UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 10-K
(Mark One)
☑ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023
or
☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from to
Commission file number: 001-33221
HERON THERAPEUTICS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
DELAWARE
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
4242 CAMPUS POINT COURT, SUITE 200
SAN DIEGO, CA
(Address of principal executive offices)
94-2875566
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
92121
(Zip Code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:
(858) 251-4400
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class
Trading Symbol(s)
Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share
HRTX
The Nasdaq Capital 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 ☑
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
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 every Interactive Data File required to be submitted 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 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. ☑
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of
an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant's
executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐
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 voting and non-voting common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2023 totaled $119.5 million based on the closing price of
$1.16 as reported by The Nasdaq Capital Market. As of February 28, 2024, there were 150,328,585 shares of the Company’s common stock ($0.01 par value) outstanding.
Documents Incorporated by Reference
Portions of the registrant’s Definitive Proxy Statement related to its 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on or about June 13, 2024 are incorporated by reference into Part
III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Such Definitive Proxy Statement will be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after the end of the fiscal
year to which this report relates. Except as expressly incorporated by reference, the registrant’s Definitive Proxy Statement shall not be deemed to be part of this report.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART I
Item 1.
Business
Item 1A.
Risk Factors
Item 1B.
Unresolved Staff Comments
Item 1C.
Cybersecurity
Item 2.
Item 3.
Item 4.
Item 5.
Item 6.
Item 7.
Properties
Legal Proceedings
Mine Safety Disclosures
PART II
Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
[Reserved]
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Item 7A.
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Item 8.
Item 9.
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
Item 9A.
Controls and Procedures
Item 9B.
Other Information
Item 9C.
Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
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.
Item 14.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
Principal Accountant Fees and Services
PART IV
Item 15.
Exhibit and Financial Statement Schedules
Exhibit Index
Item 16.
Form 10-K Summary
Signatures
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. 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. In some
cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the use of the words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “project,” “will,”
“would,” “could,” “should,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “assume” and other expressions that predict or indicate future events and trends and which do not
relate to historical matters. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including statements
regarding our future results of operations and financial position, business and commercialization strategy, products and product candidates, research
pipeline, ongoing and planned preclinical studies and clinical trials, regulatory submissions and approvals, addressable patient population, research and
development expenses, timing and likelihood of success, as well as plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking
statements. You should not rely on forward-looking statements because they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of
which are beyond our control. These risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially
different from our anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.
Factors that might cause these differences include the following:
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our ability to successfully commercialize, market and achieve market acceptance of ZYNRELEF® (bupivacaine and meloxicam) extended-
release solution (“ZYNRELEF”), APONVIE® (aprepitant) injectable emulsion (“APONVIE”), CINVANTI® (aprepitant) injectable emulsion
(“CINVANTI”), and SUSTOL® (granisetron) extended-release injection (“SUSTOL”) in the United States (“U.S.”) (collectively, our
“Products”), and our positioning relative to products that now or in the future compete with our Products or product candidates;
our ability to capture the potential additional market opportunity from the recently approved expanded ZYNRELEF U.S. label;
our ability to establish satisfactory pricing and obtain adequate reimbursement from government and third-party payors of our Products and our
product candidates that receive regulatory approvals;
whether study results of our Products and product candidates are indicative of the results in future studies;
the results of the commercial launch of APONVIE in the U.S.;
the potential regulatory approval for and commercial launch of our product candidates, if approved;
the potential market opportunities for our Products and our product candidates, if approved;
our competitors’ activities, including decisions as to the timing of competing product launches, generic entrants, pricing and discounting;
whether safety and efficacy results of our clinical studies and other required tests for expansion of the indications for our Products and approval
of our product candidates provide data to warrant progression of clinical trials, potential regulatory approval or further development of any of
our Products or product candidates;
our ability to develop, acquire and advance product candidates into, and successfully complete, clinical studies, and our ability to submit for
and obtain regulatory approval for product candidates in our anticipated timing, or at all;
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our ability to meet the postmarketing study requirements within the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (“FDA”) mandated timelines and to
obtain favorable results and comply with standard postmarketing requirements, including U.S. federal advertising and promotion laws, federal
and state anti-fraud and abuse laws, healthcare information privacy and security laws, safety information, safety surveillance and disclosure of
payments or other transfers of value to healthcare professionals and entities for Products or any of our product candidates;
our ability to successfully develop and achieve regulatory approval for any product candidates utilizing our proprietary Biochronomer® drug
delivery technology (“Biochronomer Technology”);
our ability to establish key collaborations and vendor relationships for our Products and our product candidates;
our ability to successfully develop and commercialize any technology that we may in-license or products we may acquire;
unanticipated delays due to manufacturing difficulties, supply constraints or changes in the regulatory environment, including as a result of
geopolitical uncertainty;
our ability to successfully operate in non-U.S. jurisdictions in which we may choose to do business, including compliance with applicable
regulatory requirements and laws;
uncertainties associated with obtaining and enforcing patents and trade secrets to protect our Products, our product candidates, our
Biochronomer Technology and our other technology, and our ability to successfully defend ourselves against unforeseen third-party
infringement claims;
our estimates regarding our capital requirements;
the impact of our restructuring activities, including the reduced headcount and external spend;
the impact of evolving legal and regulatory requirements, including emerging environmental, social and governance requirements; and
our ability to obtain additional financing and raise capital as necessary to fund operations or pursue business opportunities.
Any forward-looking statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K reflect our current views with respect to future events or 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 listed under the section entitled “Risk Factors” in this
Annual Report on Form 10-K. You should carefully review all of these factors. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements were based on information, plans and estimates as of the date of this Annual Report on
Form 10-K, and except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect changes in underlying assumptions
or factors, new information, future events or other changes. These risk factors may be updated by our future filings under the Securities Exchange Act of
1934. You should carefully review all information therein.
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In this Annual Report on Form 10-K, all references to “Heron,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” “our” and similar terms refer to Heron Therapeutics,
Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Heron Therapeutics B.V. Heron Therapeutics®, the Heron logo, ZYNRELEF, APONVIE, CINVANTI, SUSTOL and
Biochronomer are our trademarks. All other trademarks appearing or incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K are the property of
their respective owners.
PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS.
Overview
We are a commercial-stage biotechnology company focused on improving the lives of patients by developing and commercializing therapeutic
innovations that improve medical care. Our advanced science, patented technologies, and innovative approach to drug discovery and development have
allowed us to create and commercialize a portfolio of products that aim to advance the standard of care for acute care and oncology patients.
Acute Care Product Portfolio
ZYNRELEF
ZYNRELEF was initially approved by the FDA in May 2021, and we commenced commercial sales in the U.S. in July 2021. In December 2021 and
January 2024, the FDA approved an expansion of ZYNRELEF's indication. ZYNRELEF is approved for small-to-medium open abdominal, lower
extremity total joint arthroplasty, soft tissue and orthopedic surgical procedures including foot and ankle, and other procedures in which direct exposure to
articular cartilage is avoided.
ZYNRELEF is a dual-acting local anesthetic that delivers a fixed-dose combination of the local anesthetic bupivacaine and a low dose of the
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug meloxicam. ZYNRELEF is the first and only modified-release local anesthetic to be classified by the FDA as an
extended-release product because ZYNRELEF demonstrated in Phase 3 studies significantly reduced pain and significantly increased proportion of patients
requiring no opioids through the first 72 hours following surgery compared to bupivacaine solution, the current standard-of-care local anesthetic for
postoperative pain control.
In January 2024, we entered into a five-year distributor partnership with CrossLink Life Sciences, LLC (“Crosslink”) to expand the sales network
supporting ZYNRELEF. Crosslink will be the lead partner in the U.S. to expand ZYNRELEF promotion for orthopedic indications. The partnership will
launch in several phases, initially at a regional level, followed by an expanded national rollout. In total, approximately 650 representatives will be added to
Heron’s sales network over the year.
In the fourth quarter of 2022, we validated large-scale manufacturing of our proprietary polymer and ZYNRELEF, which will allow for the
manufacturing of ZYNRELEF annually at a significantly reduced cost of product sales.
In March 2022, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) approved a 3-year transitional pass-through status of ZYNRELEF, which
became effective on April 1, 2022, for separate reimbursement outside of the surgical bundle payment in the Hospital Outpatient Department (“HOPD”)
setting of care. In addition, in December 2022, H.R. 2617, the omnibus spending bill was approved by Congress that includes a provision requiring CMS to
pay for certain non-opioids outside the existing bundled payment for surgeries for the period January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2027.
ZYNRELEF was granted a marketing authorization by the European Commission in September 2020 and by the United Kingdom (“U.K.”)
Regulatory Authority in January 2021. In August 2023, we cancelled the U.K. ZYNRELEF marketing authorization and, in October 2023, we cancelled the
ZYNRELEF marketing authorization in the European Union (“EU”) as we do not plan to commercially launch ZYNRELEF in the U.K., the EU, or the
other countries in the European Economic Area.
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Health Canada issued a Notice of Compliance to commercialize ZYNRELEF in March 2022. In the second quarter of 2023, we withdrew our new
drug submission, as we do not plan to commercially launch ZYNRELEF in Canada.
APONVIE
APONVIE was approved by the FDA in September 2022 and became commercially available in the U.S. in March 2023. APONVIE is indicated for
the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting (“PONV”) in adults. CMS granted pass-through payment status for APONVIE, effective April 1,
2023.
APONVIE is the first and only intravenous (“IV”) formulation of a substance P/neurokinin-1 (“NK1”) receptor antagonist indicated for PONV.
Delivered via single 30-second IV injection, APONVIE has demonstrated rapid achievement of therapeutic drug levels ideally suited for the surgical
setting.
Oncology Care Product Portfolio
SUSTOL
SUSTOL was approved by the FDA in August 2016, and we commenced commercial sales in the U.S. in October 2016.
SUSTOL is indicated in combination with other antiemetics in adults for the prevention of acute and delayed nausea and vomiting associated with
initial and repeat courses of moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC) or anthracycline and cyclophosphamide (AC) combination chemotherapy
regimens. SUSTOL is an extended-release, injectable 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 (“5-HT3”) receptor antagonist that utilizes our Biochronomer
Technology to maintain therapeutic levels of granisetron for ≥5 days. The SUSTOL global Phase 3 development program was comprised of two, large,
guideline-based clinical studies that evaluated SUSTOL’s efficacy and safety in more than 2,000 patients with cancer. SUSTOL’s efficacy in preventing
nausea and vomiting was evaluated in both the acute phase (0–24 hours following chemotherapy) and the delayed phase (24–120 hours following
chemotherapy).
SUSTOL is the first extended-release 5-HT3 receptor antagonist approved for the prevention of acute and delayed nausea and vomiting associated
with both MEC and AC combination chemotherapy regimens. A standard of care in the treatment of breast cancer and other cancer types, AC regimens are
among the most commonly prescribed Highly Emetogenic Cancer (“HEC”) regimens, as defined by both the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
(“NCCN”) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (“ASCO”).
In February 2017, the NCCN included SUSTOL as a part of its NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology for Antiemesis Version 1.2017. The
NCCN has given SUSTOL a Category 1 recommendation, the highest-level category of evidence and consensus, for use in the prevention of acute and
delayed nausea and vomiting in patients receiving HEC or MEC regimens. The guidelines now identify SUSTOL as a “preferred” agent for preventing
nausea and vomiting following MEC. Further, the guidelines highlight the unique, extended-release formulation of SUSTOL.
In January 2018, a product-specific billing code, or permanent J-code (“J-code”), for SUSTOL became available. The new J-code was assigned by
CMS and has helped simplify the billing and reimbursement process for prescribers of SUSTOL.
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CINVANTI
CINVANTI was approved by the FDA in November 2017, and we commenced commercial sales in the U.S. in January 2018.
CINVANTI, in combination with other antiemetic agents, is indicated in adults for the prevention of acute and delayed nausea and vomiting
associated with initial and repeat courses of highly emetogenic cancer chemotherapy (HEC) including high-dose cisplatin as a single-dose regimen, delayed
nausea and vomiting associated with initial and repeat courses of moderately emetogenic cancer chemotherapy (MEC) as a single-dose regimen, and
nausea and vomiting associated with initial and repeat courses of MEC as a 3-day regimen.
CINVANTI is an IV formulation of aprepitant, a substance NK1 receptor antagonist. CINVANTI is the first IV formulation to directly deliver
aprepitant, the active ingredient in EMEND® capsules. Aprepitant (including its prodrug, fosaprepitant) is the only single-agent NK1 receptor antagonist to
significantly reduce nausea and vomiting in both the acute phase (0–24 hours after chemotherapy) and the delayed phase (24–120 hours after
chemotherapy). CINVANTI is the first and only IV formulation of an NK1 receptor antagonist indicated for the prevention of acute and delayed nausea and
vomiting associated with HEC and nausea and vomiting associated with MEC that is free of synthetic surfactants, including polysorbate 80.
NK1 receptor antagonists are typically used in combination with 5-HT3 receptor antagonists. The only other injectable NK1 receptor antagonist
currently approved in the U.S. for both acute and delayed chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting (“CINV”), EMEND® IV (fosaprepitant), contains
polysorbate 80, a synthetic surfactant, which has been linked to hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, and infusion site reactions. The
CINVANTI formulation does not contain polysorbate 80 or any other synthetic surfactant. Our CINVANTI data has demonstrated the bioequivalence of
CINVANTI to EMEND IV, supporting its efficacy for the prevention of both acute and delayed nausea and vomiting associated with HEC and nausea and
vomiting associated with MEC. Results also showed CINVANTI was better tolerated in healthy volunteers than EMEND IV, with significantly fewer
adverse events reported with CINVANTI.
In January 2019, a J-code for CINVANTI became available. The new J-code was assigned by CMS and has helped simplify the billing and
reimbursement process for prescribers of CINVANTI.
In February 2019, the FDA approved our Supplemental New Drug Application (“sNDA”) for CINVANTI, for IV use, which expanded the
administration of CINVANTI beyond the initially approved administration method (a 30-minute IV infusion) to include a 2-minute IV injection.
In October 2019, the FDA approved our sNDA for CINVANTI to expand the indication and recommended dosage to include the 130 mg single-dose
regimen for patients receiving MEC.
In the fourth quarter of 2022, we validated larger-scale manufacturing of CINVANTI, which significantly reduced the cost of product sales in 2023
and will continue going forward.
Biochronomer Technology
Our proprietary Biochronomer Technology is designed to deliver therapeutic levels of a wide range of otherwise short-acting pharmacological
agents over a period from days to weeks with a single administration. Our Biochronomer Technology consists of polymers that have been the subject of
comprehensive animal and human toxicology studies that have shown evidence of the safety of the polymer. When administered, the polymers undergo
controlled hydrolysis, resulting in a controlled, sustained release of the pharmacological agent encapsulated within the Biochronomer-based composition.
Furthermore, our Biochronomer Technology is designed to permit more than one pharmacological agent to be incorporated, such that multimodal therapy
can be delivered with a single administration.
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Sales and Marketing
Our U.S.-based sales and marketing team consists of 72 employees as of December 31, 2023. The sales and marketing infrastructure includes a
targeted, acute care and oncology sales force to establish relationships with a focused group of surgeons, oncologists, nurses and pharmacists. Additionally,
the commercial team manages relationships with key accounts, such as managed care organizations, group purchasing organizations, hospital systems,
oncology group networks, payors and government accounts. The sales force is supported by sales management, internal sales support, an internal marketing
group and distribution support.
In January 2024, we entered into a distributor partnership with Crosslink to expand the sales network supporting ZYNRELEF. Crosslink will be the
lead partner in the U.S. to expand ZYNRELEF promotion for orthopedic indications. In total, approximately 650 representatives will be added to Heron’s
sales network over the year.
Customers
Our Products are distributed in the U.S. through a limited number of specialty distributors and full line wholesalers that resell to healthcare providers
and hospitals, the end users of our Products.
Competition
The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are extremely competitive. Our potential competitors are many in number and include major and
mid-sized pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Many of our potential competitors have significantly more financial, technical and other resources
than we do, which may give them a competitive advantage. In addition, they may have substantially more experience in effecting strategic combinations,
in-licensing technology, developing drugs, obtaining regulatory approvals and manufacturing and marketing products. We cannot give any assurances that
we can compete effectively with these other biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Our Products compete in, and our product candidates, if
approved, will compete in, highly competitive markets. Our potential competitors in these markets may succeed in developing products that could render
our Products and our product candidates obsolete or noncompetitive.
ZYNRELEF competes in the postoperative pain management market with MARCAINETM (bupivacaine hydrochloride injection, solution, marketed
by Pfizer Inc.) and generic forms of bupivacaine; NAROPIN® (ropivacaine, marketed by Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC) and generic forms of ropivacaine;
EXPAREL® (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension, marketed by Pacira BioSciences, Inc.); XARACOLL® (bupivacaine HCl implant, marketed by
Innocoll Pharmaceuticals Limited); POSIMIR® (owned by Durect Corporation and to be marketed in the U.S. by Innocoll Pharmaceuticals Limited);
ANJESO® (meloxicam injection, marketed by Baudax Bio, Inc.); OFIRMEV® (acetaminophen injection, marketed by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals);
SEGLENTIS® (celecoxib and tramadol hydrochloride, marketed by Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc. in the U.S.); generic forms of IV acetaminophen;
and potentially other products in development for postoperative pain management that reach the U.S. market.
APONVIE competes in the PONV prevention market with generic ondansetron, the current standard of care, generic aprepitant, and
BARHEMSYS® (amisulpride, marketed by Eagle Pharmaceuticals, Inc.); TAK-951 (a peptide agonist under development (PH2) by Takeda Pharmaceutical
Company Limited for PONV and not approved anywhere globally for any use); and potentially other products in development for PONV prevention that
reach the market.
CINVANTI faces significant competition. NK1 receptor antagonists are administered for the prevention of CINV, in combination with 5-HT3
receptor antagonists, to augment the therapeutic effect of the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist. Currently available NK1receptor antagonists include: generic
versions of EMEND® IV (fosaprepitant); EMEND® IV (fosaprepitant, marketed by Merck & Co., Inc.); EMEND® (aprepitant, marketed by Merck & Co.,
Inc.); AKYNZEO® (palonosetron, a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, combined with netupitant, an NK1 receptor antagonist, marketed by Helsinn Therapeutics
(U.S.), Inc.); VARUBI®(rolapitant, marketed by TerSera Therapeutics LLC) and other products that include an NK1 receptor antagonist that reach the
market for the prevention of CINV.
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SUSTOL faces significant competition. Currently available 5-HT3 receptor antagonists include: AKYNZEO® (palonosetron, a 5-HT3 receptor
antagonist, combined with netupitant, an NK1 receptor antagonist, marketed by Helsinn Therapeutics (U.S.), Inc.); SANCUSO® (granisetron transdermal
patch, marketed by Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc.); and generic products including ondansetron (formerly marketed by GlaxoSmithKline plc as
ZOFRAN), granisetron (formerly marketed by Hoffman-La Roche, Inc. as KYTRIL) and palonosetron (formerly marketed by Eisai in conjunction with
Helsinn Healthcare S.A. as ALOXI). Currently, palonosetron is the only 5-HT3 receptor antagonist other than SUSTOL that is approved for the prevention
of delayed CINV associated with MEC regimens. SUSTOL is indicated in combination with other antiemetics in adults for the prevention of acute and
delayed nausea and vomiting associated with initial and repeat courses of moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC) or anthracycline and
cyclophosphamide (AC) combination chemotherapy regimens, which is considered to be a HEC regimen by the NCCN and ASCO. No other 5-HT3
receptor antagonist is specifically approved for the prevention of delayed CINV associated with a HEC regimen.
Manufacturing and Clinical Supplies
We do not own or operate manufacturing facilities for the production of commercial or clinical quantities of any product, including our Products and
product candidates. We currently rely on a small number of third-party manufacturers to produce compounds used in our product development and
commercial activities and expect to continue to do so to meet the preclinical and clinical requirements of our potential products and for all of our
commercial needs. We currently have long-term commercial supply agreements with certain third-party manufacturers. Our manufacturing and processing
agreements require that all third-party contract manufacturers and processors produce active pharmaceutical ingredients, excipients and finished products in
accordance with the FDA’s current Good Manufacturing Practices (“cGMP”) and all other applicable laws and regulations. We maintain confidentiality
agreements with potential and existing manufacturers in order to protect our proprietary rights related to our Products, our product candidates and our
Biochronomer Technology.
Some of the critical materials and components used in manufacturing our Products and our product candidates are sourced from single suppliers. An
interruption in the supply of a key material could significantly delay our research and development process or increase our expenses for commercialization
or development of our Products or product candidates. Specialized materials must often be manufactured for the first time for use in drug delivery
technologies, or materials may be used in the technologies in a manner that is different from their customary commercial uses. The quality of materials can
be critical to the performance of a drug delivery technology, so a reliable source that provides a consistent supply of materials is important. Materials or
components needed for our drug delivery technologies may be difficult to obtain on commercially reasonable terms, particularly when relatively small
quantities are required or if the materials traditionally have not been used in pharmaceutical products.
Intellectual Property
Our success will depend in large part on our ability to:
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obtain and maintain international and domestic patents and other legal protections for the proprietary technology, inventions and improvements
we consider important to our business;
prosecute and defend our patents;
preserve our trade secrets; and
operate without infringing the patents and proprietary rights of other parties.
We intend to continue to seek appropriate patent protection for the product candidates in our research and development programs and their uses by
filing patent applications in the U.S. and other selected countries. We intend for these patent applications to cover, where possible, claims for composition
of matter, medical uses, processes for preparation and formulations.
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We have filed a number of U.S. patent applications on inventions relating to the composition of a variety of polymers, specific products, product
groups and processing technology. As of December 31, 2023, we had a total of 34 issued U.S. patents and an additional 118 issued (or registered) foreign
patents. The patents on the bioerodible technologies expire in March 2026. Currently, CINVANTI is covered by 10 patents issued in the U.S. and by five
patents issued (or registered) in foreign countries including Korea and Japan. U.S. patents covering CINVANTI have expiration dates ranging from
September 2035 to February 2036; foreign patents covering CINVANTI have expiration dates ranging from September 2035 to February 2036. Currently,
SUSTOL is covered by 6 patents issued in the U.S. and by 18 patents issued (or registered) in foreign countries including France, Germany, Hong Kong,
Ireland, Italy, Japan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. U.S. patents covering SUSTOL expire in September 2024; foreign
patents covering SUSTOL expire in September 2025. Currently, ZYNRELEF is protected by 16 patents issued in the U.S. and by 94 patents issued (or
registered) in foreign countries including Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico,
Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and the United
Kingdom. U.S. patents covering ZYNRELEF have expiration dates ranging from March 2034 to April 2035; foreign patents covering ZYNRELEF have
expiration dates ranging from November 2033 to November 2036. APONVIE is covered by 10 patents issued in the U.S. and by five patents issued (or
registered) in foreign countries including Korea and Japan. U.S. patents covering APONVIE have expiration dates ranging from September 2035 to
February 2036; foreign patents covering APONVIE have expiration dates ranging from September 2035 to February 2036. HTX-034 is protected by 12
patents issued in the U.S. and by 89 patents issued (or registered) in foreign countries including Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada,
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and the United Kingdom. U.S. patents covering HTX-034 have expiration dates ranging from March 2034 to April
2035; foreign patents covering HTX-034 have expiration dates ranging from November 2033 to November 2036. Our policy is to actively seek patent
protection in the U.S. and to pursue equivalent patent claims in selected foreign countries, thereby seeking patent coverage for novel technologies and
compositions of matter that may be commercially important to the development of our business. Granted patents include claims covering the product
composition, methods of use and methods of preparation. Our existing patents may not cover future products, additional patents may not be issued and
current patents, or patents issued in the future, may not provide meaningful protection or prove to be of commercial benefit.
Although we believe that our rights under patent applications we own provide a competitive advantage, the patent positions of pharmaceutical and
biotechnology companies are highly uncertain and involve complex legal and factual questions. We may not be able to develop patentable products or
processes, and may not be able to obtain patents from pending applications. Even if patent claims are allowed, the claims may not issue, or in the event of
issuance, may not be sufficient to protect the technology owned by or licensed to us. Any patents or patent rights that we obtain may be circumvented,
challenged or invalidated by our competitors.
We also rely on trade secrets, proprietary know-how and continuing innovation to develop and maintain our competitive position. We seek
protection of these trade secrets, proprietary know-how and any continuing innovation, in part, through confidentiality and proprietary information
agreements. However, these agreements may not provide meaningful protection for, or adequate remedies to protect, our technology in the event of
unauthorized use or disclosure of information. Furthermore, our trade secrets may otherwise become known to, or be independently developed by, our
competitors.
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Government Regulation
Pharmaceutical Regulation
Pharmaceutical products that we market in the U.S. are subject to extensive government regulation. Likewise, if we receive approvals to market and
distribute any such products abroad, they would also be subject to extensive foreign government regulation. Compliance with these regulations has not had
a material effect on our capital expenditures, earnings, or competitive position to date, but new regulations or amendments to existing regulations to make
them more stringent could have such an effect in the future. We cannot estimate the expenses we may incur to comply with potential new laws or changes
to existing laws, or the other potential effects these laws may have on our business.
In the U.S., the FDA regulates pharmaceutical products. FDA regulations govern the testing, research and development activities, manufacturing,
quality, storage, advertising, promotion, labeling, sale and distribution of pharmaceutical products. Accordingly, there is a rigorous process for the approval
of new drugs and ongoing oversight of marketed products. We are also subject to foreign regulatory requirements governing clinical trials and drug
products if products are tested or marketed abroad. The approval process outside the U.S. varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and the time required may
be longer or shorter than that required for FDA approval.
Regulation in the U.S.
The FDA testing and approval process requires substantial time, effort and money. The FDA approval process for new drugs includes, without
limitation:
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preclinical studies;
submission in the U.S. of an Investigational New Drug application (“IND”), for clinical trials conducted in the U.S.;
adequate and well-controlled human clinical trials to establish safety and efficacy of the product;
submission and review of a New Drug Application (“NDA”) in the U.S.; and
inspection of the facilities used in the manufacturing of the drug to assess compliance with the FDA’s current cGMP regulations.
The FDA monitors the progress of trials conducted in the U.S. under an IND and may, at its discretion, re-evaluate, alter, suspend or terminate
testing based on the data accumulated to that point and the FDA’s risk/benefit assessment with regard to the patients enrolled in the trial. The FDA may also
place a hold on one or more clinical trials conducted under an IND for a drug if it deems warranted. Furthermore, even after regulatory approval of an NDA
is obtained, under certain circumstances, such as later discovery of previously unknown problems, the FDA can withdraw approval or subject the drug to
additional restrictions.
Preclinical Testing
Preclinical studies include laboratory evaluation of the product and animal studies to assess the potential safety and effectiveness of the product.
Most of these studies must be performed according to Good Laboratory Practices, a system of management controls for laboratories and research
organizations to ensure the consistency and reliability of results.
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An IND is the request for authorization from the FDA to administer an investigational new drug product to humans. The IND includes information
regarding the preclinical studies, the investigational product’s chemistry and manufacturing, supporting data and literature and the investigational plan and
protocol(s). Clinical trials may begin 30 days after an IND is received, unless the FDA raises concerns or questions about the conduct of the clinical trials.
If concerns or questions are raised, an IND sponsor and the FDA must resolve any outstanding concerns before clinical trials can proceed. An IND must
become effective before human clinical trials begin. We have filed INDs in the U.S. and Clinical Trial Applications (“CTAs”) in the EU, and we may file
additional INDs and CTAs in the future. We cannot assure that submission of any additional INDs or CTAs for any of our product candidates will result in
authorization to commence clinical trials.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials involve the administration of the product candidate that is the subject of the trial to volunteers or patients under the supervision of a
qualified principal investigator and in accordance with a clinical trial protocol, which sets forth details, such as the study objectives, enrollment criteria and
the safety and effectiveness criteria to be evaluated. Each clinical trial must be reviewed and approved at each institution at which the study will be
conducted by an independent Institutional Review Board in the U.S., referred to as an Ethics Committee in the EU and other markets or Research Ethics
Board in Canada. The Institutional Review Board, Ethics Committee or Research Ethics Board (hereafter collectively referred to as “IRB”) will consider,
among other things, ethical factors, safety of human subjects and the possible liability of the institution arising from the conduct of the proposed clinical
trial. In addition, clinical trials in the U.S. and other regions must be performed according to current Good Clinical Practices, which are enumerated in FDA
regulations and guidance documents. Some studies include oversight by an independent group of experts, known as a data safety monitoring board, which
authorizes whether a study may move forward based on certain data from the study and may stop the clinical trial if it determines that there is an
unacceptable safety risk for subjects or other grounds.
The FDA or other regulatory authorities may order the temporary, or permanent, discontinuation of a clinical trial at any time, or impose other
sanctions, if it or they believe that the clinical trial is not being conducted in accordance with regulatory requirements or presents an unacceptable risk to
the clinical trial patients. An IRB may also require the clinical trial at the site to be halted, either temporarily or permanently, for failure to comply with the
IRB’s requirements, or it may impose other conditions.
Clinical trials typically are conducted in sequential phases: Phases 1, 2, 3 and 4. The phases may overlap. The FDA may require that we suspend
clinical trials at any time on various grounds, including if the FDA makes a finding that the subjects participating in the trial are being exposed to an
unacceptable health risk.
In Phase 1 clinical trials, the investigational product is usually tested on a small number of healthy volunteers to determine safety, any adverse
effects, proper dosage, absorption, metabolism, distribution, excretion and other drug effects. Follow-on Phase 1b clinical trials may also evaluate efficacy
with respect to trial participants.
In Phase 2 clinical trials, the investigational product is usually tested on a limited number of patients (generally up to several hundred) to
preliminarily evaluate the efficacy of the drug for specific, targeted indications, to determine dosage tolerance and optimal dosage, and to identify possible
adverse effects and safety risks. Multiple Phase 2 clinical trials may be conducted to obtain information prior to beginning Phase 3 clinical trials.
In Phase 3 clinical trials, the investigational product is administered to an expanded patient population to confirm proof of concept and efficacy
claims, provide evidence of clinical efficacy and to further test for safety, generally at multiple clinical sites.
In Phase 4 clinical trials or other post-approval commitments, additional studies and patient follow-up are conducted to gain experience from the
treatment of patients in the intended therapeutic indication. The FDA and other regulatory authorities may require a commitment to conduct post-approval
Phase 4 studies as a condition of approval. Additional studies and follow-up may be conducted to document a clinical benefit where drugs are approved
under accelerated approval regulations and based on surrogate endpoints. In clinical trials, surrogate endpoints are alternative measurements of the
symptoms of a disease or condition that are substituted for
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measurements of observable clinical symptoms. In the U.S., failure to timely conduct Phase 4 clinical trials and follow-up could result in withdrawal of
approval for products approved under accelerated approval regulations.
Clinical Data Review and Approval in the U.S.
The data from the clinical trials, together with preclinical data and other supporting information that establishes a drug candidate’s safety, are
submitted to the FDA in the form of an NDA, or sNDA (for approval of a new indication if the product candidate is already approved for another
indication). Under applicable laws and FDA regulations, the FDA reviews the NDA within 60 days of receipt of the NDA submission to determine whether
the application will be accepted for filing based on the FDA’s threshold determination that the NDA is sufficiently complete to permit substantive review. If
deemed complete, the FDA will “file” the NDA, thereby triggering substantive review of the application. The FDA can refuse to file any NDA that it
deems incomplete or not properly reviewable.
The FDA has established internal substantive review goals of 10 months for most NDAs. The FDA has various programs, including Breakthrough
Therapy, Fast Track and Priority Review, which are intended to expedite or simplify the process for reviewing drug candidates, and/or provide for approval
based on surrogate endpoints. Even if a drug candidate qualifies for one or more of these programs, the FDA may later decide that the drug candidate no
longer meets the conditions for qualification or that the period for FDA review or approval will not be shortened. Generally, drug candidates that may be
eligible for these programs are those for serious or life-threatening conditions, those with the potential to address unmet medical needs, and those that offer
meaningful benefits over existing treatments. For example, Fast Track is a process designed to facilitate the development, and expedite the review, of drugs
to treat serious diseases and fill an unmet medical need. The request may be made at the time of IND submission and generally no later than the pre-NDA
meeting. The FDA will respond within 60 calendar days of receipt of the request. Priority Review designation, which is requested at the time of an NDA
submission, is designed to give drugs that offer major advances in treatment or provide a treatment where no adequate therapy exists, an initial review
within 6 months as compared to a standard review time of 10 months. Although Fast Track and Priority Review do not affect the standards for approval, the
FDA will attempt to facilitate early and frequent meetings with a sponsor of a Fast Track designated drug and expedite review of the application for a drug
designated for Priority Review. Accelerated approval provides an expedited approval of drugs that treat serious diseases and that fill an unmet medical need
based on a surrogate endpoint. The FDA, however, is not legally required to complete its review within these periods, and these performance goals may
change over time.
If the FDA approves the NDA, it will issue an approval letter authorizing the commercial marketing of the drug with prescribing information for
specific indications. As a condition of NDA approval, the FDA may require a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (“REMS”), to help ensure that the
benefits of the drug outweigh the potential risks. REMS can include medication guides, communication plans for healthcare professionals, and elements to
assure safe use. Additionally, the FDA will inspect the facility or the facilities at which the drug is manufactured. Moreover, product approval may require
substantial post-approval testing and surveillance to monitor the drug’s safety or efficacy. Once granted, product approvals may be withdrawn if
compliance with regulatory standards is not maintained or problems are identified following initial marketing. In many cases, the outcome of the review,
even if generally favorable, is not an actual approval, but a “complete response” that generally outlines the deficiencies in the submission, which may
require substantial additional testing or information before the FDA will reconsider the application. If, or when, those deficiencies have been addressed to
the FDA’s satisfaction in a resubmission of the NDA, the FDA will issue an approval letter.
Satisfaction of FDA requirements or similar requirements of state, local and foreign regulatory agencies typically takes several years and requires
the expenditure of substantial financial resources. Information generated in this process is susceptible to varying interpretations that could delay, limit or
prevent regulatory approval at any stage of the process. Accordingly, the actual time and expense required to bring a product to market may vary
substantially. Data obtained from clinical activities is not always conclusive and may be susceptible to varying interpretations, which could delay, limit or
prevent regulatory approval. Success in early-stage clinical trials does not ensure success in later-stage clinical trials. Even if a product candidate receives
regulatory approval, the approval may be significantly limited to specific disease states, patient populations and dosages, or have conditions placed on it
that restrict the commercial applications, advertising, promotion or distribution of these products.
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Once issued, the FDA may withdraw product approval if ongoing regulatory standards are not met or if safety problems occur after the product
reaches the market. In addition, the FDA may require testing and surveillance programs to monitor the safety or effectiveness of approved products which
have been commercialized, and the FDA has the power to prevent or limit further marketing of a product based on the results of these postmarketing
programs. The FDA may also request or require additional Phase 4 clinical trials after a product is approved. The results of Phase 4 clinical trials can
confirm the effectiveness of a product candidate and can provide important safety information to augment the FDA’s voluntary adverse drug reaction
reporting system. Any products manufactured or distributed by us pursuant to FDA approvals would be subject to continuing regulation by the FDA,
including recordkeeping requirements and reporting of adverse experiences with the drug. Drug manufacturers and their subcontractors 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 cGMPs, which impose certain procedural and documentation requirements on us and our third-party manufacturers.
In addition, both before and after approval is sought, we are required to comply with a number of FDA requirements. For example, we are required
to report certain adverse reactions and production problems, if any, to the FDA, and to comply with certain limitations and other requirements concerning
advertising and promotion for our products. In addition, quality control and manufacturing procedures must continue to conform to cGMP after approval,
and the FDA periodically inspects manufacturing facilities to assess compliance with continuing cGMP. In addition, discovery of problems, such as safety
problems, may result in changes in labeling or restrictions on a product manufacturer or NDA holder, including removal of the product from the market.
The FDA closely regulates the marketing and promotion of drugs. Approval may be subject to postmarketing surveillance and other recordkeeping
and reporting obligations and involve ongoing requirements. Product approvals may be withdrawn if compliance with regulatory standards is not
maintained or if problems occur following initial marketing. A company can make only those claims relating to safety and efficacy that are approved by the
FDA. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in adverse publicity, warning letters, corrective advertising and potential civil and criminal
penalties.
Clinical Trial Conduct and Product Approval Regulation in Non-U.S. Jurisdictions
In addition to regulations in the U.S., we may be subject to a variety of foreign regulations governing clinical trials and commercial sales and
distribution of our products. For example, our clinical trials conducted in the EU must be done under an Investigational Medicinal Product Dossier, and the
oversight of an Ethics Committee. If we market our products in foreign countries, we also will be subject to foreign regulatory requirements governing
marketing approval for pharmaceutical products. The requirements governing the conduct of clinical trials, product approval, pricing and reimbursement
vary widely from country to country. Whether or not FDA approval has been obtained, approval of a product by the comparable regulatory authorities of
foreign countries must be obtained before manufacturing or marketing the product in those countries. The approval process varies from country to country
and the time required for such approvals may differ substantially from that required for FDA approval. There is no assurance that any future FDA approval
of any of our product candidates will result in similar foreign approvals or vice versa. The process for clinical trials in other jurisdictions are similar, and
trials are heavily scrutinized by the designated Ethics Committee.
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Section 505(b)(2) Applications
Some of our product candidates may be eligible for submission of applications for approval under the FDA’s Section 505(b)(2) approval process,
which provides an alternate path to FDA approval for new or improved formulations or new uses of previously approved products. Section 505(b)(2) was
enacted as part of the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984, also known as the Hatch-Waxman Act, and allows approval of
NDAs that rely, at least in part, on studies that were not conducted by or for the applicant and to which the applicant has not obtained a right of reference.
Such studies can be provided by published literature, or the FDA can rely on previous findings of safety and efficacy for a previously approved drug. If the
505(b)(2) applicant can establish that reliance on the FDA’s previous approval is scientifically appropriate, it may eliminate the need to conduct certain
preclinical studies or clinical trials of the new product. Section 505(b)(2) applications may be submitted for drug products that represent a modification
(e.g., a new indication or new dosage form) of an eligible approved drug. In such cases, the additional information in 505(b)(2) applications necessary to
support the change from the previously approved drug is frequently provided by new studies submitted by the applicant. Because a Section 505(b)(2)
application relies in part on previous studies or previous FDA findings of safety and effectiveness, preparing 505(b)(2) applications is generally less costly
and time-consuming than preparing an NDA based entirely on new data and information from a full set of clinical trials. The FDA may approve the new
product candidate for all, or some, of the label indications for which the referenced product has been approved, as well as for any new indication sought by
the Section 505(b)(2) applicant. The law governing Section 505(b)(2) or FDA’s current policies may change in such a way as to adversely affect our
applications for approval that seek to utilize the Section 505(b)(2) approach. Such changes could result in additional costs associated with additional studies
or clinical trials and delays.
The FDA provides that reviews and/or approvals of applications submitted under Section 505(b)(2) will be delayed in various circumstances. For
example, the holder of the NDA for the listed drug may be entitled to a period of market exclusivity during which the FDA will not approve, and may not
even review, a Section 505(b)(2) application from other sponsors. If the listed drug is claimed by one or more patents that the NDA holder has listed with
the FDA, the Section 505(b)(2) applicant must submit a certification with respect to each such patent. If the 505(b)(2) applicant certifies that a listed patent
is invalid, unenforceable or not infringed by the product that is the subject of the Section 505(b)(2) application, it must notify the patent holder and the
NDA holder. If, within 45 days of providing this notice, the NDA holder sues the 505(b)(2) applicant for patent infringement, the FDA will not approve the
Section 505(b)(2) application until the earlier of a court decision favorable to the Section 505(b)(2) applicant or the expiration of 30 months. The
regulations governing marketing exclusivity and patent protection are complex, and it is often unclear how they will be applied in particular circumstances.
Drug Enforcement Agency Regulation
Our research and development processes involve the controlled use of hazardous materials, including chemicals. Some of these hazardous materials
are considered to be controlled substances and subject to regulation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (“DEA”). Controlled substances are those drugs
that appear on one of 5 schedules promulgated and administered by the DEA under the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”). The CSA governs, among
other things, the distribution, recordkeeping, handling, security and disposal of controlled substances. We must be registered by the DEA in order to engage
in these activities, and we are subject to periodic and ongoing inspections by the DEA and similar state drug enforcement authorities to assess ongoing
compliance with the DEA’s regulations. Any failure to comply with these regulations could lead to a variety of sanctions, including the revocation, or a
denial of renewal, of the DEA registration, injunctions or civil or criminal penalties.
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Third-party Payor Coverage and Reimbursement
Commercial success of our Products and our product candidates that are approved or commercialized for any indication will depend, in part, on the
availability of coverage and reimbursement from third-party payors at the federal, state and private levels. Government payor programs, including
Medicare and Medicaid, private health care insurance companies and managed care plans have attempted to control costs by limiting coverage and the
amount of reimbursement for particular procedures or drug treatments. The U.S. Congress and state legislatures, from time to time, propose and adopt
initiatives aimed at cost containment. Ongoing federal and state government initiatives directed at lowering the total cost of health care will likely continue
to focus on health care reform, the cost of prescription pharmaceuticals and on the reform of the Medicare and Medicaid payment systems. Examples of
how limits on drug coverage and reimbursement in the U.S. may cause reduced payments for drugs in the future include:
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changing Medicare reimbursement methodologies;
fluctuating decisions on which drugs to include in formularies;
revising drug rebate calculations under the Medicaid program or requiring that new or additional rebates be provided to Medicare, Medicaid
and other federal or state healthcare programs; and
reforming drug importation laws.
Some third-party payors also require pre-approval of coverage for new drug therapies before they will reimburse health care providers that use such
therapies. While we cannot predict whether any proposed cost-containment measures will be adopted or otherwise implemented in the future, the
announcement or adoption of these proposals could have a material adverse effect on our ability to obtain adequate prices for our current and future
products and to operate profitably.
Reimbursement systems in international markets vary significantly by country and, within some countries, by region. Reimbursement approvals
must be obtained on a country-by-country basis. In many foreign markets, including markets in which we hope to sell our Products, the pricing of
prescription pharmaceuticals is subject to government pricing control. In these markets, once marketing approval is received, pricing negotiations could
take significant additional time. As in the U.S., the lack of satisfactory reimbursement or inadequate government pricing of any of our Products would limit
widespread use and lower potential Product revenues.
Anti-kickback, Fraud and Abuse and False Claims Regulation
We are subject to health care fraud and abuse regulation and enforcement by both the federal government and the states in which we conduct our
business. Healthcare providers, physicians and third-party payors play a primary role in the recommendation and prescription of our Products and any other
product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval. Arrangements with third-party payors and customers may expose us to applicable fraud and
abuse and other healthcare laws and regulations that may constrain the business or financial arrangements and relationships through which we market, sell
and distribute our Products and any other product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval.
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Regulations under applicable federal and state healthcare laws and regulations include the federal health care programs’ Anti-Kickback Law, which
prohibits, among other things, persons from knowingly and willfully soliciting, receiving, offering or paying remuneration, directly or indirectly, in
exchange for or to induce either the referral or purchase of any good or service for which payment may be made under federal health care programs such as
the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Remuneration has been broadly defined to include anything of value, including cash, improper discounts, and free or
reduced-price items and services. Many states have similar laws that apply to their state health care programs as well as private payors. In addition, the
False Claims Act (“FCA”) imposes liability on persons who, among other things, present or cause to be presented false or fraudulent claims for payment by
a federal health care program. The FCA has been used to prosecute persons submitting claims for payment that are inaccurate or fraudulent, that are for
services not provided as claimed, or for services that are not medically necessary. Actions under the FCA may be brought by the United States Department
of Justice (“DOJ”) or as a qui tam action by a private individual in the name of the government. Violations of the FCA can result in significant monetary
penalties and treble damages. The federal government is using the FCA, and the accompanying threat of significant liability, in its investigation and
prosecution of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies throughout the country, for example, in connection with the promotion of products for
unapproved uses and other sales and marketing practices.
The risk of being found in violation of these laws is increased by the fact that many of them have not been fully interpreted by the regulatory
authorities or the courts, and their provisions are open to a variety of interpretations. Moreover, recent health care reform legislation has strengthened many
of these laws. For example, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“PPACA”), among other things, amends the intent requirement of the federal
anti-kickback and criminal health care fraud statutes to clarify that a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of this statute or specific
intent to violate it. In addition, PPACA provides that 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 false claims statutes.
The continuing interpretation and application of these laws could have a material adverse impact on our business and our ability to compete in a
highly competitive market.
Federal and State Sunshine Laws
We must comply with federal and state “sunshine” laws, now known as Open Payments that require transparency regarding financial arrangements
with health care providers. This would include the reporting and disclosure requirements imposed by the PPACA on drug manufacturers regarding any
“payment or transfer of value” made or distributed to physicians and teaching hospitals. Failure to submit required information can result in civil monetary
penalties. A number of states have laws that require the implementation of commercial compliance programs, impose restrictions on drug manufacturer
marketing practices and/or require pharmaceutical companies to track and report payments, gifts and other benefits provided to physicians and other health
care professionals and entities.
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
We are subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1997 (“FCPA”). The FCPA and other similar anti-bribery laws in other jurisdictions, such as
the U.K. Bribery Act, generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from providing money or anything of value to officials of foreign governments,
foreign political parties, or international organizations with the intent to obtain or retain business or seek a business advantage. Recently, there has been a
substantial increase in anti-bribery law enforcement activity by U.S. regulators, with more frequent and aggressive investigations and enforcement
proceedings by both the DOJ and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). A determination that our operations or activities are not, or were
not, in compliance with U.S. or foreign laws or regulations could result in the imposition of substantial fines, interruptions of business, loss of supplier,
vendor or other third-party relationships, termination of necessary licenses and permits and other legal or equitable sanctions. Other internal or government
investigations or legal or regulatory proceedings, including lawsuits brought by private litigants, may also follow as a consequence. We have a policy
against using Company funds for political purposes, and we incurred no costs in 2022 or 2023 associated with legal or regulatory fines or settlements
associated with violations of bribery, corruption or anti-competitive standards.
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Patient Privacy and Data Security
We are required to comply, as applicable, with numerous federal and state laws, including state security breach notification laws, state health and
personal information privacy laws and federal and state consumer protection laws, and to govern the collection, use and disclosure of personal information.
For example, the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) became effective on January 1, 2020 and gave California residents expanded rights to access
and request deletion of their personal information, opt out of certain personal information sharing and receive detailed information about how their personal
information is used. Additionally, the California Privacy Rights Act, a ballot measure that was approved by California voters on November 3, 2020 and
became operative on January 1, 2023, amends and expands the CCPA and its accompanying obligations, including through yet-to-be-finalized
implementing regulations from a new enforcement agency, the California Privacy Protection Agency. Other states, such as Virginia and Colorado, have also
passed comprehensive data privacy and security laws, and similar laws are being considered in several other states, as well as the federal and local levels.
Other countries also have developed, or are developing, laws governing the collection, use and transmission of personal information, such as the General
Data Protection Regulation in the EU that became effective in May 2018 and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act that
became effective in Canada in April 2000. In addition, most healthcare providers who utilize our Products or who may utilize other products we may sell in
the future are subject to privacy and security requirements under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, as amended by the
Health Information Technology and Clinical Health Act, and its implementing regulations (collectively, “HIPAA”). We are not a HIPAA covered entity, do
not intend to become one, and we do not operate as a business associate to any covered entities. Therefore, these privacy and security requirements do not
apply to us. However, we could be subject to civil and criminal penalties if we knowingly obtain individually identifiable or protected health information
from a covered entity in a manner that is not authorized or permitted by HIPAA or for aiding and abetting the violation of HIPAA. The legislative and
regulatory landscape for privacy and data protection continues to evolve, and there has been an increasing amount of focus on privacy and data protection
issues with the potential to affect our business, including through affecting our customers. These laws could create liability for us or increase our cost of
doing business, and any failure to comply could result in harm to our reputation, and potentially fines and penalties.
In addition, state laws govern the privacy and security of health information in certain circumstances, many of which differ from each other in
significant ways and may not have the same effect, thus complicating compliance efforts.
Environmental, Health and Safety Laws
Our operations are subject to complex and increasingly stringent environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. Further, in the future, we
may open manufacturing facilities that would likely be subject to environmental and health and safety authorities in the relevant jurisdictions. These
authorities typically administer laws which regulate, among other matters, the emission of pollutants into the air (including the workplace), the discharge of
pollutants into bodies of water, the storage, use, handling and disposal of hazardous substances, the exposure of persons to hazardous substances, and the
general health, safety and welfare of employees and members of the public. Violations of these laws could subject us to strict liability, fines or liability to
third parties.
Other Laws
We are subject to a variety of financial disclosure and securities trading regulations as a public company in the U.S., including laws relating to the
oversight activities of the SEC and the regulations of The Nasdaq Capital Market, on which our shares are traded. We are also subject to various laws,
regulations and recommendations relating to safe working conditions, laboratory practices and the experimental use of animals.
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Human Capital Management
Heron Employees
As of December 31, 2023, Heron employed 126 full-time employees, 72 of whom are involved in sales and marketing activities, 39 of whom are
involved in research and development activities and 15 of whom are involved in general and administrative activities. In 2023, Heron reduced headcount,
across all functions, in order to enable us to decrease costs and focus our resources on commercial activities to support revenue growth. Our 2023 voluntary
turnover rate of 17% was slightly above industry average voluntary turnover due to employee concerns of job stability following our restructuring and
extensive leadership changes. None of our employees are represented by a labor union or covered by a collective bargaining agreement.
We expect to hire a small number of additional employees in 2024 to backfill critical positions, but do not expect significant headcount growth. We
continually evaluate business needs and opportunities in addition to balancing in-house expertise and capacity with that of outsourced resources. Currently,
we outsource drug manufacturing work to contract manufacturers in addition to a few other specialty tasks for which we do not have in-house expertise.
Drug development is a complex endeavor that requires deep expertise and experience across a broad array of disciplines. Pharmaceutical companies
both large and small compete for a limited number of qualified applicants to fill specialized positions, which continued in 2023, with heavy competition for
talent. To attract qualified applicants, Heron offers a total rewards package consisting of base salary and cash bonus incentive targets aligned with the
applicable market norms, equity compensation, and a comprehensive health and welfare benefits package for every employee. Bonus opportunity and
equity compensation increase as a percentage of total compensation based on level of responsibility. Actual bonus payouts for all employees except our
most senior executives are based on a weighting of Company and individual performance, which varies based on level of responsibility. Actual bonus
payout for our most senior executives is based exclusively on Company performance, as will be more fully described in our Definitive Proxy Statement to
be filed with the SEC related to our 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
Heron supports our employees’ further development with individualized development plans, mentoring, coaching, internal development workshops,
and certain financial support, including company-paid external conference attendance and tuition reimbursement. Heron sponsors professional society
memberships for all employees, as well as memberships for interested female employees in a women’s advocacy organization supporting women in
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
We also monitor employee compliance with applicable laws and regulations through a third party ethics and compliance hotline system that
facilitates anonymous internal and external reporting of complaints or concerns. We did not receive any complaints during 2023.
Heron strives for greater diversity and inclusion through our employment and management practices, as evidenced by an annual third-party
demographic analysis indicating that the diversity of our employee population generally reflects the ethnicity, race and gender of the overall available
workforce at all job levels. Where underutilization is identified, we remain committed to current and future outreach efforts in place to build employee
diversity through our hiring efforts. We are also building diversity in our leadership team. In 2023, 50% of our Section 16 officers were female. We believe
diversity is a competitive advantage and through initiatives established in our recruiting strategy and documented in our Affirmative Action Plan, we
continued outreach in 2023 to underrepresented candidates for positions undergoing recruitment and will continue doing so on an ongoing basis. Heron also
monitors pay practices and decisions to ensure pay equity for minority and female employees when compared to non-minority and male employees in same
or similar positions and when considering objective factors related to position qualifications.
Heron is committed to upholding basic human rights and complies with all laws and practices that prohibit child labor, forced or indentured labor,
human trafficking and unfair wages.
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Heron’s Injury and Illness Prevention Plan documents procedures to reduce work-related injuries and occupational illnesses. In 2023, Heron had
three Occupational Safety and Health Administration-reportable work-related injuries or illnesses. One was related to a COVID-19 infection and resulted
in all of the missed workdays reported. We did not experience any work-related deaths.
Company Information
Our principal executive offices are located at 4242 Campus Point Court, Suite 200, San Diego, California 92121, and our telephone number is (858)
251-4400. Our website address is www.herontx.com. We make our periodic and current reports available on our website, free of charge, as soon as
reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. No portion of our website is incorporated by reference into
this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We file our annual, quarterly and special reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our filings with
the SEC are also available to the public on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Additional information regarding us, including our audited financial
statements and descriptions of our business, is contained in the documents incorporated by reference in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our common
stock is traded on The Nasdaq Capital Market, under the symbol “HRTX.”
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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Risk Factor Summary
You should carefully consider the following information about risks and uncertainties that may affect us or our business, together with the other
information appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. If any of the following events, described as risks, actually occur, our business,
financial condition, results of operations and future growth prospects could be materially and adversely affected. In these circumstances, the market price of
our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment in our securities. An investment in our securities is speculative and
involves a high degree of risk. You should not invest in our securities if you cannot bear the economic risk of your investment for an indefinite period of
time and cannot afford to lose your entire investment.
Below is a summary of material factors that make an investment in our securities speculative or risky. Importantly, this summary does not address
all of the risks that we face. Additional discussion of the risks summarized in this risk factor summary, as well as other risks that we face, can be found
below.
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We are substantially dependent on the commercial success of our Products and our U.S. product candidates, and if these Products and product
candidates do not attain market acceptance by healthcare professionals and patients, our business and results of operations will suffer.
If we are unable to develop and maintain sales, marketing and distribution capabilities or enter into agreements with third parties to sell and
market our Products or our product candidates, our sales may be adversely affected.
If we cannot establish satisfactory pricing of our Products or product candidates, if approved, that is also acceptable to the U.S. government,
insurance companies, managed care organizations and other payors, or arrange for favorable reimbursement policies, our product sales may
be adversely affected and our future revenue might suffer.
If we fail to comply with our reporting and payment obligations under U.S. governmental pricing and contracting programs, we could be
subject to additional reimbursement requirements, penalties and fines, which could have a negative impact on our business, financial
condition, and results of operations.
Because the results of preclinical studies and clinical trials are not necessarily predictive of future results, we can provide no assurances that
our Products or product candidates will have favorable results in future studies or receive regulatory approval or expansion of approved
indications.
Interim, topline or preliminary data from our clinical trials that we announce or publish may change as more patient data become available
and are subject to audit and verification procedures that could result in material changes in the final data.
Although the FDA might grant Fast Track, Breakthrough Therapy, Priority Review or similar designations to our Products and product
candidates, there can be no assurance that any of our Products or product candidates that receive similar designations in the U.S. or in any
other regulatory jurisdictions will receive regulatory approval any sooner than other Products or product candidates that do not have such
designations, or at all.
Our product platforms or product development efforts may not produce safe, efficacious or commercially viable products, and, if we are
unable to develop new products, our business may suffer.
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We rely on third parties to conduct our preclinical testing and conduct our clinical trials, and their failure to perform their obligations in a
timely and competent manner may delay development and commercialization of our Products and product candidates and our business could
be substantially harmed.
If our suppliers or contract manufacturers are unable to manufacture in commercially viable quantities, we could face delays in our ability to
commercialize our Products and product candidates, our costs will increase and sales of our Product and product candidates, if approved,
may be severely hindered.
The global economic instability could have further adverse effects on our business, including our commercialization efforts, supply chain,
regulatory activities, clinical development activities and other business operations.
We have a history of losses, we expect to generate losses in the near future, and we may never achieve or maintain profitability.
Additional capital may be needed in the future to enable us to implement our business plan, and we may be unable to raise capital, which
would force us to limit or cease our operations and related product development programs.
Drug development involves a lengthy and expensive process with an uncertain outcome, and results of earlier studies and trials may not be
predictive of future trial results.
Delays in, or suspensions and terminations of, clinical testing could increase our costs and delay our ability to obtain regulatory approval for,
and commercialize, our product candidates.
We may not obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates in development. Regulatory approval may also be delayed or revoked or
may impose limitations on the indicated uses of a product candidate. If we are unable to obtain regulatory approval for our product
candidates in development, our business will be substantially harmed.
Even if our product candidates in development receive regulatory approval, they may still face future development and regulatory difficulties.
If we fail to comply with continuing federal, state and foreign regulations, we could lose our approvals to market drugs, and our business
would be seriously harmed.
If we are unable to adequately protect or enforce our intellectual property rights, we may lose valuable assets or incur costly litigation to
protect our rights.
The price of our common stock has been and may continue to be volatile.
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Risks Related to Our Business
We are substantially dependent on the commercial success of our Products and our U.S. product candidates, and if these Products and product
candidates do not attain market acceptance by healthcare professionals and patients, our business and results of operations will suffer.
The success of our business is substantially dependent on our ability to commercialize our Products and our product candidates. Although members of our
management team have prior experience launching new drugs, ZYNRELEF, APONVIE, CINVANTI and SUSTOL are the first four products that we have
launched.
Further, even if our sales organization performs as expected, the revenue that we may receive from the sales of our Products and our product candidates, if
approved, may be less than anticipated due to factors that are outside of our control. The factors that may affect revenue include:
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the scope of our approved Product labels, including our recently expanded indication statement of ZYNRELEF in the U.S.;
the perception of physicians and other members of the health care community of the safety and efficacy and cost-competitiveness relative to
that of competing products;
our ability to maintain successful sales, marketing and educational programs for certain physicians and other health care providers;
our ability to raise patient and physician awareness of the risks associated with using opioids for postoperative pain management and
encourage physicians to consider utilizing a non-opioid alternative;
our ability to raise patient and physician awareness of CINV associated with AC combination chemotherapy regimens, MEC or HEC and
encourage physicians to look for incidence of CINV among patients;
our ability to raise patient and physician awareness of PONV associated with surgical procedures and encourage physicians to look for
incidence of PONV among patients;
the cost-effectiveness of our Products and our product candidates;
the timing and scope of acceptance of our Products by institutional formulary committees and the amount of time between such acceptance
and the first use of our Products within the applicable setting of care;
patient and physician satisfaction with our Products and our product candidates;
the size of the potential market for our Products and our product candidates;
our ability to obtain adequate reimbursement from government and third-party payors;
unfavorable publicity concerning our Products, our product candidates or similar products;
the introduction, availability and acceptance of competing treatments, including competing generic products;
adverse event information relating to our Products, our product candidates or similar classes of drugs;
product liability litigation alleging injuries relating to our Products, our product candidates or similar classes of drugs;
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our ability to maintain and defend our patents and trade secrets for our Products, our product candidates and our Biochronomer Technology;
our ability to continue to have our Products manufactured at commercial production levels successfully and on a timely basis;
our ability to scale up manufacturing of our Products to meet commercial requirements;
the availability of raw materials necessary to manufacture our Products and our product candidates;
our ability to access third parties to manufacture and distribute our Products and our product candidates on acceptable terms or at all and
those third parties’ ability and/or willingness to fully perform their obligations;
regulatory developments related to the manufacture or continued use of our Products and our product candidates;
conduct of post-approval study requirements and the results thereof;
the extent and effectiveness of sales and marketing and distribution support for our Products and our product candidates;
our competitors’ activities, including decisions as to the timing of competing product launches, generic entrants, pricing and discounting; and
any other material adverse developments with respect to the commercialization of our Products and our product candidates.
Our business will be adversely affected if, due to these or other factors, our commercialization of our Products and our product candidates does not achieve
the acceptance and demand necessary to sustain revenue growth. If we are unable to successfully commercialize our Products and our product candidates
our business and results of operations will suffer.
If we are unable to develop and maintain sales, marketing and distribution capabilities or enter into agreements with third parties to sell and market
our Products or our product candidates, our sales may be adversely affected.
We have established an internal commercial organization for the sale, marketing and distribution of our Products in the U.S. The development of a sales
organization to market our Products and product candidates is expensive and time consuming, and we cannot be certain that we will be able to successfully
develop this capacity or that this function will execute as expected. If we are unable to establish and maintain adequate sales, marketing and distribution
capabilities, whether independently or with third parties, we may not be able to generate product revenue and our business and results of operations will
suffer.
Our internal sales and marketing organization is not currently structured or staffed to launch products on an international level and, therefore, we may not
be able to successfully commercialize our Products or product candidates outside of the U.S. In order to commercialize our Products or product candidates
in jurisdictions other than the U.S., we would be required to obtain separate marketing approvals and comply with numerous and varying regulatory
requirements in each foreign country. If we decide to seek the assistance of third parties with international expertise to help commercialize our Products or
product candidates outside of the U.S., we may not be successful in finding willing third parties and, even if we are able to find willing third parties, they
might not be able to successfully obtain the approvals and take the steps needed to commercialize our Products or product candidates. If we decide to
commercialize our Products or product candidates outside of the U.S. without the assistance of third parties with international expertise, it may take longer
than expected to obtain the approvals and take the steps needed to commercialize them. As a result, we may decide to delay or abandon development
efforts in certain
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markets. Any such delay or abandonment may have an adverse effect on the benefits otherwise expected from marketing our Products or product
candidates in foreign countries.
If we enter into arrangements with third parties to help commercialize our Products and product candidates, we would be dependent on the subsequent
success of these other parties in performing their responsibilities. Such third parties may not perform their obligations under our agreements with them. We
cannot control the amount and timing of such third parties' resources that will be devoted to commercializing our Products and product candidates pursuant
to our collaborative agreements with them. For example, we have entered into a Co-Promotion Agreement with Crosslink Network, LLC (“Crosslink”)
pursuant to which the Company has committed to pay Crosslink certain agreed-upon compensation to co-promote the sale of certain products; however, if
Crosslink fails to perform as anticipated for any reason, it could adversely impact our financial condition and be detrimental to our future business
prospects. In addition, under the terms of the Co-Promotion Agreement, Crosslink was appointed as the Company’s exclusive co-promoter of ZYNRELEF
within the U.S.
If we cannot establish satisfactory pricing of our Products or product candidates, if approved, that is also acceptable to the U.S. government, insurance
companies, managed care organizations and other payors, or arrange for favorable reimbursement policies, our product sales may be adversely
affected and our future revenue may suffer.
The continuing efforts of the U.S. government, insurance companies, managed care organizations and other payors of health care costs to contain or reduce
costs of health care may adversely affect our ability to generate adequate revenues and gross margins to make our Products or product candidates
commercially viable. Our ability to commercialize our Products and product candidates successfully will depend in part on the extent to which
governmental authorities, private health insurers and other organizations establish appropriate reimbursement levels for the cost of such products and
related treatments and for what uses reimbursement will be provided.
Adoption of our Products and product candidates by the medical community may be limited if third-party payors will not offer adequate coverage. In
addition, third-party payors often challenge the price and cost-effectiveness of medical products and services and such pressure may increase in the future.
In many cases, uncertainty exists as to the adequate reimbursement status of newly approved healthcare products. Accordingly, our Products and product
candidates may not be reimbursable by certain third-party payors at the time of commercial launch and potentially for an extended period of time thereafter.
In addition, our Products and product candidates may not be considered cost-effective and adequate third-party reimbursement may not be available to
enable us to maintain price levels sufficient to realize a profit. Further, coverage policies and third-party payor reimbursement rates may change at any
time. Even if favorable coverage and reimbursement status is attained for one or more of our Products or product candidates for which we receive
regulatory approval, less favorable coverage policies and reimbursement rates may be implemented in the future.
Legislation and regulations affecting the pricing of pharmaceuticals may change and any such changes could further limit reimbursement. Cost control
initiatives may decrease coverage and payment levels for our Products or product candidates and, in turn, the reimbursement that we receive. We are unable
to predict all changes to the coverage or reimbursement methodologies that will be applied by private or government payors to our Products or product
candidates. If our Products or product candidates do not receive adequate reimbursement, our revenue could be severely limited.
In the U.S., given recent federal and state government initiatives directed at lowering the total cost of health care, the U.S. Congress and state legislatures
will likely continue to focus on health care reform, reducing the cost of prescription pharmaceuticals and reforming the Medicare and Medicaid systems.
For example, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010
(collectively, “PPACA”) encourages comparative effectiveness research. Any adverse findings for our Products from such research may negatively impact
reimbursement available for our Products. Similarly, the SUPPORT Act, which was signed into law on October 24, 2018, established policies to encourage
the prevention and treatment of opioid addiction and the development of non-opioid pain management treatments. Currently, due to the SUPPORT Act,
Medicare pays separately for certain non-opioid pain management drugs in ambulatory surgical centers (“ASC”) but no in the hospital outpatient setting
(“OPPS”). As ZYNRELEF is already separately paid in both settings due to a different policy, the changes from the SUPPORT Act may increase
competition for ZYNRELEF.
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Recently, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 established a three-year period of separate payment for non-opioid pain relief products in the OPPS
and ASC settings for 2025 through 2027. Beginning January 1, 2025, Medicare will provide separate payment via a different methodology than currently
for qualified non-opioids for pain relief in the OPPS and ASC settings through December 31, 2027. This new policy could potentially increase access for
ZYNRELEF but may increase competition.
In March 2021, Congress enacted the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which removed the statutory cap on rebates that manufacturers pay to state
Medicaid programs pursuant to the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program. This provision, which takes effect in 2024, may increase our rebate obligations and
have a negative impact on our business. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, signed into law on November 15, 2021, also included a provision
requiring drug manufacturers to pay CMS a refund for certain amounts of Part B drugs that are discarded from a single-dose container or single-use
package. Under the law, and a CMS Proposed Rule issued in July 2022, this refund program became effective on January 1, 2023 and could potentially
result in refund obligations.
Further, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (“IRA”), signed into law in August 2022, includes various provisions intended to address drug-pricing issues
(such as provisions empowering the federal government to negotiate the price of some high-cost, single-source Medicare Part B and Part D drugs (with the
new pricing to take effect in January 2026 or thereafter) and requiring rebates for certain Part B and Part D drugs if their price increases outpace inflation).
Although it is too early to assess the impact of these provisions on our Products and product candidates, our Products would be unlikely to be selected for
price negotiation given their low Medicare expenditures relative to other drugs. However, Medicare inflation rebates may impact our product pricing or
increase our rebate obligations.
In addition, developments in Medicare hospital outpatient reimbursement for 340B-acquired drugs may further drive 340B hospital business for Heron. The
340B program allows certain hospitals and safety net providers to purchase Part B outpatient drugs from manufacturers at federally mandated discounted
rates. Due to the June 2022 Supreme Court decision in American Hospital Association et al. v. Becerra et al, since January 1, 2023, the Medicare Part B
hospital outpatient payment rate for 340B-acquired drugs has returned to being at the same rate as the rate for non-340B hospitals, Average Selling Price
(ASP) + 6% methodology.
As evidenced by developments such as these, low prices of our Products and product candidates in the U.S. and foreign jurisdictions may have a negative
impact on the prices of our Products and product candidates in the U.S. For example, if legislation is passed or regulations are adopted that tie the prices of
U.S. pharmaceuticals to the cost of pharmaceuticals in other countries, then this could lower the potential price of the product in the U.S., thereby limiting
the revenue we would be able to generate from it.
Economic pressure on state budgets may result in states increasingly seeking to achieve budget savings through mechanisms that limit coverage or payment
for drugs. State Medicaid programs are increasingly asking manufacturers to pay supplemental rebates and requiring prior authorization by the state
program for use of any drug for which supplemental rebates are not being paid. Further, the trend toward managed health care in the U.S., which could
significantly influence the purchase of health care services and products, may result in lower prices for our Products and our product candidates, once
approved for marketing. While we cannot predict whether any legislative or regulatory proposals affecting our business will be adopted, the announcement
or adoption of these proposals could have a material and adverse effect on our potential revenues and gross margins.
If we fail to comply with our reporting and payment obligations under U.S. governmental pricing and contracting programs, we could be subject to
additional reimbursement requirements, penalties and fines, which could have a negative impact on our business, financial condition, and results of
operations.
The Medicare program and certain government pricing programs, including the Medicaid drug rebate program, the Public Health Services’ 340B drug
pricing program, and the pricing program under the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992 impact the reimbursement we may receive from sales of our
Products, our product candidates or any other products that are approved for marketing in the U.S. Pricing and rebate calculations vary among programs.
The calculations are complex and are often subject to interpretation by manufacturers, governmental or regulatory agencies and the courts. We are required
to submit a number of different pricing calculations to government agencies on a quarterly basis. Failure to comply with our reporting and payment
obligations under U.S.
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governmental pricing and contracting programs may result in additional payments, penalties and fines due to government agencies, which could negatively
impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Because the results of preclinical studies and clinical trials are not necessarily predictive of future results, we can provide no assurances that our
Products or product candidates will have favorable results in future studies or receive regulatory approval or expansion of approved indications.
Positive results from preclinical studies or clinical trials should not be relied on as evidence that later or larger-scale studies will succeed. Even if our
Products or product candidates achieve positive results in early-stage preclinical studies or clinical studies, we will be required to demonstrate that they are
safe and effective for use in Phase 3 studies before we can seek expanded indications or regulatory approvals for their commercial sale. Even if our early-
stage preclinical studies or clinical studies achieve the specified endpoints, the FDA may determine that these data are not sufficient to allow the
commencement of Phase 3 studies. There is an extremely high historical rate of failure of product candidates proceeding through clinical trials in our
industry. There is no guarantee that the efficacy of any of our product candidates shown in early patient studies will be replicated or maintained in future
studies and/or larger patient populations. Similarly, favorable safety and tolerability data seen in short-term studies might not be replicated in studies of
longer duration and/or larger patient populations. If any Product or product candidate demonstrates insufficient safety or efficacy in any preclinical study or
clinical trial, we would experience potentially significant delays in, or be required to abandon, development of that Product for an expanded indication, or
product candidate for approval. In addition, product candidates in Phase 3 studies may fail to show the desired safety and efficacy despite having
progressed through preclinical and earlier stage clinical trials, which could delay, limit or prevent regulatory approval. Further, data obtained from pivotal
clinical studies are susceptible to varying interpretations, which could delay, limit or prevent regulatory approval. Regulatory approval may also be delayed,
limited or prevented by other factors. If we delay or abandon our efforts to develop any of our Products for expanded indications, or product candidates for
approval, we may not be able to generate sufficient revenues to become profitable, and our reputation in the industry and in the investment community
would likely be significantly damaged, each of which would cause our stock price to decrease significantly.
Interim, topline or preliminary data from our clinical trials that we announce or publish may change as more patient data become available and are
subject to audit and verification procedures that could result in material changes in the final data.
We may publicly disclose interim, topline, or preliminary data from our clinical trials, which is based on a preliminary analysis of then-available data, and
the results and related findings and conclusions are subject to change following a full analyses of all data related to the particular trial. We also make
assumptions, estimations, calculations and conclusions as part of our analyses of data, and we may not have received or had the opportunity to fully and
carefully evaluate all data. As a result, the interim, topline, or preliminary results that we report may differ from future results of the same trials, or different
conclusions or considerations may qualify such results, once additional data have been received and fully evaluated. Topline 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,
topline data should be viewed with caution until the final data are available. We may also disclose interim data from our clinical trials. Interim data from
clinical trials that we may complete are subject to the risk that one or more of the clinical outcomes may materially change as patient enrollment continues
and more patient data become available. Adverse differences between interim, topline or preliminary data and final data could significantly harm our
business prospects.
Further, others, including regulatory agencies, may not accept or agree with our assumptions, estimates, calculations, conclusions or analyses or may
interpret or weigh the importance of data differently, which could impact the value of the particular program, the approvability or commercialization of the
particular product candidate or product and our business in general. In addition, the information we choose to publicly disclose regarding a particular study
or clinical trial is based on what is typically extensive information, and you or others may not agree with what we determine is the material or otherwise
appropriate information to include in our disclosure, and any information we determine not to disclose may ultimately be deemed significant with respect to
future decisions, conclusions, views, activities or otherwise regarding a particular drug, product candidate or our business. If the interim, topline, or
preliminary data that we report differ from actual results, or if others, including regulatory authorities, disagree with the conclusions reached, our ability to
obtain expanded indications for our
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Products, or to obtain approvals for and commercialize our product candidates, our business, operating results, prospects or financial condition may be
harmed.
Although the FDA might grant Fast Track, Breakthrough Therapy and Priority Review or similar designations to our Products and product
candidates, there can be no assurance that any of our Products or product candidates that receive similar designations in the U.S. or in any other
regulatory jurisdictions will receive regulatory approval any sooner than other Products or product candidates that do not have such designations, or at
all.
Fast Track designation is intended to facilitate the development and expedite the review of new therapies to treat serious conditions with unmet medical
needs by providing sponsors with the opportunity for frequent interactions with the FDA. Breakthrough Therapy designation is designed to expedite the
development and review of drugs that are intended to treat serious conditions and for which preliminary clinical evidence indicates substantial
improvement over available therapies on clinically significant endpoint(s). Priority Review designation is for drugs that, if approved, would be significant
improvements in the safety or effectiveness of the treatment or prevention of serious conditions. product candidates that receive Fast Track or Breakthrough
Therapy designation may receive more frequent interactions with the FDA regarding the product candidate’s development plan and clinical trials and may
be eligible for the FDA’s Rolling Review and Priority Review. Priority Review designation is intended to direct overall attention and resources of the FDA
to the evaluation of such applications and means that the FDA’s goal is to take action on such applications within 6 months, compared to 10 months under
standard review. We can provide no assurances that any of our Products or product candidates that receive Fast Track, Breakthrough Therapy, Priority
Review or similar designations in the U.S. or in any other regulatory jurisdictions will receive regulatory approval any sooner than other Products or
product candidates that do not have such designations, or at all. The FDA or any foreign regulatory authorities may also withdraw or revoke Fast Track,
Breakthrough Therapy, Priority Review or similar designations, or elect to treat designated candidates in a manner different from what was originally
indicated, if they determine that any of our Products or product candidates that receive such designations no longer meet the relevant criteria. Failure to
realize the potential benefits of these designations could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of
operations.
Our product platforms or product development efforts may not produce safe, efficacious or commercially viable products, and, if we are unable to
develop new products, our business may suffer.
Our long-term viability and growth will depend on the successful development of products through our research and development activities. Product
development is very expensive and involves a high degree of risk. Only a small number of research and development programs result in the
commercialization of a product. Success in preclinical work or early-stage clinical trials does not ensure that later-stage or larger-scale clinical trials will be
successful. Our ability to complete our clinical trials in a timely fashion depends in large part on a number of key factors, including protocol design,
regulatory and IRB approval, the rate of patient enrollment in clinical trials and compliance with extensive cGCP.
In addition, because we fund the development of our Products and product candidates, we may not be able to continue to fund all such development efforts
to completion or to provide the support necessary to perform the clinical trials, obtain regulatory approvals, or market any approved products. If our drug
delivery technologies or product development efforts fail to result in the successful development and commercialization of our Products and product
candidates, or if our new Products do not perform as anticipated, such events could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, cash
flows and results of operations.
We rely on third parties to conduct our preclinical testing and conduct our clinical trials, and their failure to perform their obligations in a timely and
competent manner may delay development and commercialization of our Products and product candidates and our business could be substantially
harmed.
We have used contract research organizations (“CROs”) to oversee or provide selected services for our clinical trials for our Products and our product
candidates, and we expect to use the same or similar organizations for our future clinical trials and pipeline programs. There can be no assurance that these
CROs will perform their obligations at all times in a competent or timely fashion, and we must rigorously oversee their activities in order to be confident in
their conduct of these trials on our behalf. If the CROs fail to commit resources to our Products or product candidates, our clinical programs could be
delayed, terminated or unsuccessful, and we may not be able to obtain
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initial or expanded regulatory approvals for, or successfully commercialize, them. Different cultural and operational issues in foreign countries could cause
delays or unexpected problems with patient enrollment or with the data obtained from those locations. If we experience significant delays in the progress of
our clinical trials or experience doubts with respect to the quality of data derived from our clinical trials, we could face significant delays in gaining
necessary product approvals.
We also rely on third parties to assist in conducting our preclinical studies in accordance with GLP and the Animal Welfare Act requirements. We, our
CROs and other third parties are required to comply with cGCP, which are regulations and guidelines enforced by the FDA, the Competent Authorities of
the Member States of the EEA and comparable foreign regulatory authorities. Regulatory authorities enforce cGCP through periodic inspections of trial
sponsors, principal investigators and trial sites. If we or any of our CROs fail to comply with applicable cGCP, the clinical data generated in the clinical
trials may be deemed unreliable, and the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authorities may require us to perform additional clinical trials before
approving our marketing applications. We cannot be certain that on inspection by a given regulatory authority, such regulatory authority will determine that
any of our ongoing or future clinical trials comply with cGCP. In addition, all of our clinical trials must be conducted with product produced under cGMP.
Failure to comply with these regulations may require us to repeat preclinical and clinical trials, which would increase our related expenses and delay the
regulatory approval process.
Our CROs and other third parties we may engage to support our development programs are not our employees, and, except for remedies available to us
under our agreements with such CROs, we cannot control whether or not they devote sufficient time and resources to our ongoing clinical, non-clinical and
preclinical programs. Outsourcing these functions involves risk that third parties may not perform to our standards, may not produce results in a timely
manner, or may fail to perform at all. If CROs do not successfully carry out their contractual duties or obligations or meet expected deadlines or if the
quality or accuracy of the preclinical results or clinical data they obtain is compromised due to the failure to adhere to test requirements, our clinical
protocols, regulatory requirements or for other reasons, our clinical trials may be extended, delayed or terminated and we may not be able to obtain
regulatory approval for or successfully commercialize our Products and product candidates. As a result, our results of operations and the commercial
prospects for our Products and product candidates would be harmed, our costs could increase and our ability to generate revenues could be delayed.
If our suppliers or contract manufacturers are unable to manufacture in commercially viable quantities, we could face delays in our ability to
commercialize our Products and product candidates, our costs will increase and sales of our Products and product candidates, if approved, may be
severely hindered.
If in the future any of our product candidates are approved for commercial sale, we will need to be able to consistently manufacture such product
candidates in larger quantities and be able to show equivalency to the FDA, and foreign regulatory authorities, in the manufacture of such product
candidates at commercial scale as compared to development batch size. The commercial success of our Products and our product candidates will be
dependent on the ability of our contract manufacturers to produce a product in commercial quantities at competitive costs of manufacture in a process that
is validated by the FDA. We have scaled up manufacturing for CINVANTI and ZYNRELEF in order to realize important economies of scale, and these
activities took time to implement, required additional capital investment, process development and validation studies and regulatory approval. We cannot
guarantee that we will be successful in achieving competitive manufacturing costs through such scaled-up activities or that our contract manufacturers will
perform their obligations. In addition, our manufacturing agreements include payment terms that require significant cash payments at specified times, and if
we are unable to make the required payments at the required times, we are at risk of default under the agreements, which would severely hinder our ability
to procure adequate amounts of our Products or product candidates.
The manufacture of pharmaceutical products is a highly complex process in which a variety of difficulties may arise, including product loss due to material
failure, equipment failure, vendor error, operator error, labor shortages, inability to obtain material, equipment or transportation, physical or electronic
security breaches and natural or man-made disasters. Problems with manufacturing processes could result in product defects or manufacturing failures,
which could require us to delay shipment of products or recall products previously shipped, or could impair our
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ability to expand into new markets or supply products in existing markets. We may not be able to resolve any such problems in a timely manner, if at all.
We depend on third-party suppliers and contract manufacturers to manufacture our Products and our product candidates, and we expect to do the
same for any future products that we develop; if our contract manufacturers do not perform as expected, our business could suffer.
We do not own or operate manufacturing facilities for the production of commercial or clinical quantities of any product, including our Products and our
product candidates. Our ability to successfully commercialize our Products and our product candidates depends in part on our ability to arrange for and rely
on other parties to manufacture our products at a competitive cost, in accordance with regulatory requirements, and in sufficient quantities for clinical
testing and eventual commercialization. We currently rely on a small number of third-party manufacturers to produce compounds used in our product
development activities and expect to continue to do so to meet the preclinical and clinical requirements of our potential products and for all of our
commercial needs. Certain contract manufacturers are, at the present time (and are expected to be for the foreseeable future), our sole resource to
manufacture certain key components of our Products and our product candidates, as well as key components for future product candidates in clinical and
preclinical testing in our research and development program. Although we entered into long-term commercial manufacturing agreements for the
manufacture of our Products and our product candidates, and we have long-term agreements for the manufacture of our Biochronomer Technology, we
might not be able to successfully negotiate long-term agreements with any additional third parties, or we might not receive all required regulatory approvals
to utilize such third parties, and, accordingly, we might not be able to reduce or remove our dependence on a single supplier for the commercial
manufacturing of our Products or our product candidates. We may have difficulties with these manufacturer relationships, and we may not be able to find
replacement contract manufacturers on satisfactory terms or on a timely basis. At times, our contract manufacturers or other third parties might not perform
their obligations under long-term commercial manufacturing agreements or other agreements, which could impede the manufacturing of our Products and
our product candidates and could require us to incur additional costs, including legal fees, as we seek to enforce our contractual rights. Our reliance on
third-party suppliers and contract manufacturers also subjects our business to risks associated with geographic areas in which those parties reside, which
could include natural or man-made disasters, including epidemics, pandemics, acts of war or terrorism, or resource shortages. Due to regulatory and
technical requirements, we may have limited ability to shift production to a different third-party should the need arise. We cannot be certain that we could
reach agreement on reasonable terms, if at all, with such a manufacturer. Even if we were to reach agreement, the transition of the manufacturing process to
a different third-party could take a significant amount of time and money, and may not be successful.
Further, we, along with our contract manufacturers, are required to comply with FDA and foreign regulatory requirements related to product testing, quality
assurance, manufacturing and documentation. Our contract manufacturers may not be able to comply with the applicable FDA or foreign regulatory
requirements. They may be required to pass an FDA pre-approval inspection for conformity with cGMP before we can obtain approval to manufacture our
Products and our product candidates and will be subject to ongoing, periodic, unannounced inspection by the FDA and corresponding state agencies to
ensure strict compliance with cGMP, and other applicable government regulations and corresponding foreign standards. If we and our contract
manufacturers fail to achieve and maintain high manufacturing standards in compliance with cGMP, or fail to scale up manufacturing processes in a timely
manner, we may experience manufacturing errors resulting in defective products that could be harmful to patients, product recalls or withdrawals, delays or
interruptions of production or failures in product testing or delivery, delay or prevention of filing or approval of marketing applications for our product
candidates, cost overruns or other problems that could seriously harm our business. Not complying with FDA or foreign regulatory requirements could
result in an enforcement action, such as a product recall, or prevent commercialization of our product candidates and delay our business development
activities. In addition, such failure could be the basis for the FDA or foreign regulators to issue a warning or untitled letter or take other regulatory or legal
action, including recall or seizure, total or partial suspension of production, suspension of ongoing clinical trials, refusal to approve pending applications or
supplemental applications, and potentially civil and/or criminal penalties depending on the matter.
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Our Products and product candidates may be in competition with other products for access to the facilities of third parties and, consequently, could be
subject to manufacturing delays if our contractors give other companies’ products greater priority than ours. Additionally, our contractors might be required
by government regulation or government authority to prioritize production of other products, such as priority-rated orders pursuant to the U.S. Government
Department of Defense Operation Warp Speed under the Health Resources Priority and Allocations System regulation. For this and other reasons, our
third-party contract manufacturers may not be able to manufacture our Products or product candidates in a cost-effective or timely manner. If not
manufactured in a timely manner, the clinical development of any of our Products or product candidates or their submission for regulatory approval could
be delayed, and our ability to deliver products to market on a timely basis could be impaired. This could increase our costs, cause us to lose revenue or
market share and damage our reputation.
Certain of the components used in the manufacture of our Products and product candidates are, or might be, sourced from a single vendor, and the
loss or disruption of this vendor could significantly harm our business.
Some of the critical materials and components used in manufacturing our Products and product candidates are, or might be, sourced from single suppliers.
An interruption in the supply of a key material could significantly delay our research and development process or increase our expenses for
commercialization or development products. Specialized materials must often be manufactured for the first time for use in drug delivery technologies, or
materials may be used in the technologies in a manner different from their customary commercial uses. The quality of materials can be critical to the
performance of a drug delivery technology, so a reliable source that provides a consistent supply of materials is important. Materials or components needed
for our drug delivery technologies may be difficult to obtain on commercially reasonable terms, particularly when relatively small quantities are required or
if the materials traditionally have not been used in pharmaceutical products. Our reliance on a single vendor for certain components used in the
manufacturing of our Products and our product candidates also subjects our business to risk associated with the geographic areas in which those single
vendors reside, which could include natural or man-made disasters, including pandemics, acts of war or terrorism, armed conflict, geopolitical instability or
resource shortages. Such adverse events could cause global supply chain interruptions that could increase our costs and, to the extent such interruptions
impair our ability to have sufficient inventory, cause us to lose revenue or market share. We continually evaluate our supply chains to identify potential
risks and needs for additional manufacturers and other suppliers for the manufacturing of our Products and product candidates. Establishing additional or
replacement suppliers for certain raw materials in our proprietary polymers, if required, may not be accomplished quickly, or at all, and may involve
significant expense. If we are able to find a replacement supplier, we would need to evaluate and qualify such replacement vendor and its ability to meet
quality and compliance standards. Any change in suppliers or the manufacturing process could require additional regulatory approval and result in
operational delays.
Some of our suppliers may experience disruption to their respective supply chains due to the adverse events or conditions, including the effects of a
pandemic or disease outbreak, rising geopolitical tensions, armed conflict or other factors, which could delay, prevent or impair our development or
commercialization efforts.
We obtain certain critical materials and components used in manufacturing our Products and our product candidates from third-party suppliers whose
operations might be directly or indirectly affected by adverse events or conditions, including the effects of a pandemic or disease outbreak, rising
geopolitical tensions, armed conflict or other factors (including, without limitation, adverse weather conditions, political instability, war, civil unrest,
economic instability, outbreaks of disease, or other public health emergencies and the impact of any such U.S. or foreign government response and public
fears regarding any of the foregoing). For example, in particular, in recent years, tensions between mainland China and Taiwan have further escalated, with
China accelerating the development of military capabilities and threatening the use of military force to gain control over Taiwan in certain circumstances.
Similarly, the ongoing armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine remains unpredictable and could escalate into a broader armed conflict and additional
economic sanctions by the U.S., the United Nations or other countries against Russia. If we are unable to obtain these critical materials and components in
sufficient quantities and in a timely manner, the development, testing and clinical study of our Products and product candidates might be delayed or
infeasible, and regulatory approval or commercialization of our Products and product candidates might be delayed, not obtained or hindered, which could
significantly harm our business.
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We have, or may have, significant inventory levels of drug products, and write-downs related to the impairment of those inventories may adversely
impact or delay our profitability.
We have, or may have, significant inventory levels of drug products, and we may increase those inventory levels as we continue to commercialize our
Products and our product candidates. We determine inventory levels of drug products based on a variety of estimates, including timing of regulatory
approval of our drug products, market demand for our drug products and those of our competitors, entrance of competing drug products, introduction of
new, or changes in interpretations of, pharmaceutical regulations, and changes in healthcare provider and insurer reimbursement policies. These estimates
are inherently difficult to make and may be inaccurate. We analyze our inventory levels and will write down inventory that has become obsolete. If our
initial estimate of the appropriate inventory levels of drug products is or becomes inaccurate, write-downs of inventory may be required, which would be
recorded as cost of product sales and thereby adversely impact or delay our profitability.
It is difficult to predict commercial demand for our Products, and, if our estimates of demand are too low, it may adversely impact our ability to
generate revenue and profits in the short term and our ability to establish and maintain a competitive position in the relevant markets where our
Products are sold, or may be sold, in the future.
Despite our efforts to maintain appropriate inventory levels of our Products, as we continue to commercialize our Products, our estimates of appropriate
inventory levels may not be accurate. If we fail to build up sufficient inventory levels to meet commercial demand, our ability to generate revenue and
profits in the short term would be adversely impacted. Failure to meet demand may also cause us to lose market share to our competitors, which could
materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations. Given the time required to scale production and
replenish inventory, our ability to correct for inaccurate estimates in a timely manner may be limited.
Similarly, if we are unable to ramp up production of prospective product candidates to coincide with the regulatory approval of those product candidates,
our ability to generate revenue and profits in the short term would be adversely impacted. If our competitors are able to meet demand with their products
before we are able to produce and sell inventory, our ability to gain market share will be adversely impacted, which could materially and adversely affect
our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations. In addition, if regulatory approval of any of our product candidates comes earlier
than anticipated, as a result of preferential designations designed to hasten the approval process or otherwise, and we have not built up sufficient inventory
to meet commercial demand, our ability to generate additional revenue sooner as a result of those early approvals may be diminished.
We face intense competition from other companies developing products for the management of postoperative pain or the prevention of CINV and
PONV.
ZYNRELEF competes in the postoperative pain management market with MARCAINETM (bupivacaine hydrochloride injection, solution, marketed by
Pfizer Inc.) and generic forms of bupivacaine; NAROPIN® (ropivacaine, marketed by Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC) and generic forms of ropivacaine;
EXPAREL® (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension, marketed by Pacira BioSciences, Inc.); XARACOLL®(bupivacaine HCl implant, marketed by
Innocoll Pharmaceuticals Limited); POSIMIR® (owned by Durect Corporation and to be marketed in the U.S. by Innocoll Pharmaceuticals Limited);
ANJESO® (meloxicam injection, marketed by Baudax Bio, Inc.); OFIRMEV® (acetaminophen injection, marketed by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals);
SEGLENTIS® (celecoxib and tramadol hydrochloride, marketed by Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc. in the U.S.); generic forms of IV acetaminophen;
and potentially other products in development for postoperative pain management that reach the U.S. market.
APONVIE competes in the PONV prevention market with generic ondansetron, the current standard of care, generic aprepitant, and BARHEMSYS®
(amisulpride, marketed by Eagle Pharmaceuticals, Inc.); TAK-951 (a peptide agonist under development (PH2) by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company
Limited for PONV and not approved anywhere globally for any use); and potentially other products in development for PONV prevention that reach the
market.
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CINVANTI faces significant competition. NK1 receptor antagonists are administered for the prevention of CINV, in combination with 5-HT3 receptor
antagonists, to augment the therapeutic effect of the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist. Currently available NK1receptor antagonists include: generic versions of
EMEND® IV (fosaprepitant); EMEND® IV (fosaprepitant, marketed by Merck & Co., Inc.); EMEND® (aprepitant, marketed by Merck & Co., Inc.);
AKYNZEO®(palonosetron, a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, combined with netupitant, an NK1 receptor antagonist, marketed by Helsinn Therapeutics (U.S.),
Inc.); VARUBI® (rolapitant, marketed by TerSera Therapeutics LLC) and other products that include an NK1 receptor antagonist that reach the market for
the prevention of CINV.
SUSTOL faces significant competition. Currently available 5-HT3 receptor antagonists include: AKYNZEO® (palonosetron, a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist,
combined with netupitant, an NK1 receptor antagonist, marketed by Helsinn Therapeutics (U.S.), Inc.); SANCUSO® (granisetron transdermal patch,
marketed by Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc.); and generic products including ondansetron (formerly marketed by GlaxoSmithKline plc as ZOFRAN),
granisetron (formerly marketed by Hoffman-La Roche, Inc. as KYTRIL) and palonosetron (formerly marketed by Eisai in conjunction with Helsinn
Healthcare S.A. as ALOXI). Currently, palonosetron is the only 5-HT3receptor antagonist other than SUSTOL that is approved for the prevention of
delayed CINV associated with MEC regimens. SUSTOL is indicated in combination with other antiemetics in adults for the prevention of acute and
delayed nausea and vomiting associated with initial and repeat courses of moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC) or anthracycline and
cyclophosphamide (AC) combination chemotherapy regimens, which is considered to be a HEC regimen by the NCCN and ASCO. No other 5-HT3
receptor antagonist is specifically approved for the prevention of delayed CINV associated with a HEC regimen.
Small or early-stage companies and research institutions may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with
large and established pharmaceutical companies. We will also face competition from these parties in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific and
management personnel, establishing clinical trial sites and patient registration for clinical trials, and acquiring and in-licensing technologies and products
complementary to our programs or potentially advantageous to our business. If any of our competitors succeed in obtaining approval from the FDA or
other regulatory authorities for their product candidates sooner than we do for our product candidates that are more effective or less costly than ours, our
commercial opportunity could be significantly reduced. Major technological changes can happen quickly in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical
industries, and the development of technologically improved or different products or drug delivery technologies may make our product candidates or
platform technologies obsolete or noncompetitive.
Our Products and product candidates may face competition from lower-cost generic products offered by our competitors.
Pricing for therapeutics can be extremely competitive, and strict formulary guidelines enforced by payors may create significant challenges in the
acceptance and profitability of branded products. The market for generic products can be very lucrative, and it is dominated by companies that may have
much larger distribution capabilities than we may have in the future. It can be very difficult to predict the timing of the launch of generic products given the
commonality of litigation with manufacturers over anticipated patent expiration. Our inability to accurately foresee and plan for generic product launches
that may compete with our Products and our product candidates may significantly impact our potential revenues from such Products and product
candidates. On the expiration or loss of patent protection for a branded product, or on the “at-risk” launch (despite pending patent infringement litigation
against the generic product) by a manufacturer of a generic version of a drug that may compete with one of our products, we could quickly lose a
significant portion of our sales of that Product or product candidate. The inability for a branded Product or product candidate we may sell to successfully
compete against generic products could negatively impact sales of our Product or product candidate, reduce our ability to grow our business and
significantly harm our business prospects.
For example, generic versions of EMEND® IV (fosaprepitant) launched in September 2019 following the expiration of the EMEND IV patents. As a result,
we experienced increased competition for CINVANTI, which reduced CINVANTI sales and harmed and may continue to harm our business prospects.
These and other risks related to the entry of generic product competing with CINVANTI are difficult to assess in terms of timing and impact on our
operations and prospects.
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Additionally, while we had expected that generic versions of ALOXI (palonosetron) would launch in September 2018 following the expiration of the
ALOXI patents, a U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit decision in May 2017 ruled in favor of a generic drug company challenging the ALOXI
patents, thereby potentially accelerating the entry of generic versions of ALOXI (palonosetron). The Supreme Court granted certiorari in June 2018 and
affirmed the Federal Circuit decision in January 2019. As a result of this litigation, generic versions of ALOXI (palonosetron) have entered the market and
we have experienced increased competition for SUSTOL, which has reduced SUSTOL sales and may continue to negatively affect our future business
prospects. These and other risks related to the entry of generic product competing with SUSTOL are difficult to assess in terms of timing and impact on our
operations and prospects.
Our business and results of operations may suffer as a result of changes in our pricing or marketing strategies.
In an effort to remain competitive in the marketplace, we can determine, from time to time, to change our pricing or marketing strategies for our approved
Products, including by altering the amount or availability of discounts or rebates for any of our approved Products. Any such changes could have short-
term or long-term negative impacts on our revenues, which would cause our business and results of operations to suffer. For example, in October 2019, we
eliminated the discounts on SUSTOL which reduced revenues. Price increases or changes to our marketing strategies may also negatively affect our
reputation and our ability to secure and maintain reimbursement coverage for our approved Products, which could result in decreased demand and cause
our business and results of operations to suffer.
Guidelines and recommendations published by various organizations could reduce the demand for or use of our Products.
Government agencies promulgate regulations and guidelines directly applicable to us and to our Products and product candidates. In addition, professional
societies, practice management groups, private health and science foundations and other organizations from time to time may publish papers, guidelines or
recommendations to the healthcare and patient communities with respect to specific products or classes of products. Recommendations of government
agencies or these other groups or organizations may relate to such matters as usage, dosage, route of administration and use of concomitant therapies.
Recommendations or guidelines that do not recognize a Product, suggest limitations or inadequacies of a Product or suggest the use of competitive or
alternative products as the standard of care to be followed by patients and healthcare providers could result in decreased use or adoption of any of our
Products which could have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If we are unable to recruit and retain skilled employees, we may not be able to achieve our objectives.
We depend on a small number of key management and personnel, including our Chief Executive Officer. Retaining our current employees and recruiting
qualified personnel to perform future research and development and commercialization work will be critical to our success. Competition is always present
for highly skilled and experienced personnel, and an inability to recruit or retain sufficient skilled personnel could result in delays in our business growth
and development and adversely impact our research and development or commercial activities. If we lose key members of our senior management team, we
may not be able to find suitable replacements and our business may be harmed as a result. This competitive situation became exacerbated by the increase in
employee resignations that took place throughout the U.S., in part as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was commonly referred to as the “great
resignation.” In addition, our ability to recruit and retain key skilled employees may be hampered by our recently announced workforce reduction. If we fail
to adequately address any of the issues referred to above, it could adversely impact our ability to recruit and retain our skilled employees which may result
in a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.
We may not realize the expected benefits of our cost-saving initiatives.
In June 2023, in connection with our efforts to decrease costs and maintain a streamlined organization to support our acute care and oncology care
franchises, we implemented a workforce reduction that resulted in the termination of approximately 25% of our workforce. If we experience excessive
unanticipated inefficiencies or incremental costs in connection with restructuring activities, such as unanticipated inefficiencies caused by our reduced
headcount, we may be unable to meaningfully realize cost savings or capitalize on future opportunities and we may incur expenses
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in excess of what we anticipate. Any of these outcomes could prevent us from meeting our strategic objectives and could adversely impact our results of
operations and financial condition.
Our business strategy may include acquisitions of other businesses, products or product licenses. We may not be able to successfully manage such
activities.
We may engage in strategic transactions that could cause us to incur contingent liabilities, commitments or significant expense. In the course of pursuing
strategic opportunities, we may evaluate potential acquisitions, licenses or investments in strategic technologies, products or businesses. Future
acquisitions, licenses or investments could subject us to a number of risks, including, but not limited to:
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our inability to appropriately evaluate and take into consideration the potential uncertainties associated with the other party to such a
transaction, including, but not limited to, the prospects of that party and their existing products or product candidates and regulatory
approvals;
difficulties associated with realizing the perceived potential for commercial success with respect to any acquired or licensed technology,
product or business;
our ability to effectively integrate any new technology, product and/or business including personnel, intellectual property or business
relationships into our Company;
our inability to generate revenues from acquired or licensed technology and/or products sufficient to meet our objectives in undertaking the
acquisition or license or even to offset the associated acquisition and maintenance costs and/or assumption of liabilities; and
the distraction of our management from our existing product development programs and initiatives in pursuing an acquisition or license.
In connection with an acquisition or license, we must estimate the value of the transaction by making certain assumptions that may prove to be incorrect,
which could cause us to fail to realize the anticipated benefits of a transaction. Any strategic transaction we may pursue may not result in the benefits we
initially anticipate, may result in costs that end up outweighing the benefits and may adversely impact our financial condition and be detrimental to our
future business prospects.
Our business strategy may include entry into collaborative agreements. We may not be able to enter into collaborative agreements or may not be able to
negotiate commercially acceptable terms for these agreements.
Our business strategy may include the entry into collaborative agreements for the development and commercialization of our Products and our product
candidates. The negotiation and consummation of these types of agreements typically involve simultaneous discussions with multiple potential
collaborators and require significant time and resources from our officers, business development and research and development staff. In addition, in
attracting the attention of pharmaceutical and biotechnology company collaborators, we compete with numerous other third parties with product
opportunities as well as the collaborators’ own internal product opportunities. We may not be able to consummate collaborative agreements, or we may not
be able to negotiate commercially acceptable terms for these agreements.
If we do enter into such arrangements, we could be dependent on the subsequent success of these other parties in performing their respective
responsibilities and the cooperation of our partners. Our collaborators may not cooperate with us or perform their obligations under our agreements with
them. We cannot control the amount and timing of our collaborators’ resources that will be devoted to researching our product candidates pursuant to our
collaborative agreements with them. Our collaborators may choose to pursue existing or alternative technologies in preference to those being developed in
collaboration with us.
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Under agreements with any collaborators we may work with in the future, we may rely significantly on them to, among other activities:
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fund or perform research and development activities with us or independently;
diligently pursue regulatory approvals in certain territories;
pay us fees on the achievement of milestones; and
market for or with us any commercial products that result from our collaborations.
If we do not consummate collaborative agreements, we may use our financial resources more rapidly on our product development efforts, continue to defer
certain development activities or forego the exploitation of certain geographic territories, any of which could have a negative impact on our business
prospects. Further, we may not be successful in overseeing any such collaborative arrangements. If we fail to establish and maintain necessary collaborative
relationships, our business prospects could suffer.
Natural or man-made disasters, including epidemics, pandemics, acts of war or terrorism, or resource shortages, could disrupt our investigational drug
candidate development and approved drug commercialization efforts or have other negative consequences on our business and adversely affect results.
Our ongoing or planned clinical studies and approved drug commercialization efforts could be delayed or disrupted indefinitely on the occurrence of a
natural or man-made disaster, including an epidemic, pandemic, or other disease outbreak, cyberattack, or acts of war or terrorism, or resource shortages.
For example, COVID-19 caused a decline in, and suspensions of, elective surgeries, which negatively impacted our ability to conduct our clinical trials. In
addition, COVID-19 slowed the diagnosis procedures to identify cancer and reduced the number of new cancer patients seeking treatment which may
negatively impact our CINV products. We are also vulnerable to damage from other disasters, such as power losses, fires, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes
and similar events. For example, a natural or man-made disaster, including an epidemic, pandemic, or other disease outbreak, cyberattack, or act of war or
terrorism, and the resulting damage could negatively impact enrollment and participation in our clinical studies, divert attention and resources at our
research sites, cause unanticipated delays in the collection and receipt of data from our clinical studies, cause unanticipated delays in communications with,
and any required approvals from, the FDA, European Medicines Agency, United Kingdom’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency,
Health Canada, and other regulatory authorities, and cause unanticipated delays in the manufacturing and distribution of our Products and our product
candidates. If a significant disaster occurs, our ability to continue our operations could be seriously impaired and we may not have adequate insurance to
cover any resulting losses. Any significant unrecoverable losses could seriously impair our operations and financial condition.
Further, the current Russia-Ukraine conflict has created extreme volatility in the global financial markets and is expected to have further global economic
consequences, including continued disruptions of the global supply chain and energy markets and heightened volatility of commodity prices. The U.S.
government and other nations have imposed significant restrictions on most companies’ ability to do business in Russia as a result of the conflict, and it is
not possible to predict the broader or longer-term consequences of this conflict, which could include further sanctions, embargoes, regional instability,
geopolitical shifts and adverse effects on macroeconomic conditions, security conditions, currency exchange rates and financial markets. Any such
instability or disruption may have adverse consequences on us or the third parties on whom we rely, including as a result of a general downturn in global
economic conditions, deterioration in the credit or equity markets, or more direct impacts on operational matters. This conflict may also give rise to or
amplify the other risks described herein including risks relating to cybersecurity, global economic conditions, and supply chains, which could adversely
affect our business, operations and financial condition and results.
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Our potential international expansion of our business may expose us to new business, regulatory, political, operational, financial and economic risks
associated with such expansion and could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth.
If our Products or product candidates are marketed internationally by us or a potential third-party partners, we and such third-party partners could be
subject to additional risks related to operating in foreign countries, including:
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general economic conditions and monetary and fiscal policy, including economic weakness or inflation;
financial risks, such as longer payment cycles, difficulty in collecting from international customers, pricing and insurance regimes,
unexpected changes in tariffs, trade barriers, and exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations and controls, which could result in
increased operating expenses and reduced revenue, and the effect of local and regional financial crises;
conflicting and changing laws and regulations such as export and import restrictions;
compliance with tax, employment, immigration and labor laws for employees living or traveling abroad;
foreign taxes, including withholding of payroll taxes;
difficulties staffing and managing foreign operations;
workforce uncertainty in countries where labor unrest is more common than in the U.S.;
potential liability under the FCPA or comparable foreign regulations;
challenges enforcing 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 U.S.;
production shortages resulting from any events affecting raw material supply or manufacturing capabilities abroad, if applicable;
logistical challenges resulting from distributing our Products and product candidates to foreign countries; and
economic or business interruptions resulting from civil unrest or social, political, economic, or diplomatic developments, including geo-
political actions, such as armed conflict or terrorism.
These and other risks associated with international operations may compromise our ability to earn revenue from arrangements with potential third-party
partners for our Products or product candidates and, therefore, could adversely affect our business, operations and planned international expansion.
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Risks Related to Our Financial Condition
We have a history of losses, we expect to generate losses in the near future, and we may never achieve or maintain profitability.
We have incurred significant operating losses and negative cash flows from operations and had an accumulated deficit of $1.9 billion through December
31, 2023. The amount we spend will impact our profitability. Our spending will depend, in part, on:
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the commercial success of our Products;
the time and expense required to pursue FDA and/or non-U.S. regulatory approvals for our product candidates, whether such approvals are
obtained and the scope of any approved product label;
the cost of possible acquisitions of technologies, compounds, product rights or companies;
the cost of obtaining licenses to use technology owned by others for proprietary products and otherwise;
the time and expense required to prosecute, enforce and/or challenge patent and other intellectual property rights;
the costs of potential litigation; and
the costs associated with recruiting and compensating a highly skilled workforce in an environment where competition for such employees
may be intense.
To achieve and sustain profitability, we must, alone or in cooperation with others, successfully develop, obtain regulatory approval for, manufacture, market
and sell our Products, including our current work commercializing our Products and our anticipated work commercializing our product candidates. We
have incurred substantial expenses in our efforts to develop and commercialize our Products and our product candidates and we may never generate
sufficient revenue to become profitable or to sustain profitability.
Additional capital may be needed in the future to enable us to implement our business plan, and we may be unable to raise capital, which would force
us to limit or cease our operations and related product development programs.
As of December 31, 2023, we had cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $80.4 million. Historically, we have financed our operations,
including technology and product research and development, primarily through sales of our common stock and debt financings.
Our capital requirements and liquidity going forward will depend on numerous factors, including but not limited to: the costs associated with the U.S.
commercial launches of ZYNRELEF and APONVIE.; the degree of commercial success of our Products and our product candidates, if approved; the
timing and cost to manufacture our Products and our product candidates; the number and characteristics of product development programs we pursue and
the pace of each program, including the timing of clinical trials; the time, cost and outcome involved in seeking other regulatory approvals; scientific
progress in our research and development programs; the magnitude and scope of our research and development programs; our ability to establish and
maintain strategic collaborations or partnerships for research, development, clinical testing, manufacturing and marketing of our product candidates; the
impact of competitive products; the cost and timing of establishing sales, marketing and distribution capabilities if we commercialize products
independently; the cost of establishing clinical and commercial supplies of our product candidates; the impact of our restructuring plans; and general
market conditions. Management’s view of our liquidity relies on estimates and assumptions about the market opportunity for the recently expanded U.S.
label of ZYNRELEF, which estimates and assumptions are subject to significant uncertainty.
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We may not be able to raise additional capital when needed or desired, or we may need to raise additional capital on unfavorable terms, which could
result in dilution to existing stockholders.
We may not be able to raise sufficient additional capital when needed on favorable terms, or at all. If we are unable to obtain adequate funds, we may be
required to curtail significantly or cease our operations.
The timing and degree of any future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including:
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our ability to successfully commercialize, market and achieve market acceptance of our Products and our product candidates;
the status of regulatory approval of any pending applications with the FDA, or other regulators, as the case may be, and the costs involved
with pursuing regulatory approvals;
the number and characteristics of product development programs we pursue and the pace of each program;
the scope, rate of progress, results and costs of preclinical testing and clinical trials;
our ability to establish and maintain strategic collaborations or partnerships for research, development, clinical testing, manufacturing and
marketing of our product candidates;
the cost and timing of establishing or enlarging sales and marketing capabilities;
the cost of establishing supply arrangements for clinical and commercial development of our Products and our product candidates; and
the unanticipated delays due to manufacturing difficulties, supply constraints or changes in the regulatory environment, including as a result
of geopolitical uncertainty, or other factors (including the current Russia-Ukraine conflict).
If we issue additional equity securities or securities convertible into equity securities to raise funds, our stockholders will suffer dilution of their investment,
and such issuance may adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
New debt financing we enter into typically involves covenants that restrict our operations. These restrictive covenants may include, among other things,
limitations on borrowing and specific restrictions on the use of our assets, as well as prohibitions on our ability to create liens, pay dividends, redeem
capital stock or make investments. For example, under a working capital facility agreement we entered into with Hercules Capital, Inc. and several banks
and other financial institutions, we are required to hold cash of no less than $8.5 million, if our market capitalization is less than $400 million. The working
capital facility agreement also contains customary representations and warranties and customary affirmative and negative covenants, including, among
other things, restrictions on indebtedness, liens, investments, mergers, dispositions, prepayment of other indebtedness, and dividends and other
distributions, subject to certain exceptions. Our Senior Unsecured Convertible Notes also impose certain negative covenants on the Company, including on
the incurrence of certain indebtedness, the creation of certain liens and selling royalty interests in Company assets. In the event that additional funds are
obtained through arrangements with collaborative partners, these arrangements may require us to relinquish rights to some of our technologies, product
candidates or Products on terms that are not favorable to us or require us to enter into a collaboration arrangement that we would otherwise seek to develop
and commercialize ourselves. If adequate funds are not available, we may default on our indebtedness, be required to further delay, reduce the scope of, or
eliminate one or more of our product development programs and reduce personnel-related and other costs, which would have a negative impact on our
business.
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Provisions contained in our debt instruments limit our ability to incur additional indebtedness.
The terms of our Senior Unsecured Convertible Notes require us to seek approval from the holders of such notes before taking certain actions, including
incurring certain additional indebtedness, modifying the terms of certain existing indebtedness, creating liens or selling royalty interests in Company assets.
The Senior Unsecured Convertible Notes also contain provisions that trigger events of default on any default of our financial obligations under certain
material contracts we may enter into. As a result, we may not be able to raise funds through the issuance of debt or selling of royalty interests in the future,
which could impair our ability to finance our business obligations or pursue business expansion initiatives.
We could be exposed to significant product liability claims that could be time-consuming and costly to defend, divert management attention and
adversely impact our ability to obtain and maintain insurance coverage.
The administration of drugs in humans, whether in clinical studies or commercially, carries the inherent risk of product liability claims whether or not the
drugs are actually the cause of an injury. Our Products, our product candidates and other products that we may commercially market in the future may
cause, or may appear to have caused, injury or dangerous drug reactions, and we may not learn about or understand those effects until the Product or
product candidate has been administered to patients for a prolonged period of time.
Although we are insured against such risks up to an annual aggregate limit in connection with clinical trials and commercial sales of our Products, our
present product liability insurance may be inadequate and may not fully cover the costs of any claim or any ultimate damages we might be required to pay.
Product liability claims or other claims related to our Products, regardless of their outcome, could require us to spend significant time and money in
litigation or to pay significant damages. Any successful product liability claim may prevent us from obtaining adequate product liability insurance in the
future on commercially desirable or reasonable terms. In addition, product liability coverage may cease to be available in sufficient amounts or at an
acceptable cost. An inability to obtain sufficient insurance coverage at an acceptable cost or otherwise to protect against potential product liability claims
could prevent or inhibit the commercialization of our Products. A product liability claim could also significantly harm our reputation and delay market
acceptance of our Products.
If any of our services providers are characterized as employees, we would be subject to employment and tax withholding liabilities and other additional
costs.
We rely on independent third parties to provide certain services to us. We structure our relationships with these outside services providers in a manner that
we believe results in an independent contractor relationship, not an employee relationship. An independent contractor is generally distinguished from an
employee by his or her degree of autonomy and independence in providing services. A high degree of autonomy and independence is generally indicative
of an independent contractor relationship, while a high degree of control is generally indicative of an employment relationship. Tax or other regulatory
authorities may challenge our characterization of services providers as independent contractors both under existing laws and regulations and under laws and
regulations adopted in the future. We are aware of a number of judicial decisions and legislative proposals that could bring about major changes in the way
workers are classified, including the California legislature’s passage of California Assembly Bill 5, which California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into
law in September 2019 (“AB 5”) and Assembly Bill 2257, which went into effect in September 2020 and amended certain portions of AB 5 (“AB 2257”).
AB 5 and AB 2257 are often referred to collectively simply as AB 5. AB 5 purports to codify the holding of the California Supreme Court’s unanimous
decision in Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court of Los Angeles, which introduced a new test for determining worker classification that is
widely viewed as expanding the scope of employee relationships and narrowing the scope of independent contractor relationships. While AB 5 exempts
certain licensed health care professionals, including physicians and psychologists, not all of our independent contractors work in exempt occupations.
Given AB 5’s relatively recent passage, there is little guidance from the regulatory authorities charged with its enforcement and there is a significant degree
of uncertainty regarding its application. In addition, AB 5 has been the subject of widespread national discussion and it is possible that other jurisdictions
might enact similar laws. As a result, there is significant uncertainty regarding what the state, federal and foreign worker classification regulatory landscape
will look like in future years. The current economic climate indicates that the debate over worker classification will continue for the foreseeable future. If
such regulatory authorities or state, federal or foreign courts were to determine that our services providers are employees
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and not independent contractors, we would, among other things, be required to withhold income taxes, to withhold and pay Social Security, Medicare and
similar taxes, to pay unemployment and other related payroll taxes, and to provide certain employee benefits. We could also be liable for unpaid past taxes
and other costs and subject to penalties. As a result, any determination that the services providers we characterize as independent contractors are our
employees could have a negative impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The investment of our cash is subject to risks, which may cause losses or adversely affect the liquidity of these investments and our results of
operations, liquidity and financial condition.
A significant amount of our assets is comprised of cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments. These investments of cash, cash equivalents and
short-term investments are subject to general credit, liquidity, market and interest rate risks, which have been and may, in the future, be exacerbated by a
U.S. and/or global financial crisis. We may realize losses in the fair value of certain of our investments or a complete loss of these investments if the credit
markets tighten, which would have an adverse effect on our results of operations, liquidity and financial condition.
Adverse developments affecting the financial services industry, such as actual events or concerns involving liquidity, defaults or non-performance by
financial institutions or transactional counterparties, could adversely affect our current and projected business operations and its financial condition
and results of operations.
Actual events involving limited liquidity, defaults, non-performance or other adverse developments that affect financial institutions, transactional
counterparties or other companies in the financial services industry or the financial services industry generally, or concerns or rumors about any events of
these kinds or other similar risks, have in the past and may in the future lead to market-wide liquidity problems. For example, on March 10, 2023, Silicon
Valley Bank (“SVB”), was closed by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, which appointed the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation, or the FDIC, as receiver. Similarly, on March 12, 2023, Signature Bank and Silvergate Capital Corp. were each swept into receivership.
Although a statement by the Department of the Treasury, the Federal Reserve and the FDIC stated that all depositors of SVB would have access to all of
their money after only one business day of closure, including funds held in uninsured deposit accounts, borrowers under credit agreements, letters of credit
and certain other financial instruments with SVB, Signature Bank or any other financial institution that is placed into receivership by the FDIC may be
unable to access undrawn amounts thereunder. If any of our counterparties to any such instruments were to be placed into receivership, we may be unable
to access such funds. In addition, if any parties with whom we conduct business are unable to access funds pursuant to such instruments or lending
arrangements with such a financial institution, such parties’ ability to pay their obligations to us or to enter into new commercial arrangements requiring
additional payments to us could be adversely affected. In this regard, counterparties to SVB credit agreements and arrangements, and third parties such as
beneficiaries of letters of credit (among others), may experience direct impacts from the closure of SVB and uncertainty remains over liquidity concerns in
the broader financial services industry. As of March 10, 2023, we maintained a de minimis amount of cash and cash equivalents, in the low single digit
millions of U.S. dollars, with SVB, all of which we were able to successfully recover.
Although we assess our banking relationships as we believe necessary or appropriate, our access to funding sources and other credit arrangements in
amounts adequate to finance or capitalize our current and projected future business operations could be significantly impaired by factors that affect us, the
financial institutions with which we have arrangements directly, or the financial services industry or economy in general. These factors could include,
among others, events such as liquidity constraints or failures, the ability to perform obligations under various types of financial, credit or liquidity
agreements or arrangements, disruptions or instability in the financial services industry or financial markets, or concerns or negative expectations about the
prospects for companies in the financial services industry. These factors could involve financial institutions or financial services industry companies with
which we have financial or business relationships, but could also include factors involving financial markets or the financial services industry generally.
The results of events or concerns that involve one or more of these factors could include a variety of material and adverse impacts on our current and
projected business operations and our financial condition and results of operations.
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In addition, investor concerns regarding the U.S. or international financial systems could result in less favorable commercial financing terms, including
higher interest rates or costs and tighter financial and operating covenants, or systemic limitations on access to credit and liquidity sources, thereby making
it more difficult for us to acquire financing on acceptable terms or at all. Any decline in available funding or access to our cash and liquidity resources
could, among other risks, adversely impact our ability to meet our operating expenses, financial obligations or fulfill our other obligations, result in
breaches of our financial and/or contractual obligations or result in violations of federal or state wage and hour laws. Any of these impacts, or any other
impacts resulting from the factors described above or other related or similar factors not described above, could have material adverse impacts on our
liquidity and our current and/or projected business operations and financial condition and results of operations.
Further, any further deterioration in the macroeconomic economy or financial services industry could lead to losses or defaults by parties with whom we
conduct business, which in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our current and/or projected business operations and results of operations and
financial condition. For example, a party with whom we conduct business may fail to make payments when due, default under their agreements with us,
become insolvent or declare bankruptcy. Any bankruptcy or insolvency, or the failure to make payments when due, of any counterparty of ours, or the loss
of any significant relationships, could result in material losses to us and may material adverse impacts on our business.
Risks Related to Our Industry
Drug development involves a lengthy and expensive process with an uncertain outcome, and results of earlier studies and trials may not be predictive of
future trial results.
Conducting clinical trials is a lengthy, time-consuming and expensive process. For example, we incurred significant expenses in developing our Products,
with no guarantees that doing so would result in a commercially viable product. Before obtaining regulatory approvals for the commercial sale of any
products, we, or our potential partners, must demonstrate through preclinical testing and clinical trials that our product candidates are safe and effective for
their intended uses in humans. We have incurred and will continue to incur substantial expense and devote a significant amount of time to preclinical
testing and clinical trials.
The outcome of clinical testing is inherently uncertain. Failure can occur at any time during the clinical trial process. The results of preclinical studies and
early clinical trials of product candidates may not be predictive of the results of later-stage clinical trials. In addition, regulations are not static, and
regulatory agencies, including the FDA, alter their staff, interpretations and practices and may in the future impose more stringent requirements than are
currently in effect, which may adversely affect our planned drug development and/or our commercialization efforts. Satisfying regulatory requirements
typically takes a significant number of years and can vary substantially based on the type, complexity and novelty of the product candidate. Our business,
results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected by any delays in, or termination of, our clinical trials. Factors that
could impede our ability to generate commercially viable products through the conduct of clinical trials include:
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insufficient funds to conduct clinical trials;
the inability to find partners, if necessary, for support, including research, development, manufacturing or clinical needs;
the failure of tests or studies necessary to submit an NDA, such as clinical studies, bioequivalence studies in support of a 505(b)(2) regulatory
filing, or stability studies;
the failure of clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of our product candidates to the extent necessary to obtain regulatory
approvals;
the failure by us or third-party investigators, CROs, or other third parties involved in the research to adhere to regulatory requirements
applicable to the conduct of clinical trials;
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the failure of preclinical testing and early clinical trials to predict results of later clinical trials;
any delay in completion of clinical trials caused by a regional, national or global disturbance where we or our collaborative partners are
enrolling patients in clinical studies, such as a pandemic (including COVID-19), terrorist activities, cyberattack, or war, political unrest, a
natural or man-made disaster or any other reason or event, resulting in increased costs;
any delay in obtaining advice from the FDA or similar regulatory authorities; and
the inability to obtain regulatory approval of our product candidates following completion of clinical trials, or delays in obtaining such
approvals.
From time to time, even if a product candidate has not failed, we may voluntarily determine to pause development, which effectively halts our ability to
commercialize the product. For example, we recently decided to pause the development of HTX-034 to evaluate the program and market potential going
forward. There can be no assurance that our decisions with respect to such pauses, and subsequent resumptions, if any, will yield the most favorable result
for the Company.
There can be no assurance that if our clinical trials are successfully initiated and completed we will be able to obtain approval by the FDA in the U.S. or
similar regulatory authorities elsewhere in the world in a timely manner, if at all. If we fail to successfully develop and commercialize one or more of our
product candidates, we may be unable to generate sufficient revenues to attain profitability, and our reputation in the industry and in the investment
community would likely be significantly damaged, each of which would cause our stock price to significantly decrease.
Delays in, or suspensions and terminations of, clinical testing could increase our costs and delay our ability to obtain regulatory approval for, and
commercialize, our product candidates.
Before we can receive regulatory approval for the commercial sale of our product candidates, the FDA and comparable authorities in non-U.S. jurisdictions
require extensive preclinical safety testing and clinical trials to demonstrate their safety and efficacy. Significant delays in preclinical and clinical testing
could materially impact our product development costs and delay regulatory approval of our product candidates. Our ability to complete clinical trials in a
timely manner, or at all, has in the past been, and could in the future be impacted by, among other factors:
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delay or failure in reaching agreement with the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory authority on a trial design that we are able to execute;
delay or failure in obtaining authorization to commence a trial or inability to comply with conditions imposed by a regulatory authority
regarding the scope or design of a clinical study;
delay or failure in reaching agreement on acceptable terms with prospective CROs and clinical trial sites, the terms of which can be subject to
extensive negotiation and may vary significantly among different CROs and trial sites;
delay or failure in obtaining IRB approval or the approval of other reviewing entities, including comparable foreign entities, to conduct a
clinical trial at each site;
withdrawal of clinical trial sites from our clinical trials as a result of changing standards of care or the ineligibility of a site to participate in
our clinical trials;
delay or failure in obtaining clinical materials;
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delay or failure in recruiting and enrolling suitable subjects to participate in a trial;
delay or failure of subjects completing a trial or returning for post-treatment follow-up;
clinical sites and investigators deviating from trial protocol, failing to conduct the trial in accordance with regulatory requirements, or
dropping out of a trial;
inability to identify and maintain a sufficient number of trial sites, many of which may already be engaged in other clinical trial programs,
including some that may be for the same indication;
failure of our third-party clinical trial managers to satisfy their contractual duties or meet expected deadlines;
delay or failure in adding new clinical trial sites;
ambiguous or negative interim results or results that are inconsistent with earlier results;
feedback from the FDA, the IRB, data safety monitoring boards or comparable foreign entities, or results from earlier stage or concurrent
preclinical and clinical studies that might require modification to the protocol;
decisions by the FDA, the IRB, comparable foreign regulatory entities, or recommendations by a data safety monitoring board or comparable
foreign regulatory entity to suspend or terminate clinical trials at any time for safety issues or for any other reason;
unacceptable risk-benefit profiles or unforeseen safety issues or adverse side effects;
failure to demonstrate a benefit from using a drug;
manufacturing issues, including problems with manufacturing or obtaining from third parties sufficient quantities of a product candidate for
use in clinical trials; and
changes in governmental regulations or administrative actions or lack of adequate funding to continue the clinical trial.
We rely on CROs and clinical trial sites to ensure the proper and timely conduct of our clinical trials and while we have agreements governing their
activities, we have limited influence over CROs’ actual performance.
Our failure to successfully establish, recruit for, and oversee our clinical trials could delay our product development efforts and negatively impact our
business. If we experience delays in the completion of any ongoing study, the commercial prospects of our product candidates or any of our other future
product candidates could be harmed, and our ability to generate product revenue will be delayed. Any delays in completing our clinical trials will increase
our costs, slow our product candidates’ development and approval process and jeopardize our ability to commence product sales and generate revenues.
Any of these occurrences may harm our business, financial condition and prospects significantly.
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We may not obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates in development. Regulatory approval may also be delayed or revoked or may impose
limitations on the indicated uses of a product candidate. If we are unable to obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates in development, our
business will be substantially harmed.
The process for obtaining regulatory approval of a new drug is time-consuming, is subject to unanticipated delays and costs and requires the commitment
of substantial resources. Any product that we or our potential future collaborative partners develop must receive all necessary regulatory agency approvals
or clearances before it may be marketed in the U.S. or other countries. Human pharmaceutical products are subject to rigorous preclinical and clinical
testing and other requirements by the FDA in the U.S. and similar health authorities in foreign countries. We may not receive necessary regulatory
approvals or clearances to market our product candidates currently in development in the U.S. or in other jurisdictions, as a result of changes in regulatory
policies prior to approval or other events. Additionally, data obtained from preclinical and clinical activities, or from stability or bioequivalence studies, are
susceptible to varying interpretations that could delay, limit or prevent regulatory agency approvals or clearances.
Our product candidates could fail to receive regulatory approval from the FDA or a comparable foreign regulatory authority for many reasons, including:
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disagreement with the design or implementation of our clinical trials;
failure to demonstrate that the product candidate is safe and effective for its proposed indication;
failure of clinical trial results to meet the level of statistical significance required for approval;
the failure of third parties to manage and conduct the trials or perform necessary oversight to meet expected deadlines or to comply with
regulatory requirements;
failure to demonstrate that the product candidate’s clinical and other benefits outweigh its safety risks;
disagreement with our interpretation of data from preclinical studies or clinical trials;
the insufficiency of data collected from clinical trials to support the submission and filing of an NDA or other submission or to obtain
regulatory approval;
disapproval of the manufacturing processes or facilities of third-party manufacturers with whom we contract for clinical and commercial
supplies; and
changes in approval policies or regulations that render our preclinical and clinical data insufficient for approval.
The FDA or a comparable non-U.S. regulatory authority may require additional preclinical or clinical data to support approval, such as confirmatory
studies and other data or studies to address questions or concerns that may arise during the FDA review process. Regulatory approval may also be delayed,
limited or prevented by other factors. For example, in 2013, 2018 and 2019, the U.S. federal government entered shutdowns suspending services deemed
non-essential as a result of the failure by Congress to enact regular appropriations. Our development and commercialization activities could be harmed or
delayed by a similar shutdown of the U.S. federal government in the future, which may significantly delay the FDA’s ability to timely review and process
any submissions we have filed or may file or cause other regulatory delays, which could have a negative impact on our business.
Even if granted, regulatory approvals may include significant limitations on the uses for which products may be marketed. Failure to comply with
applicable regulatory requirements can, among other things, result in warning letters, imposition of civil penalties or other monetary payments, delay in
approving or refusal to approve a product candidate, suspension or withdrawal of regulatory approval, product recall or seizure, operating restrictions,
interruption of clinical trials or manufacturing, injunctions and criminal prosecution.
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In addition, the marketing and manufacturing of products are subject to continuing FDA review, and later discovery of previously unknown problems with
a product, its manufacture or its marketing may result in the FDA requiring further clinical research or restrictions on the product or the manufacturer,
including withdrawal of the product from the market.
Failure to obtain regulatory approval in international jurisdictions would prevent our Products and our product candidates from being marketed
abroad.
In the event we pursue the right to market and sell our Products or our product candidates in jurisdictions other than the U.S., we or our potential third-
party partners would be required to obtain separate marketing approvals and comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements in each foreign
country. The approval procedure varies among countries and can involve additional testing. The time required to obtain approval may differ substantially
from that required to obtain FDA approval. The regulatory approval process outside the U.S. generally includes all of the risks associated with obtaining
FDA approval. In addition, in many countries outside the U.S., it is required that the product be approved for reimbursement before the product can be
approved for sale in that country. In the event we choose to pursue them, we or our potential third-party partners may not obtain approvals from regulatory
authorities outside the U.S. on a timely basis, if at all. Approval by the FDA does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other countries or
jurisdictions, and approval by one regulatory authority outside the U.S. does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other countries or jurisdictions
or by the FDA. However, failure to obtain approval in one jurisdiction may impact our or our potential third-party partners’ ability to obtain approval
elsewhere. If we or our potential third-party partners are unable in the future to obtain approval of a product candidate by regulatory authorities in non-U.S.
jurisdictions, the commercial prospects of that product candidate may be significantly diminished and our business prospects could decline.
Even if our product candidates in development receive regulatory approval, they may still face future development and regulatory difficulties. If we fail
to comply with continuing federal, state and foreign regulations, we could lose our approvals to market drugs, and our business would be seriously
harmed.
Even if we obtain regulatory approval for our product candidates in development, they remain subject to ongoing requirements of the FDA and comparable
foreign regulatory authorities, including requirements related to manufacturing, quality control, further development, labeling, packaging, storage,
distribution, safety surveillance, import, export, advertising, promotion, recordkeeping, and reporting of safety and other postmarket information.
Following initial regulatory approval for drugs we develop, including our Products and our product candidates, we remain subject to continuing regulatory
review, including review of adverse drug experiences and clinical results that may be reported after drug products become commercially available. This
would include results from any postmarketing tests or continued actions required as a condition of approval. The manufacturer and manufacturing facilities
we use to make any of our drug candidates will also be subject to periodic review and inspection by the FDA. If a previously unknown problem or
problems with a Product or a manufacturing and laboratory facility used by us is discovered, the FDA or foreign regulatory agency may impose restrictions
on that Product or on the manufacturing facility, including requiring us to withdraw the Product from the market. Any changes to an approved product,
including the way it is manufactured or promoted, often require FDA approval before the product, as modified, can be marketed. We and our contract
manufacturers will also be subject to ongoing FDA requirements for submission of safety and other postmarket information. If we and our contract
manufacturers fail to comply with applicable regulatory requirements, a regulatory agency may:
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issue warning letters;
impose civil or criminal penalties;
suspend or withdraw our regulatory approval;
suspend or terminate any of our ongoing clinical trials;
refuse to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications filed by us;
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impose restrictions on our operations;
close the facilities of our contract manufacturers; or
seize or detain products or require a product recall.
The occurrence of any event or penalty described above may inhibit our ability to commercialize our Products and generate revenue.
Additionally, such regulatory review covers a company’s activities in the promotion of its drugs, with significant potential penalties and restrictions for
promotion of drugs for an unapproved use or other inappropriate sales and marketing activities. Advertising and promotion of any product candidate that
obtains approval in the U.S. will be heavily scrutinized by the FDA, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office
of Inspector General. Violations of applicable advertising and promotion laws and regulations, including promotion of products for unapproved (or off-
label) uses, are subject to enforcement letters, inquiries and investigations and civil and criminal sanctions by the FDA. We are also required to submit
information on our open and completed clinical trials to public registries and databases; failure to comply with these requirements could expose us to
negative publicity, fines and penalties that could harm our business. We are also required to comply with the requirements to submit to governmental
authorities information on payments to physicians and certain other third parties; failure to comply with these requirements could expose us to negative
publicity, fines and penalties that could harm our business.
The commercial use of our Products may cause unintended side effects or adverse reactions, or incidents of misuse may occur, which could adversely
affect our business.
We cannot predict whether any commercial use of our product candidates, once approved, will produce undesirable or unintended side effects that have not
been evident in clinical trials conducted for such product candidates to date. Additionally, incidents of Product misuse may occur. These events, including
the reporting of adverse safety events, among others, could result in Product recalls, product liability actions related to our Products or withdrawals or
additional regulatory controls (including additional regulatory scrutiny and requirements for additional labeling), all of which could have a negative impact
on our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
The pharmaceutical industry is subject to significant regulation and oversight pursuant to anti-kickback laws, false claims statutes and anti-corruption
laws, which may result in significant additional expense and limit our ability to commercialize our Products and our product candidates. In addition,
any failure to comply with these regulations could result in substantial fines or penalties.
We are subject to health care fraud and abuse regulations that are enforced by the federal government and the states in which we conduct our business, as
well as foreign jurisdictions in which we may conduct business. Healthcare providers, physicians and third-party payors play a primary role in the
recommendation and prescription of any drug product with marketing approval. Our future arrangements with third-party payors and customers 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 market, sell and distribute our Products and product candidates with marketing approval. Restrictions under applicable
federal, state and foreign healthcare laws and regulations include, but are not limited to, the following:
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the Federal health care programs’ Anti-Kickback Law, which prohibits, among other things, persons from knowingly and willfully soliciting,
receiving, offering or paying remuneration, directly or indirectly, in exchange for or to induce either the referral of an individual for, or the
purchase, lease, order or recommendation of, any good or service for which payment may be made under federal health care programs such
as the Medicare and Medicaid programs;
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federal false claims laws, which prohibit, among other things, individuals or entities from knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented,
claims for payment from Medicare, Medicaid or other federal health care programs that are false or fraudulent. This false claims liability may
attach in the event that a company is found to have knowingly submitted false average sales price, best price or other pricing data to the
government or to have unlawfully promoted its drug products;
the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA”) also prohibits, among other actions, knowingly and
willfully executing, or attempting to execute, a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private third-party payors,
knowingly and willfully embezzling or stealing from a healthcare benefit program, willfully obstructing a criminal investigation of a
healthcare offense, and knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing or covering up a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious
or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items or services;
federal “sunshine” laws, now known as Open Payments, that require transparency regarding financial arrangements with health care
providers, such as the reporting and disclosure requirements imposed by the federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act within PPACA on
drug manufacturers regarding any “payment or transfer of value” made or distributed to physicians, other healthcare professionals, and
teaching hospitals as well as ownership and investment interests held by such physicians and their family; and
state law equivalents of each of the above federal laws, such as anti-kickback and false claims laws, which may apply to items or services
reimbursed by any third-party payor, including commercial insurers; and
increasingly complex standards for complying with foreign laws and regulations, including those of the EU, that may differ substantially
from country to country and may conflict with corresponding U.S. laws and regulations.
The risk of being found in violation of these laws is increased by the fact that many of them have not been fully interpreted by the regulatory authorities or
the courts, and their provisions are open to a variety of interpretations. Moreover, certain health care reform legislation has strengthened many of these
laws. For example, the PPACA, among other things, amends the intent requirement of the federal anti-kickback and criminal health care fraud statutes to
clarify that a person or entity does not need to have actual knowledge of this statute or specific intent to violate it. In addition, PPACA provides that 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 false
claims statutes. Finally, some states, such as California, Massachusetts and Vermont, mandate implementation of commercial compliance programs to
ensure compliance with these laws.
In addition, a number of states have laws that require pharmaceutical companies to track and report payments, gifts and other benefits provided to
physicians and other health care professionals and entities.
The FCPA and similar anti-bribery laws in other jurisdictions generally prohibit companies and their intermediaries from providing money or anything of
value to officials of foreign governments, foreign political parties, or international organizations with the intent to obtain or retain business or seek a
business advantage. Recently, there has been a substantial increase in anti-bribery law enforcement activity by U.S. regulators, with more frequent and
aggressive investigations and enforcement proceedings by both the Department of Justice and the SEC. A determination that our operations or activities are
not, or were not, in compliance with U.S. or foreign laws or regulations could result in the imposition of substantial fines, interruptions of business, loss of
supplier, vendor or other third-party relationships, termination of necessary licenses and permits, and other legal or equitable sanctions. Other internal or
government investigations or legal or regulatory proceedings, including lawsuits brought by private litigants, may also follow as a consequence.
Changes in laws affecting the healthcare industry could also adversely affect our revenues and profitability, including new laws, regulations or judicial
decisions, or new interpretations of existing laws, regulations or
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decisions related to patent protection and enforcement, healthcare availability, and drug product pricing and marketing. Changes in FDA regulations and
regulations issued by other regulatory agencies inside and outside of the U.S., including new or different approval requirements, timelines and processes,
may also delay or prevent the approval of our product candidates, require additional safety monitoring, labeling changes, restrictions on product
distribution or other measures that could increase our costs of doing business and adversely affect the market for our Products and our product candidates.
The enactment in the U.S. of healthcare reform, new legislation or implementation of existing statutory provisions on importation of lower-cost competing
drugs from other jurisdictions and legislation on comparative effectiveness research are examples of previously enacted and possible future changes in laws
that could adversely affect our business.
If our operations are found to be in violation of any of the laws described above or any other governmental regulations that apply to us, we may be subject
to significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, damages, fines, exclusion from government-funded healthcare programs, like Medicare and
Medicaid, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations. Any penalties, damages, fines, curtailment or restructuring of our operations could
adversely affect our ability to operate our business and our financial results. Although compliance programs can mitigate the risk of investigation and
prosecution for violations of these laws, the risks cannot be entirely eliminated. Any action against us for violation of these laws or regulations, 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.
Moreover, achieving and sustaining compliance with applicable federal, state and foreign privacy, security and fraud laws may prove costly.
We may incur significant liability if it is determined that we are promoting the “off-label” use of drugs or promoting in a non-truthful and misleading
way.
We are prohibited from promoting our Products and any product candidates that receive regulatory approval for “off-label” uses or promoting in a non-
truthful and misleading way that are not described in its labeling and that differ from the uses approved by the FDA. Physicians may prescribe drug
products for off-label uses, and such off-label uses are common across medical specialties. The FDA and other regulatory agencies do not regulate a
physician’s choice of treatments. However, they do restrict pharmaceutical companies and their sales representatives’ dissemination of information
concerning off-label use. The FDA and other regulatory agencies actively enforce regulations prohibiting promotion of products for off-label uses and the
promotion of products for which marketing authorization has not been obtained. A company that is found to have promoted products for off-label uses may
be subject to significant liability, including civil and administrative remedies as well as criminal sanctions. Notwithstanding the regulatory restrictions on
off-label promotion, the FDA and other regulatory authorities allow companies to engage in truthful, non-misleading, and non-promotional scientific
exchanges concerning their products.
The FDA or other regulatory authorities may conclude that we have violated applicable laws, rules or regulations, and we may therefore be subject to
significant liability, including civil and administrative remedies, as well as criminal sanctions. Such enforcement actions could cause us reputational harm
and divert the attention of our management from our business operations. Likewise, our distribution and contracting partners and those providing vendor
support services may also be the subject of regulatory investigations involving, or remedies or sanctions for, off-label promotion of our Products or product
candidates, which may adversely impact sales of our Products or product candidates or trigger indemnification obligations. These consequences, could, in
turn, have a negative impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations and could cause the market value of our common shares to
decline.
Health care reform could increase our expenses and adversely affect the commercial success of our Products and our product candidates.
The U.S. and some foreign jurisdictions are considering or have enacted a number of reform proposals to change the healthcare system. There is significant
interest in promoting changes in healthcare systems with the stated goals of containing healthcare costs, improving quality or expanding access. In the U.S.,
the pharmaceutical industry has been a particular focus of these efforts and has been significantly affected by federal and state legislative initiatives,
including those designed to limit the pricing, coverage, and reimbursement of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical
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products, especially under government-funded healthcare programs, and increased governmental control of drug pricing.
For example, the PPACA includes numerous provisions that affect pharmaceutical companies. The PPACA seeks to expand healthcare coverage to the
uninsured through private health insurance reforms and an expansion of Medicaid. The PPACA also imposes substantial costs on pharmaceutical
manufacturers, such as an increase in liability for rebates paid to Medicaid, new drug discounts that must be offered to certain enrollees in the Medicare
prescription drug benefit and an annual fee imposed on all manufacturers of brand prescription drugs in the U.S. The PPACA also requires increased
disclosure obligations—including those required under the “sunshine” laws—and an expansion of an existing program requiring pharmaceutical discounts
to certain types of hospitals and federally subsidized clinics and contains cost-containment measures that could reduce reimbursement levels for
pharmaceutical products. In addition, the IRA extends enhanced subsidies for individuals purchasing health insurance coverage in PPACA marketplaces
through plan year 2025. The IRA also eliminates the “donut hole” under the Medicare Part D program beginning in 2025 by significantly lowering the
beneficiary maximum out-of-pocket cost and creating a new manufacturer discount program. These and other aspects of the PPACA, including the
regulations that may be imposed in connection with the implementation of the PPACA, could increase our expenses and adversely affect our ability to
successfully commercialize our Products and our product candidates.
There have been, and we anticipate that there will be, healthcare reform measures that may be adopted in the future that may result in more rigorous
coverage criteria and additional downward pressure on the reimbursement for healthcare products and services. These reform measures may limit the
amounts that federal and state governments will pay for healthcare products and services, and also indirectly affect the amounts that private payors are
willing to pay. Moreover, in the U.S., there have been several presidential executive orders, congressional inquiries and proposed and enacted federal and
state legislation designed to, among other things, bring more transparency to product pricing, review the relationship between pricing and manufacturer
patient programs, and reform government program reimbursement methodologies for products.
Our employees may engage in misconduct or other improper activities, including noncompliance with regulatory standards and requirements, which
could have a negative impact on our business.
We are exposed to the risk of employee fraud or other misconduct. Misconduct by employees could include intentional failures to comply with FDA
regulations or similar regulations of comparable foreign regulatory authorities, provide accurate information to the FDA or comparable foreign regulatory
authorities, comply with manufacturing standards we have established, comply with federal and state healthcare fraud and abuse laws and regulations and
similar laws and regulations established and enforced by comparable foreign regulatory authorities, report financial information or data accurately, or
disclose unauthorized activities to us. In particular, sales, marketing and business arrangements in the healthcare industry are subject to extensive laws and
regulations intended to prevent fraud, kickbacks, self-dealing and other abusive practices. These laws and regulations may restrict or prohibit a wide range
of pricing, discounting, marketing and promotion, sales commission, customer incentive programs and other business arrangements. Employee misconduct
could also involve the improper use of information obtained in the course of clinical trials, which could result in regulatory sanctions and serious harm to
our reputation. It is not always possible to identify and deter employee misconduct, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent this activity may not
be effective in controlling unknown or unmanaged risks or losses or in protecting us from governmental investigations or other actions or lawsuits
stemming from a failure to be in compliance with such laws or regulations. If any such actions are instituted against us, and we are not successful in
defending ourselves or asserting our rights, those actions could have a significant impact on our business and results of operations, including the imposition
of significant fines or other sanctions.
We are and may become subject to stringent and evolving laws, regulations, rules, contractual obligations, policies and other obligations related to data
privacy and security. Our actual or perceived failure to comply with such obligations could lead to regulatory investigations or actions, litigation, fines
and penalties, disruptions of our business operations, reputational harm, loss of revenue or profits, and other adverse business consequences.
In the ordinary course of business, we collect, receive, store, process, generate, use, transfer, disclose, make accessible, protect, secure, dispose of, transmit,
and share (collectively, processing) personal data and other sensitive information, including proprietary and confidential business data, trade secrets,
intellectual property, sensitive
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third-party data, business plans, transactions and financial information (collectively, sensitive data). Our data processing activities may subject us to
numerous data privacy and security obligations, such as various laws, regulations, guidance, industry standards, external and internal privacy and security
policies, contractual requirements, and other obligations relating to data privacy and security.
In the U.S., federal, state, and local governments have enacted numerous data privacy and security laws, including data breach notification laws, personal
data privacy laws, consumer protection laws (e.g., Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act), and other similar laws (e.g., wiretapping laws). For
example, the CCPA requires businesses to provide specific disclosures in privacy notices and honor requests of California residents to exercise certain
privacy rights. The CCPA provides for civil penalties of up to $7,500 per violation and allows private litigants affected by certain data breaches to recover
significant statutory damages. In addition, the CPRA, which became operative January 1, 2023, will expand the CCPA’s requirements, including applying
to personal information of business representatives and employees and establishing a new regulatory agency to implement and enforce the law. Other
states, such as Virginia and Colorado, have also passed comprehensive data privacy and security laws, and similar laws are being considered in several
other states, as well as at the federal and local levels. These developments may further complicate compliance efforts and may increase legal risk and
compliance costs for us and the third parties upon whom we rely.
For example, HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, imposes specific requirements relating to
the privacy, security, and transmission of individually identifiable health information. Healthcare providers who prescribe our products and from whom we
may obtain patient health information are subject to privacy and security requirements under HIPAA. We currently are not a HIPAA covered entity, do not
intend to become one, and we do not operate as a business associate to any covered entities. We could be subject to criminal penalties if we knowingly
obtain individually identifiable health information from a covered entity in a manner that is not authorized or permitted by HIPAA or for aiding and
abetting the violation of HIPAA. We are unable to predict whether our actions could be subject to prosecution in the event of an impermissible disclosure of
health information to us.
Outside the U.S., an increasing number of laws, regulations, and industry standards may govern data privacy and security. For example, the European
Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (“EU GDPR”), the United Kingdom’s GDPR (“UK GDPR”), Canada’s Personal Information Protection and
Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”) and Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (“CASL”), impose strict requirements for processing personal data. For
example, under the EU GDPR, companies may face temporary or definitive bans on data processing and other corrective actions; fines of up to 20 million
Euros or 4% of annual global revenue, whichever is greater; or private litigation related to processing of personal data brought by classes of data subjects or
consumer protection organizations authorized at law to represent their interests.
In addition, we may be unable to transfer personal data from Europe and other jurisdictions to the U.S. or other countries due to data localization
requirements or limitations on cross-border data flows. Europe and other jurisdictions have enacted laws requiring data to be localized or limiting the
transfer of personal data to other countries. In particular, the EEA and the United Kingdom (“UK”) have significantly restricted the transfer of personal
data to the U.S. and other countries whose data privacy and security laws it believes are inadequate. Other jurisdictions may adopt similarly stringent
interpretations of their data localization and cross-border data transfer laws. Although there are currently various mechanisms that may be used to transfer
personal data from the EEA and UK to the U.S. in compliance with law, such as the EEA and UK’s standard contractual clauses, these mechanisms are
subject to legal challenges, and there is no assurance that we can satisfy or rely on these measures to lawfully transfer personal data to the U.S.. If there is
no lawful manner for us to transfer personal data from the EEA, the UK, or other jurisdictions to the U.S., or if the requirements for a legally-compliant
transfer are too onerous, we could face significant adverse consequences, including the interruption or degradation of our operations, the need to relocate
part of or all of our business or data processing activities to other jurisdictions at significant expense, increased exposure to regulatory actions, substantial
fines and penalties, the inability to transfer data and work with partners, vendors and other third parties, and injunctions against our processing or
transferring of personal data necessary to operate our business. Some European regulators have prevented companies from transferring personal data out of
Europe for allegedly violating the GDPR’s cross-border data transfer limitations.
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In addition to data privacy and security laws, we may be contractually subject to industry standards adopted by industry groups and may become subject to
such obligations in the future. We may also be bound by other contractual obligations related to data privacy and security, and our efforts to comply with
such obligations may not be successful. We may publish privacy policies, marketing materials, and other statements, such as compliance with certain
certifications or self-regulatory principles, regarding data privacy and security. If these policies, materials or statements are found to be deficient, lacking
in transparency, deceptive, unfair, or misrepresentative of our practices, we may be subject to investigation, enforcement actions by regulators, or other
adverse consequences.
Obligations related to data privacy and security are quickly changing, becoming increasingly stringent, and creating regulatory uncertainty. Additionally,
these obligations may be subject to differing applications and interpretations, which may be inconsistent or conflict among jurisdictions. Preparing for and
complying with these obligations requires us to devote significant resources and may necessitate changes to our services, information technologies,
systems, and practices and to those of any third parties that process personal data on our behalf. We may at times fail (or be perceived to have failed) in our
efforts to comply with our data privacy and security obligations. Moreover, despite our efforts, our personnel or third parties on whom we rely may fail to
comply with such obligations, which could negatively impact our business operations. If we or the third parties on which we rely fail, or are perceived to
have failed, to address or comply with applicable data privacy and security obligations, we could face significant consequences, including but not limited
to: government enforcement actions (e.g., investigations, fines, penalties, audits, inspections, and similar); litigation (including class-action claims);
additional reporting requirements and/or oversight; bans on processing personal data; and orders to destroy or not use personal data. Any of these events
could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, business, or financial condition, including but not limited to: loss of customers; inability to process
personal data or to operate in certain jurisdictions; limited ability to develop or commercialize our products; expenditure of time and resources to defend
any claim or inquiry; adverse publicity; or substantial changes to our business model or operations.
Security breaches and other disruptions could compromise our information and expose us to liability, which would cause our business and reputation
to suffer.
In the ordinary course of our business, we and the third parties upon which we rely may process sensitive data, and, as a result, we and the third parties
upon which we rely face a variety of evolving threats, including but not limited to ransomware attacks, which could cause security incidents. Cyber-attacks,
malicious internet-based activity, online and offline fraud, and other similar activities threaten the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our sensitive
data and information technology systems, and those of the third parties upon which we rely. Such threats are prevalent and continue to rise, are
increasingly difficult to detect, and come from a variety of sources, including traditional computer “hackers,” threat actors, “hacktivists,” organized
criminal threat actors, personnel (such as through theft or misuse), sophisticated nation states, and nation-state-supported actors.
Some actors now engage and are expected to continue to engage in cyber-attacks, including without limitation nation-state actors for geopolitical reasons
and in conjunction with military conflicts and defense activities. During times of war and other major conflicts, we and the third parties upon which we
rely may be vulnerable to a heightened risk of these attacks, including retaliatory cyber-attacks, that could materially disrupt our systems and operations,
supply chain, and ability to produce, sell and distribute our services. We and the third parties upon which we rely may be subject to a variety of evolving
threats, including but not limited to social-engineering attacks (including through phishing attacks), malicious code (such as viruses and worms), malware
(including as a result of advanced persistent threat intrusions), denial-of-service attacks (such as credential stuffing), credential harvesting, personnel
misconduct or error, ransomware attacks, supply-chain attacks, software bugs, server malfunctions, software or hardware failures, loss of data or other
information technology assets, adware, telecommunications failures, earthquakes, fires, floods, and other similar threats. In particular, severe ransomware
attacks are becoming increasingly prevalent and can lead to significant interruptions in our operations, loss of sensitive data and income, reputational harm,
and diversion of funds. Extortion payments may alleviate the negative impact of a ransomware attack, but we may be unwilling or unable to make such
payments due to, for example, applicable laws or regulations prohibiting such payments.
Remote work has become more common and has increased risks to our information technology systems and data, as more of our employees utilize network
connections, computers, and devices outside our premises or network, including working at home, while in transit and in public locations. Additionally,
future or past business
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transactions (such as acquisitions or integrations) could expose us to additional cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities, as our systems could be negatively
affected by vulnerabilities present in acquired or integrated entities’ systems and technologies.
Further, our reliance on third-party service providers could introduce new cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities, including supply-chain attacks, and other
threats to our business operations. We may rely on third-party service providers and technologies to operate critical business systems to process sensitive
data in a variety of contexts, including, without limitation, cloud-based infrastructure, data center facilities, employee email, and other functions. We may
also rely on third-party service providers to provide other products, services, parts, or otherwise to operate our business. Our ability to monitor these third
parties’ information security practices is limited, and these third parties may not have adequate information security measures in place. If our third-party
service providers experience a security incident or other interruption, we could experience adverse consequences. While we may be entitled to damages if
our third-party service providers fail to satisfy their data privacy or security-related obligations to us, any award may be insufficient to cover our damages,
or we may be unable to recover such award. In addition, supply-chain attacks have increased in frequency and severity, and we cannot guarantee that third
parties’ infrastructure in our supply chain or our third-party partners’ supply chains have not been compromised.
Any of the previously identified or similar threats could cause a security incident or other interruption that could result in unauthorized, unlawful, or
accidental acquisition, modification, destruction, loss, alteration, encryption, disclosure of, or access to our sensitive data or our information technology
systems, or those of the third parties upon whom we rely. A security incident or other interruption could disrupt our ability (and that of third parties upon
whom we rely) to provide our services. We may expend significant resources or modify our business activities to try to protect against security incidents.
Additionally, certain data privacy and security obligations may require us to implement and maintain specific security measures or industry-standard or
reasonable security measures to protect our information technology systems and sensitive data.
While we have implemented security measures designed to protect against security incidents, there can be no assurance that these measures will be
effective. We may be unable in the future to detect vulnerabilities in our information technology systems because such threats and techniques change
frequently, are often sophisticated in nature, and may not be detected until after a security incident has occurred. Further, we may experience delays in
developing and deploying remedial measures designed to address any such identified vulnerabilities. Applicable data privacy and security obligations may
require us to notify relevant stakeholders of security incidents. Such disclosures are costly, and the disclosure or the failure to comply with such
requirements could lead to adverse consequences.
If we (or a third party upon whom we rely) experience a security incident or are perceived to have experienced a security incident, we may experience
adverse consequences. These consequences may include: government enforcement actions (for example, investigations, fines, penalties, audits, and
inspections); additional reporting requirements and/or oversight; restrictions on processing sensitive data (including personal data); litigation (including
class claims); indemnification obligations; negative publicity; reputational harm; monetary fund diversions; interruptions in our operations (including
availability of data); financial loss; and other similar harms. Security incidents and attendant consequences may cause customers to stop using our services,
deter new customers from using our services, and negatively impact our ability to grow and operate our business.
Our contracts may not contain limitations of liability, and even where they do, there can be no assurance that limitations of liability in our contracts are
sufficient to protect us from liabilities, damages, or claims related to our data privacy and security obligations. We cannot be sure that our insurance
coverage will be adequate or sufficient to protect us from or to mitigate liabilities arising out of our privacy and security practices, that such coverage will
continue to be available on commercially reasonable terms or at all, or that such coverage will pay future claims.
In addition to experiencing a security incident, third parties may gather, collect, or infer sensitive information about us from public sources, data brokers, or
other means that reveals competitively sensitive details about our organization and could be used to undermine our competitive advantage or market
position.
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Our use of hazardous materials could subject us to liabilities, fines and sanctions.
Our laboratory and clinical testing sometimes involve use of hazardous, radioactive or otherwise toxic materials. We are subject to federal, state and local
laws and regulations governing how we use, manufacture, handle, store and dispose of these materials.
Although we believe that our safety procedures for handling and disposing of such materials comply in all material respects with all federal, state and local
regulations and standards, there is always the risk of accidental contamination or injury from these materials. In the event of an accident, we could be held
liable for any damages that result, and we could also be subject to fines and penalties and such liability and costs could exceed our financial resources. If
we fail to comply with these regulations and standards or with the conditions attached to our operating licenses, the licenses could be revoked, and we
could be subjected to criminal sanctions and substantial financial liability or be required to suspend or modify our operations. Compliance with
environmental and other laws may be expensive and current or future regulations may impair our product development efforts.
Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property
If we are unable to adequately protect or enforce our intellectual property rights, we may lose valuable assets or incur costly litigation to protect our
rights.
Our success will depend in part on our ability to obtain patents and maintain trade secret protection, as well as successfully defending these patents against
challenges, while operating without infringing the proprietary rights of others. We have filed a number of U.S. patent applications on inventions relating to
the composition of a variety of polymers, specific products, product groups and processing technology. As of December 31, 2023, we had a total of 34
issued U.S. patents and an additional 118 issued (or registered) foreign patents. The patents on the bioerodible technologies expire in March 2026.
Currently, CINVANTI is covered by 10 patents issued in the U.S. and by five patents issued (or registered) in foreign countries including Korea and Japan.
U.S. patents covering CINVANTI have expiration dates ranging from September 2035 to February 2036; foreign patents covering CINVANTI have
expiration dates ranging from September 2035 to February 2036. Currently, SUSTOL is covered by 6 patents issued in the U.S. and by 18 patents issued
(or registered) in foreign countries including France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United
Kingdom. U.S. patents covering SUSTOL expire in September 2024; foreign patents covering SUSTOL expire in September 2025. Currently, ZYNRELEF
is protected by 16 patents issued in the U.S. and by 94 patents issued (or registered) in foreign countries including Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium,
Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,
Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and the United Kingdom. U.S. patents covering ZYNRELEF have expiration dates ranging from
March 2034 to April 2035; foreign patents covering ZYNRELEF have expiration dates ranging from November 2033 to November 2036. APONVIE is
covered by 10 patents issued in the U.S. and by five patents issued (or registered) in foreign countries including Korea and Japan. U.S. patents covering
APONVIE have expiration dates ranging from September 2035 to February 2036; foreign patents covering APONVIE have expiration dates ranging from
September 2035 to February 2036. HTX-034 is protected by 12 patents issued in the U.S. and by 89 patents issued (or registered) in foreign countries
including Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and the United Kingdom. U.S. patents covering HTX-
034 have expiration dates ranging from March 2034 to April 2035; foreign patents covering HTX-034 have expiration dates ranging from November 2033
to November 2036. Our policy is to actively seek patent protection in the U.S. and to pursue equivalent patent claims in selected foreign countries, thereby
seeking patent coverage for novel technologies and compositions of matter that may be commercially important to the development of our business.
Granted patents include claims covering the product composition, methods of use and methods of preparation. Our existing patents may not cover future
products, additional patents may not be issued and current patents, or patents issued in the future, may not provide meaningful protection or prove to be of
commercial benefit.
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The patent positions of pharmaceutical companies, including ours, are uncertain and involve complex legal and factual questions. In addition, the coverage
claimed in a patent application can be significantly reduced before the patent is issued. Consequently, our patent applications may not issue into patents,
and any issued patents may not provide sufficient protection for our product candidates or provide sufficient protection to afford us a commercial advantage
against competitive technologies or may be held invalid if challenged or circumvented. Patent applications in the U.S. are maintained in confidence for at
least 18 months after their filing. Consequently, we cannot be certain that the patent applications we are pursuing will lead to the issuance of any patent or
be free from infringement or other claims from other parties. Our competitors may also independently develop products similar to ours or design around or
otherwise circumvent patents issued to us or licensed by us. In addition, the laws of some foreign countries may not protect our proprietary rights to the
same extent as U.S. laws.
We may enter into collaborative agreements that may subject us to obligations that must be fulfilled and require us to manage complex relationships with
third parties. In the future, if we are unable to meet our obligations or manage our relationships with our collaborators under these agreements our revenue
may decrease. The loss or diminution of our intellectual property rights could result in a decision by our third-party collaborators to terminate their
agreements with us. In addition, these agreements are generally complex and contain provisions that could give rise to legal disputes, including potential
disputes concerning ownership of intellectual property and data under collaborations. Such disputes can lead to lengthy, expensive litigation or arbitration,
requiring us to divert management time and resources to such dispute.
Because the patent positions of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies involve complex legal and factual questions, enforceability of patents cannot
be predicted with certainty. The ultimate degree of patent protection that will be afforded to products and processes, including ours, in the U.S., remains
uncertain and is dependent on the scope of protection decided on by the patent offices, courts and lawmakers in these countries. The America Invents Act,
which was enacted in 2011 and reformed certain patent laws in the U.S., may create additional uncertainty. Patents, if issued, may be challenged,
invalidated or circumvented. As more products are commercialized using our proprietary product platforms, or as any product achieves greater commercial
success, our patents become more likely to be subject to challenge by potential competitors.
We also rely on trade secrets, technical know-how and continuing technological innovation to develop and maintain our competitive position. We require
our employees, consultants, advisors and collaborators to execute appropriate confidentiality and assignment-of-inventions agreements with us. These
agreements typically provide that all materials and confidential information developed or made known to the individual during the course of the
individual’s relationship with us is to be kept confidential and not disclosed to third parties except in specific circumstances, and that all inventions arising
out of the individual’s relationship with us shall be our exclusive property. These agreements may be breached, and in some instances, we may not have an
appropriate remedy available for such breach. Furthermore, our competitors may independently develop substantially equivalent proprietary information
and techniques, reverse engineer our information and techniques, or otherwise gain access to our proprietary technology. We may be unable to
meaningfully protect our rights in trade secrets, technical know-how and other non-patented technology. We may have to resort to litigation to protect our
intellectual property rights, or to determine their scope, validity or enforceability. In addition, interference proceedings declared by the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office may be necessary to determine the priority of inventions with respect to our patent applications. Enforcing or defending our proprietary
rights is expensive, could cause diversion of our resources and may not prove successful. In addition, courts outside the U.S. may be less willing to protect
trade secrets. Costly and time-consuming litigation could be necessary to seek to enforce and determine the scope of our proprietary rights. Any failure to
enforce or protect our rights could cause us to lose the ability to exclude others from using our technology to develop or sell competing products.
We may infringe on the intellectual property rights of others, and any litigation could force us to stop developing or selling potential products and could
be costly, divert management attention and harm our business.
We must be able to develop products without infringing the proprietary rights of other parties. Because the markets in which we operate involve established
competitors with significant patent portfolios, including patents relating to the composition of a variety of polymers, specific products, product groups and
processing technology, it could be difficult for us to use our technologies or develop products without infringing the proprietary rights of others. Therefore,
there is risk that third parties may make claims of infringement against our Products, our product
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candidates or our technologies. We may not be able to design around the patented technologies or inventions of others, and we may not be able to obtain
licenses to use patented technologies on acceptable terms, or at all. If we cannot operate without infringing the proprietary rights of others, we will not be
able to develop or commercialize some or all of our product candidates, and consequently will not be able to earn product revenue.
There is considerable uncertainty within the pharmaceutical industry about the validity, scope and enforceability of many issued patents in the U.S. and
elsewhere in the world. We cannot currently determine the ultimate scope and validity of patents that may be granted to third parties in the future or which
patents might be asserted to be infringed by any future manufacture, use or sale of our Products and our product candidates. In part as a result of this
uncertainty, there has been, and we expect that there may continue to be, significant litigation in the pharmaceutical industry regarding patents and other
intellectual property rights. We may have to enforce our intellectual property rights against third parties who infringe our patents and other intellectual
property or challenge our patent or trademark applications. For example, in the U.S., putative generics of innovator drug products (including products in
which the innovation comprises a new drug delivery method for an existing product, such as the drug delivery market occupied by us) may file Abbreviated
New Drug Applications (“ANDA”) and, in doing so, certify that their products either do not infringe the innovator’s patents or that the innovator’s patents
are invalid. This often results in litigation between the innovator and the ANDA applicant. This type of litigation is commonly known as “Paragraph IV”
litigation in the U.S. On July 27, 2022, we filed a complaint for patent infringement of certain CINVANTI patents against Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC
(“Fresenius Kabi”) and a related entity in the District of Delaware in response to Fresenius Kabi’s ANDA filing seeking approval to manufacture, use or
sell a generic version of CINVANTI in the U.S. prior to expiration of the CINVANTI patents. These litigations, of which there are often multiple in process
at one time, could result in new or additional generic competition to any of our Products and our product candidates and a potential reduction in product
revenue.
If we are required to defend ourselves in a patent-infringement lawsuit, we could incur substantial costs, and the lawsuit could divert management attention,
regardless of the lawsuit’s merit or outcome. These legal actions could seek damages and seek to enjoin testing, manufacturing and marketing of the
accused product or process. In addition to potential liability for significant damages, we could be required to redesign affected products or obtain a license
to continue to manufacture or market the accused product or process and any license required under any such patent may not be made available to us on
acceptable terms, if at all. Competitors may sue us as a way of delaying the introduction of our Products and our product candidates. Any litigation,
including any interference or derivation proceedings to determine priority of inventions, oppositions or other post-grant review proceedings to patents in
the U.S. or in countries outside the U.S., or litigation against our partners may be costly and time-consuming and could harm our business. We expect that
litigation may be necessary in some instances to determine the validity and scope of certain of our proprietary rights. Litigation may be necessary in other
instances to determine the validity, scope and/or non-infringement of certain patent rights claimed by third parties to be pertinent to the manufacture, use or
sale of our Products and our product candidates. Ultimately, the outcome of such litigation could adversely affect the validity and scope of our patent or
other proprietary rights or hinder our ability to manufacture and market our Products and our product candidates.
Periodically, we review publicly available information regarding the development efforts of others in order to determine whether these efforts may violate
our proprietary rights. We occasionally determine that litigation is necessary to enforce our proprietary rights against others. Such litigation can result in
substantial expense, regardless of its outcome, and may not be resolved in our favor.
We may be subject to claims that our employees have wrongfully used or disclosed alleged trade secrets of their former employers.
As is common in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, we employ individuals who were previously employed at other biotechnology and
pharmaceutical companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. Although no claims against us are currently pending, we may be subject to
claims that these employees or we have inadvertently or otherwise used or disclosed trade secrets or other proprietary information of their former
employers.
Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims. Even if we are successful in defending against these claims, litigation could result in substantial
costs and be a distraction to management.
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Risks Related to Our Common Stock
The price of our common stock has been and may continue to be volatile.
The stock markets, in general, and in particular with respect to biotech and life sciences companies, have experienced extreme volatility that has often been
unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the trading price of our common
stock. In addition, the limited trading volume of our stock may contribute to its volatility. Our stock price may be particularly volatile given the stage of our
business.
In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a particular company’s securities, litigation has often been brought against that company. If
litigation of this type is brought against us, it could be extremely expensive and divert management’s attention and our Company’s resources.
Our certificate of incorporation, our bylaws and Delaware law contain provisions that could discourage another company from acquiring us and may
prevent attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management.
Provisions of Delaware law, our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws may discourage, delay or prevent a merger or acquisition that stockholders may
consider favorable, including transactions in which you might otherwise receive a premium for your shares. In addition, these provisions may frustrate or
prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace or remove
our Board of Directors. These provisions include authorizing the issuance of “blank check” preferred stock without any need for action by stockholders.
In addition, Section 203 of Delaware General Corporation Law, which is applicable to us, may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our
Company by prohibiting stockholders owning in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock from merging or combining with us, unless certain
approvals are obtained.
Future utilization of net operating loss carryforwards or research and development credit carryforwards may be impaired due to recent changes in
ownership.
We believe our net operating loss and research and development credit carryforwards, and certain other tax attributes, may be subject to limitation under
Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (“IRC”). As a result, our deferred tax assets, and related valuation allowance, have been reduced for the
estimated impact of the net operating loss and research and development credit carryforwards that we currently estimate may expire, unused. Utilization of
our remaining net operating loss and research and development credit carryforwards may still be subject to substantial annual limitations due to ownership
change limitations provided by the IRC and similar state provisions for ownership changes after July 31, 2023, including those that may come in
conjunction with future equity financings or market trades by our stockholders.
Actions of activist stockholders could impact the pursuit of our business strategies, cause us to incur substantial costs, divert our management’s
attention and resources, and adversely affect our business, results of operations, liquidity, financial condition, and the trading price of our common
stock.
While we value constructive input from investors and regularly engage in dialogue with our stockholders, and we welcome their views and opinions
regarding strategy and performance, we may be subject to actions or proposals from activist stockholders that may not align with our business strategies or
the interests of our other stockholders, and our Board of Directors and our management are committed to acting in the best interests of all of our
stockholders. Accordingly, there is no assurance that the actions taken by our Board of Directors and our management in seeking to maintain constructive
engagement with certain stockholders will be successful in preventing the occurrence of stockholder activist campaigns.
As previously reported, in February 2023, we entered into a Cooperation Agreement, dated February 21, 2023, with two of our stockholders, Rubric
Capital Management LP and certain of its affiliates and Velan Capital Investment Management LP and certain of its affiliates (collectively, the “Investor
Group”), regarding certain changes to the
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composition of our Board of Directors, including the appointment of three new independent directors, Adam Morgan, Craig Collard, and Kevin Kotler, to
our Board of Directors, among other items.
Proxy contests have been waged against many companies in the biopharmaceutical industry over the last few years. If faced with any proxy contest or
activist stockholder request or action in the future, we may not be able or willing to respond successfully to the contest, request, or action, which could be
significantly disruptive to our business. Even if we are successful, our business, results of operations, liquidity, financial condition, and trading price of our
common stock could be adversely affected by any proxy contest or activist stockholder request or action involving us because:
•
•
•
•
responding to proxy contests and requests or actions by activist stockholders can be costly and time-consuming, disrupting operations and
diverting the attention of management and employees, and can lead to uncertainty;
perceived uncertainties as to the future direction of the Company and our business may result in the loss of potential acquisitions,
collaborations or in-licensing opportunities, and may make it more difficult to attract and retain qualified personnel and business partners;
if individuals are elected or appointed to our Board of Directors with a specific agenda, it may adversely affect our ability to effectively
implement our strategic plan in a timely manner and create additional value for our stockholders; and
if individuals are elected or appointed to our Board of Directors who do not agree with our strategic plan, the ability of our Board of
Directors to function effectively could be adversely affected.
We cannot predict, and no assurances can be given, as to the outcome or timing of any matters relating to the foregoing actions by activist stockholders and
our responses thereto or the ultimate impact on our business, results of operations, liquidity, financial condition, and trading price of our common stock.
Any such activist stockholder contests, requests or actions, or the mere public presence of activist stockholders among our stockholder base, could cause
the market price of our common stock to experience periods of significant volatility or stagnation.
If we identify a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting, our ability to meet our reporting obligations and the trading price of
our common stock could be negatively affected.
A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility
that a material misstatement of our financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Accordingly, a material weakness increases the
risk that the financial information we report contains material errors.
We regularly review and update our internal controls, disclosure controls and procedures and corporate governance policies. In addition, we are required
under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 to report annually on our internal control over financial reporting. Any system of internal controls, however well
designed and operated, is based in part on certain assumptions and can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurances that the objectives of the system
are met. If we, or our independent registered public accounting firm, determine that our internal controls over financial reporting are not effective, or we
discover areas that need improvement in the future, these shortcomings could have an adverse effect on our business and financial results.
If we cannot conclude that we have effective internal control over our financial reporting, investors could lose confidence in the reliability of our financial
statements. Failure to comply with reporting requirements could also subject us to sanctions and/or investigations by the SEC, The Nasdaq Capital Market
or other regulatory authorities.
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Because we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future, capital appreciation, if any, will be the source
of gain for our stockholders.
We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our common stock. We currently intend to retain all of our current and future earnings to finance the
growth and development of our business. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our common stock will be the sole source of gain for our stockholders
for the foreseeable future.
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ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.
None.
ITEM 1C. CYBERSECURITY
In the ordinary course of our business, we collect, use, store, and transmit digitally large amounts of confidential, sensitive, proprietary, and personal
information. The secure maintenance of this information and our information technology systems is important to our operations and business strategy. To
this end, we have implemented processes designed to assess, identify, and manage risks from potential unauthorized occurrences on or through our
information technology systems that may result in adverse effects on the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of these systems and the data residing
therein. These processes are managed and monitored by a dedicated information technology team, which is led by our Chief Financial Officer and include
mechanisms, controls, technologies, systems, and other processes designed to prevent or mitigate data loss, theft, misuse, or other security incidents or
vulnerabilities affecting the data and maintain a stable information technology environment. For example, we conduct penetration and vulnerability testing,
data recovery testing, security audits, and ongoing risk assessments, including due diligence on and audits of our key technology vendors, and other
contractors and suppliers. We also conduct periodic employee training on cyber and information security, among other topics. In addition, we consult with
outside advisors and experts, when appropriate to assist with assessing, identifying, and managing cybersecurity risks, including to anticipate future threats
and trends, and their impact on the Company’s risk environment.
Our Chief Financial Officer, who reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer and has over 15 years of experience managing information
technology and cybersecurity matters, is responsible for assessing and managing cybersecurity risks. We consider cybersecurity, along with other
significant risks that we face, within our overall enterprise risk management framework. In the last fiscal year, we have not identified risks from known
cybersecurity threats, including any prior cybersecurity incidents, that have materially affected us. However, we face certain ongoing cybersecurity threats
that, if realized, are reasonably likely to materially affect us. Additional information on cybersecurity risks we face is discussed in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk
Factors.”
The Board of Directors, as a whole and at the committee level, has oversight for the most significant risks facing us and for our processes to identify,
prioritize, assess, manage, and mitigate those risks. The Audit Committee, which is comprised solely of independent directors, has been designated by our
Board to oversee cybersecurity risks. The Audit Committee receives regular updates on cybersecurity and information technology matters and related risk
exposures from our Chief Financial Officer. The Board also receives updates from management and the Audit Committee on cybersecurity risks on at least
an annual basis.
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES.
As of December 31, 2023, we had an operating lease for 52,148 square feet of laboratory and office space in San Diego, California, with a lease
term that expires on December 31, 2025. In October 2021, we entered into a sublease agreement to sublet 23,873 square feet of laboratory and office space.
The space was delivered to the subtenant in March 2022. The sublease agreement expires on December 31, 2025 and is coterminous with the operating
lease for the subleased space. We also had an operating lease for 5,840 square feet of office space in Cary, North Carolina, with a lease term that expires on
April 30, 2025.
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ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.
On June 14, 2022, the Company received a paragraph IV notice of certification (the “Fresenius Kabi Notice”) from Fresenius Kabi advising that
Fresenius Kabi had submitted an ANDA to the FDA seeking approval to manufacture, use or sell a generic version of CINVANTI in the U.S. prior to the
expiration of U.S. Patent Nos.: 9,561,229; 9,808,465; 9,974,742; 9,974,793; 9,974,794; 10,500,208; 10,624,850; 10,953,018; and 11,173,118 (the
“CINVANTI Patents”), which are listed in the FDA’s Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations (the “Orange Book”). The
Fresenius Kabi Notice alleges that the CINVANTI Patents are invalid, unenforceable and/or will not be infringed by the commercial manufacture, use or
sale of the generic product described in Fresenius Kabi’s ANDA.
On July 27, 2022, the Company filed a complaint for patent infringement of the CINVANTI Patents against Fresenius Kabi and a related entity in
the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (the “Court”) in response to Fresenius Kabi’s ANDA filing. The complaint seeks, among other relief,
equitable relief enjoining Fresenius Kabi from infringing the CINVANTI Patents. The parties are currently completing fact discovery and will be moving
into expert discovery. A five-day bench trial is scheduled for June 24, 2024. On October 17, 2023, the Company received an updated Notice Letter from
Fresenius Kabi advising that it had submitted an amendment to Fresenius’s ANDA to include a paragraph IV certification to Heron’s recently listed U.S.
Patent No. 11,744,800 (the “800 Patent”). The Company intends to vigorously enforce its intellectual property rights relating to CINVANTI. As a result of
filing our complaint for patent infringement, the FDA may not approve Fresenius’s ANDA until the earlier of December 14, 2024 or resolution of the
litigation.
On August 14, 2023, the Company received a Notice Letter from Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. (“Mylan”) advising that Mylan had submitted an
ANDA (“Mylan's ANDA”) to the FDA seeking approval to manufacture, use or sell a generic version of CINVANTI in the U.S. prior to the expiration of
the CINVANTI patents, which are listed in the Orange Book. The Notice Letter alleges that the CINVANTI Patents are invalid, unenforceable and/or will
not be infringed by the commercial manufacture, use or sale of the generic product described in Mylan’s ANDA. On September 15, 2023, the Company
filed a complaint for patent infringement of the CINVANTI Patents against Mylan in the Court in response to Mylan’s ANDA filing. The complaint seeks,
among other relief, equitable relief enjoining Mylan from infringing the CINVANTI Patents. The Company intends to vigorously enforce its intellectual
property rights relating to the CINVANTI Patents. As a result of our complaint for patent infringement, the FDA may not approve Mylan’s ANDA until the
earlier of February 4, 2026 or resolution of the litigation.
On December 18, 2023, the Company received a paragraph IV notice of certification (the “Mylan Notice”) from Mylan advising that Mylan had
submitted an ANDA with the FDA, seeking approval to manufacture, use or sell a generic version of the Company’s product APONVIE in the U.S. prior to
the expiration of U.S. Patent Nos. 9,561,229; 9,808,465; 9,974,742; 9,974,793; 9,974,794; 10,500,208; 10,624,850; 10,953,018; 11,173,118 and 11,744,800
(the “APONVIE Patents”), which are listed in the Orange Book and each of which expire September 18, 2035. The Mylan Notice alleges that the
APONVIE Patents are invalid, unenforceable, or will not be infringed by the commercial manufacture, use or sale of the generic product described in the
ANDA. As of the date of this filing, the Company is not aware of any other ANDA filers. On January 11, 2024, the Company filed a complaint for patent
infringement of the APONVIE Patents against Mylan. The Company intends to vigorously defend and enforce its intellectual property rights protecting
APONVIE. In accordance with the Hatch-Waxman Act, because APONVIE is a new chemical entity the FDA cannot approve Mylan’s ANDA any earlier
than 7.5 years from the approval of the APONVIE NDA unless a District Court finds that all of the asserted claims of the patents-in-suit are invalid,
unenforceable and/or not infringed.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES.
Not applicable.
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ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF
PART II
EQUITY SECURITIES.
Information About Our Common Stock
Shares of our common stock are traded on The Nasdaq Capital Market, under the symbol “HRTX.”
Stockholders
The number of record holders of our common stock as of February 28, 2024 was 88.
Dividend Policy
We have never paid dividends on our common stock. We currently intend to retain all available funds and any future earnings for use in the
operation and expansion of our business, and we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
None.
Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
None.
ITEM 6. [RESERVED].
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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS.
The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read together with our audited financial
statements and the related notes and other financial information included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Some of the information
contained in this discussion and analysis or set forth elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including information with respect to our plans and
strategy for our business, include forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. You should review the “Risk Factors” included in Item
1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion of important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results
described in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis.
Introduction
Management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations is provided as a supplement to the Consolidated Financial
Statements and Notes, included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, to help provide an understanding of our financial condition, the changes in
our financial condition and our results of operations. Our discussion is organized as follows:
Overview. This section provides a general description of our business and operating expenses.
Critical accounting estimates. This section contains a discussion of the accounting estimates that we believe are important to our financial
condition and results of operations and that require significant judgment and estimates on the part of management in their application. In
addition, all of our significant accounting policies are summarized in Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this
Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Results of operations. This section provides an analysis of our results of operations presented in the accompanying consolidated statements of
operations and comprehensive loss by comparing the results for the year ended December 31, 2023 to the results for the year ended December
31, 2022.
Liquidity and capital resources. This section provides an analysis of our cash flows and a discussion of our outstanding commitments and
contingencies that existed as of December 31, 2023. Included in this discussion is our financial capacity to fund our future commitments and a
discussion of other financing arrangements.
•
•
•
•
Overview
We are a commercial-stage biotechnology company focused on improving the lives of patients by developing and commercializing therapeutic
innovations that improve medical care. Our advanced science, patented technologies, and innovative approach to drug discovery and development have
allowed us to create and commercialize a portfolio of products that aim to advance the standard of care for acute care and oncology patients.
ZYNRELEF® (bupivacaine and meloxicam) extended-release solution (“ZYNRELEF”) is approved in the United States (“U.S.”) for the
management of postoperative pain. APONVIE® (aprepitant) injectable emulsion (“APONVIE”) is approved in the U.S. for the prevention of postoperative
nausea and vomiting. CINVANTI® (aprepitant) injectable emulsion (“CINVANTI”) and SUSTOL® (granisetron) extended-release injection (“SUSTOL”)
are both approved in the U.S. for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.
Net Product Sales
Net product sales include revenue recognized for sales of ZYNRELEF, APONVIE, CINVANTI, and SUSTOL (collectively, our “Products”) to a
limited number of specialty distributors and full line wholesalers (collectively, “Customers”), less applicable sales allowances. See the “Critical Accounting
Estimates” section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further details on our revenue recognition policy.
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Cost of Product Sales
Cost of product sales relates to the costs to produce, package and deliver our Products to our Customers. These costs include raw materials, labor,
manufacturing and quality control overhead, and depreciation of equipment, as well as shipping and distribution costs. See the “Critical Accounting
Estimates” section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further details on our inventory policy.
Research and Development Expense
All costs of research and development are expensed in the period incurred. Research and development expense primarily consists of salaries, stock-
based compensation expense and other related costs for personnel in manufacturing, clinical and preclinical development, regulatory, quality and medical
affairs. Other research and development expense includes professional fees paid to outside service providers and consultants, facilities costs and materials
used in the clinical and preclinical trials and research and development.
General and Administrative Expense
General and administrative expense primarily consists of salaries, stock-based compensation expense and other related costs for personnel in
executive, finance and accounting, information technology, legal and human resource functions. Other general and administrative expense includes
professional fees for legal, investor relations, accounting and other general corporate purposes, facility costs and insurance not otherwise included in
research and development expense.
Sales and Marketing Expense
Sales and marketing expense primarily consists of salaries and related costs for personnel, stock-based compensation expense and other related costs
for sales operations, marketing and market access. Other sales and marketing costs include professional fees and commercialization costs related to our
Products.
Other Income (Expense), Net
Other income (expense), net primarily consists of interest expense, income earned on our cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments, the
amortization of debt issuance costs related to our convertible notes payable, the amortization of a debt discount related to our working capital line of credit,
and write-off of property and equipment.
We expect total operating expenses to decrease on a year-over-year basis in 2024 as a result of our cost reduction efforts. Our expectations are
subject to various risks and assumptions, including but not limited to those listed under the section entitled “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form
10-K. Additional uncertainties are identified in the section entitled “Forward-Looking Statements” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We continue to
monitor the factors which may impact our business and as of the filing date of this report, we do not believe they are material.
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Critical Accounting Estimates
A summary of the significant accounting policies is provided in Note 2 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual
Report on Form 10-K.
The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations are based on our consolidated financial statements, which have been
prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make
estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and
liabilities. We evaluate our estimates on an ongoing basis, including those related to revenue recognition, investments, inventory, accrued clinical and
manufacturing liabilities, income taxes and stock-based compensation. We base our estimates on historical experience and on assumptions that we believe
to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis of making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are
not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ materially from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
Management considers an accounting estimate to be critical if: it requires a significant level of estimation uncertainty, and changes in the estimate
are reasonably likely to have a material effect on our financial condition or results of operations.
We believe the following critical accounting estimates describe the most significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our
consolidated financial statements.
Revenue Recognition
Revenue is recognized in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 606, Revenue from
Contracts with Customers (“Topic 606”). Topic 606 is based on the principle that revenue should be recognized to depict the transfer of promised goods or
services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services.
Product Sales
Our Products are distributed in the U.S. through a limited number of Customers that resell to healthcare providers and hospitals, the end users of our
Products.
Revenue is recognized in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to receive in exchange for our Products. To determine revenue
recognition for contracts with customers within the scope of Topic 606, we perform the following 5 steps: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (ii)
identify the performance obligations of the contract(s); (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance
obligations in the contract(s); and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) we satisfy the performance obligations. We recognize revenue from product sales
when there is a transfer of control of the product to our Customers. We typically determine transfer of control based on when the product is delivered, and
title passes to our Customers.
Product Sales Allowances
We recognize product sales allowances as a reduction of product sales in the same period the related revenue is recognized. Product sales allowances
are based on amounts owed or to be claimed on the related sales. Such variable consideration includes estimates that take into consideration the terms of
our agreements with Customers, historical product returns, rebates or discounts taken, the shelf life of the product and specific known market events,
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such as competitive pricing and new product introductions. If actual future results vary from our estimates, we may need to adjust these estimates, which
could have an effect on product sales and earnings in the period of adjustment.
We believe our estimated allowances for distributor fees, group purchasing organization (“GPO”) rebates and administrative fees, Medicaid rebates
and prompt pay discounts do not require a high degree of judgment because the amounts are settled within a relatively short period of time.
We believe our estimated allowance for product returns and GPO discounts requires a high degree of judgment and is subject to change based on our
experience and certain quantitative and qualitative factors. We allow our Customers to return product for credit for up to 12 months after its product
expiration date. As such, there may be a significant period of time between the time the product is shipped and the time the credit is issued on returned
product. We estimate anticipated GPO discounts based on the applicable contractual terms. We regularly monitor our estimates and record adjustments
when trends, contract terms or other significant events indicate that a change in estimates is appropriate. To date, our estimates have not differed materially
from actuals. However, subsequent changes in estimates may result in a material change to our product sales allowances, which could materially affect our
results of operations and financial position.
Investments
We invest in various types of securities, including U.S. treasury bills and government agency obligations, corporate debt securities and commercial
paper. These securities have been initially valued at the transaction price and subsequently valued utilizing a third-party service provider who assesses the
fair value using inputs other than quoted prices that are observable either directly or indirectly, such as yield curve, volatility factors, credit spreads, default
rates, loss severity, current market and contractual prices for the underlying instruments or debt, broker and dealer quotes, as well as other relevant
economic measures. We perform certain procedures to corroborate the fair value of these holdings, and in the process, we apply judgment and estimates
that if changed, could significantly affect our statements of financial positions. To date, our estimates have not differed materially from actual values.
However, subsequent changes in estimates may result in a material change to the value of our cash equivalents and short-term investments, which could
materially affect our results of operations and financial position.
Inventory
Inventory is stated at the lower of cost or estimated net realizable value on a first-in, first-out, or FIFO, basis. We periodically analyze our inventory
levels and write down inventory that has become obsolete, inventory that has a cost basis in excess of its estimated realizable value and inventory quantities
that are in excess of expected sales requirements as cost of product sales. The determination of whether inventory costs will be realizable requires estimates
by management. If actual market conditions are less favorable than projected by management, additional write-downs of inventory may be required, which
would be recorded as cost of product sales.
Accrued Research and Development Expenses
We estimate certain costs and expenses and accrue for these liabilities as part of our process of preparing financial statements. Examples of areas in
which subjective judgment may be required include, among other things, costs associated with services provided by contract organizations for preclinical
and clinical development, and manufacturing of our Products and product candidates. We accrue for costs incurred as the services are being provided by
monitoring the status of the services provided, and the invoices received from our external service providers. In the case of clinical trials, we rely on
estimates of the progress of the clinical trials and related expenses incurred. Changes to estimates are recorded to research and development expense in the
period in which the facts that gave rise to the revision become known. To date, our estimates have not differed materially from the actual costs incurred.
However, subsequent changes in estimates may result in a material change to our accruals, which could also materially affect our results of operations and
financial position.
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Income Taxes
We make certain estimates and judgments in determining income tax expense for financial statement purposes. These estimates and judgments occur
in the calculation of certain deferred tax assets and liabilities, which arise from differences in the timing of recognition of revenue and expense for tax and
financial statement purposes. As part of the process of preparing our consolidated financial statements, we are required to estimate our income taxes for
each of the jurisdictions in which we operate. This process involves estimating our current tax exposure under the most recent tax laws and assessing
temporary differences resulting from differing treatment of items for tax and financial statement purposes. At December 31, 2023, we established a
valuation allowance to offset our deferred tax assets due to the uncertainty of realizing future tax benefits from our net operating loss carryforwards and
other deferred tax assets. To date, our estimates have not materially changed. However, subsequent changes in estimates may result in a significant change
to our deferred tax assets and liabilities, which could materially affect our results of operations and financial position.
Stock-based Compensation
We estimate the fair value of stock options granted using the Black-Scholes option pricing model and for market-based stock option grants using the
Monte Carlo simulation model. This fair value is then amortized over the requisite service periods of the awards. The Black-Scholes option pricing model
requires the input of subjective assumptions, including each option’s expected life and price volatility of the underlying stock. Expected volatility is based
on our historical stock price volatility. The expected life of employee stock options represents the average of the contractual term of the options and the
weighted-average vesting period, as permitted under the simplified method. To date, our assumptions used in our calculation of stock-based compensation
expense has not significantly changed. However, subsequent changes in our assumptions could impact our stock-based compensation expense, which could
materially affect our net loss and net loss per share.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
See Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Results of Operations
Years Ended December 31, 2023 and 2022
Net Product Sales
For the year ended December 31, 2023, net product sales were $127.0 million, compared to $107.7 million for the same period in 2022.
Net Product Sales – Acute Care
For the year ended December 31, 2023, net product sales of ZYNRELEF were $17.7 million, compared to $10.2 million for the same period in 2022.
The increase in net product sales of ZYNRELEF was primarily due to an increase in units sold in 2023, as compared to 2022. For the year ended December
31, 2023, net product sales of APONVIE were $1.4 million. APONVIE became commercially available in the U.S. in March 2023.
Net Product Sales – Oncology Care
For the year ended December 31, 2023, net product sales of CINVANTI were $94.9 million, compared to $87.3 million for the same period in 2022.
The increase in net product sales of CINVANTI was primarily due to an increase in units sold in 2023, as compared to 2022. For the year ended December
31, 2023, net product sales of SUSTOL were $13.0 million, compared to $10.2 million for the same period in 2022. The increase in net product sales of
SUSTOL was primarily due to an increase in units sold in 2023, as compared to 2022.
65
Cost of Product Sales
For the year ended December 31, 2023, cost of product sales was $65.1 million, compared to $54.9 million for the same period in 2022. The increase
in cost of product sales was primarily due to an increase in inventory write-offs in 2023, as compared to 2022. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and
2022, cost of product sales included charges of $20.3 million and $8.9 million, respectively, resulting primarily from the write-off of ZYNRELEF
inventory. The increase was also due to an increase in units sold in 2023, as compared to 2022, partially offset by a decrease in cost per units for
CINVANTI and ZYNRELEF, as large-scale manufacturing was validated and approved in late 2022.
We began capitalizing raw materials, labor and overhead related to the manufacturing of APONVIE following FDA approval in September 2022.
There were no commercial manufacturing costs incurred prior to FDA approval of APONVIE.
Research and Development Expense
Research and development expense consisted of the following (in thousands):
ZYNRELEF-related costs
CINVANTI-related costs
APONVIE-related costs
HTX-034-related costs
SUSTOL-related costs
Personnel costs and other expenses
Stock-based compensation expense
Total research and development expense
December 31,
2023
2022
12,165 $
1,842
4,464
76
1,286
25,184
10,880
55,897 $
46,929
5,594
942
803
1,902
33,427
17,909
107,506
$
$
For the year ended December 31, 2023, research and development expense was $55.9 million, compared to $107.5 million for the same period in
2022. This decrease was primarily due to decreases in costs related to ZYNRELEF and CINVANTI, as product scale-up, validation activities and raw
materials qualification were completed in 2022. In addition, the decrease in research and development expense was due to decreases in personnel and
related costs as a result of the savings from our reorganizations, as well as a decrease in non-cash, stock-based compensation expense.
General and Administrative Expense
For the year ended December 31, 2023, general and administrative expense was $49.0 million, compared to $37.4 million for the same period in
2022. The increase was primarily due to severance and non-cash, stock-based compensation expense in connection with executive departures in the second
and third quarters of 2023, and ongoing legal costs associated with the CINVANTI patent litigation.
Sales and Marketing Expense
For the year ended December 31, 2023, sales and marketing expense was $67.6 million, compared to $82.5 million for the same period in 2022. The
decrease was primarily due to a decrease in costs to support the ongoing commercialization of ZYNRELEF, due to improved operational efficiencies.
Other Income (Expense), Net
For the year ended December 31, 2023, other income (expense), net was $0.1 million, compared to ($7.4) million for the same period in 2022. The
change was primarily due to the write-off of property and equipment at a third-party manufacturing site in 2022, as well as an increase in interest income
earned on our invested cash balances in 2023.
66
Restructuring Plans
See Note 7 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for discussion of the June 2022 and
June 2023 Reorganizations.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2023, we had cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $80.4 million. Based on our current operating plan and
projections, management believes that the Company’s existing cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments will be sufficient to meet the Company’s
anticipated cash requirements for a period of at least one year from the date this Annual Report on Form 10-K is filed with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission.
Our net loss for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $110.6 million, or $0.80 per share, compared to a net loss of $182.0 million, or $1.67 per
share, for the same period in 2022.
Our net cash used in operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $58.8 million, compared to $146.9 million for the same period in
2022. The decrease in net cash used in operating activities was primarily due to a decrease in operating expenses and changes in working capital.
Our net cash provided by investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $18.0 million, compared to net cash used in investing
activities of $3.3 million for the same period in 2022. The increase in cash provided by investing activities was primarily due to net maturities of short-term
investments of $19.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to net purchases of short-term investments of $1.7 million for the same
period in 2022.
Our net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $54.1 million, compared to $75.1 million for the same
period in 2022. The decrease in cash provided by financing activities was primarily due to net proceeds of $54.1 million received from debt and equity
financings completed in the third quarter of 2023, compared to net proceeds of $75.1 million received from an equity financing in 2022.
Historically, we have financed our operations, including technology and product research and development, primarily through sales of our common
stock and debt financings.
Material Cash Requirements
As of December 31, 2023, we had an operating lease for 52,148 square feet of laboratory and office space in San Diego, California, with a lease term
that expires on December 31, 2025. In October 2021, we entered into a sublease agreement to sublet 23,873 square feet of laboratory and office space. The
space was delivered to the subtenant in March 2022. The sublease agreement expires on December 31, 2025 and is coterminous with the operating lease for
the subleased space. In September 2023, we also entered into a sublease agreement to sublet 5,840 square feet of office space in Cary, North Carolina, with
a lease term that expires on April 30, 2025. As of December 31, 2023, we had total operating lease obligations of $6.3 million, with $3.2 million due in one
year and $3.1 million due within two to three years.
At December 31, 2023, purchase obligations primarily consisted of non-cancellable commitments with third-party manufacturers in connection with
the manufacturing of our Products. Total purchase obligations of $60.2 million were not included in our consolidated financial statements for the year
ended December 31, 2023, with $39.0 million due in one year and $21.2 million due within two to three years. We intend to use our current financial
resources to fund our commitments under these purchase obligations.
As of December 31, 2023, $150.0 million aggregate principal amount of the convertible notes were outstanding (see Note 8 to the Consolidated
Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K). The senior unsecured convertible notes mature on May 26, 2026, unless earlier
converted, redeemed or repurchased.
67
As of December 31, 2023, $25.2 million aggregate principal amount under the working capital facility was outstanding (see Note 8 to the
Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K). The working capital facility has a four year term, with a springing
maturity date that is 91 days prior to the stated maturity of our existing senior unsecured convertible notes (if still outstanding at such time).
We enter into agreements with clinical sites and clinical research organizations for the conduct of our clinical trials and contract manufacturing
organizations for the manufacture and supply of preclinical, clinical and commercial materials and drug product. We make payments to these clinical sites
and clinical research organizations based in part on the number of eligible patients enrolled and the length of their participation in the clinical trials. In
some of our agreements with contract manufacturing organizations, we are required to meet minimum purchase obligations. Under certain of these
agreements, we may be subject to penalties in the event that we prematurely terminate these agreements. At this time, due to the variability associated with
clinical site agreements, contract research organization agreements and contract manufacturing agreements, we are unable to estimate with certainty the
future costs we will incur. We intend to use our current financial resources to fund our obligations under these commitments.
68
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.
Not required for smaller reporting companies.
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.
69
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Board of Directors and Stockholders
Heron Therapeutics, Inc.
Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements and Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Heron Therapeutics, Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2023
and 2022, and the related consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, stockholders’ equity (deficit), and cash flows for each of the years
in the two-year period ended December 31, 2023, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the "consolidated financial statements"). We also have
audited the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in 2013 Internal Control—Integrated
Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”).
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of
December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the two-year period ended December 31, 2023, in
conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material
respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in 2013 Internal Control—Integrated
Framework issued by the COSO.
Basis for Opinion
The Company’s management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting,
and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management Report on Internal
Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and an opinion on the
Company’s internal control over financial reporting 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 regulations 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 audits to obtain reasonable
assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective
internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated 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 consolidated 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 consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal
control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness
exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing
such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.
70
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
A company’s 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 accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of
America. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in
reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that
transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the
United States of America, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and
directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of
the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the 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.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was
communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated
financial statements; and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of the critical audit matter does
not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter
below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
Allowance for Product Returns
Description of the Matter
As discussed in Notes 2 and 5 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company earns its revenue through the sale of its products to a limited number
of distributors that resell to healthcare providers and hospitals, the end users of the Company’s products. The Company recognizes product sales allowances
as a reduction of product sales in the same period the related revenue is recognized. Product sales allowances are based on amounts owed or to be claimed
on the related sales. Such variable consideration includes estimates that take into consideration the terms of the Company’s agreements with customers,
historical product returns, the shelf life of the product and specific known market events, such as competitive pricing and new product introductions. As of
December 31, 2023, the Company’s allowance for product returns totaled $4.8 million. The Company’s estimated allowance for product returns requires a
high degree of judgment and is subject to change based on various quantitative and qualitative factors. Accordingly, extensive audit effort and a high degree
of auditor judgment were needed to evaluate management’s estimates and assumptions used in the determination of the allowance for product returns.
Therefore, we identified the Company's allowance for product returns as a critical audit matter.
71
How We Addressed the Matter in Our Audit
We obtained an understanding, evaluated the design, and tested the operating effectiveness of controls over the Company’s process for estimating the
allowance for product returns.
We evaluated the significant accounting policies relating to product returns, as well as management’s application of the policies, for appropriateness and
reasonableness.
We obtained the Company’s allowance for product returns analysis and performed testing procedures on the underlying data that is used in management’s
development of the product returns estimate. We compared the significant assumptions used by management to customer contract information, historical
returns data, peer group return rates where available, and current and subsequent product return activity. In addition, we performed sensitivity analyses of
significant assumptions used in the analysis to determine what changes in assumptions are particularly sensitive when calculating the amount of the
allowance for product returns. Additionally, we tested the mathematical accuracy of management’s calculation of revenue, net of product sales allowances,
including product returns, and the associated timing of revenue recognition, in the consolidated financial statements.
/s/ WithumSmith+Brown, PC
We have served as the Company's auditor since 2006.
San Francisco, California
March 12, 2024
PCAOB ID Number 100
72
HERON THERAPEUTICS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands, except par value and share amounts)
ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
Short-term investments
Accounts receivable, net
Inventory
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
Total current assets
Property and equipment, net
Right-of-use lease assets
Other assets
Total assets
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ (DEFICIT) EQUITY
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable
Accrued clinical and manufacturing liabilities
Accrued payroll and employee liabilities
Other accrued liabilities
Current lease liabilities
Total current liabilities
Non-current lease liabilities
Non-current notes payable, net
Non-current convertible notes payable, net
Other non-current liabilities
Total liabilities
Commitments and contingencies (see Note 6)
Stockholders’ equity:
December 31,
2023
December 31,
2022
$
$
$
28,677 $
51,732
60,137
42,110
6,118
188,774
20,166
5,438
8,128
222,506 $
3,240 $
22,291
9,224
41,855
3,075
79,685
2,800
24,263
149,490
241
256,479
15,364
69,488
52,049
54,573
13,961
205,435
22,160
7,645
15,711
250,951
3,225
24,468
13,416
38,552
2,694
82,355
5,499
—
149,284
241
237,379
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value: 2,500,000 shares authorized; no shares issued or outstanding at
December 31, 2023 and 2022
Common stock, $0.01 par value: 225,000,000 shares authorized; 150,285,044 shares issued and
outstanding at December 31, 2023 and 119,154,538 shares issued and outstanding at December 31,
2022
Additional paid-in capital
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
Accumulated deficit
Total stockholders’ (deficit) equity
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity
—
—
1,503
1,870,525
13
(1,906,014 )
(33,973 )
222,506 $
1,191
1,807,855
(19 )
(1,795,455 )
13,572
250,951
$
See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
73
HERON THERAPEUTICS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS
(In thousands, except per share amounts)
Revenues:
Net product sales
Cost of product sales
Gross profit
Operating expenses:
Research and development
General and administrative
Sales and marketing
Total operating expenses
Loss from operations
Other income (expense), net:
Interest income
Interest expense
Other income (expense)
Total other income (expense), net
Net loss
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Unrealized gains (losses) on short-term investments
Comprehensive loss
Basic and diluted net loss per share
Shares used in computing basic and diluted net loss per share
Years Ended December 31,
2023
2022
$
127,044 $
65,105
61,939
55,897
49,014
67,643
172,554
(110,615 )
3,364
(3,868 )
560
56
(110,559 )
32
(110,527 ) $
(0.80 ) $
138,135
$
$
107,672
54,874
52,798
107,506
37,437
82,513
227,456
(174,658 )
1,638
(2,474 )
(6,530 )
(7,366 )
(182,024 )
(13 )
(182,037 )
(1.67 )
108,876
See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
74
HERON THERAPEUTICS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ (DEFICIT) EQUITY
(In thousands)
Common Stock
Shares
Amount
Additional
Paid-In
Capital
102,005
$
1,020
$ 1,689,987 $
Accumulated
Other
Comprehensi
ve
Income
(Loss)
Accumulated
Deficit
(6 ) $ (1,613,431 ) $
Total
Stockholders’
Equity
(Deficit)
77,570
407
614
16,129
—
—
4
6
161
—
—
1,440
—
—
1,444
(1,536 )
—
—
(1,530 )
74,984
42,980
—
—
—
—
—
—
(182,024 )
75,145
42,980
(182,024 )
—
—
119,155
$
—
—
1,191
—
—
$ 1,807,855 $
—
(13 )
—
—
(19 ) $ (1,795,455 ) $
(13 )
(182,037 )
13,572
717
1,130
7
11
897
—
—
904
(914 )
—
—
(903 )
20,735
208
29,547
—
—
29,755
8,548
—
—
—
86
—
—
—
(85 )
371
32,854
—
—
—
150,285
$
—
—
1,503
—
—
$ 1,870,525 $
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
(110,559 )
—
32
—
—
13 $ (1,906,014 ) $
1
371
32,854
(110,559 )
32
(110,527 )
(33,973 )
See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
75
Balance, December 31, 2021
Issuance of common stock under
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Issuance of common stock under
equity incentive plan
Issuance of common stock in a
private placement
Stock-based compensation expense
Net loss
Net unrealized loss on short-term
investments
Comprehensive loss
Balance, December 31, 2022
Issuance of common stock under
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Issuance of common stock under
equity incentive plan
Issuance of common stock in a
private placement
Issuance of common stock on
exercise of pre-funded warrants
Issuance of warrant in debt financing
Stock-based compensation expense
Net loss
Net unrealized gain on short-term
investments
Comprehensive loss
Balance, December 31, 2023
HERON THERAPEUTICS, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In thousands)
Operating activities:
Net loss
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used for operating activities:
Years Ended December 31,
2023
2022
$
(110,559 ) $
(182,024 )
Stock-based compensation expense
Depreciation and amortization
Amortization of debt discount
Amortization of debt issuance costs
Accretion of discount on short-term investments
Impairment of property and equipment
Loss on disposal of property and equipment
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable
Inventory
Prepaid expenses and other assets
Accounts payable
Accrued clinical and manufacturing liabilities
Accrued payroll and employee liabilities
Other accrued liabilities
Net cash used in operating activities
Investing activities:
Purchases of short-term investments
Maturities and sales of short-term investments
Purchases of property and equipment
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities
Financing activities:
Net proceeds from sale of common stock
Net proceeds from notes financing
Proceeds from purchases under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Payments for stock issued under the equity incentive plan
Proceeds from warrant exercises
Net cash provided by financing activities
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Interest paid
32,854
2,899
133
206
(1,739 )
617
10
(8,088 )
12,463
15,426
15
(2,177 )
(4,192 )
3,343
(58,789 )
(87,658 )
107,185
(1,545 )
13
17,995
29,755
24,350
904
(903 )
1
54,107
13,313
15,364
28,677 $
42,980
2,889
—
202
(736 )
209
74
(16,550 )
(6,191 )
1,010
(578 )
752
(1,847 )
12,898
(146,912 )
(145,683 )
143,957
(1,825 )
227
(3,324 )
75,145
—
1,444
(1,530 )
—
75,059
(75,177 )
90,541
15,364
3,059 $
2,250
$
$
See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
76
1.
Organization and Business
HERON THERAPEUTICS, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
We are a commercial-stage biotechnology company focused on improving the lives of patients by developing and commercializing therapeutic
innovations that improve medical care. Our advanced science, patented technologies, and innovative approach to drug discovery and development have
allowed us to create and commercialize a portfolio of products that aim to advance the standard of care for acute care and oncology patients.
ZYNRELEF® (bupivacaine and meloxicam) extended-release solution (“ZYNRELEF”) is approved in the United States (“U.S.”) for the
management of postoperative pain. APONVIE® (aprepitant) injectable emulsion (“APONVIE”) is approved in the U.S. for the prevention of postoperative
nausea and vomiting. CINVANTI® (aprepitant) injectable emulsion (“CINVANTI”) and SUSTOL® (granisetron) extended-release injection (“SUSTOL”)
are both approved in the U.S. for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.
As of December 31, 2023, we had cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments of $80.4 million. Based on our current operating plan and
projections, management believes that the Company's cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments will be sufficient to meet the Company's
anticipated cash requirements for a period of at least one year from the date this Annual Report on Form 10-K is filed with the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission (“SEC”).
2.
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Principles of Consolidation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Heron Therapeutics, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Heron
Therapeutics B.V., which was organized in the Netherlands in March 2015. Heron Therapeutics B.V. has no operations and no material assets or liabilities,
and there have been no significant transactions related to Heron Therapeutics B.V. since its inception.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. (“GAAP”) requires management to
make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and disclosures made in the accompanying notes to the
financial statements. Our significant accounting policies that involve significant judgment and estimates include revenue recognition, investments,
inventory and the related reserves, accrued clinical and manufacturing liabilities, income taxes and stock-based compensation. Actual results could differ
materially from those estimates.
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-term Investments
Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash and highly liquid investments with contractual maturities of three months or less from the original
purchase date.
Short-term investments consist of securities with contractual maturities of greater than three months from the original purchase date. Securities with
contractual maturities greater than one year are classified as short-term investments on the consolidated balance sheets, as we have the ability, if necessary,
to liquidate these securities to meet our liquidity needs in the next 12 months. We have classified our short-term investments as available-for-sale securities
in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. Available-for-sale securities are stated at fair market value, with net changes in unrealized gains and
losses reported in other comprehensive loss and realized gains and losses included in other income (expense), net. The cost of securities sold is based on the
specific identification method. Interest and dividends on securities classified as available-for-sale are included in interest income within other income
(expense), net.
77
Our bank and investment accounts have been placed under a control agreement in accordance with our working capital line of credit (see Note 8).
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
A company may elect to use fair value to measure accounts receivable, available-for-sale securities, accounts payable, guarantees and issued debt,
among others. If the use of fair value is elected, any upfront costs and fees related to the item such as debt issuance costs must be recognized in earnings
and cannot be deferred. The fair value election is irrevocable and generally made on an instrument-by-instrument basis, even if a company has similar
instruments that it elects not to measure based on fair value. Unrealized gains and losses on existing items for which fair value has been elected are reported
as a cumulative adjustment to beginning retained earnings and any changes in fair value are recognized in earnings. We have elected to not apply the fair
value option to our financial assets and liabilities.
Financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, receivables, inventory, prepaid expenses, other current assets, accounts payable and
accrued expenses, are carried at cost, which is considered to be representative of their respective fair values because of the short-term maturity of these
instruments. Short-term available-for-sale investments are carried at fair value. Our convertible notes and non-current notes payable outstanding at
December 31, 2023 and 2022 do not have a readily available ascertainable market value, however, their carrying value, which is measured at carrying value
less unamortized debt issuance costs or debt discounts, is considered to approximate their fair value.
Concentration of Credit Risk
Cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments are financial instruments that potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk. We deposit
our cash in financial institutions. At times, such deposits may be in excess of insured limits. We have not experienced any losses in such accounts and
believe we are not exposed to significant risk on our cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments. Any loss incurred or a lack of access to such funds
could have a significant adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
We may also invest our excess cash in money market funds, U.S. government and agencies, corporate debt securities and commercial paper. We
have established guidelines relative to our diversification of our cash investments and their maturities in an effort to maintain safety and liquidity. These
guidelines are periodically reviewed and modified to take advantage of trends in yields and interest rates.
ZYNRELEF, APONVIE, CINVANTI and SUSTOL (collectively, our “Products”) are distributed in the U.S. through a limited number of specialty
distributors and full line wholesalers (collectively, “Customers”) that resell to healthcare providers and hospitals, the end users of our Products.
The following includes the percentage of net product sales and accounts receivable balances for our three major Customers, each of which
comprised 10% or more of our net product sales:
Customer A
Customer B
Customer C
Total
Net Product
Sales
Year Ended
December 31,
2023
Accounts
Receivable
As of
December 31,
2023
43.3 %
36.8 %
19.0 %
99.1 %
42.1 %
36.1 %
21.5 %
99.7 %
78
Accounts Receivable, Net
Accounts receivable are recorded at the invoice amount, net of an allowance for credit losses. The allowance for credit losses reflects accounts
receivable balances that are believed to be uncollectible. In estimating the allowance for credit losses, we consider: (1) our historical experience with
collections and write-offs; (2) the credit quality of our Customers and any recent or anticipated changes thereto; (3) the outstanding balances and past due
amounts from our Customers; and (4) reasonable and supportable forecast of economic conditions expected to exist throughout the contractual term of the
receivable.
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, we determined that an allowance for credit losses was not required. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and
2022, we did not have any material write-offs of accounts receivable balances.
Inventory
Inventory is stated at the lower of cost or estimated net realizable value on a first-in, first-out, or FIFO, basis. We periodically analyze our inventory
levels and write down inventory that has become obsolete, inventory that has a cost basis in excess of its estimated realizable value and inventory quantities
that are in excess of expected sales requirements as cost of product sales. The determination of whether inventory costs will be realizable requires estimates
by management. If actual market conditions are less favorable than projected by management, additional write-downs of inventory may be required, which
would be recorded as cost of product sales.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment is stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation is calculated on a straight-line basis over the
estimated useful lives of the assets (generally 5 years). Leasehold improvements are stated at cost and amortized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of
the estimated useful life of the asset or the lease term.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
If indicators of impairment exist, we assess the recoverability of the affected long-lived assets by determining whether the carrying value of such
assets can be recovered through undiscounted future operating cash flows. If impairment is indicated, we measure the amount of such impairment by
comparing the carrying value of the asset to the fair value of the asset and record the impairment as a reduction in the carrying value of the related asset
with a corresponding charge to operating expenses. Estimating the undiscounted future operating cash flows associated with long-lived assets requires
judgment and assumptions that could differ materially from actual results.
Leases
We determine if an arrangement is a lease or contains lease components at inception. Operating leases with an initial term greater than 12 months are
recorded as lease liabilities with corresponding right-of-use (“ROU”) lease assets on the consolidated balance sheets. ROU lease assets represent our right
to use the underlying assets over the lease term, and lease liabilities represent the present value of our obligation to make lease payments arising from the
lease. Lease liabilities are recognized at the lease commencement based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As most of our leases
do not provide an implicit rate, we use our incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the commencement date in determining the
present value of lease payments. We use the implicit rate when readily determinable. The ROU lease assets equal the lease liabilities, less unamortized
lease incentives, unamortized initial direct costs and the cumulative difference between rent expense and amounts paid under the lease. The lease term
includes any option to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option. Lease expense is recognized on a
straight-line basis over the lease term. We have elected the practical expedient to not separate lease and non-lease components.
79
Revenue Recognition
Revenue is recognized in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”)
Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“Topic 606”). Topic 606 is based on the principle that revenue should be recognized to depict the
transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for
those goods or services.
Product Sales
Our Products are distributed in the U.S. through a limited number of Customers that resell to healthcare providers and hospitals, the end users of our
Products.
Revenue is recognized in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to receive in exchange for our Products. To determine revenue
recognition for contracts with customers within the scope of Topic 606, we perform the following 5 steps: (i) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (ii)
identify the performance obligations of the contract(s); (iii) determine the transaction price; (iv) allocate the transaction price to the performance
obligations in the contract(s); and (v) recognize revenue when (or as) we satisfy the performance obligations. We recognize revenue from product sales
when there is a transfer of control of the product to our Customers. We typically determine transfer of control based on when the product is delivered, and
title passes to our Customers.
Product Sales Allowances
We recognize product sales allowances as a reduction of product sales in the same period the related revenue is recognized. Product sales allowances
are based on amounts owed or to be claimed on the related sales. Such variable consideration includes estimates that take into consideration the terms of
our agreements with Customers, historical product returns, rebates or discounts taken, the shelf life of the product and specific known market events, such
as competitive pricing and new product introductions. If actual future results vary from our estimates, we may need to adjust these estimates, which could
have an effect on product sales and earnings in the period of adjustment. Our product sales allowances include:
•
•
•
•
Product Returns—We allow our Customers to return product for credit beginning three months prior to the product expiration date and up to 12
months after the product expiration date. As such, there may be a significant period of time between the time the product is shipped and the
time the credit is issued on returned product.
Distributor Fees—We pay distribution service fees to our Customers based on a contractually fixed percentage of the wholesale acquisition
cost and fees for data. These fees are paid no later than two months after the quarter in which product was shipped.
Group Purchasing Organization (“GPO”) Discounts and Rebates—We offer cash discounts to GPO members. These discounts are taken when
the GPO members purchase product from our Customers, who then charge back to us the discount amount. Additionally, we offer volume and
contract-tier rebates to GPO members. Rebates are based on actual purchase levels during the quarterly rebate purchase period.
GPO Administrative Fees—We pay administrative fees to GPOs for services and access to data. These fees are based on contracted terms and
are paid after the quarter in which the product was purchased by the GPOs’ members.
• Medicaid Rebates—We participate in Medicaid rebate programs, which provide assistance to certain low-income patients based on each
individual state’s guidelines regarding eligibility and services. Under the Medicaid rebate programs, we pay a rebate to each participating state,
generally within six months after the quarter in which the product was sold.
80
•
Prompt Pay Discounts—We may provide discounts on product sales to our Customers for prompt payment based on contractual terms.
We believe our estimated allowance for product returns and GPO discounts requires a high degree of judgment and is subject to change based on our
experience and certain quantitative and qualitative factors. We believe our estimated allowances for distributor fees, GPO rebates and administrative fees,
Medicaid rebates and prompt pay discounts do not require a high degree of judgment because the amounts are settled within a relatively short period of
time.
Our product sales allowances and related accruals are evaluated each reporting period and adjusted when trends or significant events indicate that a
change in estimate is appropriate. Changes in product sales allowance estimates could materially affect our results of operations and financial position.
Accrued Clinical Liabilities
We accrue clinical costs based on work performed, which relies on estimates of the progress of the trials and the related expenses incurred. Clinical
trial related contracts vary significantly in duration, and may be for a fixed amount, based on the achievement of certain contingent events or deliverables, a
variable amount based on actual costs incurred, capped at a certain limit or contain a combination of these elements. Revisions are recorded to research and
development expense in the period in which the facts that give rise to the revision become known. Historically, revisions have not resulted in material
changes to research and development expense; however, a modification in the protocol of a clinical trial or cancellation of a clinical trial could result in a
material charge to our results of operations.
Research and Development Expense
All costs of research and development are expensed in the period incurred. Research and development expense primarily consists of personnel and
related costs, stock-based compensation expense, fees paid to outside service providers and consultants, facilities costs and materials used in clinical and
preclinical trials and research and development.
Patent Costs
We incur outside legal fees in connection with filing and maintaining our various patent applications. All patent costs are expensed as incurred and
are included in general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
Stock-Based Compensation Expense
We estimate the fair value of each option grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model and for market-based stock option grants using the
Monte Carlo simulation model. This fair value is then amortized using the straight-line single-option method of attributing the value of stock-based
compensation to expense over the requisite service periods of the awards. Forfeitures are accounted for, as incurred, as a reversal of stock-based
compensation expense related to awards that will not vest. The Black-Scholes option pricing model and the Monte Carlo simulation model both require
inputs of complex and subjective assumptions, including each option’s expected life and price volatility of the underlying stock.
Warrants
We have issued warrants to purchase shares of our common stock in conjunction with certain equity and debt financings or in exchange for services.
The terms of the warrants were evaluated to determine the appropriate classification as equity or a liability.
81
Income Taxes
We recognize the impact of a tax position in our consolidated financial statements if the position is more likely than not to be sustained on
examination and on the technical merits of the position. The total amount of unrecognized tax benefits, if recognized, would affect other tax accounts,
primarily deferred taxes in future periods, and would not affect our effective tax rate, since we maintain a full valuation allowance against our deferred tax
assets (see Note 12). We recognize interest and penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense.
Comprehensive Loss
Comprehensive loss is defined as the change in equity during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner
sources. Net changes in unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities are included in other comprehensive income (loss) and represent the
difference between our net loss and comprehensive loss for both periods presented.
Net Loss per Share
Basic net loss per share is calculated by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period,
including pre-funded warrants to purchase shares of common stock. Diluted net loss per share is computed by dividing the net loss by the weighted-average
number of common shares and common stock equivalents outstanding for the period determined using the treasury stock method. For purposes of this
calculation, stock options, restricted stock units, warrants and shares of common stock underlying convertible notes are considered to be common stock
equivalents and are included in the calculation of diluted net loss per share only when their effect is dilutive.
Because we have incurred a net loss for both periods presented in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, the following
common stock equivalents were not included in the computation of net loss per share because their effect would be anti-dilutive (in thousands):
Stock options outstanding
Restricted stock units outstanding
Warrants outstanding
Shares of common stock underlying convertible notes outstanding
Segment Reporting
December 31,
2023
2022
24,575
1,405
298
9,819
20,749
3,167
8,548
9,819
Management has determined that we operate in one business segment which is the development and commercialization of therapeutic innovations.
All revenues for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 were generated from customers in the U.S.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Not Yet Adopted
In December 2023, FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2023-09, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures
(“ASU 2023-09”), to enhance income tax reporting disclosures and require disclosure of specific categories in the tabular rate reconciliation. ASU 2023-09
is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, on a prospective basis. Early adoption and retrospective application are permitted. We are
currently evaluating the impact on our disclosures.
82
3.
Fair Value Measurements
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. The FASB ASC Topic 820, Fair Value
Measurements & Disclosures, establishes a fair value hierarchy which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows:
•
•
•
Level 1—Observable inputs such as quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
Level 2—Inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities;
quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for
substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.
Level 3—Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or
liabilities.
We measure cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments at fair value on a recurring basis. The fair values of such assets were as follows (in
thousands):
Cash and money market funds
U.S. treasury bills and government agency obligations
U.S. corporate debt securities
Foreign corporate debt securities
U.S. commercial paper
Foreign commercial paper
Total
Cash and money market funds
U.S. treasury bills and agency obligations
U.S. corporate debt securities
U.S. commercial paper
Foreign commercial paper
Total
Fair Value Measurements at Reporting Date Using
Quoted
Prices in
Active
Markets for
Identical
Assets
(Level 1)
Balance at
December 31,
2023
Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
$
$
$
$
23,441 $
31,636
16,889
5,460
1,990
993
80,409 $
23,441 $
31,636
—
—
—
—
55,077 $
— $
—
16,889
5,460
1,990
993
25,332 $
Fair Value Measurements at Reporting Date Using
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
Quoted
Prices in
Active
Markets for
Identical
Assets
(Level 1)
Balance at
December 31,
2022
Significant
Other
Observable
Inputs
(Level 2)
Significant
Unobservable
Inputs
(Level 3)
13,867 $
35,715
1,497
5,481
28,292
84,852 $
13,867 $
35,715
—
—
—
49,582 $
— $
—
1,497
5,481
28,292
35,270 $
—
—
—
—
—
—
We have not transferred any investment securities between the three levels of the fair value hierarchy.
83
As of December 31, 2023, cash equivalents included $5.3 million of available-for-sale securities with contractual maturities of three months or less
and short-term investments included $51.7 million of available-for-sale securities with contractual maturities of three months to one year. As of December
31, 2022, cash equivalents included $1.5 million of available-for-sale securities with contractual maturities of three months or less and short-term
investments included $69.5 million of available-for-sale securities with contractual maturities of three months to one year. The money market funds as of
December 31, 2023 and 2022 are included in cash and cash equivalents on the consolidated balance sheets.
4.
Balance Sheet Details
Short-Term Investments
The following is a summary of our short-term investments (in thousands):
U.S. treasury bills and government agency obligations
U.S. corporate debt securities
Foreign corporate debt securities
U.S. commercial paper
Foreign commercial paper
Total
U.S. treasury bills and agency obligations
U.S. commercial paper
Foreign commercial paper
Total
Amortized
Cost
December 31, 2023
Gross
Unrealized
Gains
Gross
Unrealized
Losses
Estimated
Fair Value
31,625 $
11,652
5,459
1,991
993
51,720 $
11 $
1
1
—
—
13 $
— $
—
—
(1 )
—
(1 ) $
31,636
11,653
5,460
1,990
993
51,732
Amortized
Cost
35,734 $
5,481
28,292
69,507 $
December 31, 2022
Gross
Unrealized
Gains
Gross
Unrealized
Losses
— $
—
—
— $
(19 ) $
—
—
(19 ) $
Estimated
Fair Value
35,715
5,481
28,292
69,488
$
$
$
$
The amortized cost of debt securities is adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts to maturity. We regularly monitor and
evaluate the realizable value of our marketable securities. We did not recognize any impairment losses for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.
Unrealized gains and losses associated with our investments are reported in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). For the year ended
December 31, 2023, we recorded $32,000 in net unrealized gains associated with our short-term investments. For the year ended December 31, 2022, we
recorded $13,000 in net unrealized losses associated with our short-term investments.
Realized gains and losses associated with our investments, if any, are reported in the statements of operations and comprehensive loss. We
recognized $1,000 in realized losses during the year ended December 31, 2023. We did not recognize any realized gains or losses during the year ended
December 31, 2022.
Inventory
Inventory consists of the following (in thousands):
Raw materials
Work in process
Finished goods
Total inventory
December 31,
2023
2022
17,643 $
14,550
9,917
42,110 $
15,137
20,723
18,713
54,573
$
$
84
As of December 31, 2023, total inventory included $11.2 million related to ZYNRELEF, $26.4 million related to CINVANTI, $4.1 million related to
SUSTOL and $0.4 million related to APONVIE. As of December 31, 2022, total inventory included $30.9 million related to ZYNRELEF, $19.9 million
related to CINVANTI, $2.6 million related to SUSTOL and $1.2 million related to APONVIE. Cost of product sales for the years ended December 31,
2023 and 2022 included charges of $20.3 million and $8.9 million, respectively, resulting primarily from the write-off of ZYNRELEF inventory.
Prepaid Expenses and Other Assets
Prepaid expenses and other assets consist of the following (in thousands):
Prepaid expenses
Prepaid insurance
Interest receivables
Deposits
Other receivables
Total prepaid expenses and other assets
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment, net consists of the following (in thousands):
Scientific equipment
Leasehold improvements
Computer equipment and software
Furniture, fixtures and office equipment
Property and equipment, gross
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization
Property and equipment, net
December 31,
2023
2022
11,731 $
1,910
310
274
21
14,246 $
December 31,
2023
2022
34,027 $
647
1,506
1,014
37,194
(17,028 )
20,166 $
21,120
1,947
154
254
6,197
29,672
33,318
647
1,506
982
36,453
(14,293 )
22,160
$
$
$
$
Depreciation and amortization expense for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 was $2.9 million for both periods. As of December 31,
2023 and 2022, $6.3 million and $5.4 million of property and equipment, respectively, was in process and not depreciated during the respective years.
Accrued Payroll and Employee Liabilities and Other Accrued Liabilities
Accrued payroll and employee liabilities consist of the following (in thousands):
Accrued employee salaries and benefits
Accrued bonuses
Accrued vacation
Total accrued payroll and employee liabilities
85
December 31,
2023
2022
1,371 $
5,499
2,354
9,224 $
2,134
7,783
3,499
13,416
$
$
Other accrued liabilities consist of the following (in thousands):
Accrued product sales allowances
Accrued consulting and professional fees
Accrued accounts payable
Accrued interest
Other accrued liabilities
Total other accrued liabilities
5.
Revenue Recognition
The following provides disaggregated net product sales (in thousands):
CINVANTI net product sales
SUSTOL net product sales
ZYNRELEF net product sales
APONVIE net product sales
Total net product sales
December 31,
2023
2022
36,529 $
3,940
559
412
415
41,855 $
33,317
4,236
363
94
542
38,552
For the Years Ended December 31,
2023
2022
94,869 $
13,057
17,727
1,391
127,044 $
87,245
10,231
10,196
—
107,672
$
$
$
$
The following provides a summary of activity with respect to our product returns, distributor fees and discounts, rebates, administrative and other
fees, which are included in other accrued liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets (in thousands):
Balance at December 31, 2022
Provision
Payments/credits
Balance at December 31, 2023
6.
Commitments and Contingencies
Leases
Product
Returns
Distributor
Fees
Discounts,
Rebates,
Administrative and
Other Fees
$
$
3,336 $
2,638
(1,198 )
4,776 $
4,180 $
23,722
(23,483 )
4,419 $
25,801 $
169,651
(168,118 )
27,334 $
Total
33,317
196,011
(192,799 )
36,529
As of December 31, 2023, we had an operating lease for 52,148 square feet of laboratory and office space in San Diego, California, with a lease
term that expires on December 31, 2025. In October 2021, we entered into a sublease agreement to sublet 23,873 square feet of laboratory and office space.
The space was delivered to the subtenant in March 2022. As a result of the sublease agreement, our one 5-year option to renew the lease on expiration
applies only with respect to our remaining 28,275 square feet of laboratory and office space.
In September 2023, we also entered into a sublease agreement to sublet 5,840 square feet of office space in Cary, North Carolina, with a lease term
that expires on April 30, 2025.
86
Annual future minimum lease payments as of December 31, 2023 are as follows (in thousands):
Year ended December 31:
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028
Thereafter
Total future minimum lease payments
Less: discount
Total lease liabilities
$
$
3,153
3,138
—
—
—
—
6,291
(416 )
5,875
Rent expense under all operating leases totaled $2.9 million and $2.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. During
the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we paid $3.0 million and $2.9 million, respectively, for our operating leases.
Development Agreements
We enter into agreements with clinical sites and clinical research organizations for the conduct of our clinical trials and contract manufacturing
organizations for the manufacture and supply of preclinical, clinical and commercial materials and drug product. We make payments to these clinical sites
and clinical research organizations based in part on the number of eligible patients enrolled and the length of their participation in the clinical trials. In
some of our agreements with contract manufacturing organizations, we are required to meet minimum purchase obligations. Under certain of these
agreements, we may be subject to penalties in the event that we prematurely terminate these agreements. At this time, due to the variability associated with
clinical site agreements, contract research organization agreements and contract manufacturing agreements, we are unable to estimate with certainty the
future costs we will incur. We intend to use our current financial resources to fund our obligations under these commitments.
Purchase Obligations
At December 31, 2023, purchase obligations primarily consisted of non-cancellable commitments with third-party manufacturers in connection
with the manufacturing of our commercial products. Total purchase obligations of $60.2 million were not included in our consolidated financial statements
for the year ended December 31, 2023, with $39.0 million due in one year and $21.2 million due within two to three years.
7.
Reorganization
June 2023 Reorganization
In June 2023, we implemented a restructuring plan under which we provided or will provide employees with one-time severance payments upon
termination, continuation of benefits for a specific period of time, outplacement services and certain stock award modifications. The total amount expected
to be incurred for these activities is $4.2 million, which primarily consists of severance payments to terminated employees. During the year ended
December 31, 2023, we recognized $4.2 million of the total expense, $2.4 million of which was included in sales and marketing expense, $1.7 million of
which was included in research and development expense and $0.1 million of which was included in general and administrative expense. As of December
31, 2023, we have paid $3.7 million of
87
the total cash severance charges. We anticipate that the cash payments due to terminated employees will be substantially complete in the first quarter of
2024.
Executive Officer Departures
During the second and third quarters of 2023, we also implemented changes to our executive leadership structure. In connection with these changes,
we provided five executive officers with one-time severance payments upon termination, continued benefits for a specified period of time, and certain stock
award modifications. The total expense for these activities was $13.4 million, $4.7 million of which was primarily for severance and $8.7 million of which
was for non-cash, stock-based compensation expense. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we recognized $13.4 million of the total expense, $7.2
million of which was included in general and administrative expense, $3.9 million of which was included in sales and marketing expense, and $2.3 million
of which was included in research and development expense. As of December 31, 2023, we have paid substantially all of the cash severance charges.
June 2022 Reorganization
In June 2022, we implemented a restructuring plan under which we provided employees one-time severance payments upon termination,
continuation of benefits for a specific period of time, outplacement services and certain stock award modifications. The total amount incurred for these
activities was $5.4 million, $5.0 million of which was primarily for severance and $0.4 million of which was for non-cash, stock-based compensation
expense related to stock award modifications. For the year ended December 31, 2022, we recognized $5.4 million of the total expense, $4.2 million of
which was included in research and development expense, $1.0 million of which was included in sales and marketing expense, and $0.2 million of which
was included in general and administrative expense. As of December 31, 2023, we have paid all of the total cash severance charges.
We have accounted for these expenses in accordance with the FASB ASC Topic 420, Exit or Disposal Cost Obligations.
8.
Convertible Notes
Working Capital Facility Agreement
On August 9, 2023, we entered into a working capital facility agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) with Hercules Capital, Inc., as administrative
agent and collateral agent, and the lenders party thereto (the “Lenders”). The Loan Agreement provides an aggregate principal amount of up to $50.0
million with tranched availability as follows: $25.0 million at closing (“tranche 1A”), $5.0 million available through December 15, 2024 (“tranche 1B”),
and $20.0 million available from the earlier of: (1) the full draw of tranche 1B and (2) the expiration of tranche 1B, and available through December 15,
2025 (“tranche 1C”), and in the case of tranches 1B and 1C, subject to certain customary conditions to draw down.
The Loan Agreement has a term of four years, with a springing maturity date that is 91 days prior to the stated maturity of our existing senior
unsecured convertible notes (if still outstanding at such time). The loans thereunder do not have any scheduled amortization payments and accrue interest at
a floating rate equal to, as of closing, 9.95% per annum, payable in cash on a monthly basis and upon maturity or payoff. In addition, under the terms of the
Loan Agreement, the loans also accrue paid-in-kind interest monthly at a fixed-rate of 1.5% per annum which is due upon maturity or payoff.
In addition, in connection with the tranche 1A funding, we issued warrants to the Lenders to purchase up to 297,619 shares of our common stock at
an exercise price of $1.68 per share. The warrants are equal to 2.00% of the principal amount of loans funded by the Lenders (the “Warrant Coverage”).
The Loan Agreement also requires that we issue additional warrants to the Lenders at the time of each draw down of tranches 1B and 1C with the same
Warrant Coverage. Each warrant is exercisable for seven years from the date of issuance.
88
The Loan Agreement contains a minimum cash covenant, beginning on the closing date, requiring us to hold cash of no less than $8.5 million, if our
market capitalization is less than $400 million. The Loan Agreement also contains customary representations and warranties and customary affirmative and
negative covenants, including, among other things, restrictions on indebtedness, liens, investments, mergers, dispositions, prepayment of other
indebtedness, and dividends and other distributions, subject to certain exceptions. We were in compliance with all covenants of the Loan Agreement as of
December 31, 2023.
The Loan Agreement was accounted for in accordance with ASC Topic 470, Debt, ASC Topic 480, Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity and ASC
Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging. The initial tranche 1A funding of $25.0 million and the warrants issued upon closing to purchase 297,619 shares of
our common stock are accounted for as freestanding debt and equity financial instruments, respectively, as they are legally detachable and separately
exercisable. The additional borrowings available under the Loan Agreement plus the additional warrants to purchase shares of our common stock, which
would be issued concurrently, are accounted for as a single freestanding financial instrument that are not assets or obligations of ours; this financial
instrument meets the loan commitment derivative scope exception and will be accounted for when and if we borrow additional tranches in the future. The
initial funding of $25.0 million was recorded as a liability on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.
In connection with the Loan Agreement, we recognized the initial 297,619 issued warrants at their relative fair value of $0.4 million, and we
incurred debt issuance costs of $0.6 million, both of which were recorded as debt discounts. The debt discounts and the end of term fee, of $0.8 million, are
being amortized and accreted into interest expense using the effective interest rate method over the term of the Loan Agreement, resulting in an effective
interest rate of 14.5%. For the year ended December 31, 2023, interest expense related to the Loan Agreement was $1.3 million, which included $1.0
million related to the stated interest rate, $0.2 million related to paid-in-kind interest, and $0.1 million related to the amortization of the debt discounts. As
of December 31, 2023, the carrying value of tranche 1A was $24.3 million, which is comprised of the $25.2 million principal amount outstanding, less debt
discounts of $0.9 million.
Senior Unsecured Convertible Notes
In May 2021, we entered into a note purchase agreement with funds affiliated with Baker Bros. Advisors LP for a private placement of $150.0
million in Senior Unsecured Convertible Notes (“Notes”). We received a total of $149.0 million, net of issuance costs, from the issuance of these Notes.
The Notes were issued at par. The Notes bear interest at a rate of 1.5% per annum, payable in cash semi-annually in arrears on June 15th and
December 15th of each year, beginning on December 15, 2021. The Notes mature on May 26, 2026, unless earlier converted, redeemed or repurchased.
The Notes will be subject to redemption at our option, between May 24, 2024 and May 24, 2025, but only if the last reported sale price per share of
our common stock exceeds 250% of the conversion price for a specified period of time, or on or after May 24, 2025 if the last reported sale price per share
of our common stock exceeds 200% of the conversion price for a specified period of time. The redemption price will be equal to the principal amount of
the Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest.
Upon conversion, we will settle the Notes in shares of our common stock. The initial conversion rate for the Notes is 65.4620 shares per $1,000
principal amount of the Notes (equivalent to an initial conversion price of $15.276 per share of common stock).
If a holder of the Notes converts upon a make-whole fundamental change or company redemption, the holder may be eligible to receive a make-
whole premium through an increase to the conversion rate.
In May 2021, we filed a registration statement with the SEC to register for resale 12.4 million shares of our common stock underlying the Notes,
including the maximum number of shares of common stock issuable under the make-whole premium.
The Notes were accounted for in accordance with ASC Subtopic 470-20, Debt with Conversion and Other Options (“ASC 470-20”) and ASC
Subtopic 815-40, Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (“ASC 815-40”). Under ASC
89
815-40, to qualify for equity classification (or non-bifurcation, if embedded), the instrument (or embedded feature) must be both (1) indexed to the issuer’s
stock and (2) meet the requirements of the equity classification guidance. Based upon our analysis, it was determined that the Notes do contain embedded
features indexed to our own stock, but do not meet the requirements for bifurcation, and therefore do not need to be separately accounted for as an equity
component. Since the embedded conversion feature meets the equity scope exception from derivative accounting, and, also since the embedded conversion
option does not need to be separately accounted for as an equity component under ASC 470-20, the proceeds received from the issuance of the Notes were
recorded as a liability on the consolidated balance sheets.
We incurred issuance costs related to the Notes of $1.0 million, which we recorded as debt issuance costs and are included as a reduction to the
Notes on the consolidated balance sheets. The debt issuance costs are being amortized to interest expense using the effective interest rate method over the
term of the Notes, resulting in an effective interest rate of 1.6%. For the year ended December 31, 2023, interest expense related to the Notes was $2.5
million, which included $2.3 million related to the stated interest rate and $0.2 million related to the amortization of debt issuance costs. As of December
31, 2023, the carrying value of the Notes was $149.5 million, which is comprised of the $150.0 million principal amount of the Notes outstanding, less debt
issuance costs of $0.5 million.
9.
Stockholders’ Equity
2023 Private Placement
On July 21, 2023, we entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement (the “July 2023 Private Placement”) with Rubric Capital Management L.P.,
Velan Capital, Clearline Capital and Hercules Capital, Inc. (collectively, the “Purchasers”) whereby we sold 20.7 million shares of our common stock in a
private placement at a purchase price of $1.37 per share. In addition, as a component of the July 2023 Private Placement, we sold 1.2 million pre-funded
warrants to purchase shares of our common stock at a purchase price of $1.3699 per share. The pre-funded warrants have an exercise price of $0.0001 per
share. The total net proceeds from the sale of the common stock and pre-funded warrants is $29.8 million (net of $0.2 million in issuance costs). The July
2023 Private Placement closed on July 25, 2023. In August 2023, we filed a registration statement with the SEC to register for resale 21.9 million shares of
our common stock. The registration statement was declared effective on August 31, 2023.
2022 Private Placement
On August 8, 2022, we entered into an agreement to sell 16.1 million shares of our common stock in a private placement at a purchase price of
$3.10 per share (“2022 Private Placement”). In addition, as a component of the 2022 Private Placement, we agreed to sell 8.5 million pre-funded warrants
to purchase shares of our common stock at a purchase price of $3.0999 per share. The pre-funded warrants have an exercise price of $0.0001 per share. The
total net proceeds from the sale of the common stock and pre-funded warrants was $75.1 million (net of $1.4 million in issuance costs). The 2022 Private
Placement closed on August 10, 2022. In October 2022, we filed a registration statement with the SEC to register for resale 24.6 million shares of our
common stock. The registration statement was declared effective on October 18, 2022.
Common Stock Reserved for Future Issuance
Shares of our common stock reserved for future issuance as of December 31, 2023 were as follows (in thousands):
Stock options outstanding
Restricted stock units outstanding
Stock options available for grant
Shares of common stock reserved under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Shares of common stock underlying warrants
Shares of common stock underlying convertible notes outstanding (see Note 8)
Total shares reserved for future issuance
90
Number of
Shares
24,575
1,405
8,605
328
1,461
9,819
46,193
10.
Equity Incentive Plans
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
In 1997, our stockholders approved our Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”) at which time a maximum of 10,000 shares of common stock were
available for issuance. In December 2007, May 2009, June 2011, May 2014, May 2015, June 2016, June 2017, June 2019, June 2021, May 2022 and June
2023, our stockholders authorized increases in the number of shares reserved for issuance under the ESPP by 5,000, 10,000, 25,000, 25,000, 100,000,
100,000, 200,000, 300,000, 200,000, 850,000 and 400,000 shares, respectively, for a total of 2,225,000 shares reserved at December 31, 2023. Under the
terms of the ESPP, employees can elect to have up to a maximum of 10% of their base earnings withheld to purchase shares of our common stock. The
purchase price of the stock is 85% of the lower of the closing prices for our common stock on either: (i) the first trading day in the enrollment period, as
defined in the ESPP, in which the purchase is made, or (ii) the purchase date. The length of the enrollment period is 6 months. Enrollment dates are the first
business day of May and November. Under the ESPP, we issued 717,046 and 406,421 shares in 2023 and 2022, respectively. The weighted-average
exercise price per share of the purchase rights exercised during 2023 and 2022 was $1.26 and $3.55, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, 1,897,445
shares of common stock have been issued under the ESPP and 327,555 shares of common stock are available for future issuance.
Stock Option Plans
We currently have one stock option plan from which we can grant options and restricted stock awards to employees, officers, directors and
consultants. In December 2007, the stockholders approved our 2007 Amended and Restated Equity Incentive Plan (“2007 Plan”) at which time a maximum
of 150,000 shares of common stock were available for grant. In May 2010, June 2011, May 2014, May 2015, June 2016, June 2017, June 2019, June 2021,
May 2022 and June 2023, our stockholders approved amendments to our 2007 Plan to increase the maximum number of shares of common stock available
for grant by 100,000, 4,500,000, 1,750,000, 4,300,000, 3,000,000, 5,000,000, 7,000,000, 2,000,000, 2,900,000 and 8,490,000 shares of common stock,
respectively, resulting in an aggregate of 39,190,000 shares of common stock authorized for issuance as of December 31, 2023. At December 31, 2023,
there were 8,605,026 shares available for future grant under the 2007 Plan. Any shares that are issuable on exercise of options granted that expire, are
cancelled or that we receive pursuant to a net exercise of options are available for future grant and issuance.
In 2023, we granted options to certain employees outside of our stockholder approved stock option plan. All options to purchase our common stock
were granted with an exercise price that equals fair market value of the underlying common stock on the grant dates and expire no later than 10 years from
the date of grant. The options are exercisable in accordance with vesting schedules that generally provide for them to be fully vested and exercisable 4
years after the date of grant, provided, however, that we have also issued stock options awards that are subject to market-based vesting requirements. All
stock option grants issued outside of our stockholder approved plans were approved by our Board of Directors and have been registered on Form S-8 with
the SEC.
In 2020, we began granting restricted stock units (“RSUs”) to employees and non-employee directors pursuant to the 2007 Plan. We satisfy such
grants through the issuance of new shares upon vesting.
91
The following summarizes the stock option plan activity:
Balance at December 31, 2022
Granted
Exercised
Cancelled
Balance at December 31, 2023
Balance at December 31, 2022
Granted
Released
Forfeited
Balance at December 31, 2023
Outstanding Options
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
Number of
Shares
20,749,349 $
16,210,379 $
(26,570 ) $
(12,358,296 ) $
24,574,862 $
Weighted-
Average
Grant Date
Fair Value
Outstanding RSUs
Number of
Shares
3,167,397 $
1,757,506 $
(1,627,619 ) $
(1,892,355 ) $
1,404,929 $
14.61
1.69
1.32
12.72
7.06
6.46
2.39
6.34
4.27
4.43
For the year ended December 31, 2023, options cancelled (included in options outstanding) consisted of 11,508,070 options forfeited with a
weighted-average exercise price of $13.10 and 850,226 options expired with a weighted-average exercise price of $7.47.
As of December 31, 2023, options exercisable have a weighted-average remaining contractual term of 5.6 years. The total intrinsic value of stock
option exercises, which is the difference between the exercise price and closing price of our common stock on the date of exercise, during the year ended
December 31, 2023 was $10,000. There were no option exercises during the year ended December 31, 2022. As of December 31, 2023, the total intrinsic
value of options outstanding and exercisable was $137,000. As of December 31, 2022, there were no options outstanding and exercisable that were in-the-
money.
Exercisable at end of year
Options vested or expected to
vest
Years Ended December 31,
2023
2022
Options
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
Options
11,390,275 $
12.87
13,650,210 $
24,574,862 $
7.06
20,183,769 $
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
17.86
14.82
92
Exercise prices and weighted-average remaining contractual lives for the options outstanding as of December 31, 2023 were:
Outstanding
Options
6,179,628
7,660,800
3,406,724
83,323
21,459
1,100,494
3,116,010
2,828,424
178,000
24,574,862
Range of
Exercise Prices
$0.97–$1.51
$1.52–$2.28
$2.32–$3.48
$3.61–$5.42
$5.50–$8.25
$8.80–$13.20
$13.50–$20.25
$20.93–$31.40
$31.45–$41.18
Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life (in years)
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price
9.51 $
9.28
7.68
8.61
7.65
3.57
4.13
4.26
3.17
7.58
Options
Exercisable
344,006 $
2,001,281
2,182,510
34,239
10,059
996,018
2,817,050
2,827,112
178,000
11,390,275
1.25
1.77
2.99
4.08
5.84
11.18
16.10
25.72
35.45
7.06
Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price of
Options
Exercisable
1.30
1.78
3.05
4.09
5.81
11.20
16.16
25.72
35.45
12.87
On December 31, 2023, we had reserved 25,979,791 shares of common stock for future issuance on exercise of outstanding options and vesting of
outstanding restricted stock units granted under the 2007 Plan, as well as the non-plan grants.
Stock-Based Compensation
The following summarizes stock-based compensation expense related to stock-based payment awards pursuant to our equity compensation
arrangements (in thousands):
Research and development
General and administrative
Sales and marketing
Total stock-based compensation expense
December 31,
2023
2022
$
$
10,880 $
12,471
9,503
32,854 $
17,909
11,688
13,383
42,980
As of December 31, 2023, there was $23.2 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to non-vested, stock-based payment awards
granted under all of our equity compensation plans and all non-plan option grants. Total unrecognized compensation cost will be adjusted for future
changes in estimated forfeitures. We expect to recognize this compensation cost over a weighted-average period of three years.
The fair value of RSUs is estimated based on the closing market price of our common stock on the date of the grant. RSUs generally vest quarterly
over a four-year period.
We estimated the fair value of each option grant and ESPP purchase right on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the
following weighted-average assumptions:
Options:
Risk-free interest rate
Dividend yield
Volatility
Expected life (years)
December 31,
2023
2022
3.7 %
— %
68.1 %
6 to 10
3.3 %
— %
62.0 %
6
93
ESPP:
Risk-free interest rate
Dividend yield
Volatility
Expected life (months)
December 31,
2023
2022
5.3 %
— %
99.6 %
6
3.2 %
— %
83.8 %
6
The weighted-average fair value of options granted was $1.13 and $1.71 for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
The weighted-average fair value of shares purchased through the ESPP was $0.64 and $1.65 for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022,
respectively.
The risk-free interest rate assumption is based on observed interest rates on U.S. Treasury debt securities with maturities close to the expected term
of our employee and director stock options and ESPP purchases.
The dividend yield assumption is based on our history and expectation of dividend payouts. We have never paid dividends on our common stock,
and we do not anticipate paying dividends in the foreseeable future.
We used our historical stock price to estimate volatility.
The expected life of employee and director stock options represents the average of the contractual term of the options and the weighted-average
vesting period, as permitted under the simplified method. We have elected to use the simplified method, as we do not have enough historical exercise
experience to provide a reasonable basis on which to estimate the expected term. The expected life for the ESPP purchase rights is 6 months, which
represents the length of each purchase period.
11.
Employee Benefit Plan
We have a defined contribution 401(k) plan (“Plan”) covering substantially all of our employees. We make matching cash contributions equal to
50% of each participant’s contribution during the Plan year up to a maximum amount equal to the lesser of 3% of each participant’s annual compensation
or $9,900 and $9,150 for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Such amounts were recorded as expense in the corresponding years.
We may also contribute additional discretionary amounts to the Plan as we determine. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we contributed
$1.0 million and $1.4 million, respectively, to the Plan. No discretionary contributions have been made to the Plan since its inception.
94
12.
Income Taxes
For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we did not record a provision for income taxes due to a full valuation allowance against our
deferred tax assets.
The difference between the provision for income taxes and income taxes computed using the effective U.S. federal statutory rate is as follows (in
thousands):
Tax at statutory federal rate
State tax, net of federal benefit
Research and development credits
Stock-based compensation expense
Non-deductible compensation
Employee retention credit adjustment
Change in valuation allowance
Provision to return adjustment
Other
Provision for income taxes
December 31,
2023
2022
(23,210 ) $
(1,460 )
—
19,022
(4,682 )
—
7,556
3,008
(234 )
— $
(38,225 )
(13,898 )
(3,531 )
5,857
2,104
(1,265 )
46,452
—
2,506
—
$
$
Deferred income tax assets and liabilities arising from differences between accounting for financial statement purposes and tax purposes, less
valuation allowance at year-end are as follows (in thousands):
Deferred tax assets:
Net operating loss carryforward
Research and development credits
Section 174 capitalized research and development
Stock-based compensation
Lease liabilities
Other
Total gross deferred tax assets
Deferred tax liabilities:
Right-of-use lease assets
Total gross deferred tax liabilities
Valuation allowance
Net deferred tax assets
December 31,
2023
2022
$
320,998 $
59,417
28,822
15,413
1,471
5,005
431,126
(1,362 )
(1,362 )
(429,764 )
$
— $
313,834
60,245
20,903
23,991
2,052
3,693
424,718
(1,914 )
(1,914 )
(422,804 )
—
We have established a valuation allowance to offset net deferred tax assets as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 due to the uncertainty of realizing
future tax benefits from such assets.
As of December 31, 2023, we had federal and state net operating loss (“NOL”) carryforwards of $1.3 billion and $879.1 million, respectively. The
federal NOL carryforwards consist of $542.3 million generated before January 1, 2018, which will begin to expire in 2024, and $755.7 million that can be
carried forward indefinitely, but are subject to the 80% taxable income limitation. The state NOL carryforwards will begin to expire in 2028.
As of December 31, 2023, we had federal and state research and development credit carryforwards of $44.6 million and $21.7 million, respectively.
The federal research and development credit carryforwards will begin to expire in 2024. The state research and development credit carryforwards will be
carried forward indefinitely.
95
Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) Sections 382 and 383 place a limitation on the amount of taxable income that can be offset by NOL and credit
carryforwards after a change in control (generally greater than 50% change in ownership within a three-year period) of a loss corporation. Generally, after a
change in control, a loss corporation cannot deduct NOL and credit carryforwards in excess of the IRC Sections 382 and 383 limitation. State jurisdictions
have similar rules. We have performed an analysis of IRC Sections 382 and 383 through July 31, 2023 and determined there were ownership changes in
2007, 2011 and 2013. The limitation in the federal and state NOL and research and development credit carryforwards that expire unused would reduce the
deferred tax assets, which are fully offset by a valuation allowance.
We file U.S. and state income tax returns with varying statutes of limitations. The tax years from 2003 to 2023 remain open to examination due to
the carryover of unused NOL carryforwards and tax credits.
A reconciliation of our unrecognized tax benefits is as follows (in thousands):
Balance at beginning of year
Decrease for tax positions of prior years
Increase based on tax positions related to current year
Balance at end of year
Year Ended December 31,
2023
2022
$
$
11,235 $
(332 )
—
10,903 $
9,631
(200 )
1,804
11,235
Due to our valuation allowance, the $10.9 million of unrecognized tax benefits would not affect the effective tax rate, if recognized. It is the
Company’s practice to recognize interest and penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense. As of December 31, 2023, we had no accrued
interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions. We do not expect any material changes to the estimated amount of liability associated with our
uncertain tax positions within the next 12 months.
On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) was enacted and signed into law in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act includes changes to the tax provisions that benefits business such as the Employee Retention Credit (“ERC”). The
ERC provides an eligible employer with a tax credit that is allowed against certain employment taxes. We qualified for federal government assistance
through the ERC provisions for the period between January 1, 2021 and September 30, 2021. We recognize government grants when there is reasonable
assurance of compliance with grant conditions and receipt of the credits. For the year ended December 31, 2022, we recorded a one-time refund totaling
$6.0 million, which was included in the consolidated balance sheets as prepaid expenses and other current assets, as well as in the consolidated statements
of operations and comprehensive loss as an offset to the related employee expenses within research and development, general and administrative, and sales
and marketing expenses. The one-time $6.0 million refund was received in the second quarter of 2023.
Beginning January 1, 2022, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”) eliminated the option to deduct research and development expenditures in the
current year and requires taxpayers to capitalize such expenses pursuant to IRC Section 174. The capitalized expenses are amortized over a 5-year period
for domestic expenses and over a 15-year period for foreign expenses. As a result of this provision of the Tax Act, deferred tax assets related to capitalized
research expenses increased by $21 million during the year ended December 31, 2022.
13.
Subsequent Event
In January 2024, we entered into a five-year distributor partnership with CrossLink Life Sciences, LLC (“Crosslink”) to expand the sales network
supporting ZYNRELEF. Crosslink will be the lead partner in the U.S. to expand ZYNRELEF promotion for orthopedic indications. The partnership will
launch in several phases, initially at a regional level, followed by an expanded national rollout. In total, approximately 650 representatives will be added to
Heron’s sales network over the year. At this time, we cannot estimate the impact of the Crosslink agreement on our future financial results.
96
ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE.
None.
ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the participation of our principal executive and principal financial officers, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure
controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”)) as of December 31,
2023. Based on this evaluation, our principal executive and principal financial officers concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective
as of December 31, 2023.
Management Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting. Internal control over financial
reporting is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) and Rule 15d-15(f) promulgated under the Exchange Act as a process designed by, or under the supervision of, our
principal executive and principal financial officers and effected by our Board of Directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable
assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with accounting
principles generally accepted in the U.S. and includes those policies and procedures that:
•
•
•
pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of our assets;
provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with
accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S., and that receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations
of our management and directors; and
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. 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, 2023. In making this assessment, our
management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission in Internal Control-Integrated
Framework (2013).
Based on our assessment, management concluded that, as of December 31, 2023, our internal control over financial reporting was effective based on
those criteria.
The independent registered public accounting firm that audited the consolidated financial statements that are included in this Annual Report on
Form 10-K has issued an audit report on our internal control over financial reporting, which is included herein.
97
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
There have been no significant changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this Annual Report
on Form 10-K that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION.
None.
ITEM 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS.
Not applicable.
98
ITEM 10.
DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.
PART III
Information required by this item will be contained in our Definitive Proxy Statement for our 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed
pursuant to Regulation 14A with the SEC within 120 days of December 31, 2023. Such information is incorporated herein by reference.
We have adopted a Code of Ethics that applies to our Principal Executive Officer, Principal Financial Officer, and to all of our other officers,
directors and employees. The Code of Ethics is available in the Corporate Governance section of the Investor Resources page on our website at
www.herontx.com. We intend to disclose future waivers or material amendments to certain provisions of our Code of Ethics on the above-referenced
website within four business days following the date of such waiver or amendment.
ITEM 11.
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION.
Information required by this item will be contained in our Definitive Proxy Statement for our 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed
pursuant to Regulation 14A with the SEC within 120 days of December 31, 2023. Such information is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 12.
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER
MATTERS.
Information required by this item will be contained in our Definitive Proxy Statement for our 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed
pursuant to Regulation 14A with the SEC within 120 days of December 31, 2023. Such information is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 13.
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE.
Information required by this item will be contained in our Definitive Proxy Statement for our 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed
pursuant to Regulation 14A with the SEC within 120 days of December 31, 2023. Such information is incorporated herein by reference.
ITEM 14.
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES.
Information required by this item will be contained in our Definitive Proxy Statement for our 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, to be filed
pursuant to Regulation 14A with the SEC within 120 days of December 31, 2023. Such information is incorporated herein by reference.
99
ITEM 15.
EXHIBIT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.
PART IV
1.
Consolidated Financial Statements.
The consolidated financial statements and supplementary data set forth in Part II of the Annual Report on Form 10-K are included herein.
2.
Consolidated Financial Statement Schedules.
These schedules are omitted because they are not required, or are not applicable, or the required information is shown in the consolidated
financial statements or notes thereto.
3.
Exhibits.
The exhibits listed in the accompanying Exhibit Index are incorporated by reference herein or filed as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-
K.
100
Exhibit
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
3.7
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
4.6
10.1*
10.2*
10.3*
10.4*
10.5*
10.6*
10.7*
10.8
10.9*
10.10+
EXHIBIT INDEX
Document Description
Certificate of Incorporation, as amended through July 29, 2009 (incorporated by reference to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
quarter ended June 30, 2009, as Exhibit 3.1, filed on August 4, 2009)
Certificate of Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to our Current Report on Form 8-K, as Exhibit 3.1, filed
on June 30, 2011)
Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to our Current Report on Form 8-K, as Exhibit 3.1,
filed on January 13, 2014)
Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to our Company’s Post-Effective Amendment to its
Registration Statement on Form 8-A/A, filed on July 6, 2017)
Certificate of Amendment of Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2018, as Exhibit 3.6, filed on February 22, 2019)
Certificate of Amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to our Current Report on Form 8-K, as Exhibit 3.1,
filed on June 12, 2023)
Amended and Restated Bylaws (incorporated by reference to our Current Report on Form 8-K, as Exhibit 3.1, filed on February 8, 2019)
Common Stock Certificate (incorporated by reference to our Registration on Form S-3 (Registration No. 333-162968), as Exhibit 4.1, filed
on November 6, 2009)
Form of Warrant to Purchase Shares of Common Stock (incorporated by reference to our Current Report on Form 8-K, as Exhibit 4.1, filed
on June 27, 2014)
Form of Warrant to Purchase Shares of Common Stock (incorporated by reference to our Current Report on Form 8-K, as Exhibit 10.3, filed
on October 22, 2009)
Amended and Restated Certificate of Designation, Preferences, and Rights of Series A Preferred Stock (incorporated by reference to our
Current Report on Form 8-K, as Exhibit 3.C, filed on December 19, 2006)
Description of the Registrant’s Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (incorporated by
reference to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, as Exhibit 4.5, filed on March 2, 2020)
Form of Pre-Funded Warrant to Purchase Common Stock (incorporated by reference to our Current Report on Form 8-K, as Exhibit 10.1,
filed on August 10, 2022)
Amended and Restated 1997 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (incorporated by reference to our Form S-8 Registration Statement, as Exhibit
99.2, filed on June 30, 2023)
Amended and Restated 2007 Equity Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to our Form S-8 Registration Statement, as Exhibit 99.1, filed
on June 30, 2023)
Form of 2007 Equity Incentive Plan Stock Option Agreement (incorporated by reference to our Registration on Form S-8 (Registration No.
333-148660), as Exhibit 4.3, filed on January 14, 2008)
Form of 2007 Equity Incentive Plan Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (incorporated by reference to our Registration on Form S-8
(Registration No. 333-148660), as Exhibit 4.4, filed on January 14, 2008)
Form of 2007 Equity Incentive Plan Restricted Stock Award Agreement (incorporated by reference to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for
the year ended December 31, 2007, as Exhibit 10-O, filed on March 31, 2008)
Form of Indemnification Agreement (incorporated by reference to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007,
as Exhibit 10-S, filed on March 31, 2008)
Executive Employment Agreement, dated May 1, 2013, by and between the Company and Barry D. Quart, Pharm.D. (incorporated by
reference to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2013, as Exhibit 10-AI, filed on May 10, 2013)
Form of Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement (incorporated by reference to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
June 30, 2013, as Exhibit 10-AL, filed on August 8, 2013)
Amendment to Executive Employment Agreement, dated May 1, 2013, as amended on April 22, 2015, by and between the Company and Dr.
Barry Quart (incorporated by reference to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2015, as Exhibit 10.1, filed on
May 8, 2015)
SUSTOL (granisetron, extended release) Injection Commercial Manufacturing Services Agreement – Finished Final Drug Product, dated
May 27, 2015, by and between the Company and Lifecore
®
101
10.11*
10.12
10.13
10.14
10.15
10.16
10.17
10.18*
10.19
10.20
10.21*
10.22*
10.23*
10.24*
10.25*
10.26*
10.27
10.28
Biomedical, LLC) (incorporated by reference to our Current Report on Form 8-K, as Exhibit 10.1, filed on May 29, 2015)
Executive Employment Agreement, dated January 28, 2016, by and between the Company and Kimberly Manhard (incorporated by
reference to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2016, as Exhibit 10.1, filed on May 5, 2016)
Lease Agreement, dated October 18, 2016, by and between the Company and AP3-SD1 Campus Point LLC (incorporated by reference to our
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2016, as Exhibit 10.3, filed on November 8, 2016)
First Amendment to Lease, dated March 15, 2017, by and between the Company and AP3-SD1 Campus Point LLC (incorporated by
reference to our Current Report on Form 8-K, as Exhibit 10.1, filed on March 17, 2017)
Second Amendment to Lease, dated May 8, 2018, by and between the Company and AP3-SD1 Campus Point LLC (incorporated by
reference to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2018, as Exhibit 10.1, filed on May 10, 2018)
Third Amendment to Lease, dated December 19, 2019, by and between the Company and ARE-SD Region No. 61, LLC (incorporated by
reference to our Current Report on Form 8-K, as Exhibit 10.1, filed on December 20, 2019)
Note Purchase Agreement, dated as of May 24, 2021, by and among Heron Therapeutics, Inc. and funds affiliated with Baker Bros.
Advisors, LP (incorporated by reference to our Current Report on Form 8-K, as Exhibit 10.1, filed on May 25, 2021)
Fourth Amendment to Lease, dated October 13, 2021, by and between the Company and ARE-SD Region No. 61, LLC (incorporated by
reference to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2021, as Exhibit 10.1, filed on November 3, 2021)
Executive Employment Agreement, dated March 17, 2016, by and between the Company and David Szekeres (incorporated by reference to
our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, as Exhibit 10.1, filed on August 9, 2022)
Securities Purchase Agreement, dated August 8, 2022, by and among the Company and the Purchasers signatory thereto (incorporated by
reference to our Current Report on Form 8-K, as Exhibit 10.1, filed on August 10, 2022)
Cooperation Agreement, dated February 21, 2023, by and among Heron Therapeutics, Inc., Rubric Capital Management LP, the persons and
entities listed on Schedule A thereto, Velan Capital Investment Management LP, and the persons and entities listed on Schedule B thereto
(incorporated by reference to our Current Report on Form 8-K, as Exhibit 10.1, filed on February 22, 2023)
Executive Employment Agreement, dated April 3, 2023, by and between the Company and Craig Collard (incorporated by reference to our
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2023, as Exhibit 10.1, filed on August 14, 2023)
Amendment to Executive Employment Agreement, dated May 5, 2023, by and between the Company and David Szekeres (incorporated by
reference to our Current Report on Form 8-K, as Exhibit 10.2, filed on July 24, 2023)
Management Retention Agreement, dated June 6, 2023, by and between the Company and William Forbes (incorporated by reference to our
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2023, as Exhibit 10.3, filed on August 14, 2023)
Management Retention Agreement, dated June 16, 2023, by and between the Company and Ira Duarte (incorporated by reference to our
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2023, as Exhibit 10.4, filed on August 14, 2023)
Form of Inducement Notice of Grant of Stock Options and Option Agreement (incorporated by reference to our Registration Statement on
Form S-8, as Exhibit 99.3, filed on June 30, 2023)
Form of Inducement Notice of Grant of Restricted Stock Units and Restricted Stock Unit Agreement (incorporated by reference to our
Registration Statement on Form S-8, as Exhibit 99.4, filed on June 30, 2023)
Securities Purchase Agreement, dated July 21, 2023, by and among the Company and the Purchasers signatory thereto (incorporated by
reference to our Current Report on Form 8-K, as Exhibit 10.1, filed on July 24, 2023)
Working Capital Facility Agreement dated August 9, 2023, by and among the Company, the several banks and other financial institutions or
entities from time to time party thereto, and Hercules Capital, Inc.
102
23.1
24.1
31.1
31.2
32.1#
97.1
101.INS
101.SCH
104
(incorporated by reference to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as Exhibit 10.10, filed on August 14, 2023)
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (WithumSmith+Brown, PC)
Power of Attorney (included on the signature page hereto)
Certification Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
Certification Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
Certification Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
Compensation Recovery Policy
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
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document and contained in Exhibit 101)
103
* Management contract or compensatory plan, contract or arrangement.
+ Confidential treatment has been requested with respect to certain portions of the exhibit, which portions have been omitted and filed separately with the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
#Furnished herewith. The certifications attached as Exhibit 32.1 accompany this Annual Report on Form 10-K pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as
adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and shall not be deemed “filed” by the Registrant for purposes of Section 18 of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
ITEM 16.
FORM 10-K SUMMARY.
None.
104
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.
SIGNATURES
DATE: March 12, 2024
BY:
HERON THERAPEUTICS, INC.
/s/ CRAIG COLLARD
Craig Collard
Chief Executive Officer
POWER OF ATTORNEY
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS that each individual whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Craig Collard as his
or her true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place and stead, in any and all
capacities, with respect to this annual report and any and all amendments thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in
connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorney-in-fact and agent, full power and authority to do and
perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or
could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all the said attorney-in-fact and agent or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to
be done by virtue hereof.
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 in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature
/s/ CRAIG COLLARD
Craig Collard
/s/ IRA DUARTE
Ira Duarte
/s/ SHARMILA DISSANAIKE
Sharmila Dissanaike
/s/ CRAIG JOHNSON
Craig Johnson
/s/ ADAM MORGAN
Adam Morgan
/s/ SUSAN RODRIGUEZ
Susan Rodriguez
/s/ CHRISTIAN WAAGE
Christian Waage
Title
Chief Executive Officer and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)
Director
Director
Date
March 12, 2024
March 12, 2024
March 12, 2024
March 12, 2024
Chairman of the Board of Directors
March 12, 2024
Director
Director
105
March 12, 2024
March 12, 2024
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Exhibit 23.1
We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statements on Form S-3 (No. 333-256620, 333-267781, and 333-274167) and
Form S-8 (No. 333-35151, 333-118546, 333-127574, 333-137954, 333-148660, 333-162610, 333-167515, 333-176365, 333-176366, 333-198853, 333-
206165, 333-214503, 333-219830, 333-233023, 333-259518, 333-267352 and 333-273059) of Heron Therapeutics, Inc. our report dated March 12, 2024,
relating to the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the effectiveness of Heron Therapeutics,
Inc.'s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31,
2023.
/s/ WithumSmith+Brown, PC
San Francisco, California
March 12, 2024
Exhibit 31.1
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
RULES 13a-14(a) AND 15d-14(a) UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Craig Collard, certify that:
1.
2.
3.
4.
I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Heron Therapeutics, Inc.;
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;
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;
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)
(b)
(c)
(d)
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;
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;
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
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)
(b)
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
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 12, 2024
By:
/s/ Craig Collard
Craig Collard
Chief Executive Officer
(As Principal Executive Officer)
Exhibit 31.2
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
RULES 13a-14(a) AND 15d-14(a) UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, Ira Duarte, certify that:
1.
2.
3.
4.
I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Heron Therapeutics, Inc.;
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;
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;
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)
(b)
(c)
(d)
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;
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;
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
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)
(b)
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
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 12, 2024
By:
/s/ Ira Duarte
Ira Duarte
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
(As Principal Financial Officer)
CERTIFICATION
Exhibit 32.1
Pursuant to the requirement set forth in Rule 13a-14(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (the “Exchange Act”) and Section 1350 of
Chapter 63 of Title 18 of the United States Code (18 U.S.C. §1350), Craig Collard, Chief Executive Officer of Heron Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”),
and Ira Duarte, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, each hereby certifies that, to the best of his or her knowledge:
•
•
the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, to which this Certification is attached as Exhibit
32.1 (the “Annual Report”), fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act; and
the information contained in the Annual Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of
the Company.
Dated: March 12, 2024
In Witness Whereof, the undersigned have set their hands hereto as of the 12th day of March, 2024.
/s/ Craig Collard
Craig Collard
Chief Executive Officer
(As Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Ira Duarte
Ira Duarte
Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
(As Principal Financial Officer)
This certification accompanies the Form 10-K to which it relates, is not deemed filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is not to be
incorporated by reference into any filing of Heron Therapeutics, Inc. under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
as amended (whether made before or after the date of the Form 10-K), irrespective of any general incorporation language contained in such filing.
Heron Therapeutics, Inc.
Compensation Recovery Policy
Exhibit 97.1
Overview
It is the policy of Heron Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) that, in the event the Company is required to prepare an accounting restatement of the
Company’s financial statements due to the Company’s material non-compliance with any financial reporting requirement under the federal securities laws
(including any such correction that is material to the previously issued financial statements, or that would result in a material misstatement if the error were
corrected in the current period or left uncorrected in the current period), the Company will recover on a reasonably prompt basis the amount of any
Incentive-Based Compensation Received by a Covered Executive during the Recovery Period that exceeds the amount that otherwise would have been
Received had it been determined based on the restated financial statements. The Company’s policy on this subject as set forth herein shall be referred to as
the “Policy”.
Policy Administration and Definitions
This Policy is administered by the Compensation Committee (the “Committee”) of the Company’s Board of Directors and is intended to comply with, and
as applicable to be administered and interpreted consistent with, and subject to the exceptions set forth in, Listing Standard 5608 adopted by The Nasdaq
Stock Market to implement Rule 10D-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (collectively, “Rule 10D-1”). The Committee is authorized
to amend the Policy from time-to-time to take account of developments in applicable law or Nasdaq’s listing standards.
For purposes of this Policy:
“Incentive-Based Compensation” means any compensation granted, earned, or vested based in whole or in part on the Company’s attainment of a
financial reporting measure that was Received by a person (i) on or after October 2, 2023 and after the person began service as a Covered Executive,
and (ii) who served as a Covered Executive at any time during the performance period for the Incentive-Based Compensation. A financial reporting
measure is (i) any measure that is determined and presented in accordance with the accounting principles used in preparing the Company’s financial
statements and any measure derived wholly or in part from such a measure, and (ii) any measure based in whole or in part on the Company’s stock
price or total shareholder return.
Incentive-Based Compensation is deemed to be “Received” in the fiscal period during which the relevant financial reporting measure is attained,
regardless of when the compensation is actually paid or awarded.
“Covered Executive” means any “executive officer” of the Company as defined under Rule 10D-1.
“Recovery Period” means the three completed fiscal years immediately preceding the date that the Company is required to prepare the accounting
restatement described in this Policy, all as determined pursuant to Rule 10D-1, and any transition period of less than nine months that is within or
immediately following such three fiscal years.
If the Committee determines the amount of Incentive-Based Compensation Received by a Covered Executive during a Recovery Period exceeds the
amount that would have been Received if determined or calculated based on the Company’s restated financial results, such excess amount of Incentive-
Based Compensation shall be subject to recoupment by the Company pursuant to this Policy. For Incentive-Based Compensation based on stock price or
total shareholder return, where the amount of erroneously awarded compensation is not subject to mathematical recalculation directly from the information
in an accounting restatement, the Committee will determine the amount based on a reasonable estimate of the effect of the accounting restatement on the
relevant stock price or total shareholder return. In all cases, the calculation of the excess amount of Incentive-Based Compensation to be recovered will be
determined without regard to any taxes paid with respect to such compensation. Any determinations made by the Committee under this Policy shall be final
and binding on all affected individuals.
The Company may effectuate any recovery pursuant to this Policy by requiring payment of such amount(s) to the Company, by set-off, by reducing future
compensation, or by such other means or combination of means as the Committee determines to be appropriate. The Company need not recover the excess
amount of Incentive-Based Compensation if and to the extent that the Committee determines that such recovery is impracticable and not required under
Rule 10D-1, including if the Committee determines that the direct expense paid to a third party to assist in enforcing the Policy would exceed the amount to
be recovered after making a reasonable attempt to recover such amounts. The Company is authorized to take appropriate steps to implement this Policy
with respect to Incentive-Based Compensation arrangements with Covered Executives.
Any right of recoupment or recovery pursuant to this Policy is in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other remedies or rights of recoupment that may be
available to the Company pursuant to the terms of any other policy, any employment agreement or plan or award terms, and any other legal remedies
available to the Company. The Company shall not indemnify any Covered Executive against the loss of any Incentive-Based Compensation pursuant to the
Policy.
2