vrdn-20251231
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025
or
☐TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from to
Commission file number 001-36483
VIRIDIAN THERAPEUTICS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
221 Crescent Street, Suite 103A, Waltham, MA02453
(Address of principal executive offices)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (617)272-4600
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share VRDN The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
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. Yesx No ☐
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ Nox
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. Yesx 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). Yesx No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
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. x
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. x
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 Act). Yes ☐ No x
The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant, based upon the closing sale price of the registrant’s common stock on June 30, 2025, as reported on The Nasdaq Capital Market, was $943.0 million. Shares of common stock held by each executive officer and director and by each person who owns 10% or more of the outstanding common stock have been excluded in that such persons may be deemed to be affiliates. This determination of affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for other purposes.
As of February 20, 2026, there were 102,206,571 shares of the registrant’s common stock outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement for the 2026 annual meeting of stockholders (the “2026 Proxy Statement”) are incorporated herein by reference in Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K where indicated. The 2026 Proxy Statement will be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days of the registrant’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2025.
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VIRIDIAN THERAPEUTICS, INC.
INDEX
Page No.
PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS 8
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 104
ITEM 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTION 104
PART III
ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 105
ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION 105
ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES 105
PART IV
ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES 106
SIGNATURES
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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K (“Annual Report”) contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. We make such forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “possible,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report include, but are not limited to, statements about:
•the ability of our clinical trials to demonstrate safety and efficacy of our product candidates and other results;
•the potential utility, efficacy, potency, safety, clinical benefits, half-life, clinical response, convenience and number of indications of our product candidates, including our expectation that elegrobart (formerly VRDN-003) will demonstrate a favorable risk benefit profile;
•the timing and focus of our ongoing and future nonclinical studies and clinical trials and the timing of reporting data from those studies and trials, including data from Investigational New Drug Application (“IND”) for VRDN-008 that was submitted in December 2025 and that we anticipate submitting an IND for our half-life extended, monoclonal antibody that inhibits thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (“TSHR”) in the fourth quarter of 2026;
•supply chain disruptions, enrollment in clinical trials involving our product candidates or other delays in such trials;
•our plans relating to commercializing our product candidates, including our plans to commercialize products candidates as combination products, if approved, including the geographic areas of focus and sales strategy;
•potential market sizes and market opportunities, including the rate and degree of market acceptance and clinical utility for our product candidates;
•expectations regarding the initiation of clinical trials and interactions and alignment with regulatory authorities;
•the timing or likelihood of regulatory filings and approvals, including the potential approval of the biologics license application (“BLA”) for veligrotug, which is under Priority Review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), and potential approval of the Marketing Authorization Application (“MAA”) for veligrotug submitted to the European Medicines Agency (“EMA”) in January 2026, and our expectation to seek an accelerated approval pathway and special designations for our product candidates for various diseases;
•our plans relating to the further development of our product candidates, including additional indications we may pursue and our efforts to continue to identify and engineer novel product candidates;
•our plans to obtain or protect intellectual property rights;
•our continued reliance on third parties to conduct additional clinical trials of our product candidates and for the manufacture of our product candidates for nonclinical studies, clinical trials and commercialization;
•our plans regarding any collaboration, licensing or other arrangements that may be necessary or desirable to develop, manufacture or commercialize our product candidates;
•our estimates regarding expenses, future revenue, capital requirements and our ability to obtain additional financing to fund our operations and complete further development and commercialization of our product candidates; and
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•our expectations regarding the ability of our existing cash, cash equivalents, potential near-term milestone payments, and anticipated commercial revenues, if both veligrotug and elegrobart are approved, to fund our future anticipated operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements.
Any forward-looking statements in this Annual Report reflect our current views with respect to future events and with respect to our future financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, those described under Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, even if new information becomes available in the future.
All of our forward-looking statements are as of the date of this Annual Report only. In each case, actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking information. We can give no assurance that such expectations or forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. An occurrence of or any material adverse change in one or more of the risk factors or risks and uncertainties referred to in this Annual Report or included in our other public disclosures or our other periodic reports or other documents or filings filed with or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) could materially and adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations. Except as required by law, we do not undertake or plan to update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changes in plans, assumptions, estimates or projections or other circumstances affecting such forward-looking statements occurring after the date of this Annual Report, even if such results, changes or circumstances make it clear that any forward-looking information will not be realized. Any public statements or disclosures by us following this Annual Report that modify or impact any of the forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report will be deemed to modify or supersede such statements in this Annual Report.
We may from time to time provide estimates, projections and other information concerning our industry, the general business environment, and the markets for certain diseases, including estimates regarding the potential size of those markets and the estimated incidence and prevalence of certain medical conditions. Information that is based on estimates, forecasts, projections, market research or similar methodologies is inherently subject to uncertainties, and actual events, circumstances or numbers, including actual disease prevalence rates and market size, may differ materially from the information reflected in this Annual Report. Unless otherwise expressly stated, we obtained this industry, business information, market data, prevalence information and other data from reports, research surveys, studies and similar data prepared by market research firms and other third parties, industry, medical and general publications, government data, and similar sources, in some cases applying our own assumptions and analysis that may, in the future, prove not to have been accurate.
Unless otherwise mentioned or unless the context requires otherwise, all references in this Annual Report, to “Viridian,” “Viridian Therapeutics,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” and “our” or similar references refer to Viridian Therapeutics, Inc. and our consolidated subsidiaries.
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SUMMARY OF THE MATERIAL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR BUSINESS
Below is a summary of the principal factors that make an investment in our common stock speculative or risky. This summary does not address all of the risks that we face. Additional discussion of the risks summarized in this risk factor summary, and other risks that we face, can be found below under the heading “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and should be carefully considered, together with other information in this Annual Report and our other filings with the SEC, before making an investment decision regarding our common stock.
•We have historically incurred losses, have a limited operating history on which to assess our business, and anticipate that we will continue to incur significant losses for the foreseeable future.
•If we are unable to secure additional capital when needed, we would be forced to delay, reduce, or eliminate our research and product development programs or future commercialization efforts.
•Clinical trials are costly, time consuming, and inherently risky, and we may fail to demonstrate safety and efficacy to the satisfaction of applicable regulatory authorities. Any of our product candidates may fail in development or experience significant delays.
•Regulatory approval processes are lengthy, time-consuming and inherently unpredictable, and we may be unable to obtain approval for our product candidates or approval may be delayed due to factors beyond our control, including as a result of disruptions at the FDA and other agencies caused by shutdowns, funding shortages, and policies pursued by the current U.S. administration. Failure to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates would have a material adverse effect upon our business and business prospects.
•Our product candidates may cause undesirable side effects or have other properties that could delay or prevent their regulatory approval, limit the commercial viability, or result in significant negative consequences following marketing approval, if any.
•We are heavily dependent on the success of our product candidates, which are in clinical development. Some of our product candidates have produced results only in nonclinical settings, or for other indications than those for which we contemplate conducting development and seeking FDA or other regulatory approval, and we cannot give any assurance that we will generate data for any of our product candidates sufficiently supportive to receive regulatory approval in our planned indications, which will be required before they can be commercialized.
•Product development involves a lengthy and expensive process with an uncertain outcome, and results of earlier nonclinical studies and clinical trials may not be predictive of future clinical trial results.
•If we are unable to establish commercial manufacturing, sales and marketing capabilities or enter into agreements with third parties to commercially manufacture, market and sell our product candidates, we may be unable to generate any revenue.
•We face substantial competition and our competitors may discover, develop, or commercialize products faster or more successfully than us.
•We rely on third parties to conduct our nonclinical development activities and clinical trials, manufacture our product candidates, and perform other services. If these third parties do not successfully perform and/or comply with regulatory requirements, we may not be able to successfully complete clinical development, obtain regulatory approval, or commercialize our product candidates and our business could be substantially harmed.
•Even if we obtain regulatory approvals for any of our product candidates, our products will be subject to ongoing regulatory oversight. We may incur significant liability if enforcement authorities allege or determine that we have not complied with regulatory requirements.
•Even if we receive regulatory approval to market our product candidates, the market may not be receptive to such product candidates upon their commercial introduction and we may not be able to sell our product candidates and be unable to generate any revenue.
•We rely on patent rights, trade secret protections, and confidentiality agreements to protect intellectual property, including intellectual property related to our product candidates and any future product candidates. If we are unable to
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obtain or maintain exclusivity from the combination of these approaches, we may not be able to compete effectively in our markets.
•Our future success depends in part on our ability to attract, retain, and motivate qualified personnel. If we lose key personnel, or if we fail to recruit additional highly skilled personnel, our ability to develop our product candidates will be impaired and our business may be harmed.
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PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Company Overview
We are a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing potential best-in-class medicines for serious and rare diseases. We target therapeutic areas in which current treatments leave room for improvements in efficacy, safety, and/or dosing convenience. We believe there is significant potential in these areas, for better medicines that address unmet needs, improve outcomes, and expand treatment options for patients. We aim to develop differentiated, potential best-in-class medicines that could lead to improved patient outcomes, reduced side effects, improved quality of life, and expanded market access.
Our pipeline targets validated pathways and disease-driving mechanisms in autoimmune and rare diseases. These include product candidates directed at the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (“IGF‐1R”) for the treatment of thyroid eye disease (“TED”), inhibitors of the neonatal Fc receptor (“FcRn”) with potential application across multiple autoimmune disorders, and a TSHR inhibitor program with potential in TED and Graves’ disease. We develop therapeutics through internal research and discovery, as well as through in-licensing opportunities that align with our strategic focus. Our capabilities span protein and antibody discovery and engineering, biologics manufacturing, nonclinical and clinical development, commercial planning, and commercialization in these therapeutic areas.
As we prepare for the anticipated launch of our first commercial product, if approved, we are building the infrastructure we believe is required to support a successful transition to a commercial organization. This includes establishing sales and marketing, market access, patient services, and commercial operations functions, and expanding our medical, clinical, regulatory, quality, and supply chain and distribution capabilities. Our commercial readiness efforts focus on enabling reliable access for patients, supporting physicians, and engaging effectively with payors.
Our strategy combines clear scientific, clinical, and commercial rationale with excellence in execution to rapidly discover, develop, and commercialize better medicines for patients. We rely on our scientific, clinical, and commercial expertise to identify opportunities to improve upon existing investigational or approved therapies and to apply these insights to designing, selecting, developing, and commercializing potential best-in-class product candidates. We bring potential improvements to critical areas such as molecular design, dose selection, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, clinical trial design, trial endpoints, and the selection and recruitment of patients. We believe this strategy enables efficient product development and reduces the risk when developing novel therapeutics.
Development of IGF-1R Therapies to Treat Thyroid Eye Disease (TED)
We are developing therapies for the treatment of TED, a serious and debilitating rare autoimmune disease that causes inflammation within the orbit of the eye that can cause bulging of the eyes, redness and swelling, double vision, pain, and potential blindness. TED significantly impacts quality of life, imposing a high burden on activities of daily living and mental health for patients suffering from the disease. TED is a progressive disease consisting of an initial active phase (“active TED”), followed by a transition to a secondary chronic phase (“chronic TED”). The only medicine approved by the FDA for TED is Tepezza® (teprotumumab), which is an intravenously administered monoclonal antibody that targets IGF-1R. Tepezza is marketed in the United States (“U.S.”) by Amgen Inc. (“Amgen”). Amgen gained approval for Tepezza in Japan in 2024 and from the European Commission in 2025.
We are developing two anti-IGF-1R product candidates, veligrotug for intravenous (“IV”) administration and elegrobart (formerly known as VRDN-003) for subcutaneous (“SC”) administration, to treat patients who suffer from TED. Our most advanced program, veligrotug, is a differentiated humanized monoclonal antibody targeting IGF-1R intravenously administered for the treatment of TED. In previously presented in vitro nonclinical data, we showed that veligrotug is a potentially differentiated full antagonist of IGF-1R, compared to teprotumumab’s incomplete antagonism of IGF-1R. Elegrobart has the same binding domain as veligrotug, and was engineered to have a longer half-life. Elegrobart is designed to be a low-volume, infrequently-dosed subcutaneous IGF-1R for TED, which we plan to launch commercially with an auto-injector to enable at-home patient self-administration. We believe elegrobart has the potential to be the best-in-class anti-IGF-1R product candidate by preserving the efficacy of anti-IGF-1Rs in TED, improving safety, and maximizing convenience for patients with subcutaneous delivery.
We conducted a global pivotal clinical program for veligrotug, evaluating its efficacy and safety in two global well-controlled phase 3 clinical trials, THRIVE and THRIVE-2, for the treatment of active and chronic TED, respectively. THRIVE and
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THRIVE-2 were each designed to compare a five-dose IV treatment arm of veligrotug at 10 mg/kg, dosed three weeks apart, to placebo. This five-dose veligrotug regimen features fewer infusions and a shorter time per infusion compared to teprotumumab, the currently marketed IGF-1R inhibitor. In September 2024, we announced topline data from the THRIVE study, which enrolled 113 patients, randomized to veligrotug (n=75) and placebo (n=38). THRIVE achieved its primary and all secondary endpoints with a high level of statistical significance (p < 0.0001) and was generally well-tolerated, with no treatment-related serious adverse events (“SAEs”). Veligrotug additionally showed a rapid onset of treatment effect, with the majority (53%) of veligrotug-treated patients achieving a proptosis response as early as three weeks. In December 2024, we announced topline data from the THRIVE-2 study, which enrolled 188 patients, randomized to veligrotug (n=125) and placebo (n=63). THRIVE-2 achieved its primary and all secondary endpoints with statistical significance and was generally well-tolerated. Veligrotug demonstrated a rapid onset of treatment effect in THRIVE-2, with a statistically significant proptosis response as early as three weeks and a statistically significant reduction and resolution of diplopia as early as six weeks. THRIVE-2 is the first global phase 3 study in patients with chronic TED to demonstrate a statistically significant and clinically meaningful diplopia responder rate and rate of diplopia complete resolution. Veligrotug demonstrated durability at 52 weeks in THRIVE, showing that 70% of patients who were proptosis responders at week 15 maintained their response at week 52.
To meet the 300 patient safety database requirement for the veligrotug BLA, we are conducting STRIVE, a global phase 3 clinical trial. STRIVE enrolled 231 TED patients, utilized broad inclusion criteria (e.g., any severity or duration of disease), and randomized patients 3:1 (10 mg/kg IV with an active control of 3 mg/kg IV). We are also conducting an open label extension study for non-responding patients in THRIVE and THRIVE-2 which has completed enrollment. In May 2025, the FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy designation to veligrotug. We submitted a BLA for veligrotug to the FDA in October 2025, which was accepted for filing and granted Priority Review in December 2025 with a Prescription Drug User Free Act (“PDUFA”) target action date of June 30, 2026. We additionally submitted an MAA to the EMA in January 2026.
We are also developing elegrobart, our subcutaneous anti-IGF-1R product candidate currently in pivotal clinical studies in TED, which we selected in December 2023 following positive data in a phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers.
In its phase 1 clinical study in healthy volunteers, elegrobart was shown to have a prolonged half-life of 40 to 50 days, which is four to five times that of veligrotug. Based on this data and the similarities between the veligrotug and elegrobart antibodies, we selected Q4W and Q8W dosing of elegrobart to advance to phase 3 pivotal studies. PK modeling showed Q4W and Q8W subcutaneous elegrobart dosing could achieve the range of modeled veligrotug exposures based on a two-infusion phase 2 TED study at 3 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg IV, once every three weeks. Both dosing regimens of veligrotug showed robust clinical activity.
We are conducting a global pivotal program for elegrobart, including evaluating its efficacy and safety in two global well-controlled phase 3 clinical trials, REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2, for the treatment of active and chronic TED, respectively. Both studies are evaluating elegrobart administered subcutaneously every four weeks or every eight weeks and will assess outcomes versus placebo. In September 2025, we announced that REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 completed enrollment, enrolling 132 and 204 patients, respectively, each exceeding its target enrollments of 117 and 195 patients, respectively, due to demand. 67% of REVEAL-1 patients were enrolled from the U.S., and 56% of REVEAL-2 patients were enrolled from the U.S. In addition, to enable BLA submission for elegrobart, we are conducting a safety study to meet the 300 patient safety database requirement (to also include patients from the REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 trials). We completed enrollment of this safety study in October 2025, enrolling 321 patients, exceeding the target enrollment of 284 patients due to demand. Additionally, we are conducting an auto-injector study to enable launching elegrobart in an auto-injector device, if approved. We completed enrollment in the autoinjector study in December 2025, enrolling 87 patients, exceeding the target enrollment of 75 patients. We anticipate topline data for REVEAL-1 in the first quarter of 2026 and REVEAL-2 in the second quarter of 2026.
Development of FcRn Inhibitors
We are also developing a portfolio of engineered FcRn inhibitors, including VRDN-006 and VRDN-008. FcRn inhibitors have the potential to treat a broad array of autoimmune diseases, representing a possible significant commercial market opportunity. Our multi-pronged engineering approach has resulted in a portfolio of FcRn-targeting molecules that leverage the clinically and commercially validated mechanism of FcRn inhibition while potentially addressing the limitations of current agents such as incomplete immunoglobulin G (“IgG”) suppression, safety, and inconvenience of dosing.
VRDN-006 is a highly selective Fc fragment that inhibits FcRn and is designed to be a convenient subcutaneous and self-administered option for patients. In non-human primate (“NHP”) studies, VRDN-006 demonstrated specificity for blocking FcRn-IgG interactions while not showing decreases in albumin or increases in low-density lipoprotein (“LDL”) levels, which are known potential side effects associated with certain full-length anti-FcRn monoclonal antibodies. In our head-to-head NHP studies, VRDN-006 demonstrated comparable potency and IgG reductions to efgartigimod, which is the current standard of care in FcRn inhibition, as well as a similar safety profile. We submitted an IND for VRDN-006 in December 2024, which cleared
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in January 2025. In September 2025, we announced that data from an ongoing phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers showed that VRDN-006 led to IgG reductions that are consistent with the FcRn inhibitor class, and that VRDN-006 was sparing of albumin and LDL and was generally well-tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicities or serious adverse events.
VRDN-008 is a half-life extended bispecific FcRn inhibitor comprising an Fc fragment and an albumin-binding domain designed to prolong IgG suppression and provide a potentially best-in-class subcutaneous option for patients. In a single, high-dose, head-to-head study in NHPs, VRDN-008 demonstrated three times the half-life of efgartigimod. Additionally, VRDN-008 showed a deeper and more sustained IgG reduction with peak IgG reductions that were 20% deeper than efgartigimod, and IgG levels returned to baseline 35 days after VRDN-008 dosing, more than twice as long as efgartigimod, which returned to baseline 14 days after dosing. VRDN-008 spared albumin and LDL, consistent with efgartigimod. We submitted an IND for VRDN-008 in December 2025 and received IND clearance from the FDA in January 2026. We expect healthy volunteer data in the second half of 2026.
Development of TSHR Inhibitors
In January 2026, we announced that we are developing an anti-TSHR candidate with potential use in the treatment of Graves’ disease and TED. This product candidate is a half‐life extended monoclonal antibody designed to inhibit activation of TSHR. It is being developed for subcutaneous administration via autoinjector, with the goal of enabling extended dosing intervals intended to support patient convenience. We anticipate submitting an IND for this program in the fourth quarter of 2026.
We believe inhibiting TSHR has the potential to treat both TED and Graves’ disease. TED pathophysiology potentially stems from the activation of the TSHR and IGF-1R signaling complex on orbital fibroblasts, leading to hyaluronan secretion and expansion of orbital fat and muscle. Autoantibodies that stimulate TSHR can activate pathways that promote inflammation, fibroblast proliferation, and tissue remodeling relevant to TED. We believe inhibiting TSHR could complement the inhibition of IGF-1R in the treatment of TED. In addition to TED, blocking TSHR could also be effective to treat Graves’ disease.
Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disease in which autoantibodies form against the TSHR, stimulating and activating the receptor. These TSH receptor antibodies (“TRAb”) can drive a heightened activation of TSHR, resulting in excessive thyroid hormone production and hyperthyroidism. Graves’ disease is one of the most prevalent autoimmune conditions, affecting more than 2 million people in the United States, and is the leading cause of hyperthyroidism. Current treatments—including antithyroid drugs, radioactive iodine (“RAI”), and surgery—lower thyroid hormone levels but do not entirely address the underlying autoimmune drivers of the disease and are often associated with relapse or the development of permanent hypothyroidism.
Blocking TSHR activation through a TSHR antagonist represents a differentiated therapeutic approach aimed at targeting disease-driving mechanisms in TED and in Graves’ disease.
Our Strategy
Our mission is to create and advance new medicines for patients suffering from serious and rare diseases that are underserved by today’s therapies. Key elements of our business strategy are to:
•Identify, engineer, and develop potential best-in-class therapeutic proteins and antibodies that optimize patient care. We develop therapeutics through internal research and discovery, as well as through in-licensing opportunities that align with our strategic focus. We identify opportunities to advance potential best-in-class medicines that address unmet needs in autoimmune and rare diseases. Our approach leverages proven biology on clinically validated targets and our internal capabilities such as protein and antibody engineering to reduce development risk while striving to address unmet needs for patients including improved clinical outcomes, reduced side effects, improved quality of life, and expanded market access.
•Advance our lead programs in thyroid eye disease (TED):
◦Seek marketing approval for veligrotug. We evaluated veligrotug in two pivotal global phase 3 clinical trials, THRIVE and THRIVE-2, for the treatment of active and chronic TED, respectively. THRIVE and THRIVE-2 were each designed to compare a five-dose intravenous treatment arm of veligrotug at 10 mg/kg, dosed three weeks apart, to placebo. This five-dose veligrotug regimen features fewer infusions and a shorter time per infusion compared to teprotumumab, the currently marketed IGF-1R inhibitor for TED. We reported positive topline THRIVE and THRIVE-2 data in September 2024 and December 2024, respectively. We expect that the THRIVE and THRIVE-2 phase 3 trials, together with a safety database comprising 300 treated
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patients (safety database inclusive of patients from the THRIVE and THRIVE-2 trials), will support global health authority registration for marketing approval in both active and chronic TED. We submitted a BLA for veligrotug in October 2025, which was accepted for filing and granted Priority Review in December 2025 with a PDUFA target action date of June 30, 2026. We also submitted an MAA to the EMA for veligrotug in January 2026.
◦Rapidly develop subcutaneous elegrobart as our next generation, potential best-in-class IGF-1R antibody. Elegrobart is designed to be self-administered subcutaneously at home as an infrequent and low-volume injection to decrease the burden on TED patients. Elegrobart has the same binding domain as veligrotug and was engineered to have a longer half-life. Elegrobart is designed to maintain the efficacy of IGF-1Rs as demonstrated by the marketed product, teprotumumab, and by the clinical results for veligrotug in THRIVE and THRIVE-2, with the potential to improve on its safety and maximize patient convenience. We are evaluating elegrobart in two global phase 3 clinical trials, REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2, for the treatment of active and chronic TED, respectively. REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 are each designed to evaluate elegrobart administered subcutaneously every four weeks or every eight weeks and will assess outcomes versus placebo. We are also conducting a safety study to meet the 300 patient safety database requirement (to also include patients from the REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 trials) and an auto-injector study which we believe will enable delivery via an auto-injector device at the time of commercial launch, if approved. We expect to report topline REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 data in the first quarter and second quarter of 2026, respectively. We expect that the REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 phase 3 trials, together with a safety database of 300 treated patients (safety database inclusive of patients from the REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 trials), will support global health authority registration for marketing approval in both active and chronic TED, respectively.
◦Commercially launch veligrotug, if approved, and prepare for the commercialization of elegrobart, for the treatment of patients with TED. We hold worldwide commercialization rights, excluding Japan and thegreater area of China, to veligrotug and elegrobart. We are cultivating a network across TED stakeholders to launch our potential products with a patient-centric approach, including partnering with patients and advocacy groups, key opinion leaders, research institutions, healthcare professionals, and payers. For the U.S. market, to plan for the anticipated launch of veligrotug, if approved, we are building the infrastructure required to support a successful transition to a commercial organization. This includes establishing sales and marketing, market access, patient services, and commercial operations functions, and expanding our medical, clinical, regulatory, quality, and supply chain and distribution capabilities. Our commercial readiness efforts focus on enabling reliable access for patients, supporting physicians, and engaging effectively with payors. We believe these efforts to commercialize veligrotug will directly benefit the commercial launch of elegrobart. Outside of the U.S. in the regions where we have commercial rights, we have the flexibility to develop and potentially commercialize products ourselves, or alternatively to enter collaborations with industry partners.
•Advance our portfolio of FcRn inhibitors with the potential to treat a broad array of autoimmune disorders. We are developing a portfolio of engineered anti-neonatal FcRn inhibitors, including VRDN-006 and VRDN-008. FcRn inhibitors have the potential to treat a broad array of autoimmune diseases, representing a possible significant commercial market opportunity. Our multi-pronged engineering approach has resulted in a portfolio of FcRn-targeting molecules that leverage the clinically and commercially validated mechanism of FcRn inhibition while potentially addressing the limitations of current agents such as incomplete IgG suppression and safety.
◦Complete VRDN-006 phase 1 study and communicate development plan. In September 2025, we announced that data from an ongoing phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers showed that VRDN-006 led to IgG reductions that are consistent with the FcRn inhibitor class, and that VRDN-006 was sparing of albumin and LDL and was generally well-tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicities or serious adverse events. We expect to communicate future development plans for VRDN-006 in 2026.
◦Generate VRDN-008 proof-of-concept IgG reduction in healthy volunteers. VRDN-008 is a half-life extended bispecific FcRn inhibitor comprising an Fc fragment and an albumin-binding domain designed to prolong IgG suppression as a subcutaneous, self-administered and potential best-in-class option for patients. In single, high-dose head-to-head NHP studies, VRDN-008 demonstrated three times the half-life and showed a deeper and more sustained IgG reduction than efgartigimod. We submitted an IND for VRDN-008 in December 2025 and received IND clearance from the FDA in January 2026. We expect healthy volunteer data in the second half of 2026.
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•Leverage our differentiated strategy, strong capabilities, and track record of execution to continue discovering and developing novel, potential best-in class product candidates. We plan to continue to identify and advance novel product candidates and technologies to generate potential best-in-class therapeutics, including proteins and antibodies, either internally or through in-licensing.
◦Advance our TSHR candidate to the clinic. Our TSHRcandidate is a potential best-in-class, half-life extended product candidate. We anticipate submitting an IND for our TSHR program in the fourth quarter of 2026.
◦Continue to identify and advance novel product candidates. We plan to continue to identify and engineer, through internal discovery efforts, novel product candidates and technologies that have the potential to be best-in-class therapeutics. On identifying such product candidates, we plan to advance and develop them to address unmet needs for patients.
◦Identify external opportunities for potential in-licensing. Monitor external opportunities and in-license potential assets that align with our strategic focus.
Our Pipeline
Thyroid Eye Disease (TED)
TED, commonly associated with Graves’ disease, and in some cases referred to as Graves’ orbitopathy, is a serious and rare autoimmune disorder affecting the eye and its adjacent tissue. It is characterized by inflammation within the orbit of the eye that can cause bulging of the eyes, redness and swelling, double vision, pain, and potential blindness. TED is a progressive disease consisting of an initial active phase or active TED, followed by a transition to a secondary chronic phase or chronic TED. In the active phase of TED, patients present with several inflammatory signs and symptoms such as pain, redness, swelling, proptosis, diplopia, and eyelid retraction. The active phase is generally defined as the first 18 to 24 months of disease onset and is typically when inflammatory signs and symptoms reach their peak levels. The second, chronic phase of TED is characterized by a reduction in some of the inflammatory signs, such as redness and swelling in the area surrounding the eye, compared to the active phase of the disease. However, proptosis, pain, diplopia, and eyelid retraction often persist throughout life for patients with chronic TED. Patients with active and chronic TED experience significant impairment to their quality of life, including difficulties with the activities of daily living, trouble functioning in social situations, and decreased psychological well-being. About one in every three patients experience anxiety and depression.
Pathologies Leading to the Development of TED
TED develops in parallel with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disease in which autoantibodies form against the thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (“TSHR”), which is present in the thyroid and other cells such as adipocytes and fibroblasts. A
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close temporal relationship exists between the onset of Graves’ Disease and the onset of TED. Regardless of which condition occurs first, the other condition develops within 18 months in 80% of patients. In addition to autoantibodies against TSHR, patients with TED may also develop autoantibodies against IGF-1R.
Insulin-like growth factor 1 (“IGF-1”) is a hormone similar in molecular structure to insulin with higher growth-promoting activity. IGF-1R, the receptor for IGF-1, is highly expressed in fibrocytes, cells that are derived from the bone marrow and that have the potential to differentiate into either myofibroblasts or fat cells. IGF-1R and TSHR function in concert to regulate the proliferation and differentiation of fibrocytes in the orbital socket.
One potential cause of TED is autoimmune antibodies against IGF-1R that lead to the activation of IGF-1R, resulting in increased proliferation, secretion of extracellular complex carbohydrates, and differentiation into fat cells. These antibodies, and autoimmune antibodies to TSHR, can elicit an immune attack against the fibrocytes that surround the eye triggering the development of TED. Inflammation associated with this attack combined with activation of IGF-1R leads to the wide spectrum of pathologies seen with this disease.
Exposure to other inflammatory agents, such as cigarette smoke, leads to exacerbation of the disease resulting in more severe symptoms.
Current Treatments for TED
Prior to 2020, moderate to severe cases of TED were treated off-label with steroids such as daily doses of oral prednisone, or in more severe cases, weekly doses of IV methylprednisolone. Treatment with steroids is associated with a wide range of serious complications including high blood pressure, diabetes, psychological effects, personality change, insomnia, skin thinning, immunosuppression, hyperglycemia, and increased risks of infections. Systemic steroids showed limited efficacy for most of the signs and symptoms of TED and are not a sustainable long-range intervention given the side effects. If steroid treatment proved to be inadequate, or could not be tolerated, remaining options for patients include orbital radiation or surgery to reduce swelling, decompress orbital contents, and protect the vision. Again, each of these therapies was considered incomplete or inadequate from the perspective of both the patient and the treating physician.
In January 2020, Tepezza (teprotumumab), an antibody that blocks the activation of IGF-1R, was approved by the FDA for the treatment of TED. The Tepezza labeling was updated in April 2023 to specify its use for the treatment of TED regardless of TED activity or duration. Since its initial approval in 2020, the label has been subsequently updated multiple times with additional information on administration, risks and adverse reactions.
In two randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trials, infusions of teprotumumab every three weeks, for a total of eight doses, led to a greater than 2 mm decrease in proptosis in 71% and 83% of patients with active TED, respectively, compared to 20% and 10% with placebo, 51% and 73% placebo-adjusted response, respectively. Combined results from these two studies in patients with active TED showed that treatment with teprotumumab also led to a 53% decrease in diplopia compared to a 25% decrease when patients were treated with placebo. Thus, these data show that targeting and blockade of IGF-1R in TED provides a clinically meaningful benefit and is a de-risked approach.
Market Potential
We estimate approximately 190,000 TED patients in the United States with moderate to severe TED, which includes patients with either active and chronic TED, and a similar epidemiology in Europe. Currently, each vial of Tepezza has an approximate price of $18,700, which translates to a list price of approximately $525,000 based on patient weight for a six-month course of therapy. Tepezza’s 2025 net sales were approximately $1.9 billion with estimated single digit annual penetration of the addressable moderate to severe TED population. We believe there is potential for additional revenue in the U.S. with further penetration into the prevalent TED population and more convenient regimens and routes of administration. With Tepezza now approved in multiple countries outside of the U.S., including Japan and the European Union, we believe there is potential for meaningful additional revenue outside of the U.S., which we believe will further support multiple entrants.
Our Product Candidates
Veligrotug, a potential best-in-class intravenously administered IGF-1R antibody
Veligrotug is a monoclonal antibody that binds to and is believed to act as a full antagonist of IGF-1R signaling pathway. This mechanism of action is clinically and commercially validated by the only FDA product approved for the treatment of TED, Tepezza. Based on the THRIVE and THRIVE-2 phase 3 clinical trials, our goal is for veligrotug to be second to market in this
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class of medicine, with the opportunity to offer a differentiated IV product. The FDA granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation to veligrotug in May 2025. Further, the FDA accepted the veligrotug BLA for filing in December 2025 under Priority Review with a PDUFA target action date of June 30, 2026.
We have an exclusive license to the worldwide rights to develop and commercialize veligrotug for all non-oncology indications that do not use radiopharmaceuticals, including the treatment of patients with TED, from ImmunoGen, Inc. (“ImmunoGen”). The antibody sequence that we are developing as veligrotug in TED had previously been developed in oncology as AVE-1642 and studied in over 100 patients. However, development in oncology was stopped in 2009 due to its failure to meet the primary efficacy endpoints in multiple myeloma. As described below, we licensed the right to develop, manufacture and commercialize certain IGF-1R directed antibody products for non-oncology indications in the greater area of China to Zenas BioPharma (Cayman) Limited (now Zenas BioPharma, Inc., their successor in interest, “Zenas BioPharma”). In January 2025, Zenas BioPharma sublicensed their rights to Zai Lab (Hong King) Limited (“Zai Lab”). As described below, in July 2025, we licensed the right to develop, manufacture under certain limited conditions, and commercialize veligrotug and elegrobart in Japan to Kissei Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (“Kissei”).
Clinical Trials for veligrotug
Phase 1/2 Trial of veligrotug in Patients with Active TED
In the second half of 2022 and early 2023, we announced data from our phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of veligrotug in patients with active TED. The proof-of-concept portion of this double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 1/2 trial evaluated two infusions of veligrotug administered intravenously, three weeks apart, with efficacy measured six weeks after the first dose. Veligrotug was evaluated at doses of 3, 10, and 20 mg/kg, with each cohort designed to include six patients randomized to drug, and two patients randomized to placebo. We previously announced positive results from all three dose cohorts, and veligrotug demonstrated a favorable safety profile. In the 3 mg/kg dose cohort, nine patients were randomized to receive veligrotug to enable all consented patients who were eligible following screening to participate in the trial, and two patients were randomized to receive placebo. At week 6, across all three dose groups (n=21), we observed a 71% proptosis responder rate and a 67% overall responder rate. 62% of veligrotug-treated patients achieved a CAS of 0 or 1, and 54% had complete resolution of their diplopia. Veligrotug was generally well-tolerated.
Phase 1/2 Trial of veligrotug in Patients with Chronic TED
In July 2023, we announced data from our phase 1/2 clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of veligrotug in patients with chronic TED. The proof-of-concept portion of this double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 1/2 trial evaluated two infusions of veligrotug administered intravenously, three weeks apart, with efficacy measured six weeks after the first dose. Veligrotug was evaluated at doses of 3 and 10 mg/kg, with each cohort designed to include six patients randomized to drug, and two patients randomized to placebo. We previously announced positive results from both cohorts, and veligrotug demonstrated a favorable safety profile that was generally consistent with the previously reported results in patients with active TED with veligrotug. At week six, across both dose groups (n=12), we observed a 42% proptosis responder rate and 40% of veligrotug-treated patients achieving a CAS of 0 or 1. No patients achieved complete resolution of their diplopia. Veligrotug was generally well-tolerated and demonstrated a safety profile that was generally consistent with the previously reported results in patients with active TED with veligrotug.
Phase 3 Trial (THRIVE) of veligrotug in Patients with Active TED
THRIVE is a global double-masked, placebo-controlled phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of veligrotug in patients with active TED. THRIVE evaluated five infusions of veligrotug at 10 mg/kg, dosed three weeks apart. Patients were randomized two to drug and one to placebo.
In September 2024, we announced positive topline data from THRIVE. THRIVE met the primary and all secondary endpoints at fifteen weeks after five infusions of veligrotug, showing highly statistically significant (p < 0.0001) improvements on all of the measured signs and symptoms of TED. Veligrotug additionally showed a rapid onset of treatment effect, with the majority (53%) of veligrotug-treated patients achieving a proptosis response as early as three weeks. THRIVE enrolled 113 patients, randomized to veligrotug (n=75) and placebo (n=38).
The following activity was observed in veligrotug-treated patients at the week fifteen interim topline database lock (n=75):
Proptosis
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•70% proptosis responder rate (“PRR”) (64% placebo-adjusted, p < 0.0001), defined as a ≥2-millimeter (“mm”) reduction in proptosis from baseline in the study eye without worsening in the fellow eye (≥2 mm increase), as measured by exophthalmometry. PRR results as measured by MRI/CT were consistent with those measured by exophthalmometry at the primary efficacy analysis timepoint.
•2.9mm mean reduction in proptosis from baseline (2.4mm placebo-adjusted, p < 0.0001), as measured by exophthalmometry
Diplopia
•63% diplopia responder rate (43% placebo-adjusted, p < 0.0001), defined as patients with baseline diplopia who achieved a reduction of at least 1 on the Gorman subjective diplopia scale (76 patients with diplopia at baseline)
•54% complete resolution of diplopia (43% placebo-adjusted, p < 0.0001), defined as patients with baseline diplopia who achieved a score of 0 on the Gorman subjective diplopia scale
CAS
•64% maximal or near-maximal therapeutic effect on CAS (46% placebo-adjusted, p < 0.0001), defined as reaching a CAS of 0 or 1 on the 7-point composite measure of signs and symptoms of TED
•3.4 point mean reduction in CAS from baseline (1.7-point placebo-adjusted, p < 0.0001), on a 7-point measure of signs and symptoms of TED
Overall response
•67% overall responder rate (61% placebo-adjusted, p < 0.0001), defined as a ≥2 mm reduction in proptosis and a ≥2 point reduction in CAS
Veligrotug was generally well-tolerated with a safety profile consistent with previous veligrotug studies. The majority of adverse events (“AEs”) were mild, and 96% of veligrotug-treated patients completing all doses. There were no treatment-related serious AEs. A 5.5% placebo-adjusted rate of hearing impairment AEs was observed. The vast majority of adverse events reported at the week fifteen topline readout had resolved by week fifty-two at final database lock.
Phase 3 Trial (THRIVE-2) of veligrotug in Patients with Chronic TED
THRIVE-2 is a global double-masked, placebo-controlled phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of veligrotug in patients with chronic TED. THRIVE-2 evaluated five infusions of veligrotug at 10 mg/kg, dosed three weeks apart. Patients were randomized two to drug and one to placebo.
In December 2024, we announced positive topline data from THRIVE-2. THRIVE-2 met the primary and all secondary endpoints at fifteen weeks after five infusions of veligrotug, showing statistically significant responses on all of the measured signs and symptoms of TED. Veligrotug continued to demonstrate a rapid onset of treatment effect, with a statistically significant proptosis response as early as three weeks and statistically significant diplopia reduction and resolution as early as six weeks. THRIVE-2 is the first global phase 3 study in patients with chronic TED to demonstrate a statistically significant and clinically meaningful diplopia responder rate and rate of diplopia complete resolution. THRIVE-2 enrolled 188 patients, randomized to veligrotug (n=125) and placebo (n=63). The mean time since onset of TED in patients treated with veligrotug was 69.8 months.
The following activity was observed in veligrotug-treated patients at the week fifteen interim topline database lock (n=125):
Proptosis
•56% proptosis responder rate (“PRR”) (48% placebo-adjusted; p < 0.0001), defined as a ≥2-millimeter (“mm”) reduction in proptosis from baseline in the study eye without worsening in the fellow eye (≥2 mm increase), as measured by exophthalmometry. PRR was statistically significant at all time points, including as early as 3 weeks, demonstrating a rapid onset of treatment effect. PRR results as measured by MRI/CT were consistent with those measured by exophthalmometry at the primary efficacy analysis timepoint.
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•2.3mm mean reduction in proptosis from baseline (1.9mm placebo-adjusted, p < 0.0001), as measured by exophthalmometry
Diplopia
•56% diplopia responder rate (31% placebo-adjusted, p = 0.0006), defined as patients with baseline diplopia who achieved a reduction of at least 1 on the Gorman subjective diplopia scale. Rapid onset was observed as early as 6 weeks after just two infusions (102 patients with diplopia at baseline)
•32% complete resolution of diplopia (18% placebo-adjusted, p = 0.0152), defined as patients with baseline diplopia who achieved a score of 0 on the Gorman subjective diplopia scale
CAS
•54% maximal or near-maximal therapeutic effect on CAS (29% placebo-adjusted, p = 0.006), defined as reaching a CAS of 0 or 1 on the 7-point composite measure of signs and symptoms of TED, among patients with a CAS of ≥ 3 at baseline (n = 104)
•2.9 point mean reduction in CAS from baseline (1.6-point placebo-adjusted, p < 0.0001), on a 7-point measure of signs and symptoms of TED, among patients with a CAS of ≥ 3 at baseline
•CAS outcomes are exploratory endpoints and p-values are nominally significant.
Overall response
•56% overall responder rate (50% placebo-adjusted, p < 0.0001), defined as a ≥2 mm reduction in proptosis and a ≥1 point reduction in CAS
Veligrotug was generally well-tolerated with a safety profile consistent with previous veligrotug studies, including THRIVE. The majority of AEs were mild, and 94% of veligrotug-treated patients completed their treatment course. A 9.6% placebo-adjusted rate of hearing impairment AEs was observed.
To meet the 300 patient safety database requirements for the veligrotug BLA, we are conducting STRIVE, a global clinical study of veligrotug in TED patients that utilizes broad inclusion criteria (e.g., any severity or duration of disease) and is randomized 3:1 (10 mg/kg IV with an active control of 3 mg/kg IV). In January 2025, we completed enrollment in STRIVE with a total of 231 patients, exceeding the enrollment target of 212 due to patient demand. We also completed enrollment of patients in the open label extension study for non-responding patients in THRIVE and THRIVE-2.
In May 2025, we announced that veligrotug received Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the FDA for the treatment of TED. The Breakthrough Therapy Designation request included data on veligrotug’s (i) consistent and robust improvement and resolution of diplopia in chronic TED, and (ii) rapid onset of proptosis response.
In May 2025, we announced positive long-term durability data from the phase 3 THRIVE trial following our final database lock, with 70% of patients who were proptosis responders at week fifteen maintaining their response at week fifty-two. Maintenance of response is defined as responders at week fifteen who still had at least a 2-millimeter (mm) reduction in proptosis compared to baseline at week fifty-two, without worsening in the fellow eye (≥2 mm increase), as measured by exophthalmometry. There were no changes to the safety profile in the follow-up period. The vast majority of adverse events reported at the week fifteen topline readout had resolved by week fifty-two at final database lock.
Together, THRIVE and THRIVE-2 evaluated veligrotug in the largest and broadest population of active and chronic TED patients completed to date in global phase 3 clinical trials. We believe that these robust and consistent clinical efficacy and safety results, after only five infusions of veligrotug, support a differentiated product profile and the potential for veligrotug to be the IV treatment-of-choice for all forms of active and chronic TED. We expect that the THRIVE and THRIVE-2 phase 3 clinical trials, together with a safety database comprising 300 treated patients, will support global health authority registration for marketing approval in both active and chronic TED, respectively. We submitted a BLA for veligrotug to the FDA in October 2025, which was accepted for filing and granted Priority Review in December 2025 with a PDUFA target action date of June 30, 2026. We additionally submitted an MAA to the EMA in January 2026.
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Elegrobart, a potential best-in-class subcutaneously administered IGF-1R antibody
Elegrobart is a monoclonal antibody that acts as a full antagonist of IGF-1R. Elegrobart utilizes the same binding domain as veligrotug and is engineered to extend its half-life, and therefore potentially enabling less frequent and more convenient dosing. Elegrobart is designed to maintain the clinical response of veligrotug while significantly increasing patient convenience.
We believe a later-entrant subcutaneous therapy can convert meaningful portions of an IV market. There is precedent that subcutaneous therapies can quickly command substantial market share even when launching several years after an incumbent IV. Although we have designed elegrobart to have a superior dosing profile to veligrotug, as well as to the currently marketed IV product, teprotumumab, market examples demonstrate that subcutaneous therapies have commanded market share even where such therapies have the same or worse dosing frequency than their IV counterparts. Further, subcutaneous offerings can also grow the overall market size for their class. We believe elegrobart has significant potential to capture a meaningful proportion of the IV TED market and to grow the TED market with a convenient, less-frequent, low-volume subcutaneous anti-IGF-1R antibody auto-injector that patients take at home.
We are conducting a global pivotal program for elegrobart, including evaluating its efficacy and safety in two global well-controlled phase 3 pivotal clinical trials, REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2, for the treatment of active and chronic TED, respectively. We selected elegrobart for pivotal development in TED following positive data in a phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers. This study showed elegrobart to have a prolonged half-life of 40 to 50 days, which is four to five times that of veligrotug. Because of the similarities of veligrotug and elegrobart, we anticipate elegrobart to have a favorable risk benefit profile in TED at similar exposure levels of veligrotug. Our pharmacokinetic modeling of elegrobart predicted that exposure levels of elegrobart could be achieved that are equivalent to exposure levels of veligrotug that produced clinically meaningful results with multiple dosing regimens of elegrobart, i.e., subcutaneous injection every two, four, or eight weeks. REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 are evaluating subcutaneous elegrobart administered every four weeks or every eight weeks and will assess outcomes versus placebo. We expect that the REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 phase 3 trials, together with a safety database of 300 patients (safety database inclusive of patients from the REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 trials), will support global health authority registration for marketing approval in both active and chronic TED, respectively. We are also conducting an auto-injector study to support having an auto-injector device for elegrobart available at the time of commercial launch, if approved.
In September 2025, we announced completion of enrollment for both REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 clinical studies, with each study exceeding its enrollment target due to strong patient demand. We anticipate topline data for REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 in the first quarter and second quarter of 2026, respectively.
Phase 1 Trial of Elegrobart in Healthy Volunteers
•Study Design: Elegrobart was dosed in four single dose cohorts of healthy volunteers at a concentration of 150 mg/ml receiving 5 mg/kg IV (n=4), 300 mg SC (n=6), 15 mg/kg IV (n=4), 600 mg SC (n=6) and a fifth cohort of two doses of elegrobart (n=4).
•Summary of Results:
•Extended Half Life: Elegrobart pharmacokinetics data showed an extended half-life of 40 to 50 days, which is a 4-to-5-fold increase over the half-life of veligrotug (which showed a half-life of 10 to 12 days).
•Prolonged Pharmacodynamics (“PD”): Following a single subcutaneous dose of elegrobart, IGF-1 serum levels increased approximately 4-fold at peak. This was consistent with the increases in IGF-1 levels that have been shown in the clinic following a single dose of veligrotug SC and IV. IGF-1 is a PD biomarker for IGF-1R target engagement.
•Well-Tolerated:Elegrobart was well tolerated in all subjects with no SAEs. All treatment-related, treatment-emergent adverse events were grade 1 (mild). In the reported dataset, no antidrug antibodies (“ADAs”) were detected.
•Dosing Flexibility for Pivotal Development: Elegrobart modeling demonstrated dosing flexibility for the program’s anticipated global pivotal development. The modeling showed that dosing elegrobart every eight weeks, every four weeks, and every two weeks achieved a range of exposures levels that were seen for veligrotug after intravenous doses of 3 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg, respectively.
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FcRn Inhibitor Portfolio: VRDN-006 and VRDN-008
In October 2023, consistent with our vision to develop the next generation of best-in-class products for autoimmune and rare diseases, we unveiled VRDN-006 and VRDN-008 from our portfolio of engineered FcRn inhibitors. FcRn inhibitors have the potential to treat a broad array of autoimmune diseases, representing a possible significant commercial market opportunity. Our multi-pronged engineering approach has resulted in a portfolio of FcRn-targeting molecules that leverage the clinically and commercially validated mechanism of FcRn inhibition in myasthenia gravis and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (“CIDP”) while potentially addressing the limitations of current agents such as incomplete IgG suppression and safety. VRDN-006 and VRDN-008 are both designed to be convenient, self-administered, subcutaneous products.
The first FDA-approved FcRn inhibitor, Vyvgart® (efgartigimod), was developed by argenx SE (“Argenx”) and is approved for myasthenia gravis and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. Argenx reported preliminary efgartigimod net sales of approximately $4.15 billion in 2025, and it is projected to generate more than $9 billion in annual sales by 2030. Furthermore, FcRn inhibitors have the potential to address additional sizable autoimmune indications such as myositis, membranous nephropathy, Graves’ disease, lupus nephritis, and Sjogren’s syndrome.
VRDN-006
VRDN-006 is a highly-selective Fc fragment. In our NHP studies, VRDN-006 demonstrated specificity for blocking FcRn-IgG interactions while not showing decreases in albumin or increases in LDL levels, which are known potential side effects associated with certain full-length monoclonal anti-FcRn antibodies. With efgartigimod, Argenx has proven that an Fc fragment can achieve clinical efficacy while sparing an effect on albumin or LDL, and shows better tolerability than full length antibodies against FcRn. VRDN-006 is the only other known Fc fragment currently in development. In NHP studies, we showed that VRDN-006 demonstrates comparable potency in vitro and comparable IgG lowering in non-human primates to efgartigimod.
VRDN-006 also shows a similar safety profile to efgartigimod in our head-to-head non-human primate study showing that, comparable to efgartigimod, it did not lower albumin or increase LDL levels.
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In September 2025, we announced that data from an ongoing phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers showed that VRDN-006 led to IgG reductions that are consistent with the FcRn inhibitor class, that VRDN-006 was sparing of albumin and LDL, and was generally well-tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicities or serious adverse events. We expect to communicate future development plans for VRDN-006 in 2026.
VRDN-008
VRDN-008 is a half-life extended bispecific FcRn inhibitor comprising an Fc fragment and an albumin-binding domain designed to prolong IgG suppression and provide a potentially best-in-class subcutaneous option for patients. In a single, high-dose, head-to-head study in NHPs, VRDN-008 demonstrated three times the half-life of efgartigimod and a deeper and more sustained IgG reduction with peak IgG reductions that were 20% deeper than efgartigimod.
VRDN-008 also shows a similar safety profile to efgartigimod in our head-to-head non-human primate study showing that, comparable to efgartigimod, it did not lower albumin or increase LDL levels.
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An IND for VRDN-008 was submitted in December 2025 and received IND clearance from the FDA in January 2026. We expect healthy volunteer data in the second half of 2026.
TSHR Program
In January 2026, we announced that we are developing an anti-TSHR candidate with potential use in the treatment of Graves’ disease and TED. This product candidate is a half‐life extended monoclonal antibody designed to inhibit activation of TSHR. It is being developed for subcutaneous administration via an autoinjector, with the goal of enabling extended dosing intervals intended to support patient convenience. We anticipate submitting an IND for this program in the fourth quarter of 2026.
We believe inhibiting TSHR has the potential to treat both TED and Graves’ disease. TED pathophysiology potentially stems from the activation of the TSHR and IGF-1R signaling complex on orbital fibroblasts, leading to hyaluronan secretion and expansion of orbital fat and muscle. Autoantibodies that stimulate TSHR can activate pathways that promote inflammation, fibroblast proliferation, and tissue remodeling relevant to TED. We believe inhibiting TSHR could complement the inhibition of IGF-1R in the treatment of TED. In addition to TED, blocking TSHR could also be effective to treat Graves’ Disease. Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disease in which autoantibodies form against the TSHR, stimulating and activating the receptor. These TSH receptor antibodies (“TRAb”) can drive a heightened activation of TSHR, resulting in excessive thyroid hormone production and hyperthyroidism. Graves’ disease is one of the most prevalent autoimmune conditions, affecting more than 2 million people in the United States, and is the leading cause of hyperthyroidism. Current treatments—including antithyroid drugs, radioactive iodine (“RAI”), and surgery—lower thyroid hormone levels but do not entirely address the underlying autoimmune drivers of the disease and are often associated with relapse or the development of permanent hypothyroidism.
Intellectual Property
We have in-licensed and owned patents and patent applications, which include claims directed to compositions, methods of use, dosing and formulations. We possess know-how and trade secrets relating to the development and commercialization of our product candidates, including related manufacturing processes. As of January 2026, our in-licensed and owned patent portfolio consists of approximately three U.S. issued patents, approximately twenty-two U.S. pending patent applications, one issued patent in China, and approximately one hundred nineteen patent applications pending in jurisdictions outside of the United States (including approximately twelve pending Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications) that, in many cases, are counterparts to the foregoing U.S. patents and patent applications.
With respect to the product candidates and related manufacturing processes we develop and commercialize, we intend to pursue, when possible, composition, method of use, process, dosing and formulation patent protection. We may also pursue patent protection with respect to manufacturing and drug development processes and technology. When available to expand market exclusivity, our strategy is to obtain or license additional intellectual property related to core elements of technology and/or product candidates.
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Individual patents extend for varying periods of time, depending upon the date of filing of the patent application, the date of patent issuance, and the legal term of patents in the countries in which they are obtained. Generally, patents issued for applications filed in the United States are effective for 20 years from the earliest nonprovisional filing date. In the United States, a patent’s term may be lengthened by patent term adjustment, which compensates a patentee for administrative delays by the Unites States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in examining and granting a patent, or may be shortened if a patent is terminally disclaimed over an earlier filed patent or delays on the part of a patentee. In addition, in certain instances, the patent term of a U.S. patent that covers an FDA-approved drug may also be eligible to be extended to recapture a portion of the term effectively lost as a result of the FDA regulatory review period. The restoration period cannot be longer than five years and the total patent term, including the restoration period, must not exceed 14 years following FDA approval, however there is no guarantee that the applicable authorities, including the FDA in the United States, will agree with our assessment of whether such extensions should be granted, and if granted, the length of such extensions. Similar provisions are available in Europe and other foreign jurisdictions to extend the term of a patent that covers an approved drug. The duration of patents outside of the United States varies in accordance with provisions of applicable local law, but typically is also 20 years from the earliest non-provisional filing date. Ours patent issued as of January 2026 are expected to expire no earlier than 2041. If patents are issued on our patent applications pending as of January 2026, the resulting patents are projected to expire on dates ranging from 2041 to 2047. However, the actual protection afforded by a patent varies on a product-by-product basis, from country-to-country, and depends upon many factors, including the type of patent, the scope of its coverage, the availability of regulatory-related extensions, the availability of legal remedies in a particular country, potential disclaimers of term, and the validity and enforceability of the patent.
Competition
The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are characterized by intense and rapidly changing competition to develop new technologies and proprietary products. Our product candidates may address multiple markets. Ultimately, the diseases our product candidates target, and for which product candidates we may receive marketing authorization, will determine our competition. We believe that for most or all of our product development programs, there will be one or more competing programs under development or being marketed by other companies. Any products that we may commercialize will have to compete with existing therapies and new therapies that may become available in the future. We face potential competition from many different sources, including larger and better-funded biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. In many cases, companies with competing programs will have access to greater resources and expertise than we do and may be more advanced in those programs.
Amgen’s Tepezza is the only FDA-approved medication for TED. Other therapies, such as corticosteroids, have been used on an off-label basis to alleviate some of the symptoms of TED. A non-exhaustive list of companies currently advancing therapies in clinical development for the treatment of TED include:
•Amgen is developing an on-body subcutaneous formulation of Tepezza in a phase 3 study and has an early-stage candidate AMG-732 in TED.
•Immunovant, Inc. is developing a subcutaneous formulation of batoclimab in phase 3 studies in patients with active TED.
•Roche is developing satralizumab (Enspryng), an anti-1L-6R that is subcutaneously delivered and was studied in two phase 3 trial in patients with TED, one of which (SatraGO-1) failed to meet its primary endpoint.
•Sling Therapeutics, Inc. is developing linsitinib, a small molecule IGF-1R inhibitor currently being evaluated in an ongoing phase 2b/3 study in patients with active TED and currently has plans to initiate a phase 3 trial.
•Novartis (formerly Tourmaline Bio) is developing TOUR006, a subcutaneously delivered anti-IL-6, in an ongoing phase 2b clinical trial in patients with active TED.
•Lassen Therapeutics is developing LASN01, an intravenously delivered anti-1L-11R, which has completed a phase 2 study in active TED.
•Alumis (ACELYRIN, INC.) is developing lonigutamab (VB-421), a subcutaneously delivered anti-IGF-1R in TED. As of January 2026, further development plans for lonigutamab are under evaluation.
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Argenx’s Vyvgart, UCB’s Rystiggo®, and Johnson and Johnson’s Imaavy are the only FDA-approved anti-FcRn therapies, each approved in generalized myasthenia gravis (“gMG”). A non-exhaustive list of other companies that are advancing therapies in clinical development for the treatment to target FcRn include:
•Immunovant, Inc. is developing batoclimab (IMVT-1401/HBM9161) and IMVT-1402 with evaluations in various indications. Both are monoclonal antibody fragments targeting FcRn. Batoclimab is currently being evaluated in two ongoing phase 3 studies in TED, two phase 3 studies in gMG, a phase 2 study in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (“CIDP”), and a phase 2 study in Graves’ disease. IMVT-1402 is currently being evaluated in a phase 3 study for gMG, two phase 2b studies in Graves’ disease, one phase 2b study in CIDP, one phase 2b study in anti-citrullinated protein antibody positive difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis, and one phase 2b study in Sjögren’s disease.
•Johnson and Johnson is developing nipocalimab (Imaavy), a full-length monoclonal antibody against FcRn, which is in clinical development for a number of indications including CIDP, Sjogren’s disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, and warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia.
•UCB continues to develop Rystiggo, a monoclonal antibody fragment that binds FcRn, in an ongoing phase 3 study in Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody-associated Disease.
There are currently no FDA-approved anti–thyroid‐stimulating hormone receptor (“anti-TSHR”) therapies. A non-exhaustive list of other companies that are advancing therapies in clinical development for the treatment to target TSHR include:
•GenSci’s subcutaneously administered monoclonal antibody, GenSci098, is in an ongoing phase 1 study in patients with TED. As of January 2026, recruitment ongoing in China only and ex-China rights were licensed to Yarrow Bioscience in December 2025.
•AV7 Limited’s intravenous and intramuscularly administered monoclonal antibody, K1-70, is in an ongoing phase 2 study in active TED. As of January 2026, ongoing study in Japan only with no registration in the U.S.
License Agreements
License Agreement with Zenas BioPharma
In October 2020, Viridian Therapeutics, Inc. (“Private Viridian”) entered a license agreement with Zenas BioPharma to license technology comprising certain materials, patent rights, and know-how to Zenas BioPharma. In October 2020, in connection with the closing of the Private Viridian acquisition, we became party to the license agreement with Zenas BioPharma. Since February 2021, we have entered into several letter agreements with Zenas BioPharma in which we agreed to provide assistance to Zenas BioPharma with certain development activities, including manufacturing. In May 2022, the Company entered into a Manufacturing Development and Supply Agreement with Zenas BioPharma to manufacture and supply, or to have manufactured and supplied, clinical drug product for developmental purposes. The license agreement and subsequent letter agreements and supply agreement (collectively, the “Zenas Agreements”) were negotiated with a single commercial objective and are treated as a combined contract for accounting purposes. Under the terms of the Zenas Agreements, we granted Zenas BioPharma an exclusive license to develop, manufacture, and commercialize certain IGF-1R directed antibody products for non-oncology indications in the greater area of China. In January 2025, Zenas BioPharma sublicensed their rights under the license agreement to Zai Lab and assigned the Manufacturing Development and Supply Agreement to Zai Lab in connection with the sublicense transaction.
As consideration for the Zenas Agreements, the transaction price included upfront non-cash consideration and variable consideration in the form of payment for our goods and services provided and milestone payments due upon the achievement of specified events. Under the Zenas Agreements, we are eligible to receive non-refundable milestone payments upon achieving specific milestone events during the contract term. Additionally, we are eligible to receive royalty payments based on a percentage of the annual net sales of any licensed products sold on a country-by-country basis in the greater area of China. The royalty percentage may vary based on different tiers of annual net sales of the licensed products made. Zenas BioPharma is obligated to make royalty payments to us for the royalty term in the Zenas Agreements.
License Agreement with ImmunoGen, Inc.
In October 2020, Private Viridian entered into a license agreement with ImmunoGen (the “ImmunoGen License Agreement”), under which we obtained rights to an exclusive, sublicensable, worldwide license to certain patents and other intellectual
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property rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize certain products for non-oncology and non-radiopharmaceutical indications. In consideration for rights granted by ImmunoGen, we are obligated to make certain development milestone payments of up to $48.0 million. Additionally, if we successfully commercialize any product candidate subject to the ImmunoGen License Agreement, we are responsible for royalty payments equal to a percentage in the mid-single digits of net sales and commercial milestone payments of up to $95.0 million. We are obligated to make any such royalty payments on a product-by-product and country-by-country basis from the first commercial sale of a specified product in each country until the later of (i) the expiration of the last patent claim subject to the ImmunoGen License Agreement in such country, (ii) the expiration of any applicable regulatory exclusivity obtained for each product in such country, or (iii) the 12th anniversary of the date of the first commercial sale of such product in such country. We assumed the ImmunoGen License Agreement in connection with the merger with Private Viridian in 2020.
Antibody and Discovery Option Agreement and License Agreement with Paragon Therapeutics, Inc.
In January 2022, we entered into an antibody and discovery option agreement (the “Paragon Research Agreement”) with Paragon Therapeutics, Inc. (“Paragon”) under which we and Paragon will cooperate to develop one or more therapeutic proteins or antibodies. Under the terms of the Paragon Research Agreement, Paragon will perform certain development activities in accordance with an agreed upon research plan, and we will pay Paragon agreed upon development fees in exchange for Paragon’s commitment of the necessary personnel and resources to perform these activities. The Paragon Research Agreement stipulates a final deliverable to us comprising of a report summarizing the experiments and processes performed under the research plan (the “Final Deliverable”).
Additionally, Paragon agreed to grant us an option for an exclusive license to all of Paragon’s right, title and interest in and to certain antibody technology and the Final Deliverable, and a non-exclusive license to certain background intellectual property owned by Paragon solely to research, develop, make, use, sell, offer for sale and import of the licensed intellectual property and resulting products worldwide (each, an “Option” and together, the “Options”). Paragon also granted us a limited, exclusive, royalty-free license, without the right to sublicense, to certain antibody technology and the Final Deliverable, and a non-exclusive, royalty-free license without the right to sublicense, under certain background intellectual property owned by Paragon, solely to evaluate the antibody technology and Option and for the purpose of allowing us to determine whether to exercise the Option with respect to certain programs. We may, at our sole discretion, exercise the Option with respect to specified programs (“Programs”) at any time until the date that is 90 days after the Company’s receipt of the Final Deliverable the applicable program, or such longer period as agreed upon by the parties (“Option Period”) by delivering written notice of such exercise to Paragon. If we fail to exercise an Option prior to expiration of the applicable Option Period, such Option for such Programs will terminate.
In October 2023, we entered into a License Agreement with Paragon (the “Paragon License Agreement”) as a result of exercising our Option under the Paragon Research Agreement to obtain exclusive licenses to develop, manufacture and commercialize certain therapeutic proteins and antibodies and associated products.
In September 2024, we entered into the Amended and Restated License Agreement with Paragon (the “Amended Paragon License Agreement”) which amended and restated the Paragon License Agreement. In connection with the execution of the Amended Paragon License Agreement, we paid to Paragon a non-refundable fee of $4.0 million in September 2024, which was recorded as research and development expense during the three months ended September 30, 2024. In consideration for rights granted by Paragon, we are obligated to make certain future milestone payments of up to $16.0 million on a program-by-program basis upon the achievement of specified clinical or regulatory milestones, with total milestone payments under all programs not to exceed $40.0 million. Additionally, if we develop a product utilizing certain intellectual property rights granted to it under the Amended Paragon License Agreement, we are obligated to pay Paragon potential additional future development milestone payments of up to $3.1 million and commercial milestone payments of up to $17.0 million with respect to such product. If we successfully commercialize any product candidate subject to the Amended Paragon License Agreement, it is responsible for royalty payments equal to a percentage in the mid-single digits of such product’s net sales. During the year ended December 31, 2025, we recorded $4.5 million in research and development costs related to the Paragon Research Agreement and Amended Paragon License Agreement (collectively the “Paragon Agreements”).
Collaboration and License Agreement with Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
In July 2025, we entered into a Collaboration and License Agreement with Kissei (the “Kissei Agreement”), pursuant to which we granted to Kissei an exclusive license to develop and commercialize products containing veligrotug and elegrobart for potential treatments, including treatment of TED, in Japan, and a non-exclusive license to manufacture such licensed products worldwide for use in Japan under certain limited circumstances.
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The transaction price under the Kissei Agreement included a one-time, non-refundable and non-creditable upfront cash payment to us of $70.0 million. Additionally, we are eligible to receive up to an additional $315.0 million of non-refundable milestone payments upon achieving specific milestone events during the contract term, as well as tiered royalty payments ranging from percentages in the twenties to the mid-thirties based on the annual net sales of any licensed products sold in Japan. Kissei is obligated to make royalty payments to us for the royalty term as defined in the Kissei Agreement.
Kissei will be responsible for developing and seeking regulatory approval of the licensed products in Japan, subject to oversight from a joint steering committee. Following regulatory approval, Kissei will be responsible for commercializing the licensed products in Japan. Except in certain limited circumstances, we will be responsible for manufacturing and supplying the licensed products for Kissei’s developmental and commercial use in Japan.
The term of the Kissei Agreement will expire in its entirety upon the expiration of the royalty term for all licensed products and satisfaction of certain payment obligations as set forth in the Kissei Agreement, unless earlier terminated by the parties in accordance with the terms of the Collaboration Agreement.
Purchase and Sale Agreement
Purchase and Sale Agreement with DRI Healthcare Acquisitions LP
In October 2025, we entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement of revenue participation right (the “DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement”) with DRI Healthcare Acquisitions LP (“DRI”), pursuant to which DRI purchased rights to certain revenue streams in the U.S. from us in exchange for up to $300.0 million in consideration, including $55.0 million paid at signing and conditional payments consisting of: (i) $25.0 million that is payable following the achievement of certain milestones with respect to our elegrobart pivotal phase 3 clinical trials, REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2, on or before a specified date; (ii) $75.0 million that is payable following receipt of marketing approval for veligrotug from the FDA on or before a specified date; (iii) $15.0 million that is payable if the events set forth in the foregoing clauses (1) and (2) are met; (iv) $50.0 million that is payable following receipt of marketing approval for elegrobart from the FDA on or before a specified date; (v) at our election, $50.0 million that is payable following our achievement of net sales of certain products equal to or exceeding $1.1 billion on or before a specified date; and (vi) an additional $30.0 million that may be payable to us at a time and pursuant to financial terms agreed upon by us and DRI at such time. None of the milestones relates to the conditional payments have been achieved to date.
The DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and indemnities of the Company and DRI and customary covenants on the part of the Company, as well as a limit on the amount of incurrence of certain types of indebtedness, which limit automatically terminates a certain period of time following receipt of marketing approval for veligrotug in the U.S. The DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement requires us to pay tiered royalties to DRI based on net sales of veligrotug, elegrobart and certain other related products (the “Net Sales Royalties”). The royalties consist of (i) 7.5% of annual U.S. net sales up to and including $600 million, which royalties could increase to low-double digits if marketing approval for elegrobart is not received prior to a specified date, (ii) 0.8% of annual U.S. net sales above $600 million and up to and including $900 million, (iii) 0.25% of annual U.S. net sales above $900 million and up to $2 billion, and (iv) no royalty owed for annual U.S. net sales in excess of $2 billion. The DRI Purchase and Sale Agreement may only be terminated upon repayment by the Company of a certain multiplier of the consideration paid to us by DRI (less payments by the Company to DRI to date) on or prior to a certain date or repayment by an acquirer of the Company of a certain multiplier of the consideration paid by DRI to the Company (less payments by the Company to DRI to date) following a change of control of the Company.
Government Regulation
The FDA and other regulatory authorities at federal, state and local levels, as well as in foreign countries, extensively regulate, among other things, the research, development, testing, manufacture, quality control, import, export, safety, effectiveness, labeling, packaging, storage, distribution, record keeping, approval, advertising, promotion, marketing, post-approval monitoring and post-approval reporting of biologics such as those we are developing. We, along with third-party contractors, will be required to navigate the various requirements of the governing regulatory agencies of the countries in which we wish to conduct studies or seek approval or licensure of our product candidates.
U.S. Biologics Regulation
In the United States, biological products are subject to regulation under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”), the Public Health Service Act (“PHSA”) and other federal, state, local, and foreign statutes and regulations. The process of developing a biologic and obtaining regulatory approvals and compliance with federal, state, and local statutes and regulations, both pre- and post-approval, requires the expenditure of substantial time and financial resources. Failure to comply with the
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applicable U.S. requirements at any time during the product development process, approval process or following approval may subject an applicant to delays in development or approval, administrative action and judicial sanctions. The regulatory requirements applicable to biological product development, approval, and marketing are subject to change, and regulations and administrative guidance often are revised or reinterpreted by the regulatory authorities in ways that may have a significant impact on our business. We cannot predict whether legislative changes will be enacted or if regulatory authorities’ guidance or interpretations will change.
The process required by the FDA before biologic product candidates may be marketed in the United States generally involves the following:
•completion of nonclinical laboratory tests, animal studies and formulation studies performed in accordance with the FDA’s current Good Laboratory Practices (“GLP”) regulation, as applicable;
•submission to the FDA of an IND, which must become effective before clinical trials may begin and must be updated annually or when significant changes are made;
•approval by an independent institutional review board (“IRB”) or ethics committee (“EC”) representing each clinical site before the trial is commenced;
•performance of adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials in accordance with good clinical practice (“GCP”) requirements to establish the safety, purity and potency of the proposed biologic product candidate for its intended purpose;
•preparation of and submission to the FDA of a biologics license application (“BLA”), requesting approval to market the biological product for one or more proposed indications, and including submission of detailed information on nonclinical and clinical studies, the manufacture and composition of the product and proposed labeling;
•satisfactory completion of an FDA Advisory Committee review, if applicable;
•satisfactory completion of an FDA pre-approval inspection of the manufacturing facility or facilities, including those of third-parties, at which the proposed product is produced to assess compliance with cGMPs, and to assure that the facilities, methods and controls are adequate to preserve the biological product’s continued safety, purity and potency;
•satisfactory completion of any FDA inspections of the nonclinical and clinical trial sites and any FDA Bioresearch Monitoring inspections to assure compliance with GLPs and GCPs, respectively, and the integrity of nonclinical and clinical data submitted in support of the BLA;
•payment of the application fee under the Prescription Drug User Free Act (“PDUFA”), unless exempted; and
•FDA review and approval of a BLA to permit commercial marketing of the product for particular indications for use in the United States.
Nonclinical and Clinical Development
Before testing any investigational biological product in humans, the product must undergo nonclinical testing. Nonclinical tests include laboratory evaluations of product chemistry, formulation, and stability, as well as studies to evaluate the potential for efficacy and toxicity in animal studies. The conduct of the nonclinical tests and formulation of the compounds for testing must comply with federal regulations and requirements, including applicable GLP requirements and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal Welfare Act, if applicable.
Prior to beginning the first clinical trial with a product candidate, we must submit an IND to the FDA. An IND is a request for authorization from the FDA to administer an investigational new drug product to humans. An IND submission includes the general investigational plan and the protocol or protocols for the proposed clinical trials, as well as results of animal and in 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. An IND must become effective before human clinical trials may begin. The IND automatically becomes effective 30 days after receipt by the FDA, unless the FDA, within the 30-day period, raises safety concerns or questions about the proposed clinical trial. In such a case, the IND may be placed on clinical hold and the IND sponsor and the
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FDA must resolve any outstanding concerns or questions before the clinical trial can begin. Submission of an IND therefore may or may not result in FDA authorization to begin a clinical trial.
Clinical trials involve the administration of the investigational product to human subjects under the supervision of qualified investigators in accordance with GCPs, which include the requirement that all research subjects provide their informed consent for their participation in any clinical study. Clinical trials are conducted under protocols detailing, among other things, the objectives of the study, the parameters to be used in monitoring safety and the effectiveness criteria to be evaluated. A separate submission to the existing IND must be made for each successive clinical trial conducted during product development and for any subsequent protocol amendments. Furthermore, each clinical trial must be reviewed and approved by an IRB or REC either centrally or individually at each institution at which the clinical trial will be conducted before the clinical trial begins at that site, and the IRB/REC must monitor the study until completed.
Regulatory authorities, the IRB/REC or the sponsor may suspend a clinical trial at any time on various grounds, including based on a finding that the subjects are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk, noncompliance with regulatory requirements, or concern that the trial is unlikely to meet its stated objectives. Imposition by the FDA of a partial or complete clinical hold would delay a proposed clinical study or cause suspension of an ongoing study until FDA determines that all outstanding concerns have been adequately addressed, and the FDA has notified the company that investigations may proceed. Imposition of a clinical hold could cause significant delays or difficulties in completing planned clinical studies in a timely manner.
Some studies also include oversight by an independent group of qualified experts organized by the clinical study sponsor, known as a data safety monitoring board or a data monitoring committee, which provides authorization for whether or not a study may move forward at designated check points based on access to certain data from the study and may halt the clinical trial if it determines that there is an unacceptable safety risk for subjects or other grounds, such as no demonstration of efficacy.
For purposes of BLA approval, human clinical trials are typically conducted in three sequential phases that may overlap or be combined.
•Phase 1. The investigational product is initially introduced into a limited population of healthy human subjects or, in some circumstances, patients with the target disease or condition. These studies are designed to test the safety, dosage tolerance, absorption, metabolism and distribution of the investigational product in humans, and the side effects associated with increasing doses.
•Phase 2. The investigational product is administered to a limited patient population with a specified disease or condition to evaluate the preliminary efficacy, optimal dosages and dosing schedule and to identify possible adverse side effects and safety risks. Multiple phase 2 clinical trials may be conducted to obtain information prior to beginning larger and more expensive phase 3 clinical trials.
•Phase 3. The investigational product is administered 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 ratio of the investigational product and to provide an adequate basis for product labeling and approval.
In some cases, the FDA may require, or companies may voluntarily pursue, additional clinical trials after a product is approved to gain more information about the product. These so-called phase 4 studies may be made a condition to approval of the BLA. Concurrent with clinical trials, companies may complete additional animal studies and develop additional information about the biological characteristics of the product candidate and must finalize a process for manufacturing the 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, among other things, must include methods for testing the identity, strength, quality and purity of the final product, or for biologics, the safety, purity and potency. 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.
A sponsor may choose, but is not required, to conduct a foreign clinical study under an IND. When a foreign clinical study is conducted under an IND, all IND requirements must be met unless waived. When the foreign clinical study is not conducted under an IND, the sponsor must ensure that the study complies with certain FDA regulatory requirements in order to use the study as support for an IND or application for marketing approval or licensure in the United States. Specifically, the FDA requires that the study be conducted in accordance with GCP requirements intended to ensure the protection of human subjects and the quality and integrity of the study data, including review and approval by an independent ethics committee and use of
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proper procedures for obtaining informed consent from subjects, and that the FDA is able to validate the data from the study through an onsite inspection if the FDA deems such inspection necessary.
Information about certain clinical trials must be submitted within specific timeframes to the NIH for public dissemination on its ClinicalTrials.gov website. Similar requirements for posting clinical trial information in clinical trial registries exist in the European Union and in other countries outside the United States.
BLA Submission and Review
Assuming successful completion of all required testing in accordance with all applicable regulatory requirements, the results of product development, nonclinical studies and clinical trials are submitted to the FDA as part of a BLA requesting approval to market the product for one or more indications. The BLA must include all relevant data available from pertinent nonclinical studies and clinical trials, including negative or ambiguous results as well as positive findings, together with detailed information relating to the product’s chemistry, manufacturing, controls, and proposed labeling, among other things. The submission of a BLA requires payment of a substantial application user fee to the FDA, unless a waiver or exemption applies.
In addition, under the Pediatric Research Equity Act (“PREA”), a BLA or certain supplements to a BLA must contain data that are adequate to assess the safety and effectiveness of the biological 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, although deferrals or full or partial waivers may be available in some circumstances. A sponsor who is planning to submit a marketing application for a biological product that includes a new active ingredient, new indication, new dosage form, new dosing regimen or new route of administration must submit an initial pediatric study plan, within sixty days after an end-of-phase 2 meeting or as may be agreed between the sponsor and FDA. The FDA must then review the information submitted, consult with the sponsor, and agree upon a final plan. The FDA or the sponsor may request an amendment to the plan at any time. The FDA is required to send a PREA Non-Compliance letter to sponsors who have failed to submit their pediatric assessments required under PREA, have failed to seek or obtain a deferral or deferral extension or have failed to request approval for a required pediatric formulation, and the FDA publicly posts such PREA Non-Compliance letters and the sponsor’s response. Unless otherwise required by regulation, PREA does not apply to any biological product for an indication for which orphan designation has been granted.
The cost of preparing and submitting a BLA is substantial. Under the PDUFA, as amended, each BLA must be accompanied by an application fee. For fiscal year 2026, the application fee for each BLA requiring clinical data is approximately $4.7 million. The PDUFA also imposes an annual program fee for each approved prescription drug product, which has been set at approximately $442,000 for fiscal year 2026. The FDA adjusts the PDUFA user fees on an annual basis. Fee waivers, reductions and exceptions are available in certain circumstances. Additionally, no application fees are assessed on BLAs for products designated as orphan drugs, unless the BLA also includes a non-orphan indication.
Within 60 days following submission of the application, the FDA reviews a BLA to determine if it is substantially complete before the agency accepts it for filing. The FDA may refuse to file any BLA that it deems incomplete or not properly reviewable at the time of submission and may request additional information. In this event, the BLA must be resubmitted with the additional information. Once a BLA has been accepted for filing, the FDA’s goal is to review standard applications within ten months after the filing date, or, if the application qualifies for priority review, six months after the FDA accepts the application for filing. A major amendment to a BLA submitted at any time during the review cycle, including in response to a request from the FDA, may extend the goal date by three months. The FDA does not always meet its PDUFA goal dates for standard and priority BLAs.
During its review of a BLA, the FDA may convene an advisory committee to provide clinical insight on application review questions. The FDA is not bound by the recommendations of an advisory committee, but it considers such recommendations carefully when making decisions.
Before approving a BLA, the FDA will typically inspect the facility or facilities where the product is manufactured. The FDA will not approve an application unless it determines that the manufacturing processes and facilities are in compliance with cGMP requirements and adequate to assure consistent production of the product within required specifications. Additionally, before approving a BLA, the FDA will typically inspect one or more clinical trial sites and may also inspect the applicant to assure compliance with GCPs intended to ensure the protection of human subjects and the quality and integrity of the study data.
Under the PHSA, the FDA may approve a BLA if it determines that the product is safe, pure, and potent and that the facility where the product will be manufactured meets standards designed to ensure that it continues to be safe, pure, and potent. On the
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basis of the FDA’s evaluation of the application and accompanying information, including the results of the inspection of the manufacturing facilities and any FDA inspections of nonclinical and clinical trial sites to assure compliance with GLP or GCP, and the applicant to ensure compliance with GCP, the FDA may issue an approval letter or a complete response letter (“CRL”).To reach this determination, the FDA will evaluate whether the proposed new biologic’s benefits outweigh its potential risks to patients.
An approval letter authorizes commercial marketing of the product with specific prescribing information for specific indications. If the application is not approved, the FDA will issue a CRL which will describe all of the deficiencies that the FDA has identified in the BLA, except that where the FDA determines that the data supporting the application are inadequate to support approval, the FDA may issue the CRL without first conducting required inspections, testing submitted product lots and/or reviewing proposed labeling. In issuing the CRL, the FDA may recommend actions that the applicant might take to place the BLA in condition for approval, including requests for additional information or clarification. Applicants that receive a CRL may submit to the FDA information that represents a complete response to the issues identified by the FDA. The FDA will not approve an application until issues identified in the CRL have been addressed.
If regulatory approval of a product is granted, such approval will be granted for particular indications and may entail limitations on the indicated uses for which such product may be marketed. For example, the FDA may approve the BLA with a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (“REMS”) to ensure the benefits of the product outweigh its risks. A REMS is a safety strategy to manage a known or potential serious risk associated with a product and to enable patients to have continued access to such medicines by managing their safe use, and could include medication guides, physician communication plans, or elements to assure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries and other risk minimization tools. The FDA also may condition approval on, among other things, changes to proposed labeling, including a more limited indication or addition of warnings, precautions or contraindications, or implementation of testing and surveillance programs to monitor the product after commercialization. The FDA may require one or more phase 4 post-market studies and surveillance to further assess and monitor the product’s safety and effectiveness after commercialization and may limit further marketing of the product based on the results of these post-marketing studies Once approved, the FDA may withdraw the product approval if compliance with pre- and post-marketing requirements is not maintained or if problems occur after the product reaches the marketplace.
Orphan Drug Designation
Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may grant orphan designation to a drug or biologic intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is a disease or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States, or more than 200,000 individuals in the United States for which there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing and making available in the United States a drug or biologic for this type of disease or condition will be recovered from sales in the United States for that drug or biologic. Orphan drug designation must be requested before submitting a New Drug Application (“NDA”) or BLA. After the FDA grants orphan drug designation, the generic identity of the therapeutic agent and its potential orphan use are disclosed publicly by the FDA. The orphan drug designation does not convey any advantage in, or shorten the duration of, the regulatory review or approval process.
If a product that has orphan drug designation subsequently receives the first FDA approval for the disease for which it has such designation, the product is entitled to orphan drug exclusivity, which means that the FDA may not approve any other applications, including a full BLA, to market the same product for the same indication for seven years, except in limited circumstances, such as a showing of clinical superiority to the product with orphan drug exclusivity. Orphan drug exclusivity does not prevent FDA from approving a different drug or biologic for the same disease or condition, or the same drug or biologic for a different disease or condition. Among the other benefits of orphan drug designation are tax credits for certain research and a waiver of the marketing application fee.
A designated orphan drug may not receive orphan drug exclusivity if it is approved for a use that is broader than the indication for which it received orphan designation. In addition, exclusive marketing rights in the United States may be lost if the FDA later determines that the request for designation was materially defective or if the manufacturer is unable to assure sufficient quantities of the product to meet the needs of patients with the rare disease or condition.
The FDA’s interpretation of the scope of orphan drug exclusivity may change. The FDA’s longstanding interpretation of the Orphan Drug Act is that exclusivity is specific to the orphan indication for which the drug was actually approved. As a result, the scope of exclusivity has been narrow and protected only against competition from the same “use or indication” rather than the broader “disease or condition.” In the September 2021 case Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. v. Becerra, a federal circuit court in the Eleventh Circuit set aside the FDA’s narrow interpretation and ruled that orphan drug exclusivity covers the full scope of the orphan-designated disease or condition regardless of whether the drug obtains approval only for a narrower use. Although
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the FDA announced in January 2023 that it will not apply the Catalyst decision beyond the facts at issue in that case, in 2025 a federal district court in Neurelis, Inc. v. Brenner struck down another FDA approval, adopting the same interpretation of orphan drug exclusivity as the Eleventh Circuit. The FDA has appealed this decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Legislation has been introduced, but has not been passed, that would codify the scope of orphan drug exclusivity set forth in the FDA’s regulations, rather than the interpretation adopted by the Eleventh Circuit in Catalyst.
Expedited Development and Review Programs
The FDA offers a number of expedited development and review programs for qualifying product candidates. The fast track program is intended to expedite or facilitate the process for developing new products that meet certain criteria. Specifically, new products are eligible for fast track designation if they are intended to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition and demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs for the disease or condition. Fast track designation applies to the combination of the product and the specific indication for which it is being studied. The sponsor of a fast track product has opportunities for more frequent interactions with the review team during product development and, once a BLA is submitted, the product may be eligible for priority review. A fast track product may also be eligible for rolling review, where the FDA may review sections of the BLA on a rolling basis before the complete application is submitted, if the applicant provides a schedule for the submission of the sections of the BLA, the FDA agrees to accept sections of the BLA and determines that the schedule is acceptable, and the applicant pays any required user fees upon submission of the first section of the BLA.
A product intended to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition may also be eligible for breakthrough therapy designation to expedite its development and review. A product can receive breakthrough therapy designation if preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the product, alone or in combination with one or more other drugs or biologics, may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints, such as substantial treatment effects observed early in clinical development. The designation includes all of the fast track program features, as well as more intensive FDA interaction and guidance beginning as early as phase 1 and an organizational commitment to expedite the development and review of the product, including involvement of senior managers.
Any marketing application for a biologic submitted to the FDA for approval, including a product with a fast track designation and/or breakthrough therapy designation, may be eligible for other types of FDA programs intended to expedite the FDA review and approval process, such as priority review and accelerated approval. A product is eligible for priority review if it has the potential to provide a significant improvement in the treatment, diagnosis or prevention of a serious disease or condition. For original BLAs, priority review designation means the FDA’s goal is to take action on the marketing application within six months of the 60-day filing date (as compared to ten months under standard review). Fast track, breakthrough therapy, and priority review designations are not mutually exclusive, and a product may qualify for one or more of these programs. While these programs are intended to expedite product development and approval, they do not alter the standards for FDA marketing approval. Even if designation is granted, FDA may later decide that a product candidate no longer meets the conditions for designation and the designation may be rescinded.
Separate from FDA’s priority review program, in 2025 the FDA created a new Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher (“CNPV”) pilot program. A CNPV may be granted to products with significant potential to address certain national health priorities, which include: (i) addressing a large unmet medical need, (ii) delivering innovative cures, (iii) onshoring drug development and manufacturing, (iv) increasing affordability, or (v) addressing a U.S. public health crisis. The FDA has said it will review marketing applications for drugs with a CNPV within approximately one to two months following filing of a complete application, though the agency retains full discretion to extend the review time if the data or application components submitted are insufficient or incomplete, if the results of pivotal trial(s) are ambiguous, or if the review is particularly complex. In addition, applications filed with a CNPV will be evaluated by a multi-disciplinary review committee led by the FDA's Office of the Chief Medical and Scientific Officer, and the FDA will also provide enhanced communication with companies throughout the development and review process.
Additionally, the FDA may grant accelerated approval to a product for a serious or life-threatening condition that provides meaningful therapeutic advantage to patients over existing treatments based upon a determination that the product has an effect on a surrogate endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit. The FDA may also grant accelerated approval for such a condition when the product has an effect on an intermediate clinical endpoint that can be measured earlier than irreversible morbidity or mortality, that is reasonably likely to predict an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical benefit, taking into account the severity, rarity, or prevalence of the condition and the availability or lack of alternative treatments. As a condition of accelerated approval, the FDA will generally require the sponsor to perform adequate and well-controlled post-marketing clinical studies to verify and describe the anticipated effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical benefit. Under the Food and Drug Omnibus Reform Act of 2022, the FDA may require, as appropriate, that such studies be underway prior to approval or within a specific time period after the date of approval for a product granted
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accelerated approval. Failure to conduct required post-approval studies with due diligence, failure to confirm a clinical benefit during the post-approval studies, or dissemination of false or misleading promotional materials would allow the FDA to withdraw the product approval on an expedited basis. All promotional materials for therapeutic candidates approved under accelerated approval are subject to prior review by the FDA unless FDA informs the BLA holder otherwise.
Regulation of Combination Products
Certain therapeutic products comprise multiple components, such as drug components and device components, that would normally be subject to different regulatory frameworks by the FDA and frequently regulated by different centers at the FDA. These products are known as combination products. Under the FDCA, the FDA is charged with assigning a center with primary jurisdiction, or a lead center, for review of a combination product. The determination of which center will be the lead center is based on the “primary mode of action” of the combination product. Thus, if the primary mode of action of a drug-device combination product is attributable to the drug product, the FDA center responsible for premarket review of the drug product would have primary jurisdiction for the combination product. The FDA has also established the Office of Combination Products to address issues surrounding combination products and provide more certainty to the regulatory review process. That office serves as a focal point for combination product issues for agency reviewers and industry. It is also responsible for developing guidance and regulations to clarify the regulation of combination products, and for assignment of the FDA center that has primary jurisdiction for review of combination products where the jurisdiction is unclear or in dispute. A combination product with a primary mode of action attributable to the drug or biologic component generally would be reviewed and approved pursuant to the drug or biologic approval processes set forth in the FDCA. In reviewing the NDA or BLA for such a product, however, FDA reviewers would consult with their counterparts in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health to ensure that the device component of the combination product met applicable requirements regarding safety, effectiveness, durability and performance. In addition, under FDA regulations, combination products are subject to cGMP requirements applicable to both the drug or biologic constituent part and the device constituent part.
Post-Approval Requirements
Any products manufactured or distributed by us pursuant to FDA approvals are subject to pervasive and continuing regulation by the FDA, including, among other things, requirements relating to record-keeping, reporting of adverse experiences, periodic reporting, product sampling and distribution, manufacturing, testing and advertising and promotion of the product. After approval, most changes to the approved product, such as adding new indications or other labeling claims, are subject to prior FDA review and approval. There also are continuing user fee requirements, under which the FDA assesses an annual program fee for each product identified in an approved BLA. Biologic manufacturers and their subcontractors are required to register their establishments with the FDA and certain state agencies. BLA holders and their contractors, including third-party manufacturers, are subject to periodic unannounced inspections by the FDA and certain state agencies for compliance with ongoing regulatory requirements, including cGMPs and pharmacovigilance regulations. Changes to the manufacturing process are strictly regulated, and, depending on the significance of the change, may require prior FDA approval before being implemented. Accordingly, manufacturers must continue to expend time, money and effort in the area of production and quality control to maintain compliance with cGMPs and other aspects of regulatory compliance.
The FDA may withdraw approval 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; imposition of post-market studies or clinical studies to assess new safety risks; or imposition of distribution restrictions or other restrictions under a REMS program. Other potential consequences include, among other things:
•restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of a product, complete withdrawal of the product from the market or product recalls;
•fines, warning letters or holds on post-approval clinical studies;
•refusal of the FDA to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications, or suspension or revocation of existing product approvals;
•product seizure or detention, or refusal of the FDA to permit the import or export of products;
•consent decrees, corporate integrity agreements, debarment or exclusion from federal healthcare programs;
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•mandated modification of promotional materials and labeling and the issuance of corrective information;
•the issuance of safety alerts, Dear Healthcare Provider letters, press releases and other communications containing warnings or other safety information about the product; or
•injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.
The FDA strictly regulates the marketing, labeling, advertising and promotion of prescription drug products, including biological products. Promotional claims about a product candidate are prohibited before the product is approved. In addition, the NDA or BLA holder of an approved drug, including a biologic, in the United States may not promote that drug for unapproved, or off-label, uses, although a physician may prescribe a drug for an off-label use in accordance with laws and professional standards governing the practice of medicine. If a company is found to have promoted off-label uses for an approved drug, it may become subject to administrative and judicial enforcement by the FDA, the DOJ or the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as state authorities. This could subject a company to a range of penalties that could have a significant commercial impact, including civil and criminal fines and agreements that materially restrict the manner in which a company may promote or distribute drug products in the future. The federal government has levied large civil and criminal fines against companies for alleged improper promotion and has also requested that companies enter into consent decrees or permanent injunctions under which specified promotional conduct is changed or curtailed.
Biosimilars and Reference Product Exclusivity
The Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) includes a subtitle called the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009 (“BPCIA”), which created an abbreviated approval pathway for biosimilar and interchangeable biosimilars. The FDA has issued several guidance documents outlining an approach to review and approval of biosimilars.
In order for the FDA to approve a biosimilar product, it must find that there are no clinically meaningful differences between the biological product and the reference product in terms of safety, purity, and potency. For the FDA to approve a biosimilar product as interchangeable with a reference product, the agency must find that the biosimilar product can be expected to produce the same clinical results as the reference product in any given patient and, for products that are administered multiple times to an individual, the biologic and the reference biologic may be alternated or switched after one has been previously administered without increasing safety risks or risks of diminished efficacy relative to exclusive use of the reference biologic. A product shown to be biosimilar or interchangeable with an FDA-approved reference biological product may rely in part on the FDA’s previous determination of safety and effectiveness for the reference product for approval, which can potentially reduce the cost and time required to obtain approval to market the product.
Upon licensure by the FDA, an interchangeable biosimilar may be substituted for the reference product without the intervention of the health-care provider who prescribed the reference product. The FDA approved the first interchangeable biosimilars in 2021. However, in draft guidance issued in 2024, the agency updated its policies regarding interchangeable biosimilars to recommend fewer tests by the applicant to demonstrate interchangeability and to highlight that these products are not safer or more effective than biosimilars that have not been demonstrated “interchangeable” with their reference products. In response to such scientific developments, it is possible that Congress could revisit and amend relevant provisions from the BPCIA as part of the upcoming legislative session.
Under the BPCIA, an application for a biosimilar product may not be submitted to the FDA until four years following the date that the reference product was first licensed by the FDA. In addition, the approval of a biosimilar product may not be made effective by the FDA until 12 years from the date on which the reference product was first licensed. During this 12-year period of exclusivity, another company may still market a competing version of the reference product if the FDA approves a full BLA for the competing product containing that applicant’s own nonclinical data and data from adequate and well-controlled clinical trials to demonstrate the safety, purity and potency of its product.
The BPCIA also created certain exclusivity periods for biosimilars approved as interchangeable products. The law also includes an extensive process for the innovator biologic and biosimilar manufacturer to litigate patent infringement, validity, and enforceability prior to the approval of the biosimilar.
As discussed below, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (“IRA”) is a significant new law that intends to foster generic and biosimilar competition and to lower drug and biologic costs.
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Patent Term Restoration
Some of our U.S. patents may be eligible for limited patent term extension under the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984 (commonly referred to as the “Hatch-Waxman Amendments”), which amended the FDCA. The Hatch-Waxman Amendments permit a patent restoration term of up to five years as compensation for patent term lost during product development and the FDA regulatory review process. However, patent term restoration cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the product’s approval date. The patent term restoration period is generally one-half the time between the effective date of an IND and the submission date of an NDA or BLA, plus the time between the submission date and the approval of that application, in each case less any time that the applicant did not act with due diligence. Only one patent applicable to an approved product is eligible for the extension and the application for the extension must be submitted prior to the expiration of the patent. The USPTO in consultation with the FDA, reviews and approves the application for any patent term extension. Thus, for each approved product, we may apply for restoration of patent term for one of our related owned or licensed patents to add patent life beyond the original expiration date, depending on the expected length of the clinical studies and other factors involved in the filing of the relevant NDA or BLA.
Foreign Regulation
In addition to regulations in the United States, we are subject to a variety of regulations in other jurisdictions governing, among other things, research and development, clinical trials, testing, manufacturing, safety, efficacy, quality control, labeling, packaging, storage, record keeping, distribution, reporting, export and import, advertising, marketing and other promotional practices involving biological products as well as authorization, approval as well as post-approval monitoring and reporting of our products. Because biologically sourced raw materials are subject to unique contamination risks, their use may be restricted in some countries.
Whether or not we obtain FDA approval for a product, we must obtain the requisite approvals from regulatory authorities in foreign countries prior to the commencement of clinical trials or marketing of the product in those countries. Certain countries outside of the United States have a similar process that requires the submission of a clinical trial application much like the IND prior to the commencement of human clinical trials.
The requirements and process governing the conduct of clinical trials, including requirements to conduct additional clinical trials, product licensing, safety reporting, post-authorization requirements, marketing and promotion, interactions with healthcare professionals, pricing and reimbursement may vary widely from country to country. No action can be taken to market any product in a country until an appropriate approval application has been approved by the regulatory authorities in that country. The current approval process varies from country to country, and the time spent in gaining approval varies from that required for FDA approval. In certain countries, the sales price of a product must also be approved. The pricing review period often begins after market approval is granted. Even if a product is approved by a regulatory authority, satisfactory prices may not be approved for such product, which would make launch of such products commercially unfeasible in such countries.
Regulation in the European Union
European Data Laws
We are subject to laws and regulations related to, among other things, privacy, data protection, information security and consumer protection across different markets where we conduct our business. Such laws and regulations are constantly evolving and changing and are likely to remain uncertain for the foreseeable future. Our actual or perceived failure to comply with such obligations could have an adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial operations. Complying with these numerous, complex, and often changing regulations is expensive and difficult, and failure to comply with any data protection, privacy laws or data security laws or any security incident or breach involving the potential or actual misappropriation, loss or other unauthorized processing, use or disclosure of sensitive or confidential patient, consumer or other personal information, whether by us, one of our collaborators or another third-party, could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations, including but not limited to investigation costs, material fines and penalties, compensatory, special, punitive, and statutory damages, litigation, consent orders regarding our privacy and security practices, requirements that we provide notices, credit monitoring services, and/or credit restoration services or other relevant services to impacted individuals, adverse actions against our licenses to do business, reputational damage and injunctive relief.
The collection and use of personal health data and other personal data in the European Union (“EU”) is governed by the provisions of the European General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (“GDPR”), which became applicable in May 2018, and related data protection laws in individual EU Member States. The GDPR imposes a number of strict obligations and restrictions on the ability to process, including collecting, analyzing and transferring, personal data of individuals, in particular
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with respect to health data from clinical trials and adverse event reporting. The GDPR includes requirements relating to the legal basis of the processing (such as consent of the individuals to whom the personal data relates), the information provided to the individuals prior to processing their personal data, the notification obligations to the national data protection authorities, and the security and confidentiality of the personal data. EU Member States may also impose additional requirements in relation to health, genetic and biometric data through their national legislation.
In addition, the GDPR imposes specific restrictions on the transfer of personal data to countries outside of the European Economic Area (“EEA”) that are not considered by the European Commission (“EC”) to provide an adequate level of data protection. Appropriate safeguards are required to enable such transfers. Among the appropriate safeguards that can be used, the data exporter may use the standard contractual clauses (“SCCs”). When relying on SCCs, the data exporters are also required to conduct a transfer risk assessment to verify if anything in the law and/or practices of the third country may impinge on the effectiveness of the SCCs in the context of the transfer at stake and, if so, to identify and adopt supplementary measures that are necessary to bring the level of protection of the data transferred to the EU standard of essential equivalence. Where no supplementary measure is suitable, the data exporter should avoid, suspend or terminate the transfer. On June 18, 2021, the European Data Protection Board adopted recommendations to assist data exporters with such assessment and their duty to identify and implement supplementary measures where they are needed to ensure compliance with the EU level of protection to the personal data they transfer to third countries. With regard to the transfer of personal data from the EEA to the United States, on July 10, 2023, the European Commission adopted its adequacy decision for the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. On the basis of the new adequacy decision, personal data can flow from the EEA to U.S. companies participating in the framework. Companies that have not signed up to the framework will continue to be subject to the international transfer requirements above, and will need to ensure that adequate safeguards such as the SCCs are implemented for all EEA-US data transfers.
Failure to comply with the requirements of the GDPR and the related national data protection laws of the EU Member States may result in significant monetary fines for noncompliance of up to €20 million or 4% of the annual global turnover of the noncompliant company, whichever is greater, other administrative penalties and a number of criminal offenses (punishable by uncapped fines) for organizations and, in certain cases, their directors and officers, as well as civil liability claims from individuals whose personal data was processed. Data protection authorities from the different EU Member States may still implement certain variations, enforce the GDPR and national data protection laws differently, and introduce additional national regulations and guidelines, which adds to the complexity of processing personal data in the EU. Guidance developed at both the EU level and at the national level in individual EU Member States concerning implementation and compliance practices are often updated or otherwise revised.
Furthermore, there is a growing trend towards the required public disclosure of clinical trial data in the EU, which adds to the complexity of obligations relating to processing health data from clinical trials. Such public disclosure obligations are provided in the new EU Clinical Trials Regulation No.536/2014 (“CTR”), EMA disclosure initiatives and voluntary commitments by industry. Failure to comply with these obligations could lead to government enforcement actions and significant penalties against us, harm to our reputation, and adversely impact our business and operating results. The uncertainty regarding the interplay between different regulatory frameworks, such as the CTR and the GDPR, further adds to the complexity that we face with regard to data protection regulation.
With regard to the transfer of personal data from the EEA to the United Kingdom (“UK”), personal data may now freely flow from the EEA to the UK since the UK is deemed to have an adequate data protection level. However, the adequacy decisions include a ‘sunset clause’ which entails that the decisions will automatically expire four years after their entry into force, and so this adequacy decision will be reviewed, and is expected – but not guaranteed - to be renewed, before or during December 2031.
Drug and Biologic Development Process in the EU
In the EU, medicinal products are primarily regulated by EU pharmaceutical law seeking to harmonize the standards for assessing the quality, safety and efficacy of medicinal products. The process of obtaining regulatory approvals and the subsequent compliance with applicable legislation requires the expenditure of substantial time and financial resources. Failure to comply with the applicable EU requirements at any time during the product development and post-approval may attract enforcement actions and sanctions.
The process by which medicinal products may be marketed in the EU generally involves the following:
•completion of nonclinical laboratory tests and animal studies performed consistent with the principles of GLP set out in Directive 2004/9/EC and Directive 2004/10/EC;
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•submission to the relevant national competent authorities (“NCA”) in each Member State where the trial will be performed of an application for clinical trial authorization (“CTA”), which must be granted prior to the commencement of the clinical trial;
•issuance of a positive opinion on the clinical trial by a research ethics committee (“REC”) in each Member State where the trial will be performed;
•performance of adequate and well-controlled clinical trials in accordance with the principles of GCPs set out in the CTR, Directive 2005/28/EC, Commission Implementing Regulation 2017/556 or the equivalent requirements for trials conducted outside the EU, the International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use guidelines on GCPs, and the ethical principles set out in the Declaration of Helsinki;
•manufacture and import of the medicinal product in accordance with the principles of GMPs set out in Regulation No. 1252/2014, Directive 2001/83/EC, Directive 2017/1572 and associated legislation;
•preparation of and submission to the EMA, or the relevant NCA, of a marketing authorization application (“MAA”) after completion of all pivotal clinical trials, nonclinical studies and chemistry, manufacturing and control information;
•following satisfactory assessment of the MAA dossier, adoption by the EMA, or the relevant NCA, of a positive opinion on the approvability of the medicinal product;
•following EMA’s positive scientific assessment or that of a NCA on the approvability of the medicinal product, grant of a marketing authorization in respect of therapeutic indications by either the European Commission for centrally approved medicinal products or NCAs for nationally approved medicinal products;
•national approval for pricing and reimbursement including the need to demonstrate cost-effectiveness in each Member State for a new medicinal product to be adopted for use in the respective national health systems; and
•establishment and implementation of an appropriate pharmacovigilance system which complies with principles of GVP set out in Directive 2010/84/EU, Regulation (EU) No 1235/2010 and Commission Implementing Regulation No 520/2012.
Clinical Development in the EU
Regardless of where they are conducted, all clinical trials included in applications for marketing authorization for human medicines in the EU / EEA must have been carried out in accordance with EU regulations. This means that clinical trials conducted in the EU / EEA have to comply with EU clinical trial legislation but also that clinical trials conducted outside the EU / EEA have to comply with the principles equivalent to those set out in the EEA, including adhering to GCPs and the ethical principles set out in the Declaration of Helsinki.
In accordance with the CTR, sponsors must submit a single CTA application through a centralized EU clinical trials portal, the Clinical Trials Information System (“CTIS”). The CTA application will generally include the results of animal and in 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. One NCA acts as reporting member state (“RMS”) to lead the validation and evaluation of the application. This RMS will be responsible for consulting and coordinating with the NCAs of the other EU Member States, i.e., Concerned Member States. If an application is rejected, it may be amended and resubmitted through the CTIS. If an approval is issued, the sponsor may start the clinical trial in all Concerned Member States. However, a Concerned Member State may in limited circumstances declare an “opt-out” from an approval and prevent the clinical trial from being conducted in such Member State.
During the development of a medicinal product, the EMA and NCAs provide the opportunity for dialogue and guidance on the development program. At the EMA level, this is usually achieved in the form of scientific advice, which is given by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (“CHMP”) on the recommendation of the Scientific Advice Working Party. A fee is incurred with each scientific advice procedure but is significantly reduced for designated orphan medicines. Advice from the EMA is typically provided based on questions concerning, for example, quality (chemistry, manufacturing and controls testing), nonclinical testing and clinical studies, and pharmacovigilance plans and risk-management programs. Advice is not legally binding with regard to any future MAA of the product concerned. However, it is expected that the scientific
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advice will be followed in the research and development program for the purpose of seeking product approval, unless any deviation from such advice is appropriately justified.
Drug Marketing Authorization
In the EU, medicinal products are subject to extensive pre- and post-market regulation by regulatory authorities at both the EU and national levels. In the EU and EEA, after completion of all required testing, nonclinical studies, clinical trials and chemistry, manufacturing, and controls information can be included in an MAA requesting approval to market the product for one or more indications. Pharmaceutical products may only be placed on the market after a marketing authorization has been obtained. In the EU and EEA, there are two types of marketing authorization: centralized and national.
In December 2025, the EU Parliament and European Council agreed on major reforms to modernize EU pharmaceutical legislation, aiming to re-balance the promotion of innovation with improved patient access to safe, effective, and affordable medicines. Key measures include a new exclusivity framework, enhanced incentives for orphan drugs and antibiotics, an expanded Bolar exemption, and a shortened regulatory assessment timeframe. The reforms also introduce stricter controls on product availability and supply shortages. It is expected that new EU pharmaceutical legislation will be fully applicable in 2028 following a two-year transition period.
Centralized Marketing Authorizations
The centralized procedure provides for the grant of a single marketing authorization that is issued by the EC, following the scientific assessment of the application by the EMA that is valid for all EU Member States as well as in the three additional EEA Member States. The centralized procedure is compulsory for specific medicinal products, including for medicines developed by means of certain biotechnological processes, (recombinant DNA technology, controlled expression of genes coding for biologically active proteins in prokaryotes and eukaryotes including transformed mammalian cells, and hybridoma and monoclonal antibody methods) products designated as orphan medicinal products, advanced-therapy medicinal products (gene-therapies, somatic cell-therapies or tissue-engineered medicines), and medicinal products containing a new active substance indicated for the treatment of certain diseases (AIDS, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, auto-immune, other immune dysfunctions and viral diseases). For medicinal products containing a new active substance not yet authorized in the EEA before May 20, 2004 and indicated for the treatment of other diseases, medicinal products that constitute significant therapeutic, scientific or technical innovations or for which the grant of a marketing authorization through the centralized procedure would be in the interest of public health at EU level, an applicant may request submission of an marketing authorization through the centralized procedure.