS cooperating targets and pathways. We believe it is important to match our treatment strategies to this biological cooperativity by developing RAS(ON) Inhibitors to suppress the primary RAS drivers and RAS Companion Inhibitors to suppress the cooperating proteins. We expect drugs of these two types may be combined to form the optimal therapeutic regimens capable of delivering maximal clinical benefit. To develop these optimal therapies for RAS cancers, we plan to pursue the following strategies:
RAS(ON) Inhibitors
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Establish tri-complex inhibition of RAS(ON) as a first-in-class therapeutic modality. There are dozens of RAS variants that have been implicated as molecular drivers of cancer. We are developing a portfolio of small molecules designed to target multiple oncogenic forms of RAS(ON) that are derived from our proprietary tri-complex technology platform. We believe that targeted inhibition of oncogenic RAS(ON) variants represents a highly differentiated approach for treating the large population of patients with diverse RAS mutations, including non-small cell lung cancer, or NSCLC, colorectal, pancreatic and other cancers.
We have advanced our first two RAS(ON) development candidates into clinical development: RMC-6236, a RAS-selective inhibitor of multiple RAS(ON) variants and RMC-6291, a mutant-selective inhibitor of KRASG12C(ON). We are also conducting IND-enabling studies of RMC-9805, our inhibitor targeting KRASG12D(ON). We may evaluate our RAS(ON) development candidates both as monotherapies and/or in combination with other drugs and investigational new drugs, particularly our RAS Companion Inhibitors and standard of care therapies, including immunotherapies.
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Deploy our innovation engine against additional RAS targets. In parallel with the IND-enabling development of our RAS(ON) development candidates, we are focusing on optimization of mutant-selective tri-complex inhibitors of additional targets, including KRASG12R, KRASG12V, KRASG13D and RASQ61X. Discovery and development of mutant-selective inhibitors of these targets may help to maximize clinical benefit for some patients with cancers bearing these RAS variants.
RAS Companion Inhibitors
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Establish our proprietary SHP2 inhibitor, RMC-4630, as the backbone of targeted therapy combinations for the treatment of RAS-dependent tumors. We are evaluating RMC-4630 as both a monotherapy and as a backbone of combination therapies designed to maximize clinical benefit by combating drug resistance pathways that depend on SHP2. In the future, we may leverage our complementary pipeline of RAS(ON) and RAS Companion Inhibitors by evaluating RMC-4630 in combination with certain RAS(ON) inhibitors, which could include RMC-6291 or RMC-9805.
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Demonstrate clinical utility of our RAS Companion Inhibitors targeting mTORC1/4EBP1 (RMC-5552) through precision oncology. We are investigating RMC-5552 as a monotherapy in patients with cancers harboring genotypes linked to hyperactivated mTORC1 signaling in a Phase 1 study (RMC-5552-001), and plan to test RMC-5552 as a combination partner for RAS inhibitors in patients with cancers harboring RAS mutations with a co-occurring mutation in the mTOR signaling pathway.
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Explore the clinical utility of RMC-6236 as a RAS Companion Inhibitor. Given this broad activity of RMC-6236, we believe it may also be useful as a RAS Companion Inhibitor and we may evaluate the potential benefit from combining RMC-6236 with a RAS inhibitor, including with a RAS(ON) mutant-selective inhibitor such as RMC-6291.
Corporate
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Maximize the global value of our programs through synergistic and value-creating transactions. We have the organizational capabilities and resources to enable us to continue to complete value-creating transactions. In the future, we may enter into transactions where we believe there is an opportunity to accelerate the development and commercialization of our product candidates while allowing us to retain meaningful rights in major markets. We may also seek to acquire or in-license product candidates or technologies opportunistically that are synergistic with our drug discovery and development efforts.
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Maintain our culture of tireless commitment to patients. As we grow our business, we will continue to apply transformative science in the development of novel targeted therapies for patients suffering from cancers with limited therapeutic options. To accomplish this, we intend to continue building our team of qualified individuals who share our commitment to collaboration and scientific rigor in the development of novel therapies to outsmart cancer and improve the lives of patients.
Our opportunity: multiple large unmet needs in RAS-addicted cancers
RAS mutant epidemiology in the United States
Variants in RAS proteins account for approximately 30% of all human cancers in the United States, many of which are fatal. Diverse oncogenic RAS variants in three different RAS isoforms (KRAS, NRAS and HRAS) drive distinct human cancers. Figure 1 below summarizes the estimated new RAS-addicted cancers diagnosed each year in the U.S. organized into convenience groups based on tumor genetics. Based on these data, we believe there are an estimated 230,000 new cancers diagnosed per year that could potentially be addressed by RAS inhibitors in the U.S. alone.
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Figure 1.
(1)
HRASX = all HRAS mutants; NRASQ61X X = H, K, L, R, P; RASWT = NF1LOF, RASWTamp, BRAFclass3 and PTPN11MUT; KRASX X = G12A, G12R, G12S and A146T; KRASQ61X X = H, K, L; RASG12C includes KRASG12C and NRASG12C.
(2)
Calculated using tumor mutation frequencies from Foundation Medicine Insights August 2020 and scaled to estimated patient numbers using cancer incidence from ACS Cancer Facts and Figures 2020. Includes 12 major types: non-small cell lung cancer, colorectal, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, renal, gastroesophageal, head and neck squamous cell, ovarian and biliary cancers, acute myeloid leukemia, and advanced melanoma, bladder and uterine/endometrial cancers causing mortality.
(3)
Estimated worldwide annual incidence of RAS-mutated cancers is 3.4 million per year. Prior et al., Cancer Research 2020.
Our innovation engine
We have built an innovation engine that enables us to discover and develop novel targeted therapies for elusive high-value frontier cancer targets with particular focus on a cohesive set of disease targets within notorious growth and survival pathways. This engine is centered around our proprietary tri-complex platform and is bolstered by three complementary pillars:
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Deep chemical biology and cancer pharmacology know-how, including assays and proprietary tool compounds, to define the critical vulnerabilities of “frontier” RAS and mTOR pathway targets and associated signaling circuits in cancer cells;
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Sophisticated structure-based drug discovery capabilities, including proven access to complex chemical space, to create drug candidates tailored to unconventional binding sites on elusive cancer targets; and
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Astute precision medicine approach, embracing patient selection and innovative single agent and combination drug regimens, to translate our preclinical insights into clinical benefit for patients with RAS-addicted cancers.
Our Tri-complex platform
Our proprietary tri-complex technology enables us to discover small molecule inhibitors of targets lacking intrinsic drug binding sites by inducing new druggable pockets. This occurs through small molecule-driven formation of a high affinity ternary complex (tri-complex) between the target protein, the small molecule, and a widely expressed cytosolic protein called a chaperone (e.g., FKPB12 or cyclophilin A). This platform technology is the foundation of our RAS(ON) Inhibitor programs. In this context, the inhibitory effect of tri-complex formation on the RAS(ON) target is mediated by steric occlusion of the site where RAS(ON) binds its downstream effector molecules, such as RAF, which are required for propagating the oncogenic signal. Thus, tri-complex formation with RAS(ON) targets disrupts RAS effector binding and terminates oncogenic signaling. Our RAS(ON) tri-complex inhibitors, which are inspired by natural products, are “Beyond Rule of 5” compounds.
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Pipeline
Our pipeline is summarized below:
RAS(ON) Inhibitors
Overview
Our RAS(ON) Inhibitors are based on our proprietary tri-complex technology platform, which enables a highly differentiated approach to inhibiting the active, GTP-bound form of RAS, or RAS(ON). We are developing a portfolio of compounds that we believe are the first and only RAS(ON) Inhibitors to use this mechanism of action. Our portfolio of RAS(ON) inhibitors includes three compounds that we consider as the first wave of RAS(ON) Inhibitors that we are advancing: RMC-6236 (RASMULTI), RMC-6291 (KRASG12C) and RMC-9805 (KRASG12D). Beyond this first wave of RAS(ON) Inhibitors, we have other RAS(ON) Inhibitor compounds currently in our research and development pipeline, including our development candidates RMC-8839 (KRASG13C) and RMC-0708 (KRASQ61H).
We believe that direct inhibitors of RAS(ON) will suppress cell growth and survival and be less susceptible to adaptive resistance mechanisms recognized for RAS(OFF) inhibitors. We plan to evaluate our RAS(ON) Inhibitors alone and in combination with other drugs and investigational drug candidates, particularly in-pathway agents. We believe tailored RAS(ON) inhibitors will be useful to serve the diverse landscape of RAS-driven cancers optimally. We believe that in some cases, patients may experience maximal clinical benefit from the broad activity of our RASMULTI(ON) inhibitor, RMC-6236, if approved. In others, treatment with a mutant-selective RAS(ON) inhibitor like RMC-6291 (KRASG12C), RMC-9805 (KRASG12D), RMC-8839 (KRASG13C) or RMC-0708 (KRASQ61H) may be optimal. Consistent with this thesis, we are pursuing additional RAS mutant-selective inhibitors for RAS variants KRASG12R, KRASG12V, KRASG13D and RASQ61X. This strategy is a component of our broader mission to develop the best therapeutic regimens for patients with RAS mutant cancer by combining the optimal RAS(ON) Inhibitor with the optimal RAS Companion Inhibitor.
RMC-6236
RMC-6236, our RASMULTI(ON) inhibitor development candidate, designed as a first-in-class, potent, oral, RAS-selective tri-complex inhibitor of multiple RAS(ON) variants including cancer drivers at all three of the major mutation hotspot positions, G12, G13, and Q61. RMC-6236 inhibits all three major RAS isoforms, suppressing the mutant cancer driver and cooperating wild-type RAS proteins. RMC-6236 is being evaluated in an ongoing monotherapy dose-escalation Phase 1/1b clinical study in certain patients with KRASG12X tumors, focused on NSCLC, pancreatic and colorectal cancers.
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In a series of in vivo tumor xenograft studies, RMC-6236 was highly active against lung, pancreatic and colorectal cancers bearing KRASG12X driver mutations (KRASG12D, KRASG12V, KRASG12R or KRASG12C; Figure 2). Across cancer types, RMC-6236 drove deep tumor regressions, including complete responses, and established preclinical response rates supporting advancement into clinical development.
Figure 2. RMC-6236 was highly active in vivo across cancer models with KRASG12X drivers.
In vivo characterization of the effect of RMC-6236 on the growth of KRASG12X cancers. RMC-6236 was dosed at 25 mg/kg po qd. n=1-10/group.NSCLC = non-small cell lung cancer; PDAC = pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; CRC = colorectal cancer. Responses assigned according to mRECIST (modified from Gao et al. Nat Med. 2015). ORR = objective response rate; DCR = disease control rate. RVMD preclinical research as of 06/01/22.
We believe the preclinical results for RMC-6236 show that this product candidate has the potential to treat patients whose cancers harbor a range of RAS variants, including KRASG12X mutations. While first-generation KRASG12C inhibitors have provided strong clinical validation of RAS as a cancer driver, patients with cancers bearing KRASG12D, KRASG12V, or KRASG12R mutations continue to lack targeted therapy options. In total, KRASG12X mutations are found in 137,000 new patients per year in the U.S., indicating major unmet medical need in the cancer types for which RMC-6236 has demonstrated strong preclinical activity.
In the ongoing RMC-6236-001 Phase 1/1b trial, 36 patients treated across five dose cohorts ranging from 10 mg daily to 120 mg daily were evaluable for initial safety and tolerability as of a data cut-off date of February 17, 2023. All of these patients have been previously treated with standard of care and/or other regimens, with an overall median of three prior treatments. Across the study as of the data cut-off date, we have observed that RMC-6236 is orally bioavailable and exhibited dose-dependent exposures in patients that are consistent with our preclinical projections. We continue in dose escalation, as we have not yet reached a maximum-tolerated dose or defined a recommended phase 2 dose.
The most common adverse events we have observed are consistent with on-target, RAS pathway toxicities (Table 1).
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Table 1. RMC-6236-001: Treatment-related adverse events occurring in ≥ 10% of all patients.
Electronic Data Capture (EDC) data as of 02/17/2023. CMQ = Customized MedDRA Query.
* Consists of dermatitis acneiform, dermatitis psoriasiform, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome, rash maculo-papular and rash pustular.
As of the data cut-off, one related grade 4 adverse event of bowel perforation (also considered a serious adverse event) was reported in a patient receiving 80 mg daily. The likely cause of the perforation was considered to be shrinkage of metastatic KRASG12V pancreatic cancer at the site of full-thickness bowel infiltration by the tumor.
Consistent with study eligibility criteria, patients with a range of tumor types in which KRASG12X mutations are common have been enrolled, including major epithelial cancers such as NSCLC, pancreatic, colorectal, and others including ovarian, appendiceal and bile duct cancers. The KRAS mutations in those tumors cover the range of KRASG12 mutations: G12D, G12V, G12A, G12S and G12R, with G12D being the most heavily represented as of the data cut-off date. At the 10 mg and 20 mg dose levels, radiographic imaging showed either stable disease with some tumor reduction, or disease progression, as the best responses. The waterfall plot of tumor volumes below includes the nine pancreatic cancer patients and three NSCLC patients treated at 40 mg daily or higher doses and that are efficacy evaluable (Figure 3).
Figure 3. RMC-6236-001: Change in tumor burden from efficacy-evaluable patients with KRASG12X NSCLC or pancreatic cancer treated at ≥ 40 mg daily (n=12).
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EDC data as of 02/17/2023; efficacy evaluable patients defined as those in this data set with at least one post baseline response assessment or who have died or have experienced clinical progression prior to the first post baseline scan (n=12). Cycle time is 21 days. SD = stable disease, PR = partial response. NSCLC = non-small cell lung cancer; PDAC = pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. *PR unconfirmed as of 02/17/2023.
All 12 of these patients exhibited stable disease or better as their best response. All 12 patients remained on treatment from approximately 1.5 to 4.5 months as of the data cut-off date. 10 of 12 patients had shown some degree of tumor volume reduction by RECIST.
One patient, a 76 year-old with metastatic pancreatic cancer harboring KRASG12D, also achieved a PR that was unconfirmed as of the data cut-off date, with a 70% tumor reduction by response evaluation criteria in solid tumors, or RECIST. At baseline this patient had three distinct lesions – one in the right lung and two in the left lung. These lesions are identified on the upper row of the three computerized tomography (CT) images below (Figure 4). All three lesions underwent significant reduction over 12 weeks of therapy. At six weeks the target lesions were reduced in size by 17% by RECIST. On the 12-week scans shown in the second row below, target lesion 1 was too small to measure, target lesion 2 was considerably reduced and the single non-target lesion was barely detectable. RECIST quantifies response by measuring only the unidimensional longest axis for each target lesion and does not consider density or three-dimensional volume. As the first target lesion was assigned a measurement of 5 mm for purposes of the RECIST calculation, this patient achieved a 70% tumor reduction and a PR by RECIST even though volumetrically the reduction in tumor burden appears to be greater than 70%. As of the data cut-off date, this patient continued on treatment at the 80 mg daily dose level and the PR was unconfirmed pending a confirmatory follow-up scan.
Figure 4. CT scans showing three lesions in the lungs of a KRASG12D pancreatic cancer patient at baseline and at cycle 5, day 1 of treatment with RMC-6236.
Images courtesy of RMC-6236-001 trial site with additional annotation by Revolution Medicines (red arrows and target lesion measurements at top right of each scan).
*Per EDC, target lesion #1 on C5D1 was too small to measure; 5 mm used to calculate the percentage reduction in sum of longest diameters of target lesions by RECIST. RLL = right lower lobe; LLL = left lower lobe.
RMC-6291
RMC-6291 is designed as a first-in-class, potent, oral and selective tri-complex inhibitor of KRASG12C(ON). It is designed to exhibit subnanomolar potency for suppressing RAS pathway signaling and growth of KRASG12C-bearing cancer cells and is engineered to be highly selective for KRASG12C over wild type RAS and other cellular targets. RMC-6291 is designed to be differentiated from first-generation KRASG12C(OFF) inhibitors, which sequester the KRASG12C(OFF) form, by its potential mechanism of directly inhibiting the KRASG12C(ON) form. We believe direct inhibition of the ON form offers important biological advantages, including more rapid termination of RAS signaling and more robust inhibition in the face of known resistance mechanisms. RMC-6291 is being evaluated in an ongoing monotherapy dose-escalation Phase 1/1b clinical study, where our goal is to pursue best-in-class activity against KRASG12C tumors, focused on NSCLC, pancreatic and colorectal cancers. Based on early observations from this study, we believe that RMC-6291 is orally bioavailable in patients, that it is exhibiting pharmacokinetics consistent with our expectations based on
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preclinical experiments and that we are dosing the compound at a pharmacologically active range with acceptable safety and tolerability.
While KRASG12C(OFF) inhibitors have validated the target and changed the treatment landscape for patients with cancers bearing KRASG12C, significant unmet medical need remains. In NSCLC, KRASG12C(OFF) inhibitor single agent response rates are less than 50%, and the vast majority of patients are expected to progress on therapy within a year. We believe RMC-6291 has the potential to improve on the KRASG12C(OFF) inhibitor class. In a series of in vivo tumor xenograft studies, RMC-6291 outperformed adagrasib, a representative KRASG12C(OFF) inhibitor, across 25 models of KRASG12C NSCLC (Figure 5). Within this set of experiments, we observed examples of RMC-6291 driving increased rate, depth and/or duration of response (Figure 6).
Figure 5. RMC-6291 drove superior outcomes in a mouse clinical trial with KRASG12C NSCLC models.
In vivo characterization of the effect of RMC-6291 on the growth of KRASG12C NSCLC models. RMC-6291 (blue) and adagrasib (gray) were administered at approximately molar equivalent doses (RMC-6291 is roughly twice the molecular weight of adagrasib). RMC-6291 was dosed at 200 mg/kg po qd. Adagrasib was dosed at 100 mg/kg po qd. n=3-10/group.NSCLC = non-small cell lung cancer. Responses assigned according to mRECIST (modified from Gao et al. Nat Med. 2015). ORR = objective response rate; DCR = disease control rate. RVMD preclinical research as of 11/20/22.
Figure 6. RMC-6291 drove increased rate, depth, and duration of response in a mouse clinical trial with KRASG12C NSCLC models.
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In vivo characterization of the effect of RMC-6291 on the growth of KRASG12C NSCLC models. RMC-6291 and adagrasib were administered at approximately molar equivalent doses (RMC-6291 is roughly twice the molecular weight of adagrasib). RMC-6291 was dosed at 200 mg/kg po qd. Adagrasib was dosed at 100 mg/kg po qd. PDX Models: (a) LUN055; (b) LXFA-983; (c) CTG-0828 N=3-10/group.NSCLC = non-small cell lung cancer. RVMD preclinical research as of 07/28/21.
RMC-9805
RMC-9805 is designed as a first-in-class, potent, oral and selective tri-complex inhibitor of KRASG12D(ON). It is designed to exhibit low nanomolar potency for suppressing RAS pathway signaling and growth of KRASG12D-bearing cancer cells and is engineered to covalently inactivate KRASG12D for irreversible inhibition. To our knowledge, RMC-9805 is the first ever drug candidate that covalently modified an aspartic acid residue in preclinical studies. RMC-9805 is in the IND-enabling stage of preclinical development, and is part of the first wave of RAS(ON) Inhibitors we are advancing.
In a series of in vivo tumor xenograft studies, RMC-9805 was highly active against lung, pancreatic and colorectal cancers bearing the KRASG12D driver mutation (Figure 7). Across cancer types, RMC-9805 drove deep tumor regressions, including complete responses, and established preclinical response rates, which we believe support advancement into clinical development.
Figure 7. RMC-9805 was highly active in vivo across KRASG12D cancer models.
In vivo characterization of the effect of RMC-9805 on the growth of KRASG12D cancers. RMC-9805 was dosed at 100 mg/kg po qd. N=2-8/group. NSCLC = non-small cell lung cancer; PDAC = pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; CRC = colorectal cancer. Responses assigned according to mRECIST (modified from Gao et al. Nat Med. 2015). ORR = objective response rate; DCR = disease control rate. RVMD preclinical research as of 11/02/22.
In the initial clinical development of RMC-9805, we plan to pursue best-in-class activity against KRASG12D tumors, focused on NSCLC, pancreatic and colorectal cancers.
RMC-8839
RMC-8839 is designed as a first-in-class, potent, oral and selective tri-complex inhibitor of KRASG13C(ON). It is designed to exhibit picomolar potency for suppressing RAS pathway signaling and growth of KRASG13C-bearing cancer cells and is engineered to covalently inactivate KRASG13C for irreversible inhibition. We believe RMC-8839 is ready for preparation of an IND based on our preclinical development, however we have deferred active development of this compound.
RMC-0708
RMC-0708 is designed as a first-in-class, potent, oral and selective tri-complex inhibitor of KRASQ61H(ON). It is designed to exhibit picomolar potency for suppressing RAS pathway signaling and growth of KRASQ61H-bearing cancer cells and is engineered for selective inhibition of KRASQ61H over other RAS isoforms via non-covalent binding interactions. RMC-0708 is in the IND-enabling stage of preclinical development.
RAS Companion Inhibitors
Overview
Our RAS Companion Inhibitors are designed to suppress cooperating targets and pathways that sustain RAS-addicted cancers. Each of our RAS Companion Inhibitors, when administered in combination with a RAS inhibitor, may provide deeper and more durable
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suppression of RAS cancer signaling, helping to maximize clinical benefit for patients with RAS cancers. RMC-4630, our most advanced RAS Companion Inhibitor, is designed to be a potent and selective inhibitor of SHP2 and to suppress resistance to RAS inhibition through inhibition of cooperating RAS pathway signaling. RMC-5552 is designed to be a potent and selective inhibitor of mTORC1/4EBP1 and to suppress resistance to RAS inhibition through inhibition of cooperating mTORC1 pathway signaling. RMC-5845, our investigational SOS1 inhibitor, is designed to suppress resistance to RAS inhibition through inhibition of cooperating RAS pathway signaling. RMC-5552 is under clinical evaluation in a Phase 1 dose escalation program.
RMC-4630
Our RAS Companion Inhibitor RMC-4630 is designed as a potent and selective inhibitor of SHP2, a central node in the RAS signaling pathway. RMC-4630 is being evaluated in a multi-cohort Phase 1/2 clinical program. In 2018, we entered into the Sanofi Agreement with respect to SHP2 inhibitors, including RMC-4630. In December 2022, the Sanofi Agreement was terminated effective as of June 2023 and following the effectiveness of termination, we will regain all global rights granted under the Sanofi Agreement (except as necessary to permit Sanofi to perform any surviving obligations under the Sanofi Agreement), including decision-making regarding research and development, and the rights to all commercial proceeds, from RMC-4630.
In our monotherapy dose escalation study (RMC-4630-01), we have observed that RMC-4630 was a clinically active SHP2 inhibitor, with broad anti-tumor effects, including a confirmed partial response in a patient with NSCLC bearing a KRASG12C mutation and a complete response in a patient with uterine cancer bearing an NF1LOFmutation. The anti-tumor activity of RMC-4630 observed in this study was enabled by a unique intermittent dosing paradigm (200 mg D1D2 weekly) designed to maximize dose intensity without compromising safety and tolerability. Accordingly, and consistent with the highly selective profile of RMC 4630, all dose-limiting toxicities observed in the RMC-4630-01 study have been linked to on-target SHP2 inhibition. We continue to evaluate RMC-4630 monotherapy at the RP2DS in an expansion cohort of the RMC-4630-01 study, consisting of patients with gynecologic tumors harboring NF1LOF mutations, in addition to a small safety/tolerability cohort representing a broader set of histotypes and RAS pathway genotypes.
Our highest priority hypothesis regarding RMC-4630 is that it can deliver additional clinical benefit to patients with RAS-addicted tumors treated with a RAS inhibitor. Below is a list of the clinical studies of RMC-4630 in combination with RAS inhibitors:
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an Amgen-sponsored Phase 1b study of RMC-4630 in combination with Amgen’s KRASG12C(OFF) inhibitor, sotorasib (LUMAKRAS(R));
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RMC-4630-03, a Phase 2 study of RMC-4630 in combination with sotorasib that we are sponsoring under a clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement with Amgen; and
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a Sanofi-sponsored Phase 1/2 study of RMC-4630 in combination with Mirati Therapeutics’ KRASG12C(OFF) inhibitor, adagrasib (KRAZATI(R)).
Amgen is currently evaluating RMC-4630 in an active Phase 1b study in combination with Amgen’s KRASG12C(OFF) agent sotorasib in Amgen’s CodeBreaK 101c study. In August 2022, Amgen reported results from this study at the 2022 World Conference on Lung Cancer.
As a complement to the CodeBreaK 101c study, we are sponsoring RMC-4630-03, which is an additional global Phase 2 study of RMC-4630 in combination with sotorasib for patients with NSCLC carrying a KRASG12C mutation who have failed prior standard therapy and who have not previously been treated with a RAS inhibitor. We are sponsoring the RMC-4630-03 study under our global partnership with Sanofi and conducting the trial in collaboration with Amgen, which is supplying sotorasib globally under a clinical collaboration and supply agreement.
Sanofi sponsored a combination study under the Sanofi Agreement and under a clinical trial collaboration and supply agreement between Sanofi and Mirati to evaluate RMC-4630 (also known as SAR442720) in combination with Mirati’s KRASG12C(OFF) inhibitor, adagrasib. We expect that this study will be wound down in connection with the termination of the Sanofi Agreement.
There are also several clinical studies of RMC-4630 that do not involve combinations with RAS inhibitors:
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RMC-4630-01, a Phase 1 study of RMC-4630 as monotherapy;
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a Sanofi-sponsored Phase 1/2 study of RMC-4630 in combination with the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab (Keytruda®) which we expect will be wound down in connection with the termination of the Sanofi Agreement; and
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a combination of RMC-4630 with an ERK inhibitor in patients as part of an investigator-sponsored study by Netherlands Cancer Institute.
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RMC-5552
Our RAS Companion Inhibitor RMC-5552 is designed as a selective inhibitor of hyperactivated mTORC1 signaling in tumors. We are evaluating RMC-5552 first as a monotherapy in a Phase 1 study (RMC-5552-001), and plan to evaluate RMC-5552 in combination with RAS inhibitors for patients with cancers harboring a RAS mutation and co-occurring mutations in the mTOR signaling pathway.
mTORC1 is a critical regulator of metabolism, growth and proliferation within cells, including cancer cells. The abnormal activation of mTORC1, and subsequent inactivation of the tumor suppressor 4EBP1, is a mechanism that is frequently harnessed by cancer cells to gain a growth and proliferation advantage over normal cells.RMC-5552 is designed to selectively and deeply inhibit mTORC1, thereby preventing phosphorylation and inactivation of 4EBP1, a downstream protein in the mTOR signaling pathway that normally suppresses expression of certain oncogenes such as C-MYC. RMC-5552 has been shown to have combinatorial activity with KRASG12C inhibitors in preclinical models of KRASG12C lung and colon cancer, suggesting that RMC-5552 may be a meaningful and rational addition to our portfolio of RAS Companion Inhibitors.
In interim data from our ongoing clinical trial with a December 19, 2022 data cut-off date, we have observed preliminary evidence of clinical activity at tolerable doses, including a confirmed partial response in a patient with head and neck cancer bearing an mTOR pathway mutation and a disease control rate of 71% in efficacy-evaluable patients treated at majority doses of 6 mg or 8 mg IV weekly (Figure 8).
Figure 8. Best Tumor Change in Efficacy Evaluable Patients Treated at 6 mg or 8 mg IV Weekly.
(1) n = 28 efficacy evaluable subjects. *Patient received one dose of 12 mg, followed by weekly doses of 6 mg, had complete loss of oncogenic PTEN variant by ctDNA and has been on RMC-5552 for >12 months. #Patient received one dose of 10 mg, followed by weekly doses of 6 mg. Both patients were on RMC-5552 for >24 weeks. 6 mg weekly was well tolerated. Further enrollment at doses above 6 mg is ongoing to define the recommended Phase 2 dose and schedule. Data as of 12/19/2022. PD = progressive disease, SD = stable disease, PR = partial response, DCR=disease control rate. mo = months.
RMC-5845
RMC-5845 targets SOS1, a protein that plays a key role in converting RAS(OFF) to RAS(ON) in cells. RMC-5845 is intended for select combination therapies for certain genetically-defined tumors. This compound is ready for preparation of an IND based on our preclinical development. We continue evaluating whether to advance RMC-5845 into clinical development in the context of other assets in our portfolio.
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Commercial plan
We intend to retain significant development and commercialization rights to our product candidates and, if marketing approval is obtained, to commercialize our product candidates on our own, or potentially with a partner, in the United States and other regions. We currently have no sales, marketing or commercial product distribution capabilities. We intend to build the necessary infrastructure and capabilities over time for the United States, and potentially other regions, in connection with the advancement of our product candidates. Clinical data, the size of the addressable patient population, the size of the commercial infrastructure and manufacturing needs, and the status of our pipeline, may all influence or alter our commercialization plans.
Our most advanced product candidate, RMC-4630, is the subject of a global collaboration with Sanofi, which has been terminated effective as of June 2023. The terms of this collaboration give Sanofi certain rights with respect to SHP2-related commercialization decisions and to economics from commercial activities, as well as commercial manufacturing obligations, however all of these rights and obligations will revert to us upon effectiveness of termination of the collaboration agreement.
Collaboration agreement with Sanofi
In June 2018, we entered into the Sanofi Agreement with Aventis, Inc. (an affiliate of Sanofi) to research and develop SHP2 inhibitors, including RMC-4630, for any indications. The Sanofi Agreement was assigned to Genzyme Corporation, a Sanofi affiliate, in December 2018. For the purposes of this discussion, we refer to Genzyme Corporation as Sanofi. In December 2022, the Sanofi Agreement was terminated effective as of June 2023, and all rights and obligations described below will terminate and revert to us upon effectiveness of this termination, except as necessary to permit Sanofi to perform any surviving obligations under the Sanofi Agreement.
Pursuant to the Sanofi Agreement, we granted Sanofi a worldwide, exclusive, sublicensable (subject to our consent in certain circumstances) license under certain of our patents and know-how to research, develop, manufacture, use, sell, offer for sale, import and otherwise commercialize SHP2 inhibitors, including RMC-4630, for any and all uses, subject to our exercise of rights and performance of obligations under the Sanofi Agreement. Such intellectual property exclusively licensed to Sanofi includes our interest under any of our solely-owned or jointly-owned inventions arising out of activities undertaken pursuant to the development of SHP2 inhibitor product candidates under the Sanofi Agreement.
Under the Sanofi Agreement, we have primary responsibility for early clinical development of RMC-4630 pursuant to an approved development plan. Sanofi is responsible to reimburse us for all internal and external costs and expenses to perform our activities under approved development plans, except for costs and expenses related to studies designated in the Sanofi Agreement as RevMed Studies, for which we will bear all costs and expenses, and for the RMC-4630-03 study, for which we have agreed that Sanofi will reimburse us for 50% of the costs and expenses. There currently are no active RevMed Studies.
We are responsible for the manufacture of SHP2 inhibitors for Phase 1 and non-registrational Phase 2 clinical trials pursuant to an approved development plan, while Sanofi is responsible for manufacturing SHP2 inhibitors for all other clinical trials and commercial supply. Sanofi has the sole right and responsibility to perform all regulatory activities under the Sanofi Agreement, except with respect to certain trials conducted by us or otherwise conducted under our IND, including our current clinical trials evaluating RMC-4630.
Unless otherwise delegated to us by the joint commercialization committee, during the term of the Sanofi Agreement, Sanofi also has the sole right and responsibility for all aspects of the commercialization of SHP2 inhibitors in the world for any and all uses, at its expense, subject to our right to elect to co-promote SHP2 inhibitors in the United States. Sanofi agrees to provide us, and we agree to provide Sanofi, with research, development and commercialization updates through the joint committees.
During the term of the Sanofi Agreement, we may not, alone or with any affiliate or third party, conduct certain research activities with respect to, or develop or commercialize, any product that contains a SHP2 inhibitor outside of the Sanofi Agreement.
Pursuant to the Sanofi Agreement, we received an upfront payment of $50 million from Sanofi in July 2018. The Sanofi Agreement includes obligations for Sanofi to make certain milestone payments and royalty payments, all of which will expire upon effectiveness of termination of the Sanofi Agreement.
During the term of the Sanofi Agreement, Sanofi has the sole and exclusive right to file, prosecute and maintain any patents licensed to it pursuant to the Sanofi Agreement, as well as to enforce infringement of or defend claims against such patents that relate to SHP2 inhibitor products.
Upon effectiveness of the termination of the Sanofi Agreement, the licenses granted to Sanofi thereunder shall become fully paid-up, royalty-free, perpetual and irrevocable and all rights and obligations of Sanofi under the Sanofi Agreement will revert to us.
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Through December 31, 2022, we have received an aggregate of $176.9 million from Sanofi, including the upfront payment and research and development expense reimbursements.
Manufacturing
We rely on and will continue to rely on our contract manufacturing organizations, or CMOs, for both drug substance and drug product. Currently, all of our manufacturing is outsourced to well-established third-party manufacturers. We have entered into contracts with CMOs for production of drug substance and drug product for our clinical trials and IND-enabling development studies, and plan to enter into additional contracts with these or other manufacturers for additional supply.
Our outsourced approach to manufacturing relies on CMOs to first develop manufacturing processes that are compliant with current Good Manufacturing Practice, or cGMP, then produce material for preclinical and clinical studies. Our agreements with CMOs may obligate them to develop and qualify upstream and downstream processes, develop drug product process, validate (and in some cases develop) suitable analytical methods for test and release as well as stability testing, produce drug substance for preclinical testing, produce cGMP-compliant drug substance, or produce cGMP-compliant drug product. We conduct audits of CMOs prior to initiation of activities under these agreements and monitor operations to ensure compliance with the mutually agreed process descriptions and to cGMP regulations.
Competition
The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, and the oncology sector, are characterized by rapid evolution of technologies, fierce competition and strong defense of intellectual property rights. While we believe that our discovery programs, technology, knowledge, experience, and scientific resources provide us with competitive advantages, we face competition from major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, academic institutions, governmental agencies and public and private research institutions, among others.
Any product candidates that we successfully develop and commercialize will compete with currently approved therapies and new therapies that may become available in the future. Key product features that would affect our ability to effectively compete with other therapeutics include the efficacy, safety and convenience of our products and the ease of use and effectiveness of any complementary diagnostics and/or companion diagnostics.
There are a number of companies developing or marketing treatments for cancer, including many major pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. These treatments consist of small molecule drug products, biologics, cell-based therapies and traditional chemotherapy. Smaller and other early-stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors. In addition, academic research departments and public and private research institutions may be conducting research on compounds that could prove to be competitive.
There are several programs in clinical development targeting SHP2, including those being conducted by Betta Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., Erasca, Inc., Etern BioPharma (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Genhouse Bio Co. Ltd., HUYA Bioscience, InnoCare Pharma Ltd., Jacobio Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. (licensed to AbbVie Inc.), Nanjing Sanhome Pharmaceutical, Navire Pharma, Inc., a BridgeBio company (licensed to Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Inc.), Novartis AG, Pfizer, Inc., and Relay Therapeutics Inc. (licensed to Roche).
There are several programs in clinical development targeting KRASG12C, including programs directed at KRASG12C (OFF) being conducted by Amgen Inc., Betta Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., Boehringer Ingelheim, D3 BIO, Inc., Eli Lilly, Genhouse Bio Co. Ltd., HUYA Bioscience, InnoCare Pharma Ltd., Innovent Biologics, Inc., InventisBio, Jacobio Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd., Merck, Sharpe & Dohme LLC, Mirati Therapeutics, Inc., Novartis AG, Roche, Shanghai YingLi Pharmaceutical, Suzhou Genhouse Bio and Suzhou Zelgen Biopharmaceuticals. There are also several clinical programs directed at KRASG12D, including those being conducted by Astellas Pharma Inc., Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Company Ltd. and Mirati Therapeutics, Inc. Other clinical programs directed at mutant RAS are being conducted, including those by Alaunos Therapeutics, Inc., Elicio Therapeutics, Gritstone bio, Inc., Moderna, Inc., Silenseed Ltd. and Targovax ASA. The above list includes corporate competitors that we are currently aware of and that are currently conducting clinical trials or marketing in geographies where we currently anticipate conducting clinical trials for our product candidates. However, companies operating in other geographies and smaller and other early-stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors. In addition, academic research departments and public and private research institutions may be conducting research on compounds that could prove to be competitive.
The availability of coverage and reimbursement from government and other third-party payors will also significantly affect the pricing and competitiveness of our products. Our competitors also may obtain FDA, or other regulatory approval for their products more rapidly than we may obtain approval for ours, which could result in our competitors establishing a strong market position before we are able to enter the market.
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Many of the companies against which we may compete have significantly greater financial resources and expertise in research and development, manufacturing, preclinical testing, conducting clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approvals and marketing approved products than we do. Smaller or early-stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large and established companies. These competitors also compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific and management personnel, establishing clinical trial sites and patient registration for clinical trials, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our programs.
Intellectual property
Our success depends in part on our ability and the ability of our collaborators to obtain and maintain proprietary protection for our technology, programs, and know-how related to our business, defend and enforce our intellectual property rights, in particular, our patent rights, preserve the confidentiality of our trade secrets, and operate without infringing valid and enforceable intellectual property rights of others. We endeavor to establish, maintain and enforce intellectual property rights that protect our business interests.
The term of individual patents depends upon the legal term of patents in the countries in which they are obtained. In most countries in which we file, including the United States, the patent term is generally 20 years from the earliest date of filing a non-provisional patent application, assuming the patent has not been terminally disclaimed over a commonly-owned patent or a patent naming a common inventor, or over a patent not commonly owned but that was disqualified as prior art as the result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. In the United States, the term of a patent may also be eligible for patent term adjustment for delays within the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO. In addition, for patents that cover an FDA-approved drug, the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, or the Hatch-Waxman Act, may permit a patent term extension of up to five years beyond the expiration of the patent. While the length of such patent term extension is related to the length of time the drug is under regulatory review, patent term extension cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the date of product approval, only one patent per approved drug may be extended and only those claims covering the approved drug product, a method for using it or a method for manufacturing it may be extended. Similar provisions are available in Europe and certain other foreign jurisdictions to extend the term of a patent that covers an approved drug. In the future, if and when our products receive FDA approval, we expect to apply for patent term extensions on patents covering those products. We plan to seek any available patent term extension to any issued patents we may be granted in any jurisdiction where such extensions are available; however, there is no guarantee that the applicable authorities, including the FDA in the United States, will agree with our assessment of whether such extensions should be granted, and if granted, the length of such extensions.
We also rely on trade secrets, know-how, and confidential information relating to our programs to develop and maintain our proprietary position, and seek to protect and maintain the confidentiality of such items to protect aspects of our business that are not amenable to, or that we do not presently consider appropriate for, patent protection. Our trade secrets include, for example, certain program specific syntheses, manufacturing schema, formulations, biomarkers, patient selection strategies, and certain aspects of our proprietary tri-complex technology platform. It is our policy to require our employees, consultants, contractors, outside scientific collaborators, sponsored researchers and other advisors to execute confidentiality agreements prior to the commencement of employment or consulting relationships with us, and for employees, contractors and consultants to enter into invention assignment agreements with us. These agreements generally provide that all confidential information developed or made known to the individual during the course of the individual’s relationship with us is to be kept confidential and not disclosed to third parties except in specific circumstances. Where applicable, the agreements provide that all inventions to which the individual contributed as an inventor shall be assigned to us, and as such, will become our property. There can be no assurance, however, that these agreements will be self-executing or otherwise provide meaningful protection or adequate remedies for our trade secrets or other proprietary information, including in the event of unauthorized use or disclosure of such information. We also seek to preserve the integrity and confidentiality of our trade secrets and confidential information by maintaining physical security of our premises and physical and electronic security of our information technology systems. While we have confidence in the measures we take to protect and preserve our trade secrets, such measures can be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for any such breach. In addition, our trade secrets may otherwise become known or be independently discovered by competitors. For more information regarding the risks related to intellectual property, please see “Risk factors—Risks related to intellectual property.”
Our program-specific patent portfolio
Our patent portfolio is directed to small molecules, platform methodologies, and related technology. We seek patent protection for product candidates, development programs, and related alternatives by filing and prosecuting patent applications in the United States and other countries, as appropriate.
We own and co-own patents and patent applications related to our SHP2 development program. Our patent portfolio related to this program consists of ownership or co-ownership rights to several patent families that include filings covering compositions of matter or methods of using our development candidate, RMC-4630, alone or in combination with certain other therapeutic agents. The single co-owned patent family is co-owned with The University of California, San Francisco, or UCSF. The issued patents have, and any
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patents issuing from these patent applications would have, nominal expiration dates ranging from 2037 to 2041, without accounting for any applicable patent term adjustments or extensions.
We own or exclusively license patents and patent applications related to our mTORC1 development program. Our patent portfolio related to this program consists of ownership or the exclusive license of rights to several patent families that include filings covering compositions of matter or methods of using our development candidate, RMC-5552, alone or in combination with certain other therapeutic agents. The single exclusively licensed patent family is licensed from UCSF. The issued patents have, and any patents issuing from these patent applications would have, nominal expiration dates ranging from 2035 to 2042, without accounting for any applicable patent term adjustments or extensions.
We own patent applications related to our SOS1 development program. Our patent portfolio related to this program consists of ownership of several patent families that include filings covering compositions of matter or methods of using our development candidate, RMC-5845, alone or in combination with certain other therapeutic agents. The issued patents have, and any patents issuing from these patent applications would have, nominal expiration dates ranging from 2040 to 2042, without accounting for any applicable patent term adjustments or extensions.
We own patents and patent applications related to our RAS tri-complex inhibitors and related platform technology. Our patent portfolio related to this program consists of ownership rights to several patent families that include filings covering compositions of matter or methods of using our development candidates alone or in combination with certain other therapeutic agents, or aspects pertaining to our tri-complex approach to RAS inhibition. The issued patents have, and any patents issuing from these patent applications would have, nominal expiration dates ranging from 2031 (for patents originating from the Warp Drive Bio portfolio) to 2042 (for patents originating from the Company’s portfolio), without accounting for any applicable patent term adjustments or extensions.
Government regulation
The FDA and other regulatory authorities at federal, state, and local levels, as well as in foreign countries, extensively regulate, among other things, the research, development, testing, manufacture, storage, recordkeeping, approval, labeling, marketing and promotion, distribution, post-approval monitoring and reporting, sampling, and import and export of products, such as those we are developing. The process of obtaining regulatory approvals and the subsequent compliance with appropriate federal, state, local and foreign statutes and regulations require the expenditure of substantial time and financial resources.
U.S. drug regulation
In the United States, the FDA regulates drugs under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or FDCA, and its implementing regulations. FDA approval is required before any new unapproved drug can be marketed in the United States. Drugs are also subject to other federal, state and local statutes and regulations. Failure to comply with applicable FDA or other requirements may subject a company to a variety of administrative or judicial sanctions, such as FDA clinical holds, refusal to approve pending applications, withdrawal of an approval, warning or untitled letters, product recalls, product seizures, total or partial suspension of production or distribution, injunctions, fines, civil penalties and criminal prosecution.
The process required by the FDA before product candidates may be marketed in the United States generally involves the following:
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completion of extensive preclinical laboratory tests and animal studies, where all supporting safety and toxicity studies are performed in accordance with applicable regulations, including the FDA’s Good Laboratory Practice, or GLP, regulations;
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manufacture of clinical drug supply in accordance with FDA’s current Good Manufacturing Practice, or cGMP, regulations, when required;
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submission to the FDA of an investigational new drug application, or IND, which must become effective before human clinical studies may begin and must be updated annually or when significant changes are made;
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approval by an independent institutional review board, or IRB, representing each clinical site before a clinical study may be initiated;
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performance of adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials in accordance with good clinical practice, or GCP, regulations to establish the safety and efficacy of the product candidate for each proposed indication;
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preparation of and submission to the FDA of an NDA after completion of all pivotal trials;
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a determination by the FDA within 60 days of its receipt of an NDA to file the application for review;
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satisfactory completion of an FDA advisory committee review, if applicable;
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satisfactory completion of an FDA pre-approval inspection of the manufacturing facility(ies) where the product is manufactured to assess compliance with cGMP regulations, and of selected clinical investigation sites to assess compliance with GCP;
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payment of users fees for FDA review of the NDA; and
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FDA review and approval of an NDA to permit commercial marketing of the product for its particular labeled uses in the United States.
Preclinical and clinical studies
The preclinical and clinical testing and approval process can take many years and the actual time required to obtain approval, if any, may vary substantially based upon the type, complexity and novelty of the product or condition being treated.
Preclinical tests include laboratory (in vitro) evaluation of product chemistry, formulation and toxicity, as well as animal (in vivo) studies to assess the characteristics and potential safety and efficacy of the product. The conduct of preclinical tests that provide safety and toxicological information must comply with federal regulations and requirements, including GLP. The results of preclinical testing are submitted to the FDA as part of an IND along with other information, including information about product chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC) and any available human data or literature to support use of the product in humans. An IND is a request for authorization from the FDA to administer an investigational product to humans and must become effective before clinical trials may begin. Long-term preclinical tests, such as animal tests of reproductive toxicity and carcinogenicity, may continue after the IND is submitted.
The central focus of an IND submission is on the general investigational plan and the protocol(s) for human studies. An IND must become effective before human clinical trials may begin. An IND will automatically become effective 30 days after receipt by the FDA, unless before that time the FDA raises concerns or questions related to the proposed clinical studies. In such a case, the IND may be placed on clinical hold and the IND sponsor and the FDA must resolve any outstanding concerns or questions before clinical studies can begin.
For each successive clinical trial conducted with the investigational drug, a separate, new protocol submission to an existing IND must be made, along with any subsequent changes to the investigational plan. Sponsors are also subject to ongoing reporting requirements, including submission of IND safety reports for any serious adverse experiences associated with use of the investigational drug or findings from preclinical studies suggesting a significant risk for human subjects, as well as IND annual reports on the progress of the investigations conducted under the IND.
Clinical studies involve the administration of the investigational new drug to human subjects under the supervision of qualified investigators in accordance with GCPs, which include the requirement that all research subjects provide their informed consent for participation in each clinical study. Clinical studies are conducted under protocols detailing, among other things, the objectives of the study, the parameters to be used in monitoring safety and the efficacy criteria to be evaluated. A protocol for each clinical study and any subsequent protocol amendments must be submitted to the FDA as part of the IND. Additionally, approval must also be obtained from each clinical study site’s IRB before a study may be initiated at the site, and the IRB must monitor the study until completed. Sponsors of clinical trials generally must register and report ongoing clinical studies and clinical study results to public registries, including the website maintained by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, ClinicalTrials.gov.
Human clinical trials are typically divided into three or four phases. Although the phases are usually conducted sequentially, they may overlap or be combined.
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Phase 1. The drug is initially introduced into healthy human subjects or into patients with the target disease or condition. These studies are designed to evaluate the safety, dosage tolerance, metabolism and pharmacologic actions of the drug in humans, the side effects associated with increasing doses, and if possible, to gain early evidence on effectiveness. In the case of some products for severe or life-threatening diseases, such as cancer, especially when the product may be too inherently toxic to ethically administer to healthy volunteers, the initial human testing is often conducted in patients.
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Phase 2. The drug is administered to a limited patient population to evaluate tolerance and optimal dose, identify possible adverse side effects and safety risks, and preliminarily evaluate efficacy. Multiple Phase 2 trials may be conducted to obtain additional data prior to beginning Phase 3 trials.
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Phase 3. The drug is administered to an expanded patient population, generally at geographically dispersed clinical study sites to generate enough data to statistically evaluate dosage, clinical effectiveness and safety, to establish the overall benefit-risk relationship of the investigational product and to provide an adequate basis for product approval.
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Phase 4. In some cases, the FDA may condition approval of an NDA for a product candidate on the sponsor’s agreement to conduct additional clinical studies after approval. In other cases, a sponsor may voluntarily conduct additional clinical studies after approval to gain more information about the drug. Such post-approval studies are typically referred to as Phase 4 clinical studies.
The FDA, the IRB, other regulatory authorities or the clinical study sponsor may suspend or terminate a clinical study at any time on various grounds, including a finding that the research subjects are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk. The sponsor may also suspend or terminate a clinical study based on evolving business objectives and/or competitive climate.
Concurrent with clinical trials, companies may complete additional in vivo studies and develop additional information about the characteristics of the product candidate. Companies must also finalize a process for manufacturing the product in commercially applicable quantities in accordance with cGMP requirements. The manufacturing process must be capable of consistently producing quality batches of the product and, among other things, must use validated methods for testing the product against specifications to confirm its identity, strength, quality and purity. Additionally, appropriate packaging must be selected and tested and stability studies must be conducted to demonstrate that the product does not undergo unacceptable deterioration over its shelf life.
U.S. review and approval process
Assuming successful completion of all required testing in accordance with all applicable regulatory requirements, the results of preclinical studies and other non-clinical studies and clinical trials, together with detailed information relating to the product’s chemistry, manufacture, controls, and proposed labeling, among other things, are submitted to the FDA in the form of an NDA requesting approval to market the product for one or more indications. The submission of an NDA requires payment of a substantial application user fee to the FDA, unless a waiver or exemption applies.
An NDA must include all relevant data available from pertinent preclinical and clinical studies, including negative or ambiguous results as well as positive findings, together with detailed information relating to the product’s chemistry, manufacturing, controls and proposed labeling, among other things. Data can come from company-sponsored clinical studies intended to test the safety and effectiveness of a use of a product, or from a number of alternative sources, including studies initiated by investigators. To support marketing approval, the data submitted must be sufficient in quality and quantity to establish the safety and effectiveness of the investigational product to the satisfaction of the FDA.
The FDA reviews all submitted NDAs before it accepts them for filing. The FDA has 60 days from its receipt of an NDA to determine whether the application will be accepted for filing based on the agency’s threshold determination that it is sufficiently complete to permit substantive review. The FDA may request additional information rather than accept an application for filing. In this event, the application must be resubmitted with the additional information and is subject to payment of additional user fees. The resubmitted application is also subject to review before the FDA accepts it for filing. Once the submission is accepted for filing, the FDA begins an in-depth substantive review. Under applicable Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or PDUFA, performance goals, the FDA endeavors to review applications subject to standard review within ten to twelve months, and to review applications subject to priority review within six to eight months, depending on whether the drug is a new molecular entity.
The FDA may refer applications for novel drug products or drug products which present difficult questions of safety or efficacy to an advisory committee for review, evaluation and recommendation as to whether the application should be approved and under what conditions.
Before approving an NDA, the FDA typically will inspect the facility or facilities where the product is manufactured. The FDA will not approve an application unless it determines that the manufacturing processes and facilities are in compliance with cGMP requirements and adequate to assure consistent production of the product within required specifications. Additionally, the FDA will typically inspect one or more clinical sites to assure that relevant study data was obtained in compliance with GCP requirements. If the FDA determines that the application, manufacturing process or manufacturing facilities are not acceptable, it will outline the deficiencies in the submission and often will request additional testing or information. Notwithstanding the submission of any requested additional information, the FDA ultimately may decide that the application does not satisfy the regulatory criteria for approval.
After the FDA evaluates the NDA and conducts inspections of manufacturing facilities, it may issue an approval letter or a complete response letter. An approval letter authorizes commercial marketing of the drug with specific prescribing information for specific indications. A complete response letter indicates that the review cycle of the application is complete and the application will not be approved in its present form. A complete response letter generally outlines the deficiencies in the submission and may require substantial additional testing or information, including additional clinical trials or other significant and time-consuming requirements related to the clinical trials, in order for the FDA to reconsider the application. Even with submission of this additional information, the FDA may ultimately decide that an application does not satisfy the regulatory criteria for approval.
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If regulatory approval of a product is granted, such approval will be granted for particular indications and may entail limitations on the indicated uses for which such product may be marketed. For example, as a condition of NDA approval, the FDA may require a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, or REMS, program to help ensure that the benefits of the drug outweigh its risks. If the FDA determines a REMS program is necessary during review of the application, the drug sponsor must agree to the REMS plan at the time of approval. A REMS program may be required to include various elements, such as a medication guide or patient package insert, a communication plan to educate healthcare providers of the drug’s risks, or other elements to assure safe use, such as limitations on who may prescribe or dispense the drug, dispensing only under certain circumstances, special monitoring and the use of patient registries. In addition, all REMS programs must include a timetable to periodically assess the strategy following implementation. The FDA also may condition approval on, among other things, changes to proposed labeling or the development of adequate controls and specifications.
Further, product approval may require substantial post-approval testing and surveillance to monitor the drug’s safety and efficacy, and the FDA has the authority to prevent or limit further marketing of a product based on the results of these post-marketing programs. Once granted, product approvals may be withdrawn if compliance with regulatory standards is not maintained or problems are identified following initial marketing. Moreover, changes to the conditions established in an approved application, including changes in indications, labeling or manufacturing processes or facilities may require submission and FDA approval of a new NDA or NDA supplement before the changes can be implemented. An NDA supplement for a new indication typically requires clinical data similar to that supporting the original approval, and the FDA uses similar procedures in reviewing supplements as it does in reviewing original applications. In addition, new government requirements, including those resulting from new legislation, may be established, or the FDA’s policies may change, which could impact the timeline for regulatory approval or otherwise impact ongoing development programs.
Expedited development and review programs
The FDA offers a number of expedited development and review programs for qualifying product candidates, and we may seek one or more of these programs for our current or future products.
New drug products may be eligible for fast track designation if they are intended to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition and demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs for the disease or condition. Fast track designation applies to the combination of the product and the specific indication for which it is being studied. The sponsor of a fast track product has opportunities for frequent interactions with the review team during product development and, once an NDA is submitted, the product may be eligible for priority review. A fast track product may also be eligible for rolling review, where the FDA may consider for review sections of the NDA on a rolling basis before the complete application is submitted, if the sponsor provides a schedule for the submission of the sections of the NDA, the FDA agrees to accept sections of the NDA and determines that the schedule is acceptable, and the sponsor pays any required user fees upon submission of the first section of the NDA.
A product intended to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition may also be eligible for breakthrough therapy designation to expedite its development and review. A product can receive breakthrough therapy designation if preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the product may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints, such as substantial treatment effects observed early in clinical development. The designation includes all of the fast track program features, as well as more intensive FDA interaction and guidance beginning as early as Phase 1 and an organizational commitment to expedite the development and review of the product, including involvement of senior managers.
After an NDA is submitted for a product, including a product with a fast track designation and/or breakthrough therapy designation, the NDA may be eligible for priority review. A product is eligible for priority review if it has the potential to provide a significant improvement in the treatment, diagnosis or prevention of a serious disease or condition compared to marketed products. Depending on whether a drug contains a new molecular entity, priority review designation means the FDA’s goal is to take an action on the marketing application within six to eight months of the 60-day filing date, compared with ten to twelve months under standard review.
Additionally, products studied for their safety and effectiveness in treating serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions may receive accelerated approval upon a determination that the product has an effect on a surrogate endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit, or on a clinical endpoint that can be measured earlier than irreversible morbidity or mortality, that is reasonably likely to predict an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical benefit, taking into account the severity, rarity, or prevalence of the condition and the availability or lack of alternative treatments. As a condition of accelerated approval, the FDA will generally require the sponsor to perform adequate and well-controlled post-marketing clinical studies to verify and describe the anticipated effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical benefit. The FDA may withdraw approval of a drug or an indication approved under accelerated approval if, for example, sponsor fails to conduct the confirmatory trial in a timely manner, or if the confirmatory trial fails to verify the predicted clinical benefit of the product. In addition, the FDA currently requires as a condition for accelerated approval pre-approval of promotional materials, which could adversely impact the timing of the commercial launch of the product.
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Fast track designation, breakthrough therapy designation, priority review and accelerated approval do not change the scientific or medical standards for approval or the quality of evidence necessary to support approval, though they may expedite the development or review process. Even if a product qualifies for one or more of these programs, the FDA may later decide that the product no longer meets the conditions for qualification or the time period for FDA review or approval may not be shortened.
Orphan drug designation
We intend to pursue orphan drug designation for one or more of our product candidates with respect to certain oncology indications, as appropriate, with the potential to obtain orphan drug exclusivity for our products, if approved.
Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may grant orphan designation to a drug intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is a disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States, or more than 200,000 individuals in the United States for which there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing and making available in the United States a drug for this type of disease or condition will be recovered from sales in the United States for that drug. Orphan drug designation must be requested before submitting an NDA. After the FDA grants orphan drug designation, the generic identity of the therapeutic agent and its potential orphan use are disclosed publicly by the FDA. The orphan drug designation does not convey any advantage in, or shorten the duration of, the regulatory review or approval process.
If a product that has orphan drug designation subsequently receives the first FDA approval for the disease for which it has such designation, the product is entitled to orphan drug exclusive approval (or exclusivity), which means that the FDA may not approve any other applications, including a full NDA, to market the same drug for the same disease or condition for seven years, except in limited circumstances, such as a showing of clinical superiority to the product with orphan drug exclusivity. Orphan drug exclusivity does not prevent the FDA from approving a different drug for the same disease or condition, or the same drug for a different disease or condition. Orphan product exclusivity also could block the approval of one of our products for seven years if a competitor obtains approval of the same drug as defined by the FDA or if our product candidate is determined to be contained within the competitor’s product for the same disease or condition. Among the other benefits of orphan drug designation are tax credits for certain research and a waiver of the application user fee.
A designated orphan drug may not receive orphan drug exclusivity if it is approved for a use that is broader than the indication for which it received orphan designation. In addition, exclusive marketing rights in the United States may be lost if the FDA later determines that the request for designation was materially defective or if the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient quantities of the product to meet the needs of patients with the rare disease or condition.
Pediatric information and pediatric exclusivity
Under the Pediatric Research Equity Act, or PREA, certain NDAs and certain supplements to an NDA must contain data to assess the safety and efficacy of the drug for the claimed indications in all relevant pediatric subpopulations and to support dosing and administration for each pediatric subpopulation for which the product is safe and effective. The FDA may grant deferrals for submission of pediatric data or full or partial waivers. The Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act, or FDASIA, amended the FDCA to require that a sponsor who is planning to submit a marketing application for a drug that includes a new active ingredient, new indication, new dosage form, new dosing regimen or new route of administration submit an initial Pediatric Study Plan, or iPSP, within 60 days of an end-of-Phase 2 meeting or, if there is no such meeting, as early as practicable before the initiation of a Phase 3 or Phase 2/3 study. The iPSP must include an outline of the pediatric study or studies that the sponsor plans to conduct, including study objectives and design, age groups, relevant endpoints and statistical approach, or a justification for not including such detailed information, and any request for a deferral of pediatric assessments or a full or partial waiver of the requirement to provide data from pediatric studies along with supporting information. The FDA and the sponsor must reach an agreement on the iPSP. A sponsor can submit amendments to an agreed-upon iPSP at any time if changes to the pediatric plan need to be considered based on data collected from preclinical studies, early phase clinical trials and/or other clinical development programs.
A drug product can also obtain pediatric market exclusivity in the United States. Pediatric exclusivity, if granted, adds six months to existing exclusivity periods and patent terms. This six-month exclusivity, which runs from the end of other exclusivity protection or patent term, may be granted based on the voluntary completion of a pediatric study in accordance with an FDA-issued “Written Request” for such a study.
Post-approval requirements
Once an NDA is approved, a product will be subject to pervasive and continuing regulation by the FDA, including, among other things, requirements relating to drug listing and registration, recordkeeping, periodic reporting, product sampling and distribution, adverse event reporting and advertising, marketing and promotion. Drugs may be marketed only for the approved indications and in accordance with the provisions of the approved labeling. While physicians may prescribe for off-label uses, manufacturers may only
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promote for the approved indications and in accordance with the provisions of the approved label. However, companies may share truthful and not misleading information that is otherwise consistent with a product’s FDA approved labeling. The FDA and other agencies actively enforce the laws and regulations prohibiting the promotion of off-label uses, and a company that is found to have improperly promoted off-label uses may be subject to significant liability.
After approval, most changes to the approved product, such as adding new indications or other labeling claims, are subject to prior FDA review and approval. There also are continuing user fee requirements, under which FDA assesses an annual program fee for each product identified in an approved NDA. In addition, quality-control, drug manufacture, packaging and labeling procedures must continue to conform to cGMPs after approval. Drug manufacturers and certain of their subcontractors are required to register their establishments with the FDA and certain state agencies. Registration with the FDA subjects entities to periodic unannounced and announced inspections by the FDA and these state agencies, during which the agency inspects manufacturing facilities to assess compliance with cGMP requirements and other laws. FDA regulations also require investigation and correction of any deviations from cGMP and impose reporting requirements upon us and any third-party manufacturers that we may decide to use. Accordingly, manufacturers must continue to expend time, money and effort in the area of production and quality control to maintain compliance with cGMP and other aspects of regulatory compliance. The FDA may withdraw approval of a product if compliance with regulatory requirements is not maintained or if problems occur after the product reaches the market. Later discovery of previously unknown problems with a product, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or with manufacturing processes, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements, may result in revisions to the approved labeling to add new safety information; imposition of post-market studies or clinical studies to assess new safety risks; or imposition of distribution restrictions or other restrictions under a REMS program. Other potential consequences include, among other things:
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restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of a product, complete withdrawal of the product from the market or product recalls;
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fines, warning or untitled letters or holds on clinical studies;
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refusal of the FDA to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications, or suspension or revocation of existing product approvals;
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product seizure or detention, or refusal of the FDA to permit the import or export of products;
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mandated modifications of promotional materials and labeling and the issuance of corrective information;
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the issuance of safety alerts, Dear Healthcare Provider letters, press releases or other communications containing warnings or other safety information about the product; or
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injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.
We also must comply with the FDA’s advertising and promotion requirements, such as those related to direct-to-consumer advertising, the prohibition on promoting products for uses or in patient populations that are not described in the product’s approved labeling, known as “off-label use,” industry-sponsored scientific and educational activities, and promotional activities involving the internet.
The FDA may also require post-approval studies and clinical trials if the FDA finds that scientific data, including information regarding related drugs, deem it appropriate. The purpose of such studies would be to assess a known serious risk or signals of serious risk related to the drug or to identify an unexpected serious risk when available data indicate the potential for a serious risk. The FDA may also require a labeling change if it becomes aware of new safety information that it believes should be included in the labeling of a drug.
Failure to comply with the applicable regulatory requirements at any time during the product development process, approval process or after approval may subject an applicant or manufacturer to, among other things, adverse publicity, warning letters, corrective advertising and potential civil and criminal penalties. FDA sanctions could include refusal to approve pending applications, withdrawal of an approval, clinical hold, warning or untitled letters, product recalls, product seizures, total or partial suspension of production or distribution, injunctions, fines, refusals of government contracts, mandated corrective advertising or communications with doctors, debarment, restitution, disgorgement of profits, or civil or criminal penalties.
International regulation
In addition to regulations in the United States, we could become subject to a variety of foreign regulations regarding development, approval, commercial sales and distribution of our products if we seek to market our product candidates in other jurisdictions. Whether or not we obtain FDA approval for a product, we must obtain the necessary approvals by the comparable regulatory authorities of foreign countries before we can commence clinical trials or marketing of the product in those countries. The approval process varies from country to country and can involve additional product testing and additional review periods, and the time may be
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longer or shorter than that required to obtain FDA approval. The requirements governing, among other things, the conduct of clinical trials, product licensing, pricing and reimbursement vary greatly from country to country. Regulatory approval in one country does not ensure regulatory approval in another, but a failure or delay in obtaining regulatory approval in one country may negatively impact the regulatory process in others. If we fail to comply with applicable foreign regulatory requirements, we may be subject to fines, suspension or withdrawal of regulatory approvals, product recalls, seizure of products, operating restrictions and criminal prosecution.
Other healthcare laws
Pharmaceutical companies are subject to additional healthcare regulation and enforcement by the federal government and by authorities in the states and foreign jurisdictions in which they conduct their business. Such laws include, without limitation, U.S. federal and state anti-kickback, fraud and abuse, false claims, consumer fraud, pricing reporting, and transparency laws and regulations as well as similar foreign laws in jurisdictions outside the U.S.
For example, the federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits, among other things, individuals or entities from knowingly and willfully offering, paying, soliciting or receiving remuneration, directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or in kind to induce or in return for purchasing, leasing, ordering or arranging for or recommending the purchase, lease or order of any item or service reimbursable under Medicare, Medicaid or other federal healthcare programs. A person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of this statute or specific intent to violate it in order to have committed a violation.
The federal civil and criminal false claims laws, including the civil False Claims Act, prohibit, among other things, any individual or entity from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, a false claim for payment to the federal government or knowingly making, using or causing to be made or used a false record or statement material to a false or fraudulent claim to the federal government. In addition, the government may assert that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the civil False Claims Act.
The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, created additional federal civil and criminal statutes that prohibit, among other things, knowingly and willfully executing a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program. Similar to the U.S. federal Anti-Kickback Statute, a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the healthcare fraud statute implemented under HIPAA or specific intent to violate it in order to have committed a violation.
The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act requires certain manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, with specific exceptions, to report annually to CMS information related to payments or other transfers of value made to physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists and chiropractors), certain non-physician practitioners (physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse anesthetists, anesthesiology assistants and certified nurse midwives) and teaching hospitals, and applicable manufacturers and applicable group purchasing organizations to report annually to CMS ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members.
Similar state and local laws and regulations may also restrict business practices in the pharmaceutical industry, such as state anti-kickback and false claims laws, which may apply to business practices, including but not limited to, research, distribution, sales and marketing arrangements and claims involving healthcare items or services reimbursed by non-governmental third-party payors, including private insurers, or by patients themselves; state laws that require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the pharmaceutical industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government, or otherwise restrict payments that may be made to healthcare providers and other potential referral sources; state laws and regulations that require drug manufacturers to file reports relating to pricing and marketing information or which require tracking gifts and other remuneration and items of value provided to physicians, other healthcare providers and entities; and state and local laws that require the registration of pharmaceutical sales representatives.
Violation of any of such laws or any other governmental regulations that apply may result in penalties, including, without limitation, civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, additional reporting obligations, the curtailment or restructuring of operations, exclusion from participation in governmental healthcare programs and individual imprisonment.
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Data privacy and security
Pharmaceutical companies may be subject to numerous federal, state and foreign laws, regulations that govern the collection, use, disclosure and protection of health-related and other personal information. In the United States, numerous federal and state laws and regulations, including data breach notification laws, health information privacy and security laws and consumer protection laws and regulations govern the collection, use, disclosure, and protection of health-related and other personal information. In addition, certain foreign laws govern the privacy and security of personal data, including health-related data. Privacy and security laws, regulations, and other obligations are constantly evolving, may conflict with each other to complicate compliance efforts, and can result in investigations, proceedings, or actions that lead to significant civil and/or criminal penalties and restrictions on data processing.
Coverage and reimbursement
Sales of any pharmaceutical product depend, in part, on the extent to which such product will be covered by third-party payors, such as federal, state and foreign government healthcare programs, commercial insurance and managed healthcare organizations, and the level of reimbursement for such product by third-party payors. Significant uncertainty exists as to the coverage and reimbursement status of any newly approved product. Decisions regarding the extent of coverage and amount of reimbursement to be provided are made on a plan-by-plan basis. One third-party payor’s decision to cover a particular product does not ensure that other payors will also provide coverage for the product. As a result, the coverage determination process can require manufacturers to provide scientific and clinical support for the use of a product to each payor separately and can be a time-consuming process, with no assurance that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be applied consistently or obtained in the first instance.
In addition, third-party payors are increasingly reducing reimbursements for pharmaceutical products and services. The U.S. government and state legislatures have continued implementing cost-containment programs, including price controls, restrictions on coverage and reimbursement and requirements for substitution of generic products. Third-party payors are increasingly challenging the prices charged, examining the medical necessity and reviewing the cost effectiveness of pharmaceutical products, in addition to questioning their safety and efficacy. Adoption of price controls and cost-containment measures, and adoption of more restrictive policies in jurisdictions with existing controls and measures, could further limit sales of any product. Decreases in third-party reimbursement for any product or a decision by a third-party payor not to cover a product could reduce physician usage and patient demand for the product.
In international markets, reimbursement and healthcare payment systems vary significantly by country, and many countries have instituted price ceilings on specific products and therapies. For example, the European Union provides options for its member states to restrict the range of medicinal products for which their national health insurance systems provide reimbursement and to control the prices of medicinal products for human use. A member state may approve a specific price for the medicinal product or it may instead adopt a system of direct or indirect controls on the profitability of the company placing the medicinal product on the market. Pharmaceutical products may face competition from lower-priced products in foreign countries that have placed price controls on pharmaceutical products and may also compete with imported foreign products. Furthermore, there is no assurance that a product will be considered medically reasonable and necessary for a specific indication, will be considered cost-effective by third-party payors, that an adequate level of reimbursement will be established even if coverage is available or that the third-party payors’ reimbursement policies will not adversely affect the ability for manufacturers to sell products profitably.
Healthcare reform
In the United States and certain foreign jurisdictions, there have been, and we expect there will continue to be, a number of legislative and regulatory changes to the healthcare system. In March 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, or collectively the ACA, was signed into law, which substantially changed the way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private insurers in the United States. The ACA contains a number of provisions, including those governing enrollment in federal healthcare programs, reimbursement adjustments and fraud and abuse changes. Additionally, the ACA increased the minimum level of Medicaid rebates payable by manufacturers of brand name drugs from 15.1% to 23.1%; required collection of rebates for drugs paid by Medicaid managed care organizations; imposed a non-deductible annual fee on pharmaceutical manufacturers or importers who sell certain “branded prescription drugs” to specified federal government programs; expanded eligibility criteria for Medicaid programs; created a new Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to oversee, identify priorities in, and conduct comparative clinical effectiveness research, along with funding for such research; and established a Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation at CMS to test innovative payment and service delivery models to lower Medicare and Medicaid spending, potentially including prescription drug spending.
Since its enactment, there have been judicial, executive and Congressional challenges to certain aspects of the ACA. In June 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed the most recent judicial challenge to the ACA brought by several states without specifically ruling on the constitutionality of the ACA. Prior to the Supreme Court’s decision, President Biden issued an executive order to initiate a special enrollment period from February 15, 2021 through August 15, 2021 for purposes of obtaining health insurance coverage through the
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ACA marketplace. The executive order also instructed certain governmental agencies to review and reconsider their existing policies and rules that limit access to healthcare, including among others, reexamining Medicaid demonstration projects and waiver programs that include work requirements, and policies that create unnecessary barriers to obtaining access to health insurance coverage through Medicaid or the ACA.
Other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted since the ACA was enacted, including aggregate reductions of Medicare payments to providers, which will remain in effect through 2032, with the exception of a temporary suspension from May 1, 2020 through March 31, 2022 absent additional congressional action. Moreover, there has recently been heightened governmental scrutiny over the manner in which manufacturers set prices for their marketed products, which has resulted in several Congressional inquiries and proposed and enacted legislation designed, among other things, to bring more transparency to product pricing, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for pharmaceutical products. On August 16, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, or the IRA was signed into law. Among other things, the IRA requires manufacturers of certain drugs to engage in price negotiations with Medicare (beginning in 2026), imposes rebates under Medicare Part B and Medicare Part D to penalize price increases that outpace inflation (first due in 2023), and replaces the Part D coverage gap discount program with a new discounting program (beginning in 2025). The IRA permits the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to implement many of these provisions through guidance, as opposed to regulation, for the initial years. For that and other reasons, it is currently unclear how the IRA will be effectuated.
Individual states in the United States have also become increasingly active in implementing regulations designed to control pharmaceutical product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures and, in some cases, mechanisms to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing. Furthermore, there has been increased interest by third party payors and governmental authorities in reference pricing systems and publication of discounts and list prices.
We expect that additional state and federal healthcare reform measures will be adopted in the future, any of which could limit the amounts that federal and state governments will pay for healthcare product candidates and services, which could result in reduced demand for our product candidates once approved or additional pricing pressures.
Employees and human capital resources
As of December 31, 2022, we had 246 full-time employees, including 105 employees who have M.D. or Ph.D. degrees. Within our workforce, as of December 31, 2022, 202 employees were engaged in research and development. None of our employees are represented by labor unions or covered by collective bargaining agreements. We consider our relationship with our employees to be good.
Our human capital resources objectives include meeting hiring goals, deepening our oncology and public company expertise, integrating new employees, and retaining, incentivizing and developing our existing employees. We provide competitive compensation and benefit programs, including competitive salaries, incentive programs, equity awards, and employee stock purchase plan, healthcare and insurance benefits. The principal purposes of our equity incentive programs are to attract, retain and motivate selected employees, consultants and directors through the granting of stock-based compensation awards and to align the interests of these individuals with those of our stockholders. We regularly review our compensation practices to support our employees, including evaluating innovative health and wellness programs to continue to respond to employee needs.
We are committed to creating an environment where diverse perspectives are encouraged and supported. This commitment is memorialized as one of our corporate core values (Inclusiveness and Fairness) and is brought to life for every employee during our cultural integration sessions for new hires and through an informal network of cultural champions that we foster. As of December 31, 2022, females represented 56% of our full-time employees and 207 of our employees as of this date self-identified their race, of which 57% self-identified as an “underrepresented minority,” as this term is defined by Nasdaq rules.
We are equally committed to the development of our employees and one of our corporate core values (Exceptional Together) captures this commitment. We offer our employees career-specific training and resources and support development opportunities through company-sponsored programs, including learning, mentoring, and coaching opportunities. We host regular company-wide sessions where our employees discuss ideas related to corporate initiatives and scientific breakthroughs and recognize each other’s contributions. In addition, we conduct an anonymous all-employee engagement survey at least annually, and take the results of this survey into account in management of our employees and business.
The health and safety of our employees is a top priority. We continue to monitor and adjust our comprehensive plan related to the COVID-19 pandemic, which includes COVID-19 policies, safety protocols and employee communications.
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Corporate Information
We were founded in October 2014 as a Delaware corporation. Our principal executive offices are located at 700 Saginaw Drive, Redwood City, California 94063, and our telephone number is (650) 481-6801.
Our website address is www.revmed.com. We make available on or through our website certain reports and amendments to those reports that we file with or furnish to the SEC in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. These include our annual reports on Form 10-K, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and our current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. We make this information available on or through our website free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file the information with, or furnish it to, the SEC. References to our website address do not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained on the website, and the information contained on the website is not part of this document or any other document that we file with or furnish to the SEC. The SEC maintains a site on the worldwide web that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding our filings at www.sec.gov.
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Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below, as well as the other information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including our financial statements and the related notes and the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” before deciding whether to invest in our common stock. The occurrence of any of the events or developments described below or other risks we face could materially and adversely affect our business, competitive position, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and growth prospects. In such an event, the market price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial also may impair our business operations and the market price of our common stock.
Risks related to our limited operating history, financial position and need for additional capital
We are a clinical-stage precision oncology company with a limited operating history and no products approved for commercial sale. We have incurred significant losses since inception. We expect to incur losses for at least the next several years and may never achieve or maintain profitability, which, together with our limited operating history, makes it difficult to assess our future viability.
Biopharmaceutical product development is a highly speculative undertaking and involves a substantial degree of risk. We are a clinical-stage precision oncology company, and we have only a limited operating history upon which you can evaluate our business and prospects. We currently have no products approved for commercial sale, have not generated any revenue from sales of products and have incurred losses in each year since our inception in October 2014. In addition, we have limited experience as a company and have not yet demonstrated an ability to successfully overcome many of the risks and uncertainties frequently encountered by companies in new and rapidly evolving fields, particularly in the biopharmaceutical industry.
Since inception, we have incurred significant net losses. Our net losses were $248.7 million, $187.1 million and $108.2 million, for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. As of December 31, 2022, we had an accumulated deficit of $701.3 million. We have funded our operations to date primarily with proceeds from the sale of common stock and preferred stock and upfront payments and research and development cost reimbursement received under our collaboration agreement with Genzyme Corporation, an affiliate of Sanofi (the Sanofi Agreement). The Sanofi Agreement has been terminated effective as of June 2023, and Sanofi will have no further reimbursement obligations post this termination. To date, we have devoted substantially all of our resources to organizing and staffing our company, business planning, raising capital, acquiring and discovering development programs, securing intellectual property rights and conducting discovery, research and development activities for our programs. We have not yet demonstrated our ability to successfully complete any clinical trials, including pivotal clinical trials, obtain marketing approvals, manufacture a commercial-scale product, or arrange for a third party to do so on our behalf, or conduct sales and marketing activities necessary for successful product commercialization. Our product candidates will require substantial additional development time and resources before we will be able to apply for or receive regulatory approvals and, if approved, begin generating revenue from product sales. We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future.
We have never generated revenue from product sales and may never be profitable.
Our ability to generate revenue from product sales and achieve profitability depends on our ability, alone or with our collaboration partners, to successfully complete the development of, and obtain the regulatory approvals necessary to commercialize, our development programs. We do not anticipate generating revenue from product sales for the next several years, if ever. Our ability to generate future revenue from product sales depends heavily on our, and any potential future collaborators’, success in:
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completing clinical and preclinical development of product candidates and programs and identifying and developing new product candidates;
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seeking and obtaining marketing approvals for any product candidates that we develop;
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launching and commercializing product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval by establishing a sales force, marketing, medical affairs and distribution infrastructure or, alternatively, collaborating with a commercialization partner;
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achieving adequate coverage and reimbursement by third-party payors for product candidates that we develop;
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establishing and maintaining supply and manufacturing relationships with third parties that can provide adequate, in both amount and quality, products and services to support clinical development and the market demand for product candidates that we develop, if approved;
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obtaining market acceptance of product candidates that we develop as viable treatment options;
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addressing any competing technological and market developments;
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negotiating favorable terms in any collaboration, licensing or other arrangements into which we may enter and performing our obligations in such collaborations;
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maintaining, protecting, enforcing and expanding our portfolio of intellectual property rights, including patents, trade secrets and know-how;
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defending against third-party interference, infringement or other intellectual property-related claims, if any; and
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attracting, hiring and retaining qualified personnel.
Even if one or more of the product candidates that we develop is approved for commercial sale, we anticipate incurring significant costs associated with commercializing any approved product candidate, including prior to a potential launch of any approved product candidate. Our expenses could increase beyond expectations if we are required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the FDA), the European Medicines Agency (the EMA) or other regulatory agencies to perform clinical trials or studies in addition to those that we currently anticipate. Even if we are able to generate revenue from the sale of any approved products, we may not become profitable and may need to obtain additional funding to continue operations.
We will require substantial additional financing to achieve our goals, which may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all. A failure to obtain this necessary capital when needed could force us to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development or commercialization efforts.
Our operations have consumed substantial amounts of cash since inception. Since our inception, we have invested a significant portion of our efforts and financial resources in research and development activities for our initial preclinical and clinical product candidates.
Preclinical studies and clinical trials and additional research and development activities will require substantial funds to complete. As of December 31, 2022, we had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $644.9 million. In February 2020, we raised $250.7 million upon the completion of our initial public offering (IPO), net of underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses. In July 2020, we raised $167.8 million upon the completion of an underwritten public offering, net of underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses. In February 2021, we raised $281.1 million upon the completion of an underwritten public offering, net of underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses. In July 2022, we raised $248.1 million upon the completion of an underwritten public offering, net of underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses. As of December 31, 2022, we have completed sales totaling $61.7 million in gross proceeds pursuant to our at-the-market equity offering program with Cowen and Company, LLC (Cowen). After deducting commissions and expenses of $1.7 million, net proceeds to us were $60.0 million. We expect to continue to spend substantial amounts to continue the preclinical and clinical development of our current and future programs and to prepare for their potential commercialization. If we are able to gain marketing approval for product candidates that we develop, we will require significant additional amounts of cash in order to launch and commercialize our product candidates to the extent that their launch and commercialization are not the responsibility of another collaborator that we may contract with in the future. In addition, other unanticipated costs may arise. Because the design and outcome of our current, planned and potential future clinical trials is highly uncertain, we cannot reasonably estimate the actual amounts necessary to successfully complete the development and commercialization of any product candidate we develop.
The timing and amount of our future funding requirements depends on many factors, including:
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the scope, progress, results and costs of researching and developing our product candidates and programs, and of conducting preclinical studies and clinical trials;
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the timing of, and the costs involved in, obtaining marketing approvals for product candidates we develop if clinical trials are successful;
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the successful wind-up of our collaboration with Sanofi, which has been terminated effective as of June 2023, including the continued reimbursement by Sanofi of our research and development costs for our SHP2 program in accordance with the Sanofi Agreement prior to the effectiveness of termination;
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the cost of commercialization activities for any product candidates we develop, whether alone or in collaboration, including marketing, sales and distribution costs if any product candidate we develop is approved for sale;
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the cost of manufacturing our current and future product candidates for clinical trials in preparation for marketing approval and in preparation for commercialization;
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our ability to establish and maintain strategic licenses or other arrangements and the financial terms of such agreements;
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the costs involved in preparing, filing, prosecuting, maintaining, expanding, defending and enforcing patent claims, including litigation costs and the outcome of such litigation;
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the timing, receipt and amount of sales of, profit share or royalties on, our future products, if any;
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the emergence of competing cancer therapies or other adverse market developments; and
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any plans to acquire or in-license other programs or technologies.
We do not have any committed external source of funds or other support for our development efforts. We expect to finance our cash needs through a combination of public or private equity offerings, debt financings, credit or loan facilities, collaborations, strategic alliances, licensing arrangements and other marketing or distribution arrangements. In addition, we may seek additional capital due to favorable market conditions or strategic considerations even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans.
Our ability to raise additional funds will depend on financial, economic and other factors, many of which are beyond our control.
Additional funds may not be available when we need them, on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all. If adequate funds are not available to us on a timely basis, we may be required to:
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delay, limit, reduce or terminate preclinical studies, clinical trials or other research and development activities or eliminate one or more of our development programs altogether; or
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delay, limit, reduce or terminate our efforts to establish manufacturing and sales and marketing capabilities or other activities that may be necessary to commercialize any future approved products, or reduce our flexibility in developing or maintaining our sales and marketing strategy.
Our operating results may fluctuate significantly, which will make our future results difficult to predict and could cause our results to fall below expectations.
Our quarterly and annual operating results may fluctuate significantly, which will make it difficult for us to predict our future results. These fluctuations may occur due to a variety of factors, many of which are outside of our control and may be difficult to predict, including:
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the timing and cost of, and level of investment in, research, development and commercialization activities, which may change from time to time;
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the timing and status of enrollment for our clinical trials;
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the timing of regulatory approvals, if any, in the United States and internationally;
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the timing of expanding our operational, financial and management systems and personnel, including personnel to support our clinical development, quality control, manufacturing and commercialization efforts and our operations as a public company;
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the cost of manufacturing, as well as building out our supply chain, which may vary depending on the quantity of productions, and the terms of any agreements we enter into with third-party suppliers;
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timing and amount of any milestone, royalty or other payments due under any current or future collaboration or license agreement, including the Sanofi Agreement prior to effectiveness of termination;
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coverage and reimbursement policies with respect to any future approved products, and potential future drugs that compete with our products;
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the timing and cost to establish a sales, marketing, medical affairs and distribution infrastructure to commercialize any products for which we may obtain marketing approval and intend to commercialize on our own or jointly with a collaborator;
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expenditures that we may incur to acquire, develop or commercialize additional products and technologies;
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the level of demand for any future approved products, which may vary significantly over time;
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future accounting pronouncements or changes in our accounting policies; and
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the timing and success or failure of preclinical studies and clinical trials for our product candidates or competing product candidates, or any other change in the competitive landscape of our industry, including consolidation among our competitors or collaboration partners.
The cumulative effects of these factors could result in large fluctuations and unpredictability in our quarterly and annual operating results. As a result, comparing our operating results on a period-to-period basis may not be meaningful. Investors should not rely on our past results as an indication of our future performance.
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This variability and unpredictability could also result in our failing to meet the expectations of industry or financial analysts or investors for any period. If our revenue or operating results fall below the expectations of analysts or investors or below any forecasts we may provide to the market, or if the forecasts we provide to the market are below the expectations of analysts or investors, the price of our common stock could decline substantially. Such a stock price decline could occur even when we have met any previously publicly stated revenue or operating guidance we may provide.
Risks related to product development and regulatory process
We are early in our development efforts. Our business is dependent on the successful development of our current and future product candidates. If we are unable to advance our current or future product candidates through clinical trials, obtain marketing approval and ultimately commercialize any product candidates we develop, or experience significant delays in doing so, our business will be materially harmed.
We are early in our development efforts. Only certain of our product candidates are being evaluated in clinical trials whereas our other programs are in the preclinical stage. We have invested substantially all of our efforts and financial resources in the identification of targets and preclinical development of small molecules to treat cancer. The success of our business, including our ability to finance our company and generate revenue from products in the future, which we do not expect will occur for several years, if ever, will depend heavily on the successful development and eventual commercialization of the product candidates we develop, which may never occur. Our current product candidates, and any future product candidates we develop, will require additional preclinical and clinical development, management of clinical, preclinical and manufacturing activities, marketing approval in the United States and other markets, demonstrating effectiveness to pricing and reimbursement authorities, obtaining sufficient manufacturing supply for both clinical development and commercial production, building of a commercial organization, and substantial investment and significant marketing efforts before we generate any revenues from product sales.
We have not previously submitted a new drug application (NDA) to the FDA or similar approval filings to a comparable foreign regulatory authority, for any product candidate. An NDA or other relevant regulatory filing must include extensive preclinical and clinical data and supporting information to establish that the product candidate is safe and effective for each desired indication. The NDA or other relevant regulatory filing must also include significant information regarding the chemistry, manufacturing and controls for the product. We cannot be certain that our current or future product candidates will be successful in clinical trials or receive regulatory approval. Further, even if they are successful in clinical trials, our product candidates or any future product candidates may not receive regulatory approval. If we do not receive regulatory approvals for current or future product candidates, we may not be able to continue our operations. Even if we successfully obtain regulatory approval to market a product candidate, our revenue will depend, in part, upon the size of the markets in the territories for which we gain regulatory approval and have commercial rights, as well as the availability of competitive products, whether there is sufficient third-party reimbursement and adoption by physicians.
We plan to seek regulatory approval to commercialize our product candidates both in the United States and in select foreign countries. While the scope of regulatory approval generally is similar in other countries, in order to obtain separate regulatory approval in other countries we must comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements of such countries regarding safety and efficacy. Other countries also have their own regulations governing, among other things, clinical trials and commercial sales, as well as pricing and distribution of drugs, and we may be required to expend significant resources to obtain regulatory approval and to comply with ongoing regulations in these jurisdictions.
The success of our current and future product candidates will depend on several factors, including the following:
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successful completion of clinical trials and preclinical studies;
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sufficiency of our financial and other resources to complete the necessary preclinical studies and clinical trials;
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acceptance of investigational new drug applications (INDs) for our planned clinical trials or future clinical trials;
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successful enrollment and completion of clinical trials, particularly where competitors may also be recruiting patients;
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data from our clinical programs that supports an acceptable risk-benefit profile of our product candidates in the intended populations;
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receipt and maintenance of marketing approvals from applicable regulatory authorities;
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establishing agreements with third-party manufacturers for clinical supply for our clinical trials and commercial manufacturing, if one of our product candidates is approved;
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entry into collaborations to further the development of our product candidates;
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obtaining and maintaining our portfolio of intellectual property rights, including patents, trade secrets and know-how;
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enforcing and defending intellectual property rights and claims;
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obtaining and maintaining regulatory exclusivity for our product candidates;
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successfully launching commercial sales of our product candidates, if approved;
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acceptance of the product candidate’s benefits and uses, if approved, by patients, the medical community and third-party payors;
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the prevalence, duration and severity of potential side effects or other safety issues experienced with our product candidates following approval;