10-K

tela-20201231x10k.htm

10-K

Table of Contents

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020

For the transition period from to

Commission file number: 001-37526

TELA Bio, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(484) 320-2930

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class: Trading Symbol Name of each exchange on which registered:

Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share TELA The Nasdaq Global Market

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 and post such files). ⌧ Yes◻ No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer ◻ Accelerated filer ◻

Smaller reporting company ⌧

Non-accelerated filer ⌧ Emerging growth company ⌧

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ◻

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C.7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ◻

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ◻ No ⌧

As of June 30, 2020 (the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter), the aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates was approximately $103.6 million based on the closing price of the common stock as reported on the NASDAQ Global Market on June 30, 2020.

As of March 19, 2021, the registrant had 14,440,264 shares of Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share, outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the definitive proxy statement to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) for TELA Bio’s annual meeting of stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Item No. Page No.

PART I

ITEM 1. BUSINESS 7

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS 38

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS 77

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES 78

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS 78

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES 78

PART II

ITEM 6. SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA 80

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK 91

ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA 93

ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES 93

ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION 94

PART III

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 95

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION 95

ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES 95

PART IV

ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES 95

EXHIBIT INDEX 96

SIGNATURES 99

Table of Contents

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K that are not statements of historical or current facts, such as those under the heading “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements discuss our business, operations and financial performance and conditions, as well as our plans, objectives and expectations for our business operations and financial performance and condition. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “assume,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “design,” “due,” “estimate,” “expect,” “goal,” “intend,” “may,” “objective,” “plan,” “predict,” “positioned,” “potential,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would” and other similar expressions that are predictions of or indicate future events and future trends, or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. In addition, statements that “we believe” or similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us, may include projections of our future financial performance, our anticipated growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business.

You should understand that the following important factors could affect our future results and could cause those results or other outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements:

● the commercial success and the degree of market acceptance of our products;

● the size of the markets for our current and future products;

● our ability to obtain additional capital to finance our planned operations;

● regulatory developments in the U.S. and internationally;

Table of Contents

These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about our business and the industry in which we operate, and management's beliefs and assumptions 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. In light of the significant uncertainties in these forward-looking statements, you should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Although we believe the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, the future results, levels of activity, performance or events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur at all. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise after the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K or to reflect the occurrence of any unanticipated events. Comparisons of results for current and any prior periods are not intended to express any future trends on indications of future performance, unless expressed as such, and should only be viewed as historical data.

Table of Contents

SUMMARY RISK FACTORS

We are providing the following summary of the risk factors contained in our Form 10-K to enhance the readability and accessibility of our risk factor disclosures. We encourage our stockholders to carefully review the full risk factors contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K in their entirety for additional information regarding the risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to vary materially from recent results or from our anticipated future results.

Risks Related to COVID-19

Risks Related to Achieving or Sustaining Profitability, Financial Position and Capital Requirements

Risks Related to the Commercialization of our Products

Risks Related to Our Reliance on Third Parties

Risks Related to Intellectual Property Matters

Table of Contents

Risks Related to Government Regulation

Risks Related to Our Business and Products

Risks Related to Our Securities

Table of Contents

PART I

ITEM 1.BUSINESS

Overview

We are a commercial-stage medical technology company focused on designing, developing and marketing innovative tissue reinforcement materials to address unmet needs in soft tissue reconstruction. We are committed to providing patients with advanced, economically effective biologic material repair solutions to patients to minimize long-term exposure to permanent synthetic materials and improve clinical outcomes. Our products are purposefully designed to address the shortcomings of existing reinforcement materials in hernia repair, abdominal wall reconstruction and plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Our first portfolio of products, the OviTex Reinforced Tissue Matrix (“OviTex”), addresses unmet needs in hernia repair and abdominal wall reconstruction by combining the benefits of biologic matrices and polymer materials while minimizing their shortcomings, at a cost-effective price. Our OviTex products have received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) which clearance was obtained and is currently held by Aroa, our exclusive manufacturer and supplier. Interim results of our ongoing prospective, single arm, multicenter post-market clinical study, which we refer to as our BRAVO study, suggest that OviTex is safe and clinically effective for the treatment of ventral hernias. Our BRAVO study was fully enrolled at 92 patients. The interim analysis includes patient cohorts at the 90-day, 12-month and 24-month follow-up periods. At 90 days post-operative, there were no recurrences or reoperations among the 84 patients analyzed and one implant removal due to a bowel perforation. The final 12-month analysis includes 76 patients, of whom two patients experienced a recurrence, both adjacent to the original repair, with the OviTex repairs remaining intact. Of the 51 patients that have reached 24-month follow-up, one patient experienced a surgical site occurrence from a superficial infection and none experienced a recurrence or long-term complication. Additional results from the 30-day and 24-month patient cohorts showing low rates of surgical site occurrences requiring treatment were presented in September 2020 at the Americas Hernia Society Annual Meeting. Our second portfolio of products, the OviTex PRS Reinforced Tissue Matrix (“OviTex PRS”), addresses unmet needs in plastic and reconstructive surgery. In April 2019, our OviTex PRS products received 510(k) clearance from the FDA, which clearance was obtained by Aroa and is currently held by us.

We began commercialization of our OviTex products in the U.S. in July 2016, and they are now used in more than 325 hospitals. Hernia repair is one of the most common surgeries performed in the U.S., representing approximately 1.2 million procedures annually. Our OviTex portfolio consists of multiple products that can be used for ventral hernia repair and abdominal wall reconstruction, inguinal hernia repair and hiatal hernia repair. In addition, to address the significant increase in the number of robotic-assisted hernia repairs over the last several years, we have designed an OviTex product specifically for use in laparoscopic and robotic-assisted surgery called OviTex LPR, which we began commercializing in November 2018. We subsequently expanded the OviTex LPR product line in December 2019.

OviTex PRS is indicated for use in implantation to reinforce soft tissue where weakness exists in patients requiring soft tissue repair or reinforcement in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Our OviTex PRS portfolio is supported by non-human primate data that demonstrated more rapid tissue integration and tissue remodeling compared to the market leading biologic matrix used in this indication. The current annual market for biologic matrices used for plastic and reconstructive surgery in the U.S. is approximately $500 million. We commenced a limited launch in May 2019 and have gathered clinical feedback from our initial surgeon users. Based on this feedback, we expanded our commercial launch in June 2020 and expect to continue to expand our surgeon network. We will also evaluate new generation products. We also intend to engage in discussions with the FDA regarding an Investigational Device Exemption (“IDE”) protocol to study the safety and effectiveness of our OviTex PRS product for an indication in breast reconstruction surgery. The FDA has stated that a PMA, rather than 510(k) clearance will be required for such an indication.

We have a broad portfolio of intellectual property protecting our products, which we believe, when combined with our proprietary manufacturing processes and know-how, provides significant barriers to entry. Our intellectual property applies to our differentiated product construction and materials. In addition, we believe our exclusive manufacturing and long-term supply and license agreement (the “Aroa License”) with Aroa creates a competitive advantage by allowing us

Table of Contents

to secure an exclusive supply of ovine rumen at a low cost. Ovine rumen, the forestomach of a sheep, is the source of the biologic material used in our products. In manufacturing the product, we use biologic material from ovine rumen because of its plentiful supply, optimal biomechanical profile and open collagen architecture that allows for rapid cellular infiltration. We purchase product from Aroa at a fixed cost equal to 27% of our net sales of licensed products.

We market our products through a single direct sales force, predominantly in the U.S. We have invested in our direct sales and marketing infrastructure in order to expand our presence and to promote awareness and adoption of our products. As of December 31, 2020, we had 45 sales territories in the U.S. As part of our commercial strategy, we plan to continue to invest in our commercial organization by hiring additional account managers, clinical development specialists and administrative support staff in order to support and service new accounts for soft tissue reconstruction procedures. We believe we can enhance the productivity of our sales force by improving customer segmentation and targeting, leveraging digital channels to engage customers and utilizing engagement analytics to support development. We plan to continue to contract with GPOs and IDNs to increase access to and penetration of hospital accounts. We will adjust our commercial expansion plan, as appropriate, as we continue to better understand the effects of the pandemic resulting from COVID-19 on our sales and marketing efforts.

Our business has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We began to see an adverse impact on the number of surgical procedures using our OviTex products in the second half of March 2020. Since mid-April 2020, the number of procedures using our products and our corresponding sales have increased in a gradual, non-linear fashion. While our procedural volumes improved relative to the second quarter of 2020, we are continuing to be impacted by postponements in non-emergent procedures in areas of the country where COVID-19 infections are rising, however, at a less drastic pace than the second quarter of 2020. Our revenue for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $18.2 million and $15.4 million, respectively, which represents an increase of $2.8 million, or 18%. Our net loss for the same time periods was $28.8 million and $22.4 million, respectively, which represents an increase of $6.4 million, or 28%. As of December 31, 2020, we had an accumulated deficit of $196.7 million. The vast majority of our revenue to date has been generated from sales of our OviTex products in the U.S., with the remainder generated from sales of our OviTex products in Europe, and sales of our OviTex PRS products in the U.S.

In November 2019, we closed our initial public offering (“IPO”) in which we issued and sold 4,398,700 shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $13.00 per share, including 398,700 shares of our common stock sold pursuant to the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares. We received net proceeds of $50.6 million after deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and other offering expenses. In June 2020, we completed a follow-on public offering in which we issued and sold 3,000,000 shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $16.00 per share. We received net proceeds of $44.7 million after deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and other offering expenses. Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Market (“Nasdaq”) under the trading symbol “TELA.”

Market Opportunity

OviTex

Hernia repair is one of the most common surgeries performed in the U.S. There are an estimated 1.2 million hernia repairs annually in the U.S. including recurrences, which we categorize as approximately (i) 65,000 complex/moderate ventral hernia repairs and abdominal wall reconstructions, (ii) 362,000 simple ventral hernia repairs and (iii) 789,900 inguinal hernia repairs. We estimate that there are approximately 44,400 hiatal hernia repairs annually in the U.S. Approximately 90% of all hernia repairs are treated with a tissue reinforcement material.

The healthcare burden of hernia disease to patients, insurers and employers is significant. For the patient, a hernia may cause an increasing level of pain when lifting, straining during urination or a bowel movement, or sitting or standing for long periods of time. Increased pain from the hernia is the most common reason that a patient who is deferring surgical hernia repair will ultimately elect repair surgery. Following surgical hernia repair, convalescence has a significant socioeconomic impact. Absence from work during this period can range from approximately five to 14 days according to one study. Pain is the most common cause of delay in returning to work, followed by wound problems. Long-term pain

Table of Contents

or discomfort at the hernia repair site is one of the most serious complications of hernia surgery and may, in some cases, persist for years.

In addition, for third-party payors, the costs related to hernia are significant. The number of annual physician office visits in the U.S. related to hernia were approximately 2.5 million in 2016 according to the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. Hernia repair and abdominal wall reconstruction inpatient per procedure costs in the U.S. ranged from approximately $6,117 to $29,615 in 2018 according to the national average Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Groups (“MS-DRG”) rate which does not account for surgeon fees involved with such procedures. Hernias are prone to recurrence, which often require multiple repair procedures and additional healthcare expenditures. In the U.S., the economic burden of hernia repair accounts for approximately $48.0 billion of healthcare expenditures annually.

Given the limitations of and lack of innovation in existing hernia repair products, we believe a significant market opportunity exists for our portfolio of OviTex products. Based on the volume weighted average selling price of our OviTex products, we estimate the annual U.S. total addressable market opportunity for our OviTex products to be approximately $1.5 billion.

Approximate

Number of

Annual

U.S. Hernia Estimated

Procedures Annual

Using U.S. Total

Tissue Addressable Traditional

Reinforcement Market Products

Material Opportunity Utilized

Simple Ventral Hernia Repair 326,000 $ 500.0 million Permanent Synthetic Mesh

Inguinal Hernia Repair 711,000 $ 650.0 million Permanent Synthetic Mesh

OviTex PRS

Modern advances in tissue engineering have transformed the plastic and reconstructive surgeon’s management strategies across a wide variety of applications. Because biologic matrices incorporate into host tissues and enable revascularization and functional tissue remodeling, surgeons have realized multiple applications for their use, with techniques tailored to the specific requirements of the surgery. There is growing clinical literature validating the use of biologic matrices in head and neck surgery and reconstructions of the chest wall, pelvic region, extremities and breast.

In head and neck surgery, biologic matrices are used for both aesthetic and reconstructive purposes that include: surgery of the nose to change its shape or improve its function, referred to as rhinoplasty; lip augmentation; repair of perforations of the cartilage and thin bone separating the nostrils referred to as the nasal septum; complex reconstruction of the oral and oropharynx cavities after oncologic resection; cleft palate repair; upper and lower eyelid reconstruction; scalp defects and defects of the fibrous membrane covering the brain and spinal cord referred to as dura. In chest wall reconstruction, biologic matrices are used to repair defects from oncologic resections. In pelvic reconstruction, biologic matrices are utilized as an adjunct in the reconstruction of acquired pelvic defects caused by resections for colorectal, gynecologic and urologic malignancies. In extremities reconstruction, biologic matrices are used in the upper extremity for repair of the donor site following the harvest of a radial forearm free flap, a procedure used to harvest tissue and replace it in the head and neck after cancer has been resected. In breast reconstruction, biologic matrices are utilized for prosthetic based reconstruction following the removal of cancerous breast tissue.

Breast reconstructions can be performed either using a sub-pectoral or pre-pectoral technique. In a sub-pectoral technique, the upper portion of the breast implant is placed below the pectoralis muscle and a biologic matrix is placed around the lower portion of the breast implant. In a pre-pectoral technique, the entire breast implant is placed above the

Table of Contents

pectoralis muscle and the full top surface of the breast implant is covered. The pre-pectoral technique utilizes a larger biologic matrix compared to that needed with the sub-pectoral technique. For patients who undergo autologous reconstruction, the donor site of the autologous tissue, typically the abdomen, may require soft tissue reinforcement.

Based on the current sales of biologic matrices in the U.S., we estimate the annual U.S. current addressable market opportunity for our OviTex PRS products to be approximately $500 million. This market continues to grow as surgeon and patient preferences shift from sub-pectoral to pre-pectoral techniques.

Given the limitations of and lack of innovation in existing biologic matrices for plastic and reconstructive surgical procedures, we believe a significant market opportunity exists for our OviTex PRS portfolio products.

Current Materials Used in Hernia Repair and Abdominal Wall Reconstruction and Their Limitations

Hernia Repair and Abdominal Wall Reconstruction

The vast majority of hernias are treated with surgical repair. Surgical hernia repair is performed either through open repair, which uses a single incision to open the abdomen or groin across the hernia, or minimally invasive repair, which involves laparoscopic or robotic-assisted techniques. Laparoscopic surgery is a minimally invasive surgical technique performed in the abdomen or groin through small incisions. Surgical instruments and devices, such as mesh products, are then delivered to the surgical site through a trocar, which is an access port to the patient’s abdomen or groin. Robotic-assisted surgery is also performed using small incisions in the patient’s abdomen or groin and a trocar, but the surgeon sits at a console in the operating room and operates the robotic instruments remotely.

At the advent of hernia repair, all procedures were performed using an open surgical technique in which an incision is made through the body to access and repair the hernia. Due to the amount of healthy soft tissue disruption required for an open procedure, there is a high risk of wound-related complications and seroma formation. In the early 1990s, surgeons began using a laparoscopic approach for hernia repair because it provided the benefits of lower wound complication rates, lower patient morbidity and decreased length of stay for patients. Despite these benefits, laparoscopic surgery presents surgeons with challenges, primarily due to restricted instrument dexterity that makes it difficult to achieve primary closure of the hernia defect, in which the connective tissue layer is sutured close, and leads to a bridged repair. In a bridged repair, the tissue reinforcement material spans a portion of the hernia defect without any connective tissue layer above it to provide additional reinforcement. This leads to increased risk of bulging of the material or hernia recurrence. Robotic-assisted hernia repair addresses this issue while still providing the benefits of a laparoscopic repair. In robotic-assisted repair, the surgeon enjoys greater instrument dexterity and precision, and is able to achieve primary closure of the hernia defect. This has contributed to a significant increase in the number of robotic-assisted hernia repair over the last several years.

It is estimated that about 90% of hernia repairs today use a form of reconstruction material to provide long-term support at the repair site. Reconstruction materials include synthetic mesh, which can be either permanent or resorbable, and biologic matrices made from tissue material.

In October 2020, we surveyed a group of 71 surgeons to better understand their receptivity to nature repair solutions, their technique preferences across their hernia practice and their views on the risks associated with plastic mesh. Feedback was gathered across inguinal hernia, simple ventral, moderate-to-complex ventral and hiatal hernia repair. Included in the group were 43 general surgeons (61%), 19 plastic reconstructive surgeons (27%) and the remainder were colorectal and trauma surgeons. These surgeons indicated they believe there is a role for natural repair products across all hernia segments, and expect to increase their usage of those products in the next 24-months. Almost 60% of surgeons stated that they are aware of the risks associated with plastic mesh and reported approximately 20% of their hernia patients have voiced concern about the use of plastic mesh within the past 12-months.

Permanent Synthetic Mesh

Permanent synthetic mesh, the oldest category of hernia repair materials, is made of plastic materials that are also used in industrial and consumer products. These products have gained popularity with surgeons because they are relatively inert,

Table of Contents

can be readily sterilized, exhibit biomechanical strength and durability and are available at relatively low upfront cost. Limitations of permanent synthetic mesh products may include:

● chronic post-operative pain;

● scar tissue formation and lack of regeneration of soft tissue;

● permanent susceptibility to mesh infection;

Many of these complications caused by permanent synthetic mesh require additional surgical intervention, including, explantation of the mesh or repair of hernia recurrence or the abdominal wall. Based on longitudinal data from the Danish Hernia Database, in an analysis of approximately 2,900 patients who received a hernia repair using a permanent synthetic mesh, the observed rate of surgical intervention due to either recurrence or mesh-related complications at five years post operatively was approximately 17%. As a result of these complications and litigation involving these complications, the number of adverse events reported to the FDA for permanent synthetic mesh hernia repairs has risen from 1,484 in 2016, 3,220 in 2017, 9,887 in 2018 to 18,072 in 2019. Synthetic mesh products have been the subject of an increasing number of lawsuits with over 13,000 cases filed in the state of Rhode Island alone.

Biologic Matrices

The complications associated with permanent synthetic mesh prompted the development of biologic matrices as a second category of hernia repair materials. Biologic matrices are derived from human or animal dermis, pericardium or intestinal submucosa, which allows them to become replaced entirely by the patient’s own tissue over time, a process known as remodeling. The goal behind these biologic materials was to lower the foreign body inflammatory response and biomechanical requirements of the repair, while providing a matrix upon which tissue remodeling could occur. Compared to permanent synthetic mesh, biologic matrices are less likely to induce this inflammatory response and become infected; however, they may have the following limitations:

● lack strength or durability as compared to synthetic mesh products;

● prone to laxity and stretching;

Though hernia recurrence occurs with the use of all types of soft tissue reconstruction, biologic matrices have the highest rates of recurrence, in part as a result of being commonly used in complex hernia repairs or abdominal wall reconstructions. The RICH study, a multicenter, prospective study sponsored by LifeCell Corporation (“LifeCell”) that evaluated the performance of Strattice, the current market-leading biologic matrix, in open ventral incisional hernia

Table of Contents

repair in contaminated abdominal wall defects, demonstrated post-operative hernia recurrence rates of 19% and 28% at 12-months and 24-months follow-up, respectively.

Resorbable Synthetic Mesh

Resorbable synthetic mesh was introduced as a third category of hernia repair materials and as an alternative to permanent synthetic mesh and biologic matrices. Resorbable synthetic mesh was designed with the intended benefits of full degradation over several months, a moderately lower cost than biologic matrices and gradual transfer of strength from synthetic mesh to native tissue over time. Resorbable synthetic mesh is polymer-based and does not include biologic material to promote tissue remodeling and healing. Despite improvements compared to the use of permanent synthetic mesh or biologic matrices, limitations of resorbable synthetic mesh may include:

● scar tissue formation and lack of remodeling of soft tissue;

● mesh infection until resorbed;

Many of these complications can require additional surgical intervention including explantation of the resorbable synthetic mesh or repair of hernia recurrence or the abdominal wall. Data from a recently published, multicenter, prospective study sponsored by C.R. Bard, Inc. (now a subsidiary of Becton, Dickinson and Company) that evaluated the performance of Phasix, the current market-leading resorbable synthetic mesh, in CDC Class I, high risk ventral and incisional hernia repair, showed a post-operative hernia recurrence rate of 9% at 18-months follow-up and 18% at 36-month follow-up.

Current Materials Used in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Their Limitations

Biologic matrices are most commonly used in plastic and reconstructive surgery, including surgery of the nose to change its shape or improve its function, referred to as rhinoplasty, lip augmentation, repair of perforations of cartilage and thin bone separating the nostrils, complex reconstruction of the oral and oropharynx cavities after oncologic resection, cleft palate repair, upper and lower eyelid reconstruction, scalp defects, and defects of the fibrous membrane covering the brain and spinal cord, called the dura, because of their ability to define shape and position, improve tissue quality, reinforce existing soft tissue and reduce the rate of complications associated with a foreign body inflammatory response, however they are prone to excessive stretching over time and difficult for surgeons to handle. These limitations may lead to undesirable results requiring additional surgical intervention. Additionally, biologic matrices are typically expensive to source.

Our Solution

We have created a new category of tissue reinforcement materials that were purposefully designed in close collaboration with more than 100 surgeons to address the unmet clinical needs in soft tissue reconstruction. Our portfolio of products, designed with over 95% biologic material, combines the benefits of both biologic and polymer materials while addressing their limitations by interweaving polymer fibers through layers of a minimally-processed biologic material. These products are priced competitively, and designed for use with a range of surgical techniques, allowing the benefits of an advanced biologic repair to be available to more patients for use in accordance with the 510(k) clearances and the instructions for use.

Table of Contents

The biologic material serves as the natural building block from which we can fabricate devices that meet specific clinical and surgical handling requirements. This material consists of an intact, minimally-processed extracellular matrix derived from ovine rumen, which is the forestomach of a sheep. Polymer fibers are interwoven through the layers of biologic material in unique embroidered patterns and contribute to less than 5% of the overall device by mass. The interwoven polymer utilized can be either permanent, made from polypropylene, or resorbable, made from polyglycolic acid (“PGA”). The embroidering pattern varies between our OviTex and OviTex PRS portfolios to impart different biomechanical properties tailored for their respective intended clinical applications. Our OviTex products are designed with a lockstitch embroidery pattern that is sewn in a grid pattern to create a ripstop effect and minimize stretch. Our OviTex PRS products are designed with a patented corner-lock stitch pattern designed to resist deformation and to control the degree and direction of stretching of the product.

Our capabilities in polymer science, biologics, textile engineering and analytical testing enable us to quickly design, manufacture and develop innovative products. These competencies also allow our technical team to tailor the degree of stretch, direction of stretch, overall strength, handling properties, permeability, thickness, texture, size and shape of each reinforced tissue matrix to suit the needs of particular clinical applications and surgical techniques. This expertise has been utilized in the development of our OviTex and OviTex PRS products and is currently being leveraged in the development of our pipeline products.

Our reinforced tissue matrices are designed to improve the outcomes of soft tissue reconstructions by reinforcing tissue while allowing rapid tissue integration, revascularization and biomechanical control. In addition to overall strength, a key property that we engineer into our products is the degree to which they stretch, known as compliance. Each of our products is designed to exhibit a degree of compliance appropriate for its intended clinical application.

The graphics below illustrate the key features of our OviTex and OviTex PRS products:

OviTex

Table of Contents

OviTex PRS

We believe the principal benefits of our reinforced tissue matrices are:

Table of Contents

Our Strengths

We are focused on developing and commercializing a new category of tissue reinforcement materials for surgeons and patients that aim to address the shortcomings of existing products. We believe the following strengths will allow us to build our business and potentially increase our market penetration:

Table of Contents

Our Growth Strategy

Our goal is to become the leading provider of soft tissue reconstruction products. The key elements of our strategy include:

Table of Contents

Our Products

Our Technology Platform

Our advanced reinforced tissue matrix technology consists of multiple layers of minimally-processed, acellular extracellular matrix derived from ovine rumen with interwoven polymer fibers in a unique embroidered pattern. The extracellular matrix is the collagen component of the rumen that is retained following removal of the epithelium, muscle and cellular content, and has an optimal biomechanical profile and open collagen architecture that allows for rapid cellular infiltration. These thin, strong layers of ovine rumen are plentiful in supply and serve as building blocks from which we can construct multilayered devices to customize products to adapt to clinical needs and surgeon preferences. The layers of extracellular matrix provide a high degree of surface area for tissue remodeling. We strengthen these reinforced tissue matrix layers with interwoven polymers, that are either permanent, polypropylene, or resorbable, PGA. These polymers were selected because they are well characterized suture materials with a history of significant clinical use and recognized safety profile. Polypropylene has a high tensile strength and a low inflammatory response in small quantities. PGA is the fastest resorbing polymer and within three months it tends to be fully absorbed into the body.

Our highly specialized and customizable textile engineering capability allows us to tailor the degree and direction of stretch, overall strength, handling properties, permeability, thickness, texture, size and shape of each reinforced tissue

Table of Contents

matrix to suit the needs of particular clinical applications and surgical techniques. Our textile engineering utilizes a computer-controlled fabrication method that is scalable, reproducible, efficient and customizable. This embroidery process uses steel gauge needles to interweave the polymer while also creating hundreds of micro-channels to allow the multi-directional passage of the patients’ native cells and fluids throughout the product. The interwoven polymers are embroidered using a lockstitch pattern, which allows for the device to be trimmed without fraying, and we can use a patented corner-lock pattern, which creates a stable polymer fabric within the biologic material. We manipulate the polymer thread patterns to control the degree and stretch of our products. Denser grid patterns increase the amount of reinforcement and less dense patterns of different geometry allow for greater stretch. We are also able to manufacture products with smooth external layers that minimize the amount of exposed polymer to allow for direct contact with patients’ internal organs.

OviTex Reinforced Tissue Matrix

Our OviTex Reinforced Tissue Matrix has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA, which clearance was obtained and is currently held by Aroa, and is intended for use as a surgical mesh to reinforce and/or repair soft tissue where weakness exists. Indications for use include the repair of hernias and/or abdominal wall defects that require the use of reinforcing or bridging material to obtain the desired surgical outcome. Our OviTex products can be used in a variety of hernia repairs, including simple and complex ventral, inguinal and hiatal hernias, as well as abdominal wall reconstructions.

Our OviTex products are sterile reinforced tissue matrices derived from ovine rumen with either polypropylene or PGA. The product is provided in a dry and hydratable form and packaged in a double pouched configuration. The product can be stored at room temperature and only needs five minutes from rehydration to use. To be used in surgery our OviTex product is placed in a sterile dish, rehydrated with sterile saline for five minutes, trimmed to fit the site, if needed, and then positioned to achieve maximum contact between the device and the surrounding tissue. The device may be sutured, stapled or tacked into place to avoid excess tension.

All of our OviTex products were designed to minimize the amount of polymer material implanted in patients. The synthetic material in our OviTex products comprise less than 5% of our final product. Depending on the configuration selected, the amount of polymer is approximately 75% less than the polymer content of the most widely implanted permanent synthetic mesh, thereby reducing the patient’s foreign body inflammatory response to the polymer.

We market a variety of OviTex products in a range of sizes, thicknesses and degrees of reinforcement in order to suit surgeon preference and desired surgical technique. Our OviTex portfolio is designed to allow surgeons to select a device appropriate for any abdominal tissue plane. Generally, surgeons may place the reinforced tissue matrix in direct contact with internal organs, known as intraperitoneal placement, or away from these internal organs in a variety of tissue planes, known as pre-peritoneal placement. When selecting a product for intraperitoneal placement, surgeons require a surface that minimizes the risk of tissue attachment, whereas when selecting a product for pre-peritoneal placement, surgeons are able to use a product with polymer exposure on both sides. Surgeons may select the most appropriate product from our OviTex portfolio based on the size of the defect, necessity or surgeon preference for internal organ contact, use of a minimally invasive or open surgical technique and risk of infection.

OviTex Laparoscopic and Robotic Procedures

Our OviTex for Laparoscopic and Robotic Procedures (“OviTex LPR”) is a sterile reinforced tissue matrix derived from ovine rumen with polypropylene fiber intended to be used in laparoscopic and robotic-assisted hernia surgical repairs. OviTex LPR was designed for use with a trocar and requires the same rehydration and fixation as our other OviTex products. This product includes design elements to improve surgical handling, including two extra embroidered lines of blue colored polypropylene fibers to enhance endoscopic orientation and alignment. This product can be introduced into the patient’s body through various sized trocar ports. Based on surgeon feedback, OviTex LPR was designed in an elliptical or circular shape to minimize trimming.

Table of Contents

OviTex Portfolio

OviTex OviTex 1S OviTex 2S OviTex LPR

Strength + ++ +++ +

Layers of Ovine Rumen Four Six Eight Four

Commercial Availability ·U.S.·Europe ·U.S.·Europe ·U.S.·Europe ·U.S.

+ Denotes relative level of strength

OviTex Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery — OviTex PRS

OviTex PRS, has received 510(k) clearance from the FDA, which clearance was obtained by Aroa and is held by us, and is indicated for use in implantation to reinforce soft tissue where weakness exists in patients requiring soft tissue repair or reinforcement in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Our OviTex PRS product can be stored at room temperature and comes in the same packaging and requires the same rehydration and fixation as our OviTex products.

Our OviTex PRS product is a sterile reconstructive reinforced tissue matrix composed of three layers of ovine rumen joined by a patented corner-lock embroidered diamond patterned polymer (PGA or polypropylene) that allows the product to stretch while also maintaining its shape. Machine punched regularly spaced fenestrations, or holes, and die-cut slits in the product facilitate fluid management, allow for rapid cellular infiltration and create a directional bias to the stretch. Our OviTex PRS product is available in arced rectangle and half-moon shapes in a range of sizes (4 × 16 cm through 20 × 20 cm) to suit surgeon preference and nature of the soft tissue repair in plastic and reconstructive surgery. The device may be trimmed to a desired shape to further accommodate individual anatomy. The current shelf life of permanent OviTex PRS is 24 months and the current shelf life of resorbable OviTex PRS is 8 to 12 months.

Table of Contents

OviTex PRS

Product Pipeline and Research and Development

We continue to advance our product pipeline to broaden our treatment capabilities for soft tissue reinforcement. As we innovate and develop our products, the new features and improved surgical techniques expand the clinical applications for soft tissue reinforcement. Areas of focus include enhanced surgical handling, increased permeability, and longer-acting resorbable polymers. Improving the surgical handling and implementation of our devices benefits both the clinician and patient. Increasing product permeability encourages a more-natural healing response. Longer-acting polymers can provide additional support for patients that need more time to heal. We believe these technology enhancements will continue to bolster our portfolio and expand the successful use of our products.

Clinical Results and Studies

Overview of Preclinical and Clinical Programs

One of our key strategies is to continuously obtain evidence to support the safety and effectiveness of our products, which we believe will differentiate us from our competitors. As part of our strategy to gather and analyze high-quality data, we seek to ensure rigorous and reliable data collection and reporting. The data from our preclinical and clinical studies strengthens our ability to raise surgeon awareness and drive adoption of our products as a new category of soft tissue reconstruction products. We expect our clinical evidence will provide surgeons with safety and efficacy data on the appropriate use of our products and we plan to obtain further clinical evidence to support additional regulatory clearances or approvals of our reinforced tissue matrices for additional indications for use in the future.

We believe we have completed the largest non-human primate preclinical studies conducted in soft tissue reconstruction surgery and we expect to conduct additional non-human primate preclinical studies as part of our product development process. Non-human primates are considered the most suitable animal model to predict the human immune and inflammatory responses to soft tissue reconstruction devices. Although not required for FDA clearance of our reinforced tissue matrices, we completed these preclinical studies prior to implantation of our products in human patients. In these studies, we compared our OviTex and OviTex PRS products to market leading competitive materials. In these studies, our reinforced tissue matrices exhibited a minimal inflammatory response, rapid cellular infiltration and revascularization and demonstrated early and complete remodeling into functional tissue.

We are currently sponsoring our BRAVO study. The study was fully enrolled at 92 patients. The interim analysis includes patient cohorts at the 90-day, 12-month and 24-month follow-up periods. At 90 days post-operative, there were no recurrences or reoperations among 84 of the patients analyzed. There was one implant removal due to a bowel perforation. The final 12-month analysis includes 76 patients, of whom two patients experienced a recurrence, both adjacent to the original repair, with the OviTex repairs remaining intact. Twenty patients experienced a surgical site

Table of Contents

occurrence of whom ten required a procedural intervention such as wound debridement or percutaneous drainage. None required a surgical intervention. Of the 51 patients that have reached 24-month follow-up, one patient experienced a surgical site occurrence and none experienced a recurrence or long-term complication. Additional results from the 30-day and 24-month patient cohorts showing low rates of surgical site occurrences requiring treatment were presented in September 2020 at the Americas Hernia Society Annual Meeting. This clinical study included patients with a range of comorbidities, prior hernia repairs and history of surgical infections, predisposing them to complications. Excluded were morbidly obese patients (BMI > 40 kg/m2) and those with a CDC wound class 4 (dirty/infected). The patients were treated using either an open or minimally invasive surgical approach. These findings are generally corroborated by similar clinical data from multiple published retrospective studies in a variety of hernia repairs utilizing our OviTex products.

Our OviTex PRS products, designed for plastic and reconstructive surgery, utilize the same ovine rumen biologic material and interwoven polymer fibers as our OviTex products, but differ in their overall design. Our OviTex PRS reinforced tissue matrices have also been evaluated in a non-human primate model and demonstrated less inflammation and earlier remodeling into functional tissue than the leading biologic matrix used in plastic and reconstructive surgical procedures. Surgeons are beginning to utilize our OviTex PRS reinforced tissue matrices in their surgeries and we plan to collect, analyze and support the presentation of clinical data to characterize the performance of our reconstructive reinforced tissue matrices. We also intend to support independent investigator initiated retrospective clinical studies on the effectiveness and safety of our OviTex PRS products.

Preclinical In Vivo Evaluation of our OviTex Product in Non-Human Primates

We evaluated the biologic performance of two configurations of our OviTex reinforced tissue matrices in comparison to five currently available reconstruction materials and two other reconstruction materials that are no longer commercially available, including permanent synthetic mesh, resorbable synthetic mesh and biologic matrices in non-human primate studies, with 73 non-human primates. We selected the African Green monkeys for use in this study because this primate is closely related to and shares greater than 98% of their genetic code with humans. This non-human primate model has been used extensively to evaluate clinical and immune responses to pathogens, vaccines, and pharmaceuticals, and to predict xenograft biocompatibility for abdominal wall repair.

In accordance with the study protocol, the animals were anesthetized and a 7 × 3 cm full thickness “window” defect was created in the midline of the abdominal wall. The defect was then repaired with a reconstruction material of equal size, which was sutured in place to repair the defect and the skin was then sutured closed. Next the animals were euthanized at four, 12 or 24 weeks and the skin of the abdomen was dissected back to expose the site of the device. The graft site was evaluated for signs of herniation, inflammation, adhesions, contractions or other abnormalities. Then the length and width of the grafts were measured and the entire grafts and surrounding tissues were removed and photographed. Samples of the grafts were then prepared for analysis by an independent histopathologist. The most relevant data from this study came from the 24 week analysis.

Test Articles, Material Classification, Source Materials and Explant Time Points

Table of Contents

OviTex

At 24 weeks, our OviTex reinforced tissue matrices best preserved their original geometry and exhibited limited contraction, had minimal inflammation, had rapid cellular infiltration and vascularization, and the grafts fully remodeled into host tissue (fastest rate of remodeling) with a higher degree of organized collagen than synthetics and biologics (on average).

Biologic Matrices

At 24 weeks, the biologics significantly contracted in length and expanded in width, had minimal inflammation, slow cellular infiltration and vascularization, and the grafts fully remodeled into host tissue (slower rate of remodeling than our OviTex product) and exhibited varying degrees of organized remodeled collagen.

Resorbable Synthetics

At 24 weeks, the resorbable synthetic material exhibited significant contraction, had mild to moderate inflammation (which persisted at elevated levels throughout the study), showed a substantial layer of early amorphous inflamed tissue adjacent to the device, and given that they contain no biologic material that can be remodeled, the scar-like collagen formed adjacent to the persistent synthetic mesh material, separated by a layer of loose connective and adipose tissue, which was also present between the mesh fibers.

Permanent Synthetics

At 24 weeks, the permanent synthetics exhibited a high degree of contraction in length and width, had mild to moderate inflammation (which persisted at elevated levels throughout the study), showed substantial layers of early amorphous tissue formed next to the device, and given that they have no biologic that can be remodeled, they exhibited disorganized and scar-like collagen surrounding the persistent synthetic mesh material.

Other Clinical Studies Using Our OviTex Products

A growing body of clinical evidence supports the safety, durability and effectiveness of our OviTex products for use in a range of hernia repair procedures including hiatal, inguinal and ventral hernia repairs and abdominal wall reconstruction.

Preclinical Animal Testing of OviTex PRS

Our resorbable and permanent OviTex PRS products were evaluated in a non-human primate study, in which our OviTex PRS product was compared to AlloDerm at two, four, 12 and 24 weeks for differences in healing kinetics, as evidenced through inflammatory response, cellular infiltration, and the morphological quality of the newly remodeled tissue associated with each device. The inflammatory response for both the OviTex PRS groups and AlloDerm was minimal throughout, though the histiocytic response was higher in AlloDerm at the 4- and 12-week time points, decreasing by 24 weeks, but still slightly higher than in our resorbable OviTex PRS product. At four weeks, the highly permeable nature of our OviTex PRS product design enhanced fluid exchange evidenced by more effective and rapid infiltration of host cells in the collagen network. In comparison, the collagen network of AlloDerm developed a superficial layer of fibroblasts, covering the device, which macroscopically appeared white and largely inert. The earlier infiltration and faster recruitment of fibroblasts and host cells in our OviTex PRS product helped “jump start” the

Table of Contents

remodeling process into host tissue. At 12 weeks, our OviTex PRS product was fully remodeled and the maturation of the product was slightly ahead of that of AlloDerm at all time points. At 24 weeks, significant contraction was seen in all AlloDerm devices, as well as calcifications. The collagen in the AlloDerm specimens showed signs of maturation, much like our OviTex PRS products, which remodeled into mature collagen, consistent of compact lamellar bundles of low cellularity, occupying the entire defect site with functional tissue. After 24 weeks our OviTex PRS product was associated with a favorable tissue response, demonstrating rapid infiltration, earlier and more rapid tissue integration and slightly more advanced tissue remodeling in comparison to AlloDerm.

Intellectual Property

Our success depends in part on our ability to obtain, maintain, protect and enforce our proprietary technology and intellectual property rights, in particular, our patent and trademark rights, preserving the confidentiality of our trade secrets, and operating without infringing the valid and enforceable patents and other proprietary rights of third parties. We rely on a combination of patent, trademark, trade secret and other intellectual property rights and measures to protect the intellectual property rights that we consider important to our business. We also rely on know-how and continuing technological innovation to develop and maintain our competitive position.

Aroa License

In August 2012, we entered into the Aroa License, which was amended and restated in July 2015, pursuant to which we obtained an exclusive license to certain patents and know-how to develop, commercialize and sell bovine and ovine extracellular matrix products for hernia repair, abdominal wall and breast reconstruction in North America and Europe, which we refer to as the Licensed Territory. In addition, under the Aroa License, Aroa is our exclusive manufacturer and supplier for the development of our products.

Pursuant to the terms of the Aroa License, we made upfront payments to Aroa totaling $2.3 million and granted Aroa 74,316 newly issued shares of our restricted common stock. We have made additional payments in the aggregate of $2.0 million to Aroa following the achievement of certain regulatory and operational milestones, including FDA 510(k) clearance of our OviTex products, which clearance was obtained and is currently held by Aroa, for use in surgical soft tissue reinforcement and the receipt of the first CE mark for sale of our products in the European Economic Area for use in abdominal wall reconstruction and hernia repair and our acceptance of certain supply quantities manufactured by Aroa for our commercial launch in Europe. In addition, we paid Aroa $3.0 million in revenue-based milestone payments upon our achievement of certain net sales thresholds for sales of our products within the Licensed Territory. An additional $1.0 million payment will be made to Aroa when cumulative product net sales of our products in the European territory reach certain amounts.

We are responsible for marketing the products manufactured for us by Aroa. We pay Aroa for the supply and manufacturing of our products through a revenue sharing agreement. Pursuant to the Aroa License, we retain 73% of the net sales of all of our products and pay Aroa the remaining 27%. If at any point during the term of the Aroa License we and Aroa determine that our anticipated product needs exceed Aroa’s manufacturing capabilities, we and Aroa will mutually approve an expansion and equally share the cost of such expansion. Our share of such expansion costs may be offset by us against future revenue share payments.

The initial term of the Aroa License terminates on the later of (i) August 3, 2022, or (ii) the expiration of the last patent covering bovine and ovine products currently April 19, 2031, with an option to extend for an additional ten year period. Either party may terminate the Aroa License upon the other party’s material breach, subject to a ninety-day notice and cure period or upon thirty-days written notice in the event of bankruptcy. We may terminate manufacture and production of a specific product upon thirty-days prior written notice upon (i) a reasonable determination that such product infringes the intellectual property rights of a third party, (ii) an uncured supply failure by Aroa or (iii) such product proves unfeasible, and immediately upon written notice from a regulatory authority that such product must be withdrawn from the market. If we materially breach the Aroa License in one of the Licensed Territories, Aroa may terminate the Aroa License solely with respect to the Licensed Territory in which the breach occurred. Upon termination of the Aroa License, we have the right to purchase all or any part of the unsold portion of any completed products from Aroa and the right to continue to sell all products remaining in our inventory.

Table of Contents

The Aroa License also contains customary representations and warranties, confidentiality, insurance, audit, indemnification and non-competition provisions.

Patents

As of December 31, 2020, we exclusively license two issued U.S. patents that will expire in 2029 and 2031. We own ten U.S. issued or allowed patents which will expire between 2035 and 2038 and eight pending U.S. patent applications, which subject to issuance, are projected to expire between 2035 and 2040, without taking into account potential patent term extensions or adjustments. In addition to our U.S. intellectual property, we also own four non-U.S. patent applications, which, subject to issuance, would be projected to expire between 2036 and 2037 and have exclusively licensed issued patents in Europe and Canada that will expire in 2029.

Our patents and patent applications cover, among other things, our corner-lock embroidery pattern, the use of adhesion barriers sewn into soft tissue and compliance associated with stretching.

Although the term of individual patents varies depending upon the country in which they were granted, in most countries, including the U.S., the patent term is 20 years from the earliest claimed filing date of a non-provisional patent application in the applicable country. In the U.S., a patent’s term may, in certain cases, be lengthened by patent term adjustment, which compensates a patentee for administrative delays by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in examining and granting a patent, or may be shortened if a patent is terminally disclaimed over a commonly owned patent or a patent naming a common inventor and having an earlier expiration date.

We cannot be sure that our pending patent applications that we have filed or may file in the future will result in issued patents, and we can give no assurance that any patents that have issued or might issue in the future will protect our current or future products, will provide us with any competitive advantage, and will not be challenged, invalidated, or circumvented.

Trade Secrets

We seek to protect our proprietary rights through a variety of methods, including confidentiality agreements and proprietary information agreements with suppliers, employees, consultants and others who may have access to our proprietary information. However, trade secrets and proprietary information can be difficult to protect. While we have confidence in the measures we take to protect and preserve our trade secrets and proprietary information, such measures can be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies for any such breach. In addition, our trade secrets and proprietary information may otherwise become known or be independently discovered by competitors.

Trademarks

We also rely on trademarks and trade designs to develop and maintain our competitive position. TELA Bio®, OviTex® and OviTex PRS® are registered trademarks of ours in the U.S.

For more information regarding the risks related to our intellectual property, please see the section titled “Risk Factors — Risks Related to Intellectual Property Matters.”

Research and Development

We invest in research and development to advance our reinforced tissue matrix products with the goal of improving upon and supplementing our existing product offerings. We believe our ability to rapidly develop, manufacture and obtain regulatory approval or clearance of our products is attributable to the dynamic product innovation process that we have implemented, the versatility and leveragability of our core technology and the management philosophy behind that process. We have recruited and retained engineers and scientists with significant experience in the development of polymer science, biologics, textile engineering and analytical testing. We have a number of design improvements for our reinforced tissue matrices in various stages of development that are expected to enhance our current products and increase surgeon adoption of our products. In addition, we intend to engage in discussions with the FDA regarding an

Table of Contents

IDE protocol to study the safety and effectiveness of our OviTex PRS portfolio for an indication in breast reconstruction surgery. The FDA has stated that a PMA, rather than 510(k) clearance, will be required for such an indication. Our research and development efforts are based at our facility in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

Commercial Strategy

Our commercial efforts are predominantly focused on the U.S. market where we have established strong relationships with key constituencies, including hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, GPOs, IDN, third-party payors and other key clinical and economic decision makers by offering a unique high quality, cost-effective product. As part of our overall commercial strategy, we intend to contract with GPOs and IDNs to increase access and penetration with hospital accounts. We have invested in our direct sales and marketing infrastructure in order to expand our presence to promote awareness and adoption of our products. There are currently more than 325 active hospital accounts in the U.S. that have incorporated our products into their practices.

We market our products to hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, surgeons, GPOs, IDNs and medical device supply chain participants primarily through our direct sales force. Our sales representatives and sales managers have substantial medical device experience. As of December 31, 2020, we had 64 employees in our U.S. based commercial organization in 45 sales territories, which includes account managers and administrative support staff. We plan to continue to invest in our commercial organization by adding account managers, clinical development specialists and administrative support staff in order to cover the highest potential of accounts for soft tissue reconstruction procedures.

Manufacturing

All our raw materials are sourced through and manufactured by Aroa in their Auckland, New Zealand facility under the terms of the Aroa License. Aroa’s facility is approximately 25,000 square feet of which approximately 10,000 square feet is dedicated to manufacturing. This facility recently completed a short-term expansion to increase capacity with additional process equipment and work shifts, and a further intermediate-term expansion is planned in 2021, with approximately 15,000 square feet of additional manufacturing space available. Expansions are mutually agreed between us and Aroa, and under the terms of the Aroa License we share 50% of the expansion cost, which we may later offset against our revenue share payment to Aroa. The Auckland facility is FDA registered and ISO 13485 certified. We believe that Aroa will be capable of providing sufficient quantities of our products to meet anticipated customer demands. In the event of an uncured supply failure by Aroa, we have the right to, directly or through a third-party, step in and operate the Aroa Auckland facility to manufacture our products on behalf of Aroa.

The proprietary ovine rumen used in the manufacturing of our products is obtained from sheep raised for human consumption in New Zealand and is currently sourced by Aroa from two abattoirs, or slaughterhouses. Although only two abattoirs are currently used, there are more than 30 additional abattoirs in New Zealand that could be used to source the ovine rumen. New Zealand cattle and sheep are considered by the USDA to be free of prion disease (progressive neurodegenerative disorders, including scrapie). The sheep receive veterinary inspection prior to slaughter and then each carcass is inspected post-mortem for the presence of disease according to USDA approved standards. Only sheep which pass full inspection can be used as a raw tissue source for our products and all the ovine rumen is processed in compliance with the FDA’s regulations for Medical Devices Containing Materials Derived from Animal Sources. Once the ovine rumen is procured, our reinforced tissue matrix products are then manufactured by Aroa at its facility in Auckland, New Zealand.

Distribution

All of our products are shipped directly from Auckland, New Zealand to our headquarters in Malvern, Pennsylvania. We sell our products directly to our customers, which are hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. Except for our stocking distributors in Europe, we do not use distributors to sell our products.

Table of Contents

Competition

The medical device industry is intensely competitive, subject to change and significantly affected by new product introductions and other market activities of industry participants.

In the hernia repair market our primary competitors are Bard, a subsidiary of Becton, Dickinson and Company, which produces Phasix and Ventralight ST, and LifeCell, a subsidiary of AbbVie, which produces Strattice. In the plastic and reconstructive surgery market, our primary competitor is LifeCell, a subsidiary of AbbVie, which produces AlloDerm.

Many of these competitors are large, well-capitalized companies with significantly greater market share and resources than we have. As a consequence, they are able to spend more on product development, marketing, sales and other product initiatives than we can. We also compete with smaller medical device companies that have single products or a limited range of products. Some of our competitors have:

● significantly greater name recognition;

● more established distribution networks;

We believe that our continued ability to compete favorably depends on:

● successfully expanding our commercial operations;

● continuing to innovate and maintain scientifically-advanced technology;

● attracting and retaining skilled personnel;

Government Regulation

Our products and operations are subject to extensive and rigorous regulation by the FDA and other federal, state and local authorities, as well as foreign regulatory authorities. The FDA regulates, among other things, the research, development, testing, design, manufacturing, approval, labeling, storage, recordkeeping, advertising, promotion and marketing, distribution, post approval monitoring and reporting and import and export of medical devices in the U.S. to assure the safety and effectiveness of medical products for their intended use. The Federal Trade Commission also regulates the advertising of our products in the U.S. Further, we are subject to laws directed at preventing fraud and abuse, which subject our sales and marketing, training and other practices to government scrutiny.

Regulatory System for Medical Devices in the U.S.

All of our medical devices sold in the U.S. are subject to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”) as implemented and enforced by the FDA.

Table of Contents

Unless an exemption applies, each new or significantly modified medical device we seek to commercially distribute in the U.S. will require either a premarket notification to the FDA requesting permission for commercial distribution under Section 510(k) of the FDCA also referred to as a 510(k) clearance, or approval from the FDA of a PMA application. Both the 510(k) clearance and PMA processes can be resource intensive, expensive, and lengthy, and require payment of significant user fees, unless an exemption is available.

Device Classification

Under the FDCA, medical devices are classified into one of three classes — Class I, Class II or Class III — depending on the degree of risk associated with each medical device and the extent of control needed to provide reasonable assurances with respect to safety and effectiveness.

Class I includes devices with the lowest risk to the patient and are those for which safety and effectiveness can be reasonably assured by adherence to a set of FDA regulations, referred to as the General Controls for Medical Devices, which require compliance with the applicable portions of the Quality Systems Regulations, or QSR, facility registration and product listing, reporting of adverse events and malfunctions, and appropriate, truthful and non-misleading labeling and promotional materials. Some Class I devices, also called Class I reserved devices, also require premarket clearance by the FDA through the 510(k) premarket notification process described below. Most Class I products are exempt from the premarket notification requirements.

Class II devices are those that are subject to the General Controls, and special controls as deemed necessary by the FDA to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the device. These special controls can include performance standards, patient registries, FDA guidance documents and post-market surveillance. Most Class II devices are subject to premarket review and clearance by the FDA. Premarket review and clearance by the FDA for Class II devices is accomplished through the 510(k) premarket notification process.

Class III devices include devices deemed by the FDA to pose the greatest risk such as life-supporting or life-sustaining devices, or implantable devices, in addition to those deemed novel and not substantially equivalent to a medical device cleared through the 510(k) process. The safety and effectiveness of Class III devices cannot be reasonably assured solely by the General Controls and special controls described above. Therefore, these devices are subject to the PMA application process, which is generally more costly and time consuming than the 510(k) process. Through the PMA application process, the applicant must submit data and information demonstrating reasonable assurance of the safety and effectiveness of the device for its intended use to the FDA’s satisfaction. Accordingly, a PMA application typically includes, but is not limited to, extensive technical information regarding device design and development, preclinical and clinical trial data, manufacturing information, labeling and financial disclosure information for the clinical investigators in device studies. The PMA application must provide valid scientific evidence that demonstrates to the FDA’s satisfaction a reasonable assurance of the safety and effectiveness of the device for its intended use.

510(k) Clearance Pathway

Our current products are subject to premarket notification and clearance under section 510(k) of the FDCA.

When a 510(k) clearance is required, we must submit a pre-market notification to the FDA demonstrating that our proposed device is substantially equivalent to a predicate device, which is a previously cleared and legally marketed 510(k) device or a device that was in commercial distribution before May 28, 1976 (pre-amendments device) and for which a PMA is not required, a device that has been reclassified from Class III to Class II or I, or a device that was found substantially equivalent through the 510(k) process. By regulation, a pre-market notification must be submitted to the FDA at least 90 days before we intend to distribute a device. As a practical matter, clearance often takes nine to twelve months, but may take significantly longer. To demonstrate substantial equivalence, the manufacturer must show that the proposed device has the same intended use as the predicate device, and it either has the same technological characteristics, or different technological characteristics and the information in the pre-market notification demonstrates that the device is equally safe and effective and does not raise different questions of safety and effectiveness. The FDA may require further information, including clinical data, to make a determination regarding substantial equivalence.

Table of Contents

If the FDA agrees that the device is substantially equivalent to a predicate device currently on the market, it will grant 510(k) clearance to commercially market the device. If the FDA determines that the device is “not substantially equivalent” to a previously cleared device, the device is automatically designated as a Class III device. The device sponsor must then fulfill more rigorous PMA requirements, or can request a risk-based classification determination for the device in accordance with the de novo classification procedure, which is a route to market for novel medical devices that are low to moderate risk and are not substantially equivalent to a predicate device.

After a device receives 510(k) marketing clearance, any modification that could significantly affect its safety or effectiveness, or that would constitute a major change or modification in its intended use, will require a new 510(k) marketing clearance or, depending on the modification, a de novo classification or PMA approval. The FDA requires each manufacturer to determine whether the proposed change requires submission of a 510(k) or a PMA in the first instance, but the FDA can review any such decision and disagree with a manufacturer’s determination.

Many minor modifications today are accomplished by a manufacturer documenting the change in an internal letter-to-file. The letter-to-file is in lieu of submitting a new 510(k) to obtain clearance for every change. The FDA can always review these letters-to-file in an inspection. If the FDA disagrees with a manufacturer’s determination, the FDA can require the manufacturer to cease marketing and/or request the recall of the modified device until 510(k) marketing clearance or PMA approval is obtained. Also, in these circumstances, we may be subject to significant regulatory fines or penalties.

The FDA has undertaken efforts to modernize the 510(k) clearance process. In January 2019, the agency finalized guidance outlining the framework for the Safety and Performance Based Pathway. This option for 510(k) clearance will allow manufacturers to use objective performance criteria established or recognized by the FDA to facilitate demonstration of substantial equivalence of their new products to legally marketed devices. This new pathway will ensure that the performance characteristics of new devices are evaluated against a set of objective, transparent and well-validated safety and performance metrics. Devices using this pathway will still have to meet current standards for reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness before they can be marketed.

De Novo Classification

Medical device types that the FDA has not previously classified as Class I, II or III are automatically classified into Class III regardless of the level of risk they pose. The Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997, or FDAMA, established a new route to market for low to moderate risk medical devices that are automatically placed into Class III due to the absence of a predicate device, called the “Request for Evaluation of Automatic Class III Designation,” or the de novo classification procedure.

This procedure allows a manufacturer whose novel device is automatically classified into Class III to request down-classification of its medical device into Class I or Class II on the basis that the device presents low or moderate risk, rather than requiring the submission and approval of a PMA application. Prior to the enactment of the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act of 2012, or FDASIA, a medical device could only be eligible for de novo classification if the manufacturer first submitted a 510(k) pre-market notification and received a determination from the FDA that the device was not substantially equivalent to a predicate device. FDASIA streamlined the de novo classification pathway by permitting manufacturers to request de novo classification directly without first submitting a 510(k) pre-market notification to the FDA and receiving a not substantially equivalent determination. Under FDASIA, the FDA is required to classify the device within 120 days following receipt of the de novo application. If the manufacturer seeks reclassification into Class II, the manufacturer must include a draft proposal for special controls that are necessary to provide a reasonable assurance of the safety and effectiveness of the medical device. In addition, the FDA may reject the reclassification petition if it identifies a legally marketed predicate device that would support a 510(k) or determines that the device is not low to moderate risk or that general controls would be inadequate to control the risks and special controls cannot be developed.

Table of Contents

The PMA Approval Process

Class III devices require PMA approval before they can be marketed although some pre-amendment Class III devices for which the FDA has not yet required a PMA are cleared through the 510(k) process. The PMA process is more demanding than the 510(k) premarket notification process. In a PMA, the manufacturer must demonstrate that the device is safe and effective, and the PMA must be supported by extensive data, including data from preclinical studies and human clinical trials. The PMA must also contain a full description of the device and its components, a full description of the methods, facilities and controls used for manufacturing, and proposed labeling. While our current products are subject to the 510(k) clearance pathway, any future products or modifications to our existing products that we plan to develop for a breast reconstruction indication would be subject to the PMA approval process.

Following receipt of a PMA application, the FDA determines whether the application is sufficiently complete to permit a substantive review. If it is not, the agency will refuse to file the PMA. If it is, the FDA will accept the application for filing and begin the review. The FDA has 180 days to review a filed PMA application, although the review of an application can occur over a significantly longer period of time, and can take up to several years. During this review period, the FDA may request additional information or clarification of information already provided, or the FDA may issue a major deficiency letter to the applicant, requesting the applicant’s response to deficiencies communicated by the FDA. The FDA considers a PMA or PMA supplement to have been voluntarily withdrawn if an applicant fails to respond to an FDA request for information (e.g., a major deficiency letter) within 360 days. Before approving or denying a PMA, an FDA advisory committee may review the PMA at a public meeting and provide the FDA with the committee’s recommendation on whether the FDA should approve the submission, approve it with specific conditions, or not approve it. The FDA is not bound by the recommendations of an advisory committee, but it considers such recommendations carefully when making decisions.

Prior to approval of a PMA, the FDA may conduct inspections of the clinical trial data and clinical trial sites, as well as inspections of the manufacturing facility and processes. Overall, the FDA review of a PMA application generally takes between one and three years, but may take significantly longer.

The FDA will approve the new device for commercial distribution if it determines that the data and information in the PMA constitute valid scientific evidence and that there is reasonable assurance that the device is safe and effective for its intended use(s).

If the FDA evaluation of a PMA is favorable, the FDA will issue either an approval letter, or an approvable letter, the latter of which usually contains a number of conditions that must be met in order to secure final approval of the PMA. When and if those conditions have been fulfilled to the satisfaction of the FDA, the agency will issue a PMA approval letter authorizing commercial marketing of the device, subject to the conditions of approval and the limitations established in the approval letter. If the FDA’s evaluation of a PMA application or manufacturing facilities is not favorable, the FDA will deny approval of the PMA or issue a not approvable letter. The FDA also may determine that additional tests or clinical trials are necessary, in which case the PMA approval may be delayed for several months or years while the trials are conducted and data is submitted in an amendment to the PMA, or the PMA is withdrawn and resubmitted when the data are available. The FDA may condition PMA approval on some form of post-market surveillance when deemed necessary to protect the public health or to provide additional safety and efficacy data for the device in a larger population or for a longer period of use. In such cases, the manufacturer might be required to follow certain patient groups for a number of years and to make periodic reports to the FDA on the clinical status of those patients. Failure to comply with the conditions of approval can result in material adverse enforcement action, including withdrawal of the approval.

New PMA applications or PMA supplements are required for changes to an approved device, such as modifications to the manufacturing process, equipment or facility, quality control procedures, sterilization, packaging, expiration date, labeling, device specifications, ingredients, materials or design. 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 extensive technical or clinical data or the convening of an advisory committee, depending on the nature of the proposed change.

Table of Contents

In approving a PMA application, as a condition of approval, the FDA may also require some form of post-approval study or post-market surveillance, whereby the applicant conducts a follow-up study or follows certain patient groups for a number of years and makes periodic reports to the FDA on the clinical status of those patients when necessary to protect the public health or to provide additional or longer term safety and effectiveness data for the device. The FDA may also require post-market surveillance for certain devices cleared under a 510(k) notification, such as implants or life-supporting or life-sustaining devices. The FDA may also approve a PMA application with other post-approval conditions intended to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the device, such as, among other things, restrictions on labeling, promotion, sale, distribution and use.

The Investigational Device Process

Clinical trials are almost always required to support a PMA and are sometimes required to support a 510(k) submission. All clinical investigations of investigational devices to determine safety and effectiveness must be conducted in accordance with the FDA’s IDE regulations which govern investigational device labeling, prohibit promotion of the investigational device, and specify an array of recordkeeping, reporting and monitoring responsibilities of study sponsors and study investigators. Some types of studies deemed to present a “non-significant risk” are deemed to have an approved IDE once certain requirements are addressed and Institutional Review Board, or IRB approval is obtained. If the device presents a “significant risk” to human health, as defined by the FDA, the sponsor must submit an IDE application to the FDA and obtain IDE approval prior to commencing the human clinical trials. The IDE will automatically become effective 30 days after receipt by the FDA unless the FDA notifies the company that the investigation may not begin. If the FDA determines that there are deficiencies or other concerns with an IDE for which it requires modification, the FDA may permit a clinical trial to proceed under a conditional approval. The IDE application must be supported by appropriate data, such as animal and laboratory testing results, showing that it is safe to test the device in humans and that the testing protocol is scientifically sound. Generally, clinical trials for a significant risk device may begin once the IDE application is approved by the FDA and the study protocol and informed consent are approved by an appropriate IRB. There can be no assurance that submission of an IDE will result in the ability to commence clinical trials, and although the FDA’s approval of an IDE allows clinical testing to go forward for a specified number of subjects, it does not bind the FDA to accept the results of the trial as sufficient to prove the product’s safety and efficacy, even if the trial meets its intended success criteria.

During a study, the sponsor is required to comply with the applicable FDA requirements, including, for example, trial monitoring, selecting clinical investigators and providing them with the investigational plan, ensuring IRB review, adverse event reporting, record keeping and prohibitions on the promotion of investigational devices or on making safety or effectiveness claims for them. The clinical investigators in the clinical study are also subject to FDA good clinical practice regulations and must obtain patient informed consent, rigorously follow the investigational plan and study protocol, control the disposition of the investigational device, and comply with all reporting and recordkeeping requirements. Additionally, after a trial begins, we, the FDA or the IRB could suspend or terminate a clinical trial at any time for various reasons, including a belief that the risks to study subjects outweigh the anticipated benefits. The results of clinical testing may be unfavorable, or, even if the intended safety and efficacy success criteria are achieved, may not be considered sufficient for the FDA to grant marketing approval or clearance of a product.

Pervasive and Continuing FDA Regulation

After the FDA permits a device to enter commercial distribution, numerous and pervasive regulatory requirements continue to apply to our business operations, products and technologies. These include:

Table of Contents

● restrictions on sale, distribution or use of a device;

● an order of repair, replacement or refund;

● device tracking requirements; and

The FDA has broad post-market and regulatory enforcement powers. Medical device manufacturers are subject to unannounced inspections by the FDA and other state, local and foreign regulatory authorities to assess compliance with the QSR and other applicable regulations, and these inspections may include the manufacturing facilities of any suppliers.

Failure to comply with applicable regulatory requirements can result in enforcement action by the FDA, which may include any of the following sanctions:

● recall or seizure of products;

● operating restrictions, partial suspension or total shutdown of production;

Table of Contents

● criminal prosecution.

Regulatory System for Medical Devices in Europe

The European Union (“EU”) and the European Economic Area (“EEA”) (which is comprised of the 27 Member States of the EU plus Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland and, until 2021, the United Kingdom) has a coordinated system for the authorization of medical devices. The European Union Medical Devices Directive (“MDD”) sets out the basic regulatory framework for medical devices in the EU. This directive has been separately enacted in more detail in the national legislation of the individual member states of the EU.

The system of regulating medical devices operates by way of a certification for each medical device. Each certificated device is marked with a CE mark which shows that the device has a Certificat de Conformité, also referred to as a Certificate of Conformance. There are national bodies known as Competent Authorities in each member state which oversee the implementation of the MDD within their jurisdiction. The means for achieving the requirements for CE mark varies according to the nature of the device. Devices are classified in accordance with their perceived risks, similarly to the U.S. system. The class of a product determines the requirements to be fulfilled before a CE mark can be placed on a product, known as a conformity assessment. Conformity assessments for products are carried out as required by the MDD. Except for low-risk medical devices (Class I non-sterile, non-measuring devices), where the manufacturer can self-certify compliance with the MDD based on a self-assessment of the conformity of its products with the essential requirements of the EU Medical Devices Directive, a conformity assessment procedure requires the intervention of an organization accredited by a member state of the EEA to conduct conformity assessments, or a Notified Body. If a Notified Body of one member state has issued a Certificat de Conformité, the device can be sold throughout the EU without further conformance tests being required in other member states.

On April 5, 2017, the European Parliament passed the Medical Devices Regulation (Regulation 2017/745), which repeals and replaces the MDD and the Active Implantable Medical Devices Directive. The Medical Devices Regulation will be fully implemented in May 2021. The new regulations will among other things:

Privacy and Security Laws

There are numerous U.S. federal and state laws and regulations related to the privacy and security of personal information, including health information. Among others, the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act and their implementing regulations (collectively referred to as “HIPAA”) establish privacy and security standards that limit the use and disclosure of protected health information, or PHI, and require covered entities and business associates to implement administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of individually identifiable health information in electronic form, among other requirements.

Table of Contents

Violations of HIPAA may result in civil and criminal penalties. Companies subject to HIPAA must also comply with HIPAA’s breach notification rule which requires notification of affected patients and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) and in certain cases of media outlets, in the case of a breach of unsecured PHI. The regulations also require business associates of covered entities to notify the covered entity of breaches by the business associate. State attorneys general also have the right to prosecute HIPAA violations committed against residents of their states, and HIPAA standards have been used as the basis for the duty of care in state civil suits, such as those for negligence or recklessness in misusing personal information. In addition, HIPAA mandates that HHS conduct periodic compliance audits of HIPAA covered entities and their business associates for compliance.

Many states have laws that protect the privacy and security of sensitive and personal information, including health information, to which we are subject. These laws may be similar to or even more protective than HIPAA and other federal privacy laws. For example, California enacted the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) which creates individual privacy rights for California consumers and increases the privacy and security obligations of entities handling certain personal data. The CCPA went into effect on January 1, 2020, and the California Attorney General may bring enforcement actions for violations beginning July 1, 2020. The CCPA has been amended from time to time, and it remains unclear what, if any, further modifications will be made to this legislation or how it will be interpreted.

We may be subject to other state and federal privacy laws, including laws that prohibit unfair privacy and security practices and deceptive statements about privacy and security, laws that place specific requirements on certain types of activities, such as data security and texting, and laws requiring holders of personal information to maintain safeguards and to take certain actions in response to a data breach.

EU member states, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and other jurisdictions have also adopted data protection laws and regulations, which impose significant compliance obligations. In the EEA and the United Kingdom, the collection and use of personal data, including clinical trial data, is governed by the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”). The GDPR became effective on May 25, 2018, repealing its predecessor directive and increasing responsibility and liability of pharmaceutical and medical device companies in relation to the processing of personal data of EU data subjects. The GDPR, together with national legislation, regulations and guidelines of the EU member states and the United Kingdom governing the processing of personal data, impose strict obligations and restrictions on the ability to collect, analyze and transfer personal data, including health data from clinical trials and adverse event reporting. In particular, these obligations and restrictions concern the consent of the individuals to whom the personal data relates, the information provided to the individuals, the transfer of personal data out of the EEA or the United Kingdom, security breach notifications, security and confidentiality of the personal data and imposition of substantial potential fines for breaches of the data protection obligations. European data protection authorities may interpret the GDPR and national laws differently and impose additional requirements, which add to the complexity of processing personal data in or from the EEA or United Kingdom. Guidance on implementation and compliance practices are often updated or otherwise revised.

Anti-Kickback Statutes

The federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits persons from (among other things) knowingly and willfully soliciting, offering, receiving or providing remuneration, directly or indirectly, in exchange for or to induce the referral of an individual, or the recommending, furnishing or arranging for a good or service, for which payment may be made under a federal healthcare program such as Medicare or Medicaid.

Courts have interpreted the Anti-Kickback Statute quite broadly, holding that the statute will be violated if even one purpose of a payment — though not its sole or primary purpose — is to induce an act prohibited by the statute with a willful intent to act improperly. The statute prohibits many arrangements and practices that are otherwise lawful in businesses outside of the healthcare industry. A person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it in order to have committed a violation. Prosecutors may infer intent from the surrounding circumstances and, because courts have interpreted the statute to be violated if even one purpose of a payment is to induce the purchase of items or services paid for by federal healthcare programs, prosecutors have broad discretion in choosing arrangements to prosecute under the statute. There are statutory exceptions and regulatory “safe harbors” available to protect certain appropriately structured arrangements that otherwise would implicate the Anti-Kickback

Table of Contents

Statute and those who structure their business arrangements to satisfy all of the criteria of a safe harbor are protected from liability under the statute. Our business is subject to these laws.

Many states have adopted anti-kickback and self-referral laws similar to the Anti-Kickback Statute; however, some of these state prohibitions are broader in scope and apply to arrangements involving healthcare items or services reimbursed by any source, and not only by Medicare, Medicaid or another federal healthcare program. These state laws do not always have the same exceptions or safe harbors as the federal Anti-Kickback Statute.

False Claims Laws

The federal False Claims Act imposes liability on any individual or entity that, among other things, knowingly presents, or causes to be presented, a false or fraudulent claim for payment by a federal healthcare program. The qui tam or “whistleblower” provisions of the False Claims Act allow a private individual to bring actions on behalf of the federal government alleging that the defendant has violated the False Claims Act and to share in any monetary recovery. In recent years, the number of lawsuits brought against healthcare industry participants by private individuals has increased dramatically.

There are many potential bases for liability under the False Claims Act. Liability arises, primarily, when an entity knowingly submits, or causes another to submit, a false claim for reimbursement to the federal government, but also may arise when an entity knowingly makes a false statement material to an obligation to pay or transmit money or property to the federal government or knowingly conceals or knowingly and improperly avoids or decreases an obligation to pay or transmit money or property to the federal government. Various states have also enacted false claims and insurance fraud laws that are analogous to the federal False Claims Act. Many of these state laws apply to claims submitted to any third-party payor and are not limited to claims submitted to a federal healthcare program. The scope of these laws and the interpretations of them vary from state to state and are enforced by state courts and regulatory authorities, each with broad discretion. A determination of liability under such laws could result in fines and penalties and restrictions on a company’s ability to operate in these jurisdictions.

Transparency Laws

The federal Physician Payment Sunshine Act (“Sunshine Act”) which was enacted as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“PPACA”) generally requires certain manufacturers of a drug, device, biologic or other medical supply that is covered by Medicare, Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program and applicable GPOs to report on an annual basis: (i) certain payments and other transfers of value given to certain healthcare professionals and teaching hospitals and (ii) any ownership or investment interest that certain healthcare professionals, or their immediate family members, have in their company. The payments required to be reported include the cost of meals provided to a healthcare professional, travel reimbursements and other transfers of value, including those provided as part of contracted services such as speaker programs, advisory boards, consultation services and clinical trial services. Under the statute, the federal government makes reported information available to the public. Failure to comply with the reporting requirements can result in significant civil monetary penalties or criminal penalties if an entity intentionally makes false statements in the reports.

There has been a recent trend of separate state regulation of payments and transfers of value by manufacturers of medical devices to healthcare professionals and entities, however, and some state transparency laws apply more broadly than the federal Sunshine Act. There are also an increasing number of analogous state laws that require manufacturers to file reports with states on pricing and marketing information. Many of these laws contain ambiguities as to what is required to comply with the laws. For example, several states have enacted legislation requiring manufacturers to, among other things, establish and implement commercial compliance programs, file periodic reports with the state, make periodic public disclosures on sales, marketing, pricing, clinical trials and other activities and/or register their sales representatives. Certain state laws also regulate manufacturers’ use of physician and patient identifiable data. These laws may affect our sales, marketing and other promotional activities by imposing administrative and compliance burdens. In addition, given the lack of clarity with respect to these laws and their implementation, our reporting actions could be subject to the penalty provisions of the pertinent state and federal authorities. All of our activities are also potentially subject to federal and state consumer protection and unfair competition.

Table of Contents

Other Federal Healthcare Fraud and Abuse Laws

We may also be subject to other federal healthcare fraud and abuse laws, including provisions of HIPAA, which prohibit knowingly and recklessly executing a scheme or artifice to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private payors, as well as knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact by any trick, scheme or device 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 this statute is a felony and may result in fines, imprisonment or exclusion from government-sponsored programs. Similar to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, a person or entity no longer needs to have actual knowledge of this statute or specific intent to violate it in order to have committed a violation.

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) prohibits U.S. businesses and their representatives from offering to pay, paying, promising to pay or authorizing the payment of money or anything of value to a foreign official in order to influence any act or decision of the foreign official in his or her official capacity or to secure any other improper advantage in order to obtain or retain business. The FCPA also obligates companies whose securities are listed in the U.S. to comply with accounting provisions requiring us to maintain books and records, which in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the corporation, including international subsidiaries, if any, and to devise and maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements. The scope of the FCPA includes interactions with certain healthcare professionals in many countries.

International Laws

In Europe, and throughout the world, other countries have enacted anti-bribery laws and/or regulations similar to the FCPA. Violations of any of these anti-bribery laws, or allegations of such violations, could have a negative impact on our business, results of operations and reputation.

There are also international privacy laws that impose restrictions on the access, use, and disclosure of health information. All of these laws may impact our business. Our failure to comply with these privacy laws or significant changes in the laws restricting our ability to obtain required patient information could significantly impact our business and our future business plans.

U.S. Healthcare Reform

The United States and many foreign jurisdictions have enacted or proposed legislative and regulatory changes affecting the healthcare system. The United States government, state legislatures and foreign governments also have shown significant interest in implementing cost-containment programs to limit the growth of government-paid healthcare costs, including price controls and restrictions on reimbursement.

In the United States, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act, or collectively the Affordable Care Act, substantially changed the way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private insurers, and significantly impacts the healthcare industry. The Affordable Care Act is intended to broaden access to health insurance, reduce or constrain the growth of healthcare spending, enhance remedies against healthcare fraud and abuse, add new transparency requirements for healthcare and health insurance industries, impose new taxes and fees on pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, and impose additional health policy reforms. There have been significant ongoing efforts to modify or eliminate the Affordable Care Act.

On January 20, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to exercise existing authorities to reduce burdens associated with the Affordable Care Act pending further action by Congress. In October 2017, he signed an Executive Order which directed federal agencies to modify how the Affordable Care Act is implemented. The Tax Act, enacted on December 22, 2017, repealed the shared responsibility payment for individuals

Table of Contents

who fail to maintain minimum essential coverage under section 5000A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, commonly referred to as the individual mandate.

Further legislative and regulatory changes under the Affordable Care Act remain possible, although the new Presidential administration has signaled that it plans to build on the Affordable Care Act and expand the number of people who are eligible for subsidies under it. President Biden indicated that he intends to use executive orders to undo changes to the Affordable Care Act made by the Trump administration and would advocate for legislation to build on the Affordable Care Act. It is unknown what form any such changes or any law would take, and how or whether it may affect our business in the future.

The Affordable Care Act has been subject to challenges in the courts. On December 14, 2018, a Texas U.S. District Court Judge ruled that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional in its entirety because the “individual mandate” was repealed by Congress. On December 18, 2019, the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals held that the individual mandate is unconstitutional and remanded the case to the Texas District Court to reconsider its earlier invalidation of the entire Affordable Care Act. An appeal was taken to the U.S. Supreme Court which heard oral arguments in the case on November 10, 2020. A ruling is expected in 2021.

At the state level, legislatures have increasingly passed legislation and implemented regulations designed to control healthcare costs, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain product access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures, and, in some cases, designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing.

We expect that additional federal, state and foreign healthcare reform measures will be adopted in the future, any of which could limit the amounts that federal and state governments will pay for healthcare products and services, which could result in limited coverage and reimbursement and reduced demand for our products, once approved, or additional pricing pressures.

Pricing and Reimbursement

In the U.S. and markets in other countries, sales of any products for which we receive regulatory approval for commercial sale will depend in part on the availability of reimbursement from third party payors. Third party payors include government health administrative authorities, managed care providers, private health insurers, and other organizations. These third party payors are increasingly challenging the price and examining the cost-effectiveness of medical products and services. In addition, significant uncertainty exists as to the reimbursement status of newly approved healthcare products, and there are continuing legislative and regulatory efforts by the federal government and the states to reduce the cost of medical products and services overall. We may need to conduct expensive studies in order to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of our products. Our product candidates may not be considered cost-effective. Decisions regarding the extent of coverage and amount of reimbursement to be provided are made on a plan-by-plan basis. One third-party payor’s decision to cover a particular product or procedure using the product does not ensure that other payors will also provide coverage for the product. Adequate third party reimbursement may not be available to enable us to maintain price levels sufficient to realize an appropriate revenue levels. Future legislation could limit payments for medical devices, including our products and our future products.

The U.S. government, state legislatures and foreign governments have shown significant interest in implementing cost containment programs to limit the growth of government-paid health care costs, including price controls, restrictions on reimbursement and requirements for substitution of less costly products. Adoption of government controls and measures, and tightening of restrictive policies in jurisdictions with existing controls and measures, could limit payments for our products. The marketability of any products for which we receive regulatory approval for commercial sale may suffer if the government and third party payors fail to provide adequate coverage and reimbursement. In addition, an increasing emphasis on managed care in the U.S. has increased and will continue to increase the pressure on medical product and service pricing.

Table of Contents

Corporate Information

We were incorporated on April 17, 2012.

Our primary executive offices are located at 1 Great Valley Parkway, Suite 24, Malvern, Pennsylvania 19355 and our telephone number is (484) 320-2930. Our website address is www.telabio.com. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website is not part of this Annual Report.

Human Capital Resources

As of December 31, 2020, we had 108 employees worldwide. None of our employees are represented by a collective bargaining agreement and we have never experienced a work stoppage. We believe we have good relationships with our employees.

The success of our business is fundamentally connected to the well-being of our employees. Accordingly, we are committed to their health, safety and wellness. We provide our employees and their families with access to a variety of flexible and convenient health and wellness programs, including benefits that provide protection and security so they can have peace of mind concerning events that may require time away from work or that impact their financial well-being; that support their physical and mental health by providing tools and resources to help them improve or maintain their health status and encourage engagement in healthy behaviors; and that offer choice where possible so they can customize their benefits to meet their needs and the needs of their families. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we implemented significant changes that we determined were in the best interest of our employees, as well as the communities in which we operate, and which comply with government regulations. This includes having employees work from home, while implementing additional safety measures for employees continuing critical on-site work.

We strive to provide a competitive mix of pay, benefits and services that help meet the needs of our employees. In addition to salaries, these programs include variable incentive compensation plans, potential annual discretionary bonuses, stock awards, a 401(k) Plan, healthcare and insurance benefits, health savings and flexible spending accounts, paid time off, family leave, and flexible work schedules, among others. In addition to our broad-based equity award programs, we have used targeted equity-based grants with vesting conditions to facilitate retention of personnel.

Table of Contents

ITEM 1A.RISK FACTORS

You should carefully consider the following risks described below, together with all of the other information in this Annual Report, including our consolidated financial statements and related notes. While we believe that the risks and uncertainties described below are the material risks facing our business, additional risks that we do not know of or that we currently think are immaterial may also arise and materially affect our business. The realization of any of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and our ability to accomplish our strategic objectives.

Risks Related to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic is negatively impacting certain aspects of our business and, depending on the severity and duration beyond current experience, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted our business, results of operations and financial condition, and we expect the pandemic to continue to negatively impact our business, results of operations and financial condition. In March 2020, COVID-19 was declared to be a pandemic by the World Health Organization. Extraordinary actions have been taken by federal, state and local governmental authorities to combat the spread of COVID-19, including issuance of “stay-at-home” directives and similar mandates for many individuals to substantially restrict daily activities and for many businesses to curtail or cease normal operations. These measures, while intended to protect human life, have led to reduced economic activity, including the postponement or cancellation of elective surgical procedures. Furthermore, the recessionary conditions on the global economy caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could have a material adverse effect on our business, as hospitals postpone or reduce capital purchases and overall spending. Although most segments of the U.S. economy have reopened, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic remain intense in many areas of the country, and many public health experts continue to anticipate future surges of COVID-19 in the coming months of 2021. The rapid development and fluidity of the situation precludes any prediction as to the ultimate impact COVID-19 will have on our business, results of operation and financial condition, which will depend largely on future developments directly or indirectly relating to the duration and scope of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The health of our workforce is our top concern and we have implemented safety protocols in an effort to maintain the health and safety of our employees. Similar to many other employers in the U.S., we have and continue to require many employees to work remotely. We have also suspended all non-essential travel for our employees and discourage employee attendance at industry events and in-person work-related meetings, which could negatively affect our business.

Hospitals have reduced and diverted staffing and diverted resources to patients suffering from COVID-19 and have limited hospital access for non-patients, including our sales professionals. In addition, travel restrictions due to COVID-19 have impacted our sales professionals’ ability to travel to customers. These circumstances have negatively impacted our sales professionals’ efforts to market to physicians in person, and caused us to develop virtual marketing and sales solutions. If our sales professionals’ efforts to market to physicians in person continue to be negatively impacted, or our virtual marketing and sales solutions prove to be of limited utility or unsuccessful, the sales and market penetration of our OviTex and OviTex PRS products could be negatively impacted.

In addition, the spread of COVID-19 has had, and may continue to have, an impact on the number of patients seeking and receiving hernia repair, abdominal wall reconstruction or plastic and reconstructive surgeries, as hospitals cancel elective surgeries and patients postpone these procedures due to COVID-19 concerns, which may reduce demand for our OviTex and OviTex PRS products and negatively impact our sales and results of operations. Even after the pandemic has subsided and/or governmental orders no longer prohibit or recommend against performing such procedures, patients may continue to defer such procedures out of concern of being exposed to COVID-19 or for other reasons.

COVID-19 has and may continue to have an impact on ports and trade globally. We currently rely on Aroa, which is headquartered in New Zealand, for supply of our products. While there have been no disruptions to our supply chain, there is a risk that in the future supplies of our products may be significantly delayed or may become unavailable as a result of COVID-19 and the resulting impact on Aroa’s labor force and operations, including as a result of governmental restrictions on business operations and the movement of people and goods in an effort to curtail the spread of the virus. There can be

Table of Contents

no assurance that we would be able to timely implement any mitigation plans relating to our supply chain. Disruptions in our supply chain, whether as a result of restricted travel, quarantine requirements or otherwise, could negatively impact our ability to supply and sell our products.

The continued spread of COVID-19 has also led to severe disruption and volatility in the global credit or financial markets, which could increase our cost of capital and adversely affect our ability to raise additional capital on acceptable terms or at all. It is possible that the continued spread of COVID-19 could cause a continued economic slowdown or recession or cause other unpredictable events, each of which could adversely affect our business, results of operations or financial condition.

In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic could cause:

● Distraction of management time and focus;

The full extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will, directly or indirectly, impact our business, results of operations and financial condition, including our sales, expenses, manufacturing capability, supply chain integrity, research and development activities, and employee-related matters, including compensation, is currently highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with reasonable accuracy at this time and will depend on future developments that are also highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with reasonable accuracy at this time, including, without limitation: (a) new information that may emerge concerning COVID-19 (including any new variations or mutations of COVID-19), any resurgence in COVID-19 transmission and infection after the loosening of “shelter-in-place” restrictions or resumption of surgical procedures, as a result of reinfection, as a result of a delay in the emergence of symptoms following infection (or reinfection) by COVID-19, or as a result of its ability to lay dormant following infection (or reinfection); (b) the availability and efficacy of existing and future approved vaccines to slow the spread of COVID-19, and any mutations of COVID-19 which may impact the efficacy of existing and future approved vaccines; (c) actions required or recommended to contain or treat COVID-19, in light of any or all of the foregoing or other as-yet unanticipated developments, whether related to COVID-19 directly or indirectly; and (d) the direct and indirect economic impact, both domestically and abroad, of COVID-19 as a result of any or all of the foregoing, including actions taken by local, state, national and international governmental agencies, whether such impact affects customers, suppliers, or markets generally.

Information pertaining to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated economic disruptions on our operations to date can be found in “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Position and Results of Operations” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Table of Contents

Risks Related to Achieving or Sustaining Profitability, Financial Position and Capital Requirements

We have incurred significant operating losses since inception, we expect to incur operating losses in the future and we may not be able to achieve or sustain profitability.

We have incurred net losses since our incorporation on April 17, 2012. For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, we had net losses of $28.8 million and $22.4 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2020, we had an accumulated deficit of $196.7 million.

We expect to continue to incur significant sales and marketing, research and clinical development, regulatory and other expenses as we expand our marketing efforts to increase adoption of our products, expand existing relationships with our customers, obtain regulatory clearances or approvals for our planned or future products, conduct clinical trials on our existing and planned or future products and develop new products or add new features to our existing products. As a result, we expect to continue to incur operating losses for the foreseeable future and may never achieve profitability. Even if we do achieve profitability, we may not be able to sustain or increase profitability on an ongoing basis. If we do not achieve or sustain profitability, it will be more difficult for us to finance our business and accomplish our strategic objectives, either of which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and may cause the market price of our common stock to decline.

Our indebtedness may limit our flexibility in operating our business and adversely affect our financial health and competitive position.

As of December 31, 2020, we had $30.0 million of indebtedness outstanding under our credit facility with OrbiMed Royalty Opportunities II, LP (“OrbiMed”) that matures in November 2023.

To service this indebtedness and any additional indebtedness we may incur in the future, we need to generate cash from our operating activities. Our ability to generate cash is subject, in part, to our ability to successfully execute our business strategy, as well as general economic, financial, competitive, regulatory and other factors beyond our control. We cannot assure you that our business will be able to generate sufficient cash flow from operations or that future borrowings or other financings will be available to us in an amount sufficient to enable us to service our indebtedness and fund our other liquidity needs. To the extent we are required to use cash from operations or the proceeds of any future financing to service our indebtedness, our ability to plan for, or react to, changes in our business, industry and the economy generally will be limited.

In addition, the OrbiMed credit facility contains certain covenants that limit our ability to engage in certain transactions that may be in our long-term best interests. Subject to certain limited exceptions, these covenants limit our ability to, among other things:

Table of Contents

● make certain investments; and

● enter into transactions with our affiliates.

We have not previously breached and are not currently in breach of these or any of the other covenants; however, there can be no guarantee that we will not breach these covenants in the future. In the event that we breach one or more covenants, our lender may choose to declare an event of default and require that we immediately repay all amounts outstanding, terminate any commitment to extend further credit and foreclose on the collateral granted to it to collateralize such indebtedness. The occurrence of any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We may require substantial additional capital to finance our planned operations, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms or at all.

If needed, any future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including:

● surgeon and market acceptance of our products;

● the cost of our research and development activities;

● the cost and timing of obtaining regulatory clearances or approvals;

● costs associated with any product recall that may occur;

● the effect of competing products in our markets or competing technologies;

Any additional equity or debt financing that we raise may contain terms that are not favorable to us or our stockholders. In addition, any future debt financing into which we enter may impose upon us additional covenants that restrict our operations, including limitations on our ability to incur liens or additional debt, pay dividends, repurchase our common stock, make certain investments or engage in certain merger, consolidation or asset sale transactions. If we raise additional funds through collaboration and licensing arrangements with third-parties, it may be necessary to relinquish some rights to our technologies or our products, or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us.

Furthermore, we cannot be certain that additional funding will be available on acceptable terms, if at all. If we do not have, or are not able to obtain, sufficient funds, we may have to delay development or commercialization of our products or license to third-parties the rights to commercialize products or technologies that we would otherwise seek to commercialize. We also may have to reduce marketing, customer support or other resources devoted to our products or cease operations. Any of these factors could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Table of Contents

If we are unable to expand, manage and maintain our direct sales and marketing organizations, we may not be able to generate anticipated revenue.

We currently have limited sales and marketing capabilities. Building the requisite sales, marketing and distribution capabilities to successfully market and sell our products continues to be expensive and time-consuming and requires significant attention from our leadership team to manage. Any failure or delay in the development of our sales, marketing or distribution capabilities would adversely impact the commercialization of our products. Additionally, we may choose to collaborate, either globally or on a territory-by-territory basis, with third parties on the commercialization of our products. If we are unable to enter into such arrangements on acceptable terms or at all, we may not be able to successfully commercialize our products.

As of December 31, 2020, our commercial organization consisted of 64 employees in the U.S. and 4 employees in Europe. To generate future revenue growth, we plan to expand the size and geographic scope of our direct sales organization. This growth may require us to split or adjust existing sales territories, which may adversely affect our ability to retain customers in those territories. Additionally, our future success will depend largely on our ability to continue to hire, train, retain and motivate skilled sales and marketing personnel with significant industry experience and technical knowledge of medical devices and related products. The competition for talented individuals experienced in selling and marketing medical device products is intense, and we cannot assure you that we can assemble or maintain an effective team. We cannot assure you that we will be able to hire and retain additional personnel on favorable or commercially reasonable terms, if at all. Our operating results are directly dependent upon the sales and marketing efforts of our employees. Failure to hire or retain qualified sales and marketing personnel would prevent us from expanding our business and generating revenue. If we are unable to expand our sales and marketing capabilities, we may not be able to effectively commercialize our products, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Related to the Commercialization of our Products

To date, substantially all of our revenue has been generated from sales of our OviTex products, and we therefore are highly dependent on the commercial success of OviTex product line.

Sales of our OviTex products accounted for 83% and 91% of total revenue for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively and for all of our revenue for the year ended December 31, 2018. We first commercialized OviTex products in the U.S. in 2016 and have introduced our larger sized OviTex products, our OviTex LPR product for use in laparoscopic and robotic-assisted hernia surgical repairs and sold units of our OviTex PRS products for use in surgery for soft tissue repair or reinforcement in plastic and reconstructive procedures. We expect that sales of our OviTex products and our OviTex PRS products, will account for all of our revenue for the foreseeable future. Our failure to successfully increase sales of these products or any other event impeding our ability to sell these products would result in a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The commercial success of our products will largely depend upon attaining significant market acceptance.

Our ability to execute our growth strategy, achieve commercial success and become profitable will depend upon the adoption by inpatient and outpatient hospitals, surgeons, and medical device supply chain participants of our reinforced tissue matrix products. We cannot predict how quickly, if at all, surgeons will accept our products or, if accepted, how frequently they will be used. Our products and planned or future products we may develop or market may never gain broad market acceptance among surgeons and the medical community for some or all of our indications. Some surgeons may have prior history with or a preference for other soft tissue reinforcement products, such as permanent synthetic mesh, resorbable synthetic mesh, or other biologic matrices, or may be reluctant to alter their practice patterns to treat patients with our reinforced tissue matrix products. The degree of market acceptance of any of our products will depend on a number of factors, including:

Table of Contents

● the effectiveness of our sales and marketing efforts for our products;

● product labeling or product insert requirements by regulatory authorities;

● the competitive pricing of our products;

● the quality of our products meeting patient and surgeon expectations;

● pricing pressure, including from GPOs and government payors;

Additionally, even if our products achieve market acceptance, they may not maintain that market acceptance over time if competing products or technologies, which are more cost effective or received more favorably, are introduced. Failure to achieve or maintain market acceptance and/or market share would limit our ability to generate revenue and would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Even if we are able to attain significant market acceptance of our products, the commercial success of our products is not guaranteed.

Our future financial success will depend substantially on our ability to effectively and profitably market and sell our products. Even if we are able to attain significant market acceptance of our products, the commercial success of our products and any of our planned or future products is dependent on a number of additional factors, including the results of clinical trials relating to the use of our products and our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval or clearance to market our products and maintain compliance with applicable regulatory requirements. Successful growth of our sales and marketing efforts will depend on the strength of our marketing and distribution infrastructure and the effectiveness of our marketing and sales efforts, including our efforts to expand our direct sales force, while our ability to satisfy demand for our products driven by our sales and marketing efforts will be largely dependent on the ability of Aroa to maintain a commercially viable manufacturing process that is compliant with regulatory standards. If we fail to successfully market and sell our products, we will not be able to achieve profitability, which will have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our ability to grow our revenue in future periods will depend on our ability to increase sales of our OviTex and OviTex PRS products and any new product or product indications that we introduce, which will, in turn, depend in part on our success in expanding our customer base and driving increased use of our products. New products or product indications may also need to be approved or cleared by the FDA and comparable non-U.S. regulatory agencies to drive revenue growth. If we cannot achieve revenue growth, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Table of Contents

The misuse or off-label use of our products may harm our reputation in the marketplace, result in injuries that lead to product liability suits or result in costly investigations, fines or sanctions by regulatory bodies if we are deemed to have engaged in the promotion of our products for these uses.

Surgeons and other medical professionals may misuse our reinforced tissue matrix products or use improper techniques if they are not adequately trained, potentially leading to injury and an increased risk of product liability. If our products are misused or used with improper technique, we may become subject to costly litigation by our customers or their patients. Product liability claims could divert management’s attention from our core business, be expensive to defend and result in sizeable damage awards against us that may not be covered by insurance. In addition, any of the events described above could harm our business.

The products we commercialize have been cleared by the FDA and other regulatory authorities for specific indications. Our OviTex products are reinforced tissue matrices designed for use as a surgical mesh to reinforce and/or repair soft tissue where weakness exists and indications for use of our OviTex products include the repair of hernia and/or abdominal wall defects which require the use of reinforcing or bridging material to obtain the desired surgical outcome. Our OviTex PRS products are reconstructive reinforced tissue matrices designed for implantation to reinforce soft tissue where weakness exists in patients requiring soft tissue repair or reinforcement in plastic and reconstructive surgery. In connection with the March 2019 meeting of the General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee, the FDA stated that no surgical mesh device, including OviTex PRS, has been cleared or approved for use in breast surgery, and that to obtain such indication, the product sponsor must obtain an approved PMA. Our OviTex PRS products are not cleared or approved for breast reconstruction surgery and thus we are prohibited from marketing them for that use. OviTex PRS or any other product we may develop for use in breast reconstruction surgery will need to be approved specifically for that indication. We intend to engage in discussions with the FDA regarding an IDE protocol to study the safety and effectiveness of our OviTex PRS product for an indication in breast reconstruction surgery. There can be no assurance that we will be able to secure an IDE in a timely manner, or at all. Any marketing for OviTex PRS or any other product for a use in breast reconstruction surgery would be deemed off-label promotion of that product if it has been cleared for a general indication of use to reinforce or repair soft tissue and has not received an approval specifically for use in breast surgery. We train our marketing personnel and direct sales force to not promote our OviTex or OviTex PRS products for uses outside of the FDA-cleared indications for use, known as “off-label uses.” We cannot, however, prevent a surgeon or medical professional from using our OviTex or OviTex PRS products or other products we may commercialize in the future for off-label uses.

Although we train our direct sales force not to promote our products for off-label uses, and our instructions for use in all markets specify that our products are not intended for use outside of those indications cleared or approved for use, the FDA or another regulatory authority could conclude that we have engaged in off-label promotion. If the FDA determines that our promotional or training materials constitute promotion of an off-label use, or make claims that are not supported by the available clinical data, it could request that we modify our training or promotional materials or subject us to regulatory or enforcement actions. It is also possible that other federal, state or non-U.S. enforcement authorities might take action under other regulatory authority if they consider our business activities to constitute promotion of an off-label use, or are otherwise objectionable, which could result in significant penalties, including, but not limited to, criminal, civil and administrative penalties, damages, fines, disgorgement, exclusion from participation in government healthcare programs and the curtailment of our operations.

Even if surgeons or medical professionals use our OviTex products only for their approved indications, a failure by such surgeons and medical professionals to use our products in accordance with the processes and procedures established to properly utilize our OviTex products could result in product liability lawsuits, costly investigations and potentially affect our ability to achieve sufficient market penetration for our OviTex products. In those possible events, our reputation could be damaged and adoption of the products would be impaired. We may also be required to reassess the training, written instructions and product warnings or other labeling information we provide our customers. This process could require us to expend significant time and capital and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and impair our ability to grow our business.

Table of Contents

If we are unable to achieve and maintain adequate levels of coverage or reimbursement for our OviTex, OviTex PRS or other products we may commercialize in the future, our commercial success may be hindered.

Our ability to successfully commercialize and achieve market acceptance of our products depends, in significant part, on the availability of adequate financial coverage and reimbursement from third-party payors, including governmental payors (such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs in the U.S.), managed care organizations and private health insurers. The primary customers for our products are hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers who will then seek reimbursement from third-party payors for the procedures performed using our products. While some third-party payors currently cover and provide reimbursement for procedures using our currently cleared or approved products, we can give no assurance that these third-party payors will continue to provide coverage and adequate reimbursement for the procedures using our products, to permit hospitals and surgeons to offer procedures using our products to patients requiring treatment, or that current reimbursement levels for procedures using our products will continue. Additionally, no uniform policy for coverage and reimbursement exists in the U.S. and coverage and reimbursement can differ significantly from payor to payor. If third-party payors reverse or limit their coverage for the procedures using our currently cleared or approved products in the future, this could have a material adverse effect on our business. If we are forced to lower the price we charge for our products, this could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and impair our ability to grow our business.

Healthcare costs have risen significantly over the past decade, which has resulted in or led to numerous cost reform initiatives. Third-party payors, whether U.S. or non-U.S., or governmental or commercial, are developing increasingly sophisticated methods of controlling healthcare costs, including examining the cost effectiveness of procedures, in addition to their safety and efficacy, when making coverage and payment decisions. Payors continually review new and existing technologies for possible coverage and can, without notice, deny or reverse coverage or alter pre-authorization requirements for new or existing procedures. We cannot provide assurance that we will be successful in any efforts we may potentially undertake to reverse such non-coverage decisions. If we are not successful in reversing non-coverage policies, or if third-party payors that currently cover or reimburse certain procedures reverse or limit their coverage of such procedures in the future, or if other third-party payors issue similar policies, our business could be adversely impacted.

Our long-term growth depends on our ability to enhance our product offerings.

It is important to our business that we continue to enhance our OviTex and OviTex PRS products and develop and introduce new reinforced tissue matrix products. Developing products is expensive and time-consuming and could divert management’s attention away from other aspects of our business. The success of any new reinforced tissue matrix product offering or product enhancements to our OviTex and OviTex PRS products will depend on several factors, including our ability to:

● properly identify and anticipate surgeon and patient needs;

● avoid infringing upon the intellectual property rights of third parties;

● ensure the quality, manufacture and supply of new products by Aroa;

● be fully FDA-compliant with marketing of new devices or products;

Table of Contents

● provide adequate training to potential users of our new products;

● develop an effective and dedicated sales and marketing team.

If we are not successful in introducing new product indications and developing and commercializing new products and product enhancements, our ability to increase our revenue may be impaired, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

In the future our products may become obsolete, which would negatively affect operations and financial condition.

The medical device industry is characterized by rapid and significant change. There can be no assurance that other companies will not succeed in developing or marketing devices and products that are more effective than our reinforced tissue matrix products or that would render our reinforced tissue matrix products obsolete or noncompetitive. Additionally, new surgical procedures, medications and other therapies could be developed that replace or reduce the importance of our products. Accordingly, our success will depend in part on our ability to respond quickly to medical and other changes through the development and introduction of new products. Our reinforced tissue matrix products have a limited shelf life and will expire if not timely used. Product development involves a high degree of risk, and there can be no assurance that our new product development efforts will result in any commercially successful products.

To successfully market and sell our products in markets outside of the U.S., we must address many international business risks with which we have limited experience.

Approximately 4% and 2% of our revenue for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, came from sakes in markets outside of the U.S. We did not have any sales in markets outside of the U.S. for the year ended December 31, 2018. Part of our sales strategy is to maintain our European presence. European sales are subject to a number of risks, including:

● difficulties in staffing and managing international operations;

● fluctuations in currency exchange rates;

● non-U.S. certification and regulatory clearance or approval requirements;

● the impact of the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union;

● customs clearance and shipping delays;

● the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic;

Table of Contents

● preference for locally produced products;

● increased financial accounting and reporting burdens and complexities.

If one or more of these risks are realized, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

Risks Related to Our Reliance on Third Parties

We are highly dependent upon Aroa, as the exclusive manufacturer and supplier of our products.

In August 2012, we entered into our Aroa License which was amended and restated in July 2015. The Aroa License grants us an exclusive license in North America, the EU, Norway, Switzerland, Russia and former Soviet satellite countries to certain intellectual property rights, including patents relating to the use of bovine and ovine rumen as a source of extracellular matrix. Under the Aroa License, Aroa is our exclusive manufacturer and supplier of our products.

We are reliant upon the intellectual property we license from Aroa for the development and commercialization of our products. Under the Aroa License, we hold an exclusive license to certain intellectual and technology rights to develop, commercialize and sell certain endoform regenerative template products derived from cows and sheep. The Aroa License also provides for cooperative development of our products utilizing the licensed intellectual property and all of our products rely on intellectual property owned by Aroa and licensed to us under the Aroa License. The Aroa License imposes various developmental and regulatory requirements upon us along with requiring us to make milestone payments upon the achievement of certain commercial and regulatory milestones. If we fail to comply with our obligations under the Aroa License, Aroa will have the right to terminate the Aroa License, in which event we would not be able to develop and market our products. We are obligated to pay Aroa up to an aggregate of $4.0 million in revenue-based milestone payments upon our achievement of certain net sales thresholds for sales of our products within the specified licensed territory, of which we have already paid $3.0 million.

TELA US Equity

TELA · 10-K · period ended 2020-12-31

ITEM 1.BUSINESS

ITEM 1A.RISK FACTORS

TELA US Equity☆

TELA · 10-K · period ended 2020-12-31

ITEM 1.BUSINESS

ITEM 1A.RISK FACTORS

TELA US Equity