Item 1. Business
Overview
We are a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel life-saving therapies for life-threatening diseases or other public health threats for civilian, government and military use. Our United States, or U.S., Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, approved commercial product, NUZYRA® (omadacycline) is a once-daily oral and intravenous antibiotic for the treatment of adult patients with community-acquired bacterial pneumonia, or CABP, and acute skin and skin structure infections, or ABSSSI, caused by susceptible pathogens. We retain worldwide commercial rights to omadacycline, with the exception in the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, where we have entered into a collaboration agreement with Zai Lab (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., or Zai. The National Medical Products Administration, or NMPA, of China approved NUZYRA for the treatment of adult patients with CABP and ABSSSI in December 2021. China's National Healthcare Security Administration added the intravenous formulation of NUZYRA® (omadacycline) to the country's National Reimbursement Drug List for treatment of CABP and ABSSSI in January 2023, resulting in millions of patients gaining access to this once daily broad-spectrum antibiotic.
SEYSARA® (sarecycline) is an FDA-approved product which we have exclusively licensed in the U.S. and the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, certain rights to Almirall, LLC, or Almirall. SEYSARA is currently being marketed by Almirall in the U.S. as a once-daily oral therapy for the treatment of moderate to severe acne vulgaris. With respect to our technology as it relates to sarecycline, we retain development and commercialization rights in all countries other than the U.S., the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, and in February 2020, we exclusively licensed from Almirall certain technology owned or in-licensed by Almirall or its affiliates that is necessary or useful to develop or commercialize sarecycline outside of the U.S. Almirall plans to develop sarecycline for acne in China, with a submission to the NMPA expected in 2023, according to Almirall.
NUZYRA
We believe that NUZYRA has the potential to become the primary choice of physicians for use as a once-daily broad-spectrum monotherapy oral and IV antibiotic for ABSSSI, CABP and other serious community-acquired bacterial infections where resistance is of concern. NUZYRA is used in the emergency room, hospital, and community care settings. We have designed NUZYRA to provide potential advantages over existing antibiotics, including activity against resistant bacteria, broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, oral and IV formulations with once-daily dosing, no dosing adjustments for patients on concomitant medications and a generally safe and well-tolerated profile. NUZYRA also has the potential to be used as a once-daily oral and IV antibiotic for the treatment of non-tuberculous mycobacteria, or NTM, and both the treatment and prophylaxis of pulmonary anthrax, as a priority medical countermeasure.
To date, we have conducted more than 30 Phase 1 studies of omadacycline to characterize the effects of the drug on humans, including how it is absorbed, metabolized, and excreted. These Phase 1 studies also included evaluation in special populations such as patients with hepatic and renal failure. We have also conducted three successful Phase 3 clinical studies. Our first two Phase 3 clinical studies were for the treatment of ABSSSI (OASIS-1) and CABP (OPTIC). Both studies utilized initiation of IV therapy with transitions to oral-based treatment on clinical response. Our third Phase 3 clinical study (OASIS-2) was an oral-only administration of omadacycline in ABSSSI compared to oral-only linezolid. All three Phase 3 clinical studies resulted in omadacycline demonstrating positive efficacy results and a generally safe and well tolerated profile. These data formed the basis of approval for NUZYRA in the U.S. received in October 2018. The FDA subsequently approved our supplemental new drug application, or sNDA, for the oral-only loading dose regimen for patients diagnosed with CABP in May 2021. The sNDA included the results of a study to show that an oral-only loading dose regimen has a comparable pharmacokinetics, or PK, profile to the approved IV loading dose regimen in patients with CABP that was established in the OPTIC study.
In October 2018, we submitted a Market Authorization Application, or MAA, to the European Medicines Agency, or the EMA, for the treatment of adults with ABSSSI and CABP caused by susceptible bacteria. Based on the review of the data and the application, the EMA recommended approval for NUZYRA for the treatment of ABSSSI but not for CABP. The EMA stated that a second study would be required for the CABP indication, which is consistent with European Union, or EU, guidance that typically requires two Phase 3 studies per indication for approval. In the EU, the ten-year market exclusivity for NUZYRA would begin with its first approval. As a result, in the fourth quarter of 2019, we withdrew our submission of the MAA to the EMA for NUZYRA to preserve exclusivity until such time as both the ABSSSI and CABP indications can be approved concurrently in an effort to maximize the value of NUZYRA in the EU. The CABP study required as a post marketing commitment by the FDA is designed in a way that it could support re-submission and approval in EU. The EU currently represents a modest market opportunity for ABSSSI and CABP compared to that in the U.S.. The EU does, however, represent a better market opportunity for NTM than in the U.S. Our goal is to secure a partner for the commercialization of NTM in the EU as well as in Japan.
Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority Contract
In December 2019, we entered into the BARDA contract, which is a five-year contract with an option to extend to ten years. The BARDA contract could result in payments to the Company of up to approximately $303.6 million and consists of a five-year base period-of-performance and a total contract period-of-performance (base period plus option exercises) of up to ten years. The BARDA contract supports the development of NUZYRA for the treatment of pulmonary anthrax, FDA post-marketing requirements, or PMRs, associated with the initial NUZYRA approval, and the ability for BARDA to procure up to 10,000 treatment courses of NUZYRA for use against potential biothreats. In September 2021, we and BARDA modified the original BARDA contract, herein referred to as the amended BARDA contract, to provide additional funding to expand the development of NUZYRA under an FDA Animal Efficacy Rule development program to support a sNDA to the FDA to include post-exposure prophylaxis, or PEP, in addition to the treatment of pulmonary anthrax, herein referred to as the amended option.
Under the terms of the original BARDA contract, approximately $59.4 million was awarded to us by BARDA in December 2019 for the development of NUZYRA for the treatment of pulmonary anthrax and the purchase of an initial 2,500 treatment courses of NUZYRA. As part of this initial $59.4 million award, a $37.9 million procurement of NUZYRA was delivered to and accepted by BARDA in June 2021, and the amount earned from this procurement was recognized in net U.S. sales of NUZYRA during the second quarter of 2021. We have been periodically drawing down the remaining $21.5 million of the initial award based on costs incurred during the development program.
Two additional contractual services under the original BARDA contract were initiated by BARDA in March 2020 that awarded us approximately $76.8 million for reimbursement of existing FDA PMRs and approximately $20.4 million for reimbursement of manufacturing-related requirements, which we have been drawing down based on costs incurred. This additional staged funding is expected to support all FDA PMRs associated with the approval of NUZYRA, including CABP and pediatric studies, as well as a five-year post-marketing bacterial surveillance study, and support the U.S. onshoring and security requirements of our manufacturing activities for NUZYRA.
BARDA initiated the amended option in September 2021 that expanded the development of NUZYRA under an FDA Animal Efficacy Rule development program to support an sNDA that will include PEP in addition to the treatment of pulmonary anthrax for a revised total of approximately $31.6 million.
The second procurement, the purchase of an additional 2,500 treatment courses of NUZYRA for a total of $36.4 million, was delivered to and accepted by BARDA in December 2022. The amount earned from this procurement was recognized in net U.S. sales of NUZYRA during the fourth quarter of 2022.
The remaining government options under the amended BARDA contract include a maximum of approximately $79.0 million to provide for two additional purchases of NUZYRA anthrax treatment courses, each of which may be exercised at BARDA’s discretion upon achievement of specific development milestones related to the anthrax treatment development program. We and BARDA agreed under the amended contract on specific development milestones to trigger BARDA’s options for the third and fourth procurements of NUZYRA anthrax treatment courses. The third procurement will be triggered by BARDA's receipt of positive top-line data in PEP and treatment of inhalation anthrax from a combination of pilot and pivotal efficacy studies in animal models, which we anticipate will be available in 2024. The option for the fourth procurement will be triggered by our receipt of sNDA approval from the FDA for treatment of inhalation anthrax, which we anticipate will follow the third procurement by approximately 18-24 months. We plan to provide further specificity on timelines as the anthrax development program progresses.
We have made significant progress in the pulmonary anthrax development program under the amended BARDA Bioshield contract. We completed the first Animal Rule pilot efficacy study in 2022, which revealed that all three doses of omadacycline demonstrated one-hundred percent efficacy; all animals survived in an anthrax treatment model during which all non-treated animals died by Day 3. Three PK studies in rabbits and three more in non-human primates have also been completed. In addition, we have evaluated minimum inhibitory concentrations, or MICs, of omadacycline against over 130 anthrax strains. Omadacycline continued to demonstrate potent MICs and is considered effective against all isolates infected with anthrax that were tested, including a strain resistant to doxycycline and a strain resistant to ciprofloxacin. Omadacycline activity was not impacted by either of these resistant strains.
Together with BARDA, we also continue to advance our efforts to onshore the manufacturing of NUZYRA to the U.S. We have completed the knowledge transfer and development stage of our manufacturing process for the active pharmaceutical ingredient, or API, of omadacycline to our U.S. onshoring partners and are currently in the engineering stage of the initiative. We have completed knowledge transfer and the initiation of the process development work for production of vials. U.S.-based commercial supply production of tablets was implemented in 2022 and we anticipate these vials will be available by 2024.
The BARDA contract contains a number of terms and conditions that are customary for government contracts of this nature, including provisions giving the government the right to terminate the contract at any time for its convenience.
Development of Omadacycline in Other Therapeutic Areas
Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria Abscessus
We have discussed trial designs and potential registration pathways with the FDA to determine the efficacy and safety of omadacycline in patients afflicted with non-tuberculous mycobacteria abscessus, or NTM abscessus, which are environmental organisms that can be found in soil, dust, and water, including natural and municipal water sources. Infection occurs when a person is exposed to NTM organisms. NTM abscessus can form difficult-to-eliminate biofilms, which are collections of microorganisms that stick to each other, and adhere to surfaces in moist environments. Although severe infection can affect the lymph nodes, skin, soft tissues, bones, and joints, the vast majority of NTM abscessus infection cases are pulmonary. The diagnosis of NTM abscessus infection is often delayed due to non-specific symptoms and a lack of disease state awareness by clinicians. NTM abscessus is a rare and orphan disease with no FDA-approved therapies, which we estimate has a potential $1.0 billion addressable market in the U.S.
Mycobacterium abscessus, or M. abscessus, complex comprises a group of rapidly growing, multidrug-resistant, non-tuberculous mycobacteria that are responsible for a wide spectrum of skin and soft tissue diseases, central nervous system infections, bacteremia, and ocular and other infections. Infections caused by the M. abscessus complex are notoriously difficult to treat due to intrinsic resistance to many classes of antibiotics. Few oral antibiotics demonstrate in vitro activity against the M. abscessus complex, making long-term treatment of this infection extremely complicated. The M. abscessus complex is frequently resistant to antibiotics that are used in the treatment of other NTM species such as rifamycins, ethambutol, and fluoroquinolones. There is currently only one FDA-approved antibiotic for the treatment of the more common NTM species, MAC; Arikayce, an inhaled liposomal amikacin, has been approved for treatment of refractory pulmonary disease caused by MAC. There are no FDA-approved treatments for pulmonary disease caused by M. abscessus complex.
One of the key components of M. abscessus complex treatment is the use of three or more antimicrobials in most treatment regimens to increase drug efficacy and decrease the development of antibiotic resistance. Currently available treatment options for M. abscessus complex pulmonary infection are lengthy and require complex, multi-antibiotic regimens and are generally not tolerated and have significant safety challenges. General treatment principles that should be followed include:
•Prolonged therapy (treatment for at least 12 months of culture negativity);
•An induction phase of therapy with a three- to four-drug regimen including one to two different active intravenous agents;
•A suppressive phase, which should involve at least two oral or inhaled antibiotics considered active based on drug susceptibilities since most patients cannot tolerate months of intravenous therapy; and
•The inclusion of a macrolide in the treatment regimen improves treatment outcomes and regimen tolerability against isolates without a functional erm gene, but high levels of macrolide resistance has been reported, thus, limiting effectiveness.
Omadacycline has several key characteristics that may prove beneficial to patients with M. abscessus complex pulmonary infection. These include:
•Favorable pharmacokinetics with both intravenous and oral formulations including high lung penetration concentrations and high intracellular pulmonary macrophage levels;
•Established safety profile in pre-clinical studies and Phase 3 clinical trials, including a class that is currently used for the treatment of NTM and chronically in many different disease states; and
•Potent in vitro activity versus M. abscessus complex.
Omadacycline has demonstrated potent in vitro activity against M. abscessus complex species in three separate studies. In the most recent report (Brown-Elliot 2020) the MIC50 and MIC90 values obtained against M. abscessus subspecies abscessus were 0.12 and 0.25 µg/mL. In two additional reports (Kaushik 2019 and Shoen 2019), the MIC50 and MIC90 values obtained were 1 and 2 µg/mL, respectively. Differences in the results of these studies are likely due to experimental methodology or isolate selection and is discussed further in Brown-Elliot 2020; nonetheless, in all cases omadacycline and tigecycline had similar, if not identical, MIC values. Multiple discussions have occurred with the FDA to design a program to support registration on NUZYRA for M. abscessus complex. General agreement has been reached on the key program and study design elements.
In August 2021, the FDA granted orphan drug designation for NUZYRA for the treatment of NTM infections caused by Mycobacterium abscessus, or MAB, and Mycobacterium avium complex, or MAC. In October 2021, we initiated enrollment in a Phase 2B clinical study of omadacycline use for treatment of pulmonary NTM abscessus. This study is a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized monotherapy study of pulmonary NTM abscessus in patients who are not receiving other treatments and enrollment is proceeding as planned. Study size will be approximately 75 subjects randomized in a 1.5 to 1 ratio. Therapy will last for 12 weeks with an efficacy endpoint assessment at that timepoint. Due to the small numbers of patients with this rare disease, we expect this study will complete enrollment within approximately two years from commencement.
The FDA granted Fast Track designation for the oral and IV formulations of NUZYRA for the treatment of NTM caused by both MAB and MAC in July 2022. The Company hosted an Investor Day in October 2022 that updated investors on the global market opportunity for NTM in both MAB and MAC, and laid the foundation for ex-U.S. partnering discussions. This event highlighted the significant global unmet medical need for patients suffering from this chronic, rare and life-threatening pulmonary disease, summarized key takeaways from the Company's ongoing scientific program in NTM that includes the first randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2b study being conducted in patients with NTM pulmonary disease caused by MAB. In February 2023, we held our fifth meeting in the last 12 months with the PMDA and have aligned on the registration program for NTM abscessus in Japan. The completion of this regulatory process is an important milestone in creating momentum in our ongoing discussions with potential partners in this country.
Other Data Generation
Data generation activities in 2022 progressed through collaborative research and medical affairs activities. We had 16 studies completed and 11 additional studies initiated or ongoing. The FDA has also approved two new antimicrobial susceptibility testing devices, including the first automated device, that included omadacycline. Collaborative
research initiatives included the completion of year four of our post-marketing required surveillance study and evaluation of the efficacy of NUZYRA in combination with other standard of care agents in a mouse model of pulmonary M. abscessus infection. The investigator-initiated research, or IIR, program included the completion of the first real-world use registry and initiation of two additional real-world studies. Data generation activities resulted in the publication of 24 manuscripts that address the use of NUZYRA in special pathogens, populations or disease states that we expect will further define its therapeutic profile.
Data generation has continued to expand in early 2023 with additional evidence from our IIR program presented at scientific congresses.
Military research with the Walter Reed Army Institute for Research included the completion of an in vitro study that demonstrated omadacycline activity against multi-drug resistant clinical isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae, two pathogens frequently isolated from U.S. military trauma infections. Omadacycline also demonstrated efficacy in a neutropenic mouse thigh model of A. baumannii,infection significantly reducing bacterial load compared to the untreated control. Ongoing efforts include the evaluation of omadacycline efficacy in a mouse model of malaria, as well as evaluation of the efficacy and PK/PD of omadacycline against A. baumannii in a chronic mouse wound infection study.
Sarecycline
Sarecycline, also known as SEYSARA in the U.S., is a novel, next generation, narrow spectrum tetracycline designed specifically for dermatological use. In July 2007, we exclusively licensed the right to develop and commercialize sarecycline for the treatment of acne to Warner Chilcott Company, Inc. (which was acquired by Actavis PLC in October 2013 and became Allergan in October 2015) and, in September 2018, Allergan assigned such rights to Almirall. In February 2020, we exclusively licensed to Almirall certain technology owned or in-licensed by us or our affiliates in order to research, develop and commercialize sarecycline for the treatment of acne in the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, or the greater China region. Almirall is responsible for all costs associated with developing and commercializing sarecycline for the treatment of acne in the U.S. and the greater China region. In exchange for such license rights, we have the right to receive (i) milestone payments upon the achievement of certain development- and regulatory-based events in the U.S. and (ii) a royalty on U.S.-based and greater China region-based net sales. With respect to our technology as it relates to sarecycline, we retain development and commercialization rights outside of the U.S. and the greater China region and, with respect to certain technology owned or in-licensed by Almirall or its affiliates necessary or useful to develop or commercialize sarecycline outside of the U.S. and the greater China region, we exclusively licensed such technology from Almirall in February 2020, all of which is available for licensing to other partners in key international markets, such as the EU, Japan, the rest of Asia (excluding the greater China region), Canada and Latin America. In the event we directly commercialize or sublicense a third party to commercialize sarecycline outside of the U.S. and the greater China region, we owe Almirall (i) a royalty on our or our affiliates’ net sales and (ii) a percentage of the consideration (e.g., milestones, royalties) we receive from our sublicensees in connection with their development and commercialization of sarecycline.
Almirall currently holds a nonexclusive license to develop and commercialize sarecycline for the treatment of rosacea in the U.S., and in the U.S., Paratek cannot grant rights on back-up compounds, lead candidate(s), or products licensed to Almirall for rosacea.
Corporate History
We are incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware. On October 30, 2014, Transcept Pharmaceuticals, Inc., or Transcept, completed a business combination with privately-held Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc., or Old Paratek, in accordance with the terms of the Agreement and Plan of Merger and Reorganization, dated as of June 30, 2014, by and among Transcept, Tigris Merger Sub, Inc., or Merger Sub, Tigris Acquisition Sub, LLC, or Merger LLC, and Old Paratek, or the Merger Agreement, pursuant to which Merger Sub merged with and into Old Paratek, with Old Paratek surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Transcept, followed by the merger of Old Paratek with and into Merger LLC, with Merger LLC surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Transcept (we refer to these mergers together as the Merger). Immediately following the Merger, Transcept changed its name to “Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc.”, and Merger LLC changed its name to “Paratek Pharma, LLC.” In connection with the closing of the Merger, our common stock began trading on The Nasdaq Global Market under the ticker symbol “PRTK” on October 31, 2014.
The Antibiotics Market and Limitations of Other Current Therapies
Physicians commonly prescribe antibiotics to treat patients with acute and chronic infectious diseases that are either known, or presumed, to be caused by bacteria. The World Health Organization has identified the development of worldwide resistance to currently available antibacterial agents as being one of the three greatest threats to human health in this decade. In a press release announcing the completion of a study titled “Hospital and Societal Costs of Antimicrobial Resistant Infections in a Chicago Teaching Hospital: Implications for Antibiotic Stewardship,” it was estimated that antibiotic-resistant infections cost the U.S. healthcare system in excess of $20 billion annually. In addition, these infections result in more than $35 billion in societal costs and more than 8 million additional days spent in the hospital. Historically, the majority of life-threatening infections resulting from antibiotic-resistant bacteria were acquired in the hospital setting. According to AMR data from 2015 projected through 2028, approximately 6.7 million antibiotic treated events occur annually in the two combined indications of ABSSSI and CABP in U.S. hospitals. Furthermore, research conducted by Paratek suggests that in these same indications of ABSSSI and CABP there are approximately 890 thousand patients treated in U.S hospitals who fail to respond or are intolerant to the existing generic options. In the U.S. community setting, IMS NDTI data (2014-2015) projected to 2028 suggests there are approximately 23.7 million prescriptions for ABSSSI and CABP. Additionally, research conducted by Paratek suggests that approximately 2.1 million patients fail to respond or are intolerant to the existing oral generics in the U.S. community setting. The emergence of multi-drug resistant pathogens, coupled with limitations in terms of intolerance to existing generic options, emphasizes the need for novel agents capable of overcoming antibiotic resistance.
Bacteria are often broadly classified as gram-positive bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, and multi-drug resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae, or MDR-SP; gram-negative bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as extended-spectrum beta-lactamases, or ESBL, producing Enterobacteriaceae; atypical bacteria, including Chlamydophila pneumoniae and Legionella pneumophila; and anaerobic bacteria, including Bacteroides and Clostridia. Antibiotics that are active against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria are referred to as “broad-spectrum”, while antibiotics that are active only against a select subset of gram-positive or gram-negative bacteria are referred to as “narrow spectrum”. Today, because many of the currently prescribed antibiotics that have activity against resistant organisms typically are “narrow spectrum,” they cannot be used as an empiric monotherapy treatment of serious infections where gram-negative, atypical or anaerobic bacteria may also be involved. Empiric monotherapy refers to the use of a single, antibacterial agent to begin treatment of an infection before the specific pathogen causing the infection has been identified. Based on published epidemiology studies, rates of infections involving organisms other than gram-positive bacteria have been found to be as much as 15% in ABSSSI and up to 55% in CAP patients with confirmed bacterial etiology.
When a patient goes to the emergency room or hospital for treatment of a serious infection, the physician’s selection of which IV antibiotic to use is often based on the severity of infection, the pathogen(s) believed most likely to be involved and the probability of a resistant pathogen(s) being present. After initial IV therapy and once the infection begins to respond to treatment, hospitals and physicians face strong pressures to discharge patients from the hospital to reduce costs, limit hospital-acquired infections and improve the patient’s quality of life. In order to transition patients out of the hospital and home to complete the course of therapy, physicians typically prefer to have the option to prescribe a bioequivalent oral formulation of the same antibiotic.
Antibiotics used to treat ABSSSI, CABP and other serious, community-acquired bacterial infections must satisfy a wide range of criteria on a cost-effective basis. For example, we believe that other existing treatment options for ABSSSI, including vancomycin, linezolid, tedezolid, daptomycin, piperacillin tazobactam, dalbavancin, tigecycline and delafloxacin; and for CABP, including levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, azithromycin, ceftriaxone, clarithromycin, ceftaroline, delafloxacin, lefamulin and tigecycline; have one or more of the following significant limitations:
•Limited spectrum of antibacterial activity. Since it may take as long as 48 to 72 hours to identify the pathogen(s) causing an infection and most of the currently available options that cover resistant pathogens are narrow-spectrum treatments, physicians frequently prescribe two or more antibiotics to treat a broad-spectrum of potential pathogens. For example, vancomycin, linezolid and daptomycin, the most frequently prescribed treatments for certain serious bacterial skin infections, are narrow-spectrum treatments active only against gram-positive bacteria. The currently available treatment with a more appropriate spectrum for use as a monotherapy against serious and antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections is tigecycline, but it has other significant limitations, most notably dose limiting tolerability of nausea and vomiting.
•Lack of both oral and IV formulations. The most common treatments for serious bacterial infections, vancomycin, daptomycin, ceftriaxone, piperacillin tazobactam, and tigecycline are only available as
injectable or IV formulations. The lack of an effective bioequivalent oral formulation of these and many other commonly prescribed antibiotics requires continued IV therapy, which is inconvenient for the patient and may result in longer hospital stays and greater cost. Alternatively, because of the absence of the same antibiotic in an oral, well-tolerated formulation, physicians may switch the patient to a different orally available antibiotic at the time of hospital discharge. This carries the risk of new side effects and possible treatment failure if the oral antibiotic does not cover the same bacteria that were being effectively treated by the IV antibiotic therapy. While linezolid is a twice-daily IV and oral therapy, it is a narrow-spectrum treatment that is associated with increasing bacterial resistance, side effects from interactions with other therapies and other serious safety concerns.
•Safety/tolerability concerns and side effects. Concerns about antibiotic safety and tolerability are among the leading reasons why patients stop treatment and fail therapy. The most commonly used antibiotics, such as vancomycin, linezolid, daptomycin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, azithromycin, piperacillin/tazobactam and tigecycline, are associated with safety and tolerability concerns. For example, vancomycin, which requires frequent therapeutic monitoring of blood levels and corresponding dose adjustments, is associated with allergic reactions and can cause kidney damage, loss of balance, loss of hearing, vomiting and nausea in certain patients. Linezolid is associated with bone marrow suppression and loss of vision and should not be taken by patients who are also on many commonly prescribed anti-depressants, such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors and serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Daptomycin has been associated with a reduction of efficacy in patients with moderate renal insufficiency and has a side effect profile that includes muscle damage. Piperacillin/tazobactam is not used in patients with beta-lactam (penicillin) allergy while tigecycline is associated with tolerability concerns because of nausea and vomiting. Levofloxacin and moxifloxacin are associated with tendon rupture and peripheral neuropathy. In July 2016, the FDA approved changes to the labels of fluoroquinolone antibacterial drugs for systemic use (i.e., taken by mouth or by injection), stating “These medicines are associated with disabling and potentially permanent side effects of the tendons, muscles, joints, nerves, and central nervous system that can occur together in the same patient.” As a result, the FDA revised the Boxed Warning, FDA’s strongest warning, to address these serious safety issues. They also added a new warning and updated other parts of the drug label, including the patient Medication Guide. Additionally, a May 2012 article in the New England Journal of Medicine indicated that a small number of patients treated with azithromycin and quinolones, such as levofloxacin or moxifloxacin, may experience sudden death due to cardiac arrhythmia, which is often predicted by a prolongation of the corrected QT interval, or QTc. The FDA issued a Drug Safety Communication on March 12, 2013 titled “Azithromycin (Zithromax or Zmax) and the risk of potentially fatal heart rhythms,” and the azithromycin drug label warnings were strengthened to address this concern.
•Increasing bacterial resistance. Bacterial resistance to the most frequently prescribed antibiotics (branded or generic) has limited their potential to treat infections, which often prevents their use as an empiric monotherapy. We believe that MRSA and MDR-SP, in the community have posed treatment challenges because of resistance to penicillins (resistance rate up to 100% for both), cephalosporins (100% and 11%, respectively, for ceftriaxone), macrolides (83% and 86%, respectively, for erythromycin/azithromycin) and quinolones (73% and 2%, respectively, for levofloxacin), particularly in ABSSSI and CABP. There have also been recent reports of resistance developing during treatment with daptomycin and concerns about an increasing frequency of strains of Staphylococcus aureus with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin. Additionally, linezolid use has been associated with drug resistance, including reports of outbreaks of resistance among Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus strains.
These limitations can ultimately lead to longer hospital stays, greater healthcare costs and increased morbidity and mortality due to lower cure rates and additional side effects. While certain antibiotics address some of these outcomes, we do not believe there is one superior treatment option that satisfies all outcomes. We believe that it is essential for the treatment of patients with serious, community-acquired bacterial infections that physicians prescribe the right antibiotic the first time, as ineffective antibiotics can quickly lead to progressively more severe and invasive infections or even death.
Attributes of NUZYRA
•Equivalent once-daily oral and IV formulations to support transition therapy. As identified through our clinical development program, the equivalent exposures of the oral and IV formulations permit transition therapy, which allows patients to start treatment on the IV formulation in the hospital setting then “transition” to the oral formulation of the same bioequivalent antibacterial agent once the infection is responding enabling the patient to be released from the hospital to complete the full course of therapy at home. We believe that transition therapy has the potential to avoid the concerns that can accompany switching from an IV agent to a different class of oral antibiotic and to facilitate the continuance of curative therapy at home.
•Broad-spectrum of antibacterial activity. Omadacycline has demonstrated in vitro activity against all common pathogens found in ABSSSI, such as Staphylococcus aureus, including MRSA, Streptococci (including Group A Streptococci), anaerobic pathogens and many gram-negative organisms. Omadacycline is also active in vitro against the key pathogens found in CABP, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, including MDR-SP, Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae and atypical bacteria, including Legionella pneumophila. Based on the approved label in the U.S., omadacycline has the clinical and in vitro spectrum of coverage needed to become the primary antibiotic choice of physicians and serve as an empiric monotherapy option for ABSSSI and CABP where resistance is of concern. On the basis of the in vitro spectrum of activity demonstrated against NTM, we believe omadacycline has the potential to become an antibiotic of choice for the treatment of NTM. Omadacycline has also demonstrated in vitro activity against multiple biothreat pathogens such as Bacillus anthracis, Yersinia pestis, and others.
•Generally safe and well tolerated profile. To date, we have observed omadacycline to be generally safe and well tolerated in clinical studies and the post-marketing setting. We have conducted a thorough QT corrected, or QTc, study, as defined by FDA guidance to assess prolongation of QTc, an indicator of cardiac arrhythmia. This study suggests no prolongation of QTc by omadacycline. Further, omadacycline is not metabolized in the liver or anywhere else in the body, thus reducing the likelihood of causing drug-to-drug interactions. Additionally, omadacycline has resulted in low rates of diarrhea, and we have not observed confirmed cases of Clostridium difficile infection, which can frequently occur from the use of other classes of broad-spectrum antibiotics such as beta-lactams and quinolones.
•Designed to overcome bacterial resistance. We designed omadacycline to overcome the two major mechanisms of tetracycline resistance, known as pump efflux and ribosome protection. This approach was via structure-activity relationship chemistry-based modifications of the seven and nine positions of minocycline. Our attempts to generate resistance to omadacycline in the laboratory suggest a low potential for developing resistance. In addition, our testing of thousands of bacterial samples in the laboratory suggests that omadacycline has not been affected to date by clinically relevant mechanisms of resistance to tetracyclines or to any other class of antibiotics.
•Tissue penetration. Omadacycline penetrates tissues broadly, including lung, muscle, and kidney, thereby achieving high concentrations at the sites of infection. Because omadacycline is eliminated from the body (as unchanged parent compound) via the kidneys and intestine in an expected manner, it can be used in patients with diminished kidney and liver function, without dose adjustment, and may have benefit in patients receiving poly-pharmacy, where drug-drug interactions are of concern.
Omadacycline Post-Approval Requirements in the U.S.
Under the Pediatric Research Equity Act (21 U.S.C. 355c), or PREA, all applications for new active ingredients are required to contain an assessment of the safety and effectiveness of the product for the claimed indication in pediatric patients unless this requirement is waived, deferred, or inapplicable. As part of the approval for NUZYRA, the FDA has waived the pediatric study requirement for ages 0 to < 8 years and deferred submission of pediatric studies for ages 8 to < 18 years. Specifically, the FDA has requested that we complete three pediatric studies in children ages 8 to <18 years, including a pediatric PK study followed by safety and efficacy studies in pediatric patients with both CABP and ABSSSI. The pediatric PK study was initiated in 2022.
As is often required for antibiotic approvals, the FDA also required a U.S. surveillance study for five years from the date of marketing to monitor for the development of resistance to NUZYRA (omadacycline) in those organisms specific to the indications in the label in addition to pediatric requirements. Year three of the five-year surveillance
concluded with no observed development of resistance to date in the indicated pathogens. Year four isolate collection has been completed and analysis of the data collected is ongoing. Isolate collection for the fifth and final year has begun.
Lastly, the FDA required a second study be conducted in adult patients with CABP. This study has been enrolling since February 2021, including at investigator sites in Ukraine and Russia. Enrollment in Ukraine and Russia has been suspended in response to the Ukraine-Russia crisis that began in February 2022. Identification and preparation of alternative countries and sites is complete, and these sites will begin enrollment in 2023.
NUZYRA Commercialization Strategy
We currently market NUZYRA in the U.S. as an empiric monotherapy in the indications of ABSSSI and CABP for patients that have both a known or suspected resistant pathogen and at least one significant comorbidity such as diabetes or renal impairment. We retain worldwide commercial rights to omadacycline, with the exception in the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, where we have entered into a collaboration agreement with Zai. We plan to pursue the continued global expansion of NUZYRA to select markets including Japan, South Korea and Europe, through collaboration or distribution arrangements focused on the rare disease indication of NTM.
Business Update Regarding COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to negatively impact public health and economic conditions around the world and is continuing to affect our employees, health care institutions, patients, communities and business operations, as well as the U.S. economy. Certain COVID-19 related restrictions on in-person promotional access to health care institutions remain and the overall impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the health care and hospital environments could restrict the full potential of NUZYRA’s growth. The length of time and full extent to which the business and healthcare effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will directly or indirectly impact our business, results of operations and financial condition will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be accurately predicted, including new information that may emerge concerning COVID-19, any resurgence of COVID-19 cases, including as a result of variant strains of the underlying virus, the actions taken to contain the virus or treat its impact, the availability and efficacy of vaccines against COVID-19 and the economic impact on local, regional, national and international markets.
To date, we and our partners have been able to continue to supply our products to our patients worldwide and currently do not anticipate any interruptions in supply for the foreseeable future. We continue to assess the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our three clinical studies that have begun, our BARDA anthrax development program, as well as on our business and operations, including our sales, expenses, supply chain and other clinical studies. Our office-based employees are operating through a hybrid model of at-home and in-office work. Our customer-facing personnel have returned to operating primarily through in-person engagement.
Our third-party contract manufacturing partners continue to operate their manufacturing facilities at or near normal levels. While we currently do not anticipate any interruptions in our supply chain, it is possible that the COVID-19 pandemic and response efforts may have an impact in the future on our and/or our third-party suppliers’ and contract manufacturing partners' ability to manufacture our products or the products of our partners and the cost of such products.
For additional information on the various risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, refer to and Item 1A. Risk Factors and Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk included in this report.
Human Capital Management
Employees
As of February 28, 2023, we had 269 total employees, 268 of whom are full-time and 56 of whom were primarily engaged in research and development activities. A total of 27 employees hold an M.D., Pharm.D, or Ph.D. degree. None of our employees are represented by a labor union, and we consider our employee relations to be good.
Our Corporate Culture
We are driven by our mission to develop transformative medicines for patients with life-threatening diseases and solutions that lead to positive patient stories. Our vision is to be a leading independent biopharmaceutical company providing novel life-saving products for life-threatening diseases or other public health threats for civilian, government and
military use. We were founded and continue to be built on our four core values: purposeful, passionate, resourceful, and collaborative.
The foundation of our company culture requires us to always maintain our commitment to these core values. We have a shared commitment to act with integrity and take responsibly for our actions. All employees are responsible for upholding our reputation and conducting business to the highest legal and ethical standards. Ethical decision making is the foundation for how we do business. Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, or the Code, describes fundamental principles to guide our actions and is designed to help employees make the right decisions. Consistent with our commitment to conducting our business ethically and compliantly, we have implemented a comprehensive compliance program governing our business operations which implements the principles set forth in the Code. To facilitate compliance with the Code, we have implemented a program of code awareness, training and annual review.
Fostering and maintaining a strong, healthy culture is a key strategic focus. Our core values reflect who we are and the way our employees interact with one another, our customers, partners and shareholders. Our Board of Directors, or Board, also provides oversight and guidance to support the continued focus on and importance of culture to our company. We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not tolerate discrimination against applicants or employees based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information, citizenship status, disability, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. We prohibit discrimination in decisions concerning recruitment, hiring, compensation, benefits, training, termination, promotions or any other terms and conditions of employment or career development. We are committed to providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment of any type. Each person, at every level of the organization, must act with respect and civility toward customers, coworkers, and outside firms.
Corporate Sustainability
We understand that delivering on our mission over the long term requires a focus on corporate sustainability, including environmental, social, and governance considerations. Specifically, we focus on the following:
•Patient Support: We are committed to ensuring our innovations reach as many patients as possible, as quickly as possible. We provide patient support and education programs.
•Diversity and Inclusion: We strive to promote diversity, inclusion, equal opportunity and personal development. As of February 2023, women make up more than half of our workforce and ethnic or racial minorities make up more than twelve percent of our total employee population.
•Dedication to Employees: We believe in the importance of investing in our employees’ health, safety, wellness, and ongoing professional development.
•Community Involvement: Supporting and giving back to the communities in which we live and work are at the core of our values. Through both corporate initiatives and individual contributions of our employees, we seek to make a difference.
Our Board sets high standards for our employees, officers and directors. Implicit in this philosophy is the importance of sound corporate governance. It is the duty of the Board to serve as a prudent fiduciary for shareholders and to oversee the management of our business. To fulfill its responsibilities and to discharge its duty, our Board follows the procedures and standards that are set forth in our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, which are subject to modification from time to time as the Board deems appropriate in our best interests or as required by applicable laws and regulations.
Our industry is highly regulated, and is governed by many international, federal, state, and local laws. It is our policy to conduct activities in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and industry standards as well as scientific research standards and guidelines.
Patient safety is our highest priority, and we are committed to providing safe and effective products to our patients. We work closely with government entities, like the FDA, to ensure the safety and efficacy of products and follow all requirements regarding manufacturing, registration, and promotion of prescription drugs.
Compensation and Benefits
Our compensation program is designed to align the compensation of our employees with performance and provides the proper incentives to attract, retain and motivate employees to achieve superior results. To achieve our objectives, we evaluate our compensation program with the goal of setting total compensation at levels that align with our mission, industry, company size, and life stage. While we do not have a formal policy for allocating between long-term and short-term compensation, between cash and non-cash compensation or among different forms of non-cash compensation, we generally strive to provide our employees with a balance of short-term and long-term incentives to encourage consistently strong performance. To incentivize strong performance, two key elements of our employee compensation are variable—annual cash incentive compensation, which is earned based on our Compensation Committee’s assessment of our Company’s annual performance, and performance-based restricted shares, restricted shares, and stock options, which deliver value only to the extent the value of our stock increases.
We believe that the most effective compensation program will promote company performance, encourage progress toward achieving our mission, and reward value creation for our stockholders. Our compensation program is designed to:
•attract and retain superior employees with the skills and values to contribute to our long-term success;
•provide incentives that motivate and reward the achievement of performance goals and that encourage retention; and
•align employees’ interests with those of stockholders by rewarding the achievement of short- and long-term strategic and financial goals, including those tied to short- and long-term value creation for our stockholders.
We offer comprehensive benefit programs to our employees that provide flexibility of choice through a framework of pay and recognition, health and wellness, financial well-being, work/life happiness, culture and community,
and learning and development. We recognize and support the growth and development of our employees and offer opportunities to participate in internal as well as external learning programs.
We continually monitor employee turnover rates, as our success depends upon retaining our highly trained personnel. We believe the combination of competitive compensation and career growth and development opportunities have helped increase employee tenure and reduce voluntary turnover.
Our recruiting practices and decisions on whom to hire are among our most important activities. We utilize social media, local job fairs and educational organizations across the U.S. to find diverse, motivated and responsible employees.
Paratek PROUD Recognition Program
The Paratek PROUD Program, or the Program, is a multi-faceted employee recognition program that recognizes and rewards employees for demonstration of our company values, significant contributions to the organization, and impact in the workplace. The Program's goals are to encourage employee engagement, build a supportive and active work environment and culture, drive operational excellence to enhance business outcomes, and retain top talent and increase company loyalty. The Program allows employees as well as managers to provide recognition through multiple vehicles throughout the year and recognizes service anniversaries and birthdays. The platform also establishes annual awards like the Center of Excellence and Paratek CEO Award.
Competition
NUZYRA 100 mg for injection and 150 mg tablets are distributed in the U.S. exclusively through a limited network of specialty pharmacy providers and distributors. This distribution process is designed to provide the best possible provider and patient experience and improve patient adherence to the indicated dosing.
We have contracted with a third-party organization with extensive experience in delivering patient support services to help healthcare providers and patients access our network of specialty pharmacies and navigate the insurance process.
Paratek also employs Market Access Account Directors who educate payors and hospital formulary committee members about NUZYRA and a Trade Team that works with our network of specialty pharmacies and distributors to assist in the execution of our distribution plan.
Three of the nation’s largest Pharmacy Benefit Managers, CVS Caremark, Express Scripts and OptumRx, have listed NUZYRA 150 mg tablets on their commercial formulary. Approximately 83% of insured commercial lives in the U.S. have coverage for NUZYRA 150 mg tablets with limited or no restrictions. Among those commercially insured covered lives, approximately 23% require a prior authorization.
On October 1, 2019, NUZYRA 100 mg for injection was issued a permanent J-code under the Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System, which is a standardized code system necessary for medical providers to submit healthcare claims to Medicare and other health insurances in a consistent and orderly manner. NUZYRA 100 mg for injection has also received transitional pass-through status from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or the CMS, which is intended to encourage the use of newly FDA-approved medical devices, drugs, and biologics to increase Medicare patients’ access to these innovative therapies by paying hospital outpatient departments more than the established facility fees. Pass-through status is temporary lasting at least two but not more than three years.
Our potential competitors include large pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, specialty pharmaceutical companies and generic drug companies. We believe that our product candidates offer key potential advantages over competitive products that could enable our product candidates to capture meaningful market share from our competitors.
NUZYRA competes with other antibiotics in the serious bacterial skin infection market. These include, but are not limited to, vancomycin, marketed as a generic by Abbott Laboratories and others; linezolid, marketed as Zyvox by Pfizer Inc. and available as a generic; tedizolid, marketed as Sivextro; daptomycin, marketed as Cubicin by Merck Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and available as a generic; dalbavancin, marketed as Dalvance by Abbvie; oritavancin, marketed as Orbactiv and delafloxacin, marketed as Baxdela by Melinta Therapeutics, Inc.; quinupristin/dalfopristin, marketed as
Synercid by Pfizer, Inc.; tigecycline, marketed as Tygacil by Pfizer Inc. and available as a generic; telavancin, marketed as Vibativ by Cumberland Therapeutics Inc.; ceftaroline, marketed as Teflaro by Abbvie; and generic trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and clindamycin.
Further, we expect that product candidates currently in review with the FDA, in Phase 3 clinical development, or that could enter Phase 3 clinical development in the near future, may represent significant competition if approved. These include, but are not limited to, CG-400549, under development by Crystal Genomics; GSK2140944, under development by GSK; nemonoxacin, under development by TaiGen Biotechnology; and brilacidin, under development by Cellceutix.
NUZYRA also competes with other antibiotics in the community-acquired pneumonia market. These include azithromycin, marketed as Zithromax and Z-PAK by Pfizer Inc. and available as a generic; clarithromycin, marketed as Biaxin by Abbott Laboratories and available as a generic; moxifloxacin, marketed as Avelox by Bayer AG and available as a generic; levofloxacin, marketed as Levaquin by Johnson & Johnson and available as a generic; tigecycline, marketed as Tygacil by Pfizer Inc. and available as a generic; linezolid, marketed as Zyvox by Pfizer Inc. and available as a generic; ceftriaxone, marketed as Rocephin by F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd and available as a generic; ceftaroline, marketed as Teflaro by Abbvie; delafloxacin, marketed as Baxdela by Melinta Therapeutics Inc; and lefamulin, marketed as Xenleta by Nabriva Therapeutics. We are also aware of various drugs that are or may eventually be under development for the treatment of CABP, including, but not limited to, GSK2140944, under development by GSK, and nemanoxacin, under development by TaiGen Biotechnology.
Many of our potential competitors have substantially greater financial, technical and human resources than we do, as well as greater experience in marketing products, discovering and developing product candidates, obtaining FDA and other regulatory approvals of products and the commercialization of those products. Our competitors’ drugs may be more effective, or more effectively marketed and sold, than our products or any other product candidate we may commercialize and may render our products or product candidates obsolete or non-competitive before we can recover the expenses of our development and commercialization. We anticipate that we will face intense and increasing competition as new drugs enter the market and advanced technologies become available. Finally, the development of new treatment methods for the diseases we are targeting could render our products or product candidates non-competitive or obsolete.
Manufacturing
We do not own or operate manufacturing facilities for the production of any of our products, nor do we have plans to develop our own manufacturing facilities in the foreseeable future. Our products are manufactured in synthetic processes from starting materials that have to date been generally available.
The manufacturing process of omadacycline tosylate has been validated at commercial scale. The active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing process is a three-step synthesis followed by purification and salt formation. The starting material is minocycline, which is well characterized and readily available. We have entered into commercial supply agreements with commercial manufacturing organizations as described below, to manufacture and supply the drug substance, drug product and finished packaged product.
CIPAN
In November 2016, we entered into a manufacturing and services agreement with CIPAN – Companhia Industrial Produtora de Antibióticos, or CIPAN, and subsequently amended and restated such manufacturing and services agreement in April 2018 to include, among other things, an investment by the Company in a new facility area to increase the manufacturing capacity for production of crude omadacycline. The agreement, as subsequently amended, provides the terms and conditions under which CIPAN will manufacture and supply to us increased quantities of minocycline starting material and crude omadacycline, or the CIPAN Products, for purification into omadacycline and, subsequently, for use in our products that contain omadacycline tosylate as the active pharmaceutical ingredient. Under this agreement, we are obligated to pay a CIPAN Product price in the four-digit U.S. dollar range per kilogram for minocycline starting material and in the four-digit or five-digit U.S. dollar range per kilogram for crude omadacycline, based on the annual volume of crude omadacycline that we order, subject to adjustments as set forth in the agreement. CIPAN will also perform certain services related to development, technology transfer and manufacturing of the CIPAN Products as provided in one or more statements of work, which shall set forth the fees payable by us to CIPAN for such services.
Our agreement with CIPAN will remain in effect for an initial term, as extended, after which the agreement will continue, with respect to each CIPAN Product, for successive renewal terms unless either we or CIPAN have given written notice of termination within a certain period prior to the expiration of either the initial or then-current renewal term. The agreement may also be terminated under certain other circumstances, including by either party due to a material uncured breach by the other party or the other party’s insolvency.
Carbogen
In July 2021, we entered into a supply agreement with CARBOGEN AMCIS AG, or Carbogen. The agreement provides for the terms and conditions under which Carbogen will manufacture and supply to us the active pharmaceutical ingredient for our omadacycline product in bulk quantities, or the Carbogen Product. Under the agreement, we are responsible for the cost and supply of crude omadacycline that Carbogen requires to manufacture Carbogen Product and perform related services. We are obligated to initially pay Carbogen an amount in the high six-digit U.S. dollar range per batch of Carbogen Product that we order, and the price may be adjusted in accordance with the terms of the agreement. We may also request that Carbogen perform certain services related to the Carbogen Product, for which we will pay reasonable compensation to Carbogen.
Our agreement with Carbogen will remain in effect for a fixed initial term and subsequent renewal terms (unless either party provides notice of its intent to terminate prior to the end of the then-current term). The agreement may also be terminated under certain other circumstances, including by either party delivering notice of termination following the initial term, or by either party due to a material uncured breach by the other party or the other party’s insolvency.
Almac
In December 2016, we entered into a manufacturing and services agreement with Almac Pharma Services Limited, or Almac. The manufacturing agreement, as subsequently amended, provides for the terms and conditions under which Almac will manufacture, package and supply to us omadacycline oral solid dosage tablets in bulk form, or the Almac Products. Under this manufacturing agreement, we are required to use commercially reasonable efforts to timely provide Almac with the active pharmaceutical ingredient needed to manufacture the Almac Products and perform related services. We are obligated to pay a supply price in the five-digit range in Great Britain Pounds, or GBP, per batch of the Almac Products, subject to adjustments as provided in the manufacturing agreement. We are also subject to an annual minimum revenue commitment in the six-digit GBP range. We will also negotiate with Almac, as part of each individual scope of work, the reasonable costs for the services to be performed for us by Almac.
The agreement with Almac will remain in effect for a fixed initial term, after which the agreement will continue for successive renewal terms unless either us or Almac have given written notice of termination within a certain period prior to the expiration of the initial or then-current renewal term. The agreement may also be terminated under certain other circumstances, including by either party due to a material uncured breach of the other party or the other party’s insolvency.
Patheon
In July 2017, we entered into a master manufacturing services agreement and corresponding product agreement with Patheon UK Limited, or Patheon. The agreements, as subsequently amended, provide for the terms and conditions under which Patheon will manufacture, package and supply to us omadacycline in injectable form, or the Patheon Products. Under these agreements, we are required to deliver to Patheon the active pharmaceutical ingredient needed to manufacture the Patheon Products. We are obligated to pay a supply price in the six-digit dollar range per batch of the Patheon Products, subject to adjustments as provided in the agreements. Now that our omadacycline product has been approved, we are also subject to an annual minimum purchase requirement in the six-digit U.S. dollar range. If we desire for Patheon to conduct additional services other than those expressly set forth in the agreements, those would be subject to additional fees.
Our agreements with Patheon will remain in effect for a fixed initial term, after which they will continue for successive renewal terms unless either we or Patheon have given written notice of termination within a certain period prior to the expiration of the applicable initial or then-current renewal term. The agreements may also be terminated under certain other circumstances, including by either party due to a material uncured breach of the other party or the other party’s insolvency.
Research and Development
We have and will continue to make substantial investments in research and development. Our research and development expenses totaled $37.8 million and $30.4 million in 2022 and 2021, respectively.
In the ordinary course of business, we enter into agreements with third parties, such as contract research organizations, medical institutions, government agencies, clinical investigators and contract laboratories, to conduct our clinical studies and aspects of our research and preclinical testing. These third parties provide project management and monitoring services and regulatory consulting and investigative services.
Intellectual Property
The proprietary nature of, and protection for, our proprietary drug development platform, our product candidates and our discovery programs, processes and know-how are important to our business. We seek patent protection in the U.S. and internationally for areas such as composition of matter and the chemistries that allow for the synthesis of novel, substituted tetracycline compounds that exhibit significant antibacterial and/or anti-inflammatory activity, and any other technology to which we have rights, where available and when appropriate. Our policy is to pursue, maintain and defend patent rights, whether developed internally or licensed from third parties, and to protect the technology, inventions and improvements that are commercially important to the development of our business. We also rely on trade secrets that may be important to the development of our business.
Our commercial success will depend in part on obtaining and maintaining patent protection and trade secret protection of our proprietary technologies and compounds, our current product and future product candidates and the methods used to develop and manufacture them, as well as successfully defending these patents against third-party challenges. Our ability to prevent third parties from making, using, selling, offering to sell or importing our products and technology depends on the extent to which we have rights under valid and enforceable patents or trade secrets that cover these activities. We cannot be sure that patents will be granted with respect to any of our pending patent applications or with respect to any patent applications filed by us in the future, nor can we be sure that any of our existing patents or any patents that may be granted to us in the future will be commercially useful in protecting our technology.
As of December 31, 2022, our patent portfolio of owned or exclusively licensed patents and applications includes 38 issued U.S. patents, 17 pending U.S. patent applications and corresponding foreign national or regional counterpart patents or applications. We expect that the patents and patent applications in this portfolio, if issued, and if the appropriate maintenance, renewal, annuity or other government fees are paid, would expire between 2023 and 2041, excluding any additional terms from patent term adjustments or patent term extensions under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments.
NUZYRA (omadacycline)
The patent portfolio for omadacycline is directed to cover compositions of matter, formulations, salts and polymorphs, manufacturing methods, methods of use, dosing regimens, and modes of administration. The patents and patent applications covering omadacycline include patents and patent applications owned by us. The issued composition of matter patent in the U.S. (U.S. Patent No. 7,553,828), if the appropriate maintenance, renewal, annuity, or other governmental fees are paid, was expected to expire in 2023, however, we believe that additional term for certain omadacycline patents may result from the patent term extension provision of the Hatch-Waxman Amendments of 1984, including the composition of matter patent which is anticipated to be extended until May 2028 and a method of use patent (U.S. 9,265,740) is expected to be extended until October 2030. Filings for both patent term extensions have been made with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. On February 17, 2023, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office granted an interim one-year extension of the U.S. Patent No. 7,553,828 while they continue to review our petition for patent term extension. Omadacycline has received Qualified Infectious Disease Product, or QIDP, designation under the Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now Act, or the GAIN Act. This may provide up to an additional five years of market exclusivity layered with protection provided by the Hatch-Waxman Amendments, which GAIN also enables exclusivity to 2028. We expect that the other patents and patent applications in this portfolio, if issued, and if the appropriate maintenance, renewal, annuity or other governmental fees are paid, would expire between 2023 and 2041, excluding any additional terms from patent term adjustments or patent term extensions under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments.
SEYSARA (sarecycline)
The patent portfolio for our acne and rosacea program is directed to cover compositions of matter, methods of use, methods of manufacturing, as well as salts and polymorphs of sarecycline. Amongst other patent filings and granted patents, our patent portfolio includes issued U.S. Patent No. 8,318,706, or the ‘706 Patent, which covers composition of matter of sarecycline and issued U.S. Patent No. 8,513,223, or the ‘223 Patent, which covers methods of use for sarecycline, and corresponding foreign national or regional counterpart applications. The ‘706 Patent is expected to expire in 2032 (this expiry taking into account the expected patent term extension as provided by the Hatch-Waxman Amendments) and the ‘223 Patent is expected to expire in 2029, if the appropriate maintenance, renewal, annuity or other governmental fees are paid. Filing for the patent term extension has been made with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. In February 2020, we finalized a license agreement with Almirall granting us exclusive rights to certain technology owned or in-licensed by Almirall or its affiliates that is necessary or useful to develop or commercialize sarecycline outside of the U.S., including exclusive rights in joint intellectual property and certain Almirall solely owned intellectual property.
Intermezzo
As of December 31, 2022, our patent portfolio of owned or exclusively licensed patents and applications includes four issued U.S. patents directed to formulations and methods of use. The issued U.S. patents expire between 2025 and 2029.
Trade Secrets
In addition to patents, we rely on trade secrets and know-how to develop and maintain our competitive position. Trade secrets and know-how can be difficult to protect. We seek to protect our proprietary technology and processes, in part, by confidentiality agreements and invention assignment agreements with our employees, consultants, scientific advisors, contractors and commercial partners. These agreements are designed to protect our proprietary information and, in the case of the invention assignment agreements, to grant us ownership of technologies that are developed through a relationship with a third-party. We also seek to preserve the integrity and confidentiality of our data, trade secrets and know-how by maintaining physical security of our premises and physical and electronic security of our information technology systems.
Trademarks
We have registered trademarks and service marks or pending trademark and services mark applications in a number of countries for PARATEK, PARATEK & HEXAGON DESIGN, NUZYRA and its design logo, and other marks which we presently use or may use in connection with our pharmaceutical research and development as well as with our product candidates. SEYSARA is a trademark for which Almirall has registered in the U.S. and China and for which Paratek has applied for in a number of foreign countries. In connection with the ongoing development and advancement of our products and services in the U.S. and in various international jurisdictions, we routinely seek to create protection for our marks and enhance their value by pursuing trademarks and service marks where available and when appropriate.
Collaborations and License Agreements
Our commercial strategy is to partner with established pharmaceutical companies to develop and market products for the larger community markets, while retaining certain rights to products aimed at concentrated markets, such as hospital-based products, where we may seek to participate in development and commercialization.
Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority
In December 2019, we entered into the BARDA contract. Refer to the section entitled Business—Overview—Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority Contract in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further discussion of the BARDA contract.
Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
In March 2019, Paratek and Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals, Inc., or Tetraphase, which later became a subsidiary of La Jolla Pharmaceutical Company, both of which are now a subsidiary of Innoviva, Inc., entered into a License Agreement, or the Tetraphase License Agreement. Under the terms of the Tetraphase License Agreement, we granted to Tetraphase a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-bearing license, with the right to grant sublicenses, under certain Paratek
patents, to develop, make, have, use, import, offer for sale and sell the licensed product, or XERAVATM, which is a drug for the treatment of complicated, intra-abdominal infections caused by bacteria, which was approved by the FDA in August 2018.
The terms of the Tetraphase License Agreement provide for Tetraphase to pay royalties at a low single digit percent on net product revenues of the licensed product sold in the U.S. Tetraphase’s obligation to pay royalties with respect to the licensed product shall be retroactive to the date of the first commercial sale of the licensed product in the U.S., which occurred in February 2019. La Jolla is currently selling XERAVATM (Eravacycline) in the U.S.
The Tetraphase License Agreement will continue until the expiration of and payment by Tetraphase of all Tetraphase’s payment obligations, which is when there are no longer any valid claims of the licensed Paratek patents that would be infringed, in the absence of a license, by a manufacture, use, or sales of the licensed product. The principal licensed patent under the Tetraphase License Agreement is expected to expire in October 2023.
Zai Lab (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
In April 2017, Paratek Bermuda Ltd., a former wholly owned subsidiary of Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Zai entered into a License and Collaboration Agreement, or the Zai Collaboration Agreement. On December 18, 2019, Paratek Bermuda Ltd. assigned its rights under the Zai Collaboration Agreement to Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Under the terms of the Zai Collaboration Agreement, Paratek granted Zai an exclusive license to develop, manufacture and commercialize omadacycline, or the licensed product, in the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, or the Zai territory, for all human therapeutic and preventative uses other than biodefense. Zai is responsible for the development, manufacturing and commercialization of the licensed product in the Zai territory, at its sole cost with certain assistance from Paratek.
Under the terms of the Zai Collaboration Agreement, we earned an upfront cash payment of $7.5 million in April 2017, $5.0 million upon approval by the FDA of a New Drug Application, or NDA, submission in October 2018, $3.0 million upon submission of the first regulatory approval application for a licensed product in the People’s Republic of China in December 2019, and $6.0 million upon regulatory approval of omadacycline for the treatment of adults with ABSSSI and CABP in the People’s Republic of China in December 2021.We are also eligible to receive $40.5 million in potential future commercial milestone payments. The terms of the Zai Collaboration Agreement also provide for Zai to pay us tiered royalties at a low double digit to mid-teen percent on net sales of the licensed product in the Zai territory.
The Zai Collaboration Agreement will continue, on a region-by-region basis, until the expiration of and payment by Zai of all Zai’s payment obligations, which is until the later of: (i) the abandonment, expiry or final determination of invalidity of the last valid claim within the Paratek patents that covers the licensed product in the region in the Zai territory in the manner that Zai or its affiliates or sublicensees exploit the licensed product or intend for the licensed product to be exploited; or (ii) 2032, the eleventh anniversary of the first commercial sale of such licensed product in such region.
Almirall, LLC
In July 2007, we and Warner Chilcott Company, Inc. (which became a part of Allergan), entered into a collaborative research and license agreement, under which we granted Allergan an exclusive license to research, develop, manufacture and commercialize tetracycline products for use in the U.S. for the treatment of acne and rosacea. In September 2018, Allergan assigned to Almirall, its rights under the collaboration agreement, or the Almirall Collaboration Agreement. Since Allergan did not exercise its development option with respect to the treatment of rosacea prior to initiation of a Phase 3 trial for the product, the license grant to Allergan, which was assigned to Almirall, converted to a non-exclusive license for the treatment of rosacea as of December 2014. Under the terms of the Almirall Collaboration Agreement, we and Almirall are responsible for, and are obligated to use, commercially reasonable efforts to conduct specified development activities for the treatment of acne and, if requested by Almirall, we may conduct certain additional development activities to the extent we determine in good faith that we have the necessary resources available for such activities.
Under the terms of the Almirall Collaboration Agreement, Almirall is responsible for and is obligated to use commercially reasonable efforts to develop and commercialize tetracycline compounds that are specified in the agreement for the treatment of acne. We have agreed during the term of the Almirall Collaboration Agreement not to directly or indirectly develop or commercialize any tetracycline compounds in the U.S. for the treatment of acne, and Almirall has
agreed during the term of the Almirall Collaboration Agreement not to directly or indirectly develop or commercialize any tetracycline compound included as part of the agreement for any use other than as provided in the Almirall Collaboration Agreement.
The Almirall Collaboration Agreement contains two performance obligations: (i) an exclusive license to research, develop and commercialize tetracycline products for use in the U.S. for the treatment of acne and non-exclusive rights to rosacea and (ii) research and development services. The performance obligation to deliver the license was satisfied upon execution of the Almirall Collaboration Agreement in July 2007. All research and development services were completed by December 2010.
We received an upfront fee in the amount of $4.0 million upon the execution of the Almirall Collaboration Agreement, $1.0 million upon filing of an Investigational NDA in 2010, $2.5 million upon initiation of Phase 2 trials in 2012, $4.0 million upon initiation of Phase 3 trials in December 2014, $5.0 million upon the FDA’s acceptance of the NDA for sarecycline and $12.0 million upon FDA approval of SEYSARA. No additional milestones are available under the Almirall Collaboration Agreement. Almirall is also obligated to pay us tiered royalties, ranging from the mid-single digits to the low double digits, based on net sales of tetracycline compounds developed under the Almirall Collaboration Agreement, with a standard royalty reduction post patent expiration for such product for the remainder of the royalty term. Almirall’s obligation to pay us royalties for each tetracycline compound it commercializes under the Almirall Collaboration Agreement expires on the later of the expiration of the last to expire patent that covers the tetracycline compound in the U.S. and the date on which generic drugs that compete with the tetracycline compound reach a certain threshold market share in the U.S.
Either we or Almirall may terminate the Almirall Collaboration Agreement for certain specified reasons at any time after Almirall has commenced development of any tetracycline compound, including if Almirall determines that it would not be commercially viable to continue to develop or commercialize the tetracycline compound and/or that it is unlikely to obtain regulatory approval of the tetracycline compound, and, in any case, no backup tetracycline compound is in development or ready to be developed and the parties are unable to agree on an extension of the development program or an alternative course of action. Either we or Almirall may terminate the Almirall Collaboration Agreement for the other party’s uncured breach of a material term of the agreement on 60 days’ notice (unless the breach relates to a payment term, which requires a 30-day notice) or upon the bankruptcy of the other party that is not discharged within 60 days. Upon the termination of the Almirall Collaboration Agreement by Almirall for our breach, Almirall’s license will continue following the effective date of termination, subject to the payment by Almirall of the applicable milestone and royalty payments specified in the agreement unless our breach was with respect to certain specified obligations, in which event the obligation of Almirall to pay us any further royalty or milestone payments will terminate. Upon the termination of the Almirall Collaboration Agreement by us for Almirall’s breach or the voluntary termination of the agreement by Almirall, Almirall’s license under the agreement will terminate.
In February 2020, we entered into (i) an ex-U.S. License, under which Almirall, or the Ex-U.S. License, granted to us an exclusive license in and to certain technology owned or in-licensed by Almirall or its affiliates in order to research, develop, manufacture and commercialize sarecycline in all countries other than the U.S. and (ii) a license agreement with Almirall that is specific to the greater China region, or the China License, under which we granted to Almirall an exclusive license in and to certain technology owned or in-licensed by us or our affiliates in order to research, develop and commercialize sarecycline for the treatment of acne in the greater China region.
Under the terms of the Ex-U.S. License, at our request, and subject to certain limitations, Almirall will provide us, our affiliates and our sublicensees with reasonable assistance in connection with our efforts to (i) source commercial supplies of sarecycline products, (ii) implement the then-current process for manufacturing sarecycline products at our facilities or at the facilities of our contract manufacturers, including any updates to such manufacturing process, and (iii) qualify commercial suppliers of sarecycline products.
Under the terms of the China License, Almirall is responsible for and is obligated to use commercially reasonable efforts to develop and commercialize sarecycline for the treatment of acne and has certain time-based diligence requirements.
We and Almirall have each agreed during the term of the Ex-U.S. License and the term of the China License to use commercially reasonable efforts to not, directly or indirectly, make sarecycline products commercialized by us, our respective affiliates or our respective sublicensees available for resale in the other’s respective territory or territories.
No upfront fees or milestones are owed in connection with either the Ex-U.S. License or the China License.
In connection with the Ex-U.S. License, we pay Almirall, on a country-by-country and product-by-product basis, (i) for fifteen years following the first commercial sale of a sarecycline product in a country, a percentage of the consideration (e.g., milestones, royalties) we receive from third-party sublicensees in connection with developing and commercializing sarecycline outside of the U.S., which ranges from one-half of such consideration for sarecycline products for the treatment of acne to one-fifth of such consideration for sarecycline products for the treatment of other indications, in each case subject to a 50% reduction for any sarecycline product not in a solid oral tablet formulation for which Paratek or its affiliates have incurred significant development costs and (ii) for eight years following the first commercial sale of a sarecycline product in a country and a royalty in the middle-single digits on our or our affiliates’ net sales of sarecycline products outside of the U.S., subject to certain standard reductions. In connection with the China License, for fifteen years following the first commercial sale of a sarecycline product in China, Almirall pays us a royalty in the high-single digits on their, their affiliates’ or their sublicensees’ net sales of sarecycline products in the greater China region, subject to certain standard reductions.
Both the Ex-U.S. License and the China License terminate upon full satisfaction and expiration of a party’s payment obligations under the relevant agreement. We or Almirall may terminate the Ex-U.S. License for convenience upon sixty days’ notice. Either we or Almirall may terminate the Ex-U.S. License or the China License for the other party’s uncured breach of a material term of the agreement on sixty days’ notice (unless the breach relates to a payment term, which requires thirty days’ notice) or upon the bankruptcy of the other party that is not discharged within sixty days. Upon the termination of the Ex-U.S. License by us for Almirall’s breach or insolvency, our license will continue following the effective date of termination, subject to the payment by us of the applicable royalty payments specified in the Ex-U.S. License (unless Almirall’s breach relates to a certain specific obligation, in which case, our license survives royalty-free). Upon the termination of the Ex-U.S. License by Almirall for our breach or insolvency or upon our voluntary termination of the Ex-U.S. License, our license under the Ex-U.S. License will terminate. Upon the termination of the China License by Almirall for our breach or insolvency, Almirall’s license will continue following the effective date of termination, subject to the payment by Almirall of the applicable royalty payments specified in the China License (unless our breach relates to a certain specific obligation, in which case, Almirall’s license survives royalty-free). Upon the termination of the China License by us for Almirall’s breach or insolvency or upon Almirall’s voluntary termination of the China License, Almirall’s license under the China License will terminate.
Tufts University
In February 1997, we and Tufts University, or Tufts, entered into a license agreement under which we acquired an exclusive license to certain patent applications and other intellectual property of Tufts related to the drug resistance field to develop and commercialize products for the treatment or prevention of bacterial or microbial diseases or medical conditions in humans or animals or for agriculture. We subsequently entered into eleven amendments to that agreement, or collectively the Tufts License Agreement, to include patent applications filed after the effective date of the original license agreement, to exclusively license additional technology from Tufts, to expand the field of the agreement to include disinfectant applications, and to change the royalty rate and percentage of sublicense income paid by us to Tufts under sublicense agreements with specified sublicensees. We are obligated under the Tufts License Agreement to provide Tufts with annual diligence reports and a business plan and to meet certain other diligence milestones. We have the right to grant sublicenses of the licensed rights to third parties, which will be subject to the prior approval of Tufts unless the proposed sublicensee meets a certain net worth or market capitalization threshold. We are primarily responsible for the preparation, filing, prosecution and maintenance of all patent applications and patents covering the intellectual property licensed under the Tufts License Agreement at our sole expense. We have the first right, but not the obligation, to enforce the licensed intellectual property against infringement by third parties.
We issued Tufts 1,024 shares of our common stock on the date of execution of the original license agreement, and we may be required to make certain payments of up to $0.3 million to Tufts upon the achievement by products developed under the agreement of specified development and regulatory approval milestones. We have already made a payment of $50,000 to Tufts for achieving the first milestone following commencement of the Phase 3 clinical trial for omadacycline and a payment of $100,000 to Tufts for achieving the second milestone following our first marketing application (NDA) submitted in the U.S. We are also obligated to pay Tufts a minimum royalty payment in the amount of $25,000 per year. We are obligated to pay Tufts royalties based on gross sales of products, as defined in the agreement, ranging in the low single digits depending on the applicable field of use for such product sale. If we enter into a sublicense under the Tufts License Agreement, based on the applicable field of use for such product, we will be obligated to pay Tufts (i) a percentage, ranging from 10% to 14% (ten percent to fourteen percent) for compounds other than omadacycline, and a
percentage in the single digits for the compound omadacycline, of that portion of any sublicense issue fees or maintenance fees received by us that are reasonably attributable to the sublicense of the rights granted to us under the Tufts License Agreement and (ii) the lesser of (a) a percentage, ranging from the low tens to the high twenties based on the applicable field of use for such product, of the royalty payments made to us by the sublicensee or (b) the amount of royalty payments that would have been paid by us to Tufts if we had sold the products.
Unless terminated earlier, the Tufts License Agreement will expire at the same time as the last-to-expire patent in the patent rights licensed to us under the agreement and after any such expiration we will continue to have an exclusive, fully-paid-up license to such intellectual property licensed from Tufts. Tufts has the right to terminate the agreement upon 30 days’ notice should we fail to make a material payment under the Tufts License Agreement or commit a material breach of the agreement and not cure such failure or breach within such 30-day period, or if, after we have started to commercialize a product under the Tufts License Agreement, we cease to carry on its business for a period of 90 consecutive days. We have the right to terminate the Tufts License Agreement at any time upon 180 days’ notice.
Past Collaborations
Novartis Pharma AG
In September 2009, we and Novartis International Pharmaceutical Ltd., or Novartis, which merged into Novartis Pharma AG, a wholly owned subsidiary of Novartis AG, entered into a Collaborative Development, Manufacture and Commercialization License Agreement, or the Novartis Agreement, which provided Novartis with a global, exclusive patent and technology license for the development, manufacturing and marketing of omadacycline. The Novartis Agreement was terminated by Novartis without cause in June 2011 and the termination was effective 60 days later. We and Novartis subsequently entered into a letter agreement in January 2012, or the Novartis Letter Agreement, as amended, pursuant to which we reconciled shared development costs and expenses and granted Novartis a right of first negotiation with respect to commercialization rights of omadacycline following approval of omadacycline from the FDA, EMA, or any regulatory agency, but only to the extent we had not previously granted such commercialization rights related to omadacycline to another third party as of any such approval. We also agreed to pay Novartis a 0.25% royalty, to be paid from net sales received by us in any country following the launch of omadacycline in that country and continuing until the later of expiration of the last active valid patent claim covering such product in the country of sale and 10 years from the date of first commercial sale in such country. The amended Novartis Letter Agreement resulted in a long-term liability in the amount of $2.5 million as of December 31, 2022 and $2.8 million as of December 31, 2021 included within “Other Liabilities” on our consolidated balance sheet. In addition, short-term liabilities of $0.4 million included within “Other Current Liabilities” on our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively, represent the portion of royalty payments due to Novartis within twelve months of each balance sheet date. There are no other payment obligations to Novartis under the Novartis Agreement or the amended Novartis Letter Agreement.
Government Regulation
Government authorities in the U.S. at the federal, state and local level, as well as those of other countries, extensively regulate, among other things, the research, development, testing, manufacture, labeling, packaging, advertising, promotion, storage, distribution, and export and import of our products. The process of obtaining regulatory approvals and the subsequent compliance with applicable federal, state, local and foreign statutes and regulation require the expenditure of substantial time and financial resources.
U.S. Government Regulation
NDA Approval Processes
In the U.S., the FDA regulates drugs under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, or the FDCA, and implements regulations. The process of obtaining regulatory approvals and the subsequent compliance with applicable federal, state, local and foreign statutes and regulation require the expenditure of substantial time and financial resources. Failure to comply with the FDCA and other applicable U.S. requirements at any time during the product development process, approval process or after approval may subject us to a variety of administrative or judicial sanctions, any of which could have a material adverse effect on us. These sanctions could include:
•refusal to approve pending applications;
•withdrawal of an approval;
•imposition of a clinical hold;
•warning letters, untitled letters and similar communications;
•product seizures or recalls;
•total or partial suspension of production or distribution; or
•injunctions, fines, restitution, disgorgement of profits or civil or criminal investigations and penalties brought by the FDA and the Department of Justice, or DOJ, or other governmental entities.
The process required by the FDA before a drug may be marketed in the U.S. generally involves the following:
•completion of preclinical laboratory tests, animal studies and formulation studies conducted according to Good Laboratory Practices or other applicable regulations;
•submission to the FDA of an Investigational New Drug, or IND, application, which must become effective before human clinical trials may begin;
•approval by an independent institutional review board, or IRB, representing each clinical site before each clinical trial may be initiated;
•performance of adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials to establish the safety and efficacy of the proposed drug for its intended use, conducted in accordance with current Good Clinical Practices, or cGCP, which are ethical and scientific quality standards and FDA requirements for conducting, recording and reporting clinical trials to assure that the rights, safety and well-being of trial participants are protected;
•preparation and submission to the FDA of an NDA;
•satisfactory completion of one or more FDA inspections of the manufacturing facility or facilities at which the product is produced to assess compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices, or cGMP, requirements to assure that the facilities, methods and controls are adequate to preserve the drug’s safety, identity, strength, quality and purity; and
•FDA review and approval of the NDA.
Once a pharmaceutical candidate is identified for development, it enters the preclinical testing stage. Preclinical tests include laboratory evaluations of product chemistry, toxicity and formulation, as well as animal studies. An IND sponsor must submit the results of the preclinical tests, together with manufacturing information and analytical data, to the FDA as part of the IND. Some preclinical or nonclinical testing may continue even after the IND is submitted. In addition to including the results of the preclinical studies, the IND will also include a protocol detailing, among other things, the objectives of the clinical trial, the parameters to be used in monitoring safety and the effectiveness criteria to be evaluated if the first phase lends itself to an efficacy determination. The IND automatically becomes effective 30 days after receipt by the FDA, unless the FDA, within the 30-day time period, places the IND on clinical hold. In such a case, the IND sponsor and the FDA must resolve any outstanding concerns before clinical trials can begin. A clinical hold may occur at any time during the life of an IND and may affect one or more specific studies or all studies conducted under the IND.
All clinical trials must be conducted under the supervision of one or more qualified investigators in accordance with cGCP. They must be conducted under protocols detailing the objectives of the trial, dosing procedures, subject selection and exclusion criteria and the safety and effectiveness criteria to be evaluated. Each protocol and any amendments must be submitted to the FDA as part of the IND, and progress reports detailing the results of the clinical trials must be submitted at least annually to the FDA and more frequently in other situations, including the occurrence of serious adverse events. An IRB at each institution participating in the clinical trial must review and approve the protocol and any amendments before a clinical trial commences or continues at that institution, approve the information regarding the clinical trial and the informed consent form that must be provided to each trial subject or his or her legal representative, monitor the study until completed and otherwise comply with IRB regulations. Information about certain clinical trials must be submitted within specific timeframes to the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, for public dissemination on their ClinicalTrials.gov website.
Human clinical trials are typically conducted in three sequential phases that may overlap or be combined:
•Phase 1. The drug is initially introduced into healthy human subjects and tested for safety, dosage tolerance, absorption, metabolism, distribution and elimination. In the case of some products for severe or life-threatening diseases, such as cancer, especially when the product may be inherently
too toxic to ethically administer to healthy volunteers, the initial human testing is often conducted in patients with the target disease or condition.
•Phase 2. Clinical trials are initiated in a limited patient population intended to identify possible adverse effects and safety risks, to preliminarily evaluate the efficacy of the product for specific targeted diseases and to determine dosage tolerance and optimal dosage.
•Phase 3. Clinical trials are undertaken to further evaluate dosage, clinical efficacy and safety in an expanded patient population at geographically dispersed clinical study sites. These studies are intended to establish the overall risk-benefit ratio of the product and provide an adequate basis for regulatory approval and product labeling.
Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 testing may not be completed successfully within any specified period, if at all. The FDA or the sponsor may suspend or terminate a clinical trial at any time for a variety of reasons, including a finding that the research subjects or patients are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk. Similarly, an IRB can suspend or terminate approval of a clinical trial at its institution if the clinical trial is not being conducted in accordance with the IRB’s requirements or if the drug has been associated with unexpected serious harm to patients.
During the development of a new drug, sponsors are given opportunities to meet with the FDA at certain points, including prior to submission of an IND, at the end of Phase 2 and before an NDA is submitted. Meetings at other times may also be requested. These meetings can provide an opportunity for the sponsor to share information about the data gathered to date, for the FDA to provide advice and for the sponsor and the FDA to reach agreement on the next phase of development. Sponsors typically use the End-of-Phase 2 meeting to discuss their Phase 2 clinical results and present their plans for the pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial or trials that they believe will support approval of the new drug. If this type of discussion occurred, a sponsor may be able to request a special protocol assessment, or SPA, agreement, a voluntary process the purpose of which is to reach agreement with the FDA on the design of a Phase 3 clinical trial protocol and analysis that will form the primary basis of an efficacy claim.
According to FDA guidance for industry on the SPA agreement process, a sponsor that meets the prerequisites may make a specific request for a SPA and must provide information necessary for discussion and agreement on the design and size of the proposed clinical trial. The FDA has a goal of evaluating the protocol within 45 days of the request to assess whether the proposed trial is adequate, and that evaluation may result in discussions and/or requests for additional information. A SPA agreement request must be made before the proposed clinical trial begins. If an agreement is reached, it will be documented in writing and made part of the trial record. The agreement may not be changed by the sponsor or the FDA after the trial begins, except with the written agreement of the sponsor and the FDA or if the FDA determines that a substantial scientific issue essential to determining the safety or efficacy of the drug was identified after the testing began. Also, if the sponsor makes any unilateral changes to the FDA-approved protocol, the agreement will be invalidated. A SPA agreement is intended to provide greater assurance that if the agreed upon clinical trial protocols are followed, the clinical trial endpoints are achieved, and there is a favorable risk-benefit profile, the data may serve as the primary basis for an efficacy claim in support of NDA approval. However, SPA agreements are not a guarantee of an approval of a product candidate or any permissible claims about the product candidate, and final determinations of approvability will not be made until the FDA completes its review of the entire NDA.
The PREA requires a sponsor to conduct pediatric studies for certain drugs and biologics. Specifically, PREA requires original NDAs, biologic license applications, or BLAs, and supplements thereto for a new active ingredient, new indication, new dosage form, new dosing regimen or new route of administration to contain a pediatric assessment unless the sponsor has received a deferral or waiver. The FDA has waived the pediatric study requirement for omadacycline in children ages 0 to < 8 years because there is nonclinical evidence strongly suggesting that omadacycline would be unsafe in this pediatric group due to the risk of tetracycline-associated tooth discoloration and enamel hypoplasia, and the risk of tetracycline-associated inhibition of bone growth. The FDA has deferred submission of pediatric studies for ages 8 to < 18 (ABSSSI until 2024 and CABP until 2026) years because the product was ready for approval for use in adults.
Concurrent with clinical trials, companies usually complete additional animal safety studies and must also develop additional information about the chemistry and physical characteristics of the drug and finalize a process for manufacturing the product in accordance with cGMP requirements. The manufacturing process must be capable of consistently producing quality batches of the drug candidate and the manufacturer must develop methods for testing the quality, purity and potency of the final drugs. Additionally, appropriate packaging must be selected and tested, and stability studies must be conducted to demonstrate that the drug candidate does not undergo unacceptable deterioration over its shelf-life.
The results of product development, preclinical studies and clinical trials, along with descriptions of the manufacturing process, analytical tests conducted on the chemistry of the drug, proposed labeling and other relevant information are submitted to the FDA as part of a NDA requesting approval to market the product for one or more indications. The submission of an NDA is subject to the payment of user fees, but a waiver of such fees may be obtained under specified circumstances. The FDA reviews all NDAs submitted to ensure that they are sufficiently complete for substantive review before it accepts them for filing. It may request additional information rather than accept an NDA for filing. In this event, the NDA must be resubmitted with the additional information. The resubmitted application also is subject to review before the FDA accepts it for filing.
Once the submission is accepted for filing, the FDA begins an in-depth review. NDAs receive either standard or priority review. A drug representing a significant improvement in the safety or effectiveness of the treatment or prevention or diagnosis of a serious disease or condition may receive priority review. The FDA has agreed to specified performance goals in the review process of NDAs. Under that agreement, 90% of applications seeking approval of New Molecular Entities, or NMEs, are meant to be reviewed within ten months from the date on which FDA accepts the NDA for filing, and 90% of applications for NMEs that have been designated for “priority review” are meant to be reviewed within six months of the filing date. For applications seeking approval of drugs that are not NMEs, the ten-month and six-month review periods run from the date that FDA receives the application. The review process may be extended by the FDA for three additional months to consider a major amendment to the application following the original submission.
The FDA reviews an NDA to determine, among other things, whether a product is safe and effective for its intended use and whether its manufacturing complies with cGMP requirements to assure and preserve the product’s safety, identity, strength, quality and purity. The FDA may refer the NDA to an advisory committee for review and recommendation as to whether the application should be approved and under what conditions. The FDA is not bound by the recommendation of an advisory committee, but it generally follows such recommendation.
Before approving an NDA, the FDA will typically inspect the facility or facilities where the product is manufactured and tested. These pre-approval inspections may cover all facilities associated with NDA submission, including drug component manufacturing (such as active pharmaceutical ingredients), finished drug product manufacturing, and control testing laboratories. Additionally, before approving an NDA, the FDA will typically inspect one or more clinical sites to assure compliance with cGCP. In addition, the FDA may require, as a condition of approval, Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies, or REMS, restricted distribution and use, enhanced labeling, special packaging or labeling, expedited reporting of certain adverse events, pre-approval of promotional materials, restrictions on direct-to-consumer advertising or commitments to conduct additional research post-approval.
On the basis of the FDA’s evaluation of the NDA and accompanying information, the FDA may issue an approval letter or a complete response letter. An approval letter authorizes commercial marketing of the product with specific prescribing information for specific indications. If the FDA ultimately decides that the NDA does not satisfy the criteria for approval, the FDA will issue a complete response letter to indicate that the agency will not approve the NDA in its present form. The complete response letter usually describes all of the specific deficiencies in the NDA identified by the FDA. If a complete response letter is issued, the applicant may either resubmit the NDA, addressing all of the deficiencies identified in the letter, or withdraw the application.
Expedited Review and Approval
The FDA has various programs, including Fast Track and priority review, which are intended to expedite or simplify the process for reviewing drugs. Even if a drug qualifies for one or more of these programs, the FDA may later decide that the drug no longer meets the conditions for qualification or that the time period for FDA review or approval will not be shortened. Generally, drugs that may be eligible for these programs are those for serious or life-threatening conditions, those with the potential to address unmet medical needs and those that offer meaningful benefits over existing treatments. For example, Fast Track is a process designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of drugs to treat serious diseases with the potential, based on nonclinical or clinical data, to fill an unmet medical need. Priority review is designed to give drugs that offer a significant improvement in safety or effectiveness of treatment for a serious condition an expedited review within eight months from the completed submission (six months from filing) as compared to a standard review time of twelve months from the completed submission (10 months from filing) for a standard new molecular entity NDA. Although Fast Track and priority review do not affect the standards for approval, the FDA will attempt to facilitate early and frequent meetings with a sponsor of a Fast Track-designated drug and expedite review of the application for a drug designated for priority review.
The GAIN Act is intended to provide incentives for the development of new QIDPs. A new drug that is designated as a QIDP after a request by the sponsor that is made before an NDA is submitted will be eligible, if approved, for an additional five years of exclusivity beyond any period of exclusivity to which it would have previously been eligible. In addition, a QIDP will receive priority review and qualify for a Fast Track designation. QIDPs are defined as antibacterial or antifungal drugs intended to treat serious or life-threatening infections, including those caused by an antibacterial or antifungal resistant pathogen or qualifying pathogens identified by the FDA. Examples of pathogens that may be designated as a qualifying pathogen include MRSA, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus and multi-drug resistant gram-negative bacteria. Omadacycline (both IV and oral formulations) has been designated as a QIDP for complicated UTI, ABSSSI and CABP.
Beyond GAIN Act
In addition to the GAIN Act, the 21st Century Cures Act, signed into law in December 2016, established a new FDA limited population pathway for antimicrobial drugs that treat serious or life-threatening infections for which there are unmet medical needs. The U.S. Congress has initiated a significant number of other legislative proposals in recent years to provide further incentives in anti-infective development. For example, in December 2018, the Developing an Innovative Strategy for Antimicrobial Resistant Microorganisms Act of 2018, or DISARM Act, was introduced in the Senate to incentivize the research and development of advanced antibiotics through certain reimbursement-related incentives. It is possible that these or other proposals related to anti-infective development may be enacted into law in the future. We cannot predict whether or what legislative changes will be enacted or how they may impact our business and our products.
Patent Term Restoration and Data Exclusivity
Depending upon the timing, duration and specifics of FDA approval of the use of our drugs, some of our U.S. patents may be eligible for limited patent term extension under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments. The Hatch-Waxman Amendments permit a patent restoration term of up to five years for a single patent for an approved product as compensation for patent term lost during product development and the FDA regulatory review process. However, patent term restoration cannot extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the product’s approval date. We have applied for restoration of patent term for NUZYRA and SEYSARA, as detailed in the Intellectual Property Section.
Data exclusivity provisions under the FDCA also can delay the submission or the approval of certain applications. The FDCA provides a five-year period of non-patent data exclusivity within the U.S. to the first applicant to gain approval of an NDA for a new chemical entity. A drug is a new chemical entity if the FDA has not previously approved any other new drug containing the same active moiety, which is the molecule or ion responsible for the action of the drug substance. During the exclusivity period, the FDA may not accept for review an Abbreviated New Drug Application, or ANDA, or a 505(b)(2) NDA submitted by another company using the drug entitled to data exclusivity as a reference listed drug, or RLD. However, an application may be submitted after four years if it contains a certification of patent invalidity or non-infringement. The FDCA also provides three years of data exclusivity for an NDA, 505(b)(2) NDA or supplement to an existing NDA if new clinical investigations, other than bioavailability studies, that were conducted or sponsored by the applicant are deemed by the FDA to be essential to the approval of the application, for example, for new indications, dosages or strengths of an existing drug. This three-year exclusivity covers only the use or conditions of use associated with the new clinical investigations and does not prohibit the FDA from approving ANDAs, for drugs containing the original active agent for other uses or conditions of use. Five-year and three-year exclusivity will not delay the submission or approval of a full NDA. However, an applicant submitting a full NDA would be required to conduct or obtain a right of reference to all of the preclinical studies and adequate and well-controlled clinical trials necessary to demonstrate safety and effectiveness.
In addition, under the GAIN Act, a new drug that is designated as a QIDP is eligible for an additional five years of exclusivity to be added to certain other exclusivity periods that the application may qualify for upon approval, specifically five-year exclusivity, three-year exclusivity, and orphan exclusivity.
Pediatric Exclusivity
The Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act provides for an additional six months of exclusivity, which is added on to patent and exclusivity periods in effect at the time the pediatric exclusivity award is granted, if a sponsor conducts clinical trials in children in response to a written request from the FDA, or a Written Request. The FDA may
request studies on approved indications in separate Written Requests. The issuance of a Written Request does not require the sponsor to undertake the described studies. To date, we have not received any Written Requests.
Post-approval Requirements
Once an approval is granted, the FDA may withdraw the approval if compliance with regulatory requirements and standards is not maintained or if problems occur after the product reaches the market. Later discovery of previously unknown problems, including safety issues, with a product may result in restrictions on the product or even complete withdrawal of the product from the market. After approval, some types of changes to the approved product, such as adding new indications, manufacturing changes and additional labeling claims, are subject to further FDA review and approval. In addition, the FDA may require testing and surveillance programs to monitor the effect of approved products that have been commercialized, and the FDA has the power to prevent or limit further marketing of a product based on the results of these post-marketing programs. The FDA and other authorities also strictly regulate the promotional claims that may be made about prescription products. Under the FDCA, the sponsor of an approved drug in the U.S. may not promote that drug for unapproved, or off-label, uses, although a physician may prescribe a drug for an off-label use in accordance with the practice of medicine. If we are found to have promoted off-label uses, we may be subject to significant liability, including sanctions, civil and criminal fines, and injunctions prohibiting us from engaging in specified promotional conduct.
Moreover, any drug products manufactured or distributed pursuant to FDA approvals are subject to continuing regulation by the FDA, including, among other things:
•record-keeping requirements;
•reporting of adverse experiences with the drug;
•providing the FDA with updated safety and efficacy information;
•drug sampling and distribution requirements;
•notifying the FDA and gaining its approval of specified manufacturing or labeling changes;
•complying with certain electronic records and signature requirements; and
•complying with FDA promotion and advertising requirements.
Drug manufacturers and other entities involved in the manufacture and distribution of approved drugs are required to register their establishments with the FDA and certain state agencies and are subject to periodic unannounced inspections by the FDA and some state agencies for compliance with cGMP requirements and other laws.
Failure to comply with the FDCA and other applicable U.S. requirements at any time during the product development process, approval process or after approval may subject us to a variety of administrative or judicial sanctions, any of which could have a material adverse effect on us. These sanctions could include:
•refusal to approve pending applications;
•withdrawal of an approval;
•imposition of a clinical hold;
•warning letters, untitled letters and similar communications;
•product seizures or recalls;
•total or partial suspension of production or distribution; or
•injunctions, fines, restitution, disgorgement of profits or civil or criminal investigations and penalties brought by the FDA and the Department of Justice, or DOJ, or other governmental entities.
From time to time, legislation is drafted, introduced and passed in Congress that could significantly change the statutory provisions governing the approval, manufacturing and marketing of products regulated by the FDA. In addition, FDA regulations and guidance are often revised or reinterpreted by the agency in ways that may significantly affect our business and our products. It is impossible to predict whether legislative changes will be enacted, or FDA regulations, guidance or interpretations changed or what the impact of such changes, if any, may be.
Further, the global regulatory landscape is also subject to change as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the U.S. and global economies. The U.S. FDA and other health authorities have shifted resources and priorities to
meet the many challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has also directly impacted the FDA and global regulatory agencies’ daily operations. For example, FDA temporarily suspended non-critical foreign and domestic inspections in March 2020 and announced plans to resume prioritized domestic inspections in July 2020. Pandemic-related disruptions could negatively impact the processing of regulatory submissions and slow agency review times necessary for the approval or clearance of new drug products. The duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic is unpredictable and difficult to assess.
Other Healthcare Laws
We may be subject to additional healthcare regulation and enforcement by the federal government and by authorities in the states and foreign jurisdictions in which we conduct our business. Within the U.S., we are subject to various federal and state laws that seek to prevent “fraud and abuse” in the healthcare industry, including anti-kickback laws and false claims laws. There is therefore a possibility that our practices might be challenged under such laws. Anti-kickback laws generally prohibit a prescription drug manufacturer from soliciting, offering, receiving, or paying any remuneration to generate business, including the purchase or prescription of a particular drug. False claims laws generally prohibit anyone from knowingly and willingly presenting, or causing to be presented, any claims for payment for reimbursed drugs or services to third-party payors (including Medicare and Medicaid) that are false or fraudulent. Although the specific provisions of these laws vary, their scope is generally broad and there may not be regulations, guidance or court decisions that apply the laws to particular industry practices. Violations of “fraud and abuse” laws may be punishable by criminal or civil sanctions, including fines and civil monetary penalties, and/or exclusion from federal health care programs (including Medicare and Medicaid).
Laws and regulations have also been enacted by the federal government and various states to regulate the sales and marketing practices of pharmaceutical manufacturers. The laws and regulations generally limit financial interactions between manufacturers and health care providers; require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the pharmaceutical industry’s voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the U.S. federal government; and/or require disclosure to the government and/or public of financial interactions (so-called “sunshine laws”). State laws may also require disclosure of pharmaceutical pricing information and marketing expenditures. Manufacturers must also submit information to the FDA on the identity and quantity of drug samples requested and distributed by a manufacturer during each year. Many of these laws and regulations contain ambiguous requirements or require administrative guidance for implementation. Given the lack of clarity in laws and their implementation, our activities could be subject to the penalty provisions of the pertinent federal and state laws and regulations.
Federal and state laws also protect the privacy and security of health information specifically or other personally identifiable information generally. The laws may apply to us or to healthcare providers and other third parties with which we interact.
Foreign Regulation
In addition to regulations in the U.S., we are subject to a variety of foreign regulations governing clinical trials and commercial sales and distribution of our products. Whether or not we obtain FDA approval for a product, we must obtain approval by the comparable regulatory authorities of foreign countries or economic areas, such as the EU and Great Britain, before we may commence clinical trials or market products in those countries or economic areas. The approval process and requirements governing the conduct of clinical trials, product licensing, pricing and reimbursement vary greatly from place to place, and the time to obtain these approvals may be longer or shorter than that required for FDA approval.
Under the EU regulatory regimes, a company may submit marketing authorization applications under the centralized, decentralized or mutual recognition procedures, or under the purely national route of approval. Where the product is intended to be marketed in, one member EU state, a national application for marketing authorization is filed. The centralized procedure is compulsory for medicinal products produced by biotechnology, designated orphan medicines, advanced-therapy medicines such as gene-therapy, and those medicinal products containing new active substances for specific indications such as the treatment of HIV or AIDS and immune dysfunctions, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, and viral diseases, and is optional for other medicines that are highly innovative. Under the centralized procedure, a single marketing authorization application is submitted to the EMA, where it will be evaluated by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP). A favorable CHMP opinion typically results in the grant by a single marketing authorization granted by the European Commission in an implementing decision, known as a centralized marketing authorization. A centralized marketing authorization is valid for all EU member states and, by extension (after taking the corresponding national implementing measures), in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. In general, an initial
marketing authorization is valid for five years, but once renewed is usually valid for an unlimited period. Under the centralized procedure, the maximum timeframe for the evaluation of a marketing authorization applicable by the EMA is 210 days, excluding clock stops. Clock-stops allow the applicant the necessary time to provide additional information in response to the questions raised by the CHMP. The clock-stops considerably extend the time taken by the CHMP to complete the evaluation of a marketing authorization application. Ordinarily, within 67 days of receipt of the scientific opinion provided by the EMA, the European Commission will issue a binding decision on the marketing authorization application.
The decentralized procedure allows marketing authorization applications to be submitted simultaneously in two or more EU member states, whereas the mutual recognition procedure must be used if the product has already been authorized in at least one other EU member state on a national basis, and the applicant seeks progressively approval of the same medicinal product in one or more EU Member States. Both the decentralized and mutual recognition procedures provide for approval by one or more “concerned” member states based on an assessment of an application performed by “reference” member state. Under the decentralized approval procedure, an applicant submits an application, or dossier, and related materials to the reference member state and concerned member states. The reference member state prepares a draft assessment and drafts of the related materials within 120 days of the receipt of a valid application. Within 90 days of receiving the reference member state’s positive assessment report, each concerned member state must approve the assessment report and related materials, unless they identify a serious risk to public health. Under the mutual recognition procedure, the concerned member states have the same 90-day period to recognize the marketing authorization in the reference member state. The decentralized procedure contemplates a single clock-stop at Day 105, which may extend the process for completing the assessment procedure. In either case, if there is a disagreement between Member States during the assessment of the submitted data based on concerns about serious risks to public health, the Coordination Group for Mutual Recognition and Decentralized Procedures will consider the matter and seek to reach a conclusion within 60 days. If this is not possible, the reference member state can escalate this issue to the EMA for arbitration. The purely national procedure results in a marketing authorization in a single EU member state.
Following the UK’s vote to leave the EU, in Great Britain (being England, Wales and Scotland), all medicinal products with a centralized EU marketing authorization were automatically converted to Great Britain marketing authorizations unless marketing authorization holders opted out of this process. According to Article 5(4) of Annex 2 to the Northern Ireland Protocol contained in the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, centralized marketing authorizations continue to apply in Northern Ireland. For three years from January 1, 2021, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the UK medicines regulator, may rely on a European Commission marketing authorization approval in the centralized procedure in order to expedite an application for a Great Britain marketing authorization. A separate application is still required, and marketing authorizations are granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.
Reimbursement
Significant uncertainty exists regarding the coverage and reimbursement status of products approved by the FDA and other government authorities. Sales of our products will depend, in part, on the availability of coverage and the adequacy of reimbursement from third-party payors. Third-party payors include government authorities or government healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and private entities, such as managed care organizations, private health insurers and other organizations. The process for determining whether a third-party payor will provide coverage for a product may be separate from the process for setting the reimbursement rate that the payor will pay for the drug product. Third-party payors may limit coverage to specific products on an approved list, or formulary, which might not include all of the FDA-approved products for a particular indication. Some third-party payors may manage utilization of a particular product by requiring pre-approval (known as “prior authorization”) for coverage of particular prescriptions (to allow the payor to assess medical necessity). If the prior authorization (medical necessity) is denied by the payor, the patient may not be able to afford the full cost of the medication without the coverage from the third-party payor. A third-party payor's decision to provide coverage for a drug product does not imply that an adequate reimbursement rate will be approved. Adequate third-party reimbursement may not be available to enable us to maintain net price levels sufficient to realize an appropriate return on our investment in product development. Additionally, coverage and reimbursement for drug products can differ significantly from payor to payor. One third-party payor’s decision to cover a particular drug product or service does not ensure that other payors will also provide coverage for the medical product or service or will provide coverage at an adequate reimbursement rate.
Third-party payors are increasingly challenging the price and examining the cost-effectiveness of new products and services in addition to their safety and efficacy. To obtain or maintain coverage and reimbursement for any current or future product, we may need to conduct real world evidence and pharmacoeconomic studies to demonstrate the
medical necessity and cost-effectiveness of our product. These studies will be in addition to the studies required to obtain or maintain regulatory approvals. If third-party payors do not consider a product to be cost-effective compared to other available therapies, they may not cover the product after approval as a benefit under their plans or, if they do, the level of payment may not be sufficient to allow a company to sell its products at a profit. We may also need to offer discounts or rebates to third-party payors. Thus, obtaining and maintaining reimbursement status is complex and costly.
Additionally, the containment of healthcare costs has become a priority of federal and state governments, and the prices of drugs have been a focus in this effort. The U.S. government, state legislatures and foreign governments have shown significant interest in implementing cost-containment programs, including price controls, restrictions on reimbursement and requirements for substitution of generic products. Adoption of new price controls and cost-containment measures, and adoption of more restrictive policies in jurisdictions with existing controls and measures, could further limit our net revenue and results. Decreases in third-party reimbursement for our or our partners’ products or a decision by a third-party payor to not cover our or our partners’ products could reduce physician usage of the product and have a material adverse effect on our sales, results of operations and financial condition. We expect that the pharmaceutical industry will continue to experience pricing pressures due to the increasing influence of managed care (and related implementation of managed care strategies to control utilization), additional federal and state legislative and regulatory proposals to regulate pricing of drugs, limit coverage of drugs or reduce reimbursement for drugs, and public scrutiny. While we cannot predict what executive, legislative and regulatory proposals will be adopted or other actions will occur, such events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and profitability.
Within the U.S., we may be required to provide discounts or rebates under government healthcare programs or to certain government and private purchasers in order to obtain coverage under federal healthcare programs such as Medicaid. Participation in such programs may require us to track and report certain drug prices. We may be subject to fines and other penalties if we fail to report such prices accurately.
In addition, in some foreign countries, the proposed pricing for a drug must be approved before it may be lawfully marketed. The requirements governing drug pricing vary widely from country to country. For example, the EU provides options for its member states to restrict the range of medicinal products for which their national health insurance systems provide reimbursement and to control the prices of medicinal products for human use. A member state may approve a specific price for the medicinal product or it may instead adopt a system of direct or indirect controls on the profitability of the company placing the medicinal product on the market. There can be no assurance that any country that has price controls or reimbursement limitations for pharmaceutical products will allow favorable reimbursement and pricing arrangements for any of our products. Historically, products launched in the EU do not follow price structures of the U.S. and generally tend to be significantly lower.
Health Care and Other Reform
In the U.S., there have been and continue to be a number of significant legislative initiatives to contain healthcare costs. Federal and state governments continue to propose and pass legislation designed to reform delivery of, or payment for, health care, which include initiatives to reduce the cost of healthcare. For example, in March 2010, the U.S. Congress enacted the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, or the Healthcare Reform Act, which expanded health care coverage through Medicaid expansion and the implementation of the individual mandate for health insurance coverage and which included changes to the coverage and reimbursement of drug products under government healthcare programs. We face uncertainties because there have been, and may be additional, federal legislative and administrative efforts to repeal, substantially modify or invalidate some or all of the provisions of the Healthcare Reform Act. For example, tax reform legislation was enacted at the end of 2017 that eliminated the tax penalty established under Healthcare Reform Act for individuals who do not maintain mandated health insurance coverage beginning in 2019. The Healthcare Reform Act has also been subject to judicial challenge. On June 17, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed the latest judicial challenge to the Healthcare Reform Act brought by several states without specifically ruling on s the constitutionality of the Healthcare Reform Act.
Beyond the Healthcare Reform Act, there have been ongoing legislative and administrative reform efforts that affect pricing or payment for drug products or the healthcare industry more generally. Drug pricing and payment reform was a focus of the Trump Administration and has been a focus of the Biden Administration. For example, federal legislation enacted in 2021 eliminates a statutory cap on Medicaid drug rebate program rebates effective January 1, 2024. As another example, in 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, or the IRA, contains numerous drug pricing and payment reforms. Among other provisions, the IRA requires manufacturers to pay a rebate to the federal government if prices for single-source drugs covered under Medicare Part B and most drugs covered under Medicare Part D increase
faster than the rate of inflation. Other provisions will be implemented over the next few years – e.g., the IRA imposes a yearly cap ($2,000 in 2025) on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs in Medicare Part D; implements a new Medicare Part D manufacturer discount drug program in 2025; and, starting in 2026, creates a drug price negotiation program under which the prices for certain high Medicare spend drugs and biologicals without generic or biosimilar competition will be limited by a cap that is defined by reference to, among other things, a specified non-federal average manufacturer price. Such provisions could have a material impact on our ability to raise prices for our product and may adversely affect our profitability.
Some of the healthcare reform changes have been and may continue to be subject to scrutiny and legal challenge. For example, revisions to regulations under the federal anti-kickback statute would remove protection for traditional Medicare Part D discounts offered by pharmaceutical manufacturers to pharmacy benefit managers and health plans. Pursuant to court order, the removal was delayed, and the IRA further delayed implementation of the rule until January 1, 2032.
There have also been efforts by federal and state government officials or legislators to implement measures to regulate prices or payment for pharmaceutical products, including legislation on drug importation. Recently, there has been considerable public and government scrutiny of pharmaceutical pricing and proposals to address the perceived high cost of pharmaceuticals. There have also been recent state legislative efforts to address drug costs, which generally have focused on increasing transparency around drug costs or limiting drug prices.
General legislative cost control measures may also affect reimbursement for our product candidates. The Budget Control Act, as amended, resulted in the imposition of (1%-3%) reductions in Medicare (but not Medicaid) payments to providers in 2013 and will remain in effect through 2031 (except May 1, 2020 to March 31, 2022) unless additional Congressional action is taken. Any significant spending reductions affecting Medicare, Medicaid or other publicly funded or subsidized health programs that may be implemented and/or any significant taxes or fees that may be imposed on us could have an adverse impact on our results of operations.
Adoption of new legislation at the federal or state level could affect demand for, or pricing of, our current or future products if approved for sale. We cannot, however, predict the ultimate content, timing or effect of federal and state reform efforts. There is no assurance that federal or state health care reform will not adversely affect our future business and financial results.
Government Contracts and Regulation
We currently contract with the federal government. The BARDA contract could result in payments to us of up to approximately $303.6 million and consists of a five-year base period-of-performance and a total contract period-of-performance (base period plus option exercises) of up to ten years for us to complete the studies and manufacturing activities necessary for the FDA to consider emergency use authorization NUZYRA to treat people exposed to anthrax. As a government contractor, we are subject to complex and wide-ranging federal and agency-specific regulations and contractual requirements that not only govern how we perform under the contract but also impose other requirements that affect our operations, including socio-economic obligations such as obligations related to affirmative action and maintaining a drug-free workplace. While many of our employees have been involved in working with government contracts previously, many of these government contracting requirements are new to Paratek as a company. Failure to comply with government contracting requirements could result in termination of our contract and the imposition of penalties.
Financial and Segment Information
We operate our business as a single segment, as defined by generally accepted accounting principles. Our financial information is included in the consolidated financial statements and the related notes.
Available Information
We are a reporting company under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, and file reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC. You may access this information at the SEC’s Internet site: www.sec.gov. This site contains reports, proxies and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC.
Our internet web site address is www.paratekpharma.com. We make available, free of charge at the “Investors” portion of our web site, annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. Reports of beneficial ownership filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act are also available on our web site. Information in, or that can be accessed through, this web site is not part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below and all information contained in this report before you decide to purchase our common stock. If any of the possible adverse events described below actually occurs, we may be unable to conduct our business as currently planned and our financial condition and operating results could be harmed. In addition, the trading price of our common stock could decline due to the occurrence of any of the events described below, and you may lose all or part of your investment. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business.
Risk Related to Financial Condition
We have incurred significant losses since inception and anticipate that we will incur losses for the foreseeable future. To date we have not generated sufficient revenue from product sales to cover corresponding expenses and we may never achieve or sustain profitability.
We received FDA approval for NUZYRA in October 2018 and launched NUZYRA in the U.S. in February 2019. Additionally, FDA approval was granted in October 2018 for SEYSARA and Almirall launched SEYSARA in the U.S. in January 2019. We have exclusively licensed U.S. commercial rights for SEYSARA to Almirall for which we are entitled to tiered royalties on net sales in the U.S. We have also licensed SEYSARA to Almirall in the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong and Macau, or the greater China region, and are entitled to a flat royalty on net sales in the greater China region. Although NUZYRA and SEYSARA are now being sold by us and Almirall, respectively, it will take some time to attain profitability and we may never do so. Our net loss for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $63.6 million. As of December 31, 2022, our accumulated deficit was $930.4 million. We expect to continue to incur losses for the foreseeable future as we seek to maintain and expand regulatory approvals for our products, continue to commercialize NUZYRA, including expansion into the community setting, expand our sales, marketing and distribution infrastructure, and add personnel to support our product development and commercialization efforts and operations. The net losses and negative operating cash flows incurred to date, together with expected future losses, have had, and likely will continue to have, an adverse effect on our stockholders’ equity (deficit) and working capital. The amount of future net losses will depend, in part, on the rate of future growth of our expenses and our ability to generate future revenue.
To become and remain profitable, we must succeed in developing, obtaining regulatory approval for and commercializing products with significant market potential. Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with pharmaceutical product development, we are unable to accurately predict the timing or amount of increased expenses or when, or if, we will be able to generate any sufficient product revenues to achieve profitability. For example, our expenses could increase if we are required by regulatory agencies outside of the U.S. to perform studies in addition to those that we have already performed or currently expect to perform.
Even if we achieve profitability in the future, we may not be able to sustain profitability in subsequent periods. Our failure to become or remain profitable would depress the market value of our common stock, could impair our ability to raise capital, expand our business, develop other product candidates or continue our operations and could cause investors to lose all or part of their investments.
There is substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern.
As of December 31, 2022, we had $34.2 million of cash and cash equivalents on hand. Our current level of cash and cash equivalents is not sufficient to fund operations for the next twelve months following the issuance of the financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. As a result, there is substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern for a period of one year from the issuance of the financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We expect to finance future cash needs primarily through a combination of product sales, royalties, public or private equity offerings, debt or other structured financings, strategic partnership opportunities, government funding and active management of cash and expenses through operational efficiencies. Such activities may not succeed. The failure of the Company to obtain sufficient funds on acceptable terms could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations, and financial condition.
In addition, substantial doubt regarding our ability to continue as a going concern may materially and adversely affect the price per share of our common stock, and may make it more difficult for us to obtain financing. The perception that we may not be able to continue as a going concern may cause others to choose not to deal with us due to concerns about our ability to meet our contractual obligations. If we are unable to continue as a going concern, we may have to cease operations and liquidate our assets, and you may lose all or a part of your investment.
We may continue to require substantial additional funding, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all, and, if not available, may require us to delay, scale back or cease our product development programs or commercialization efforts for NUZYRA.
As of December 31, 2022, our cash and cash equivalents were $34.2 million. In January 2023, we received proceeds of $36.4 million from the second procurement of NUZYRA under the BARDA contract that was delivered to and accepted by BARDA in December 2022. We will require substantial additional funding to meet FDA post-marketing approval requirements for NUZYRA, which we expect to be materially funded through the BARDA contract. Additional funding will be required to support and accelerate the commercialization of NUZYRA, especially in the community setting, to fund the development of omadacycline in other indications, including NTM, and to advance the development of, or license or acquisition of, potential other product candidates, and such funding may not be available on favorable terms or at all. Although it is difficult to predict our liquidity requirements, based upon our current operating plan, we anticipate that our cash and cash equivalents will enable us to fund our operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements through at least the next 12 months from the filing date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Because the profitability of NUZYRA and SEYSARA, and the successful development of any other future product candidates, is uncertain, we are unable to estimate the actual funds we will require to fund our continuing operations, including for our clinical development programs and commercialization efforts for NUZYRA.
Our future funding requirements will depend on many factors, including but not limited to:
•the progress of clinical development of omadacycline in additional indications, including NTM and pulmonary anthrax;
•the costs and timing of commercialization activities for NUZYRA, including expansion into the community setting;
•product revenue received from commercial sales of NUZYRA;
•timing and amount of actual reimbursements and NUZYRA purchases under the BARDA contract;
•the ability of Zai to develop, manufacture and commercialize omadacycline in the Zai territory;
•royalty revenue received from commercial sales of SEYSARA by Almirall;
•the ability of Almirall to develop, manufacture and commercialize sarecycline in the greater China region;
•the scope, progress, timing, cost and results of research, preclinical development and clinical trials, including for NTM;
•the costs, timing and outcome of seeking, obtaining, maintaining and expanding FDA and non-U.S. regulatory approvals;
•the costs associated with establishing and expanding our manufacturing, sales, marketing and distribution capabilities;
•the cost, number and characteristics of other product candidates that we may pursue;
•our ability to maintain, expand and defend the scope of our intellectual property portfolio, including the amount and timing of any payments we may be required to make in connection with the licensing, filing, defense and enforcement of any patents or other intellectual property rights;
•our need and ability to hire additional management, scientific, commercial, operations and medical personnel;
•the effect of competing products, including generic products, that may limit market penetration of our products;
•our need to implement additional internal systems and infrastructure, including financial and reporting systems;
•resources required to develop and implement policies and processes to promote ongoing compliance with applicable healthcare laws and regulations;
•costs required to ensure that our and our partners’ business arrangements with third parties comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations; and
•the economic and other terms, timing and success of our existing and future collaboration and licensing arrangements, including the timing of receipt of any milestone or royalty payments under such arrangements.
Until we generate a sufficient amount of product and royalty revenue to finance our cash requirements, which we may never do, we expect to finance future cash needs primarily through a combination of public or private equity offerings, debt or other structured financings, strategic collaborations and grant funding. There can be no assurance that we would be successful in securing additional funds on acceptable terms. If additional funds are not available, we may be forced to cease operations, significantly reduce operating expenses or delay, curtail, or eliminate one or more of our development programs or our business operations.
Raising additional capital or entering into certain debt financings or other arrangements may cause dilution to our stockholders, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights.
Until such time, if ever, as we can generate substantial product revenue, we may finance our cash needs through the sale of additional equity or convertible debt securities, which would dilute shareholder ownership interest. The terms of these new securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect shareholders’ rights as common stockholders. Future debt financing, if available at all, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends. If we raise additional funds through collaborations, strategic alliances or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, NUZYRA, sarecycline, any future product candidates or future revenue streams, or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to us. We cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain additional funding if and when necessary. If we are unable to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis, we could be required to grant rights to develop and market NUZYRA, sarecycline or any future product candidates that we may otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves.
Risks Related to Maintaining and Expanding Regulatory Approval and Other Legal Compliance Matters
If clinical trials for omadacycline are prolonged, delayed or stopped, we may be unable to obtain regulatory approval and commercialize omadacycline for the treatment of additional indications on a timely basis.
In October 2018, the FDA approved NUZYRA in the U.S. for the treatment of adults with CABP and ABSSSI that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by susceptible bacteria. The completion of any future clinical trials, including for NTM and FDA PMRs, could be substantially delayed or prevented by several factors, including:
•severe restrictions on the clinical and healthcare system resulting from global health outbreaks, including the COVID-19 pandemic;
•delay or failure to obtain sufficient supplies of the product candidate or of the comparator product for our clinical trials;
•the limited number of, and competition for, suitable sites to conduct our clinical trials, many of which may already be engaged in other clinical trial programs, including some that may be for the same indication as our product candidates;
•any delay or failure to obtain regulatory approval or agreement to commence a clinical trial in any of the countries where enrollment is planned;
•clinical holds on, or other regulatory objections to, a new or ongoing clinical trial;
•delay or failure to reach agreement on acceptable clinical trial agreement terms or clinical trial protocols with prospective sites or clinical research organizations, or CROs, or local regulatory
authorities, the terms of which can be subject to extensive negotiation and may vary significantly among different sites or CROs; and
•delay or failure to obtain Institutional Review Board/ethics committee approval to conduct a clinical trial at a prospective site or within a specific region or country.
The completion of our clinical trials could also be substantially delayed or prevented by several factors, including:
•slower than expected rates of patient recruitment and enrollment;
•feasibility of continuous trial execution in countries impacted by war, political conflict, and other humanitarian crises;
•failure of patients to complete the clinical trial;
•unforeseen safety issues, including severe or unexpected drug-related adverse effects experienced by patients;
•lack of omadacycline efficacy, or efficacy of other product candidates, evidenced during clinical trials;
•termination of our clinical trials by one or more clinical trial sites;
•inability or unwillingness of patients or clinical investigators to follow our clinical trial protocols;
•inability to monitor patients adequately during or after treatment by us and/or our CROs;
•delay or failure to obtain sufficient supplies of omadacycline or of the relevant comparator product; and
•the need to repeat or terminate clinical trials as a result of inconclusive or negative results or unforeseen complications during clinical trial testing.
For example, in February 2022, Russia commenced a military invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s invasion and the ensuing response by Ukraine caused us to stop enrollment in both countries in one of our current clinical trials and has increased our costs and disrupted planned clinical development activities. In addition, data collected from trial participants in Russia and Ukraine may not be captured in the clinical database or it may not be possible to adequately monitor it. As a result, the data may need to be excluded from analyses and additional patients may need to be enrolled in other countries. Alternative countries and sites were included to fully and timely compensate for our clinical trial activities in Ukraine and Russia. While the cost of this trial is currently reimbursed under our BARDA contract, if our clinical trials are further interrupted, our costs and ability to generate revenues could be materially adversely impacted.
In particular, our ability to enroll patients in our clinical trials in sufficient numbers and on a timely basis will be subject to a number of factors, including the size of the patient population needed, the nature of the protocol, the proximity of patients to clinical sites, the availability of effective treatments for the relevant indication and the eligibility criteria for the clinical trial.
Changes in regulatory requirements and guidance may also occur, and we may need to amend clinical trial protocols to reflect these changes with appropriate regulatory authorities, which could impact the costs, timing, or successful completion of a clinical trial. Our clinical trials may be suspended or terminated at any time by the FDA, other regulatory authorities, or the overseeing Institutional Review Board due to a number of factors, including:
•failure to conduct the clinical trial in accordance with regulatory requirements or our clinical protocols;
•unforeseen safety issues or any determination that a clinical trial presents unacceptable health risks;
•lack of adequate funding to continue the clinical trial due to unforeseen costs or other business decisions; and
•upon a breach or pursuant to the terms of any agreement with, or for any other reason by, current or future collaborators that have responsibility for the clinical development of any of our product candidates.
In addition, clinical practices vary globally, and there is a lack of harmonization among the guidance provided by various regulatory bodies of different regions and countries with respect to the data that is required to receive marketing approval, which makes designing global trials increasingly complex. Differing regulatory approval requirements in different countries also make it more difficult for us to conduct unified global trials, which can lead to increased development costs and marketing delays or non-viability of our clinical trials. The approval procedure and the time required to obtain approval also varies among countries. Furthermore, approval by one regulatory authority does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions.
The results of previous clinical trials may not be predictive of future results, and the results of any ongoing or future clinical trials may not satisfy the requirements of the FDA or non-U.S. regulatory authorities.
Clinical failure can occur at any stage of clinical development. Clinical trials may produce negative or inconclusive results, and we or our partners may decide, or regulators may require us, to conduct additional clinical or preclinical testing which could delay submission of a supplemental NDA and regulatory approval. We will be required to demonstrate with substantial evidence through well-controlled clinical trials that our product candidates are safe and effective for use in a diverse population before we can seek regulatory approvals for their commercial sale or additional indicated use. Success in early-stage clinical trials does not mean that future larger registration clinical trials will be successful, because product candidates in later-stage clinical trials may fail to demonstrate sufficient safety and efficacy to the satisfaction of the FDA and non-U.S. regulatory authorities despite having progressed through early-stage clinical trials. Product candidates that have shown promising results in early-stage (pre-Phase 3) clinical trials may still suffer significant setbacks in subsequent registration clinical trials.
In addition, the design of a clinical trial can determine whether its results will support approval of a product and/or new indications, and flaws in the design of a clinical trial may not become apparent until the clinical trial is underway, well advanced or completed. Further, if future product candidates are found to be unsafe or lack efficacy, we will not be able to obtain regulatory approval for them and our business would be harmed. A number of companies in the pharmaceutical industry, including those with greater resources and experience than us, have suffered significant setbacks in advanced clinical trials, even after obtaining promising results in earlier stage clinical trials.
Positive results in our randomized Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical studies of omadacycline in complicated skin and skin structure infections, ABSSSI and CABP, may not be predictive of the results in any other indications, such as omadacycline for the treatment of NTM. In some instances, there can be significant variability in safety and/or efficacy results between different clinical trials of the same product candidate due to numerous factors, including changes in clinical trial protocols, differences in size, type and geographic distribution of the patient populations, adherence to the dosing regimen and other clinical trial protocols and the rate of dropout among clinical trial participants. We do not know whether any Phase 2, Phase 3 or other clinical trials we or any of our collaborators may conduct, or have conducted in the past, will demonstrate consistent or adequate efficacy and safety to obtain regulatory approval to market our future product candidates.
Further, our and our partners’ product candidates may not be approved even if they achieve their primary endpoints in Phase 3 clinical trials or registration trials. The FDA or other non-U.S. regulatory authorities may disagree with our clinical trial design and our interpretation of data from preclinical studies and clinical trials even when we have Special Protocol Assessment agreements. In addition, any of these regulatory authorities may change requirements for the approval of a product candidate even after reviewing and providing comments or advice on a protocol for a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial that has the potential to result in FDA or other agencies’ approval. In addition, any of these regulatory authorities may also approve a product candidate for fewer or more limited indications than we request or may grant approval contingent on the performance of costly post-marketing clinical trials. In addition, the FDA or other non-U.S. regulatory authorities may not approve the labeling claims that we believe would be supported by the clinical data or be necessary or desirable for the successful commercialization of our products. If an unforeseen safety issue arises, the FDA always has the option to initiate a REMS or add additional warnings to a product label upon approval.
The regulatory approval process is expensive, time consuming and uncertain and may prevent us or our partners from obtaining approvals for the commercialization of our product candidates.
The research, testing, manufacturing, labeling, approval, selling, marketing and distribution of drug products are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA and other U.S. and non-U.S. regulatory authorities. Regulations differ from country to country, which will require us to expend additional resources in each market for which a separate regulatory approval is required. We are not permitted to market our product candidates outside of the U.S. until we receive marketing
approval from applicable regulatory authorities outside of the U.S. In the U.S., NUZYRA has received approval for the treatment of adults with CABP and ABSSSI that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by susceptible bacteria, and SEYSARA for the treatment of inflammatory lesions of non-nodular moderate to severe acne vulgaris in patients nine years of age and older; we are not permitted to market these or any other product candidates in the U.S. for indications for which such products and product candidates have not already received approval. Approval of other indications, including treatment of NTM with omadacycline, is subject to the risks of failure inherent in drug development.
Failure to comply with FDA and non-U.S. regulatory requirements may, either before or after product approval, if any, subject us to administrative or judicially imposed sanctions, including:
•restrictions on the products, manufacturers or manufacturing process;
•warning letters or untitled letters;
•civil and criminal penalties;
•injunctions;
•suspension or withdrawal of regulatory approvals;
•suspension of any ongoing clinical trials;
•product seizures, detentions or import bans;
•voluntary or mandatory product recalls and publicity requirements;
•total or partial suspension of production;
•imposition of restrictions on operations, including costly new manufacturing requirements; and
•refusal to approve pending NDAs or supplements to approved NDAs.
The FDA and foreign regulatory authorities also have substantial discretion in the drug approval process. The number of preclinical studies and clinical trials that will be required for regulatory approval varies depending on the product candidate, the disease or condition that the product candidate is designed to address, and the regulations applicable to any particular drug candidate. Regulatory agencies can delay, limit or deny approval of a product candidate for many reasons, including:
•a product candidate may not be deemed safe or effective;
•the results may not confirm the positive results from earlier preclinical studies or earlier stage clinical trials;
•regulatory agencies may not find the data from preclinical studies and clinical trials sufficient;
•regulatory agencies may not approve our third-party manufacturer’s processes or facilities;
•regulatory agencies may require significant warning or restrictions on use to the product label; or
•regulatory agencies may change their approval policies or adopt new regulations.
Any delay in obtaining or failure to obtain required approvals could materially adversely affect our ability to generate revenue from omadacycline or any other particular product candidate, which likely would result in significant harm to our financial position. Furthermore, any regulatory approval to market a product may be subject to limitations on the indicated uses for which we may market the product. These limitations may limit the size of the market opportunity for the product.
Even though NUZYRA and SEYSARA have been approved by the FDA in the U.S., they face post-approval development and regulatory requirements, which may limit how they are manufactured and marketed, and could materially impair our ability to generate revenue.
In October 2018, the FDA approved NUZYRA in the U.S. for the treatment of adults with CABP and ABSSSI that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by susceptible bacteria, as well as SEYSARA for the treatment of inflammatory lesions of non-nodular moderate to severe acne vulgaris in patients nine years of age and older. NUZYRA and SEYSARA are subject to, among other things, ongoing FDA requirements governing the manufacturing, labeling, packaging, storage, advertising, promotion, recordkeeping and submission of safety, efficacy, and other post-market information. For example, as part of the FDA approval for NUZYRA, we are required to conduct post-marketing pediatric
studies, including a single dose pharmacokinetic and safety study in children ages eight to seventeen who are receiving antibacterial drug therapy for an infectious disease, an active-controlled safety study in children ages eight to seventeen who have acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections, and an active-controlled safety study in children ages eight to seventeen who have CABP. In addition, we are also required to conduct an active-controlled safety and efficacy study in adults with CABP and a U.S. surveillance study for five years from the date of marketing to determine if resistance to NUZYRA has developed in those organisms specific to the indications in the label. In addition, approved products, manufacturers and manufacturers’ facilities are required to comply with extensive FDA and other regulatory authority requirements, including ensuring that quality control and manufacturing procedures conform to current GMP regulations, which include requirements relating to quality control and quality assurance as well as the corresponding maintenance of records and documentation and reporting requirements. As such, we and our partners and any of our and their respective contract manufacturers are subject to ongoing review and periodic inspections to assess compliance with current GMPs. Additionally, to the extent we want to make certain changes to the approved products, product labeling, or manufacturing processes or manufacturing sites, we will need to submit new applications or supplements to FDA and obtain the agency’s approval.
Accordingly, we and others with whom we work will continue to expend time, money and effort in all areas of regulatory compliance, including manufacturing, production and quality control. We and our partners are also required to report adverse reactions and production problems, if any, to the FDA and to comply with requirements concerning, among other things, advertising and promotion for our products. Promotional communications with respect to prescription drugs are subject to a variety of legal and regulatory restrictions and must be consistent with the information in the product’s approved label. Although the FDA and other regulatory agencies do not regulate a physician’s choice of drug treatment made in the physician’s independent medical judgment, they do restrict promotional communications from pharmaceutical companies or their sales force with respect to off-label uses of products for which marketing clearance has not been issued. Accordingly, we and our partners will not be able to promote our products for indications or uses for which they are not approved. A company that is found to have promoted off-label use of its product may be subject to significant liability, including civil and criminal sanctions. If the FDA or any other governmental agency initiates an enforcement action against us or if we are the subject of a qui tam suit and it is determined that we violated prohibitions relating to the promotion of products for unapproved uses, we could be subject to substantial civil or criminal fines or damage awards and other sanctions such as consent decrees and corporate integrity agreements pursuant to which our activities would be subject to ongoing scrutiny and monitoring to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Even if it is later determined that we were not in violation of these laws, we may be faced with negative publicity, incur significant expenses defending our actions and have to divert significant management resources from other matters.
Notwithstanding the regulatory restrictions on off-label promotion, the FDA and other regulatory authorities allow companies to engage in truthful, non-misleading, and non-promotional scientific exchange concerning their products. We intend to engage in medical education activities and communicate with healthcare providers in compliance with all applicable laws, regulatory guidance and industry best practices. Although we believe we have put in place a compliance program, which is designed to ensure that all such activities are performed in a legal and compliant manner, we cannot be certain that our program will address all areas of potential exposure and the risks in this area cannot be entirely eliminated.
Additionally, if a regulatory agency discovers previously unknown problems with a product, such as adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or problems with the facility where the product is manufactured, or disagrees with the promotion, marketing or labeling of a product, it may impose restrictions on that product, us or our partners, including requiring withdrawal of the product from the market. If we or our partners fail to comply with the regulatory requirements of the FDA and other U.S. and non-U.S. regulatory authorities, or if previously unknown problems with our products, manufacturers or manufacturing processes are discovered, the FDA or other regulatory authorities could impose significant penalties, such as:
•issuance of warning letters or untitled letters;
•imposition of injunctions or civil or criminal penalties, fines, restitution or disgorgement of profits or revenue;
•suspension or withdrawal of regulatory approval;
•restrictions on product labeling, marketing, distribution or use;
•imposition of total or partial suspension of production;
•suspension of any ongoing clinical trials;
•requirements to conduct post-marketing clinical trials;
•refusal to approve pending applications or supplements to applications;
•imposition of restrictions on operations, including costly new manufacturing requirements; or
•seizure or detainment of products or requirements for us or our partners to initiate a product recall.
If we and our partners are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we may not achieve or sustain profitability. Further, the cost of compliance with post-approval regulations may negatively affect our operating results and financial condition.
Our products may have undesirable side effects that may require them to be taken off the market or otherwise limit their sales.
Although NUZYRA and SEYSARA have undergone safety testing in humans and in laboratory animals, not all adverse effects of drugs can be predicted or anticipated from these clinical studies and preclinical safety and toxicology studies. Unforeseen side effects from either NUZYRA or SEYSARA could arise after the approved product has been marketed. Many of the most widely used antibiotics are associated with treatment-limiting adverse events, including in some instances, kidney damage, allergic reactions or sudden cardiovascular death due to cardiac arrhythmia. The results of future clinical trials or from marketing experience may show that NUZYRA or SEYSARA, or any other product candidate, cause undesirable or unacceptable side effects. Furthermore, even though both NUZYRA and SEYSARA have received marketing approval, if we or others later identify undesirable or unacceptable side effects caused by NUZYRA or SEYSARA:
•regulatory authorities may require the addition of labeling statements, specific warnings, a contraindication or field alerts to physicians and pharmacies;
•we or our partners may be required to change the way the product is administered, conduct additional clinical trials or change the labeling of the product;
•we or our partners may be subject to limitations on how we may promote the product;
•sales of the product may decrease significantly;
•regulatory authorities may withdraw approvals of an approved product, or otherwise require us or our partners to take our approved product off the market, or impose restrictions on its distribution;
•we or our partners may be subject to litigation or product liability claims and be held liable for harm caused to patients; and
•our reputation may suffer.
Any of these events could prevent us, our current partners or our potential future partners from achieving or maintaining market acceptance of the affected product or could substantially increase commercialization costs and expenses, which in turn could delay or prevent us from generating significant revenue from the sale of our products. Furthermore, NUZYRA and SEYSARA are commercially available and each may be used in a wider population and in a less rigorously controlled environment than in clinical studies. As a result, regulatory authorities, healthcare practitioners, third-party payors or patients may perceive or conclude that the use of the product is associated with previously unknown serious adverse effects, undermining commercialization efforts.
Coverage and reimbursement decisions by third-party payors may have an adverse effect on pricing and market acceptance. If there is not sufficient coverage and reimbursement for our products, it is less likely that our products will be widely used.
Market acceptance and sales of NUZYRA, SEYSARA and any of our or our partners’ other products will depend on coverage and reimbursement policies of third party payors. Government authorities, government health care programs and private third-party payors, such as private health plans, decide which drugs they will cover and establish reimbursement levels. Coverage and reimbursement may vary among third-party payors. Coverage may not be available, and reimbursement may not be adequate, for NUZYRA, SEYSARA or any other products that we or our partners develop and commercialize. Also, coverage and reimbursement policies may reduce the demand for, or the price purchasers are willing to pay for, our or our partners’ products. Patients who are prescribed medications for the treatment of their conditions, and their prescribing physicians, generally rely on third-party payors to reimburse all or part of the costs associated with their prescription drugs. Patients are unlikely to use our or our partners’ products unless coverage is provided, and reimbursement is adequate to cover a significant portion of the cost of such products. Therefore, if coverage
is not available or reimbursement is limited, we and our partners may not be able to successfully commercialize NUZYRA, SEYSARA or future approved products, if any.
Third-party payors may limit coverage or impose conditions on coverage. For example, third-party payors may: (1) limit coverage to specific drug products on an approved list, also known as a formulary, which might not include all of the FDA-approved drugs for a particular indication; (2) require use of alternative therapies before a drug product will be covered or (3) implement pre-approval (known as “prior authorization”) requirements for coverage of particular prescriptions (to allow the payor to determine whether a product is medically necessary for a particular patient before use of a product will be covered). A decision by a third-party payor not to cover or limit coverage our products could reduce utilization of those products.
A third-party payor’s decision to provide coverage for a drug product does not imply that an adequate reimbursement rate will apply, or patient copayment will be at an acceptable level for physicians to choose to prescribe our drug. In addition, pharmaceutical companies often need to offer third party payors rebates on the cost of drugs dispensed to the payors’ members in order to increase the possibility of favorable coverage and adequate cost sharing thresholds for patients. We may be required to provide such rebates to some third-party payors in relation to our product(s). Adequate third-party reimbursement, taking into account such rebates as applicable, may not be available and we may not be able to maintain price levels sufficient to realize an appropriate profit, including a return on our investment in product development. Additionally, coverage and reimbursement for drug products can differ significantly from payor to payor. One third-party payor’s decision to cover a particular drug product or service does not ensure that other payors will also provide coverage for the medical product or service or will provide coverage at an adequate reimbursement rate.
Outside of the U.S., in some countries, the pricing of prescription drugs is subject to governmental control. In these countries, pricing negotiations with governmental authorities can take a significant amount of time after receipt of marketing approval for a product. In addition, there can be considerable pressure by governments and other stakeholders on prices and reimbursement levels, including as part of cost containment measures. In some countries, we or our partners may be required to conduct a clinical trial or other studies that compare the cost-effectiveness of our product candidates to other available products in order to obtain or maintain reimbursement or pricing approval. If reimbursement of our products is unavailable or limited in scope or amount, or if pricing is set at unsatisfactory levels, there could be a material adverse effect on our business.
Healthcare legislative reform measures may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
The U.S. and several foreign jurisdictions are considering, or have already enacted, a number of legislative and regulatory reforms to change the healthcare system in ways that could affect our or our partners’ ability to sell approved products profitably. Among policymakers and payors in the U.S. and elsewhere, there is significant interest in promoting changes in healthcare systems with the stated goals of containing healthcare costs, improving quality and/or expanding access to healthcare. In the U.S., the pharmaceutical industry has been a particular focus of these efforts and has been significantly affected by major legislative initiatives.
The U.S. government and individual states have aggressively pursued healthcare reform, as evidenced by the passage of the Healthcare Reform Act. The Healthcare Reform Act substantially changed the way healthcare is financed by both governmental and private insurers and contains a number of provisions that affect coverage and reimbursement of drug products and/or that might affect the demand for pharmaceutical products such as increasing drug rebates under state Medicaid programs for brand name prescription drugs and extending those rebates to Medicaid managed care and assessing a fee on manufacturers and importers of brand name prescription drugs reimbursed under certain government programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. We face uncertainties because there have been, and may be additional, federal legislative and administrative efforts to repeal, substantially modify or invalidate some or all of the provisions of the Healthcare Reform Act. For example, tax reform legislation was enacted at the end of 2017 that eliminated the tax penalty for individuals who do not maintain sufficient health insurance coverage beginning in 2019. The Healthcare Reform Act has also been subject to judicial challenge. For example, in June 2021, the Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the constitutionality of the Healthcare Reform Act on the grounds that the states and individuals that brought the challenge did not have standing.
Beyond the Healthcare Reform Act, there have been ongoing legislative and administrative reform efforts that affect pricing or payment for drug products or the healthcare industry more generally. Drug pricing and payment reform was a focus of the Trump Administration and has been a focus of the Biden Administration. For example, federal legislation enacted in 2021 eliminates a statutory cap on Medicaid drug rebate program rebates effective January 1, 2024. As another example, in 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, or the IRA, contains numerous drug pricing and payment reforms. Among other provisions, the IRA imposes a yearly cap ($2,000 in 2025) on out-of-pocket prescription
drug costs in Medicare Part D, implements a new Medicare Part D manufacturer discount drug program in 2025; requires manufacturers to pay a rebate to the federal government if prices for single-source drugs and biologicals covered under Medicare Part B and nearly all covered drugs under Part D increase faster than the rate of inflation and, starting in 2026, creates a drug price negotiation program under which the prices for certain high Medicare spend drugs and biologicals without generic or biosimilar competition will be limited by a cap that is defined by reference to, among other things, a specified non-federal average manufacturer price.
Some of the health care reform changes have been and may continue to be subject to legal challenge. For example, revisions to regulations under the federal anti-kickback statute would remove protection for traditional Medicare Part D discounts offered by pharmaceutical manufacturers to pharmacy benefit managers and health plans. Pursuant to court order, the removal was delayed, and the IRA further delayed implementation of the rule until January 1, 2032. Adoption of new healthcare reform legislation at the federal or state level could negatively affect demand for, or pricing of, our products or product candidates if approved for sale.
Additional legislative actions to control U.S. healthcare or other costs have passed. The Budget Control Act, as amended, resulted in the imposition of reductions (1%-3%) in Medicare, but not Medicaid, payments to providers in 2013 and remains in effect through 2031 (except May 1, 2020 to March 31, 2022) unless additional Congressional action is taken. Any significant spending reductions affecting Medicare, Medicaid or other publicly funded or subsidized health programs that may be implemented and/or any significant taxes or fees that may be imposed on us could have an adverse impact on our results of operations.
There is no assurance that federal or state healthcare reform or other legislative and regulatory initiatives will not adversely affect our business and financial results, and we cannot predict how future federal or state legislative, judicial or administrative changes relating to healthcare reform will affect our business.
In the U.S. there is increasing scrutiny of drug prices and federal or state reforms could impact our ability to establish what we believe is a fair price for our products, and ultimately diminish our revenue prospects.
Recently, there has been considerable public and government scrutiny in the U.S. of pharmaceutical pricing and proposals to address the perceived high cost of pharmaceuticals. There have also been several recent state legislative efforts to address drug costs, which generally have focused on increasing transparency around drug costs or limiting drug prices or price increases. Adoption of new legislation at the federal or state level could affect demand for, or pricing of, our products and could diminish our ability to establish what we believe is a fair price for our products, ultimately diminishing our revenue for our products.
If we fail to comply with our reporting and payment obligations under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program or other governmental pricing programs in the U.S., we could be subject to additional reimbursement requirements, penalties, sanctions and fines which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
We participate in the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program and a number of other federal and state government pricing programs in the U.S. in order to obtain coverage for NUZYRA by certain government healthcare programs. These programs generally require us to pay rebates or provide discounts to certain private and government purchasers or government programs in connection with our products when dispensed to patients of the purchasers or beneficiaries of the programs. In some cases, such as with the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, the rebates are based on pricing and rebate calculations that we report on a monthly and quarterly basis to the government agencies that administer the programs. The terms, scope and complexity of these government pricing programs change frequently. We may also have reimbursement obligations or be subject to penalties if we fail to provide timely and accurate information to the government, pay the correct rebates or offer the correct discounted pricing. Changes to the price reporting or rebate requirements of these programs would affect our obligations to pay rebates or offer discounts. Responding to current and future changes may increase our costs and the complexity of compliance, will be time-consuming, and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
If we or our partners market products in a manner that violates fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws, or if we or our partners violate government price reporting laws, we or our partners may be subject to administrative civil and/or criminal penalties.
Within the U.S., various federal and state healthcare laws apply to the pharmaceutical industry. These laws may constrain the business or financial arrangements and relationships through which we or our partners conduct business,
including how we research, market, sell, and distribute our products. The laws and regulations that may affect our and our partners’ ability to operate include:
•federal false claims, false statements and civil monetary penalties laws prohibiting, among other things, any person from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, a false claim for payment of government funds or knowingly making, or causing to be made, a false statement to get a false claim paid;
•federal healthcare program anti-kickback law, which prohibits, among other things, persons from soliciting, receiving or providing remuneration, directly or indirectly, to induce either the referral of an individual for, or the purchasing or ordering of, a good or service for which payment may be made under federal healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid;
•federal anti-kickback prohibition known as Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act or EKRA, which prohibits certain payments related to referrals of patients to certain providers (recovery homes, clinical treatment facilities and laboratories) and applies to services reimbursed by private health plans as well as government health care programs;
•federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act and its implementing regulations, collectively, HIPAA, which, in addition to privacy protections applicable to healthcare providers and other entities, prohibits executing a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program or making false statements relating to healthcare matters;
•federal consumer protection and unfair competition laws, which broadly regulate marketplace
activities and activities that potentially harm consumers;
•the FDCA, which among other things, strictly regulates drug marketing, prohibits manufacturers from marketing such products for off-label use and regulates the distribution of samples;
•federal laws that require pharmaceutical manufacturers to report certain calculated product prices to the government or provide certain discounts or rebates to government authorities or private entities, often as a condition of reimbursement under government healthcare programs;
•the so-called “federal sunshine” law, which requires pharmaceutical and medical device companies to monitor and report certain financial interactions with physicians, certain non-physician practitioners and teaching hospitals to the federal government for re-disclosure to the public; and
•state law equivalents of the above federal laws, such as anti-kickback and false claims laws which may apply to items or services reimbursed by any third-party payor, including commercial insurers, state laws regulating interactions between pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare providers, including laws that require manufacturers to adopt certain compliance standards or disclose financial interactions with health care providers to the government and public; state laws that require manufacturers to report pricing information or marketing expenditures and state laws governing the privacy and security of health information in certain circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and often are not preempted by federal laws, thus complicating compliance efforts.
Efforts to ensure that our and our partners’ business arrangements with third parties will comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations may involve substantial costs. With approved products of NUZYRA and SEYSARA, we will need to continue, to expend resources to develop and implement policies and processes to promote ongoing compliance. Although we believe we currently maintain an appropriate compliance program, we cannot be certain that the program will adequately detect or prevent violations.
Many of these laws and their implementing regulations contain ambiguous requirements or require administrative guidance for implementation. Given the breadth of the laws and regulations, limited guidance for certain laws and regulations and evolving government interpretations of the laws and regulations , our activities could be subject to challenge. It is possible that governmental authorities will conclude that our or our partners’ business practices may not comply with current or future statutes, regulations or case law involving applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws. If our or our partners’ operations are found to be in violation of any of these laws or any other governmental regulations that may apply to us, we or our partners may be subject to significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, including, without limitation, damages, fines, imprisonment, exclusion from participation in government
healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, which could significantly harm our business.
Outside of the U.S., foreign laws may also regulate our activities, or those of our collaboration partners.
Risks Related to Our Business
We are highly dependent on the commercial success of NUZYRA in the U.S. and, to a lesser extent, SEYSARA.
Our success is currently dependent on the successful commercialization of NUZYRA in the U.S., as well as the commercialization of NUZYRA in the Zai territory, and, to a lesser extent, SEYSARA, which Almirall has the rights to commercialize in the U.S. and the greater China region. We are not currently developing, and have no such plans to develop, any other product candidates, other than NUZYRA (omadacycline) for the treatment of NTM, anthrax, and other relevant preclinical or clinical investigations. We may need additional financing or grants to fund development of any current or future product candidates.
The majority of our time, resources and effort are focused on the commercialization of NUZYRA, the success of which depends on, among other things, our ability to:
•secure sufficient starting materials and maintain commercial manufacturing arrangements with third-party manufacturers;
•produce, through a validated process, sufficient quantities and inventory of NUZYRA to meet demand;
•build and maintain internal sales, distribution and marketing capabilities sufficient to generate commercial sales of NUZYRA, including in the community setting;
•secure widespread acceptance of our product from physicians, healthcare payors, patients and the medical community;
•properly price and obtain coverage and adequate reimbursement of NUZYRA by governmental authorities, private health insurers, managed care organizations and other third-party payors;
•maintain compliance with ongoing FDA labeling, packaging, storage, advertising, promotion, recordkeeping, safety and other PMRs;
•manage our costs and expenses commensurate with NUZYRA’s projected growth; and
•establish and maintain collaborations with third parties for the commercialization of NUZYRA in countries outside of the U.S., such as our existing collaboration with Zai to develop, manufacture and commercialize omadacycline in the Zai territory, and such collaborators’ ability to obtain regulatory and reimbursement approvals in such countries.
There are no guarantees that we will be successful in completing these tasks. In addition, we will need to continue investing substantial financial and management resources to build out our commercial infrastructure and to recruit and train sufficient additional qualified marketing, sales and other personnel in support of our sales of NUZYRA.
If BARDA were to eliminate, reduce, or delay funding for our contract, we would experience a negative impact on our programs associated with such funding and perhaps on our ability to maintain the infrastructure necessary to maximize our NUZYRA commercial opportunity.
On December 18, 2019, we entered into a contract with BARDA to support the development of NUZYRA for the treatment of pulmonary anthrax and the fulfillment of FDA PMRs associated with NUZRYA’s initial approval. The BARDA contract also includes the ability for BARDA to procure up to 10,000 treatment courses of NUZYRA for use against potential biothreats. The first procurement of NUZYRA was delivered to and accepted by BARDA in June 2021. The second procurement, the purchase of an additional 2,500 treatment courses of NUZYRA for a total of $36.4 million, was delivered to and accepted by BARDA in December 2022. The amount earned from this procurement was recognized in net U.S. sales of NUZYRA during the fourth quarter of 2022. The two additional procurements of NUZYRA under the BARDA contract have not yet been activated and represent a maximum of approximately $79.0 million of funding under the contract. Activation of BARDA’s option is tied to our future progress in the ongoing anthrax development program and will be triggered upon achievement of the following development milestones: (1) BARDA’s receipt of positive top line data in PEP and treatment of inhalation anthrax from a combination of our pilot and pivotal efficacy studies in animal
models and (2) our receipt of sNDA approval from the FDA for treatment of inhalational anthrax . If BARDA were to fail to exercise its options, eliminate, reduce, or materially delay funding, including with respect to further procurements under the BARDA contract due to our failure to achieve the developmental milestones on our anticipated timeline or otherwise, or prohibit reimbursement of some of our incurred costs, we would have to seek additional funding to continue development of NUZYRA for the treatment of anthrax or significantly decrease or cease the product’s development for that indication. Moreover, a loss of BARDA funding could jeopardize our ability to maintain the infrastructure needed to maximize NUZYRA’s commercial potential, and to fulfill NUZYRA’s FDA PMRs in a timely manner.
The BARDA contract includes special requirements, which subject us to the risk of a reduction or loss of funding.
Our BARDA contract subjects us to various U.S. government contract requirements, including general clauses for a cost-reimbursement research and development contract, which may limit our reimbursement. In addition, if we are found to be in violation of the BARDA contract, it could result in termination. If BARDA terminates our contract with us for its convenience, or if we default by failing to perform in accordance with the contract schedule and terms, a significant negative impact on our cash flows and operations could result.
U.S. government contracts, such as our BARDA contract, generally contain unfavorable termination provisions, which may subject us to additional risks as compared to our competitors that have not entered into such contracts. These risks include the ability of the U.S. government to unilaterally:
•terminate or reduce the scope of our contract with or without cause;
•interpret relevant regulations (federal acquisition regulation clauses);
•require performance under circumstances which may not be favorable to us;
•require an in-process review where the U.S. government will review the project and its options under the contract;
•control the timing and amount of funding, which impacts the development progress of our programs; and
•audit and object to our contract-related costs and fees, including allocated indirect costs.
Termination and audit provisions in our BARDA contract could create additional risks for our business.
The U.S. government may terminate our BARDA contract for its convenience or if we default by failing to perform in accordance with the contract schedule and terms. Termination for convenience provisions generally enable us to recover only our incurred or committed costs, and settlement expenses and profit on the work completed prior to termination. Termination does not permit these recoveries under default provisions. If our contract expires or is terminated, the U.S. government could dispute wind-down and termination costs and may question prior expenses under the contract and deny payment of those expenses. If we decide to challenge the U.S. government for denying certain payments under a contract, such a challenge could subject us to substantial additional expenses which we may or may not recover. Further, should the U.S. government terminate our BARDA contract for its convenience, or if we default by failing to perform in accordance with the contract schedule and terms, our cash flows and business operations could be negatively impacted.
Sales of NUZYRA and SEYSARA may be slow or limited for a variety of reasons including competing therapies or safety issues. If NUZYRA and SEYSARA are not successful in gaining broad commercial acceptance, our business would be harmed.
Sales of NUZYRA and SEYSARA are dependent on several factors including our and our partners’ ability to educate and increase physician awareness of the benefits, safety and cost-effectiveness of NUZYRA and SEYSARA relative to competing therapies. The degree of market acceptance of NUZYRA and SEYSARA among physicians, patients, healthcare payors and the medical community depends on a number of factors, including:
•acceptable evidence of safety and efficacy;
•relative convenience and ease of administration;
•prevalence and severity of any adverse side effects as a result of treatment with NUZYRA and SEYSARA;
•availability of alternative treatments;
•pricing, cost effectiveness and value propositions;
•effectiveness of our sales and marketing capability and strategies, especially during the restrictions resulting from COVID-19 on our commercial, medical and manufacturing teams; many of which remain in place today.
•complications or barriers that inhibit our commercial team from reaching the appropriate audience to promote our product(s) because of the spread of COVID-19 or any outbreak of other contagious diseases;
•ability to obtain sufficient third-party coverage and reimbursement;
•the clinical indications for which NUZYRA and SEYSARA are approved, as well as changes in the standard of care for their targeted indications;
•the continuing effectiveness of our manufacturing and supply chain;
•warnings and limitations contained in the approved labeling for NUZYRA and SEYSARA, including that efficacy of SEYSARA beyond 12 weeks and safety beyond 12 months have not been established;
•safety concerns with similar products marketed by others;
•our ability to comply with FDA PMRs associated with the FDA approval of NUZYRA, including conducting and completing post-marketing studies; and
•the actual market-size for NUZYRA and SEYSARA, which may be larger or smaller than expected.
In addition, since NUZYRA and SEYSARA are subject to continual review by the FDA, there can be no assurance that newly discovered or developed safety issues will not arise. With the use of any newly marketed drug by a wider patient population, serious adverse events may occur from time to time that initially do not appear to relate to the drug itself. For example, any safety issues could cause us to suspend or cease marketing NUZYRA, cause us to modify how we market NUZYRA, and may subject us to substantial liabilities and adversely affect our revenues and financial condition. In the event of a withdrawal of NUZYRA from the market, our revenues would decline significantly, and our business would be seriously harmed and could fail. We and our partners additionally may experience significant fluctuations in sales of NUZYRA and SEYSARA from period to period and, ultimately, we may never generate sufficient revenues from NUZYRA and SEYSARA to reach or maintain profitability or sustain our anticipated operations.
A pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease, such as COVID-19, has and may in the future adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
If a pandemic, epidemic or outbreak of an infectious disease occurs, our business may be adversely affected. Such events may result in a period of business and manufacturing disruption or in an inability to scale our production to meet demand in a cost-effective manner or at all, any of which could materially affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. For example, the global spread of COVID-19 resulted in disruptions to our business, and in the future may result in additional disruptions. These may include disruptions to our business due to illness of our personnel or the personnel of our suppliers, travel and access restrictions or work-from-home requirements, supply chain delays, import limitations, shipping delays, delays in the FDA review process, and general capital markets volatility. Each of these factors could adversely affect our business. The full extent to which COVID-19 or another pandemic, epidemic, or outbreak of an infectious disease may impact our business, results of operations and financial condition will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted.
We face significant competition and if our competitors develop and market products that are more effective, safer or less expensive than our products, our commercial opportunities will be negatively impacted.
The life sciences industry is highly competitive and subject to rapid and significant technological change, including but not limited to with respect to innovations related to diagnostic devices. NUZYRA and SEYSARA do or will compete with other drugs and therapies that currently exist or are being developed. Products that we may develop in the future are also likely to face competition from other drugs and therapies, some of which we may not currently be aware. We have competitors both in the U.S. and internationally, including major multinational pharmaceutical companies, established biotechnology companies, specialty pharmaceutical companies, generic manufacturing companies, universities and other research institutions. In addition, universities and private and public research institutes may become active in our target indications, and smaller or early-stage companies may enter collaborative arrangements with large, established
companies. Many of our competitors have significantly greater financial, manufacturing, marketing, drug development, technical and human resources than we do. Large pharmaceutical companies, in particular, have extensive experience in clinical testing, obtaining regulatory approvals, recruiting patients and manufacturing pharmaceutical products. These companies also have significantly greater research, development and marketing capabilities than we do and may also have products that have been approved or are in late stages of development, and collaborative arrangements in our target markets with leading companies and research institutions. Established pharmaceutical companies may also invest heavily to accelerate discovery and development of novel compounds or to in-license novel compounds to in-license novel compounds or develop technologies that could make the product candidates that we develop obsolete or less competitive. As a result of all of these factors, our competitors may succeed in obtaining patent protection and/or regulatory approvals or discovering, developing and commercializing competing technologies before we do so for any of our product candidates.
The GAIN Act is intended to provide incentives for the development of new QIDPs, including the potential for QIDP designated products to receive an additional five-year marketing exclusivity period to be added to certain exclusivities otherwise provided in the FDCA. While any of our product candidates that are successfully designated as QIDPs could potentially be eligible for such GAIN exclusivity, these incentives may also result in more competition in the market for new antibiotics and may cause pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with more resources than we have to shift their efforts toward the development of products that could be competitive with our product candidates. Furthermore, price competition may inhibit the acceptance of our products, physicians may be reluctant to switch from existing products to our products, physicians may switch to other newly approved drug products, or physicians may choose to reserve our products for use in limited circumstances.
NUZYRA competes with other antibiotics in the serious bacterial skin infection market. These include, but are not limited to, vancomycin, marketed as a generic by Abbott Laboratories and others; linezolid, marketed as Zyvox by Pfizer Inc. and available as a generic; tedizolid, marketed as Sivextro; daptomycin, marketed as Cubicin by Merck Pharmaceuticals Inc. and available as a generic; dalbavancin, marketed as Dalvance by Abbvie; oritavancin, marketed as Orbactiv and delafloxacin marketed as Baxdela by Melinta Therapeutics, Inc.; quinupristin/dalfopristin, marketed as Synercid by Pfizer, Inc.; tigecycline, marketed as Tygacil by Pfizer Inc. and available as a generic; telavancin, marketed as Vibativ by Cumberland Therapeutics Inc.; ceftaroline, marketed as Teflaro by Abbvie; and generic trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and clindamycin.
NUZYRA also competes with other antibiotics in the community-acquired pneumonia market. These include azithromycin, marketed as Zithromax and Z-PAK by Pfizer Inc. and available as a generic; clarithromycin, marketed as Biaxin by Abbott Laboratories and available as a generic; moxifloxacin, marketed as Avelox by Bayer AG and available as a generic; levofloxacin, marketed as Levaquin by Johnson & Johnson and available as a generic; tigecycline, marketed as Tygacil by Pfizer Inc. and available as a generic; linezolid, marketed as Zyvox by Pfizer Inc. and available as a generic; ceftriaxone, marketed as Rocephin by F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd and available as a generic; ceftaroline, marketed as Teflaro by Abbvie; delafloxacin, marketed as Baxdela by Melinta Therapeutics Inc; and lefamulin, marketed as Xenleta by Nabriva Therapeutics. We are also aware of various drugs that are or may eventually be under development for the treatment of CABP, including, but not limited to, GSK2140944, under development by GSK, and nemanoxacin, under development by TaiGen Biotechnology.
Finally, SEYSARA faces competition in the acne markets where generic tetracyclines such as doxycycline and minocycline are available in every market around the world. Branded generic versions of tetracycline derivatives are sold by several companies.
Our competitors’ drugs may be more effective, or more effectively marketed and sold, than NUZYRA, SEYSARA or any future product candidate we may commercialize and may render NUZYRA, SEYSARA or our other product candidates obsolete or non-competitive before we can recover the expenses of our development and commercialization. We anticipate that we will face intense and increasing competition as new drugs enter the market and advanced technologies become available.
If the FDA or other applicable regulatory authorities approve generic products that compete with NUZYRA, SEYSARA or any of our or our partners’ product candidates, or if existing generic antibiotics are viewed as being equally effective
to NUZYRA, SEYSARA or any of our or our partners’ product candidates, the sales of NUZYRA, SEYSARA or, if approved, such product candidates would be adversely affected.
Once an NDA or marketing authorization application outside of the U.S. is approved, the product covered thereby becomes a “listed drug” that can, in turn, be cited by potential competitors in support of approval of an ANDA in the U.S. Agency regulations and other applicable regulations and policies provide incentives to manufacturers to create modified, non- infringing versions of a drug to facilitate the approval of an ANDA or other application for generic substitutes in the U.S. and in nearly every pharmaceutical market around the world. These manufacturers might only be required to conduct a relatively inexpensive study to show that their product has the same active ingredient(s), dosage form, strength, route of administration and conditions of use, or labeling, as our product candidate and that the generic product is bioequivalent to ours, meaning it is absorbed in the body at the same rate and to the same extent as our product candidate. These generic equivalents, which must meet the same quality standards as branded pharmaceuticals, would be significantly less costly than ours to bring to market, and companies that produce generic equivalents are generally able to offer their products at lower prices. Thus, after the introduction of a generic competitor, a significant percentage of the sales of any branded product is typically lost to the generic product. Accordingly, competition from generic equivalents to ours or any of our partners’ future products, if any, would materially adversely impact our future revenue, profitability and cash flows and substantially limit our ability to obtain a return on the investments we have made in our or any of our partners’ products, including NUZYRA and SEYSARA. For example, vancomycin has been available in generic form for many years, and Zyvox (linezolid) is now available in generic form. We cannot yet ascertain what impact these generic products and any future approved generic products will have on sales of NUZYRA, SEYSARA or, if approved, any of our or our partners’ product candidates.
We rely and will continue to rely on outsourcing arrangements for manufacturing of NUZYRA and any future product candidates, which could impair the commercialization of NUZYRA or delay approval of any future product candidates.
We do not currently own or operate manufacturing facilities for the production of NUZYRA or any other product candidate, nor do we currently intend to do so in the future. We currently depend on third-party contract manufacturers for the supply of the active pharmaceutical ingredients for NUZYRA. We have entered into certain long-term manufacturing and supply agreements, including agreements for the (i) supply of starting materials for crude omadacycline, (ii) supply of active pharmaceutical ingredient for our omadacycline products, (iii) manufacture and supply of omadacycline oral solid dosage tablets and omadacycline in injectable form, (iv) primary packing, labelling, storage and related services for omadacycline oral solid dosage tablets and injectable omadacycline in vials, and (v) distribution and logistics services. We are currently in discussions with third-party manufacturers and may enter into additional long-term supply agreements with them. We may not be able to reach agreement with some of these contract manufacturers, or to identify and reach arrangement on satisfactory terms with other contract manufacturers, to manufacture NUZYRA or any future product candidates. Additionally, we anticipate that the facilities used by any contract manufacturer to manufacture NUZYRA or any future product candidates will be the subject of inspections by regulatory agencies before the FDA and other regulatory authorities that approve an NDA or marketing authorization for the product candidate manufactured at that facility. We will depend on these third-party manufacturing partners for compliance with the FDA’s manufacturing requirements for finished products. If our manufacturers cannot successfully manufacture material that conforms to our specifications and the FDA and other regulatory authorities’ cGMP requirements, any future product candidates may not be approved or, in the case of NUZYRA, may be subject to delays in release and/or product recalls. While third-party manufacturers of NUZYRA have previously passed FDA and other regulatory agency inspections, we cannot provide assurance that they will pass such inspections in the future.
Furthermore, any interruption of the development or operation of the manufacturing facilities due to, among other reasons, the COVID-19 pandemic or another global health outbreak, or events such as order delays for equipment or materials, equipment malfunction, quality control and quality assurance issues, regulatory delays, or and possible negative effects of such delays on supply chains and expected timelines for product availability, production yield issues, shortages of qualified personnel, discontinuation of a facility or business or failure or damage to a facility by natural disasters or pandemics, could result in the cancellation of shipments, loss of product in the manufacturing process or a shortfall in available NUZYRA, other product candidates or materials.
Reliance on third-party manufacturers entails risks to which we would not be subject if we manufactured products and product candidates ourselves, including:
•the possibility of a breach of the manufacturing agreements by the third parties because of factors beyond our control;
•the possibility of termination or nonrenewal of the agreements by the third parties before we are able to arrange for a qualified replacement third-party manufacturer;
•the possibility that third parties are unable to manufacture NUZYRA consistently in commercial quantities, at acceptable costs on expected timelines;
•the possibility that we may not be able to maintain or secure manufacturers or manufacturing capacity in a timely manner and on satisfactory terms in order to meet our manufacturing needs; and
•the possibility that the third parties may not be able to respond adequately to unexpected changes in demand forecasts that may result in either lost revenue or excessive inventory with decreasing shelf-life.
Any of these factors could cause the delay of further commercialization of NUZYRA, delay the development and approval of any future product candidates, or cause us to incur higher costs or prevent us from commercializing any future product candidates successfully. Furthermore, if contract manufacturers fail to continuously meet FDA compliance standards or fail to deliver the required commercial quantities of finished product on a timely basis and at commercially reasonable prices, and we are unable to find one or more replacement manufacturers capable of production at a substantially equivalent cost, in substantially equivalent volumes and quality and on a timely basis, we would likely be unable to meet demand for our products and could lose potential revenue. It may take one or more years to establish an alternative source of supply and to have any such new source approved by the FDA or any other relevant regulatory authorities.
Our current and anticipated future dependence upon others for manufacturing may adversely affect our future profit margins and our ability to commercialize on a timely and competitive basis NUZYRA or any future product candidates that receive marketing approval.
The success of our business may be dependent on the actions of our collaborative partners.
An element of our business and funding strategy is to enter into collaborative arrangements with established pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies who will finance or otherwise assist in the development, manufacture and marketing of products incorporating our technology, and who also provide us with funding in the form of milestone payments for progress in clinical development or regulatory approval. For example, we exclusively license rights to sarecycline for the treatment of acne in the U.S. to Almirall, and Almirall is responsible for all clinical development, registration and commercialization in the U.S. of sarecycline for the treatment of acne. In addition, Almirall has an exclusive license to develop and commercialize sarecycline (i) for the treatment of acne in the greater China region and (ii) for the treatment of rosacea in the U.S., which converted to a non-exclusive license in December 2014 after Allergan did not exercise its development option with respect to rosacea. Additionally, we are party to the Zai Collaboration Agreement, pursuant to which we granted Zai an exclusive license to develop, manufacture and commercialize omadacycline in the Zai territory for all human therapeutic and preventative uses other than biodefense. Zai is responsible for the development, manufacturing and commercialization of the licensed product in the Zai territory, at its sole cost with certain assistance from Paratek.
Accordingly, our prospects will depend in part upon our ability to attract and retain collaborative partners and to develop technologies and products that achieve the criteria for milestone payments. When we collaborate with a third party for development and commercialization of a product candidate, we can expect to relinquish some or all of the control over the future success of that product candidate to the third party in the respective territory. In addition, our collaborative partners may have the right to abandon research or development projects and terminate applicable agreements, including funding obligations, prior to or upon the expiration of the agreed upon terms. We may not be successful in establishing or maintaining collaborative arrangements on acceptable terms or at all, collaborative partners may terminate funding before completion of projects, our product candidates may not achieve the criteria for milestone payments, our collaborative arrangements may not result in successful product commercialization, and we may not derive any revenue from such arrangements. In the past, certain of our collaborators, including Novartis, have terminated their partnering relationships with us due to delays and uncertainties in connection with the FDA regulatory pathway for approval of omadacycline for the ABSSSI and CABP indications. This past history may affect our ability to attract and enter into collaboration arrangements with future partners or collaborators.
In addition, we face significant competition in seeking appropriate collaborators. Whether or not we reach a definitive agreement for a collaboration will depend, among other things, upon our assessment of the collaborator’s resources and expertise, the terms and conditions of the proposed collaboration and the proposed collaborator’s evaluation
of a number of factors. Those factors may include the design or results of clinical trials, the likelihood of approval by the FDA or similar regulatory authorities outside of the U.S., the potential market for the product candidate, the costs and complexities of manufacturing and delivering such product candidate to patients, the patent position protecting the product candidate, the potential of competing products, the need to seek licenses or sub-licenses to third-party intellectual property and industry and market conditions generally
To the extent that we are not able to develop and maintain collaborative arrangements, we would need substantial additional capital to undertake research, development and commercialization activities on our own, we may be forced to limit the number of our product candidates we can commercially develop or the territories in which we commercialize them, and we might fail to commercialize products or programs for which a suitable collaborator cannot be found.
Reliance on collaborative relationships poses a number of risks, including the following:
•our collaborators may not perform their obligations as expected or in compliance with applicable laws;
•the prioritization, amount and timing of resources dedicated by our collaborators to their respective collaborations with us is not under our control;
•some product candidates discovered in collaboration with us may be viewed by our collaborators as competitive with their own product candidates or products;
•our collaborators may elect not to proceed with the development of product candidates that we believe to be promising;
•disagreements with collaborators, including disagreements over proprietary rights, contract interpretation or the preferred course of development, might cause delays or termination of the research, development or commercialization of product candidates, might lead to additional responsibilities for us with respect to product candidates, or might result in litigation or arbitration, any of which would be time-consuming and expensive;
•some of our collaborators might develop independently, or with others, products that could compete with our products;
•A delay in the development timeline for omadacycline in the Zai territory would result in a potential loss of milestone payments and future royalties from the partnership under the Zai Collaboration Agreement; and
•if the exclusive rights to sarecycline in the U.S. or the greater China region are returned to us by Almirall, or the rights to omadacycline in the Zai territory returned to us by Zai, we will need to establish a new development and commercialization partnership to further sarecycline in the U.S. and greater China region or omadacycline in the Zai territory. There can be no assurance that we would be able to find such a partner.
We have continued to build our sales and distribution infrastructure. If we are unable to develop our sales, marketing and distribution capability on our own or through collaborations with marketing partners, we will not be successful in commercializing NUZYRA or any future product candidates to their full potential.
We have grown our sales force and commercialization capabilities within our organization through the expansion of our community-based sales force. We have also invested in a sales and marketing organization with technical expertise and supporting distribution capabilities to successfully commercialize NUZYRA, which can be expensive and time consuming. In addition, we may not be able to hire a sales force in the U.S. that is large enough or has adequate expertise in the medical markets that we intend to target. Any failure or delay in the development of our sales, marketing and distribution capabilities would adversely impact the commercialization of NUZYRA.
With respect to our existing products and any future product candidates, we may choose to collaborate with third parties that have direct sales forces and established distribution systems, either to augment our own sales force and distribution systems or as an alternative to our own sales force and distribution systems. To the extent that we enter into co-promotion or other licensing arrangements, our product revenue and profitability may be lower than if we directly marketed or sold any approved products. In addition, any revenue we receive will depend in whole or in part upon the efforts of these third parties, which may not be successful and are generally not within our control. If we are unable to enter into these
arrangements on acceptable terms or at all, we may not be able to successfully commercialize any approved products. If we are not successful in commercializing any approved products, either on our own or through collaborations with one or more third parties, our future product revenue will suffer, and we may incur significant additional losses.
We will need to commit significant time and financial and managerial resources to maintain and further develop our sales and marketing organization to ensure they have the technical expertise required to address any challenges we may face with the commercialization of NUZYRA.
Factors that may inhibit our efforts to maintain and develop our commercialization capabilities include:
•an inability to retain an adequate number of effective commercial personnel in the medical markets we intend to target;
•an inability to train sales personnel, who may have limited experience with our company or NUZYRA, to deliver a consistent message regarding NUZYRA and be effective in convincing physicians to prescribe NUZYRA;
•a lack of complementary products to be offered by sales personnel, which may put us at a competitive disadvantage relative to companies with more extensive product lines;
•an inability to equip sales personnel with effective materials, including medical and sales literature to help them educate physicians and our healthcare providers regarding NUZYRA and its proper administration;
•unforeseen costs and expenses associated with maintaining and further developing an independent sales and marketing organization; and
•complications or barriers that inhibit our commercial team from reaching the appropriate audience to promote our product(s) because of the spread of COVID-19 or any outbreak of other contagious diseases.
If we are not successful in establishing and maintaining an effective sales and marketing infrastructure, we will have difficulty commercializing NUZYRA and our future product revenue will suffer, which would adversely affect our business and financial condition.
If we enter into arrangements with third parties to perform sales, marketing and distribution services, our product revenues or the profitability of these product revenues to us are likely to be lower than if we were to market and sell any products that we develop ourselves. In addition, we likely will have little control over such third parties, and any of them may fail to devote the necessary resources and attention to sell and market our products effectively. If we do not establish sales and marketing capabilities successfully, either on our own or in collaboration with third parties, we will not be successful in commercializing NUZYRA.
If we are unable to establish and maintain our agreements with third parties to distribute NUZYRA to patients, our results of operations and business could be adversely affected.
We rely on third parties to commercially distribute NUZYRA to patients. We have contracted with a third-party logistics company to warehouse NUZYRA and to process and ship customer orders and have negotiated contracts with specialty pharmacies and specialty distributors to sell and distribute NUZYRA. The specialty pharmacies sell NUZYRA directly to patients and provide patient education and ongoing management. The specialty distributors sell NUZYRA to hospitals and other large buying institutions. We have also contracted with a third-party patient services hub to help us with some or all of the following: benefits investigation and reimbursement adjudication support, patient assistance programs and ongoing compliance support. This distribution network requires significant coordination with our sales and marketing and finance organizations. In addition, failure to coordinate financial systems could negatively impact our ability to accurately report product revenue from NUZYRA. If we are unable to effectively manage the distribution process, sales of NUZYRA, as well as any future products we may commercialize, sales could be delayed or severely compromised and our results of operations may be harmed.
In addition, the use of specialty pharmacies, specialty distributors and a third-party patient services hub involves certain risks, including, but not limited to, risks that these organizations will:
•not provide us with accurate or timely information regarding their inventories, the number of patients who are using NUZYRA or serious adverse reactions, events and/or product complaints regarding NUZYRA;
•not effectively sell or support NUZYRA, or communicate publicly concerning NUZYRA in a manner that is contrary to FDA rules and regulations;
•reduce or discontinue their efforts to sell or support NUZYRA;
•not devote the resources necessary to sell NUZYRA in the volumes and within the time frame we expect;
•be unable to satisfy financial obligations to us or others; or
•cease operations.
Any such events may result in decreased product sales and lower product revenue, which would harm our results of operations and business. Additionally, relationships with specialty pharmacies, specialty distributors
and a third-party patient services hubs as wells as the provision of patient support services by manufacturers directly
or through such third parties, although fairly typical in the pharmaceutical industry, can be subject to challenge under fraud and abuse or FDA laws if not structured appropriately.
Independent clinical investigators and CROs that we engage to conduct our clinical trials may not devote sufficient time or attention to our and our partners’ clinical trials or be able to repeat their past success.
We expect to depend on independent clinical investigators and CROs to participate in and conduct our clinical trials. There is a limited number of third-party service providers that specialize or have the expertise required to achieve our business objectives. Identifying, qualifying and managing performance of third-party service providers can be difficult, time consuming and cause delays in our or our partners’ development programs. These investigators and CROs will not be our employees, and we will not be able to control, other than by contract, the amount of resources, including time, that they devote to our product candidates and clinical trials. If independent investigators fail to devote sufficient resources to the development of our product candidates, or if their performance is substandard, it may delay or compromise the prospects for approval and commercialization of any product candidates that we and our partners develop. In addition, the use of third-party service providers requires us to disclose our proprietary information to these parties, which could increase the risk that this information will be misappropriated. Further, the FDA requires that we and our partners comply with standards, commonly referred to as current Good Clinical Practices, for conducting, recording and reporting clinical trials to assure that data and reported results are credible and accurate and that the rights, safety, integrity and confidentiality of clinical trial subjects are protected. Failure of clinical investigators or CROs to meet their obligations to us or comply with current Good Clinical Practices could adversely affect the clinical development of our product candidates and harm our business.
If NUZYRA or SEYSARA do not achieve broad market acceptance among physicians, patients, the medical community and third-party payors, our revenue generated from their sales will be limited.
The commercial success of NUZYRA and SEYSARA will depend upon their level of market acceptance among physicians, patients and the medical community. The degree of market acceptance of NUZYRA and SEYSARA will depend on a number of factors, including:
•limitations or warnings contained in the product’s FDA or foreign regulatory approved labeling;
•changes in the standard of care for the targeted indications for any of our products;
•limitations in the approved clinical indications for our products;
•demonstrated clinical safety and efficacy compared to other products;
•lack of significant adverse side effects;
•sales, marketing, reimbursement and distribution support;
•availability of coverage and adequate reimbursement from governmental or private third-party payors, such as Medicare or managed care plans;
•the extent to which government or third-party payors implement utilization management techniques, such as unreasonably high copayment formulary tiers, prior authorization or quantity limits for our product(s), or even refuse to provide coverage or adequate reimbursement for the products;
•timing of market introduction and perceived effectiveness of competitive products;
•the degree of cost-effectiveness and value of our products;
•availability of alternative therapies at similar or lower cost, including generics and over-the-counter products;
•the extent to which the product is approved for inclusion on formularies of hospitals, and third-party payors, including managed care organizations;
•whether the product is designated under physician treatment guidelines as a therapy for particular infections;
•whether the product is designated under national treatment or formulary guidelines;
•adverse publicity about our products or favorable publicity about competitive products;
•convenience and ease of administration of our products; and
•potential product liability claims.
Although we believe our clinical studies demonstrate that NUZYRA and SEYSARA represent clinically meaningful and efficacious options for patients and physicians, it is possible that we may receive data from additional clinical trials or in a post-market setting from physician and patient experiences with the commercial products that do not continue to support such interpretations. It is also possible that the FDA, physicians and third-party payors will not agree with our interpretation of our existing and future clinical trial data. If we are unable to demonstrate the value of NUZYRA and SEYSARA based on our data, our opportunity for these products to maintain premium pricing and be commercialized successfully would be adversely affected. If NUZYRA or SEYSARA do not achieve an adequate level of acceptance by physicians, patients and the medical community, we and our partners may not generate sufficient revenue from these products, and we may not become or remain profitable. In addition, efforts to educate the medical community and third-party payors on the benefits of NUZYRA, SEYSARA or any future product candidates may require significant resources and may never be successful.
Even though NUZYRA and SEYSARA have been approved for marketing in the U.S., we or our partners may never obtain approval of or commercialize NUZYRA or SEYSARA outside of the U.S., which would limit our ability to realize their full market potential.
In October 2018, the FDA approved NUZYRA in the U.S. for the treatment of adults with CABP and ABSSSI that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by susceptible bacteria. We have global commercial rights to omadacycline, except that we have entered into a collaboration with Zai to develop, manufacture and commercialize omadacycline in the Zai territory. In December 2021, we received regulatory approval for omadacycline for the treatment of CABP in the People’s Republic of China. In October 2018, the FDA also approved SEYSARA for the treatment of inflammatory lesions of non-nodular moderate to severe acne vulgaris in patients nine years of age and older. In the U.S. and the greater China region, Almirall has the exclusive rights to commercialize SEYSARA for the treatment of acne, whereas we retain all rights to sarecycline in all other countries. In the future, we, or our partners, may seek to commercialize omadacycline or sarecycline in countries outside of the U.S. and the greater China region, and in February 2020, we exclusively licensed from Almirall certain technology owned or in-licensed by Almirall or its affiliates that is necessary or useful to develop or commercialize sarecycline outside of the U.S. Almirall plans to develop sarecycline for acne in China, with a submission to the NMPA expected in 2023, according to Almirall.
In order to market products outside of the U.S., we and our partners must comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements of other jurisdictions regarding safety and efficacy.
Clinical trials conducted in one country may not be accepted by regulatory authorities in other countries, and regulatory approval in one country does not mean that regulatory approval will be obtained in any other country. Approval procedures vary among countries and can involve additional product testing and validation and additional administrative review periods. Seeking foreign regulatory approvals could result in significant delays, difficulties and costs for us and may require additional preclinical studies or clinical trials. Satisfying these and other regulatory requirements is costly, time
consuming, uncertain and subject to unanticipated delays. In addition, our failure to obtain regulatory approval in any country may delay or have negative effects on the process for regulatory approval in other countries.
Regulatory approval in one jurisdiction does not ensure regulatory approval in another, but failure or delay in obtaining regulatory approval in one jurisdiction may have a negative effect on the regulatory process in others. Failure to obtain regulatory approvals in other jurisdictions or any delay or setback in obtaining such approvals could adversely affect our business and financial condition.
Bacteria might develop resistance to NUZYRA, which would decrease the efficacy and commercial viability of NUZYRA.
Antibiotic resistance is primarily caused by the genetic mutation of bacteria resulting from suboptimal exposure to antibiotics where the drug does not eradicate all of the bacteria. While antibiotics have been developed to treat many of the most common infections, the extent and duration of their use worldwide has resulted in new mutated strains of bacteria resistant to current treatments. NUZYRA has been developed to treat patients infected with drug-resistant bacteria. If physicians, rightly or wrongly, associate the resistance issues of older generations of tetracyclines with NUZYRA, physicians might not prescribe NUZYRA for treating a broad range of infections. In addition, bacteria might develop resistance to NUZYRA if such bacteria are improperly dosed or treated repeatedly with NUZYRA over multiple years, causing the efficacy of NUZYRA to decline, which would negatively affect our potential to generate revenue from NUZYRA.
If any product liability lawsuits are successfully brought against us or any of our collaborative partners, we may incur substantial liabilities and may be required to limit commercialization of our products, including NUZYRA and SEYSARA.
We face an inherent risk of product liability lawsuits related to the testing of our products in seriously ill patients and face an even greater risk from sales of NUZYRA and SEYSARA. Product liability claims may be brought against us or our partners by participants enrolled in our clinical trials, patients, healthcare providers or others using, administering or selling any of our products. If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against any such claims, we may incur substantial liabilities. Regardless of merit or eventual outcome, liability claims may result in:
•decreased demand for NUZYRA or SEYSARA;
•injury to our reputation and negative media attention;
•withdrawal of clinical trial participants;
•termination of clinical trial sites or entire clinical trial programs;
•significant litigation costs;
•substantial monetary awards to or costly settlements with patients or other claimants;
•product recalls or a change in the indications for which they may be used;
•loss of revenue;
•diversion of management and scientific resources from our business operations; and
•the inability of us or our partners to successfully commercialize our products.
With the approval of NUZYRA and SEYSARA for commercial sale, we are highly dependent upon consumer perceptions of us and the safety and quality of our products. We could be adversely affected if we are subject to negative publicity. We could also be adversely affected if any of our products or any similar products distributed by other companies prove to be, or are asserted to be, harmful to patients. Also, because of our dependence upon consumer perceptions, any adverse publicity associated with illness or other adverse effects resulting from patients’ use or misuse of our products or any similar products distributed by other companies could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.
We currently hold $10.0 million in product liability insurance coverage in the aggregate annually, with a per incident limit of $10.0 million, which may not be adequate to cover all liabilities that we may incur. Insurance coverage is becoming increasingly expensive. As a result, we may be unable to maintain or obtain sufficient insurance at a reasonable cost to protect us against losses that could have a material adverse effect on its business. These liabilities could prevent or
interfere with our product development and commercialization efforts. A successful product liability claim or series of claims brought against us, particularly if judgments exceed our insurance coverage, could decrease our cash resources and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operation.
If we fail to attract and retain key management and scientific personnel, we may be unable to successfully commercialize NUZYRA or any future product candidates.
Our industry has experienced a high rate of turnover of management personnel in recent years. We are to a certain extent dependent on the members of our senior management team for our business success. The employment agreements with our senior management team can be terminated by us or them at any time, with notice. The departure of any of our executive officers could result in a significant loss in the knowledge and experience that we, as an organization, possesses and could cause significant delays, or outright failure, in the execution of our strategies, the successful commercialization of NUZYRA, and the development of any future product candidates.
Our success depends in part on our continued ability to attract, retain and motivate highly qualified management, development and clinical personnel. We may not be able to attract or retain such qualified personnel due to the intense competition for qualified personnel among biotechnology, pharmaceutical and other businesses. If we are not able to attract and retain the necessary personnel to accomplish our business objectives, we may experience constraints that will impede significantly our development objectives and timelines, the success of our commercialization efforts, our ability to raise additional capital and our ability to implement our business strategy.
We depend on various consultants and advisors for the success and continuation of our development efforts.
We work extensively with various consultants and advisors, who provide advice and/or services in various business and development functions, including clinical development, operations and strategy, regulatory matters, legal and finance. The potential success of our drug development programs depends, in part, on continued successful collaborations with certain of these consultants and advisors. Our consultants and advisors are not our employees and may have commitments and obligations to other entities that may limit their availability to us. Typically, these advisors will not enter into non-compete agreements with us. If a conflict of interest arises between their work for us and their work for another entity, we may lose their services. We do not know if we will be able to maintain such relationships or that such consultants and advisors will not enter into other arrangements with competitors, any of which could have a detrimental impact on our development objectives and our business.
We have grown our organization, and we may experience difficulties in managing this growth, which could disrupt our operations.
As of February 28, 2023, we had 268 full-time employees. We have expanded our employee base for managerial, operational, sales, marketing, financial and other resources. Any future growth would impose significant added responsibilities on members of management, including the need to identify, recruit, maintain, motivate and integrate additional employees. Also, our management may need to divert a disproportionate amount of their attention away from our day-to-day activities and devote a substantial amount of time to managing any future growth activities. We may not be able to effectively manage any expansion of our operations that may result in weaknesses in our infrastructure, give rise to operational mistakes, loss of business opportunities, loss of employees and reduced productivity among remaining employees. Any future growth could require significant capital expenditures and may divert financial resources from other projects, such as the development of existing and additional product candidates. If our management is unable to effectively manage any future growth, our expenses may increase more than expected our ability to generate and/or grow revenue could be reduced and we may not be able to implement our business strategy. Our future financial performance and our ability to successfully commercialize NUZYRA, develop any future product candidates and compete effectively with others in our industry will depend in part, on our ability to effectively manage any future growth.
Our employees, contractors, partners, principal investigators, CROs, consultants and vendors may engage in misconduct or other improper activities, including noncompliance with regulatory standards and requirements.
We are exposed to the risk that our employees, contractors, partners, principal investigators, CROs, consultants and vendors may engage in fraudulent conduct or other illegal activity. Misconduct by these parties could include intentional, reckless and/or negligent conduct or disclosure of unauthorized activities to us that violates: FDA regulations, including those laws requiring the reporting of true, complete and accurate information to the FDA, federal and state healthcare fraud and abuse laws and regulations, laws that require the reporting of financial information or data
timely, completely or accurately. In particular, sales, marketing and business arrangements in the healthcare industry are subject to extensive laws and regulations intended to prevent fraud, misconduct, kickbacks, self-dealing and other abusive practices. These laws and regulations may restrict or prohibit a wide range of pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, sales commission, customer incentive programs and other business arrangements. Third-party misconduct could also involve the improper use of information obtained in the course of clinical trials, which could result in regulatory sanctions and serious harm to our reputation. It is not always possible to identify and deter misconduct, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent this activity may not be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risks or losses or in protecting us from governmental investigations or other actions or lawsuits stemming from a failure to comply with these laws or regulations. If any such actions are instituted against us resulting from this misconduct, and we are not successful in defending ourselves or asserting our rights, those actions could have a significant impact on our business, including the imposition of significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, including, without limitation, damages, fines, imprisonment, exclusion from participation in government healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations, which could significantly harm our business.
Risks Related to our Indebtedness
Our substantial indebtedness could adversely affect our financial condition and may make it more difficult for us to fund our operations.
In April 2018, we issued $165.0 million aggregate principal amount of 4.75% Convertible Senior Subordinated Notes due 2024, or the Notes. The Notes bear cash interest at the annual rate of 4.75%, payable on November 1 and May 1 of each year, beginning on November 1, 2018, and mature on May 1, 2024 unless earlier repurchased, redeemed or converted. In February 2019, we, through our wholly-owned subsidiary Paratek Royalty Corporation, or Royalty, entered into a royalty-backed loan agreement, or the Royalty-Backed Loan Agreement, with Healthcare Royalty Partners III, L.P., or HCRP. Pursuant to the terms of the Royalty-Backed Loan Agreement, Royalty borrowed a $32.5 million loan, which was secured by, and is being repaid based upon, royalties from the Almirall Collaboration Agreement. The Royalty-Backed Loan Agreement matures on May 1, 2029, at which time, if not earlier repaid in full, the outstanding principal amount of the loan, together with any accrued and unpaid interest, and all other obligations then outstanding, shall be due and payable in cash by Royalty. In addition, in December 2020, we, through our wholly-owned subsidiary PRTK SPV2 LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, or the Subsidiary, entered into a royalty and revenue interest-backed loan agreement with an affiliate of R-Bridge Healthcare Investment Advisory, Ltd., herein referred to as the R-Bridge Loan Agreement. Pursuant to the terms of the R-Bridge Loan Agreement, the Subsidiary borrowed a $60.0 million secured term loan. Under the R-Bridge Loan Agreement, the outstanding principal balance bears interest at an annual rate of 7.0%, increasing to an annual rate of 10% during the continuance of any event of default. Refer to Note 16, Long Term Debt in the accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further discussion of the Notes, the Royalty-Backed Loan Agreement and the R-Bridge Loan Agreement.
This substantial indebtedness could adversely affect our financial condition by increasing our vulnerability to general economic and industry conditions, requiring us to dedicate a substantial portion of cash flow from operations for debt service, limiting our flexibility to plan for, or react to, changes in our business and the industry in which we operate, placing us at a competitive disadvantage as compared to competitors with less indebtedness, and limiting our ability to borrow additional funds that may be needed to operate and expand our business.
Servicing our debt, including the Notes, the R-Bridge Loan Agreement, and the Royalty-Backed Loan Agreement, requires a significant amount of cash, and we may not have sufficient cash flow from our business to pay our substantial debt.
Our ability to make scheduled payments of the principal of, to pay interest on or to refinance our indebtedness depends on our future performance, which is subject to regulatory, economic, financial, competitive and other factors beyond our control. We are a biopharmaceutical company that has not yet generated profit from product sales. We expect to continue to incur losses as we add infrastructure and personnel to support our commercialization and product development efforts and operations. Accordingly, our business may not generate cash flow from operations in the future sufficient to service our debt and make necessary capital expenditures. If we are unable to generate such cash flow, we may be required to adopt one or more alternatives, such as selling assets, restructuring debt or obtaining additional equity capital on terms that may be onerous or highly dilutive. Our ability to refinance our indebtedness will depend on the capital markets and our financial condition at such time. We may not be able to engage in any of these activities or engage in these activities on desirable terms, which could result in a default on our debt obligations.
Failure to satisfy our current and future debt obligations under the R-Bridge Loan Agreement, Royalty-Backed Loan Agreement, and the Notes could result in an event of default and, as a result, the respective lenders could accelerate all of the amounts due. In the event of any such acceleration of amounts due as a result of an event of default, we may not have sufficient funds or may be unable to arrange for additional financing to repay our indebtedness. In addition, the R-Bridge Lender and Royalty-Backed Lender could seek to enforce its respective security interests in the assets.
Despite our current debt levels, we may still incur substantially more debt or take other actions which would intensify the risks discussed above.
Despite our current consolidated debt levels, we and our subsidiaries may be able to incur substantial additional debt in the future, subject to the restrictions contained in our debt instruments, some of which may be secured debt. For example, we are not restricted under the terms of the indenture governing the Notes from incurring additional debt, securing existing or future debt, recapitalizing our debt or taking a number of other actions that are not limited by the terms of the indenture governing the Notes that could have the effect of diminishing our ability to make payments on the Notes when due. Furthermore, to the extent additional debt is added to our current debt levels, the risks described above could increase.
We are subject to certain restrictive covenants which, if breached, could have a material adverse effect on our business and prospects.
The R-Bridge Loan Agreement and Royalty-Backed Loan Agreement each impose operating and other restrictions on us. Such restrictions will affect, and in many respects limit or in some respects may prohibit, our ability to, among other things:
•dispose of substantially all of our assets or certain assets related to NUZYRA or SEYSARA, as;
•engage in mergers or consolidations;
•incur additional indebtedness secured by certain assets related to NUZYRA; and
•create liens on certain assets related to NUZYRA.
The Notes are subordinated to our senior indebtedness, effectively subordinated to our secured indebtedness and structurally junior to any liabilities of our subsidiaries.
The Notes are our general, unsecured, senior subordinated obligations and rank equally in right of payment with all of our future unsecured, senior subordinated indebtedness; senior to all of our future subordinated indebtedness; junior to all of our existing and future senior indebtedness, whether or not secured; effectively subordinated to all of our secured indebtedness; and structurally junior to the liabilities, including trade payables, of our subsidiaries. In the event of our bankruptcy, liquidation, reorganization or other winding up, our assets that secure debt ranking senior in right of payment to the Notes will be available to pay obligations on the Notes only after the secured debt has been repaid in full from these assets, and the assets of our subsidiaries will be available to pay obligations on the Notes only after all claims senior to the Notes have been repaid in full. There may not be sufficient assets remaining to pay amounts due on any or all of the Notes then outstanding. The indenture governing the Notes does not prohibit us from incurring additional senior debt or secured debt, nor does it prohibit any of our subsidiaries from incurring additional liabilities.
We may not have the ability to raise the funds necessary to repurchase the Notes upon a fundamental change, and our existing or future debt may contain limitations on our ability to repurchase the Notes.
Holders of the Notes have the right to require us to repurchase their Notes upon the occurrence of a fundamental change at a fundamental change repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any. However, we may not have enough available cash or be able to obtain financing at the time we are required to make repurchases of Notes surrendered therefor. In addition, our ability to repurchase the Notes may be limited by law, by regulatory authority or by agreements governing our indebtedness that exist at the time of the repurchase. Our failure to repurchase Notes at a time when the repurchase is required by the indenture governing the Notes would constitute a default under the indenture. A default under the indenture or the fundamental change itself could also lead to a default under agreements governing our future indebtedness. If the repayment of the related indebtedness were to be accelerated after any applicable notice or grace periods, we may not have sufficient funds to repay the indebtedness and repurchase the Notes.
We may fail to pay any cash amount upon repurchase of the Notes.
Our failure to repurchase the Notes as required under the terms of the Notes would constitute a default under the indenture governing the Notes and permit holders of the Notes to accelerate our obligations under the Notes. A default under the indenture or the fundamental change itself could also lead to a default under agreements governing our future indebtedness. If the repayment of the related indebtedness were to be accelerated after any applicable notice or grace periods, we may not have sufficient funds to repay the indebtedness and repurchase the Notes.
Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property
If we are unable to obtain and enforce patent protection for products, our product candidates and related technology, our business could be materially harmed.
Issued patents may be challenged, invalidated or circumvented. In addition, court decisions may introduce uncertainty in the enforceability or scope of patents owned by pharmaceutical companies. The legal systems of certain countries do not favor the aggressive enforcement of patents, and the laws of foreign countries may not allow us to protect our inventions with patents to the same extent as do the laws of the U.S. Because patent applications in the U.S. and many foreign jurisdictions are typically not published until 18 months after filing, or in some cases not at all, and because publications of discoveries in scientific literature lag behind actual discoveries or may not be the first to make the inventions claimed in issued patents or pending patent applications, or may not be the first to file for protection of the inventions set forth in our patents, or patent applications. As a result, we may not be able to obtain or maintain protection for certain inventions. If such inventions or related inventions are successfully patented by others, we may be required to obtain licenses under third-party patents to market our product candidates, as described in greater detail below. Therefore, enforceability and scope of our patents in the U.S. and in foreign countries cannot be predicted with certainty, and, as a result, any patents that we own or license may not provide sufficient protection against competitors. We may not be able to obtain or maintain patent protection from our pending patent applications, from those we may file in the future, or from those we may license from third parties. Moreover, even if we are able to obtain patent protection, such patent protection may be of insufficient scope to achieve our business objectives or may not survive legal or administrative challenges by competitors.
Our strategy depends on our ability to identify and seek and obtain patent protection for our discoveries. This process is expensive and time consuming, and we may not be able to file and prosecute successfully all necessary or desirable patent applications at a reasonable cost or in a timely manner or in all jurisdictions where protection may be commercially advantageous. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, unauthorized parties may be able to obtain and use information that we regard as proprietary. The issuance of a patent does not ensure that it is valid or enforceable, so even if we obtain patents, they may not be valid or enforceable against third parties. In addition, the issuance of a patent does not give us the right to practice the patented invention. Third parties may have blocking patents that could prevent us from marketing our own patented product and practicing our own patented technology. Third parties may also seek to market generic versions of any approved products by submitting ANDAs to the FDA in which they claim that patents owned or licensed by us are invalid, unenforceable and/or not infringed. Alternatively, third parties may seek approval to market their own products similar to or otherwise competitive with our products. In these circumstances, we may need to defend and/or assert our patents, including by filing lawsuits alleging patent infringement. In any of these types of proceedings, a court or other agency with jurisdiction may find our patents invalid and/or unenforceable. Even if we have valid and enforceable patents, these patents still may not provide protection against competing products or processes sufficient to achieve our business objectives.
The patent position of pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies, including ours, is generally uncertain and involves complex legal and factual considerations. The standards that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, and its foreign counterparts use to grant patents are not always applied predictably or uniformly and can change. There is also no uniform, worldwide policy regarding the subject matter and scope of claims granted or allowable in pharmaceutical or biotechnology patents. The laws of some foreign countries do not protect proprietary information to the same extent as do the laws of the U.S., and many companies have encountered significant problems and costs in protecting their proprietary information in these foreign countries. Outside of the U.S., patent protection must be sought in individual jurisdictions, further adding to the cost and uncertainty of obtaining adequate patent protection outside of the U.S. Accordingly, additional patents protecting our technology may not issue in the U.S. or in foreign jurisdictions, and any patents that do issue may not have claims of adequate scope to provide competitive advantage. Moreover, third parties may be able to successfully obtain claims and such claims may be broad. The allowance of broader claims may increase the incidence and cost of patent interference proceedings, opposition proceedings and/or reexamination proceedings, the risk of infringement litigation and the vulnerability of the claims to challenge. On the other hand, the allowance of narrower
claims does not eliminate the potential for adversarial proceedings and may fail to provide a competitive advantage. Our issued patents may not contain claims sufficiently broad to protect us against third parties with similar technologies or products or provide us with any competitive advantage. Moreover, even after they have issued, our patents and any patent for which we have licensed or may license rights may be challenged, narrowed, invalidated or circumvented. If our patents are invalidated or otherwise limited or expire prior to the commercialization of our product candidates, other companies may be better able to develop products that compete with our products which could adversely affect our competitive business position, business prospects and financial condition. The following are examples of litigation and other adversarial proceedings or disputes that we could become a party to involving our patents or patents licensed to us:
•we or our partners may initiate litigation or other proceedings against third parties to enforce our patent rights;
•third parties may initiate litigation or other proceedings seeking to invalidate patents owned by or licensed to us or to obtain a declaratory judgment that their product or technology does not infringe our patents or patents licensed to us;
•third parties may initiate opposition or reexamination proceedings challenging the validity or scope of our patent rights, requiring us or our partners to participate in such proceedings to defend the validity and scope of our patents;
•there may be a challenge or dispute regarding inventorship or ownership of patents currently identified as being owned by or licensed to us;
•the USPTO may initiate an interference between patents or patent applications owned by or licensed to us and those of our competitors, requiring us or our collaborators to participate in an interference proceeding to determine the priority of invention, which could jeopardize our patent rights; or
•third parties may submit ANDAs to the FDA seeking approval to market generic versions of our approved or future approved products prior to expiration of relevant patents owned by or licensed to us, requiring us to defend our patents, including by filing lawsuits alleging patent infringement.
These lawsuits and proceedings would be costly and could adversely affect our results of operations and divert the attention of our managerial and scientific personnel. A court or administrative body may decide that our patents are invalid or not infringed by a third party’s product or activity or that the scope of certain issued claims must be further limited. An adverse outcome in a litigation or proceeding involving our own patents could limit our ability to assert our patents against these or other competitors and may curtail or preclude our ability to exclude third parties from making and selling similar or competitive products. Any of these occurrences could adversely affect our competitive business position, business prospects and financial condition. An adverse outcome in a dispute involving inventorship or ownership of our patents could, for example, subject us to additional royalty obligations and expand the number of product candidates that are subject to the royalty and other obligations of our license agreement with Tufts.
The degree of future protection for our proprietary rights is uncertain because legal means afford only limited protection and may not adequately protect our rights or permit us to gain or keep our competitive advantage. For example:
•others may be able to develop a platform that is similar to, or better than, ours in a way that is not covered by the claims of our patents;
•others may be able to make compounds that are similar to our products or product candidates but that are not covered by the claims of our patents;
•we might not have been the first to make the inventions covered by our pending patent applications;
•we might not have been the first to file patent applications for these inventions;
•others may independently develop similar or alternative technologies or duplicate any of our technologies;
•we may be unable to effectively protect our trade secrets;
•any patents that we obtain may not provide us with any competitive advantages or may ultimately be found invalid or unenforceable;
•we may not develop additional proprietary technologies that are patentable; or
•the patents of others may have an adverse effect on our business.
Our commercial success depends significantly on our ability to operate without infringing the patents and other proprietary rights of third parties.
Our and our partners’ success will depend in part on our ability to operate without infringing the proprietary rights of third parties. Other entities may have or obtain patents or proprietary rights that could limit our ability to manufacture, use, sell, offer for sale or import our products or impair our competitive position. Patent applications that we believe we do not infringe, but that we may ultimately be found to infringe, could be issued to third parties. In addition, to the extent that a third party develops new technology that covers our products or product candidates, we and our partners may be required to obtain licenses to that technology, which licenses may not be available or may not be available on commercially reasonable terms. Third parties may have or obtain valid and enforceable patents or proprietary rights that could block us from developing product candidates using our technology. Our failure to obtain a license to any technology that we require may materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. Moreover, our or our partners’ failure to maintain a license to any technology that we require may also materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, we would be exposed to a threat of litigation.
In the pharmaceutical industry, significant litigation and other proceedings regarding patents, patent applications, trademarks and other intellectual property rights have become commonplace. The types of situations in which we may become a party to such litigation or proceedings include:
•we or our partners may initiate litigation or other proceedings against third parties seeking to invalidate the patents held by those third parties or to obtain a judgment that our products or processes do not infringe those third parties’ patents;
•if our competitors file patent applications that claim technology also claimed by us, we or our collaborators may be required to participate in interference or opposition proceedings to determine the priority of invention, which could jeopardize our patent rights and potentially provide a third party with a dominant patent position;
•if third parties initiate litigation claiming that our processes, products or use of products infringe their patent or other intellectual property rights, we and our collaborators will need to defend against such proceedings;
•if third parties initiate litigation claiming that our brand names infringe their trademarks, we and our collaborators will need to defend against such proceedings; and
•if a license to necessary technology is terminated, the licensor may initiate litigation claiming that our processes or products infringe or misappropriate their patent or other intellectual property rights and/or that we breached our obligations under the license agreement, and we and our collaborators would need to defend against such proceedings.
These lawsuits would be costly and could affect our results of operations and divert the attention of our managerial and scientific personnel. There is a risk that a court would decide that we or our partners are infringing the third party’s patents and would order us or our collaborators to stop the activities covered by the patents. In that event, we or our partners may not have a viable alternative to the technology protected by the patent and may need to halt work on the affected product or product candidate. In addition, there is a risk that a court will order us or our partners to pay the other party damages. An adverse outcome in any litigation or other proceeding could subject us to significant liabilities to third parties and require us to cease using the technology that is at issue or to license the technology from third parties. We may not be able to obtain any required licenses on commercially acceptable terms or at all. Any of these outcomes could have a material adverse effect on our business.
The pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries have produced a significant number of patents, and it may not always be clear to industry participants, including us, which patents cover various types of products or methods of use. The coverage of patents is subject to interpretation by the courts, and the interpretation is not always uniform. If we are sued for patent infringement, we would need to demonstrate that our products or methods either do not infringe the patent claims of the relevant patent or that the patent claims are invalid, and we may not be able to do this. Proving invalidity is difficult. For example, in the U.S., proving invalidity requires a showing of clear and convincing evidence to overcome the presumption of validity enjoyed by issued patents. Even if we are successful in these proceedings, we may incur substantial costs and divert management’s time and attention in pursuing these proceedings, which could have a material adverse effect on us. If we are unable to avoid infringing the patent rights of others, we may be required to seek a license, defend an infringement action or challenge the validity of the patents in court. Patent litigation is costly and time consuming. We may not have sufficient resources to bring these actions to a successful conclusion. In addition, if we do not obtain a license, do
not develop or obtain non-infringing technology, fail to defend an infringement action successfully or has infringed patents declared invalid, we may incur substantial monetary damages, encounter significant delays in bringing our product candidates to market and be precluded from manufacturing or selling our products.
The cost of any patent litigation or other proceeding, even if resolved in our favor, could be substantial. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the cost of such litigation and proceedings more effectively than we can because of their substantially greater resources. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of patent litigation or other proceedings could have a material adverse effect on our ability to compete in the marketplace. Patent litigation and other proceedings may also absorb significant management time and financial resources. There are inherent risks and uncertainties associated with any litigation, including those involving intellectual property, which litigation and risks can be costly in of itself or create an environment making it challenging to raise additional capital.
If we or our partners fail to comply with our obligations under our intellectual property licenses with third parties, we could lose license rights that are important to our business.
We are currently party to an intellectual property license agreement with Tufts. The license agreement imposes, and we expect that future license agreements may impose, various diligence, milestone payment, royalty, insurance and other obligations on us. For example, we are required to use our best efforts to effect introduction of licensed products under the agreement into the U.S. commercial market. If we fail to comply with our obligations under the license, Tufts may have the right to terminate the license agreement, in which event we might not be able to market any product that is covered by the agreement, such as NUZYRA. Termination of the license agreement or reduction or elimination of our licensed rights may result in us having to negotiate a new or reinstated license with less favorable terms. If Tufts were to terminate its license agreement with us for any reason, our business could be materially harmed. In the event that we are unable to maintain the Tufts license, we may lose the ability to exclude third parties from offering substantially identical products for sale and may even risk the threat of a patent infringement lawsuit from our former licensor based on our continued use of its intellectual property. Either of these events could adversely affect our competitive business position and harm our business.
Under our license agreement with Tufts, we are responsible for prosecution and maintenance of the licensed patents and patent applications, including payment of necessary government fees. In the event that any of the licensed patents or patent applications unintentionally lapse or are otherwise materially diminished in value, our relationship with Tufts could be harmed. This could result in termination of the license, loss of the rights to control prosecution of the licensed patents and patent applications and/or liability to Tufts for any loss.
If we or our partners are unable to protect the confidentiality of our proprietary information and know-how, the value of our technology and products could be adversely affected.
In addition to patent protection, we also rely on other proprietary rights, including protection of trade secrets, know-how and confidential and proprietary information. To maintain the confidentiality of trade secrets and proprietary information, our policy is to enter into confidentiality agreements with our employees, consultants, collaborators and others upon the commencement of their relationships with us. These agreements require that all confidential information developed by the individual or made known to the individual by us during the course of the individual’s relationship with us be kept confidential and not disclosed to third parties. Our agreements with employees and our personnel policies also provide that any inventions conceived by the individual in the course of rendering services to us shall be our exclusive property. However, we may not obtain these agreements in all circumstances, and individuals with whom we have these agreements may not comply with their terms. In the event of unauthorized use or disclosure of our trade secrets or proprietary information, these agreements, even if obtained, may not provide meaningful protection, particularly for our trade secrets or other confidential information. To the extent that our employees, consultants, or contractors use technology or know-how owned by third parties in their work for us, disputes may arise between us and those third parties as to the rights in related inventions. To the extent that an individual who is not obligated to assign rights in intellectual property to us is rightfully an inventor of intellectual property, we may need to obtain an assignment or a license to that intellectual property from that individual. Such assignment or license may not be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all.
Adequate remedies may not exist in the event of unauthorized use or disclosure of our confidential information. The disclosure of our trade secrets would impair our competitive position and may materially harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. Costly and time-consuming litigation could be necessary to enforce and determine the scope of our proprietary rights, and failure to obtain or maintain trade secret protection could adversely
affect our competitive business position. In addition, others may independently discover trade secrets and proprietary information, and the existence of our own trade secrets affords no protection against such independent discovery.
As is common in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, we employ individuals who were previously or concurrently employed at research institutions and/or other biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. We may be subject to claims that these employees, or we, have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed trade secrets or other proprietary information of their former employers or that patents and applications we have filed to protect inventions of these employees, even those related to one or more of our product candidates, are rightfully owned by their former or concurrent employer. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. Even if we are successful in defending against these claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management.
Obtaining and maintaining our patent protection depends on compliance with various procedural, documentary, fee payment and other requirements imposed by governmental patent agencies, and our patent protection could be reduced or eliminated for non-compliance with these requirements.
Periodic maintenance fees, renewal fees, annuity fees and various other governmental fees on patents and/or applications will be due to the USPTO and various foreign patent offices at various points over the lifetime of the patents and/or applications. We have systems in place to remind us to pay these fees, and we rely on our outside counsel to pay these fees when due. Additionally, the USPTO and various foreign patent offices require compliance with a number of procedural, documentary, fee payment and other similar provisions during the patent application process. We employ reputable law firms and other professionals to help us comply, and in many cases, an inadvertent lapse can be cured by payment of a late fee or by other means in accordance with rules applicable to the particular jurisdiction. However, there are situations in which noncompliance can result in abandonment or lapse of the patent or patent application, resulting in partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction. If such an event were to occur, it could have a material adverse effect on our business. In addition, we are responsible for the payment of patent fees for patent rights that we have licensed from other parties. If any licensor of these patents does not itself elect to make these payments, and we fail to do so, we may be liable to the licensor for any costs and consequences of any resulting loss of patent rights.
If we do not obtain protection under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments and similar foreign legislation by extending the term of patents covering each of our product candidates, our business may be materially harmed.
Based on the FDA marketing approval of our products, one or more of our U.S. patents may be eligible for limited patent term extension under the Hatch-Waxman Amendments. The Hatch-Waxman Amendments permit a patent term extension of up to five years for a patent covering an approved product as compensation for effective patent term lost during product development and the FDA regulatory review process, with the condition that this five-year extension does not extend the patent for more than fourteen years from the approval date. However, we may not receive an extension if we fail to apply within applicable deadlines, fail to apply prior to expiration of relevant patents or otherwise fail to satisfy applicable requirements. Moreover, the length of the extension could be less than our request. If we are unable to obtain patent term extension or the term of any such extension is less than we request, the period during which we can enforce our patent rights for that product may not extend beyond the current patent expiration dates and our competitors may obtain approval to market competing products sooner. As a result, our revenue could be reduced, possibly materially.
Our contract with BARDA may affect our intellectual property rights.
Our contract with BARDA includes provisions that implement the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 and grant the U.S. government certain rights in inventions that may be conceived or first actually reduced to practice under the contract. In particular, the U.S. government is granted a nonexclusive, nontransferable, irrevocable, paid-up, worldwide license to practice such inventions or have such inventions practiced for or on the U.S. government's behalf. The U.S. government also has "march-in" rights with respect to such inventions, which allow the U.S. government to directly or require us, our assignee, or our exclusive licensee to license such inventions to a third party on an exclusive, partially exclusive, or non-exclusive basis if the U.S. government determines that such an action is necessary (i) because adequate steps have not been taken to achieve practical application of such an invention, (ii) to alleviate health or safety needs, (iii) to meet requirements for public use specified by federal regulations, or (iv) due to a violation of an agreement to manufacture substantially in the U.S. a product embodying such an invention or produced through the use of such an invention. Unless waived by the U.S. government, we are required to obtain such an agreement to manufacture substantially in the U.S. from another party to which we exclusively license such an invention. The U.S. government also has the right to take title to such inventions if
we fail to disclose, elect title to, or pursue or maintain patent protection for such inventions within specified periods of time.
Risks Related to Our Common Stock
The trading price of our common stock is volatile.
The trading price of our common stock could be subject to significant fluctuations. Market prices for securities of pharmaceutical, biotechnology and other life sciences companies have historically been particularly volatile. Some of the factors that may cause the trading price of our common stock to fluctuate include:
•the commercial performance of NUZYRA and SEYSARA;
•our ability to maintain and expand regulatory approval for NUZYRA;
•issues in manufacturing NUZYRA;
•the results of our current and any future clinical trials of NUZYRA or any future product candidates;
•the entry into, or termination of, key agreements, including key commercial partner agreements;
•the initiation of material developments in, or conclusion of litigation to enforce or defend any of our intellectual property rights or defend against the intellectual property rights of others;
•announcements by commercial partners or competitors of new commercial products, clinical progress or the lack thereof, significant contracts, commercial relationships or capital commitments;
•adverse publicity relating to the antibiotics market, including with respect to other products and potential products in such market;
•the introduction of technological innovations or new therapies that compete with our products;
•the loss of key employees;
•changes in estimates or recommendations by securities analysts, if any, who cover our common stock;
•general and industry-specific economic conditions that may affect our research and development expenditures;
•changes in the structure of healthcare payment systems; and
•period-to-period fluctuations in our financial results, including, in particular, our use of cash in operations.
Moreover, the stock markets in general have experienced substantial volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of individual companies. For example, the trading prices for our common stock and that of other biopharmaceutical companies have been particularly volatile due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the impacts of inflation and supply chain disruptions. Such broad market fluctuations, as well as general economic, political and market conditions, may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock.
In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, stockholders have often instituted class action securities litigation against those companies. Such litigation, if instituted, could result in substantial costs and diversion of management attention and resources, which could significantly harm our profitability and reputation.
We do not anticipate that we will pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
We expect that we will retain our future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our common stock will be your sole source of gain, if any, for the foreseeable future.
Anti-takeover provisions in our charter documents and under Delaware law could make an acquisition of us more difficult and may prevent attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our management.
Provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws may delay or prevent an acquisition or a change in management. These provisions include a classified board of directors, a prohibition on actions by written consent of our
stockholders and the ability of the board of directors to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval. In addition, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporate Law, or DGCL, which prohibits stockholders owning in excess of 15% of our voting stock from merging or combining with us. Although we believe these provisions collectively will provide for an opportunity to receive higher bids by requiring potential acquirers to negotiate with our board of directors, they would apply even if the offer may be considered beneficial by some stockholders. In addition, these provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove then current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of the board of directors, which is responsible for appointing the members of management.
Our amended and restated by-laws designate specific courts as the exclusive forum for certain litigation that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us.
Our amended and restated bylaws provide that, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf; (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees to us or our stockholders; (iii) any action asserting a claim against us or any of our directors or officers or other employees arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL, our amended and restated certificate of incorporation or our amended and restated bylaws; or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us or any of our directors or officers or other employees governed by the internal affairs doctrine. These choice of forum provisions may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find these provisions of our amended and restated bylaws inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business and financial condition. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to this provision of our amended and restated bylaws. However, Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. As a result, the exclusive forum provision will not apply to suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or any other claim for which the federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction. In addition, Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. As a result, there is uncertainty as to whether a court would enforce such a provision, and our stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.
Future sales of shares by existing stockholders could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline.
If our existing stockholders sell, or indicate an intention to sell, substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, the trading price of our common stock could decline. As of December 31, 2022, approximately 3.6 million shares of common stock are held by our directors, executive officers and other affiliates and are subject to volume limitations under Rule 144 under the Securities Act. In addition, approximately 3.0 million shares of common stock that are subject to outstanding options and restricted stock units as of December 31, 2022 will become eligible for sale in the public market to the extent permitted by the provisions of various vesting agreements and Rule 144 under the Securities Act. If these additional shares are sold, or if it is perceived that they will be sold, in the public market, the trading price of our common stock could decline.
Future sales of our common stock or equity-linked securities in the public market could lower the market price for our common stock.
In the future, we may sell additional shares of our common stock or equity-linked securities to raise capital. In addition, a substantial number of shares of our common stock are reserved for issuance upon the exercise of stock options and upon conversion of the Notes. We cannot predict the size of future issuances or the effect, if any, that they may have on the market price for our common stock. The issuance and sale of substantial amounts of common stock or equity-linked securities, or the perception that such issuances and sales may occur, could adversely affect the market price of our common stock and impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity or equity-linked securities.
Because our merger resulted in an ownership change under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code for Transcept, Transcept’s pre-merger net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes are subject to limitations. The
net operating loss carryforwards and other tax attributes of the former Paratek entity and us may also be subject to limitations as a result of ownership changes.
If a corporation undergoes an “ownership change” within the meaning of Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or Section 382, the corporation’s net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes arising from before the ownership change are subject to limitations on use after the ownership change. In general, an ownership change occurs if there is a cumulative change in the corporation’s equity ownership by certain stockholders that exceeds 50 percentage points over a rolling three-year period. Similar rules may apply under state tax laws. The Merger resulted in an ownership change for Transcept and, accordingly, Transcept’s net operating loss carryforwards and certain other tax attributes are subject to limitations on their use after the Merger. Old Paratek’s net operating loss carryforwards may also be subject to limitation as a result of prior shifts in equity ownership and/or the Merger. Additional ownership changes in the future could result in additional limitations on Transcept’s, Old Paratek’s and our net operating loss carryforwards. Consequently, even if we achieve profitability, we may not be able to utilize a material portion of Transcept’s, Old Paratek’s or our net operating loss carryforwards and other tax attributes, which could have a material adverse effect on cash flow and results of operations.
If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about us, the trading price and trading volume of our common stock could decline.
The trading market for our common stock is influenced by the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us, our business and our common stock. As of December 31, 2022, we had research coverage by three securities analysts. If the analysts who cover us downgrade our common stock or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research regarding us or our business model, technology or stock performance, the trading price of our common stock would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts ceases coverage of us or fails to publish reports on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause the trading price or trading volume of our common stock to decline. Moreover, the unpredictability of our financial results likely reduces the certainty, and therefore reliability, of the forecasts by securities or industry analysts of our future financial results, adding to the potential volatility of the trading price of our common stock.
Maintaining and improving our financial controls and the requirements of being a public company may strain our resources, divert management’s attention and affect our ability to attract and retain qualified board members.
The trading market for our common stock is influenced by the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish. As a public company, we are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and The Nasdaq Global Market rules. The requirements of these rules and regulations have increased and will continue to significantly increase our legal and financial compliance costs, including costs associated with the hiring of additional personnel, making some activities more difficult, time-consuming or costly, and may also place undue strain on our personnel, systems and resources. The Exchange Act requires, among other things, that we file annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition.
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. Ensuring that we have adequate internal financial and accounting controls and procedures in place, as well as maintaining these controls and procedures, is a costly and time-consuming effort that needs to be re-evaluated frequently. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, or Section 404, requires that we annually evaluate our internal control over financial reporting to enable management to report on the effectiveness of those controls. In connection with the Section 404 requirements, we test our internal controls and could, as part of that documentation and testing, identify material weaknesses, significant deficiencies or other areas for further attention or improvement.
Implementing any appropriate changes to our internal controls may require specific compliance training for our directors, officers and employees, require the hiring of additional finance, accounting and other personnel, entail substantial costs to modify our existing accounting systems, and take a significant period of time to complete. These changes may not, however, be effective in maintaining the adequacy of our internal controls, and any failure to maintain that adequacy, or consequent inability to produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis, could increase our operating costs and could materially impair our ability to operate our business. Moreover, adequate internal controls are necessary for us to produce reliable financial reports and are important to help prevent fraud. As a result, our failure to satisfy the requirements of Section 404 on a timely basis could result in the loss of investor confidence in the reliability of our financial statements, which in turn could cause the market value of our common stock to decline.
Various rules and regulations applicable to public companies make it more difficult and more expensive for us to maintain directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced coverage or incur substantially higher costs to maintain coverage. If we are unable to maintain adequate directors’ and officers’ liability insurance, our ability to recruit and retain qualified officers and directors, especially those directors who may be deemed independent for purposes of The Nasdaq Global Market rules, will be significantly curtailed.
General Risk Factors
We may be subject to significant fines if we fail to comply with data privacy and security laws.
In recent years, there has been an increase in legal requirements relating to the collection, storage, use
transfer and security of personal information. We are or may be subject to privacy and security laws in the various jurisdictions in which we operate, obtain or store personally identifiable information. The legislative and regulatory landscape for privacy and data protection continues to evolve at the international, federal and state level, and there has been an increasing focus on privacy and data protection issues with the potential to affect our business. Data
protection, privacy and information security regulations could increase costs, and a failure to comply could result in
fines, sanctions or other penalties.
Within the U.S., our operations may be affected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act and its implementing regulations, collectively, HIPAA, which impose obligations on certain “covered entities,” such as healthcare providers, health plans and healthcare clearinghouses, and certain of their “business associate” contractors with respect to safeguarding the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information. Although we believe that we currently are neither a “covered entity” nor a “business associate” under the legislation, a business associate relationship may be imputed from facts and circumstances even in the absence of an actual business associate agreement. In addition, HIPAA may affect our interactions with customers who are covered entities or their business associates because HIPAA affects the ability of these entities to disclose patient health information to us.
Various states also have laws that regulate the privacy and security of personal information and so may affect our business operations. For example, we are subject to the California Consumer Privacy Act, or CCPA, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act beginning January 1, 2023, or together, the CCPA. The CCPA gives California consumers, defined to include all California residents, certain rights, including the right to ask companies to disclose a copy of their personal information and request that such information be deleted or corrected. The CCPA also imposes obligations on companies to provide notice to California consumers regarding a company’s data processing activities and places limitations on a company’s ability to sell personal information or share it for purposes of cross-context behavioral advertising, including providing consumers a right to opt out of such disclosures of their personal information. In addition, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah and Virginia have also passed comprehensive privacy laws that may impact our operations and have or will go into operation in 2023 imposing expanded data protection obligations that may apply to us with respect to notice, data subject rights, and limitations as to the purposes for which personal data may be processed, and there are similar legislative proposals being advanced in other U.S. states, as well as in Congress.
Outside the U.S., other data privacy and security regulations may apply. For example, the processing of personal data in the European Economic Area, or the EEA, is subject to the General Data Protection Regulation, or the GDPR, which took effect in May 2018, and is also applicable in the U.K. as it forms part of the law of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland by virtue of section 3 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 and as amended by the Data Protection, Privacy and Electronic Communications (Amendments etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/419), which went into effect in January 2021. The GDPR increases obligations with respect to clinical trials conducted in the EEA and the U.K., such as in relation to the provision of fair processing notices, exercising data subject rights and reporting certain data breaches to regulators and affected individuals, as well as how we document our relationships with third parties that process GDPR-covered personal data on our behalf. The GDPR also increases the scrutiny applied to transfers of personal data from the EEA and U.K., including from clinical trial sites in the EEA, to countries that are considered by the European Commission or the U.K. Secretary of State to lack an adequate level of data protection, such as the U.S. Recent legal developments in Europe have created complexity and uncertainty regarding transfers of personal data from the EEA and the U.K. to the United States, and other jurisdictions. For example, in July 2020, the Court of Justice of the E.U., or the CJEU, limited how organizations could lawfully transfer personal data from the EEA to the United States, by invalidating the Privacy Shield and placing limitations on the use of the European Commission’s approved Standard Contractual Clauses.
Compliance with data privacy and security regulation can require allocation of resources as well as changes in operations and non-compliance can result in substantial fines. In addition, the GDPR and the CCPA impose substantial fines and other regulatory penalties for breaches of data protection requirements and they confer a private right of action on data subjects, in the case of the GDPR, and consumers, in the case of the CCPA, and their representatives for breaches of certain data protection requirements.
Our business and operations would suffer in the event of computer system failures or cyber attacks.
The operation of our businesses is dependent on computer hardware and software systems. Despite the implementation of security measures, our internal computer systems, and those of our CROs, our partners and other third parties (including those that collect, process and store personal data on our behalf) on which we rely, are vulnerable to damage, failures or interruptions from ransomware, phishing attacks, denial of service attacks, acts of vandalism, computer viruses, unauthorized access, usage errors by users or service providers, power, communications or other service outages and catastrophic events, including natural disasters, fire, terrorism, war and telecommunication and electrical failures. Any such damage, failures or interruptions could have a material adverse
effect on use.
In addition, our systems safeguard important sensitive data, including intellectual property, our proprietary business information and that of our suppliers, as well as personally identifiable information of the patients using our commercially approved products, clinical trial participants and employees. If a computer failure were to occur and cause interruptions in our operations, such as in the event of a ransomware attack, it could result in a material disruption of our drug development programs. For example, the loss of clinical trial data from completed, ongoing or planned clinical trials could result in delays in our regulatory approval efforts and significantly increase our costs to recover or reproduce the data. To the extent that any disruption or security breach results in a loss of or damage to our data or applications, or inappropriate disclosure of confidential or proprietary information, we could incur liability and the further commercialization of NUZYRA and development of any future product candidates could be delayed. In addition, such data could be subject to unlawful or unauthorized access, acquisition, theft, loss or other data breaches.
Cyber-attacks are growing in sophistication and come from a variety of sources, including criminal hackers, hacktivists, state-sponsored intrusions, industrial espionage, and insider threats. While we invest in our systems and technology and in the protection of its products and data to reduce the risk of an attack or other significant disruption, there can be no assurance that these measures and efforts will prevent future attacks or other significant disruptions to any of the systems on which we rely and such technology and systems may be vulnerable to attacks by unauthorized third parties, hackers or breached due to employee error, negligence, malfeasance or other disruptions. Similarly, there can be no assurance that third party information technology providers with whom we contract will not suffer a significant attack or disruption that impacts customers, such as supply chain attacks. A successful attack could result in significant adverse consequences, including misappropriation of our confidential or proprietary information, needing to pay “ransomware” to re-access our systems, regulatory inquiries or litigation, increased costs and expenses including costs related to insurance and remediation of any security vulnerabilities, reputational damage, lost revenue, and fines or penalties.
Our and our partners’ business may become subject to economic, political, regulatory, and other risks associated with international operations.
Our business is subject to risks associated with conducting business internationally, in part due to a number of our suppliers and collaborative and clinical trial relationships being located outside of the U.S. Accordingly, our future results could be harmed by a variety of factors, including:
•economic weakness, including inflation or political instability, in particular foreign economies and markets;
•differing regulatory requirements for drug approvals, as well as product pricing and reimbursement, in foreign countries;
•potentially reduced protection for intellectual property rights;
•difficulties in compliance with non-U.S. laws and regulations;
•changes in non-U.S. regulations and customs, tariffs and trade barriers;
•changes in non-U.S. currency exchange rates and currency controls;
•changes in a specific country’s or region’s political or economic environment;
•trade protection measures, import or export licensing requirements or other restrictive actions by U.S. or non-U.S. governments;
•negative consequences from changes in tax laws;
•compliance with tax, employment, immigration and labor laws for employees living or traveling abroad;
•workforce uncertainty in countries where labor unrest is more common than in the U.S;
•difficulties associated with staffing and managing foreign operations, including differing labor relations;
•production shortages resulting from any events affecting raw material supply or manufacturing capabilities abroad; and
•business interruptions resulting from geo-political actions, including war (such as the current armed conflict in Ukraine) and terrorism, or natural disasters, including earthquakes, typhoons, floods and fires and global health outbreaks such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
These risks may materially adversely affect our ability to attain or sustain profitable operations.
If we do not comply with laws regulating the protection of the environment and health and human safety, our business could be adversely affected.
Our research and development involves the use of potentially hazardous materials and chemicals. Our operations may have produced hazardous waste products. Although we believe that our safety procedures for handling and disposing of these materials comply with the standards mandated by local, state and federal laws and regulations, the risk of accidental contamination or injury from these materials cannot be eliminated. We are also subject to numerous environmental, health and workplace safety laws and regulations and fire and building codes, including those governing laboratory procedures, exposure to blood-borne pathogens, use and storage of flammable agents and the handling of biohazardous materials. Although we have always maintained workers’ compensation insurance as prescribed by the Commonwealths of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania to cover us for costs and expenses, we may incur due to injuries to our employees resulting from the use of these materials, this insurance may not provide adequate coverage against potential liabilities. We do not maintain insurance for environmental liability or toxic tort claims that may be asserted against us. Additional federal, state, and local laws and regulations affecting our operations may be adopted in the future. We may incur substantial costs to comply with, and substantial fines or penalties if we violate, any of these laws or regulations.
We enter into various contracts in the normal course of our business in which we indemnify the other party to the contract. In the event we have to perform under these indemnification provisions, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
In the normal course of business, we periodically enter into academic, commercial, service, collaboration, licensing, consulting and other agreements that contain indemnification provisions. With respect to our academic and other research agreements, we typically indemnify the institution and related parties from losses arising from claims relating to the products, processes or services made, used, sold or performed pursuant to the agreements for which we have secured licenses, and from claims arising from our or our sub licensees’ exercise of rights under the agreement. With respect to our commercial agreements, we indemnify our vendors from any third-party product liability claims that could result from the production, use or consumption of the product, as well as for alleged infringements of any patent or other intellectual property right by a third party. With respect to consultants, we indemnify them from claims arising from the good faith performance of their services.
Should our obligation under an indemnification provision exceed applicable insurance coverage or if we were denied insurance coverage, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected. Similarly, if we are relying on a collaborator to indemnify us and the collaborator is denied insurance coverage or does not have assets available to indemnify us, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected.
We may be subject to damages resulting from claims that we or our employees have wrongfully used or disclosed alleged trade secrets of former employers.
Certain of our former employees were previously employed at universities or other biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies, including competitors or potential competitors. Although no claims against us are currently pending, we may be subject to claims that these employees or we ourselves inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed trade secrets or other proprietary information. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. If we fail in defending such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel. A loss of key research personnel or their work product could hamper or prevent us or a collaboration partner’s ability to develop or commercialize certain potential products, which could severely harm the business. Even if we are successful in defending against these claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management.