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Once a year, publicly traded companies issue a comprehensive report of their business, called a 10-K. A component mandated in the 10-K is the ‘Risk Factors’ section, where companies disclose any major potential risks that they may face. This dashboard highlights all major changes and additions in new 10K reports, allowing investors to quickly identify new potential risks and opportunities.
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Healthcare Reform
A primary trend in the U.S. healthcare industry and elsewhere is cost containment. There have been a number of federal and state proposals during the last few years regarding the pricing of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical products, limiting coverage and reimbursement for drugs and other medical products, government control and other changes to the healthcare system in the United States including the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). There have been a number of federal and state proposals during the last few years regarding the pricing of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical products, 24 Table of Contentslimiting coverage and reimbursement for drugs and other medical products, government control and other changes to the healthcare system in the United States including the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).
In the future, there may continue to be additional proposals relating to the reform of the U.S. healthcare system, some of which could further limit the prices we will be able to charge for our product candidates, or the amounts of reimbursement available for our product candidates. If future legislation were to impose direct governmental price controls or access restrictions, it could have a significant adverse impact on our business. Managed care organizations, as well as Medicaid and other government agencies, continue to seek price discounts. Some states have implemented, and other states are considering, measures to reduce costs of the Medicaid program, and some states are considering implementing measures that would apply to broader segments of their populations that are not Medicaid-eligible. Due to the volatility in the current economic and market dynamics, we are unable to predict the impact of any unforeseen or unknown legislative, regulatory, payor or policy actions, which may include cost containment and healthcare reform measures. Such policy actions could have a material adverse impact on our profitability.
These and other healthcare reform initiatives may result in additional reductions in Medicare and other healthcare funding, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial operations. We expect that additional state and federal healthcare reform measures will be adopted in the future, any of which could limit the amounts that federal and state governments will pay for healthcare products and services, which could result in reduced demand for our product candidates or additional pricing pressures.
Foreign Regulation of Drugs
In order to market any product outside of the United States, we will need to comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements of other countries and jurisdictions regarding development, approval, commercial sales and distribution of our products, and governing, among other things, clinical trials, marketing authorization, commercial sales and distribution of our products, if approved. Whether or not we obtain FDA approval for a product, we must obtain the necessary approvals by the comparable regulatory authorities of foreign countries before we can commence clinical trials or marketing of the product in those countries. The approval process varies between countries and jurisdictions and can involve additional product testing and additional administrative review periods. The time required to obtain approval in other countries and jurisdictions might differ from and be longer than that required to obtain FDA approval. Regulatory approval in one country or jurisdiction does not ensure regulatory approval in another, but a failure or delay in obtaining regulatory approval in one country or jurisdiction may negatively impact the regulatory process in others.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks described below, as well as the other information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including our financial statements and the related notes thereto, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and the information contained under the heading “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” before deciding whether to invest in our common stock. The occurrence of any of the events or developments described below could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. In such an event, the market price of our common stock could decline and you may lose all or part of your investment. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial also may impair our business operations. We may update these risk factors in our periodic and other filings with the SEC.
The following is a summary of the principal risk factors described in this section:
● | We expect to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future as we advance our product candidates through clinical trials, seek regulatory approval and pursue commercialization of any |
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approved product candidates. The future viability of our company is dependent on our ability to raise additional capital to finance our future operations. |
● | We have a history of losses and our future profitability remains uncertain. |
● | We are primarily dependent on the success of our product candidate, YUTREPIA, for which we received tentative approval from the FDA in November 2021, and this product candidate may fail to receive final marketing approval (in a timely manner or at all) or may not be commercialized successfully. |
● | United Therapeutics has initiated a lawsuit against us in which it has claimed that YUTREPIA is infringing three of its patents and a separate lawsuit against us that we and a former United Therapeutics employee, who later joined us as an employee, conspired to misappropriate certain trade secrets of United Therapeutics and engaged in unfair or deceptive trade practices. The judge in the patent lawsuit entered a final judgment finding that one of the three asserted United Therapeutics’ patents is both valid and infringed and ordering that the effective date of any final approval by the FDA of YUTREPIA shall be a date which is not earlier than the expiration date of the infringed patent, which will be in 2027. While the PTAB found that this same patent was unpatentable, the PTAB’s decision with respect to the patent will not override the court’s order unless and until the decision of the PTAB is affirmed on appeal. These lawsuits may result in our company being delayed in its efforts to commercialize YUTREPIA. These lawsuits may result in our company being delayed in its efforts to commercialize YUTREPIA. |
● | Liquidia PAH does not hold the FDA regulatory approval for Treprostinil Injection or the RG Cartridge and is dependent on Sandoz and Chengdu to manufacture and supply Treprostinil Injection and the RG Cartridge, respectively, in compliance with FDA requirements, and is more broadly dependent on Sandoz’s and Chengdu’s FDA and healthcare compliance relative to Treprostinil Injection and the RG Cartridge, respectively. |
● | Treprostinil Injection is presently administered intravenously via Smith Medical’s CADD Legacy infusion pump and subcutaneously via Smith Medical’s CADD-MS 3 infusion pump. Smith Medical no longer manufactures the CADD-MS 3 infusion pump and has no obligation to service or maintain CADD-MS 3 infusion pumps after January 1, 2025. In addition, Smith Medical has issued a notice of its intent to discontinue the CADD Legacy infusion pump, although it has indicated that it has sufficient parts to support the CADD Legacy infusion pump until 2028. Should components of such pumps become unavailable, Smith Medical’s ability to service and maintain such pumps may terminate earlier than anticipated. For instance, we recently became aware of a potential shortage of a critical component of the CADD-MS 3 infusion pump that may cause the number of CADD-MS 3 infusion pumps available for the administration of Treprostinil Injection to be depleted prior to January 1, 2025. In the event the specialty pharmacies are unable to access sufficient quantities of operable pumps or in the event we are unable to identify or develop a new pump prior to the current pumps becoming unavailable, the commercial success of Treprostinil Injection may be adversely affected. |
● | Sales of Treprostinil Injection are dependent on market acceptance of generic treprostinil for parenteral administration and the medical devices used for administration of Treprostinil Injection, including the Smiths Medical infusion pumps, any future pumps that we develop and the RG Cartridge, by patients, health care providers and by third-party payors, while interactions with these persons and entities are subject to compliance requirements. The commercial success of Treprostinil Injection may also be impacted by increasing generic competition which may result in declining prices for Treprostinil Injection. |
● | We expect that we will need further financing for our existing business and future growth, which may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all. Failure to obtain funding on acceptable terms and on a timely basis may require us to curtail, delay or discontinue our product development efforts or other operations. The failure to obtain further financing may also prevent us from capitalizing on other potential product candidates or indications which may be more profitable than YUTREPIA or for which there may be a greater likelihood of success. |
● | We face significant competition from large pharmaceutical companies, among others, in developing our products and in gaining regulatory approval to bring them to market in time to achieve commercial success, and our operating results will suffer if we are unable to compete effectively, including if one or more such products have a superior product profile to YUTREPIA. |
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● | Our financing facility with HCR contains milestones that must be achieved in order to draw down on the facility, and failure to achieve these milestones may result in our having insufficient financing for our existing business plan. Our financing facility with HCR also contains operating and financial covenants that restrict our business and financing activities, and is subject to acceleration in specified circumstances, which may result in HCR taking possession and disposing of any collateral. |
● | Our products may not achieve market acceptance. |
● | Our product candidates are based on our proprietary, novel technology, PRINT, which has not been used to manufacture any products that have been previously approved by the FDA, making it difficult to predict the time and cost of development and of subsequently obtaining final regulatory approval. |
● | Our business and operations may be adversely affected by the evolving and ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic. |
● | We may not be able to build a commercial operation, including establishing and maintaining marketing and sales capabilities or enter into agreements with third parties to market and sell our drug products. |
● | We depend on third parties for clinical and commercial supplies, including single suppliers for the active ingredient, the device, encapsulation and packaging of YUTREPIA. In the event of any disruption in these supplies, our ability to develop and commercialize, and the timeline for commercialization of, YUTREPIA may be adversely affected. |
● | We rely on third parties to conduct our preclinical studies and clinical trials. |
● | We may become involved in litigation to protect our intellectual property, to enforce our intellectual property rights or to defend against claims of intellectual property infringement by third parties, which could be expensive, time-consuming and may not be successful. |
● | We depend on skilled labor, and our business and prospects may be adversely affected if we lose the services of our skilled personnel, including those in senior management, or are unable to attract new skilled personnel. |
● | We expect that the market price of our common stock may be volatile, and you may lose all or part of your investment. |
● | As a public company, we are obligated to develop and maintain proper and effective internal control over financial reporting and any failure to do so may adversely affect investor confidence in us and, as a result, the trading price of our shares. |
Risks Related to our Financial Position and Need for Additional Capital
We expect to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future as we advance our product candidates through clinical trials, seek regulatory approval and pursue commercialization of any approved product candidates. The future viability of our company may depend on our ability to raise additional capital to finance our future operations. The future viability of our company is dependent on our ability to raise additional capital to finance our future operations. The future viability of our company is dependent on our ability to raise additional capital to finance our future operations.
We are subject to risks and uncertainties common to early-stage companies in the biotechnology industry, including, but not limited to, development by competitors of new technological innovations, dependence on key personnel, protection of proprietary technology, compliance with government regulations, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ability to secure additional capital to fund operations. We expect to incur significant expenses and may incur significant operating losses for the foreseeable future as we advance product candidates through clinical trials, seek regulatory approval and pursue commercialization of any approved product candidates. We expect to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future as we advance product candidates through clinical trials, seek regulatory approval and pursue commercialization of any approved product candidates. In addition, if we obtain marketing approval for any of our product candidates, we would incur significant commercialization expenses related to product manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution. These efforts require significant amounts of capital, adequate personnel and infrastructure, and extensive compliance-reporting capabilities. These efforts require significant amounts of additional capital, adequate personnel and infrastructure, and extensive compliance-reporting capabilities. Even if our development efforts are successful, it is uncertain when, if ever, we will realize significant revenue from product sales. The future viability of our company may depend on our ability to raise additional capital to finance our future operations. The future viability of our company is dependent on our ability to raise additional capital to finance our future operations. The future viability of our company is dependent on our ability to raise additional capital to finance our future operations. We may seek additional funding through public or private financings, debt financing or collaboration. We will seek additional funding through public or private financings, debt financing or collaboration. Our inability to obtain funding, if and when needed, would have a negative impact on our financial condition and ability to pursue our business strategies. The inability to obtain funding, as and when needed, would have a negative impact on our financial condition and ability to pursue our business strategies.
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We have a history of losses and our future profitability remains uncertain.
We have incurred net losses of $41.0 million during the year ended December 31, 2022 and $34.6 million during the year ended December 31, 2021. We also had negative operating cash flows for each of these periods. As of December 31, 2022, we had an accumulated deficit of $350.6 million.
Since our incorporation, we have invested heavily in the development of our product candidates and technologies, as well as in recruiting management and scientific personnel. To date, we have not commenced the commercialization of our product candidates and all of our revenue has been derived from up-front fees and milestone payments made to us in connection with licensing and collaboration arrangements we have entered into and the Promotion Agreement, under which we share in the profit derived from the sale of Treprostinil Injection in the United States. These up-front fees and milestone payments have been, and combined with revenue generated from Treprostinil Injection may continue to be, insufficient to match our operating expenses. We expect to continue to devote substantial financial and other resources to the clinical development of our product candidates and, as a result, must generate significant revenue to achieve and maintain profitability or raise additional capital to fund clinical development. We may continue to incur losses and negative cash flow and may never transition to profitability or positive cash flow.
We may need further financing for our existing business and future growth, which may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all.We expect that we will need further financing for our existing business and future growth, which may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all. Failure to obtain funding on acceptable terms and on a timely basis may require us to curtail, delay or discontinue our product development efforts or other operations. The failure to obtain further financing may also prevent us from capitalizing on other potential product candidates or indications which may be more profitable than YUTREPIA or for which there may be a greater likelihood of success.
We may need to raise additional funds to meet our future funding requirements for the continued research, development and commercialization of our product candidates and technology.We anticipate that we will need to raise additional funds to meet our future funding requirements for the continued research, development and commercialization of our product candidates and technology. In the event that funds generated from our operations are insufficient to fund our future growth, we may raise additional funds through the issuance of equity or debt securities or by borrowing from banks or other financial institutions. We cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain such additional financing on terms that are acceptable to us, or at all. Global and local economic conditions could negatively affect our ability to raise funds. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, your ownership interest will be diluted, and the terms of such securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect your rights as a stockholder. Such financing, even if obtained, may be accompanied by restrictive covenants that may, among others, limit our ability to pay dividends or require us to seek consent for payment of dividends, or restrict our freedom to operate our business by requiring consent for certain actions.
If we conclude that we require additional financing and fail to obtain it on terms that are favorable to us, we will not be able to implement our growth plans, and we may be required to significantly curtail, delay or discontinue one or more of our research, development or manufacturing programs or the commercialization of any approved product.If we fail to obtain additional financing on terms that are acceptable to us, we will not be able to implement our growth plans, and we may be required to significantly curtail, delay or discontinue one or more of our research, development or manufacturing programs or the commercialization of any approved product. Furthermore, if we fail to obtain additional financing on terms that are acceptable to us, we may forgo or delay the pursuit of opportunities presented by other potential product candidates or indications that may later prove to have greater commercial potential than the product candidates and indications that we have chosen to pursue.
Our financing facility with HCR contains milestones that must be achieved in order to draw down on our financing facility and operating and financial covenants that restrict our business and financing activities, and is subject to acceleration in specified circumstances, which may result in HCR taking possession and disposing of any collateral.Our credit facility with SVB and Innovation contains milestones that must be achieved in order to draw down on our debt facility and operating and financial covenants that restrict our business and financing activities, and is subject to acceleration in specified circumstances, which may result in SVB and Innovation taking possession and disposing of any collateral.
Our financing facility with HCR contains restrictions that limit our flexibility in operating our business.Our credit facility contains restrictions that limit our flexibility in operating our business. Under the terms of the RIFA, HCR has agreed to pay us an aggregate investment amount of up to $100.0 million (the “Investment Amount”). Under the terms of the RIFA, $32.5 million of the Investment Amount was funded at the initial closing, an additional $7.5 million of the Investment Amount will be funded fifteen business days after a request made by the us to HCR to fund our acquisition of rights, whether in the form of an acquisition, license, joint venture or similar transaction, to a clinical stage or commercial stage biopharmaceutical product to diagnose, prevent, or treat pulmonary hypertension, an additional $35.0 million of the Investment Amount will be funded fifteen business days after the earlier of regulatory approval of YUTREPIA or a favorable determination relating to the asserted patents in the ongoing patent litigation with United Therapeutics Corporation, and the remaining $25.0 million of the Investment Amount will be funded fifteen
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business days after the mutual agreement of HCR and us to fund such amount. In the event we do not achieve the milestones necessary to trigger the second or third tranches of the Investment Amount or in the event we and HCR do not mutually agree to the funding of the fourth tranche of the Investment Amount, we will be unable to draw the full amount of the Investment Amount. In addition, under the terms of the RIFA, we may not, among other actions, without the prior written consent of HCR, (a) pay any dividends or make any other distribution or payment or redeem, retire or purchase any capital stock, except in certain prescribed circumstances, (b) create, incur, assume, or be liable with respect to any indebtedness except certain permitted indebtedness, or make or permit any payment on any indebtedness, except under certain limited circumstances, or (c) make any sale, transfer, out-license, lease or other disposition of any property or any economic interest, other than certain limited exceptions. In addition, under the terms of the A&R SVB LSA, we may not, among other actions, without the prior written consent of SVB and Innovation, (a) pay any dividends or make any other distribution or payment or redeem, retire or purchase any capital stock, except in certain prescribed circumstances, (b) create, incur, assume, or be liable with respect to any indebtedness except certain permitted indebtedness, or make or permit any payment on any subordinated debt, except under certain limited circumstances, or (c) merge or consolidate with any other person, other than certain limited exceptions. Additionally, we are required (i) during the period from January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024, to maintain at all times a minimum cash balance of $7.5 million, and (ii) during all periods after December 31, 2024, to maintain at all times a minimum cash balance of $15.0 million. Our obligations under the RIFA are collateralized by all of our assets and property, subject to limited exceptions.
If we breach certain of our covenants in the RIFA and are unable to cure such breach within the prescribed period or are not granted waivers in relation to such breach, it may constitute an event of default under the RIFA, giving HCR the right to require us to repay the then outstanding obligations immediately, and HCR could, among other things, foreclose on the collateral granted to them to collateralize such indebtedness, which includes our intellectual property, if we are unable to pay the outstanding debt immediately.If we breach certain of our debt covenants and are unable to cure such breach within the prescribed period or are not granted waivers in relation to such breach, it may constitute an event of default under the A&R SVB LSA, giving SVB and Innovation the right to require us to repay the then outstanding debt immediately, and SVB and Innovation could, among other things, foreclose on the collateral granted to them to collateralize such indebtedness, which excludes our intellectual property, if we are unable to pay the outstanding debt immediately.
Our management has broad discretion in using the net proceeds from our financing facility with HCR and prior equity offerings and may not use them effectively.Our management has broad discretion in using the net proceeds from prior equity offerings and may not use them effectively.
We are using the net proceeds of our financing facility with HCR, our April 2022 public equity offering, our April 2021 private equity offering and prior public and private equity offerings to support the development and commercialization of YUTREPIA, including the potential commercial launch of YUTREPIA in the event of final FDA approval, the commercialization of Treprostinil Injection, the development of a pump for the administration of Treprostinil Injection, one or more strategic transactions, preclinical pipeline activities, the development and commercialization of any products acquired or developed and for general corporate purposes. Our management has broad discretion in the application of such proceeds and could spend the proceeds in ways that do not improve our results of operations or enhance the value of our equity. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could result in financial losses that could have a material adverse effect on our business, diminish cash flows available to service our obligations to HCR, cause the value of our equity to decline and delay the development of our product candidates. Pending their use, we may invest such proceeds in short-term, investment-grade, interest-bearing securities, which may not yield favorable returns.
Our ability to use our net operating loss carry forwards and certain other tax attributes may be limited.
Under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change”, generally defined as a greater than 50.0% change (by value) in its equity ownership over a three-year period, the corporation’s ability to use its pre-change net operating loss carryforwards and other pre-change tax attributes, such as research tax credits, to offset its post-change income may be limited. With our April 2022 public equity offering, the closing of the RareGen acquisition in November 2020, our July 2020 equity offering, our December 2019 private placement, issuances under our prior at-the-market facility, our March 2019 follow-on equity offering and our July 2018 initial public offering, as well as other past transactions, we may have already triggered an “ownership change” limitation. With our April 2021 private placement, the closing of the RareGen acquisition in November 2020, our July 2020 equity offering, our December 2019 private placement, issuances under our prior at-the-market facility, our March 2019 follow-on equity offering and our July 2018 initial public offering, as well as other past transactions, we may have already triggered an “ownership change” limitation. We have not completed a formal study to determine if any “ownership changes” within the meaning of IRC Section 382 have occurred. If “ownership changes” within the meaning of Section 382 of the Code have occurred, and if we earn net taxable income, our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards and research and development tax credits generated since inception to offset U.S. federal taxable income may be subject to limitations, which could potentially result in increased future tax liability to us and could require us to pay U.S. federal income taxes earlier than would be required if such limitations were not in effect. Similar rules and limitations may apply for state income tax purposes.
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Recently enacted tax reform legislation in the U.S., changes to existing tax laws, or challenges to our tax positions could adversely affect our business and financial condition.
In recent years, various tax legislations were signed into law. On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, or the Tax Act, was signed into law, making significant changes to the Internal Revenue Code.
On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or the CARES Act, was enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Certain provisions of the CARES Act amend or suspend certain provisions of the Tax Act. For example, the tax relief measures under the CARES Act for businesses include a five-year net operating loss carryback, suspension of annual deduction limitation of 80% of taxable income from net operating losses generated in a tax year beginning after December 31, 2017, changes in the deductibility of interest, acceleration of alternative minimum tax credit refunds, payroll tax relief, and a technical correction to allow accelerated deductions for qualified improvement property. If “ownership changes” within the meaning of Section 382 of the Code have occurred, and if we earn net taxable income, our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards and research and development tax credits generated since inception to offset US federal taxable income may be subject to limitations, which could potentially result in increased future tax liability to us and could require us to pay US federal income taxes earlier than would be required if such limitations were not in effect. On June 15, 2020, Assembly Bill 85 was passed in California which suspended the use of net operating losses and limited the use of credits for certain corporations. Changes to existing federal and state tax laws could adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial position as the impact of recent tax legislation is uncertain.
In addition, U.S. federal, state and local tax laws are extremely complex and subject to various interpretations. Although we believe that our tax estimates and positions are reasonable, there can be no assurance that our tax positions will not be challenged by relevant tax authorities. If the relevant tax authorities assess additional taxes on us, this could result in adjustments to, or impact the timing or amount of, taxable income, deductions or other tax allocations, which may adversely affect our results of operations and financial position.
We are a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company with no approved products and no historical revenue from the sale of our own products, which may make it difficult for you to evaluate our business, financial condition and prospects.29 Table of ContentsWe are a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company with no approved products and no historical revenue from the sale of our own products, which may make it difficult for you to evaluate our business, financial condition and prospects.
We are a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company with no history of commercial operations upon which you can evaluate our prospects other than the activities we have undertaken with respect to the Promotion Agreement with Sandoz. Drug product development involves a substantial degree of uncertainty. Our operations to date have been limited to engaging in promotional and nonpromotional activities under the Promotion Agreement with Sandoz, developing our PRINT technology, undertaking preclinical studies and clinical trials for our product candidates and collaborating with pharmaceutical companies, including GSK, to expand the applications for our PRINT technology through licensing as well as joint product development arrangements. We have not obtained final marketing approval for any of our product candidates and, accordingly, have not demonstrated an ability to generate revenue from our own pharmaceutical products or successfully overcome the risks and uncertainties frequently encountered by companies undertaking drug product development. Consequently, your ability to assess our business, financial condition and prospects may be significantly limited. Further, the net losses that we incur may fluctuate significantly from quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year, such that a period-to-period comparison of our results of operations may not be a good indication of our future performance. Other unanticipated costs may also arise.
Liquidia PAH does not hold the FDA regulatory approval for Treprostinil Injection and is dependent on Sandoz to manufacture and supply Treprostinil Injection in compliance with FDA requirements, and is more broadly dependent on Sandoz’s FDA and healthcare compliance relative to Treprostinil Injection.
Sandoz holds the FDA approval (the ANDA) for and controls Treprostinil Injection and is responsible among other things for the compliant manufacture, distribution, labeling, and advertising of Treprostinil Injection. Our role is one of a specialized service provider to Sandoz. As a result, we are dependent on Sandoz to manufacture and supply Treprostinil Injection, and dependent on Sandoz for the continued FDA compliance of Treprostinil Injection. We do not have control over Sandoz’s compliance with laws and regulations applicable to drug manufacturers and ANDA holders (for example, applicable current good manufacturing practices (GMPs); FDA labeling, promotional labeling, and advertising requirements; pharmacovigilance and adverse event reporting; and other ongoing FDA reporting and submission requirements), nor over its compliance with healthcare compliance and fraud, waste, and abuse laws, or similar regulatory requirements and other laws and regulations, such as those related to environmental health and safety matters. In addition, we have no control over the ability of Sandoz to maintain adequate quality control, quality assurance and
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qualified personnel, or other personnel with roles related to the regulatory compliance of Treprostinil Injection and its labeling, promotion, and advertising or of Sandoz’s activities in relation to government healthcare programs. If the FDA or a comparable foreign regulatory authority finds deficiencies with the manufacture or quality assurance of Treprostinil Injection or identifies safety or efficacy concerns related to Treprostinil Injection, or if Sandoz otherwise is unable to comply with applicable laws, regulations and standards, Sandoz’s ability to manufacture, sell and supply Treprostinil Injection could be limited.
Sandoz’s ability to consistently manufacture and supply Treprostinil Injection in a timely manner may also be interrupted by production shortages or other supply interruptions, including as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Our share of net profits under the Promotion Agreement is reduced by certain manufacturing costs and other write-offs related to Sandoz’s inability to sell Treprostinil Injection, including in the event that Treprostinil Injection expires prior to sale. Currently, Treprostinil Injection expires 24 months after the date of manufacture.
Sales of Treprostinil Injection are dependent on market acceptance of generic treprostinil for parenteral administration by patients, health care providers and by third-party payors, while interactions with these persons and entities are subject to compliance requirements. The commercial success of Treprostinil Injection may also be impacted by increasing generic competition which may result in declining prices for Treprostinil Injection.
Our ability to sell Treprostinil Injection is dependent on market acceptance of generic treprostinil for parenteral administration by patients, health care providers and by third-party payors. If Treprostinil Injection does not achieve an adequate level of acceptance, we may not generate sufficient revenue to offset our cost of revenue.
At the same time, arrangements with healthcare providers, physicians, third-party payors and customers, and our sales, marketing and educational activities, may expose us to broadly applicable fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations that may constrain our business or financial arrangements and relationships.
The degree of market acceptance of Treprostinil Injection will depend on a number of factors, including:
● | the efficacy, safety and potential advantages compared to alternative treatments; |
● | our ability to offer Treprostinil Injection for sale at competitive prices (generic drug prices, after initial generic entry, have been observed to decline with the entrance of additional generic competition); |
● | the convenience and ease of administration compared to alternative treatments; |
● | product labeling or product insert requirements of the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities, including any limitations or warnings contained in a product’s approved labeling, including any black box warning; |
● | the willingness of the target patient population to try new treatments, including the generic version of a brand, and of physicians to prescribe such treatments; |
● | our ability to hire and retain sales and marketing personnel and their ability to support Sandoz under the Promotion Agreement; |
● | the strength of Sandoz’s manufacturing and distribution support; |
● | the requirement by third-party payors to use generic treprostinil for parenteral administration in place of Remodulin; |
● | the availability of third-party coverage and adequate reimbursement for Treprostinil Injection; |
● | the prevalence and severity of any side effects; |
● | any restrictions on the use of Treprostinil Injection together with other medications; |
● | our and Sandoz’s ability to maintain relationships with the specialty pharmacies; and |
● | the services provided by specialty pharmacies related to use of Treprostinil Injection. |
Our business may also be impacted by the need to maintain compliant operations (including oversight and monitoring of personnel and our activities) in relation to interactions with the persons and parties noted above, relative to FDA and healthcare law requirements, and with consideration of government and industry compliance best practices.
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Medical devices, which we do not control, are necessary for the administration of Treprostinil Injection.
In order for Treprostinil Injection to be administered to patients, patients must use certain other medical equipment, including pumps, cartridges and infusion sets. We do not manufacture or control such medical equipment, which is manufactured by third parties and owned and dispensed by specialty pharmacies, hospitals or other third parties. Our ability to serve patients is dependent upon the ability of specialty pharmacies to maintain sufficient inventory of such medical equipment to provide to patients. If manufacturers cease to manufacture or support medical equipment or if specialty pharmacies are unable to obtain or maintain sufficient inventories of such medical equipment, our sales may be adversely impacted.
We have worked with Chengdu to develop the RG Cartridge, which received FDA 510(k) clearance in March 2021. The ability of patients to administer Treprostinil Injection through subcutaneous injection is dependent on the continued availability of the RG Cartridge. Our ability to sell the Treprostinil Injection for subcutaneous administration is dependent on market acceptance of the RG Cartridge by patients, health care providers and by third-party payors. Our ability to sell the Treprostinil Injection for subcutaneous administration is dependent on market acceptance of the RG Cartridge by patients, health care providers and by third-party payors. If the RG Cartridge does not achieve an adequate level of acceptance or if the RG Cartridge experiences any quality problems, recalls or other adverse events, our ability to provide Treprostinil Injection to patients who receive Treprostinil through subcutaneous injection will be limited. The degree of market acceptance of the RG Cartridge will depend on a number of factors, including:
● | the efficacy, safety, quality and potential advantages or disadvantages compared to alternative cartridges; |
● | Chengdu’s ability to offer the RG Cartridge for sale at competitive prices; |
● | the strength of Chengdu’s manufacturing and distribution support; and |
● | Chengdu’s ability to maintain regulatory approvals necessary to manufacture and sell the RG Cartridge in the United States. |
In addition, to administer Treprostinil Injection through subcutaneous injection, patients currently must use the CADD-MS 3 infusion pump manufactured by Smiths Medical. Smiths Medical no longer manufactures the CADD-MS 3 infusion pump and, under our Settlement Agreement with Smiths Medical, they are no longer obligated to support the CADD-MS 3 infusion pump after January 1, 2025. Moreover, in the event components of the CADD-MS 3 infusion pump become unavailable prior to January 1, 2025, Smiths Medical may be unable to service pumps that require a replacement of such components. For instance, we recently became aware of a shortage of a critical component of the CADD-MS 3 infusion pump that has caused the number of CADD-MS 3 infusion pumps available for the administration of Treprostinil Injection to be limited. Due to this limitation in the availability of pumps, specialty pharmacies are not currently placing new patients on to subcutaneous Treprostinil Injection therapy in order to preserve the available pumps for those patients already receiving subcutaneous administration of Treprostinil Injection. If we are unable to identify a solution to this shortage, the number of patients that can receive subcutaneous administration of Treprostinil Injection will continue to be constrained, which would continue to adversely affect sales of Treprostinil Injection. Also, to administer Treprostinil Injection intravenously, patients currently use the CADD Legacy infusion pump manufactured by Smiths Medical. Smiths Medical has announced that it will discontinue support of the CADD Legacy pump starting in 2028.
We are seeking to work with third parties to develop or procure other pumps that can be used to administer Treprostinil Injection in the future. For example, we have entered into an agreement with Sandoz and Mainbridge to develop a new pump that can be used to administer Treprostinil Injection in the future. Such pumps will require FDA 510(k) clearance before they can be sold. There is no guarantee that we or our partners will receive FDA 510(k) clearance for any such pumps. There is no guarantee that we or a third party will receive FDA 510(k) clearance. If we are unable to identify, develop and obtain any required FDA clearance for new pumps for the subcutaneous and intravenous administration of Treprostinil Injection prior to the unavailability of the CADD-MS 3 and CADD Legacy pumps, respectively, we may no longer be able to serve patients with Treprostinil Injection through the applicable route of administration.
Failure by us or third parties to successfully develop or supply the medical equipment or to obtain or maintain regulatory approval or clearance of such medical equipment could negatively impact the market acceptance of and sales of Treprostinil Injection.
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We maintain our cash at financial institutions, often in balances that exceed federally insured limits.
Our cash is held in non-interest-bearing and interest-bearing accounts may exceed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insurance limits. If such banking institutions were to fail, we could lose all or a portion of those amounts held in excess of such insurance limitations. For example, the FDIC took control of Silicon Valley Bank (“SVB”), where we previously held all of our cash and cash equivalents, on March 10, 2023. The Federal Reserve subsequently announced that account holders would be made whole, and we were able to move substantially all of our cash and cash equivalents to another financial institution. However, the FDIC may not make all account holders whole in the event of future bank failures. In addition, even if account holders are ultimately made whole with respect to a future bank failure, account holders’ access to their accounts and assets held in their accounts may be substantially delayed. Any material loss that we may experience in the future or inability for a material time period to access our cash and cash equivalents could have an adverse effect on our ability to pay our operational expenses or make other payments, which could adversely affect our business.
Risks Related to the Commercialization of our Product Candidates and Generic Treprostinil Injection
United Therapeutics has initiated lawsuits against us in which it claims that YUTREPIA is infringing three of its patents and that we have misappropriated United Therapeutics’ trade secrets, which may result in our company being delayed in its efforts to commercialize YUTREPIA.
We are developing YUTREPIA under the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway with Tyvaso as the reference listed drug. Accordingly, under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments to the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, we were required to, in the NDA for YUTREPIA, certify that patents listed in the Orange Book for Tyvaso are invalid, unenforceable or will not be infringed by the manufacture, use or sale of YUTREPIA. Two of these patents are U.S. Patent No. 9,604,901 (the “‘901 Patent”), entitled “Process to Prepare Treprostinil, the Active Ingredient in Remodulin®”, and U.S. Patent No. 9,593,066 (the “‘066 Patent”), entitled “Process to Prepare Treprostinil, the Active Ingredient in Remodulin®”, both of which are owned by United Therapeutics. A notice of the paragraph IV certification was required to be provided to United Therapeutics as the owner of the patents that are the subject of the certification to which the NDA for YUTREPIA refers. In June 2020, United Therapeutics, as the holder of such patents, asserted a patent challenge directed to the ‘901 Patent and the ‘066 Patent by filing a complaint against us in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (Case No. 1:20-cv-00755-RGA) (the “Hatch-Waxman Litigation”).
In July 2020, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (the USPTO) issued U.S. Patent No. 10,716,793 (the “‘793 Patent”), entitled “Treprostinil Administration by Inhalation”, to United Therapeutics. In July 2020, United Therapeutics filed an amended complaint in the Hatch-Waxman Litigation asserting infringement of the ‘793 Patent by the practice of YUTREPIA. In July 2020, United Therapeutics also filed an amended complaint in the Hatch-Waxman Litigation asserting infringement of the ‘793 Patent by the practice of YUTREPIA.
In June 2021, the Court held a claim construction hearing. Based on the Court’s construction of the claim terms, United Therapeutics filed a stipulation of partial judgment with respect to the ‘901 Patent in December 2021 under which United Therapeutics agreed to the entry of judgment of our non-infringement of the ’901 Patent. Based on the Court’s construction of the terms, United Therapeutics filed a stipulation of partial judgment with respect to the ‘901 Patent in December 2021 under which United Therapeutics agreed to the entry of judgment of our non-infringement of the ’901 Patent. United Therapeutics did not appeal the Court’s construction of the claim terms of the ‘901 Patent.
Trial proceedings in the Hatch-Waxman Litigation were held in March 2022. In August 2022, Judge Andrews, who was presiding over the Hatch-Waxman Litigation, issued an opinion that claims 1, 2, 3, 6 and 9 of the ‘066 Patent were invalid, that the remaining asserted claims of the ‘066 Patent were not infringed by us, and that all of the asserted claims of the ‘793 Patent were both valid and infringed by us, based on the arguments we presented in the Hatch-Waxman Litigation. In September 2022, Judge Andrews entered a final judgment in the Hatch-Waxman Litigation that incorporated the findings from his opinion and ordered that the effective date of any final approval by the FDA of YUTREPIA shall be a date which is not earlier than the expiration date of the ’793 Patent, which will be in 2027. Both we and United Therapeutics have appealed Judge Andrews’ decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The appeal remains pending.
In September of 2022, following entry of final judgment, we filed a motion requesting that Judge Andrews stay enforcement of the order delaying the effective date of any final approval by the FDA of YUTREPIA until the expiration
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of the ’793 Patent. Briefing on the motion for stay of enforcement is complete, and the motion remains pending with the Court.
In March 2020, we filed two petitions for inter partes review with the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the USPTO. One petition was for inter partes review of the ‘901 Patent, seeking a determination that the claims in the ‘901 Patent are invalid, and a second petition is for inter partes review of the ‘066 Patent, seeking a determination that the claims in the ‘066 Patent are invalid. In October 2020, the PTAB instituted an inter partes review of the ‘901 Patent and concurrently denied institution on the ‘066 Patent, stating that the ‘066 petition has not established a reasonable likelihood that it would prevail in showing that at least one of the challenged claims is unpatentable. In October 2021, the PTAB issued a final written decision concluding that seven of the claims in the ‘901 patent were unpatentable, leaving only the narrower dependent claims 6 and 7, both of which require actual storage at ambient temperature of treprostinil sodium. In November 2021, United Therapeutics submitted a rehearing request with respect to the PTAB’s decision in the inter partes review of the ‘901 patent. The rehearing request was denied in June 2022. In August 2022, United Therapeutics appealed the decision of the PTAB with respect to the ‘901 Patent to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The appeal remains pending.
In January 2021, we filed a petition with the PTAB for inter partes review of the ‘793 Patent, seeking a determination that the claims in the ‘793 Patent are invalid. In August 2021, the PTAB instituted an inter partes review of the ‘793 Patent, finding that we had demonstrated a reasonable likelihood that we would prevail with respect to showing that at least one challenged claim of the ‘793 Patent is unpatentable as obvious over the combination of certain prior art cited by us in our petition to the PTAB. In July 2022, the PTAB ruled in our favor, concluding that based on the preponderance of the evidence, all the claims of the ’793 Patent have been shown to be unpatentable. In August 2022, United Therapeutics submitted a rehearing request with respect to the PTAB’s decision in the inter partes review of the ‘793 Patent. The rehearing request was denied in February 2023. United Therapeutics has publicly stated that it will appeal the PTAB’s decision with respect to the ‘793 Patent. The PTAB’s decision with respect to the ‘793 Patent will not override Judge Andrews’ order in the Hatch-Waxman Litigation that YUTREPIA may not be approved due to infringement of the ‘793 Patent unless and until the decision of the PTAB is affirmed on appeal.
In December 2021, United Therapeutics filed a complaint in the Superior Court in Durham County, North Carolina, alleging that we and a former United Therapeutics employee, who later joined us as an employee many years after terminating his employment with United Therapeutics, conspired to misappropriate certain trade secrets of United Therapeutics and engaged in unfair or deceptive trade practices. In January 2022, our co-defendant in the lawsuit removed the lawsuit to the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. Subsequently, in January 2022, United Therapeutics filed an amended complaint eliminating their claim under the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act and a motion seeking to have the case remanded to North Carolina state court. In April 2022, the Court granted United Therapeutics’ motion to have the case remanded to North Carolina state court. In May 2022, we filed a motion to dismiss all of the claims made by United Therapeutics in the trade secret lawsuit. The motion was denied by the Court in October 2022. Discovery in the case is ongoing.
As a result of this litigation and the order by Judge Andrews in the Hatch-Waxman Litigation, we may be subject to significant delay and incur substantial additional costs in litigation before we are able to commercialize YUTREPIA, if at all. If we are unable to either have Judge Andrews’ decision with respect to the ‘793 Patent overturned on appeal or obtain an affirmance of Judge Andrews’ decision with respect to the ‘066 Patent or the PTAB’s decision with respect to the ‘793 Patent upon appeal, we may be unable to commercialize YUTREPIA until the expiration of those patents, which could materially harm our business.
Success in the lawsuits or inter partes review proceedings with respect to some patents or some claims in a given patent does not mean that we will be similarly successful upon appeal of those decisions. In addition, success with respect to a given patent or patent claim in one proceeding does not mean we will be similarly successful with respect to that same patent or patent claim in another proceeding.
If, after the appeals process has been completed, we are found to infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any United Therapeutics’ intellectual property rights, we could be required to obtain a license from United Therapeutics to continue developing and marketing YUTREPIA. If we are found to infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate any United Therapeutics’ intellectual property rights, we could be required to obtain a license from United Therapeutics to continue developing and marketing YUTREPIA. However, we may not be able to obtain any required license on
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commercially reasonable terms or at all. We could be found liable for monetary damages, including treble damages and attorneys’ fees if we are found to have willfully infringed a patent or to have misappropriated a trade secret of United Therapeutics. In addition, we may be forced to redesign YUTREPIA to avoid infringement.
We face significant competition from large pharmaceutical companies, among others, in developing our products and in gaining regulatory approval to bring them to market in time to achieve commercial success, and our operating results will suffer if we are unable to compete effectively.
We face significant competition from industry players worldwide, including large multi-national pharmaceutical companies, other emerging or smaller pharmaceutical companies, as well as universities and other research institutions. Many of our competitors have substantially greater financial, technical and other resources, such as a larger research and development staff and more experience in manufacturing and marketing, than we do. As a result, these companies may obtain marketing approval for their product candidates more quickly than we are able to and/or be more successful in commercializing their products, including generic treprostinil products, than us. Smaller or early-stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaboration arrangements with large, established companies. We may also face competition as a result of advances in the commercial applicability of new technologies and greater availability of capital for investment in such technologies. Our competitors may also invest heavily in the discovery and development of novel drug products that could make our product candidates less competitive or may file FDA citizen petitions which may delay the approval process for our product candidates. Furthermore, our competitors may succeed in developing, acquiring or licensing, on an exclusive basis, pharmaceutical products that are easier to develop, more effective or less costly than any product candidates that we are currently developing or that we may develop. Our competitors may also succeed in asserting existing patents or developing new patents, including patents that may issue from patent applications that are currently being pursued by United Therapeutics, to which we do not have a license in an attempt to prevent us from marketing our products. These competitors may also compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified sales personnel.
Any new drug product that competes with a prior approved drug product must demonstrate advantages in safety, efficacy, tolerability or convenience in order to overcome price competition and to be commercially successful. Our products, if and when approved, are expected to face competition from drug products that are already on the market, as well as those in our competitors’ development pipelines. We expect that our lead program, YUTREPIA, an inhaled treprostinil therapy for the treatment of PAH, will face competition from the following inhaled treprostinil therapies that are either currently marketed or in clinical development:
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● | Tyvaso, marketed by United Therapeutics, has been approved for the treatment of PAH in the United States since 2009. Tyvaso is the reference listed drug in our NDA for YUTREPIA. Following patent litigation, United Therapeutics and Watson Pharmaceuticals reached a settlement whereby Watson Pharmaceuticals will be permitted to enter the market with a generic version of Tyvaso beginning on January 1, 2026. In April 2021, United Therapeutics announced that Tyvaso was approved by FDA to include treatment of patients with PH-ILD. |
● | Ventavis®, marketed by Actelion, a division of Johnson & Johnson, has been approved for the treatment of PAH in the United States since 2004. |
● | Tyvaso DPI, licensed from MannKind by United Therapeutics, is a dry-powder formulation of treprostinil that was approved for the treatment of PAH and PH-ILD in the United States in May 2022. There is a possibility that the FDA could grant three years of market exclusivity to Tyvaso DPI as an inhaled dry-powder formulation of treprostinil that could delay the final approval of YUTREPIA until said exclusivity expires. |
● | Treprostinil Palmitil Inhalation Powder (TPIP), is a dry-powder formulation of a treprostinil prodrug being developed by Insmed. Insmed announced the completion of an initial Phase 1 study in February 2021 which demonstrated that TPIP was generally safe and well tolerated, with a pharmacokinetic profile that supports once-daily dosing. Insmed initiated a Phase 2 trials studying patients diagnosed with PAH and PH-ILD in May 2021 and December 2022, respectively. If the TPIP clinical program is successful in demonstrating less |
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