ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

RISKS RELATED TO OUR FINANCIAL POSITION AND OUR CAPITAL RESOURCES

We will need additional capital to fund our operations and continue as a going concern. If we are unable to obtain sufficient capital, we will need to curtail and reduce our operations and costs, and modify our business strategy.

Our operations have consumed substantial amounts of cash. To date, we have financed our operations primarily through the sale and issuance of capital stock and debt and the receipt of license fees, milestone payments, research and development funding and royalty payments from our collaboration partners. As of June 30, 2018, our cash and cash equivalents totaled $38.8 million. These capital resources included the issuance on June 25, 2018 of $25.5 million of units, which we refer to individually each as an Unit and collectively as the Units, with each Unit consisting of (i) one share of our common stock and (ii) one warrant to purchase one share of our common stock, or the Second Tranche Warrants, and an additional $5.0 million draw down on June 26, 2018 under our existing term loan. We refer to the issuance of the Units pursuant to the Second Tranche Securities Purchase Agreement as the Second Tranche Transaction. We believe that our existing capital resources, together with expected amounts to be received from existing collaboration agreements, should enable us to fund our operations as currently planned into the first quarter of calendar year 2019. However, changing circumstances may cause us to consume capital faster than we currently anticipate, and we may need to spend more money than currently expected because of such circumstances. Our ability to fund our planned operations beyond that time, including obtaining regulatory approval for YUTIQ, commercializing DEXYCU and, if approved, YUTIQ, and continuing our research and development program for our other product candidates, will require additional capital. In addition, our current plan to commercialize DEXYCU and YUTIQ ourselves in the U.S. will require significant operating cost investment related to product manufacturing, marketing, sales, distribution and other commercialization costs.

To meet our further capital needs, we are considering multiple alternatives, including but not limited to, equity financings, additional debt financings, corporate collaborations, partnerships and other strategic transactions and funding opportunities. However, there can be no assurance that we will be able to complete any one or more of such other transactions on acceptable terms or otherwise. These factors raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. As a result, our independent registered public accounting firm has included an explanatory paragraph in its report on our audited consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018 related to our ability to continue as a going concern.

If we are unable to raise additional capital in sufficient amounts or on terms acceptable to us, we will need to curtail and reduce our operations and costs, and modify our business strategy which may require us to, among other things:

We have incurred significant losses since our inception and anticipate that we will continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future.

We have incurred significant losses since our inception, have not generated significant revenue from commercial sales of our products and, with the exception of fiscal year 2010 and fiscal year 2015, we have never been profitable. Investment in drug development is highly speculative because it entails substantial upfront

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operating expenses and significant risk that a product candidate will fail to successfully complete clinical trials, gain regulatory approval or become commercially viable. We continue to incur significant research, development and other expenses related to our ongoing operations, including development of YUTIQ and other early stage and/or potential product candidates, and the planned commercialization of DEXYCU. For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018, we had a loss from operations of $26.3 million and a net loss of $53.2 million, and we had a total accumulated deficit of $364.0 million at June 30, 2018.

We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and operating losses for the foreseeable future. We anticipate that our expenses will continue to be significant if, and as, we:

The net losses 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. In any particular quarter or quarters, our operating results could be below the expectations of securities analysts or investors, which could cause our stock price to decline.

We may never achieve profitability from future operations.

Our ability to generate revenue and achieve profitability depends on our ability, alone or with strategic collaboration partners, to successfully complete the development of, and obtain the regulatory approvals necessary for, the manufacture and commercialization of our products and product candidates. Our operations have consumed substantial amounts of cash. To date, we have financed our operations primarily through the sale and issuance of capital stock and debt and the receipt of license fees, milestone payments, research and development funding and royalty income from our collaboration partners. To become and remain profitable, we and/or our licensees must succeed in developing and commercializing products that generate significant revenue.

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This will require us and/or our licensees to be successful in a range of challenging activities, including completing pre-clinical testing and clinical trials of our product candidates, discovering additional product candidates, obtaining regulatory approval for these product candidates, manufacturing, marketing and selling any products for which we or our licensees may obtain regulatory approval, satisfying any post-marketing requirements and obtaining reimbursement for our products from private insurance or government payors. To date, none of our approved licensed products, including Vitrasert, Retisert and ILUVIEN, has generated significant revenues to us from sales. We have not yet commercialized DEXYCU and YUTIQ has not yet obtained regulatory approval. We do not know when DEXYCU or, if approved, YUTIQ, or any of our other product candidates, if approved, will generate revenue for us, if at all. We may never succeed in these activities and, even if we do, we may never generate revenues significant enough to achieve profitability. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with pharmaceutical product development and commercialization, we are unable to accurately project when or if we will be able to achieve profitability from operations. Even if we do so, we may not be able to sustain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. Our failure to become and remain profitable would depress the value of our company and could impair our ability to raise capital, expand our business, maintain our research and development efforts, diversify our product offerings or even continue our operations. Our ability to generate revenue from our current or future products and product candidates will depend on a number of factors, including:

We will need to raise additional funds in the future, which may not be available on favorable terms and may be dilutive to stockholders or impose operational restrictions.

We will need to raise additional capital in the future to help fund our commercialization of DEXYCU and, if approved, YUTIQ, and for the development and commercialization of our other product candidates. The amount of additional capital we will require will be influenced by many factors, including, but not limited to:

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We do not know if additional capital will be available to us when needed or on terms favorable to us or our stockholders. Collaboration, licensing or other commercial agreements may not be available on favorable terms, or at all. We do not know the extent to which we will receive funds from the commercialization of DEXYCU, ILUVIEN, Retisert or, if approved, YUTIQ. If we seek to sell our equity securities under our at-the-market, or ATM, program or in another offering, we do not know whether and to what extent we will be able to do so, or on what terms. Further, the rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC, or Nasdaq, require us to obtain stockholder approval for sales of our equity securities under certain circumstances, which could delay or prevent us from raising additional capital from such sales. Also, the state of the economy and financial and credit markets at the time or times we seek any additional financing may make it more difficult or more expensive to obtain. If available, additional equity financing may be dilutive to stockholders, debt financing may involve restrictive covenants or other unfavorable terms and dilute our existing stockholders’ equity, and funding through collaboration, licensing or other commercial agreements may be on unfavorable terms, including requiring us to relinquish rights to certain of our technologies or products. If adequate financing is not available if and when needed, we may delay, reduce the scope of, or eliminate research or development programs, planned independent U.S. commercialization of DEXYCU, YUTIQ, if approved, or other new products, if any, postpone or cancel the pursuit of product candidates, including pre-clinical and clinical trials and new business opportunities, reduce staff and operating costs, or otherwise significantly curtail our operations to reduce our cash requirements and extend our capital.

The anticipated benefits of the Icon Acquisition may not be fully realized and may take longer to realize than expected.

On March 28, 2018, or the Closing Date, we and our wholly-owned subsidiary, Merger Sub, entered into the Merger Agreement with Icon and the other signatories thereto, pursuant to which we acquired Icon through a reverse triangular merger, which we refer to as the Icon Acquisition. The Icon Acquisition was consummated on the Closing Date. The anticipated benefits of the Icon Acquisition may not be fully realized and may take longer to realize than expected. We have devoted and will continue to devote significant management attention and resources to the commercialization of DEXYCU and potential further development of product candidates and other programs utilizing the Verisome technology platform we acquired in the Icon Acquisition. Delays or unexpected difficulties in the development or commercialization process could adversely affect our business,

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financial results and financial condition. We also may not realize the full achievement of the benefits of the Icon Acquisition within a reasonable period of time. In addition, we may have not yet discovered during the due diligence process unknown factors regarding Icon that could produce unintended and unexpected consequences for us. Undiscovered factors could cause us to incur potentially material financial liabilities and prevent us from achieving the expected benefits from the Icon Acquisition within our desired time frames, if at all.

Our profitability will be impaired by our obligations to make royalty and milestone payments to the former securityholders of Icon and other third-party collaborators.

In connection with the Icon Acquisition, we made a $15.0 million cash payment upon the closing of the Icon Acquisition and are obligated to pay certain post-closing contingent cash payments upon the achievement of specified milestones and based upon certain net sales and partnering revenue standards, in each case subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement. These include but are not limited to (i) a one-time cash payment of $15.0 million payable within 30 days following the first commercial sale of DEXYCU in the U.S., (ii) sales milestone payments totaling up to $95.0 million beginning no earlier than three years after the effectiveness of a pass-through reimbursement code by CMS and upon the achievement of certain sales thresholds and subject to certain CMS reimbursement conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, (iii) quarterly earn-out payments equal to 12% on net sales of DEXYCU, which earn-out payments will increase to 16% of net sales of DEXYCU in a given year beginning in the calendar quarter for a given year to the extent aggregate annual consideration of DEXYCU exceeds $200.0 million in such year, (iv) quarterly earn-out payments equal to 20% of partnering revenue received by us for DEXYCU outside of the U.S., and (v) single-digit percentage quarterly earn-out payments with respect to net sales and/or partnering income, if any, resulting from future clinical development, regulatory approval and commercialization of any other product candidates we might develop utilizing the Verisome technology acquired in the Icon Acquisition.

Even if we are able to successfully launch DEXYCU, our profitability will be impacted by our obligations to make payments to the former securityholders of Icon. Although we believe, under such circumstances, that the increase in revenue will exceed the corresponding payments, our obligations to the former securityholders of Icon and other third-party collaborators could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations if we are unable to manage our operating costs and expenses at profitable levels.

Our failure to comply with the covenants or other terms of the Credit Agreement, including as a result of events beyond our control, could result in a default under the Credit Agreement that could materially and adversely affect the ongoing viability of our business.

On the Closing Date, we entered into a Credit Agreement, or the Credit Agreement, with SWK Funding LLC, as agent, or SWK, and the lenders party thereto, collectively referred to herein as the Lenders, providing for a senior secured term loan of up to $20 million, or the Loan. On the Closing Date, $15 million of the Loan, or the Initial Advance, was advanced and the remaining $5 million, or the Additional Advance, was advanced on June 26, 2018 following the closing of the Second Tranche Transaction.

The Loan is due and payable on March 27, 2023. The proceeds of the Initial Advance were used to fund a portion of the Icon Acquisition and to pay fees and expenses related to the Credit Agreement and Icon Acquisition. We intend to use the net proceeds from the Additional Advance for working capital purposes and to fund the commercialization of DEXYCU and, if approved by the FDA, YUTIQ. The Loan bears interest at a per annum rate of the three-month London Interbank Offered Rate, or LIBOR, subject to a 1.5% floor, plus 10.50%. The Credit Agreement permits us to pay interest only on the principal amount loaned thereunder for the first eight payments (payments are due on a quarterly basis). Following the interest-only period, we will be required to make quarterly payments of interest, plus repayments of the principal amount under the Credit Agreement in an aggregate amount of up to $1,667,000 per quarter. Upon repayment of the Loan, we are also required to pay an exit fee equal to 6% of the aggregate principal amount advanced under the Credit Agreement.

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In addition, the repayment of all unpaid principal and accrued interest under the Loan may be accelerated upon consummation of a specified change of control transaction or the occurrence of certain events of default (as specified in the Credit Agreement), including, among other things:

Subject to any applicable cure period set forth in the Credit Agreement, upon the occurrence of a bankruptcy-related event of default, all amounts outstanding with respect to the Loan (principal, accrued interest, exit fee and any prepayment fees) would become due and payable immediately and upon the occurrence of any other event of default, SWK may, and upon the written request of the majority Lenders shall, accelerate all or any amounts outstanding with respect to the Loan. Our assets or cash flow may not be sufficient to fully repay our obligations under the Credit Agreement if the obligations thereunder are accelerated upon an event of default. Further, if we are unable to repay, refinance or restructure our obligations under the Credit Agreement, the Lenders could proceed to protect and enforce their rights under the Credit Agreement by exercising such remedies as are available to the Lenders thereunder and in respect thereof under applicable law, either by suit in equity or by action at law, or both, whether for specific performance of any covenant or other agreement contained in the Credit Agreement or in aid of the exercise of any power granted in the Credit Agreement. The foregoing would materially and adversely affect the ongoing viability of our business.

Our Credit Agreement contains restrictions that limit our flexibility in operating our business.

The Credit Agreement contains various covenants that limit our ability to engage in specified types of transactions without the Lenders’ prior consent. These covenants limit our ability to, among other things:

The covenants in our Credit Agreement may limit our ability to take certain actions that may be in our long-term best interests. In the event that we breach one or more covenants, the Lenders may choose to declare an

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event of default and require that we immediately repay all amounts outstanding, plus penalties and interest, including the exit fee and any prepayment fees, terminate their commitments to extend further credit and foreclose on the collateral granted to them to secure such indebtedness. Such repayment could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.

Certain potential payments to the Lenders could impede a sale of our company.

Subject to certain exceptions, we are required to make mandatory prepayments of the Loan with the proceeds derived from asset sales and insurance proceeds. In addition, we may make a voluntary prepayment of the Loan, in whole, but not in part, at any time on or after the first anniversary of the Closing Date. All mandatory and voluntary prepayments of the Loan are subject to the payment of prepayment premiums as follows: (i) in the case of mandatory prepayments, if prepayment occurs prior to the first anniversary of the Closing Date, a customary make-whole amount equal to the amount of interest that would have accrued on the principal amount so prepaid had it remained outstanding through the first anniversary of the Closing Date, (ii) if prepayment occurs on or after the first anniversary of the Closing Date but prior to the second anniversary of the Closing Date, 6% of the aggregate amount of the principal prepaid and (iii) if prepayment occurs on or after the second anniversary of the Closing Date but prior to the third anniversary of the Closing Date, an amount equal to 1% of the principal prepaid. No prepayment premium is due on any principal prepaid on or after the third anniversary of the Closing Date. These provisions may make it more costly for a potential acquirer to engage in a business combination transaction with us. Provisions that have the effect of discouraging, delaying or preventing a change in control could limit the opportunity for our stockholders to receive a premium for their shares of our common stock and could also affect the price that some investors are willing to pay for our common stock.

To service our indebtedness, we will require a significant amount of cash and our ability to generate cash depends on many factors beyond our control.

Our ability to make cash payments on our indebtedness will depend on our ability to generate significant operating cash flow in the future. This ability is, to a significant extent, subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors, that will be beyond our control. In addition, our business may not generate sufficient cash flow from operations to enable us to pay our indebtedness or to fund our other liquidity needs. In any such circumstance, we may need to refinance all or a portion of our indebtedness, on or before maturity. We may not be able to refinance any indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms or at all. If we cannot service our indebtedness, we may have to take actions such as selling assets, seeking additional equity or reducing or delaying capital expenditures, strategic acquisitions and investments. Any such action, if necessary, may not be effected on commercially reasonable terms or at all. The instruments governing our indebtedness may restrict our ability to sell assets and our use of the proceeds from such sales.

Our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards and other tax attributes may be limited.

As of June 30, 2018, including amounts related to the Icon acquisition, we had U.S. net operating loss, or NOL, carryforwards of approximately $165.1 million for U.S. federal income tax and approximately $123.5 million for state income tax purposes available to offset future taxable income and U.S. federal and state research and development tax credits of approximately $2.9 million, prior to consideration of annual limitations that may be imposed under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or Section 382. Our U.S. NOL carryforwards begin to expire in 2023 if not utilized.

Our U.S. NOL and tax credit carryforwards could expire unused and be unavailable to offset future income tax liabilities. Under Section 382, and corresponding provisions of U.S. state law, if a corporation undergoes an “ownership change,” generally defined as a greater than 50% change, by value, in its equity ownership over a three-year period, the corporation’s ability to use its pre-change U.S. NOLs and other pre-change tax attributes, such as research and development tax credits, to offset its post-change income may be limited. Our most recent analyses under Section 382 were performed through 2017, with a preliminary update through June 30, 2018, and

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we cannot forecast or otherwise determine our ability to derive benefit from our various federal or state tax attribute carryforwards. As a result, if we earn net taxable income, our ability to use our pre-change U.S. NOL carryforwards to offset U.S. federal taxable income may be subject to limitations, which could potentially result in increased future tax liabilities to us. In addition, at the state level, there may be periods during which the use of U.S. NOLs is suspended or otherwise limited, which could accelerate or permanently increase state taxes owed.

In addition, we may experience ownership changes in the future as a result of subsequent shifts in our stock ownership, including through completed or contemplated financings, some of which may be outside of our control. If we determine that an ownership change has occurred and our ability to use our historical net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards is materially limited, it would harm our future operating results by effectively increasing our future tax obligations. Our most recent Section 382 analysis, including a preliminary update through June 30, 2018, indicates that if the Second Tranche Warrants are exercised in full, this would result in an ownership change resulting in annual limitations, not yet determinable, on our ability to use our pre-change NOLs and other pre-change tax attributes.

Our operating results may fluctuate significantly from period to period.

Our operating results have fluctuated significantly from period to period in the past and may continue to do so in the future due to many factors, including:

Due to fluctuations in our operating results, quarterly comparisons of our financial results may not necessarily be meaningful, and investors should not rely upon such results as an indication of future performance. In addition, investors may react adversely if our reported operating results are less favorable than in a prior period or are less favorable than those anticipated by investors in the financial community, which may result in decreases in our stock price.

RISKS RELATED TO THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF OUR PRODUCTS AND PRODUCT CANDIDATES

We have no history of commercializing products, which may make it difficult for you to evaluate the success of our business to date and to assess our future viability.

Our operations to date have been largely focused on raising capital and developing Retisert, ILUVIEN, YUTIQ and our other product candidates, including undertaking pre-clinical studies and conducting clinical

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trials. Bausch & Lomb and Alimera were responsible for completing the clinical development of, obtaining regulatory approval for, and initiating the commercial launch of Retisert and ILUVIEN, respectively, under our license agreements with each of them. Icon completed the clinical development of, and obtained regulatory approval for, DEXYCU. To date, we have not yet demonstrated our ability to successfully complete clinical development through the submission and attainment of marketing approvals for any product candidate, manufacture at commercial scale, or, with the exception of Retisert and ILUVIEN, arrange for a third party to do so on our behalf, or conduct sales, marketing and distribution activities necessary for successful product commercialization. Consequently, any predictions about our future success or viability may not be as accurate as they could be if we had a longer history of successfully developing and commercializing products.

Our current business strategy relies heavily on our ability to successfully commercialize DEXYCU and, if approved, YUTIQ, in the U.S. Our approved products may not achieve market acceptance or be commercially successful.

Our ability to successfully commercialize DEXYCU and, if approved, YUTIQ, in the U.S. is critical to the execution of our business strategy. Neither DEXYCU nor YUTIQ, if approved, may achieve market acceptance among retinal specialists and other doctors, patients, government health administration authorities and other third-party payors, and may not be commercially successful in the U.S. The degree of market acceptance and commercial success of our approved products will depend on a number of factors, including the following:

As many of these factors are beyond our control, we cannot assure you that we will ever be able to generate meaningful revenues through product sales. In particular, if governments, private insurers, governmental insurers and other third-party payors do not provide adequate and timely coverage and reimbursement levels for our products or limit the frequency of administration, the market acceptance of our products and product candidates will be limited. Governments, governmental insurers, private insurers and other third-party payors attempt to contain healthcare costs by limiting coverage and the level of reimbursement for products and, accordingly, they may challenge the price and cost-effectiveness of our products or refuse to provide coverage for our products. Any inability on our part to successfully commercialize DEXYCU and, if approved, YUTIQ, and our other

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product candidates in the U.S. or any foreign territories where they may be approved, or any significant delay in such approvals, could have a material adverse impact on our ability to execute upon our business strategy and our future business prospects.

If we are unable to maintain agreements with third parties to market and sell DEXYCU and, if approved, YUTIQ, we may be unable to generate any revenue from these products.

We currently have limited sales, marketing or distribution capabilities, our approved products are commercialized by others and, as a company, we have no experience in commercializing products. We have contracted to use an outsourced CSO to commercialize DEXYCU and, if approved, YUTIQ. Any CSO that we may use may not dedicate sufficient resources to the commercialization of our products or may otherwise fail in its commercialization due to factors beyond our control. Additionally, any CSO that we may use may fail to comply with applicable legal or regulatory requirements or may enter into agreements with other parties that have products and services that could compete with our products.

In the event that we fail to successfully launch and commercialize DEXYCU or, if approved, YUTIQ, through a CSO, we may also enter into a strategic collaboration with a third party. We face significant competition in seeking appropriate strategic collaborators, and these strategic collaborations can be intricate and time-consuming to negotiate and document. We may not be able to negotiate strategic collaborations on acceptable terms, or at all. We are unable to predict when, if ever, we will enter into any strategic collaborations because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with establishing strategic partnerships.

We do not know if we will decide to directly commercialize any other product candidates ourselves, if approved. If we decide to commercialize a product in one or more countries, there is no assurance we will be able to hire and manage a successful sales and marketing capability or have the financial resources necessary to fund independent commercialization of any products in any country.

Even if the FDA were to grant approval of YUTIQ, the terms of the approval may limit its commercial potential.

Even if we were to successfully obtain approval from the FDA for YUTIQ, any such approval might significantly limit the indications for use or patient populations, require that black box warnings, contraindications or warnings and precautions be included on the product labeling, require expensive and time-consuming post-approval clinical trials, a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, or REMS, or surveillance as conditions of approval, or otherwise through product labeling limit the claims that we may make, any of which may impede the successful commercialization of YUTIQ. Depending on the extent of any REMS requirements, our costs to commercialize YUTIQ may increase significantly and distribution restrictions could limit sales. Further, if the approval of YUTIQ contains other significant product label limitations, our ability to address our full target market will be reduced and our ability to realize the full market potential of YUTIQ will be harmed and we may have to limit our sales and marketing efforts.

Even if we are able to commercialize our products, the products may become subject to unfavorable pricing regulations, third-party reimbursement practices or healthcare reform initiatives, which could harm our business.

The regulations that govern marketing approvals, pricing and reimbursement for new drug products vary widely from country to country. Some countries require approval of the sale price of a product before it can be marketed. In many countries, the pricing review period begins after marketing or product licensing approval is granted. In some foreign markets, prescription pharmaceutical pricing remains subject to continuing governmental control even after initial approval is granted. As a result, we might obtain marketing approval for a product in a particular country, but then be subject to price regulations that delay our commercial launch of the product, possibly for lengthy time periods, which could negatively impact the revenues we are able to generate from the sale of the product in that particular country. Adverse pricing limitations may hinder our ability to recoup our investment in one or more of our products.

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Our ability to commercialize any products successfully will also depend in part on the extent to which coverage and reimbursement for these products and related treatments will be available from government health administration authorities, private health insurers and other organizations. Government authorities and third-party payors, such as private health insurers and health maintenance organizations, determine which medications they will cover and establish reimbursement levels. A primary trend in the U.S. healthcare industry and elsewhere is cost containment. Government authorities and third-party payors have attempted to control costs by limiting coverage and the amount of reimbursement for particular medications. Increasingly, third-party payors are requiring that drug companies provide them with predetermined discounts from list prices and are challenging the prices charged for medical products. Third-party payors also may seek additional clinical evidence, beyond the data required to obtain marketing approval, demonstrating clinical benefits and value in specific patient populations, before covering our products for those patients. We cannot be sure that coverage and reimbursement will be available for any product that we commercialize and, if reimbursement is available, what the level of reimbursement will be. Coverage and reimbursement may impact the demand for, or the price of, any product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval. If reimbursement is not available or is available only to limited levels, we may not be able to successfully commercialize any product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval. For example, under current Medicare policy, payment to hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgical centers for products furnished to patients during a procedure is typically packaged into the payment for the associated procedure and thus not paid separately. Products granted pass-through status are excluded from this payment packaging policy and receive separate payment from the associated procedure for a period of three years. While DEXYCU has been granted pass-through status and will receive separate payment in these settings from Medicare for a period of three years (measured from the date Medicare makes its first pass-through payment for DEXYCU), at the end of that three year period, or if such three-year period is shortened by a change in law, regulation or administrative interpretation, payment for DEXYCU may be packaged into the payment for the associated procedure and no longer be paid separately, which we expect would materially decrease our revenues from sales of DEXYCU and correspondingly have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

There may be significant delays in obtaining coverage and reimbursement for newly approved drugs, and coverage may be more limited than the purposes for which the drug is approved by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities. Moreover, eligibility for coverage and reimbursement does not imply that any drug will be paid for in all cases or at a rate that covers our costs, including research, development, manufacturing, selling and distribution costs. Reimbursement rates may vary according to the use of the drug and the clinical setting in which it is used, may be based on reimbursement levels already set for lower cost drugs and may be incorporated into existing payments for other services. Net prices for products may be reduced by mandatory discounts or rebates required by government healthcare programs or private payors and by any future relaxation of laws that presently restrict imports of products from countries where they may be sold at lower prices than in the U.S. Third-party payors often rely upon Medicare coverage policy and payment limitations in setting their own reimbursement policies. Our inability to promptly obtain coverage and profitable reimbursement rates from both government-funded and private payors for any approved products that we develop could have a material adverse effect on our operating results, our ability to raise capital needed to commercialize products, and our overall financial condition.

We intend to participate in the Medicaid Drug Rebate program. Participation is required for federal funds to be available for our covered outpatient drugs under Medicaid and Medicare Part B. Under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, we would be required to pay a rebate to each state Medicaid program for our covered outpatient drugs that are dispensed to Medicaid beneficiaries and paid for by a state Medicaid program as a condition of having federal funds being made available to the states for our drugs under Medicaid and Medicare Part B.

Federal law also requires that any company that participates in the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program also participate in the Public Health Service’s 340B drug pricing program in order for federal funds to be available for the manufacturer’s drugs under Medicaid and Medicare Part B. The 340B drug pricing program requires participating manufacturers to agree to charge statutorily-defined covered entities no more than the 340B “ceiling

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price” for the manufacturer’s covered outpatient drugs. These 340B covered entities include, but are not limited to, a variety of community health clinics and other entities that receive health services grants from the Public Health Service, as well as hospitals that serve a disproportionate share of low-income patients.

In addition, in order to be eligible to have its products paid for with federal funds under the Medicaid and Medicare Part B programs and purchased by certain federal agencies and grantees, a manufacturer also must participate in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or VA, Federal Supply Schedule, or FSS, pricing program. Under this program, the manufacturer is obligated to make its innovator and single source products available for procurement on an FSS contract and charge a price to four federal agencies—VA, U.S. Department of Defense, or DoD, Public Health Service and U.S. Coast Guard—that is no higher than the statutory Federal Ceiling Price. Moreover, pursuant to regulations issued by the DoD Defense Health Agency to implement Section 703 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, manufacturers are required to provide rebates on utilization of their innovator and single source products that are dispensed to TRICARE beneficiaries by TRICARE network retail pharmacies. The requirements under the 340B, FSS, and TRICARE programs will impact our gross-to-net revenue for any products that are commercialized in the future and could adversely affect our business and operating results.

We intend to ship YUTIQ, if approved, directly to physician offices or clinics to be administered to patients. YUTIQ will be shipped to physician offices or clinics primarily through specialty pharmacies and distributors and billed to doctors under a “buy and bill” model. Physicians may be unwilling to purchase our products, especially given the relatively high per unit price we expect to charge for YUTIQ. We also may not be able to obtain a permanent “J” code for YUTIQ, thereby limiting our ability to obtain reimbursement from Medicare and making it more difficult for us to obtain reimbursement from commercial or Medicare Advantage plans.

We intend to ship DEXYCU to ambulatory surgical centers, or ASCs, or to hospital outpatient surgical centers through specialty pharmacies. DEXYCU will initially be reimbursed for Medicare Part B patients in these settings through a transitional pass through payment utilizing a “C” code. After the initial 3-year period (measured from the date Medicare makes its first pass-through payment for DEXYCU), DEXYCU may not qualify for separate payment and therefore may be subject to cataract bundled payment rates, which would significantly limit our ability to gain utilization and subsequent revenues. In addition, ASCs and hospital outpatient surgical centers may find the administrative burden of submitting Medicare Part B claims for DEXYCU with a C-code too burdensome and may have their invoices rejected for payment due to billing errors, which may discourage them from utilizing DEXYCU. They may also be unable to efficiently delineate between patients who have Medicare Part B payment coverage, Medicare Advantage coverage and commercial coverage and thus no longer utilize DEXYCU due to the insurance payment differences between these different insurance types.

If we successfully commercialize any of our products and if we participate in the Medicaid drug rebate program or other governmental pricing programs, failure to comply with reporting and payment obligations under these programs could result in additional reimbursement requirements, penalties, sanctions, and fines which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.

The Medicaid Drug Rebate Program and other governmental pricing programs require participating manufacturers to report pricing data to various government agencies. Pricing calculations vary among products and programs and include average manufacturer price and best price for the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, average sales price for certain categories of drugs that are paid under Part B of the Medicare program, and non-federal average manufacturer price for the VA FSS pricing program. Pricing and rebate calculations vary across products and programs, are complex, and are often subject to interpretation by the manufacturer, governmental or regulatory agencies and the courts. In the case of Medicaid pricing data we will report after joining the program, if we become aware that our reporting for a prior quarter was incorrect, or has changed as a result of recalculation of the pricing data, we will be obligated to resubmit the corrected data for up to three years

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after those data originally were due. Such restatements and recalculations will increase our costs for complying with the laws and regulations governing the Medicaid Drug Rebate program and could result in an overage or underage in our rebate liability for past quarters. If we successfully commercialize any of our products and participate in such governmental pricing programs, we will be liable for errors associated with our submission of pricing data. That liability could be significant. For example, if we are found to have knowingly submitted false average manufacturer price, average sales price, best price, or non-federal average manufacturer price information to the government, or fail to timely submit such information, we may be liable for significant civil monetary penalties. The foregoing also could be grounds for other sanctions, such as termination from the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program.

Even though regulatory approval for DEXYCU has been obtained in the U.S., we will still face extensive FDA regulatory requirements and may face future regulatory difficulties.

Even though regulatory approval for DEXYCU has been obtained in the U.S., the FDA and state regulatory authorities may still impose significant restrictions on the indicated uses or marketing of DEXYCU, or impose ongoing requirements for potentially costly post-approval studies or post-marketing surveillance. For example, as part of its approval of DEXYCU for the treatment of postoperative inflammation, the FDA required under the Pediatric Research Equity Act, or PREA, that a Phase 3/4 prospective, randomized, active treatment-controlled, parallel-design multicenter trial be conducted to evaluate the safety of DEXYCU for the treatment of inflammation following ocular surgery for childhood cataract. This pediatric study may require us to undergo a costly and time-consuming development process. If we do not meet our obligations under the PREA for this pediatric study, the FDA may issue a non-compliance letter and may also consider DEXYCU to be misbranded and subject to potential enforcement action.

We are also subject to ongoing FDA requirements governing the labeling, packaging, storage, distribution, safety surveillance, advertising, promotion, record-keeping and reporting of safety and other post-marketing information. The holder of an approved NDA is obligated to monitor and report adverse events and any failure of a product to meet the specifications in the NDA. The holder of an approved NDA must also submit new or supplemental applications and obtain FDA approval for certain changes to the approved product, product labeling or manufacturing process. Advertising and promotional materials must comply with FDA regulations and may be subject to other potentially applicable federal and state laws. The applicable regulations in countries outside the U.S. grant similar powers to the competent authorities and impose similar obligations on companies.

In addition, manufacturers of drug products and their facilities are subject to payment of substantial user fees and continual review and periodic inspections by the FDA and other regulatory authorities for compliance with cGMP regulations and adherence to commitments made in the NDA. We will also need to comply with some of the FDA’s manufacturing regulations for devices with respect to the micro-insert for YUTIQ. In addition to cGMP, the FDA requires that our micro-insert comply with the Quality System Regulation, or QSR, which sets forth the FDA’s manufacturing quality standards for medical devices, and other applicable government regulations and corresponding foreign standards. If we, or a regulatory authority, discover previously unknown problems with DEXYCU, such as adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or problems with a facility where the product is manufactured, a regulatory authority may impose restrictions relative to DEXYCU or the manufacturing facility, including requiring recall or withdrawal of the product from the market, suspension of manufacturing, or other FDA action or other action by foreign regulatory authorities.

If we fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements for DEXYCU or, if approved, YUTIQ, a regulatory authority may:

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Our relationships with physicians, patients and payors in the U.S. are subject to applicable anti-kickback, fraud and abuse laws and regulations. In addition, we will be subject to patient privacy regulation by both the federal government and the states in which we conduct our business. Our failure to comply with these laws could expose us to criminal, civil and administrative sanctions, reputational harm, and could harm our results of operations and financial conditions.

Our current and future operations with respect to the commercialization of DEXYCU and, if approved, YUTIQ, are subject to various U.S. federal and state healthcare laws and regulations. These laws impact, among other things, our proposed sales, marketing, support and education programs and constrain our business and financial arrangements and relationships with third-party payors, healthcare professionals and others who may prescribe, recommend, purchase or provide our products, and other parties through which we market, sell and distribute our products. Finally, our current and future operations are subject to additional healthcare-related statutory and regulatory requirements and enforcement by foreign regulatory authorities in jurisdictions in which we conduct our business. The laws include, but are not limited to, the following:

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The shifting commercial compliance environment and the need to build and maintain robust and expandable systems to comply with different compliance or reporting requirements in multiple jurisdictions increase the possibility that a healthcare or pharmaceutical company may fail to comply fully with one or more of these requirements. Efforts to ensure that our business arrangements with third parties will comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations may involve substantial costs. It is possible that governmental authorities will conclude that our business practices do not comply with applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and

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regulations or guidance. If our operations are found to be in violation of any of these laws or any other governmental regulations that may apply to us, we may be subject to significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, imprisonment, exclusion from government funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, additional oversight and reporting requirements if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations. If any of the physicians or other providers or entities with whom we expect to do business is found not to be in compliance with applicable laws, they may be subject to the same criminal, civil or administrative sanctions, including exclusions from government funded healthcare programs. Even if we are not determined to have violated these laws, government investigations into these issues typically require the expenditure of significant resources and generate negative publicity, which could harm our financial condition and divert resources and the attention of our management from operating our business.

The occurrence of any event or penalty described above may inhibit our ability to commercialize DEXYCU and, if approved, YUTIQ in the U.S. and generate revenues, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

If the market opportunities for our products and product candidates are smaller than we believe they are, our results of operations may be adversely affected and our business may suffer.

We focus our research and product development primarily on treatments of eye diseases. Our projections of both the number of people who have these diseases, as well as the subset of people with these diseases who have the potential to benefit from treatment with our products and product candidates, are based on estimates. These estimates may prove to be incorrect and new studies or clinical trials may change the estimated incidence or prevalence of these diseases. The number of patients in the U.S. and elsewhere may turn out to be lower than expected, may not be otherwise amenable to treatment with our products, or new patients may become increasingly difficult to identify or gain access to, all of which would adversely affect our results of operations and our business.

If any of our products were to become the subject of problems related to their safety, our business would be seriously harmed.

All of our approved products will be subject to continued oversight by the FDA or other foreign regulatory bodies, and we cannot assure you that newly discovered or developed safety issues will not arise. Although we have seen no issues to date, we cannot rule out that issues may arise in the future. For example, with the use of any newly marketed drug by a wider patient population, serious adverse events may occur from time to time that initially do not appear to relate to the drug itself. If such events are subsequently associated with the drug, or if any other safety issues emerge, we or our collaboration partners may voluntarily, or FDA or other regulatory authorities may require that we suspend or cease marketing of our approved products or modify how we or they market our approved products. In addition, newly discovered safety issues may subject us to substantial potential liabilities, and adversely affect our financial condition and business.

The Affordable Care Act and any changes in healthcare laws may increase the difficulty and cost for us to commercialize DEXYCU and obtain marketing approval of and commercialize YUTIQ in the U.S., and affect the prices we may obtain.

The U.S. has enacted or proposed legislative and regulatory changes affecting the healthcare system that could prevent or delay marketing of DEXYCU and if approved, YUTIQ, in the U.S., restrict or regulate post-approval activities and affect our ability to profitably sell DEXYCU and, if approved, YUTIQ. The U.S. government and state legislatures also have shown significant interest in implementing cost-containment programs to limit the growth of government-paid healthcare costs, including price controls, restrictions on reimbursement and requirements for substitution of generic products for branded prescription products.

The Affordable Care Act was intended to broaden access to health insurance, reduce or constrain the growth of healthcare spending, enhance remedies against fraud and abuse, add transparency requirements for the

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healthcare and health insurance industries, impose new taxes and fees on the health industry and impose additional health policy reforms.

Among the provisions of the Affordable Care Act that have been implemented since enactment and are of importance to the commercialization of DEXYCU and, if approved, YUTIQ, in the U.S. are the following:

Certain legislative changes to and regulatory changes under the Affordable Care Act have occurred in the 115th U.S. Congress and under the Trump Administration. For example, the Tax Act includes a provision repealing, effective January 1, 2019, the tax-based shared responsibility payment imposed by the Affordable Care Act on certain individuals who fail to maintain qualifying health coverage for all or part of a year that is commonly referred to as the “individual mandate.” Additional legislative changes to and regulatory changes under the Affordable Care Act remain possible. We expect that the Affordable Care Act, as currently enacted or as it may be amended in the future, and other healthcare reform measures that may be adopted in the future, could have a material adverse effect on our industry generally and on our ability to maintain or increase sales of DEXYCU and, if approved, YUTIQ, in the U.S. or to successfully commercialize either in the U.S.

We expect that the Affordable Care Act, as well as other healthcare reform measures that have and may be adopted in the future, may result in more rigorous coverage criteria and in additional downward pressure on the price that we receive for DEXYCU and, if approved, YUTIQ, in the U.S., and could seriously harm our future revenues. Any reduction in reimbursement from Medicare, Medicaid, or other government programs may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payors. The implementation of cost containment measures or other healthcare reforms may prevent us from being able to generate revenues, attain profitability or commercialize DEXYCU and, if approved, YUTIQ in the U.S.

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If competitive products receive regulatory approval or reach the market earlier, are more effective, have fewer side effects, are more effectively marketed and/or cost less than our products or product candidates, our products or product candidates may not be approved, our products or product candidates may not achieve the sales we anticipate and could be rendered noncompetitive or obsolete.

We believe that pharmaceutical, drug delivery and biotechnology companies, research organizations, governmental entities, universities, hospitals, other nonprofit organizations and individual scientists are seeking to develop drugs, therapies, products, approaches or methods to treat our targeted diseases or their underlying causes. For our targeted diseases, competitors have alternate therapies that are already commercialized or are in various stages of development, ranging from discovery to advanced clinical trials. Any of these drugs, therapies, products, approaches or methods may receive government approval or gain market acceptance more rapidly than our products and product candidates, may offer therapeutic or cost advantages, or may more effectively treat our targeted diseases or their underlying causes, which could result in our product candidates not being approved, reduce demand for our products and product candidates or render them noncompetitive or obsolete.

Many of our competitors and potential competitors have substantially greater financial, technological, research and development, marketing and personnel resources than we do. Our competitors may succeed in developing alternate technologies and products that, in comparison to the products or product candidates we have and are seeking to develop:

Many of these competitors have greater experience in developing products, conducting clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approvals or clearances and manufacturing and marketing products than we do.

Guidelines, recommendations and studies published by various organizations could reduce the use of our products and potential use of product candidates.

Government agencies, professional societies, practice management groups, private health and science foundations and organizations focused on various diseases may publish guidelines, recommendations or studies that affect our or our competitors’ products and product candidates. Any such guidelines, recommendations or studies that reflect negatively on our products or product candidates, either directly or relative to our competitive products, could result in current or potential decreased use, sales of, and revenues from one or more of our products and product candidates. Furthermore, our success depends in part on our and our partners’ ability to educate healthcare providers and patients about our products and product candidates, and these education efforts could be rendered ineffective by, among other things, third-parties’ guidelines, recommendations or studies.

The micro-insert for ILUVIEN and YUTIQ delivers FA, a corticosteroid that is associated with certain adverse side effects in the eye, which may affect the success of this micro-insert for treatment of DME and posterior segment uveitis.

The micro-insert for both ILUVIEN and YUTIQ delivers the non-proprietary corticosteroid FA, which is associated with cataract formation and elevated IOP and may increase the risk of glaucoma and related surgery to manage those side effects. These side effects shown in the Phase 3 trials for ILUVIEN resulted in limitations to the approved indications of ILUVIEN, and sales of ILUVIEN may be adversely affected by the potential side effects from FA relative to other treatments for DME. The extent of ILUVIEN’s long-term side-effect profile beyond month 36 is not yet known. Alimera is conducting a five-year post-authorization, open label registry

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study of the safety of ILUVIEN in 800 patients treated with the European labeled indication, which was a condition of European approval. In July 2017, Alimera announced that the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency gave final approval for Alimera to cap total enrollment at 550 patients, with the last three-year patient follow-up visit anticipated in January 2020. Data from this study or other commercial experience could result in the withdrawal of ILUVIEN’s marketing approval in one or more jurisdictions. Further, delay in the commercial launch of ILUVIEN could result in the withdrawal of marketing or regulatory authorization for ILUVIEN in jurisdictions where ILUVIEN has already received marketing authorization. In addition, the perception by physicians of this benefit of efficacy versus the side-effect profile could adversely affect sales of ILUVIEN.

YUTIQ has achieved encouraging safety results through the last follow-up visit at month 12 in each of its two Phase 3 trials. However, there is no assurance that encouraging safety results will continue in these trials. There is also no assurance that the overall risk-benefit profile for YUTIQ will be favorable or that it will be determined to be safe for the treatment of posterior segment uveitis in light of potential side effects from FA. These side effects may limit the population for which marketing authorization is granted or for which reimbursement is provided in one or more jurisdictions and/or adversely affect sales of YUTIQ, if approved. In addition, because the micro-insert for ILUVIEN and YUTIQ are substantially the same, any safety issues that arise with respect to the ILUVIEN micro-insert could raise concerns about the YUTIQ micro-insert, which could result in delays in the approval process, prevent the FDA from approving YUTIQ and, even if approved, cause us to suspend marketing of YUTIQ or subject us to substantial liability, which would adversely affect our financial condition and business.

DEXYCU is an intraocular suspension that delivers dexamethasone, a corticosteroid that is associated with certain adverse side effects in the eye, which may affect the success of DEXYCU for the treatment of post-operative inflammation.

DEXYCU is an intraocular suspension that delivers dexamethasone, a corticosteroid, which is associated with certain adverse side effects in the eye. The safety analyses from DEXYCU’s clinical trials revealed that the most commonly reported adverse reactions were increases in IOP, corneal edema and iritis, a type of uveitis affecting the front of the eye. These side effects may limit commercial use in the population for which marketing authorization was granted or for which reimbursement is provided in one or more jurisdictions and/or adversely affect sales of DEXYCU.

If the FDA or other applicable regulatory authorities approve generic products that compete with any of our products or product candidates, it could reduce our sales of those products or product candidates.

In the U.S., after an NDA is approved, the product generally becomes a “listed drug” which can, in turn, be relied upon by potential competitors in support of approval of an ANDA. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, FDA regulations and other applicable regulations and policies provide incentives to manufacturers to create generic, non-infringing versions of a drug to facilitate the approval of an ANDA. These manufacturers might show that their product has the same active ingredients, dosage form, strength, route of administration, conditions of use, and labeling as our product candidate and to conduct a relatively inexpensive study to demonstrate that the generic product is absorbed in the body at the same rate and to the same extent as, or is bioequivalent to, our product. These generic equivalents would be significantly less costly than ours to bring to market and companies that produce generic equivalents are generally able to offer their products at lower prices. Thus, after the introduction of a generic competitor, a significant percentage of the sales of any branded product are typically lost to the generic product. Accordingly, competition from generic equivalents to our products would substantially limit our ability to generate revenues and therefore to obtain a return on the investments we have made in our products.

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Product liability lawsuits against us could cause us to incur substantial liabilities and to limit commercialization of DEXYCU and, if approved, YUTIQ, and any other product candidates that we may develop and commercialize.

We currently face an inherent risk of product liability exposure related to the testing of our product candidates in human clinical trials, and this risk will increase significantly as we commercialize DEXYCU and, if approved, YUTIQ, and other product candidates that we may develop and commercialize. We may face product liability claims, regardless of FDA approval for commercial manufacturing and sale as product liability claims may be brought against us by patients who have used these products and product candidates in any of our clinical trials, future patients, healthcare providers or others using, administering or selling our products, if and when approved. If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against claims that our products or product candidates caused injuries, we could incur substantial liabilities. Regardless of merit or eventual outcome, liability claims may result in:

We currently carry product liability insurance with coverage up to $10.0 million in the aggregate, with a per incident limit of $10.0 million, which may not be adequate to cover all liabilities that we may incur. Further, we may not be able to maintain insurance coverage at a reasonable cost or in an amount adequate to satisfy any liability that may arise. Our inability to maintain sufficient product liability insurance at an acceptable cost could prevent or inhibit the commercialization of DEXYCU and, if approved, YUTIQ, or the development and commercialization of our other product candidates.

Additionally, any agreements we may enter into in the future with collaborators in connection with the development or commercialization of DEXYCU, YUTIQ or any of our other product candidates may entitle us to indemnification against product liability losses, but such indemnification may not be available or adequate should any claim arise. In addition, several of our agreements require us to indemnify third parties and these indemnifications obligations may exceed the coverage under our product liability insurance policy.

Regulatory approval for any approved product is limited by the FDA to those specific indications and conditions for which clinical safety and efficacy have been demonstrated.

Our promotional materials, statements and training methods must comply with applicable laws and regulations, including FDA’s prohibition of the promotion of unapproved, or off-label, use. Physicians may use our products off-label, as the FDA does not restrict or regulate a physician’s independent choice of treatment within the practice of medicine. If the FDA determines that our promotional materials, statements or activities constitute promotion of an off-label use, we could be required to modify our promotional materials, statements or training methods or subject us to regulatory or enforcement actions, such as the issuance of an untitled letter, a

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warning letter, injunction, seizure, civil fine, disgorgement of money, operating restrictions or criminal penalties. We may also be subject to actions by other governmental entities or private parties, such as the U.S. civil False Claims Act, civil whistleblower or “qui tam” actions. It is also possible that other federal, state or foreign enforcement authorities might take action if they consider our promotional, materials or activities to constitute promotion of an off-label use, which could result in significant fines or penalties under other statutory authorities. In that event, our reputation could be damaged and market adoption of our approved products could be impaired.

Even though FDA approval for DEXYCU has been obtained in the U.S., we may never obtain approval for or successfully commercialize it outside of the U.S., which would limit our ability to realize its full market potential.

In order to market DEXYCU outside of the U.S., we must obtain marketing authorizations and comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements of other countries regarding quality, safety and efficacy. Clinical trials conducted in one country may not be accepted by foreign regulatory authorities, and regulatory approval in one country does not mean that regulatory approval will be obtained in any other country. Approval processes vary among countries and can involve additional product testing and validation and additional administrative review periods. Seeking foreign regulatory approval could result in difficulties and costs for us and require additional non-clinical studies or clinical trials, which could be costly and time consuming. Regulatory requirements can vary widely from country to country and could delay or prevent the introduction of DEXYCU in those countries. While our management team has experience in obtaining foreign regulatory approvals at other companies, we, as a company, do not have experience in obtaining regulatory approval in international markets. If we fail to comply with regulatory requirements in international markets or to obtain and maintain required approvals, or if regulatory approval in international markets is delayed, we would not be able to realize the full market potential of DEXYCU.

RISKS RELATED TO THE REGULATORY APPROVAL AND CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT OF OUR PRODUCT CANDIDATES

We are substantially dependent on the success of our lead product candidate, YUTIQ, which is in a later stage of development than our other product candidates. To the extent regulatory approval of YUTIQ is delayed or not granted, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected and the price of our common stock may decline.

We are focusing a significant portion of our activities and resources on our lead product candidate, YUTIQ, and we believe our prospects are highly dependent on, and a significant portion of the value of our company relates to, our ability to successfully develop, obtain regulatory approval for, and commercialize YUTIQ in the U.S. The U.S. regulatory approval of YUTIQ is subject to many risks, including the risks discussed in other risk factors set forth in this report, and YUTIQ may not receive marketing approval from the FDA or such marketing approval may be delayed. If the results or timing of the regulatory process, regulatory developments, any additional clinical trials or pre-clinical studies, or other activities, actions or decisions related to YUTIQ do not meet our or others’ expectations, the market price of our common stock could decline significantly.

We submitted an NDA for YUTIQ in January 2018 and have a PDUFA action date of November 5, 2018. Although we have discussed our clinical development plans with the FDA, the agency may ultimately determine that our Phase 3 clinical trials or other aspects of our NDA are not sufficient for regulatory approval and may issue a CRL instead of approval. If we receive a CRL, the FDA would outline deficiencies in our NDA and may request the submission of additional information, including clinical data.

The facilities used by us to manufacture our products and any product candidates that we may develop are subject to inspections, including pre-approval inspections following our submission of any NDAs to the FDA for any product candidates that we may develop. For example, the FDA conducted a pre-approval inspection related to our NDA for YUTIQ from March 26, 2018 to April 4, 2018. Most inspections by the FDA, including the FDA

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inspection related to our NDA for YUTIQ, result in an Establishment Inspection Report as well as a Summary of Observations immediately following the inspection. As required, the Company has responded to these observations in a timely manner. In any event, our commercialization of YUTIQ in the U.S. may be delayed and we may incur additional costs and be required to devote additional resources to address the FDA’s concerns. If we are unable to timely address the FDA’s summary of observations from such inspection or if the FDA requires us to conduct additional clinical trials or studies, or requires our manufacturers to improve or change their practices, our timeline for commercialization of YUTIQ in the U.S. will be delayed and we will incur additional costs. Further, there can be no assurance that we will complete such studies or clinical trials or address manufacturing issues in a manner that is acceptable to the FDA.

In addition, one of our collaborators, Alimera, holds an exclusive license to our proprietary Durasert insert for the treatment of uveitis, including NIPU, in the EMEA. Alimera was responsible for filing a Type II variation for ILUVIEN for the treatment of NIPU. In December 2017, Alimera submitted a Type II variation for ILUVIEN to add the indication of recurrent and persistent NIPU to the ILUVIEN label. In January 2018, Alimera received validation of this Type II variation submission in all 17 European countries in which Alimera had previously received regulatory approval for ILUVIEN for DME. According to Alimera’s public filings, Alimera plans to submit follow-up data supporting its Type II variation application in the fourth quarter of calendar year 2018 and expects it will obtain approval for its application in the first half of calendar 2019. Obtaining regulatory approval for such a variation is uncertain and Alimera may fail to obtain the approval. The MAA variation review processes and the processes of other regulatory authorities, are extensive, lengthy, expensive, and uncertain, and such regulatory authorities may delay, limit, or deny approval of ILUVIEN for NIPU.

Any delay or setback in the development or regulatory approval of YUTIQ will adversely affect our business and could cause our stock price to decline.

The regulatory approval processes of the FDA or other foreign regulatory authorities are lengthy, time consuming and inherently unpredictable, and if we are ultimately unable to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates, our business may be substantially harmed.

The time required to obtain approval by the FDA or other foreign regulatory authorities is unpredictable, but typically takes many years following the commencement of clinical trials and depends upon numerous factors, including the substantial discretion of the regulatory agency. In addition, approval policies, regulations, or the type and amount of clinical data necessary to gain approval may change during the course of a product candidate’s clinical development. It is possible that none of our existing product candidates or any product candidates we may seek to develop in the future will ever obtain regulatory approval.

Our product candidates could fail to receive regulatory approval for many reasons, including the following:

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We cannot be certain that any of our current product candidates will receive regulatory approval. If we do not receive regulatory approval for our product candidates, our business may be substantially harmed.

Delays in clinical trials are common and have many causes, and any delay could result in increased costs to us and jeopardize or delay our ability to obtain regulatory approval and commence product sales.

Other than YUTIQ, all of our product development is at earlier stages. Product development at all stages involves a high degree of risk, and only a small proportion of research and development programs result in product candidates that advance to pivotal clinical trials or result in approved products. There is no assurance that any feasibility study agreements we have, or enter into, with third parties, or our own research and development programs and collaborations will result in any new product candidates, or that we or any licensees will commence clinical trials for any new product candidates or continue clinical trials once commenced. If clinical trials conducted by or for us or any licensees for any product candidates do not provide the necessary evidence of safety and efficacy, those product candidates will not receive the necessary regulatory approvals, cannot be sold, and will not generate revenues for us.

We may also experience delays in clinical trials of our product candidates or the time required to complete clinical trials for our product candidates may be longer than anticipated. Our future clinical trials may not begin on time, have an effective design, enroll a sufficient number of patients, or be completed on schedule, if at all. Our clinical trials can be delayed, or even terminated, for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to:

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If clinical trials for our product candidates are delayed or terminated for any of the above reasons or other reasons, our development costs may increase, our approval process could be delayed and our ability to commercialize our product candidates could be materially harmed.

We may expend our limited resources to pursue a particular product candidate or indication and fail to capitalize on product candidates or indications that may be more profitable or for which there is a greater likelihood of success.

Because we have limited financial and managerial resources, we focus on research programs and product candidates for specific indications. As a result, we may forego or delay pursuit of opportunities with other product candidates or for other indications that later prove to have greater commercial potential. Our resource allocation decisions may cause us to fail to capitalize on viable commercial products or profitable market opportunities. Our spending on current and future research and development programs and product candidates for specific indications may not yield any commercially viable products.

We have historically based our research and development efforts primarily on our Durasert technology platform to develop proprietary sustained-release pharmaceutical products for the treatment of posterior uveitis and other chronic eye diseases. As a result of pursuing the development of product candidates using our proprietary technologies, we may fail to develop product candidates or address indications based on other scientific approaches that may offer greater commercial potential or for which there is a greater likelihood of success. Research programs to identify new product candidates require substantial technical, financial and human resources. These research programs may initially show promise in identifying potential product candidates, yet fail to yield product candidates for clinical development.

Initial results from a clinical trial do not ensure that the trial will be successful and success in early stage clinical trials does not ensure success in later-stage clinical trials.

Results from pre-clinical testing, early clinical trials, investigator-sponsored studies and other data and information often do not accurately predict final pivotal clinical trial results. In addition, data from one pivotal clinical trial may not be predictive of the results of other pivotal clinical trials for the same product candidate, even if the trial designs are the same or similar. Data obtained from pre-clinical studies and clinical trials are susceptible to varying interpretations, which may delay, limit or prevent regulatory approval. Adverse side effects may be observed in clinical trials that delay, limit or prevent the regulatory approval, and even after a product candidate has received marketing approval, the emergence of adverse side effects in more widespread clinical practice may cause the product’s regulatory approval to be limited or even rescinded. Additional trials necessary for approval may not be undertaken or may ultimately fail to establish the safety and efficacy of our product candidates.

In addition, while the clinical trials of our product candidates are designed based on the available relevant information, in view of the uncertainties inherent in drug development, such clinical trials may not be designed with a focus on indications, patient populations, dosing regimens, safety or efficacy parameters or other variables that will provide the necessary safety and efficacy data to support regulatory approval to commercialize the product. In addition, the methods we select to assess particular safety or efficacy parameters may not yield

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statistically significant results regarding our product candidates’ effects on patients. Even if we believe the data collected from clinical trials of our product candidates are promising, these data may not be sufficient to support approval by the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities. Pre-clinical and clinical data can be interpreted in different ways. Accordingly, the FDA or foreign regulatory authorities could interpret these data in different ways from us or our partners, which could delay, limit or prevent regulatory approval.

Changes in regulatory requirements and guidance may occur and we may need to amend clinical trial protocols submitted to applicable regulatory authorities to reflect these changes. Amendments may require us to resubmit clinical trial protocols to institutional review boards or ethics committees for re-examination, which may impact the costs, timing or successful completion of a clinical trial.

The FDA’s and other regulatory authorities’ policies may change, and additional government regulations may be enacted that could prevent, limit or delay regulatory approval of our product candidates. We cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative action, either in the U.S. or abroad. If we are required to conduct additional clinical trials or other studies with respect to our product candidates beyond those that we currently contemplate, or if we are unable to successfully complete our clinical trials or other studies, we may be delayed in obtaining regulatory approval of any of our product candidates, we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval at all or we may obtain approval of indications that are not as broad as intended. Our product development costs will also increase if we experience delays in testing or approvals, and we may not have sufficient funding to complete the testing and approval process for our product candidates. Significant clinical trial delays could allow our competitors to bring products to market before we do and impair our ability to commercialize our products if and when approved. If any of this occurs, our business would be harmed.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

If we are unable to protect our intellectual property rights or if our intellectual property rights are inadequate to protect our product candidates, our competitors could develop and commercialize technology and products similar to ours, and our competitive position could be harmed.

Our commercial success will depend in large part on our ability to obtain and maintain patent and other intellectual property protection in the U.S. and other countries with respect to our proprietary technology and products. We rely on trade secret, patent, copyright and trademark laws, and confidentiality and other agreements with employees and third parties, all of which offer only limited protection. We seek patent protection for many different aspects of our product candidates, including their compositions, their methods of use, processes for their manufacture, and any other aspects that we deem to be commercially important to the development of our business.

The patent prosecution process is expensive and time-consuming, and we and any licensors and licensees may not be able to apply for or prosecute patents on certain aspects of our product candidates or delivery technologies at a reasonable cost, in a timely fashion, or at all. For technology licensed to third parties, we may not have the right to control the preparation, filing and/or prosecution of the corresponding patent applications, or to maintain patent rights corresponding to such technology. Therefore, these patents and applications may not be prosecuted and enforced in a manner consistent with the best interests of our business. It is also possible that we, or any licensors or licensees, will fail to identify patentable aspects of inventions made in the course of development and commercialization activities before it is too late to obtain patent protection on them. It is possible that defects of form in the preparation or filing of our patents or patent applications may exist, or may arise in the future, such as with respect to proper priority claims, inventorship, claim scope or patent term adjustments. If any licensors or licensees are not fully cooperative or disagree with us as to the prosecution, maintenance, or enforcement of any patent rights, such patent rights could be compromised, and we might not be able to prevent third parties from making, using, and selling competing products. If there are material defects in the form or preparation of our patents or patent applications, such patents or applications may be invalid or

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unenforceable. Moreover, our competitors may independently develop equivalent knowledge, methods, and know-how. Any of these outcomes could impair our ability to prevent competition from third parties, which may have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and operating results.

The patent positions of pharmaceutical companies generally are highly uncertain, involve complex legal and factual questions and have in recent years been the subject of much litigation. As a result, the issuance, scope, validity, enforceability and commercial value of any patents that issue, are highly uncertain. For example, recent changes to the patent laws of the U.S. provide additional procedures for third parties to challenge the validity of issued patents. Under the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, or AIA, which was signed into law on September 16, 2011, patents issued from applications with an effective filing date after March 15, 2013 may be challenged by third parties using the post-grant review procedure which allows challenges for a number of reasons, including prior art, sufficiency of disclosure, and subject matter eligibility. Under the AIA, patents may also be challenged under the  inter partes  review procedure.  Inter partes  review provides a mechanism by which any third party may challenge the validity of any issued U.S. Patent in the USPTO on the basis of prior art. Because of a lower evidentiary standard necessary to invalidate a patent claim in USPTO proceedings as compared to the evidentiary standard relied on in U.S. federal court, a third party could potentially provide evidence in a USPTO proceeding sufficient for the USPTO to hold a claim invalid even though the same evidence would be insufficient to invalidate the claim if first presented in a district court action. Accordingly, a third party may attempt to use the USPTO procedures to invalidate our patent claims that would not have been invalidated if first challenged by the third party as a defendant in a district court action.

With respect to foreign jurisdictions, the laws of foreign countries may not protect our rights to the same extent as the laws of the U.S. or vice versa. For example, European patent law restricts the patentability of methods of treatment of the human body more than U.S. law does. Also, patents granted by the European Patent Office may be opposed by any person within nine months from the publication of their grant.

Our patents and patent applications, even if unchallenged by a third party, may not adequately protect our intellectual property or prevent others from designing around our claims. The steps we have taken to protect our proprietary rights may not be adequate to preclude misappropriation of our proprietary information or infringement of our intellectual property rights, both inside and outside the U.S. Further, the examination process may require us to narrow the claims of pending patent applications, which may limit the scope of patent protection that may be obtained if these applications issue. The rights that may be granted under future issued patents may not provide us with the proprietary protection or competitive advantages we are seeking. If we are unable to obtain and maintain patent protection for our technology and products, or if the scope of the patent protection obtained is not sufficient, our competitors could develop and commercialize technology and products similar or superior to ours, and our ability to successfully commercialize our technology and products may be impaired.

As of August 31, 2018, we had 177 patents or granted applications and 107 pending patent applications, including patents and pending applications covering our Durasert, DEXYCU, Verisome and other technologies. With respect to these patent rights, we do not know whether any of our patent applications will result in issued patents or, if any of our patent applications do issue, whether such patents will protect our technology in whole or in part, or whether such patents will effectively prevent others from commercializing competitive technologies and products. There is no guarantee that any of our issued or granted patents will not later be found invalid or unenforceable. Furthermore, since patent applications in the U.S. and most other countries are confidential for a period of time after filing, we cannot be certain that we were the first to either (i) file any patent application related to our product candidates or (ii) invent any of the inventions claimed in our patents or patent applications. For applications with an effective filing date before March 16, 2013, or patents issuing from such applications, an interference proceeding can be provoked by a third party, or instituted by the USPTO to determine who was the first to invent any of the subject matter covered by the patent claims of our applications and patents. As of March 16, 2013, the U.S. transitioned to a “first-to-file” system for deciding which party should be granted a patent when two or more patent applications are filed by different parties claiming the same invention. A third

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party that files a patent application in the USPTO before us could therefore be awarded a patent covering an invention of ours even if we had made the invention before it was made by the third party. This will require us to be cognizant going forward of the time from invention to filing of a patent application. The change to “first-to-file” from “first-to-invent” is one of the changes to the patent laws of the U.S. resulting from the AIA.

Publications of discoveries in the scientific literature often lag behind the actual discoveries, and patent applications in the U.S. and other jurisdictions are typically not published until 18 months after filing or in some cases not at all, until they are issued as a patent. Therefore, we cannot be certain that we were the first to make the inventions claimed in our pending patent applications, that we were the first to file for patent protection of such inventions, or that we have found all of the potentially relevant prior art relating to our patents and patent applications that could invalidate one or more of our patents or prevent one or more of our patent applications from issuing. Even if patents do successfully issue and even if such patents cover our product candidates, third parties may initiate oppositions, interferences, re-examinations, post-grant reviews,  inter partes  reviews, nullification or derivation actions in court or before patent offices or similar proceedings challenging the validity, enforceability, or scope of such patents, which may result in the patent claims being narrowed or invalidated. Furthermore, even if they are unchallenged, our patents and patent applications may not adequately protect our intellectual property, provide exclusivity for our product candidates, or prevent others from designing around our claims. Any of these outcomes could impair our ability to prevent competition from third parties.

Furthermore, the issuance of a patent is not conclusive as to its inventorship, scope, validity or enforceability, and our owned and licensed patents may be challenged in the courts or patent offices in the U.S. and abroad. Such challenges may result in loss of exclusivity or freedom to operate or in patent claims being narrowed, invalidated or held unenforceable, in whole or in part, which could limit our ability to stop others from using or commercializing similar or identical technology and products, or limit the duration of the patent protection of our technology and products. Given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of new product candidates, patents protecting such product candidates might expire before or shortly after such product candidates are commercialized. As a result, our owned and licensed patent portfolio may not provide us with sufficient rights to exclude others from commercializing products similar or identical to ours.

We may become involved in lawsuits to protect or enforce our patents or the patents of our licensors, which could be expensive, time consuming and unsuccessful.

Competitors may infringe our patents or the patents of any party from whom we may license patents from in the future. To counter infringement or unauthorized use, we may be required to file infringement claims, which can be expensive and time-consuming. In a patent litigation in the U.S., defendant counterclaims alleging invalidity or unenforceability are commonplace. Grounds for a validity challenge could be an alleged failure to meet any of several statutory requirements, for example, lack of novelty, obviousness or non-enablement. Grounds for an unenforceability assertion could be an allegation that someone connected with prosecution of the patent withheld relevant information from the USPTO or made a misleading statement, during prosecution. The outcome following legal assertions of invalidity and unenforceability during patent litigation is unpredictable. A court may decide that a patent of ours or of any of our future licensors is not valid or is unenforceable, or may refuse to stop the other party from using the technology at issue on the grounds that our patents do not cover the technology in question. In addition, to the extent that we have to file patent litigation in a federal court against a U.S. patent holder, we would be required to initiate the proceeding in the state of incorporation or residency of such entity. With respect to the validity question, for example, we cannot be certain that no invalidating prior art exists. An adverse result in any litigation or defense proceedings could put one or more of our patents at risk of being invalidated, found unenforceable, or interpreted narrowly, and it could put our patent applications at risk of not issuing. Defense of these claims, regardless of their merit, would involve substantial litigation expense and would be a substantial diversion of employee resources from our business. If a defendant were to prevail on a legal assertion of invalidity or unenforceability, we would lose at least part, and perhaps all, of the patent protection on one or more of our products. Such a loss of patent protection could compromise our ability to pursue our business strategy.

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As noted above, interference proceedings brought by the USPTO for applications with an effective filing date before March 16, 2013, or for patents issuing from such applications may be necessary to determine the priority of inventions with respect to our patents and patent applications or those of our collaborators or licensors. An unfavorable outcome could require us to cease using the technology or to attempt to license rights to it from the prevailing party. Our business could be harmed if a prevailing party does not offer us a license on terms that are acceptable to us. Litigation or interference proceedings may fail and, even if successful, may result in substantial costs and distraction of our management and other employees. We may not be able to prevent, alone or with any of our future licensors, misappropriation of our proprietary rights, particularly in countries where the laws may not protect those rights as fully as in the U.S. Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation, there is a risk that some of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure during this type of litigation. In addition, there could be public announcements of the results of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments. If securities analysts or investors perceive these results to be negative, it could have a substantial adverse effect on the price of our common stock.

Moreover, we may be subject to a third-party pre-issuance submission of prior art to the USPTO or other foreign patent offices, or become involved in opposition, derivation, reexamination,  inter partes  review, post-grant review or interference proceedings challenging our patent rights or the patent rights of others. An adverse determination in any such submission, proceeding or litigation could invalidate or reduce the scope of, our patent rights, allow third parties to commercialize our technology or drugs and compete directly with us, without payment to us, or result in our inability to manufacture or commercialize drugs without infringing third-party patent rights. In addition, if the breadth or strength of protection provided by our patents and patent applications is threatened, it could dissuade companies from collaborating with us to license, develop, or commercialize current or future product candidates.

We may not be able to protect our intellectual property rights throughout the world.

Filing, prosecuting and defending patents on our product candidates throughout the world would be prohibitively expensive, and our intellectual property rights in some countries outside the U.S. may be less extensive than those in the U.S. In addition, the laws and practices of some foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights, especially those relating to life sciences, to the same extent as federal and state laws in the U.S. For example, novel formulations of drugs and manufacturing processes may not be patentable in certain jurisdictions, and the requirements for patentability may differ in certain countries, particularly developing countries. Also, some foreign countries, including EU countries, India, Japan and China, have compulsory licensing laws under which a patent owner may be compelled under certain circumstances to grant licenses to third parties. Consequently, we may have limited remedies if patents are infringed or if we are compelled to grant a license to a third party, and we may not be able to prevent third parties from practicing our inventions in all countries outside the U.S., or from selling or importing products made using our inventions into or within the U.S. or other jurisdictions. This could limit our potential revenue opportunities. Competitors may use our technologies in jurisdictions where we have not obtained patent protection to develop their own products, and may export otherwise infringing products to territories where we have patent protection, but where enforcement is not as strong as that in the U.S. These products may compete with our products in jurisdictions where we do not have any issued patents and our patent claims or other intellectual property rights may not be effective or sufficient to prevent them from competing with us in these jurisdictions. Accordingly, our efforts to enforce intellectual property rights around the world may be inadequate to obtain a significant commercial advantage from our intellectual property. We may not prevail in any lawsuits that we initiate in these foreign countries and the damages or other remedies awarded, if any, may not be commercially meaningful.

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Obtaining and maintaining our patent protection depends on compliance with various procedural, document submission, fee payment and other requirements imposed by governmental patent agencies, and our patent protection could be reduced or eliminated for non-compliance with these requirements.

Periodic maintenance fees, renewal fees, annuity fees and various other governmental fees on patents and applications are required to be paid to the USPTO and various governmental patent agencies outside of the U.S. in several stages over the lifetime of the patents and applications. The USPTO and various non-U.S. governmental patent agencies require compliance with a number of procedural, documentary, fee payment and other similar provisions during the patent application process and after a patent has issued. There are situations in which non-compliance can result in abandonment or lapse of the patent or patent application, resulting in partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction.

Third parties may initiate legal proceedings alleging that we are infringing their intellectual property rights, the outcome of which could be uncertain and could harm our business.

Our commercial success depends upon our ability, and the ability of our partners and collaborators, to develop, manufacture, market and sell our products and product candidates, if approved, and use our proprietary technologies without infringing the proprietary rights of third parties. While many of our product candidates are in pre-clinical studies and clinical trials, we believe that the use of our product candidates in these pre-clinical studies and clinical trials falls within the scope of the exemptions provided by 35 U.S.C. Section 271(e) in the U.S., which exempts from patent infringement liability activities reasonably related to the development and submission of information to the FDA. As our other product candidates progress toward commercialization, the possibility of a patent infringement claim against us increases. Accordingly, we may invest significant time and expense in the development of our product candidates only to be subject to significant delay and expensive and time-consuming patent litigation before our product candidates may be commercialized. There can be no assurance that our products or product candidates do not infringe other parties’ patents or other proprietary rights, and competitors or other parties may assert that we infringe their proprietary rights in any event.

There is considerable intellectual property litigation in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. We may become party to, or threatened with, future adversarial proceedings or litigation regarding intellectual property rights with respect to our product candidates, including interference or derivation proceedings before the USPTO. Numerous U.S. and foreign issued patents and pending patent applications owned by third parties exist in the fields in which we are developing our product candidates. Third parties may assert infringement claims against us based on existing patents or patents that may be granted in the future.

If we are found to infringe a third party’s intellectual property rights, we could be required to obtain a license from such third party to continue commercializing our products or product candidates. However, we may not be able to obtain any required license on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Even if a license can be obtained on acceptable terms, the rights may be non-exclusive, which could give our competitors access to the same technology or intellectual property rights licensed to us. If we fail to obtain a required license, we may be unable to effectively market products or product candidates based on our technology, which could limit our ability to generate revenues or achieve profitability and possibly prevent us from generating revenues sufficient to sustain our operations. Alternatively, we may need to redesign our infringing products, which may be impossible or require substantial time and monetary expenditure. Under certain circumstances, we could be forced, including by court order, to cease commercializing our products or product candidates. In addition, in any such proceeding or litigation, we could be found liable for substantial monetary damages, potentially including treble damages and attorneys’ fees, if we are found to have willfully infringed. A finding of infringement could prevent us from commercializing our products or product candidates or force us to cease some of our business operations, which could harm our business. Any claims by third parties that we have misappropriated their confidential information or trade secrets could have a similar negative impact on our business.

The cost to us in defending or initiating any litigation or other proceeding relating to patent or other proprietary rights, even if resolved in our favor, could be substantial, and litigation would divert our

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management’s attention. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of complex patent litigation more effectively than we can because they have substantially greater resources. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of patent litigation or other proceedings could compromise our commercialization efforts, delay our research and development efforts and limit our ability to continue our operations. There could also be public announcements of the results of the hearing, motions, or other interim proceedings or developments. If securities analysts or investors perceive those results to be negative, it could cause the price of shares of our common stock to decline.

Our competitors may be able to circumvent our patents by developing similar or alternative technologies or products in a non-infringing manner.

Our competitors may seek approval to market their own products that are the same as, similar to or otherwise competitive with our products or product candidates. In these circumstances, we may need to defend or assert our patents by various means, including filing lawsuits alleging patent infringement requiring us to engage in complex, lengthy and costly litigation or other proceedings. In any of these types of proceedings, a court or government agency with jurisdiction may find our patents invalid, unenforceable or not infringed. We may also fail to identify patentable aspects of our research and development before it is too late to obtain patent protection. Even if we have valid and enforceable patents, these patents still may not provide protection against competing products or processes sufficient to achieve our business objectives.

Changes in either U.S. or foreign patent law or interpretation of such laws could diminish the value of patents in general, thereby impairing our ability to protect our products or product candidates.

As is the case with other pharmaceutical companies, our success is heavily dependent on intellectual property, particularly patents. Obtaining and enforcing patents in the pharmaceutical industry involve both technological and legal complexity, and it therefore is costly, time-consuming and inherently uncertain. As noted above, the AIA has significantly changed U.S. patent law. In addition to transitioning from a “first-to-invent” to “first-to-file” system, the AIA also limits where a patentee may file a patent infringement suit and provides opportunities for third parties to challenge issued patents in the USPTO via post-grant review or  inter partes  review, for example. All of our U.S. patents, even those issued before March 16, 2013, may be challenged by a third party seeking to institute  inter partes  review.

Depending on decisions by the U.S. Congress, the federal courts, the USPTO, or similar authorities in foreign jurisdictions, the laws and regulations governing patents could change in unpredictable ways that would weaken our ability to obtain new patents or to enforce our existing patents and patents that we might obtain in the future.

We may be subject to claims asserting that our employees, consultants, independent contractors and advisors have wrongfully used or disclosed confidential information and/or alleged trade secrets of their current or former employers or claims asserting ownership of what we regard as our own intellectual property.

Although we try to ensure that our employees, consultants, independent contractors and advisors do not use the proprietary information or know-how of others in their work for us, we may be subject to claims that these individuals or we have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed confidential information and/or intellectual property, including trade secrets or other proprietary information, of the companies that any such individual currently or formerly worked for or provided services to. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to our business.

In addition, while we require our employees and contractors who may be involved in the conception or development of intellectual property to execute agreements assigning such intellectual property to us, we may be

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unsuccessful in executing such an agreement with each party who, in fact, conceives or develops intellectual property that we regard as our own. The assignment of intellectual property rights may not be self-executing or the assignment agreements may be breached, and we may be forced to bring claims against third parties, or defend claims that they may bring against us, to determine the ownership of what we regard as our intellectual property.

Intellectual property rights do not prevent all potential threats to competitive advantages we may have.

The degree of future protection afforded by our intellectual property rights is uncertain because intellectual property rights have limitations, and intellectual property rights may not adequately protect our business or permit us to maintain our competitive advantage.

The following examples are illustrative:

Should any of these events occur, they could significantly harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets, our business and competitive position would be harmed.

In addition to seeking patent protection for certain aspects of our product candidates and technologies, we also consider trade secrets, including confidential and unpatented know-how, important to the maintenance of our

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competitive position. We protect trade secrets and confidential and unpatented know-how, in part, by customarily entering into non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements with parties who have access to such knowledge, such as our employees, outside scientific and commercial collaborators, CROs, CMOs, consultants, advisors and other third parties. We also enter into confidentiality and invention or patent assignment agreements with our employees and consultants that obligate them to maintain confidentiality and assign their inventions to us. Despite these efforts, any of these parties may breach the agreements and disclose our proprietary information, including our trade secrets, and we may not be able to obtain adequate remedies for such breaches. In addition, our trade secrets may otherwise become known, including through a potential cybersecurity breach, or may be independently developed by competitors.

Enforcing a claim that a party illegally disclosed or misappropriated a trade secret is difficult, expensive and time-consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition, some courts in the U.S. and certain foreign jurisdictions are less willing or unwilling to protect trade secrets. If any of our trade secrets were to be lawfully obtained or independently developed by a competitor, we would have no right to prevent them from using that technology or information to compete with us. If any of our trade secrets were to be disclosed to or independently developed by a competitor, our competitive position would be harmed.

If our trademarks are not adequately protected, then we may not be able to build name recognition in our markets of interest and our business may be adversely affected.

We expect to rely on trademarks as one means to distinguish any of our approved products from the products of our competitors. We have received Notices of Allowance for DEXYCU™, YUTIQ™, DELIVERING INNOVATION TO THE EYE™ and Durasert™. ILUVIEN ^® is Alimera’s trademark. Retisert ^® and Vitrasert ^® are Bausch & Lomb’s trademarks. Our and our licensees’ trademarks may be challenged, infringed, circumvented or declared generic or determined to be infringing on other marks. For instance, Sun Pharma has filed an extension of time to file an opposition to our trademark application for Durasert. We have negotiated a co-existence agreement with Sun Pharma. If we are unable to establish name recognition based on our trademarks, we may not be able to compete effectively.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR RELIANCE ON THIRD PARTIES

We do not control the development or commercialization of YUTIQ in the EMEA, which is licensed to Alimera, and as a result we may not realize the full market potential of YUTIQ.

Under the Amended Alimera Agreement, we granted Alimera rights to use our proprietary drug delivery platform for the treatment of uveitis, including NIPU, in the EMEA (under the ILUVIEN trademark) and subsequently withdrew our YUTIQ MAA and orphan drug designation for posterior segment uveitis. Alimera is now responsible for obtaining all regulatory approvals in the EMEA. Under this agreement, we have no control over Alimera’s regulatory activities in the EMEA (with the exception of the completion of our ongoing Phase 3 uveitis clinical trials), including regulatory approvals, and no direct control over commercialization efforts for YUTIQ in the EMEA. Alimera has only limited experience in filing and supporting the applications necessary to obtain marketing approvals for product candidates. Obtaining approval of an MAA by the EMA is uncertain and Alimera may fail to obtain the approval. The MAA review processes, and the processes of other regulatory authorities, are extensive, lengthy, expensive, and uncertain, and such regulatory authorities may delay, limit, or deny approval of YUTIQ. Further, Alimera may abandon further development of YUTIQ in the EMEA. Because the full market potential of YUTIQ is contingent upon the successful development and commercialization of YUTIQ in the EMEA, we will be dependent on Alimera to achieve the full market potential of YUTIQ. If Alimera does not succeed in obtaining regulatory approval of YUTIQ in the EMEA for any reason, or does not succeed in securing market acceptance of YUTIQ in the EMEA, or elects for any reason to discontinue development of YUTIQ, we will be unable to realize the full market potential of YUTIQ.

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If our CROs, vendors and investigators do not successfully carry out their responsibilities or if we lose our relationships with them, our development efforts with respect to our product candidates could be delayed.

We are dependent on CROs, vendors and investigators for pre-clinical testing and clinical trials related to our product development programs. These parties are not our employees, and we cannot control the amount or timing of resources that they devote to our programs. If they do not timely fulfill their responsibilities or if their performance is inadequate, the development and commercialization of our product candidates could be delayed. The parties with which we contract for execution of clinical trials play a significant role in the conduct of the trials and the subsequent collection and analysis of data. Their failure to meet their obligations could adversely affect clinical development of our product candidates. In addition, if we or our CROs fail to comply with applicable current Good Clinical Practices, or cGCPs, the clinical data generated in our clinical trials may be deemed unreliable and the FDA may require us to perform additional clinical trials before approving any marketing applications. Upon inspection, the FDA may determine that our clinical trials did not comply with cGCPs.

Switching or adding additional CROs involves additional cost and requires management time and focus. Identifying, qualifying and managing performance of third-party service providers can be difficult, time-consuming and cause delays in our development programs. In addition, there is a natural transition period when a new CRO commences work and the new CRO may not provide the same type or level of services as the original provider. Though we carefully manage our relationships with our CROs, there can be no assurance that we will not encounter challenges or delays in the future or that these delays or challenges will not have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and prospects. If any of our relationships with our CROs terminate, we may not be able to enter into arrangements with alternative CROs or to do so on commercially reasonable terms. As a result, delays may occur, which can materially impact our ability to meet our desired clinical development timelines.

Because we have relied on third parties, our internal capacity to perform these functions is limited. Outsourcing these functions involves risks that third parties may not perform to our standards, may not produce results in a timely manner or may fail to perform at all. In addition, the use of third-party service providers requires us to disclose our proprietary information to these parties, which could increase the risk that this information will be misappropriated. We currently have a small number of employees, which limits the internal resources we have available to identify and monitor our third-party providers. To the extent we are unable to identify and successfully manage the performance of third-party service providers in the future, our ability to advance our product candidates through clinical trials will be compromised. Though we carefully manage our relationships with our CROs, there can be no assurance that we will not encounter similar challenges or delays in the future or that these delays or challenges will not have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and prospects.

If we encounter difficulties in negotiating commercial manufacturing and supply agreements with our third-party manufacturers and suppliers of DEXYCU, our ability to commercialize DEXYCU would be impaired.

We currently rely, and expect to continue to rely, on a limited number of CMOs and suppliers who assist in the production, assembly, test, supply, storage and distribution of DEXYCU in our FDA registration, and we control only some of the aspects of their activities. We may not be able to obtain terms that are favorable to us or enter into commercial manufacturing and supply agreements at all with each of the necessary third parties. If we are unable to enter into such agreements on commercially reasonable terms, our ability to commercialize DEXYCU would be impaired, and our business, financial condition and results of operations would be materially adversely affected.

If we encounter issues with our contract manufacturers or suppliers, we may need to qualify alternative manufacturers or suppliers, which could impair our ability to sufficiently and timely manufacture and supply DEXYCU.

We currently depend on contract manufacturers and suppliers for DEXYCU. We expect to obtain the drug product for commercial supply of DEXYCU from one CMO. Although we could obtain the drug product for

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DEXYCU from other third-party suppliers, we would need to qualify and obtain FDA approval for another contract manufacturer or supplier as an alternative source for the drug product, which could be costly and cause significant delays. In addition, the manufacturer of the drug product in DEXYCU conducts its manufacturing operations for us at a single facility. Unless and until we qualify additional facilities, we may face limitations in our ability to respond to manufacturing and supply issues. For example, if regulatory, manufacturing or other problems require this manufacturer to discontinue production at its facility, or if the equipment used for the production of the drug product in this facility is significantly damaged or destroyed by fire, flood, earthquake, power loss or similar events, the ability of such manufacturer to manufacture DEXYCU may be significantly impaired. In the event that this party suffers a temporary or protracted loss of its materials, facility or equipment, we would still be required to obtain FDA approval to qualify a new manufacturer or supplier, as applicable, as an alternate manufacturer or source for the drug product before any drug product manufactured by such manufacturer or by such supplier could be sold or used.

Any production shortfall that impairs the supply of DEXYCU could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and adversely affect our ability to satisfy demand for DEXYCU, which could adversely affect our product sales and operating results materially.

If we or our licensees encounter problems with product manufacturing, there could be delays in product development or commercialization, which would adversely affect our future profitability.

Our ability and that of our licensees to conduct timely pre-clinical and clinical research and development programs, obtain regulatory approvals, and develop and commercialize our product candidates will depend, in part, upon our and our licensees’ ability to manufacture our products and product candidates, either directly or through third parties, in accordance with FDA and other regulatory requirements. The manufacture, packaging and testing of our products and product candidates are regulated by the FDA and similar foreign regulatory entities and must be conducted in accordance with applicable cGMP and comparable foreign requirements. Any change in a manufacturing process or procedure used for one of our products or product candidates, including a change in the location at which a product or product candidate is being manufactured or in the third-party manufacturer being used, may require the FDA’s and similar foreign regulatory entities’ prior review and/or approval in accordance with applicable cGMP or other regulations. Additionally, the FDA and similar foreign regulatory entities may implement new standards, or change their interpretation and enforcement of existing standards, for the manufacture, packaging and testing of products at any time.

There are a limited number of manufacturers that operate under cGMP and other foreign regulations that are both capable of manufacturing our products and product candidates and are willing to do so. Alimera has contracted with individual third-party manufacturers for the manufacture of ILUVIEN and its components. If any of Alimera’s third-party manufacturers breach their agreements or are unable or unwilling to perform for any reason or fail to comply with cGMP and comparable foreign requirements, Alimera may not be able to locate alternative acceptable manufacturers, enter into favorable agreements with them or get them approved by the applicable regulatory authorities in a timely manner. Delays in the commercial production of ILUVIEN could delay or impair Alimera’s marketing of ILUVIEN, which, in turn, could adversely affect Alimera’s generation of sales-based royalties to us. Failure by us, our collaborative partners, or our or their third-party manufacturers, to comply with applicable manufacturing requirements could result in sanctions being imposed on us or our collaborative partners, including fines, injunctions, civil penalties, failure of regulatory authorities to grant marketing approval of our product candidates, delays, suspension or withdrawal of approvals, license revocation, seizures or recalls of product, operating restrictions and criminal prosecutions. If we or our collaborative partners are unable to develop our own manufacturing facilities or to obtain or retain third-party manufacturing on acceptable terms, we may not be able to conduct certain future pre-clinical and clinical testing of our product candidates and our collaborative partners may not be able to conduct certain future pre-clinical and clinical testing or to supply commercial quantities of our products. We manufacture supplies in connection with pre-clinical or clinical studies conducted by us and our licensees. Our licensees have the exclusive rights to

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manufacture commercial quantities of products, once approved for marketing. Our licensees’ reliance on third-party manufacturers entails risks, including:

If third-party manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors fail to devote sufficient time and resources to DEXYCU or their performance is substandard, our product supply may be impacted.

Our reliance on a limited number of manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors exposes us to the following risks, any of which could limit commercial supply of our products, result in higher costs, or deprive us of potential product revenues:

Our reliance on third parties reduces our control over our development and commercialization activities but does not relieve us of our responsibility to ensure compliance with all required legal, regulatory and scientific standards. For example, the FDA and other regulatory authorities require that our product candidates and any products that we may eventually commercialize be manufactured according to cGMP and similar foreign standards. Any failure by our third-party manufacturers to comply with cGMP or failure to scale up manufacturing processes, including any failure to deliver sufficient quantities of product candidates in a timely manner, could lead to a delay in, or failure to obtain, regulatory approval of any of our product candidates or supply our commercial volume of DEXYCU. In addition, such failure could be the basis for the FDA to issue a warning or untitled letter, withdraw approvals for products previously granted to us, or take other regulatory or legal action, including recall or seizure, total or partial suspension of production, suspension of ongoing clinical trials, refusal to approve pending applications or supplemental applications, detention or product, refusal to permit the import or export of products, injunction, imposing civil penalties or pursuing criminal prosecution.

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Manufacturing issues may arise that could result in delays or suspension of the commercialization of DEXYCU.

As we further scale up manufacturing of DEXYCU and conduct required stability testing, issues may arise involving, among other things, the sensitivity of the tests to confirm product stability, the performance of production personnel, product-packaging or third-party equipment malfunctions. These issues may require refinement or resolution in order to initiate or continue the commercial marketing of DEXYCU. In addition, quality issues may arise during scale-up and of commercial manufacturing processes. By way of example, we are still in the process of validating the manufacturing process for the commercial supply of DEXYCU. Any issues in our product or delivery devices could result in delays in the commercialization of DEXYCU or the suspension of commercialization of DEXYCU.

We intend to use our own facility for the manufacturing of YUTIQ, which will require significant resources, which could adversely affect its commercial viability.

If approved by the FDA, we plan to manufacture commercial supplies of YUTIQ ourselves at our Watertown MA facility. We currently manufacture products only for clinical and testing purposes in this facility and we do not manufacture products for commercial use. We must obtain FDA approval of our manufacturing process before we can commercially manufacture YUTIQ in the U.S. In addition, we must pass a pre-approval inspection of our manufacturing facility before we can obtain marketing approval for YUTIQ. In order to obtain approval, all of our manufacturing methods, equipment and processes must comply with the FDA’s cGMP requirements. We will also need to perform extensive audits of our suppliers, vendors and contract laboratories. The cGMP requirements govern, among other things, recordkeeping, production processes and controls, personnel and quality control. To ensure that we meet these requirements, we will expend significant time, money and effort. Due to the unique nature of our Durasert technology platform, we cannot predict the likelihood that the FDA will approve our facility as compliant with cGMP requirements even if we believe that we have taken the steps necessary to achieve compliance.

The FDA, in its regulatory discretion, may require us to undergo additional clinical trials with respect to any new or improved manufacturing process we may develop or utilize in the future. This could delay or prevent approval of YUTIQ or any of our other product candidates. If we fail to comply with cGMP requirements, pass an FDA pre-approval inspection or obtain FDA approval of our manufacturing process, we would not receive FDA approval and would be subject to possible regulatory action, including recall or withdrawal of the product from the market or suspension of manufacturing. The failure to successfully implement our manufacturing process may delay or prevent our ability to commercialize YUTIQ.

If we do obtain FDA approval for YUTIQ, including satisfying the FDA with regard to a validated manufacturing process, we may still be unable to commercially manufacture YUTIQ. The commercial manufacture of medical products is complex and requires significant expertise and capital investment, including the development of advanced manufacturing techniques and process controls. Manufacturers of medical products often encounter difficulties in production, particularly in scaling out and validating initial production and ensuring the absence of contamination. These problems include difficulties with production costs and yields, quality control, including stability of the product, quality assurance testing, operator error, shortages of qualified personnel, as well as compliance with strictly enforced federal, state and foreign regulations. We cannot assure you that any stability or other issues relating to the manufacture of YUTIQ, if approved, will not occur in the future.

The FDA also may, at any time following approval of a product for sale, audit our manufacturing facilities. If any such inspection or audit identifies a failure to comply with applicable regulations or if a violation of our product specifications or applicable regulation occurs independent of such an inspection or audit, FDA may issue a Form FDA-483 and/or an untitled or warning letter, or we or the FDA may require remedial measures that may be costly and/or time consuming for us to implement and that may include the temporary or permanent

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suspension of commercial sales, recalls, market withdrawals, seizures or the temporary or permanent closure of a facility. Any such remedial measures imposed upon us could materially harm our business.

Our employees, collaborators, service providers, independent contractors, principal investigators, consultants, CSOs, vendors and CROs may engage in misconduct or other improper activities, including noncompliance with regulatory standards and requirements.

We are exposed to the risk that our employees, collaborators, independent contractors, principal investigators, consultants, CSOs, vendors and CROs may engage in fraudulent or other illegal activity with respect to our business. Misconduct by these employees could include intentional, reckless and/or negligent conduct or unauthorized activity that violates:

In particular, sales, marketing and business arrangements in the healthcare industry are subject to extensive laws and regulations intended to prevent fraud, kickbacks, self-dealing and other abusive practices. These laws and regulations may restrict or prohibit a wide range of pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, sales commission, customer incentive programs and other business arrangements. Misconduct by these parties could also involve individually identifiable information, including, without limitation, the improper use of information obtained in the course of clinical trials, or illegal misappropriation of drug product, which could result in regulatory sanctions and serious harm to our reputation. Any incidents or any other conduct that leads to an employee receiving an FDA debarment could result in a loss of business from third parties and severe reputational harm.

Although we have adopted a Code of Business Conduct to govern and deter such behaviors, it is not always possible to identify and deter employee misconduct, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent this activity may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risks or losses or in protecting us from governmental investigations or other actions or lawsuits stemming from a failure to be in compliance with such laws or regulations. If any such actions are instituted against us, and we are not successful in defending ourselves or asserting our rights, those actions could have a significant impact on our business, including the imposition of civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, monetary fines, possible exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs, contractual damages, reputational harm, diminished profits and future earnings, additional reporting requirements and oversight if we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or similar agreement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws, and curtailment of our operations.

The success of our current and possible future collaborative and licensing arrangements depends and will depend heavily on the experience, resources, efforts and activities of our licensees, and if they are not successful in developing and marketing our products or product candidates, as applicable, it will adversely affect our revenues, if any, from those products.

Our business strategy includes continuing to leverage our technology platform by entering into collaborative and licensing arrangements for the development and commercialization of our products and product candidates, where appropriate. The success of current and future collaborative and licensing arrangements do and will depend heavily on the experience, resources, skill, efforts and activities of our licensees. Our licensees have had, and are expected to have, significant discretion in making decisions related to the development of product

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candidates and the commercialization of products under these collaboration agreements. Risks that we face in connection with our collaboration and licensing strategy include the following:

We currently have collaboration and licensing arrangements with various companies, most significantly Alimera and Bausch & Lomb. While Bausch & Lomb has significant experience in the ophthalmic field and substantial resources, there is no assurance whether, and to what extent, that experience and those resources will be devoted to Retisert, and we do not expect revenues from Retisert to increase, and they may decline further. Although we believe potential revenues from ILUVIEN are important to our future results of operations and financial condition, Alimera has limited experience and limited financial resources, and ILUVIEN for DME is currently Alimera’s first and only commercial product. Alimera has reported that its negative cash flows from operations and accumulated deficit may raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Further, due to the limited revenue generated by Alimera to date, Alimera may not be able to maintain compliance with covenants under its loan agreement and, in the event of a default, we do not know whether Alimera will be able to obtain amendments or waivers of those covenants. We do not know if Alimera will be able to raise additional financing if and when required.

If our current and future licensees are not successful in developing and marketing our products, it will adversely affect our revenues, if any, from those products.

Our current licensees may terminate their agreements with us at any time or fail to fulfill their obligations under those agreements, and, if they do, we will lose the benefits of those agreements.

Our licensees have rights of termination under our agreements with them and could terminate those agreements without cause on short notice. Further, our licensees may fail to fulfill their obligations under their agreements, or we may disagree with them over the rights and obligations under those agreements, which could result in breach of the agreements and/or termination. Exercise of termination rights by one or more of our licensees or by us may leave us without the financial benefits and development, marketing or sales resources provided under the terminated agreement. It could be necessary for us to replace, or seek to provide ourselves, the services provided by the licensee, and there is no assurance we would be successful in doing so. It could delay, impair or stop the development or commercialization of products or product candidates licensed to them or require significant additional capital investment by us, which we may not have the resources to fund. If any of our licensees do not perform their obligations under our agreements or if any of those agreements are terminated, it could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

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Off-label sales of ILUVIEN to treat posterior segment uveitis may adversely affect sales of YUTIQ, if approved.

The micro-inserts that comprise ILUVIEN and YUTIQ have substantially the same design, polymers and release rate, and both deliver the corticosteroid FA. Although YUTIQ delivers a somewhat lower dose of FA than ILUVIEN, ILUVIEN is already approved and marketed. It is possible that physicians will prescribe ILUVIEN for the treatment of posterior segment uveitis on an off-label basis, which could adversely affect the sales of YUTIQ, if approved.

There is no assurance that Alimera will successfully commercialize ILUVIEN for DME or that we will receive significant revenues from the commercialization of ILUVIEN.

We are entitled to royalties on a country-by-country and quarter-by-quarter basis on net sales of ILUVIEN where Alimera markets ILUVIEN directly and to a percentage of product revenues, royalties and non-royalty consideration where Alimera sublicenses the marketing of ILUVIEN. The commercialization of ILUVIEN for DME is a significant undertaking by Alimera, and ILUVIEN for DME is Alimera’s first and only commercial product. Alimera’s sales of ILUVIEN have not been significant to date, Alimera has continued to incur operating losses, and it has violated, and in the future may violate, the financial covenants of its loan agreement. We do not know if, when, or to what extent Alimera’s ILUVIEN net revenues will increase significantly, which would generate royalties to us from the commercialization of ILUVIEN for DME. The amount and timing of any revenues we receive will be affected by many factors including:

If Alimera is not successful in commercializing ILUVIEN for DME, it would adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition.

Alimera may need alternative financing to replace its $40.0 million debt facility or additional capital to maintain compliance with the financial covenants under its loan agreement, which Alimera may be unable to obtain, and Alimera’s continued losses and financial condition may cast doubt on its ability to continue to operate as a going concern.

Although Alimera commercially markets ILUVIEN for DME in the U.S. and in certain countries in Europe, Alimera had a net loss from operations of $16.5 million for its fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, a net loss of $11.6 million for the interim six-month period ended June 30, 2018 and had an accumulated deficit of $410.8 million as of June 30, 2018. Alimera has not generated revenues that cover its actual or anticipated expenses and cannot project the extent of its future losses. Alimera may continue to incur operating losses, and as a result, it is uncertain when or if it will achieve or sustain profitability. Alimera’s ability to generate royalty payments to us is dependent on its ability to successfully market and sell ILUVIEN for DME and, if approved, ILUVIEN for NIPU.

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Alimera failed to meet a revenue threshold in January 2016 and a liquidity threshold as of June 30, 2016 under the financial covenants of its former loan agreement. While these failures were subsequently waived by its former lender, Alimera was required to pay substantial amounts and grant concessions in connection with these waivers. In January 2018, Alimera refinanced its debt with a $40 million loan agreement with a new lender. If Alimera defaults on its obligations under its new loan agreement, its new lender may call the loan, which could require Alimera to pay back the entire amount owed and pay an early termination fee, or if the lender does not call the loan, Alimera may have to pay an increased rate of interest, pay additional monetary amounts in exchange for a waiver or modification of the loan agreement, or grant equity or warrant coverage and agree to further restrictions on its operations that could hinder it in the future. Alimera’s failure to comply with the covenants under its new loan agreement could create substantial doubt about Alimera’s ability to continue as a going concern and to market and sell ILUVIEN. The termination provisions of our agreement with Alimera include various bankruptcy events.

Further, due to the limited revenue generated by ILUVIEN to date, even if Alimera is able to maintain compliance with its debt covenants, Alimera may need to raise additional capital to fund the continued commercialization of ILUVIEN. If Alimera is unable to raise sufficient additional financing, it may need to adjust its commercial plans, which likely would adversely affect Alimera’s ability to market ILUVIEN and make any potential royalty payments to us.

There is no assurance our Retisert royalty income will continue at current levels or at all.

Our Retisert royalty income, which had ranged between $1.2 million and $1.4 million from fiscal 2012 through fiscal 2016, decreased to $970,000 for fiscal 2017 and totaled approximately $1.0 million for fiscal 2018. We do not expect Retisert royalty income to increase materially, if at all, and it may decline further or cease. Bausch & Lomb’s obligation to pay a royalty terminates on a licensed product by licensed product basis and country by country basis upon the date that the last to expire patent expires. The patent with which Retisert is marketed expires in March 2019. The latest patent covering Retisert expires in April 2020, and we will not receive any Retisert royalty income after that time. Bausch & Lomb previously ceased selling Vitrasert, our product previously licensed to Bausch & Lomb, on its patent expiration.

Sales of ILUVIEN for DME may be materially adversely affected by pricing and reimbursement decisions of regulatory bodies, insurers and others.

Prices, coverage and reimbursement to consumers of ILUVIEN for DME, like other products, are generally regulated by third-party payors, such as government health administration authorities and plans, private health insurers and other organizations and affect ILUVIEN’s sales. The timing and complexity of those reimbursements also affect sales. Prices in the EU are generally lower and coverage and access to products more limited than in the U.S. For example, in the U.K. and Scotland, National Health Service coverage is limited to the treatment of the eyes of chronic DME patients unresponsive to existing therapies that have undergone cataract surgery, subject to simple patient access schemes. Alimera may not achieve satisfactory agreements with statutory or other insurers. We do not know what levels of pricing will be approved or reimbursed for ILUVIEN, or what restrictions will be placed on its use or reuse in countries where ILUVIEN is not currently sold. In the U.S., Alimera has offered extended customer payment terms. Future net sales of ILUVIEN and, accordingly, the amount of royalties that we may receive from such net sales, may be adversely affected by pricing and reimbursement decisions, and such effects may be material.

If we or our licensees fail to comply with environmental laws and regulations, our or their ability to manufacture and commercialize products may be adversely affected.

Medical and biopharmaceutical research and development involves the controlled use of hazardous materials, such as radioactive compounds and chemical solvents. We and our licensees are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations in the U.S. and abroad governing the use, manufacture, storage, handling and

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disposal of such materials and waste products. We and they could be subject to both criminal liability and civil damages in the event of an improper or unauthorized release of, or exposure of individuals to, hazardous materials. In addition, claimants may sue us or them for resulting injury or contamination, and the liability may exceed our or their ability to pay. Compliance with environmental laws and regulations is expensive, and current or future environmental regulations may impair the research, development or production efforts of our company or our licensees and harm our operating results.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR INDUSTRY, STRATEGY AND OPERATIONS

If we fail to retain key personnel, our business could suffer.

We are dependent upon the principal members of our management and scientific staff. In addition, we believe that our future success in developing and marketing our products will depend on whether we can attract and retain additional qualified management and scientific personnel as well as a sales and marketing staff. There is strong competition for qualified personnel within the industry in which we operate, and we may not be able to attract and retain such personnel. As we have a small number of employees and we believe our products and product candidates are unique and highly specialized, the loss of the services of one or more of the principal members of our management or scientific staff, or the inability to attract and retain additional personnel and develop expertise as needed, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

We will need to grow the size of our organization, and we may experience difficulties in managing this growth.

Implementation of our development and commercialization strategies will require additional managerial, operational, sales, marketing, financial and other resources. Our current management, personnel and systems may not be adequate to effectively manage the expansion of our operations, which may result in weaknesses in our infrastructure, give rise to operational mistakes, loss of business opportunities, employee turnover and reduced productivity. Future growth could require significant capital expenditures and may divert financial resources from other projects, such as the development of our existing or future product candidates. Future growth would impose significant added responsibilities on members of management, including:

As our operations expand, we will need to manage additional relationships with various strategic collaborators, suppliers and other third parties. Our future financial performance and our ability to commercialize our product candidates and to compete effectively will depend, in part, on our ability to manage any future growth effectively. To that end, we must be able to manage our development efforts and clinical trials effectively and hire, train and integrate additional management, administrative and sales and marketing personnel. Failure to accomplish any of these activities could prevent us from successfully growing our company.

Consolidation in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries may adversely affect us.

There has been consolidation in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Consolidation could result in the remaining companies having greater financial resources and technological capabilities, thus intensifying

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competition, and fewer potential collaboration partners or licensees for our product candidates. In addition, if a consolidating company is already doing business with any of our competitors, we could lose existing or potential future licensees or collaboration partners as a result of such consolidation.

Economic conditions and regulatory changes leading up to and following the U.K.’s likely exit from the EU could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

The U.K. held a referendum on June 23, 2016 in which a majority voted for the U.K.’s withdrawal from the EU, which we refer to as Brexit. As a result of this vote, negotiations have commenced to determine the terms of the U.K.’s withdrawal from the EU as well as its relationship with the EU going forward, including the terms of trade between the U.K. and the EU. The effects of Brexit have been and are expected to continue to be far-reaching. Brexit and the perceptions as to its impact may adversely affect business activity and economic conditions in Europe and globally and could continue to contribute to instability in global financial and foreign exchange markets. Brexit could also have the effect of disrupting the free movement of goods, services and people between the U.K. and the EU; however, the full effects of Brexit are uncertain and will depend on any agreements the U.K. may make to retain access to EU markets.

In addition, we expect that Brexit could lead to legal uncertainty and potentially divergent national laws and regulations as the U.K. determines which EU laws to replicate or replace. If the U.K. were to significantly alter its regulations affecting our industry, we could face significant new costs. It may also be time-consuming and expensive for us to alter our internal operations in order to comply with new regulations. Altered regulations could also add time and expense to the process by which our products or product candidates or those of our licensees or collaborators receive regulatory approval in the U.K. and EU. Similarly, it is unclear at this time what Brexit’s impact will have on our intellectual property rights and the process for obtaining, maintaining and defending such rights. It is possible that certain intellectual property rights, such as trademarks, granted by the EU will cease being enforceable in the U.K. absent special arrangements to the contrary, and we are required to refile our trademarks and other intellectual property applications domestically in the U.K.

Lastly, as a result of the Brexit, other European countries may seek to conduct referenda with respect to their continuing membership in the EU. Given these possibilities and others we may not anticipate, as well as the lack of comparable precedent, the full extent to which our business, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected by Brexit is uncertain.

Our business and operations would suffer in the event of computer system failures, cyberattacks or a deficiency in our cybersecurity.

Despite the implementation of security measures, our internal computer systems and those of our contractors and consultants are vulnerable to damage from computer viruses, unauthorized access, natural disasters, terrorism, war and telecommunication and electrical failures, cyberattacks or cyber-intrusions over the Internet, attachments to emails, persons inside our organization, or persons with access to systems inside our organization. The risk of a security breach or disruption, particularly through cyber-attacks or cyber intrusion, including by computer hackers, foreign governments, and cyber terrorists, has generally increased as the number, intensity and sophistication of attempted attacks and intrusions from around the world have increased. Such an event could cause interruption of our operations. As part of our business, we and our vendors maintain large amounts of confidential information, including non-public personal information on patients and our employees Breaches in security could result in the loss or misuse of this information, which could, in turn, result in potential regulatory actions or litigation, including material claims for damages, interruption to our operations, damage to our reputation or otherwise have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results. We expect to have appropriate information security policies and systems in place in order to prevent unauthorized use or disclosure of confidential information, including non-public personal information, there can be no assurance that such use or disclosure will not occur.

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If we fail to comply with data protection laws and regulations, we could be subject to government enforcement actions, which could include civil or criminal penalties, as well as private litigation and/or adverse publicity, any of which could negatively affect our operating results and business.

We may be subject to laws and regulations that address privacy and data security of patients who use our products or product candidates in the U.S. and in states in which we conduct our business. In the U.S., numerous federal and state laws and regulations, including state data breach notification laws, state health information privacy laws, and federal and state consumer protection laws (e.g., Section 5 of the FTC Act) govern the collection, use, disclosure, and protection of health-related and other personal information. For instance, HIPAA imposes certain obligations, including mandatory contractual terms, with respect to safeguarding the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information and imposes notification obligations in the event of a breach of the privacy or security of individually identifiable health information on entities subject to HIPAA and their business associates that perform certain activities that involve the use or disclosure of protected health information on their behalf. Failure to comply with applicable data protection laws and regulations could result in government enforcement actions and create liability for us, which could include civil and/or criminal penalties, as well as private litigation and/or adverse publicity that could negatively affect our operating results and business.

We may be exposed to liabilities under the FCPA and other U.S. and foreign anti-corruption anti-money laundering, export control, sanctions, and other trade laws and regulations, and any determination that we violated these laws could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We are subject to export control and import laws and regulations, including the U.S. Export Administration Regulations, U.S. Customs regulations, and various economic and trade sanctions regulations administered by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. We are also subject to the FCPA, the U.S. domestic bribery statute contained in 18 U.S.C. § 201, the U.S. Travel Act, the USA PATRIOT Act, the United Kingdom Bribery Act 2010, the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, and possibly other anti-bribery and anti-money laundering laws in countries outside of the U.S. in which we conduct our activities. Anti-corruption laws are interpreted broadly and prohibit companies and their employees and third-party intermediaries from authorizing, promising, offering, providing, soliciting, or accepting, directly or indirectly, improper payments or benefits to or from any person whether in the public or private sector. As we commercialize DEXYCU, if approved, YUTIQ, and any of other product candidates that we may develop, we may engage with third-party manufacturers and collaborators who operate abroad and are required to obtain certain necessary permits, licenses and other regulatory approvals with respect to our business. Our activities abroad create the risk of unauthorized payments or offers of payments by employees, consultants, sales agents or distributors, even though they may not always be subject to our control. It is our policy to implement safeguards to discourage these practices by our employees, consultants, sales agents and distributors. However, our existing safeguards and any future improvements may prove to be less than effective, and the employees, consultants, sales agents, or distributors of our company may engage in conduct for which we might be held responsible, even if we do not explicitly authorize such activities.

Noncompliance with anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, export control, sanctions, and other trade laws could subject us to whistleblower complaints, investigations, sanctions, settlements, prosecution, other enforcement actions, disgorgement of profits, significant fines, damages, other civil and criminal penalties or injunctions, suspension and/or debarment from contracting with certain persons, the loss of export privileges, reputational harm, adverse media coverage and other collateral consequences. If any subpoenas or investigations are launched, or governmental or other sanctions are imposed, or if we do not prevail in any possible civil or criminal litigation, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially harmed. Responding to any action will likely result in a materially significant diversion of management’s attention and resources and significant defense and compliance costs and other professional fees. In addition, the U.S. government may seek to hold us liable for successor liability FCPA violations committed by companies in which we invest or that we acquire. As a general matter, enforcement actions and sanctions could harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

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RISKS RELATED TO OWNERSHIP OF OUR COMMON STOCK

The trading price of the shares of our common stock has been highly volatile, and purchasers of our common stock could incur substantial losses.

The price of our common stock is highly volatile and may be affected by developments directly affecting our business, as well as by developments out of our control or not specific to us. The pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, in particular, and the stock market generally, are vulnerable to abrupt changes in investor sentiment. Prices of securities and trading volumes of companies in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, including ours, can swing dramatically in ways unrelated to, or that bear a disproportionate relationship to, our performance. The price of our common stock and their trading volumes may fluctuate based on a number of factors including, but not limited to:

In addition, low trading volume in our common stock may increase their price volatility. Holders of our common stock may not be able to liquidate their positions at the desired time or price. Finally, we will need to continue to meet the listing requirements of Nasdaq including the minimum stock price, for our stock to continue to be traded on Nasdaq.

Additional shares that may be issued upon the exercise of currently outstanding options or warrants or upon the settlement of restricted, performance or deferred stock units would dilute the voting power of our currently outstanding common stock and could cause our stock price to decline.

As of August 31, 2018, we had outstanding options to acquire approximately 8.2 million shares of our common stock, outstanding restricted stock units to acquire 898,129 shares of our common stock, outstanding performance stock units to acquire approximately 1.2 million shares of our common stock, outstanding deferred stock units to acquire 35,001 shares of our common stock, lender warrants to acquire 409,091 and 77,721 shares of our common stock at exercise prices of $1.10 and $1.93, respectively, and the Second Tranche Warrants to acquire 20,184,224 shares of our common stock, or approximately 29.4% of our shares on a fully diluted basis. The issuance of shares of our common stock upon exercise of the stock options or warrants or settlement of the restricted, performance or deferred stock units could result in dilution to the interests of other holders of our common stock and could adversely affect our stock price.

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EW Healthcare owns a substantial amount of our common stock and can exert significant control over matters subject to stockholder approval, which would prevent new investors from influencing significant corporate decisions.

Following the closing of the Second Tranche Transaction on June 25, 2018, EW Healthcare, our largest stockholder, beneficially owns approximately 34.2% of our outstanding common stock as of September 13, 2018. Based upon 74,512,048 outstanding shares of common stock at September 13, 2018 and assuming the exercise of the Second Tranche Warrants by EW Healthcare and the other Second Tranche Investors, EW Healthcare would beneficially own approximately 44.7% % of our common stock. Upon such exercise in full of the Second Tranche Warrants, EW Healthcare has the ability to significantly influence the outcome of matters submitted to our stockholders for approval, including the election and removal of directors and any merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets. In addition, this concentration of voting power in EW Healthcare may: (i) delay, defer or prevent a change in control; (ii) entrench our management and Board; or (iii) delay or prevent a merger, consolidation, takeover or other business combination involving us on terms that other stockholders may desire.

Comprehensive tax reform legislation could adversely affect our business and financial condition.

. The Tax Act, which was passed on December 22, 2017, introduced significant changes to the U.S. tax laws. The Tax Act, among other things, contains significant changes to corporate taxation, including but not limited to the reduction of the corporate tax rate from a top rate of 35% to a flat rate of 21%, limitation of the tax deduction for interest expense to 30% of adjusted earnings (except for certain small businesses), limitation of the deduction for net operating losses to 80% of current year taxable income in respect of losses arising in taxable years beginning after 2017 and elimination of net operating loss carrybacks, one time taxation of offshore earnings at reduced rates regardless of whether they are repatriated, immediate deductions for certain new investments instead of deductions for depreciation expense over time, and modifying or repealing many business deductions and credits (including reducing the business tax credit for certain clinical testing expenses incurred in the testing of certain drugs for rare diseases or conditions generally referred to as “orphan drugs”). Any federal net operating loss carryovers for taxable years beginning after 2017 will be carried forward indefinitely pursuant to the Tax Act. The Tax Act also limits deductions for compensation in excess of $1 million, which could impact our ability to deduct such corporate expenses. We continue to examine the impact the Tax Act may have on our business. Notwithstanding the reduction in the federal corporate income tax rate, the overall impact of the Tax Act is uncertain and our business and financial condition could be adversely affected.

Future sales of our common stock may depress our stock price.

The market price of our common stock could decline as a result of sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, or as a result of the perception that these sales could occur, which could occur if we issue a large number of shares of common stock (or securities convertible into our common stock) in connection with a future financing, as our common stock is trading at low levels. These factors could make it more difficult for us to raise funds through future offerings of common stock or other equity securities.

Provisions in our charter documents could prevent or delay stockholders’ attempts takeover our company.

Our board of directors is authorized to issue “blank check” preferred stock, with designations, rights and preferences as they may determine. Accordingly, our board of directors may in the future, without stockholder approval, issue shares of preferred stock with dividend, liquidation, conversion, voting or other rights that could adversely affect the voting power or other rights of the holders of our common stock. This type of preferred stock could also be issued to discourage, delay or prevent a change in our control. The ability to issue “blank check” preferred stock is a traditional anti-takeover measure. This provision in our charter documents makes it difficult for a majority stockholder to gain control of our company. Provisions like this may be beneficial to our management and our board of directors in a hostile tender offer and may have an adverse impact on stockholders who may want to participate in such a tender offer.

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Provisions in our bylaws provide for indemnification of officers and directors, which could require us to direct funds away from our business and the development of our product candidates.

Our bylaws provide for the indemnification of our officers and directors. We may in the future be required to advance costs incurred by an officer or director and to pay judgments, fines and expenses incurred by an officer or director, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, as a result of actions or proceedings in which our officers and directors are involved by reason of being or having been an officer or director of our company. Funds paid in satisfaction of judgments, fines and expenses may be funds we need for the operation of our business and the development of our product candidates, thereby affecting our ability to attain profitability.

We do not currently intend to pay dividends on our common stock, and any return to investors is expected to come, if at all, only from potential increases in the price of our common stock.

We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our capital stock, and you should not rely on an investment in our common stock to provide dividend income. We currently intend to retain all of our future earnings, if any, to finance the growth and development of our business and do not anticipate declaring or paying any cash dividends for the foreseeable future. In addition, the Credit Agreement contains certain covenants that limit our ability to pay or make any dividend and the terms of any future debt agreements may further preclude us from paying dividends. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our common stock will be your sole source of gain for the foreseeable future.

We may be subject to securities litigation, which is expensive and could divert our management’s attention.

As we operate in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, we may be especially vulnerable to volatility in the market price of our common stock, especially to the extent that various factors affect the common stock of companies in our industry. In the past, companies that have experienced volatility in the market price of their stock have been subject to securities class action litigation. We may be the target of this type of litigation in the future. Securities litigation against us could result in substantial costs and divert our management’s attention from other business concerns, which could seriously harm our business, and could also require us to make substantial payments to satisfy judgments or to settle litigation.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our stock price and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our common stock depends in part on the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. We do not have any control over these analysts. If one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our stock or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our stock price would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of our company or fail to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our stock could decrease, which might cause our stock price and trading volume to decline.

ending December 31, 2018. The aggregate leased space consists of 1,750 square feet of laboratory space, 1,000 square feet of clean room space and 17,490 square feet of office space. We have an option to extend the term of the lease for one additional five-year period at market rates.

We lease 3,000 square feet of office space in Liberty Corner, New Jersey under a lease agreement that expires in June 2022. On June 11, 2018, we subleased an additional 1,381 square feet of office space in this building through May 2022.

We believe our leased facilities are adequate for our present and anticipated needs.