Item 1A. Risk Factors
Described below are various significant risks and uncertainties that may affect our business. These risks and uncertainties are not the only ones we face. Other significant risks and uncertainties may arise in the future, which we cannot foresee at this time. Also, the risks that we now foresee might affect us to a greater or different degree than expected. Certain risks and uncertainties, including ones that we currently deem immaterial or that are similar to those faced by other companies in our industry or business in general, may also affect our business. If any of the risks described below actually occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
Risks Relating to our Business
To date, we have generated limited product revenues, have a history of losses and will need to raise additional capital to operate our business, which may not be available on favorable terms, if at all.
Prior to the second half of 2019, we generated a substantial portion of our revenues from the sale of plasma by our plasma collections facilities. Following completion of the Biotest Transaction, we began generating revenues from the sale of our plasma-derived immune globulins which include: Nabi-HB, BIVIGAM, ASCENIV, intermediate fractions and the contract manufacturing of plasma-derived products for a third-party. On May 9, 2019 we received approval from the FDA for BIVIGAM, and the commercial re-launch of this product commenced in August 2019. On April 1, 2019, the FDA approved ASCENIV, formerly referred to as RI-002, and the first commercial sales of this product took place in October 2019. In October 2019, we generated initial sales of our plasma-derived intermediate fractions.
Our long-term liquidity depends upon our ability to grow our commercial programs, expand our commercial operations at the Boca Facility, improve our supply-chain capabilities, improve production yields, provide more control and visibility for timing of commercial product releases, raise additional capital, fund and successfully implement our research and development and commercial programs, establish and build out a commercial sales force, medical affairs organization and commercial infrastructure and meet our ongoing obligations. In addition, our end-to-end production cycle from procurement of raw materials to commercial release of finished product can take between seven and 12 months, requiring substantial investments in raw material plasma and other manufacturing materials.
We currently anticipate, based upon our projected revenue and expenditures, that our current cash, cash equivalents and accounts receivable, will be sufficient to fund our operations into the second quarter of 2021. This time frame may change based upon how quickly we are able to execute on our commercialization efforts and operational initiatives. However, if the assumptions underlying our estimated revenues and expenses prove to be incorrect, we may have to raise additional capital sooner than we currently expect. We anticipate that we will not be able to generate a sufficient amount of product revenue to achieve profitability before 2021 and, as a result, we anticipate that we will need to finance our operations through additional equity or debt financings or corporate collaboration and licensing arrangements. If we are unable to raise additional capital as needed, we will have to delay, curtail or eliminate our commercialization efforts as well as product development activities. Even if we are able to raise additional capital, such financings may only be available on unattractive terms, resulting in significant dilution of stockholders’ interests and, in such event, the value and potential future market price of our common stock may decline. In addition, if we raise additional funds through license arrangements or through the disposition of any of our assets, it may be necessary to relinquish potentially valuable rights to our product candidates or assets or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us.
We are currently not profitable and may never become profitable.
We have a history of losses and expect to incur substantial losses and negative operating cash flow into fiscal 2021, and we may never achieve or maintain profitability. For the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, we incurred net losses of $39.4 million and $26.3 million, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, we incurred net losses of $48.3 million and $65.7 million, respectively.From our inception in 2004 through June 30, 2020, we have incurred an accumulated deficit of $304.1 million. We expect that we will not be able to generate a sufficient amount of product revenue to achieve profitability before 2021 and, as a result, we expect that we will need to finance our operations through additional equity or debt financings or corporate collaboration and licensing agreements.We also expect to continue to incur significant operating and capital expenditures and anticipate that our operating expenses will increase substantially in the foreseeable future as we:
|
|
·
|
expand commercialization and marketing efforts;
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
|
implement additional internal systems, controls and infrastructure;
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
|
hire additional personnel;
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
|
expand and build out our plasma center network; and
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
|
expand production capacity at the Boca Facility.
|
As a result, we will need to generate significant revenues in order to achieve and maintain profitability. We may not be able to generate these revenues or achieve profitability in the future. These factors raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. Our failure to achieve or maintain profitability could negatively impact the value of our securities.
The COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to reduce its spread has significantly affected worldwide economic conditions, and could have a material adverse impact on our business, liquidity, financial condition and results of operations
The COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to adversely impact several aspects of our commercial and manufacturing operations, including but not limited to potential disruptions to our supply-chain operations, including procurement of raw materials and packaging materials, a portion of which are sourced internationally, and the testing of finished drug product that is required prior to its availability for commercial sale.Such testing has historically been performed by contract laboratories outside the United States. While we do not believe that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected operations and immunoglobulin production at our Boca Facility at this time, we may experience adverse effects in the future, particularly in light of the recent increase in COVID-19 cases in the State of Florida. For example, our employees becoming ill, the imposition of additional mandatory remote working environments and federal, state and local responses to the COVID-19 virus could materially affect the efficiency and pace of our operations and manufacturing at our Boca Facility. In addition, travel and other restrictions that have been implemented in the United States could impact our commercial efforts with respect to any of our products, including BIVIGAM and ASCENIV, as trade shows, industry and medical conferences and other events we had been planning to utilize and exhibit and attend with our staff to increase awareness of our products by physicians and payers are subject to limitations, rescheduling or outright cancellation in response to the pandemic. Also, due to previous state and local “shelter-in-place” orders, we experienced lower than normal donor collections at our FDA approved plasma collection center during the three months ended June 30, 2020. We were also subject to delays in shipments of source plasma from our contracted third-party suppliers, as well as delays in deliveries or price increases for personal protective equipment, reagents and other non-plasma raw materials and supplies used in the manufacture of our products.
The ultimate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is highly uncertain and subject to change. We do not yet know the full extent of potential delays or impacts on our business, operations, or financial condition, or on healthcare systems or the global economy as a whole. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has not adversely affected our capital and financial resources to date, the pandemic’s effects could have a material impact on our ability to access the capital markets as needed and on our operations and business, including those of the third parties on which we rely. Because we are unable to determine the ultimate severity or duration of the pandemic or its effects on, among other things, the global, national or local economies, the capital and credit markets, our workforce, our customers or our suppliers, at this time we are unable to predict whether COVID-19 will have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations.
We contract with third parties for the filling, packaging, testing and labeling of the drug substance we manufacture. This reliance on third parties carries the risk that the services upon which we rely may not be performed in a timely manner or according to our specifications, which could delay the availability of our finished drug product and could adversely affect our commercialization efforts and our revenues.
Third-party fill/finish providers may not perform as agreed or in accordance with FDA requirements. Any significant problem that our fill/finish providers experience could delay or interrupt our supply of finished drug product until the service provider cures the problem or until we locate, negotiate for, validate and receive FDA approval for an alternative provider (when necessary), if one is available. Failure to obtain the needed fill/finish services could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results from operations and prospects.
Although in the future we plan to build our own fill/finish suite within the Boca Facility, we also intend to continue to utilize third parties to supplement our fill/finish process for final drug substance and we may, in any event, never be successful in developing our own fill/finish suite. Our anticipated reliance on a limited number of third-party manufacturers exposes us to the following risks:
|
|
·
|
we may be unable to identify contract fill/finishers on acceptable terms or at all because the number of potential service providers is limited and the FDA must inspect and qualify any contract manufacturers for current cGMP compliance as part of our marketing application;
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
|
a new fill/finisher would have to be educated in, or develop substantially equivalent processes for, the production of our products and product candidates;
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
|
the COVID-19 pandemic could adversely affect our contracted fill/finishers’ operations, supply chain or workforce;
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
|
our contracted fill/finishers’ resources and level of expertise with plasma-derived biologics may be limited, and therefore they may require a significant amount of support from us in order to implement and maintain the infrastructure and processes required to deliver our finished drug product;
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
|
our third-party fill/finishers might be unable to timely provide finished drug product in sufficient quantity to meet our commercial needs;
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
|
contract manufacturers may not be able to execute our inspection procedures and required tests appropriately;
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
|
contract manufacturers are subject to ongoing periodic unannounced inspection by the FDA and corresponding state agencies to ensure strict compliance with cGMP and other government regulations, and we do not have control over third-party providers’ compliance with these regulations;
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
|
our third-party fill-finishers could breach or terminate their agreements with us; and
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
|
our contract fill/finishers may have unacceptable or inconsistent drug product quality success rates and yields, and we have no direct control over our contract fill/finishers’ ability to maintain adequate quality control, quality assurance and qualified personnel.
|
Each of these risks could delay or prevent the completion of our finished drug product and the release of finished drug product by the FDA, which could result in higher costs or adversely impact the commercialization of our products. In addition, our contract fill/finishers and our other third-party vendors may source their materials and supplies globally, and are therefore subject to supply disruptions in the event of fire, weather related events such as hurricanes, wind and rain, other acts of God or force majeure events or global health occurrences and emergencies, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
The estimates of market opportunity and forecasts of market and revenue growth included in our filings may prove to be inaccurate, and even if the markets in which we compete achieve the forecasted growth, our business could fail to grow at similar rates, if at all.
Market opportunity estimates and growth forecasts are subject to significant uncertainty and are based on assumptions and estimates that may not prove to be accurate, including as a result of changing circumstances during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the size and growth of the overall U.S. IVIG and source plasma markets are subject to significant variables that can be difficult to measure, estimate or quantify. Our business depends on, among other things, successful commercialization of our existing products, market acceptance of such products and ensuring that our products are safe and effective. Further, there can be no assurance that we will be able to generate the revenue that we believe our products and plasma facilities are capable of generating. As a result, we may not be able to accurately forecast or predict revenue. For these reasons, the estimates and forecasts in our filings relating to revenue generation and growth may prove to be inaccurate. Even if the markets in which we compete meet our size estimates and forecasted growth, our business could fail to grow at similar rates, if at all.
Our facilities are subject to periodic inspections by the FDA, which, depending on the outcome of such inspection, could result in certain FDA actions, including the issuance of observations, notices, citations or warning letters.
The FDA is authorized to perform inspections of our facilities, including the Boca Facility. At the end of such an inspection, the FDA could issue a Form 483 Notice of Inspectional Observations, which could cause us to modify certain activities identified during the inspection. Following such inspections, the FDA may issue an untitled letter as an initial correspondence that cites violations that do not meet the threshold of regulatory significance of a warning letter. FDA guidelines also provide for the issuance of warning letters for violations of “regulatory significance” for which the failure to adequately and promptly achieve correction may be expected to result in an enforcement action. FDA also may issue warning letters and untitled letters in connection with events or circumstances unrelated to an FDA inspection.
Following the completion of the Biotest Transaction, we gained control over the regulatory, quality, general operations and drug substance manufacturing process at the Boca Facility, which was the subject of an outstanding FDA warning letter issued when the Boca Facility was operated by BPC. To address the outstanding warning letter, we worked with a leading consulting firm with extensive experience in remediating compliance and inspection issues related to quality management systems that managed a robust team of subject matter experts in plasma-derived products and biologic drugs to assist us in addressing all identified CMC and cGMP issues and deficiencies.
We may not be able to timely resolve concerns raised by the FDA as a result of an inspection or without expending significant resources. We are unable to control the timing of FDA inspections, responses, meeting requests, teleconference requests, requests for clarifications and similar regulatory communications, as well as whether or not the FDA will change its requirements, guidance or expectations. If the FDA determines that we have not remediated the issues identified in a warning letter or any other inspection issues and deficiencies, any failure of ours to address or provide requested documentation of corrections for these issues could disrupt our business operations and the timing of our commercialization efforts and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and operating results.
Business interruptions could adversely affect our business.
Our operations, including our headquarters located in Ramsey, NJ, the Boca Facility and our plasma collection facilities, are vulnerable to interruption by fire, weather related events such as hurricanes, wind and rain, other acts of God or force majeure events, electric power loss, telecommunications failure, equipment failure and breakdown, human error, employee issues, global health occurrences, such as COVID-19, and emergencies, product liability claims and events beyond our control. While we maintain several insurance policies with reputable carriers that provide partial coverage for a variety of these risks, including replacing or rebuilding a part of our facilities, these policies are subject to the insurance carriers’ final determination of compensation to us and we may not have adequate coverage if we need to rebuild or replace our inventory, infrastructure, business income or our entire facility. In addition, our disaster recovery plans for our facilities may not be adequate and we do not have an alternative manufacturing facility or contractual arrangements with other manufacturers in the event of a casualty to or destruction of any of our facilities. If we are required to rebuild or relocate any of our facilities, a substantial investment in improvements and equipment would be necessary. We carry only a limited amount of business interruption insurance, which may not sufficiently compensate us for losses that may occur. As a result, any significant business interruption could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
If we are unsuccessful in obtaining regulatory approval for any of our product candidates or if any of our product candidates do not provide positive results, we may be required to delay or abandon development of such product, which would have a material adverse impact on our business.
Product candidates require extensive clinical data analysis and regulatory review and may require additional testing. Clinical trials and data analysis can be very expensive, time-consuming and difficult to design and implement. The conduct of preclinical studies and clinical trials is subject to numerous risks and results of the studies and trials are highly uncertain. Human clinical trials are very expensive and difficult to design and implement, in part because they are subject to rigorous regulatory requirements. The clinical trial process is also time-consuming. Furthermore, delays or setbacks can occur at any stage of the process, and we could encounter problems that cause us to abandon our product development programs and related INDs or biologics license applications, or to repeat clinical trials. The evolving COVID-19 pandemic may directly or indirectly affect the pace of enrollment in clinical trials as patients may be restricted in traveling to and accessing healthcare facilities and physicians’ offices. Additionally, such healthcare facilities and offices have their limited resources directed towards treating patients with COVID-19 symptoms. The commencement and completion of clinical trials for any current or future development product candidate may be delayed by several factors, including:
|
|
•
|
unforeseen safety issues;
|
|
|
•
|
determination of dosing issues;
|
|
|
•
|
lack of effectiveness during clinical trials;
|
|
|
•
|
slower than expected rates of patient recruitment;
|
|
|
•
|
inability to monitor patients adequately during or after treatment
|
|
|
•
|
inability or unwillingness of medical investigators to follow our clinical protocols; and
|
|
|
•
|
temporary suspension resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
|
We cannot be certain as to what type and how many clinical trials the FDA, or equivalent foreign regulatory agencies, will require us to conduct before we may successfully gain approval to market any of our product candidates that still require FDA approval. Prior to approving a new drug or biologic, the FDA generally requires that the effectiveness of the product candidate (which is not typically fully investigated until Phase 3) be demonstrated in two adequate and well-controlled clinical trials. However, if the FDA or an equivalent foreign regulatory authority determines that our Phase 3 clinical trial results do not demonstrate a statistically significant, clinically meaningful benefit with an acceptable safety profile, or if a relevant regulator requires us to conduct additional Phase 3 clinical trials in order to gain approval, we will incur significant additional development costs and commercialization of these products would be prevented or delayed and our business would be adversely affected.
In addition, the FDA or an independent institutional review board may suspend our clinical trials at any time if it appears that we are exposing participants to unacceptable health risks or if the FDA finds deficiencies in our IND submissions or the conduct of these trials. Therefore, we cannot provide any assurance or predict with certainty the schedule for future clinical trials. In the event we do not ultimately receive regulatory approval for our product candidates, we may be required to terminate development of such product candidates. If we fail to obtain regulatory approval to market and sell our product candidates, or if approval is delayed, we will be unable to generate revenue from the sale of these products, our potential for generating positive cash flow will be diminished and the capital necessary to fund our operations will increase.
If the results of our clinical trials do not support our product candidate claims, completing the development of such product candidate may be significantly delayed or we may be forced to abandon development of such product candidate altogether.
We cannot be certain that the clinical trial results of our product candidates will support our product candidates’ claims. Success in preclinical testing and early clinical trials does not ensure that later clinical trials will be successful, and we cannot be sure that the results of later clinical trials will replicate the results of prior clinical trials and preclinical testing. The clinical trial process may fail to demonstrate that our product candidates are safe for humans and effective for indicated uses. This failure would cause us to abandon a product candidate and may delay development of other product candidates. Any delay in, or termination of, our clinical trials will delay our ability to commercialize our product candidates and generate product revenues. In addition, our clinical trials involve a relatively small patient population. Because of the small sample size, the results of these clinical trials may not be indicative of future results. In addition, certain portions of our clinical trials and product testing for our product candidates may be performed outside of the U.S., and therefore, may not be performed in accordance with standards normally required by the FDA and other regulatory agencies.
If we do not obtain and maintain the necessary U.S. or international regulatory approvals to commercialize a product candidate, we will not be able to sell that product candidate, which would make it difficult for us to recover the costs of researching and developing such product candidate.
If we are not be able to generate revenue from our products and product candidates, our sources of revenue may continue to be from a product mix consisting only of plasma collection and sales revenues, revenues generated from sales of our FDA-approved commercial products, revenues generated from ongoing contract manufacturing for third parties and revenues generated from the sales of manufacturing intermediates. We cannot assure you that we will receive the approvals necessary to commercialize any product candidate we may acquire or develop in the future. In order to obtain FDA approval of any product candidate requiring FDA approval, our clinical development must demonstrate that the product candidate is safe for humans and effective for its intended use, and we must successfully complete an FDA BLA review. Obtaining FDA approval of a product candidate generally requires significant research and testing, referred to as preclinical studies, as well as human tests, referred to as clinical trials. Satisfaction of the FDA’s regulatory requirements typically takes many years, depends upon the type, complexity and novelty of the product candidate and requires substantial resources for research, development and testing. We cannot predict whether our research and clinical approaches will result in products that the FDA considers safe for humans and effective for indicated uses. The FDA has substantial discretion in the product approval process and may require us to conduct additional preclinical and clinical testing or to perform post-marketing studies, or may require additional CMC or other data and information, and the development and provision of this data and information may be time-consuming and expensive. There are numerous FDA personnel assigned to review different aspects of a BLA, and uncertainties can be presented by their ability to exercise judgment and discretion during the review process. The approval process may also be delayed by changes in government regulation, future legislation, diversion of resources for FDA review during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic or administrative action or changes in FDA policy that occur prior to or during our regulatory review. Delays in obtaining regulatory approvals may:
|
|
·
|
delay commercialization of, and our ability to derive product revenues from, our product candidate;
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
|
impose costly procedures on us; and
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
·
|
diminish any competitive advantages that we may otherwise enjoy.
|
Even if we comply with all FDA requests, the FDA may ultimately reject our product candidate’s BLA. In addition, the FDA could determine that we must test additional subjects and/or require that we conduct further studies with more subjects. We may never obtain regulatory approval for any future potential product candidate or label expansion activity. Failure to obtain FDA approval of any of our product candidates will severely undermine our business by leaving us without the ability to generate additional accretive revenues. There is no guarantee that we will ever be able to develop or acquire other product candidates. In foreign jurisdictions, we must receive approval from the appropriate regulatory authorities before we can commercialize any products or product candidates outside the U.S. Foreign regulatory approval processes generally include all of the risks and uncertainties associated with the FDA approval procedures described above. We cannot assure you that we will receive the approvals necessary to commercialize any product candidate for sale outside the U.S.
Although we have received approval from the FDA to market ASCENIV as a treatment for PIDD, our ability to market or seek approval for ASCENIV for alternative indications could be limited, unless additional clinical trials are conducted successfully and the FDA approves a BLA or other required submission for review.
The FDA strictly regulates marketing, labeling, advertising and promotion of prescription drugs. These regulations include standards and restrictions for direct-to-consumer advertising, industry-sponsored scientific and educational activities, promotional activities involving the Internet and off-label promotion. The FDA generally does not allow drugs to be promoted for “off-label” uses — that is, uses that are not described in the product’s labeling and that differ from those that were approved by the FDA. Generally, the FDA limits approved uses to those studied by a company in its clinical trials. In addition to the FDA approval required for new formulations, any new indication for an approved product also requires FDA approval. Although we have received approval from the FDA to market ASCENIV as a treatment for PIDD, we cannot be sure whether we will be able to obtain FDA approval for any desired future indications for ASCENIV.
While physicians in the U.S. may choose, and are generally permitted, to prescribe drugs for uses that are not described in the product’s labeling, and for uses that differ from those tested in clinical studies and approved by the regulatory authorities, our ability to promote our products is narrowly limited to those indications that are specifically approved by the FDA. “Off-label” uses are common across medical specialties and may constitute an appropriate treatment for some patients in varied circumstances. Regulatory authorities in the U.S. generally do not regulate the behavior of physicians in their choice of treatments. Regulatory authorities do, however, restrict communications by pharmaceutical companies on the subject of off-label use. If the FDA determines that our promotional activities fail to comply with the FDA’s regulations or guidelines, we may be subject to warnings from, or enforcement action by, these authorities. In addition, our failure to follow FDA rules and guidelines related to promotion and advertising may cause the FDA to issue warning letters or untitled letters, bring an enforcement action against us, suspend or withdraw an approved product from the market, require a recall or institute fines or civil fines, or could result in disgorgement of money, operating restrictions, injunctions or criminal prosecution, any of which could harm our reputation and our business.
With the approval of ASCENIV, there can be no assurance that we will be successful in developing and expanding commercial operations or balancing our research and development activities with our commercialization activities.
Since receiving FDA approval for ASCENIV, we have been commercializing this product while also continuing our research and development activities. There can be no assurance that we will be able to successfully manage the balance of our research and development operations with our commercialization activities. Potential investors and stockholders should be aware of the problems, delays, expenses and difficulties frequently encountered by companies balancing development of product candidates, which can include problems such as unanticipated issues relating to clinical trials and receipt of approvals from the FDA and foreign regulatory bodies, with commercialization efforts, which can include problems related to managing manufacturing and supply, including supply chain constraints directly or indirectly caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and government responses thereto, reimbursement, marketing challenges, development of a comprehensive compliance program, and other related and additional costs. For example, the raw material plasma we collect and procure to manufacture ASCENIV using our patented proprietary microneutralization assay is comprised of plasma collected from donors which contains high titer antibodies to RSV. This high titer plasma which meets our internal specifications for the manufacture of ASCENIV that we are able to identify with our patented testing assay amounts to less than 10% of the total donor collection samples we test. Our product candidates will require significant additional research and clinical trials, and we will need to overcome significant regulatory burdens prior to commercialization in the U.S. and other countries. In addition, we may be required to spend significant funds on building out our commercial operations. There can be no assurance that after the expenditure of substantial funds and efforts, we will successfully develop and commercialize any of our product candidates, generate any significant revenues or ever achieve and maintain a substantial level of sales of our products.
We depend on third-party researchers, developers and vendors to develop, manufacture and test products and product candidates, and such parties are, to some extent, outside of our control.
We depend on independent investigators and collaborators, such as universities and medical institutions, contract laboratories, clinical research organizations, contract manufacturers, contract fill/finishers and consultants to conduct our preclinical, clinical trials, CMC testing and other activities under agreements with us. These collaborators are not our employees and we cannot control the amount or timing of resources that they devote to our programs or the impact that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will have on such third parties. These investigators may not assign as great a priority to our programs or pursue them as diligently as we would if we were undertaking such programs ourselves. If outside collaborators fail to devote sufficient time and resources to our product-development programs, or if their performance is substandard, the approval of our FDA application(s), if any, and our introduction of new products, if any, will be delayed. These collaborators may also have relationships with other commercial entities, some of whom may compete with us. If our collaborators assist our competitors at our expense, our competitive position would be harmed. Additionally, any change in the regulatory compliance status of any of our vendors may impede our ability to receive approval for our product candidates.
We may be unable to successfully expand our manufacturing processes to fulfill demand for our products or increase our production capabilities through the addition of new equipment, including if we do not obtain the requisite validation from the FDA.
We currently anticipate expanding the manufacturing capacity of our Boca Facility by approximately 50% or more. We also anticipate expanding our production capabilities through the addition of a fill-finish machine at our Boca Facility. Following the expansion of any of our manufacturing processes or the addition of new equipment, such as the fill-finish machine, we will need to validate the expanded facility and equipment and have it inspected by the FDA. Given the significant delays that may result during the validation process, including due to any diverted FDA attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, we may experience a significant supply shortage of our products or our production capabilities may be limited until completion of and validation of our facility expansion and new manufacturing equipment.
Our products, and any additional products for which we may obtain marketing approval in the future, could be subject to post-marketing restrictions or withdrawal from the market and we could be subject to substantial penalties if we fail to comply with regulatory requirements or if we experience unanticipated problems with our products following approval.
Our products, and any additional products for which we may obtain marketing approval in the future, could be subject to post-marketing restrictions, new FDA guidance, or other regulatory actions, such as withdrawal from the market. Such products, as well as the manufacturing processes, post-marketing studies and measures, labeling, advertising and promotional activities for such products, among other things, are subject to ongoing regulatory compliance requirements, and oversight, review, and inspection by the FDA and other regulatory authorities. These requirements include submissions of safety and other post-marketing information and reports, registration and listing requirements, adherence with labeling and promotional requirements and restrictions, requirements relating to manufacturing, quality control, quality assurance and corresponding maintenance of records and documents, requirements regarding safeguarding the drug supply chain as well as the distribution of samples to physicians and recordkeeping. For example, the FDA’s approval of our PAS to allow for the commercial relaunch of BIVIGAM requires us to conduct specified post-marketing studies related to our manufacturing controls and processes, and submit specified post-marketing reports to the FDA. If, during the post marketing period (after marketing approval) previously unknown adverse events or other potential concerns regarding our products or their manufacturing processes emerge, or we are observed in any way to fail to comply with the numerous regulatory requirements to which we are subject, those circumstances may yield various results, including:
|
|
·
|
restrictions on such products or manufacturing processes;
|
|
|
·
|
restrictions on the labeling or marketing of a product;
|
|
|
·
|
restrictions on product distribution or use;
|
|
|
·
|
requirements to conduct further post-marketing studies or clinical trials;
|
|
|
·
|
warning letters or untitled letters;
|
|
|
·
|
withdrawal of the products from the market;
|
|
|
·
|
refusal to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications that we submit;
|
|
|
·
|
restrictions on coverage by third-party payers;
|
|
|
·
|
fines, restitution or disgorgement of profits or revenues;
|
|
|
·
|
suspension or withdrawal of marketing approvals;
|
|
|
·
|
refusal to permit the import or export of products;
|
|
|
·
|
injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.
|
Historically, a few customers have accounted for a significant amount of our total revenue and accounts receivable and the loss of any of these customers could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
For the six months ended June 30, 2020, three customers represented an aggregate of 81% of our consolidated revenues, with BioCare, Biolife and Reliance representing approximately 47%, 20%, and 14%, respectively, of our consolidated revenues. For the year ended December 31, 2019, three customers represented an aggregate of 70% of our consolidated revenues, with BioCare, Biolife and Sanofi Pasteur S.A. (“Sanofi”) representing approximately 26%, 24%, and 20%, respectively, of our consolidated revenues.
As of June 30, 2020, three customers represented a total of 76% of our consolidated accounts receivable, with BioCare, Reliance and Biolife representing approximately 55%, 11% and 10%, respectively, of our consolidated accounts receivable. At December 31, 2019, BioCare represented 77% of our consolidated accounts receivable and McKesson Corporation (“McKesson”) represented 13% of our consolidated accounts receivable.
The loss of any key customers or a material change in the revenue generated by any of these customers, with the exception of Sanofi, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. The initial term of our Amended and Restated Plasma Supply Agreement with BPC, pursuant to which we supplied BPC with normal source plasma, expired by its terms on December 31, 2018 and was not renewed, and we fulfilled our commitment under our supply agreement with Sanofi during the year ended December 31, 2019. Moreover, we anticipate deriving increased revenue from BioCare over the next few years. Factors that could influence our relationships with our customers include, among other things:
|
|
·
|
our ability to sell our products at competitive prices;
|
|
|
·
|
our ability to maintain features and quality standards for our products sufficient to meet the expectations of our customers
|
|
|
·
|
our ability to produce and deliver a sufficient quantity of our products in a timely manner to meet our customers’ requirements; and
|
|
|
·
|
the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and government responses thereto on our customers and their businesses, operations and financial condition.
|
Additionally, an adverse change in the financial condition of BioCare, Biolife, Reliance, McKesson, Cardinal Health or AmerisourceBergen could negatively affect revenue derived from such customer, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Issues with product quality and compliance could have a material adverse effect upon our business, subject us to regulatory actions and cause a loss of customer confidence in us or our products.
Our success depends upon the quality of our products. Quality management plays an essential role in meeting customer requirements, preventing defects, improving our products and services and assuring the safety and efficacy of our products. Our future success depends on our ability to maintain and continuously improve our quality management program. A quality or safety issue may result in failure to obtain product approval, adverse inspection reports, warning letters, product recalls or seizures, monetary sanctions, injunctions to halt manufacture and distribution of products, civil or criminal sanctions, costly litigation, refusal of a government to grant approvals and licenses, restrictions on operations or withdrawal of existing approvals and licenses. An inability to address a quality or safety issue by us or by a third-party vendor in an effective and timely manner may also cause negative publicity, a loss of customer confidence in us or our current or future products, which may result in the loss of sales and difficulty in successfully commercializing our current products and launching new products.
If physicians, payers and patients do not accept and use our current products or our future product candidates, our ability to generate revenue from these products will be materially impaired.
Even if the FDA approves a product made by us, physicians, payers and patients may not accept and use it. Acceptance and use of our products depends on a number of factors including:
|
|
·
|
perceptions by members of the healthcare community, including physicians, about the safety and effectiveness of our products;
|
|
|
·
|
cost-effectiveness of our products relative to competing products;
|
|
|
·
|
availability of reimbursement for our products from government or other healthcare payers; and
|
|
|
·
|
the effectiveness of marketing and distribution efforts by us and our licensees and distributors, if any.
|
The failure of our current or future products to find market acceptance would harm our business and could require us to seek additional financing or make such financing difficult to obtain on favorable terms, if at all.
Our long-term success may depend on our ability to supplement our existing product portfolio through new product development or the in-license or acquisition of other new products, product candidates and label expansion of existing products, and if our business development efforts are not successful, our ability to achieve profitability may be adversely impacted.
Our current product development portfolio consists primarily of label expansion activities for Nabi-HB, BIVIGAM and ASCENIV. We have initiated small scale preclinical activities to potentially expand our current portfolio through new product development efforts or to in-license or acquire additional products and product candidates. If we are not successful in developing or acquiring additional products and product candidates, we will have to depend on our ability to raise capital for, and the successful commercialization of ASCENIV, as well as the revenue we may generate from the sale of Nabi-HB, BIVIGAM, contract manufacturing, and intermediates and plasma attributable to the operations of ADMA BioCenters, to support our operations.
Our ADMA BioCenters operations collect information from donors in the U.S. that subjects us to consumer and health privacy laws, which could create enforcement and litigation exposure if we fail to meet their requirements.
Consumer privacy is highly protected by federal and state law.The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”), as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (“HITECH”), and their respective implementing regulations, impose, among other things, obligations, including mandatory contractual terms, with respect to safeguarding the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information held by covered entities and business associates. A “covered entity” is the primary type of HIPAA-regulated entity.Health plans/insurers, healthcare providers engaging in standard transactions (insurance/health plan claims and encounters, payment and remittance advice, claims status, eligibility, enrollment/disenrollment, referrals and authorizations, coordination of benefits and premium payments), and healthcare clearinghouses (switches that convert data between standard and non-standard data sets) are covered entities. A “business associate” provides services to covered entities (directly or as subcontractors to other business associates) involving arranging, creating, receiving, maintaining, or transmitting protected health information (“PHI”) on a covered entity’s behalf.In order to legally provide access to PHI to service providers, covered entities and business associates must enter into a “business associate agreement” (“BAA”) with the service provider PHI recipient. Among other things, HITECH made certain aspects of the HIPAA’s rules (notably the Security Rule) directly applicable to business associates – independent contractors or agents of covered entities that receive or obtain protected health information in connection with providing a service on behalf of a covered entity. HITECH also created four new tiers of civil monetary penalties, amended HIPAA to make civil and criminal penalties directly applicable to business associates, and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil actions for damages or injunctions in federal court to enforce the federal HIPAA laws and seek attorney’s fees and costs associated with pursuing federal civil actions. The HHS Office of Civil Rights (“OCR”) has increased its focus on compliance and continues to train state attorneys general for enforcement purposes. OCR has recently increased both its efforts to audit HIPAA compliance and its level of enforcement, with one recent penalty exceeding $5.0 million.
While we are not a covered entity or business associate subject to HIPAA, even when HIPAA does not apply, according to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (the “FTC”), failing to take appropriate steps to keep consumers’ personal information secure constitutes unfair acts or practices in or affecting commerce in violation of Section 5(a) of the Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C § 45(a). The FTC expects a company’s data security measures to be reasonable and appropriate in light of the sensitivity and volume of consumer information it holds, the size and complexity of its business, and the cost of available tools to improve security and reduce vulnerabilities. Medical data is considered sensitive data that merits stronger safeguards. The FTC’s guidance for appropriately securing consumers’ personal information is similar to what is required by the HIPAA Security Rule.In addition, states impose a variety of laws protecting consumer information, with certain sensitive information such as HIV/Sexually Transmitted Disease status subject to heightened standards.In addition, federal and state privacy, data security, and breach notification laws, rules and regulations, and other laws apply to the collection, use and security of personal information, including social security number, driver’s license numbers, government identifiers, credit card and financial account numbers.Some state privacy and security laws apply more broadly than HIPAA and associated regulations. For example, California recently enacted legislation – the California Consumer Privacy Act, or CCPA – which went into effect January 1, 2020. The CCPA, among other things, creates new data privacy obligations for covered companies and provides new privacy rights to California residents, including the right to opt out of certain disclosures of their information. The CCPA also creates a private right of action with statutory damages for certain data breaches, thereby potentially increasing risks associated with a data breach. It remains unclear what, if any, modifications will be made to this legislation or how it will be interpreted. We could be subject to enforcement action and litigation exposure if we fail to adhere to these data privacy and security laws.
We may neither be successful in integrating the Biotest Assets into our business nor realize the strategic and financial benefits currently anticipated from the Biotest Transaction.
On June 6, 2017, we completed Biotest Transaction, in which we acquired certain assets (the “Biotest Assets”) of the Therapy Business Unit (“BTBU”) of BPC, which included two FDA-licensed products, Nabi-HB and BIVIGAM, and the Boca Facility. The Biotest Transaction involves the integration of two businesses that previously have operated independently with principal offices in two distinct locations. We continue to expend significant management attention and resources to integrate the two companies following completion of the Biotest Transaction. The failure to integrate successfully and to manage successfully the challenges presented by the integration process may result in the combined company’s failure to achieve some or all of the anticipated benefits of the Biotest Transaction. There is also uncertainty as to whether the combined business will be able to operate at a profitable level in the future given the relatively small size of the Biotest Assets and the competitive environment in which we operate.
Potential difficulties that may be encountered in the integration process include, but are not limited to, the following:
|
|
·
|
using our cash and other assets efficiently to develop the business on a post-Biotest Transaction basis;
|
|
|
·
|
appropriately managing the liabilities of our Company on a post-Biotest Transaction basis;
|
|
|
·
|
potential unknown or currently unquantifiable liabilities associated with the Biotest Transaction and the operations of our Company on a post-Biotest Transaction basis;
|
|
|
·
|
potential unknown and unforeseen expenses, delays or regulatory conditions associated with the Biotest Transaction; and
|
|
|
·
|
performance shortfalls in one or both of the businesses as a result of the diversion of the applicable management’s attention caused by completing the Biotest Transaction and integrating the business.
|
Delays in the integration process could adversely affect the combined company’s business, financial results, financial condition and stock price following the Biotest Transaction. Even if the combined company were able to integrate the business operations successfully, there can be no assurance that this integration will result in the realization of the full benefits of synergies, innovation and operational efficiencies that may be possible from this integration or that these benefits will be achieved within a reasonable period of time.
The Biotest Transaction exposes us to liabilities, a release of claims and competition that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and stock price.
As part of the consideration for the Biotest Transaction, we agreed to assume certain liabilities of BPC related to BTBU, which exposes us to liabilities that are not within our control and we cannot predict the extent to which these liabilities may arise in the future. Any liabilities that may arise could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and stock price.
The Master Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated as of January 21, 2017 (the “Master Purchase Agreement”) contains indemnification undertakings by the parties thereto for certain losses, including, among other things, indemnification for any losses arising from breaches of its representations, warranties, covenants and agreements in the Master Purchase Agreement. In connection with the Share Transfer, Amendment and Release Agreement among us, BPC, Biotest AG, Biotest US Corporation and The Biotest Divestiture Trust (the “Biotest Trust”) (the “Biotest Transfer Agreement”), we granted a full release to Biotest from any and all past, present or future indemnification claims arising under or in connection with the Master Purchase Agreement. Significant indemnification claims by BPC or its affiliates or breaches by BPC or its affiliates of any indemnity obligations which would have been owed to us under the Master Purchase Agreement prior to the release granted in the Biotest Transfer Agreement could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and stock price.
As part of the consideration for the Biotest Transaction, the parties also agreed to a mutual release, pursuant to which the parties agreed not to bring any suit, action or claim for any breach or default under the existing manufacturing and supply agreement or master services agreement prior to the closing of the Biotest Transaction. This release remains effective from and after the closing of the Biotest Transaction. The inability to seek these remedies could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and stock price.
In addition, while the Master Purchase Agreement contains certain non-compete clauses, such clauses do not prohibit either the Biotest Guarantors (as defined therein) or their other affiliates from directly or indirectly (other than through BPC) competing with BTBU after the closing of the Biotest Transaction. Such competition could result in the loss of existing or new customers, price reductions, reduced operating margins and loss of market share, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and stock price.
If our due diligence investigation for the Biotest Transaction was inadequate and/or the representations, warranties and indemnification given to us by BPC were inadequate, then it could result in a material adverse effect on our business.
Even though we believe that we conducted a reasonable and customary due diligence investigation of BTBU and we received market representations, warranties and indemnities from Biotest and BPC, we cannot be sure that our due diligence investigation uncovered all material or non-material issues that may be present. There also can be no assurances that we received access to or had the ability to diligence certain information, as well as appropriate representations and or warranties, that it would be possible to uncover all material issues through customary due diligence, or that issues outside of our control will not later arise or that all material issues which are or could have been discovered would otherwise be covered by the representations and warranties of Biotest and BPC and therefore indemnifiable. In connection with the Biotest Transfer Agreement, we granted a full release to Biotest from any and all past, present or future indemnification claims arising under or in connection with the Master Purchase Agreement. If we failed to identify any important issues, or if it were not possible to uncover all material issues, any such material issue could result in a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and stock price.
The Perceptive Credit Facility is subject to acceleration in specified circumstances, which may result in Perceptive taking possession and disposing of any collateral.
On February 11, 2019 (the “Perceptive Closing Date”), we entered into the Perceptive Credit Agreement with Perceptive Credit Holdings II, LP, as the lender and administrative agent (“Perceptive”). The Perceptive Credit Agreement, as amended, provides for a senior secured term loan facility in a principal amount of up to $85.0 million (the “Perceptive Credit Facility”), comprised of (i) a term loan made on the Perceptive Closing Date in the principal amount of $45.0 million, as evidenced by our issuance of a promissory note in favor of Perceptive on the Perceptive Closing Date (the “Perceptive Tranche I Loan”), (ii) a term loan in the principal amount of $27.5 million evidenced by our of a promissory note in favor of Perceptive on May 3, 2019 (the “Perceptive Tranche II Loan”); and (iii) an additional commitment in the principal amount of up to $12.5 million (the “Perceptive Tranche III Loan,” and together with the Perceptive Tranche I Loan and the Perceptive Tranche II Loan, the “Perceptive Loans”) which we drew down on March 20, 2020. The Perceptive Loans each have a maturity date of March 1, 2022, subject to acceleration pursuant to the Perceptive Credit Agreement, including upon an Event of Default (as defined in the Perceptive Credit Agreement). The Perceptive Loans are secured by substantially all of our assets, including our intellectual property. Events of Default include, among others, non-payment of principal, interest, or fees, violation of covenants, inaccuracy of representations and warranties, bankruptcy and insolvency events, material judgments, cross-defaults to material contracts and events constituting a change of control. In addition to an increase in the rate of interest on the Perceptive Loans of 4% per annum, the occurrence of an Event of Default could result in, among other things, the termination of commitments under the Perceptive Credit Facility, the declaration that all outstanding Loans are immediately due and payable in whole or in part, and Perceptive taking immediate possession of, and selling, any collateral securing the Perceptive Loans.
Developments by competitors may render our products or technologies obsolete or non-competitive.
The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are intensely competitive and subject to rapid and significant technological change. Our current products and any future product we may develop will have to compete with other marketed therapies. In addition, other companies may pursue the development of pharmaceuticals that target the same diseases and conditions that we are targeting. We face competition from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the U.S. and abroad. In addition, companies pursuing different but related fields represent substantial competition. Many of these organizations competing with us have substantially greater financial resources, larger research and development staffs and facilities, longer product development history in obtaining regulatory approvals and greater manufacturing and marketing capabilities than we do. These organizations also compete with us to attract qualified personnel and parties for acquisitions, joint ventures or other collaborations.
If we are unable to protect our patents, trade secrets or other proprietary rights, if our patents are challenged or if our provisional patent applications do not get approved, our competitiveness and business prospects may be materially damaged.
As we move forward in clinical development we are also uncovering novel aspects of our products and are drafting patents to cover our inventions. We rely on a combination of patent rights, trade secrets and nondisclosure and non-competition agreements to protect our proprietary intellectual property, and we will continue to do so. There can be no assurance that our patent, trade secret policies and practices or other agreements will adequately protect our intellectual property. Our issued patents may be challenged, found to be over-broad or otherwise invalidated in subsequent proceedings before courts or the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Even if enforceable, we cannot provide any assurances that they will provide significant protection from competition. The processes, systems, and/or security measures we use to preserve the integrity and confidentiality of our data and trade secrets may be breached, and we may not have adequate remedies as a result of any such breaches. In addition, our trade secrets may otherwise become known or be independently discovered by competitors. There can be no assurance that the confidentiality, nondisclosure and non-competition agreements with employees, consultants and other parties with access to our proprietary information to protect our trade secrets, proprietary technology, processes and other proprietary rights, or any other security measures relating to such trade secrets, proprietary technology, processes and proprietary rights, will be adequate, will not be breached, that we will have adequate remedies for any breach, that others will not independently develop substantially equivalent proprietary information or that third parties will not otherwise gain access to our trade secrets or proprietary knowledge. To the extent that our consultants, contractors or collaborators use intellectual property owned by others in their work for us, disputes may arise as to the rights in related or resulting know-how and inventions.
We could lose market exclusivity of a product earlier than expected.
In the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, the majority of an innovative product’s commercial value is realized during its market exclusivity period. In the U.S. and in some other countries, when market exclusivity expires and generic versions are approved and marketed or when biosimilars are introduced (even if only for a competing product), there are usually very substantial and rapid declines in a product’s revenues.
Market exclusivity for our products is based upon patent rights and certain regulatory forms of exclusivity. The scope of our patent rights may vary from country to country and may also be dependent on the availability of meaningful legal remedies in a country. The failure to obtain patent and other intellectual property rights, or limitations on the use or loss of such rights, could be material to us. In some countries, basic patent protections for our products may not exist because certain countries did not historically offer the right to obtain specific types of patents and/or we (or our licensors) did not file in those markets. In addition, the patent environment can be unpredictable and the validity and enforceability of patents cannot be predicted with certainty. Absent relevant patent protection for a product, once the data exclusivity period expires, generic versions can be approved and marketed.
Patent rights covering our products may become subject to patent litigation. In some cases, manufacturers may seek regulatory approval by submitting their own clinical trial data to obtain marketing approval or choose to launch a generic product “at risk” before the expiration of our patent rights/or before the final resolution of related patent litigation. Enforcement of claims in patent litigation can be very costly, time-consuming and no assurance can be given that we will prevail. In addition, any such litigation may divert our management's attention from our core business and reduce the resources available for our clinical development, manufacturing and marketing activities, and consequently have a material and adverse effect on our business and prospects, regardless of the outcome.
There is no assurance that ASCENIV, or any other of our products for which we are issued a patent, will enjoy market exclusivity for the full time period of the respective patent.
Third parties could obtain patents that may require us to negotiate licenses to conduct our business, and there can be no assurance that the required licenses would be available on reasonable terms or at all.
We may not be able to operate our business without infringing third-party patents. Numerous U.S. and foreign patents and pending patent applications owned by third parties exist in fields that relate to the development and commercialization of IG. In addition, many companies have employed intellectual property litigation as a way to gain a competitive advantage. It is possible that infringement claims may occur as the number of products and competitors in our market increases. In addition, to the extent that we gain greater visibility and market exposure as a public company, we face a greater risk of being the subject of intellectual property infringement claims. We cannot be certain that the conduct of our business does not and will not infringe intellectual property or other proprietary rights of others in the U.S. and in foreign jurisdictions. If our products, methods, processes and other technologies are found to infringe third-party patent rights, we could be prohibited from manufacturing and commercializing the infringing technology, process or product unless we obtain a license under the applicable third-party patent and pay royalties or are able to design around such patent. We may be unable to obtain a license on terms acceptable to us, or at all, and we may not be able to redesign our products or processes to avoid infringement. Even if we are able to redesign our products or processes to avoid an infringement claim, our efforts to design around the patent could require significant time, effort and expense and ultimately may lead to an inferior or more costly product and/or process. Any claim of infringement by a third party, even those without merit, could cause us to incur substantial costs defending against the claim and could distract our management from our business. Furthermore, if any such claim is successful, a court could order us to pay substantial damages, including compensatory damages for any infringement, plus prejudgment interest and could, in certain circumstances, treble the compensatory damages and award attorney fees. These damages could be substantial and could harm our reputation, business, financial condition and operating results. A court also could enter orders that temporarily, preliminarily or permanently prohibit us, our licensees, if any, and our customers from making, using, selling, offering to sell or importing one or more of our products or practicing our proprietary technologies or processes, or could enter an order mandating that we undertake certain remedial activities. Any of these events could seriously harm our business, operating results and financial condition.
If we are unable to successfully manage our growth, our business may be harmed.
Our success will depend on the expansion of our commercial and manufacturing activities, supply of plasma and overall operations and the effective management of our growth, which will place a significant strain on our management and on our administrative, operational and financial resources. To manage this growth, we must expand our facilities, augment our operational, financial and management systems and hire and train additional qualified personnel. Our ability to accomplish each of these factors may be negatively impacted as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. If we are unable to manage our growth effectively, our business could be harmed.
The loss of one or more key members of our management team could adversely affect our business.
Our performance is substantially dependent on the continued service and performance of our management team, who have extensive experience and specialized expertise in our business. In particular, the loss of Adam S. Grossman, our President and Chief Executive Officer, could adversely affect our business and operating results. We do not have “key person” life insurance policies for any members of our management team. We have employment agreements with each of our executive officers; however, the existence of an employment agreement does not guarantee retention of members of our management team and we may not be able to retain those individuals for the duration of or beyond the end of their respective terms. The loss of services of key personnel, or the inability to attract and retain additional qualified personnel, could result in delays in development or approval of our product candidates and diversion of management resources.
Cyberattacks and other security breaches could compromise our proprietary and confidential information, which could harm our business and reputation.
In the ordinary course of our business, we generate, collect and store proprietary information, including intellectual property and business information. The secure storage, maintenance, and transmission of and access to this information is important to our operations and reputation. Computer hackers may attempt to penetrate our computer systems and, if successful, misappropriate our proprietary and confidential information including e-mails and other electronic communications. Further, while many of our employees and certain suppliers with whom we do business operate in a remote working environment during the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of cybersecurity attacks and data breaches, particularly through phishing attempts, may be increased as we and third-parties with whom we interact leverage our IT infrastructure in unanticipated ways during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, an employee, contractor, or other third party with whom we do business may attempt to obtain such information, and may purposefully or inadvertently cause a breach involving such information. While we have certain safeguards in place to reduce the risk of and detect cyberattacks, including a Company-wide cybersecurity policy, our information technology networks and infrastructure may be vulnerable to unpermitted access by hackers or other breaches, or employee error or malfeasance. Any such compromise of our data security and access to, or public disclosure or loss of, confidential business or proprietary information could disrupt our operations, damage our reputation, provide our competitors with valuable information and subject us to additional costs, which could adversely affect our business.
If we are unable to hire and retain a substantial number of qualified personnel, our ability to sustain and grow our business may be harmed.
Our success depends in part on our ability to attract, motivate, and retain a sufficient number of qualified employees across various areas of our operations, such as research and development, manufacturing operations, and sales, who understand and appreciate our strategy and culture and are able to contribute to our mission. We will need to hire additional qualified personnel with expertise in commercialization, sales, marketing, medical affairs, reimbursement, government regulation, formulation, quality control, manufacturing and finance and accounting. In particular, over the next 12-24 months, we expect to hire several new employees devoted to commercialization, sales, marketing, medical and scientific affairs, regulatory affairs, quality control, finance and general and operational management. Qualified individuals of the requisite caliber and number needed to fill these positions may be in short supply in some areas. We compete for qualified individuals with numerous biopharmaceutical companies, universities and other research institutions. Competition for such individuals is intense, and we cannot assure you that our search for such personnel will be successful, particularly if the COVID-19 pandemic causes significant changes in the competitive market for such personnel or travel restrictions related to COVID-19 prevent qualified personnel from applying for employment. If we are unable to hire and retain personnel capable of consistently performing at a high level, our business and operations could be materially adversely affected. Additionally, any material increases in existing employee turnover rates or increases in labor costs could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or operating results.
We currently collect human blood plasma at our ADMA BioCenters facility, and if we cannot maintain FDA approval for this facility or obtain FDA approval for additional facilities that we create or acquire rights to, we may be adversely affected and may not be able to sell or use this human blood plasma for future commercial purposes.
We intend to maintain FDA approval of our ADMA BioCenters collection facility in Kennesaw, GA for the collection of human blood plasma and we may seek other governmental and regulatory approvals for this facility. We also plan to grow through the building and licensing of additional ADMA BioCenters facilities in various regions of the U.S. Collection facilities are subject to FDA and potentially other governmental and regulatory inspections and extensive regulation, including compliance with current cGMP, FDA and other government approvals, as applicable. Failure to comply with applicable governmental regulations or to receive applicable approvals for our future facilities may result in enforcement actions, such as adverse inspection reports, warning letters, product recalls or seizures, monetary sanctions, injunctions to halt manufacture and distribution of products, civil or criminal sanctions, costly litigation, refusal of regulatory authority approvals and licenses, restrictions on operations or withdrawal of existing approvals and licenses, any of which may significantly delay or suspend our operations for these locations, potentially having a materially adverse effect on our ability to manufacture our products or offer for sale plasma collected at the affected site(s).
We currently manufacture our current marketed products, pipeline products, and products for third parties in our manufacturing and testing facilities, and if we or our vendors cannot maintain appropriate FDA status for these facilities, we may be adversely affected, and may not be able to sell, manufacture or commercialize these products.
There are no assurances we will be able to maintain compliance with all FDA or other regulations.Our third-party vendors may perform activities for themselves or other clients and we may not be privy to all regulatory findings or issues discovered by the FDA or other regulatory agencies. Such findings, which are out of our control, may adversely affect our ability to continue to work with these vendors, or our ability to release commercial drug product or perform necessary testing or other actions for us or our clients, which may be required in order to remain FDA compliant or to commercialize our products.
We may incur substantial liabilities and may be required to limit commercialization of our products in response to product liability lawsuits.
The testing and marketing of medical products entail an inherent risk of product liability. If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against product liability claims, we may incur substantial liabilities or be required to limit commercialization of our products. Our inability to obtain and maintain sufficient product liability insurance at an acceptable cost to protect against potential product liability claims could prevent or inhibit the commercialization of pharmaceutical products we develop, either alone or with collaborators.
Many of our business practices are subject to scrutiny by federal and state regulatory authorities, as well as to lawsuits brought by private citizens under federal and state laws. Failure to comply with applicable law or an adverse decision in lawsuits may result in adverse consequences to us.
The laws governing our conduct in the U.S. are enforceable on the federal and state levels by criminal, civil and administrative penalties. Violations of laws such as the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, the Social Security Act (including the Anti-Kickback Statute), the Public Health Service Act and the Federal False Claims Act, and any regulations promulgated under the authority of the preceding, may result in jail sentences, fines or exclusion from federal and state programs, as may be determined by Medicare, Medicaid and HHS and other regulatory authorities as well as by the courts. Similarly, the violation of applicable laws, rules and regulations of the State of Florida with respect to the manufacture of our products and product candidates may result in jail sentences, fines or exclusion from applicable state programs. There can be no assurance that our activities will not come under the scrutiny of federal and/or state regulators and other government authorities or that our practices will not be found to violate applicable laws, rules and regulations or prompt lawsuits by private citizen “relators” under federal or state false claims laws.
For example, under the Anti-Kickback Statute and similar state laws and regulations, the offer or payment of anything of value for patient referrals, or in return for purchasing, leasing, ordering or arranging for or recommending the purchase, lease, or ordering of any time or service reimbursable in whole or in part by a federal healthcare program is prohibited. This places constraints on the marketing and promotion of products and on common business arrangements, such as discounted terms and volume incentives for customers in a position to recommend or choose products for patients, such as physicians and hospitals, and these practices can result in substantial legal penalties, including, among others, exclusion from the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Arrangements with referral sources such as purchasers, group purchasing organizations, physicians and pharmacists must be structured with care to comply with applicable requirements. Legislators and regulators may seek to further restrict the scope of financial relationships that are considered appropriate. For example, HHS issued a proposed rule in February 2019, which aims to eliminate certain Anti-Kickback Statute safe harbor protection for drug rebates. Also, certain business practices, such as payments of consulting fees to healthcare providers, sponsorship of educational or research grants, charitable donations, interactions with healthcare providers that prescribe products for uses not approved by the FDA and financial support for continuing medical education programs, must be conducted within narrowly prescribed and controlled limits to avoid any possibility of wrongfully influencing healthcare providers to prescribe or purchase particular products or as a reward for past prescribing. Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) and the companion Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, which together are referred to as the “Healthcare Reform Law,” payments and transfers of value by pharmaceutical manufacturers subject to this “Sunshine Act” and its implementing regulations to U.S.–licensed physicians and teaching hospitals, must be tracked and reported, and will be publicly disclosed. Such “applicable manufacturers” are also required to report certain ownership interests held by physicians and their immediate family members. In 2018, the Sunshine Act was extended to require tracking and reporting of payments and transfers of value to physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and other mid-level practitioners (with reporting requirements going into effect in 2022 for payments and transfers of value made in 2021). A number of states have similar laws in place. Additional and stricter prohibitions could be implemented by federal and state authorities. Where such practices have been found to be improper incentives to use such products, government investigations and assessments of penalties against manufacturers have resulted in substantial damages and fines. Many manufacturers have been required to enter into consent decrees or orders that prescribe allowable corporate conduct.
Failure to satisfy requirements under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act can also result in penalties, as well as requirements to enter into consent decrees or orders that prescribe allowable corporate conduct. In addition, while regulatory authorities generally do not regulate physicians’ discretion in their choice of treatments for their patients, they do restrict communications by manufacturers on unapproved uses of approved products or on the potential safety and efficacy of unapproved products in development. Companies in the U.S., Canada and the European Union cannot promote approved products for other indications that are not specifically approved by the competent regulatory authorities such as the FDA in the U.S., nor can companies promote unapproved products. In limited circumstances, companies may disseminate to physicians information regarding unapproved uses of approved products or results of studies involving investigational products. If such activities fail to comply with applicable regulations and guidelines of the various regulatory authorities, we may be subject to warnings from, or enforcement action by, these authorities. Furthermore, if such activities are prohibited, it may harm demand for our products. Promotion of unapproved drugs or devices or unapproved indications for a drug or device is a violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and subjects us to civil and criminal sanctions. Furthermore, sanctions under the Federal False Claims Act have recently been brought against companies accused of promoting off-label uses of drugs, because such promotion induces the use and subsequent claims for reimbursement under Medicare and other federal programs. Similar actions for off-label promotion have been initiated by several states for Medicaid fraud. The Healthcare Reform Law significantly strengthened provisions of the Federal False Claims Act, the Anti-Kickback Statute that applies to Medicare and Medicaid, and other healthcare fraud provisions, leading to the possibility of greatly increased qui tam suits by relators for perceived violations. Violations or allegations of violations of the foregoing restrictions could materially and adversely affect our business.
We are required to report detailed pricing information, net of included discounts, rebates and other concessions, to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) for the purpose of calculating national reimbursement levels, certain federal prices and certain federal and state rebate obligations. Inaccurate or incomplete reporting of pricing information could result in liability under the False Claims Act, the federal Anti-Kickback Statute and various other laws, rules and regulations.
We will need to establish systems for collecting and reporting this data accurately to CMS and institute a compliance program to assure that the information collected is complete in all respects. If we report pricing information that is not accurate to the federal government, we could be subject to fines and other sanctions that could adversely affect our business. If we choose to pursue clinical development and commercialization in the European Union or otherwise market and sell our products outside of the U.S., we must obtain and maintain regulatory approvals and comply with regulatory requirements in such jurisdictions. The approval procedures vary among countries in complexity and timing. We may not obtain approvals from regulatory authorities outside the U.S. on a timely basis, if at all, which would preclude us from commercializing products in those markets.
In addition, some countries, particularly the countries of the European Union, regulate the pricing of prescription pharmaceuticals. In these countries, pricing discussions with governmental authorities can take considerable time after the receipt of marketing approval for a product. To obtain reimbursement or pricing approval in some countries, we may be required to conduct a clinical trial that compares the cost-effectiveness of our product candidate to other available therapies. Such trials may be time-consuming and expensive, and may not show an advantage in efficacy for our products. If reimbursement of our products is unavailable or limited in scope or amount, or if pricing is set at unsatisfactory levels, in either the U.S. or the European Union, we could be adversely affected.
Also, under the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the U.S. has increasingly focused on regulating the conduct by U.S. businesses occurring outside of the U.S., generally prohibiting remuneration to foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. To enhance compliance with applicable healthcare laws, and mitigate potential liability in the event of noncompliance, regulatory authorities such as the HHS Office of Inspector General (the “OIG”) have recommended the adoption and implementation of a comprehensive healthcare compliance program that generally contains the elements of an effective compliance and ethics program described in Section 8B2.1 of the U.S. Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual. Increasing numbers of U.S.-based pharmaceutical companies have such programs. We will need to adopt healthcare compliance and ethics programs that would incorporate the OIG’s recommendations and train our employees. Such a program may be expensive and may not provide assurance that we will avoid compliance issues.
We are also required to comply with the applicable laws, rules, regulations and permit requirements of the various states in which our business operates, including the State of Florida where our manufacturing facility is located. These regulations and permit requirements are not always in concert with applicable federal laws, rules and regulations regulating our business. Although compliant with applicable federal requirements, we may be required to comply with additional state laws, rules, regulations and permits. Failure to appropriately comply with such state requirements could result in temporary or long-term cessation of our manufacturing operations, as well as fines and other sanctions. Any such penalties may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
We are subject to extensive and rigorous governmental regulation, including the requirement of FDA and other federal, state and local business regulatory approval before our products and product candidates may be lawfully marketed, and our ability to obtain regulatory approval of our products and product candidates from the FDA in a timely manner, access the public markets and obtain necessary capital in order to properly capitalize and continue our operations may be hindered by inadequate funding for the FDA, the SEC and other state and local government agencies.
Both before and after the approval of our products, our products, our operations, our facilities, our suppliers and our contract research organizations are subject to extensive regulation by federal, state and local governmental authorities in the U.S. and other countries, with regulations differing from country to country. In the U.S., the FDA regulates, among other things, the pre-clinical testing, clinical trials, manufacturing, safety, efficacy, potency, labeling, storage, record keeping, quality systems, advertising, promotion, sale and distribution of therapeutic products. Failure to comply with applicable requirements could result in, among other things, one or more of the following actions: notices of violation, untitled letters, warning letters, complete response letters, fines and other monetary penalties, unanticipated expenditures, delays in approval or refusal to approve a product or product candidate, product recall or seizure, interruption of manufacturing or clinical trials, operating restrictions, injunctions and criminal prosecution. Our products and product candidates cannot be lawfully marketed in the U.S. without FDA and other federal, state and local business regulatory approval. Any failure to receive the marketing approvals necessary to commercialize our product or product candidates could harm our business.
The regulatory review and approval process of governmental authorities is lengthy, expensive and uncertain. For example, in December 2016, BPC, the owner of BIVIGAM prior to the Biotest Transaction in June 2017, temporarily suspended the commercial production of BIVIGAM in order to focus on the completion of planned improvements to the manufacturing process. We resumed production of BIVIGAM utilizing our now FDA-approved IVIG manufacturing process with two conformance lots in the fourth quarter of 2017 and a third conformance lot in the first quarter of 2018. During the first half of 2018, we qualified and filled the BIVIGAM conformance batches and the product is on stability. In June 2018, we filed a drug substance PAS with the FDA for BIVIGAM to include the ADMA improvements for BIVIGAM and to seek FDA authorization which would enable us to resume commercial scale manufacturing and re-launch and commercialize this product. On December 19, 2018, we received the BIVIGAM CRL for our PAS submission for BIVIGAM drug substance. The BIVIGAM CRL requested certain additional information and clarifications relating to CMC matters contained in our PAS submission for drug substance, including complete resolution of certain manufacturing related deviations, information pertaining to how certain in-process manufacturing samples are taken, as well as updates on certain stability data previously submitted. As the information we believed necessary to address and respond to the matters raised in the BIVIGAM CRL was readily available in our files, on January 7, 2019 we announced that our responses to the BIVIGAM CRL were submitted to the FDA for further review. Subsequent to the January 7, 2019 resubmission to the FDA, we received an information request for a limited number of questions. On May 9, 2019, we received FDA approval for our PAS for BIVIGAM.
Additionally, the ability of the FDA and other federal, state and local business regulatory agencies to review and approve products and product candidates can be affected by a variety of factors, including government budget and funding levels, ability to hire and retain key personnel and accept the payment of user fees, and statutory, regulatory, and policy changes. Average review times at the FDA and other federal, state and local business regulatory agencies have fluctuated in recent years as a result. In addition, government funding of the SEC and other government agencies on which our operations may rely, including those that fund research and development activities is subject to the political process, which is inherently fluid and unpredictable. Disruptions at the FDA and other agencies may also slow the time necessary for products and product candidate submissions to be reviewed and/or approved by necessary government agencies, which would adversely affect our business. For example, over the last several years, including in December 2018 and January 2019, the U.S. government has shut down several times and certain regulatory agencies, such as the FDA and SEC, have had to furlough critical employees and stop critical activities. If a prolonged government shutdown reoccurs, it could significantly impact the ability of the FDA to timely review and process our regulatory submissions and other reporting requirements which could have a material adverse effect on our business. Further, future government shutdowns could impact our ability to access the public markets and obtain necessary capital in order to properly capitalize and continue our operations.
The manufacturing processes for plasma-based biologics are complex and involve biological intermediates that are susceptible to contamination and impurities.
Plasma is a raw material that is susceptible to damage and contamination and may contain human pathogens, any of which would render the plasma unsuitable as raw material for further manufacturing. For instance, improper storage of plasma, by us or third-party suppliers, may require us to destroy some of our raw material. If unsuitable plasma is not identified and discarded prior to the release of the plasma to the manufacturing process, it may be necessary to discard intermediate or finished product made from that plasma or to recall any finished product released to the market, resulting in a charge to cost of product revenue. The manufacture of our plasma products is an extremely complex process of fractionation, purification, testing, filling and finishing. Our products can become non-releasable or otherwise fail to meet our stringent specifications or regulatory agencies’ specifications through a failure in one or more of these process steps. We may detect instances in which an unreleased product was produced without adherence to our manufacturing procedures or plasma used in our production process was not collected or stored in a compliant manner consistent with our cGMP or other regulations. Such an event of noncompliance would likely result in our determination that the implicated products should not be released or maybe replaced or withdrawn from the market and therefore should be destroyed. Once manufactured, our plasma-derived products must be handled carefully and kept at appropriate temperatures. Our failure, or the failure of third parties that supply, test, ship or distribute our products to properly care for our products, may require that those products be destroyed. Even if handled properly, biologics may form or contain particulates or have other issues or problems after storage which may require products to be destroyed or recalled. While we expect to write off small amounts of work-in-progress in the ordinary course of business due to the complex nature of plasma, our processes and our products, unanticipated events may lead to write-offs and other costs materially in excess of our expectations and the reserves we have established for these purposes. Such write-offs and other costs could cause material fluctuations in our results of operations.
Furthermore, contamination of our products could cause investors, consumers, or other third parties with whom we conduct business to lose confidence in the reliability of our manufacturing procedures, which could adversely affect our revenues. In addition, faulty or contaminated products that are unknowingly distributed could result in patient harm, threaten the reputation of our products and expose us to product liability damages and claims from companies for whom we do contract manufacturing.
Our ability to continue to produce safe and effective products depends on the safety of our plasma supply, testing by third parties and the timing of receiving the testing results, and manufacturing processes against transmittable diseases.
Despite overlapping safeguards, including the screening of donors and other steps to remove or inactivate viruses and other infectious disease causing agents, the risk of transmissible disease through blood plasma products cannot be entirely eliminated. For example, since plasma-derived therapeutics involves the use and purification of human plasma, there has been concern raised about the risk of transmitting HIV, prions, West Nile virus, H1N1 virus or “swine flu” and other blood-borne pathogens through plasma-derived products. There are also concerns about the future transmission of H5N1 virus, or “bird flu.” In the 1980s, thousands of hemophiliacs worldwide were infected with HIV through the use of contaminated Factor VIII. Other producers of Factor VIII, though not us, were defendants in numerous lawsuits resulting from these infections. New infectious diseases emerge in the human population from time to time. If a new infectious disease has a period during which time the causative agent is present in the bloodstream but symptoms are not present, it is possible that plasma donations could be contaminated by that infectious agent. Typically, early in an outbreak of a new disease, tests for the causative agent do not exist. During this early phase, we must rely on screening of donors for behavioral risk factors or physical symptoms to reduce the risk of plasma contamination. Screening methods are generally less sensitive and specific than a direct test as a means of identifying potentially contaminated plasma units. During the early phase of an outbreak of a new infectious disease, our ability to manufacture safe products would depend on the manufacturing process’ capacity to inactivate or remove the infectious agent. To the extent that a product’s manufacturing process is inadequate to inactivate or remove an infectious agent, our ability to manufacture and distribute that product would be impaired. If a new infectious disease were to emerge in the human population, such as COVID-19, or if there were a reemergence of an infectious disease, the regulatory and public health authorities could impose precautions to limit the transmission of the disease that would impair our ability to procure plasma, manufacture our products or both. Such precautionary measures could be taken before there is conclusive medical or scientific evidence that a disease poses a risk for plasma-derived products. In recent years, new testing and viral inactivation methods have been developed that more effectively detect and inactivate infectious viruses in collected plasma. There can be no assurance, however, that such new testing and inactivation methods will adequately screen for, and inactivate, infectious agents in the plasma used in the production of our products.
We could become supply-constrained and our financial performance would suffer if we cannot obtain adequate quantities of FDA-approved source plasma with proper specifications or other necessary raw materials.
In order for plasma to be used in the manufacturing of our products, the individual centers at which the plasma is collected must be licensed by the FDA and approved by the regulatory authorities of any country in which we may wish to commercialize our products. When we open a new plasma center, and on an ongoing basis after licensure, it must be inspected by the FDA for compliance with cGMP and other regulatory requirements. Therefore, even if we are able to construct new plasma collection centers to complement our Kennesaw, GA plasma collection facility, an unsatisfactory inspection could prevent a new center from being licensed or risk the suspension or revocation of an existing license. We do not and will not have adequate plasma to manufacture our products. Therefore, we are reliant on the purchase of plasma from third parties to manufacture our products. We can give no assurances that appropriate plasma will be available to us on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, to manufacture our products. Further, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in, and may continue to result in, significant constraints in raw material supply across various different industries, including the supply of plasma. It is possible that in the future, the COVID-19 pandemic and government responses thereto will have an adverse effect on our ability to source plasma from donors in quantity and quality sufficient for our manufacturing processes. In order to maintain a plasma center’s license, its operations must continue to conform to cGMP and other regulatory requirements. In the event that we determine that plasma was not collected in compliance with cGMP, we may be unable to use and may ultimately destroy plasma collected from that center, which would be recorded as a charge to cost of product revenue. Additionally, if non-compliance in the plasma collection process is identified after the impacted plasma has been pooled with compliant plasma from other sources, entire plasma pools, in-process intermediate materials and final products could be impacted. Consequently, we could experience significant inventory impairment provisions and write-offs which could adversely affect our business and financial results. We plan to increase our supplies of plasma for use in the manufacturing processes through increased purchases of plasma from third-party suppliers as well as collections from our existing ADMA BioCenters plasma collection facility. This strategy is dependent upon our ability to maintain a cGMP compliant environment in our plasma facility and to expand production and attract donors to our facility. There is no assurance that the FDA will inspect and license any of our unlicensed plasma collection facilities which we may, in the future, construct, in a timely manner consistent with our production plans. If we misjudge the readiness of a center for an FDA inspection, we may lose credibility with the FDA and cause the FDA to more closely examine all of our operations. Such additional scrutiny could materially hamper our operations and our ability to increase plasma collections. Our ability to expand production and increase our plasma collection facility to more efficient production levels may be affected by changes in the economic environment and population in selected regions where ADMA BioCenters operates its current or future plasma facilities, by the entry of competitive plasma centers into regions where ADMA BioCenters operates such centers, by misjudging the demographic potential of individual regions where ADMA BioCenters expects to expand production and attract new donors, by unexpected facility related challenges, or by unexpected management challenges at selected plasma facilities held by us from time to time.
Our ability to commercialize our products, alone or with collaborators, will depend in part upon the extent to which reimbursement will be available from governmental agencies, health administration authorities, private health maintenance organizations and health insurers and other healthcare payers, and also depends upon the approval, timing and representations by the FDA or other governmental authorities for our product candidates.
Our ability to generate product revenues will be diminished if our products sell for inadequate prices or patients are unable to obtain adequate levels of coverage. Significant uncertainty exists as to the reimbursement status of newly approved healthcare products, as well as to the timing, language, specifications and other details pertaining to the approval of such products. Healthcare payers, including Medicare, are challenging the prices charged for medical products and services. Government and other healthcare payers increasingly attempt to contain healthcare costs by limiting both coverage and the level of reimbursement for products. Even if one of our product candidates is approved by the FDA, insurance coverage may not be available, and reimbursement levels may be inadequate, to cover such product. If government and other healthcare payers do not provide adequate coverage and reimbursement levels for one of our products, once approved, market acceptance of such product could be reduced. Prices in many countries, including many in Europe, are subject to local regulation and certain pharmaceutical products, such as plasma-derived products, are subject to price controls in several of the world’s principal markets, including many countries within the European Union. In the U.S., where pricing levels for our products are substantially established by third-party payers, including Medicare, if payers reduce the amount of reimbursement for a product, it may cause groups or individuals dispensing the product to discontinue administration of the product, to administer lower doses, to substitute lower cost products or to seek additional price-related concessions. These actions could have a negative effect on our financial results, particularly in cases where our products command a premium price in the marketplace, or where changes in reimbursement induce a shift in the site of treatment. The existence of direct and indirect price controls and pressures over our products could materially adversely affect our financial prospects and performance.
The new biosimilar pathway established as part of healthcare reform may make it easier for competitors to market biosimilar products.
The Healthcare Reform Law introduced an abbreviated licensure pathway for biological products that are demonstrated to be biosimilar to an FDA-licensed biological product. A biological product may be demonstrated to be “biosimilar” if data shows that, among other things, the product is “highly similar” to an already-approved biological product, known as a reference product, and has no clinically meaningful differences in terms of safety and effectiveness from the reference product. The law provides that a biosimilar application may be submitted as soon as four years after the reference product is first licensed, and that the FDA may not make approval of an application effective until 12 years after the reference product was first licensed. Since the enactment of the law, the FDA has issued several guidance documents to assist sponsors of biosimilar products in preparing their approval applications. The FDA approved the first biosimilar product in 2015, and has since approved a number of biosimilars. As a result of the biosimilar pathway in the U.S., we expect in the future to face greater competition from biosimilar products, including a possible increase in patent challenges.
The implementation of the Healthcare Reform Law in the U.S. may adversely affect our business.
Through the March 2010 adoption of the Healthcare Reform Law in the U.S., substantial changes are being made to the current system for paying for healthcare in the U.S., including programs to extend medical benefits to millions of individuals who currently lack insurance coverage. The changes contemplated by the Healthcare Reform Law are subject to rule-making and implementation timelines that extend for several years, and this uncertainty limits our ability to forecast changes that may occur in the future. However, implementation has already begun with respect to certain significant cost-saving measures under the Healthcare Reform Law, for example with respect to several government healthcare programs, including Medicaid and Medicare Parts B and D, that may cover the cost of our future products, and these efforts could have a material adverse impact on our future financial prospects and performance. For example, in order for a manufacturer’s products to be reimbursed by federal funding under Medicaid, the manufacturer must enter into a Medicaid rebate agreement with the Secretary of HHS and pay certain rebates to the states based on utilization data provided by each state to the manufacturer and to CMS and pricing data provided by the manufacturer to the federal government. The states share these savings with the federal government, and sometimes implement their own additional supplemental rebate programs. Under the Medicaid drug rebate program, the rebate amount for most branded drug products was previously equal to a minimum of 15.1% of the Average Manufacturer Price (“AMP”) or the AMP less Best Price, whichever is greater. Effective January 1, 2010, the Healthcare Reform Law generally increased the size of the Medicaid rebates paid by manufacturers for single source and innovator multiple source (brand name) drug products from a minimum of 15.1% to a minimum of 23.1% of AMP, subject to certain exceptions. For non-innovator multiple source (generic) products, the rebate percentage is increased from a minimum of 11.0% to a minimum of 13.0% of AMP. In 2010, the Healthcare Reform Law also newly extended this rebate obligation to prescription drugs covered by Medicaid managed care organizations. These increases in required rebates may adversely affect our future financial prospects and performance. In order for a pharmaceutical product to receive federal reimbursement under the Medicare Part B and Medicaid programs or to be sold directly to U.S. government agencies, the manufacturer must extend discounts to entities eligible to participate in the 340B drug pricing program. The required 340B discount on a given product is calculated based on the AMP and Medicaid rebate amounts reported by the manufacturer. As the 340B drug pricing is determined based on AMP and Medicaid rebate data, the revisions to the Medicaid rebate formula and AMP definition described above could cause the required 340B discount to increase.
Effective in 2011, the Healthcare Reform Law imposed an annual, nondeductible fee on any entity that manufactures or imports certain branded prescription drugs and biologic agents, apportioned among these entities according to their market share in certain government healthcare programs. These fees may adversely affect our future financial prospects and performance. The Healthcare Reform Law established the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation within CMS to test innovative payment and service delivery models to lower Medicare and Medicaid spending, potentially including prescription drug spending. Funding has been allocated to support the mission of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation through 2019.
The Healthcare Reform Law also creates new rebate obligations for our products under Medicare Part D, a partial, voluntary prescription drug benefit created by the U.S. federal government primarily for persons 65 years old and over. The Part D drug program is administered through private insurers that contract with CMS. Beginning in 2011, the Healthcare Reform Law generally requires that in order for a drug manufacturer’s products to be reimbursed under Medicare Part D, the manufacturer must enter into a Medicare Coverage Gap Discount Program agreement with the Secretary of HHS, and reimburse each Medicare Part D plan sponsor an amount equal to 50% savings for the manufacturer’s brand name drugs and biologics which the Part D plan sponsor has provided to its Medicare Part D beneficiaries who are in the “donut hole” (or a gap in Medicare Part D coverage for beneficiaries who have expended certain amounts for drugs). The Part D plan sponsor is responsible for calculating and providing the discount directly to its beneficiaries and for reporting these amounts paid to CMS’s contractor, which notifies drug manufacturers of the rebate amounts it must pay to each Part D plan sponsor. The rebate requirement could adversely affect our future financial performance, particularly if contracts with Part D plans cannot be favorably renegotiated or the Part D plan sponsors fail to accurately calculate payments due in a manner that overstates our rebate obligation. Regarding access to our products, the Healthcare Reform Law established and provided significant funding for a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to coordinate and fund Comparative Effectiveness Research (“CER”). While the stated intent of CER is to develop information to guide providers to the most efficacious therapies, outcomes of CER could influence the reimbursement or coverage for therapies that are determined to be less cost-effective than others. Should any of our products be determined to be less cost effective than alternative therapies, the levels of reimbursement for these products, or the willingness to reimburse at all, could be impacted, which could materially impact our future financial prospects and results.
There have been repeated attempts by Congress to repeal or change the Healthcare Reform Law.
Further, on January 20, 2017, the new administration signed an Executive Order directing federal agencies with authorities and responsibilities under the ACA to waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay the implementation of any provision of the Healthcare Reform Law that would impose a fiscal or regulatory burden on states, individuals, healthcare providers, health insurers, or manufacturers of pharmaceuticals or medical devices. More recently, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas struck down the Healthcare Reform Law, deeming it unconstitutional given that Congress repealed the individual mandate in 2017. This decision has been stayed pending outcome of an appeal to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Although there is no immediate impact on the ACA, we will continue to evaluate the effect that the Healthcare Reform Law and its possible repeal and replacement, or potential total revocation by the Supreme Court of the United States, has on our business.
Risks Relating to our Finances, Capital Requirements and Other Financial Matters
We require additional funding and may be unable to raise capital when needed, which would force us to delay, curtail or eliminate one or more of our research and development programs or commercialization efforts.
Our operations have consumed substantial amounts of cash since inception. For the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, we had negative cash flows from operations of $45.9 million and $32.9 million, respectively, and for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, we had negative cash flows from operations of approximately $76.2 million and $62.7 million, respectively. We expect to continue to spend substantial amounts on procurement of raw material plasma and other raw materials necessary to scale up our manufacturing operations, commercial product launches, capacity expansion at the Boca Facility, building additional plasma collection facilities, product development, quality assurance, regulatory affairs and conducting clinical trials for our product candidates and purchasing clinical trial materials, some of which may be required by the FDA. In addition, our end-to-end production cycle from procurement of raw materials to commercial release of finished product can take between seven and 12 months, requiring substantial investments in raw material plasma and other manufacturing materials. We expect that we will not be able to generate a sufficient amount of product revenue to achieve profitability before 2021 and, as a result, we expect that we will need to finance our operations through additional equity or debt financings or corporate collaboration and licensing agreements. We currently anticipate, based upon our projected revenue and expenditures, as well as the additional funds we are able to draw down under the Perceptive Credit Facility, that our current cash, cash equivalents and accounts receivable will be sufficient to fund our operations, as currently conducted, into the second quarter of 2021. In order to have sufficient cash to fund our operations thereafter, we will need to raise additional equity or debt financing before the end of the second quarter of 2021. This time frame may change based upon how quickly we are able to execute on our operational initiatives and the various financing options that may be available to us in 2021. However, if the assumptions underlying our estimated expenses prove to be incorrect, we may have to raise additional capital sooner than we currently expect. Until such time, if ever, as we can generate a sufficient amount of product revenue to achieve profitability, we expect to continue to finance our operations through additional equity or debt financings or corporate collaboration and licensing arrangements. If we are unable to raise additional capital as needed, including due to widespread liquidity constraints or significant market instability that could result from the COVID-19 pandemic, we will have to delay, curtail or eliminate our commercialization efforts or our product development activities.
We may not have cash available to us in amounts sufficient to enable us to make interest or principal payments on our indebtedness when due.
The Perceptive Credit Facility provides for term loans of up to an aggregate principal amount of $85.0 million, all of which has been drawn down and is currently outstanding. Borrowings under the Perceptive Credit Facility bear interest at a rate per annum equal to 7.5% plus the greater of (i) one-month LIBOR and (ii) 3.5%; provided, however, that upon, and during the continuance of, an Event of Default, the interest rate will automatically increase by an additional 400 basis points. We are required to make monthly payments of interest during the term of the Perceptive Credit Facility of approximately $0.8 million, with all principal and unpaid interest due at maturity. The Perceptive Credit Facility has a maturity date of March 1, 2022, subject to acceleration pursuant to the Perceptive Credit Agreement, including upon an Event of Default. All of our obligations under the Perceptive Credit Facility are secured by a first-priority lien and security interest in substantially all of our and our subsidiaries’ tangible and intangible assets, including intellectual property, and all of the equity interests in our subsidiaries.
In addition, we have $15.0 million in principal amount of indebtedness outstanding under an unsecured subordinated note issued by ADMA BioManufacturing to Biotest on June 6, 2017, which note bears interest at a rate of 6.0% per annum and matures on June 6, 2022. We are obligated to make semi-annual interest payments to Biotest of approximately $0.5 million, with all principal and unpaid interest due at maturity.
Our current cash, cash equivalents and accounts receivable will not be sufficient to repay all of our current outstanding debt obligations as they mature. If we are unable to obtain additional financing and are otherwise unable to become profitable and generate cash from operations in the amounts necessary to repay our outstanding debt obligations when due, including as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, our creditors would be able to accelerate all of the amounts due and, in the case of the Perceptive Credit Facility, seek to enforce their security interests, which could lead to our creditors taking immediate possession of and selling substantially all of our assets with no return provided to our stockholders.
Raising additional funds by issuing securities or through licensing or lending arrangements may cause dilution to our existing stockholders, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish proprietary rights.
To the extent that we raise additional capital by issuing equity securities, the share ownership of existing stockholders will be diluted. Any future debt financing may involve covenants that, among other restrictions, limit our ability to incur liens or additional debt, pay dividends, redeem or repurchase our common stock, make certain investments or engage in certain merger, consolidation or asset sale transactions. In addition, if we raise additional funds through licensing arrangements or the disposition of any of our assets, it may be necessary to relinquish potentially valuable rights to our product candidates or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us.
Our cash and cash equivalents could be adversely affected if the financial institutions in which we hold our cash and cash equivalents fail.
We regularly maintain cash balances at third-party financial institutions in excess of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance limit. While we monitor the cash balances in our operating accounts on a daily basis and adjust the balances as appropriate, these balances could be impacted, and there could be a material adverse effect on our business, if one or more of the financial institutions with which we deposit cash fails or is subject to other adverse conditions in the financial or credit markets. To date, we have experienced no loss or lack of access to our invested cash or cash equivalents; however, we can provide no assurance that access to our invested cash and cash equivalents will not be impacted by adverse conditions in the financial and credit markets.
If we fail to maintain proper and effective internal control over financial reporting in the future, our ability to produce accurate and timely financial statements could be impaired, which could harm our operating results, investors’ views of us and, as a result, the value of our common stock.
Pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) and related rules, our management is required to report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. The rules governing the standards that must be met for management to assess our internal control over financial reporting are complex and require significant documentation, testing and possible remediation. To comply with the requirements of being a reporting company under the Exchange Act, we have been required to upgrade, and may need to implement further upgrades, to our financial, information and operating systems, implement additional financial and management controls, reporting systems and procedures and hire additional accounting and finance staff.
Our ability to use our net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”) may be limited.
We have incurred substantial losses during our history. As of December 31, 2019, we had federal and state NOLs of $175.1 million and $116.2 million, respectively. These NOLs will begin to expire at various dates beginning in 2027, if not limited by triggering events prior to such time. Under the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), changes in our ownership, in certain circumstances, will limit the amount of federal NOLs that can be utilized annually in the future to offset taxable income. In particular, Section 382 of the Code imposes limitations on a company’s ability to use NOLs upon certain changes in such ownership. If we are limited in our ability to use our NOLs in future years in which we have taxable income, we will pay more taxes than if we were able to fully utilize our NOLs. The Biotest Transaction on June 6, 2017 resulted in a change in ownership of ADMA under Section 382 and, as a result, we were required to write off $57.6 million of federal NOLs. We may experience ownership changes in the future as a result of subsequent changes in our stock ownership that we cannot predict or control that could result in further limitations being placed on our ability to utilize our federal NOLs.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “TCJA”) could adversely affect our business and financial condition.
The TCJA, among other things, reduced the corporate tax rate from a top marginal rate of 35% to a flat rate of 21%, limited the tax deduction for interest expense to 30% of adjusted earnings (except for certain small businesses), limited the deduction for net operating losses generated after December 31, 2017 to 80% of current year taxable income and eliminated net operating loss carrybacks, provided immediate deductions for certain new investments instead of deductions for depreciation expense over time and modified or repealed many business deductions and credits. Federal net operating losses arising in taxable years ending after December 31, 2017 will be carried forward indefinitely pursuant to the TCJA. We continue to examine the impact this tax reform legislation may have on our business. Notwithstanding the reduction in the corporate income tax rate, the overall impact of the TCJA is uncertain and our business and financial condition could be adversely affected. The impact of this tax reform on holders of our common stock is also uncertain and could be adverse. We urge our stockholders to consult with their legal and tax advisors with respect to such legislation and the potential tax consequences of investing in our common stock.
Risks Associated with our Common Stock
The market price of our common stock may be volatile and may fluctuate in a way that is disproportionate to our operating performance.
Our stock price may experience substantial volatility as a result of a number of factors, including:
|
|
·
|
sales or potential sales of substantial amounts of our common stock;
|
|
|
·
|
our ability to successfully leverage the anticipated benefits and synergies from the Biotest Transaction, including optimization of the combined businesses, operations and products and services, including the nature, strategy and focus of the combined company and the management and governance structure of the combined company;
|
|
|
·
|
uncertainties in the equity markets related to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic;
|
|
|
·
|
delay or failure in initiating or completing preclinical or clinical trials or unsatisfactory results of these trials;
|
|
|
·
|
delay in a decision by federal, state or local business regulatory authority;
|
|
|
·
|
the timing of acceptance, third-party reimbursement and sales of BIVIGAM and ASCENIV;
|
|
|
·
|
announcements about us or about our competitors, including clinical trial results, regulatory approvals or new product introductions;
|
|
|
·
|
developments concerning our licensors or third-party vendors;
|
|
|
·
|
litigation and other developments relating to our patents or other proprietary rights or those of our competitors;
|
|
|
·
|
conditions in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industries;
|
|
|
·
|
governmental regulation and legislation;
|
|
|
·
|
variations in our anticipated or actual operating results; and
|
|
|
·
|
change in securities analysts’ estimates of our performance, or our failure to meet analysts’ expectations.
|
Many of these factors are beyond our control. The stock markets in general, and the market for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in particular, have historically experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations. These fluctuations often have been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of these companies. These broad market and industry factors could reduce the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock, or the perception that such sales may occur, may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
As of August 3, 2020, most of our 86,349,981 outstanding shares of common stock, as well as a substantial number of shares of our common stock underlying outstanding warrants, were available for sale in the public market, subject to certain restrictions with respect to sales of our common stock by our affiliates, either pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act, or under effective registration statements. Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock, or the perception that such sales may occur, could cause the market price of our common stock to decline or adversely affect demand for our common stock.
Our affiliates control a substantial amount of our shares of common stock. Provisions in our Second Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Certificate of Incorporation”), our Amended and Restated Bylaws (the “Bylaws”) and Delaware law might discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our Company or changes in our management and, therefore, depress the trading price of our common stock.
As of June 30, 2020, Perceptive, our directors and executive officers and their affiliates beneficially owned approximately 27% of the outstanding shares of our common stock. Additionally, on November 14, 2018, the standstill provisions contained in that certain Stockholders Agreement, dated as of June 6, 2017, by and between us and BPC, as amended by the Biotest Transfer Agreement, which prohibited the Biotest Trust from, among other things, acquiring more than (i) 50%, less one share, of our issued and outstanding shares of capital stock on an as-converted basis, or (ii) 30% of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock, terminated and are of no further force and effect. This event could result in the Biotest Trust acquiring additional shares of our common stock or taking other actions with the goal of acquiring additional shares of our common stock.
Provisions of our Certificate of Incorporation, our Bylaws and Delaware law may have the effect of deterring unsolicited takeovers or delaying or preventing a change in control of our Company or changes in our management, including transactions in which our stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares over then current market prices. In addition, these provisions may limit the ability of stockholders to approve transactions that they may deem to be in their best interests. These provisions include:
|
|
·
|
the inability of stockholders to call special meetings;
|
|
|
·
|
the ability of our Board of Directors (the “Board”)to institute a stockholder rights plan, also known as a poison pill, that would work to dilute our stock,
|
|
|
·
|
classification of our Board and limitation on filling of vacancies could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire, or discourage a third party from seeking to acquire, control of our Company; and
|
|
|
·
|
authorization of the issuance of “blank check” preferred stock, with such designation rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Board, without any need for action by stockholders.
|
In addition, Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law prohibits a publicly-held Delaware corporation from engaging in a business combination with an interested stockholder, generally a person which together with its affiliates owns, or within the last three years, has owned 15% of our voting stock, for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. The existence of the foregoing provisions and anti-takeover measures could limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock. They could also deter potential acquirers of our company, thereby reducing the likelihood that you could receive a premium for your common stock in an acquisition. In addition, as a result of the concentration of ownership of our shares of common stock, our stockholders may, from time to time, observe instances where there may be less liquidity in the public markets for our securities.
We have never paid and do not intend to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, will be your sole source of gain.
We have never paid cash dividends on any of our capital stock and we currently intend to retain future earnings, if any, to fund the development and growth of our business. In addition, the terms of existing and future debt agreements may preclude us from paying dividends. For example, the Perceptive Credit Agreement prohibits 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.
If we fail to adhere to the strict listing requirements of the Nasdaq Global Market (“Nasdaq”), we may be subject to delisting. As a result, our stock price may decline and our common stock may be delisted. If our stock were no longer listed on Nasdaq, the liquidity of our securities likely would be impaired.
Our Common Stock currently trades on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “ADMA.” If we fail to adhere to Nasdaq’s strict listing criteria, including with respect to stock price, our market capitalization and stockholders’ equity, our stock may be delisted. This could potentially impair the liquidity of our securities not only in the number of shares that could be bought and sold at a given price, which may be depressed by the relative illiquidity, but also through delays in the timing of transactions and the potential reduction in media coverage. As a result, an investor might find it more difficult to dispose of our common stock. We believe that current and prospective investors would view an investment in our common stock more favorably if it continues to be listed on Nasdaq. Any failure at any time to meet the Nasdaq continued listing requirements could have an adverse impact on the value and trading activity of our common stock. Although we currently satisfy the listing criteria for Nasdaq, if our stock price declines dramatically, we could be at risk of failing to meet the Nasdaq continued listing criteria.
Penny stock regulations may affect your ability to sell our common stock.
Because the price of our common stock currently trades below $5.00 per share, our common stock is subject to Rule 15g-9 under the Exchange Act, which imposes additional sales practice requirements on broker dealers which sell these securities to persons other than established customers and accredited investors. Under these rules, broker-dealers who recommend penny stocks to persons other than established customers and “accredited investors” must make a special written suitability determination for the purchaser and receive the purchaser’s written agreement to a transaction prior to sale, which includes an acknowledgement that the purchaser’s financial situation, investment experience and investment objectives forming the basis for the broker-dealer’s suitability determination are accurately stated in such written agreement. Unless an exception is available, the regulations require the delivery, prior to any transaction involving a penny stock, of a disclosure schedule explaining the penny stock market and the associated risks. The additional burdens imposed upon broker-dealers by these requirements could discourage broker-dealers from effecting transactions in our common stock and may make it more difficult for holders of our common stock to sell shares to third parties or to otherwise dispose of them.
We will continue to incur increased costs now that we are no longer an “emerging growth company.”
Effective January 1, 2019, we ceased to be an “emerging growth company” as defined by the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (the “JOBS Act”). The JOBS Act contains provisions that, among other things, reduce certain reporting requirements for qualifying public companies. As an “emerging growth company,” we took advantage of certain benefits afforded to “emerging growth companies” under Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act, which included delaying the adoption of new or revised accounting standards applicable to public companies until such standards would otherwise apply to private companies. As an emerging growth company, we were also exempt from the requirement to have our independent registered public accounting firm provide an attestation report on our internal control over financial reporting pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
Consequently, we have, and will continue to, incur increased costs related to our compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. For example, in 2018, our Audit Committee retained the services of BDO, a Sarbanes-Oxley advisor, to assist with our internal controls over financial reporting and information technology relating to Section 404. Moreover, if we are not able to comply with the requirements of Section 404 applicable to us in a timely manner, or if we or our independent registered public accounting firm identifies deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting that are deemed to be material weaknesses, the market price of our common stock could decline and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by the SEC or other regulatory authorities, which would require additional financial and management resources.
Our Board may, without stockholder approval, issue and fix the terms of shares of preferred stock and issue additional shares of common stock adversely affecting the rights of holders of our common stock.
Our Certificate of Incorporation authorizes the issuance of up to 10,000,000 shares of “blank check” preferred stock, with such designation rights and preferences as may be determined from time to time by the Board. Currently, our Certificate of Incorporation authorizes the issuance of up to 150,000,000 shares of common stock. As of June 30, 2020, there were 54,384,080 shares remaining available for issuance, after giving effect to 9,265,939 shares of our common stock that were subject to outstanding stock options, RSUs, warrants or other convertible securities as of June 30, 2020 that may be issued by us without stockholder approval.
