UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
☒ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 __________________________________________
or
☐TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from _______________________ to _____________________________
Commission file number 001-37717
SENSEONICS HOLDINGS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its Charter)
20451 Seneca Meadows Parkway
Germantown, MD20876-7005
(301) 515-7260
(Address and telephone number, including area code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share SENS NYSE American
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 Section 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, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
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. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ⌧
As of June 30, 2021 the last business day of the registrant’s last completed second quarter, the aggregate market value of the common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was approximately $1.66 billion based on the closing price of the registrant’s common stock, as reported by the NYSE American on such date.
As of February 25, 2022, 463,145,879 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value, were outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the registrant's definitive Proxy Statement for its 2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A not later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K are incorporated by reference in Part III, Items 10-14 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
PART I
Item 1. Business 4
Item 1A. Risk Factors 27
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 66
Item 2. Properties 66
Item 3. Legal Proceedings 66
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 67
PART II
Item 6. [Reserved] 68
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure About Market Risk 80
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 81
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 122
Item 9B. Other Information 124
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections 124
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 125
Item 11. Executive Compensation 125
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services 126
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules 126
2
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K (this “Annual Report”) contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements are contained principally in Part I, Item 1: “Business,” Part I, Item 1A: “Risk Factors,” and Part II, Item 7: “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” but are also contained elsewhere in this Annual Report. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the words “may,” “might,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “objective,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue”, “target”, “seek”, “contemplate”, and “ongoing,” or the negative of these terms, or other comparable terminology intended to identify statements about the future. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from the information expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Although we believe that we have a reasonable basis for each forward-looking statement contained in this Annual Report, we caution you that these statements are based on a combination of facts and factors currently known by us and our expectations of the future, about which we cannot be certain. All statements other than statements of historical fact could be deemed forward-looking, including but not limited to statements about:
● the timing of product launches, including Eversense E3;
● the clinical utility of Eversense;
● our ability to develop future generations of Eversense;
● our ability to service our outstanding indebtedness;
● the timing and availability of data from our clinical trials;
● our future development priorities;
● our commercialization, marketing and manufacturing capabilities and strategy;
● our ability to comply with applicable regulatory requirements;
● our ability to maintain our intellectual property position;
● effects of the COVID-19 pandemic;
Forward-looking statements are based on our management's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about our business and the industry in which we operate, and our management's beliefs and assumptions 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. You should refer to “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in this Annual Report for a discussion of important factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements. As a result of these factors, we cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements in this Annual Report will prove to be accurate. Furthermore, if our forward-looking statements prove to be inaccurate, the inaccuracy may be material. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by us or any other person that we will achieve our objectives and plans in any specified time frame, or at all. The forward-looking statements in this Annual Report represent our views as of the date of this Annual Report. We anticipate that subsequent events and developments may cause our views to change.
3
However, while we may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. You should, therefore, not rely on these forward-looking statements as representing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this Annual Report.
You should read this Annual Report and the documents that we reference in this Annual Report and have filed as exhibits to this Annual Report completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.
Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, all references in this Annual Report to "the Company," "we," "our," "ours," "us" or similar terms refer to Senseonics Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiary. "Senseonics," the Senseonics logo, Eversense, Eversense XL and other trademarks or service marks of Senseonics Holdings, Inc. appearing in this Annual Report are the property of Senseonics Holdings, Inc. This Annual Report contains additional trade names, trademarks and service marks of others, which are the property of their respective owners.
PART I
Item 1. Business
Overview
We are a medical technology company focused on the development and manufacturing of glucose monitoring products designed to transform lives in the global diabetes community with differentiated, long term implantable glucose management technology. Our Eversense, Eversense XL and Eversense E3 continuous glucose monitoring, or CGM systems are designed to continually and accurately measure glucose levels in people with diabetes via an under-the-skin sensor, a removable and rechargeable smart transmitter, and a convenient app for real-time diabetes monitoring and management for a period of up to six months, as compared to seven to 14 days for non-implantable CGM systems. We believe that Eversense provides a more convenient method of CGM by providing longer duration, superior accuracy, wireless communication, on-body vibratory alerts, gentle-on-the-skin adhesive patch, data sharing capability, and a removable smart transmitter. We affixed the CE mark to the original Eversense CGM system in June 2016, which marked the first certification for the product to be sold within the European Economic Area, or EEA. Subsequently, we affixed the CE mark to the extended life Eversense XL CGM system in September 2017 which is currently available in select markets in Europe and the Middle East. In June 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, approved the Eversense CGM system. In June 2019, we received FDA approval for the non-adjunctive indication (dosing claim) for the Eversense system. With this approval and the availability of a new app in December 2019, the Eversense system can now be used as a therapeutic CGM in the United States to replace fingerstick blood glucose measurement to make treatment decisions, including insulin dosing. In February 2022, the extended life Eversense E3 CGM system was approved by the FDA and we expect Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings AG, or Ascensia, to begin commercializing Eversense E3 in the United States in the second quarter of 2022.
On February 26, 2020, we announced that the FDA approved a subgroup of PROMISE trial participants to continue for a total of 365 days to gather feasibility data on the safety and accuracy of a 365-day sensor. This sub-set of 30 participants were left undisturbed for 365-days with the goal of measuring accuracy and longevity over the full 365 days. Following information gathered from this sub-set and continued development efforts and pending developments at the FDA relating to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, in the first half of 2022 we plan to seek Investigational Device Exemption, or IDE, from the FDA to explore the 365 day sensor in a clinical trial. If the IDE is approved in a timely manner, we would target to begin enrollment of a clinical trial, which we also intend to include a pediatric population, in the second half of 2022.
During 2020, we initiated a new commercialization strategy and collaboration to bring our product to market. As described in detail below, in August 2020, we entered into a collaboration and commercialization agreement, or Commercialization Agreement, with Ascensia pursuant to which we granted Ascensia the exclusive right to distribute
4
our 90-day Eversense CGM system and our 180-day Eversense CGM system worldwide, with certain initial exceptions. While Ascensia is responsible for sales, marketing, market access, patient and provider onboarding and first level customer support, we remain responsible for product development and manufacturing, including regulatory submissions, approvals, conformity assessment and requests for CE Certificates of Conformity and registrations and second level customer support.
2021 and Significant Recent Developments
Eversense E3 CGM System Regulatory Approval
In February 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) approved the Eversense E3 CGM system for marketing and sale in the U.S. As described in this report, Ascensia has the exclusive right to distribute the Company’s 90-day Eversense CGM system and the six-month Eversense E3 system worldwide for people with diabetes, with certain initial exceptions. The Company and Ascensia have been designing the go-to-market strategy for the U.S. six-month product, and the Company expects that Ascensia will begin commercializing Eversense E3 in the U.S. in the second quarter of 2022.
As with any new product, the success of the commercial launch of the Eversense E3 product in the U.S. will be subject to significant uncertainty and risks, and will require time to ramp up. Key areas of strategic focus in the U.S. commercial launch of the six month product where performance will impact the success of the launch will be: (1) growing the installed base of users, (2) increasing patient awareness of Eversense above current levels in order to expand the population of Eversense users, through driving sales and marketing efforts on the Eversense E3 system, (3) increasing awareness and adoption of Eversense by healthcare providers, including high volume CGM prescribers, through expanded targeted marketing efforts, (4) educating patients and prescribers regarding the six-month product and its benefits relative to the 90-day product, (5) continuing to grow the base of the authorized inserters through geographically targeted efforts so that potential users locating a qualified inserter of Eversense is not an impediment to adoption, (6) timely establishing and maintaining favorable payor coverage for the product, including transitioning commercial payors from 90-day coverage to six month coverage, and (7) Ascensia’s continued organizational development of its U.S. sales and marketing capabilities relative to CGM.
The Company and Ascensia are also developing plans for the roll-out of the Eversense E3 next generation six-month product in Europe, which, subject to receipt of regulatory approval or certification, including CE Certificates of Conformity and affixing the CE mark for the EEA, is expected to offer reduced calibration requirements from the Eversense XL six-month product currently marketed in Europe. The roll-out of this next generation product in Europe is similarly subject to uncertainties and potential delays, including regulatory approval and certification and launch timing, and European revenues are dependent, among other things, on success of the following: (1) Ascensia’s continued organizational development of its European sales and marketing capabilities relative to CGM, and (2) more effective tender participation, particularly in Italian markets which favor an integrated offering. The U.S. and European commercialization plans are being designed with a goal of minimizing the impact to patients, providers, and ongoing sales of Eversense CGM systems.
COVID-19
On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization, or the WHO, announced a global health emergency because of a new strain of coronavirus, or COVID-19, and the risks to the international community as the virus spreads globally. On March 11, 2020, the WHO classified the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic, based on the rapid increase in exposure globally. In response to the pandemic, many states and jurisdictions have issued stay-at-home orders and other measures aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus. The state of Maryland, where we are headquartered, has been affected by COVID-19. The Governor of Maryland issued an order closing all non-essential businesses, which took effect on March 23, 2020. Beginning with the initial outbreak and through 2021 substantially all of our workforce is still working from home either all or substantially all of the time. Additionally, because our sensor requires an in-clinic procedure, we saw a reduction in access to clinics and sensor insertions during multiple periods during the pandemic.
5
The COVID-19 pandemic infection rates in the United States are still high, vaccine distribution is ongoing, and it is difficult to predict the longevity and severity COVID-19 will have on our business.
Restructuring and Transition of Commercial Strategy
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic’s disruption to our operations, suppliers, employees, and the healthcare community in which we sell to and support, and our limited cash resources, we made significant reductions in our cost structure and operations to improve cash flow and generate future expenditure savings to ensure the long-term success of Eversense. Specifically, in the first quarter of 2020, we temporarily suspended commercial sales and marketing of the Eversense CGM System in the United States to new patients to solely focus our resources on supporting existing users, including ensuring broader insurance coverage for Eversense, and the development and regulatory submission of our new 180-day Eversense product in the United States. In connection with these actions, on March 26, 2020, we reduced our workforce by approximately 60%, over half of which were sales personnel.
As discussed further below, on August 9, 2020, we entered into the Commercialization Agreement with Ascensia pursuant to which we granted Ascensia the exclusive right to distribute our 90-day Eversense CGM system and our 180-day Eversense CGM system worldwide for people with diabetes. Pursuant to the Commercialization Agreement, in the United States, Ascensia began providing sales support for the 90-day Eversense product on October 1, 2020 and assumed commercial responsibilities in the second quarter of 2021. In February 2022, the extended life Eversense E3 CGM system was approved by the FDA and we expect Ascensia to begin commercializing Eversense E3 in the United States in the second quarter of 2022.
Background
Diabetes is a chronic, life-threatening disease for which there is no known cure. The disease is caused by the body's inability to produce or effectively utilize the hormone insulin, which prevents the body from adequately regulating blood glucose levels. If diabetes is not managed properly, it can lead to serious health conditions and complications, including heart disease, limb amputations, loss of kidney function, blindness, seizures, coma and even death. According to the 2021 International Diabetes Federation, or IDF, Atlas, an estimated 537 million people worldwide had diabetes as of the date of the report. The number of people with diabetes worldwide is estimated to grow to 783 million by 2045, driven primarily by growth in type 2 diabetes and due to various reasons, including changes in dietary trends, an aging population and increased prevalence of the disease in younger people. Diabetes is typically classified into two primary types. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder that usually develops during childhood and is characterized by the inability of the body to produce insulin, resulting from destruction of the insulin producing beta cells of the pancreas. Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder that results when the body is unable to produce sufficient amounts of insulin or becomes insulin resistant. People with type 1 diabetes must administer insulin, either by injection or insulin pump, to survive. People with type 2 diabetes may require diet and nutrition management, exercise, oral medications or the administration of insulin to regulate blood glucose levels. In the next few years, we expect the growth in sales of CGM systems to be driven primarily by increased penetration of CGM in the type 1 patient population.
In an attempt to maintain blood glucose levels within the normal range, many people with diabetes seek to actively monitor their blood glucose levels. The traditional self-monitoring of blood glucose, or SMBG, method of glucose monitoring requires lancing the fingertips, commonly referred to as fingersticks, multiple times per day and night to obtain a blood drop to be applied to a test strip inside a blood glucose meter. This method of monitoring glucose levels is inconvenient and can be painful and, because each measurement represents a single blood glucose value at a single point in time, it provides limited information regarding trends in blood glucose levels. In contrast, CGM systems are generally less painful and involve the insertion of sensors into the body to measure glucose levels in the interstitial fluid throughout the day and night, providing real-time data that shows trends in glucose measurements. As a result, CGMs improve glycemic control and quality of life, particularly in patients with type 1 diabetes treated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion or multiple daily insulin injection therapy, and support avoidance of hypoglycemia.
Historically, the FDA and other foreign regulatory authorities required that CGMs be labeled and marketed as "adjunctive" to test-strip measurements, with instructions that patients confirm CGM measurements with test-strip measurements using blood obtained from fingersticks prior to self-medicating. However, given the broader clinical
6
indications for the use of CGM systems, including real-time alerts and multi-device integration, the FDA issued the first “non-adjunctive” label in 2016. In June 2019, an updated Eversense CGM system received a non-adjunctive label from the FDA and can now be used as a replacement to fingerstick glucose testing for treatment decisions. This non-adjunctive indication also enabled our pathway to access patients on Medicare.
In November 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, finalized a national payment rate for Eversense that was published in the calendar year 2020 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule. The Eversense CGM system became the first CGM technology to be reimbursed through the Part B Medical Services benefit for Medicare beneficiaries and expands access to our product. In August 2020, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, released its Calendar Year 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule that establishes global payment for the device cost and procedure fees for healthcare providers across the United States. This includes the establishment of national payment amounts for the three CPT© Category III codes describing the insertion (CPT 0446T), removal (0447T), and removal and insertion (0048T) of an implantable interstitial glucose sensor, which describes our Eversense CGM systems, as a medical benefit, rather than as part of the Durable Medical Equipment channel that includes other CGMs. In December 2021, CMS released its Calendar Year 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule that updates global payment for the device cost and procedure fees.
We are headquartered in Germantown, Maryland. The members of our management team have held senior leadership positions at a number of medical technology and biopharmaceutical companies, including Abbott Diabetes Care, Medtronic and Johnson and Johnson. Members of our team have contributed to the development, regulatory approval and commercialization of several glucose monitoring systems and insulin pumps.
Commercial Strategy
Historically, we have sold our product directly to our network of distributors and strategic fulfillment partners, who provide the Eversense CGM system to healthcare providers and patients through a prescribed request and invoice insurance payors for reimbursement. As noted above, we have now transitioned to selling our product globally through Ascensia and we expect Ascensia to begin commercializing Eversense E3 in the United States in the second quarter of 2022. Sales of the Eversense CGM system are widely dependent on the ability of patients to obtain coverage and adequate reimbursement from third-party payors or government agencies. Ascensia is leveraging and targeting regions where we have coverage decisions for patient device use and provider insertion and removal procedure payment.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, in the first quarter of 2020, we temporarily suspended commercial sales and marketing of the Eversense CGM System in the United States to new patients to solely focus our resources on supporting existing users. In connection with these actions, on March 26, 2020, we reduced our direct sales organization that consists of sales representatives, clinical trainers, customer care, and other specialists to educate, train, and support the patient and healthcare provider in their diabetes management with CGM systems.
In the third quarter of 2020, we announced the formation of a strategic partnership with Ascensia, pursuant to which Ascensia became the exclusive worldwide distribution partner for Senseonics CGM systems, including Eversense®, Eversense® XL and future generations products. In the fourth quarter of 2020, Ascensia initiated U.S. marketing and sales activities and full transition of commercial activities took place in the second quarter of 2021 and included full marketing, market access, sales, healthcare provider training and frontline patient and provider support responsibilities.
Addressing reimbursement and access barriers has been a top priority for us and during 2021, we reached over 200 million covered lives in the U.S. through positive insurance payor coverage decisions. In 2020, we continued the Eversense Bridge Program, a patient access program in the U.S. that provides financial assistance to eligible patients whose insurance coverage either does not yet cover Eversense, or in cases where Eversense is covered but the patient’s co-insurance is limiting their ability to adopt Eversense. Having played an important role in our journey to obtain broader payor policy and long-term patient retention, the Eversense Bridge Program ended on December 31, 2020. In 2021, Ascensia initiated to a patient assistance program to provide financial assistance to patients on Eversense. In 2022,
7
we expect Ascensia, in consultation with us, to initiate a broad patient assistance program for patients adopting Eversense E3.
In our overseas markets, we had entered into distribution agreements that allow third-party collaborators with direct sales forces and established distribution systems to market and promote Eversense XL primarily in the EMEA. These distribution arrangements have been replaced by our Commercialization Agreement with Ascensia. Our exclusive distribution agreement for sales in Scandinavia with Rubin Medical and our exclusive distribution agreement with Roche Diabetes Care for sales in the rest of the EMEA, excluding Israel and Scandinavia, and in 17 additional countries, including Brazil, Russia, India, and China, as well as select markets in the Asia Pacific and Latin American regions expired in 2021. Upon conclusion of each of these agreements, Ascensia assumed commercialization activities in select countries where Eversense XL has already launched, beginning February 1, 2021 for Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Poland, and Netherlands. The transition of Rubin markets began in June 2021.
Our net revenues are derived from sales of the Eversense CGM system which is sold in two separate kits: the disposable Eversense Sensor Pack which includes the sensor, insertion tool, and adhesive patches, and the durable Eversense Smart Transmitter Pack which includes the transmitter and charger.
Collaboration and Commercialization Agreement with Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings AG
On August 9, 2020, we entered into a Commercialization Agreement with Ascensia Diabetes Care Holdings AG pursuant to which we have granted Ascensia the exclusive right to distribute the Company’s 90-day Eversense CGM system and our 180-day Eversense CGM system worldwide for use in people with diabetes, with the following initial exceptions: (i) until January 31, 2021, the territory did not include countries covered by our then existing distribution agreement with Roche Diagnostics International AG and Roche Diabetes Care GmbH, which are the Europe, Middle East and Asia, excluding Scandinavia and Israel, and 17 additional countries, including Brazil, Russia, India and China, as well as select markets in the Asia Pacific and Latin American regions; (ii) until September 13, 2021, the territory did not include countries covered by our current distribution agreement with Rubin Medical, which are Sweden, Norway and Denmark; and (iii) until May 31, 2022, the territory does not include Israel. Pursuant to the Commercialization Agreement, in the United States, Ascensia began providing sales support for the 90-day Eversense product on October 1, 2020 and Ascensia ramped up sales activities and assumed commercial responsibilities for the 90-day Eversense product during the second quarter of 2021. In February 2022, the extended life Eversense E3 CGM system was approved by the FDA and we expect Ascensia to begin commercializing Eversense E3 in the United States in the second quarter of 2022. Ascensia will receive a portion of net revenue at specified tiered percentages ranging from the mid-teens to the mid-forty’s based on levels of global net revenues. Ascensia is obligated to achieve specified minimum annual revenue targets and meet specified levels of sales and marketing spend. Ascensia will purchase Eversense products from us at prices which have been negotiated based on parameters set forth in the commercialization agreement. We are responsible for product development and manufacturing, including regulatory submissions, approvals, certifications and registrations and second level customer support, and Ascensia is responsible for sales, marketing, market access, patient and provider onboarding and level one customer support. We have agreed to establish a joint alliance committee and joint marketing committee, each with equal representation from each party, in order to collaborate.
Prior Distribution Agreement with Roche Diabetes Care
On May 24, 2016, we entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Roche Diagnostics International AG and Roche Diabetes Care GmbH, or collectively, Roche. Pursuant to the agreement, as amended, we granted Roche the exclusive right to market, sell and distribute Eversense in the EMEA, excluding Scandinavia and Israel. In addition, Roche had exclusive distribution rights in 17 additional countries, including Brazil, Russia, India and China, as well as select markets in the Asia Pacific and Latin American regions.
On December 12, 2019, we amended the distribution agreement to lower minimum volumes for 2020 and increase pricing for the remaining period of the contract.
On November 20, 2020, we amended the distribution agreement and entered into a settlement agreement to facilitate transition to Ascensia as Roche sales concluded on January 31, 2021, including final purchases and transition
8
support activities, and Roche’s obligation to purchase certain quantities of products at certain prices under the distribution agreement have now terminated.
The distribution rights under the agreement expired January 31, 2021, subject to Roche providing certain transition and wind-down services for approximately six months in markets where Ascensia was not initiating distribution.
Clinical Development and Regulatory Pathway
Overview
We affixed the CE mark to the Eversense XL CGM system in the EEA in September 2017. The Eversense XL CGM system is also being sold commercially in our overseas markets. Our Promise U.S. pivotal trial was completed during 2020. We received a Premarket Approval, or PMA, from the FDA for the Eversense E3 system in February 2022 for up to six months and we expect Ascensia to begin commercializing Eversense E3 in the United States in the second quarter of 2022.
We are also continuing to conduct a number of post-approval and feasibility studies.
United States Pivotal Trials
PRECISE II Trial
In 2016, we conducted our U.S. 90-day pivotal trial. The trial was a prospective, single-arm, multi-center trial designed to determine the accuracy and safety of the Eversense system. Ninety subjects were enrolled in eight centers across the United States. Eighty-seven of the ninety enrollees completed the 90-day trial.
The clinical trial population consisted of subjects at least 18 years of age who had a clinically confirmed diagnosis of diabetes. Subjects who had a history of severe hypoglycemia, defined as hypoglycemia resulting in loss of consciousness or seizure, or diabetic ketoacidosis, in the six months prior to the trial, were excluded from participation in the clinical trial. Accuracy measurements were taken at 1 day, 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days post-insertion. These sensor measurements were continued through the earlier of the failure of the sensor or 90 days post-insertion.
The purpose of this clinical trial was to evaluate the accuracy of Eversense measurements, measured by the Mean Absolute Relative Difference, or MARD, when compared with bed-side blood glucose measurements obtained using the YSI glucose analyzer over successive periods of 30 days through 90 days, as well as to assess the safety of Eversense. YSI in vitro analyzers are bed-side instruments used in hospitals and clinics to accurately measure blood glucose levels and are commonly used as comparators of glucose monitoring systems in clinical trials. MARD is a statistical calculation that measures the average absolute value of the differences, expressed as a percentage, between glucose measurements taken from interstitial fluid based on our CGM system and blood glucose measurements from YSI. The lower the MARD of a glucose monitoring system, the more accurate the system and, therefore, the more reliable the system's readings.
During the trial, 75 subjects underwent unilateral sensor insertions and 15 subjects underwent bilateral sensor insertions in the clinic and used Eversense’s smart transmitter and mobile app at home for the next 90 days. Subjects were blinded to the real-time glucose readings and trends during home-use and sensor readings were not used to adjust their treatment. Clinic visits were scheduled at approximately 30-day intervals in order to obtain lab reference glucose values for comparison with the sensor values and to evaluate hyperglycemic and hypoglycemic challenges in a controlled setting.
In the trial, we observed a MARD of 8.8% for Eversense across the 40-400 mg/dL range when compared to YSI blood reference values during the 90-day continuous wear period. We conducted a second study, the PRECISION study, to collect supplementary data early in sensor life with two additional in-clinic visits in the first 30 days after insertion.
9
Study participants were able to see their real-time glucose readings during this study. The accuracy and safety observed in PRECISE II was confirmed in this study. In addition, the data from PRECISE II study was also analyzed using an updated glucose calculation algorithm which improved the MARD to 8.5%. Based on the data from both of these trials, we submitted a PMA application to the FDA to market Eversense in the United States for 90-day use. On June 21, 2018, we received PMA approval from the FDA for the Eversense system. We are distributing the Eversense system directly in the United States through our own direct sales and marketing organization. We have received Category III CPT codes for the insertion and removal of the Eversense sensor.
PROMISE Trial
In December 2018, we began enrollment for the U.S. 180-day pivotal trial. The trial is a prospective, single-arm, multi-center trial designed to evaluate the accuracy and safety of the Eversense system up to six months using the methods described above for the 90-day system. Over 180 subjects were enrolled in eight centers across the United States. We completed enrollment in September 2019 and had our last patient complete their 180-day visit during the first quarter of 2020.
The clinical trial population consists of subjects at least 18 years of age who have had a clinically confirmed diagnosis of diabetes for at least one year. Subjects with a history of unexplained severe hypoglycemia, defined as hypoglycemia resulting in loss of consciousness or seizure, or diabetic ketoacidosis, in the six months prior to the trial were excluded from participation in the clinical trial. After screening, sensor(s) were inserted and accuracy measurements were taken at multiple visits during the first 30 days and then every 30 days to 180 days post-insertion or until sensor failure, if earlier than 180 days post-insertion. In the trial, we observed performance matching that of the current Eversense 90-day product available in the United States, with a mean absolute relative difference, or MARD, of 8.5%-9.6%. This result was achieved with reduced calibration, down to one per day, while also doubling the sensor life to 180 days. Following the results of the PROMISE trial, on September 30, 2020 a Premarket Approval Application Supplement, or PMA supplement to extend the wearable life of the Eversense CGM System to six months was submitted to the FDA. As described elsewhere, we received PMA approval from the FDA for the Eversense E3 CGM system in February 2022, and we expect Ascensia to begin commercializing Eversense E3 in the United States in the second quarter of 2022.
On February 26, 2020, we announced that the FDA approved a subgroup of PROMISE trial participants to continue for a total of 365 days to gather feasibility data on the safety and accuracy of a 365-day sensor. This sub-set of 30 participants who all had sensors with the modified chemistry were left undisturbed for 365 days with the goal of measuring accuracy and longevity over the full 365 days. Following information gathered from this sub-set and continued development efforts, and pending developments at the FDA relating to the ongoing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, in the first half of 2022 we plan to seek Investigational Device Exemption, or IDE, from the FDA. If the IDE is approved in a timely manner, we would target to begin enrollment of a clinical trial, in which we also intend to include a pediatric population, in the second half of 2022.
10
Our Technology
Eversense consists of three primary components: a small sensor inserted subcutaneously under the skin by a healthcare provider; an external removable smart transmitter that receives, assesses and relays data from the sensor and provides vibratory alerts; and a mobile app that receives data from the transmitter and provides real-time glucose readings, alerts and other data on the person's mobile device. All of these components work together to provide sensor glucose values, trends and alerts to a user's mobile device within 20 milliseconds. We have designed this reliable, long-term and implantable CGM system to continually and accurately measure a person's glucose levels for up to six months. Eversense requires twice daily fingerstick calibrations through day 21 and then primarily once daily fingerstick calibrations. In June 2019, we received FDA approval for the non-adjunctive indication for the Eversense system. With this approval, the Eversense system can be used as a therapeutic CGM to replace fingerstick blood glucose measurement for dosing decisions and was launched in December 2019.
We believe our implantable CGM system offers the following advantages to support the management of diabetes:
● Duration: Longest available sensor duration at up to six months.
● Continuous Support: Patient and healthcare provider hotline support 24/7.
Sensor
The sensor is approved and CE marked to be inserted under the skin, in the upper arm, and measures the glucose in the interstitial fluid. These glucose levels are then communicated wirelessly to the smart transmitter. We have designed the sensor to last up to six months, as compared to other currently available CGM sensors labeled for use for between seven and 14 days.
The sensor consists of an optical system, known as a micro-fluorometer, encased in a rigid, translucent polymer capsule, which is 3.3 mm in diameter and 15 mm in length. The capsule is coated with a glucose-indicating hydrogel that
11
is bound to the surface of the capsule through polymerization. This hydrogel is energized, or excited, by a light-emitting diode, or LED, contained in the optical system of the sensor, causing the hydrogel to fluoresce, or glow. Two photodiodes within the optical system of the sensor measure the degree of fluorescence of the hydrogel, which is proportional to the level of glucose present in the interstitial fluid. The sensor then communicates the amount of fluorescence via a near field communication, or NFC, interface to the transmitter. NFC is a high frequency wireless communication technology that enables the exchange of data and energy between devices over a short range. The sensor does not have a power source and remains electrically dormant (powered off) between readings every five minutes, and it is remotely and discretely powered, as needed, by an inductive NFC link between the sensor and the transmitter. On power-up, the LED source is energized for approximately five milliseconds to excite the hydrogel.
Smart Transmitter
The removable smart transmitter is a rechargeable, external device that is worn over the sensor implantation site using a daily adhesive patch. The transmitter supplies wireless power to the sensor through an inductive NFC link, which activates a measurement sequence every five minutes. The transmitter then receives data from the sensor and calculates glucose concentrations and trends. Based on these calculations and on the user's individual settings for glucose levels, the transmitter determines if an alert condition exists, in which case the transmitter communicates the condition to the user through the mobile app and through on-body vibration. The information from the transmitter is also transmitted for display to the user's mobile device via Bluetooth Low-Energy, or BLE. Our transmitter is functional for at least 24 hours following a full charge and can be fully charged in fifteen minutes.
Mobile App
Our mobile app is a software application that runs on both platforms; iOS mobile devices, including iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches, and Android mobile devices. The mobile app receives information from the transmitter via BLE and displays that information discreetly to the user. This user-friendly, intuitive app provides real-time glucose readings, alerts, trends, and graphs. Within the mobile app, users can set alerts based on, among other things, glucose levels. The mobile app also allows for cloud-based storage.
Future Product Development
We intend to continue to expand our line of product offerings to benefit people with diabetes and healthcare providers. We expect these product development initiatives to include system modifications and next generation enhancements that we believe will further increase the convenience and appeal of our products to the diabetes community.
We are focusing our future development efforts on enhancing current product offerings by reducing the once or twice daily calibrations towards a once per week calibration. Our next generation sensor under feasibility testing now is designed to extend the sensor duration even longer at up to 365 days. We expect the next generation sensor to support our goal of extending the market for long-term implantable CGM to include Type 2 patients not on intensive insulin therapy. We are also developing our “Freedom” product variation to allow for a 2-in-1 glucose monitoring system combining the functionality of CGM and Flash Glucose Monitoring, or FGM, in an implantable sensor that may be utilized with a smart transmitter to get continuous glucose readings and alerts, or be utilized through a swipe over the sensor with a smart phone to get on-demand glucose reading without a smart transmitter. We are seeking to ensure that we meet the growing and unique needs of people with diabetes utilizing our core and proprietary sensor technology. The company’s technology also has potential applications measuring analytes other than glucose, such as oxygen, and the company may consider opportunities for the development or out-licensing of such applications.
Sales and Marketing
We are in the early commercialization stages of Eversense and are focused on driving awareness and adoption of our CGM system amongst intensively managed patients and their healthcare providers.
12
As described above, we are party to a commercialization agreement with Ascensia, pursuant to which we have granted Ascensia the exclusive right to distribute our 90-day Eversense CGM system and our six-month Eversense CGM system worldwide for use in people with diabetes, with certain exceptions. Pursuant to the Commercialization Agreement, in the United States, Ascensia began providing sales support for the 90-day Eversense product on October 1, 2020 and Ascensia ramped up sales activities and assumed commercial responsibilities for the 90-day Eversense product during the second quarter of 2021. In February 2022, the extended life Eversense E3 CGM system was approved by the FDA and we expect Ascensia to begin commercializing Eversense E3 in the United States in the second quarter of 2022. In anticipation of the launch, we and Ascensia have been designing the go-to-market strategy for the U.S. six-month product.
As a result of our strategic partnership, Ascensia is responsible for sales, marketing, market access, patient and provider onboarding and level one customer support. We have established a joint alliance committee and joint marketing committee, each with equal representation from each party, in order to collaborate.
Building strong adoption with an implantable device requires a strong network of healthcare providers trained on the Eversense sensor placement procedure. In the first few quarters of our commercial launch, our focus was ensuring the Endocrinology providers obtained the necessary training needed to support their diabetes patients. In 2019, we began our second phase of establishing a large network of Eversense proceduralists with the launch of the Certified Eversense Specialist, or CES, network. This group of healthcare providers includes specialists who have strong familiarity with conducting in-office procedures such as dermatologists and plastic surgeons. The CES network offers an alternative for healthcare providers who want to prescribe Eversense for their patients but prefer to refer the procedure to a specialist.
As people with diabetes often consult with their healthcare providers about treatment options, we believe that educating healthcare providers regarding the benefits of Eversense compared to SMBG and other currently available CGM systems is an important step in promoting its use in people with diabetes. Our European experience and our feedback in the United States indicates healthcare providers highly value the accuracy and sensor duration of our CGM system and the majority of physicians surveyed considered the insertion process to be fairly simple or feasible. We intend to continue educating healthcare providers and people with diabetes on the advantages of Eversense compared to SMBG and other currently available CGM systems.
Reimbursement
Coverage in the United States
In the U.S. market, it is essential to obtain third-party payor coverage policies, coding mechanisms, and adequate payment for medical technology to expand market acceptance and adoption. CGM as a class of products has been broadly accepted by commercial third-party payors, such as health insurers and health maintenance organizations, and more recently by Medicare for patients who require the use of insulin to manage their diabetes. We approach the U.S. commercial third-party payor community in efforts to establish coverage for Eversense. To date, approximately 200 million people in the United States may have coverage and access to the Eversense 90-day product via commercial or government (i.e., Medicare) payors. We believe that transitioning commercial payors from 90-day coverage to six-month coverage will be important for the successful commercialization of the Eversense E3 six-month CGM system.
Some commercial payors have denied coverage deeming Eversense as an “experimental and investigational” technology electing to wait for further clinical evidence, more safety data, or time in market. We disagree with this position as the CGM class has already proven to improve health outcomes and Eversense is another product that fits into the class. Additionally, in 2019 we published several sets of real-world data, which show Eversense provides the same clinical benefits as other CGM systems and has a favorable safety profile. However, until payment for the Eversense sensor placement becomes consistent, some patients will be required to bear the financial cost for the placement of the sensor by their healthcare provider. As a result, some patients and their healthcare provider may choose not to use Eversense on a widespread basis. Our patient access programs and patient appeals support, including the Eversense Bridge Program, which was discontinued on December 31, 2020, have been key initiatives to expanding payor policy and acceptance through case-by-case review and eventual denial overturn and Ascensia has continued similar programs
13
for this purpose. This can be a long process with varying results in each case but is a prudent step to challenge payor positions of non-coverage given the strong evidence that supports CGM and Eversense.
Coverage Outside the United States
In countries outside the United States, coverage for CGM systems is obtained from various sources, including governmental authorities, national healthcare systems, private health insurance plans, and hospital funds. Coverage systems in international markets vary significantly by country and, within some countries, by region. Coverage approvals must be obtained on a country-by-country, region-by-region or, in some instances, a case-by case basis. The responsibility for securing this coverage resides with our third-party distributors in the respective markets.
Manufacturing and Quality Assurance
We currently outsource the manufacturing of all components of the Eversense system to contract manufacturers across North America and Europe. We plan to continue with an outsourced manufacturing arrangement for the foreseeable future. Our contract manufacturers are all recognized in their field for their competency to manufacture the respective portions of our system and have quality systems established that meet FDA and, to the extent required, international regulatory requirements. We believe the manufacturers we currently utilize have sufficient capacity to meet our requirements. We believe that, as we increase our demand in the future, our per unit costs will decrease materially.
We have received certification from BSI, our Notified Body to the International Standards Organization, or ISO, for our quality system. This ISO 13485:2016 certification includes design control requirements. As a medical device manufacturer, the facilities of our sterilization and other critical suppliers are subject to periodic inspection by the FDA and corresponding state and foreign regulatory agencies and Notified Bodies. We believe that our quality systems and those of our suppliers are robust and achieve high product quality.
Typically, our outside vendors produce the components to our specifications and in many instances to our designs. Our suppliers are audited periodically by our quality department to ensure conformity with the specifications, policies and procedures for our devices. We believe that, if necessary, alternative sources of supply would be available in a relatively short period of time and on commercially reasonable terms. Most of the raw materials we use in our manufacturing operations are available from more than one source. However, we obtain certain raw materials principally from only one source. In the event one of these suppliers was unable to provide the materials or product, we generally seek to maintain sufficient inventory to supply the market until an alternative source of supply can be implemented. However, in the event of an extended failure of a supplier, it is possible that we could experience an interruption in supply until we established new sources or, in some cases, implemented alternative processes.
Competition
The market for CGM systems is developing and competitive, subject to rapid change and significantly affected by new product introductions. We compete with well-capitalized companies, some of which are publicly traded, that manufacture CGM systems including Dexcom, Medtronic and Abbott. Each of these companies has received approval from the FDA to market their respective CGM system. Dexcom’s CGM system was the first CGM system to be approved by the FDA for marketing as a non-adjunctive device, and Abbott’s Freestyle Libre was also approved for non-adjunctive use. Both Dexcom (G6) and Abbott (Freestyle Libre) systems have factory calibration, and do not require user calibration.
Dexcom has also received the first FDA iCGM indication allowing its Dexcom G6 to be interoperable with other diabetes tech devices such as insulin pumps. As the industry evolves, we anticipate encountering increasing competition from companies that integrate CGM with insulin pumps. Abbott also received an iCGM indication for their Freestyle Libre 2 product and we expect all other CGM companies besides Dexcom to pursue an iCGM indication including Medtronic.
14
In addition to CGM providers, we also compete with providers of SMBG systems. Three companies currently account for a substantial share of the worldwide sales of SMBG systems: Roche Diabetes Care, a division of Roche Diagnostics; Abbott; and Ascensia.
We may also compete with companies who are developing real-time intermittent sensing devices, low cost transcutaneous CGM systems, fully implantable CGM devices and non-invasive CGM system to measure a user's glucose level. There are also a number of academic and other institutions involved in various phases of our industry's technology development.
Although we face potential competition from many different sources, we believe that our technology, knowledge, experience and scientific resources provide us with competitive advantages. The key competitive factors affecting the success of Eversense are accuracy, duration, convenience, alert functionality, and customer support.
Many of the companies which we compete with have significantly greater financial resources and expertise in research and development, manufacturing, preclinical testing, conducting clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approvals, certifications and marketing approved products than we do. Mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and diagnostic industries may result in even more resources being concentrated among a smaller number of our competitors. Smaller or earlier 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 and establishing clinical trial sites and subject registration for clinical trials, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our development.
Intellectual Property
Protection of our intellectual property is a strategic priority for our business. We rely on a combination of patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets as well as nondisclosure and assignment of invention agreements, material transfer agreements, confidentiality agreements and other measures to protect our intellectual property and other proprietary rights.
Patents
As of December 31, 2021, we held a total of approximately 527 issued patents and pending patent applications that relate to our CGM system. Our intellectual property portfolio includes 104 issued United States patents, 250 patents issued in countries outside the United States and 173 pending patent applications worldwide. Our patents expire between 2021 and 2043, subject to any patent extensions that may be available for such patents. If patents are issued on our pending patent applications, the resulting patents are projected to expire on dates ranging from 2044 to 2060.
Our patents and patent applications cover certain aspects of our core sensor technologies and our product concepts for CGM systems. However, our patent applications may not result in issued patents, and any patents that have been issued or may be issued in the future may not protect the commercially important aspects of our technology. Furthermore, the validity and enforceability of our issued patents may be challenged by third parties and our patents could be invalidated or modified by the issuing governmental authority. Third parties may independently develop technology that is not covered by our patents that is similar to or competes with our technology. In addition, our intellectual property may be infringed or misappropriated by third parties, particularly in foreign countries where the laws and governmental authorities may not protect our proprietary rights as effectively as those in the United States.
The medical device industry in general, and the glucose testing sector of this industry in particular, are characterized by the existence of a large number of patents and frequent litigation based on assertions of patent infringement. We are aware of numerous patents issued to third parties that may relate to the technology used in our business, including the design and manufacture of CGM sensors and CGM systems, as well as methods for continuous glucose monitoring. Each of these patents contains multiple claims, any one of which may be independently asserted against us. The owners of these patents may assert that the manufacture, use, sale or offer for sale of our CGM sensors or CGM systems infringes one or more claims of their patents. Furthermore, there may be additional patents issued to third
15
parties of which we are presently unaware that may relate to aspects of our technology that such third parties could assert against us and materially and adversely affect our business. In addition, because patent applications can take many years to issue, there may be patent applications that are currently pending and unknown to us, which may later result in issued patents that third parties could assert against us and materially and adversely affect our business.
Any adverse determination in litigations, post grant trial proceedings, including interference proceedings, at the Patent Office relating to intellectual property to which we are or may become a party could subject us to significant liabilities to third parties or require us to seek licenses from third parties, and result in the cancellation and/or invalidation of our intellectual property. Furthermore, if a court finds that we have willfully infringed a third party's intellectual property, we could be required to pay treble damages and/or attorney fees for the prevailing party, in addition to other penalties. Although intellectual property disputes in the medical device area are often settled through licensing or similar arrangements, costs associated with such arrangements can be substantial and often require ongoing royalty payments. We may be unable to obtain necessary licenses on satisfactory terms, if at all. If we do not obtain necessary licenses, we may not be able to redesign our products to avoid infringement; if we are able to redesign our products to avoid infringement, we may not receive FDA approval in a timely manner. Adverse determinations in a judicial or administrative proceeding or failure to obtain necessary licenses could prevent us from manufacturing and selling our products, which could have a significant adverse impact on our business.
Trademarks
We have one pending U.S. trademark applications and six pending foreign trademark applications, as well as 14 U.S. trademark registrations and 132 foreign trademark registrations.
Trade Secrets
We also rely on trade secrets, technical know-how and continuing innovation to develop and maintain our competitive position. We seek to protect such intellectual property and proprietary information by generally requiring our employees, consultants, contractors, scientific collaborators and other advisors to execute non-disclosure and assignment of invention agreements upon the commencement of their employment or engagement as the case may be. Our agreements with our employees prohibit them from providing us with any intellectual property or proprietary information of third parties. We also generally require confidentiality agreements or material transfer agreements with third parties that receive or have access to our confidential information, data or other materials. Notwithstanding the foregoing, there can be no assurance that our employees and third parties that have access to our confidential proprietary information will abide by the terms of their agreements. Despite the measures that we take to protect our intellectual property and confidential information, unauthorized third parties may copy aspects of our products or obtain and use our proprietary information.
Government Regulation
The Eversense system is a medical device subject to extensive and ongoing regulation by the FDA, CMS, the European Union, competent authorities of the EEA countries, Notified Bodies and regulatory bodies in other countries. Regulations cover virtually every critical aspect of a medical device company's business operation, including research activities, product development, contracting, reimbursement, medical communications, and sales and marketing. In the United States, the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, or FDCA, and the implementing regulations of the FDA govern product design and development, preclinical and clinical testing, premarket clearance or approval, product manufacturing, import and export, product labeling, product storage, recalls and field safety corrective actions, advertising and promotion, product sales and distribution, and post-market clinical surveillance. Our business is subject to federal, state, local, and foreign regulations and standards, such as ISO 13485, ISO 14971, FDA's Quality System Regulation, or QSR, contained in 21 CFR Part 820, Directive 90/385/EEC concerning active implantable medical devices and, Regulation 2017/745 on Medical Devices, as amended.
16
Regulation by the FDA
The FDA classifies medical devices into one of three classes according to the degree of risk the FDA determines to be associated with a device and the level of regulatory control deemed necessary to ensure the device’s safety and effectiveness. The Eversense System is a Class III device and subject to pre-market approval application under section 515 of the FDCA in order to obtain a marketing approval. A PMA application must be supported by valid scientific evidence that typically includes extensive technical, preclinical, clinical, manufacturing and labeling data, to demonstrate to the FDA's satisfaction the safety and efficacy of the device. A PMA application also must include a complete description of the device and its components, a detailed description of the methods, facilities and controls used to manufacture the device, and proposed labeling. After a PMA application is submitted and found to be sufficiently complete, the FDA begins an in-depth review of the submitted information.
New PMA applications or PMA supplements may be required for modifications to the manufacturing process, labeling, device specifications, materials or design of a device that has been approved through the PMA process. PMA supplements often require submission of the same type of information as an initial PMA application, except that the supplement is limited to information needed to support any changes from the device covered by the approved PMA application and may or may not require as extensive technical or clinical data or the convening of an advisory panel.
Any devices we manufacture and distribute pursuant to clearance or approval by the FDA are subject to pervasive and continuing regulation by the FDA and certain state agencies. These include product listing and establishment registration requirements, which help facilitate FDA inspections and other regulatory actions. As a medical device manufacturer, all of our manufacturing facilities are subject to inspection on a routine basis by the FDA. We are required to adhere to applicable regulations setting forth detailed cGMP requirements, as set forth in the QSR, which require, manufacturers, including third-party manufacturers, to follow stringent design, testing, control, documentation and other quality assurance procedures during all phases of the design and manufacturing process. Noncompliance with these standards can result in, among other things, fines, injunctions, civil penalties, recalls or seizures of products, total or partial suspension of production, refusal of the government to grant 510(k) clearance or PMA approval of devices, withdrawal of marketing approvals and criminal prosecutions. We believe that our design, manufacturing and quality control procedures are in compliance with the FDA’s regulatory requirements.
We must also comply with post-market surveillance regulations, including medical device reporting, or MDR, requirements which require that we review and report to the FDA any incident in which our products may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury. We must also report any incident in which our product has malfunctioned if that malfunction would likely cause or contribute to a death or serious injury if it were to recur.
Labeling and promotional activities are subject to scrutiny by the FDA and, in certain circumstances, by the Federal Trade Commission. Medical devices approved or cleared by the FDA may not be promoted for unapproved or uncleared uses, otherwise known as “off-label” promotion. The FDA and other agencies actively enforce the laws and regulations prohibiting the promotion of off-label uses, and a company that is found to have improperly promoted off-label uses may be subject to significant liability, including substantial monetary penalties and criminal prosecution.
International Regulation
International sales of medical devices are subject to local government regulations, which may vary substantially from country to country. The time required to obtain approval in another country may be longer or shorter than that required for FDA approval, and the requirements may differ. There is a trend towards harmonization of quality system standards among the European Union, United States, Canada and various other industrialized countries.
On 26 May 2021, Regulation (EU) 2017/745 on Medical Devices, or the Medical Device Regulation, entered into application, repealing and replacing both Directive 93/42/EEC concerning medical devices, or MDD, and Directive 90/385/EEC concerning active implantable medical devices, or AIMD. The Medical Device Regulation and its associated guidance documents and harmonized standards govern, among other things, device design and development, preclinical and clinical or performance testing, premarket conformity assessment, registration and listing, manufacturing, labeling, storage, claims, sales and distribution, export and import and post-market surveillance, vigilance, and market
17
surveillance. Medical devices must comply with the General Safety and Performance Requirements, or GSPRs, set out in Annex I of the Medical Device Regulation. Compliance with these requirements is a prerequisite to be able to affix the CE mark to devices, without which they cannot be marketed or sold in the EEA. To demonstrate compliance with the GSPRs provided in the Medical Device Regulation and obtain the right to affix the CE mark, medical devices manufacturers must undergo a conformity assessment procedure, which varies according to the type of medical device and its classification. Apart from low risk medical devices (Class I with no measuring function and which are not sterile), in relation to which the manufacturer may issue an EC Declaration of Conformity based on a self-assessment of the conformity of its products with the GSPRs, a conformity assessment procedure requires the intervention of a Notified Body, which is an organization designated by a Competent Authority of an EEA country to conduct conformity assessments. Depending on the relevant conformity assessment procedure, the Notified Body audits and examines the technical documentation and the quality system for the manufacture, design and final inspection of the medical devices. The Notified Body issues a CE Certificate of Conformity following successful completion of a conformity assessment procedure conducted in relation to the medical device and its manufacturer and their conformity with the GSPRs. This Certificate and the related conformity assessment process entitles the manufacturer to affix the CE mark to its medical devices after having prepared and signed a related EC Declaration of Conformity.
As a general rule, demonstration of conformity of medical devices and their manufacturers with the GSPRs must be based, among other things, on the evaluation of clinical data supporting the safety and performance of the products during normal conditions of use. Specifically, a manufacturer must demonstrate that the device achieves its intended performance during normal conditions of use and that the known and foreseeable risks, and any adverse events, are minimized and acceptable when weighed against the benefits of its intended performance, and that any claims made about the performance and safety of the device (e.g., product labeling and instructions for use) are supported by suitable evidence. This assessment must be based on clinical data, which can be obtained from (1) clinical studies conducted on the devices being assessed, (2) scientific literature from similar devices whose equivalence with the assessed device can be demonstrated or (3) both clinical studies and scientific literature. The conduct of clinical studies in the EEA is governed by detailed regulatory obligations. These may include the requirement of prior authorization by the Competent Authorities of the country in which the study takes place and the requirement to obtain a positive opinion from a competent Ethics Committee. This process can be expensive and time-consuming. After a device is placed on the market, it remains subject to significant regulatory requirements.
The Medical Device Regulation provides a transitional provision. Accordingly, CE Certificates of Conformity issued by Notified Bodies in accordance with the MDD or the AIMD, prior to 25 May 2017 will remain valid until the expiration of the CE Certificate of Conformity, except for EC verification CE Certificates of Conformity issued in accordance with Annex IV to the MDD and Annex 4 to the AIMD which shall become void at the latest on 27 May 2022. In addition, CE Certificates of Conformity issued by Notified Bodies in accordance with the MDD or the AIMD, from 25 May 2017 will remain valid until the expiration of the CE Certificate of Conformity and at the latest on 27 May 2024. Medical devices with such valid CE Certificates of Conformity issued under the MDD or the AIMD may continue to be placed on the market for the remaining validity of the CE Certificate of Conformity or until May 27, 2024 at the latest, provided that (i) the devices continue to comply with the requirements of the MDD or AIMD, (ii) there are no significant changes in the design or intended purpose and (iii) from 26 May 2021, compliance with the EU Medical Device Regulation relating to post-market surveillance, market surveillance, vigilance, registration of economic operators and of devices is ensured in place of the corresponding requirements in the MDD or AIMD.
Other Regulatory Requirements
Even after a device receives clearance, certification or approval and is placed in commercial distribution, numerous regulatory requirements apply. These include, but are not limited to:
● establishment registration and device listing;
18
Also, the FDA requires us to conduct Post Approval Studies (post-market surveillance studies) and establish and maintain a system for tracking our products through the chain of distribution to the patient level. The FDA and applicable regulatory agencies enforce regulatory requirements by conducting periodic, unannounced inspections and market surveillance. Inspections may include the manufacturing facilities of our subcontractors.
Moreover, the FDA, competent authorities of the EEA countries and Notified Bodies, and foreign regulatory authorities, when applicable, strictly regulates marketing, labeling, advertising and promotion of medical products. Medical products may be promoted only for the approved indications and in accordance with the provisions of the approved label, although physicians, in the practice of medicine, may prescribe approved medical products for unapproved indications. Companies may also share truthful and not misleading information that is otherwise consistent with the labeling. The FDA, competent authorities of the EEA countries and Notified Bodies, and foreign regulatory authorities, when applicable, 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.
In the United States, failure to comply with applicable regulatory requirements can result in enforcement actions by the FDA and other regulatory agencies. These may include, among other things, any of the following sanctions or consequences:
● warning letters or untitled letters that require corrective action;
● fines and civil penalties;
● unanticipated expenditures;
● delays in approving or refusal to approve future products;
● suspension or withdrawal of FDA clearance or approval;
● product recall or seizure;
● interruption of production;
● operating restrictions;
● injunctions; and
● criminal prosecution.
In the EEA, similar regulatory requirements apply once a device has been CE marked and placed on the EEA Market. EEA countries are responsible for enforcing the EU’s medical device rules and for ensuring that only compliant medical devices are placed on the market or put into service in their jurisdictions. In addition, similar actions and obligations may be imposed by the competent authorities of an EEA country, or a foreign regulatory authority. If a Notified Body suspects or discovers any non-compliance, this may also result in Notified Bodies revoking, suspending or varying a CE Certificate of Conformity that they have issued for a device or the manufacturer’s quality system.
Our contract manufacturers, specification developers and some suppliers of components or device accessories, also are required to manufacture our products in compliance with current good manufacturing practice requirements set forth in the QSR. The QSR requires a quality system for the design, manufacture, packaging, labeling, storage,
19
installation and servicing of marketed devices, and it includes extensive requirements with respect to quality management and organization, device design, buildings, equipment, purchase and handling of components or services, production and process controls, packaging and labeling controls, device evaluation, distribution, installation, complaint handling, servicing, and record keeping. The FDA evaluates compliance with the QSR through periodic unannounced inspections that may include the manufacturing facilities of our subcontractors. If the FDA believes that any of our contract manufacturers or regulated suppliers are not in compliance with these requirements, it can shut down such manufacturing operations, require recall of our products, refuse to approve new marketing applications, institute legal proceedings to detain or seize products, enjoin future violations or assess civil and criminal penalties against us or our officers or other employees.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and Similar Foreign and State Laws and Regulations Affecting the Transmission, Security and Privacy of Health Information
We may also be subject to data privacy and security regulation by both the federal government and the states in which we conduct our business. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, or HITECH, and their respective implementing regulations, imposes specified requirements relating to the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information. Among other things, HITECH makes HIPAA's security standards directly applicable to business associates, defined as service providers of covered entities, which include certain healthcare providers, health plans and healthcare clearinghouses, that create, receive, maintain or transmit protected health information in connection with providing a service for or on behalf of a covered entity, and their covered subcontractors. HITECH also created four new tiers of civil monetary penalties and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for damages or injunctions in federal courts to enforce the federal HIPAA laws and seek attorneys' fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions. Accordingly, state attorneys general (along with private plaintiffs) have brought civil actions seeking injunctions and damages resulting from alleged violations of HIPAA’s privacy and security rules. In addition, many state laws govern the privacy and security of health information in certain circumstances, many of which differ from HIPAA and each other in significant ways and may not have the same effect.
In the EEA, the General Data Protection Regulation (2016/679), or GDPR, went into effect on May 25, 2018 and replaced Directive 95/46/EC (the EU Privacy Directive). The GDPR applies to personal data about identified or identifiable data subjects processed by automated means and data contained in, or intended to be part of, non-automated filing systems (traditional paper files) as well as transfer of such data to a country outside of the EU/EEA. Under the GDPR, fines of up to €20.0 million or up to 4% of the annual global turnover of the infringer, whichever is greater, could be imposed for certain categories of infractions that constitute significant non-compliance. The GDPR includes more stringent operational requirements for data processors and data controllers and creates additional rights for data subjects.
Further, the exit of the United Kingdom, or UK, from the EU, often referred to as Brexit, has created uncertainty with regard to data protection regulation in the UK. Specifically, the UK exited the EU on January 1, 2020, subject to a transition period that ended December 31, 2020. The UK has implemented legislation similar to the GDPR, the UK GDPR, including the UK Data Protection Act, which provides for fines of up to the greater of 17.5 million British Pounds or 4% of a company’s worldwide turnover, whichever is higher. Additionally, the relationship between the UK and the EU in relation to certain aspects of data protection law remains unclear following Brexit, including with respect to regulation of data transfers between EU Member States and the UK. On June 28, 2021, the European Commission announced a decision of “adequacy” concluding that the UK ensures an equivalent level of data protection to the GDPR, which provides some relief regarding the legality of continued personal data flows from the EEA to the UK. Some uncertainty remains, however, as this adequacy determination must be renewed after four years and may be modified or revoked in the interim. We cannot fully predict how the Data Protection Act, the UK GDPR, and other UK data protection laws or regulations may develop in the medium to longer term nor the effects of divergent laws and guidance regarding how data transfers to and from the UK will be regulated.
Additionally, California recently enacted legislation, effective January 1, 2020, that has been dubbed the first “GDPR-like” law in the United States. Known as the California Consumer Privacy Act, or CCPA, it creates new individual privacy rights for consumers (as that word is broadly defined in the law) and places increased privacy and security obligations on entities handling personal data of consumers or households. The CCPA requires covered
20
companies to provide new disclosures to California consumers, provide such consumers new ways to opt-out of certain sales of personal information, and allows for new causes of action for data breaches. As currently written, the CCPA could impact our business activities and is an example of the type of activity in an evolving regulatory environment related to personal data and protected health information that could continue to affect our operations.
Fraud and Abuse Laws
In addition to FDA restrictions, there are numerous U.S. federal and state laws and equivalent third country laws pertaining to healthcare fraud and abuse, including anti-kickback laws and physician self-referral laws. Our relationships with healthcare providers and other third parties are subject to scrutiny under these laws. Violations of these laws are punishable by significant criminal, civil, and administrative sanctions, including, in some instances, imprisonment and exclusion from participation in federal and state healthcare programs, including the Medicare, Medicaid and Veterans Administration health programs, or similar comparable foreign programs.
Federal Anti-Kickback and Self-Referral Laws
The federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits persons from knowingly and willfully soliciting, receiving, offering or providing remuneration (including any kickback, bribe or rebate), directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, to induce either the referral of an individual, or the furnishing, recommending, or arranging of a good or service, for which payment may be made under a federal healthcare program such as Medicare and Medicaid or other federal healthcare programs. The term "remuneration" has been broadly interpreted to include anything of value, including such items as gifts, discounts, the furnishing of supplies or equipment, credit arrangements, waiver of payments and providing anything at less than its fair market value. Although there are a number of statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbors protecting some common activities from prosecution, the exceptions and safe harbors are drawn narrowly and require strict compliance to provide protection. Practices that involve remuneration that may be alleged to be intended to induce prescribing, purchases or recommendations may be subject to scrutiny if they do not qualify for an exception or safe harbor. Failure to meet all of the requirements of a particular applicable statutory exception or regulatory safe harbor does not make the conduct per se illegal under the federal Anti-Kickback Statute. Instead, the legality of the arrangement will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis based on a review of all its relevant facts and circumstances. Several courts have interpreted the statute's intent requirement to mean that if any one purpose of an arrangement involving remuneration is to induce referrals of (or purchases, or recommendations related to) federal healthcare covered business, the federal Anti-Kickback Statute has been implicated and potentially violated.
The penalties for violating the federal Anti-Kickback Statute include imprisonment for up to ten years, criminal fines of up to $100,000 per violation, possible exclusion from federal healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid and other penalties, including significant civil monetary penalties and integrity oversight and reporting obligations to resolve allegations of non-compliance. Many states have adopted prohibitions similar to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, some of which do not have the same exceptions or safe harbors and apply to the referral of patients for healthcare services reimbursed by any source, not only by the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Further, the federal Anti-Kickback Statute was amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, or, collectively, PPACA. Specifically, as noted above, under the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, the government must prove the defendant acted "knowingly" to prove a violation occurred. The PPACA added a provision to clarify that with respect to violations of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, "a person need not have actual knowledge" of the statute or specific intent to commit a violation of the statute. This change effectively overturns case law interpretations that set a higher standard under which prosecutors had to prove the specific intent to violate the law. In addition, the PPACA codified case law that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the federal civil False Claims Act.
Federal law also includes a provision commonly known as the "Stark Law," which prohibits a physician from referring Medicare or Medicaid patients to an entity providing "designated health services," including a company that furnishes durable medical equipment, in which the physician has an ownership or investment interest or with which the physician has entered into a compensation arrangement. Violation of the Stark Law could result in denial of payment, disgorgement of reimbursements received under a noncompliant arrangement, civil penalties, and exclusion from
21
Medicare, Medicaid or other governmental programs. We believe that we have structured our provider arrangements to comply with current fraud and abuse law requirements.
Nevertheless, a determination of liability under such laws could result in fines and penalties and restrictions on our ability to operate in these jurisdictions.
Additionally, as some of these laws are still evolving, we lack definitive guidance as to the application of certain key aspects of these laws as they relate to our arrangements with providers with respect to patient training. As a result, our provider and training arrangements may ultimately be found to be not in compliance with applicable federal law.
Federal False Claims Act & HIPAA
The federal False Claims Act provides, in part, that the federal government may bring a lawsuit against any person whom it believes has knowingly presented, or caused to be presented, a false or fraudulent request for payment from the federal government, or who has made a false statement or used a false record to get a claim approved. In addition, amendments in 1986 to the federal False Claims Act have made it easier for private parties to bring "qui tam" whistleblower lawsuits against companies under the federal False Claims Act. Penalties include significant civil monetary penalties for each false claim, plus three times the amount of damages that the federal government sustained because of the act of that person. Qui tam actions have increased significantly in recent years, causing greater numbers of healthcare companies to have to defend a false claim action, pay fines, be excluded from Medicare, Medicaid or other federal or state healthcare programs, or be subject to integrity oversight and reporting obligations to resolve allegations of non-compliance, as a result of an investigation arising out of such action.
There are other federal anti-fraud laws that that prohibit, among other actions, knowingly and willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private third-party payors, knowingly and willfully embezzling or stealing from a healthcare benefit program, willfully obstructing a criminal investigation of a healthcare offense, and knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services.
Additionally, HIPAA established two federal crimes for healthcare fraud and false statements relating to healthcare matters. The healthcare fraud statute prohibits knowingly and willfully executing a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private payors. The false statements statute prohibits knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services. A violation of either of these statutes is a felony and may result in fines, imprisonment, exclusion from Medicare, Medicaid or other federal or state healthcare programs, or integrity oversight and reporting obligations to resolve allegations of non-compliance.
Civil Monetary Penalties Law
In addition to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and the civil and criminal false claims laws, including the federal False Claims Act, the federal government has the authority to seek civil monetary penalties, or CMPs, assessments, and exclusion against an individual or entity based on a wide variety of prohibited conduct. For example, the Civil Monetary Penalties Law authorizes the imposition of substantial CMPs against an entity that engages in activities including, but not limited to: (1) knowingly presenting or causing to be presented, a claim for services not provided as claimed or which is otherwise false or fraudulent in any way; (2) knowingly giving or causing to be given false or misleading information reasonably expected to influence the decision to discharge a patient; (3) offering or giving remuneration to any beneficiary of a federal health care program likely to influence the receipt of reimbursable items or services; (4) arranging for reimbursable services with an entity which is excluded from participation from a federal health care program; (5) knowingly or willfully soliciting or receiving remuneration for a referral of a federal health care program beneficiary; or (6) using a payment intended for a federal health care program beneficiary for another use. Noncompliance can result in significant civil money penalties for each wrongful act, assessment of three times the amount claimed for each item or service and exclusion from the federal healthcare programs.
22
State Fraud and Abuse Provisions
Many states have also adopted some form of anti-kickback and anti-referral laws and a false claims act, some of which apply regardless of source of payment and do not have the same exceptions as the federal laws. We believe that we are in conformance to such laws. Nevertheless, a determination of liability under such laws could result in fines and penalties and restrictions on our ability to operate in these jurisdictions.
Physician Payments Sunshine Act
Transparency laws regarding payments or other items of value provided to healthcare providers and teaching hospitals may also impact our business practices. The federal Physician Payment Sunshine Act requires most medical device manufacturers to report annually to CMS financial arrangements, payments, or other transfers of value made by that entity to physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists, and chiropractors), other healthcare professionals (such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners), and teaching hospitals. The payment information is made publicly available in a searchable format on a CMS website. Over the next several years, we will need to dedicate significant resources to establish and maintain systems and processes in order to comply with these regulations. Failure to comply with the reporting requirements can result in significant civil monetary penalties. Similar laws have been enacted or are under consideration in many states and foreign jurisdictions.
Healthcare Reform
Federal and state governments continue to propose and pass new legislation and regulations designed to contain or reduce the cost of healthcare. Such new laws may result in decreased reimbursement for medical devices, which may further exacerbate industry-wide pressure to reduce the prices charged for medical devices. For example. in March 2010, the PPACA, was enacted, which substantially changes the way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private insurers, encourages improvements in the quality of healthcare items and services and significantly impacts the medical device industry. In the years since its enactment, there have been significant developments in, and continued legislative activity around, attempts to repeal or repeal and replace the PPACA. While Congress has not passed comprehensive repeal legislation, several bills affecting the implementation of certain taxes under the PPACA have been signed into law. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, or Tax Act, included a provision which repealed, effective January 1, 2019, the tax-based shared responsibility payment imposed by the PPACA on certain individuals who fail to maintain qualifying health coverage for all or part of a year that is commonly referred to as the “individual mandate”. Additionally, the 2020 federal spending package permanently eliminated, effective January 1, 2020, the PPACA-mandated medical device tax and the “Cadillac” tax on high-cost employer-sponsored health coverage and, effective January 1, 2021, also eliminated the health insurer tax. On June 17, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed a challenge on procedural grounds that argued the ACA is unconstitutional in its entirety because the “individual mandate” was repealed by Congress. Thus, the ACA will remain in effect in its current form. Prior to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, on January 28, 2021, President Biden issued an executive order that initiated a special enrollment period for purposes of obtaining health insurance coverage through the 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. It is possible that the ACA will be subject to judicial or Congressional challenges in the future. It is unclear how such challenges and the healthcare reform measures of the Biden administration will impact the PPACA. Congress and the Biden administration are considering additional health reform measures. It is uncertain whether and how future legislation could affect prospects for our product candidates or what actions federal, state, or private payors for healthcare treatment and services may take in response to any such healthcare reform proposals or legislation.
Brexit and the Regulatory Framework in the United Kingdom
Following the result of a referendum in 2016, the United Kingdom left the European Union on January 31, 2020, commonly referred to as Brexit. Pursuant to the formal withdrawal arrangements agreed between the United Kingdom and the European Union, the United Kingdom, or the UK, was subject to a transition period until
23
December 31, 2020, or the Transition Period, during which European Union rules continued to apply. The United Kingdom and the European Union have signed a EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, or TCA, which became provisionally applicable on January 1, 2021 and entered into force on May 1, 2021. This agreement provides details on how some aspects of the United Kingdom and European Union’s relationship will operate going forwards however there are still many uncertainties. The TCA primarily focuses on ensuring free trade between the European Union and the UK in relation to goods. Among the changes that will now occur are that Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) will be treated as a "third country," a country that is not a member of the European Union and whose citizens do not enjoy the European Union right to free movement. Northern Ireland will continue to follow many aspects of the European Union regulatory rules, particularly in relation to trade in goods.
Brexit could lead to legal uncertainty and potentially divergent national laws and regulations as the UK determines which EU laws to replace or replicate and may create logistical complications with respect to the movement and delivery of our products, which undergo certain manufacturing steps in the United Kingdom. Given the lack of comparable precedent, it is unclear what financial, trade, regulatory and legal implications the withdrawal of the UK from the EU would have and how such withdrawal would affect us. Several of our contract manufacturers are located in the UK. Any of these effects of Brexit, among others, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and operating results.
U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, prohibits U.S. corporations and their representatives from offering, promising, authorizing or making corrupt payments, gifts or transfers to any foreign government official, government staff member, political party or political candidate in an attempt to obtain or retain business abroad. The FCPA also obligates companies whose securities are listed in the United States to comply with accounting provisions requiring the company to maintain books and records that accurately and fairly reflect all transactions of the corporation, including international subsidiaries, and to devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls for international operations. Activities that violate the FCPA, even if they occur wholly outside the United States, can result in criminal and civil fines, imprisonment, disgorgement, oversight, and debarment from government contracts.
UK Bribery Act and other anti-corruption laws
The UK Bribery Act 2010 and other applicable foreign anti-corruption laws that apply in countries where we do business, generally prohibit us and our employees and intermediaries from authorizing, promising, offering, or providing, directly or indirectly, improper or prohibited payments, or anything else of value, to government officials or other persons to obtain or retain business or gain some other business advantage. Under the UK’s Bribery Act, we may also be liable for failing to prevent a person associated with us from committing a bribery offense.
We are also subject to other laws and regulations governing our international operations, including regulations administered by the governments of the UK and authorities in the EU, including applicable export control regulations, economic sanctions and embargoes on certain countries and persons, anti-money laundering laws, import and customs requirements and currency exchange regulations, collectively referred to as trade control laws. Failure to comply with the UK’s Bribery Act, and other anti-corruption laws and trade control laws could subject us to criminal and civil penalties, disgorgement and other sanctions and remedial measures, and legal expenses.
Employees and Human Capital Resources
We believe that our future success largely depends upon our continued ability to attract and retain highly skilled and qualified employees who share in our mission to transform lives in the global diabetes community with differentiated, long-term implantable glucose monitoring technology. As of December 31, 2021, we had 89 employees, of whom over half hold Ph.D., M.D., master’s degree or other post graduate degrees, and all of whom are located in the United States. Most employees are in operations and research and development positions aligned with our corporate focus of developing and manufacturing glucose monitoring products. None of our employees are represented by a labor union or covered by a collective bargaining agreement. We consider our relationship with our employees to be good.
24
Culture
Employee engagement is important to us, and we focus on continuously enhancing our corporate culture. In 2021, our employees updated our core values by providing input through workshops and as a result we launched, “It Just Makes Sense,” to describe how our employees are living our corporate values. Customer Inspired emphasizes how we put the customer first while we use our talents, passion, empathy, and hard work to build technology solutions for the unmet needs of our customers. Game-Changing Innovation affects everything we do from how we think, design, and manufacture advanced technology that makes a difference. Learn Fast highlights our respect for the process of discovery and supports intelligent risk-taking knowing that all outcomes are learning opportunities to iterate and improve. Thrive Together reflects the deep respect and trust in the diversity of our backgrounds, knowledge, skills, ideas and capabilities and our belief in each other and our partners to drive success. Get It Done represents working with a sense of urgency to go above and beyond to get the job done right through quality, compliance, and timeliness. We continue to survey our employees around culture, engagement, work experience, communication and other topics and incorporate and respond to their feedback. We will continue to conduct similar surveys and response efforts in the future. We conduct frequent company calls to update all employees on what is happening in various departments to ensure our employees understand our strategic vision as well as our day-to-day objectives. After each meeting, we hold separate open question and answer sessions that give our employees an opportunity to question or comment on anything that is on their minds.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Our success thrives on the diversity of backgrounds, knowledge, skills, ideas, and capabilities within our workforce. We aspire to create a diverse and inclusive culture that reflects the diversity of the customers we serve and fosters an environment where all employees feel welcomed, respected, and valued. At the end of 2021, our employee base was comprised of approximately one third female and two thirds male. We work to support our goals of diversifying our workforce through recruiting, retention, people development, and inclusion.
Health and Safety
We are committed to the health and safety of our employees and have safety training programs that ensure our workforce know how to do their jobs safely and in compliance with laws and regulations. We operate in modern, efficient, and safe facilities, and have minimal accident and injury rates. In response to COVID-19, we organized an internal cross-functional task force to manage our response to the pandemic and maintain business continuity while aligning with safety protocols recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) , the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other local health agencies. In addition, to ensure the safety of our essential employees who work in our facilities during the pandemic, we implemented social distancing requirements and provided masks, hand sanitizer, and other personal protective equipment (PPE).
Organization Development
We are committed to attracting, developing, and retaining employees by promoting an environment to continuously develop and learn. As part of our performance management process, all levels of employees are formally required to meet with their managers at least quarterly to receive feedback on their established objectives, identify opportunities for skill development, and discuss opportunities to support their career goals. During 2021, the executive team spent substantial time meeting routinely for strategic, operational, and organizational planning. Many of these meetings were focused on organization development including succession planning and the identification of high potential and high performing individuals to create development plans to ensure we foster and retain top talent. We encourage professional certification and continuing education by reimbursement for professional certification classes, testing, maintenance and tuition reimbursement of up to $5,250 annually. We continue to evaluate and enhance our learning delivery to meet the needs of our workforce.
25
Total Rewards
We provide competitive compensation and benefits to attract and retain the best people. We engage nationally recognized compensation and benefits consulting firms to evaluate our total rewards programs and to provide benchmarking against our peers within the industry. We provide our employees with market competitive pay and bonuses. In 2021, we implemented a year-end market adjustment review process to ensure we maintain our competitive pay and pay equity between active employees and new hires and to align to the highly competitive labor market. As a result of this review process, we made market adjustments to many of our employees effective January 1, 2022, to ensure pay equity between existing and new hires and to better position us to retain our valuable employees. Annual increases and incentive compensation are based on merit and documented through our performance management process as part of our annual review procedures. All employees are issued stock options and/or restricted stock units under our broad-based stock incentive programs. We offer an employee stock purchase program to all employees. Finally, we offer comprehensive benefits to all eligible employees, including health insurance, paid time off, a retirement plan with company match, health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, life and disability coverage, voluntary accident, and critical illness.
Corporate Information
We were originally incorporated as ASN Technologies, Inc. in Nevada on June 26, 2014. On December 7, 2015, pursuant to the Merger Agreement and the transactions contemplated thereby, or the Acquisition, we acquired Senseonics, Incorporated, a medical technology company focused on the design, development and commercialization of glucose monitoring systems to improve the lives of people with diabetes by enhancing their ability to manage their disease with relative ease and accuracy. From its inception in 1996 until 2010, Senseonics, Incorporated devoted substantially all of its resources to researching various sensor technologies and platforms. Beginning in 2010, the company narrowed its focus to designing, developing and refining a commercially viable glucose monitoring system.
In connection with the Acquisition, we reincorporated in Delaware and changed our name to Senseonics Holdings, Inc. Upon the closing of the Acquisition, Senseonics, Incorporated merged with a wholly owned subsidiary of ours formed solely for that purpose and became our wholly owned subsidiary.
Our principal executive offices are located at 20451 Seneca Meadows Parkway, Germantown, Maryland 20876-7005 and our telephone number is (301) 515-7260. Our common stock is listed on the NYSE American under the symbol “SENS.”
Available Information
Our website address is www.senseonics.com. In addition to the information contained in this Annual Report, information about us can be found on our website. Information contained in, or accessible through, our website is not a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and the inclusion of our website address in this prospectus is only as an inactive textual reference.
Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, are available free of charge through our website as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. Additionally the SEC maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information. The address of the SEC’s website is www.sec.gov.
26
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Our business is subject to numerous risks. You should carefully consider the following risks and all other information contained in this Annual Report, as well as general economic and business risks, together with any other documents we file with the SEC. If any of the following events actually occur or risks actually materialize, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition and cause the trading price of our common stock to decline.
Summary of Risks Affecting Our Business
Our business is subject to numerous risks. The following summary highlights some of the risks you should consider with respect to our business and prospects. This summary is not complete, and the risks summarized below are not the only risks we face. You should review and consider carefully the risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, which includes a more complete discussion of the risks summarized below as well as a discussion of other risks related to our business and an investment in our common stock, as well as our other public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC.
Any of the following risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects and cause the trading price of our common stock to decline:
27
● Our operating results are subject to significant fluctuations.
Risks Relating to our Business and our Industry
We have incurred significant operating losses since inception and cannot assure you that we will ever achieve or sustain profitability.
Since our inception, we have incurred significant net losses, including net losses of $302.5 million, $175.2 million, and $115.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. As of December 31, 2021, we had an accumulated deficit of $951.0 million. To date, we have financed our operations primarily through sales of our equity securities and debt financings. We have devoted substantially all of our resources to the research and development of our products, including conducting clinical trials, and the commercial launch of Eversense in the United States and Eversense and Eversense XL in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).
To implement our business strategy we need to, among other things, gain regulatory approval or certification in other regions where we intend to sell our products, expand our commercial launch in the United States and Europe, and develop future generations of Eversense. We have never been profitable and do not expect to be profitable for at least the next several years. We expect our expenses to increase significantly as we pursue these objectives. The extent of our future operating losses and the timing of profitability are highly uncertain, and we expect to continue incurring expenses and operating losses over the next several years. Any additional operating losses may have an adverse effect on our stockholders' equity, and we cannot assure you that we will ever be able to achieve profitability. Even if we achieve profitability, we may not be able to sustain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. Our failure to become and remain profitable would depress the value of our company and could impair our ability to raise capital, expand our business, maintain our development efforts, obtain regulatory approvals, diversify our product offerings or continue our operations.
Our Commercialization Agreement with Ascensia to market Eversense may not be successful.
We have entered into a Commercialization Agreement with Ascensia, pursuant to which we have granted Ascensia the exclusive right to distribute Eversense worldwide, subject to initial exceptions based on our other current exclusive distribution agreements. Pursuant to this agreement, our future success will be dependent on Ascensia effectively marketing and selling Eversense. We expect that the substantial majority of our future revenue will come pursuant to this agreement in future years. If Ascensia fails to perform satisfactorily under this agreement, including among other things if they are delayed or unsuccessful in growing the adoption of our product, our commercialization efforts and financial results would be directly and adversely affected.
The Commercialization Agreement is terminable by Ascensia under a number of circumstances, including if we undergo a change of control. The agreement is terminable by either party if the other party materially breaches its
28
obligations under the agreement; provided, however, that if Ascensia is unable to achieve the specified minimum spending or revenue targets described above, then we will only have the right to covert Ascensia’s exclusive rights to nonexclusive rights, which may make it difficult for us to successfully engage with another commercial partner. The agreement is also terminable by either party if the other party undergoes bankruptcy, dissolution or winding up.
We cannot guarantee this agreement with Ascensia will be successful, that it will continue, or that we will be able to achieve or maintain any particular volume of sales under the agreement or increase the volume of sales at a satisfactory pace or at all from this relationship in the future.
Our Commercialization Agreement with Ascensia and the terms of our recent debt and preferred stock transactions may discourage a change of control of our company.
The terms of our agreements with Ascensia and PHC may discourage a third party from acquiring, or attempting to acquire, control of our company, even if a change of control was considered favorable by some or all of our stockholders. For example, because of the exclusivity of the distribution arrangements with Ascensia and the minimum five-year term of that exclusivity (which may be extended under certain circumstances), prospective strategic acquirors may be unwilling to undertake an acquisition of our company. In addition, under the terms of the PHC Notes, we may be required to make significant payments to redeem these notes upon a change of control.
Our business, product sales and results of operations could be adversely affected by the effects of health epidemics, including the recent COVID-19 outbreak, in regions where we or third parties distribute our products or where we or third parties on which we rely have significant manufacturing facilities, concentrations, clinical trial sites or other business operations. The COVID-19 pandemic has and may continue to, materially affect our operations, including at our headquarters in Maryland and at our clinical trial sites, as well as the business or operations of our manufacturers, distributors or other third parties with whom we conduct business.
Our business could be adversely affected by health epidemics in regions where we sell products, where we have concentrations of clinical trial sites or other business operations, and could cause significant disruption in the operations of third-party manufacturers and distributors upon whom we rely.
For example, in December 2019, a novel strain of coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, causing a disease referred to as COVID-19, was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China. Since then, COVID-19 has spread to multiple countries, including the United States and several European countries. Our headquarters is located in Maryland, and our contract manufacturers are located in Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. Our distributors are located in the United States and various countries in Europe.
In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic, and the U.S. government-imposed travel restrictions on travel between the United States, Europe and certain other countries. Further, the President of the United States declared the COVID-19 pandemic a national emergency, invoking powers under the Stafford Act, the legislation that directs federal emergency disaster response. Similarly, the Governor of Maryland issued an order closing all non-essential businesses, which took effect on March 23, 2020. Beginning with the initial outbreak and through 2021, substantially all of our workforce is now working from home either all or substantially all of the time. The effects of the Maryland order and our work-from-home policies may negatively impact productivity, disrupt our business and delay our clinical programs, regulatory and commercialization timelines, the magnitude of which will depend, in part, on the length and severity of the restrictions and other limitations on our ability to conduct our business in the ordinary course. These and similar, and perhaps more severe, disruptions in our operations could negatively impact our business, operating results and financial condition.
Quarantines, shelter-in-place and similar government orders, or the perception that such orders, shutdowns or other restrictions on the conduct of business operations could occur, related to COVID-19 or other infectious diseases could impact personnel at third-party manufacturing facilities in the United States and other countries, or the availability or cost of materials, which would disrupt our supply chain. In particular, some of our suppliers of certain materials used in the production of our sensors and transmitters are located in Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Japan and the
29
United States. For example, any manufacturing supply interruption of Eversense or future generation products, could adversely affect our ability to conduct planned clinical trials and commercialization activities.
Sales and demand for Eversense have been and may continue to be adversely affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Disruptions in the distributions of Eversense could result if patients are physically quarantined, if physicians restrict access to their facilities for a material period of time, if we are unable to train new physicians, if patients are unable or unwilling to visit health care providers, or if health care providers prioritize treatment of acute or communicable illnesses over diabetes management. At various times during the COVID-19 pandemic, (i) our or our partners’ ability to visit physician offices have been restricted, and (ii) insertions of Eversense have been adversely impacted. During the pandemic, these and other risks could recur or continue. In addition, in the Spring of 2020 we announced changes in our ability to market Eversense in the U.S., substantially reduced our sales and marketing capabilities, and limited or ceased our efforts to secure new Eversense patients in the U.S. The impact of these actions on patients and health care providers could delay or negatively impact our ability to stabilize and grow sales of Eversense in the U.S.
In addition, our clinical trials may be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical site initiation and patient enrollment may be delayed due to prioritization of hospital resources toward the COVID-19 pandemic. Some patients may not be able to comply with clinical trial protocols if quarantines impede patient movement or interrupt healthcare services. Similarly, our ability to recruit and retain patients and principal investigators and site staff who, as healthcare providers, may have heightened exposure to COVID-19 and adversely impact our clinical trial operations.
The spread of COVID-19, which has caused a broad impact globally, may materially affect us economically. While the potential economic impact brought by, and the duration of, COVID-19 may be difficult to assess or predict, a widespread pandemic could result in significant disruption of global financial markets, reducing our ability to access capital, which could negatively affect our liquidity. In addition, a recession or market correction resulting from the spread of COVID-19 could materially affect our business and the value of our common stock.
The review of our products by the FDA and other foreign regulatory authorities and Notified Bodies has been and may continue to be adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The timing to completion and outcome of such a review is uncertain, as is the impact of COVID-19 on review timelines or possible delays.
The global pandemic of COVID-19 continues to rapidly evolve. The ultimate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic or a similar health epidemic is highly uncertain and subject to change. We do not yet know the full extent of potential delays or impacts on our business, our clinical trials, commercialization efforts, healthcare systems or the global economy as a whole. However, these effects could have a material impact on our operations, and we will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely.
We have limited operating history as a commercial-stage company and may face difficulties encountered by companies early in their commercialization in competitive and rapidly evolving markets.
Our experience as a commercial-stage company upon which to evaluate our business, future sales expectations and operating results is limited. In assessing our business prospects, you should consider the various risks and difficulties frequently encountered by companies early in their commercialization in competitive and rapidly evolving markets, particularly companies that develop and sell medical devices. These risks include our ability to:
● implement and execute our business strategy;
● manage expanding operations;
30
● respond effectively to competitive pressures and developments;
● enhance Eversense and develop future versions of Eversense; and