10-K
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023
OR
Commission File Number 001-39485
TANGO THERAPEUTICS, INC.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its Charter)
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (857) 320-4900
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class TradingSymbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered
Common stock, par value $0.001 per share TNGX Nasdaq Global Market
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. YES ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act. YES ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ NO ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ NO ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ☐ Accelerated filer ☐
Non-accelerated filer ☒ Smaller reporting company ☒
Emerging growth company ☒
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☐
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). YES ☐ NO ☒
As of June 30, 2023, the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant, based on the closing price of the shares of common stock on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC on June 30, 2023, was approximately $177.4 million.
As of March 12, 2024, the registrant had 106,718,315 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share, outstanding.
Table of Contents
Page
PART I
Item 1. Business 7
Item 1A. Risk Factors 45
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 88
Item 1C Cybersecurity 88
Item 2. Properties 89
Item 3. Legal Proceedings 89
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 89
PART II
Item 6. [Reserved] 90
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 102
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 103
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 103
Item 9B. Other Information 103
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections 103
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 105
Item 11. Executive Compensation 105
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services 105
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules 106
Summary of Material Risks Associated with Our Business
Our business is subject to numerous material and other risks that you should be aware of before making an investment decision with respect to our securities. These risks are described more fully in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K entitled “Risk Factors.” These risks include, among others, the following (which is not an exhaustive list of all such risks):
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Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains express or implied forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Words such as "anticipates," "continue," "could," "may," "forecasts," "expects," "intends," "plans," "potentially," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "predict," "target," and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict; therefore, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in any such statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry and business, management's beliefs, and certain assumptions made by our management, and may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding:
• our ability to commercialize our products, if approved;
• the pricing and reimbursement of our product candidates, if approved;
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• our ability to attract and retain key scientific or management personnel;
• the impact of laws and regulations;
• developments relating to our competitors and industry;
The forward-looking statements contained in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K are based on current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on us. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we have anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties (some of which are beyond our control) or other assumptions that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those factors described under the heading “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should any of our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary in material respects from those projected in these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that we currently consider immaterial or which are unknown. It is not possible to predict or identify all such risks. We do not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.
Corporate Information
We were formerly known as BCTG Acquisition Corp. (“BCTG”) and were incorporated in Delaware May 2020 as a special purpose acquisition company, formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or other similar business combination. On August 10, 2021, we consummated the merger pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of April 13, 2021, by and among BCTG, BCTG Merger Sub Inc. and Tango Therapeutics Sub, Inc. Upon the consummation of the merger, we changed our name to Tango Therapeutics, Inc.
Our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, including exhibits, proxy and information statements and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Sections 13(a), 14, and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, are available through the “Investors” portion of our website free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). We also make available, free of charge on our website, the reports filed with the SEC by our executive officers, directors and 10% stockholders pursuant to Section 16 under the
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Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after copies of those filings are provided to us by those persons.Accordingly, investors should monitor such portions of the company’s website, in addition to following the company’s press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts (if any).Information on our website is not to be deemed to be incorporated by reference in, and is not part of, this Annual Report on Form 10-K or any of our other securities filings, unless specifically incorporated herein by reference, and should not be relied upon in making a decision as to whether or not to purchase our common stock. Our filings with the SEC may be accessed through the SEC’s Interactive Data Electronic Applications system at http://www.sec.gov. All statements made in any of our securities filings, including all forward-looking statements or information, are made as of the date of the document in which the statement is included, and we do not assume or undertake any obligation to update any of those statements or documents unless we are required to do so by law.
Further, the company intends to use its website http://www.tangotx.com as a means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with its disclosure obligations under the SEC Regulation FD. Such disclosures will be included on the company’s website under the heading “Investors.” Accordingly, investors should monitor such portions of the company’s website, in addition to following the company’s press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts (if any). The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, the website is not part of, and is not incorporated into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Our principal executive office is located at 201 Brookline Avenue, Suite 901, Boston, Massachusetts.
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USE OF DEFINED TERMS IN THIS ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K
Unless the context otherwise requires in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 we use the following defined terms:
i.
"2023 Annual Report" means this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023;
ii.
"the Company", "we", "our" and "us" mean Tango Therapeutics, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries;
iii.
"Business Combination" means the merger of BCTG Merger Sub Inc. with and into Tango Therapeutics, Inc. (now known as Tango Therapeutics Sub, Inc.) on August 10, 2021, with Tango Therapeutics, Inc. as the surviving company in the merger as a wholly-owned subsidiary of BCTG Acquisition Corp. (now known a Tango Therapeutics, Inc.);
iv.
“CoREST” means Co-repressor of Repressor Element-1 Silencing Transcription;
v.
"CSF” means cerebrospinal fluid;
vi.
"FDA" means U.S. Food and Drug Administration
vii.
“Gilead” means Gilead Sciences, Inc.;
viii.
“GBM” means glioblastoma;
ix.
“HRD+” means homologous recombination deficient;
x.
"IND" means Investigational New Drug application
xi.
“MPNST” means malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors;
xii.
“MTA” means methylthioadenosine;
xiii.
“MTAP” means methylthioadenosine phosphorylase;
xiv.
“NSCLC” means non-small cell lung cancer;
xv.
“PDX” means patient-derived xenograft;
xvi.
“PRMT5” means protein arginine methyltransferase 5;
xvii.
“SAM” means S-adenosyl-L-methionine;
xviii.
“SDMA” means symmetric di-methylation of specific arginine;
xix.
“STK11” means serine-threonine kinase 11; and
xx.
“USP1” means ubiquitin-specific protease 1.
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PART I
Item 1. Business.
Overview
Tango Therapeutics was founded with a clear mission: discover the next generation of precision medicines to help patients with cancer through addressing the specific genetic alterations that fuel the cancer. We leverage our state-of-the-art target discovery platform to identify novel targets and develop new drugs directed at tumor suppressor gene loss in defined patient populations with high unmet medical need. Tumor suppressor gene loss remains a largely unaddressed target space specifically because these genetic events cannot be directly targeted. Our novel small molecules are designed to be selectively active in cancer cells with specific tumor suppressor gene loss, killing those cancer cells while sparing normal cells. We also are extending this target space beyond the classic, cell-autonomous effects of tumor suppressor gene loss to include the discovery of novel targets that reverse the effects of tumor suppressor gene loss that prevent the immune system from recognizing and killing cancer cells (immune evasion). We believe our approach will provide the ability to deliver the deep, sustained target inhibition necessary to optimize tumor response and clinical benefit as a result of the unique ability of synthetic lethal targeting to spare normal cells.
Our lead program, TNG908, is an MTA-cooperative inhibitor of PRMT5 designed to work selectively in cancer cells with an MTAP deletion. MTAP-deletion occurs in approximately 10% to 15% of all human tumors including GBM, NSCLC and pancreatic cancer. In preclinical studies, TNG908 demonstrated 15-fold greater potency in MTAP-deleted cancer cells versus normal cells and robust efficacy in vitro and in vivo. Initial pharmacodynamic (PD) data from the ongoing TNG908 Phase 1/2 study, released in May 2023, provided proof-of-mechanism of MTA-cooperative PRMT5 inhibition, demonstrated by marked reduction of SDMA staining in MTAP-deleted cancer cells versus normal tissue. Pre-treatment and on-treatment biopsies demonstrated dose-dependent decreases in tumor SDMA staining with minimal or no decrease in normal tissue. The selective inhibition of PRMT5 in MTAP-deleted cancer cells is essential to enable the therapeutic index needed for efficacy. Patients are actively being enrolled in the dose escalation portion of the Phase 1/2 clinical trial, including those with GBM, and to date, the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics (PK) profiles of TNG908 are favorable. Clinical data from the ongoing trial are expected in 2024.
Given the large number of patients with MTAP-deleted cancers who may benefit from a PRMT5 inhibitor, and the resulting potential business opportunity, we also developed a next-generation PRMT5 inhibitor, TNG462, with increased potency, MTAP deletion selectivity, as well as longer target coverage. TNG462 is 45 times more potent in cells with an MTAP deletion than those without and induces deep tumor regressions in preclinical models of multiple cancer types which is expected to significantly increase the therapeutic index. The clinical development path for TNG462 is similar to TNG908, evaluating safety and efficacy in multiple tumor types in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial. GBM is excluded from the clinical trial as TNG462 is not expected to cross the blood-brain barrier. The TNG462 IND was cleared by the FDA in the first quarter of 2023 and we announced the first patient in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial was dosed in July 2023. Patients are actively being enrolled in the dose escalation portion of the trial and to date, the preliminary safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics profiles of TNG462 are favorable.
Discovered as part of our immune evasion target discovery platform, TNG260 is a first-in-class CoREST inhibitor, which reverses the immune evasion effect of STK11 loss-of-function mutations. STK11 loss-of-function mutations are present in approximately 15% of NSCLC, 15% of cervical cancers, 10% of carcinoma of unknown primary, 5% of breast cancers and 3% of pancreatic cancers. In syngeneic models with an STK11 mutation and an intact immune system, the combination of TNG260 with an anti-PD-1 antibody resulted in sustained complete tumor regressions and the induction of immune memory against re-implantation of tumors. These preclinical data demonstrate that TNG260 in combination with an anti-PD-1 antibody is active in cancers with STK11 mutation, a setting where an anti-PD-1 antibody alone is inactive. In the first quarter of 2023, the FDA cleared the TNG260 IND and we announced the first patient in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial was dosed in July 2023. Patients are actively being enrolled in the dose escalation portion of the trial and to date, the preliminary safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics profiles of TNG260 are favorable. The trial is evaluating the safety, pharmacokinetics, PD and efficacy of TNG260 in combination with pembrolizumab, with a one cycle single agent run-in phase to evaluate the safety and PK of TNG260, in patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors with an STK11 loss-of-function mutation. We believe that TNG260 could be among the first oncology molecules to leverage the benefits of genetically-based patient selection (STK11-mutation) with checkpoint inhibitor therapy.
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We are developing TNG348, a novel allosteric inhibitor of USP1 for treatment of BRCA1, BRCA2-mutant and other HRD+ cancers. HRD+ cancers, including BRCA 1/2 mutations, represent approximately 50% of ovarian, 25% of breast, 10% of prostate and 5% of pancreatic cancers. In vivo preclinical studies for TNG348 have shown single agent efficacy and combination benefit with PARP inhibitors in BRCA1, BRCA2-mutant and other HRD+ cell-line and patient derived xenografts, including those that are intrinsically resistant to PARP inhibition. These preclinical data further demonstrate that TNG348 is synergistic with PARP inhibition across a panel of human ovarian and breast cancer cell lines, including both PARP inhibitor sensitive and resistant lines. Clinically, we expect TNG348 to have single agent activity in PARP inhibitor-naïve and PARP inhibitor-resistant BRCA1/2 mutant and other HRD+ cancers. Additionally, we expect TNG348 to synergize with PARP inhibitors in these acquired resistance settings, effectively restoring sensitivity to PARPi. The FDA cleared the TNG348 IND in the third quarter of 2023 and we announced the first patient in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial was dosed in January 2024. Patients are actively being enrolled in the dose escalation portion of the trial.
In October 2018, we entered into a collaboration agreement with Gilead (Gilead Agreement), which was expanded in August 2020. Our immune evasion platform is the foundation for this collaboration. Under the Gilead Agreement, we work together to identify and develop novel immune evasion targets by leveraging our proprietary functional genomics-based discovery platform. To date, Gilead has licensed three programs and has extended their option on two other programs. Our collaboration with Gilead excludes PRMT5, CoREST and USP1 programs as well as a growing pipeline of novel targets identified in our non-immune based target discovery screens. We retain the right to identify and validate targets outside the scope of our collaboration with Gilead, which includes all cell autonomous targets except those discovered in immune evasion contexts, and to develop and commercialize products directed to such targets on our own or in collaboration with third parties. See “— Collaboration and License Agreements — Collaboration and License Agreement with Gilead Sciences” for additional information.
Our Pipeline
We are leveraging the power and productivity of our discovery engine to discover and validate multiple novel targets each year. Our growing pipeline consists of discovery programs for multiple cancer types with limited treatment options as summarized in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Tango Therapeutics' product pipeline
Our Strategy
We are pioneering novel approaches to the discovery and development of innovative precision oncology therapies. We leverage the following core strategic components, enabling the pursuit of transformative therapies for patients with cancer:
•
Advance the clinical development of TNG908, a MTA-cooperative, brain penetrant PRMT5 inhibitor that is synthetic lethal with MTAP deletion, with a focus on GBM
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•
Advance the clinical development of TNG462, a next-generation PRMT5 inhibitor, that has improved potency and selectivity compared to TNG908 in preclinical models
•
Advance the clinical development of TNG260, a CoREST inhibitor, one of the first immunotherapy programs targeting genetically-defined patients with STK11-mutant cancers
•
Advance the clinical development of TNG348, a USP1 inhibitor in BRCA1/2-mutant and other HRD+ cancers
•
Discover and drug the next generation of synthetic lethal precision oncology targets to continue to grow our pipeline
•
Opportunistically evaluate and maximize the value of strategic collaborations to bring more medicines to patients, accelerate development timelines and explore combination therapy approaches for our product candidates
BACKGROUND
Unmet need of cancers caused by tumor suppressor gene loss
Many genetic drivers of cancer have been well-characterized but have not been directly targeted due to their molecular structure (undruggable oncogenes) or functional loss (tumor suppressor genes). Tumor suppressor gene loss represents a significant portion of the many genetic alterations that drive the formation of cancers but it remains a largely unaddressed target space. Targeting tumor suppressor gene loss directly is not possible because they are deleted or inactivated, and the immune evasion effects of tumor suppressor gene loss has only recently been described. We are using the concept of synthetic lethality to address the unmet medical need of these large groups of patients characterized by tumor suppressor gene loss and activation of immune evasion genes.
Synthetic lethality to address tumor suppressor gene loss
Synthetic lethal therapies for cancer refers to pairs of genes where one is inactivated by a genetic alteration and the other is inhibited pharmacologically. While genetic alterations give rise to the development of cancer, they also create a unique vulnerability that can be exploited therapeutically. Biologically, such vulnerability can be the inability of cancer cells to respond to a specific signal, such as DNA damage or cell cycle arrest, or the inability to remodel chromatin or to maintain cellular homeostasis. The unique advantage of a synthetic lethal approach to cancer therapy is that normal cells are not vulnerable to the synthetic lethal drug target and are largely unaffected at drug doses where the mutant cancer cells are selectively killed, noted in Figure 2 below. The recent success of PARP inhibitors in BRCA-mutant breast, ovarian and prostate cancers is the first clinical example of using synthetic lethality to target tumor suppressor gene loss.
Figure 2. In cancer cells, when a tumor suppressor gene is lost, it creates a genetic vulnerability that allows an inhibitor to target a synthetic lethal partner gene causing cell death. This selective killing only occurs in cancer cells with tumor suppressor loss, therefore largely sparing the normal cells. Therefore, these synthetic lethality targets inherently can offer a wide therapeutic index.
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Moreover, we plan to use the tumor suppressor gene loss as a patient selection marker for clinical trial enrollment to ensure we are enrolling the patients most likely to benefit from each new drug candidate. We believe this approach should enable efficient clinical development and increase the probability of success with maximum clinical benefit for the patient.
Our immune evasion platform
Our synthetic lethal target discovery approach can be adapted to identify druggable targets that do not kill cancer cells directly, but rather attract immune cells to destroy them. Our immune evasion target discovery platform was designed to leverage immuno-oncology therapies with genetically-defined patient populations to maximize clinical benefit. We are addressing the unmet medical need of this large group of patients by identifying novel immune evasion genes that (i) are activated by tumor suppressor gene loss and (ii) the effects of which can be reversed through inhibition with a small molecule. In the first step, we perform an in vivo CRISPR-based screen using immune cell-mediated cell killing as the readout. This first step allows us to identify tumor suppressor genes linked to immune evasion. For the second step, we repeat the in vivo CRISPR screen in animals with an intact immune system looking for potential drug targets that reverse the immune evasion effects of the tumor suppressor gene deletion.
OUR PROGRAMS
PRMT5 inhibitors
Overview
We are currently developing TNG908 and TNG462, potent and selective oral small molecule MTA-cooperative inhibitors of PRMT5, which are designed to be synthetic lethal with MTAP deletion. Current preclinical data suggest the PRMT5-MTAP synthetic lethal interaction is one of the strongest and most prevalent synthetic lethal interactions in human cancers and represents a subset of synthetic lethality termed collateral lethality. This synthetic lethal interaction occurs when MTAP is co-deleted as a “passenger” with the frequently deleted tumor suppressor gene, CDKN2A (p16). The synthetic lethality occurs because MTAP-deleted cells accumulate the PRMT5 inhibitory factor MTA. As a result, PRMT5 is partially inhibited in MTAP-deleted cells, making those cells more sensitive than normal cells to further inhibition of PRMT5 activity.
Taking advantage of this unique interaction between PRMT5 inhibition and MTAP deletion requires that the inhibitors have a specific binding mechanism called MTA cooperativity. TNG908 and TNG462 bind cooperatively with MTA to inhibit PRMT5 function by blocking access to the PRMT5 active site for both protein substrates and the activating PRMT5 co-factor SAM. This MTA-cooperative binding mechanism allows selective inhibition of PRMT5 in tumor cells that have lost MTAP (MTAP-null) while being relatively inert in normal cells without MTAP deletion (MTAP WT). We believe TNG908 and TNG462 are differentiated from non-MTA-cooperative PRMT5 inhibitors as a result of this mechanism of action. This approach is expected to result in a large therapeutic window in patients with MTAP-deleted tumors, potentially limiting toxicity and leading to meaningful clinical responses.
We are developing TNG908 for the treatment of patients with solid tumors with homozygous MTAP deletion (10- 15% of all human tumors) including GBM, NSCLC and pancreatic cancer. In preclinical studies, TNG908 has 15-fold greater selectivity for MTAP-null cancer cells over MTAP WT cells, strong anti-tumor effectsin vivo, and PK that support its potential to be a leading PRMT5 inhibitor if approved. TNG908 is brain penetrant and therefore a potential treatment option for patients with MTAP-deleted tumors of the central nervous system (CNS), including GBM and CNS metastases of MTAP-deleted solid tumors such as lung cancer. The FDA granted TNG908 Fast Track designation and additionally granted Orphan Drug Designations to TNG908 for the treatment of MPNST and malignant glioma, including GBM. Patients are actively being enrolled in the dose escalation portion of the Phase 1/2 clinical trial, including those with GBM, and to date, the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics profiles of TNG908 are favorable. Clinical data from the ongoing trial are expected in 2024.
We also are developing TNG462, a more potent and selective PRMT5 inhibitor with improved PK properties as compared to TNG908. We believe additional potency may allow stronger target inhibition and thus clinical efficacy, and additional selectivity for MTAP-deleted cells may provide a wider therapeutic index. The FDA has granted Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of soft tissue sarcomas and Fast Track Designation for TNG462. The TNG462 IND cleared in the first quarter of 2023 and we announced the first patient in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial was dosed in July 2023. The trial, which will require all patients to have a homozygous MTAP deletion, will evaluate cancers including NSCLC and pancreatic cancer. Unlike TNG908, GBM will be excluded from the clinical trial as TNG462 is not expected to cross the blood-brain
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barrier. Patients are actively being enrolled in the dose escalation portion of the Phase 1/2 clinical trial and to date, the preliminary safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics profiles of TNG462 are favorable.
By advancing both TNG908 and TNG462 into the clinic, we not only maximize the opportunity to help patients with MTAP-deleted cancers but also increase our strategic optionality to develop and potentially commercialize one or both PRMT5 inhibitors. While the IND for TNG462 was filed one year after the TNG908 IND, the timing for completion of the dose escalation portion of the two trials clinical trials are converging. This, we believe, is due to the accelerated timeline for TNG462 dose escalation, resulting from 1) a starting dose close to the predicted efficacious range due to higher selectivity for MTAP-deleted cells than TNG908, 2) dose doubling in escalation versus 50% increases with TNG908, and 3) rapid patient enrollment due to investigator familiarity with MTAP deletion screening. Emerging data from these trials will enable optimization of our clinical development plans.
MTAP-deletion frequency in multiple solid tumor types
A partial deletion of chromosome 9p21, driven by loss of the tumor suppressor gene CDKN2A, is the most common homozygous deletion in human cancer. MTAP is adjacent to CDKN2A and is lost along with it in 80-90% of CDKN2A-deleted tumors, thus MTAP is one of the most commonly deleted genes across all cancer types. Based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data and data from a 2014 publication by Lee et al, there are at least 15 cancer types where MTAP loss occurs in more than 10% of patients, including approximately 10% of non-squamous NSCLC, 20% of squamous NSCLC, 25% of bladder cancers, 10% of soft tissue sarcoma and 40% of GBM. Given that we believe this is a large and important opportunity for patients with cancer, we are developing both TNG908 and TNG462.
Figure 3. The frequency of MTAP deletion across tumor types as determined from analysis of TCGA and an indication specific publication
PRMT5 mechanism of action
PRMT5 has long been a therapeutic target of interest for cancer given its role in regulating proteins involved in multiple essential cellular functions, including RNA splicing, cell cycling, cell death, and metabolic signaling. PRMT5 is a
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protein arginine methyltransferase that modifies the activity of these proteins, which are critical for growth and viability of both normal and cancer cells.
PRMT5 methylates target proteins by removing a methyl group from SAM, the co-factor and methyl donor which is necessary for PRMT5 activity, and transferring that methyl group to a specific residue on target proteins. This methyl modification, or “mark,” alters the function of the target protein, thereby regulating the cell processes for which the protein is important.
The function of PRMT5 is regulated in several ways, including by the endogenous inhibitor MTA. MTA directly competes with SAM for binding to the PRMT5 active site but does not have a methyl donor. Thus, when present, MTA inhibits PRMT5 function.
MTA-cooperative PRMT5 inhibition as a novel synthetic lethal mechanism in cancers with MTAP-deletion
Our differentiated approach with TNG908 and TNG462
The challenge for PRMT5 inhibitors that are not MTA-cooperative is that they kill rapidly growing normal cells (bone marrow cells in particular) as effectively as cancer cells and therefore the level of inhibition needed to kill cancer cells is reduced by on-target, dose-limiting bone marrow toxicity. To address this problem, we designed TNG908 and TNG462 to be selectively active (synthetic lethal) in cancer cells that have a homozygous deletion of MTAP, which is not deleted in normal cells.
TNG908 and TNG462 bind PRMT5 cooperatively with MTA, whereas the non-MTA-cooperative PRMT5 inhibitors previously evaluated in clinical trials are either SAM-cooperative or SAM-competitive. In normal cells (MTAP WT), MTA is rapidly degraded by MTAP. When MTAP is deleted in cancer cells, intracellular MTA is markedly elevated compared to normal cells (Figures 4 and 5 below). TNG908 and TNG462 preferentially bind PRMT5 in the presence of MTA and “lock” the enzyme into the inactive state which prevents PRMT5 from methylating target proteins critical for cell survival. As a result, TNG908 and TNG462 selectively kill MTAP-deleted tumor cells with elevated MTA levels while sparing normal cells.
Figure 4. Schematic of PRMT5 and MTAP functions
PRMT5 is an essential enzyme for all cell types, and MTAP deletion in cancer cells results in tumor specific sensitivity to PRMT5 inhibition. MTA-cooperative PRMT5 inhibitors, such as TNG908 and TNG462, may provide a wide therapeutic index by preferentially inhibiting PRMT5 in MTAP-deleted cancer cells, while relatively sparing normal tissue.
Figure 5. TNG908 and TNG462 have an MTA-cooperative mechanism of action that is selective for MTAP-deleted cancer cells
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We compared the potency and selectivity of TNG908 and TNG462 to a non-MTA-cooperative PRMT5 inhibitor, GSK3326595, in a panel of 180 cancer cell lines representing multiple histologies, including NSCLC, bladder cancer, pancreatic cancer, mesothelioma, cancers of the central nervous system, leukemia and lymphoma. TNG908 and TNG462 demonstrated significant MTAP-selective inhibition of viability, while GSK3326595 showed no selectivity for MTAP-null cell lines over MTAP WT (Figure 6).
Figure 6. TNG462 and TNG908 demonstrate strong MTAP selectivity in 180 cancer cell lines as compared to GSK3326595
PRMT5 catalyzes SDMA residues of substrate proteins, a modification that can be detected and quantified by SDMA-specific antibodies as a direct measurement of PRMT5 activity. Therefore, SDMA quantification can be used as a PD biomarker for PRMT5 inhibitors. TNG908 and TNG462 both inhibit PRMT5 90-100% in the MTAP-null HAP1 cell line with marked selectivity over the MTAP WT cell line (Figure 7). Consistent with cancer cell line data, TNG908 pharmacodynamic and anti-tumor activity are selective for MTAP-deleted cancer cells in isogenic xenograft models that differ only by presence or absence of the MTAP gene (Figure 8). In assays developed to monitor the pharmacodynamic activity of TNG908 and TNG462, deep suppression of the SDMA signal is necessary but not sufficient to drive tumor regressions, presumably due to inability of the assay to detect cellular SDMA levels when >90% PRMT5 inhibition is achieved. Notably, the anti-tumor activity of MTA-cooperative PRMT5 inhibitors is not predominantly driven by the selectivity for MTAP-deleted cells, but likely by a balance of potency, selectivity, and pharmacokinetic properties leading to enhanced target coverage (Figure 9).
Figure 7. PRMT5 inhibition by TNG908 and TNG462 is dose-dependent and MTAP-selective.
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In vitro in-cell western data demonstrating dose-dependent reduction of SDMA levels after 24 hours of TNG908 or TNG462 treatment in HAP1 MTAP-isogenic cancer cell lines
Figure 8. Maximal TNG908 pharmacodynamic and anti-tumor activity in HCT116 MTAP-isogenic xenograft models occurs at doses above those which result in full SDMA signal ablation
Figure 9. Selectivity for MTAP-del cells is not the primary driver of anti-tumor activity in LU99 xenografts
PRMT5 preclinical data overview
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TNG908 and TNG462 are both highly selective for PRMT5 against a panel of 38 methyltransferases at 10 μM, showing they do not inhibit any other methyltransferases at exposures well above the predicted clinical efficacious exposure range. We believe that both TNG908 and TNG462 have favorable drug-like properties and both are formulated for oral administration. Dose-dependent PRMT5 inhibition and anti-tumor efficacy have been shown in MTAP-null xenograft models, which demonstrate that both molecules suppress tumor growth in an on-target manner.
TNG908 and TNG462 drive dose-dependent, on-target, anti-tumor activity including deep and durable regressions in MTAP-null xenograft models regardless of histology. TNG462 has demonstrated increased potency and MTAP deletion selectivity as compared to TNG908. Additionally, due to improved PK properties, TNG462 is dosed once daily in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial.
TNG908 preclinical data summary
In our preclinical studies, TNG908 demonstrated 15-fold greater potency in MTAP-deleted cancer cells versus normal cells and robust efficacy in vitro and in vivo. Consistent with these findings, TNG908 demonstrated significant and dose-dependent anti-tumor activity in over 50 xenograft models representing multiple tumor lineages (sample data shown in Figure 10) that did not have a bias to specific histologies. These histology-agnostic responses included strong and durable regressions in a number of models including PDX models of cholangiocarcinoma, NSCLC, bladder cancer and GBM. Notably, in both the NSCLC (squamous) and GBM PDX models shown in Figure 10, complete responses were observed in mice treated with TNG908 and maintained when therapy was discontinued in all mice (NSCLC-squamous PDX) and in 4/5 mice (GBM PDX).
Figure 10. TNG908 demonstrates strong anti-tumor activity with regressions in MTAP-deleted xenograft models
In preclinical non-human primate studies, TNG908 has exposure in CSF that is equivalent to plasma when corrected for protein-binding. In addition to the strong anti-tumor activity demonstrated in subcutaneous MTAP-null GBM xenograft models, we also have shown strong efficacy and prolonged survival in a GBM xenograft model that was inoculated in the brain. We believe these data position TNG908 as a potential treatment option for patients with MTAP-deleted tumors of the CNS, including GBM and CNS metastases of MTAP-deleted solid tumors.
TNG462 preclinical data summary
TNG462 has the same mechanism of action as TNG908, with improved potency and selectivity in MTAP-deleted cancer cell lines. In preclinical studies, TNG462 is 45 times more selective for MTAP-deleted cells (3-fold greater than TNG908) and 28 times more potent than TNG908, which may translate to a wider therapeutic index and stronger target inhibition than TNG908. TNG462 has improved PK properties relative to TNG908 that support once daily dosing in the clinic. Similar to TNG908, TNG462 drives strong anti-tumor activity without bias towards any specific histology. Deep and
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durable regressions were demonstrated in PDX models derived from cholangiocarcinoma, mesothelioma, lung, bladder and pancreatic cancer (sample data shown in Figure 11). In the preclinical models, TNG462 treatment also suppresses tumor growth even after removal of therapy in a NSCLC (squamous) PDX model.
Figure 11. TNG462 demonstrates strong anti-tumor activity with regressions in MTAP-deleted xenograft models
Preclinical combination data
While we expect TNG908 and TNG462 both will show strong single-agent efficacy, we plan to evaluate these molecules clinically in combination with other agents in the future. Based on strong preclinical data showing significant in vivo combination benefit, combinations of potential interest include CDK4/6, KRAS, EGFR and MAT2A inhibitors and potentially other oncogene-targeted therapies.
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Essentially all MTAP-deleted tumors also have a CDKN2A deletion and CDKN2A deletion may sensitize cancers to CDK4/6 inhibition, thus combining TNG462 or TNG908 with a CDK4/6 inhibitor may further enhance the clinical benefit of either inhibitor alone. We have demonstrated the efficacy of this combination in preclinical in vivo studies.
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Approximately 30% of MTAP-deleted lung adenocarcinomas and 85% of MTAP-deleted pancreatic adenocarcinomas are also KRAS-mutant, therefore combining TNG908 or TNG462 with a KRAS inhibitor in these patients may have clinical benefit. Preclinical in vivo studies further support testing these combinations in clinical trials.
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20%-50% of MTAP-deleted lung adenocarcinomas are also EGFR-mutant, therefore, combining TNG908 or TNG462 with an EGFR inhibitor in these patients may have a clinical benefit. Preclinical studies in EGFR-mutant lung models further support testing these combinations in clinical trials.
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MAT2A inhibitors reduce intracellular levels of the activating PRMT5 co-factor, SAM, and increase the ratio of MTA to SAM in MTAP-deleted cells. Strong synergy has been demonstrated preclinically with sub-therapeutic doses of both TNG908 and TNG462 and a MAT2A inhibitor, suggesting that this could be a beneficial clinical combination in MTAP-deleted tumors. However, single agent TNG462 with optimized dosing is as efficacious as the combination with a MAT2A in the same xenograft model.
Clinical trials
TNG908 Phase 1/2
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The Phase 1/2 first-in-human trial is evaluating the oral administration of TNG908 monotherapy in patients with MTAP-deleted tumors (See Figure 12 below). As TNG908 is designed to selectively inhibit PRMT5 in cancers with MTAP deletion, we are limiting enrollment to patients with MTAP-deleted cancers.
We are actively enrolling patients in the dose escalation phase and evaluating safety, PK and PD and efficacy in patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors of any histology with an MTAP deletion. Following determination of the optimal efficacious dose, we will evaluate the efficacy of TNG908 in multiple histology-specific expansion arms including GBM, NSCLC, pancreatic cancer, sarcoma and mesothelioma. In parallel, we will enroll a histology-agnostic cohort to provide optionality for a registration strategy in all tumors regardless of histology if broad activity is observed. Given that MTAP deletion is common in multiple indications, we may expand into additional histology-specific cohorts based on activity observed in the Phase 1/2 trial.
In dose expansion, the indication specific cohorts were selected based on the unmet medical need for new therapies in prevalent histologies, including NSCLC as well as indications where there are limited treatment options such as GBM and pancreatic cancer.
In the first quarter of 2022, the FDA cleared the IND for the Phase 1/2 trial and granted Fast Track designation to TNG908. Initial PD data from the ongoing TNG908 dose escalation study in cohorts 1 and 2, released in May 2023, provided proof-of-mechanism of MTA-cooperative PRMT5 inhibition, demonstrated by marked reduction of SDMA staining in MTAP-deleted cancer cells versus normal tissue. Pre-treatment and on-treatment biopsies demonstrated dose-dependent decreases in tumor SDMA staining with minimal or no decrease in normal tissue (See Figure 13 below). The selective inhibition of PRMT5 in MTAP-deleted cancer cells is essential to enable the therapeutic index needed for efficacy. We are actively enrolling patients in the dose escalation portion of the trial and to date, the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics profiles are favorable. Clinical data from the ongoing trial are expected in 2024.
Figure 12. TNG908 First-in-human trial schema.
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Figure 13. TNG908 proof-of-mechanism for MTA-cooperative PRMT5 inhibition.
TNG462 Phase 1/2
In the first quarter of 2023, the FDA cleared the IND for the Phase 1/2 trial and granted Fast Track designation to TNG462. The trial design closely resembles that of TNG908. The dose expansion portion of the clinical trial includes NSCLC, pancreatic cancer, sarcoma, mesothelioma and a histology-agnostic cohort for all other MTAP-deleted tumor types. Unlike TNG908, GBM patients will be excluded from the clinical trial as TNG462 is not expected to cross the blood-brain barrier.
In July 2023, we announced the first patient in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial was dosed. We are actively enrolling patients in the dose escalation portion of the trial and to date, the preliminary safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics profiles are favorable.
TNG260, CoREST-Selective Inhibitor
Overview
CoREST was discovered as a drug target with the potential to reverse the immune evasion associated with STK11 mutations using our immune evasion target discovery platform. This platform uses high throughput in vivo CRISPR-based target discovery screens to identify druggable targets that do not kill cancer cells directly, but rather attract immune cells to destroy them in the context of specific tumor suppressor gene loss.
TNG260 is a novel small molecule inhibitor of the CoREST deacetylase complex that reverses checkpoint inhibitor resistance in STK11 mutant preclinical models. TNG260 is being developed in combination with an anti-PD-1 antibody and is designed to reverse immune evasion in STK11-mutant cancers, with the aim of restoring sensitivity to immune checkpoint inhibition (Figure 14). In preclinical studies, selective CoREST inhibition by TNG260 in combination with an anti-PD-1 antibody resulted in complete regressions in ~60% of mice as a result of the transcriptional reprogramming of STK11-mutant tumor cells. In STK11-mutant cancers, TNG260 directly alters tumor cell cytokine secretion, markedly reduces recruitment of immune suppressive T regulatory cells, and upregulates components of the antigen presentation machinery as well as PD-L1, which together lead to a more immunogenic tumor microenvironment. Preclinically, TNG260 in combination with an anti-PD-1 antibody resulted in complete tumor regressions and induced immune memory, preventing regrowth of STK11-mutant tumors. STK11 loss-of-function mutations occur in approximately 15% of NSCLC, 15% of cervical, 10% carcinoma of unknown primary, 5% of breast and 3% of pancreatic cancers. In the first quarter of 2023, the FDA cleared the TNG260 IND and we announced the first patient in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial was dosed in July 2023. Patients are actively being
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enrolled in the dose escalation portion of the trial and to date, the preliminary safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics profiles of TNG260 are favorable.
Mechanism of action
STK11 mutant cancers have several key features that contribute to an immune checkpoint resistant tumor microenvironment, including low PD-L1 expression, low T effector cell infiltration, and high levels of immune suppressor T regulatory cells. Treatment with an immune checkpoint inhibitor, such as anti-PD-1, is not sufficient to overcome the immune evasive environment of STK11-mutant tumors, leading to very limited clinical response in these patients. Inhibition of the CoREST complex by TNG260 has been shown to lead to changes in expression of immune-related genes that favor a more active immune environment. For example, TNG260 treatment leads to increased expression of CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11, which are cytokines responsible for recruiting T effector cells, therefore increasing the anti-tumor immune response when combined with anti-PD-1 antibody. Additionally, the combination of TNG260 with an anti-PD-1 antibody in preclinical studies leads to decreased expression of CCL1 and CCL22, which are chemokines responsible for recruiting immune suppressive regulatory T cells to the tumor environment. Together, this leads to an uncoupling of the levels of T effector and regulatory T cells in the tumor, which contributes to a more active immune microenvironment and re-sensitization to anti-PD-1 treatment.
Figure 14. TNG260 mechanism of action
Target discovery
Our state-of-the-art in vivo CRISPR discovery platform enabled the discovery of STK11 as a tumor suppressor gene that drives immune evasion when not functional in cancer cells. We engineered a syngeneic mouse tumor model in which STK11 loss-of-function drives resistance to immune checkpoint blockade. Applying our in vivo CRISPR screen in this STK11 loss-of-function model, HDAC1 was identified as a target that reversed anti-PD-1 resistance caused by STK11 deletion. Though HDAC1 is a component of three major regulatory complexes, we observed that TNG260 is highly selective and only inhibits the CoREST complex and spares the other two complexes (Sin3 and NuRD).
Preclinical data summary
In preclinical models, TNG260 demonstrated strong genetic and pharmacologic validation showing reprogramming of the tumor microenvironment and strong sensitization to anti-PD-1 therapy in STK11-deficient tumor models. In a syngeneic mouse tumor model where STK11 mutations drive resistance to immune checkpoint blockade, CoREST inhibition by TNG260 in combination with an anti-PD-1 antibody resulted in complete tumor regressions in five out of eight treated mice. Treatment was stopped on Day 48 and the five of eight mice that were completely tumor-free at that time remained tumor-free for 21 days with no further treatment. Furthermore, when tumor cells were re-implanted in these mice on day 69, they were rejected, compared to a treatment-naïve group of animals where tumors grew as expected. This demonstrated the induction of immune memory in the animals with complete responses to TNG260 with anti-PD-1 antibody (Figure 15).
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Figure 15: Pharmacologic proof-of-concept for CoREST inhibition in STK11 mutant MC38 mouse tumors with TNG260 in combination with an anti-PD-1 antibody
Clinical trials
Our Phase 1/2 first-in-human trial of TNG260 evaluates the oral administration of TNG260 in combination with pembrolizumab (anti-PD-1 antibody) in patients with STK11-mutant solid tumors (Figure 16). As TNG260 is designed to work in combination with anti-PD-1 antibodies in tumors with STK11 loss, enrollment is limited to patients with STK11 mutated tumors.
We are actively enrolling patients in the dose escalation phase and evaluating safety, PK, PD, and efficacy of TNG260 in combination with pembrolizumab in patients with locally advanced or metastatic cancer of any solid tumor histology with an STK11 mutation. Since efficacy with TNG260 requires combination with an anti-PD-1 antibody, TNG260 is being evaluated in combination with pembrolizumab. In the dose escalation phase, patients receive TNG260 as single agent for the first 21 days of therapy, at which time pembrolizumab is added to TNG260. Following determination of the optimal efficacious dose, we will evaluate the efficacy of TNG260 plus pembrolizumab in indication-specific expansion arm for STK11 mutated NSCLC. In parallel, we will enroll a solid tumor, histology-agnostic cohort including cervical, pancreatic and breast cancer as well as carcinoma of unknown primary.
In the first quarter of 2023, the FDA cleared the TNG260 IND and we announced the first patient in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial was dosed in July 2023. The FDA also granted Fast Track designation to TNG260. We are actively enrolling
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patients in the dose escalation portion of the trial and to date, the preliminary safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics profiles are favorable.
Figure 16. TNG260 in combination with pembrolizumab first-in-human trial schema
TNG348, USP1 Inhibitor
Overview
TNG348 is a novel allosteric inhibitor of USP1 for treatment of BRCA-mutant and other HRD+ cancers. USP1 was initially identified as a strong synthetic lethal target for BRCA1 loss-of-function using CRISPR-based screens in a panel of BRCA1-mutant versus wild-type cancer cell lines. In vivo preclinical studies of TNG348 have shown single agent efficacy and combination benefit with PARP inhibitors in BRCA1, BRCA2-mutant and other HRD+ cell-line and patient derived xenografts, including those that are intrinsically resistant to PARP inhibitors. These preclinical data further demonstrate that TNG348 is synergistic with PARP inhibition across a panel of human ovarian and breast cancer cell lines, including both PARP inhibitor sensitive and resistant models. Clinically, we expect TNG348 to have both single agent activity and combination benefit with PARP inhibitors in PARP inhibitor-naïve and PARP inhibitor-resistant BRCA1/2 mutant cancers and other HRD+ cancers. As such, USP1 has the potential to treat a patient population that is at least comparable in size to the PARP inhibitor market. HRD+ cancers, including BRCA1/2 mutations, represent up to 50% of ovarian cancers, 25% of breast cancers, 10% of prostate cancers and 5% of pancreatic cancers. The FDA cleared the TNG348 IND in the third quarter of 2023 and we announced the first patient in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial was dosed in January 2024.
Mechanism of action
While normal cells have multiple mechanisms to repair damaged DNA and prevent the associated cell death, tumors with BRCA1/2 mutations lack one of those mechanisms, the ability to repair double strand breaks. BRCA1/2 mutant and other HRD+ cancers rely in part on translesion synthesis (TLS) and base excision repair (BER) for DNA damage repair and cell survival. USP1 and PARP inhibitors exploit these dependencies by preventing efficient translesion synthesis and base
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excision repair respectively (See Figure 17). Clinically, blocking DNA damage repair to induce cancer cell death is a validated therapeutic strategy in oncology as exemplified by PARP inhibitors for the treatment of BRCA1/2 mutant cancers.
Figure 17. Overview of DNA damage repair mechanism and how genetic alterations causing homologous recombination deficiency, such as BRCA1/2 loss, leads to a dependency on translesion synthesis (USP1) and base excision repair (PARP) pathways
USP1 is a deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB) that co-localizes with PCNA to DNA replication forks to ensure high-fidelity DNA replication. A major role of USP1 is to remove ubiquitin from mono-ubiquitinated PCNA (ub-PCNA) at sites of DNA damage to complete repair by translesion synthesis (Figure 18). TNG348 inhibits USP1, blocking ubiquitin removal from PCNA, driving PCNA poly-ubiquitination and stalling DNA damage repair. Ultimately, the replication stress induced by PCNA accumulation at sites of DNA damage leads to decreased DNA synthesis, cell cycle arrest, and cell death (Simoneau A et al. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, 2023).
Figure 18. TNG348 inhibits USP1, blocking translesion synthesis, an important DNA damage repair pathway.
Preclinical data summary
The DNA damage repair pathways regulated by USP1 are not currently targeted by any marketed drug. Based on genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screens in the presence of our USP1 inhibitors, we validated that the activity of TNG348
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converges on ubiquitination of PCNA, which represent a highly differentiated mechanism relative to other DNA damage repair enzyme inhibitors, including PARP inhibitors (Figures 17 and 18). Based on in vitro cell line profiling and in vivo studies in patient-derived xenograft models, we expect TNG348 to have both single agent activity and combination benefit with PARP inhibitors in PARP inhibitor-naïve and PARP inhibitor-resistant cancers. (See Figure 19 and Figure 20). Because USP1 inhibition blocks TLS and PARP inhibition blocks BER, the drug combination is highly synergistic resulting in tumor regression in multiple patient-derived xenograft models that are not sensitive to either single agent alone (Figure 21).
Figure 19. TNG348 profiling using 7-14 day clonogenic assays across a panel of sixty-one breast and ovarian cancer cell lines, including BRCA1/2 mutant and HRD+ models, show single agent activity and strong combination synergy with PARP inhibitors.
Figure 20. TNG348 in combination with olaparib overcomes PARPi resistance in a BRCA1mut patient-derived xenograft breast cancer model of acquired PARPi-resistance.
Figure 21. TNG348 has significant combination benefit with a PARP inhibitor in patient derived xenograft models harboring BRCA1 mutations and/or homologous recombination repair defects.
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Clinical trials
Our Phase 1/2 first-in-human trial of TNG348 is evaluating the safety, PK and PD and efficacy in patients with HRD+ advanced or metastatic solid tumors as a single agent and in combination with olaparib, a PARP inhibitor (Figure 22). Enrollment is limited to patients with HRD+ solid tumors, including BRCA1/2 mutations.
The combination of TNG348 with olaparib will be initiated when a safe and pharmacologically active dose of TNG348 is determined. Following determination of the optimal efficacious dose of TNG348 alone and in combination with olaparib, we will evaluate the efficacy of TNG348 in two expansion arms including BRCA1/2-mutant ovarian and breast cancer. The efficacy of TNG348 in combination with olaparib will be evaluated in multiple expansion arms, including BRCA1/2-mutant ovarian, breast, pancreatic, prostate, and other histology agnostic HRD+ solid tumors.
The FDA cleared the TNG348 IND in the third quarter of 2023 and we announced the first patient was dosed in January 2024. The FDA also granted Fast Track designation to TNG348. We are actively enrolling patients in the dose escalation portion of the trial.
Figure 22. TNG348 in combination with olaparib, first-in-human trial schema
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Collaboration and License Agreements
Collaboration and License Agreement with Gilead Sciences
In August 2020, we entered into an amended and restated research collaboration and license agreement, which we refer to as the Gilead Agreement, with Gilead. The Gilead Agreement expanded our 2018 collaboration with Gilead, or the 2018 Gilead Agreement. Pursuant to the Gilead Agreement we use our proprietary functional genomics-based discovery platform to identify and develop novel immune evasion targets during a seven-year period ending in August 2027, or the Research Term. During the Research Term, Gilead has the option to obtain exclusive, worldwide licenses to develop and commercialize products directed to up to 15 targets validated in the collaboration. Prior to exercising its option for a program, Gilead may “extend” such program, in which case we will further collaborate with Gilead during the Research Term to discover and develop immuno-oncology treatments directed to such target(s), potentially through early clinical development and be eligible to receive research extension payments from Gilead. Gilead will retain its option rights to any such extended program. For up to five programs licensed by Gilead, we have the option to co-develop and co-promote the lead product for such program in the United States, subject to certain exceptions, and eligible to receive milestone payments and royalties on ex-U.S. sales.
Under the terms of the Gilead Agreement, we received an upfront payment of $125.0 million in addition to an upfront payment of $50.0 million received under the 2018 Gilead Agreement. We also received a $20.0 million equity investment in connection with the Gilead Agreement, and as of December 31, 2023, we received $26.1 million in license fees and $24.0 million in research extension fees. We are eligible to receive up to an additional $410.0 million per program in license, research extension, and clinical, regulatory and commercial milestone payments. We are also eligible to receive tiered royalties in the first decile on net sales by Gilead on a country-by-country and product-by-product basis until the later of (i) the expiration of the last valid claim of our patents or, in some instances, certain of Gilead’s patents, in each case covering such product in such country or (ii) ten years after the first commercial sale of such product in such country. For those products that we opt to co-develop and co-promote in the United States, we and Gilead will equally split profits and losses from the sales of such products in the United States, as well as development costs for such products attributable to the United States.
Either party may terminate the Gilead Agreement if the other party materially breaches the terms of such agreement, subject to specified notice and cure provisions, or enters into bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings. Additionally, Gilead may terminate the agreement for any or no reason, in its entirety or on a program-by-program basis, upon specified written notice. If we terminate the Gilead Agreement for Gilead’s material breach, or Gilead terminates the Gilead Agreement without cause, then Gilead is obligated to negotiate with us in good faith for a specified period regarding the transfer by
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Gilead of certain assets and the provision by Gilead of certain assistance to enable us to continue the research, development and commercialization of products under any terminated programs.
To date, Gilead has licensed three of our programs and has research option-extended two programs under the Gilead agreements.
Our collaboration with Gilead excludes our lead programs, PRMT5, CoREST, USP1 as well as a growing pipeline of novel targets identified in our non-immune related target discovery screens. We also retain the right to identify and validate targets outside the scope of our collaboration with Gilead (all cell-autonomous targets, exclusive of those in immune evasion contexts), and to develop and commercialize products directed to such targets, on our own or in collaboration with third parties.
License Agreement with Medivir AB
In March 2020, we entered into a license agreement, or the Medivir Agreement, with Medivir AB, or Medivir, pursuant to which we obtained a worldwide, royalty-bearing, exclusive license under certain current and/or future patents and know-how of Medivir, to research, develop and commercialize products that are covered by such licensed patents or otherwise modulate USP1.
Under the terms of the Medivir Agreement, we are obligated to pay Medivir in connection with development, regulatory and commercial activities. We have agreed to make certain milestone payments of (i) $1.4 million in the aggregate for the first licensed product that achieves specified clinical milestones plus $25.0 million for the first licensed product that achieves specified regulatory approval and sales milestones, in each case, in either of the first two specified genetic contexts and (ii) $0.7 million in the aggregate if that first licensed product achieves specified clinical milestones plus $5.0 million if that first licensed product achieves specified regulatory and sales milestones for a third genetic context or the second licensed product achieves such specified development, regulatory and sales milestones in either of the first two specified genetic contexts. We have the right to reduce these milestone payments by a specified amount in the event the licensed product is not covered by Medivir’s patents or if payments are due to a third party for a license under such third party’s intellectual property rights. We are also obligated to pay Medivir a low single-digit royalty on net sales of any product covered by a licensed patent.
Payments in respect of net sales or sublicense in a country shall remain in force on a product-by-product, country-by-country basis, with respect to products that are not covered by a licensed patent or certain of our patents, for ten years from the date of first commercial sale in such country, and products that are covered by a licensed patent or certain of our patents, until the expiration date of the last to expire of the licensed patents covering such product or its manufacture or use in the applicable country.
The Medivir Agreement expires on the date of expiration of all royalty obligations. Either party may terminate the Medivir Agreement earlier upon an uncured material breach of the other party.
Manufacturing
Our lead investigational products are small molecule inhibitors that can be readily manufactured without requiring any specialized equipment or processes. We do not own or operate, and currently have no plans to establish, any manufacturing facilities. We rely, and expect to continue to rely, on third-party Contract Development and Manufacturing Organizations, or CDMOs for the manufacturing, packaging, labeling and distribution of our investigational products for preclinical and clinical testing, as well as for commercial manufacturing if any of our investigational products obtain marketing approval. A team of internal experts oversee activities at our contracted CDMOs with the goal of ensuring our investigational products are being manufactured under current good manufacturing practices, or cGMP. Currently, all manufacturing of the drug substance for our product candidates to be used in our clinical trials is conducted by one manufacturer and manufacturing of the drug product to be used in our clinical trials is conducted by two manufacturers. We believe that the contracted CDMOs have the capacity to support our potential registrational clinical studies, in addition to the first-in-human studies of our product candidates. The operations of one of these CDMOs are located outside the U.S. and the other CDMO conducts its operations for us in a single location in the United States. In addition to the risks related to having only two CDMOs (and only one manufacturer of drug substance), we may also encounter challenges related to supply chain, climate issues, pandemic and geopolitical risks. We plan to further expand and diversify our supply chain by identifying and contracting other CDMOs (beyond the two CDMOs that are currently conducting operations for the Company) with the capacity and expertise to support the drug substance and drug product for our product candidates and other investigational products in our pipeline and to manufacture commercial supply of our drugs (if those therapies obtain regulatory approval). For additional
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information and details on the risk related to manufacturing, see “Item 1A. Risk Factors —The third parties upon whom we rely for the supply of the active pharmaceutical ingredients and drug product to be used in our product candidates are our sole sources of supply, and the loss of any of these suppliers could significantly harm our business.”
Intellectual Property
We strive to protect and enhance the proprietary technology, inventions and improvements that are commercially important to the development of our business and our product candidates, including seeking, maintaining and defending patent rights, whether developed internally or licensed from third parties. We also rely on trade secrets relating to our proprietary target discovery technology platform and on know-how, continuing technological innovation and in-licensing opportunities to develop, strengthen and maintain our proprietary position in the field of precision oncology that may be important for the development of our business and product candidates. We additionally may rely on regulatory protection afforded through data exclusivity, market exclusivity and patent term extensions, where available. Patent rights and regulatory protections are key factors that determine the period of market exclusivity for products in our industry. It is during the period of market exclusivity that, we believe, our potential future products have their greatest commercial value.
Our commercial success may depend in part on our ability to: obtain and maintain patent and other proprietary protection for commercially important technology, inventions and know-how related to our business; defend and enforce our patents; preserve the confidentiality of our trade secrets; and operate without infringing the valid enforceable patents and proprietary rights of third parties. Our ability to limit third parties from making, using, selling, offering to sell, or importing our product candidates (and any future products that may be approved for marketing by regulatory authorities) may depend on the extent to which we have rights under valid and enforceable licenses, patents, or trade secrets that cover these activities. In some cases, enforcement of these rights may depend on third-party licensors. With respect to both licensed and company-owned intellectual property, we cannot be sure that patents will be granted with respect to any of our pending patent applications or with respect to any patent applications filed by us in the future, nor can we be sure that any of our existing patents or any patents that may be granted to us in the future will be commercially useful in protecting our commercial products and methods of manufacturing the same and to the extent such patents are commercially useful in protecting our commercial products or methods of manufacturing, such patents may be challenged or invalidated or otherwise become less useful in protecting our commercial products and methods of manufacturing.
Because a significant portion of a pharmaceutical product’s patent protection can elapse during the course of developing and obtaining regulatory approval of the product, certain countries, including the U.S., provide compensatory mechanisms to extend patent terms for pharmaceutical products. Patent expiration dates noted in the following paragraphs refer to statutory expiration dates and do not take into account any potential patent term adjustment or extension that may be available, or any potential disclaimers that may be needed to obtain certain patents that may reduce the term of such patents to correspond to that of earlier-expiring patents. There is no guarantee that any of our product candidates would be eligible for patent term extensions.
PRMT5 inhibitors
We exclusively own five patent families covering the composition of matter, form and methods of use for our product candidates TNG908, TNG462 and other structurally related PRMT5 inhibitors. For the first family, a US patent has been granted, and patent applications are pending in the United States, Argentina, Pakistan, Taiwan, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Eurasia, Europe, Hong Kong, Israel, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Ukraine and South Africa. Any patents granted in this family would be expected to expire no earlier than 2041. A Patent Cooperation Treaty and a United States application are pending in the second family, and any patents granted in this family would be expected to expire no earlier than 2042. A Patent Cooperation Treaty and United States patent application are pending in the third family, and any patents granted in this family would be expected to expire no earlier than 2043. A provisional United States application is pending in each of the fourth and fifth patent families. Any patents granted in either of these families would be expected to expire no earlier than 2045.
Additionally, we exclusively own six patent families covering other PRMT5 inhibitors and their methods of use with expiration dates ranging from 2039 to 2043. A US patent has been granted and a US patent application is pending in the first family. A US patent application is pending in the second family. Patent Cooperation Treaty applications are pending in the remaining four families.
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USP1 inhibitors
We own two patent families covering the composition of matter, form and methods of use for our product candidate TNG348 and other structurally related USP1 inhibitors. The first family is jointly owned by us and Medivir AB and exclusively licensed to us under the Medivir Agreement. Patent applications are pending in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Eurasia, Europe, Israel, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, Ukraine and South Africa. Any patents granted in this family would be expected to expire no earlier than 2043. The second family is exclusively owned by us. Two provisional United States applications are pending in this family. Any patents granted in this family would be expected to expire no earlier than 2044.
Additionally, we own three patent families covering other USP1 inhibitors and their methods of use with expiration dates ranging from 2042 to 2043. A United States patent application and a European patent application are pending in the first family, which is exclusively owned by us. Provisional US patent applications are pending in the other two families, one of which is exclusively owned by us and one which is jointly owned by us and Medivir AB and exclusively licensed to us under the Medivir Agreement.
CoREST inhibitors
We exclusively own two patent families covering the composition of matter and methods of use for our product candidate TNG260 and other structurally related CoREST inhibitors. A Patent Cooperation Treaty application is pending in each of the families. Any issued patents, if granted, are expected to expire no earlier than 2042 (first family) and 2043 (second family).
Government Regulation
The FDA and other regulatory authorities at federal, state and local levels, as well as in foreign countries, extensively regulate, among other things, the research, development, testing, clinical trials, manufacture, quality control, import, export, safety, effectiveness, labeling, packaging, storage, distribution, recordkeeping, approval, advertising, promotion, marketing, post-approval monitoring and post-approval reporting of drugs. We, along with our vendors, contract research organizations, or CROs, clinical investigators and contract development and manufacturing organizations, or CDMOs, will be required to navigate the various preclinical, clinical, manufacturing and approval requirements of the governing regulatory authorities of the countries in which we wish to conduct studies or seek approval of our product candidates. The process of obtaining regulatory approvals for drugs and ensuring subsequent compliance with appropriate federal, state, local and foreign statutes and regulations requires the expenditure of substantial time and financial resources.
In the United States, the FDA regulates drug products under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, or FD&C Act, its implementing regulations, and other federal statutes and regulations. Drugs are also subject to other federal, state and local statutes and regulations. If we fail to comply with applicable FDA or other regulatory requirements at any time with respect to product development, clinical testing, approval or any other regulatory requirements relating to product manufacture, processing, handling, storage, quality control, safety, pharmacovigilance, marketing, advertising, promotion, packaging, labeling, export, import, distribution or sale, we may become subject to administrative or judicial sanctions or other legal consequences. These sanctions or consequences could include, among other things, the FDA’s refusal to approve pending applications, issuance of clinical holds for ongoing studies, suspension or revocation of approved applications, warning or untitled letters, product withdrawals or recalls, product seizures, total or partial suspensions of manufacturing or distribution, injunctions, fines, civil penalties or criminal prosecution.
Our product candidates must be approved for therapeutic indications by the FDA before they may be marketed in the United States. For drug product candidates regulated under the FD&C Act, FDA must approve a New Drug Application, or NDA. The process generally involves the following:
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completion of extensive preclinical studies in accordance with applicable regulations, including studies conducted in accordance with good laboratory practice, or GLP, requirements;
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manufacturing in compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices, or cGMP, of the drug substance and drug product to be used in human clinical trials along with required analytical and stability testing;
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submission to the FDA of an IND, which must become effective before clinical trials may begin and must be updated when certain changes are made;
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approval by an institutional review board, or IRB, or independent ethics committee at each clinical trial site before a clinical trial may be initiated at that site;
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performance of adequate and well-controlled clinical trials in accordance with applicable IND regulations, Good Clinical Practice, or GCP, requirements and other clinical trial-related regulations to establish the safety and efficacy of the investigational product for each proposed indication;
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preparation and submission of an NDA to the FDA;
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a determination by the FDA within 60 days of its receipt of an NDA to file the application for review;
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satisfactory completion of one or more FDA pre-approval inspections of the manufacturing facility or facilities where the drug will be produced to assess compliance with cGMP requirements to confirm the facilities, methods and controls are adequate to assure the drug’s identity, strength, quality and purity;
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satisfactory completion of an FDA audit of clinical trial sites that generated the data in support of the NDA;
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payment of an application fee, as applicable, for FDA review of the NDA; and
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FDA review of the NDA, including, where applicable, consideration of the views of any FDA advisory committee, and FDA approval of the NDA prior to any commercial marketing or sale of the drug in the United States.
Preclinical studies and clinical trials for drugs
Before testing any drug in humans, the product candidate must undergo rigorous preclinical testing. Preclinical studies include laboratory evaluations of product chemistry, formulation and stability, as well asin vitro and animal studies to assess safety and in some cases to establish the rationale for therapeutic use. The conduct of preclinical studies is subject to federal and state regulation and requirements, including GLP requirements for certain safety/toxicology studies. The results of the preclinical studies, together with manufacturing information and analytical data, must be submitted to the FDA as part of an IND.
An IND is a request for authorization from the FDA to administer an investigational product to humans and must become effective before clinical trials may begin. An IND includes the general investigational plan and the protocol(s) for clinical studies, the results of animal andin vitro studies assessing the toxicology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacology, and pharmacodynamic characteristics of the product; chemistry, manufacturing, and controls information; and any available human data or literature to support the use of the investigational product. Additional preclinical testing may and often does continue after the IND is submitted. The IND automatically becomes effective 30 days after receipt by the FDA, unless the FDA raises concerns or questions within the 30-day time period, including concerns that human research subjects will be exposed to unreasonable health risks, and imposes a full or partial clinical hold. A clinical hold can also be imposed once a trial has already begun, thereby halting the trial until any safety concerns or deficiencies articulated by FDA are corrected.
The clinical stage of development involves the administration of the product candidate to healthy volunteers or patients under the supervision of qualified investigators, who generally are physicians not employed by or under the trial sponsor’s control, in accordance with GCP requirements, which include the requirements that all research subjects provide their informed consent for their participation in a clinical trial. Clinical trials are conducted under protocols detailing, among other things, the objectives of the clinical trial, dosing procedures, inclusion and exclusion criteria and the parameters and criteria to be used in monitoring safety and evaluating effectiveness. Each protocol, and any subsequent amendments to the protocol, must be submitted to the FDA as part of the IND. Furthermore, each clinical trial must be reviewed and approved by an IRB for each institution at which the clinical trial will be conducted to ensure that the risks to individuals participating in the clinical trials are minimized and are reasonable compared to the anticipated benefits. The IRB also approves the informed consent form that must be provided to each clinical trial subject or his or her legal representative and must oversee the clinical trial until its completion. The FDA, the IRB, or the sponsor may suspend or discontinue a clinical trial at any time on various grounds, including a finding that the subjects are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk. There also are requirements governing the registration and reporting of ongoing and completed clinical trials to public registries. For example, information about certain clinical trials must be submitted within specific timeframes for publication on www.ClinicalTrials.gov, a clinical trials database maintained by the National Institutes of Health.
A sponsor who wishes to conduct a clinical trial outside of the United States may, but need not, obtain FDA authorization to conduct the clinical trial under an IND. If a foreign clinical trial is not conducted under an IND, FDA may nevertheless accept the results of the study in support of an NDA if the study was conducted in accordance with GCP
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requirements, and the FDA is able to validate the data through independent analysis and an onsite inspection if deemed necessary.
Clinical trials to evaluate therapeutic indications to support NDAs for marketing approval are typically conducted in three sequential phases, which may overlap or be combined.
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Phase 1 — Phase 1 clinical trials involve initial introduction of the investigational product in a limited population of healthy human volunteers or patients with the target disease or condition. These studies are typically designed to test the safety, dosage tolerance, absorption, metabolism, distribution, and excretion of the investigational product in humans, and, if possible, to gain early evidence of effectiveness.
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Phase 2 — Phase 2 clinical trials typically involve administration of the investigational product to a limited patient population with a specified disease or condition to evaluate the drug’s potential efficacy, to determine the optimal dosages and dosing schedule and to identify possible adverse side effects and safety risks.
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Phase 3 — Phase 3 clinical trials typically involve administration of the investigational product to an expanded patient population to further evaluate dosage, to provide statistically significant evidence of clinical efficacy and to further test for safety, generally at multiple geographically dispersed clinical trial sites. These clinical trials are intended to establish the overall risk/benefit profile of the investigational product and to provide an adequate basis for product approval and physician labeling. Generally, two adequate and well-controlled Phase 3 trials are required by the FDA for approval of an NDA.
In 2022, we received clearance of our IND application for TNG908 to initiate a Phase 1/2 clinical trial. During 2023, we received clearances of our IND applications for TNG462, TNG260 and TNG348 to initiate Phase 1/2 clinical trials for each product candidate.
In March 2022, the FDA released final guidance titled “Expansion Cohorts: Use in First-In-Human Clinical Trials to Expedite Development of Oncology Drugs and Biologics,” which outlines how drug developers can utilize an adaptive trial design commonly referred to as a seamless trial design in early stages of oncology drug development (i.e., the first-in-human clinical trial) to compress the traditional three phases of trials into one continuous trial called an expansion cohort trial. Information to support the design of individual expansion cohorts are included in IND applications and assessed by FDA. Expansion cohort trials can potentially bring efficiency to drug development and reduce development costs and time.
Post-approval trials, sometimes referred to as Phase 4 clinical trials or post-marketing studies, may be conducted after initial marketing approval. These trials are used to gain additional experience from the treatment of patients in the intended therapeutic indication and are commonly intended to generate additional safety data regarding use of the product in a clinical setting. In certain instances, the FDA may mandate the completion of Phase 4 clinical trials as a condition of NDA approval.
Progress reports detailing the results of the clinical trials, among other information related to development under an IND, must be submitted at least annually to the FDA. Written IND safety reports must be submitted to the FDA and investigators within 15 days to report serious and unexpected suspected adverse events, findings from other studies or animal orin vitro testing that suggest a significant risk for human subjects and any clinically important increase in the rate of a serious suspected adverse reaction over that listed in the protocol or investigator brochure. The sponsor must also notify the FDA of any unexpected fatal or life-threatening suspected adverse reaction as soon as possible but in no case later than seven calendar days after the sponsor’s initial receipt of the information.
Concurrent with clinical trials, companies usually complete additional animal studies and must also develop additional information about the chemistry and physical characteristics of the product candidate and finalize a process for manufacturing the drug product in commercial quantities in accordance with cGMP requirements. The manufacturing process must be capable of consistently producing quality batches of the product candidate and manufacturers must develop, among other things, methods for testing the identity, strength, quality and purity of the final drug product. Additionally, appropriate packaging must be selected and tested, and stability studies must be conducted to demonstrate that the product candidate does not undergo unacceptable deterioration over its shelf life.
U.S. marketing approval for drugs
Assuming successful completion of the required clinical testing, the results of the preclinical studies and clinical trials, together with detailed information relating to the product’s chemistry, manufacturing, and controls and proposed labeling, among other things, are submitted to the FDA as part of an NDA package requesting approval to market the product for one or more indications. An NDA must contain data supporting the drug’s safety and efficacy for the requested indications and
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must include both negative and ambiguous results of preclinical studies and clinical trials, as well as positive findings. Data may come from company-sponsored clinical trials intended to test the safety and efficacy of the product candidate or from a number of alternative sources, including studies initiated by investigators. To support marketing approval, the data submitted must be sufficient in quality and quantity to establish the safety and efficacy of the investigational drug to the satisfaction of the FDA. The FDA must approve an NDA before a drug may be marketed in the United States.
The FDA reviews all submitted NDAs to ensure they are sufficiently complete to permit substantive review before it accepts them for filing and may request additional information rather than accepting the NDA for filing. The FDA must make a decision on accepting an NDA for filing within 60 days of receipt, and such decision could include a refusal to file by the FDA. Once the submission is accepted for filing, the FDA begins an in-depth substantive review of the NDA. The FDA reviews an NDA to determine, among other things, whether the product is safe and effective for the indications sought and whether the facility in which it is manufactured, processed, packaged or held meets standards, including cGMP requirements, designed to assure and preserve the product’s continued identity, strength, quality and purity. Under the goals and policies agreed to by the FDA under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, or PDUFA, the FDA targets ten months, from the filing date, in which to complete its review of a new molecular entity NDA and respond to the applicant, and 6 months from the filing date of a new molecular entity NDA for priority review. The FDA does not always meet its PDUFA goal dates for standard or priority NDAs, and the review process is often extended by FDA requests for additional information or clarification. Further, under PDUFA, as amended, each NDA must be accompanied by a substantial application fee.
The FDA also may require submission of a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, or REMS, if it believes such a strategy is necessary to ensure that the benefits of the drug outweigh its risks. A REMS can include use of risk evaluation and mitigation strategies such as medication guides, physician communication plans, assessment plans, and/or elements to assure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries, special monitoring or other risk-minimization tools.
The FDA may refer an application for a novel drug to an advisory committee. An advisory committee is a panel of independent experts, including clinicians and other scientific experts, which reviews, evaluates and provides advice requested by the FDA, including in some cases a recommendation as to whether the application should be approved and under what conditions. The FDA is not bound by the recommendations of an advisory committee, but it considers such recommendations carefully when making decisions.
Before approving an NDA, the FDA typically will inspect the facility or facilities where the product is manufactured. The FDA will not approve an application unless it determines that the manufacturing processes and facilities are in compliance with cGMP requirements and are adequate to assure consistent production of the product within required specifications. Additionally, before approving an NDA, the FDA may inspect one or more clinical trial sites to assure compliance with GCP and the integrity of the clinical data submitted to the FDA.
After evaluating the NDA and all related information, including an advisory committee recommendation, if any, and inspection reports regarding the manufacturing facilities and clinical trial sites, the FDA may issue an approval letter, or, in some cases, a Complete Response Letter. A Complete Response Letter indicates that the review cycle of the application is complete and the application is not ready for approval. A Complete Response Letter generally states specific conditions that must be met in order to secure final approval of the NDA. The FDA may require additional clinical or preclinical testing or recommend other actions, such as requests for additional information or clarification, that the applicant might take in order to resubmit the NDA for FDA reconsideration. Even with a submission that includes this additional information, the FDA ultimately may decide that the application does not satisfy the regulatory criteria for approval. If and when those conditions have been met to the FDA’s satisfaction, the FDA will typically issue an approval letter. An approval letter authorizes commercial marketing of the product with specific prescribing information for one or more indications.
Even if the FDA approves a product, it may limit the approved indications for use of the product, require that contraindications, warnings or precautions be included in the product labeling, require that post-approval studies, including Phase 4 clinical trials, be conducted to further assess a product’s safety after approval, require testing and surveillance programs to monitor the product after commercialization, or impose other conditions, including distribution and use restrictions or other risk management mechanisms under a REMS, which can materially affect the potential market and profitability of the product. The FDA may prevent or limit further marketing of a product based on the results of post-approval studies or surveillance programs. Some types of changes to the approved product, such as adding new indications, certain manufacturing changes, and additional labeling claims, are subject to further testing requirements and FDA review and approval of a supplemental application.
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Orphan drug designation and exclusivity
Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may grant orphan drug designation to a drug intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is a disease or condition with either a patient population of fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States, or a patient population greater than 200,000 individuals in the United States when there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing and making the product available in the United States for the disease or condition will be recovered from sales of the product. Orphan drug designation must be requested before submitting an NDA. After the FDA grants orphan drug designation, the generic identity of the therapeutic agent and its potential orphan use are disclosed publicly by the FDA. Orphan drug designation does not convey any advantage in or shorten the duration of the regulatory review and approval process, although companies developing orphan-designated products are eligible for certain incentives, including tax credits for qualified clinical testing and waiver of application fees. If a product that has orphan designation subsequently receives the first FDA approval for the disease or condition for which it has such designation, the product is entitled to a seven-year period of marketing exclusivity during which the FDA may not approve any other applications to market the same drug for the same indication, except in limited circumstances, such as a subsequent product’s showing of clinical superiority over the product with orphan exclusivity or where the original applicant cannot produce sufficient quantities of product. Competitors, however, may receive approval of different drugs for the indication for which the orphan product has exclusivity or obtain approval for the same drug for a different indication than that for which the orphan product has exclusivity. Orphan drug exclusivity could block the approval of one of our products for seven years if a competitor obtains approval for the same therapeutic agent for the same indication before we do, unless we are able to demonstrate that our product candidate is clinically superior. If an orphan designated product receives marketing approval for an indication broader than its designation, it may not be entitled to orphan exclusivity. (For additional information, see “—Current and future healthcare reform legislation.”)
The FDA has granted Orphan Drug Designation to TNG908 for the treatment of malignant glioma, including GBM, and TNG462 for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma.
Expedited development and review programs for drugs
The FDA has several programs intended to facilitate and expedite development and review of new drugs to address unmet medical needs in the treatment of serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions. These programs include Fast Track designation, Breakthrough Therapy designation, priority review and Accelerated Approval, and the purpose of these programs is to get important new drugs to patients more quickly than standard FDA review timelines typically permit.
A product candidate is eligible for Fast Track designation if it is intended to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition and demonstrates the potential to address unmet medical needs for such disease or condition. Fast track designation applies to the combination of the product candidate and the specific indication for which it is being studied. Fast Track designation provides increased opportunities for sponsor interactions with the FDA during preclinical and clinical development, in addition to the potential for rolling review once a marketing application is filed. Rolling review means that the FDA may review portions of the marketing application before the sponsor submits the complete application. In 2022, the FDA granted Fast Track designation to TNG908 for the treatment of patients with MTAP-deleted solid tumors including NSCLC, mesothelioma, cholangiocarcinoma, MPNST, and others including esophageal, pancreatic, urothelial, and carcinoma of unknown primary. In 2023, the FDA granted Fast Track designation to: (i) TNG462 for previously treated, locally advanced, and unresectable or metastatic MTAP-deleted solid tumors; (ii) TNG260 in combination with an anti-PD-1 antibody for the treatment of patients with previously treated, advanced (metastatic or locally advanced and not amenable to curative intent therapy) NSCLC with STK-11 mutations; and (iii) TNG348 as (A) a single agent treatment of patients with BRCA1/2 mutated advanced, metastatic ovarian cancer that has progressed after at least one line of prior therapy and (B) TNG348 as a single agent treatment of patients with BRCA1/2 mutated advanced, metastatic breast cancer that has progressed after at least one line of prior therapy.
In addition, a product candidate may be eligible for Breakthrough Therapy designation if it is intended to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug, alone or in combination with one or more other drugs, may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints, such as substantial treatment effects observed early in clinical development. Breakthrough Therapy designation provides all the features of Fast Track designation as well as more intensive FDA interaction and guidance.
Products with Fast Track or Breakthrough Therapy designation may also be eligible for additional FDA programs intended to expedite the review and approval process, including priority review and accelerated approval. Any product submitted to the FDA for approval that has the potential to provide a significant improvement in safety or effectiveness in the
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treatment, diagnosis or prevention of a serious disease or condition may be eligible for priority review. Under priority review, the FDA’s PDUFA goal date to take action on an NDA is six months from filing, compared to ten months from filing for a standard review. Products are eligible for Accelerated Approval if they can be shown to have an effect on a surrogate endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit, or an effect on a clinical endpoint that can be measured earlier than an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality, which is reasonably likely to predict an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical benefit, taking into account the severity, rarity, or prevalence of the condition and the availability or lack of alternative treatments.
Accelerated approval is usually contingent on a sponsor’s agreement to conduct, in a diligent manner, adequate and well-controlled post-approval confirmatory studies to verify and describe the product’s clinical benefit and, under the Food and Drug Omnibus Reform Act of 2022, or FDORA, the FDA may require, as appropriate, that such trials be underway prior to approval or within a specific time period after the date accelerated approval is granted. Under FDORA, the FDA has increased authority for expedited procedures to withdraw approval of a drug or an indication approved under Accelerated Approval if, for example, the confirmatory trial fails to verify the predicted clinical benefit of the product.
Even if a product qualifies for one or more of these programs, the FDA may later decide that the product no longer meets the conditions for qualification or the time period for FDA review or approval may not be shortened. Furthermore, these FDA programs do not change the scientific or medical standards for approval or the quality of evidence necessary to support approval, though they may expedite the development or review process.
Pediatric information and pediatric exclusivity
Under the Pediatric Research Equity Act, or PREA, as amended, certain NDAs and NDA supplements must contain data that can be used to assess the safety and efficacy of the product candidate for the claimed indications in all relevant pediatric subpopulations and to support dosing and administration for each pediatric subpopulation for which the product is safe and effective. The FDA may grant deferrals for submission of pediatric data or full or partial waivers. The PREA requires that a sponsor who is planning to submit a marketing application for a product candidate that includes a new active ingredient, new indication, new dosage form, new dosing regimen or new route of administration submit an initial Pediatric Study Plan, or PSP, within 60 days of an end-of-Phase 2 meeting or, if there is no such meeting, as early as practicable before the initiation of the Phase 3 or Phase 2/3 study. The initial PSP must include an outline of the pediatric study or studies that the sponsor plans to conduct, including study objectives and design, age groups, relevant endpoints and statistical approach, or a justification for not including such detailed information, and any request for a deferral of pediatric assessments or a full or partial waiver of the requirement to provide data from pediatric studies. The FDA and the sponsor must reach an agreement on the PSP. Unless otherwise required by regulation, PREA does not apply to a drug for an indication for which orphan designation has been granted, except that PREA will apply to an original NDA for a new active ingredient that is orphan-designated if the drug is a molecularly targeted cancer product intended for the treatment of an adult cancer and is directed at a molecular target that FDA determines to be substantially relevant to the growth or progression of a pediatric cancer.
A drug may also obtain pediatric exclusivity in the United States. Pediatric exclusivity, if granted, adds six months to existing exclusivity periods and patent terms. This six-month exclusivity may be granted based on the voluntary completion of a pediatric study that adequately responds to an FDA-issued “Written Request” for such a study.
U.S. post-approval requirements for drugs
Drugs manufactured or distributed pursuant to FDA approvals are subject to continuing regulation by the FDA, including, among other things, requirements relating to recordkeeping, periodic reporting, product sampling and distribution, reporting of adverse experiences and promotion and advertising requirements. FDA's advertising and promotion requirements include restrictions on promoting products for unapproved uses or patient populations (known as “off-label use”) and limitations on industry-sponsored scientific and educational activities. Although physicians may prescribe approved products for off-label uses, manufacturers may not market or promote such uses. The FDA and other agencies enforce the laws and regulations prohibiting the promotion of off-label uses, not only by company employees but also by agents of the company or those speaking on the company’s behalf, and a company that is found to have improperly promoted off-label uses may be subject to significant liability, including investigation by federal and state authorities. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in, among other things, adverse publicity, warning letters, corrective advertising and potential civil and criminal penalties, including liabilities under the False Claims Act where products are reimbursed under federal health care programs. Promotional materials for approved drugs must be submitted to the FDA in conjunction with their first use or first publication. Further, for certain modifications to the drug, including changes in indications, labeling or manufacturing
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processes or facilities, the applicant may be required to submit and obtain prior FDA approval of an NDA supplement, which may require the development of additional data or preclinical studies and clinical trials.
The FDA may impose a number of post-approval requirements as a condition of approval of an NDA. For example, the FDA may require post-market testing, including Phase 4 clinical trials, and surveillance to further assess and monitor the product’s safety and effectiveness after commercialization, as well as the manufacturing process for making the drug to confirm continued compliance with cGMP. Manufacturers and certain subcontractors must register their establishments with the FDA and applicable state agencies and are subject to periodic unannounced inspections for compliance with regulatory requirements. Changes to the manufacturing process are strictly regulated and, depending on the nature of the change, may require prior FDA approval before implementation. In addition, manufacturers and other parties involved in the drug supply chain must comply with product tracking and tracing requirements and notify the FDA of counterfeit, diverted, stolen and intentionally adulterated products or products that are otherwise unfit for distribution. Accordingly, manufacturers must continue to expend time, money and effort in the area of production and quality control to maintain compliance with cGMP and other regulatory requirements.
The FDA may withdraw approval of a product if compliance with regulatory requirements and standards is not maintained or if problems occur after the product reaches the market. Later discovery of previously unknown problems with a product, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or with manufacturing processes, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements, may result in revisions to the approved labeling to add new safety information, requirements for post-market studies or clinical trials to assess new safety risks, or imposition of distribution or other restrictions under a REMS. Other potential consequences include, among other things:
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restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of the product, complete withdrawal of the product from the market or product recalls;
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issuance of safety alerts, Dear Healthcare Provider letters, press releases or other communications containing warnings or other safety information about the product;
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fines, warning letters or holds on post-approval clinical trials;
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refusal of the FDA to approve applications or supplements to approved applications, or suspension or revocation of product approvals;
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product seizure or detention, or refusal to permit the import or export of products;
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injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties; and
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consent decrees, corporate integrity agreements, debarment or exclusion from federal healthcare programs; or mandated modification of promotional materials and labeling and issuance of corrective information.
Regulation of companion diagnostics
Companion diagnostics provide information that is essential for the safe and effective use of a corresponding drug. A companion diagnostic may be used to help identify patients who are most likely to benefit from a particular drug, identify patients likely to be at increased risk for serious side effects as a result of treatment with a particular drug, or monitor response to treatment with a particular drug for the purpose of adjusting treatment to achieve improved safety or effectiveness. Companion diagnostics are regulated as medical devices by the FDA. In the United States, the FD&C Act, its implementing regulations, and other federal and state statutes and regulations govern, among other things, medical device design and development, preclinical and clinical testing, premarket clearance or approval, registration and listing, manufacturing, labeling, storage, advertising and promotion, sales and distribution, export and import, and post-market surveillance. Unless an exemption or FDA exercise of enforcement discretion applies, diagnostic tests generally require marketing clearance or approval from the FDA prior to commercialization. The two primary types of FDA marketing authorization applicable to a medical device are clearance of a premarket notification, or 510(k), and premarket approval, or PMA.
The FDA has issued several guidance documents regarding the co-development of drugs and companion diagnostic tests, including a 2014 final guidance titled “Guidance for Industry: In Vitro Companion Diagnostic Devices”, a 2016 draft guidance titled “Principles for Codevelopment of an In Vitro Companion Diagnostic Device with a Therapeutic Product,” and a 2020 final guidance titled “Developing and Labeling In Vitro Companion Diagnostic Devices for a Specific Group or Class of Oncology Therapeutic Products". Once cleared or approved, the companion diagnostic device must comply with applicable post-marketing requirements including the FDA’s quality system regulation (QSR), adverse event reporting, recalls and corrections, and product marketing requirements and limitations. Like drug manufacturers, companion diagnostic
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manufacturers are subject to unannounced FDA inspections at any time during which the FDA will conduct an audit of the product(s) and the company’s facilities for compliance with regulatory requirements.
Other regulatory matters
Manufacturing, sales, promotion and other activities of product candidates following product approval, where applicable, and commercialization are also subject to regulation by numerous regulatory authorities in the United States in addition to the FDA, which may include the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, other divisions of the HHS, the Department of Justice, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and state and local governments and governmental agencies.
Other healthcare laws
Healthcare providers, physicians, and third-party payors will play a primary role in the recommendation and prescription of any products for which we will seek to obtain marketing approval. Our business operations and any current or future arrangements with third-party payors, healthcare providers and physicians may expose us to certain liabilities and other healthcare laws and regulations that may constrain the business or financial arrangements and relationships through which we develop, market, sell and distribute any drugs for which we obtain marketing approval in the future. In the United States, these laws include, without limitation, state and federal anti-kickback, false claims, physician transparency, and patient data privacy and security laws and regulations, including but not limited to those described below.
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The federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits, among other things, persons and entities from knowingly and willfully soliciting, offering, paying, receiving or providing any remuneration (including any kickback, bribe, or certain rebate), directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or in kind, to induce or reward, or in return for, either the referral of an individual for, or the purchase, order or recommendation of, any good or service, for which payment may be made, in whole or in part, under a federal healthcare program such as Medicare and Medicaid. A person or entity need not have actual knowledge of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute or specific intent to violate it in order to have committed a violation. Violations are subject to civil and criminal fines and penalties for each violation, plus up to three times the remuneration involved, imprisonment, and exclusion from government healthcare programs. The Anti-Kickback Statute has been interpreted to apply to arrangements between pharmaceutical manufacturers, on the one hand, and prescribers, purchasers and formulary managers, on the other. In addition, the government may assert that a claim that includes items or services resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the civil False Claims Act.
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The federal civil and criminal false claims and civil monetary penalties laws, including the federal False Claims Act, or FCA, imposes criminal and civil penalties, including through civil whistleblower or qui tam actions, against individuals or entities for knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, to the federal government, claims for payment that are false or fraudulent or making a false statement to avoid, decrease or conceal an obligation to pay money to the federal government. Manufacturers can be held liable under the FCA even when they do not submit claims directly to government payors if they are deemed to “cause” the submission of false or fraudulent claims. The federal False Claims Act also permits a private individual acting as a “whistleblower” to bring actions on behalf of the federal government alleging violations of the federal False Claims Act and to share in any monetary recovery.
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The federal civil monetary penalties laws impose civil fines for, among other things, the offering or transfer or remuneration to a Medicare or state healthcare program beneficiary, if the person knows or should know it is likely to influence the beneficiary’s selection of a particular provider, practitioner, or supplier of services reimbursable by Medicare or a state health care program, unless an exception applies.
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HIPAA, which imposes criminal and civil liability for knowingly and willfully executing a scheme, or attempting to execute a scheme, to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private payors, knowingly and willfully embezzling or stealing from a healthcare benefit program, willfully obstructing a criminal investigation of a healthcare offense, or falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making any materially false statements in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services. Similar to the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, a person or entity may be found guilty of violating HIPAA without actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it.
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HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009, or HITECH, and their respective implementing regulations, impose, among other things, specified requirements on
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covered entities and their respective business associates relating to the privacy and security of individually identifiable health information, including mandatory contractual terms and required implementation of technical safeguards of such information. HITECH also created new tiers of civil monetary penalties, amended HIPAA to make civil and criminal penalties directly applicable to business associates in some cases, and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for damages or injunctions in federal courts to enforce the federal HIPAA laws and seek attorneys’ fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions.
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Federal price reporting laws, which require manufacturers to calculate and report complex pricing metrics to government programs, where such reported prices may be used in the calculation of reimbursement and/or discounts on approved products.
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The Physician Payments Sunshine Act, enacted as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, or collectively, the ACA, imposed new annual reporting requirements for certain manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics, and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, for certain payments and “transfers of value” provided to physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists and chiropractors, as well as certain other non-physician licensed providers such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners) and teaching hospitals, as well as ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members.
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Analogous state and foreign laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, state anti-kickback and false claims laws, may be broader in scope than the provisions described above and may apply regardless of payor. Some state laws require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the pharmaceutical industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and relevant federal government compliance guidance; require drug manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare providers; restrict marketing practices or require disclosure of marketing expenditures and pricing information. State and foreign laws may govern the privacy and security of health information in some circumstances. These data privacy and security laws may differ from each other in significant ways and often are not pre-empted by HIPAA, which may complicate compliance efforts.
The scope and enforcement of each of these laws is uncertain and subject to rapid change in the current environment of healthcare reform, especially in light of the lack of applicable precedent and regulations. Federal and state enforcement bodies have recently increased their scrutiny of interactions between healthcare companies and healthcare providers, which has led to a number of investigations, prosecutions, convictions and settlements in the healthcare industry. It is possible that governmental authorities will conclude that our business practices do not comply with current or future statutes, regulations or case law involving applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations. If our operations are found to be in violation of any of these laws or any other related governmental regulations that may apply to us, we may be subject to significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, imprisonment, disgorgement, exclusion from government funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, reputational harm, additional oversight and reporting obligations if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or similar settlement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations.
Insurance Coverage and Reimbursement
In the United States and markets in other countries, patients who are prescribed treatments for their conditions and providers performing the prescribed services generally rely on third-party payors to reimburse all or part of the associated healthcare costs. Thus, even if a product candidate is approved, sales of the product will depend, in part, on the extent to which third-party payors, including government health programs in the United States such as Medicare and Medicaid, commercial health insurers and managed care organizations, provide coverage, and establish adequate reimbursement levels for, the product. In the United States, the principal decisions about reimbursement for new medicines are typically made by CMS. CMS decides whether and to what extent a new medicine will be covered and reimbursed under Medicare and private payors tend to follow CMS to a substantial degree. Coverage and reimbursement for drug products can differ significantly from payor to payor. The process for determining whether a third-party payor will provide coverage for a product may be separate from the process for setting the price or reimbursement rate that the payor will pay for the product once coverage is approved. Third-party payors are increasingly challenging the prices charged, examining the medical necessity, reviewing the cost-effectiveness of medical products and services and imposing controls to manage costs. Third-party payors may limit coverage to specific products on an approved list, also known as a formulary, which might not include all of the approved products for a particular indication.
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In order to secure coverage and reimbursement for any product that might be approved for sale, a company may need to conduct expensive pharmacoeconomic studies in order to demonstrate the medical necessity and cost-effectiveness of the product, which will require additional expenditure above and beyond the costs required to obtain FDA or other comparable regulatory approvals. Some product candidates may not be considered medically necessary or cost effective. A decision by a third-party payor not to cover a product could reduce physician utilization once the product is approved and have a material adverse effect on sales, our operations and financial condition (when a product candidate is approved for marketing). Levels of coverage and reimbursement for a product can differ significantly from payor to payor.
The containment of healthcare costs has become a priority of federal, state and foreign governments (and other third-party payers), and the prices of pharmaceutical products have been a focus in this effort. Governments have shown significant interest in implementing cost-containment programs, including price controls, restrictions on reimbursement and requirements for substitution of generic products. Adoption of price controls and cost-containment measures, and adoption of more restrictive policies in jurisdictions with existing controls and measures, could further limit a company’s revenue generated from the sale of any approved products. Coverage policies and third-party payor reimbursement rates may change at any time.
In the European Union, pricing and reimbursement schemes vary widely from country to country. Some countries provide that products may be marketed only after a reimbursement price has been agreed upon. Some countries may require the completion of additional studies that compare the cost-effectiveness of a particular product candidate to currently available therapies or so-called health technology assessments, in order to obtain reimbursement or pricing approval. For example, the European Union provides options for its member states to restrict the range of products for which their national health insurance systems provide reimbursement and to control the prices of medicinal products for human use. European Union member states may approve a specific price for a product or may instead adopt a system of direct or indirect controls on the profitability of the company placing the product on the market. Other member states allow companies to fix their own prices for products, but monitor and control prescription volumes and issue guidance to physicians to limit prescriptions. Recently, many countries in the European Union have increased the amount of discounts required on pharmaceuticals and these efforts could continue as countries attempt to manage healthcare expenditures, especially in light of the severe fiscal and debt crises experienced by many countries in the European Union. The downward pressure on healthcare costs in general, particularly prescription products, has become intense. As a result, increasingly high barriers are being erected to the entry of new products. Political, economic and regulatory developments may further complicate pricing negotiations, and pricing negotiations may continue after reimbursement has been obtained. Reference pricing used by various European Union member states, and parallel trade, i.e., arbitrage between low-priced and high-priced member states, can further reduce prices. There can be no assurance that any country that has price controls or reimbursement limitations for pharmaceutical products will allow favorable reimbursement and pricing arrangements for any products, if approved in those countries.
Current and future healthcare reform legislation
In the United States and certain foreign jurisdictions, there have been, and likely will continue to be, a number of legislative and regulatory changes and proposed changes regarding the healthcare system directed at broadening the availability of healthcare, improving the quality of healthcare, and containing or lowering the cost of healthcare. For example, in 2010, the United States Congress enacted the ACA, which, among other things, includes changes to the coverage and payment for products under government health care programs. The ACA includes provisions of importance to our potential product candidates that:
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created an annual, nondeductible fee on any entity that manufactures or imports specified branded prescription drugs and biologic products, apportioned among these entities according to their market share in certain government healthcare programs;
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expanded eligibility criteria for Medicaid, thereby potentially increasing a manufacturer’s Medicaid rebate liability;
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expanded manufacturers’ rebate liability under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program;
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expanded the types of entities eligible for the 340B drug discount program;
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established the Medicare Part D coverage gap discount program by requiring manufacturers to provide point-of-sale-discounts off the negotiated price of applicable brand drugs to eligible beneficiaries during their coverage gap period as a condition for the manufacturers’ outpatient drugs to be covered under Medicare Part D; and
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created a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to oversee, identify priorities in, and conduct comparative clinical effectiveness research, along with funding for such research.
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On May 30, 2018, the Right to Try Act, was signed into law. The law, among other things, provides a federal framework for certain patients to access certain investigational new drug products that have completed a Phase 1 clinical trial and that are undergoing investigation for FDA approval. Under certain circumstances, eligible patients can seek treatment without enrolling in clinical trials and without obtaining FDA permission under the FDA expanded access program. There is no obligation for a pharmaceutical manufacturer to make its drug products available to eligible patients as a result of the Right to Try Act.
Additionally, there has been increasing legislative and enforcement interest in the United States with respect to drug pricing practices. Specifically, there has been heightened governmental scrutiny over the manner in which manufacturers set prices for their marketed products, which has resulted in several U.S. Congressional inquiries and proposed and enacted federal and state legislation designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to drug pricing, reduce the cost of prescription drugs under Medicare, and review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer patient programs. President Biden has issued multiple executive orders that have sought to reduce prescription drug costs. In February 2023, HHS issued a proposal in response to an October 2022 executive order from President Biden that includes a proposed prescription drug pricing model that will test whether targeted Medicare payment adjustments will sufficiently incentivize manufacturers to complete confirmatory trials for drugs approved through FDA’s accelerated approval pathway. Although a number of these and other proposed measures may require authorization through additional legislation to become effective, and the Biden administration may reverse or otherwise change these measures, both the Biden administration and Congress have indicated that they will continue to seek new legislative measures to control drug costs.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, or IRA, includes several provisions that may impact our business to varying degrees, including provisions that reduce the out-of-pocket cap for Medicare Part D beneficiaries from $7,050 to $2,000 starting in 2025, thereby effectively eliminating the coverage gap; impose new manufacturer financial liability on certain drugs under Medicare Part D; and allow the U.S. government to negotiate Medicare Part B and Part D price caps for certain high-cost drugs and biologics without generic or biosimilar competition. Specifically, under the IRA, a single-source pharmaceutical product qualifies for selection for participation in the drug price negotiation program if it is (i) a small-molecule drug for which at least seven years have passed since the date of approval from the FDA and there is no generic on the market (as of the date of selection); or (ii) a biologic for which 11 years have passed since the date of FDA licensure and there is no biosimilar on the market (as of the date of selection). Given that any negotiated price does not take effect until approximately two years after selection, small-molecule drug and biologic manufacturers are afforded at least nine years and 13 years, respectively, before they may be obligated to sell their product under Medicare Part B and Part D, as applicable, at CMS-negotiated pricing. The IRA also requires companies to pay rebates to Medicare to the extent that drug pricing increases faster than inflation, and it also further delayed until January 1, 2032 the implementation of the HHS rebate rule that would have limited the fees that pharmacy benefit managers can charge. Further, under the IRA, orphan drugs are exempted from the Medicare drug price negotiation program, but only if they have a single orphan designation and for which the only approved indication is for that disease or condition. If a product receives multiple orphan designations or has multiple approved indications, it may not qualify for the orphan drug exemption. The implementation of the IRA is currently subject to ongoing litigation challenging the constitutionality of the IRA Medicare drug price negotiation program. The effects of the IRA on our business and the healthcare industry in general is not yet known.
We expect that additional U.S. federal healthcare reform measures will be adopted in the future, any of which could limit the amounts that the U.S. Federal Government will pay for healthcare drugs and services, which could result in reduced demand for our drug candidates or additional pricing pressures.
Individual states in the United States have also become increasingly active in passing legislation and implementing regulations designed to control pharmaceutical and biological product pricing, including price or patient reimbursement constraints, discounts, restrictions on certain drug access and marketing cost disclosure and transparency measures designed to encourage importation from other countries and bulk purchasing. Legally mandated price controls on payment amounts by third-party payors or other restrictions could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. In addition, regional healthcare authorities and individual hospitals are increasingly using bidding procedures to determine what pharmaceutical products and which suppliers will be included in their prescription drug and other healthcare programs. This could reduce the ultimate demand for our drugs (if approved for marketing) or put pressure on our drug pricing, which could negatively affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Outside the United States, ensuring coverage and adequate payment for a product also involves challenges. Pricing of prescription pharmaceuticals is subject to government control in many countries. Pricing negotiations with government authorities can extend well beyond the receipt of regulatory approval for a product and may require a clinical trial that
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compares the cost-effectiveness of a product to other available therapies. The conduct of such a clinical trial could be expensive and result in delays in commercialization.
Other United States environmental, health and safety laws and regulations
We may be subject to numerous environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including those governing laboratory procedures and the handling, use, storage, treatment and disposal of hazardous materials and wastes. From time to time and in the future, our operations may involve the use of hazardous and flammable materials, including chemicals and biological materials, and may also produce hazardous waste products. Even if we contract with third parties for the disposal of these materials and waste products, we cannot completely eliminate the risk of contamination or injury resulting from these materials. In the event of contamination or injury resulting from the use or disposal of our hazardous materials, we could be held liable for any resulting damages, and any liability could exceed our resources. We also could incur significant costs associated with civil or criminal fines and penalties for failure to comply with such laws and regulations.
We maintain workers’ compensation insurance to cover us for costs and expenses that we may incur due to injuries to our employees, but this insurance may not provide adequate coverage against potential liabilities. We do not maintain insurance for environmental liability or toxic tort claims that may be asserted against us.
In addition, we may incur substantial costs in order to comply with current or future environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. Current or future environmental laws and regulations may impair our research, development or production efforts. In addition, failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in substantial fines, penalties or other sanctions.
Government regulation of drugs outside of the United States
To market any product outside of the United States, we would need to comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements of other countries regarding safety and efficacy and governing, among other things, clinical trials, marketing authorization, manufacturing, commercial sales, promotion and distribution of our potential future products. For instance, in the European Economic Area, or the EEA (comprised of the 27 EU Member States plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), medicinal products must be authorized for marketing by using either the centralized authorization procedure or national authorization procedures.
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Centralized procedure — The centralized procedure provides for the grant of a single marketing authorization by the European Commission that is valid throughout the EEA. Pursuant to Regulation (EC) No. 726/2004, the centralized procedure is compulsory for specific products, including for medicines produced by certain biotechnological processes, products designated as orphan medicinal products, advanced therapy products (gene therapy, somatic cell therapy and tissue engineered products) and products with a new active substance indicated for the treatment of certain diseases, which includes products for the treatment of cancer. For medicines that do not fall within one of the mandatory categories, an applicant still has the option of submitting an application for a centralized marketing authorization to the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, as long as the medicine concerned contains a new active substance not yet authorized in the EEA, is a significant therapeutic, scientific or technical innovation, or if its authorization would be in the interest of public health in the EEA. If pursuing marketing authorization of a product candidate for a therapeutic indication under the centralized procedure, the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use, or CHMP, is responsible for conducting an initial assessment of whether a product meets the required quality, safety and efficacy requirements, and whether a product has a positive benefit/risk ratio. Under the centralized procedure the maximum timeframe for the evaluation of a marketing authorization application, or MAA, by the EMA is 210 days, excluding clock stops, when additional written or oral information is to be provided by the applicant in response to questions asked by the CHMP. Clock stops may extend the timeframe of evaluation of a MAA considerably beyond 210 days. Where the CHMP gives a positive opinion, it provides the opinion together with supporting documentation to the European Commission, who make the final decision to grant a marketing authorization, which is issued within 67 days of receipt of the EMA’s recommendation. Accelerated assessment might be granted by the CHMP in exceptional cases, when a medicinal product is expected to be of major public health interest, particularly from the point of view of therapeutic innovation. The timeframe for the evaluation of a MAA under the accelerated assessment procedure is 150 days, excluding clock stops, but it is possible that the CHMP may revert to the standard time limit for the centralized procedure if it determines that the application is no longer appropriate to conduct an accelerated assessment.
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National authorization procedures — There are also two other possible routes to authorize products for therapeutic indications in several countries, which are available for products that fall outside the scope of the centralized procedure:
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Using the decentralized procedure, an applicant may apply for simultaneous authorization in more than one EEA Member State for a medicinal product that has not yet been authorized in any EEA Member State and that does not fall within the mandatory scope of the centralized procedure.
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In the mutual recognition procedure, a medicine is first authorized in one EEA Member State, in accordance with the national procedures of that country. Following this, additional marketing authorizations can be sought from other EEA Member States in a procedure whereby the countries concerned recognize the validity of the original, national marketing authorization.
In both cases, as with the centralized procedure, the competent authorities of the EEA Member States assess the risk-benefit balance of the product on the basis of scientific criteria concerning its quality, safety and efficacy before granting the marketing authorization.
Now that the United Kingdom has left the European Union, Great Britain is no longer covered by the EEA procedures for the grant of marketing authorizations described above (under the Northern Ireland Protocol, centralized European Union marketing authorizations continue to be recognized in Northern Ireland) and a separate marketing authorization is therefore required to market drugs in Great Britain. For three years from January 1, 2021, the UK’s regulator, the MHRA, may adopt decisions taken by the European Commission on the approval of new marketing authorizations through the centralized procedure, and the MHRA will have regard to marketing authorizations approved in a country in the EEA (although in both cases a marketing authorization will only be granted if any Great Britain-specific requirements are met). This is known as the EC Decision Reliance Procedure. On January 24, 2023, the MHRA announced that a new international recognition framework will be put in place from January 1, 2024, which will have regard to decisions on the approval of marketing authorizations made by the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, and certain other regulators. On February 27, 2023, the UK government and the European Commission announced a political agreement in principle to replace the Northern Ireland Protocol with a new set of arrangements, known as the “Windsor Framework”. This new framework fundamentally changes the existing system under the Northern Ireland Protocol, including with respect to the regulation of medicinal products in the UK. In particular, the MHRA will be responsible for approving all medicinal products destined for the UK market (Great Britain and Northern Ireland) and the EMA will no longer have any role in approving medicinal products destined for Northern Ireland. A single UK-wide marketing authorization will be granted by the MHRA for all medicinal products to be sold in the UK, enabling products to be sold in a single pack and under a single authorization throughout the UK. Once the Windsor Framework is approved by the EU-UK Joint Committee, the UK Government and the European Union will enact legislative measures to enact it into law.
In the EEA, new products for therapeutic indications that are authorized for marketing (i.e., innovator products) qualify for eight years of data exclusivity and an additional two years of market exclusivity upon marketing authorization. The data exclusivity period prevents generic or biosimilar applicants from referencing the preclinical and clinical trial data contained in the dossier of the innovator product when applying for a generic or biosimilar marketing authorization in the EEA during a period of eight years from the date on which the innovator product was first authorized in the EEA. The additional two-year period of market exclusivity period prevents a successful generic or biosimilar applicant from commercializing its product in the EEA until ten years have elapsed from the initial authorization of the reference product in the European Union. The overall ten-year period can be extended to a maximum of eleven years if, during the first eight years of those ten years, the marketing authorization holder obtains an authorization for one or more new therapeutic indications which, during the scientific evaluation prior to their authorization, are held to bring a significant clinical benefit in comparison with existing therapies. Even if a compound is considered to be a new chemical entity so that the innovator gains the prescribed period of data exclusivity, another company may market another version of the product if such company obtained marketing authorization based on a MAA with a complete independent data package of pharmaceutical tests, preclinical tests and clinical trials.
The criteria for designating an “orphan medicinal product” in the EEA are similar in principle to those in the United States. Under Article 3 of Regulation (EC) 141/2000, in the EEA a medicinal product may be designated as orphan if it meets the following criteria: (i) it is intended for the diagnosis, prevention or treatment of a life-threatening or chronically debilitating condition; and (ii) either (a) such condition affects no more than five in 10,000 persons in the EEA when the application is made, or (b) it is unlikely that the product, without the benefits derived from orphan status, would generate sufficient return in the EEA to justify the investment needed for its development; and (iii) there exists no satisfactory method of diagnosis, prevention or treatment of such condition, or if such a method exists, the product will be of significant benefit to those affected by the condition. Orphan medicinal products are eligible for financial incentives such as reduction of fees or
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fee waivers and are, upon grant of a marketing authorization, entitled to ten years of market exclusivity for the approved therapeutic indication. During this ten-year orphan market exclusivity period, no marketing authorization application shall be accepted, and no marketing authorization shall be granted for a similar medicinal product for the same indication, unless certain conditions are met. An orphan product can also obtain an additional two years of market exclusivity in the European Union for pediatric studies. Orphan drug designation does not convey any advantage in, or shorten the duration of, the regulatory review and approval process.
Similar to the United States, the various phases of non-clinical and clinical research in the European Union are subject to significant regulatory controls.
The Clinical Trials Directive 2001/20/EC, the Directive 2005/28/EC on GCP and the related national implementing provisions of the individual EU Member States govern the system for the approval of clinical trials in the European Union. Under this system, an applicant must obtain prior approval from the national competent authority, or NCA, of the EU Member States in which the clinical trial is to be conducted. Furthermore, the applicant may only start a clinical trial at a specific study site after the competent ethics committee, or EC, has issued a favorable opinion. The clinical trial application must be accompanied by, among other documents, an investigational medicinal product dossier (the Common Technical Document) with supporting information prescribed by applicable directives. All suspected unexpected serious adverse reactions to the investigated drug that occur during the clinical trial have to be reported to the NCA and ECs of the Member State where they occurred.
Government regulation of data collection outside of the United States
We conduct clinical trials in the European Union, and as a result are subject to additional privacy restrictions. The collection and use of personal health data in the European Economic Area, or EEA (being the European Union plus Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein), is governed by the General Data Protection Regulation, or the GDPR, which became effective on May 25, 2018. The GDPR applies to the processing of personal data by any company established in the EEA and to companies established outside the EEA to the extent they process personal data in connection with the offering of goods or services to data subjects in the EEA or the monitoring of the behavior of data subjects in the EEA. The GDPR enhances data protection obligations for data controllers of personal data, including stringent requirements relating to the consent of data subjects, expanded disclosures about how personal data is used, enhanced requirements for securing personal data, requirements to conduct privacy impact assessments for “high risk” processing, limitations on retention of personal data, mandatory data breach notification and “privacy by design” requirements, and creates direct obligations on service providers acting as processors. The GDPR also imposes strict rules on the transfer of personal data outside of the EEA to countries that do not ensure an adequate level of protection, like the United States. Failure to comply with the requirements of the GDPR and the related national data protection laws of the European Union Member States and Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, which may deviate slightly from the GDPR, may result in fines of up to 4% of a company’s global revenue for the preceding financial year, or €20,000,000, whichever is greater. Moreover, the GDPR grants data subjects the right to claim material and non-material damages resulting from infringement of the GDPR. Given the breadth and depth of changes in data protection obligations, maintaining compliance with the GDPR will continue to require significant time, resources and expense, and we are required to put in place and maintain controls and processes ensuring compliance with the new data protection rules. There has been limited enforcement of the GDPR to date, particularly in biopharmaceutical development, so we face uncertainty as to the exact interpretation of the new requirements on any current and future trials and we may be unsuccessful in implementing and maintaining all measures required by data protection authorities or courts in interpretation of the new law. Further, the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union, means that it has in force its own legislation which is aligned with the GDPR, known as the Data Protection Act 2018. The requirements are similar except that the United Kingdom is now regarded as a “third country” for the purposes of transfers of personal data from the EEA. Transfers continue to flow freely from the United Kingdom to the EEA; however, as part of the agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union, the United Kingdom intends to obtain an adequacy decision from the European Commission to ensure personal data can continue to flow freely from the European Union to the United Kingdom.
Data protection authority activity differs across the European Union, with certain authorities applying their own agenda which shows there is uncertainty in the manner in which data protection authorities will seek to enforce compliance with GDPR. For example, it is not clear if the authorities will conduct random audits of companies doing business in the European Union, or if the authorities will wait for complaints to be filed by individuals who claim their rights have been violated. Enforcement uncertainty and the costs associated with ensuring GDPR compliance are onerous and may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Should we utilize third-party distributors, compliance with such foreign governmental regulations would generally be the responsibility of such distributors, who may be independent contractors over whom we have limited control.
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Competition
We face direct competition from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies leveraging the principle of synthetic lethality as well as companies developing therapies for the same target pathway and the same indications. Well-established companies that are developing or may develop therapies based on synthetic lethality include AstraZeneca, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck KGaA, Pfizer and Roche. Smaller and earlier-stage companies focused on synthetic lethality include Artios Pharma, Exelixsis, IDEAYA Biosciences, Repare Therapeutics and Servier Pharmaceuticals.