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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
______________________________________________________________________________
FORM 10-K
______________________________________________________________________________
☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020
OR
FOR THE TRANSITION PERIOD FROM _ TO _
COMMISSION FILE NUMBER 001-38501
______________________________________________________________________________
AXCELLA HEALTH INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
______________________________________________________________________________
Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
840 Memorial Drive
Cambridge, Massachusetts
(Address of principal executive offices)
26-3321056
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)
02139
(Zip Code)
(857) 320-2200
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class
Trading Symbol
Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share
AXLA
The Nasdaq Global Market
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
______________________________________________________________________________
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing
requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required
to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period
that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an
emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth
company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer
Non-accelerated filer
☐
☒
Accelerated filer
Smaller reporting company
Emerging growth company
☐
☒
☒
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new
or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control
over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or
issued its audit report. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
The aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was approximately $106,565,992 as of June 30, 2020
(based on a closing price of $5.53 per share as quoted by the Nasdaq Global Market as of such date). In determining the market value of non-affiliate
common stock, shares of the registrant’s common stock beneficially owned by officers, directors and affiliates have been excluded. This determination of
affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for other purposes.
As of March 12, 2021, the registrant had 37,690,435 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share, outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K incorporates by reference certain information from the registrant’s definitive proxy statement for its 2021
annual meeting of shareholders, or the Proxy Statement, which the registrant intends to file pursuant to Regulation 14A with the Securities and Exchange
Commission not later than 120 days after the registrant’s fiscal year end of December 31, 2020. Except with respect to information specifically
incorporated by reference in this Form 10-K, the Proxy Statement is not deemed to be filed as part of this Form 10-K.
Table of Contents
Item 1. Business
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
Item 2. Properties
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
AXCELLA HEALTH INC.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART I
PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Item 6. Selected Financial Data
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Item 9B. Other Information
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
Item 11. Executive Compensation
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary
SIGNATURES
PART IV
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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
In this Annual Report on Form 10-K, or Annual Report, we use the following defined terms:
"product candidate" to refer to one of our investigational product candidates.
"development platform" to refer to our proprietary human-focused development platform.
"dose" to refer to the exposure amount of a product candidate in Clinical Studies or planned Clinical Trials.
"non-drug" to refer to a non-therapeutic use of a product candidate. Such use may be as a medical food, food product or dietary
supplement.
"Clinical Trial" to refer to a human clinical study of a drug product candidate subject to the requirements for an effective
Investigational New Drug application, or an IND.
"Clinical Study" to refer to Institutional Review Board-Approved, or IRB-Approved, clinical studies conducted in humans with our
product candidates under U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or the FDA, regulations and guidance supporting research with food
outside of an IND (prior to any decision to develop a product candidate as a drug product candidate under an IND or a non-drug
product candidate). In these food studies, based on our understanding of FDA regulations and guidance, we evaluate in humans,
including individuals with disease, a product candidate for safety, tolerability and effects on the normal structures and functions of
the body. These studies are not designed or intended to evaluate a product candidate’s ability to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat or
prevent a disease as these would be evaluated in Clinical Trials if we decide to develop a product candidate as a drug or therapeutic.
This Annual Report contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. We make such forward-looking statements
pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. All
statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this Annual Report are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can
identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “expects”, “intends”, “plans”, “anticipates”, “believes”,
“estimates”, “predicts”, “potential”, “continue” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking
statements include, but are not limited to, statements about:
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the benefits of our product candidates to health and/or disease and their commercial potential;
the success, cost and timing of our product development activities, including statements regarding the timing of initiation and
completion of preclinical studies, Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials and related preparatory work, and the timing of the availability of
the results of these preclinical studies, Clinical Studies and Clinical Trials, including our IND submissions and planned Clinical
Trials for AXA1125 and AXA1665;
our ability to use our research platform to design new product candidates with desirable biological activity;
our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval or find alternate regulatory commercialization pathways from the FDA, the
European Medicines Agency, or the EMA, and other comparable regulatory authorities for our product candidates, and any related
restrictions, limitations or warnings in the label of an approved product candidate;
the financing needs and sufficiency of our funds to support company operations and business plans through certain periods of time,
including funding necessary to complete further development of our product candidates, and, if successful, commercialization of
these candidates as drug or non-drug products;
our expectations regarding our ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for our product candidates, development
platform and the type of such protection;
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our ability and the potential to successfully manufacture our product candidates for preclinical studies, Clinical Studies and Clinical
Trials and for commercial use, if approved;
the size and growth potential of the markets for our product candidates and our ability to serve those markets, either alone or in
combination with others;
the rate and degree of market acceptance of our product candidates, if approved;
regulatory developments in the United States and foreign countries;
our ability to enter into a collaboration, partnership, or other agreement with a third party on reasonable terms or at all to develop one
or more product candidates or commercialize any of our product candidates, if approved;
our ability to secure sufficient manufacturing and supply chain capacity;
the success of competing products or therapies that are or may become available;
our ability to attract and retain key scientific, management or other necessary personnel;
our estimates regarding expenses for both product development and as a public company, future revenue, capital requirements and
needs for additional financing;
the potential for faults in our internal controls;
the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on any of the foregoing; and
other risks and uncertainties, including those discussed in Part II, Item 1A, Risk Factors in this Annual Report.
Any forward-looking statements in this Annual Report reflect our current views with respect to future events and with respect to our future
financial performance, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance
or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-
looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, those
described under Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors and elsewhere in this Annual Report. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue
reliance on these forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking
statements for any reason, even if new information becomes available in the future.
We may from time to time provide estimates, projections and other information concerning our industry, the general business environment,
and the markets for certain diseases, including estimates regarding the potential size of those markets and the estimated incidence and
prevalence of certain medical conditions. Information that is based on estimates, forecasts, projections, market research or similar
methodologies is inherently subject to uncertainties, and actual events, circumstances or numbers, including actual disease prevalence rates
and market size, may differ materially from the information reflected in this Annual Report. Unless otherwise expressly stated, we obtained
this industry, business information, market data, prevalence information and other data from reports, research surveys, studies and similar
data prepared by market research firms and other third parties, industry, medical and general publications, government data, and similar
sources, in some cases applying our own assumptions and analysis that may, in the future, prove not to have been accurate.
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SUMMARY OF MATERIAL RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH OUR BUSINESS
Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that you should be aware of in evaluating our business. These risks include, but
are not limited to, the following:
• We have incurred net losses in every year since our inception and anticipate that we will continue to incur net losses in the future.
• We will require additional capital to fund our operations and if we fail to obtain necessary financing, we will not be able to complete
development and commercialization of our product candidates.
• Clinical development is a lengthy and expensive process, with an uncertain outcome. We may incur additional costs or experience
delays in completing, or ultimately be unable to complete, the development and commercialization of any product candidates, which
could impair our ability to fund our operations or obtain financing on acceptable terms, or at all.
• Any use of our product candidates to support and maintain homeostasis, which helps support normal structures and functions of the
body, or to modulate dysregulated metabolism is a novel approach and negative perception of any product candidates that we develop
could adversely affect our ability to conduct our business, obtain regulatory approvals or identify alternate regulatory pathways, to
the extent required by applicable laws, to market such product candidates.
• We face significant competition from other healthcare companies, and our operating results will suffer if we fail to compete
effectively.
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If we lose key management personnel, or if we are unable to recruit additional highly skilled personnel, our ability to identify and
develop new or next generation product candidates will be impaired, could result in loss of markets or market share and could make
us less competitive.
• COVID-19 may materially and adversely affect our business and our financial results.
• Regulatory requirements for development of our product candidates as drugs or as non-drug products are uncertain and evolving.
Changes in these laws, including our ability to conduct Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials, or the current interpretation or application
of these laws, or conflicts between us and the FDA on the applicability or interpretation of applicable laws, would have a significant
adverse impact on our ability to develop and commercialize our products.
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If we are unable to obtain and maintain patent protection for any product candidates we develop or for our development platform or
other technologies, our competitors could develop and commercialize products or technology similar or identical to ours, and our
ability to successfully commercialize any product candidates we may develop, and our technology may be adversely affected.
• We rely on third parties to conduct our Clinical Studies and will rely on third parties to conduct any Clinical Trials for any product
candidate that we decide to develop as a drug product candidate and to assist us in meeting the regulatory requirements applicable to
development and marketing of our products. If these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or meet
expected deadlines or comply with regulatory requirements, we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for or commercialize
any potential product candidates.
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• Our product candidates require precise, high-quality manufacturing capabilities. If any of our third-party manufacturers encounter
difficulties in manufacturing our product candidates, our ability to provide supply of our product candidates for Clinical Studies or
Clinical Trials, or for future commercial supply of products we bring to market under applicable regulatory requirements and
approvals, could be delayed or terminated, or we may be unable to maintain a commercially viable cost structure.
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The trading price of our stock is highly volatile.
The summary risk factors described above should be read together with the text of the full risk factors below and in the other information set
forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including our consolidated financial statements and the related notes, as well as in other
documents that we file with the SEC. If any such risks and uncertainties actually occur, our business, prospects, financial condition and
results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. The risks summarized above or described in full below are not the only risks
that we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us, or that we currently deem to be immaterial may also materially
adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
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Except where the context otherwise requires or where otherwise indicated, the terms “Axcella,” “Axcella Health,” “we,” “us,”
“our,” “our company,” “the Company,” and “our business” refer to Axcella Health Inc. and its consolidated subsidiary.
PART I
Item 1. Business
Overview
We are a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on pioneering a new approach to treat complex diseases and improve health using
endogenous metabolic modulator, or EMM, compositions. Our product candidates are comprised of multiple EMMs that are engineered in
distinct combinations and ratios with the goal of simultaneously impacting multiple biological pathways. Our pipeline includes our lead
therapeutic candidates: AXA1665 for the reduction in risk of recurrent overt hepatic encephalopathy, or OHE, and AXA1125 for non-
alcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH.
Using our development platform, we have efficiently designed product candidates that are comprised of amino acids and their derivatives,
which have a general history of safe use. The orally administered EMM compositions that we have tested to date have shown the potential to
generate multifactorial effects in our initial Clinical Studies.
Once we design a product candidate, we decide whether to initially evaluate it in (i) a non-investigational new drug application, or non-IND,
Institutional Review Board, or IRB, approved clinical study under U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or the FDA, regulations and guidance
supporting research with food (as noted herein, the term food also includes dietary supplements) or (ii) in a clinical trial under an IND. In this
Annual Report, we refer to our non-IND Clinical Studies as “Clinical Studies” and our planned IND-enabled Clinical Trials as “Clinical
Trials.” A Clinical Study allows us to evaluate a product candidate’s safety, tolerability and permissible secondary endpoints (e.g. impact on
normal structures and functions of the body, including metabolic pathways) before we determine the next steps in its development.
In 2020, we completed and reported top-line data from our latest Clinical Studies of AXA1665 and AXA1125:
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In AXA1665-002, AXA1665 was well tolerated in subjects with mild and moderate hepatic insufficiency and no significant safety
signals were observed in patients dosed with this candidate. Additionally, dose dependent changes were noted across measures of
amino acid metabolism and neurocognition over 12 weeks. These included statistically significant (p <0.05) improvements in the
Fischer Ratio and the psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) in the AXA1665 high dose arm versus placebo.
Additionally, clinically relevant trends were seen in certain measures of nitrogen/ammonia handling and physical function in the
AXA1665 arms versus placebo. Based on AXA1665’s differentiated, multi-targeted design and these data, we believe this candidate
holds the potential to reduce OHE events and improve the quality of life for cirrhotic patients.
In AXA1125-003, AXA1125 was well tolerated in subjects with presumed NASH, and no significant safety signals were observed in
patients dosed with this candidate. Additionally, sustained reductions versus placebo over 16 weeks were noted across key
biomarkers of metabolism, inflammation and fibrosis, including MRI-PDFF, HOMA-IR, ALT and ProC3. Among subjects with type
2 diabetes enrolled in the study (~40% of the overall study cohort), reductions in most biomarkers tended to be of a higher magnitude
compared to the overall cohort. Based on AXA1125’s multi-targeted design and these data, we believe this candidate holds the
potential to serve as a first-line NASH monotherapy for both adult and pediatric patients and be used in combination with other
agents if required.
In the second quarter of 2021, we plan to initiate a Phase 2 Clinical Trial of AXA1665 and a Phase 2b Clinical Trial of AXA1125.
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About Endogenous Metabolic Modulators (EMMs)
EMMs encompass a broad set of molecular families, including amino acids, bile acids, other intermediary substrates and hormones. Together,
these molecules can serve as master regulators and signaling agents, driving multiple pathways to elicit multifactorial effects that integrate
basic cellular functioning to impact fundamental biologies. Such biologies include cellular bioenergetics (e.g., tricarboxylic acid cycle and
electron transport chain), nutrient handling (e.g., de novo lipogenesis, or metabolic formation of fat, gluconeogenesis, or the generation of
glucose from certain non-carbohydrate carbon substrates, and proteogenesis, or protein formation), nutrient sensing via master regulators
(e.g., via mammalian target of rapamycin, or mTOR, 5' AMP-activated protein kinase, or AMPK, fibroblast growth factor 21, or FGF21, and
peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, or PPARs), immune response and inflammation, reactive oxygen response, vascular function,
neurotransmitter signaling, tissue repair, and autophagy.
Metabolic dysregulation results from a disruption in human homeostasis that is core to optimal functioning and consequently, health.
Maintenance of this equilibrium requires an orchestration of multiple metabolic pathways and inter-organ signaling, evolved over billions of
years, and is carried out by signaling intermediates and endogenous mediators. EMMs are a critical subset of such endogenous elements that
regulate metabolic function.
The loss of homeostasis can be manifested in many conditions and complex diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, or T2D, NASH and non-
alcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD, OHE, and muscle atrophy. As an example, dysregulation in the metabolic processes and pathways
controlled by the liver, such as de novo lipogenesis or gluconeogenesis can lead to an inability to adequately handle fuel substrates such as
fats or carbohydrates. This ultimately results in fatty liver, insulin resistance and buildup of toxic waste products, such as ammonia. Similarly,
a complex cascade of fuel dysregulation within skeletal muscles, a key organ involved in glucose disposal and utilization of amino acids as
substrates for protein synthesis, can result in insulin resistance, intramuscular fat infiltration and muscle mass loss, thus decreasing muscle
function. Muscle mass loss, or sarcopenia, is increasingly recognized as a critical determinant of end organ function linked to clinical
outcomes and overall survival, such as in end-stage liver disease (cirrhotic sarcopenia) or in end-stage renal disease (uremic sarcopenia).
Consequently, restoring homeostasis and healthy metabolism benefits from a multifactorial approach. We believe that our EMM
compositions have the potential to address systems-wide metabolic dysregulation to restore, improve, support and/or maintain homeostasis.
In recent decades, extensive data have been generated demonstrating amino acids’ role as fundamental building blocks of life. More recently,
their roles in nutrient sensing and cellular signaling have been elucidated not only with individual amino acids, such as a leucine sensor on
mTOR, but also in combinations.
In addition to their known biological impacts, amino acids also have a long history of general safe use. As a result, we believe our EMM
compositions will have limited off-target effects in humans as compared to traditional pharmaceutical agents. Each of the above factors
provide the potential to bring about a transformation in treating complex diseases and/or supporting health.
Our EMM Composition Design Approach
Our development platform allows us to efficiently design and test EMM compositions that simultaneously target multiple biologies and
metabolic pathways. This platform integrates advanced analytics of metabolic regulation and dysregulation to interrogate data in our
proprietary databases, which we refer to as Axcella Database, or AxcellaDB, and Axcella Knowledge Base, or AxcellaKB. Our human
primary cell systems also directly test the multiple biologies that are particularly disease-related and drive metabolic dysregulation. All of this
is supported by what we believe to be the world’s leading EMM safety database. The data and learnings generated through this process
further inform our design methodology, increasing our development platform's efficiency for the development of subsequent product
candidates.
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AxcellaDB, our proprietary database, synthesizes a combination of data from published scientific and medical literature, our in vitro models,
and our human Clinical Studies. Through advanced analytics, we investigate novel, causal connections among EMMs, biology, health and
disease. We believe this enables us to take a systems biology approach to product candidate discovery and development. Ultimately, we
envision utilizing AxcellaKB and its internal machine learning capabilities to identify EMM compositions, predict their effects on biology
and identify new target areas for our platform.
Rapid Advancement into Human Clinical Trials
Nonclinical Research
We test EMM compositions and hypothesized synergies in normal and disease-specific human primary cell models. We conduct our model
systems in environments that aim to simulate physiological levels of biofluids and nutrients. These models include multiple cell types that we
use to deconstruct dysregulated metabolism or disease conditions to isolate effects of EMM compositions on subsets of metabolic pathways.
The throughput of these models enables us to test product candidates as well as combinations of the individual constituents to identify and
better understand their interactions.
Pharmacokinetic, or PK, literature, experiments and modeling inform our EMM compositions (i.e. amounts and ratios). We are able to
evaluate EMM plasma exposure, supra-physiological exposures, windows of exposure administration amounts, the characterization of critical
PK behaviors across molecule classes, and the implications of physiological compartmental distribution. We believe these data can be used to
refine product candidate designs.
Clinical Development Approach
Once a product candidate is designed, we then decide whether to evaluate the candidate in a Clinical Study or under a Clinical Trial. We
conduct our Clinical Studies under the FDA's September 2013 Guidance for Clinical Investigators, Sponsors, and IRBs entitled
"Investigational New Drug Applications (INDs) — Determining Whether Human Research Studies Can Be Conducted Without an IND,"
which we believe allows for Clinical Studies to be conducted to assess a food product’s safety, tolerability and effect on normal structures or
functions in humans in healthy and diseased subjects. Our Clinical Studies include a substantial number of biomarkers that may inform
biologies relevant to the healthy structures and functions of the body but are not designed or intended to evaluate a product candidate’s ability
to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat or prevent a disease or other health condition.
To date, we have initially conducted clinical investigations of our product candidates in Clinical Studies. Based on initial Clinical Study
results for AXA1665 and AXA1125, our two lead candidates, we decided to pursue their development as therapeutic candidates via Clinical
Trials under INDs. These Clinical Trials will, therefore, evaluate each product candidate’s ability to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat or prevent
targeted diseases.
On average, it has been estimated that it takes seven or more years for a therapeutic to progress from product candidate design to Phase 2
development. Our approach has enabled us to rapidly design and investigate our product candidates, providing meaningful insights into their
safety, tolerability and biological activity in diseased human subjects. Aided by the data we have generated to date and multiple regulatory
interactions regarding our lead product candidates, the FDA cleared our IND for AXA1665 in early 2021, enabling us to proceed directly into
a planned Phase 2 clinical trial. We also expect to enter a Phase 2b Clinical Trial of AXA1125 following an IND clearance for this candidate.
We believe the achievement of these milestones approximately four years after finalizing the design of our lead product candidates validates
the speed and efficiency of our approach.
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Our Pipeline
The following chart summarizes our current pipeline and planned next development steps:
1. Initial Clinical Studies refers to Non-IND Clinical Studies initiated prior to making a decision to develop a product candidate as a therapeutic.
2. Planned Clinical Trials, contingent upon allowance by the FDA. Timing based on current expectations and subject to risks, including those associated with the COVID-19
pandemic.
3. Indication expected to be reduction in risk of overt hepatic encephalopathy recurrence.
AXA1665 for the Reduction in Risk of Overt Hepatic Encephalopathy (OHE) Recurrence
AXA1665 is currently being developed as a product candidate for the reduction in risk of OHE recurrence in adult patients with liver
cirrhosis. In early 2021, we announced that our IND for this candidate was cleared by the FDA, enabling us to proceed directly into a Phase 2
Clinical Trial that we expect to initiate in the second quarter of 2021. Based on AXA1665’s differentiated, multi-targeted design and data
gathered to date, Axcella believes this candidate holds the potential to reduce OHE events and improve the quality of life for cirrhotic
patients.
About OHE and Cirrhosis
Long-term damage to the liver from various causes, such as alcohol, hepatitis B or C viral infections, NASH or autoimmune hepatitis, can
lead to permanent scarring, a condition called cirrhosis. Prevalence of cirrhosis in the United States is approximately 0.27%, corresponding to
approximately 633,000 adults, of which 69% reported that they were unaware of having liver disease. Decompensated cirrhosis is a serious
systemic disease with multi-organ dysfunction, resulting in a variety of significant complications, including HE, bacterial infections,
gastrointestinal bleeding, renal impairment and ascites, which is the build-up of excess fluid in the abdomen. Transition from compensated
cirrhosis to decompensated cirrhosis occurs at a rate of approximately 5% to 7% per year.
HE is one of the most common complications of cirrhosis with multiple contributing factors, such as amino acid imbalance, ammonia
toxicity, muscle wasting, infections and constipation, all of which ultimately result in diminished brain function. Emerging data suggest that
muscle mass and function are key independent factors associated with progression to and severity of HE. It is estimated that up to 60% of
cirrhosis subjects have sarcopenia and, separately, 40% have HE symptoms. OHE refers to the presence of neurological abnormalities that are
clinically apparent and do not require specialized psychometric testing. By contrast, minimal, or covert, HE is less severe and requires
specialized testing for its diagnosis, including psychometric tests. OHE is well-established as a significant cause of morbidity and mortality
in the cirrhotic population and is an area that continues to have unmet medical needs.
Furthermore, muscle depletion and muscle fat infiltration occurring during cirrhosis independently increase the risk of both overt and
minimal HE with increased mortality. Decline in muscle mass can also hamper the alternative pathway of ammonia detoxification, and
hyperammonemia may further worsen sarcopenia, generating a vicious cycle. The highly interdependent complications of cirrhosis,
sarcopenia and HE constitute a significant disease burden and can have an impact on irreversible morbidity and mortality in cirrhotic
patients. We estimate that approximately 63,000 to 130,000 individuals may be affected at any given time with both cirrhotic sarcopenia and
OHE in the United States.
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While there are three approved therapies for HE, there is still a need for additional HE treatment options, particularly those that have the
potential to address the systemic complications of cirrhosis, including frailty.
Design of AXA1665
AXA1665 is a composition of eight amino acids and derivatives that is designed to target multiple metabolic pathways intersecting key organ
systems (liver, muscle and gut) key to support and maintain liver health.
Underlying Biology
Plasma amino acid imbalance
Dysregulated ammonia handling
Muscle wasting
Completed Clinical Study AXA1665-002
AXA1665 Design Objectives
Maximize proteogenesis and reduce systemic aromatic amino acids
Stimulate urea cycle function, intestinal and renal nitrogen
metabolism, and induce intramuscular ammonia detoxification
Increase muscle protein synthesis by addressing metabolic demand
and stimulating mTORC1
In 2020, Axcella completed its most recent Clinical Study of AXA1665, AXA1665-002. This was a 12-week (with a four-week follow-up)
randomized, placebo-controlled Clinical Study to assess AXA1665’s safety, tolerability and impact on normal liver and muscle structures and
functions in approximately 60 subjects with mild (Child A) and moderate (Child B) hepatic insufficiency.
1. Study design for AXA1665-002. This Clinical Study was initiated prior to determination of AXA1665 as a therapeutic product candidate.
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Key results from AXA1665-002 include:
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Safety/Tolerability: Both doses of AXA1665 were well tolerated, with no significant safety issues observed. Rates of adverse events
(AEs) were low, mostly unrelated to study product and generally mild or moderate. There were four serious adverse events reported
in the study and two deaths (one due to complications of COVID-19; one due to a myocardial infarction during the study run-in
period prior to dosing), none of which were determined to be related to AXA1665.
• Neurocognitive Function: Positive, dose dependent trends were observed in the AXA1665 arms across all three psychometric tests:
Stroop EncephalApp, critical flicker frequency, and psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES). In PHES, a highly specific
assessment to diagnose minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE), a statistically significant (p <0.05) improvement of a clinically
relevant magnitude was observed in the AXA1665 high dose arm versus the placebo. Additionally, the proportion of subjects
achieving a clinically relevant threshold of PHES improvement was higher in the AXA1665 arms relative to placebo.
• Amino Acid Metabolism: A dose dependent and statistically significant (p <0.05) percentage increase from baseline in Fischer Ratio
(FR; a measure of branched chain amino acids ÷ aromatic amino acids) was seen in the AXA1665 arms relative to placebo (low
dose: 21%, high dose: 44%), which was sustained over 12 weeks. Observed changes in FR were accompanied by concomitant
decreases in circulating aromatic amino acids (Phe and Tyr), which may suggest their incorporation into protein synthesis and an
improved metabolic state. Published studies suggest that aromatic amino acids may contribute to impaired neurotransmission and
have correlated lower FR with poor clinical outcomes in patients with cirrhosis and end-stage liver disease.
• Ammonia Handling: Despite the increased nitrogen load delivered via the amino acids in AXA1665, fasted plasma ammonia levels
remained stable in the active arms over the 12-week dosing duration. In a subset of subjects with evidence of MHE at baseline as
assessed by PHES, a mean reduction from baseline of approximately 7% in fasted plasma ammonia levels was observed in subjects
receiving both doses of AXA1665 at week 12.
• Muscle Structure and Function: Key measures of muscle structure (e.g. lean mass) and function (e.g. gait speed, liver frailty index,
or LFI) remained essentially stable in all groups from baseline to week 12. This observation may reflect the mild hepatic
insufficiency and lack of overt sarcopenia in nearly all enrolled subjects at baseline. A higher proportion of subjects in the AXA1665
arms achieved a ≥0.3 absolute reduction in LFI (i.e. less frailty) versus placebo. Previous studies suggest that a ≥0.3 reduction in the
LFI score may correlate with an improved ability to conduct activities of daily living in subjects with end-stage liver disease.
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Design of our Planned Phase 2 Clinical Trial
The Phase 2 trial will be a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center study evaluating the efficacy, safety and tolerability of
AXA1665 in patients who have experienced at least one prior OHE event and have neurocognitive dysfunction at screening. Approximately
150 patients on either lactulose ± rifaximin (stratified by rifaximin use) will be enrolled and randomized 1:1 to receive either 53.8 grams per
day of AXA1665 or a calorie-matched placebo in three divided doses for 24 weeks, with a two-week safety follow-up period.
The trial will be conducted globally with a primary endpoint assessing the proportion of subjects with ≥2 point increase in the psychometric
hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) after the 24-week treatment period. Secondary endpoints will include the total number of patients
experiencing an OHE breakthrough event; time to first OHE breakthrough event, including time to hospitalization; changes in physical
function; and patient reported outcomes. Other endpoints include ammonia, amino acid and inflammatory biomarkers.
AXA1125 for Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH)
AXA1125 is currently being developed as a product candidate for the treatment of NASH. Upon IND clearance from the FDA, we plan to
proceed directly into a 48-week Phase 2b Clinical Trial enrolling adult subjects with biopsy confirmed NASH. This trial is expected to be
initiated in the second quarter of 2021. Based on AXA1125’s differentiated, multi-targeted design and data from our earlier Clinical Studies,
we believe this candidate holds the potential to serve as a first-line NASH monotherapy for both adult and pediatric patients and be used in
combination with other agents if required.
About NAFLD and NASH
While the pathologies of NAFLD and NASH manifest primarily in the liver, they are systemic diseases driven by multifactorial systemic
dysregulation of pathways associated with metabolism, inflammation and fibrosis. Dysfunctional lipid metabolism associated with insulin
resistance and hepatocyte lipotoxicity increases liver cell death. Systemic and chronic inflammation at the cellular and cytokine level drives
tissue damage and activates fibrogenic pathways. Activation of stellate cells then causes accumulation of collagen in the liver and leads to
progressive fibrosis.
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NAFLD is one of the most common causes of liver disease in the United States. It is characterized by excess fat accumulation in the liver,
typically resulting from obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes. NAFLD in children is often more severe than in adults.
NAFLD can progress to NASH, which is characterized by necroinflammation and fibrosis, and may ultimately lead to life-threatening
conditions such as cirrhosis or liver cancer, requiring liver transplant. According to the Global Liver Institute’s U.S. NASH Action Plan
published in December 2020, up to 40 million people in the U.S. alone are living with NASH and approximately 10% of U.S. children are
afflicted with this disease. Incidence is expected to continue increasing in parallel with the obesity and type 2 diabetes epidemics. This same
report estimates that the lifetime costs for all U.S. NASH patients now exceeds $300 billion, reflecting the severity of this public health issue
and its substantial burden on the overall healthcare system.
A combination of dietary modifications and increased physical activity remains the standard of care for management of NAFLD and NASH.
Currently, there are no approved drug therapies for NASH in the United States.
To date, most compounds in development have focused on single key targets within metabolic, inflammation or fibrosis pathways. Few,
however, have demonstrated statistical significance in the FDA’s approved endpoints, which are steatohepatitis resolution with no worsening
of fibrosis or improvement in liver fibrosis with no worsening of steatohepatitis. As a result, clinicians and biopharmaceutical companies are
increasingly evaluating combination approaches to address the broad spectrum of the disease, improve response rates and expand the size of
the treatable population. Significant challenges to this approach include the potential compounding of overlapping side effect profiles and
high development and treatment costs.
Additionally, there are no approved pharmacologic treatments and few pipeline programs targeting pediatric NASH. Recommended treatment
guidelines for this population currently center around lifestyle interventions.
Design of AXA1125
AXA1125 is a product candidate that contains six amino acids and derivatives. This product candidate was designed to target multiple
metabolic pathways intersecting key organ systems (liver, muscle and gut) to support and maintain liver health. We believe that it may
ultimately have the potential to impact hepatic histology by simultaneously influencing multiple pathways that affect metabolism,
inflammation and fibrogenesis as summarized in the table below.
Underlying Biology
Metabolism
Inflammation
Fibrosis
AXA1125 Design Objectives
Lower lipotoxicity, improve insulin sensitivity and maximize
mitochondrial function by enhancing fatty acid beta-oxidation via
activation of pathways such as PPARα and AMPK
Modulate apoptosis, macrophage function, reduce hepatic
inflammatory mediators and improve gut epithelial integrity
Reduce hepatic stellate cell activation and proliferation and decrease
hepatic fibrogenesis by downregulating certain pathways, including
TGFβ and Hif1α
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Completed Clinical Study AXA1125-003
In 2020, Axcella completed its most recent Clinical Study of AXA1125, AXA1125-003. This was a 16-week (with a two-week follow-up),
randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled Clinical Study to assess safety, tolerability and impact on the liver structure and function of
AXA1125 and AXA1957 in 102 adult subjects with NAFLD. Key inclusion criteria for this study included having at least 10% fat by MRI-
PDFF and a corrected T1, or cT1, a measure of liver injury by multiparametric MRI, of at least 830 mSec. Subjects were stratified by the
presence or absence of T2D. In this study, subjects received either AXA1125, two different doses of AXA1957 or a calorie-matched placebo
control twice a day, or BID (see figure below).
1. Study design for AXA1125-003. This Clinical Study was initiated prior to determination of AXA1125 as a therapeutic product candidate.
2. Calorie matched placebo control.
Results from the study showed that AXA1125 and AXA1957 were generally well-tolerated, with sustained reductions noted for both product
candidates versus placebo in key biomarkers of metabolism, inflammation and fibrosis over 16 weeks. Overall, as compared to placebo,
AXA1125 demonstrated larger and more consistent reductions in clinically relevant biomarkers than AXA1957. Among subjects receiving
AXA1125, 39% achieved a ≥30% relative reduction in liver fat content (MRI-PDFF), 39% achieved a ≥17 U/L reduction in alanine
aminotransaminase (ALT), and 35% achieved a ≥80 mSec reduction in corrected T1 (cT1). Among the 11 subjects with type 2 diabetes
receiving AXA1125, a greater proportion achieved each of these thresholds. Emerging evidence suggests that these thresholds of activity
increase the likelihood of histopathological improvement in NASH subjects.
Notably, the above results were seen without impacting mean body weight or serum lipids. The adverse events (AEs) experienced in ≥10% of
subjects were gastrointestinal (diarrhea, nausea, reduced appetite) and upper respiratory infection. Gastrointestinal AEs were generally mild
and transient, self-resolving in two to three weeks on average. Two serious adverse events were reported, both of which were determined to
be unrelated to study product administration.
Given the strength and consistency of data on AXA1125, we plan to pursue its development under an IND-enabled Phase 2b Clinical Trial,
subject to FDA allowance, to study its potential to treat adult NASH. Once this trial is underway, we plan to re-engage with the FDA to
discuss a development approach for pediatric NASH.
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Future Pipeline Opportunities
Many EMMs, including amino acids, are well established agents used to support health. Single EMMs and simple EMM combinations also
are already approved as treatments for sickle cell disease, dyslipidemia, inborn errors of metabolism and other conditions. We believe EMM
compositions have the potential to address a variety of diseases and conditions, including areas related to metabolism, muscle atrophy,
mitochondrial biology, neuroprotection, inflammation and immunology. We intend to continue to target biologies and disease areas driven by
regulation of metabolic pathways in which we can potentially leverage the vital role that EMMs play in regulating metabolic function. To
date, we have characterized approximately 75 potential therapeutic applications for EMMs based upon data from public databases, and our
own metabolic profiling from biorepository samples.
Intellectual Property
We are establishing a broad, global intellectual property portfolio for our technology and have already received 6 issued U.S. patents,
including both composition of matter and method of use claims. This is notable considering the speed of our development model and
establishes a foundation for the large number of submitted applications for our pipeline (283 patents pending worldwide as of December 31,
2020). Our matrixed approach to IP is inclusive of trade secrets and trademarks and encompasses our product candidates (various
constituents and amounts); indications; the development platform; manufacturing processes and technologies; and formulations. In our
patents for compositions and methods of use, we seek claims of broad and narrow scope. For instance, some claims cover any composition
containing a minimum of specified EMMs with activity, while other claims expressly cover specific product candidates by naming all the
EMMs present.
We seek to create a multi-dimensional intellectual property portfolio as a strategic asset that has the potential to provide us with a significant
competitive advantage. We strive to protect and enhance the proprietary technology, inventions and improvements that are commercially
important to our business, including seeking, maintaining and defending patent rights, whether developed internally or through
collaborations, or licensed from third parties. Our policy is to file patent applications related to our proprietary technology, inventions,
improvements and product candidates that are important to the development and implementation of our business in the United States and in
jurisdictions outside of the United States. We also rely on trade secrets and know-how relating to our proprietary technology and product
candidates, continuing innovation and in-licensing opportunities to develop, strengthen and maintain our proprietary position in the field of
leveraging EMMs for treating complex diseases and improving health. We additionally rely on regulatory-related protections such as data
exclusivity, market exclusivity and patent term extensions when available, and where appropriate, plan to seek and rely on regulatory
protection afforded through orphan drug designations. Our commercial success may depend in part on our ability to obtain and maintain
patent and other proprietary protection for our technology, inventions and improvements. Please see the section on "Risk Factors — Risks
Related to Our Intellectual Property."
As of December 31, 2020 our patent portfolio consisted of 22 patent families, 6 granted U.S. patents and 283 worldwide patents pending. To
date, all of our patent rights are owned by us. Our objective is to continue to expand our portfolio of patents and patent applications to protect
our product candidates and certain aspects of our development platform, manufacturing processes, formulations, and insights into amounts,
uses, and features of our EMM compositions.
In addition, we own a portfolio of legacy patents and patent applications related to recombinant proteins for nutrition and therapeutics,
including 11 granted patents and 4 pending U.S. patent applications, and 6 granted patents and 5 pending foreign patent applications.
Examples of the product candidate and technology areas covered by our intellectual property portfolio are described below.
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Indication-Related Intellectual Property
The indication-related patent rights in our intellectual property portfolio relate to conditions and disorders associated with dysregulated
metabolism and provide coverage for product candidates to specifically address those conditions and the associated disease states, as well as
structure and function of normal organs in the context of dysregulated metabolism. The indication-related patent applications for our lead
programs cover novel product candidate compositions and their uses broadly and, with respect to individual product candidates, in detail.
Often, we are able to exemplify even our earliest product candidate inventions with human as well as animal and in vitro data. Each of the
indication-related patent rights and applications described below are owned by us and are not licensed from any third party.
Notably, while our intellectual property covers drug and non-drug areas, to date, each initial product candidate has been first tested as a food
in order to better understand safety, tolerability and the impact on normal human physiology and metabolic pathways. After such initial
testing, a decision may be made to deem the product candidate a drug product candidate, and subsequent studies on disease endpoints are
conducted under INDs.
Compositions and Methods for the Treatment of Cirrhosis
Our patent applications cover a class of compositions for cirrhosis, including our drug product candidate AXA1665. Currently, patent rights
relating to cirrhosis include 2 granted U.S. patents, 1 pending U.S. patent application, and over 40 foreign national patent applications. We
expect any granted patent based on this family to expire in 2038, excluding any patent term adjustments or extensions.
A second family of applications directed to unique features and uses of AXA1665 and related compositions currently includes 1 PCT patent
application. We expect the patent applications in this second family, if issued, to expire in 2040, without taking into account any patent term
adjustments or extensions we may obtain.
Compositions and Methods for NAFLD/NASH
Our patent applications cover a class of compositions for fatty liver disease, including our drug product candidate AXA1125. Currently,
patent rights relating to AXA1125 and related compositions and their uses in fatty liver disease include 3 granted U.S. patents, 2 U.S. patent
applications, and over 40 foreign national patent applications. We expect any granted patent based on this family to expire in 2037, excluding
any patent term adjustments or extensions.
A second family of applications directed more specifically to related compositions and uses currently includes 1 U.S. patent application and 2
foreign national patent applications. We expect the patent applications in this second family, if issued, to expire in 2039, without taking into
account any patent term adjustments or extensions we may obtain.
Compositions and Methods for Blood and Sickle Cell Disease
Our patent applications cover a class of compositions for blood health and sickle cell disease. Currently, this family of applications includes 1
U.S. patent application and over 40 foreign national patent applications. We expect any granted patent based on this family to expire in 2039,
excluding any patent term adjustments or extensions.
A second family of applications directed more specifically to related compositions and uses currently includes 1 PCT patent application. We
expect the patent applications in this second family, if issued, to expire in 2040, without taking into account any patent term adjustments or
extensions we may obtain.
Compositions and Methods for Acute Muscle Atrophy
Our patent applications cover a class of compositions for muscle atrophy. Currently, patent rights relating to muscle atrophy include 1 U.S.
patent application and over 40 foreign national patent applications. We expect any granted patent based on this family to expire in 2037,
excluding any patent term adjustments or extensions.
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A second family of applications directed to unique features and uses of related compositions currently includes 1 granted U.S. patent, 1 U.S.
patent application, and 6 foreign national patent applications. We expect the patent applications in this second family, if issued, to expire in
2039, without taking into account any patent term adjustments or extensions we may obtain.
Compositions and Methods for Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury and Stroke
Our patent applications cover a class of compositions for traumatic brain injury and stroke. Currently, patent rights relating to traumatic brain
injury include 1 U.S. patent application and 29 foreign national patent applications. We expect any granted patent based on this portfolio to
expire in 2038, excluding any patent term adjustments or extensions.
Additional AXA Combination-Related Patents
We have filed provisional patent applications directed to combinations of particular product candidates and EMM combinations with
particular NAFLD/NASH drugs and drug candidates, and some novel EMM compositions. We expect the patent applications in this portfolio,
if issued, to expire in 2040 and 2041, without taking into account any patent term adjustments or extensions we may obtain.
Platform-Related Intellectual Property
In addition to the indication-related intellectual property, our intellectual property portfolio also includes know-how and patent applications
directed to our development platform and other technologies developed internally. Exemplary platform technologies that are the subject of
such patent applications include:
• manufacturing processes for complex EMM compositions (currently 1 U.S. patent application and 18 foreign national patent
applications);
•
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taste formulations (currently 1 U.S. patent application and 18 foreign national patent applications); and
unique formulations of candidate compositions (1 U.S. patent application, 1 PCT patent application, and 2 foreign national patent
applications).
Our development platform iterates and integrates data from literature, including patents, in vitro experiments, animal studies and our own
Clinical Studies, giving us significant competitive advantages. Our development platform, which is protected by trade secrets, is core to
maintaining our first mover advantage. These advantages translate into a unique understanding of metabolism, development of many new
product candidates, and creation of intellectual property around our product candidates and development platform technologies.
These development platform technologies, and our intellectual property protection related thereto, are broadly applicable to our product
candidates. Our patent applications directed to platform-related technologies, if issued, would expire beginning in 2039, without taking into
account any patent term adjustment or extensions we may obtain.
Therapeutic Modality Intellectual Property
Our proprietary knowledge and insights into the behavior of EMMs have yielded inventions related to categories of metabolic dysfunction,
such as insulin resistance, inflammation, and fibrosis. Our patent applications directed to these underlying modalities, if issued, would expire
in 2039, without taking into account any patent term adjustment or extensions we may obtain.
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We continually assess and refine our intellectual property strategy as we develop new platform technologies and product candidates. To that
end, we are prepared to file additional patent applications if our intellectual property strategy requires such filings, or where we seek to adapt
to competition or seize business opportunities. Further, we are prepared to file patent applications, as we consider appropriate under the
circumstances, relating to the new technologies that we develop. We will also prosecute patent applications owned by or co-owned with third
party licensors. In addition to filing and prosecuting patent applications in the United States, we plan to file counterpart patent applications in
additional countries where we believe such foreign filing is likely to be beneficial, including, but not limited to, Australia, Brazil, Canada,
China, Europe, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, and South Korea.
Individual patent terms depend upon the date of filing of the patent application, the date of patent issuance and the legal term of patents in the
countries in which they are obtained. Generally, patents issued for applications filed in the United States and most other countries have patent
terms that expire 20 years from the earliest effective filing date. In certain instances, a patent term can be extended to recapture a portion of
the term effectively lost as a result of a regulatory review period, although patent term restoration in the United States applies to a new
chemical entity, so may not apply to some EMM compositions. In Europe, any patentee can obtain a supplementary protection certificate, or
SPC, on the basis of approval of a therapeutic product covered by the patent based on a full clinical development program. Any restoration
period is limited to a maximum restoration time (five years in the United States and Europe) and total effective patent life of the approved
drug product (14 years in the United States and 15 years in Europe). The actual protection afforded by a patent varies on a product-by-
product basis, from country-to-country, and depends upon many factors, including the type of patent, the scope of its coverage, the
availability of regulatory-related extensions, the availability of legal remedies in a particular country, and local decisions about the validity
and enforceability of the patent.
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Regulatory Exclusivity
Under certain circumstances, approval of a drug product by a health authority will result in a period of data exclusivity and/or market
exclusivity (together considered as regulatory exclusivity) for the product. Data exclusivity means that no party can file for approval of a
drug product based on the original drug approval application data. Market exclusivity (such as orphan drug exclusivity) means that the health
authority may not be permitted to give final approval to a drug product for a defined period of time, absent certain conditions. In the United
States, five-year data exclusivity is only available upon initial approval of a new chemical entity (NCE), which may not apply to some EMM
product compositions. Moreover, if an abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) or 505(b)(2) application is filed with a “Paragraph IV
certification” referencing a product protected by NCE exclusivity and Orange Book-listed patent(s), FDA may accept such application for
filing four years after the reference product’s approval rather than five years. A new drug application with a Paragraph IV certification
provides an opportunity for initiating patent litigation, and FDA cannot grant final approval of the application until the earlier of resolution of
the patent litigation in the applicant’s favor or 30 months from the Paragraph IV notice date. Three-year market exclusivity may also be
granted upon approval of applications (including supplements) containing the results of new clinical investigations (other than bioavailability
studies), conducted by the applicant and essential to the FDA’s approval of new versions or conditions of use of previously approved drugs,
such as new indications, delivery mechanisms, dosage forms, strengths, or other conditions of use. However, the scope of such exclusivity is
generally limited to the particular basis of the approval (e.g., the new indication or dosage form). In Europe, the period of regulatory
exclusivity for a drug product approved based on a full stand-alone dossier consisting of quality, pre-clinical and clinical trial data is 10 years,
which consists of eight years of data exclusivity against data cross-referencing of a generic application and two years of market exclusivity
where the generic product (even if approved in the first eight years of the protection period) cannot be marketed until the full 10-year
exclusivity or protection period has expired. This 10-year of exclusivity or protection period can be cumulatively extended to 11 years even
during the first eight years of the protection/exclusivity period, the marketing authorization holder has obtained approval of one or more new
therapeutic indications that are held to bring about a significant benefit as compared with existing therapies. We believe that our products, if
approved, should be entitled to the full 10 years of regulatory data exclusivity in Europe. Orphan drug exclusivity in the U.S. is seven years.
See “Orphan Drug Designation” for further information. Conducting a pediatric study in response to, and in compliance with the conditions
of, a written request from FDA extends every form of existing regulatory exclusivity as well as patents by 6 months in the U.S. provided that
the data is submitted in a timely manner. For orphan indications, the product is eligible for a period of 10 years of orphan market exclusivity
in the EU, during which the EU regulatory authorities are not permitted to accept or approve a similar medicinal product in relation to the
approved orphan indication. This period can be extended to a maximum of 12 years if the marketing authorization holder has conducted and
provided data in compliance with an agreed pediatric investigation plan and has not secured an SPC on the basis of the product approval.
Orphan drug exclusivity in Japan is 10 years.
Trademark Protection
As of December 31, 2020, our trademark portfolio contains more than 50 registrations and pending applications. We have trademarks in over
18 countries, including the European Union. For the marks AXCELLA and the Axcella LOGO, we have pending applications in Canada and
Brazil as well as International Registrations designating China, the European Union, India, Japan and Russia. In the United States we have a
registration for the Axcella LOGO, and pending applications for the AXCELLA and AXCELLA HEALTH marks.
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Trade Secrets
We may also rely, in some circumstances, on trade secrets to protect our technology and aspects of our development platform. However, trade
secrets are difficult to protect. We seek to protect our trade secret technology, e.g., AxcellaKB, confidential product candidates, and
commercial plans in part by entering into confidentiality agreements with those who have access to our confidential information, including
our employees, contractors, consultants, collaborators and advisors. We also seek to preserve the integrity and confidentiality of our
proprietary technology and processes by maintaining physical security of our premises and physical and electronic security of our
information technology systems. To learn more about risks related to trade secrets for our proprietary technology, inventions, improvements
and products, please see the section on "Risk Factors — Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property."
Manufacturing
To date, we have rapidly designed and efficiently manufactured product candidates and believe our process is readily scalable. Under our
existing agreements with our manufacturers, we have been able to secure initial product candidates to initiate our Clinical Studies in less than
three months from identifying the product amount needed. We continue to make enhancements to our product candidates to make them even
more patient-friendly, including in their formulation (e.g., taste and texture), packaging (e.g., easy to open sachets) and administration (e.g.,
water soluble). Our product candidates are supplied in a dry powder form, which is dissolved in water and then administered orally as an
orange-flavored drink. Our formulation enables us to deliver high concentrations of dry powder materials at appropriate administration
volumes. This covers a wide range of raw material characteristics, and we believe will enable us to deliver multiple oral dosage forms to
meet Clinical Study and Clinical Trial needs, as well as commercial needs.
Any product candidates that we decide to develop as drug candidates under INDs will be manufactured at a well-known contract
manufacturing organization (CMO) under pharmaceutical current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs) to produce the dry powder forms
in sealed foil sachets. Chemical and microbiological testing of product candidates will be performed by this same CMO per defined product
specifications and Certificate of Analysis will be issued for each batch. Chemical and microbiological testing will be performed using
validated test methods. We believe these processing steps would enable us to readily provide high quality Clinical Trial Material, or CTM,
product to support multiple Clinical Trials conducted under INDs and that are readily scalable to support commercial drug product
requirements, if any of our product candidates regulated as drugs receive regulatory approval.
Government Regulation
Our ongoing research and development activities and any manufacturing and potential marketing of our product candidates are subject to
extensive regulation by numerous governmental authorities in the United States and other countries. The process of obtaining regulatory
approvals of drugs for initial and subsequent therapeutic indications or commercialization of non-drug products and ensuring subsequent
compliance with appropriate federal, state, local and foreign statutes and regulations requires the expenditure of substantial time and financial
resources.
None of our product candidates have been approved by the FDA for marketing as a drug in the United States, and we have not marketed any
product as a food (including dietary supplements) or medical food. In the United States, the FDA regulates drug products as well as non-drug
products under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, or the FD&C Act, as amended, its implementing regulations and other laws. The
FDA regulates, among other things, the research, development, testing, manufacture, safety, efficacy, record-keeping, labeling, storage,
approval, advertising, promotion, sale and distribution and import and export, of these products. If we fail to comply with applicable FDA or
other requirements at any time, we may become subject to administrative or judicial sanctions or other legal consequences. These sanctions
or consequences could include, among other things, the FDA's refusal to approve pending applications, issuance of clinical holds for ongoing
studies, suspension or revocation of approved applications, warning or untitled letters, product withdrawals or recalls, product seizures,
relabeling or repackaging, total or partial suspensions of manufacturing or distribution, injunctions, fines, civil penalties or criminal
prosecution.
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For our product candidates developed as drugs, the process required by the FDA before such products can be marketed in the United States
generally involves the following:
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completion of extensive preclinical studies in accordance with applicable regulations, including good laboratory practice, or GLP,
requirements and applicable requirements for the humane use of laboratory animals or other applicable regulations;
submission to the FDA of an IND application, which must become effective before human Clinical Trials may begin;
approval by an IRB or independent ethics committee at each Clinical Trial site before each trial may be initiated;
performance of adequate and well-controlled human Clinical Trials in accordance with applicable IND regulations, GCP
requirements and other Clinical Trial-related regulations to establish the safety and efficacy of the investigational product for each
proposed indication;
submission to the FDA of a new drug application, or NDA;
a determination by the FDA within 60 days of its receipt of the NDA, to accept the filing for review;
satisfactory completion of one or more FDA pre-approval inspections of the manufacturing facility or facilities where the drug will
be produced to assess compliance with cGMP requirements to assure that the facilities, methods and controls are adequate to
preserve the drug's identity, strength, quality and purity;
potential FDA inspection of the Clinical Trial sites that generated the data in support of the NDA and/or us as Clinical Trial sponsor;
payment of user fees for FDA review of the NDA (unless a fee waiver applies);
agreement with FDA on the final labeling for the product and the design and implementation of any required Risk Evaluation and
Mitigation Strategy (REMS); and
FDA review and approval of the NDA, including consideration of the views of any FDA advisory committee, prior to any
commercial marketing or sale of the drug in the United States; and
compliance with any post-approval requirements, including the potential requirement to implement a REMS, and the potential
requirement to conduct post-approval studies.
The testing and approval process requires substantial time, effort and financial resources, and we cannot be certain that any approvals for our
product candidates will be granted on a timely basis, if at all.
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Regulation of Drug Product Candidates and Drugs
Preclinical and Clinical Trials
Once a product candidate is identified for development as a drug, it generally enters the preclinical testing stage. Preclinical studies include
laboratory evaluations of drug chemistry, formulation and stability, as well as in vitro and animal studies to evaluate the potential for adverse
events, which must be conducted in accordance with federal regulations and requirements, including GLP requirements. The results of the
preclinical studies, together with manufacturing information and analytical data as well as the results of our Clinical Studies, would be
submitted to the FDA as part of an IND. An IND is a request for authorization from the FDA to administer an investigational product to
humans for a therapeutic indication and must become effective before human Clinical Trials for such purpose may begin. The IND
automatically becomes effective 30 days after receipt by the FDA, unless the FDA, within the 30-day time period, raises concerns or
questions about the conduct of the Clinical Trial, including concerns that human research subjects will be exposed to unreasonable health
risks, and imposes a clinical hold. In such a case, the IND sponsor and the FDA must resolve any outstanding concerns before the Clinical
Trial can begin. Submission of an IND does not ensure that FDA will allow Clinical Trials to commence at all or on the terms originally
specified in the IND. A separate submission to an existing IND must also be made for each successive Clinical Trial conducted during
product development, and the FDA must grant permission, either explicitly or implicitly by not objecting, and IRB approval must be obtained
before each Clinical Trial can begin.
Such Clinical Trials involve the administration of the product candidate to human volunteers under the supervision of qualified investigators.
Clinical Trials are conducted under protocols detailing, among other things, the objectives of the Clinical Trial, dosing procedures, subject
selection and exclusion criteria and the parameters and criteria to be used in monitoring safety and evaluating effectiveness. Each protocol for
our product candidates which we decide to market through the drug development pathway must be submitted to the FDA as part of the IND.
An IRB for each investigator site proposing to participate in a Clinical Trial must also review and approve the Clinical Trial, including its
protocol and informed consent form, before it can begin at that site, and the IRB must monitor the Clinical Trial until it is completed. The
FDA, the IRB, or the sponsor may suspend or discontinue a Clinical Trial at any time on various grounds, including a finding that the
subjects are being exposed to an unacceptable health risk. Clinical testing of drug product candidates also must satisfy extensive GCP
requirements, including requirements for informed consent.
Human Clinical Trials to support NDAs, for marketing approval are typically conducted in three sequential phases, which may overlap or be
combined. In certain circumstances, where sufficient evidence of safety and tolerability are collected from preclinical studies and other
human experience with a product, subject to discussions and acceptance by the FDA, such as our non-IND human clinical studies, we believe
that for the development of such drug candidate, a human Clinical Trial may begin at Phase II, or combined Phase I/II, rather than starting at
Phase I. We would expect to discuss with the FDA such proposal to initiate the clinical development program of a drug candidate in a later
phase study without first conducting a Phase I Clinical Trial or Trials.
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Phase I — Phase I Clinical Trials involve initial introduction of the investigational product into healthy human volunteers or patients
with the target disease or condition. These studies are typically designed to test the safety, dosage tolerance, absorption, metabolism
and distribution of the investigational product in humans, excretion, the side effects associated with increasing doses, and, if possible,
to gain early evidence of effectiveness.
Phase II — Phase II Clinical Trials typically involve administration of the investigational product to a limited patient population with
a specified disease or condition to evaluate the preliminary efficacy, optimal dosages and dosing schedule and to identify possible
adverse side effects and safety risks.
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•
Phase III — Phase III Clinical Trials typically involve administration of the investigational product to an expanded patient population
to further evaluate dosage, to provide statistically significant evidence of clinical efficacy and to further test for safety, generally at
multiple geographically dispersed Clinical Trial sites. These Clinical Trials are intended to establish the overall risk/benefit ratio of
the investigational product and to provide an adequate basis for product approval and product labeling.
Progress reports detailing the results of the Clinical Trials, among other information, must be submitted at least annually to the FDA and
written IND safety reports must be submitted to the FDA and the investigators within 15 calendar days for serious and unexpected suspected
adverse events, findings from other studies or animal or in vitro testing that suggest a significant risk for human volunteers and any clinically
important increase in the rate of a serious suspected adverse reaction over that listed in the protocol or investigator brochure.
Concurrent with Clinical Trials, companies usually complete additional animal studies and must also develop additional information about
the chemistry and physical characteristics of the product candidate and finalize a process for manufacturing the drug product in commercial
quantities in accordance with cGMP requirements. The manufacturing process must be capable of consistently producing quality batches of
the product candidate and manufacturers must develop, among other things, methods for testing the identity, strength, quality and purity of
the final drug product. FDA may require such testing to occur on a lot-by-lot basis in order to release product for clinical use. Additionally,
appropriate packaging must be selected and tested, and stability studies must be conducted to demonstrate that the product candidate does not
undergo unacceptable deterioration over its shelf life.
Orphan Drug Designation
Under the Orphan Drug Act, the FDA may grant orphan designation to a drug intended to treat a rare disease or condition, which is a disease
or condition that affects fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States, or if it affects more than 200,000 individuals in the United
States, there is no reasonable expectation that the cost of developing and making the product available in the United States for the disease or
condition will be recovered from sales of the product. Orphan designation must be requested before submitting an NDA. After the FDA
grants orphan drug designation, the identity of the therapeutic agent and its potential orphan use are disclosed publicly by the FDA. Orphan
designation does not convey any advantage in or shorten the duration of the regulatory review and approval process, though companies
developing orphan products are eligible for certain incentives, including research tax credits for qualified clinical testing and waiver of
application fees.
If a product that has orphan designation subsequently receives the first FDA approval for the disease or condition for which it has such
designation, the product is entitled to a seven-year period of marketing exclusivity during which the FDA may not approve any other
applications to market the same therapeutic agent for the same indication, except in limited circumstances, such as a subsequent product's
showing of clinical superiority over the product with orphan exclusivity or where the original applicant cannot produce sufficient quantities
of product. Competitors, however, may receive approval of different therapeutic agents for the indication for which the orphan product has
exclusivity or obtain approval for the same therapeutic agent for a different indication than that for which the orphan product has exclusivity.
Orphan product exclusivity could block the approval of one of our products for seven years if a competitor obtains approval for the same
therapeutic agent for the same indication before we do, unless we are able to demonstrate that our product is clinically superior. Clinically
superior means that a drug is shown to provide a significant therapeutic advantage over and above that provided by an approved drug that is
otherwise the same drug in one or more of the following ways: greater effectiveness than the approved drug, greater safety in a substantial
portion of the target populations, and in unusual cases, where neither greater safety nor greater effectiveness has been shown, a demonstration
that the drug otherwise makes a major contribution to patient care. If an orphan designated product receives marketing approval for an
indication broader than what is designated, it may not be entitled to orphan exclusivity. Further, orphan drug exclusive marketing rights in the
United States may be lost if the FDA later determines that the request for designation was materially defective or the manufacturer of the
approved product is unable to assure sufficient quantities of the product to meet the needs of patients with the rare disease or condition.
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Fast Track Designation and Accelerated Approval
The FDA maintains several programs intended to facilitate and expedite development and review of new drugs to address unmet medical
needs in the treatment of serious or life-threatening diseases or conditions. These programs include Fast Track designation, Breakthrough
Therapy designation, Priority Review and Accelerated Approval, and the purpose of these programs is to either expedite the development or
review of important new drugs to get them to patients earlier than under standard FDA development and review procedures.
A new drug is eligible for Fast Track designation if it is intended to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition and demonstrates
the potential to address unmet medical needs for such disease or condition. Fast Track designation provides increased opportunities for
sponsor interactions with the FDA during preclinical and clinical development, in addition to the potential for rolling review once a
marketing application is filed, meaning that the FDA may review portions of the marketing application before the sponsor submits the
complete application, as well as Priority Review, discussed below. In addition, a new drug may be eligible for Breakthrough Therapy
designation if it is intended, alone or in combination with one or more other drugs or biologics, to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or
condition and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one
or more clinically significant endpoints, such as substantial treatment effects observed early in clinical development. Breakthrough Therapy
designation provides all the features of Fast Track designation in addition to intensive guidance on an efficient drug development program
beginning as early as Phase I, and FDA organizational commitment to expedited development, including involvement of senior managers and
experienced review staff in a cross-disciplinary review, where appropriate.
Any product submitted to the FDA for approval, including a product with Fast Track or Breakthrough Therapy designation, may also be
eligible for additional FDA programs intended to expedite the review and approval process, including Priority Review designation and
accelerated approval. A product is eligible for Priority Review if it has the potential to provide a significant improvement in safety or
effectiveness in the treatment, diagnosis or prevention of a serious disease or condition. In addition, if a sponsor submits an NDA for a
product intended to treat certain rare pediatric or tropical diseases or for use as a medical countermeasure for a material threat and that meets
other eligibility criteria, upon approval, such sponsor may be granted a priority review voucher that can be used for a subsequent NDA.
Under priority review, the FDA must review an application in six months compared to ten months for a standard review. Additionally,
products for treating serious or life-threatening illnesses and that provide meaningful therapeutic benefit over existing treatments are eligible
for accelerated approval if they can be shown to have an effect on a surrogate endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit, or
an effect on a clinical endpoint that can be measured earlier than on irreversible morbidity or mortality which is reasonably likely to predict
an effect on irreversible morbidity or mortality or other clinical benefit, taking into account the severity, rarity, or prevalence of the condition
and the availability or lack of alternative treatments.
Accelerated approval is usually contingent on a sponsor's agreement to conduct additional post-approval studies to verify and describe the
product's clinical benefit. The FDA may withdraw approval of a drug or indication approved under accelerated approval if, for example, the
confirmatory trial fails to verify the predicted clinical benefit of the product. In addition, unless otherwise informed by the FDA, the FDA
currently requires, as a condition for accelerated approval, that all advertising and promotional materials that are intended for dissemination
or publication within 120 days following marketing approval be submitted to the FDA for review during the pre-approval review period, and
that after 120 days following marketing approval, all advertising and promotional materials must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the
intended time of initial dissemination or publication.
Even if a product qualifies for one or more of these programs, the FDA may later decide that the product no longer meets the conditions for
qualification or the time period for FDA review or approval may not be shortened. Furthermore, Fast Track designation, Breakthrough
Therapy designation, Priority Review and Accelerated Approval do not change the scientific or medical standards for approval or the quality
of evidence necessary to support approval but may expedite the development or review process.
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U.S. Marketing Approval for Drugs
Assuming successful completion of the required clinical testing of our product candidates for drug uses, the results of the preclinical and
clinical studies, together with detailed information relating to the product's chemistry, manufacture, controls and proposed labeling, among
other things, are submitted to the FDA as part of an NDA requesting approval to market the product for one or more indications. In most
cases, the submission of an NDA is subject to a substantial application user fee. An NDA is a request for approval to market a new drug for
one or more specified indications and must contain proof of the drug's safety and efficacy. The marketing application may include both
negative and ambiguous results of preclinical studies and Clinical Trials, as well as positive findings. Data may come from company-
sponsored Clinical Trials intended to test the safety and efficacy of a product's use or from a number of alternative sources, including studies
initiated by investigators. To support marketing approval, the data submitted must be sufficient in quality and quantity to establish the safety
and efficacy of the investigational product to the satisfaction of the FDA. FDA approval of an NDA must be obtained before a drug may be
marketed in the United States. Under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act guidelines that are currently in effect, the FDA has a goal of ten
months from the 60-day filing date for a standard NDA, for a new molecular entity to review and act on the submission.
In addition, under the Pediatric Research Equity Act of 2003, as amended and reauthorized, certain NDAs or supplements to an NDA must
contain data that are adequate to assess the safety and effectiveness of the drug for the claimed indications in all relevant pediatric
subpopulations, and to support dosing and administration for each pediatric subpopulation for which the product is safe and effective. The
FDA may, on its own initiative or at the request of the applicant, grant deferrals for submission of some or all pediatric data until after
approval of the product for use in adults, or full or partial waivers from the pediatric data requirements. Moreover, under the Food and Drug
Administration Safety and Innovation Act, a sponsor who is planning to submit a marketing application for a product that includes a new
active ingredient, new indication, new dosage form, new dosing regimen or new route of administration must submit an initial Pediatric
Study Plan (PSP) within 60 days of an end-of-Phase 2 meeting or, if there is no such meeting, as early as practicable before the initiation of
the Phase 3 or Phase 2/3 study. The initial PSP must include an outline of the pediatric study or studies that the sponsor plans to conduct,
including study objectives and design, age groups, relevant endpoints and statistical approach, or a justification for not including such
detailed information, and any request for a deferral of pediatric assessments or a full or partial waiver of the requirement to provide data from
pediatric studies along with supporting information. The FDA and the sponsor must reach an agreement on the PSP. A sponsor can submit
amendments to an agreed upon initial PSP at any time if changes to the pediatric plan need to be considered based on data collected from
preclinical studies, early phase clinical trials or other clinical development programs. The FDA also may require submission of a REMS to
ensure that the benefits of the drug outweigh its risks. The REMS could include medication guides, physician communication plans,
assessment plans, and/or elements to assure safe use, such as restricted distribution methods, patient registries, or other risk-minimization
tools.
The FDA conducts a preliminary review of all NDAs within the first 60 days after submission, before accepting them for filing, to determine
whether they are sufficiently complete to permit substantive review. The FDA may request additional information rather than accept an NDA
for filing. In this event, the application must be resubmitted with the additional information. The resubmitted application is also subject to
review before the FDA accepts it for filing. Once the submission is accepted for filing, the FDA begins an in-depth substantive review. The
FDA reviews an NDA to determine, among other things, whether the drug is safe and effective and whether the facility in which it is
manufactured, processed, packaged or held meets standards designed to assure the product's continued safety, quality and purity.
The FDA may refer an application for a novel drug to an advisory committee. An advisory committee is a panel of independent experts,
including clinicians and other scientific experts, which reviews, evaluates and provides a recommendation as to whether the application
should be approved and under what conditions. The FDA is not bound by the recommendations of an advisory committee, but it historically
has tended to follow such recommendations.
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Before approving an NDA, the FDA typically will inspect the facility or facilities where the product is manufactured. The FDA will not
approve an application unless it determines that the manufacturing processes and facilities are in compliance with cGMP requirements and
adequate to assure consistent production of the Sponsor product within required specifications. Additionally, before approving an NDA, the
FDA may inspect one or more Clinical Trial sites and/or the Clinical Trial sponsor to assure compliance with GCP and other requirements
and the integrity of the clinical data submitted to the FDA.
After evaluating the NDA and all related information, including the advisory committee recommendation, if any, and inspection reports
regarding the manufacturing facilities and Clinical Trial sites, the FDA may issue an approval letter, or, in some cases, a complete response
letter. A complete response letter generally contains a statement of specific conditions that must be met in order to secure final approval of
the NDA and may require additional clinical or preclinical testing in order for the FDA to reconsider the application. Even with submission
of this additional information, the FDA ultimately may decide that the application does not satisfy the regulatory criteria for approval. If and
when those conditions have been met to the FDA's satisfaction, the FDA will typically issue an approval letter. An approval letter authorizes
commercial marketing of the drug with specific prescribing information for specific indications.
Even if the FDA approves a product, depending on the specific risk(s) to be addressed it may limit the approved indications for use of the
product, require that contraindications, warnings or precautions be included in the product labeling, require that post-approval studies,
including Phase IV Clinical Trials, be conducted to further assess a drug's safety after approval, require testing and surveillance programs to
monitor the product after commercialization, or impose other conditions, including distribution and use restrictions or other risk management
mechanisms under a REMS, which can materially affect the potential market and profitability of the product. The FDA may prevent or limit
further marketing of a product based on the results of post-marketing studies or surveillance programs. 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 testing
requirements and FDA review and approval.
U.S. Post-Approval Requirements for Drugs
Drugs manufactured or distributed pursuant to FDA approvals are subject to pervasive and continuing regulation by the FDA, including,
among other things, requirements relating to recordkeeping, periodic reporting, product sampling and distribution, advertising and promotion
and reporting of adverse experiences with the product. There is also a continuing, annual prescription drug product program user fee.
The FDA may impose a number of post-approval requirements as a condition of approval of an NDA. For example, the FDA may require
post-market testing, including Phase IV clinical trials, and surveillance to further assess and monitor the product’s safety and effectiveness
after commercialization.
In addition, drug manufacturers and their subcontractors 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
certain state agencies for compliance with ongoing regulatory requirements, including cGMP, which impose certain procedural and
documentation requirements upon us and our contract manufacturers. Failure to comply with statutory and regulatory requirements can
subject a manufacturer to possible legal or regulatory action, such as warning letters, suspension of manufacturing, product seizures,
injunctions, civil penalties or criminal prosecution.
Later discovery of previously unknown problems with a product, including adverse events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or with
manufacturing processes, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements, may result in revisions to the approved labeling to add new
safety information or information on reduced effectiveness, requirements for post-market studies or Clinical Trials to assess new safety risks,
or imposition of distribution or other restrictions under a REMS.
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Other Regulatory Matters
Manufacturing, sales, promotion and other activities of product candidates following product approval, where applicable, or
commercialization are also subject to regulation by numerous regulatory authorities in the United States in addition to the FDA, which may
include the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, other divisions of the Department of Health and Human Services, the
Department of Justice, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, the
Occupational Safety & Health Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and state and local governments and governmental
agencies.
Coverage and Reimbursement
In the United States and markets in other countries, patients generally rely on third-party payors to reimburse all or part of the costs
associated with their treatment. Government authorities and third-party payors, such as private health insurers and health maintenance
organizations, decide which medications they will pay for and establish reimbursement levels. In the United States, the principal decisions
about reimbursement for new medicines are typically made by CMS. CMS decides whether and to what extent a new medicine will be
covered and reimbursed under Medicare and private payors tend to follow CMS to a substantial degree. Factors that payors consider in
determining reimbursement are based on whether the product is:
•
•
•
•
•
a covered benefit under its health plan;
safe, effective and medically necessary;
appropriate for the specific patient;
cost-effective; and
neither experimental nor investigational.
The requirements governing drug pricing vary widely from country to country. For example, the European Union 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. To obtain reimbursement or pricing approval, some of these countries may require
the completion of clinical trials that compare the cost effectiveness of a particular product candidate to currently available therapies. 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. Historically, products launched in the European Union do not
follow price structures of the U.S. and generally prices tend to be significantly lower.
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Other Healthcare and Privacy Laws
Healthcare providers, physicians, and third-party payors will play a primary role in the recommendation and prescription of any products for
which we obtain marketing approval. Our business operations and any current or future arrangements with third-party payors, healthcare
providers and physicians may expose us to broadly applicable fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations that may constrain
the business or financial arrangements and relationships through which we develop, market, sell and distribute any drugs for which we obtain
marketing approval. In the United States, these laws include, without limitation, state and federal anti-kickback, false claims, physician
transparency, and patient data privacy and security laws and regulations, including but not limited to those described below.
•
•
•
The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits for any person, including a prescription drug manufacturer (or a party acting on its behalf), to
knowingly and willfully solicit, receive, offer, provide or pay any remuneration, directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or
in kind, that is intended to induce or reward referrals, including the purchase, recommendation, order, arrangement or prescription of
a good or service, for which payment may be made under a federal healthcare program, such as Medicare or Medicaid. The term
‘‘remuneration’’ has been broadly interpreted to include anything of value. Violations of this law are punishable by imprisonment,
criminal fines, administrative civil money penalties and exclusion from participation in federal healthcare programs. In addition, a
person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it. This statute has been interpreted
to apply to arrangements between pharmaceutical manufacturers on the one hand, and prescribers, purchasers and formulary
managers, among others, on the other. In addition, the government may assert that a claim including items or services resulting from
a violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the federal civil False Claims Act or
federal civil money penalties statute.
Federal civil and criminal false claims laws, and civil monetary penalty laws including the federal False Claims Act, which imposes
civil penalties, including through civil whistleblower or qui tam actions, against individuals or entities (including manufacturers) for,
among other things, knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented false, fictitious, or fraudulent claims for payment by a federal
healthcare program; or knowingly making a false statement or record material to payment of a false or fraudulent claim or obligation
to pay or transmit money or property to the federal government; or knowingly and improperly avoiding, decreasing or knowingly
concealing an obligation to pay money to the federal government. The government may deem manufacturers to have "caused" the
submission of false or fraudulent claims by, for example, providing inaccurate billing or coding information to customers, with
respect to drug products, purportedly concealing price concessions in the pricing information submitted to the government for
government price reporting purposes, allegedly providing free product to customers with the expectation that the customers would
bill federal healthcare programs for the product, or promoting a product off-label. Claims that include items or services resulting
from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute are false or fraudulent claims for purposes of the False Claims Act. Any future
marketing and activities relating to the reporting of wholesaler or estimated retail prices for drug products, the reporting of prices
used to calculate Medicaid rebate information and other information affecting federal, state and third-party reimbursement for our
products, and the sale and marketing of our product and any future product candidates, are subject to scrutiny under this law.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, imposes criminal and civil liability for knowingly and
willfully executing a scheme, or attempting to execute a scheme, to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private payors,
knowingly and willfully embezzling or stealing from a healthcare benefit program, willfully obstructing a criminal investigation of a
healthcare offense, or knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up by trick or device a material fact or making any
materially false statements in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services. Similar to the
federal Anti-Kickback Statute, a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of the statute or specific intent to violate it
in order to have committed a violation.
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• HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009, or HITECH, and their
respective implementing regulations, including the Final Omnibus Rules published January 2013, imposes, among other things,
specified requirements on covered entities and their business associates relating to the privacy, security and transmission of
individually identifiable health information including mandatory contractual terms and required implementation of technical
safeguards of such information. HITECH also created new tiers of civil monetary penalties, amended HIPAA to make civil and
criminal penalties directly applicable to business associates in some cases, and gave state attorneys general new authority to file civil
actions for damages or injunctions in federal courts to enforce the federal HIPAA laws and seek attorneys' fees and costs associated
with pursuing federal civil actions.
•
The Physician Payments Sunshine Act, enacted as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health
Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, or collectively, the ACA, imposed new annual reporting requirements for certain
manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologics, and medical supplies for which payment is available under Medicare, Medicaid, or the
Children's Health Insurance Program, for information related to certain payments and "transfers of value" provided to physicians
(defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists and chiropractors) and teaching hospitals, as well as ownership and
investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members. Effective January 1, 2022, these reporting obligations
will extend to include transfers of value made to certain non-physician providers such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners.
• Analogous state and foreign fraud and abuse laws and regulations, such as state anti-kickback and false claims laws, which may be
broader in scope and apply regardless of payor. These laws are enforced by various state agencies and through private actions. Some
state laws require pharmaceutical companies implement compliance to comply with the pharmaceutical industry's voluntary
compliance guidelines and the relevant federal government compliance guidance, require drug manufacturers to report information
related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare providers, and restrict marketing practices or
require disclosure of marketing expenditures and pricing information. State and foreign laws also govern the privacy and security of
health information in some circumstances. These data privacy and security laws may differ from each other in significant ways and
often are not pre-empted by HIPAA, which may complicate compliance efforts. Data privacy and security laws and regulations in
foreign jurisdictions may also be more stringent than those in the United States (such as the European Union, which adopted the
General Data Protection Regulation, which became effective in May 2018).
The scope and enforcement of each of these laws is uncertain and subject to rapid change in the current environment of healthcare reform,
especially in light of the lack of applicable precedent and regulations. Federal and state enforcement bodies have recently increased their
scrutiny of interactions between healthcare companies and healthcare providers, which has led to a number of investigations, prosecutions,
convictions and settlements in the healthcare industry. It is possible that governmental authorities will conclude that our business practices do
not comply with current or future statutes, regulations or case law involving applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and
regulations. If our operations are found to be in violation of any of these laws or any other related governmental regulations that may apply to
us, we may be subject to significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, imprisonment, disgorgement, exclusion from
government funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, reputational harm, additional oversight and reporting obligations if
we become subject to a corporate integrity agreement or similar settlement to resolve allegations of non-compliance with these laws and the
curtailment or restructuring of our operations. If any of the physicians or other healthcare providers or entities with whom we expect to do
business is found to be not in compliance with applicable laws, they may be subject to similar actions, penalties and sanctions. Ensuring
business arrangements comply with applicable healthcare laws, as well as responding to possible investigations by government authorities,
can be time- and resource-consuming and can divert a company's attention from its business.
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Moreover, on October 17, 2019, the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services issued a Proposed
Rule: Revisions to Safe Harbors under the Anti-Kickback Statute and Civil Monetary Penalty Rules Regarding Beneficiary Inducements to,
among other things, add new safe harbors for certain value-based arrangements. Although the value-based proposals would not include
pharmaceutical manufacturers among the entities that could permissibly enter into such contracting arrangements, the general trend toward
outcomes and value-based contracts in the healthcare industry may continue. It is possible that payors, among other customers, could push
manufacturers for novel contracting approaches, including those that would incorporate value-based principles, and these efforts could affect
our business. It is unclear at this time whether this proposed rule will be adopted or, if adopted, what effect, if any, it would have on the cost
and ability to comply with the federal Anti-Kickback Statute or on our business.
Current and Future Healthcare Reform Legislation
In both the United States and certain foreign jurisdictions, there have been a number of legislative and regulatory changes to the healthcare
system. In particular, in 2010 the ACA was enacted, which, among other things, increased the minimum Medicaid rebates owed by most
manufacturers under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, extended the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program to utilization of prescriptions of
individuals enrolled in Medicaid managed care organizations, subjected manufacturers to new annual fees and taxes for certain branded
prescription drugs, and provided incentives to programs that increase the federal government’s comparative effectiveness research.
Since its enactment, there have been numerous judicial, administrative, executive, and legislative challenges to certain aspects of the ACA,
and we expect there will be additional challenges and amendments to the ACA in the future. Various portions of the ACA are currently
undergoing legal and constitutional challenges in the United States Supreme Court; the Trump Administration issued various Executive
Orders that eliminated cost sharing subsidies and various provisions that would impose a fiscal burden on states or a cost, fee, tax, penalty or
regulatory burden on individuals, healthcare providers, health insurers, or manufacturers of pharmaceuticals or medical devices; and
Congress has introduced several pieces of legislation aimed at significantly revising or repealing the ACA. The United States Supreme Court
is expected to rule on a legal challenge to the constitutionality of the ACA in early 2021. With the implementation of the ACA ongoing, the
law is likely to continue the trend of downward pressure on pharmaceutical pricing, especially under the Medicare program, and may also
increase our regulatory burdens and operating costs. Litigation and legislation related to the ACA are likely to continue, with unpredictable
and uncertain results. Both new legislative reforms, as well as actions taken by the Biden administration, could have an adverse effect on
anticipated revenues from product candidates that we may successfully develop and for which we may obtain regulatory approval and may
affect our overall financial condition and ability to develop product candidates.
The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 also amends the ACA, effective January 1, 2019, by increasing the point-of-sale discount that is owed by
pharmaceutical manufacturers who participate in Medicare Part D and closing the coverage gap in most Medicare drug plans, commonly
referred to as the “donut hole,” which will shift costs for name brand drugs away from Part D participants back to the manufacturers, which
could have a negative effect on our profits in the event any of our products receive FDA approval and CMS reimbursement. Similarly, CMS
recently proposed regulations that would give states greater flexibility in setting benchmarks for insurers in the individual and small group
marketplaces, which may have the effect of relaxing the essential health benefits required under the ACA for plans sold through such
marketplaces. Additionally, CMS has finalized a rule that would amend the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription drug
benefit regulations to reduce out of pocket costs for plan enrollees and allow Medicare plans to negotiate lower rates for certain drugs. In
May 2019, CMS issued a final rule to allow Medicare Advantage Plans the option of using step therapy, a type of prior authorization, for Part
B drugs beginning January 1, 2020. This final rule codified CMS’s policy change that was became effective January 1, 2019.
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In addition, other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted in the United States since the ACA was enacted. In August 2011, the
Budget Control Act of 2011, among other things, created measures for spending reductions by Congress. A Joint Select Committee on Deficit
Reduction, tasked with recommending a targeted deficit reduction of at least $1.2 trillion for the years 2013 through 2021, was unable to
reach required goals, thereby triggering the legislation’s automatic reduction to several government programs. This includes aggregate
reductions of Medicare payments to providers of 2% per fiscal year, which went into effect in 2013, and, due to subsequent legislative
amendments, will remain in effect through 2030 unless additional Congressional action is taken. Pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and
Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) and subsequent legislation, these reductions were suspended from May 1, 2020 through March 31,
2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 further reduced Medicare payments to several providers,
including hospitals and cancer treatment centers, and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments
to providers from three to five years. Legislative and regulatory proposals, and enactment of laws, at the foreign, federal and state levels,
directed at containing or lowering the cost of healthcare, will continue into the future.
Compliance with Other Federal and State Laws or Requirements; Changing Legal Requirements
If any products that we may develop are made available to authorized users of the Federal Supply Schedule of the General Services
Administration, additional laws and requirements apply. Products must meet applicable child-resistant packaging requirements under the U.S.
Poison Prevention Packaging Act. Manufacturing, labeling, packaging, distribution, sales, promotion and other activities also are potentially
subject to federal and state consumer protection and unfair competition laws, among other requirements to which the Company or its
products may be subject.
The distribution of pharmaceutical products is subject to additional requirements and regulations, including extensive record-keeping,
licensing, storage and security requirements intended to prevent the unauthorized sale of pharmaceutical products.
The failure to comply with any of these laws or regulatory requirements subjects companies to possible legal or regulatory action. Depending
on the circumstances, failure to meet applicable regulatory requirements can result in criminal prosecution, fines or other penalties,
injunctions, exclusion from federal healthcare programs, requests for recall, seizure of products, total or partial suspension of production,
denial or withdrawal of product approvals, relabeling or repackaging, or refusal to allow a company to enter into supply contracts, including
government contracts. Any claim or action against us for violation of these laws, even if we successfully defend against it, could cause us to
incur significant legal expenses and divert our management's attention from the operation of our business. Prohibitions or restrictions on
marketing, sales or withdrawal of future products marketed by us could materially affect our business in an adverse way.
Changes in regulations, statutes or the interpretation of existing regulations could impact our business in the future by requiring, for example:
(i) changes to our manufacturing arrangements; (ii) additions or modifications to product labeling or packaging; (iii) the recall or
discontinuation of our products; or (iv) additional record-keeping requirements. If any such changes were to be imposed, they could
adversely affect the operation of our business.
Other U.S. Environmental, Health, and Safety Laws and Regulations
We may be subject to numerous environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including those governing laboratory procedures and
the handling, use, storage, treatment and disposal of hazardous materials and wastes. From time to time and in the future, our operations may
involve the use of hazardous and flammable materials, including chemicals and biological materials, and may also produce hazardous waste
products. Even if we contract with third parties for the disposal of these materials and waste products, we cannot completely eliminate the
risk of contamination or injury resulting from these materials. In the event of contamination or injury resulting from the use or disposal of our
hazardous materials, we could be held liable for any resulting damages, and any liability could exceed our resources. We also could incur
significant costs associated with civil or criminal fines and penalties for failure to comply with such laws and regulations.
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We maintain workers' compensation insurance to cover us for costs and expenses we may incur due to injuries to our employees, but this
insurance may not provide adequate coverage against potential liabilities. However, we do not maintain insurance for environmental liability
or toxic tort claims that may be asserted against us.
In addition, we may incur substantial costs in order to comply with current or future environmental, health and safety laws and regulations.
Current or future environmental laws and regulations may impair our research, development or production efforts. In addition, failure to
comply with these laws and regulations may result in substantial fines, penalties or other sanctions.
Foreign Regulations
In addition to regulations in the United States, we will be subject to a variety of foreign regulations governing clinical trials and commercial
sales and distribution of its 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 27-member European Union, before we may commence clinical
trials or market products in those countries or 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 may be longer or shorter than that required for FDA
approval.
Under EU regulatory systems, a company may submit marketing authorization applications either under a centralized or decentralized
procedure. The centralized procedure, which is compulsory for medicinal products produced by biotechnology or those medicinal products
containing new active substances for specific indications such as the treatment of AIDS, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes, viral
diseases and designated orphan medicines, and optional for other medicines which are highly innovative. Under the centralized procedure, a
marketing application is submitted to the EMA where it will be evaluated by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use and a
favorable opinion typically results in the grant by the European Commission of a single marketing authorization that is valid for all EU
member states within 67 days of receipt of the opinion. The initial marketing authorization is valid for five years, but once renewed is usually
valid for an unlimited period. The decentralized procedure provides for approval by one or more “concerned” member states based on an
assessment of an application performed by one member state, known as the “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 after receipt of a valid application.
Within 90 days of receiving the reference member state’s assessment report, each concerned member state must decide whether to approve
the assessment report and related materials. If a member state does not recognize the marketing authorization, the disputed points are
eventually referred to the European Commission, whose decision is binding on all member states.
When conducting clinical trials in the EU, we must adhere to the provisions of the EU Clinical Trials Directive and the laws and regulations
of the EU Member States implementing them. These provisions require, among other things, that the prior authorization of an Ethics
Committee and the submission and approval of a clinical trial authorization application be obtained in each Member State before
commencing a clinical trial in that Member State.
As in the United States, it may be possible in foreign countries to obtain a period of market and/or data exclusivity that would have the effect
of postponing the entry into the marketplace of a competitor’s generic product. For example, in the EU, if any of our products receive
marketing approval in the European Economic Area, or EEA, which is comprised of the 27 member states of the EU plus Norway, Iceland
and Liechtenstein, we expect that we will benefit from eight years of data exclusivity and an additional two years of marketing exclusivity.
An additional one-year extension of marketing exclusivity is possible if during the data exclusivity period we obtain an authorization for one
or more new therapeutic indications that is deemed to bring a significant clinical benefit compared to existing therapies. The data exclusivity
period begins on the date of the product’s first marketing authorization in the EU and prevents biosimilars from relying on the holder of the
marketing authorization for the reference biological medicine’s pharmacological, toxicological and clinical data for a period of eight years.
After eight years, a biosimilar product application may be submitted and the sponsoring companies may rely on the marketing authorization
holder’s data.
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As in the United States, a sponsor may apply for designation of a product as an orphan drug for the treatment of a specific indication in the
EU before the application for marketing authorization is made. Orphan drugs in Europe enjoy economic and marketing benefits, including up
to ten years of market exclusivity for the approved indication unless another applicant can show that its product is safer, more effective or
otherwise clinically superior to the orphan-designated product.
Regulation of Medical Food Products
FDA Regulation of Medical Food Uses
To date, we have not elected to develop and market a product candidate as a medical food product and may elect never to do so. If we decide
to develop one or more of our EMM compositions as a medical food product, we will have to follow regulations applicable to medical food
uses.
Medical foods are a category of foods distinct from conventional food and dietary supplements. The FDA and other regulatory authorities,
including the Federal Trade Commission, ("FTC"), also regulate the manufacturing, preparation, quality control, import, export, packaging,
labeling, marketing, advertising, promotion, distribution, safety, and/or adverse event reporting of medical foods. Among other things,
manufacturers of medical foods must meet relevant cGMPs, and certain requirements that govern the manufacturing, packaging, labeling and
holding of foods.
As defined in section 5(b)(3) of the Orphan Drug Act (21 U.S.C. 360ee(b)(3)), a medical food is "a food which is formulated to be consumed
or administered enterally under the supervision of a physician and which is intended for the specific dietary management of a disease or
condition for which distinctive nutritional requirements, based on recognized scientific principles, are established by medical evaluation."
The FDA has established a regulation at 21 C.F.R. 101.9(j)(8) that further defines a medical food as a product that is (1) is specially
formulated and processed product (as opposed to a naturally occurring foodstuff used in its natural state) for the partial or exclusive feeding
of a patient by means of oral intake or enteral feeding by tube; (2) is intended for the dietary management of a patient who, because of
therapeutic or chronic medical needs, has limited or impaired capacity to ingest, digest, absorb, or metabolize ordinary foodstuffs or certain
nutrients, or who has other special medically determined nutrient requirements, the dietary management of which cannot be achieved by the
modification of the normal diet alone; (3) provides nutritional support specifically modified for the management of the unique nutrient needs
that result from the specific disease or condition, as determined by medical evaluation; (4) is intended to be used under medical supervision;
and (5) is intended only for a patient receiving active and ongoing medical supervision wherein the patient requires medical care on a
recurring basis for, among other things, instructions on the use of the medical food.
Because the marketing of medical foods generally does not require FDA pre-market approval, the medical food category may offer promising
opportunities for our products should we pursue that development path. However, we understand that the FDA considers the statutory
definition of medical foods to narrowly constrain the types of products that fit within this category of food. There can be no assurance we
will be able to develop the data that are needed to substantiate the positioning of the product as a medical food or that the FDA would concur
the product meets the definition of medical food. In such cases, the commercialization of such product candidates may be delayed or
prevented. To the extent that any product candidate is marketed as a medical food and subsequently determined to not fall within the proper
regulatory category or are considered to be misbranded or adulterated, the Company may be subject to enforcement action or other legal
consequences, including, but not limited to, warning or untitled letters, product withdrawals or recalls, product seizures, relabeling or
repackaging, total or partial suspensions of manufacturing or distribution, injunctions, fines, civil penalties or criminal prosecution. Any such
actions or other consequences could have a material adverse effect on the Company and its current and future ability to development the
product candidates through the selected pathway or other pathways.
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Moreover, the ingredients and additives used in medical foods are subject to the same regulations as conventional foods and must be
"generally recognized as safe," or GRAS (as described below), or otherwise covered by an existing food additive regulation, approved food
additive petition, or authorized by a prior sanction. The FDA may determine that some or all of our potential product candidates contain
ingredients that are not GRAS and are therefore food additives. Such classification would cause these product candidates to require pre-
market approval for a food additive, which could substantially delay or prevent the commercialization of these product candidates for
medical food uses. If the FDA determines that a product candidate marketed as a medical food contains a substance that is not GRAS and is
therefore a food additive after the product has already been commercialized, and such food additive is not approved or authorized by the
FDA pursuant to a food additive regulation, then the Company may face enforcement or other legal consequences including, but not limited
to, those mentioned above.
Under sections 201(s) and 409 of the FD&C Act, any substance that is reasonably expected to become a component of food or added to food
is considered to be a "food additive", with a few exceptions, and is therefore subject to FDA pre-market review and approval, unless the
substance is generally recognized among experts qualified by scientific training and experience to evaluate its safety, as having been
adequately shown through scientific procedures or, in the case of a substance used prior to January 1, 1958, through experience based on
common use in food, to be safe under the conditions of its intended use, a standard referred to as "generally recognized as safe," or GRAS. A
food additive must either already be included within one of the FDA regulations authorizing the use of certain food additives under certain
conditions of use or be approved for use by the FDA. To obtain approval for use of a food additive, a manufacturer must submit a petition to
the FDA with sufficient data to demonstrate reasonable certainty of no harm at the intended levels of use. Any food that contains an
unapproved food additive is considered adulterated under section 402(a)(2)(C) of the FD&C Act.
Ingredients that are determined to be GRAS do not fall within the definition of a food additive, which, as noted above, requires mandatory
pre-market approval. Under sections 201(s) of the FD&C Act, and FDA's implementing regulations in 21 CFR § 170.3 and 21 CFR § 170.30,
the use of a food substance may be GRAS either through scientific procedures or, for a substance used in food before 1958, through
experience based on common use in food.
General recognition of safety through scientific procedures requires the same quantity and quality of scientific evidence as is required to
obtain approval of the substance as a food additive and must be based upon the application of generally available and accepted scientific data,
information, or methods, which are ordinarily published, as well as the application of scientific principles, and may be corroborated by
unpublished studies and other data and information. General recognition of safety through experience based on common use in foods requires
a substantial history of consumption of a substance for food use by a significant number of consumers. If an ingredient is GRAS for one use
or in one form, it is not necessarily GRAS for all uses or forms. Under section 201(s) of the FD&C Act, it is the intended use of a substance,
rather than the substance itself, that is eligible for classification as GRAS.
Manufacturers of GRAS substances may notify the FDA of their view that a substance is GRAS and thus not subject to the pre-market
approval requirements of section 409 of the FD&C Act. The notification must include, among other things, a description of the substance, the
applicable conditions of use, the dietary exposure, an explanation of the basis for the determination that the substance was determined to be
safe for the intended use and supporting data and information. Upon review of such a notification, the FDA may respond with a "no
questions" letter stating that while it has not made its own GRAS determination, it has no questions at the time regarding the applications'
own GRAS determination. Alternatively, manufacturers may elect to "self-affirm" a given substance is GRAS without the voluntary FDA
notification but should retain all applicable safety data used for the GRAS determination in the case of inquiry by the FDA. However, in
neither case does this constitute an approval equivalent to that achieved through the food additive process. A manufacturer's use of such food
additive is at its own risk and is dependent upon adequate substantiation and/or scientific support demonstrating safe use.
Government Regulation of Food for Special Medical Purpose in the European Union
The regulatory requirements for foods for special medical purposes, or FSMPs, in the European Union cover FSMP development and
commercialization.
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In the European Union, FSMPs are designed to feed patients who, because of a particular disease, disorder or medical condition, have
nutritional needs that cannot be met by consuming standard foodstuffs. European Union regulation defines food for special medical purposes'
as food specially processed or formulated and intended for the dietary management of patients, including infants, to be used under medical
supervision; it is intended for the exclusive or partial feeding of patients with a limited, impaired or disturbed capacity to take, digest, absorb,
metabolize or excrete ordinary food or certain nutrients contained therein, or metabolites, or with other medically-determined nutrient
requirements, whose dietary management cannot be achieved by modification of the normal diet alone.
Businesses intending to commercialize FSMPs in the European Union are required to register their FSMPs by submitting notifications
regarding FSMP use, demonstrating compliance with applicable European Union rules, prior to market commercialization. These
notifications to competent authority of each European Union Member State include information appearing on the label, and any other
information the competent authority may reasonably request to establish compliance with this Regulation.
The European Commission may decide, by means of implementing acts (a) whether a given food falls within the scope of this Regulation;
and (b) to which specific category of food a given food belongs. European Food Safety Authority Guidance provides, among other
requirements, that the dossier must include an explanation of the scientific and medical basis on which it has been concluded that the use of
the specific food product is necessary or is more practical or safer than the exclusive use of non-FSMP foodstuffs.
FSMPs can also fall within the scope of the novel food legislation in the European Union. Where an ingredient used in the FSMP to be
marketed in the European Union falls within the definition of a 'novel food ingredient' prior authorization for use of the ingredient needs to be
sought. A "novel" food and food ingredient can be defined as food that has not been consumed to a significant degree by humans in the
European Union before May 15, 1997 and that falls within one of the ten food categories listed. Novel foods and novel food ingredients can
only be authorized if they do not pose a safety risk to human health, their intended use does not mislead the consumer and they do not differ
from the food they are intended to replace in such a way that its normal consumption would be nutritionally disadvantageous for the
consumer. The authorization procedure is likely to take between 12 and 18 months.
In accordance with European Union Clinical Trials directives, before a Clinical Trial site is allowed to start enrolling patients in a Clinical
Trial, the IRB/independent ethics committee, or IEC, must provide a positive opinion concerning the study protocol and all study-related
materials. The competent authorities of the relevant European Union Member State must also provide their related authorization. Clinical
Trials involving the investigation of the action of non-medicinal products (e.g., foods, such as many FSMPs), are not covered and are not
required to register the Clinical Trial or to complete a Clinical Trial application (CTA) for approval by a European Union Member State.
Competition
The healthcare industry is characterized by intense competition and rapid innovation. Our potential competitors include major multinational
pharmaceutical, nutritional foods companies, established biotechnology companies, specialty pharmaceutical companies and universities and
other research institutions.
There are additional companies that are working on modulating specific metabolic pathways involved in various health and disease
conditions, although we are not aware of any company creating Axcella product candidate-like products with multifactorial activity for the
same indications and targets as Axcella. Entrinsic Biosciences, Inc. is developing amino acid compositions to treat gastrointestinal disorders
and other conditions associated with dysfunctional transport membrane proteins. Companies with clinical programs that could compete with
our current pipeline of product candidates include 89bio, Inc., Akero Therapeutics, Inc., Bausch Health, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Esperion
Therapeutics, Inc., Genfit SA, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Kaleido Biosciences, Inc., Madrigal Pharmaceuticals,
Inc., Mallinckrodt plc, NGM Biopharmaceuticals Inc., Novartis AG, Scholar Rock Holding Corporation, and Viking Therapeutics, Inc.,
among others.
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We also anticipate competing with the largest consumer health companies and nutritional and amino acid companies in the world, such as
Abbott Laboratories, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Nestlé Health Science S.A., and The Procter & Gamble Company, all of
which are currently conducting research in competitive indications or may be interested in using amino acids and other EMMs as therapeutics
as well as nutritional supplements.
Human Capital
As of December 31, 2020, we had 59 full-time employees, 40 of which were engaged in research and development activities and 25 of which
have Ph.D. or M.D. degrees. The remaining 19 employees were engaged in business development, finance, information systems, facilities,
human resources, legal functions, or administrative support. We also engage consultants and temporary workers when needed. The majority
of our employees were based in Cambridge, MA. No employees were represented by labor unions or subject to collective bargaining
agreements. We consider our employee relations to be good.
We believe our employees are among the Company’s most important assets and are key to achieving our goals and expectations. Our human
capital resource priorities, and our competitive equity and cash compensation and benefits programs focus on attracting, recruiting, retaining
and incentivizing our existing and new employees. We consider our human capital resources strategy to be comprehensive and we foster a
strong relationship with and among our employees with ongoing efforts such as employee surveys, training and development programs,
social interactions, and other programs built around our core values: ownership, determination, collaboration, and learning. We plan to
continue to evolve and add to our suite of human capital resources as we grow.
In particular, Axcella is committed to developing policies that promote awareness and behaviors to ensure fair treatment and equality of
opportunity, building a culture of diversity and inclusion, and proactively addressing inequality. This includes policies and practices that
uphold these principles throughout the sourcing, hiring, compensation and assessment of candidates, and employees. Axcella has joined the
MassBio Open Letter 2.0 CEO Pledge for a More Equitable and Inclusive Life Sciences Industry.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and as part of our commitment to ensure the safety and well-being of our employees, we activated
our applicable business continuity plans, including creating an employee committee under our human resources function to recommend and
implement policies consistent with US Government, Massachusetts, City of Cambridge, and industry standard regulations and guidance in
response to the public health emergency. Since mid-March 2020, the vast majority of our employees have been working from home.
Additionally, we put appropriate safety measures in place, including implementing occupancy limits, restricting business travel, providing
and requiring the use of personal protective equipment, health screening, cleaning and visitor protocols, and, in cases of possible exposure,
external COVID-19 testing to access our workplaces.
Facilities
We lease a facility containing 19,200 square feet of laboratory and office space, which is located at 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge,
Massachusetts. The lease expires in April 2024, subject to an option to extend the lease for an additional three years.
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Item 1A. Risk Factors
Careful consideration should be given to the following risk factors, in addition to the other information set forth in this Annual Report and in
other documents that we file with the SEC, in evaluating the Company and our business. Investing in our common stock involves a high
degree of risk. If any of the following risks and uncertainties actually occurs, our business, prospects, financial condition and results of
operations could be materially and adversely affected. The risks described below are not intended to be exhaustive and are not the only risks
that we face. New risk factors can emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict the impact that any factor or combination of
factors may have on our business, prospects, financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Our Financial Position and Capital Needs
We have incurred net losses in every year since our inception and anticipate that we will continue to incur net losses in the future.
We are a biotechnology company with a limited operating history. Investment in product development in the healthcare industry, including of
biotechnology products, is highly speculative because it entails substantial upfront capital expenditures and significant risk that any potential
product candidate will fail to demonstrate adequate effect or an acceptable safety profile, gain regulatory approval and/or become
commercially viable. To date, our product candidates have been or are currently being studied in Clinical Studies as food products. Subject to
positive feedback and allowance by FDA for our AXA1665 and AXA1125 programs, we plan to pursue future development of AXA1665
and AXA1125 in Clinical Trials enabled by IND applications. We have no products approved for commercial sale, have not generated any
revenue from product sales to date and continue to incur significant research and development and other expenses related to our ongoing
operations. As a result, we are not profitable and have incurred losses in each period since our inception in 2008. Our net loss was $56.5
million for the year ended December 31, 2020 and $59.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2019. As of December 31, 2020, we had
an accumulated deficit of $272.6 million. We expect to continue to incur significant losses for the foreseeable future, and we expect these
losses to increase as we continue our research and development of our product candidates in Clinical Studies, Clinical Trials for any product
candidate we elect to develop as a drug product candidate under an IND and as we seek regulatory approvals, as necessary, for and
commercialize our product candidates, if approved. We anticipate that our expenses will increase substantially if, and as, we:
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conduct preclinical studies, Clinical Studies, and for those product candidates that we elect to develop as therapeutics, Clinical Trials
or their equivalent in non-U.S. jurisdictions;
incur setbacks or delays to the initiation or completion of preclinical studies, product development, Clinical Studies and/or Clinical
Trials due to the COVID-19 pandemic;
further develop our proprietary human-focused product development platform;
continue to discover and develop our current product candidates as well as additional product candidates;
• maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio;
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hire or contract additional clinical, scientific, manufacturing, quality and commercial personnel to support our product research,
development and commercialization efforts;
continue to develop, scale and validate a manufacturing process and specifications for our product candidates, including under
requirements for drug development;
incur any disruption or delays to the supply of our product candidates due to the COVID-19 pandemic;
continue to establish in-house manufacturing capabilities for our research and product development efforts;
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establish a commercial manufacturing source and secure supply chain capacity sufficient to provide preclinical study material,
Clinical Study material, Clinical Trial material for any product candidate we elect to develop as a drug product candidate under an
IND, and commercial quantities of any product candidates that we may commercialize as drug or non-drug products, following
receipt of any necessary approvals or authorizations;
acquire or in-license other product candidates and technologies;
seek various non-drug product marketing pathways and, if applicable, drug regulatory authorizations;
establish a sales, marketing and distribution infrastructure to commercialize any product candidates for which we may obtain
regulatory approval or identify an alternate regulatory pathway to market; and
add operational, compliance, financial and management information systems and personnel to support our operations as a public
company.
To become and remain profitable, we or any potential future collaborator must develop and eventually commercialize products with
significant market potential at an adequate profit margin after cost of goods sold and other expenses. This will require us to be successful in a
range of challenging activities, including, but not limited to: completing preclinical studies, Clinical Studies and Clinical Trials for any
product candidate we elect to develop as a drug product candidate under an IND; obtaining marketing approval or identifying alternate
regulatory pathways for product candidates; manufacturing, marketing and selling products for which we may obtain marketing approval; or
successfully satisfying any pre- or post-marketing requirements. We may never succeed in any or all of these activities and, even if we do, we
may never generate revenue that is significant enough to achieve profitability. If we do achieve profitability, we may not be able to sustain or
increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. Our failure to become and remain profitable would decrease the value of our company,
which could impair our ability to raise capital, maintain our research and development efforts, expand our business or continue our
operations. A decline in the value of our company also could cause you to lose all or part of your investment.
Even if we succeed in commercializing one or more of our product candidates, we will continue to incur substantial research and
development and other expenditures to develop and market additional product candidates. We may encounter unforeseen expenses,
difficulties, complications, delays and other unknown factors that may adversely affect our business, which may be significant. The size of
our future net losses will depend, in part, on the rate of future growth of our expenses and our ability to generate revenue. Our prior losses
and expected future losses have had and will continue to have an adverse effect on our stockholders' equity and working capital.
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We will require additional capital to fund our operations and if we fail to obtain necessary financing, we will not be able to complete
development and commercialization of our product candidates.
Our operations have consumed substantial amounts of cash since inception. We expect to continue to spend substantial amounts for our
current and future programs: to conduct further research and development, preclinical studies, Clinical Studies and/or Clinical Trials for any
product candidates we elect to develop as a drug product candidate under an IND; to validate the manufacturing process and specifications
for our product candidates; to seek regulatory approvals for or identify alternate regulatory pathways to market for our product candidates;
and to launch and commercialize any products for which we receive regulatory approval or identify an alternate regulatory pathway to
market, including potentially building our own commercial organization. As of December 31, 2020, we had $107.3 million of cash, cash
equivalents and marketable securities on hand. Based on our current operating plan, we believe that our existing cash, cash equivalents and
marketable securities will enable us to fund our operating expenses, capital expenditure requirements and debt service obligations through at
least the next 12 months. However, our future capital requirements and the period for which our existing resources will support our
operations may vary significantly from our expectations, and we will in any event require additional capital in order to complete clinical
development of any of our current product candidates. Our monthly spending levels will vary based on new and ongoing development and
corporate activities. Because the length of time and activities associated with development of our product candidates is highly uncertain, we
are unable to estimate the actual funds we will require for development and any approved marketing and commercialization activities. Our
future funding requirements, both near and long-term, will depend on many factors, including, but not limited to:
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our decisions regarding the development path under which we will develop our product candidates (e.g., either continuing to develop
a product candidate as a non-drug product, or initiating development as drug product candidate under an IND or non-U.S.
equivalent);
the initiation, progress, timing, costs and results of preclinical studies, Clinical Studies, planned Clinical Trials, and any need to
conduct additional studies as may be required by a regulatory authority, including additional studies that may be required by a
regulatory authority in order to allow the initiation of Clinical Trials under an IND or the non-U.S. equivalent for any of our product
candidates;
any clinical development plans we establish for these product candidates;
any setbacks or delays to the initiation or completion of preclinical studies, Clinical Studies and/or Clinical Trials due to the COVID-
19 pandemic;
further development of our development platform and supporting infrastructure;
the number and characteristics of product candidates that we develop or may in-license;
the terms of any partnership or collaboration agreements we may choose to initiate or conclude;
the outcome, timing and cost of meeting regulatory requirements established by the FDA, any other regulatory authorities in the
United States, and, when applicable, comparable foreign regulatory authorities, such as the EMA;
the effect of changes in regulations or policy relating to the development and commercialization of our product candidates by the
FDA, any other regulatory authorities in the United States and, when applicable, other comparable foreign regulatory authorities,
such as the EMA;
the cost of establishing, maintaining and overseeing a quality system compliant with GCP (quality regulations, guidance and
standards applicable to oversight of Clinical Trials, if any);
the costs of establishing, maintaining and overseeing a quality system compliant with current Good Manufacturing Practice, or
cGMP, and other quality standards applicable to non-drug and drug product development and a supply chain for the development and
manufacture of our product candidates;
any disruption or delays to the supply of our product candidates due to the COVID-19 pandemic;
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the cost of defending intellectual property disputes, including patent infringement actions brought by third parties against us related
to our product candidates or our development platform, or other technologies;
the effect of competing technological and market developments;
the cost and timing of establishing, expanding and scaling compliance programs related to our activities and product candidate
development and commercialization and related legal activities, including defense of any potential litigation against us;
the cost and timing of establishing, expanding and scaling of manufacturing capabilities, or contracting with third parties for access
to such capabilities; and
the cost of establishing sales, marketing and distribution capabilities for any product candidates for which we may receive regulatory
approval or identify alternate regulatory pathways in regions where we choose to commercialize our products.
We do not have any committed external source of funds or other support for our development efforts and we cannot be certain that additional
funding will be available on acceptable terms, or at all. Until we can generate sufficient product revenue or, if we were to enter into third-
party agreements, royalty revenue to finance our cash requirements, which we may never do, we expect to finance our future cash needs
through a combination of public or private equity offerings, debt financings, collaborations, strategic alliances, licensing arrangements and
other marketing or distribution arrangements. If we raise additional funds through public or private equity offerings, the terms of these
securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect our stockholders' rights. Further, to the extent that we raise
additional capital through the sale of common stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable for common stock, your ownership interest
will be diluted. If we raise additional capital through debt financing, we would be subject to fixed payment obligations and may be subject to
covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures, declaring
dividends or acquiring or licensing intellectual property rights. If we raise additional capital through marketing and distribution arrangements
or other collaborations, strategic alliances or licensing arrangements with third parties, we may have to relinquish certain valuable rights to
our product candidates, technologies, future revenue streams or research programs or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us.
We also could be required to seek collaborators for one or more of our current or future product candidates at an earlier stage than otherwise
would be desirable or relinquish our rights to product candidates or technologies that we otherwise would seek to develop or commercialize
ourselves. If we are unable to raise additional capital in sufficient amounts or on terms acceptable to us, we may have to significantly delay,
scale back or discontinue the development or commercialization of one or more of our product candidates or one or more of our other
research and development initiatives. Any of the above events could significantly harm our business, prospects, financial condition and
results of operations and cause the price of our common stock to decline, causing you to lose all or part of your investment.
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Clinical development is a lengthy and expensive process, with a highly uncertain outcome. We may incur additional costs or experience
delays in completing, or ultimately be unable to complete, the development and commercialization of any product candidates, which could
impair our ability to fund our operations or obtain financing on acceptable terms, or at all.
To obtain the requisite regulatory approvals to commercialize any of our product candidates that we decide to develop as a drug product
candidate, such as AXA1665 and AXA1125, we must demonstrate through extensive preclinical studies and Clinical Trials that our product
candidates are safe and effective in humans for their intended use. Clinical Studies to commercialize non-drug products also require a
significant financial investment to generate data that supports claims we may make for such products and establish their safety and
tolerability. Clinical testing is expensive, difficult to design and implement and can take many years to complete, and its outcome is
inherently uncertain. We may be unable to establish, where applicable, endpoints, dose levels and regimens or bioanalytical assay methods
that applicable regulatory authorities would consider clinically meaningful or legally permissible. Results from preclinical or Clinical Studies
may demonstrate that our product candidates are not safe, not tolerable or have unanticipated impacts on the normal structure and function of
the body and could result in data showing one or more product candidates to have harmful or problematic side effects or toxicities. A Clinical
Study or Clinical Trial can fail at any stage of testing. Additionally, our Clinical Studies, Clinical Trials or other studies may not result in data
that supports intended claims for our product candidates. For example, Clinical Trial results may show any drug product candidate to be less
effective than expected (e.g., a Clinical Trial could fail to meet its primary endpoint(s)) or have unacceptable side effects or toxicities. The
outcome of preclinical studies, Clinical Studies and early Clinical Trials may not be predictive of the success of later preclinical studies,
Clinical Studies and/or Clinical Trials, and interim results of these studies or trials do not necessarily predict final results. Interim and
preliminary data are subject to the risk that one or more of the outcomes may materially change as subject enrollment continues, more subject
data become available and as the study is completed. Preliminary or top-line data also remain subject to audit and verification procedures that
may result in the final data being materially different from the preliminary data we previously published. As a result, interim and preliminary
data should be viewed with caution until the final data are available. Material inconsistencies between preliminary or interim data and final
data could significantly harm our business prospects. Further, differences in trial design between Clinical Studies and early-stage Clinical
Trials and later-stage Clinical Trials make it difficult to extrapolate from the results of Clinical Studies and earlier Clinical Trials to the
results from later Clinical Trials. Moreover, preclinical and clinical data are often susceptible to varying interpretations and analyses, and
many companies that have believed their product candidates performed satisfactorily in preclinical studies and Clinical Trials have
nonetheless failed to obtain marketing approval of their product candidates, or have data that supports desirable marketing claims even where
marketing approval is not required. Successful completion of Clinical Trials is a prerequisite to submitting an NDA to the FDA, or its
equivalent in other jurisdictions such as a marketing authorization application to the EMA, for each product candidate targeting therapeutic
indication(s) and, consequently, a pre-requisite for the ultimate approval and commercial marketing of any product candidate for therapeutic
indication(s).
We do not know whether we will be able to initiate or complete Clinical Trials for product candidates we decide to develop as drug product
candidates on schedule, if at all. Additionally, we may determine as a result of factors in or out of control to terminate plans or efforts in
connection with planned Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials. For example, if we do not have sufficient funds to finance our planned Clinical
Studies or Clinical Trials or the FDA or equivalent regulatory authority has requirements we are not able to comply with, or that we decide to
not comply with, we may need to delay or cancel one or more of our planned Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials.
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We may experience delays in completing our preclinical studies and initiating or completing Clinical Studies and, for those product
candidates that we decide to develop as drug product candidates, Clinical Trials. We also may experience numerous unforeseen events
during, or as a result of, any future Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials that we may conduct that could delay or prevent our ability to receive
marketing approval or commercialize our product candidates, including, but not limited to:
•
unforeseen events or events over which we have little to no control, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, can cause execution delays for
our Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials, and issues related to the quality, completeness and interpretability of our data that could result
in significant delays or additional costs and impact development plans for our product candidates;
• we may be unable to generate sufficient preclinical, toxicology or other in vivo or in vitro data to support the initiation of Clinical
Trials for therapeutic indications for any drug product candidates or the marketing of our products as non-drug products;
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the FDA may not allow us to use data from our Clinical Studies to support a late-phase IND Clinical Trial or an IND Clinical Trial of
any phase for AXA1665, AXA1125 or any other product candidate we decide to develop as a drug product candidate instead of a
non-drug product candidate;
the FDA or other regulatory authorities may disagree with the design, implementation or results of our Clinical Studies or Clinical
Trials, which may delay or prevent us from pursuing certain regulatory pathways for product developments, or require us to submit
additional data such as long-term toxicology studies or impose other requirements before permitting us to initiate or complete a
Clinical Trial of any phase. For example, the FDA could require that we terminate a Clinical Study for a product candidate and
continue such study only under an IND, and we may not be able to obtain such an IND, or we may be subject to an enforcement
action for conducting a Clinical Study not under an IND;
regulatory authorities, IRBs or ethics committees may not authorize us or our investigators to commence or conduct a Clinical Study
or Clinical Trial at a prospective study or trial site or may request early termination of a Clinical Study or Clinical Trial;
• we may experience delays in reaching, or fail to reach, agreement on acceptable terms with prospective study or trial sites and
prospective contract research organizations, or CROs, the terms of which can be subject to extensive negotiation and may vary
significantly among different CROs and study or trial sites;
•
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preclinical studies, Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials of any of our product candidates may produce negative or inconclusive results
and we may need to conduct additional preclinical studies, Clinical Studies, Clinical Trials or any other studies, or we may decide to
abandon product development programs;
the number of subjects or patients required for Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials of any of our product candidates may be larger than
we anticipate, or we may fail to execute the Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials caused by slow enrollment, subjects dropping out of
the Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials or other factors, including some which are out of our control, such as COVID-19, length of
time to achieve clinical endpoints, additional time requirements for data analysis, or an inability to validate the manufacturing
process or to achieve cGMP compliance for our product candidates;
• we may need to add new or additional Clinical Study or Clinical Trial sites for various reasons, for example, our third-party
contractors may fail to comply with regulatory requirements or meet their contractual obligations to us in a timely manner, or at all,
or may deviate from the Clinical Study or Clinical Trial protocol or stop providing services for the study or trial, which may require
that we add new clinical study or trial sites or investigators;
•
the cost of preclinical studies, Clinical Studies, Clinical Trials or any other studies of any product candidates may be more than we
anticipate or more than our available financial resources; and
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•
the supply or quality of our product candidates or other materials necessary to conduct Clinical Studies and Clinical Trials, for which
we expect to continue to rely on third party manufacturers and suppliers, may be insufficient or inadequate and may not achieve
compliance with applicable cGMP and other quality standards applicable to drug or non-drug product development for various
reasons including any potential failure of our oversight of their services or any potential inability of such third parties to successfully
execute services in compliance with applicable rules and regulations.
We could also encounter delays if a preclinical study, Clinical Study or Clinical Trial is suspended or terminated for any reason. A suspension
or termination may be imposed due to a number of factors, including failure to conduct the Clinical Study or Clinical Trial in accordance
with regulatory requirements or our clinical protocols, inspection of the Clinical Study or Clinical Trial operations or trial site by the FDA,
comparable foreign regulatory authorities or IRB resulting in the imposition of a clinical hold, unforeseen safety issues or adverse side
effects, including death of a study subject, failure to demonstrate a benefit from using a product or treatment, failure to establish or achieve
clinically meaningful or legally permissible endpoints, changes in governmental regulations or administrative actions or lack of adequate
funding to continue the Clinical Study or Clinical Trial. Many of the factors that cause, or lead to, a delay in the commencement or
completion of Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials may also ultimately lead to the denial of regulatory approval of our product candidates for
therapeutic indications, where applicable, or the failure to meet applicable regulatory requirements to support and commercialize non-drug
products. Further, the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may change the requirements for regulatory approval of a drug even
after they have reviewed and commented on the design for our preclinical studies, Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials.
Our product development costs will increase, or our operations may be hindered or prevented if we experience delays in clinical testing and
marketing approvals, if applicable, or otherwise meeting regulatory requirements to commercialize our product candidates, including, but not
limited to, delays in NDA preparation, the need to submit a new dietary ingredient, or NDI, notification or other filings with the FDA,
discussions with the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities in jurisdictions we target or pursue, responding to an FDA request or
other regulatory authority for additional preclinical or clinical data or unexpected safety or manufacturing issues. We do not know whether
any of our preclinical studies, Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials, if applicable, will begin or be completed as planned, will need to be
restructured or will be completed on schedule, or at all. Significant delays in our preclinical studies, Clinical Studies or Clinical Trial also
could shorten any periods during which we may have the exclusive right to commercialize our product candidates and may allow our
competitors to bring products to market before we do, potentially impairing our ability to successfully commercialize our product candidates
and harming our business and results of operations. Any delays in our preclinical or future clinical development programs may harm our
business, financial condition and prospects significantly, and could impair our ability to fund our operations or obtain financing on acceptable
terms, or at all.
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Risks Related to Our Business, Technology and Industry
Any use of our product candidates to support and maintain homeostasis, which helps support normal structures and functions of the
body, or to modulate dysregulated metabolism is a novel approach and negative perception of any product candidates that we develop
could adversely affect our ability to conduct our business, obtain regulatory approvals or identify alternate regulatory pathways, to the
extent required by applicable laws, to market such product candidates.
The development of EMMs compositions with defined ratios and formulations, and the potential drug and non-drug applications of these
product candidates represents a novel approach. Our product candidates in general may not be successfully developed or commercialized or
gain the acceptance of the public or the medical community. For any product candidate that we choose to develop as a drug product
candidate, our success will depend upon physicians who specialize in the treatment of diseases targeted by our product candidates,
prescribing potential treatments that involve the use of our product candidates in lieu of, or in addition to, existing treatments with which they
are more familiar and for which greater clinical data may be available. For any product candidate that we choose to develop as a non-drug
product candidate, our success will depend on finding partners in a non-drug market who can help successfully commercialize product
candidates as non-drug product candidates, such as dietary supplements. In addition, our success will also depend on consumer acceptance
and adoption of our products that we, or a future partner, commercialize, if any. Adverse events, which may include death, in Clinical Studies
and Clinical Trials of our product candidates or in studies or Clinical Trials of other parties developing similar products and the resulting
publicity, as well as any other adverse events in the field of EMMs and metabolic pathways, could result in a decrease in demand for any
product that we may develop. In addition, responses by the U.S. federal, state or foreign governments to negative public perception or ethical
concerns may result in new legislation or regulations that could limit our ability to develop or commercialize any product candidates, obtain
or maintain regulatory approval, if applicable, identify alternate regulatory pathways to market or otherwise achieve profitability. More
restrictive statutory regimes, government regulations or negative public opinion would have an adverse effect on our business, financial
condition, results of operations and prospects, and may delay or impair the development and commercialization of our product candidates or
demand for any products we may commercialize.
We face significant competition from other healthcare companies, and our operating results will suffer if we fail to compete effectively.
The healthcare industry is characterized by intense competition and rapid innovation. Our competitors may be able to develop other drug or
non-drug products that are able to achieve similar or better results. Our potential competitors include major multinational pharmaceutical,
nutritional foods companies, established biotechnology companies, specialty pharmaceutical companies and universities and other research
institutions. Many of our competitors have substantially greater financial, technical and other resources, such as larger research and
development staff, experienced marketing and manufacturing organizations and well-established sales forces. Smaller or early-stage
companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large, established companies.
Established pharmaceutical companies may also invest heavily to accelerate discovery and development of novel drugs or to in-license novel
drugs that could make any product candidate that we develop as a drug product candidate obsolete. Mergers and acquisitions in the healthcare
industry may result in even more resources being concentrated amongst our competitors. Competition may increase further as a result of
advances in the commercial applicability of technologies and greater availability of capital for investment in these industries. Our
competitors, either alone or with collaborative partners, may succeed in developing, acquiring or licensing on exclusive basis non-drug
products that are safer, more easily commercialized or less costly than our product candidates or may develop proprietary technologies or
secure patent protection that we may need for the development of our technologies and products.
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We believe the key competitive factors that will affect the development and commercial success of our product candidates are efficacy,
safety, tolerability, reliability, convenience of use, price and reimbursement, if applicable depending on the development path we choose. We
also anticipate that we will face increased competition in the future as additional companies enter our market and scientific developments
surrounding other non-drug products and drugs targeted at metabolic pathways continue to accelerate.
In addition, there are additional companies that are working on modulating specific metabolic pathways involved in various health and
disease conditions. Although we are not aware of any company creating products targeting metabolic multifactorial activity for the same
indications and targets as us, Entrinsic Biosciences, Inc. is developing amino acid combinations to treat gastrointestinal disorders and other
conditions associated with dysfunctional transport membrane proteins. Companies with clinical programs that could compete with our
current pipeline of product candidates include 89bio, Inc., Akero Therapeutics, Inc., Bausch Health, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., Esperion
Therapeutics, Inc., Genfit SA, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Kaleido Biosciences, Inc., Madrigal Pharmaceuticals,
Inc., Mallinckrodt plc, NGM Biopharmaceuticals Inc., Novartis AG, Scholar Rock Holding Corporation, and Viking Therapeutics, Inc.,
among others.
Even if we obtain regulatory approval to market our product candidates as drugs or are successful in identifying alternate regulatory
pathways to market our product candidates under regulations that would apply to non-drug products, the availability and price of our
competitors' products could limit the demand and the price we are able to charge for our product candidates. We may not be able to
implement our business plan if the acceptance of our product candidates is inhibited by price competition or the reluctance of consumers to
accept of our product candidates and choose them over other competitive products on the market or, for product candidates we develop as
drugs, of physicians to switch from existing methods of treatment to our product candidates, or if physicians switch to other new drug or
biologic products or choose to reserve our product candidates for use in limited circumstances.
If we lose key management personnel, or if we are unable to recruit additional highly skilled personnel, our ability to identify and develop
new or next generation product candidates will be impaired, could result in loss of markets or market share and could make us less
competitive.
Our ability to compete in the highly competitive biotechnology industry depends upon our ability to attract and retain highly qualified
managerial, scientific, medical and other personnel. We are highly dependent on our management, scientific and medical personnel. The loss
of the services of any of our executive officers, other key employees and other scientific and medical advisors, and our inability to find
suitable replacements could result in delays in product development and harm our business. We conduct our operations in Massachusetts.
Competition for skilled personnel in our market is intense and may limit our ability to hire and retain highly qualified personnel on
acceptable terms or at all. To induce valuable employees to remain at our company, in addition to salary and cash incentives, we have
provided stock options that vest over time. The value to employees of stock options that vest over time may be significantly affected by
movements in our stock price that are beyond our control and may at any time be insufficient to counteract more lucrative offers from other
companies. Despite our efforts to retain valuable employees, members of our management, scientific and development teams may terminate
their employment with us on short notice.
Employment of our key employees is at-will, which means that any of our employees could leave our employment at any time, with or
without notice. For example, in the fall of 2019, a number of the employees in our finance group left the Company to pursue other
employment opportunities and although these positions are currently filled by new full-time employees, such transitions create operational
risks for the Company. We do not maintain "key man" insurance policies on the lives of these individuals or the lives of any of our other
employees. Our success also depends on our ability to continue to attract, retain and motivate highly skilled junior, mid-level and senior
managers as well as junior, mid-level and senior scientific and medical personnel.
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COVID-19 may materially and adversely affect our business and our financial results.
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant governmental measures being implemented to control the spread of the virus, including
quarantines, travel restrictions, business shutdowns and clinical site closures to non-essential care and clinical trials. For example, our
AXA1957-002 Clinical Study was temporarily suspended in March 2020 due to COVID-19 impact on our clinical trial sites. Subsequently,
based on positive data in our AXA1125-003 Clinical Study announced on May 6, 2020, we decided against reinitiating our AXA1957-002
Clinical Study and to move forward with AXA1125 as our NASH product candidate for both adult and pediatric patients. Although we
cannot presently predict the full scope and severity of COVID-19, these developments and measures could materially and adversely affect
our business, our results of operation and financial condition. For instance, the COVID-19 pandemic may further adversely impact our ability
to conduct initiate our planned Clinical Trials for AXA1665 and AXA1125 under INDs in a timely manner or at all due to patient or principal
investigator recruitment or availability challenges, clinical trial site shutdowns or other interruptions. Furthermore, we may also experience
potential limitations on the quality, completeness and interpretability of data we are able to collect. For instance, on May 7, 2020, a subject
death was reported as a result of COVID-19 by one of our principal investigators in our recently completed AXA1665-002 Clinical Study.
This serious adverse event and any others that may result from COVID-19 may impact the quality, completeness and interpretability of the
data that we were able to collect. In addition, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we or our key third-party service providers may be not
able to complete key program and product development milestones on time or at all; quarantines, shelter-in-place and similar government
orders may impact personnel at third-party manufacturing facilities that negatively impact the availability or cost of materials used in our
product candidates; market volatility and conditions may limit our ability to raise additional capital to finance our business plans on attractive
terms or at all; our business continuity plans may not be effective at limiting operational disruptions or delays; we may suffer negative
impacts to operations that may be vulnerable as a result of government or company measures taken to control the spread of COVID-19;
potential shutdowns of government agencies such as the SEC or FDA may limit our ability to raise capital and negatively impact our product
development timelines; the passage of new legislation may increase our operating costs or limit our operations, such as the Families First
Coronavirus Response Act; we may suffer negative consequences due to vulnerabilities that emerge as a result of our limited operations, such
as a cybersecurity incident; or one of our key executives, scientists or other personnel may become incapacitated by COVID-19.
The extent to which COVID-19 impacts our business, operations or financial results will depend on future developments, which are highly
uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, such as the duration of the pandemic, new information that may emerge concerning the
severity of COVID-19 or the nature or effectiveness of actions to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, among others. We cannot presently
predict the scope and severity of any potential business shutdowns or disruptions. If we or any of the third parties with whom we engage,
however, were to experience shutdowns or other business disruptions, our ability to conduct our business in the manner and on the timelines
presently planned could be materially and negatively affected, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of
operation and financial condition.
We have a limited operating history, which may make it difficult to evaluate our technology and product development capabilities and
predict our future performance.
We are early in our development efforts and we have not initiated Clinical Trials for any of our product candidates to allow for development
of such candidates as drug product candidates. In addition, as an organization, we have not yet commenced or completed any Clinical Trials.
We recently completed our AXA1125-003 Clinical Study and are preparing to conduct a Clinical Trial of AXA1125 enrolling patients with
NASH, subject to successful clearance of an IND. We also recently completed our AXA1665-002 Clinical Study of AXA1665 and are
preparing to conduct a Phase 2 Clinical Trial of AXA 1665 enrolling patients who have experienced a prior OHE episode.
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We were formed in 2008, have no products approved for commercial sale as drugs or marketed via other regulatory pathways (e.g., non-drug
products such as dietary supplements) and have not generated any revenue from product sales. Our ability to generate product revenue or
profits, which we do not expect will occur for many years, if ever, will depend on the successful development and eventual
commercialization of our product candidates, which may never occur.
Our limited operating history may make it difficult to evaluate our technology and industry and predict our future performance. Specifically,
to date we have conducted Clinical Studies for our product candidates to evaluate safety and tolerability and impact on normal structure and
function only in healthy subjects or subjects with certain disease conditions. For product candidates we develop under an IND with patient
populations reflecting the desired indication for such product candidate, the physiological structure and function data we observed in our
Clinical Studies for such product candidate may not be replicated in or be consistent with results from Clinical Trials and such product
candidate may not meet therapeutic efficacy endpoints in Clinical Trials. For instance, while we previously announced positive top-line data
in both our (i) AXA1125-003 Clinical Study, including reductions in liver fat content and markers of fibroinflammation and (ii) AXA1665-
002 Clinical Study, including a balancing of plasma amino acids, stabilizing ammonia levels and an improvement in measures of
neurocognition, such results may not be replicated in larger Clinical Trials.
Our short history as an operating company makes any assessment of our future success or viability subject to significant uncertainty. We will
encounter risks and difficulties frequently experienced by early-stage companies in evolving fields. If we do not address these or other risks
successfully, our business will suffer. Similarly, we expect that our financial condition, expenditures and operating results will fluctuate
significantly from quarter to quarter and year to year due to a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control. As a result, our
stockholders should not rely upon the results of any quarterly or annual period as an indicator of future operating performance.
In addition, as an early-stage company, we may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other known and
unknown circumstances, which may be significant. To the extent we ultimately pursue a drug development pathway for any product
candidates initially studied under Clinical Studies, we will need to transition from a company with a research Clinical Study focus to a
company capable of supporting clinical development in Clinical Trials and, if successful, commercial activities. We may not be successful in
such transitions.
Our planned Clinical Studies or any future Clinical Trials, if applicable, or those of our future collaborators may reveal significant
adverse events not seen in our preclinical studies, Clinical Studies or other Clinical Trials and may result in a safety profile that could
inhibit regulatory approval or market acceptance of any of our product candidates.
Before obtaining regulatory approvals for the commercial sale of any products for therapeutic indications, we must demonstrate through
lengthy, complex and expensive preclinical studies and Clinical Trials that our product candidates are both safe and effective for use in each
target indication. Any non-drug products must also be demonstrated to be safe and tolerable. Our product candidates have been generally
well tolerated in our Clinical Studies to date, but we cannot be certain that we will be able to dose subjects or patients at a high enough dose
in any future Clinical Trials of product candidates we may develop as drugs so as to demonstrate efficacy without unacceptable safety risk.
Product candidates in later stages of Clinical Studies may fail to show the desired safety profile despite having progressed through successful
preclinical studies and earlier Clinical Studies. Product candidates that we decide to develop as drug product candidates and that progress to
Clinical Trials may fail to show the desired safety and efficacy profile despite having progressed successfully through preclinical studies,
Clinical Studies and, if applicable, initial Clinical Trials. A number of companies in the healthcare industry have suffered significant setbacks
in later development, notwithstanding promising results in earlier trials. Most product candidates that commence Clinical Trials are never
approved as products for therapeutic indications, and there can be no assurance that any of our current or future Clinical Studies or Clinical
Trials will ultimately be successful or support further clinical development of any of our product candidates.
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If significant adverse events, which may include death, or other side effects are observed in any of our current or future Clinical Studies or
Clinical Trials, we may have difficulty recruiting subjects or patients for our Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials, subjects or patients may drop
out of our Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials or we may be required to significantly redesign or abandon Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials or
our development efforts of one or more product candidates altogether. We, the FDA or other applicable regulatory authorities or an IRB may
suspend Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials of a product candidate at any time for various reasons, including a belief that subjects or patients
in such Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials are being exposed to unacceptable health risks or adverse side effects or FDA or other applicable
regulatory authorities could determine that our Clinical Studies need to be stopped and any further research for a product candidate needs to
be conducted under a Clinical Trial instead. Some potential non-drug products and drug product candidates that initially showed promise for
further development in early-stage testing, including in Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials, have later been found to cause side effects that
prevented their further development. Even if the side effects do not preclude a product candidate from obtaining or maintaining marketing
approval, if applicable, or being commercialized, undesirable side effects may inhibit market acceptance of the commercialized product due
to its tolerability versus other non-drug products or drugs. Any of these developments could materially harm our business, financial condition
and prospects.
If we encounter difficulties enrolling subjects or patients in our Clinical Studies or any future Clinical Trials, our development activities
could be delayed or otherwise adversely affected.
We may experience difficulties in subject and patient enrollment in our Clinical Studies and Clinical Trials for a variety of reasons. The
timely completion of Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials in accordance with their protocols depends, among other things, on our ability to
enroll a sufficient number of subjects or patients who remain in the Clinical Study or Clinical Trial until its conclusion. The enrollment of
subjects or patients depends on many factors, including, but not limited to:
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the severity of the disease or condition under investigation in the case of a Clinical Trial conducted under an IND for a drug product
candidate;
the subject or patient eligibility and exclusion criteria defined in the protocol;
the size of the study subject or patient population required for analysis of the primary endpoint(s) of the Clinical Study or Clinical
Trial;
the proximity of subjects or patients to study and trial sites;
the design of the Clinical Study or Clinical Trial;
our ability to recruit investigators with the appropriate competencies and experience;
clinicians', subjects' or patients' perceptions as to the potential advantages and risks of the product candidate being studied in relation
to other available drugs or non-drug products, as applicable;
the efforts to facilitate timely enrollment in Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials;
the subject or patient referral practices of physicians;
the ability to monitor subjects or patients adequately during and after study product administration;
our ability to obtain and maintain subject and patient consents;
factors we may not be able to control, such as potential pandemics that may limit subject, principal investigator or staff and clinical
site availability (e.g. the COVID-19 pandemic); and
the risk that subjects or patients enrolled in Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials will drop out of the Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials
before completion.
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In addition, our Clinical Studies and Clinical Trials will compete with other clinical studies or trials for product candidates that are in the
same target markets as our product candidates, and this competition will reduce the number and types of subjects or patients available to us,
because some individuals who might have opted to enroll in our Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials may instead opt to enroll in a study or trial
being conducted by one of our competitors. Because the number of qualified clinical investigators is limited, we expect to conduct some of
our Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials at the same sites that some of our competitors use, which will reduce the number of subjects or patients
who are available for our Clinical Studies and Clinical Trials in such sites. Moreover, because our product candidates represent a departure
from more commonly used methods in the non-drug and drug areas we may pursue, potential subjects or patients and their doctors may be
inclined to use conventional products or therapies, rather than enroll subjects or patients in any future clinical study or trial.
Delays in subject or patient enrollment or Clinical Study or Clinical Trial delays may result in increased costs or may affect the timing or
outcome of our planned Clinical Studies or future Clinical Trials, which could prevent their completion or otherwise may negatively impact
the quality, completeness and interpretability of data that we are able to collect and adversely affect our ability to advance the development of
our product candidates.
If we fail to comply with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, we could become subject to fines or penalties or incur
costs that could have a material adverse effect on the success of our business.
We are subject to numerous environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including those governing laboratory procedures and the
handling, use, storage, treatment and disposal of hazardous materials and wastes. Our research and development activities may involve the
use of biological and hazardous materials and may produce hazardous waste products. We generally contract with third parties for the
disposal of these materials and wastes.
We cannot eliminate the risk of contamination or injury from these materials, which could cause an interruption of our commercialization
efforts, research and development efforts and business operations, environmental damage resulting in costly clean-up and liabilities under
applicable laws and regulations governing the use, storage, handling and disposal of these materials and specified waste products. Although
we believe that the safety procedures utilized by our third-party manufacturers for handling and disposing of these materials generally
comply with the standards prescribed by these laws and regulations, we cannot guarantee that this is the case or eliminate the risk of
accidental contamination or injury from these materials. In such an event, we may be held liable for any resulting damages and such liability
could exceed our resources and state or federal or other applicable authorities may curtail our use of certain materials or interrupt our
business operations. Furthermore, environmental laws and regulations are complex, change frequently and have tended to become more
stringent. We cannot predict the impact of such changes and cannot be certain of our future compliance. In addition, we may incur substantial
costs in order to comply with current or future environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. These current or future laws and
regulations may negatively impact our research, development or production efforts. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations also
may result in substantial fines, penalties or other sanctions.
Although we maintain workers' compensation insurance to cover us for costs and expenses we may incur due to injuries to our employees
resulting from the use of biological waste or hazardous materials or other work-related injuries, this insurance may not provide adequate
coverage against potential liabilities. We do not carry specific biological waste or hazardous waste insurance coverage, workers
compensation or property and casualty and general liability insurance policies that include coverage for damages and fines arising from
biological or hazardous waste exposure or contamination.
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If product liability claims or lawsuits are brought against us, we may incur substantial liabilities and may be required to limit
commercialization of our product candidates.
We face an inherent risk of product liability as a result of testing our product candidates in Clinical Studies and, if we decide to develop any
product candidates as a drug product candidate, Clinical Trials, and will face an even greater risk if we commercialize any products. For
example, we may be sued, or claims may be made against us, if our informed consents for subjects or patients in any Clinical Studies or
Clinical Trials are or are alleged to be inadequate or inaccurate in any way or fail to fully inform subjects or patients of any potential risks
involved with their participation or other material or required information. We may also be sued, or claims may be made against us, if our
product candidates cause or are perceived to cause injury or are found to be otherwise unsuitable during Clinical Studies, Clinical Trials,
manufacturing, marketing or after sale. Any such product liability claims may include, without limitation, allegations of defects in
manufacturing, defects in design, a failure to warn of dangers inherent in the product, negligence, strict liability, marketing or promotional
claims or a breach of warranties. Claims could also be asserted under state consumer protection or other statutes or regulations. If we cannot
successfully defend ourselves against product liability claims or any other claims related to our products, we may incur substantial liabilities
or be required to limit commercialization of our product candidates. Even successful defense would require significant financial and
management resources. Regardless of the merits or eventual outcome, liability claims could have a material adverse effect on our business
and operations, and may result in, among other things:
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inability to bring a product candidate to the market;
decreased demand for and decline in the price charged for our products;
damage to our reputation;
• withdrawal of Clinical Study or Clinical Trial subjects or patients and inability to enroll future subjects or patients or continue
Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials;
initiation of investigations by regulatory authorities or other regulatory action;
costs to defend the related litigation;
diversion of management's time and our resources;
substantial monetary awards to subjects or patients;
product recalls, withdrawals or labeling, packaging, marketing or promotional modifications or restrictions;
loss of revenue;
exhaustion of any available insurance and our capital resources;
the inability to commercialize any product candidates via any regulatory pathway; and
decline in our share price.
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We maintain clinical trial insurance. We review our clinical trial insurance policy annually and we believe that our coverage is currently
adequate to cover any claims that may arise in connection with our Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials. There is no guarantee that we will be
able to obtain additional Clinical Trial insurance at an acceptable cost in the future, which could prevent or inhibit the ongoing development
of our products.
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Since we have not yet commenced marketing of any products we do not yet hold product liability insurance for commercialization of our
products. Our inability to obtain sufficient product liability insurance at an acceptable cost to protect against potential product liability claims
could prevent or inhibit the commercialization of products we develop, alone or with collaborators. If and when coverage is secured, our
insurance policies may also have various exclusions, and we may be subject to a product liability claim for which we have no or inadequate
coverage. We may have to pay any amounts awarded by a court or negotiated in a settlement that exceed our coverage limitations or that are
not covered by our insurance, and we may not have, or be able to obtain, sufficient capital to pay such amounts. Even if our agreements with
any future corporate collaborators entitle us to indemnification against losses, such indemnification may not be available or adequate should
any claim arise.
The market opportunities for our product candidates may be limited and our estimates of the incidence and prevalence of our target
populations may be inaccurate.
Our projections of both the non-drug and drug market sizes we may target and the incidence and prevalence of our target populations are
based on our beliefs and estimates. These estimates have been derived from a variety of sources, including scientific literature, input from
key opinion leaders, patient foundations or secondary market research databases, and other sources and may prove to be incorrect. Further,
new studies may change the estimated market sizes or the incidence or prevalence of target diseases we may target with potential drug
product candidates. For those product candidates we develop under an IND, regulatory approvals may include limitations for use or
contraindications that decrease the addressable patient population. The number of subject individuals may turn out to be lower than expected.
Additionally, the potentially addressable patient population for our drug product candidates may be limited or may not be amenable to
treatment with such product candidates. For instance, we estimate that there are approximately 500,000 U.S. patients with covert or overt
hepatic encephalopathy, representing a market of up to $1 billion, and that up to 40 million people in the U.S. alone are living with NASH,
representing a market that is expected to grow to at least $8 billion by 2027. Even if we obtain significant market share for our product
candidates, because certain potential target populations are small, we may never achieve profitability without obtaining regulatory approval
for additional indications for drugs or expanding the target market size for non-drug products.
We are early in our development efforts and may not be successful in our efforts to use our development platform to build a successful
pipeline of product candidates and develop marketable products.
We are developing our product candidates with our development platform to reprogram metabolism and maintain and restore metabolic
health and have decided to pursue development of some of our product candidates as potential therapeutics under IND subject to completion
of any ongoing Clinical Studies, supportive data and agreement with the FDA. However, our development platform has not yet led, and may
never lead, to marketable drug or non-drug products. We are developing our initial product candidates in liver and blood. We may have
problems applying our technologies to these and other future target areas, and our product candidates may not demonstrate a comparable
ability in supporting or maintaining health or treating disease, where applicable. Even if we are successful in identifying additional product
candidates, they may not be suitable for clinical development as a result of limited efficacy, unacceptable safety profiles or other
characteristics that indicate that they are unlikely to be products that will receive marketing approval or achieve market acceptance. The
success of our product candidates will depend on several factors, including the following:
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successful enrollment in, and completion of, preclinical studies, Clinical Studies and, if applicable, Clinical Trials with positive
results;
clearance of INDs for future Clinical Trials for product candidates that we decide to develop as drug product candidates;
receipt of regulatory approvals from applicable regulatory authorities for drug product candidates or, alternatively, compliance with
regulatory requirements applicable to non-drug products;
overcoming any delays or interruptions to our supply chain, Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials as a result of the COVID-19
pandemic;
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obtaining and maintaining patent and trade secret protection and regulatory exclusivity, as available, for our product candidates;
establishing cGMP-compliant supply and commercial manufacturing operations or making arrangements with cGMP-compliant
third-party manufacturers for supply and commercial manufacturing;
launching commercial sales of our products, if and when approved, whether alone or in collaboration with others;
entering into new collaborations throughout the development process as appropriate, from preclinical studies through to
commercialization;
acceptance of our products, if and when approved or launched for commercialization under applicable regulations, by patients,
consumers, the medical community and third-party payors;
effectively competing with other drugs and non-drug products, depending on the development pathway that we choose for a product
candidate;
obtaining and maintaining coverage and adequate reimbursement by third-party payors, including government payors, for our
product candidates developed as drug products, if approved by the FDA;
protecting our rights in our intellectual property portfolio;
operating without infringing or violating the valid and enforceable patents or other intellectual property of third parties;
achieving and remaining in compliance with applicable laws and regulations that apply to the research, development and
commercialization of our product candidates and having productive interactions and positive regulatory decisions that lead to
successful product commercialization;
• maintaining a continued acceptable safety profile of the products following approval or commercialization; and
• maintaining and growing an organization of scientists and business people who can develop and commercialize our products and
technology.
If we do not successfully develop and commercialize product candidates using our development platform, we will not be able to obtain
product revenue in future periods, which could result in significant harm to our financial position and adversely affect our stock price.
Even if a drug product candidate or a non-drug product candidate receives marketing approval, or otherwise is commercialized,
respectively, such products may fail to achieve the degree of market acceptance by physicians, patients, third-party payors, consumers and
others in the medical or healthcare community or other target markets necessary for commercial success.
If any drug product candidate receives marketing approval or otherwise is commercialized under applicable regulations as a non-drug
product, it may nonetheless fail to gain sufficient market acceptance by physicians, patients, third-party payors, consumers and others in the
medical or health community or other target markets. If the product candidates we develop do not achieve an adequate level of acceptance,
we may not generate significant product revenues and we may not become profitable. The degree of market acceptance of any product
candidate, if approved for commercial sale, will depend on a number of factors, including, but not limited to:
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efficacy (for any drug product candidate), safety and potential advantages compared to alternative products;
the labeled uses or limitations for use, including age limitations or contraindications, for our product candidates compared to
alternative products;
convenience and ease of administration compared to alternative products;
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the willingness of the target patient or consumer population to try new drug product candidates or non-drug products, respectively;
the willingness of physicians to prescribe our drug product candidates to patients;
the willingness of healthcare professionals to recommend our non-drug products to consumers;
public perception of new drugs and non-drug products, including our product candidates;
the strength of marketing and distribution support;
any impacts to market health as a result of COVID-19;
the ability for us to partner in the manufacture and distribution of these products;
the ability to offer our products, if approved, as applicable, for sale at competitive prices;
the ability to obtain sufficient third-party insurance coverage and adequate reimbursement, as applicable depending on the
development path we pursue; and
the prevalence and severity of any side effects.
We will need to grow the size of our organization and we may experience difficulties in managing this growth.
As of December 31, 2020, we had 59 full-time employees. As our research, development, manufacturing and commercialization plans and
strategies develop, and as we transition into operating as a public company, we expect to need additional managerial, operational, sales,
marketing, financial and other personnel. Future growth would impose significant added responsibilities on members of management,
including, but not limited to:
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identifying, recruiting, compensating, integrating, maintaining and motivating additional employees;
• managing our internal research and development efforts effectively, including identification of clinical candidates, scaling our
manufacturing process and navigating product candidate clinical development and the FDA’s, or other comparable regulatory
agency’s, review process for our product candidates; and
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improving our operational, financial and management controls, reporting systems and procedures.
Our future financial performance and our ability to commercialize our product candidates will depend, in part, on our ability to effectively
manage any future growth, and our management may also have to divert a disproportionate amount of its attention away from day-to-day
activities in order to devote a substantial amount of time to managing these growth activities.
We currently rely, and for the foreseeable future will continue to rely, in substantial part on certain organizations, advisors and consultants to
provide certain services, including many aspects of legal, intellectual property, regulatory affairs, clinical management and manufacturing.
There can be no assurance that the services of these organizations, advisors and consultants will continue to be available to us on a timely
basis when needed or that we can find qualified replacements in a timely manner or at all. In addition, if we are unable to effectively manage
our outsourced activities or if the quality or accuracy of the services provided by consultants is compromised for any reason, our clinical
development may be extended, delayed or terminated, and we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval of our product candidates, if
required, or otherwise advance our business. There can be no assurance that we will be able to manage our existing consultants or find other
competent outside contractors and consultants, or key employees to provide needed services on economically reasonable terms, or at all.
If we are not able to effectively expand our organization by hiring new employees and expanding our groups of consultants and contractors,
we may not be able to successfully implement the tasks necessary to further develop and commercialize our product candidates and,
accordingly, may not achieve our research, development and commercialization goals.
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Our current operations are located in Massachusetts; and we or the third parties upon whom we depend may be adversely affected by
natural disasters and our business continuity and disaster recovery plans may not adequately protect us from a serious disaster.
Our current operations are located in Massachusetts. Any unplanned event, such as flood, fire, explosion, earthquake, extreme weather
condition, medical epidemics, including any potential effects from COVID-19, power shortage, telecommunication failure or other natural or
man-made accidents or incidents that result in us being unable to fully utilize our facilities, or the manufacturing facilities of our third-party
contract manufacturers, may have a material and adverse effect on our ability to operate our business, particularly on a daily basis, and have
significant negative consequences on our financial and operating conditions. Loss of access to these facilities may result in increased costs,
delays in the development of our product candidates or interruption of our business operations. Natural disasters or pandemics such as the
COVID-19 pandemic could further disrupt our operations, and have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results
of operations and prospects. For example, we have instituted a temporary work from home policy for non-essential office personnel and it is
possible that this could have a negative impact on the execution of our business plans and operations. If a natural disaster, power outage or
other event occurred that prevented us from using all or a significant portion of our headquarters, that damaged critical infrastructure, such as
our research facilities or the manufacturing facilities of our third-party contract manufacturers, or that otherwise disrupted operations, it may
be difficult or, in certain cases, impossible, for us to continue our business for a substantial period of time. The disaster recovery and business
continuity plans we have in place may prove inadequate in the event of a serious disaster or similar event. We may incur substantial expenses
as a result of the limited nature of our disaster recovery and business continuity plans, which could have a material adverse effect on our
business. As part of our risk management policy, we maintain insurance coverage at levels that we believe are appropriate for our business.
However, in the event of an accident or incident at these facilities, we cannot assure our investors that the amounts of insurance will be
sufficient to satisfy any damages and losses. If our facilities or the manufacturing facilities of our third-party contract manufacturers are
unable to operate because of an accident or incident or for any other reason, even for a short period of time, any or all of our research and
development programs may be harmed. Any business interruption may have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial
condition, results of operations and prospects.
Business disruptions could seriously harm our future revenue and financial condition and increase our costs and expenses.
Our operations, and those of our CROs, contract manufacturing organizations, or CMOs, manufacturers of the raw materials used in our
product candidates and other contractors and consultants, could be subject to earthquakes, power shortages, telecommunications failures,
water shortages, floods, hurricanes, typhoons, derechos, fires, extreme weather conditions, medical epidemics, including the current global
spread of COVID-19, and other natural or man-made disasters or business interruptions, for which we are predominantly self-insured. The
occurrence of any of these business disruptions could seriously harm our operations and financial condition and increase our costs and
expenses. For our Clinical Studies, we rely on third-party manufacturers to produce our product candidates, on CROs for conducting various
portions of such studies and on various consultants throughout the study process. For materials to be used in any future Clinical Trials, we
plan to rely on an external CMO for the entire manufacturing supply chain and plan to continue using CROs and consultants in connection
with conducting such trials. Our ability to obtain supplies of our product candidates and services from CROs and consultants could be
disrupted if the operations of these suppliers are affected by a man-made or natural disaster or other business interruption.
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Our internal computer systems, or those used by our CROs, CMOs or other contractors or consultants, may fail or suffer security
breaches.
Despite the implementation of security measures, our internal computer systems and those of our CROs, CMOs and other contractors and
consultants are vulnerable to damage from computer viruses and unauthorized access. While we have not experienced any such material
system failure or security breach to date, if such an event were to occur and cause interruptions in our operations, it could result in a material
disruption of our development programs and our business operations. For example, the loss of data from any future Clinical Trials could
result in delays in our regulatory approval efforts and significantly increase our costs to recover or reproduce the data. Likewise, we currently
rely on third parties for the manufacture of our product candidates, and to conduct Clinical Studies, and similar events relating to their
computer systems could also have a material adverse effect on our business. To the extent that any disruption or security breach were to result
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 development and commercialization of our product candidates, could be delayed.
Regulatory authorities globally are also imposing greater monetary fines for privacy violations. For example, in 2016, the European Union
adopted a new regulation governing data practices and privacy called the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, which became
effective on May 25, 2018. The GDPR applies to any company that collects and uses personal data in connection with offering goods or
services to individuals in the European Union or the monitoring of their behavior. Non-compliance with the GDPR may result in monetary
penalties of up to €20 million or 4% of worldwide revenue, whichever is higher. The GDPR and other changes in laws or regulations
associated with the enhanced protection of certain types of personal data, such as healthcare data or other sensitive information, could greatly
increase the cost of providing our product candidates, if approved, or even prevent us from offering our product candidates, if approved, in
certain jurisdictions.
Our employees, independent contractors, consultants, commercial partners and vendors may engage in misconduct or other improper
activities, including noncompliance with regulatory standards and requirements.
We are exposed to the risk of employee fraud or other illegal activity by our employees, independent contractors, consultants, commercial
partners and vendors. Misconduct by these parties could include intentional, reckless or negligent conduct that fails to comply with the laws
of the FDA and other similar foreign, state or local regulatory bodies, provide true, complete and accurate information to the FDA and other
similar foreign, state or local regulatory bodies, comply with manufacturing standards we have established, comply with healthcare fraud and
abuse laws in the United States and similar foreign, state or local fraudulent misconduct laws or report financial information or data
accurately or to disclose unauthorized activities to us. If we obtain FDA approval of any of our product candidates, as may be necessary for
any product candidates we decide to develop as drugs, or otherwise able to commercialize those products in the United States, our potential
exposure under such laws will increase significantly, and our costs associated with compliance with such laws are also likely to increase.
These laws may impact, among other things, our current activities with principal investigators and research subjects, as well as proposed and
future sales, marketing and education programs.
A variety of risks associated with testing and developing our product candidates internationally could materially adversely affect our
business.
In addition to researching, developing and commercializing our product candidates in the United States, we also intend to engage in these
activities outside of the United States and, accordingly, we expect that we will be subject to additional risks related to operating in foreign
countries, if our product candidates are approved, including, but not limited to:
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differing regulatory requirements in foreign countries;
unexpected changes in tariffs, trade barriers, price and exchange controls and other regulatory requirements;
economic weakness, including inflation, or political instability in particular foreign economies and markets;
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compliance with tax, employment, immigration and labor laws for employees living or traveling abroad;
foreign taxes, including withholding of payroll taxes;
foreign currency fluctuations, which could result in increased operating expenses and reduced revenue, and other obligations incident
to doing business in another country;
difficulties staffing and managing foreign operations;
• workforce uncertainty in countries where labor unrest is more common than in the United States;
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potential liability under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, or comparable foreign regulations;
challenges enforcing our contractual and intellectual property rights, especially in those foreign countries that do not respect and
protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as the United States;
production shortages resulting from any events affecting raw material supply or manufacturing capabilities abroad; and
business interruptions resulting from geopolitical actions, including war and terrorism.
Additionally, we intend to contract with third parties to conduct some of our Clinical Studies and Clinical Trials outside the United States,
which will subject us to additional risks and regulations. These and other risks associated with our international operations may materially
adversely affect our ability to attain or maintain profitable operations.
Changes in tax law could adversely affect our business and financial condition.
The rules dealing with U.S. federal, state, and local income taxation are constantly under review by persons involved in the legislative
process and by the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Treasury Department. Changes to tax laws (which changes may have retroactive
application) could adversely affect us or holders of our common stock. In recent years, many such changes have been made and changes are
likely to continue to occur in the future. Future changes in tax laws could have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flow, financial
condition or results of operations. We urge investors to consult with their legal and tax advisers regarding the implications of potential
changes in tax laws on an investment in our common stock.
Our ability to use NOLs and research and development credits to offset future taxable income may be subject to certain limitations.
We have a history of cumulative losses and anticipate that we will continue to incur significant losses in the foreseeable future; thus, we do
not know whether or when we will generate taxable income necessary to utilize our net operating losses, or NOLs, or research and
development tax credit carryforwards. As of December 31, 2020 we had U.S. federal and state net operating loss, or NOL, carryforwards of
$242.5 million and $237.3 million, respectively. These amounts begin to expire in 2030. The federal net operating losses generated in 2018
and 2019 can be carried forward indefinitely. As of December 31, 2020, we also had U.S. federal and state research and development tax
credit carryforwards of $7.0 million and $2.5 million, respectively, both of which expire at various dates through 2040. These net operating
loss and tax credit carryforwards could expire unused and be unavailable to offset future taxable income or tax liabilities, respectively.
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In general, under Sections 382 and 383 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, and corresponding provisions
of state law, a corporation that undergoes an “ownership change,” generally defined as a greater than 50 percentage point change (by value)
in its equity ownership by certain stockholders over a three-year period, is subject to limitations on its ability to utilize its pre-change NOLs
and research and development tax credit carryforwards to offset future taxable income. We have not conducted a study to assess whether any
such ownership changes have occurred. We may have experienced such ownership changes in the past and may experience such ownership
changes in the future through subsequent changes in our stock ownership (which may be outside our control). As a result, if, and to the extent
that, we earn net taxable income, our ability to use our pre-change NOLs and research and development tax credit carryforwards to offset
such taxable income may be subject to limitations.
There is also a risk that due to regulatory changes, such as suspensions on the use of NOLs, or other unforeseen reasons, our existing NOLs
could expire or otherwise become unavailable to offset future income tax liabilities. The CARES Act includes changes to U.S. federal tax
rates and the rules governing NOL carryforwards that may significantly impact our ability to utilize our NOLs to offset taxable income in the
future. In addition, state NOLs generated in one state cannot be used to offset income generated in another state. For these reasons, even if we
attain profitability, we may be unable to use a material portion of our NOLs and other tax attributes.
Unstable market and economic conditions may have serious adverse consequences on our business, financial condition and stock price.
As widely reported, global credit and financial markets have experienced extreme volatility and disruptions in the past, including severely
diminished liquidity and credit availability, declines in consumer confidence, declines in economic growth, increases in unemployment rates
and uncertainty about economic stability. There can be no assurance that future volatility, disruption or deterioration in credit and financial
markets and confidence in economic conditions will not occur. Our general business strategy may be adversely affected by any such
economic downturn, volatile business environment or continued unpredictable and unstable market conditions. If the current equity and
credit markets continue to be volatile or are disrupted or deteriorate, including as a result of COVID-19, it may make any necessary debt or
equity financing more difficult, more costly and more dilutive. Failure to secure any necessary financing in a timely manner and on favorable
terms could have a material adverse effect on our growth strategy, financial performance and stock price and could require us to delay or
abandon clinical development plans. In addition, there is a risk that one or more of our current service providers, manufacturers and other
partners may not survive these difficult economic times, which could directly affect our ability to attain our operating goals on schedule and
on budget.
As of December 31, 2020, we had cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities of $107.3 million. While we are not aware of any
downgrades, material losses or other significant deterioration in the fair value of our cash equivalents and marketable securities since
December 31, 2020, no assurance can be given that further deterioration of the global credit and financial markets would not negatively
impact our current portfolio of cash equivalents or our ability to meet our financing objectives. Furthermore, our stock price may decline due
in part to the volatility of the stock market and the general economic downturn.
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Our loan agreement subjects us to operating restrictions and financial covenants and may restrict our business and financing activities.
On January 9, 2018, we entered into a loan and security agreement with Solar Capital Ltd., or Solar, for term loans in an aggregate principal
amount of $26.0 million, which we amended on October 5, 2018, November 30, 2018 and August 28, 2020. Our obligations under the loan
agreement are secured by a first priority security interest in our assets, excluding intellectual property and certain other exceptions. We are
subject to a negative pledge covenant with respect to our intellectual property. The loan agreement contains customary representations, as
well as customary affirmative and negative covenants. Among other restrictions, the negative covenants, subject to exceptions, prohibit or
limit our ability to: declare dividends or redeem or purchase equity interests; incur additional liens; make investments; incur additional
indebtedness; engage in mergers, acquisitions and asset sales; transact with affiliates; undergo a change in control; add or change business
locations; and engage in businesses that are not related to its existing business. These covenants may restrict our ability to finance our
operations and to pursue our business activities and strategies. Our ability to comply with these covenants may be affected by events beyond
our control.
Risks Related to Government Regulation
Regulatory requirements for development of our product candidates as drugs or as non-drug products are uncertain and evolving.
Changes in these laws, including our ability to conduct Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials, or the current interpretation or application of
these laws, or conflicts between us and the FDA on the applicability or interpretation of applicable laws, would have a significant adverse
impact on our ability to develop and commercialize our products.
Based on the large body of studies and scientific literature on the human exposure to and safety profiles of certain amino acids, the FDA's
promulgation of regulations governing the use of certain amino acids under certain conditions as safe and permissible food additives when
used as nutrients, our own data on amino acids used in product candidates and the fact that we use amino acids in our product candidates
within amounts previously studied safely in humans, we believe we have designed our product candidates to have acceptable safety profiles,
and we further have evaluated or will evaluate the safety and tolerability of these product candidates in Clinical Studies and/or Clinical
Trials. Under the FDA's framework governing studies of non-drug products, we believe that use of our product candidates containing amino
acids may be studied for safety and tolerability without an IND in human food studies. However, the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory
authorities may disagree with this approach and determine that our studies should be conducted under an IND, which may result in negative
consequences.
In prior or future studies or trials of our product candidates, we may have or will expressly or implicitly characterize or classify such
candidates as encompassed within a specific regulatory scheme (e.g., as foods or dietary supplements). Regulatory authorities may not agree
with the regulatory classification of the product candidates used in our Clinical Studies or any subsequent classification of such candidates
prior to commercialization. To date, we have submitted and the FDA has cleared an IND for our planned Phase 2 Clinical Trial of AXA1665,
which we plan to initiate in the second quarter of 2021 for development as a drug product. Further, in late 2020, we had a Type B pre-IND
meeting with the FDA regarding our planned Clinical Trial of AXA1125. We have not discussed the development of our other product
candidates evaluated in Clinical Studies or our utilization of specific regulatory pathways for our other product candidates with the FDA or
comparable foreign regulatory authorities and any such regulator may not agree with our current activities or future approach or plans for
further development. The FDA may determine that our product candidates are not safe or appropriate for use in Clinical Studies or are not
governed by food regulations and therefore may classify any of our product candidates as being ineligible for investigation in Clinical Studies
without an IND. The FDA or other regulatory authorities may also take enforcement action, or otherwise delay or prevent further
development or commercialization of our product candidates.
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The FDA may determine that certain of our product candidates cannot be marketed as or do not meet the regulatory requirements for
marketing or testing as non-drug products. The FDA may take the position that we failed to satisfy the pre-market requirements for ingredient
compositions, including that the particular product is not generally recognized as safe, or GRAS, is an unapproved food additive, is a New
Dietary Ingredient requiring pre-market review or that our products contain otherwise impermissible ingredients, in which case some or all of
our products may be deemed adulterated or misbranded in violation of the FD&C Act. Moreover, if we choose to study a product under an
IND before the product candidate has been marketed as a non-drug product, the FD&C Act could prevent us from marketing the product as a
non-drug product if we are unable to secure FDA approval as a new drug. Any delay in the regulatory consultation process, or a warning,
finding or determination that any of our operations or product candidates do not meet the regulatory requirements of the FDA, including but
not limited to any applicable GRAS, food additive or NDI requirements, could subject the Company to regulatory enforcement action or
other legal action, and/or cause a delay in or prevent the commercialization of one or more of our product candidates, which may lead to
reduced acceptance by the public or others for any products we are able to commercialize and could materially adversely affect our business.
The FDA may determine that the only pathway for conducting studies of our product candidates is under an IND or that our Clinical Studies
already conducted should have been conducted under an IND. Any such determination could prevent our reliance on existing regulatory
frameworks to conduct Clinical Studies for other product candidates or prevent us from relying on or including data from our Clinical Studies
in any regulatory submissions to support further clinical development or marketing approval, and could significantly increase the cost of and
delay the development or commercialization of our product candidates. If the FDA disagrees with our determination that we may conduct
Clinical Studies without filing an IND, they could require that we halt any Clinical Studies we have commenced, or we may be subject to
enforcement action. Should we choose to commercialize our product candidates as non-drug products and if the FDA determines our product
candidates fall outside the food regulations, we may be subject to regulatory enforcement action and we could be required to stop selling,
withdraw, recall, re-label or re-package any products we have commercialized as non-drug products on the market. In addition, if new safety
issues are raised by Clinical Studies in advance of deciding whether to file an IND that suggest safety concerns for all of our product
candidates, then the FDA could ask us to modify approved labeling for or withdraw from the market any previously approved products for
therapeutic uses or products being commercialized for non-drug uses. A decision by the FDA that we cannot conduct Clinical Studies
without filing an IND would significantly impact our current business model and we may incur significant expense and operational
difficulties.
Changes in the legal and regulatory environment could limit our future business activities, increase our operating or regulatory costs,
reduce demand for our product candidates or result in litigation.
The conduct of our current and planned business activities, including, but not limited, to the development, testing, production, storage,
distribution, sale, display, advertising, marketing, labeling, packaging, health and safety practices, regulatory classification and approval,
where necessary, and use of our product candidates, is subject to various laws and regulations administered by federal, state and local
governmental agencies in the United States, as well as to laws and regulations administered by government entities and agencies outside the
United States in markets in which we conduct clinical studies or trials under foreign food or drug regulations or in which our product
candidates and components thereof (such as packaging) may be manufactured or sold.
These laws and regulations and interpretations thereof may change, sometimes dramatically, as a result of a variety of factors, including
political, economic or social events. Such changes may include changes in:
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food and drug laws, including FDA regulations;
laws related to product labeling;
advertising and marketing laws and practices;
laws and programs restricting the sale and advertising of certain product candidates;
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laws and programs aimed at regulating, restricting or eliminating ingredients present in certain of our product candidates;
increased regulatory scrutiny of, and increased litigation involving, product claims and concerns regarding the actual or possible
effects or side effects of ingredients in, or attributes of, certain of our product candidates;
state and federal consumer protection and disclosure laws;
changes in law due to unforeseen events such as COVID-19 that may result in additional costs or disruptions in our operations, such
as the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, or local government orders or restrictions which could limit our business operations;
and
increased sponsor or company obligations under privacy laws such as the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
of 1996, or HIPAA, and GDPR.
New laws, regulations or governmental policy and their related interpretations, or changes in any of the foregoing, may alter the environment
in which we do business and, therefore, may impact our operating results or increase our costs or liabilities.
Obtaining and maintaining regulatory approval of our drug product candidates or the ability to commercialize our product candidates
through a non-drug regulatory pathway in one jurisdiction does not mean that we will be successful in obtaining regulatory approval or
identifying a similar alternate regulatory pathway for our product candidates in other jurisdictions.
Obtaining and maintaining regulatory approval for drug product candidates or identifying or commercializing our product candidates through
non-drug pathways in one jurisdiction does not guarantee that we will be able to obtain or maintain regulatory approval or identify and
maintain an alternate regulatory pathway in any other jurisdiction, while a failure or delay in obtaining regulatory approval or an alternate
regulatory pathway in one jurisdiction may have a negative effect on the regulatory approval process or path to market in others. For
example, even if the FDA grants marketing approval of a drug product candidate for therapeutic indications, comparable foreign regulatory
authorities could take opposing positions and decline to approve the manufacturing, marketing and promotion of such product candidate in
those countries. Approval procedures vary among jurisdictions and can involve requirements and administrative review periods different
from, and greater than, those in the United States, including additional preclinical studies, Clinical Studies and Clinical Trials conducted in
one jurisdiction may not be accepted by regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions. In many jurisdictions outside the United States, a product
candidate must be approved for reimbursement before it can be approved for sale in that jurisdiction. In some cases, the price that we intend
to charge for our products is also subject to approval and the approved price may not lead to profitability or acceptable margins.
We may also submit marketing applications in other countries. Regulatory authorities in jurisdictions outside of the United States may have
requirements for approval of product candidates with which we must comply prior to marketing in those jurisdictions. Obtaining foreign
regulatory approvals and compliance with foreign regulatory requirements could result in significant delays, difficulties and costs for us and
could delay or prevent the introduction of our products in certain countries. If we fail to comply with the regulatory requirements in
international markets or receive applicable marketing approvals, our target market will be reduced and our ability to realize the full market
potential of our product candidates will be harmed.
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If we are not able to meet certain regulatory requirements for our product candidates or to obtain, or timely obtain, required regulatory
approvals for our drug product candidates, we will not be able to commercialize or will be delayed in commercializing, our product
candidates, and our ability to generate revenue will be materially impaired.
Our product candidates and the activities associated with their development and commercialization as a drug or non-drug products, including
but not limited to their design, testing, manufacture, safety, efficacy, recordkeeping, packaging, labeling, storage, holding, approval,
advertising, promotion, sale, distribution, import and export are subject to comprehensive regulation by the FDA and other regulatory
agencies in the United States and by comparable authorities in other countries. Before we can commercialize any of our product candidates as
a drug, we must obtain marketing approval. Before we can commercialize any of our product candidates as a non-drug product, we may be
required to follow pre- or post-market notification and other applicable regulatory requirements for ingredients and claims. We have not
received approval to market any of our product candidates as drugs from regulatory authorities in any jurisdiction nor executed on
requirements for commercialization of non-drug products under applicable regulations, and it is possible that none of our current product
candidates, or any product candidates we may seek to develop in the future, will ever obtain regulatory approval, where applicable, or meet
other applicable regulatory requirements to reach the market.
We, as a company, have no experience in filing and supporting the applications necessary to gain regulatory approvals for drugs or in the
submission of other petitions, notifications or registrations in the case of non-drug products, where applicable, and expect to work with or
rely on third-party CROs or regulatory consultants to assist us in this process. For example, the FDA and Federal Trade Commission, or FTC,
require substantiating data or evidence for marketing claims and may require other regulatory submissions, including, for example, NDI
submissions for certain product ingredients in certain non-drug products before they can be sold. With respect to drug product candidates,
securing regulatory approval requires the submission of extensive preclinical and clinical data and supporting information to the various
regulatory authorities for each therapeutic indication to establish the drug candidate's safety and efficacy. If we fail to execute competently on
these requirements, as applicable, our product candidates may never reach the market.
Securing regulatory approval for therapeutic indications also requires the submission of information about the drug manufacturing process to,
and inspection of manufacturing facilities by, the relevant regulatory authority. Our drug product candidates may not be effective, may be
only moderately effective or may prove to have undesirable or unintended side effects, toxicities or other characteristics that may preclude
our obtaining marketing approval or prevent or limit commercial use.
The process of obtaining regulatory approvals for therapeutic indications, both in the United States and abroad, is expensive, may take many
years if additional Clinical Trials are required, if approval is obtained at all, and can vary substantially based upon a variety of factors,
including the type, complexity and novelty of the product candidates involved. Changes in marketing approval policies during the
development period, changes in or the enactment of additional statutes or regulations, or changes in regulatory review for each submitted
IND, NDA or equivalent application types, may cause delays in the approval or rejection of an application. The FDA and comparable foreign
regulatory authorities have substantial discretion in the approval process of our drug product candidates and may refuse to accept any
application or may decide that our data are insufficient for approval and require additional preclinical, clinical or other studies. Our drug
product candidates could be delayed in receiving, or fail to receive, regulatory approval for many reasons, including the following:
•
the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may disagree with the design, including study population, dose level, dose
regimen, efficacy endpoints and bioanalytical assay methods, or implementation of our Clinical Trials;
• we may be unable to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities that a drug candidate is
safe and effective for its proposed indication;
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•
the results of our Clinical Trials may not meet the level of statistical significance required by the FDA or comparable foreign
regulatory authorities for approval;
• we may be unable to demonstrate that a product candidate's clinical and other benefits outweigh its safety risks;
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•
•
•
the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may disagree with our interpretation of data from preclinical studies, Clinical
Studies or Clinical Trials;
the data collected from our Clinical Studies and Clinical Trials for our product candidates may not be sufficient to support the
submission of an NDA or other submission or to obtain regulatory approval in the United States or elsewhere;
the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may fail to approve the manufacturing processes or facilities of third-party
manufacturers with which we contract for clinical and commercial supplies; and
the approval policies or regulations of the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may significantly change in a manner
rendering our clinical data insufficient for approval.
Of the large number of drugs in development, only a small percentage successfully complete the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory
approval processes and are commercialized. The lengthy approval process as well as the unpredictability of future Clinical Trial results may
result in our failing to obtain regulatory approval to market our applicable drug product candidates as drugs, which would significantly harm
our business, results of operations and prospects.
If we decide to develop any product candidate in the therapeutic path and submit an NDA, the FDA may also require a panel of experts, or an
Advisory Committee, to deliberate on the adequacy of the safety and efficacy data to support approval for therapeutic indications. The
opinion of the Advisory Committee, although not binding, may have a significant impact on our ability to obtain approval of any drug
product candidates based on the completed Clinical Trials.
In addition, even if we were to obtain approval for use of our product candidates as drugs, regulatory authorities may approve any of our
product candidates for fewer or more limited therapeutic indications than we request, may include limitations for use or contraindications that
limit the suitable patient population, may not approve the price we intend to charge for our products, may grant approval contingent on the
performance of costly post-marketing Clinical Trials or may approve a product candidate with a label that does not include the labeling
claims necessary or desirable for the successful commercialization of that drug product candidate. Similarly, regulatory authorities may limit
or prohibit label claims that limit the market, price or other factors that are necessary or desirable for the successful commercialization of
candidates developed as non-drug products. Any of the foregoing scenarios could materially harm the commercial prospects for our product
candidates.
If we experience delays or failures in obtaining regulatory approvals, where applicable, or otherwise experience delays or failures in
complying with regulatory requirements for commercialization of our product candidates, the commercial prospects for our product
candidates may be harmed and our ability to generate revenues will be materially impaired.
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The FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities such as the EMA may implement additional regulations or restrictions on the
development and commercialization of products that act on metabolic pathways, which may be difficult to predict.
The FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities such as the EMA have expressed interest in further regulating biotechnology
products and product candidates such as ours. Agencies at both the federal and state level in the United States, as well as the U.S.
Congressional committees and other governments or governing agencies, have also expressed interest in further regulating the biotechnology
industry. Such action may delay or prevent commercialization of some or all of our product candidates. Adverse developments in Clinical
Studies or Clinical Trials of our product candidates or similar products conducted by others may cause the FDA or comparable foreign
regulatory authorities to change the requirements for approval of any of our product candidates. The FDA or comparable foreign regulatory
authorities may impose unexpected, onerous requirements on our products because they are composed of multiple amino acids, requiring a
clinical demonstration of the functionality and contribution of each component of our product candidates. Such requirements may include
additional studies or analyses. Similarly, the EMA and member states govern the development of product candidates as drugs in the European
Union and member state regulatory bodies govern the development of product candidates under non-drug regulations and may issue new
guidelines concerning the development and marketing authorization for our product candidates and require that we comply with these new
guidelines. These regulatory review agencies and committees and the new requirements or guidelines they promulgate may lengthen the
regulatory review process, require us to perform additional studies or trials, increase our development costs, lead to changes in regulatory
positions and interpretations, delay or prevent approval and commercialization of our product candidates or lead to significant limitations or
restrictions. As we advance our product candidates, we will be required to consult with these regulatory agencies and comply with applicable
requirements and guidelines. If we fail to do so, we may be required to delay or discontinue development of such product candidates. These
additional processes may, for our drug product candidates, result in a review and approval process that is longer than we otherwise would
have expected and delays as a result of an increased or lengthier regulatory approval process or further restrictions on the development of our
product candidates can be costly and could negatively impact our ability to complete Clinical Trials and commercialize our current and future
product candidates in a timely manner, if at all.
Even if we receive regulatory approval of any drug product candidates, or commercialize our product candidates as non-drug products,
we will be subject to ongoing regulatory compliance obligations or continued regulatory review, which may result in significant
additional expense. Additionally, any of our product candidates, if approved or commercialized, could be subject to labeling and other
restrictions and market withdrawal and we may be subject to penalties if we fail to comply with regulatory requirements or experience
unanticipated problems with our product candidates.
If any of our product candidates are approved for therapeutic indications or are commercialized as non-drug products, they will be subject to
ongoing regulatory requirements for manufacturing, processing, labeling, packaging, storage, holding, testing, distribution, quality, safety,
sale, marketing, advertising, promotion, sampling, record-keeping, export, import, conduct of post-marketing studies and submission of
safety, efficacy or other post-market information. Such requirements may be imposed as federal and state requirements in the United States or
by comparable foreign regulatory authorities. In addition, we will be subject to continued compliance with cGMP requirements as applicable
to drug and non-drug products and GCP requirements for any Clinical Trials that we conduct post-approval, if applicable.
Manufacturers and manufacturers' facilities are required to comply with extensive FDA, and comparable foreign regulatory authority
requirements, including ensuring that quality assurance, quality control and manufacturing procedures conform to the respective cGMP
regulations. As such, we and our contract manufacturers will be subject to continual review and inspections to assess compliance with cGMP
and adherence to commitments made in any NDA, if applicable, or other marketing application or submission, and previous responses to
inspection observations. Accordingly, we and others with whom we work must continue to expend time, money and effort in all areas of
regulatory compliance, including manufacturing, production, quality assurance and quality control.
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The FDA has significant post-marketing authority, including, for example, the authority to require labeling or packaging changes based on
the use of improper product claims or new safety or other information and, where applicable, to require post-marketing studies or Clinical
Trials to evaluate serious safety risks related to the use of a drug. With respect to products developed as drugs, any regulatory approvals that
we receive for our product candidates may be subject to limitations on the approved indicated uses for which a drug may be marketed or to
the conditions of approval, or contain requirements for potentially costly post-marketing testing, including Phase 4 Clinical Trials and
surveillance to monitor the safety and efficacy of the product candidate. The FDA may also require a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation
Strategy, or REMS, program as a condition of approval of drug product candidates, which could entail requirements for long-term patient
follow-up, a medication guide, physician communication plans or additional elements to ensure safe use, such as restricted distribution
methods, patient registries and other risk minimization tools. In addition, if the FDA or a comparable foreign regulatory authority approves
our product candidates as drugs for therapeutic uses, we will have to comply with requirements including submissions of safety and other
post-marketing information and reports and registration.
The FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may take regulatory enforcement action or other legal action or, in the case of drugs,
impose consent decrees or withdraw approval if compliance with regulatory requirements and standards is not maintained or if problems
occur after the product reaches the market. Later discovery of previously unknown problems with our product candidates, including adverse
events of unanticipated severity or frequency, or with our third-party manufacturers or manufacturing processes, or failure to comply with
regulatory requirements, may result in potential consequences, including, among other things:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
in the case of drug product candidates, revisions to the approved labeling to add new safety information and required regulatory
submissions; imposition of post-market studies or Clinical Trials to assess new safety risks; or imposition of distribution restrictions
or other restrictions under a REMS program;
restrictions on the marketing or manufacturing of our products, withdrawal of the product from the market or voluntary or mandatory
product recalls;
re-labeling or re-packaging;
fines, warning or untitled enforcement letters or holds on Clinical Trials;
in the case of drugs, refusal by the FDA to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications filed by us or
suspension or revocation of license approvals;
product seizure or detention or refusal to permit the import or export of our product candidates; and
injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties.
The FDA and FTC strictly regulate marketing, labeling, advertising and promotion of products that are placed on the market. Drugs may be
promoted only for the approved indications and in accordance with the provisions of the approved labeling. The FDA and other agencies
actively enforce the laws and regulations prohibiting the promotion of off-label uses for drugs, and a company that is found to have
improperly promoted off-label uses may be subject to significant liability. Additionally, FDA and other regulatory authorities can take action
against a company that makes misleading or inaccurate claims regarding efficacy and safety of an approved product. Non-drug products are
prohibited from making any claims, whether express or implied, that the product is intended to "diagnose, mitigate, treat, cure or prevent
disease," and doing so may subject a non-drug product to classification as a drug product and regulatory enforcement action. If the FDA or
other regulatory agency determines that any of our product candidates make impermissible claims, we may be subject to any of the
aforementioned consequences or other legal challenges that may have an adverse effect on the Company's business and operations.
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The policies of the FDA and of other comparable foreign regulatory authorities may change and additional government regulations may be
enacted that could prevent, limit or delay regulatory approval, where applicable, and commercialization, and continued commercialization, of
our product candidates. If we are slow or unable to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies,
or if we are not able to maintain regulatory compliance, we may lose any marketing approval that we may have obtained for any drugs, or
may no longer be able to market or sell products we develop as non-drug products, which would adversely affect our business, prospects and
ability to achieve or sustain profitability.
We also cannot predict the likelihood, nature or extent of government regulation that may arise from future legislation or administrative or
executive action, either in the United States or abroad. For example, certain policies of the current administration may impact our business
and industry. Namely, the current administration has taken several executive actions, including the issuance of a number of executive orders,
that could impose significant burdens on, or otherwise materially delay, the FDA's ability to engage in routine regulatory and oversight
activities, such as implementing statutes through rule-making, issuance of guidance and review and approval of marketing applications. It is
difficult to predict how these executive actions, including any executive orders, will be implemented, and the extent to which they will
impact the FDA's ability to exercise its regulatory authority. If these executive actions impose constraints on the FDA's ability to engage in
oversight and implementation activities in the normal course, our business may be negatively impacted. In addition, if we are slow or unable
to adapt to changes in existing requirements or the adoption of new requirements or policies, or if we are not able to maintain regulatory
compliance, we may lose any marketing approval that we may have obtained, where applicable, our ability to continue to market and sell our
products and we may not achieve or sustain profitability.
Non-compliance by us or any future collaborator with regulatory requirements, including safety monitoring or pharmacovigilance
requirements, where applicable, can also result in significant financial penalties.
Healthcare insurance coverage and reimbursement may be limited or unavailable in certain market segments for our drug product
candidates, if approved, which could make it difficult for us to sell any such drug product profitably.
The success of our product candidates, if approved for therapeutic indications, depends on the availability of adequate coverage and
reimbursement from third-party payors, including governmental healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, commercial payors
and health maintenance organizations. In addition, because our product candidates have the potential to represent a relatively new approach
to the treatment of the diseases, we cannot be sure that coverage and reimbursement will be available for, or accurately estimate the potential
revenue from, our product candidates or assure that coverage and reimbursement will be available for any product that we may develop.
Patients who are provided medical treatment for their conditions generally rely on third-party payors to reimburse all or part of the costs
associated with their treatment. Adequate coverage and reimbursement from governmental healthcare programs and commercial payors are
critical to new product acceptance. Government authorities and third-party payors, such as private health insurers and health maintenance
organizations, decide which drugs and treatments they will cover and the amount of reimbursement. In the United States, the principal
decisions about reimbursement for new medicines are typically made by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, an agency
within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. CMS decides whether and to what extent a new medicine will be covered and
reimbursed under Medicare and private payors tend to follow CMS to a substantial degree. Coverage and reimbursement by a third-party
payor may depend upon a number of factors, including the third-party payor's determination that use of a product is:
•
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•
•
a covered benefit under its health plan;
safe, effective and medically necessary;
appropriate for the specific patient;
cost-effective; and
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•
neither experimental nor investigational.
In the United States, no uniform policy of coverage and reimbursement for products exists among third-party payors. As a result, obtaining
coverage and reimbursement approval of a product from a government or other third-party payor is a time-consuming and costly process that
could require us to provide to each payor supporting scientific, clinical and cost-effectiveness data for the use of our products on a payor-by-
payor basis, with no assurance that coverage and adequate reimbursement will be obtained. Even if we obtain coverage for a given product,
the resulting reimbursement payment rates might not be adequate for us to achieve or sustain profitability or may require co-payments that
patients find unacceptably high. Additionally, third-party payors may not cover, or provide adequate reimbursement for, long-term follow-up
evaluations required following the use of product candidates. Patients are unlikely to use our product candidates unless coverage is provided
and reimbursement is adequate to cover a significant portion of the cost of our product candidates. Because our product candidates may have
a higher cost of goods than conventional therapies, and may require long-term follow-up evaluations, the risk that coverage and
reimbursement rates may be inadequate for us to achieve profitability may be greater. There is significant uncertainty related to insurance
coverage and reimbursement of newly approved products and coverage may be more limited than the purposes for which the medicine is
approved by the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities. It is difficult to predict at this time what third-party payors will decide
with respect to the coverage and reimbursement for our product candidates.
The pricing of prescription pharmaceuticals is also subject to governmental control outside the United States. In these other countries, pricing
negotiations with governmental authorities can take considerable time after the receipt of marketing approval for a product. To obtain
reimbursement or pricing approval in some countries, we may be required to conduct a Clinical Trial that compares the cost effectiveness of
our product candidates to other available therapies. If reimbursement of our products is unavailable or limited in scope or amount, or if
pricing is set at unsatisfactory levels, our ability to generate revenues and become profitable could be impaired.
Healthcare insurance often does not cover non-drug products administered outside of the hospital setting. This may impact our product
candidates if we decide to commercialize them as non-drug products.
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For our drug product candidates, our relationships with healthcare providers, physicians and third-party payors will be subject to
applicable anti-kickback, fraud and abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations, which could expose us to criminal sanctions, civil
penalties, contractual damages, reputational harm and diminished profits and future earnings.
If we obtain FDA approval for any of our product candidates and begin commercializing those products in the U.S., our operations may be
directly, or indirectly through our future, potential customers and third-party payors, subject to various federal and state fraud and abuse laws,
including, without limitation, the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, the federal False Claims Act (“FCA”), and data privacy and physician
sunshine laws and regulations. These laws or their relevant foreign counterparts may impact, among other things, our proposed sales,
marketing, and education programs and our relationships with healthcare providers, physicians and other parties through which we market,
sell and distribute our products for which we obtain marketing approval. In addition, we may be subject to patient privacy regulation by the
federal government and the states in the U.S. as well as other jurisdictions. The laws that may affect our ability to operate include:
•
•
•
The federal Anti-Kickback Statute, which prohibits, among other things, knowingly and willfully soliciting, receiving, offering or
paying any remuneration (including any kickback, bribe or rebate), directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly, in cash or in kind, to
induce or reward, or in return for, either the referral of an individual, or the purchase, lease, order or recommendation or arranging of
any good, facility, item or service for which payment may be made, in whole or in part, under a federal healthcare program, such as
the Medicare and Medicaid programs. A person or entity can be found guilty of violating the statute without actual knowledge of the
statute or specific intent to violate it. In addition, a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-
Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the FCA. The Anti-Kickback Statute has been interpreted to
apply to arrangements between pharmaceutical manufacturers on the one hand and prescribers, purchasers and formulary managers
on the other. There are a number of statutory exceptions and regulatory safe harbors protecting some common activities from
prosecution.
Federal civil and criminal false claims laws and civil monetary penalty laws, including the FCA, which prohibit, among other things,
individuals or entities from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, false or fraudulent claims for payment to, or approval
by Medicare, Medicaid or other federal healthcare programs, knowingly making, using or causing to be made or used a false record
or statement material to a false, fictitious or fraudulent claim or an obligation to pay or transmit money to the federal government, or
knowingly concealing or knowingly and improperly avoiding or decreasing or concealing an obligation to pay money to the federal
government. Manufacturers can be held liable under the FCA even when they do not submit claims directly to government payors if
they are deemed to "cause" the submission of false or fraudulent claims. The FCA also permits a private individual acting as a
"whistleblower" to bring actions on behalf of the federal government alleging violations of the FCA and to share in any monetary
recovery. A claim that includes items or services resulting from a violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or
fraudulent claim under the federal civil False Claims Act.
The federal Physician Payment Sunshine Act, created under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or the ACA, and its
implementing regulations, which require manufacturers of drugs, devices, biologicals and medical supplies for which payment is
available under Medicare, Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (with certain exceptions) to report annually to the
United States Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, information related to payments or other transfers of value made
to physicians (defined to include doctors, dentists, optometrists, podiatrists and chiropractors) and teaching hospitals, as well as
ownership and investment interests held by physicians and their immediate family members. Effective January 1, 2022, these
reporting obligations will extend to include transfers of value made to certain non-physician providers such as physician assistants
and nurse practitioners.
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• Analogous state and foreign laws and regulations, such as state anti-kickback and false claims laws, which may apply to sales or
marketing arrangements and claims involving healthcare items or services reimbursed by non-governmental third-party payors,
including private insurers, and may be broader in scope than their federal equivalents; state and foreign laws that require
pharmaceutical companies to comply with the pharmaceutical industry's voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant
compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government or otherwise restrict payments that may be made to healthcare
providers; state and foreign laws that require drug manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers of
value to physicians and other healthcare providers or marketing expenditures; and state and foreign 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 HIPAA, thus complicating compliance efforts.
The distribution of pharmaceutical products is subject to additional requirements and regulations, including extensive record-keeping,
licensing, storage and security requirements intended to prevent the unauthorized sale of pharmaceutical products.
The scope and enforcement of each of these laws is uncertain and subject to rapid change in the current environment of healthcare reform,
especially in light of the lack of applicable precedent and regulations. Federal and state enforcement bodies have recently increased their
scrutiny of interactions between healthcare companies and healthcare providers, which has led to a number of investigations, prosecutions,
convictions and settlements in the healthcare industry. Ensuring business arrangements comply with applicable healthcare laws, as well as
responding to possible investigations by government authorities, can be time- and resource-consuming, costly, and can divert a company's
attention from the business.
It is possible that governmental and enforcement authorities will conclude that our business practices may not comply with current or future
statutes, regulations or case law interpreting applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations. If any such actions are
instituted against us and we are not successful in defending ourselves or asserting our rights, those actions could have a significant impact on
our business, including the imposition of civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, disgorgement, monetary fines, imprisonment,
possible exclusion from participation in Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs, contractual damages, reputational harm,
diminished profits and future earnings, and curtailment of our operations, additional reporting requirements and oversight if we become
subject to a corporate integrity agreement or similar agreement to resolve allegations of noncompliance with these laws, any of which could
adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our results of operations. In addition, the approval and commercialization of any of
our product candidates outside the United States will also likely subject us to foreign equivalents of the healthcare laws mentioned above,
among other foreign laws.
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Failure to comply with health and data protection laws and regulations could lead to government enforcement actions (which could
include civil or criminal penalties), private litigation or adverse publicity and could negatively affect our operating results and business.
We and any potential collaborators may be subject to federal, state and foreign data protection laws and regulations (i.e., laws and regulations
that address privacy and data security). In the United States, numerous federal and state laws and regulations, including federal health
information privacy laws, state data breach notification laws, state health information privacy laws and federal and state consumer protection
laws (e.g., Section 5 of the FTC Act), that govern the collection, use, disclosure and protection of health-related and other personal
information could apply to our operations or the operations of our collaborators. For instance, California recently enacted the California
Consumer Privacy Act, or CCPA, which creates new individual privacy rights for California consumers (as defined in the law) and places
increased privacy and security obligations on entities handling personal data of consumers or households. The CCPA requires covered
companies to provide certain disclosures to consumers about its data collection, use and sharing practices, and to provide affected California
residents with ways to opt-out of certain sales or transfers of personal information. The CCPA went into effect on January 1, 2020, and the
California Attorney General commenced enforcement actions against violators beginning July 1, 2020. As currently written, the CCPA may
impact our business activities; however, there continues to be uncertainty about how the law will be interpreted and enforced. The uncertainty
surrounding the implementation of CCPA exemplifies the vulnerability of our business to the evolving regulatory environment related to
personal data and protected health information.
In addition, we may obtain health information from third parties (including research institutions from which we obtain Clinical Trial data)
that are subject to privacy and security requirements under HIPAA, as amended by HITECH. Depending on the facts and circumstances, we
could be subject to civil, criminal and administrative penalties if we knowingly obtain, use or disclose individually identifiable health
information maintained by a HIPAA-covered entity in a manner that is not authorized or permitted by HIPAA.
Compliance with U.S. and international data protection laws and regulations could require us to take on more onerous obligations in our
contracts, restrict our ability to collect, use and disclose data or, in some cases, impact our ability to operate in certain jurisdictions. Failure to
comply with these laws and regulations could result in government enforcement actions (which could include civil, criminal and
administrative penalties), private litigation or adverse publicity and could negatively affect our operating results and business. Moreover,
Clinical Study and Clinical Trial subjects, employees and other individuals about whom we or our potential collaborators obtain personal
information, as well as the providers who share this information with us, may limit our ability to collect, use and disclose the information.
Claims that we have violated individuals' privacy rights, failed to comply with data protection laws, or breached our contractual obligations,
even if we are not found liable, could be expensive and time-consuming to defend and could result in adverse publicity that could harm our
business.
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European data collection is governed by restrictive regulations governing the use, processing and cross-border transfer of personal
information.
We currently are conducting Clinical Studies and plan to conduct Clinical Trials in the European Union, which may subject us to additional
privacy restrictions. The collection, use, storage, disclosure, transfer, and other processing of personal data, including health data in the
European Union is governed by the provisions of the GDPR, which became effective on May 25, 2018. It imposes several requirements
relating to the processing health and other sensitive data, the consent of the individuals to whom the personal data relates, the information
provided to the individuals, notification of data processing obligations to the competent national data protection authorities and the security
and confidentiality of the personal data, implementation of safeguards to protect the security and confidentiality of personal data. The GDPR
also imposes strict rules on the transfer of personal data out of the European Union to the United States. Failure to comply with the
requirements of the GDPR, and the related national data protection laws of the European Union Member States may result in fines and other
administrative penalties. Non-compliance with the GDPR may result in monetary penalties of up to €20 million or 4% of worldwide revenue,
whichever is higher. The GDPR also confers a private right of action on data subjects and consumer associations to lodge complaints with
supervisory authorities, seek judicial remedies, and obtain compensation for damages resulting from violations of the GDPR. In addition, the
GDPR includes restrictions on cross-border data transfers. The GDPR introduces new data protection requirements in the European Union
and substantial fines for breaches of the data protection rules. The GDPR regulations may impose additional responsibility and liability in
relation to personal data that we process, and we may be required to put in place additional mechanisms ensuring compliance with these or
new data protection rules. This may be onerous and adversely affect our business, financial condition, prospects and results of operations.
European Union drug marketing and reimbursement regulations may materially affect our ability to market and receive coverage for any
drug product candidate in the European member states.
We intend to seek approval to market our product candidates in both the United States and in selected foreign jurisdictions. If we obtain
approval in one or more foreign jurisdictions for our product candidates, we will be subject to rules and regulations in those jurisdictions. In
some foreign countries, particularly those in the European Union, the pricing of pharmaceutical products is subject to governmental control
and other market regulations which could put pressure on the pricing and usage of our product candidates. In these countries, pricing
negotiations with governmental authorities can take considerable time after obtaining marketing approval of product candidates. In addition,
market acceptance and sales of our product candidates will depend significantly on the availability of adequate coverage and reimbursement
from third-party payors for our product candidates and may be affected by existing and future healthcare reform measures.
Much like the federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibition in the United States, the provision of benefits or advantages to physicians to induce
or encourage the prescription, recommendation, endorsement, purchase, supply, order or use of medicinal products is also prohibited in the
European Union. The provision of benefits or advantages to physicians is governed by the national anti-bribery laws of European Union
Member States, such as the UK Bribery Act 2010. Infringement of these laws could result in substantial fines and imprisonment.
Payments made to physicians in certain European Union Member States must be publicly disclosed. Moreover, agreements with physicians
often must be the subject of prior notification and approval by the physician's employer, his or her competent professional organization or the
regulatory authorities of the individual European Union Member States. These requirements are provided in the national laws, industry codes
or professional codes of conduct, applicable in the European Union Member States. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in
reputational risk, public reprimands, administrative penalties, fines or imprisonment.
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In addition, in most foreign countries, including the European Economic Area, the proposed pricing for a drug must be approved before it
may be lawfully marketed. The requirements governing drug pricing and reimbursement vary widely from country to country. For example,
the European Union 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. Reference pricing used by various
European Union Member States and parallel distribution, or arbitrage between low-priced and high-priced member states, can further reduce
prices. 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. In some countries, we may be required to conduct a Clinical
Trial or other studies that compare the cost-effectiveness of any of our product candidates to other available therapies in order to obtain or
maintain reimbursement or pricing approval. 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 European Union do not follow price structures of the United States and generally prices tend to be significantly lower.
Publication of discounts by third-party payors or authorities may lead to further pressure on the prices or reimbursement levels within the
country of publication and other countries. If pricing is set at unsatisfactory levels or if reimbursement of our products is unavailable or
limited in scope or amount, our revenues from sales by us or our strategic partners and the potential profitability of any of our product
candidates in those countries would be negatively affected.
Laws and regulations governing any international operations we may have in the future may preclude us from developing,
manufacturing and selling certain products outside of the United States and require us to develop and implement costly compliance
programs.
If we expand our operations outside of the United States, we must dedicate additional resources to comply with numerous laws and
regulations in each jurisdiction in which we plan to operate. The FCPA prohibits any U.S. individual or business from paying, offering,
authorizing payment or offering of anything of value, directly or indirectly, to any foreign official, political party or candidate for the purpose
of influencing any act or decision of the foreign entity in order to assist the individual or business in obtaining or retaining business. The
FCPA also obligates companies whose securities are listed in the United States to comply with certain accounting provisions requiring the
Company to maintain books and records that accurately and fairly reflect all transactions of the corporation, including international
subsidiaries, and to devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls for international operations.
Compliance with the FCPA is expensive and difficult, particularly in countries in which corruption is a recognized problem. In addition, the
FCPA presents particular challenges in the pharmaceutical industry, because, in many countries, hospitals are operated by the government,
and doctors and other hospital employees are considered foreign officials. Certain payments to hospitals in connection Clinical Trials and
other work have been deemed to be improper payments to government officials and have led to FCPA enforcement actions.
Various laws, regulations and executive orders also restrict the use and dissemination outside of the United States, or the sharing with certain
ex-U.S. nationals, of information classified for national security purposes, as well as certain products and technical data relating to those
products. If we expand our presence outside of the United States, it will require us to dedicate additional resources to comply with these laws,
and these laws may preclude us from developing, manufacturing, or selling certain products and product candidates outside of the United
States, which could limit our growth potential and increase our development costs.
The failure to comply with laws governing international business practices may result in substantial civil and criminal penalties and
suspension or debarment from government contracting. The SEC also may suspend or bar issuers from trading securities on U.S. exchanges
for violations of the FCPA's accounting provisions.
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We are subject to certain U.S. and foreign anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, export control, sanctions and other trade laws and
regulations. We can face serious consequences for violations.
Among other matters, U.S. and foreign anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, export control, sanctions and other trade laws and regulations,
which are collectively referred to as Trade Laws, prohibit companies and their employees, agents, CROs, legal counsel, accountants,
consultants, contractors and other partners from authorizing, promising, offering, providing, soliciting or receiving directly or indirectly,
corrupt or improper payments or anything else of value to or from recipients in the public or private sector. Violations of Trade Laws can
result in substantial criminal fines and civil penalties, imprisonment, the loss of trade privileges, debarment, tax reassessments, breach of
contract and fraud litigation, reputational harm and other consequences. We have direct or indirect interactions with officials and employees
of government agencies or government-affiliated hospitals, universities and other organizations. We also expect our ex-U.S. activities to
increase in time. We plan to engage third parties for Clinical Trials or to obtain necessary permits, licenses, patent registrations and other
regulatory approvals and we can be held liable for the corrupt or other illegal activities of our personnel, agents or partners, even if we do not
explicitly authorize or have prior knowledge of such activities.
Changes in funding for the FDA, the SEC and other government agencies could hinder their ability to hire and retain key leadership and
other personnel, prevent new products and services from being developed or commercialized in a timely manner or otherwise prevent
those agencies from performing normal functions on which the operation of our business may rely, which could negatively impact our
business.
The ability of the FDA to review and approve new products or take action with respect to other regulatory matters can be affected by a
variety of factors, including government budget and funding levels, ability to hire and retain key personnel and accept payment of user fees
and statutory, regulatory and policy changes. Average review times at the agency have fluctuated in recent years as a result. In addition,
government funding of the SEC and other government agencies on which our operations may rely, including those that fund research and
development activities is subject to the political process, which is inherently fluid and unpredictable.
Disruptions at the FDA and other agencies may also slow the time necessary for new drugs to be reviewed or approved, or for other actions
to be taken, by relevant government agencies, which would adversely affect our business. For example, over the last several years, the U.S.
government has shut down several times and certain regulatory agencies, such as the FDA and the SEC, have had to furlough critical FDA,
SEC and other government employees and stop critical activities. If a prolonged government shutdown occurs, it could significantly impact
the ability of the FDA to timely review and process our regulatory submissions, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Similarly, a prolonged government shutdown could prevent the timely review of our patent applications by the United States Patent and
Trademark Office, or USPTO, which could delay the issuance of any U.S. patents to which we might otherwise be entitled. Further, in our
operations as a public company, future government shutdowns could impact our ability to access the public markets and obtain necessary
capital in order to properly execute our business plans.
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Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property
If we are unable to obtain and maintain patent protection for any product candidates we develop or for our development platform or other
technologies, our competitors could develop and commercialize products or technology similar or identical to ours, and our ability to
successfully commercialize any product candidates we may develop, and our technology may be adversely affected.
Our success depends in large part on our ability to obtain and maintain patent protection in the United States and other countries with respect
to our product candidates, development platform and other technologies we may develop. We seek to protect our proprietary position by
filing patent applications in the United States and abroad relating to our product candidates and development platform, as well as other
technologies that are important to our business. Given that the development of our technology and product candidates is at an early stage, our
intellectual property portfolio with respect to certain aspects of our technology and product candidates is also at an early stage. As of
December 31, 2020, we have 6 granted patents covering certain of our product candidates, and we have filed or intend to file patent
applications on our product candidates, certain aspects of our development platform and other technology; however, there can be no
assurance that any such patent applications will issue as granted patents. Furthermore, in some cases, we have only filed provisional patent
applications on certain aspects of our technology and product candidates and each of these provisional patent applications is not eligible to
become an issued patent until, among other things, we file a non-provisional patent application within 12 months of the filing date of the
applicable provisional patent application. Any failure to file a non-provisional patent application within this timeline could cause us to lose
the ability to obtain patent protection for the inventions disclosed in the associated provisional patent applications.
Composition of matter patents for biological and pharmaceutical products are generally considered to be the strongest form of intellectual
property protection for those types of products, as such patents provide protection without regard to any method of use. We cannot be certain,
however, that the claims in our pending patent applications covering the composition of matter of our product candidates will be considered
patentable by the USPTO or by patent offices in foreign countries, or that the claims in any of our issued patents will be considered valid and
enforceable by courts in the United States or foreign countries. Furthermore, in some cases, we may not be able to obtain issued claims
covering compositions of matter relating to our product candidates and proprietary product platform, as well as other technologies that are
important to our business, and instead may need to rely on filing patent applications with claims covering a method of use or method of
manufacture. Method of use patents protect the use of a product for the specified method. This type of patent does not prevent a competitor
from making and marketing a product that is identical to our product for a use that is outside the scope of the patented method. Moreover,
even if competitors do not actively promote their products for our targeted indications of any product candidates we decide to develop as
drug products, physicians may prescribe these products "off-label" for those uses that are covered by our method of use patents. Although
off-label prescriptions may infringe or contribute to the infringement of method of use patents, the practice is common and such infringement
is difficult to prevent or prosecute. There can be no assurance that any such patent applications will issue as granted patents, and even if they
do issue, such patent claims may be insufficient to prevent third parties, such as our competitors, from utilizing our technology. Any failure to
obtain or maintain patent protection with respect to our product candidates and development platform could have a material adverse effect on
our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
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If any of our owned patent applications do not issue as patents in any jurisdiction, we may not be able to compete effectively.
Changes in either the patent laws or their interpretation in the United States and other countries may diminish our ability to protect our
inventions, obtain, maintain and enforce our intellectual property rights and, more generally, could affect the value of our intellectual
property or narrow the scope of our owned patents. With respect to our patent portfolio, as of December 31, 2020 our product candidate-
related patent portfolio consists of 22 patent families, including 6 granted U.S. patents, 19 U.S. pending patent applications (including
provisional applications) and 264 owned pending patent applications in jurisdictions outside of the United States (including Patent
Cooperation Treaty applications) that, in many cases, are counterparts to the foregoing U.S. patents and patent applications, which include
claims directed to compositions, methods of use, treatment of indications, dosing, formulations and methods of manufacturing. With respect
to owned intellectual property, we cannot predict whether the patent applications we are currently pursuing will issue as patents in any
particular jurisdiction or whether the claims of any issued patents will provide sufficient protection from competitors or other third parties.
The patent prosecution process is expensive, time-consuming and complex, and we may not be able to file, prosecute, maintain, enforce or
license all necessary or desirable patents and patent applications at a reasonable cost or in a timely manner. Disruptions at the USPTO or
other government agencies may also slow the time necessary for patent applications to be reviewed by the USPTO, which could adversely
affect our patent portfolio. It is also possible that we will fail to identify patentable aspects of our research and development output in time to
obtain patent protection. Although we enter into non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements with parties who have access to confidential
or patentable aspects of our research and development output, such as our employees, corporate collaborators, outside scientific
collaborators, CROs, contract manufacturers, consultants, advisors and other third parties, any of these parties may breach such agreements
and disclose such output before a patent application is filed, thereby jeopardizing our ability to seek patent protection. In addition, our ability
to obtain and maintain valid and enforceable patents depends on whether the differences between our inventions and the prior art allow our
inventions to be patentable over the prior art. Furthermore, publications of discoveries in the scientific literature often lag behind the actual
discoveries, and patent applications in the United States and other jurisdictions are typically not published until 18 months after filing, or in
some cases not at all. Therefore, we cannot be certain that we were the first to make the inventions claimed in any of our owned or pending
patent applications, or that we were the first to file for patent protection of such inventions.
If the scope of any patent protection we obtain is not sufficiently broad, or if we lose any of our patent protection, our ability to prevent
our competitors from commercializing similar or identical technology and product candidates would be adversely affected.
The patent position of healthcare companies generally is highly uncertain, involves complex legal and factual questions and has been the
subject of much litigation in recent years. As a result, the issuance, scope, validity, enforceability and commercial value of our patent rights
are highly uncertain. Our pending and future patent applications may not result in patents being issued which protect our product candidates,
development platform or other technologies or which effectively prevent others from commercializing competitive technologies and product
candidates.
No consistent policy regarding the scope of claims allowable in patents in the biotechnology field has emerged in the United States. The
patent situation outside of the United States is similarly uncertain. Changes in either the patent laws or their interpretation in the United
States and other countries may diminish our ability to protect our inventions and enforce our intellectual property rights, and more generally
could affect the value of our intellectual property. In particular, our ability to stop third parties from making, using, selling, offering to sell or
importing products that infringe our intellectual property will depend in part on our success in obtaining and enforcing patent claims that
cover our technology, inventions and improvements.
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With respect to intellectual property that we own, 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 products and the methods used to manufacture
those products. Moreover, even our issued patents do not guarantee us the right to practice our technology in relation to the
commercialization of our products. The area of patent and other intellectual property rights in biotechnology is an evolving one with many
risks and uncertainties, and third parties may have blocking patents that could be used to prevent us from commercializing our patented
product candidates and practicing our proprietary technology. Our issued patents and those that may issue in the future may be challenged,
invalidated or circumvented, which could limit our ability to stop competitors from marketing related products or limit the length of the term
of patent protection that we may have for our product candidates. In addition, the rights granted under any issued patents may not provide us
with protection or competitive advantages against competitors with similar technology. Furthermore, our competitors may independently
develop similar technologies. For these reasons, we may have competition for our product candidates. Moreover, because of the extensive
time required for development, testing and regulatory review of a potential product, it is possible that, before any particular product candidate
can be commercialized, any related patent may expire or remain in force for only a short period following commercialization, thereby
reducing any advantage of the patent.
Moreover, the coverage claimed in a patent application can be significantly reduced before the patent is issued, and its scope can be
reinterpreted after issuance. Even if patent applications we own issue as patents, they may not issue in a form that will provide us with any
meaningful protection, prevent competitors or other third parties from competing with us, or otherwise provide us with any competitive
advantage. Any patents that we own may be challenged, narrowed, circumvented or invalidated by third parties. Consequently, we do not
know whether our product candidates or other technologies will be protectable or remain protected by valid and enforceable patents. Our
competitors or other third parties may be able to circumvent our patents by developing similar or alternative technologies or products in a
non-infringing manner which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
The issuance of a patent is not conclusive as to its inventorship, scope, validity or enforceability, and patents that we own may be challenged
in the courts or patent offices in the United States and abroad. We may be subject to a third party preissuance submission of prior art to the
USPTO or to foreign patent authorities or become involved in opposition, derivation, revocation, reexamination, post-grant and inter partes
review or interference proceedings or other similar proceedings challenging our owned patent rights. An adverse determination in any such
submission, proceeding or litigation could reduce the scope of, or invalidate or render unenforceable, our owned patent rights, allow third
parties to commercialize our product candidates, development platform or other technologies and compete directly with us, without payment
to us, or result in our inability to manufacture or commercialize products without infringing third-party patent rights. Moreover, we may have
to participate in interference proceedings declared by the USPTO to determine priority of invention or in post-grant challenge proceedings,
such as inter partes reviews, post-grant reviews or derivation proceedings at the USPTO or oppositions in a foreign patent office, that
challenge our priority of invention or other features of patentability with respect to our owned patents and patent applications. Such
challenges may result in loss of patent rights, loss of exclusivity or in patent claims being narrowed, invalidated or held unenforceable, which
could limit our ability to stop others from using or commercializing similar or identical technology and products, or limit the duration of the
patent protection of our product candidates, development platform and other technologies. Such proceedings also may result in substantial
cost and require significant time from our scientists and management, even if the eventual outcome is favorable to us.
In addition, given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of new product candidates, patents
protecting such product candidates might expire before or shortly after such product candidates are commercialized. As a result, our
intellectual property may not provide us with sufficient rights to exclude others from commercializing products similar or identical to ours.
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We may in the future co-own patent rights relating to future product candidates and our development platform with third parties. We may
need the cooperation of any such co-owners of our patent rights in order to enforce such patent rights against third parties, and such
cooperation may not be provided to us. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our competitive position, business,
financial conditions, results of operations and prospects.
Our rights to develop and commercialize our product candidates and development platform may be subject, in part, to the terms and
conditions of future licenses granted to us by others.
We may rely upon licenses to certain patent rights and proprietary technology from third parties that are important or necessary to the
development of our product candidates and development platform. Patent rights that we in-license in the future may be subject to a
reservation of rights by one or more third parties. As a result, any such third parties may have certain rights to such intellectual property.
In addition, subject to the terms of any such license agreements, we may not have the right to control the preparation, filing, prosecution and
maintenance, and we may not have the right to control the enforcement, and defense of patents and patent applications covering the
technology that we license from third parties. We cannot be certain that any in-licensed patent applications (and any patents issuing
therefrom) that are controlled by any potential licensors will be prepared, filed, prosecuted, maintained, enforced and defended in a manner
consistent with the best interests of our business. If our licensors fail to prosecute, maintain, enforce and defend such patent rights, or lose
rights to those patent applications (or any patents issuing therefrom), the rights we have licensed may be reduced or eliminated, our right to
develop and commercialize any of our product candidates, development platform technologies and other technologies that are subject of such
licensed rights could be adversely affected and we may not be able to prevent competitors from making, using and selling competing
products. Moreover, we cannot be certain that such activities by our potential future licensors will be conducted in compliance with
applicable laws and regulations or will result in valid and enforceable patents or other intellectual property rights. In addition, even where we
may have the right to control patent prosecution of patents and patent applications that we may license to and from third parties, we may still
be adversely affected or prejudiced by actions or inactions of our potential future licensees, licensors and their counsel that took place prior to
the date of assumption of control over patent prosecution.
We may not be able to protect our intellectual property and proprietary rights throughout the world.
Filing, prosecuting and defending patents on our product candidates, development platform technologies and other technologies in all
countries throughout the world would be prohibitively expensive, and the laws of foreign countries may not protect our rights to the same
extent as the laws of the United States. Consequently, we may not be able to prevent third parties from practicing our inventions in all
countries outside the United States, or from selling or importing products made using our inventions in and into the United States or other
jurisdictions. Competitors may use our technologies in jurisdictions where we have not obtained patent protection to develop their own
products and may export otherwise infringing products to territories where we have patent protection but enforcement is not as strong as that
in the United States. These products may compete with our products, and our patents or other intellectual property rights may not be effective
or sufficient to prevent them from competing. Furthermore, the amino acids that we expect to incorporate into our products are available for
purchase separately from a variety of retail outlets, and our intellectual property rights will not prevent these sales from continuing in the
future.
Many companies have encountered significant problems in protecting and defending intellectual property rights in foreign jurisdictions. The
legal systems of certain countries, particularly certain developing countries, do not favor the enforcement of patents, trade secrets and other
intellectual property protection, particularly those relating to biotechnology products, which could make it difficult for us to stop the
infringement of our patents or marketing of competing products in violation of our intellectual property and proprietary rights generally.
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Proceedings to enforce our intellectual property and proprietary rights in foreign jurisdictions could result in substantial costs and divert our
efforts and attention from other aspects of our business, could put our patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly, could put
our patent applications at risk of not issuing, and could provoke third parties to assert claims against us. We may not prevail in any lawsuits
that we initiate, and the damages or other remedies awarded, if any, may not be commercially meaningful. Accordingly, our efforts to enforce
our intellectual property and proprietary rights around the world may be inadequate to obtain a significant commercial advantage from the
intellectual property that we develop or license.
Many countries have compulsory licensing laws under which a patent owner may be compelled to grant licenses to third parties. In addition,
many countries limit the enforceability of patents against government agencies or government contractors. In these countries, the patent
owner may have limited remedies, which could materially diminish the value of such patent. If we are forced to grant a license to third parties
with respect to any patents relevant to our business, our competitive position may be impaired, and our business, financial condition, results
of operations and prospects may be adversely affected.
Obtaining and maintaining our patent protection depends on compliance with various procedural requirements, document submission,
fee payment and other requirements imposed by government 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 government fees on patents and applications will be due to be paid to
the USPTO and various government patent agencies outside of the United States over the lifetime of our owned patents and applications. The
USPTO and various ex-U.S. government agencies require compliance with several procedural, documentary, fee payment and other similar
provisions during the patent application process. In some cases, an inadvertent lapse can be cured by payment of a late fee or by other means
in accordance with the applicable rules. There are situations, however, in which non-compliance can result in abandonment or lapse of the
patent or patent application, resulting in a partial or complete loss of patent rights in the relevant jurisdiction. In such an event, potential
competitors might be able to enter the market with similar or identical products or technology, which could have a material adverse effect on
our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Changes in U.S. patent law could diminish the value of patents in general, thereby impairing our ability to protect our products.
Changes in either the patent laws or interpretation of the patent laws in the United States could increase the uncertainties and costs
surrounding the prosecution of patent applications and the enforcement or defense of issued patents. Assuming that other requirements for
patentability are met, prior to March 2013, in the United States, the first to invent the claimed invention was entitled to the patent, while
outside the United States, the first to file a patent application was entitled to the patent. After March 2013, under the Leahy-Smith America
Invents Act, or the America Invents Act, enacted in September 2011, the United States transitioned to a first-inventor-to-file system in which,
assuming that other requirements for patentability are met, the first inventor to file a patent application will be entitled to the patent on an
invention regardless of whether a third party was the first to invent the claimed invention. A third party that files a patent application in the
USPTO after March 2013, but before we do could therefore be awarded a patent covering an invention of ours even if we had made the
invention before it was made by such third party. This will require us to be cognizant going forward of the time from invention to filing of a
patent application. Since patent applications in the United States and most other countries are confidential for a period of time after filing or
until issuance, we cannot be certain that we were the first to file any patent application related to our product candidates, development
platform or other technologies.
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The America Invents Act also includes a number of significant changes that affect the way patent applications will be prosecuted and also
may affect patent litigation. These include allowing third party submission of prior art to the USPTO during patent prosecution and additional
procedures to attack the validity of a patent by USPTO administered post-grant proceedings, including post-grant review, inter partes
review and derivation proceedings. Because of a lower evidentiary standard in USPTO proceedings compared to the evidentiary standard in
United States federal courts necessary to invalidate a patent claim, a third party could potentially provide evidence in a USPTO proceeding
sufficient for the USPTO to hold a claim invalid even though the same evidence would be insufficient to invalidate the claim if first presented
in a district court action. Accordingly, a third party may attempt to use the USPTO procedures to invalidate our patent claims that would not
have been invalidated if first challenged by the third party as a defendant in a district court action. Therefore, the America Invents Act and its
implementation could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our owned patent applications and the enforcement
or defense of our owned issued patents, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of
operations and prospects.
In addition, the patent positions of companies in the development and commercialization of biologics and pharmaceuticals are particularly
uncertain. Recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings have narrowed the scope of patent protection available in certain circumstances and weakened
the rights of patent owners in certain situations. This combination of events has created uncertainty with respect to the validity and
enforceability of patents, once obtained. Depending on future actions by the U.S. Congress, the federal courts and the USPTO, the laws and
regulations governing patents could change in unpredictable ways that could have a material adverse effect on our existing patent portfolio
and our ability to protect and enforce our intellectual property in the future.
From time-to-time the U.S. Supreme Court, other federal courts, the U.S. Congress or the USPTO, may change the standards of patentability
and any such changes could have a negative impact on our business. For instance, on June 13, 2013, in Association for Molecular Pathology
v. Myriad Genetics, the Supreme Court held that a naturally occurring DNA segment is a product of nature and not patent eligible merely
because it has been isolated. The Supreme Court did not address the patentability of any innovative method claims involving the
manipulation of isolated genes. On January 7, 2019, the USPTO released guidance entitled "2019 Revised Subject Matter Eligibility
Guidance." This memorandum provides guidelines for the USPTO's new examination procedure for subject matter eligibility under 35 U.S.C.
§101 for claims embracing natural products or natural principles. Although the guidelines do not have the force of law, patent examiners have
been instructed to follow them. Some aspects of our technology involve processes or molecules that may be subject to this evolving standard
and we cannot guarantee that any of our pending process claims will be patent eligible, or issued claims will remain patent eligible, as a result
of such evolving standards. Changes in either the patent laws or in interpretations of patent laws in the United States or other countries could
weaken our ability to obtain new patents or to enforce our existing patents and patents that we might obtain in the future. We cannot predict
the breadth of claims that may be allowed or enforced in our patents or in third-party patents. We may not develop additional proprietary
products, methods and technologies that are patentable.
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Issued patents covering our product candidates and any patents that may issue covering our development platform and other
technologies, could be found invalid or unenforceable if challenged in court or before administrative bodies in the United States or
abroad.
If we initiated legal proceedings against a third party to enforce a patent covering our product candidates, development platform or other
technologies, the defendant could counterclaim that such patent is invalid or unenforceable. In patent litigation in the United States,
defendant counterclaims alleging invalidity or unenforceability are commonplace. Grounds for a validity challenge could be an alleged
failure to meet any of several statutory requirements, including lack of novelty, obviousness or non-enablement. Grounds for an
unenforceability assertion could be an allegation that someone connected with prosecution of the patent withheld relevant information from
the USPTO, or made a misleading statement, during prosecution. Third parties may raise claims challenging the validity or enforceability of
our owned patents before administrative bodies in the United States or abroad, even outside the context of litigation. Such mechanisms
include re-examination, post-grant review, inter partes review, interference proceedings, derivation proceedings and equivalent proceedings
in foreign jurisdictions (e.g., opposition proceedings). Such proceedings could result in the revocation of, cancellation of, or amendment to
our patents in such a way that they no longer cover our product candidates, development platform or other technologies. The outcome
following legal assertions of invalidity and unenforceability is unpredictable. With respect to the validity question, for example, we cannot be
certain that there is no invalidating prior art, of which we and the patent examiner were unaware during prosecution. If a third party were to
prevail on a legal assertion of invalidity or unenforceability, we would lose at least part, and perhaps all, of the patent protection on our
product candidates, development platform or other technologies. Such a loss of patent protection would have a material adverse impact on
our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
If we do not obtain patent term extension and/or data exclusivity for any product candidates we decide to develop as drug product
candidates, our business may be materially harmed.
Depending upon the timing, duration and specifics of any FDA marketing approval of any product candidates we decide to develop as drug
product candidates, one or more of our owned U.S. patents may be eligible for limited patent term extension under the Drug Price
Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act, also known as the Hatch-Waxman Act. The Hatch-Waxman Act permits a patent term
extension of up to five years as compensation for patent term lost during the FDA regulatory review process. A patent term extension cannot
extend the remaining term of a patent beyond a total of 14 years from the date of product approval, only one patent may be extended and only
those claims covering the approved drug, a method for using it, or a method for manufacturing it may be extended. Similar extensions as
compensation for patent term lost during regulatory review processes are also available in certain foreign countries and territories, such as in
Europe under a Supplementary Protection Certificate. However, we may not be granted an extension in the United States and/or foreign
countries and territories because of, for example, failing to exercise due diligence during the testing phase or regulatory review process,
failing to apply within applicable deadlines, failing to apply prior to expiration of relevant patents or otherwise failing to satisfy applicable
requirements. Moreover, the applicable time period or the scope of patent protection afforded could be less than we request. We may not be
eligible for patent term extension, or PTE, as it is only available in the US if any component of a product candidate has never been approved
as a drug substance. If we are unable to obtain patent term extension or the term of any such extension is shorter than what we request, our
competitors may obtain approval of competing products following our patent expiration, and our business, financial condition, results of
operations and prospects could be materially harmed.
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We may be subject to claims challenging the inventorship or ownership of our patents and other intellectual property.
We may be subject to claims that former employees, collaborators or other third parties have an interest in our owned patent rights, trade
secrets or other intellectual property as an inventor or co-inventor. For example, we may have disputes arise from conflicting obligations of
employees, consultants or others who are involved in developing our product candidates, development platform or other technologies.
Litigation may be necessary to defend against these and other claims challenging inventorship or our ownership of our owned patent rights,
trade secrets or other intellectual property. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose
valuable intellectual property rights, such as exclusive ownership of, or right to use, intellectual property that is important to our product
candidates, development platform and other technologies. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could result
in substantial costs and be a distraction to management and other employees. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on
our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets, our business and competitive position would be harmed.
In addition to seeking patents for our product candidates, development platform and other technologies, we also rely on trade secrets and
confidentiality agreements to protect our unpatented know-how, technology and other proprietary information and to maintain our
competitive position. Trade secrets and know-how can be difficult to protect. We expect our trade secrets and know-how to over time be
disseminated within the industry through independent development, the publication of journal articles describing the methodology and the
movement of personnel from academic to industry scientific positions.
We currently, and may in the future continue to, rely on third parties to assist us in developing and manufacturing our product candidates.
Accordingly, we must, at times, share know-how and trade secrets, including those related to our development platform, with them. We may
in the future also enter into research and development collaborations with third parties that may require us to share know-how and trade
secrets under the terms of our research and development partnerships or similar agreements. We seek to protect our know-how, trade secrets
and other proprietary technology, in part, by entering into non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements, and including in our vendor and
service agreements terms protecting our confidential information, know-how and trade secrets, with parties who have access to such
information, such as our employees, scientific collaborators, CROs, contract manufacturers, consultants, advisors and other third parties. We
also enter into confidentiality and invention or patent assignment agreements with our employees and consultants as well as train our
employees not to bring or use proprietary information or technology from former employers to us or in their work, and we remind former
employees when they leave their employment of their confidentiality obligations. However, we cannot guarantee that we have entered into
such agreements with each party that may have or have had access to our trade secrets or proprietary technology and processes. We also seek
to preserve the integrity and confidentiality of our data and other confidential information by maintaining physical security of our premises
and physical and electronic security of our information technology systems.
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Despite our efforts, any of the aforementioned parties may breach the agreements and disclose our proprietary information, including our
trade secrets, or there may be lapses or failures in our physical and electronic security systems that lead to our proprietary information being
disclosed, and we may not be able to obtain adequate remedies in the event of any such breaches. Monitoring unauthorized uses and
disclosures is difficult, and we do not know whether the steps we have taken to protect our proprietary technologies will be effective. If any
of our scientific advisors, employees, contractors and consultants who are parties to these agreements breaches or violates the terms of any of
these agreements, we may not have adequate remedies for any such breach or violation, and we could lose our trade secrets as a result.
Moreover, if confidential information that is licensed or disclosed to us by our partners, collaborators or others is inadvertently disclosed or
subject to a breach or violation, we may be exposed to liability to the owner of that confidential information. Enforcing a claim that a party
illegally disclosed or misappropriated a trade secret is difficult, expensive and time-consuming and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition,
some courts inside and outside the United States are less willing or unwilling to protect trade secrets. If any of our trade secrets were to be
lawfully obtained or independently developed by a competitor or other third party, we would have no right to prevent them from using that
technology or information to compete with us. If any of our trade secrets were to be disclosed to or independently developed by a competitor
or other third party, our competitive position would be materially and adversely harmed.
We rely on our development platform to identify product candidates. Our competitive position could be materially harmed if our
competitors develop a similar platform and develop rival product candidates.
We rely on know-how, inventions and other proprietary information to strengthen our competitive position. We consider know-how to be our
primary intellectual property with respect to our development platform. Our Clinical Studies allow and future Clinical Trials will allow us to
collect clinical data, which we use in a feedback loop to make improvements to our development platform. In particular, we anticipate that,
with respect to this platform, this data may over time be disseminated within the industry through independent development, the publication
of journal articles describing the method and the movement of skilled personnel.
We cannot rule out that our competitors may have or will obtain the knowledge necessary to analyze and characterize similar data to our
known data for the purpose of identifying and developing products that could compete with any of our product candidates. Our competitors
may also have significantly greater financial, product development, technical and human resources and access to data. Further, our
competitors may have significantly greater experience in using translational science methods to identify and develop product candidates.
We may not be able to prohibit our competitors from using technology or methods that are the same as or similar to our development
platform to develop their own product candidates. If our competitors develop associated therapies, our ability to develop and market a
promising product or product candidate may diminish substantially, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial
condition, prospects and results of operations.
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We may not be successful in obtaining, through acquisitions, in-licenses or otherwise, necessary rights to our product candidates,
development platform technologies or other technologies.
We may need to, or want to for strategic purposes, acquire rights to certain intellectual property, through licenses from third parties, to create
new products or advancements to our development platform or further develop our product candidates and development platform
technologies. Some healthcare companies and academic institutions are competing with us in the field of EMMs and metabolic pathways and
may have patents and have filed and are likely filing patent applications potentially relevant to our business. In order to avoid infringing these
third-party patents, we may find it necessary or prudent to obtain licenses to such patents from such third-party intellectual property holders.
We may also require licenses from third parties for certain technologies that we may evaluate for use with our current or future product
candidates. However, we may be unable to secure such licenses or otherwise acquire or in-license any compositions, methods of use,
processes or other intellectual property rights from third parties that we identify as necessary for our current or future product candidates and
our development platform at a reasonable cost or on reasonable terms, if at all. The licensing or acquisition of third-party intellectual property
rights is a competitive area, and several more established companies may pursue strategies to license or acquire third party intellectual
property rights that we may consider attractive or necessary. These established companies may have a competitive advantage over us due to
their size, capital resources and greater clinical development and commercialization capabilities. In addition, companies that perceive us to be
a competitor may be unwilling to assign or license rights to us. We also may be unable to license or acquire third party intellectual property
rights on terms that would allow us to make an appropriate return on our investment or at all.
In the event that we try to obtain rights to required third party intellectual property rights, and are ultimately unsuccessful, we may be
required to expend significant time and resources to redesign our technology, product candidates or the methods for manufacturing them or to
develop or license replacement technology, all of which may not be feasible on a technical or commercial basis. If we are unable to do so, we
may be unable to develop or commercialize the affected product candidates or continue to utilize our existing development platform
technology, which could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects significantly.
We may be subject to claims that our employees, consultants or advisors have wrongfully used or disclosed alleged trade secrets of their
current or former employers or claims asserting ownership of what we regard as our own intellectual property.
Many of our employees, consultants and advisors are currently or were previously employed at universities or other healthcare companies,
including our competitors and potential competitors. Although we try to ensure that our employees, consultants and advisors do not use the
proprietary information or know-how of others in their work for us, we may be subject to claims that we or these individuals have used or
disclosed intellectual property, including trade secrets or other proprietary information, of any such individual's current or former employer.
Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. If we fail in defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages,
we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel. Even if we are successful in defending against such claims, litigation could
result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management.
In addition, while it is our policy to require our employees and contractors who may be involved in the conception or development of
intellectual property to execute agreements assigning such intellectual property to us, we may be unsuccessful in executing such an
agreement with each party who, in fact, conceives or develops intellectual property that we regard as our own. The assignment of intellectual
property rights may not be self-executing, or the assignment agreements may be breached, and we may be forced to bring claims against third
parties, or defend claims that they may bring against us, to determine the ownership of what we regard as our intellectual property. Such
claims could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
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Third-party claims of intellectual property infringement, misappropriation or other violation against us or our collaborators may prevent
or delay the development and commercialization of our product candidates, development platform technologies and other technologies.
The field of developing drug or non-drug products that target metabolic pathways is competitive and dynamic. Due to the focused research
and development that is taking place by several companies, including us and our competitors, in this field, the intellectual property landscape
is in flux, and it may remain uncertain in the future. As such, there may be significant intellectual property related litigation and proceedings
relating to our owned, and other third party, intellectual property and proprietary rights in the future.
Our commercial success depends in part on our and our collaborators' ability to avoid infringing, misappropriating and otherwise violating
the patents and other intellectual property rights of third parties. There is a substantial amount of complex litigation involving patents and
other intellectual property rights in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, as well as administrative proceedings for challenging
patents, including interference, derivation and reexamination proceedings before the USPTO or oppositions and other comparable
proceedings in foreign jurisdictions. As discussed above, recently, due to changes in U.S. law referred to as patent reform, new procedures
including inter partes review and post-grant review have been implemented. As stated above, this reform adds uncertainty to the possibility
of challenge to our patents in the future.
Numerous U.S. and foreign issued patents and pending patent applications owned by third parties exist relating to technologies and fields in
which we are developing our product candidates. As the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries expand and more patents are issued,
the risk increases that our product candidates, development platform and other technologies may give rise to claims of infringement of the
patent rights of others. We cannot assure you that our product candidates, proprietary product platform technologies and other technologies
that we have developed, are developing or may develop in the future will not infringe existing or future patents owned by third parties. We
may not be aware of patents that have already been issued and that a third party, for example, a competitor in the fields in which we are
developing our product candidates, development platform and other technologies might assert are infringed by our current or future product
candidates, development platform or other technologies, including claims to compositions, formulations, methods of manufacture or methods
of use or treatment that cover our product candidates, development platform or other technologies. It is also possible that patents owned by
third parties of which we are aware, but which we do not believe are relevant to our product candidates, development platform or other
technologies, could be found to be infringed by our product candidates, development platform or other technologies. In addition, because
patent applications can take many years to issue, there may be currently pending patent applications that may later result in issued patents
that our product candidates, development platform or other technologies may infringe. We cannot provide any assurances that third-party
patents do not exist which might be enforced against our current technology, including our development platform technologies,
manufacturing methods, product candidates or future methods or products resulting in either an injunction prohibiting our manufacture or
future sales, or, with respect to our future sales, an obligation on our part to pay royalties and/or other forms of compensation to third parties,
which could be significant.
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Third parties may have patents or obtain patents in the future and claim that the manufacture, use or sale of our product candidates,
development platform or other technologies infringes upon these patents. In the event that any third party claims that we infringe their patents
or that we are otherwise employing their proprietary technology without authorization and initiates litigation against us, even if we believe
such claims are without merit, a court of competent jurisdiction could hold that such patents are valid, enforceable and infringed by our
product candidates, development platform or other technologies. In this case, the holders of such patents may be able to block our ability to
commercialize the applicable product candidate or technology unless we obtain a license under the applicable patents, or until such patents
expire or are finally determined to be held invalid or unenforceable. Such a license may not be available on commercially reasonable terms or
at all. Even if we are able to obtain a license, the license would likely obligate us to pay license fees or royalties or both, and the rights
granted to us might be non-exclusive, which could result in our competitors gaining access to the same intellectual property. If we are unable
to obtain a necessary license to a third-party patent on commercially reasonable terms, we may be unable to commercialize our product
candidates, development platform or other technologies, or such commercialization efforts may be significantly delayed, which could in turn
significantly harm our business.
Defense of infringement claims, regardless of their merit, would involve substantial litigation expense and would be a substantial diversion of
management and other employee resources from our business, and may impact our reputation. In the event of a successful claim of
infringement against us, we may be enjoined from further developing or commercializing our infringing product candidates, development
platform or other technologies. In addition, we may have to pay substantial damages, including treble damages and attorneys' fees for willful
infringement, obtain one or more licenses from third parties, pay royalties and/or redesign our infringing product candidates or technologies,
which may be impossible or require substantial time and monetary expenditure. In that event, we would be unable to further develop and
commercialize our product candidates, development platform or other technologies, which could harm our business significantly.
Engaging in litigation to defend against third parties alleging that we have infringed, misappropriated or otherwise violated their patents or
other intellectual property rights is very expensive, particularly for a company of our size, and time-consuming. Some of our competitors
may be able to sustain the costs of litigation or administrative proceedings more effectively than we can because of greater financial
resources. Patent litigation and other proceedings may also absorb significant management time. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation
and continuation of patent litigation or other proceedings against us could impair our ability to compete in the marketplace. The occurrence
of any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
We may become involved in lawsuits to protect or enforce our patents and other intellectual property rights, which could be expensive,
time-consuming and unsuccessful.
Competitors may infringe our patents, or we may be required to defend against claims of infringement. In addition, our patents also may
become involved in inventorship, priority or validity disputes. To counter or defend against such claims can be expensive and time-
consuming. In an infringement proceeding, a court may decide that a patent owned by us is invalid or unenforceable, the other party's use of
our patented technology falls under the safe harbor to patent infringement under 35 U.S.C. §271(e) or may refuse to stop the other party from
using the technology at issue on the grounds that our owned patents do not cover the technology in question. An adverse result in any
litigation proceeding could put one or more of our owned patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly. Even if we establish
infringement, the court may decide not to grant an injunction against further infringing activity and instead award only monetary damages,
which may or may not be an adequate remedy. Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with
intellectual property litigation, there is a risk that some of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure during this type
of litigation.
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Even if resolved in our favor, litigation or other legal proceedings relating to intellectual property claims may cause us to incur significant
expenses and could distract our personnel from their normal responsibilities. In addition, there could be public announcements of the results
of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments, and if securities analysts or investors perceive these results to be
negative, it could have a substantial adverse effect on the price of our common stock. Such litigation or proceedings could substantially
increase our operating losses and reduce the resources available for development activities or any future sales, marketing or distribution
activities. We may not have sufficient financial or other resources to conduct such litigation or proceedings adequately. Some of our
competitors may be able to sustain the costs of such litigation or proceedings more effectively than we can because of their greater financial
resources and more mature and developed intellectual property portfolios. 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.
If our trademarks and trade names are not adequately protected, then we may not be able to build name recognition in our markets of
interest and our business may be adversely affected.
Our registered or unregistered trademarks or trade names may be challenged, infringed, circumvented or declared generic or determined to be
infringing on other marks. We may not be able to protect our rights to these trademarks and trade names, which we need to build name
recognition among potential partners or customers in our markets of interest. At times, competitors or other third parties may adopt trade
names or trademarks similar to ours, thereby impeding our ability to build brand identity and possibly leading to market confusion. If we
assert trademark infringement claims, a court may determine that the marks we have asserted are invalid or unenforceable, or that the party
against whom we have asserted trademark infringement has superior rights to the marks in question. In this case, we could ultimately be
forced to cease use of such trademarks. In addition, there could be potential trade name or trademark infringement claims brought by owners
of other registered trademarks or trademarks that incorporate variations of our registered or unregistered trademarks or trade names. Over the
long term, if we are unable to establish name recognition based on our trademarks and trade names, then we may not be able to compete
effectively and our business may be adversely affected. Our efforts to enforce or protect our proprietary rights related to trademarks, trade
secrets, domain names, copyrights or other intellectual property may be ineffective and could result in substantial costs and diversion of
resources and could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
Intellectual property rights do not necessarily address all potential threats.
The degree of future protection afforded by our intellectual property rights is uncertain because intellectual property rights have limitations
and may not adequately protect our business or permit us to maintain our competitive advantage. For example:
•
others may be able to make products that are similar to our product candidates or utilize similar technology but that are not covered
by the claims of the patents that we may own;
• we, or our future licensors or collaborators, might not have been the first to make the inventions covered by the issued patent or
pending patent application that we own now or in the future;
• we, or our future licensors or collaborators, might not have been the first to file patent applications covering certain of our or their
inventions;
•
•
•
others may independently develop similar or alternative technologies or duplicate any of our technologies without infringing our
owned intellectual property rights;
it is possible that our current or future pending owned patent applications will not lead to issued patents;
issued patents that we hold rights to may be held invalid or unenforceable, including as a result of legal challenges by our
competitors or other third parties;
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•
our competitors or other third parties might conduct research and development activities in countries where we do not have patent
rights and then use the information learned from such activities to develop competitive products for sale in our major commercial
markets;
• we may not develop additional proprietary technologies that are patentable;
•
the patents of others may harm our business; and
• we may choose not to file a patent in order to maintain certain trade secrets or know-how, and a third party may subsequently file a
patent covering such intellectual property.
Should any of these events occur, they could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and
prospects.
Risks Related to Our Reliance on Third Parties
We rely on third parties to conduct our Clinical Studies and will rely on third parties to conduct any Clinical Trials for any product
candidate that we decide to develop as a drug product candidate and to assist us in meeting the regulatory requirements applicable to
development and marketing of our products. If these third parties do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or meet expected
deadlines or comply with regulatory requirements, we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval for or commercialize any potential
product candidates.
We depend upon third parties to conduct preclinical studies and Clinical Studies, and we will depend upon third parties for any Clinical Trials
we conduct in the future. We expect to have to negotiate budgets and contracts with CROs, which may result in delays to our development
timelines and increased costs.
We have heavily relied upon, and will continue to heavily rely upon, third parties over the course of our Clinical Studies and planned Clinical
Trials. As a result, we will have limited control over and limited visibility into their day-to-day activities, including with respect to their
compliance with the approved clinical protocol. Nevertheless, we are responsible for ensuring that each of our Clinical Studies and Clinical
Trials is conducted in accordance with the applicable protocol, legal and regulatory requirements and scientific standards, and our reliance on
third parties does not relieve us of our regulatory responsibilities. We and these third parties are required to comply with, among other things,
GCP requirements, which are regulations and guidelines enforced by the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities for product
candidates in clinical development. Regulatory authorities enforce these GCP requirements through periodic inspections of study or trial
sponsors, clinical investigators and trial sites. If we or any of these third parties fail to comply with applicable GCP requirements, the clinical
data generated in our Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials may be deemed insufficient or unreliable and the FDA or comparable foreign
regulatory authorities may require us to suspend or terminate these Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials or perform additional Clinical Studies
or Clinical Trials before approving or otherwise permitting our marketing applications. We cannot be certain that, upon inspection, such
regulatory authorities will determine that any of our Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials comply with applicable regulatory requirements. In
addition, our Clinical Trials for therapeutic indications must be conducted with drug products produced under cGMP requirements and may
require a large number of patients.
Our failure or any failure by these third parties to comply with these regulations may require us to repeat Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials,
which would delay the regulatory approval or commercialization process. Moreover, our business may be implicated if any of these third
parties violates federal or state laws or regulations including fraud and abuse or false claims laws and regulations or healthcare privacy and
security laws even without our prior knowledge.
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Any parties conducting our Clinical Studies or planned Clinical Trials, if any, generally will not be our employees and, except for remedies
that may be available to us under our agreements with the third parties conducting such Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials, if any, we cannot
directly control whether or not they devote sufficient time and resources to our ongoing preclinical and clinical programs. These third parties
may also have relationships with other commercial entities, including our competitors, for whom they may also be conducting Clinical
Studies or Clinical Trials or other product development activities, which could affect their performance on our behalf. If these third parties do
not successfully carry out their contractual duties or obligations or meet expected deadlines, such as due to the impacts of the COVID-19
pandemic, if they need to be replaced or if the quality or accuracy of the clinical data they obtain is compromised due to the failure to adhere
to our clinical protocols or regulatory requirements or for other reasons, our Clinical Studies and Clinical Trials may be extended, delayed or
terminated and we may not be able to complete development of, obtain regulatory approval of or successfully commercialize our product
candidates. As a result, our financial results and the commercial prospects for our product candidates would be harmed, our costs could
increase and our ability to generate revenue could be delayed.
If any of our relationships with these third-party CROs or others terminate, we may not be able to enter into contractual and other
arrangements with alternative CROs or other third parties in a timely manner to meet projected clinical development deadlines or to do so on
commercially reasonable terms. Switching or adding additional CROs involves additional cost and requires management time and focus. In
addition, there is a natural transition period when a new CRO begins work. As a result, delays may occur, which can materially impact our
ability to meet our desired clinical development timelines. Though we carefully manage our relationships with our CROs, there can be no
assurance that we will not encounter similar challenges or delays in the future or that these delays or challenges will not have a material
adverse impact on our business, financial condition and prospects.
Further, we expect to work with and/or rely upon third-party CROs and/or regulatory consultants to assist us with meeting regulatory
requirements applicable to non-drug products. If we experience delays in meeting or fail to meet the regulatory requirements for
commercialization of our product candidates, the commercial prospects for our product candidates may be harmed and our ability to generate
revenues will be materially impaired.
We may rely on academic and private non-academic institutions to conduct investigator-sponsored Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials of
our product candidates. Any failure by the investigator-sponsor to meet its obligations with respect to the clinical development of our
product candidates may delay or impair our ability to obtain regulatory approval or otherwise commercialize the applicable product
candidates.
We may rely on academic and private non-academic institutions to conduct and sponsor clinical studies or trials relating to our product
candidates. We will not control the design or conduct of the investigator-sponsored trials, and it is possible that the FDA or comparable
foreign regulatory authorities will not view these investigator-sponsored studies or trials as providing adequate support to allow for the
initiation of future Clinical Trials for those product candidates that we choose to develop as drug product candidates, whether controlled by
us or independent investigators, for any one or more reasons, including elements of the design or execution of the trials or safety concerns or
other trial results.
Such arrangements will likely provide us certain information rights with respect to the investigator-sponsored studies or trials, including
access to and the ability to use and reference the data, including for our own regulatory filings, resulting from the investigator-sponsored
studies or trials. However, we would not have control over the timing and reporting of the data from investigator-sponsored trials, nor would
we own the data from the investigator-sponsored studies or trials. If we are unable to confirm or replicate the results from the investigator-
sponsored studies or trials or if negative results are obtained, we would likely be further delayed or prevented from advancing further clinical
development of our product candidates. Further, if investigators or institutions breach their obligations with respect to the clinical
development of our product candidates or if the data proves to be inadequate compared to the first-hand knowledge we might have gained
had the investigator-sponsored studies or trials been sponsored and conducted by us, then our ability to design and conduct any future
Clinical Trials ourselves may be adversely affected.
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Additionally, the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may disagree with the sufficiency of our right of reference to the
preclinical, manufacturing or clinical data generated by these investigator-sponsored studies or trials or our interpretation of preclinical,
manufacturing or clinical data from these investigator-sponsored studies or trials. If so, the FDA or other comparable foreign regulatory
authorities may require us to obtain and submit additional preclinical, manufacturing or clinical data before we may initiate our planned
Clinical Trials or may not accept such additional data as adequate to initiate our planned Clinical Trials. In addition, it could limit or prevent
our ability to commercialize product candidates for non-drug uses.
Third-party relationships are important to our business. If we are unable to enter into and maintain strategic collaborations or if these
relationships are not successful, our business could be adversely affected.
We have limited capabilities for product development and do not yet have any capability for sales, marketing or distribution. Accordingly, we
may need to enter into relationships with other companies to provide us with important technologies, services and resources and we may
receive additional technologies and funding under these and other collaborations in the future. Relationships we enter into may pose a
number of risks, including the following:
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
third parties have, and future third-party collaborators may have, significant discretion in determining the efforts and resources that
they will apply;
third parties may not perform their obligations as expected, including as a result of impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic;
third parties may not pursue development and commercialization of any product candidates and that achieve regulatory approval, as
may be necessary, or may elect not to continue or renew development or commercialization programs based on clinical study or trial
results, changes in the third parties' strategic focus or available funding, or external factors, such as a strategic transaction that may
divert resources or create competing priorities;
third parties may delay Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials, provide insufficient funding for a Clinical Study or Clinical Trial program,
terminate a Clinical Study or Clinical Trial or abandon a product candidate, repeat or conduct new Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials
or require a new formulation of product candidate for clinical testing;
third parties could independently develop, or develop with other third parties, products that compete directly or indirectly with our
products and product candidates if the third parties believe that the competitive products are more likely to be successfully developed
or can be commercialized under terms that are more economically attractive than ours;
product candidates discovered in collaboration with us may be viewed by our current or future third parties as competitive with their
own product candidates or products, which may cause such third parties to cease to devote resources to the development or
commercialization of our product candidates;
third parties may fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements regarding the development, manufacture, processing,
packaging, labeling, holding, testing, storage, distribution and/or marketing of a product candidate or product;
third parties with marketing and distribution rights to one or more of our product candidates that achieve regulatory approval may not
commit sufficient resources to the marketing and distribution of such product or products;
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•
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•
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disagreements with third parties, including disagreements over proprietary rights, contract interpretation or the preferred course of
development, might cause delays or terminations 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;
third parties may not properly maintain or defend our intellectual property rights or may use our proprietary information in such a
way as to invite litigation that could jeopardize or invalidate our intellectual property or proprietary information or expose us to
potential litigation;
third parties may infringe the intellectual property rights of third parties, which may expose us to litigation and potential liability;
if one of our third parties is involved in a business combination, the collaborator might deemphasize or terminate the development or
commercialization of any product candidate licensed to it by us; and
relationships may be terminated by the collaborator, and, if terminated, we could be required to raise additional capital to pursue
further development or commercialization of the applicable product candidates.
If our relationships do not result in the successful discovery, development and commercialization of products or if a third-party terminates its
agreement with us, or if for any other reason an agreement is terminated or cancelled, we may not receive any future research funding or
milestone or royalty payments under such agreement. If we do not receive the funding, we expect under any third-party agreements we enter
into, our development of our technology and product candidates could be delayed and we may need additional resources to develop product
candidates and our technology. All of the risks relating to product development, regulatory compliance and/or approval and
commercialization described herein also apply to the activities of any drug and non-drug collaborators we enter into relationships or
agreements in the future.
Our ability to 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. If we are unable to reach agreements with suitable third parties on a timely basis, on acceptable terms, or at all, we may have to
curtail the development of product candidate, reduce or delay its development program or one or more of our other development programs,
delay its potential commercialization or reduce the scope of any sales or marketing activities, or increase our expenditures and undertake
development or commercialization activities at our own expense. If we elect to increase our expenditures to fund development or
commercialization activities on our own, we may need to obtain additional expertise and additional capital, which may not be available to us
on acceptable terms, or at all. If we fail to enter into relationships or do not have sufficient funds or expertise to undertake the necessary
development and commercialization activities, we may not be able to further develop our product candidates, bring them to market and
generate revenue or continue to develop our technology, and our business may be materially and adversely affected.
We expect to rely on third parties to manufacture our supply of product candidates, and we intend to rely on third parties to produce and
process our products, if approved or commercialized.
We currently rely on outside vendors to supply raw materials and other important components, such as the amino acids and excipients that
make up our product candidates. We have not yet caused any product candidates to be manufactured or processed on a large clinical or
commercial scale and may not be able to do so for any of our product candidates. We will make changes as we work to optimize the
manufacturing process for our product candidates, and we cannot be sure that even minor changes in the process will result in products that
are safe and, where applicable, effective.
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The facilities used to manufacture our drug product candidates must be approved by the FDA or other foreign regulatory agencies pursuant to
inspections that could be conducted before or will be conducted after we submit a marketing application to the FDA or other foreign
regulatory agencies. Additionally, any facilities used for the manufacture of product candidates commercialized for non-drug uses will be
subject to registration and inspection by the FDA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities. We do not currently control all aspects of the
manufacturing process of, and are currently largely dependent on, our contract manufacturing partners for compliance with regulatory
requirements, known as cGMP requirements, for manufacture of our product candidates, but we may be held ultimately responsible for such
compliance. If we ever decide to open a manufacturing facility, we will be responsible for our own compliance with cGMP requirements. If
we or our contract manufacturers cannot successfully manufacture in conformance with our specifications and the strict regulatory
requirements of the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities, we and they will not be able to secure and/or maintain regulatory
approval for their manufacturing facilities with respect to the manufacture of our product candidates. In addition, we have no control over the
ability of our contract manufacturers to maintain adequate quality control, quality assurance and qualified personnel. If the FDA or a
comparable foreign regulatory authority does not approve these facilities for the manufacture of our product candidates, where applicable, or
if it withdraws any such approval in the future, or if it otherwise finds that a manufacturing facility is out of regulatory compliance, we may
need to find alternative manufacturing facilities, which would significantly impact our ability to research, develop, obtain regulatory
approval, where necessary, for and/or market our product candidates.
For more information, see "Risk Factors — Risks Related to Manufacturing and Supply" below.
Risks Related to Manufacturing and Supply
Our product candidates require precise, high-quality manufacturing capabilities. If any of our third-party manufacturers encounter
difficulties in manufacturing our product candidates, our ability to provide supply of our product candidates for Clinical Studies or
Clinical Trials, or for future commercial supply of products we bring to market under applicable regulatory requirements and approvals,
could be delayed or terminated, or we may be unable to maintain a commercially viable cost structure.
In reliance on third parties, we have experience manufacturing our product candidates only for purposes of our ongoing and completed
Clinical Studies, have limited experience manufacturing our product candidates for Clinical Trials and have not yet conducted a Clinical
Trial. We similarly have limited experience with the manufacturing requirements for non-drug products at a commercial scale. Our cGMP
manufacturing process development and scale-up is at an early stage. The actual cost to manufacture and process our product candidates
could be greater than we expect and could materially and adversely affect the commercial viability of our product candidates. In the future,
we may develop internal manufacturing capacity in part by expanding our own facilities or building additional facilities. This activity will
require substantial additional funds and we would need to invest such funds in creating the proper manufacturing infrastructure and to hire
and train a significant number of qualified employees to staff these facilities. We may not be able to develop cGMP-compliant manufacturing
facilities that are adequate to produce materials for additional later-stage Clinical Studies, Clinical Trials or commercialization, which may
materially and adversely affect our business.
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We combine multiple EMMs in novel combinations and ratios in our manufacturing process for product candidates. These combinations may
result in unanticipated manufacturing and product quality issues that we may not be able to resolve without incurring significant expense or
delays in our Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials, or at all. Furthermore, our manufacturing process may be susceptible to manufacturing issues
associated with interruptions in the manufacturing process, contamination, equipment or reagent failure, improper installation or operation of
equipment, vendor or operator error and variability in product characteristics. Even minor deviations from normal manufacturing processes at
our third-party manufacturers could result in reduced production yields, lot failures, product defects, product recalls, product liability claims
and other supply disruptions. If microbial, viral or other contaminations are discovered in our product candidates or in the manufacturing
facilities in which our product candidates are made, production at such manufacturing facilities may be interrupted for an extended period of
time to investigate and remedy the contamination. Further, as product candidates are developed through preclinical studies, Clinical Studies
and/or Clinical Trials toward approval and commercialization, it is common that various aspects of the development program, such as
manufacturing methods, are altered along the way in an effort to scale-up and optimize processes and results. Such changes carry the risk that
they will not achieve these intended objectives, and any of these changes could cause our product candidates to perform differently and affect
the results of Clinical Studies or any future Clinical Trials.
Although we continue to optimize our manufacturing process for our product candidates, doing so is a difficult and uncertain task, and there
are risks associated with scaling to the level required for advanced Clinical Studies and Clinical Trials or commercialization, including,
among others, cost overruns, potential problems with process scale-up, process reproducibility, stability issues, lot consistency, supplier
manufacturing capacity and timely availability of reagents and/or raw materials. We ultimately may not be successful in transferring our
production system from our contract manufacturers to any manufacturing facilities we may establish ourselves or other contract
manufacturers who can provide cost and process efficiencies, or our contract manufacturer may not have the necessary capabilities to
complete the implementation and development process. If we are unable to adequately validate or scale-up the manufacturing process for our
product candidates with each of our current manufacturers, we will need to transfer to other manufacturers and complete the manufacturing
validation and scale-up processes, which can be lengthy. If we are able to adequately validate and scale-up the manufacturing process for our
product candidates with a contract manufacturer, we will still need to negotiate with such contract manufacturer an agreement for commercial
supply and it is not certain we will be able to come to agreement on terms acceptable to us. As a result, we may ultimately be unable to
reduce the cost of goods for our product candidates to levels that will allow for an attractive return on investment if and when those product
candidates are commercialized.
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The manufacturing process for any drug product candidate is subject to the FDA and foreign regulatory authority approval process, and
extensive oversight of manufacturing facilities and changes to manufacturing processes. Non-drug products that we may develop will also be
subject to extensive legal and regulatory requirements, including those with respect to the manufacturing, packaging, labeling, holding,
processing and distribution of such products under appropriate cGMPs, as indicated in other risk factor sections herein. As such, we will need
to contract with manufacturers who can meet all applicable FDA, foreign or other regulatory authority requirements on an ongoing basis,
including with respect to quality systems and standards. If we or our CMOs are unable to reliably produce products under conditions and to
specifications acceptable to the Company and/or the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities, we may not obtain or maintain the
ability or, in the case of drugs, the requisite approvals to commercialize such products. There is no assurance that our CMOs will be able to
manufacture the approved product to specifications acceptable to us, the FDA, comparable foreign regulatory authorities, even if we obtain
regulatory approval for any of our product candidates for therapeutic indications, to produce product in sufficient quantities to meet the
requirements for the potential launch of the product or to meet potential future demand. In the case of product candidates for which a
therapeutic pathway is pursued, any of these challenges could delay completion of Clinical Trials, require bridging Clinical Trials or the
repetition of one or more Clinical Trials, increase Clinical Trial costs and delay approval of our product candidates. In the case of all product
candidates that we choose to commercialize, any of these challenges could delay and/or impair commercialization efforts, increase our cost of
goods, and have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. Our future success
depends on our ability to manufacture our product candidates on a timely basis with acceptable manufacturing costs, while at the same time
maintaining good quality control and complying with applicable regulatory requirements, and an inability to do so could have a material
adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we could incur higher manufacturing costs if
manufacturing processes or standards change, and we could need to replace, modify, design or build and install equipment, all of which
would require additional capital expenditures. Specifically, because our product candidates may have a higher cost of goods than other drugs
and/or non-drug products, the risk that coverage and reimbursement rates may be inadequate for us to achieve profitability may be greater.
In addition, we currently handle all batch release for our product candidates for our preclinical studies and Clinical Studies, but in the future
may need to transfer such process to a third party, which would substantially increase the cost of this step of the manufacturing process.
In addition to raw materials and CMOs, we depend on third parties for clinical product supplies (e.g., clinical labeling and secondary
packaging services) and will likely need to do the same for any future commercial supply, including, in some instances, a single supplier.
In addition to raw materials and CMOs, we depend on third-party suppliers for labeling secondary packaging and other services needed to
produce Clinical Study ready supplies of our product candidates and will likely need to do the same for any future supplies for Clinical Trials
or commercial supplies. We could be held responsible for the regulatory compliance of such labeling or packaging activities. These supplies
may not always be available to us at the standards we require or on terms acceptable to us, or at all, and we may not be able to locate
alternative suppliers in a timely manner, or at all. If we are unable to obtain necessary clinical or commercial supplies, our manufacturing
operations and Clinical Studies and Clinical Trials and the clinical studies and trials of our collaborators may be delayed or disrupted and our
business and prospects may be materially and adversely affected as a result.
We may rely on a sole supplier for certain of our supplies. If this sole supplier is unable to supply to us in the quantities we require, or at all,
or otherwise defaults on its supply obligations to us, we may not be able to obtain alternative supplies from other suppliers on acceptable
terms, in a timely manner, or at all.
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Our product candidates rely on the availability of specialty raw materials, including significant quantities of amino acids, which may not
be available to us on acceptable terms or at all.
Our product candidates require certain specialty raw materials, including significant quantities of amino acids, some of which we may obtain
from third-party small companies with limited resources and experience to support a commercial product. The suppliers may be ill-equipped
to support our needs, especially in non-routine circumstances like an FDA or foreign regulatory inspection or medical crisis, such as
widespread contamination. Additionally, our suppliers may fail inspections or have other compliance issues with regulatory authorities that,
even if unrelated to our supply chain and materials, may impact or cause delays in their ability to deliver agreed upon supplies in a timely
manner which can have negative impacts on our business plans, including delays in initiating or continuing Clinical Studies or Clinical
Trials. We do not currently have supply contracts in place with all of the suppliers that we may need at any point in time in the future, and if
needed, may not be able to contract with them on acceptable terms or at all, in particular for large quantities of pharmaceutical grade raw
materials, including amino acids. Accordingly, we may experience delays in receiving key raw materials to support clinical or commercial
manufacturing.
Risks Related to Our Common Stock
The trading price of our stock is highly volatile.
Similar to trading price of stock of other biopharmaceutical companies, the trading price of our common stock is highly volatile and is
subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control, including limited trading volume. In
addition to the factors discussed in this "Risk Factors" section and elsewhere in this Annual Report, these factors include:
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any potential impact of COVID-19 on the financial markets generally, the biopharmaceutical industry and our business and
operations, including with respect to our ongoing Clinical Studies and planned Clinical Trials;
the commencement, enrollment or results of our ongoing and planned Clinical Studies, or any future Clinical Studies or Clinical
Trials we may conduct, or changes in the development status of our product candidates;
any delay in our regulatory filings for our product candidates and any adverse development or perceived adverse development with
respect to the applicable regulatory authority's review of such filings;
adverse results from or delays in Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials of our product candidates, including as a result of clinical holds,
safety events, enrollment or study or trial protocol amendments;
our decision to initiate a Clinical Study or Clinical Trial, not to initiate a Clinical Study or Clinical Trial or to terminate an existing
Clinical Study or Clinical Trial, or being required to do so by any regulatory authority;
adverse regulatory decisions, including the FDA's disagreeing with our interpretation and application of applicable rules and
regulations and any government actions that may arise from such disagreement and our failure to receive regulatory approval of our
product candidates for therapeutic indications or to proceed on alternate regulatory pathways to market for our product candidates;
changes in laws or regulations applicable to our products, including, but not limited to, Clinical Trial requirements for approvals of
drugs or marketing of non-drug products;
adverse developments concerning our manufacturers;
our inability to obtain adequate product supply for any approved product or inability to do so at acceptable prices;
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our inability to establish collaborations, if needed;
our failure to commercialize our product candidates;
additions or departures of key scientific or management personnel;
unanticipated serious safety concerns related to the use of our product candidates;
introduction of new products or services by our competitors;
announcements of significant acquisitions, strategic partnerships, joint ventures or capital commitments by us or our competitors;
our ability to effectively manage our growth;
the size and growth of our initial target markets;
actual or anticipated variations in quarterly or annual operating results;
our cash position;
our failure to meet the estimates and projections of the investment community or that we may otherwise provide to the public;
publication of research reports about us or our industry or positive or negative recommendations or withdrawal of research coverage
by securities analysts;
changes in the market valuations of similar companies;
overall performance of the equity markets;
sales of our common stock by us or our stockholders in the future;
trading volume of our common stock;
adoption of new accounting standards;
ineffectiveness of our internal controls;
disputes or other developments relating to proprietary rights, including patents, litigation matters and our ability to obtain patent
protection for our technologies;
significant lawsuits, including patent or stockholder litigation;
general political and economic conditions; and
other events or factors, many of which are beyond our control.
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In addition, the stock market in general, and the market for healthcare companies in particular, has experienced extreme price and volume
fluctuations that have often been unrelated or disproportionate to the operating performance of these companies. Broad market and industry
factors may negatively affect the market price of our common stock, regardless of our actual operating performance. If the market price of
our common stock does not increase, you may not realize any return on your investment in us and may lose some or all of your investment.
Additionally, your ownership in our stock may be significantly diluted if we raise capital through equity issuances in private or public
financings. In the past, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against companies following periods of volatility in the
market price of a company's securities. This type of litigation, if instituted, could result in substantial costs and a diversion of management's
attention and resources, which would harm our business, operating results or financial condition.
An active trading market for our common stock may not be sustainable, and you may not be able to resell your shares at or above the
purchase price.
In May 2019, we closed our initial public offering. Prior to that offering, there was no public market for our common stock. Although we
have completed our initial public offering and shares of our common stock are listed on The Nasdaq Global Market, an active trading market
for our shares may not be sustained. You may not be able to sell your shares quickly or at the market price if trading in shares of our common
stock is not active. As a result of these and other factors, it may be difficult for our stockholders to resell their shares of our common stock at
or above the prices at which they acquired their shares or sell their shares at the time they would like to sell. Further, an inactive market may
also impair our ability to raise capital by selling shares of our common stock and may impair our ability to enter into strategic partnerships or
acquire companies or products by using our shares of common stock as consideration.
We do not intend to pay dividends on our common stock so any returns will be limited to the value of our stock.
We currently anticipate that we will retain future earnings for the development, operation and expansion of our business and do not anticipate
declaring or paying any cash dividends for the foreseeable future. In addition, our ability to pay cash dividends is currently restricted by the
terms of our loan and security agreement with Solar, and future debt or other financing arrangements may contain terms prohibiting or
limiting the amount of dividends that may be declared or paid on our common stock. Any return to stockholders will therefore be limited in
the foreseeable future to the appreciation of their stock.
Our principal stockholders and management own a significant percentage of our stock and will be able to exert significant control over
matters subject to stockholder approval.
As of December 31, 2020, our executive officers, directors and their affiliates and 5% stockholders held, in the aggregate, approximately
73.0% of our outstanding voting stock. Therefore, these stockholders have the ability to influence us through this ownership position. These
stockholders may be able to determine all matters requiring stockholder approval. For example, these stockholders may be able to control
elections of directors, amendments of our organizational documents or approval of any merger, sale of assets or other major corporate
transaction. This may prevent or discourage unsolicited acquisition proposals or offers for our common stock that stockholders may feel are
otherwise in their best interests.
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We are an emerging growth company as well as a smaller reporting company, and we cannot be certain if the reduced reporting
requirements applicable to us will make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We are an emerging growth company, as defined in the JOBS Act, enacted in April 2012. For as long as we continue to be an emerging
growth company, we may take advantage of exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies
that are not emerging growth companies, including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, or the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation
in our periodic reports and proxy statements and exemptions from the requirements of holding nonbinding advisory votes on executive
compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We could be an emerging growth
company for up to five years following the year in which we completed our IPO, although circumstances could cause us to lose that status
earlier. We will remain an emerging growth company until the earlier of (1) the last day of the fiscal year (a) following the fifth anniversary
of the completion of our IPO; (b) in which we have total annual gross revenue of at least $1.07 billion; or (c) in which we are deemed to be a
large accelerated filer, which requires the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates to exceed $700 million as of the
prior June 30; and (2) the date on which we have issued more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt during the prior three-year period. We
cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our
common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more
volatile.
Under the JOBS Act, emerging growth companies can also delay adopting new or revised accounting standards until such time as those
standards apply to private companies. We have elected not to "opt out" of such extended transition period, which means that when a standard
is issued or revised and it has different application dates for public or private companies, we may adopt the new or revised standard at the
time private companies adopt the new or revised standard and may do so until such time that we either (i) irrevocably elect to "opt out" of
such extended transition period or (ii) no longer qualify as an emerging growth company. This may make comparison of our financial
statements with the financial statements of another public company that is not an emerging growth company, or an emerging growth
company that has opted out of using the extended transition period, difficult or impossible because of the potential differences in accounting
standards used.
We will incur significant increased costs as a result of operating as a public company, and our management will be required to devote
substantial time to public company compliance initiatives.
As a public company, we will incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. We are
subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, as amended, which requires, among other things, that we file with the SEC,
annual, quarterly and current reports with respect to our business and financial condition. In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, as well as
rules subsequently adopted by the SEC and The Nasdaq Global Market to implement provisions of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, impose
significant requirements on public companies, including requiring establishment and maintenance of effective disclosure and financial
controls and changes in corporate governance practices. Further, in July 2010, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection
Act, or the Dodd-Frank Act, was enacted. There are significant corporate governance and executive compensation related provisions in the
Dodd-Frank Act that require the SEC to adopt additional rules and regulations in these areas, such as "say on pay" and proxy access. The
rules and regulations applicable to public companies have substantially increased and may further increase our legal and financial compliance
costs and to make some activities more time-consuming and costly.
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Our operating results may fluctuate significantly, which makes our future operating results difficult to predict and could cause our
operating results to fall below expectations or our guidance.
Our quarterly and annual operating results may fluctuate significantly in the future, which makes it difficult for us to predict our future
operating results. From time to time, we may enter into license or collaboration agreements with other companies that include development
funding and significant upfront and milestone payments and/or royalties, which may become an important source of our revenue.
Accordingly, our revenue may depend on development funding and the achievement of development and clinical milestones under current
and any potential future license and collaboration agreements and sales of our products, if approved. These upfront and milestone payments
may vary significantly from period to period and any such variance could cause a significant fluctuation in our operating results from one
period to the next.
In addition, we measure compensation cost for stock-based awards made to employees, directors and non-employee consultants based on the
fair value of the award on either the grant date or service completion date, and we recognize the cost as an expense over the recipient's
service period. Because the variables that we use as a basis for valuing stock-based awards change over time, including our underlying stock
price and stock price volatility, the magnitude of the expense that we must recognize may vary significantly.
Furthermore, our operating results may fluctuate due to a variety of other factors, many of which are outside of our control and may be
difficult to predict, including the following:
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any potential impact of COVID-19 on our business and operations, including with respect to our supply chain, ongoing Clinical
Studies and planned Clinical Trials;
the timing and cost of, and level of investment in, research and development activities relating to our current and any future product
candidates, which will change from time to time;
our ability to enroll subjects in Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials and the timing of enrollment;
the cost of manufacturing our current and any future product candidates, which may vary depending on FDA guidelines and
requirements, the quantity of production and the terms of our agreements with manufacturers;
expenditures that we may incur to acquire or develop additional product candidates we develop as therapeutics and technologies;
the timing and outcomes of any future Clinical Trials for product candidates and any other future product candidates or competing
product candidates;
competition from existing and potential future products that compete with our current product candidates and any other future
product candidates, and changes in the competitive landscape of our industry, including consolidation among our competitors or
partners;
any delays in regulatory review or approval or commercialization of our current product candidates or any other future product
candidates;
the level of demand for our current product candidates and any other future product candidates, if approved, which may fluctuate
significantly and be difficult to predict;
the risk/benefit profile, cost and reimbursement policies with respect to our products, if approved, and existing and potential future
products that compete with our current product candidates and any other future product candidates;
our ability to commercialize our current product candidates and any other future product candidates inside and outside of the United
States, either independently or working with third parties;
our ability to adequately support future growth;
potential unforeseen business disruptions that increase our costs or expenses;
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future accounting pronouncements or changes in our accounting policies; and
the changing and volatile global economic environment.
The cumulative effect of these factors could result in large fluctuations and unpredictability in our quarterly and annual operating results. As
a result, comparing our operating results on a period-to-period basis may not be meaningful. Investors should not rely on our past results as
an indication of our future performance. This variability and unpredictability could also result in our failing to meet the expectations of
industry or financial analysts or investors for any period. If our revenue or operating results fall below the expectations of analysts or
investors or below any forecasts we may provide to the market, or if the forecasts we provide to the market are below the expectations of
analysts or investors, the price of our common stock could decline substantially. Such a stock price decline could occur even when we have
met any previously publicly stated revenue and/or earnings guidance we may provide.
Anti-takeover provisions under our charter documents and Delaware law could delay or prevent a change of control, which could limit
the market price of our common stock and may prevent or frustrate attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current
management.
Our restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws contain provisions that could delay or prevent a change of control
of our company or changes in our board of directors that our stockholders might consider favorable. Some of these provisions include:
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a board of directors divided into three classes serving staggered three-year terms, such that not all members of the board will be
elected at one time;
a prohibition on stockholder action through written consent, which requires that all stockholder actions be taken at a meeting of our
stockholders;
a requirement that special meetings of stockholders be called only by a majority of the total number of authorized directors;
advance notice requirements for stockholder proposals and nominations for election to our board of directors;
a requirement that no member of our board of directors may be removed from office by our stockholders except for cause and, in
addition to any other vote required by law, upon the approval of not less than two-thirds of all outstanding shares of our voting stock
then entitled to vote in the election of directors;
a requirement of approval of not less than two-thirds of all outstanding shares of our voting stock to amend any bylaws by
stockholder action or to amend specific provisions of our certificate of incorporation; and
the authority of the board of directors to issue preferred stock on terms determined by the board of directors without stockholder
approval and which preferred stock may include rights superior to the rights of the holders of common stock.
In addition, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General
Corporation Law, which may prohibit certain business combinations with stockholders owning 15% or more of our outstanding voting stock.
These anti-takeover provisions and other provisions in our restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws could make
it more difficult for stockholders or potential acquirers to obtain control of our board of directors or initiate actions that are opposed by the
then-current board of directors and could also delay or impede a merger, tender offer or proxy contest involving our company. These
provisions could also discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for you and other stockholders to elect directors of your choosing
or cause us to take other corporate actions you desire. Any delay or prevention of a change of control transaction or changes in our board of
directors could cause the market price of our common stock to decline.
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If securities or industry analysts publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our stock price and trading volume
could decline.
The trading market for our common stock and its development will depend in part on the research and reports that securities or industry
analysts publish about us or our business. If one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrades our stock or publishes inaccurate or
unfavorable research about our business, our stock price may decline. If one or more of these analysts ceases coverage of our company or
fails to publish reports on us regularly, demand for our stock could decrease, which might cause our stock price and trading volume to
decline.
If we fail to maintain proper and effective internal control over financial reporting, our ability to produce accurate and timely financial
statements could be impaired, investors may lose confidence in our financial reporting and the trading price of our common stock may
decline.
Pursuant to Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley, our management is required to report upon the effectiveness of our internal control over financial
reporting beginning with the annual report for our fiscal year ending December 31, 2020. When we lose our status as an "emerging growth
company," our independent registered public accounting firm will be required to attest to the effectiveness of our internal control over
financial reporting. The rules governing the standards that must be met for management to assess our internal control over financial reporting
are complex and require significant documentation, testing and possible remediation. To comply with the requirements of being a reporting
company under the Exchange Act, we may need to implement additional financial and management controls, reporting systems and
procedures and may need to hire additional accounting and finance staff.
We cannot assure you that there will not be material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting in
the future. Any failure to maintain internal control over financial reporting could severely inhibit our ability to accurately report our financial
condition, results of operations or cash flows. If we are unable to conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if
our independent registered public accounting firm determines we have a material weakness or significant deficiency in our internal control
over financial reporting, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports, the market price of our
common stock could decline, and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by The Nasdaq Global Market, the SEC or other
regulatory authorities. Failure to remedy any material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting, or to implement or maintain
other effective control systems required of public companies, could also restrict our future access to the capital markets.
If we engage in future acquisitions or strategic partnerships, this may increase our capital requirements, dilute our stockholders, cause us
to incur debt or assume contingent liabilities and subject us to other risks.
We may evaluate various acquisition opportunities and strategic partnerships, including licensing or acquiring complementary products,
intellectual property rights, technologies or businesses. Any potential acquisition or strategic partnership may entail numerous risks,
including, but not limited to:
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increased operating expenses and cash requirements;
the assumption of additional indebtedness or contingent liabilities;
the issuance of our equity securities;
assimilation of operations, intellectual property and products of an acquired company, including difficulties associated with
integrating new personnel;
the diversion of our management's attention from our existing product programs and initiatives in pursuing such a strategic merger or
acquisition;
retention of key employees, the loss of key personnel and uncertainties in our ability to maintain key business relationships;
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risks and uncertainties associated with the other party to such a transaction, including the prospects of that party and their existing
products or product candidates and marketing approvals; and
our inability to generate revenue from acquired technology and/or products sufficient to meet our objectives in undertaking the
acquisition or even to offset the associated acquisition and maintenance costs.
In addition, if we undertake acquisitions, we may issue dilutive securities, assume or incur debt obligations, incur large one-time expenses
and acquire intangible assets that could result in significant future amortization expense. Moreover, we may not be able to locate suitable
acquisition opportunities, and this inability could impair our ability to grow or obtain access to technology or products that may be important
to the development of our business.
Our amended and restated bylaws 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.
Pursuant to our amended and restated bylaws, unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Court of Chancery of
the State of Delaware (or, if the Chancery Court does not have jurisdiction, the federal district court for the District of Delaware or other state
courts of the State of Delaware) will be the sole and exclusive forum for state law claims for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought
on our behalf; (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty or other wrongdoing by any of our directors, officers, employees
or agents to us or our stockholders; (iii) any action asserting a claim against us arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General
Corporation Law or our certificate of incorporation or bylaws; (iv) any action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of our
certificate of incorporation or bylaws; or (v) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine, which we refer to as the
Delaware Forum Provision. The Delaware Forum Provision will not apply to any causes of action arising under the Securities Act or the
Exchange Act. Our amended and restated bylaws further provide that, unless we consent in writing to an alternative forum, the United States
District Court for the District of Massachusetts will be the exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising
under the Securities Act, which we refer to as the Federal Forum Provision. We have chosen the United States District Court for the District
of Massachusetts as the exclusive forum for such Securities Act causes of action because our principal executive offices are located in
Cambridge, Massachusetts. In addition, our amended and restated bylaws provide that any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring
any interest in shares of our common stock is deemed to have notice of and consented to the Delaware Forum Provision and the Federal
Forum Provision.
The forum selection clauses in our amended and restated bylaws may limit our stockholders' ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for
disputes with us. Additionally, these forum selection clauses may limit our stockholders’ ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that they
find favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors,
officers and employees even though an action, if successful, might benefit our stockholders. The Federal Forum Provision may also impose
additional litigation costs on stockholders who assert the provision is not enforceable or invalid. The Court of Chancery of the State of
Delaware and the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts may also reach different judgments or results than would
other courts, including courts where a stockholder considering an action may be located or would otherwise choose to bring the action, and
such judgments may be more or less favorable to us than our stockholders.
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Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
Item 2. Properties
We lease a facility containing 19,200 square feet of laboratory and office space, which is located at 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge,
Massachusetts. The lease expires in April 2024, subject to one option to extend the lease for an additional three years.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
We are not currently party to any material legal proceedings.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
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PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Certain Information Regarding the Trading of Our Common Stock
Our common stock trades under the symbol “AXLA” on the Nasdaq Global Market and has been publicly traded since May 9, 2019. Prior to
this time, there was no public market for our common stock.
Holders of Our Common Stock
As of March 1, 2021, there were approximately 28 holders of record of shares of our common stock. This number does not include
stockholders for whom shares are held in “nominee” or “street” name.
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
Information about our equity compensation plans will be included in our definitive proxy statement to be filed with the SEC with respect to
our 2021 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, or the Proxy Statement, and is incorporated herein by reference.
Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
Recent Sales of Unregistered Equity Securities
The information required by Item 701 of Regulation S-K was previously included in Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed on May 11, 2020,
August 5, 2020 and November 12, 2020.
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
We did not purchase any of our registered equity securities during the period covered by this Annual Report.
Item 6. Selected Financial Data
Not applicable.
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Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion of the financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial
statements and the related notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report. In addition to historical information, this discussion and
analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. We caution you that forward-looking
statements are not guarantees of future performance, and that our actual results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the
developments in our business and the industry in which we operate, may differ materially from the results discussed or projected in the
forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report. We discuss risks and other factors that we believe could cause or contribute to
these potential differences elsewhere in this Annual Report, including under Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and under “Special Note
Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.” In addition, even if our results of operations, financial condition and liquidity, and the
developments in our business and the industry in which we operate are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this
Annual Report, they may not be predictive of results or developments in future periods. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on
any forward-looking statements made by us, which speak only as of the date they are made. We disclaim any obligation, except as specifically
required by law and the rules of the SEC to publicly update or revise any such statements to reflect any change in our expectations or in
events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will
differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Overview
We are a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on pioneering a new approach to treat complex diseases and improve health using
endogenous metabolic modulator, or EMM, compositions. Our product candidates are comprised of multiple EMMs that are engineered in
distinct combinations and ratios with the goal of simultaneously impacting multiple biological pathways. Our pipeline includes our lead
therapeutic candidates: AXA1665 for the reduction in risk of recurrent overt hepatic encephalopathy, or OHE, and AXA1125 for non-
alcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH.
Using our development platform, we have efficiently designed product candidates that are comprised of amino acids and their derivatives,
which have a general history of safe use. The orally administered EMM compositions that we have tested to date have shown the potential to
generate multifactorial effects in our initial Clinical Studies.
To date, we have funded our operations with proceeds from the sale of preferred stock and common stock, and borrowing of debt. Since our
inception, we have incurred significant operating losses. Our ability to generate product revenue sufficient to achieve profitability will
depend heavily on the successful development and eventual commercialization of one or more of our current or future product candidates.
Our net losses were $56.5 million and $59.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. As of December 31,
2020, we had an accumulated deficit of $272.6 million. We expect to continue to incur significant expenses for at least the next several years
as we continue to develop our product candidates.
As a result, we will need substantial additional funding to support our continuing operations and pursue our growth strategy. Until such time
as we can generate significant revenue from product sales, if ever, we expect to finance our operations through a combination of equity
offerings, debt financings, strategic alliances and marketing and licensing arrangements. We may be unable to raise additional funds or enter
into such other agreements or arrangements when needed on favorable terms, or at all. If we fail to raise capital or enter into such agreements
as, and when, needed, we may have to significantly delay, scale back or discontinue the development and commercialization of one or more
of our product candidates or delay our pursuit of potential in-licenses or acquisitions.
Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with product development, we are unable to predict the timing or amount of
increased expenses or when or if we will be able to achieve or maintain profitability. Even if we are able to generate product sales, we may
not become profitable. If we fail to become profitable or are unable to sustain profitability on a continuing basis, we may be unable to
continue our operations at planned levels and be forced to reduce or terminate our operations.
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As of December 31, 2020, we had cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities of $107.3 million. We believe that our existing cash, cash
equivalents, and marketable securities as of December 31, 2020 will enable us to fund our operating expenses, capital expenditure
requirements and debt service payments for at least the next 12 months following the filing date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We
have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could exhaust our available capital resources sooner than we
expect. See “—Liquidity and Capital Resources.” To finance our operations significantly beyond that point, we will need to raise additional
capital, which cannot be assured.
The extent to which COVID-19 impacts our business, operations or financial results will depend on future developments, which are highly
uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, such as the duration of the pandemic, new information that may emerge concerning the
severity of COVID-19 or the nature or effectiveness of actions to contain COVID-19 or treat its impact, among others. We cannot presently
predict the scope and severity of any potential business shutdowns or disruptions. If we or any of the third parties with whom we engage,
however, were to experience shutdowns or other business disruptions, our ability to conduct our business in the manner and on the timelines
presently planned could be materially and negatively affected, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, results of
operations and financial condition.
Components of our Consolidated Results of Operations
Revenue
To date, we have not generated any revenue from product sales and do not expect to generate any revenue from the sale of products in the
near future. If our development efforts for our product candidates are successful and result in regulatory approval or we execute license or
collaboration agreements with third parties, we may generate revenue in the future from product sales, payments from collaborations or
license agreements that we may enter into with third parties, or any combination thereof.
Research and Development Expenses
Our research and development expenses consist primarily of costs incurred in connection with our research activities, including our drug
discovery efforts, and the development of our product candidates, which include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
direct external research and development expenses, including fees, reimbursed materials and other costs paid to consultants,
contractors, contract manufacturing organizations, or CMOs and clinical research organizations, or CROs, in connection with our
clinical and preclinical development and manufacturing activities;
employee-related expenses, including salaries, related benefits and stock-based compensation expense for employees engaged in
research and development functions;
expenses incurred in connection with the preclinical and clinical development of our product candidates, including any Clinical
Studies, planned Clinical Trials and other research programs, including under agreements with third parties, such as consultants,
contractors and CROs;
the cost of developing and scaling our manufacturing process and manufacturing products for use in our preclinical studies, Clinical
Studies and Clinical Trials, including under agreements with third parties, such as consultants, contractors and CMOs;
patent-related costs incurred in connection with filing and prosecuting patent applications; and
facilities, depreciation and other expenses, which include direct and allocated expenses for rent and maintenance of facilities and
insurance.
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We expense research and development costs as incurred. We often contract with CROs and CMOs to facilitate, coordinate and perform
agreed-upon research, design, development, and manufacturing of our product candidates. To ensure that research and development costs are
expensed as incurred, we record monthly accruals for clinical studies and manufacturing costs based on the work performed under the
contract.
These CRO and CMO contracts typically call for the payment of fees for services at the initiation of the contract and/or upon the
achievement of certain clinical or manufacturing milestones. In the event that we prepay CRO or CMO fees, we record the prepayment as a
prepaid asset and amortize the asset into research and development expense over the period of time the contracted research and development
or manufacturing services are performed. Most professional fees, including project and clinical management, data management, monitoring
and manufacturing fees are incurred throughout the contract period. These professional fees are expensed based on their estimated percentage
of completion at a particular date. Our CRO and CMO contracts generally include pass through fees. Pass through fees include, but are not
limited to, regulatory expenses, investigator fees, travel costs and other miscellaneous costs and raw materials. We expense the costs of pass
through fees under our CRO and CMO contracts as they are incurred, based on the best information available to us at the time.
A significant portion of our research and development costs are not tracked by project as they benefit multiple projects or our technology
platform, and, as such, are not separately classified.
Research and development expenses may fluctuate from period to period depending upon the stage of certain projects and the stage of
preclinical and clinical activities and development. Many factors can affect the cost and timing of our Clinical Studies and planned Clinical
Trials, including, without limitation, slow patient enrollment and the availability of supplies, including as a result of the COVID-19
pandemic, and real or perceived lack of effect on biology or safety of our product candidates. In addition, the development of all of our
product candidates may be subject to extensive governmental regulation. These factors make it difficult for us to predict the timing and costs
of the further development of our product candidates.
See “Risk Factors” for further discussion of these and additional risks and uncertainties associated with product development and
commercialization that may significantly affect the timing and cost of our research and development expenses and our ability to obtain
regulatory approval for and successfully commercialize our product candidates. We expect research and development expenses to increase as
we advance existing product candidates into additional Clinical Trials and Clinical Studies and develop new product candidates.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries, benefits, travel and stock-based compensation expense for personnel in
executive, finance and administrative functions. General and administrative expenses also include professional fees for legal, consulting,
accounting and audit services.
We anticipate that our general and administrative expenses will increase in the future as we increase our headcount to support our continued
research and development of our product candidates. We also anticipate that we will incur increased finance, accounting, audit, legal,
compliance, director and officer insurance costs as well as investor and public relations expenses associated with operating as a public
company. Additionally, if and when we believe a regulatory approval of a product candidate appears likely, we anticipate an increase in
payroll and expense as a result of our preparation for commercial operations, especially as it relates to the sales and marketing of our product
candidate.
Other Income (Expense), Net
Other income (expense), net primarily consists of interest income and interest expense. Interest income consists of interest earned on our
invested cash balances. Interest expense consists of interest on outstanding borrowings under our loan and security agreement, and the
amortization expense of the debt discount and debt issuance costs.
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Income Taxes
Since our inception, we have not recorded any income tax benefits for the net losses we have incurred in each year or for our research and
development tax credits, as we believe, based upon the weight of available evidence, that it is more likely than not that all of our net
operating loss, or NOLs, carryforwards and tax credits will not be realized.
Consolidated Results of Operations
Comparison of the Years Ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
The following table summarizes our consolidated results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 (in thousands):
Operating expenses:
Research and development
General and administrative
Total operating expenses
Loss from operations
Other income (expense):
Other income (expense), net
Total other income (expense), net
Net loss
Research and Development Expenses
Year Ended December 31,
2019
2020
Change
$
$
37,039 $
16,797
53,836
(53,836)
(2,691)
(2,691)
(56,527) $
41,658 $
15,781
57,439
(57,439)
(1,598)
(1,598)
(59,037) $
(4,619)
1,016
(3,603)
3,603
(1,093)
(1,093)
2,510
The following table summarizes our research and development expenses incurred during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 (in
thousands):
Salary and benefits-related
Clinical research and outside services
Facility-related and other
Total research and development expenses
Year Ended December 31,
2019
2020
Change
$
$
15,756 $
16,635
4,648
37,039 $
14,942 $
21,769
4,947
41,658 $
814
(5,134)
(299)
(4,619)
The increase of $0.8 million in salary and benefits-related costs resulted from higher average salaries, bonuses, and promotions for personnel
in research and development. Stock-based compensation expense also contributed to the year-over-year growth in salary and benefits-related
costs due to an increase in the number of awards granted. Clinical research and outside services costs decreased by $5.1 million due to lower
costs associated with Clinical Studies' expenses as we completed our AXA1125-003 and AXA1665-002, and the closure of our AXA1957-
002 pediatric study.
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General and Administrative Expenses
The following table summarizes our general and administrative expenses incurred during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 (in
thousands):
Salary and benefits-related
Other contract services and outside costs
Facility-related and other
Total general and administrative expenses
Year Ended December 31,
2019
2020
Change
$
$
10,031 $
5,254
1,512
16,797 $
9,212 $
5,888
681
15,781 $
819
(634)
831
1,016
Salary and benefits-related costs grew by $0.8 million due to the hiring of additional personnel in our general and administrative functions to
support our operations. Stock-based compensation expense also contributed to the year-over-year growth in salary and benefits-related costs
due to an increase in the number of awards granted. Other contract services and outside costs decreased by $0.6 million, driven by decreases
in professional and legal fees, largely as a result of one-time expenses related to becoming a public company in 2019. Facility-related and
other costs increased by $0.8 million due to a standard increase in annual rent expense and an increase in purchased software costs.
Other Income (Expense), Net
Other income (expense), net was a net expense of $2.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to a net expense of $1.6
million for the year ended December 31, 2019. This net expense increase was driven by lower interest income of $1.5 million, partially offset
by lower interest expense on borrowings under our loan and security agreement of $0.4 million as a result of declines in interest rates.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Since our inception, we have not generated any revenue and have incurred significant operating losses and negative cash flows from our
operations. We have funded our operations to date primarily with proceeds from the sale of preferred stock and common stock, and
borrowings under our loan and security agreement.
On May 18, 2020, we completed a follow-on public offering pursuant to which we issued an aggregate of 12,650,000 shares of our common
stock for net proceeds of approximately $55.9 million after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering
expenses.
On June 5, 2020, we entered into a sales agreement with SVB Leerink LLC (“SVB Leerink”) pursuant to which we may offer and sell shares
of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $35.0 million from time to time through SVB Leerink, acting as our agent
(the “ATM Offering”). During the year ended December 31, 2020, we sold an aggregate of 1,721,267 shares of common stock under the
ATM Offering for net cash proceeds of $9.3 million after deducting commissions and expenses of $0.5 million.
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Cash Flows
The following table summarizes our cash flows for each of the periods presented (in thousands):
Net cash used in operating activities
Net cash used in investing activities
Net cash provided by financing activities
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents
Operating Activities
Year Ended December 31,
2019
2020
$
$
(49,771) $
(36,119)
65,427
(20,463) $
(50,962)
(117)
63,666
12,587
During the year ended December 31, 2020, operating activities used $49.8 million of cash, primarily resulting from our net loss of $56.5
million and changes in our operating assets and liabilities of $0.7 million, both partially offset by non-cash charges of $7.4 million, including
$6.3 million of stock-based compensation.
During the year ended December 31, 2019, operating activities used $51.0 million of cash, primarily resulting from our net loss of $59.0
million, partially offset by changes in our operating assets and liabilities of $1.0 million and non-cash charges of $7.1 million, including $5.8
million of stock-based compensation expense.
Investing Activities
During the year ended December 31, 2020, net cash used in investing activities primarily consisted of the purchase of marketable securities
totaling $35.9 million.
During the year ended December 31, 2019, net cash used in investing activities primarily consisted of the purchase of property and
equipment totaling $0.1 million.
Financing Activities
During the year ended December 31, 2020, net cash provided by financing activities was $65.4 million, which primarily consisted of the net
proceeds from the issuance of common stock.
During the year ended December 31, 2019, net cash provided by financing activities was $63.7 million, primarily consisting of net cash
proceeds of $64.5 million from our IPO, partially offset by a $1.2 million payment of the success fee payable upon completion of our IPO
pursuant to our loan and security agreement.
Loan and Security Agreement
At December 31, 2020, we had $26.0 million in outstanding long-term debt pursuant to our loan and security agreement. In accordance with
the recent amendment of the loan and security agreement, the interest-only period was extended through January 31, 2022 as we achieved
certain regulatory and clinical milestones. Monthly principal payments of $2.2 million will commence February 1, 2022 for 12 months as the
loan matures on January 1, 2023. The interest-only period may be further extended through May 1, 2022, provided that we achieve a
specified clinical milestone by September 30, 2021. The terminal interest fee of 6.35%, or $1.7 million, is due with the final principal
payment of the loan. We granted the lender a first priority security interest in all of our assets, excluding intellectual property and granted a
negative pledge on such intellectual property. There are no financial covenants under our loan and security agreement.
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Funding Requirements
We believe that our existing cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of December 31, 2020 will be adequate to fund our operating
expenses, capital expenditure requirements and debt service obligations through at least the next 12 months. We have based this estimate on
assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could utilize our available capital resources sooner than we expect. We expect our expenses
to increase substantially in connection with our ongoing activities, particularly as we advance existing product candidates into additional
Clinical Trials and Clinical Studies and develop new product candidates. Our cash requirements depend on numerous factors, including,
without limitation, expenditures in connection with our research and development programs, including with respect to the timing and
progress of Clinical Trials, Clinical Studies and preclinical development activities; payments to CROs, CMOs and other third-party
providers; the cost of filing, prosecuting, defending and enforcing patent claims and other intellectual property rights; our ability to raise
additional equity or debt financing; potential repayments of our long-term debt; and our ability to enter into collaboration or license
agreements and our receipt of any upfront, milestone or other payments thereunder. Changes in our research and development plans or other
changes affecting our operating expenses may result in changes in the timing and amount of expenditures of our capital resources. See “Risk
Factors” for further discussion of these and additional risks and uncertainties that may significantly affect the timing and amount of
expenditures of our capital resources.
We will need substantial additional funding to support our continuing operations and pursue our growth strategy. Until such time as we can
generate significant revenue from product sales, if ever, we expect to finance our operations through a combination of equity offerings, debt
financings, strategic alliances and marketing and licensing arrangements. We may be unable to raise additional funds or enter into such other
agreements or arrangements when needed on favorable terms, or at all, including as a result of market volatility following the COVID-19
pandemic. If we fail to raise capital or enter into such agreements as, and when, needed, we may have to significantly delay, scale back or
discontinue the development and commercialization of one or more of our product candidates or delay our pursuit of potential in-licenses or
acquisitions. We also intend to continue to evaluate options to refinance our outstanding long-term debt. The amounts involved in any such
transactions, individually or in the aggregate, may be material.
Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgments and Estimates
Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States. The
preparation of our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the
reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, costs and expenses, and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities in our financial
statements. We base our estimates on historical experience, known trends and events and various other factors that we believe are reasonable
under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are
not readily apparent from other sources. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. Our actual results may differ from
these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
While our significant accounting policies are described in more detail in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere
in this Annual Report, we believe that the following accounting policies are those most critical to the judgments and estimates used in the
preparation of our consolidated financial statements.
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Accrued Research and Development Expenses
As part of the process of preparing our consolidated financial statements, we are required to estimate our accrued research and development
expenses. This process involves reviewing open contracts and purchase orders, communicating with our personnel to identify services that
have been performed on our behalf and estimating the level of service performed and the associated cost incurred for the service when we
have not yet been invoiced or otherwise notified of actual costs. The majority of our service providers invoice us in arrears for services
performed, on a pre-determined schedule or when contractual milestones are met; however, some require advanced payments. We make
estimates of our accrued expenses as of each balance sheet date in the consolidated financial statements based on facts and circumstances
known to us at that time. We periodically confirm the accuracy of these estimates with the service providers and make adjustments if
necessary. Examples of estimated accrued research and development expenses include fees paid to vendors including CROs and CMOs for
research and development services.
We base our expenses related to research and development on our estimates of the services received and efforts expended pursuant to quotes
and contracts with CROs that conduct and manage Clinical Trials, Clinical Studies and preclinical development activities on our behalf. The
financial terms of these agreements are subject to negotiation, vary from contract to contract and may result in uneven payment flows. There
may be instances in which payments made to our vendors will exceed the level of services provided and result in a prepayment of the
expense. Payments under some of these contracts depend on factors such as the successful enrollment of patients or subjects and the
completion of clinical milestones. In accruing service fees, we estimate the time period over which services will be performed and the level
of effort to be expended in each period. If the actual timing of the performance of services or the level of effort varies from the estimate, we
adjust the accrual or the amount of prepaid expenses accordingly. Although we do not expect our estimates to be materially different from
amounts actually incurred, our understanding of the status and timing of services performed relative to the actual status and timing of services
performed may vary and may result in reporting amounts that are too high or too low in any particular period. To date, there have not been
any material adjustments to our prior estimates of accrued research and development expenses.
Stock-Based Compensation
We estimate the fair value of our stock-based awards to employees and non-employees using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model, which
requires the input of highly subjective assumptions, including (a) the expected volatility of our stock, (b) the expected term of the award, (c)
the risk-free interest rate, and (d) expected dividends. Due to the lack of company-specific historical and implied volatility data, we base our
estimate of expected volatility on the historical volatility of a group of companies in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries in a
similar stage of development as us and that are publicly traded. For these analyses, we have selected companies with comparable
characteristics to ours including enterprise value, risk profiles and with historical share price information sufficient to meet the expected life
of the stock-based awards. We compute the historical volatility data using the daily closing prices for the selected companies' shares during
the equivalent period of the calculated expected term of our stock-based awards. We will continue to apply this process until a sufficient
amount of historical information regarding the volatility of our own stock price becomes available. We have estimated the expected life of
our employee stock options using the "simplified" method, whereby, the expected life equals the average of the vesting term and the original
contractual term of the option. The risk-free interest rates for periods within the expected life of the option are based on the U.S. Treasury
yield curve in effect during the period the options were granted. We have elected to account for forfeitures as they occur.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We did not have during the periods presented, and we do not have, any off-balance sheet arrangements, as defined under applicable SEC
rules and regulations.
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Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
A description of recently issued accounting pronouncements that may potentially impact our financial position and results of operations is
disclosed in Note 2 to our consolidated financial statements appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report.
Emerging Growth Company Status
We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act, and we may take
advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging
growth companies. We may take advantage of these exemptions until we are no longer an emerging growth company. Section 107 of the
JOBS Act provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of the extended transition period afforded by the JOBS Act for the
implementation of new or revised accounting standards. We have elected to use the extended transition period for complying with new or
revised accounting standards and, as a result of this election, our financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with
public company effective dates. We may take advantage of these exemptions up until the last day of the fiscal year following the fifth
anniversary of our IPO or such earlier time that we are no longer an emerging growth company. We would cease to be an emerging growth
company if we have more than $1.07 billion in annual revenue, we have more than $700.0 million in market value of our stock held by non-
affiliates (and we have been a public company for at least 12 months and have filed one annual report on Form 10-K) or we issue more than
$1.0 billion of non-convertible debt securities over a three-year period.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure About Market Risk
Not applicable.
Item 8. Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
AXCELLA HEALTH INC.
Index to Consolidated Financial Statements
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Consolidated Balance Sheets
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity
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114
115
116
117
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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of Axcella Health Inc.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Axcella Health Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31,
2020 and 2019, and the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each
of the years then ended and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements
present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its
operations and its cash flows for each of the years then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United
States of America.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the
Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting
Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S.
federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulation of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to
obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The
Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our
audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion
on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.
Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or
fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the
amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant
estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide
a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
March 17, 2021
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2012.
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AXCELLA HEALTH INC.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands, except share data)
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Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
Marketable securities
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
Total current assets
Property and equipment, net
Other assets
Total assets
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities
Total current liabilities
Long-term debt, net of discount
Other liabilities
Total liabilities
Commitments and contingencies (Note 11)
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 150,000,000 shares authorized, 38,022,273 and 23,607,797 shares
issued and 37,603,292 and 23,188,816 shares outstanding at December 31, 2020 and 2019,
respectively
Additional paid-in capital
Treasury stock, 418,981 shares at cost
Accumulated other comprehensive loss
Accumulated deficit
Total stockholders' equity
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity
December 31,
2020
2019
71,590 $
35,739
1,692
109,021
360
211
109,592 $
2,290 $
5,494
7,784
25,222
1,205
34,211
—
92,053
—
1,487
93,540
608
211
94,359
1,998
6,358
8,356
24,897
882
34,135
—
38
347,990
—
(34)
(272,613)
75,381
109,592 $
24
276,286
—
—
(216,086)
60,224
94,359
$
$
$
$
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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AXCELLA HEALTH INC.
Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss
(in thousands, except share and per share data)
Operating expenses:
Research and development
General and administrative
Total operating expenses
Loss from operations
Other income (expense):
Interest income
Interest expense
Other income (expense), net
Total other income (expense), net
Net loss
Net loss per share, basic and diluted
Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted
Comprehensive loss:
Net loss
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Unrealized losses on marketable securities
Comprehensive loss
Year Ended December 31,
2019
2020
37,039 $
16,797
53,836
(53,836)
306
(3,007)
10
(2,691)
(56,527) $
(1.78) $
41,658
15,781
57,439
(57,439)
1,814
(3,395)
(17)
(1,598)
(59,037)
(3.55)
31,747,676
16,624,941
(56,527) $
(59,037)
(34)
(56,561) $
—
(59,037)
$
$
$
$
$
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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AXCELLA HEALTH INC.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(in thousands)
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net loss
Adjustment to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization
Stock-based compensation
Change in fair value of preferred stock warrant liability
Non-cash interest expense
Other non-cash items
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
Other long-term assets
Accounts payable
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities
Net cash used in operating activities
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment
Purchases of marketable securities
Net cash used in investing activities
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net of issuance costs
Payment of debt issuance costs
Payment of success fee obligation
Proceeds from exercise of common stock options and ESPP
Net cash provided by financing activities
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year
Supplemental cash flow information:
Cash paid for interest
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Reclassification of warrants to additional paid-in capital
Conversion of preferred stock to common stock upon closing of the initial public offering
Accretion of preferred stock to redemption value
Purchases of property and equipment included in accounts payable
Public offering costs incurred but unpaid at period end
Year Ended December 31,
2020
2019
$
(56,527) $
(59,037)
419
6,287
—
580
128
(205)
—
311
(764)
(49,771)
(239)
40
(35,920)
(36,119)
65,322
(39)
—
144
65,427
(20,463)
92,053
71,590 $
662
5,824
51
557
(18)
(652)
5
366
1,280
(50,962)
(136)
19
—
(117)
64,546
—
(1,220)
340
63,666
12,587
79,466
92,053
2,420 $
2,838
— $
— $
— $
13 $
35 $
476
197,888
46
59
—
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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AXCELLA HEALTH INC.
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity (Deficit)
(in thousands, except share data)
BALANCE - January 1, 2019
Exercise of common stock options
Accretion of preferred stock to redemption value
Conversion of preferred stock to common stock upon
closing of the initial public offering
Issuance of common stock, net of issuance costs of $6,896
Reclassification of warrants to additional paid-in capital
Exercise of common stock warrant
Stock-based compensation
Net loss
BALANCE - December 31, 2019
Exercise of common stock options
Issuance of common stock, net of issuance costs of $4,599
Issuance of common stock related to ESPP
Stock-based compensation
Unrealized loss on marketable securities
Net loss
Common stock
Shares
5,193,915 $
155,043
Par Value
6 $
Additional
paid-in capital
7,290 $
340
(46)
Accumulated
other
comprehensive
income (loss)
— $
Accumulated
deficit
(157,049) $
14,641,997
3,571,428
45,414
23,607,797
3,166
14,371,267
40,043
15
3
24
14
197,873
64,529
476
5,824
276,286
—
(59,037)
(216,086)
65,273
144
6,287
(34)
(56,527)
(272,613) $
Total
stockholders’
equity (deficit)
(149,753)
340
(46)
197,888
64,532
476
—
5,824
(59,037)
60,224
—
65,287
144
6,287
(34)
(56,527)
75,381
BALANCE - December 31, 2020
38,022,273 $
38 $
347,990 $
(34) $
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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1. NATURE OF BUSINESS
AXCELLA HEALTH INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Axcella Health Inc. and subsidiaries ("Axcella," the "Company" or "we") is a biotechnology company that was incorporated in Delaware on
August 27, 2008 and has a principal place of business in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Company is focused on pioneering a new approach
to treat complex diseases and improve health using endogenous metabolic modulator, or EMM, compositions. The Company's product
candidates are comprised of multiple EMMs that are engineered in distinct combinations and ratios with the goal of simultaneously
impacting multiple biological pathways.
The Company is subject to risks and uncertainties common to early-stage companies in the biotechnology industry, including, but not limited
to, successful development of technology, obtaining additional funding, protection of proprietary technology, compliance with government
regulations, risks of failure of preclinical studies, Clinical Studies and Clinical Trials, the need to obtain marketing approval for its product
candidates, if required, and successfully market products, fluctuations in operating results, economic pressure impacting therapeutic pricing,
dependence on key personnel, risks associated with changes in technologies, development by competitors of technological innovations and
the ability to scale manufacturing to large scale production. Product candidates currently under development will require significant
additional research and development efforts, including preclinical and clinical testing and any necessary regulatory approval prior to
commercialization. These efforts require significant amounts of additional capital, adequate personnel and infrastructure and extensive
compliance-reporting capabilities. Even if development efforts are successful, it is uncertain when, if ever, the Company will realize
significant revenue from product sales.
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, which contemplates the realization of
assets and the satisfaction of liabilities and commitments in the ordinary course of business. The Company has historically funded its
operations with proceeds from sales of preferred and common stock and borrowings under a loan and security agreement. As of
December 31, 2020, the Company had an accumulated deficit of $272.6 million. The Company expects to continue to generate operating
losses for the foreseeable future. The Company believes the cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities on hand as of December 31,
2020 of $107.3 million will be sufficient to fund its operations for at least the next 12 months following the issuance date of these
consolidated financial statements.
2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Basis of Presentation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the
United States of America (“GAAP”). Any reference in these notes to applicable guidance is meant to refer to the authoritative United States
generally accepted accounting principles as found in the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) and Accounting Standards Update
(“ASU”) of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”).
Principles of Consolidation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Axcella Health Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All
intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.
Segment Information
Operating segments are identified as components of an enterprise about which separate discrete financial information is available for
evaluation by the CEO, who is the chief operating decision maker, in making decisions on how to allocate resources and assess performance.
The Company operates in one reportable business segment.
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Use of Estimates
The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions
that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated
financial statements and the reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period. The Company bases its estimates on historical
experience, known trends and other market-specific or relevant factors that it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances. On an
ongoing basis, management evaluates its estimates as there are changes in circumstances, facts and experience. Actual results may differ
from those estimates or assumptions.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents include cash held in banks and amounts held in interest-bearing money market accounts, Cash equivalents are
carried at cost, which approximates their fair market value. The Company considers all highly liquid investments with a remaining maturity
when purchased of three months or less to also be cash equivalents.
Marketable Securities
The Company’s marketable securities, which consisted of corporate debt obligations as of December 31, 2020, are classified as available-for-
sale and are reported at fair value. Unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities are reported as a component of accumulated
other comprehensive income (loss) in stockholders’ equity. Realized gains and losses and declines in value determined to be other than
temporary are based on the specific identification method and are included as a component of other income (expense), net in the consolidated
statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
The Company evaluates its marketable securities with unrealized losses for other-than-temporary impairment. When assessing marketable
securities for other-than-temporary declines in value, the Company considers such factors as, among other things, how significant the decline
in value is as a percentage of the original cost, how long the market value of the investment has been less than its original cost, the
Company’s ability and intent to retain the investment for a period of time sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in fair value and
market conditions in general. If any adjustment to fair value reflects a decline in the value of the investment that the Company considers to be
“other than temporary,” the Company reduces the investment to fair value through a charge to the statement of operations and comprehensive
loss. No such adjustments were necessary during the periods presented.
Concentrations of Credit Risk
The Company has no off-balance sheet risk, such as foreign exchange contracts, option contracts, or other foreign hedging arrangements.
Financial instruments that potentially expose the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist primarily of cash, cash equivalents, and
marketable securities. The Company maintains its cash and cash equivalent balances and marketable securities with financial institutions that
management believes are creditworthy. The Company’s cash equivalents and marketable securities as of December 31, 2020 consisted of
corporate obligations, bank deposits, and money market funds that invest in U.S. treasury securities.
The Company's investment policy includes guidelines on the quality of the institutions and financial instruments and defines the allowable
investments that the Company believes minimizes the exposure to concentrations of credit risk. The Company has not experienced any credit
losses and does not believe that it is subject to significant credit risk.
Fair Value Measurements
Certain assets and liabilities of the Company are carried at fair value. Fair value is defined as the exchange price that would be received for
an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly
transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Valuation techniques used to measure fair value must maximize the use of
observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs.
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Financial assets and liabilities carried at fair value are to be classified and disclosed in one of the following three levels of the fair value
hierarchy, of which the first two are considered observable and the last is considered unobservable:
•
•
•
Level 1 — Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2 — Observable inputs (other than Level 1 quoted prices), such as quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or
liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active for identical or similar assets or liabilities, or other inputs that are observable or
can be corroborated by observable market data.
Level 3 — Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity that are significant to determining the fair value of
the assets or liabilities, including pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies and similar techniques.
The Company’s cash equivalents and marketable securities are carried at fair value, determined according to the fair value hierarchy
described above. The carrying values of the Company’s accounts payable and accrued expenses approximate their fair values due to the
short-term nature of these liabilities. The carrying value of the long term debt approximates fair value as evidenced by the recent amendment
to the Company's debt facility.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are recorded at cost. Depreciation and amortization is calculated using the straight-line method over the following
estimated useful lives of the assets:
Computer equipment and software
Office equipment
Laboratory equipment
Furniture and fixtures
Leasehold improvements
Estimated useful life
3 years
3 - 5 years
5 years
5 years
Shorter of the asset’s estimated
useful life or the remaining
lease term
Upon disposal, retirement or sale, the cost of assets disposed of and the related accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and
any resulting gain or loss is included in the results of operations. Expenditures for repairs and maintenance that do not improve or extend the
lives of the respective assets are charged to expense as incurred.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
Long-lived assets consist of property and equipment. The Company reviews long-lived assets when events or changes in circumstances
indicate the carrying value of the assets may not be recoverable. Recoverability is measured by comparison of the book values of the assets to
future net undiscounted cash flows that the assets are expected to generate. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment to be
recognized is measured by the amount by which the book value of the assets exceed their fair value, which is measured based on the
projected discounted future net cash flows arising from the assets. There were no significant impairments of long‑lived assets for the years
ended December 31, 2020 or 2019.
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Research and Development Costs
Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. Research and development expenses consist of costs incurred in performing
research and development activities, including salaries, stock-based compensation and benefits, facilities costs, depreciation, third-party
license fees, and external costs of outside vendors engaged to conduct preclinical development activities, Clinical Studies and Clinical Trials
as well as to manufacture research and development materials. Non-refundable prepayments for goods or services that will be used or
rendered for future research and development activities are deferred and are recognized as an expense as the goods are consumed or the
related services are performed.
The Company has entered into various research and development related contracts. The Company records accrued liabilities for research
costs incurred but not paid. When measuring the accrued liabilities, the Company analyzes progress of the Clinical Studies or Clinical Trials,
including the phase or completion of events, invoices received and contracted costs. Significant judgments and estimates are made in
determining the accrued balances at the end of any reporting period. Actual results could differ from the Company’s estimates. The
Company’s historical accrual estimates have not been materially different from the actual costs.
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company measures the estimated fair value of the stock-based award on the date of grant and recognizes compensation expense for
those awards over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period of the award. For stock-based awards with service-based
vesting conditions, the Company records the expense for these awards using the straight-line method. For stock options with performance-
based vesting conditions, the Company records the expense for these awards over the requisite service period using an accelerated attribution
method to the extent the achievement of the performance condition is probable. The Company accounts for forfeitures as they occur.
The Company classifies stock-based compensation expense in the consolidated statements of operations in the same manner in which the
award recipient’s cash compensation costs are classified.
Income Taxes
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the
consolidated financial statements or tax returns. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference
between the consolidated financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the
differences are expected to reverse. A valuation allowance is provided to reduce the deferred tax asset to an amount, which, more likely than
not, will be realized.
The Company recognizes the tax benefit from any uncertain tax positions only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be
sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the
consolidated financial statements from such a position are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than fifty percent
likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. Interest and penalties associated with uncertain tax positions are recorded as a
component of income tax expense. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company has not identified any uncertain tax positions for which
reserves would be required.
Comprehensive Loss
Comprehensive loss includes net loss as well as other changes in stockholders’ equity (deficit) that result from transactions and economic
events other than those with stockholders. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company’s only element of other comprehensive loss
was unrealized gains (losses) on marketable securities.
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Net Loss Per Share
Basic net loss per share attributable to common stockholders is calculated by dividing net loss by the weighted average shares outstanding
during the period. Diluted net income (loss) per share is calculated by adjusting weighted average shares outstanding for the dilutive effect of
common stock equivalents outstanding for the period. All common stock equivalents have been excluded from the calculation of diluted net
loss per share, as their effect would be anti-dilutive for all periods presented.
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
Accounting Pronouncements Issued and Not Adopted
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“ASU 2016-02”), as amended by various subsequently issued
ASUs. The standard requires lessees to recognize an operating lease with a term greater than one year on their balance sheets as a right-of-use
asset and corresponding lease liability, measured at the present value of the lease payments. The new standard will become effective for the
Company on January 1, 2022. The Company expects to apply the modified retrospective approach as of the date of adoption such that prior
periods will not be restated. The Company is evaluating the effect that adoption of the standard is expected to have on the Company’s
consolidated financial statements and related disclosures and will recognize a lease obligation and right of use asset for its existing operating
leases with a lease term greater than one year upon adoption.
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326). The new standard adjusts the accounting
for assets held at amortized costs basis, including marketable securities accounted for as available-for-sale. The standard eliminates the
probable initial recognition threshold and requires an entity to reflect its current estimate of all expected credit losses. The allowance for
credit losses is a valuation account that is deducted from the amortized cost basis of the financial assets to present the net amount expected to
be collected. The Company is required to adopt this standard effective January 1, 2023 and the Company is evaluating the impact the
guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.
3. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
The following tables present the Company’s assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis and indicate the level within the fair
value hierarchy (in thousands):
Assets:
Cash equivalents:
Money market funds
Marketable securities:
Corporate obligations
Total
Assets:
Cash equivalents
Total
Fair value measurements at December 31, 2020 using:
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Total
$
$
69,118 $
— $
— $
69,118
—
69,118 $
35,739
35,739 $
—
— $
35,739
104,857
Fair value measurements at December 31, 2019 using:
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Total
$
$
91,803 $
91,803 $
— $
— $
— $
— $
91,803
91,803
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4. CASH, CASH EQUIVALENTS, AND MARKETABLE SECURITIES
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities by security type consisted of the following (in
thousands):
Cash and cash equivalents
Corporate obligations
Total
Cash and cash equivalents
Corporate obligations
Total
December 31, 2020
Gross
Unrealized
Gains
Gross
Unrealized
Losses
Estimated Fair
Value
— $
1
1 $
— $
(35)
(35) $
71,590
35,739
107,329
December 31, 2019
Gross
Unrealized
Gains
Gross
Unrealized
Losses
Estimated Fair
Value
— $
—
— $
— $
—
— $
92,053
—
92,053
Amortized Cost
$
71,590 $
35,773
107,363 $
$
Amortized Cost
$
92,053 $
—
92,053 $
$
The fair values of cash equivalents and marketable securities by contractual maturity were as follows (in thousands):
Contractual maturities
Mature in one year or less
Mature in two years or less
Total
December 31,
2020
2019
$
$
86,338 $
18,519
104,857 $
91,803
—
91,803
Marketable securities with maturities beyond one year are classified as short-term marketable securities in the consolidated balance sheets
due to their highly liquid nature and because they represent the Company’s investments that are available for current operations. All cash
equivalents mature within three months or less. Operating cash of $2.5 million and $0.3 million is excluded from the above table as of
December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
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5. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
Property and equipment consist of the following (in thousands):
Laboratory equipment
Leasehold improvements
Office and computer equipment
Furniture and fixtures
Property and equipment, gross
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization
Property and equipment, net
December 31,
2020
2019
3,022 $
564
111
122
3,819
(3,459)
360 $
3,511
597
111
122
4,341
(3,733)
608
$
$
Depreciation and amortization expense for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $0.4 million and $0.7 million, respectively. The
Company disposed of lab equipment during the year ended December 31, 2020 totaling $0.7 million.
6. ACCRUED EXPENSES AND OTHER CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities consisted of the following (in thousands):
Accrued employee compensation and benefits
Accrued external research and development expenses
Accrued professional fees and other
Total accrued expenses and other current liabilities
7. DEBT FINANCING
Long-term debt consisted of the following (in thousands):
Principal amount of long-term debt
Debt discount
Deferred financing fees
Long-term debt, net of discount
December 31,
2020
2019
2,998 $
1,870
626
5,494 $
3,109
1,799
1,450
6,358
December 31,
2020
2019
26,000 $
(308)
(470)
25,222 $
26,000
(456)
(647)
24,897
$
$
$
$
In January 2018, the Company entered into a Loan and Security Agreement. Under the Loan and Security Agreement, the Company granted
the lender a first priority security interest in all assets of the Company, excluding intellectual property and granted a negative pledge on such
intellectual property. The interest rate is LIBOR plus 8.50% per annum.
On August 28, 2020, the Loan and Security Agreement was further amended to, among other things; (i) extend the date on which repayment
of principal commences until November 2021, (ii) provide for further extensions of the date on which repayment of principal commences to
February 2022 and May 2022, provided that certain specified regulatory and clinical milestones are satisfied by the Company, (iii) increase
the final payment fee from 5.35% to 6.35% and (iv) add a 0.2% floor to the LIBOR rate. The Company paid $39,000 to the lender for the
amended agreement.
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The Company achieved two of the specified regulatory and clinical milestones and the date on which repayment of principal commences was
extended to February 2022. The monthly principal payments of $2.2 million will be paid over a period of 12 months. The interest rate was
8.70% as of December 31, 2020.
Terminal Interest Fee
The Company's debt facility includes a terminal interest fee obligation totaling $1.7 million, which is due with the final principal payment of
the loan and has been modified from time to time as the facilities were amended. The Company is accruing the terminal fee obligation over
the term of the facility. The carrying value of the terminal interest fee was $1.1 million and $0.9 million at December 31, 2020 and 2019,
respectively, and is classified within other long-term liabilities.
The scheduled principal maturity of the long term debt as of December 31, 2020 is as follows (in thousands):
Year Ending December 31,
2021
2022
2023
8. STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
Redeemable Convertible Preferred Stock
$
$
—
23,833
2,167
26,000
Upon the closing of the IPO in 2019, all outstanding Preferred Stock converted into an aggregate of 14,641,997 shares of common stock. The
holders of the Company’s preferred stock had certain voting, dividend, and redemption rights, as well as liquidation preferences and
conversion privileges. All rights, preferences, and privileges associated with the preferred stock were terminated at the time of the
Company’s IPO in conjunction with the conversion of all outstanding shares of preferred stock into shares of common stock.
Common Stock
In May 2019, the Company issued 3,571,428 common shares at a public offering price of $20.00 per share for net proceeds of $64.5 million,
after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses.
Additionally, in May 2019, the Company restated its certificate of incorporation, which, among other things: (i) authorized 160,000,000
shares, consisting of (i) 150,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.001 par value per share, and (ii) 10,000,000 shares of undesignated
preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share.
On May 18, 2020, the Company completed a public offering pursuant to which the Company issued an aggregate of 12,650,000 shares of its
common stock for net proceeds of approximately $55.9 million, after deducting the underwriting discounts, commissions, and other offering
expenses.
On June 5, 2020, the Company entered into a sales agreement with SVB Leerink LLC (“SVB Leerink”) pursuant to which the Company may
offer and sell shares of its common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $35.0 million from time to time through SVB Leerink,
acting as its agent (the “ATM Offering”). During the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company sold an aggregate of 1,721,267 shares of
its common stock under the ATM Offering for net cash proceeds of $9.3 million, after deducting commissions and expenses of $0.5 million.
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9. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
2019 Stock Option and Incentive Plan
The 2019 Stock Option and Incentive Plan (the "2019 Plan") was approved by the Company's board of directors on April 29, 2019. The 2019
Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options, nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock units, restricted
stock awards, unrestricted stock awards and cash-based awards to the Company's officers, employees, directors and consultants. Awards
under the 2019 plan generally vest ratably over the vesting period (3-4 years) and have a maximum term of 10 years. The number of shares
initially reserved for issuance under the 2019 Plan is 905,000, which was increased on January 1, 2020 and will be increased each January 1
thereafter by 4% of the number of shares of the Company's common stock outstanding on the immediately preceding December 31, or such
lesser number of shares determined by the Company's board of directors or compensation committee of the board of directors. The number of
options available for future grant under the 2019 Plan was 936,148 as of December 31, 2020.
2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
The 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "2019 ESPP") was approved by our board of directors on April 29, 2019. A total of 237,181
shares of common stock were initially reserved for issuance under this plan, which was cumulatively increased on January 1, 2020 and will
be increased each January 1 thereafter by 1% of the number of shares of the Company's common stock outstanding on the immediately
preceding December 31, or such lesser number of shares determined by the Company's board of directors or compensation committee of the
board of directors.
The number of shares available for future grant was 429,026 as of December 31, 2020. The Company recorded $0.1 million of stock-based
compensation expense during the year ended December 31, 2020. No such expense was recorded during the year ended December 31, 2019
related to the 2019 ESPP.
In connection with all share-based payment awards, total stock-based compensation expense recognized was as follows (in thousands):
Research and development
General and administrative
Total stock-based compensation expense
Fair Value of Stock Awards
December 31,
2020
2019
$
$
2,670 $
3,617
6,287 $
2,461
3,363
5,824
The fair value of each option issued was estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following
assumptions:
Risk-free interest rate
Expected option life (in years)
Expected dividend yield
Expected volatility
Year Ending December 31,
2020
2019
1.01 %
5.97
0 %
79 %
2.09 %
6.16
0 %
71 %
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The following table summarizes the Company’s stock option activity for the year ended December 31, 2020:
Outstanding as of January 1, 2020
Granted
Exercised
Cancelled
Outstanding as of December 31, 2020
Exercisable as of December 31, 2020
Vested or expected to vest as of December 31, 2020
Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
Weighted
Average
Remaining
Life
(in Years)
Intrinsic
Value
(in
thousands)
7.35
4.57
1.12
8.91
6.37
6.59
6.36
7.04 $
6.16 $
7.00 $
2,343
1,459
2,298
Options
5,176,944 $
1,021,940
(4,071)
(1,274,853)
4,919,960 $
3,015,220 $
4,894,960 $
The intrinsic value of options exercised during the year ended December 31, 2020 was nominal. The intrinsic value of options exercised
during the year ended December 31, 2019 was $0.4 million.
The weighted-average grant date fair value of the options granted during the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, was $3.06 and $7.21
per share, respectively.
As of December 31, 2020, there was $6.7 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested stock options that is expected to
be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 2.1 years.
Restricted Stock Units
The fair values of restricted stock units are based on the market value of the Company's common stock on the date of grant. The following
table summarizes the Company's restricted stock unit activity for the year ended December 31, 2020:
Outstanding as of January 1, 2020
Granted
Vested
Forfeited
Outstanding as of December 31, 2020
Number of Shares
Weighted Average Grant
Date Fair Value per Share
3.40
4.05
—
3.72
4.04
66,801 $
401,166
—
(120,380)
347,587 $
As of December 31, 2020, there was $1.0 million of unrecognized compensation expense related to unvested stock options that is expected to
be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 1.8 years.
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10. INCOME TAXES
There is no provision for income taxes because the Company has historically incurred operating losses and maintains a full valuation
allowance against its deferred tax assets. A reconciliation of income taxes computed using the U.S. federal statutory rate to that reflected in
operations as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 are as follows:
Tax at U.S. statutory rate
State taxes, net of federal benefit
Permanent differences
Tax credits
Other
Change in valuation allowance
Effective income tax rate
December 31,
2020
2019
21.0 %
6.1 %
(0.8)%
3.0 %
0.3 %
(29.6)%
0.0 %
21.0 %
6.0 %
(1.9)%
4.1 %
— %
(29.2)%
0.0 %
Significant components of the Company’s deferred tax asset at December 31, 2020 and 2019 are as follows (in thousands):
Net operating loss carryforwards
Research and development tax credit carryforwards
Start-up costs
Capitalized research and development costs
Depreciation
Accrued expenses
Stock-based compensation
Other items
Total deferred tax assets
Valuation allowance
Net deferred tax asset
December 31,
2020
2019
$
$
65,911 $
8,896
28
64
304
1,059
3,253
1,175
80,690
(80,690)
— $
52,242
7,917
35
169
413
1,102
1,087
971
63,936
(63,936)
—
As of December 31, 2020, the Company had federal and state net operating loss carryforwards of $242.5 million and $237.3 million,
respectively, which may be used to offset future taxable income, if any. These amounts begin to expire in 2030. The federal net operating
losses generated in 2018, 2019 and 2020 can be carried forward indefinitely. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had federal and state
research and development tax credit carryforwards of $7.0 million and $2.5 million, respectively. These amounts expire at various dates
through 2040. Due to the degree of uncertainty related to the ultimate use of the deferred tax assets, the Company has fully reserved these tax
benefits, as the determination of the realization of the deferred tax benefits was not determined to be more likely than not. The valuation
allowance increased in 2020 by $16.8 million, due to the increase in deferred tax assets by the same amount (primarily due to net operating
loss carryforwards) and the Company’s recording of a full valuation allowance.
Utilization of the net operating loss and research and development credit carryforwards may be subject to a substantial annual limitation
under Sections 382 and 383 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 due to ownership change limitations that have occurred previously or that
could occur in the future. These ownership changes may limit the amount of net operating loss and research and development credit
carryforwards that can be utilized annually to offset future taxable income and tax, respectively. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had
not yet completed an analysis of whether its net operating loss and research and development credit carryforwards may be limited.
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At December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company had no unrecognized tax benefits. Furthermore, as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the
Company had no accrued interest or penalties related to uncertain tax positions and no amounts have been recognized in our consolidated
statements of operations. The Company will recognize interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense.
The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. Federal, California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania jurisdictions.
The statute of limitations for assessment by the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, and state tax authorities is closed for tax years prior to
2017, although carryforward attributes that were generated prior to tax year 2017 may still be adjusted upon examination by the IRS or state
tax authorities if they either have been or will be used in a future period. There are currently no federal or state audits in progress.
11. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Leases
The Company leases laboratory and office space under a lease agreement that expires on April 30, 2024. The lease agreement and most
recent amendment contained escalating rent payments. Rent expense is recorded on a straight-line basis. The Company is obligated to make
minimum lease payments under the facility lease as follows (in thousands):
Years Ending December 31,
2021
2022
2023
2024
Total
$
$
1,507
1,672
1,722
580
5,481
Rent expense in each of the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $1.3 million and $1.2 million, respectively.
Other Commitments
We enter into contracts in the normal course of business with contract research organizations ("CROs"), contract manufacturing organizations
("CMOs") and other third parties for preclinical research studies, Clinical Studies, Clinical Trials, and testing and manufacturing services.
These contracts do not contain minimum purchase commitments and are cancelable by upon prior written notice. Payments due upon
cancellation consist only of payments for services provided or expenses incurred, including non-cancelable obligations of service providers,
up to the date of cancellation.
Legal Proceedings
The Company is not currently party to any material legal proceedings. At each reporting date, the Company evaluates whether or not a
potential loss amount or a potential range of loss is probable and reasonably estimable under the provisions of the authoritative guidance that
addresses accounting for contingencies. The Company expenses as incurred the costs related to such legal proceedings.
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12. NET LOSS PER SHARE
Basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders was calculated as follows (in thousands, except share and per share
amounts):
Numerator:
Net loss
Accretion of redeemable convertible preferred stock
Net loss attributable to common stockholders
Denominator:
Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted
Net loss per share, basic and diluted
December 31,
2020
2019
$
$
$
(56,527) $
—
(56,527) $
(59,037)
(46)
(59,083)
31,747,676
(1.78) $
16,624,941
(3.55)
The Company excluded the following potential shares, presented based on amounts outstanding at each period end, from the computation of
diluted net loss per share for the periods indicated because including them would have had an anti-dilutive effect:
Options to purchase common stock
Unvested restricted stock units
Shares issuable under employee stock purchase plan
13. 401(k) PLAN
December 31,
2020
4,919,960
347,587
9,830
5,277,377
2019
5,176,944
—
—
5,176,944
The Company has a 401(k) retirement and savings plan (the "Plan") covering all qualified employees. The Plan allows each participant to
contribute a portion of his or her base wages up to an amount not to exceed an annual statutory maximum. The Company is permitted to
make discretionary matching contributions to the Plan. As of December 31, 2020, the Company's matching contributions totaled $0.3 million.
The Company did not make matching contributions as part of the Plan as of December 31, 2019.
14. RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS
In August 2019, the Company entered into a consulting agreement with the Chairman of the Company's Board of Directors, to provide
various consulting services to the Company. The total expense under the agreement for the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $0.3
million and $0.3 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019 there were no amounts payable to the Chairman for costs related
to the consulting agreement.
15. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
The Company has evaluated subsequent events for financial statement purposes occurring through March 17, 2021, the date that these
consolidated financial statements were issued, and determined that there are no material recognized or unrecognized subsequent events
requiring disclosure.
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Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
None.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
We maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our periodic and
current reports that we file under the Exchange Act, with the SEC is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods
specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our chief
executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our
disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2020 (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act). Our
management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance
of achieving their objectives, and management necessarily applies its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls
and procedures. Our principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded, based upon the evaluation described above
that, as of December 31, 2020, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable-assurance level.
Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-
15(f) and 15d‑15(f) under the Exchange Act). Internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance
regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles and includes those policies and procedures that:
(i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of our
assets;
(ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in
accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that our receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance
with authorizations of our management and directors; and
(iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our
assets that could have a material effect on our financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any
evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or
that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Our management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020. In making this
assessment, it used the criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring
Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on such assessment, our management has concluded that our internal control over
financial reporting was effective, as of December 31, 2020.
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Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
There was no change in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that occurred during
the three months ended December 31, 2020 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over
financial reporting.
Item 9b. Other Information
None.
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Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
Part III
The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference from the information in our Proxy Statement for our 2021
Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which we will file with the SEC within 120 days of the end of the fiscal year to which this Annual Report
on Form 10-K relates.
Item 11. Executive Compensation
The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference from the information in our Proxy Statement for our 2021
Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which we will file with the SEC within 120 days of the end of the fiscal year to which this Annual Report
on Form 10-K relates.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference from the information in our Proxy Statement for our 2021
Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which we will file with the SEC within 120 days of the end of the fiscal year to which this Annual Report
on Form 10-K relates.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference from the information in our Proxy Statement for our 2021
Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which we will file with the SEC within 120 days of the end of the fiscal year to which this Annual Report
on Form 10-K relates.
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services
The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference from the information in our Proxy Statement for our 2021
Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which we will file with the SEC within 120 days of the end of the fiscal year to which this Annual Report
on Form 10-K relates.
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Part IV
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
(a) Documents Filed as Part of this Annual Report
1. Financial Statements
The financial statements of Axcella Health Inc. are included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
2. Financial Statement Schedules
All financial statements schedules are omitted as they are either not required or the information is otherwise included in the consolidated
financial statements and related notes.
3. Exhibits
The exhibits required by Item 601 of Regulation S-K and Item 15(b) of this Annual Report are listed in the Exhibit Index below. The exhibits
listed in the Exhibit Index are incorporated by reference herein.
(b) Exhibit Index
Exhibit
No.
Exhibit Index
3.1 Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form
8-K (File No. 001-38901) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 13, 2019).
3.2 Amended and Restated Bylaws of Registrant (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.4 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File
No. 001-38901) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 17, 2019).
3.3 Amendment to the Amended and Restated Bylaws of Registrant (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report
on Form 8-K (File No. 001-38901) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 8, 2020).
4.1 Specimen Stock Certificate evidencing shares of common stock (Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the Registrant’s Amendment
No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1/A (File No. 333-230822) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 30,
2019).
4.2 Fifth Amended and Restated Investors' Rights Agreement among the Registrant and certain of its stockholders, dated November 30, 2018
(Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-230822) filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on April 12, 2019).
4.3 Description of the Registrant’s Securities (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 23, 2020).
10.1# 2010 Stock Incentive Plan, as amended (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Amendment No. 1 to the Registration
Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-230822) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 30, 2019).
10.2# 2019 Stock Option and Incentive Plan and forms of award agreements thereunder (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the
Registrant’s Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-230822) filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on May 6, 2019).
10.3# 2019 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Registrant’s Amendment No. 1 to the Registration
Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-230822) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 30, 2019).
10.4# Senior Executive Cash Incentive Bonus Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Registrant’s Amendment No. 1 to the
Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-230822) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 30, 2019).
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10.5# Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between the Registrant and William Hinshaw, dated December 20, 2018 (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Registrant’s Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-230822) filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 6, 2019).
10.6# Employment Agreement between the Registrant and Shreeram Aradhye, dated January 1, 2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to
the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 12, 2019).
10.7# Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between the Registrant and Stephen Mitchener, dated December 29, 2018 (incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the Registrant’s Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-230822) filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 6, 2019).
10.8# Employment Agreement between the Registrant and Laurent Chardonnet, dated November 11, 2019. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit
10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-38901) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
November 25, 2019).
10.9# Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between the Registrant and Manu Chakravarthy, dated December 29, 2018 (incorporated
by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May
11, 2020).
10.10# Employment Agreement between the Registrant and Andrew Suchoff, dated June 18, 2020 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the
Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 5, 2020).
10.11# First Amendment to Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between the Registrant and Manu Chakravarthy, dated August 1, 2020
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on November 12, 2020).
10.12# First Amendment to Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between the Registrant and Paul Fehlner, dated September 16, 2020
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on November 12, 2020).
10.13# Chairman and Consulting Agreement between the Registrant and the Chairman of the Board of Directors, dated August 22, 2019
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on November 12, 2019).
10.14# Form of Indemnification Agreement between the Registrant and each of its directors (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 to the
Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-230822) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 12,
2019).
10.15# Form of Indemnification Agreement between the Registrant and each of its executive officers (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.9 to
the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-230822) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 12,
2019).
10.16 Riverside Technology Center Commercial Lease Agreement between Rivertech Associates II, LLC and the Registrant, dated as of
December 28, 2010 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.10 to the Registrant’s Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form
S-1 (File No. 333-230822) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 30, 2019).
10.17 Fifth Lease Extension and Modification Agreement to the Lease Agreement between Rivertech Associates II, LLC and the Registrant, dated
as of April 28, 2017 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.11 to the Registrant’s Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on
Form S-1 (File No. 333-230822) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 30, 2019).
10.18* Sixth Lease Extension and Modification Agreement to the Lease Agreement between Rivertech Associates II, LLC and the Registrant,
dated as of October 1, 2020.
10.19 Loan and Security Agreement among Solar Capital Ltd. and the Lenders thereto and the Registrant, dated as of January 9, 2018
(incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.12 to the Registrant’s Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-
230822) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 30, 2019).
10.20 Second Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement, dated November 30, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.14 to the
Registrant’s Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-230822) filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on April 30, 2019).
10.21 Third Amendment to Loan and Security Agreement, dated August 28, 2020, between the Registrant and Solar Capital Ltd. (Incorporated by
reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-38901) filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission on August 31, 2020).
21.1* Subsidiaries of the Registrant
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23.1* Consent of Deloitte and Touche LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
24.1* Power of Attorney (included on signature page to this Annual Report on Form 10-K)
31.1* Certification of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a‑14(a) or Rule 15d‑14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
31.2* Certification of Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a‑14(a) or Rule 15d‑14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as adopted
pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
32.1*† Certification of Principal Executive Officer and Principal Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to
Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
101INS* Inline XBRL Instance Document – the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded
within the Inline XBRL document.
101SCH* Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.
101CAL* Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document.
101LAB* Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase Document.
101PRE* Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document.
101DEF* Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document.
104* Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as inline XBRL with applicable taxonomy extension information contained in Exhibits 101.)
* Filed herewith.
# Indicates a management contract or any compensatory plan, contract or arrangement.
† The certification furnished in Exhibit 32.1 hereto is deemed to accompany this Annual Report on Form 10-K and will not be deemed “filed” for
purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, except to the extent that the
Registrant specifically incorporates it by reference.
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary
The Company has elected not to include summary information.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be
signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
AXCELLA HEALTH INC.
Date: March 17, 2021 By:
/s/ William R. Hinshaw, Jr.
William R. Hinshaw, Jr.
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
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POWER OF ATTORNEY
Each person whose individual signature appears below hereby authorizes and appoints William R. Hinshaw, Jr. and Laurent Chardonnet, and
each of them, with full power of substitution and resubstitution and full power to act without the other, as his or her true and lawful attorney-
in-fact and agent to act in his or her name, place and stead and to execute in the name and on behalf of each person, individually and in each
capacity stated below, and to file any and all amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10-K and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto,
and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents,
and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing, ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-
fact and agents or any of them or their or his or her substitute or substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of
the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature
Title
/s/ William R. Hinshaw, Jr.
William R. Hinshaw, Jr.
/s/ David R. Epstein
David R. Epstein
/s/ Laurent Chardonnet
Laurent Chardonnet
/s/ Shreeram Aradhye, M.D.
Shreeram Aradhye, M.D.
/s/ William D. Baird III
William D. Baird III
/s/ Grégory Behar
Grégory Behar
/s/ Stephen Hoge, M.D.
Stephen Hoge, M.D.
/s/ Gary Pisano, Ph.D.
Gary Pisano, Ph.D.
/s/ Cristina M. Rondinone, Ph.D.
Cristina M. Rondinone, Ph.D.
/s/ Catherine A. Sohn, PharmD.
Catherine A. Sohn, PharmD.
Date
March 17, 2021
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)
Chairman, Director
March 17, 2021
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
138
March 17, 2021
March 17, 2021
March 17, 2021
March 17, 2021
March 17, 2021
March 17, 2021
March 17, 2021
March 17, 2021
Exhibit 10.18
RIVERSIDE TECHNOLOGY CENTER
SIXTH LEASE EXTENSION AND MODIFICATION AGREEMENT
TO THE LEASE BETWEEN
RIVERTECH ASSOCIATES II LLC AND AXCELLA HEALTH, INC.,
(f/k/a PRONUTRIA BIOSCIENCES, INC. and f/k/a ESSENTIENT, INC.)
This Sixth Lease Extension and Modification Agreement (the "Sixth Lease Amendment") entered into this 1 day of October, 2020 by and between
th
Rivertech Associates II, LLC, a Massachusetts limited liability company with a principal address c/o The Abbey Group 177 Huntington Ave. 24 Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02115 herein, the "Lessor"), and Axcella Health, Inc. (as successor in interest to Pronutria Biosciences, Inc., itself the successor in
interest to Essentient, Inc.), with a business address at 840 Memorial Drive Cambridge, Massachusetts (herein the "Lessee"), with respect to a certain Lease
dated December 28, 2010 (the "Original Lease") for certain office and laboratory space in the building at 840 Memorial Drive Cambridge, Massachusetts
(the "Building"); as amended by a Lease Extension and Modification Agreement December 9, 2013 ("First Lease Amendment"); by a Second Lease
Extension and Modification Agreement July 31, 2014 ("Second Lease Amendment"); by a Third Lease Extension and Modification Agreement dated
January 30, 2015 (the "Third Lease Amendment"); by a Fourth Lease Extension and Modification Agreement dated December 30, 2015 (the "Fourth Lease
Amendment"); and by a Fifth Lease Extension and Modification Agreement dated April 28, 2017 (the "Fifth Lease Amendment"); all collectively referred
to herein as of the date hereof as the "Existing Lease". The Existing Lease, as modified by this Sixth Lease Amendment, hereafter shall be referred to
herein as the "Lease" (as the context so permits).
st
WHEREAS, the Lessee currently leases the following spaces in the Building as follows:
A. certain space on the third (3 ) floor of the Building (with a small portion in the garage portion of the Building), consisting of approximately
10,525 rentable square feet (defined herein as the "Third Floor Leased Premises" (previously defined as the Existing Leased Premises in the
Fourth Lease Amendment), which Third Floor Leased Premises are reflected in the plans and schematics attached to this Sixth Lease Amendment
as Exhibit A-1; and,
rd
B. certain space on the first (1st) floor of the Building, consisting of approximately 8,647 rentable square feet (i.e. the "First Floor Expansion Space"
(as defined as such in the Fourth Lease Amendment) which First Floor Expansion Space is reflected in the plans and schematics attached as
Exhibit A-2; and,
WHEREAS, the Third Floor Leased Premises Extension Termination Date and the First Floor Expansion Space Termination Date, as those terms are more
specifically defined in the Fifth Lease Amendment, are coterminous (i.e. each end on April 30, 2021), and Lessee desires to extend the current stated Term
of the Existing Lease as to both the Third Floor Leased Premises and the First Floor Expansion Space, beyond said date, and Lessor assents to such
extension of the Term by the Lessee as set forth herein; and,
WHEREAS, the Lessee also seeks the right to exercise in the future an additional extension of the Term of the Lease (i.e. as modified hereby), to be applied
as to both the Third Floor Leased Premises and the First Floor Expansion Space, conjunctively; and Lessor assents thereto;
THEREFORE, in consideration of One ($1.00) Dollar and the other good and valuable consideration recited herein, effective and irrevocable as of the date
hereof, the Lessor and Lessee hereby agree as follows:
1. Defined Terms
Defined terms in this Sixth Lease Amendment are those terms as set forth and defined in the Fifth Lease Amendment, inclusive of previously defined terms
in the Existing Lease documents.
2. Sixth Lease Amendment Extended Term
Lessee hereby agrees to extend its tenancy of the Third Floor Leased Premises and the First Floor Expansion Space (together, the "Combined Leased
Premises"), beyond the current coterminous expiration date for both spaces, for a period of thirty six (36) months (the "Sixth Amendment Term"); said
extension to commence on May 1, 2021 (the "Sixth Amendment Extension Commencement Date") and end on April 30, 2024 (the "Sixth Amendment
Extension Termination Date"), By exercise of the aforesaid extension, Section 7 of the Fifth Lease Amendment ( captioned as Lessee's Further Options to
Extend) is hereby superseded by the terms of Section 7 of this Sixth Lease Amendment.
3. Terms and Conditions
Lessee hereby agrees to lease the Combined Leased Premises on the same terms and conditions of the Existing Lease, as modified by this Sixth Lease
Amendment, with exception only for those provisions as to which Lessor and Lessee have already performed their obligations as of the date hereof, (for
example, Lessor has heretofore delivered the Combined Leased Premises and Lessee has accepted the same).
Lessor and Lessee each acknowledge that to the best of the respective knowledge of each, there are no material defaults by either party presently existing
and outstanding under the Existing Lease.
4. Annual Base Rent / Additional Rent / Security Deposit
A. Annual Base Rent
(a) Annual Base Rent for the remainder of the current Term through April 30, 2021 shall be as set forth in the Fifth Lease Amendment.
(b) Annual Base Rent for the Combined Leased Premises from the Sixth Amendment Extension Commencement Date through the Sixth
Amendment Extension Termination Date initially shall be $85.50 dollars per rentable square foot and shall increase by 3.0% per rentable
square foot upon each one-year anniversary of the Sixth Amendment Extension Commencement Date, as follows:
(i)
May 1, 2021 through April 30, 2022:
$ 1,639,206.00 per annum / $ 136,600.50 per month
(ii)
May 1, 2022 through April 30, 2023:
$ 1,688,382.18 per annum / $ 140,698.52 per month
(iii)
May 1, 2023 through April 30, 2024:
$ 1,739,033.65 per annum / $ 144,919.47 per month
Annual Base Rent above is intended to be "triple net" under the Lease, and it shall be payable in the corresponding monthly installments
set forth above, due on the first of each month, in advance, and in all other respects shall be subject to the provisions relating to Annual
Base Rent as set forth under the Existing Lease.
B. Additional Rent
In addition to Annual Base Rent, Lessee shall continue to be responsible to pay all Additional Rent (Operating Expenses) under Section 3 of the
Existing Lease and all Additional Rent (Taxes) under Section 4 thereof, as invoiced by Lessor, attributable to the Combined Leased Premises.
C. Rent Payment and other Costs and Expenses
Determination and payment of all Annual Base Rent, Additional Rent and other sums due as Rent shall be payable and in all other respects shall be
determined as contemplated under the Existing Lease.
D. Security Deposit
The Security Deposit currently held by the Lessor shall continue to be held by Lessor up to April 30, 2024 (and beyond, subject to any further
extensions).
5. Permitted Uses / Lease in Good Standing
The Permitted Uses in the Basic Data of the Original Lease, and all conditions attached thereto, are hereby restated and affirmed and shall govern the use
and occupancy of the Combined Leased Premises through April 30, 2024 (and beyond if there be any further extension).
The parking rights and other ancillary rights as they are set forth in the Existing Lease shall govern through April 30, 2024 (and beyond if there be any
further extension).
6. Brokers
The parties hereby agree that Newmark Grubb Knight Frank represents the Lessee in this transaction and shall be paid a commission by the Lessor, under
the terms of a separate agreement; and represent that there are no brokerage or other third party fees or costs involved in this transaction and each agrees to
indemnify, defend and hold harmless the other from and against any other claims for brokerage fees, commissions or other such payments arising from this
transaction.
7. Lessee's Further Option to Extend
The Term of the Lease , by execution of this Sixth Lease Amendment, as to the Combined Leased Premises expires on April 30, 2024, and may be
extended by Lessee beyond said date as set forth below. Lessee shall have the option to further extend the Term of this Lease (inclusive of any ROFO
Space, as may be applicable ), as follows:
Lessee, provided it is not then in default after notice and the expiration of any applicable grace or cure periods, and further provided it shall not have
defaulted beyond any applicable notice, grace and cure periods during the remaining Lease Term after execution of this Sixth Lease Amendment, shall have
the option to further extend the Term of this Lease beyond its April 30, 2024 termination for the Second Revised Extension Period as defined in the Fifth
Lease Amendment (i.e. through April 30, 2027), as to the (a) the Third Floor Leased Premises (and also any ROFO Space on that floor then being leased by
Lessee); and separately or conjunctively, as to (b) the First Floor Expansion Space (and also any ROFO Space on that floor then being leased by Lessee),
on the terms and conditions set forth below.
By written notice to the Lessor (the "The Second Revised Extension Period Notice") delivered not later than eight (8) months prior to the expiration of the
Term (i.e. by September 1, 2023), Lessee may extend the Term for the Second Revised Extension Period. Time is of the essence in the delivery of The
Second Revised Extension Period Notice, and once given, said Extension Notice is irrevocable. Lessee shall identify the space (the Third Floor Leased
Premises (and also any ROFO Space on that floor then being leased by Lessee), and/or First Floor Expansion Space (and also any ROFO Space on that
floor then being leased by Lessee), as to which it elects to extend the Term.
Lessee shall pay "Market Rent" for all space leased during the Second Revised Extension Period. "Market Rent" as used herein, shall be that rent charged
for comparable research laboratory and office space of similar age and condition in laboratory buildings in the mid-Cambridge submarket as of the
commencement of applicable lease period (including annual escalations thereon for each year based on increases in the Consumer Price Index or fixed
increases, as the case may be, as determined by then prevailing market forces). In no event shall Market Rent be less than the Annual Base Rent payable
(on a per square foot basis) by Lessee for the last year of the existing Term (the "Rent Floor").
If, after good faith attempts the Lessor and Lessee cannot agree on a figure representing Market Rent for the applicable space and lease timeframe, then
either party, upon written notice to the other, may request appraisal and arbitration of the issue as provided in this Section. Within fourteen ( I 4) days of the
request for appraisal, each party shall submit to the other the name of one unrelated individual or entity with proven expertise in the leasing of commercial
real estate in greater Boston/Cambridge to serve as that party's appraiser. Each appraiser shall be paid by the party selecting them. The two appraisers shall
each submit their final reports to the parties within thirty (30) days of their selection making their determination as to Market Rent (subject however, to the
Rent Floor). The two appraisers shall meet within the next fourteen (14) days to reconcile their reports and collaboratively determine the Market Rent.
They shall each make their determination in writing (subject however, to the Rent Floor), including a statement if such is the case, that they are at an
impasse. Such a statement of impasse shall be submitted to the parties along with the Market Rent figure which each appraiser has selected and their
reasons and substantiation therefor. The appraisers, in case of an impasse, shall also agree on one unrelated individual or entity with expertise in
commercial real estate in greater Boston, who shall evaluate the reports of the two original appraisers and within fourteen (14) days of submission of the
issue to them, make their own determination as to a figure representing Market Rent (subject however, to the Rent Floor). The determination of this
individual or entity (i.e. arbitrator) absent, fraud, bias or undue prejudice shall be binding upon the parties.
Annual Base Rent and Additional Rent shall be payable in advance, in equal monthly installments on the first day of each calendar month.
Lessee, in addition to the sums payable annually to Lessor as Annual Base Rent, shall pay to Lessor for each year of the applicable period and for each
space leased by Lessee as Additional Rent, Lessee's Allocable Percentage (as determined/adjusted by the approximate total rentable space so leased) for
Operating Expenses, Real Estate Taxes and utilities as contemplated in the Lease.
The provisions of this Section 7 supersede the Options to Extend set forth in the Fourth Lease Amendment and Fifth Lease Amendment.
8.
Integration of Documents; Supremacy
This Sixth Lease Amendment, incorporating the terms and conditions of the Original Lease and all prior amendments through the Fifth Lease Amendment,
contains the full understanding and agreement between the parties. The parties hereto intend that this Sixth Lease Amendment operates to amend and
modify the Existing Lease, and that those prior documents constituting the Existing Lease shall be interpreted conjunctively; with any express conflict
between those prior documents and this Sixth Lease Amendment to be resolved in favor of the stated terms of this Sixth Lease Amendment. Except as
modified hereby, all other terms and conditions of the Existing Lease shall remain unchanged and enforceable in a manner consistent with this Sixth Lease
Amendment.
This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Any provisions deemed unenforceable shall be severable, and the
remainder of this Sixth Lease Amendment and the Existing Lease shall be enforceable in accordance with their terms.
[Signature Pages Follow]
LESSOR
RIVERTECH ASSOCIATES II, LLC
Rivertech Associates II, Inc.,
its Manager
/s/ Robert Epstein
Robert Epstein
President
By:
By:
Name:
Title:
LESSEE
AXCELLA HEALTH, INC.
Date:
10/14/2020
By:
Name:
Title:
By:
Name:
Title:
/s/ William R. Hinshaw, Jr.
William R. Hinshaw, Jr.
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
/s/ Laurent Chardonnet
Laurent Chardonnet
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Date:
10/6/2020
Date:
10/6/2020
Exhibit 21.1
List of Subsidiaries
Subsidiary
Acora Nutrition LLC
Axcella Health Securities Corporation
Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization
Delaware
Massachusetts
Exhibit 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the incorporation by reference in Registration Statement No. 333-238983 on Form S-3 and Registration Statement Nos. 333-231570 and
333-238964 each on Form S-8 of our report dated March 17, 2021, relating to the financial statements of Axcella Health Inc. appearing in this Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.
/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
March 17, 2021
Exhibit 31.1
CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER
PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, William R. Hinshaw, Jr., certify that:
1.
I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Axcella Health Inc.;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the
statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this
report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the
financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a–15(f) and 15d–
15(f)) for the registrant and have:
a. Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by
others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
b. Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our
supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for
external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
c. Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the
effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
d. Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most
recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably
likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the
registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
a. All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
b. Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal
control over financial reporting.
Date: March 17, 2021
By: /s/ William R. Hinshaw, Jr.
William R. Hinshaw, Jr.
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)
Exhibit 31.2
CERTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER
PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Laurent Chardonnet, certify that:
1.
I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Axcella Health Inc.;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the
statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this
report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the
financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a–15(f) and 15d–
15(f)) for the registrant and have:
a. Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by
others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
b. Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our
supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for
external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
c. Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the
effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
d. Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most
recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably
likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to
the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
a. All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
b. Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal
control over financial reporting.
Date: March 17, 2021
By: /s/ Laurent Chardonnet
Laurent Chardonnet
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)
Exhibit 32.1
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Annual Report of Axcella Health Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 as filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), each of the undersigned officers of the Company certifies, pursuant to 18 U.S.C.
Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, to the best of his knowledge that:
(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and
(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.
Date: March 17, 2021
By: /s/ William R. Hinshaw, Jr.
Date: March 17, 2021
William R. Hinshaw, Jr. President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)
By: /s/ Laurent Chardonnet
Laurent Chardonnet
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)