UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
(Mark One)
x | QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2015
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: 001-36554
Ocular Therapeutix, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware | 20-5560161 | |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
(I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) | |
34 Crosby Drive, Suite 105 Bedford, MA |
01730 | |
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) |
(781) 357-4000
(Registrants telephone number, including area code)
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 x No ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes x No ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of large accelerated filer, accelerated filer and smaller reporting company in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer | ¨ | Accelerated filer | ¨ | |||
Non-accelerated filer | x (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) | Smaller reporting company | ¨ |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ¨ No x
As of October 31, 2015 there were 24,734,187 shares of Common Stock, $0.0001 par value per share, outstanding.
Ocular Therapeutix, Inc.
Page | ||||||
PART I FINANCIAL INFORMATION | ||||||
Item 1. |
2 | |||||
Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014 |
2 | |||||
3 | ||||||
Statements of Cash Flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 |
4 | |||||
5 | ||||||
Item 2. |
Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
16 | ||||
Item 3. |
32 | |||||
Item 4. |
32 | |||||
PART II OTHER INFORMATION | ||||||
Item 1. |
32 | |||||
Item 1A. |
32 | |||||
Item 2. |
64 | |||||
Item 6. |
65 |
1
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including statements regarding our strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenues, projected costs, prospects, plans and objectives of management, are forward-looking statements. The words anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, intend, may, might, plan, predict, project, target, potential, goals, will, would, could, should, continue and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words.
The forward-looking statements in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q include, among other things, statements about:
| our plans to develop and commercialize our product candidates based on our proprietary bioresorbable hydrogel technology platform; |
| our ongoing and planned clinical trials, including our third Phase 3 clinical trial of DEXTENZA, also referred to as OTX-DP for the treatment of ocular inflammation and pain following cataract surgery, our Phase 3 clinical trials of DEXTENZA for the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis, our Phase 2 clinical trial of DEXTENZA for inflammatory dry eye disease and our Phase 2b clinical trial and additional clinical trials of DEXTENZA for the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension; |
| the timing of and our ability to submit applications for, obtain and maintain regulatory approvals for DEXTENZA, OTX-TP and our other product candidates; |
| our commercialization of ReSure Sealant; |
| the potential advantages of ReSure Sealant and our product candidates; |
| the rate and degree of market acceptance and clinical utility of our products; |
| the preclinical development of our hydrogel depot with protein based or small molecule anti-VEGF, including tyrosine kinase inhibitors, or TKIs, hydrogel depot for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration and other back-of-the-eye diseases; |
| our estimates regarding the potential market opportunity for DEXTENZA, OTX-TP, ReSure Sealant and our other product candidates; |
| our commercialization, marketing and manufacturing plans, capabilities and strategy; |
| our intellectual property position; |
| our ability to identify additional products, product candidates or technologies with significant commercial potential that are consistent with our commercial objectives; |
| our estimates regarding expenses, future revenue, capital requirements and needs for additional financing; |
| our plans to raise additional capital; |
| the impact of government laws and regulations; and |
| our competitive position. |
We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in the forward-looking statements we make. We have included important factors in the cautionary statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, particularly in the Risk Factors section, that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements that we make. Our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures or investments we may make.
You should read this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and the documents that we have filed as exhibits to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q completely and with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from what we expect. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.
1
Item 1. | Financial Statements. |
Balance Sheets
(In thousands, except share and per share data)
(Unaudited)
September 30, 2015 |
December 31, 2014 |
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Assets |
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Current assets: |
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Cash and cash equivalents |
$ | 41,198 | $ | 37,393 | ||||
Marketable securities |
72,445 | 37,435 | ||||||
Accounts receivable, net |
189 | 329 | ||||||
Inventory |
147 | 133 | ||||||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
1,919 | 893 | ||||||
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Total current assets |
115,898 | 76,183 | ||||||
Property and equipment, net |
3,193 | 1,782 | ||||||
Restricted cash |
228 | 228 | ||||||
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Total assets |
$ | 119,319 | $ | 78,193 | ||||
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Liabilities and Stockholders Equity |
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Current liabilities: |
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Accounts payable |
$ | 1,624 | $ | 1,316 | ||||
Accrued expenses |
3,591 | 3,016 | ||||||
Deferred revenue |
83 | 188 | ||||||
Notes payable, net of discount, current |
5,883 | 1,354 | ||||||
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Total current liabilities |
11,181 | 5,874 | ||||||
Deferred rent, long-term |
81 | 112 | ||||||
Notes payable, net of discount, long-term |
9,249 | 13,511 | ||||||
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Total liabilities |
20,511 | 19,497 | ||||||
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Commitments and contingencies (Note 11) |
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Stockholders equity: |
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Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value; 5,000,000 authorized at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, no shares issued or outstanding at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014 |
| | ||||||
Common stock, $0.0001 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively; 24,730,061 and 21,333,507 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively |
2 | 2 | ||||||
Additional paid-in capital |
217,361 | 148,122 | ||||||
Accumulated deficit |
(118,539 | ) | (89,428 | ) | ||||
Accumulated other comprehensive loss |
(16 | ) | | |||||
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Total stockholders equity |
98,808 | 58,696 | ||||||
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Total liabilities and stockholders equity |
$ | 119,319 | $ | 78,193 | ||||
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The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
2
Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss
(In thousands, except share and per share data)
(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended September 30, |
Nine Months Ended September 30, |
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2015 | 2014 | 2015 | 2014 | |||||||||||||
Revenue: |
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Product revenue |
$ | 388 | $ | 143 | $ | 960 | $ | 267 | ||||||||
Collaboration revenue |
41 | | 354 | | ||||||||||||
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Total revenue: |
429 | 143 | 1,314 | 267 | ||||||||||||
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Operating expenses: |
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Cost of product revenue |
91 | 32 | 227 | 61 | ||||||||||||
Research and development |
8,263 | 4,482 | 19,725 | 13,732 | ||||||||||||
Selling and marketing |
798 | 479 | 2,709 | 1,324 | ||||||||||||
General and administrative |
2,451 | 1,926 | 6,575 | 4,697 | ||||||||||||
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Total operating expenses |
11,603 | 6,919 | 29,236 | 19,814 | ||||||||||||
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Loss from operations |
(11,174 | ) | (6,776 | ) | (27,922 | ) | (19,547 | ) | ||||||||
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Other income (expense): |
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Interest income |
53 | 5 | 121 | 7 | ||||||||||||
Interest expense |
(406 | ) | (412 | ) | (1,316 | ) | (712 | ) | ||||||||
Other income (expense), net |
3 | (111 | ) | 6 | (442 | ) | ||||||||||
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Total other expense, net |
(350 | ) | (518 | ) | (1,189 | ) | (1,147 | ) | ||||||||
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Net loss |
(11,524 | ) | (7,294 | ) | (29,111 | ) | (20,694 | ) | ||||||||
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Accretion of redeemable convertible preferred stock to redemption value |
| | | (11 | ) | |||||||||||
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Net loss attributable to common stockholders |
$ | (11,524 | ) | $ | (7,294 | ) | $ | (29,111 | ) | $ | (20,705 | ) | ||||
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Net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, basic and diluted |
$ | (0.47 | ) | $ | (0.48 | ) | $ | (1.28 | ) | $ | (2.93 | ) | ||||
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Weighted average common shares outstanding, basic and diluted |
24,713,597 | 15,165,612 | 22,757,646 | 7,068,399 | ||||||||||||
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Comprehensive loss: |
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Net loss |
$ | (11,524 | ) | $ | (7,294 | ) | $ | (29,111 | ) | $ | (20,694 | ) | ||||
Other comprehensive loss: |
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Unrealized loss on marketable securities |
(8 | ) | | (16 | ) | | ||||||||||
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Total other comprehensive loss |
(8 | ) | | (16 | ) | | ||||||||||
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Total comprehensive loss |
$ | (11,532 | ) | $ | (7,294 | ) | $ | (29,127 | ) | $ | (20,694 | ) | ||||
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The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
3
Statements of Cash Flows
(In thousands)
(Unaudited)
Nine Months Ended September 30, |
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2015 | 2014 | |||||||
Cash flows from operating activities: |
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Net loss |
$ | (29,111 | ) | $ | (20,694 | ) | ||
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities |
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Stock-based compensation expense |
3,304 | 1,667 | ||||||
Licensing and consultant fees paid in common stock |
| 2,364 | ||||||
Non-cash interest expense |
112 | 66 | ||||||
Depreciation and amortization expense |
554 | 383 | ||||||
Revaluation of preferred stock warrants |
| 380 | ||||||
Loss on extinguishment of debt |
| 57 | ||||||
(Gain)/loss on disposal of property and equipment |
(3 | ) | 4 | |||||
Purchase of premium on marketable securities |
(25 | ) | | |||||
Amortization of premium on marketable securities |
187 | | ||||||
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: |
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Accounts receivable from related party |
| 18 | ||||||
Accounts receivable |
140 | 197 | ||||||
Prepaid expenses and other current assets |
(320 | ) | (354 | ) | ||||
Inventory |
(14 | ) | (117 | ) | ||||
Accounts payable |
(360 | ) | 63 | |||||
Accrued expenses and deferred rent |
534 | 1,096 | ||||||
Deferred revenue |
(105 | ) | | |||||
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Net cash used in operating activities |
(25,107 | ) | (14,870 | ) | ||||
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Cash flows from investing activities: |
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Purchases of property and equipment |
(1,305 | ) | (819 | ) | ||||
Purchases of investments |
(75,011 | ) | | |||||
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment |
7 | | ||||||
Maturities of investments |
39,826 | | ||||||
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Net cash used in investing activities |
(36,483 | ) | (819 | ) | ||||
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Cash flows from financing activities: |
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Proceeds from issuance of notes payable and preferred stock warrants, net of issuance costs |
| 14,877 | ||||||
Proceeds from exercise of common stock options |
175 | 28 | ||||||
Proceeds from issuance of public offering, net |
65,612 | 69,518 | ||||||
Proceeds from issuance of common stock pursuant to employee stock purchase plan |
148 | | ||||||
Repayments of notes payable |
| (2,273 | ) | |||||
Payments of initial public offering costs |
| (3,012 | ) | |||||
Payments of insurance costs financed by a third-party |
(540 | ) | (62 | ) | ||||
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Net cash provided by financing activities |
65,395 | 79,076 | ||||||
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Net increase in cash and cash equivalents |
3,805 | 63,387 | ||||||
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period |
37,393 | 17,505 | ||||||
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Cash and cash equivalents at end of period |
$ | 41,198 | $ | 80,892 | ||||
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Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information: |
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Cash paid for interest |
$ | 942 | $ | 526 | ||||
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash investing and financing activities: |
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Accretion of redeemable convertible preferred stock to redemption value |
$ | | $ | 11 | ||||
Conversion of redeemable convertible preferred stock to common stock |
$ | | $ | 74,354 | ||||
Conversion of warrants for redeemable convertible preferred stock to warrants for common stock |
$ | | $ | 960 | ||||
Deferred offering costs included in accounts payable and accrued expenses |
$ | | $ | 101 | ||||
Additions to property and equipment included in accounts payable at balance sheet dates |
$ | 668 | $ | 40 | ||||
Insurance premium financed by a third party |
$ | 706 | $ | 623 | ||||
Fair value of preferred stock warrants at grant date |
$ | | $ | 326 |
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.
4
Notes to the Financial Statements
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)
(Unaudited)
1. Nature of the Business and Basis of Presentation
Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. (the Company) was incorporated on September 12, 2006 under the laws of the State of Delaware. The Company is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for diseases and conditions of the eye using its proprietary hydrogel platform technology. The Companys bioresorbable hydrogel-based product candidates are designed to provide sustained delivery of therapeutic agents to the eye. Since inception, the Companys operations have been primarily focused on organizing and staffing the Company, acquiring rights to intellectual property, business planning, raising capital, developing its technology, identifying potential product candidates, undertaking preclinical studies and clinical trials, manufacturing initial quantities of its products and product candidates and commercializing ReSure Sealant.
The Company is subject to risks common to companies in the biotechnology industry including, but not limited to, new technological innovations, protection of proprietary technology, dependence on key personnel, compliance with government regulations, regulatory approval, uncertainty of market acceptance of products and the need to obtain additional financing. Product candidates currently under development will require significant additional research and development efforts, including extensive preclinical and clinical testing and regulatory approval, prior to commercialization.
As of September 30, 2015, the Companys lead product candidates were in development. There can be no assurance that the Companys research and development will be successfully completed, that adequate protection for the Companys intellectual property will be obtained, that any products developed will obtain necessary government regulatory approval and adequate reimbursement or that any approved products will be commercially viable. Even if the Companys product development efforts are successful, it is uncertain when, if ever, the Company will generate significant revenue from product sales. The Company operates in an environment of rapid change in technology and substantial competition from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. In addition, the Company is dependent upon the services of its employees and consultants. The Company does not expect to generate significant revenue from sales of any product for several years, if at all. Accordingly, the Company will need to obtain additional capital to finance its operations. If the Company is unable to raise capital when needed or on attractive terms, the Company could be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate its research and development programs or any future commercialization efforts or to relinquish valuable rights to its technologies, future revenue streams, research programs or product candidates or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to the Company. Although management continues to pursue these plans, there is no assurance that the Company will be successful in obtaining sufficient funding on terms acceptable to the Company to fund continuing operations, if at all. The Company believes that its existing cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities will enable it to fund its operating expenses, debt service obligations and capital expenditure requirements at least through the third quarter of 2017.
The accompanying financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP).
On July 30, 2014 the Company completed an initial public offering (IPO) of its common stock, through the issuance and sale of 5,000,000 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $13.00 per share, resulting in net proceeds of approximately $57,337 after deducting underwriting discounts and other offering costs. Upon the closing of the IPO, all outstanding shares of the Companys redeemable convertible preferred stock were automatically converted into 12,440,205 shares of the Companys common stock and all outstanding warrants for the Companys redeemable convertible preferred stock were automatically converted into warrants for the Companys common stock. In August 2014, the underwriters of the Companys IPO exercised their over-allotment option to purchase an additional 750,000 shares of common stock at the initial public offering price of $13.00 per share, less underwriting discounts, resulting in additional net proceeds of approximately $9,068 after deducting underwriting discounts (Note 8).
In June 2015 the Company completed a follow-on offering of its common stock, through a public offering price of $22.00 per share. The offering consisted of 4,600,000 shares of common stock, of which 3,200,000 shares were issued and sold by the Company and 1,400,000 shares were sold by certain stockholders of the Company, including those shares sold in connection with the exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional shares. The Company received net proceeds from the follow-on offering of approximately $65,612 after deducting underwriting discounts and other offering expenses (Note 8).
Unaudited Interim Financial Information
The balance sheet at December 31, 2014 was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. The accompanying unaudited financial statements as of September 30, 2015 and for the three and nine months
5
ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 have been prepared by the Company, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, for interim financial statements. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. However, the Company believes that the disclosures are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Companys audited financial statements and the notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2014 included in the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K on file with the SEC. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the Companys financial position as of September 30, 2015 and results of operations and cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 have been made. The results of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2015.
2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Significant estimates and assumptions reflected in these financial statements include, but are not limited to, revenue recognition, the accrual of research and development expenses and the valuation of common stock and stock-based awards and preferred stock warrants. Estimates are periodically reviewed in light of changes in circumstances, facts and experience. Actual results could differ from the Companys estimates.
Inventory Valuation
Inventory is valued at the lower of cost or market, determined by the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method.
Prior to approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or other regulatory agencies of the Companys products, the Company expenses inventory costs in the period incurred as research and development expenses. After such time as the product receives approval, the Company begins to capitalize the inventory costs related to the product. The Company also reviews its inventories for potential obsolescence.
The Company had an inventory balance of $147 and $133, respectively, as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, which consisted primarily of raw materials.
Restricted Cash
As of December 31, 2014, the Company held a certificate of deposit to collateralize a credit card account with its bank of $60. This amount is included in prepaid expenses and other current assets on the Companys balance sheet. In the third quarter of 2015, the security deposit to collateralize a credit card account of $60 was released and there is no longer an outstanding balance as of September 30, 2015. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company also held a certificate of deposit of $228, which is a security deposit for the lease of the Companys corporate headquarters. The Company has classified this as long-term restricted cash on its balance sheet.
Fair Value Measurements
Certain assets and liabilities are carried at fair value under GAAP. 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. Financial assets and liabilities carried at fair value are to be classified and disclosed in one of the following three levels of the fair value hierarchy, of which the first two are considered observable and the last is considered unobservable:
| Level 1Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. |
| Level 2Observable inputs (other than Level 1 quoted prices) such as quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active for identical or similar assets or liabilities, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data. |
| Level 3Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to determining the fair value of the assets or liabilities, including pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies and similar techniques. |
6
The Companys cash equivalents and marketable securities at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, were carried at fair value determined according to the fair value hierarchy described above (see Note 3). The carrying value of accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses approximate their fair value due to the short-term nature of these assets and liabilities. The carrying value of the Companys outstanding notes payable (see Note 7) approximates fair value (a level 2 fair value measurement), using a discounted cash flow analysis, reflecting discount rates currently available by the Company.
Marketable Securities
The Companys marketable securities are classified as available-for-sale and are carried at fair value with the unrealized gains and losses reported as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in stockholders equity. Realized gains and losses and declines in value judged to be other than temporary are included as a component of other income (expense), net based on the specific identification method. Fair value is determined based on quoted market prices. At September 30, 2015, marketable securities by security type consisted of:
Amortized Cost |
Gross Unrealized Gains |
Gross Unrealized Losses |
Estimated Fair Value |
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United States treasury notes |
$ | 35,142 | $ | | $ | (11 | ) | $ | 35,131 | |||||||
Agency bonds |
37,319 | | (5 | ) | 37,314 | |||||||||||
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Total |
$ | 72,461 | $ | | $ | (16 | ) | $ | 72,445 | |||||||
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At December 31, 2014, marketable securities by security type consisted of:
Amortized Cost |
Gross Unrealized Gains |
Gross Unrealized Losses |
Estimated Fair Value |
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United States treasury notes |
$ | 10,026 | $ | | $ | | $ | 10,026 | ||||||||
Agency bonds |
27,409 | | | 27,409 | ||||||||||||
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Total |
$ | 37,435 | $ | | $ | | $ | 37,435 | ||||||||
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At September 30, 2015 marketable securities consisted of investments that mature within one year.
Segment Data
The Company manages its operations as a single segment for the purposes of assessing performance and making operating decisions. The Companys singular focus is on advancing its bioresorbable hydrogel-based product candidates exclusively for ophthalmology. All tangible assets are held in the United States.
Comprehensive Loss
Comprehensive loss includes net loss as well as other changes in stockholders equity (deficit) that result from transactions and economic events other than those with stockholders.
Net Income (Loss) Per Share
Prior to the closing of its IPO of common stock, the Company followed the two-class method when computing net income (loss) per share, as the Company had outstanding shares that met the definition of participating securities. The two-class method determines net income (loss) per share for each class of common and participating securities according to dividends declared or accumulated and participation rights in undistributed earnings. The two-class method requires income available to common stockholders for the period to be allocated between common and participating securities based upon their respective rights to receive dividends as if all income for the period had been distributed.
Basic net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders is computed by dividing the net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding for the period. Diluted net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders is computed by adjusting income (loss) attributable to common stockholders to reallocate undistributed earnings based on the potential impact of dilutive securities, including outstanding stock options, unvested restricted common stock, common stock warrants and warrants for the purchase of redeemable convertible preferred stock. Diluted net income (loss) per share attributable to common stockholders is computed by dividing the diluted net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period, including potential dilutive common shares assuming the dilutive effect of outstanding stock options and unvested restricted common stock.
7
Prior to the closing of the IPO, the Companys redeemable convertible preferred stock contractually entitled the holders of such shares to participate in dividends but did not contractually require the holders of such shares to participate in losses of the Company. Similarly, restricted stock awards granted by the Company entitle the holder of such awards to dividends declared or paid by the board of directors, regardless of whether such awards are unvested, as if such shares were outstanding common shares at the time of the dividend. However, the unvested restricted stock awards are not entitled to share in the residual net assets (deficit) of the Company. Accordingly, in periods in which the Company reports a net loss attributable to common stockholders, diluted net loss per share attributable to common stockholders is the same as basic net loss per share attributable to common stockholders, since dilutive common shares are not assumed to have been issued if their effect is anti-dilutive. The Company reported a net loss attributable to common stockholders for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014.
The following common stock equivalents outstanding as of September 30, 2015 and 2014 were excluded from the computation of diluted net loss per share for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, because they had an anti-dilutive impact:
As of September 30, | ||||||||
2015 | 2014 | |||||||
Options to purchase common stock |
2,099,901 | 1,619,862 | ||||||
Non-vested restricted stock |
7,109 | 52,111 | ||||||
Warrants for the purchase of common stock |
18,939 | 89,708 | ||||||
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Total options, warrants and restricted stock |
2,125,949 | 1,761,681 | ||||||
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Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
In August 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40). The new guidance addresses managements responsibility to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an entitys ability to continue as a going concern and to provide related footnote disclosures. Managements evaluation should be based on relevant conditions and events that are known and reasonably knowable at the date that the financial statements are issued. The standard will be effective for the first interim period within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is evaluating the effect that this guidance will have on its financial statements and footnote disclosures.
In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), (ASU 2014-09). ASU 2014-09 outlines a new, single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. This new revenue recognition model provides a five-step analysis in determining when and how revenue is recognized. The new model will require revenue recognition to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration a company expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of Effective Date. The amendments in ASU 2015-14 defer the effective date of ASU 2014-09 for all entities by one year. The standard will be effective for public entities for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and interim periods within those periods. Early adoption is permitted, but it cannot be any earlier than 2017 for calendar year-end entities. Companies may use either a full retrospective or a modified retrospective approach to adopt ASU 2014-09. The Company is currently assessing the impact that adopting this new accounting guidance will have on its financial statements and footnote disclosures.
In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, InterestImputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs (ASU 2015-03). ASU 2015-03 requires debt issuance costs to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying value of the associated debt liability, consistent with the presentation of a debt discount. Prior to the issuance of the standard, debt issuance costs were required to be presented in the balance sheet as an asset. The Company is currently assessing the impact that adopting this new accounting guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements and footnote disclosures. ASU 2015-03 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015. The Company is currently assessing the impact that adopting this new accounting guidance will have on its financial statements and footnote disclosures and does not expect it to be material.
8
3. Fair Value of Financial Assets and Liabilities
The following tables present information about the Companys assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014 and indicate the level of the fair value hierarchy utilized to determine such fair value:
Fair Value Measurements as of September 30, 2015 Using: |
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Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Total | |||||||||||||
Assets: |
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Cash equivalents: |
||||||||||||||||
Money market funds |
$ | | $ | 40,520 | $ | | $ | 40,520 | ||||||||
Marketable securities: |
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United States treasury notes |
| 35,131 | | 35,131 | ||||||||||||
Agency bonds |
| 37,314 | | 37,314 | ||||||||||||
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Total |
$ | | $ | 112,965 | $ | | $ | 112,965 | ||||||||
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Fair Value Measurements as of December 31, 2014 Using: |
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Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Total | |||||||||||||
Assets: |
||||||||||||||||
Cash equivalents: |
||||||||||||||||
Money market funds |
$ | | $ | 29,103 | $ | | $ | 29,103 | ||||||||
Agency bonds |
| 7,599 | | 7,599 | ||||||||||||
Marketable securities: |
||||||||||||||||
United States treasury notes |
| 10,026 | | 10,026 | ||||||||||||
Agency bonds |
| 27,409 | | 27,409 | ||||||||||||
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|
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Total |
$ | | $ | 74,137 | $ | | $ | 74,137 | ||||||||
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As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Companys cash equivalents that were invested in money market funds were valued based on Level 2 inputs. During the three months ended September 30, 2015, there were no transfers between Level 1 and Level 2.
4. Accrued Expenses
Accrued expenses consisted of the following:
September 30, 2015 |
December 31, 2014 |
|||||||
Accrued compensation and related expenses |
$ | 1,342 | $ | 1,495 | ||||
Accrued professional fees |
544 | 338 | ||||||
Accrued research and development expenses |
460 | 540 | ||||||
Accrued insurance |
648 | 389 | ||||||
Accrued other |
597 | 254 | ||||||
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|
|
|
|||||
$ | 3,591 | $ | 3,016 | |||||
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|
|
As of September 30, 2015, the Companys accrued insurance represents premiums for the period from July 2015 through June 2016 which the Company financed with a third-party.
5. Income Taxes
The Company did not provide for any income taxes in its statement of operations for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2015 or 2014. The Company has provided a valuation allowance for the full amount of its net deferred tax assets because, at September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, it was more likely than not that any future benefit from deductible temporary differences and net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards would not be realized.
9
The Company has not recorded any amounts for unrecognized tax benefits as of September 30, 2015 or December 31, 2014. As of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the Company had no accrued interest or tax penalties recorded. The Companys income tax return reporting periods since December 31, 2012 are open to income tax audit examination by the federal and state tax authorities. In addition, because the Company has net operating loss carryforwards, the Internal Revenue Service is permitted to audit earlier years and propose adjustments up to the amount of net operating losses generated in those years.
6. Feasibility Agreements
In September 2013, the Company entered into a feasibility agreement with a biopharmaceutical company. Under this agreement, the biopharmaceutical company will pay up to $500 for completing certain tasks and achieving certain milestones. In the event that the agreement is terminated in advance of the completion of the tasks/achievement of the milestones, the Company would be required to refund portions of the amounts received, based on the actual work completed/milestones achieved as of the date of termination. In the fourth quarter of 2014, the Company completed the tasks related to the first milestone at which time the $250 became non-refundable and therefore the Company recorded revenue of $250. The biopharmaceutical company has indicated that they will not proceed with the second phase of the agreement. The Company does not have any further obligations in connection with this agreement.
In October 2014, the Company entered into a feasibility agreement with a biotechnology company. Under this agreement, the biotechnology company will pay up to $700, of which $250 is a non-refundable payment due upon contract execution and $450 is due upon the achievement of certain milestones. Initially, the Company was recognizing the non-contingent revenue of $250 on a straight-line basis over the twelve-month period expected to complete the Companys performance obligations. Estimates of this development period involves the evaluation of many assumptions and uncertainties and may change if facts and circumstances change. During the third quarter of 2015, management re-evaluated and revised the estimated development period from 12 months as of June 30, 2015 to 18 months as of September 30, 2015. If and when a contingent milestone payment is earned, the additional consideration to be received will be added to the total expected payments under the contract. In January 2015, the Company achieved the first milestone under the feasibility agreement triggering a payment due of $250. Through September 30, 2015, the Company has recognized revenue of $417. As of September 30, 2015 the Company has deferred revenue of $83. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had deferred revenue of $187 and $250 in accounts receivable related to this agreement.
7. Notes Payable
The Company entered into a credit agreement with a lending institution in 2011 (the 2011 Modification Agreement) which had a total borrowing capacity of $5,000 which was fully drawn down. Borrowings under the agreement were required to be repaid in 33 monthly installments commencing July 1, 2012 of $152, plus interest on the principal balance at a rate of the greater of (i) 4.75% above the lenders prime rate or (ii) 8% per annum. In addition to these principal payments, the Company was required to make a final payment of $225 in March 2015 (or upon earlier termination of the agreement) to the lender, which amount was being accreted to the carrying value of the debt, using the effective interest method. The effective annual interest rate of the outstanding debt under the 2011 Modification Agreement was approximately 11%.
On April 17, 2014, the Company entered into a credit and security agreement (the 2014 Credit Facility) and terminated the 2011 Modification Agreement. The 2014 Credit Facility provides for initial borrowings of $15,000 under a term loan (Tranche 1 loan) and additional borrowings of up to $5,000 under a term loan (Tranche 2 loan), for a maximum of $20,000. On that same date, the Company received proceeds of $15,000 through the issuance of promissory notes to the lenders under the Tranche 1 loan. Upon the completion of the IPO in July 2014, borrowings under the Tranche 2 loan became available through December 31, 2014. The Company did not draw down the $5,000 available under the Tranche 2 loan prior to its expiration, and this amount is no longer available to the Company. All promissory notes issued under the 2014 Credit Facility mature on April 1, 2018 and are collateralized by substantially all of the Companys personal property, other than its intellectual property. There are no financial covenants associated with the 2014 Credit Facility; however, there are negative covenants restricting the Companys activities, including limitations on dispositions, mergers or acquisitions; encumbering its intellectual property; incurring indebtedness or liens; paying dividends; making certain investments; and engaging in certain other business transactions. The obligations under the 2014 Credit Facility are subject to acceleration upon the occurrence of specified events of default, including a material adverse change in the Companys business, operations or financial or other condition.
The Company is obligated to make monthly, interest-only payments on the Tranche 1 loan funded under the 2014 Credit Facility until September 30, 2015 and, thereafter, to pay 30 consecutive, equal monthly installments of principal from October 1, 2015 through March 1, 2018 plus interest. The Tranche 1 loan under the 2014 Credit Facility bears interest at an annual rate of 8.25%. In addition, a final payment equal to 3.75% of any amounts drawn under the 2014 Credit Facility is due upon its maturity date.
10
In April 2014, in connection with the Tranche 1 loan, the lenders received warrants to purchase 100,000 shares of the Companys Series D-1 redeemable convertible preferred stock with an exercise price of $3.00 per share, which are exercisable until April 2021. The fair value of the warrants as of the issuance date totaling $326 was recorded as a preferred stock warrant liability. Of this amount, $290 was allocated to the 2014 Credit Facility and recorded as debt discount and $36 was allocated to the 2011 Modification Agreement and recorded as loss on extinguishment of debt (see below). Upon the closing of our IPO in July 2014, the preferred stock warrants became exercisable for 37,878 common stock warrants at an exercise price of $7.92 and the fair value of the warrant liability became fixed as of that date and was reclassified to additional paid-in capital. As of September 30, 2015, the effective annual interest rate of the outstanding debt under the 2014 Credit Facility was approximately 11%.
The terms of the 2014 Credit Facility required that the existing outstanding borrowings be repaid. Accordingly, on April 17, 2014, the Company used $1,898 of proceeds from the Tranche 1 loan to repay all amounts then due under the 2011 Modification Agreement, consisting of $1,667 of principal, $6 of interest and $225 of a final payment.
In the second quarter of 2014, the Company accounted for the termination of the 2011 Modification Agreement as an extinguishment in accordance with the guidance in ASC 470-50, Debt and the total amount of unamortized debt discount of $10 was reflected as a loss on extinguishment of debt and included in other expense within the statements of operations and comprehensive loss. Additionally, fees paid to the lenders that were allocated to the existing debt and treated as an extinguishment, inclusive of the value of warrants issued and debt issuance costs paid, totaling $47, was also reflected as a loss on extinguishment of debt included in other expense within the statements of operations and comprehensive loss.
As of September 30, 2015, the annual repayment requirements for the 2014 Credit Facility, inclusive of the final payment of $563 due at expiration, were as follows:
Year Ending December 31, |
Principal | Interest and Final Payment |
Total | |||||||||
2015 |
$ | 1,500 | $ | 302 | $ | 1,802 | ||||||
2016 |
6,000 | 902 | 6,902 | |||||||||
2017 |
6,000 | 397 | 6,397 | |||||||||
2018 |
1,500 | 583 | 2,083 | |||||||||
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$ | 15,000 | $ | 2,184 | $ | 17,184 | |||||||
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8. Common Stock and Preferred Stock
On April 14, 2014, the Company effected an increase in the number of authorized shares of its common stock from 45,000,000 shares to 47,500,000 shares and an increase in the number of authorized shares of its preferred stock from 33,979,025 shares to 34,229,025 shares.
On July 10, 2014, the Company effected a 1-for-2.64 reverse stock split of its issued and outstanding shares of common stock and a proportional adjustment to the existing conversion ratios for each series of redeemable convertible preferred stock. Accordingly, all share and per share amounts for all periods presented in these financial statements and notes thereto have been adjusted retroactively, where applicable, to reflect this reverse stock split and adjustment of the preferred stock conversion ratios.
On July 30, 2014 the Company completed its IPO, which resulted in the sale of 5,000,000 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $13.00 per share resulting in net proceeds of approximately $57,337 after deducting underwriting discounts and other offering costs. Upon closing the IPO, all outstanding shares of the Companys redeemable convertible preferred stock were automatically converted into 12,440,205 shares of common stock. Additionally upon closing the IPO, the Company adopted an amended and restated certificate of incorporation increasing the number of its authorized shares of its common stock to 100,000,000 shares. This amended and restated certificate of incorporation also authorizes the Company to issue 5,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.0001 par value, all of which is undesignated.
On August 19, 2014, the Company completed the sale of an additional 750,000 shares of common stock at the initial public offering price of $13.00 per share to the underwriters of the Companys IPO pursuant to the exercise of their over-allotment option. The Company received additional net proceeds of approximately $9,068 after deducting underwriting discounts.
In June 2015, the Company completed a follow-on offering of its common stock at a public offering price of $22.00 per share. The offering consisted of 4,600,000 shares of common stock, of which 3,200,000 shares were issued and sold by the Company and 1,400,000 shares were sold by certain stockholders of the Company, including those shares sold in connection with the exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional shares. The Company received net proceeds from the follow-on offering of approximately $65,612 after deducting underwriting discounts and offering expenses.
11
9. Warrants
Upon the closing of our IPO in July 2014, the Companys outstanding preferred stock warrants for the purchase of 236,836 shares of preferred stock were converted to warrants for the purchase of 89,708 shares of common stock at a weighted average exercise price of $6.32 per share. During the nine months ended September 30, 2015, warrants covering 70,769 shares were exercised via net share settlement and the Company issued 54,010 shares of common stock as a result of the exercise. Warrants for the purchase of 18,939 shares of common stock remain outstanding at September 30, 2015 at a weighted average exercise price of $7.92 per share.
10. Stock-Based Awards
2006 Stock Option Plan
The Companys 2006 Stock Option Plan, as amended (the 2006 Plan), provides for the Company to sell or issue common stock or restricted common stock, or to grant incentive stock options or nonqualified stock options for the purchase of common stock, to employees, members of the board of directors and consultants of the Company. The 2006 Plan is administered by the board of directors, or at the discretion of the board of directors, by a committee of the board. The exercise prices, vesting and other restrictions are determined at the discretion of the board of directors, or their committee if so delegated, except that the exercise price per share of stock options may not be less than 100% of the fair market value of the share of common stock on the date of grant and the term of stock options may not be greater than ten years.
Stock options granted under the 2006 Plan generally vest over four years and expire after ten years, although options have been granted with vesting terms less than four years.
On July 30, 2014, the Companys 2014 Stock Incentive Plan (the 2014 Plan) became effective and no further stock options or other awards will be made under the 2006 Plan. Shares of common stock that were available for grant under the 2006 Plan as of July 30, 2014 as well as any shares of common stock subject to awards under the 2006 Plan that expire, terminate, or are otherwise surrendered, canceled, forfeited or repurchased without having been fully exercised or resulting in any common stock being issued will become available for issuance under the 2014 Plan, up to a specified number of shares.
2014 Stock Incentive Plan
On June 19, 2014, the Companys stockholders approved the 2014 Plan, which became effective immediately prior to the closing of the Companys IPO on July 30, 2014. The 2014 Plan provides for the grant of incentive stock options, non-statutory stock options, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights and other stock-based awards. The number of shares originally reserved for issuance under the 2014 Plan, inclusive of shares from the 2006 Plan, was 1,336,907. On December 23, 2014, the board of directors adopted a resolution to increase the number available under the 2014 Plan by an additional 790,000 shares effective as of January 1, 2015. As of September 30, 2015, 1,460,345 shares remain available for issuance under the 2014 Plan. The number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the 2014 Plan is subject to increase on the first day of each fiscal year, beginning on January 1, 2015 and ending on December 31, 2024, equal to the least of 1,659,218 shares of the Companys common stock, 4% of the number of shares of the Companys common stock outstanding on the first day of the applicable fiscal year, and an amount determined by the Companys board of directors.
The Company generally grants stock-based awards with service conditions only (service-based awards).
As required by the 2006 Plan and 2014 Plan, the exercise price for stock options granted is not to be less than the fair value of common shares as of the date of grant. Prior to the IPO, the value of common stock was determined by the board of directors by taking into consideration its most recently available valuation of common shares performed by management and the board of directors as well as additional factors which might have changed since the date of the most recent contemporaneous valuation through the date of grant.
2014 Employee Stock Purchase Plan
On June 19, 2014, the Companys stockholders approved the 2014 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the ESPP). A total of 207,402 shares of common stock are reserved for issuance under this plan. The ESPP became effective immediately prior to the closing of the Companys IPO on July 30, 2014. In addition, the number of shares of common stock that may be issued under the ESPP will automatically increase on the first day of each fiscal year, commencing on January 1, 2015 and ending on December 31, 2024, in an amount equal to the least of 207,402 shares of the Companys common stock, 0.5% of the number of shares of the
12
Companys common stock outstanding on the first day of the applicable fiscal year, and an amount determined by the Companys board of directors. The Companys first offering period commenced October 1, 2014 and closed on December 31, 2014 at which time 5,395 shares of common stock were issued for total proceeds of $64. On December 23, 2014, the board of directors adopted a resolution to increase the number of authorized under the ESPP by an additional 25,000 shares effective as of January 1, 2015. The Companys second offering period commenced January 1, 2015 and closed on June 30, 2015 at which time 8,277 shares of common stock were issued for total proceeds of $148. As of September 30, 2015, 218,730 shares of common stock remain available for issuance.
Stock Option Valuation
The fair value of each stock option grant is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. Prior to the Companys IPO in July 2014, the Company had been a private company and lacked company-specific historical and implied volatility information. Therefore, it estimated its expected stock volatility based on the historical volatility of a publicly traded set of peer companies and expects to continue to do so until such time as it has adequate historical data regarding the volatility of its own traded stock price. The expected term of the Companys stock options has been determined utilizing the simplified method for awards that qualify as plain-vanilla options. The expected term of stock options granted to nonemployees is equal to the contractual term of the option award. The risk-free interest rate is determined by reference to the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant of the award for time periods approximately equal to the expected term of the award. Expected dividend yield is based on the fact that the Company has never paid cash dividends and does not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.
The assumptions that the Company used to determine the fair value of the stock options granted to employees and directors are as follows, presented on a weighted average basis:
Three Months ended September 30, |
Nine Months ended September 30, |
|||||||||||||||
2015 | 2014 | 2015 | 2014 | |||||||||||||
Risk-free interest rate |
1.93 | % | 2.26 | % | 1.65 | % | 2.24 | % | ||||||||
Expected term (in years) |
6.00 | 6.00 | 6.00 | 5.96 | ||||||||||||
Expected volatility |
64.2 | % | 76.7 | % | 71.4 | % | 76.5 | % | ||||||||
Expected dividend yield |
0 | % | 0 | % | 0 | % | 0 | % |
As of September 30, 2015, there were outstanding unvested service-based stock options held by nonemployees for the purchase of 6,688 shares of common stock.
Stock-based Compensation
The Company recorded stock-based compensation expense related to stock options and restricted common stock in the following expense categories of its statements of operations:
Three Months Ended September 30, |
Nine Months Ended September 30. |
|||||||||||||||
2015 | 2014 | 2015 | 2014 | |||||||||||||
Research and development |
$ | 400 | $ | 107 | $ | 1,116 | $ | 245 | ||||||||
Selling and marketing |
89 | 19 | 247 | 42 | ||||||||||||
General and administrative |
742 | 481 | 1,941 | 1,380 | ||||||||||||
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|
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$ | 1,231 | $ | 607 | $ | 3,304 | $ | 1,667 | |||||||||
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|
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|
As of September 30, 2015, the Company had an aggregate of $12,402 of unrecognized stock-based compensation cost, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 3.0 years.
11. Commitments and Contingencies
Leases
The Company leases office, laboratory and manufacturing space in Bedford, Massachusetts and certain office equipment under non-cancelable operating leases that expire in June 2017 and June 2018.
13
Future minimum lease payments for its operating leases as of September 30, 2015 are as follows:
Years Ending December 31, |
||||
2015 |
$ | 203 | ||
2016 |
820 | |||
2017 |
676 | |||
2018 |
262 | |||
|
|
|||
Total |
$ | 1,961 | ||
|
|
During the three months and nine months ended September 30, 2015, the Company recognized $193 and $583, respectively, of rental expense, related to its office, laboratory and manufacturing space and office equipment. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, the Company recognized $196 and $455, respectively, of rental expense, related to its office, laboratory and manufacturing space and office equipment.
Intellectual Property Licenses
The Company has a license agreement with Incept, LLC (Incept) (Note 12) to use and develop certain patent rights (the Incept License). Under the Incept License, as amended and restated, the Company was granted a worldwide, perpetual, exclusive license to develop and commercialize products that are delivered to or around the human eye for diagnostic, therapeutic or prophylactic purposes relating to ophthalmic diseases or conditions. The Company is obligated to pay low single-digit royalties on net sales of commercial products developed using the licensed technology, commencing with the date of the first commercial sale of such products and until the expiration of the last to expire of the patents covered by the license. Any of the Companys sublicensees also will be obligated to pay Incept a royalty equal to a low single-digit percentage of net sales made by it and will be bound by the terms of the agreement to the same extent as the Company. The Company is obligated to reimburse Incept for its share of the reasonable fees and costs incurred by Incept in connection with the prosecution of the patent applications licensed to the Company under the Incept License. Through September 30, 2015, royalties payable under this agreement related to product sales were not material.
On February 12, 2014, the Company issued to Incept 189,393 shares of its common stock in connection with the expansion of the scope of the license to include back-of-the-eye technology held by Incept (Note 12).
Indemnification Agreements
In the ordinary course of business, the Company may provide indemnification of varying scope and terms to vendors, lessors, business partners, and other parties with respect to certain matters including, but not limited to, losses arising out of breach of such agreements or from intellectual property infringement claims made by third parties. In addition, the Company has entered into indemnification agreements with members of its board of directors that will require the Company, among other things, to indemnify them against certain liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as directors or officers. The maximum potential amount of future payments the Company could be required to make under these indemnification agreements is, in many cases, unlimited. To date, the Company has not incurred any material costs as a result of such indemnifications. The Company does not believe that the outcome of any claims under indemnification arrangements will have a material effect on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows, and it has not accrued any liabilities related to such obligations in its financial statements as of December 31, 2014 or September 30, 2015.
Purchase Commitments
Purchase commitments represent non-cancelable contractual commitments associated with certain clinical trial activities within our clinical research organization.
Manufacturing Commitments
Manufacturing contracts generally provide for termination on notice, and therefore are cancelable contracts but are contracts that we are likely to continue, regardless of the fact that they are cancelable.
12. Related Party Transactions
The Company has a license agreement with Incept to use and develop certain patent rights that it entered into in 2007. Royalties incurred and payable to Incept have not been material to date. On February 12, 2014, the Company issued 189,393 shares of its
14
common stock to Incept in connection with the expansion of the scope of the Incept License to include back-of-the-eye technology held by Incept. In the three months ended March 31, 2014, the fair value of the shares of $1,665 as of the issuance date was recorded as research and development expense. Incept and certain owners of Incept participated in the Companys Series A, Series B and Series C preferred stock financing and have also been granted shares of common stock and redeemable convertible preferred stock of the Company. In addition, certain employees of the Company are shareholders of Incept. The Companys President and Chief Executive Officer is a general partner of Incept.
On February 12, 2014, the Company issued 79,545 shares of common stock to a former member of the Companys board of directors and current stockholder of Incept for consulting services rendered. In the three months ended March 31, 2014, the fair value of the shares of $699 as of the issuance date was recorded as general and administrative expense.
During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, the Company invoiced Augmenix, Inc. (Augmenix) $0 and $5, respectively, for consulting and other services. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014, the Company invoiced Augmenix $4 and $80, respectively for consulting and other services. Certain shareholders of Augmenix were holders of the Companys redeemable convertible preferred stock and common stock which is now entirely common stock. In addition, certain employees of the Company are shareholders of Augmenix. The Companys President and Chief Executive Officer was also the Chief Executive Officer of Augmenix up until April 2014 and is currently the Chairman of the board of directors of Augmenix.
15
Item 2. | Managements 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 in conjunction with our financial statements and related notes appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 20, 2015. Some of the information contained in this discussion and analysis or set forth elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including information with respect to our plans and strategy for our business, includes forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. As a result of many factors, including those factors set forth in the Risk Factors section of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, our actual results could differ materially from the results described, in or implied, by the forward-looking statements contained in the following discussion and analysis.
We are a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative therapies for diseases and conditions of the eye using our proprietary hydrogel platform technology. Our bioresorbable hydrogel-based product candidates are designed to provide sustained delivery of therapeutic agents to the eye. Our lead sustained release drug delivery product candidates are DEXTENZA, also referred to as OTX-DP, and OTX-TP which are inserted into the canaliculus through a natural opening called the punctum located in the inner portion of the eyelid near the nose. Our DEXTENZA and OTX-TP product candidates combine our hydrogel technology with U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, approved therapeutic agents with the goal of providing sustained delivery of drug to the eye. We also have a hydrogel-based drug delivery depot, which is in preclinical development for the treatment of diseases and conditions of the back of the eye, including wet age related macular degeneration, or wet AMD. Our hydrogel depot is designed to be delivered via intravitreal injection to release therapeutic agents, such as antibodies to vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF, over a sustained period. In addition to our ongoing product development, we have launched our first commercial product, ReSure Sealant, a hydrogel-based ophthalmic wound sealant approved by the FDA in January 2014 to seal corneal incisions following cataract surgery. ReSure Sealant is the first and only surgical sealant to be approved by the FDA for ophthalmic use.
Our most advanced product candidate, DEXTENZA, incorporates the FDA-approved corticosteroid dexamethasone as an active pharmaceutical ingredient in our hydrogel and is in Phase 3 clinical development for the treatment of ocular inflammation and pain following cataract surgery, Phase 3 clinical development for the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis and Phase 2 clinical development for the treatment of inflammatory dry eye disease.
In March and April 2015 we reported topline results from two Phase 3 clinical trials of DEXTENZA for the treatment of ocular inflammation and pain following cataract surgery. Although we have been conducting our Phase 3 clinical trials of DEXTENZA in patients who have undergone cataract surgery, these trials are intended to support a label for all post-surgical ocular inflammation and pain. In the first Phase 3 clinical trial, DEXTENZA met both primary efficacy endpoints, absence of pain at day 8 and absence of inflammatory cells at day 14, with statistical significance. In the second Phase 3 clinical trial, DEXTENZA met the primary efficacy endpoint for the absence of pain at day 8 with statistical significance but did not meet the primary efficacy endpoint for the absence of inflammatory cells at day 14 with statistical significance.
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We met with the FDA in April 2015 to discuss the path forward for seeking marketing approval of DEXTENZA for the treatment of ocular inflammation and pain following ophthalmic surgery. In our meeting with the FDA, we discussed the following in an effort to gain clarity regarding related clinical and regulatory matters. We discussed proceeding with an NDA submission solely for an ocular pain indication using the existing pain data from our completed Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials. We also discussed conducting a potential third Phase 3 clinical trial for the inflammation endpoint, which we believe will be required to support the potential labeling expansion of DEXTENZAs indications for use. We initiated this third Phase 3 clinical trial for DEXTENZA for the treatment of post-surgical ocular inflammation and pain in October 2015 and had enrolled 67 patients through November 6, 2015. We expect to enroll 436 patients in this trial, with patients randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either DEXTENZA or placebo. We have made modifications to the protocol design of this third Phase 3 clinical trial compared to our two completed Phase 3 clinical trials of DEXTENZA based on our learnings from these prior trials. These modifications relate to factors we believe impacted the results of the second Phase 3 clinical trial, including the use of rescue medications in patients with mild inflammation at the day 8 visit and the use of high dose oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs. In the third Phase 3 clinical trial we will exclude patients receiving high doses of NSAIDs, such as Naproxen, and have provided additional guidance to study investigators regarding the use of rescue medications per the study protocol. We submitted an NDA for DEXTENZA solely for the treatment of ocular pain following ophthalmic surgery in September 2015. If the results of our third Phase 3 clinical trial of OTX-DP are favorable and subject to receiving approval for the pain indication pursuant to the initial NDA, we plan to submit an NDA supplement for DEXTENZA for the treatment of ocular inflammation following ophthalmic surgery.
In addition, in October 2015 we reported topline efficacy results from the first of two planned Phase 3 clinical trials of DEXTENZA for the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis. This first Phase 3 clinical trial was a prospective, randomized, parallel-arm, vehicle-controlled, multicenter, double-masked trial. A total of 73 patients were enrolled in this trial and were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either DEXTENZA or a placebo vehicle control punctum plug without active drug. This trial was conducted using a controlled allergen exposure model commonly used to assess ocular allergy medications known as the modified Ora-CAC® (Conjunctival Allergan Challenge) model, which is a proprietary model owned by Ophthalmic Research Associates (ORA, Inc.), a clinical research organization we used to manage this trial. The primary endpoints that were evaluated were ocular itching graded by the patient and conjunctival redness graded by the trial investigator at day 7 following insertion. The secondary efficacy measures for both itching and redness were measured at day 14 following insertion and on day 28 following insertion. The primary endpoint of the treatment of ocular itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis was successfully achieved in this trial. There was a statistically significant difference (p<0.0001) in the mean scores between the DEXTENZA treatment group and the placebo group for ocular itching at all three time points measured on day 7 post-insertion of the drug product. The difference in the mean scores for ocular itching between the DEXTENZA group and the placebo group was greater than 0.5 units on a five point scale at all time points on day 7 post-insertion and was greater than 1.0 unit at a majority of the time points on day 7 post-insertion. The primary endpoint of conjunctival redness is typically an endpoint included in Phase 3 trials for allergic conjunctivitis but has not been historically required for FDA approval of drugs for allergic conjunctivitis. The DEXTENZA treatment group did not achieve the primary endpoint for conjunctival redness in this trial. Many commercially available prescription medications for the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis have an ocular itching indication only. Based on the analysis of the results in this clinical trial to date, as well as other clinical trials completed to date, DEXTENZA has exhibited a good safety profile and has been well tolerated. The secondary endpoints and complete safety data are being analyzed and are expected to be available in the first quarter of 2016. We expect to initiate patient enrollment in a second Phase 3 clinical trial of DEXTENZA for the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis in the fourth quarter of 2015. If the results of our second Phase 3 clinical trial of DEXTENZA for this indication are favorable, and subject to receiving approval for DEXTENZA for the treatment of ocular pain following ophthalmic surgery pursuant to the initial NDA, we plan to submit an NDA supplement for DEXTENZA for the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis in the second half of 2016.
We also initiated an exploratory Phase 2 clinical trial of DEXTENZA for the treatment of inflammatory dry eye disease in January 2015 and we have completed patient enrollment. This study has not been powered to demonstrate statistical significance. We expect to complete this trial in the fourth quarter of 2015 and then assess the future direction of the clinical development of this product candidate based on these results.
Our second product candidate, OTX-TP, incorporates travoprost, an FDA-approved prostaglandin analog that reduces elevated intraocular pressure, as an active pharmaceutical ingredient in our hydrogel. We reported topline efficacy results from a Phase 2b clinical trial of OTX-TP for the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension in October 2015. This prospective, randomized, parallel-arm, active controlled, multicenter, double-masked, double dummy study enrolled 73 patients at 11 clinical sites in the United States to assess the efficacy and safety of OTX-TP as compared to timolol. Patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either OTX-TP and placebo eye drops or a placebo vehicle control punctum plug without active drug and eye drops containing timolol. The trial was designed to inform the further clinical development for OTX-TP and was not powered to show statistical significance between study groups. Efficacy measures in this trial included differences in the mean intraocular pressure, or IOP, change between the treatment groups from baseline at multiple time points throughout the trial. The primary efficacy endpoint in this trial was the difference between treatment groups in mean change in IOP from baseline at day 60 following insertion of the punctum plug,
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calculated by averaging the change from baseline across the three time points at day 60. The secondary efficacy endpoints in this trial were difference between treatment groups in mean change in IOP from baseline at each time point on day 60 and day 90 following insertion of the punctum plug. Our objectives included assessing the clinically meaningful reduction of IOP in the OTX-TP treatment group, depot retention rates, visualization and replacement of the depot if required, duration of washout to achieve stable baseline IOP as well as the safety profile.
In this trial, the duration of effect as measured by the clinically meaningful reduction of IOP was observed at a level within a range of 4.5 to 5.7 mmHg out to 90 days with the sustained release OTX-TP drug product with an average reduction of 1.9 mmHg compared with baseline. This IOP lowering was comparable to levels seen in the treatment group with the same drug release rate in our previously completed Phase 2a clinical trial of OTX-TP. In the Phase 2b trial, the patient group receiving timolol as a comparator drug in the presence of a placebo depot achieved IOP lowering results that were higher than expected, based on results reported in the peer-reviewed literature. The trial was not powered to detect statistically significant differences in IOP lowering between patient groups.
The timolol group was observed to have intraocular pressure lowering of 6.4 to 7.6 mmHg, with an average of 7.0 mmHg compared with baseline, and as noted, this was higher than expected, possibly due to enhanced residence time of the drug on the ocular surface due to occlusion of the punctum by the placebo vehicle depot. The average intraocular pressure lowering seen in four published studies using timolol was 6.2 mmHg. On day 60, which was the date for the primary efficacy measure, the OTX-TP group experienced an IOP lowering effect of 4.8 mmHg, compared with IOP lowering of 6.4 mmHg for the timolol arm. On day 90, which was the date for the secondary efficacy measure, the OTX-TP group experienced an IOP lowering effect of 5.2 mmHg, compared with an IOP lowering effect of 7.3 mmHg in the timolol arm. There may be some benefit on the IOP lowering effect of the placebo plug in the timolol arm. There are several peer-reviewed medical journals that have reported studies in which an additional IOP lowering effect of 1.32 to 1.80 mmHg was observed in patients taking timolol eye drops in combination with a non-drug eluting punctum plug compared to those patients only taking timolol eye drops. These include studies reported in September 2011 in Clinical and Experimental Optometry, February 1989 in the American Journal of Ophthalmology and August 1996 in Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica. We may take into consideration the potential enhanced IOP lowering effect of the placebo plug when designing our Phase 3 trials of OTX-TP.
In a post-hoc analysis performed following the receipt of topline efficacy results, we excluded patients who were on more than one glaucoma drug and used the baseline at five weeks of washout for comparisons of the OTX-TP group and the timolol arm. In this post-hoc analysis, the mean difference in IOP lowering effect between the OTX-TP treatment group and the timolol arm across all time points was 1.1mmHg. At day 60, the OTX-TP group experienced an IOP lowering effect of 5.3 mmHg compared with 6.2 mmHg for the timolol arm. At day 90, the OTX-TP group experienced an IOP lowering effect of 5.7 mmHg compared with 7.2 mmHg for the timolol arm. This was not a pre-specified analysis but may help inform the design of our Phase 3 clinical trials of OTX-TP.
In the Phase 2b trial, depots were found to be retained in 91% of patients at day 60, 88% of patients at day 75 and 48% of patients at day 90, reflecting the corresponding absorption and clearance of the depots with the duration of drug release. While complete safety data is not expected to be available until the first quarter of 2016, there have been no hyperemia-related adverse events noted in any of the patients treated with OTX-TP. Further, there have been no serious adverse events observed to date in the Phase 2b trial. Adverse events noted to date including punctal stenosis, punctal trauma and canaliculitis.
We plan to conduct additional non-significant risk studies on additional modified depot designs, discuss alternative Phase 3 clinical trial designs with advisors and with the FDA and formulate our plans for our Phase 3 program. We currently expect that there will be a delay of approximately six months in initiating Phase 3 trials of OTX-TP for the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension but we have additional modifications to depot designs and studies to perform that could potentially further impact the timeline.
We are engaged in the preclinical development of a sustained release hydrogel depot administered via intravitreal injection to address the large and growing markets for diseases and conditions of the back of the eye. Our initial development efforts are focused on the use of our sustained release hydrogel depot in combination with anti-angiogenic protein drugs or with small molecule anti-angiogenic drugs, such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors, or TKIs, for the treatment of wet AMD. Our initial goal for this program is to provide sustained release of an anti-angiogenic protein or a TKI drug over a four to six month period, thereby reducing the frequency of the current monthly or bi-monthly intravitreal injection regimen for wet AMD.
We are pursuing a multi-pronged strategy to seek to maximize the potential of this technology. We are collaborating on this program with several different pharmaceutical companies using protein based anti-angiogenic agents and are also conducting our own internal preclinical development using the anti-VEGF agent bevacizumab. We are also conducting research efforts on the delivery of TKIs in our hydrogel depot and have been focusing this research on what we believe to be an optimal drug candidates. We believe this class of drugs is well suited for use with our platform given its high potency, multi-target capability, and compatibility with a hydrogel vehicle. In the absence of a sophisticated drug delivery system, these drugs have been difficult to deliver to the eye at therapeutic levels without causing local and systemic toxicity. We feel our local drug delivery technology gives us advantages in this regard. By selecting compounds that are compatible with our hydrogel platform technology and that will have expiration of relevant patents within the timeline of our development program, we would also avoid the need to license these molecules, thus retaining full worldwide rights to our products. We may seek to move forward on delivery of a small molecule on our own in parallel with a protein based anti-angiogenic drug delivery program, which would require the involvement of a collaboration partner. We plan to continue working with our pharmaceutical company partners on development efforts and exploring potential business development deal structures as well as advancing our internal development efforts on our sustained release hydrogel depot for the treatment of back-of-the-eye diseases.
Our research efforts to date have focused on the following key milestones:
| We have demonstrated that protein based drugs can be incorporated within our hydrogel depot without denaturation and have initially demonstrated compatibility and stability of TKI drugs when combined with our hydrogel technology. |
| Demonstrating that our hydrogel depot can release protein based or small molecule anti-VEGF drugs, such as TKIs, in clinically meaningful concentrations and over an extended duration. To date, we have demonstrated release of protein |
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based anti-VEGF drugs over a six month period in vitro and up to four months in vivo and have shown clinically meaningful concentrations of drug present in ocular tissues. Based on our initial in vitro and in vivo work with our lead candidate TKI, we anticipate we will be capable of sustained delivery of efficacious concentrations in vivo for 6 months or more. |
| Demonstrating an acceptable level of ocular tolerability of our hydrogel depot with respect to foreign body response. We have seen a favorable early ocular biocompatibility profile of the hydrogel depot containing a number of TKI drug candidates, including our lead candidate, as we have advanced the design of our product. |
We were incorporated and commenced operations in September 2006, and our operations to date have been primarily limited to organizing and staffing our company, acquiring rights to intellectual property, business planning, raising capital, developing our technology, identifying potential product candidates, undertaking preclinical studies and clinical trials, manufacturing initial quantities of our products and product candidates and, beginning in the first quarter of 2014, commercializing ReSure Sealant. From our inception through September 30, 2015, we have financed our operations primarily through private placements of our preferred stock with aggregate gross proceeds of $74.2 million, public offerings of our common stock with net proceeds to us of $132.0 million and borrowings under credit facilities totaling $22.7 million, of which we had repaid $7.7 million through September 30, 2015.
We have generated limited revenue to date. In the first quarter of 2014, we began recognizing revenue from sales of ReSure Sealant. We also have recognized revenues from early stage feasibility agreements with collaborative partners, which have been limited to date. All of our sustained release drug delivery products are in various phases of clinical and preclinical development. We do not expect sales of ReSure Sealant or existing collaboration agreements to generate revenue that is sufficient for us to achieve profitability. Instead, our ability to generate product revenue sufficient to achieve profitability will depend heavily on our obtaining marketing approval for and commercializing products with greater market potential, including one or both of DEXTENZA and OTX-TP. Since inception, we have incurred significant operating losses. Our net loss was $29.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015. As of September 30, 2015, we had an accumulated deficit of $118.5 million.
Our total operating expenses were $11.6 and $29.2 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, including $1.2 and $3.3 million in non-cash stock-based compensation expense. We anticipate that our operating expenses will increase substantially as we pursue the clinical development of our most advanced product candidates, DEXTENZA and OTX-TP, continue the research and development of our other product candidates, continue the internal development of our hydrogel depot for the sustained delivery of protein based or small molecule anti-VEGF drugs, such as TKI for the treatment of wet AMD and other back-of-the-eye diseases and seek marketing approval for any such product candidate for which we obtain favorable pivotal clinical trial results. We expect to continue to incur additional expenses for product manufacturing, sales, marketing and distribution for ReSure Sealant and any of our product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval. In addition, we will incur additional costs associated with operating as a public company.
We do not expect to generate significant revenue from sales of any product for several years, if at all. Accordingly, we may need to obtain substantial additional funding in connection with our continuing operations. If we are unable to raise capital when needed or on attractive terms, we could be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate our research and development programs or any future commercialization efforts or to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams, research programs or product candidates or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us.
In July 2014, we completed an initial public offering, or IPO, of our common stock, and in August 2014 the underwriters in our IPO exercised their over-allotment option in full. We received total net proceeds of approximately $66.4 million from the issuance and sale of 5,750,000 shares of common stock, including in connection with the exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option, after deducting underwriting discounts and offering costs. In June 2015, we completed a follow-on offering of our common stock at a public offering price of $22.00 per share. The offering consisted of 4,600,000 shares of common stock, of which 3,200,000 shares were issued and sold by us and 1,400,000 shares were sold by certain of our stockholders, including those shares sold in connection with the exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional shares. We received net proceeds from the follow-on offering of approximately $65.6 million after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses. We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities, will enable us to fund our operating expenses, debt service obligations and capital expenditure requirements at least through the third quarter of 2017. See Liquidity and Capital Resources.
Financial Operations Overview
Revenue
From our inception through September 30, 2015, we have generated limited amounts of revenue from the sales of our products. Our ReSure Sealant product received premarket approval, or PMA, from the FDA in January 2014. We commenced sales of ReSure
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Sealant in the first quarter of 2014, have received only limited revenues from ReSure Sealant to date and anticipate only limited sales for the remainder of 2015. ReSure Sealant is currently our only source of revenue from product sales. We may generate revenue in the future if we successfully develop one or more of our product candidates and receive marketing approval for any such product candidate or if we enter into longer-term collaboration agreements with third parties. In September 2013, we entered into a feasibility agreement with a biopharmaceutical company relating to our intravitreal hydrogel-based drug delivery depot. Under this agreement, the biopharmaceutical company agreed to pay us up to $0.5 million under this feasibility study. In the event that the agreement is terminated in advance of the achievement of certain milestones, we would be required to refund certain portions of the funding based on the actual work completed or milestones achieved as of the date of termination. In the fourth quarter of 2014, the Company completed the task related to the first milestone at which time the $0.3 million became non-refundable. The biopharmaceutical company has indicated that they will not proceed with the second phase of the agreement. The Company does not have any further obligations in connection with this agreement.
In October 2014, we entered into a feasibility agreement with a biotechnology company relating to our intravitreal hydrogel-based drug delivery depot. Under this agreement, the biotechnology company has agreed to pay us up to $0.7 million, of which $0.3 million was a non-refundable up-front payment due upon contract execution and $0.4 million will be due upon the achievement of certain milestones. Initially, we were recognizing the non-refundable, non-contingent up-front payment of $0.3 million as revenue on a straight-line basis over the twelve-month period in which we are expected to complete our performance obligations. Estimates of this development period involves the evaluation of many assumptions and uncertainties and may change if facts and circumstances change. During the third quarter of 2015, management reevaluated and revised the estimated development period from 12 months as of June 30, 2015 to 18 months as of September 30, 2015. If and when a contingent milestone payment is earned, the additional consideration to be received will be added to the total expected payments under the contract and recognized as revenue based on the proportional performance methodology. In January 2015, we achieved the first milestone under the feasibility agreement triggering a payment due of $0.3 million. Through September 30, 2015, the Company has recognized revenue of $0.4 million related to this agreement.
Operating Expenses
Research and Development Expenses
Research and development expenses consist primarily of costs incurred for the development of our product candidates, which include:
| employee-related expenses, including salaries, related benefits, travel and stock-based compensation expense for employees engaged in research and development, clinical and regulatory and other related functions; |
| expenses incurred in connection with the clinical trials of our product candidates, including with the investigative sites that conduct our clinical trials and under agreements with contract research organizations, or CROs; |
| expenses relating to regulatory activities, including filing fees paid to the FDA for our submissions for product approvals; |
| expenses associated with developing our pre-commercial manufacturing capabilities and manufacturing clinical study materials; |
| ongoing research and development activities relating to our core bioresorbable hydrogel technology and improvements to this technology; |
| facilities, depreciation and other expenses, which include direct and allocated expenses for rent and maintenance of facilities, insurance and supplies; |
| costs relating to the supply and manufacturing of product inventory, prior to approval by the FDA or other regulatory agencies of our products; |
| expenses associated with preclinical development activities; and |
| royalty and patent legal fees payable made under our licensing agreement with Incept, LLC, or Incept. |
We expense research and development costs as incurred. We recognize external development costs based on an evaluation of the progress to completion of specific tasks using information provided to us by our vendors and our clinical investigative sites.
Our direct research and development expenses are tracked on a program-by-program basis and consist primarily of external costs, such as fees paid to investigators, consultants, central laboratories and CROs in connection with our clinical trials and regulatory fees. We do not allocate employee and contractor-related costs, costs associated with our platform technology, costs related to manufacturing or purchasing clinical trial materials, and facility expenses, including depreciation or other indirect costs, to specific product development programs because these costs are deployed across multiple product development programs and, as such, are not separately classified. We use internal resources, including clinical monitors and clinical research associates, to manage our clinical trials, monitor patient enrollment and perform data analysis for many of our clinical trials, rather than utilizing third-party CROs. These employees work across multiple development programs and, therefore, we do not track their costs by program.
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The table below summarizes our research and development expenses incurred by product development program:
Three Months Ended September 30, |
Nine Months Ended September 30, |
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2015 | 2014 | 2015 | 2014 | |||||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
ReSure Sealant |
$ | 100 | $ | | $ | 233 | $ | 25 | ||||||||
DEXTENZA for post-surgical ocular inflammation and pain |
415 | 775 | 1,157 | 1,548 | ||||||||||||
DEXTENZA for allergic conjunctivitis |
2,715 | 479 | 4,309 | 1,605 | ||||||||||||
DEXTENZA for inflammatory dry eye |
128 | | 613 | | ||||||||||||
OTX-TP for glaucoma |
645 | 670 | 1,693 | 1,389 | ||||||||||||
Unallocated expenses |
4,260 | 2,558 | 11,720 | 9,165 | ||||||||||||
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Total research and development expenses |
$ | 8,263 | $ | 4,482 | $ | 19,725 | $ | 13,732 | ||||||||
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Our research and development expenses in the first quarter of 2014 included approximately $1.7 million in a one-time, non-cash expense in connection with a license fee paid in the form of stock. We expect that our expenses will increase substantially in connection with our ongoing activities including costs related to clinical trials and other research and development activities for our DEXTENZA and OTX-TP product candidates and other research and development activities.
The successful development and commercialization of our product candidates is highly uncertain. This is due to the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with product development and commercialization, including the uncertainty of:
| the scope, progress, outcome and costs of our clinical trials and other research and development activities; |
| the efficacy and potential advantages of our product candidates compared to alternative treatments, including any standard of care; |
| the market acceptance of our product candidates; |
| obtaining, maintaining, defending and enforcing patent claims and other intellectual property rights; |
| significant and changing government regulation; and |
| the timing, receipt and terms of any marketing approvals. |
Any changes in the outcome of any of these variables with respect to the development of our product candidates in clinical and preclinical development could mean a significant change in the costs and timing associated with the development of these product candidates. For example, if the FDA or another regulatory authority were to require us to conduct clinical trials or other testing beyond those that we currently expect or if we experience significant delays in enrollment in any of our clinical trials, we could be required to expend significant additional financial resources and time on the completion of clinical development of that product candidate.
General and Administrative Expenses
General and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries and related costs, including stock-based compensation, for personnel in executive, finance and administrative functions. General and administrative expenses also include facility-related costs and professional fees for legal, patent, consulting and accounting and audit services. Additionally, in the third quarter of 2014, we began to incur increased professional fees and insurance expense associated with operating as a public company.
We anticipate that our general and administrative expenses will increase in the future as we increase our headcount to support our continued development and commercialization of our product candidates. We also anticipate to incur increased accounting, audit, legal, regulatory, compliance, director and officer insurance costs as well as investor and public relations expenses associated with being a public company. In 2014, we only operated as a public company for approximately five months and, therefore, we expect to incur an increase in public company related costs in 2015 and beyond.
Selling and Marketing Expenses
Selling and marketing expenses consist primarily of salaries and related costs for personnel in selling and marketing functions as well as consulting and advertising and promotion costs. Through December 31, 2014, we incurred selling and marketing expenses in
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connection with our first-generation surgical sealant product. In addition, we invested in sales and marketing resources in anticipation of an earlier approval of our surgical sealant product in the United States than we ultimately received from the FDA, as a result of a change in designation from a 510(k) to a PMA regulatory path. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2015, we incurred selling and marketing expense in connection with ReSure Sealant, which we commercialized for the first time during 2014.
We expect selling and marketing expenses to increase in preparation for the potential commercial launch of our DEXTENZA product candidate for the treatment of ocular inflammation and pain following cataract surgery, subject to approval by the FDA.
Other Income (Expense)
Interest Income. Interest income consists primarily of interest income earned on cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities. In 2014, our interest income was not significant due to nominal cash and investment balances and low interest earned on invested balances. We anticipate that our interest income will be higher in 2015 due to increased cash balances.
Interest Expense. Interest expense consists of interest expense on our debt. We borrowed $15.0 million in aggregate principal amount in April 2014 with an interest only period that extended through September 2015.
Other Income (Expense), Net. In 2014, other income (expense), net consisted primarily of the gain or loss associated with the change in the fair value of our preferred stock warrant liability and small amounts of miscellaneous income and expense items unrelated to our core operations. We issued warrants for the purchase of our redeemable convertible preferred stock that we believed were financial instruments that could require a transfer of assets because of the redemption feature of the underlying stock. Therefore, we classified these warrants as liabilities and they were remeasured to fair value at each reporting period, and we recorded the changes in the fair value as a component of other income (expense), net. Upon the closing of our IPO in July 2014, the underlying redeemable convertible preferred stock was converted into common stock, the preferred stock warrants became exercisable for common stock instead of preferred stock, and the fair value of the warrant liability became fixed as of that date and was reclassified to additional paid-in capital. In 2015, other income (expense), net consists of small amounts of miscellaneous income and expense items unrelated to our core operations.
Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgments and Estimates
Our financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The preparation of our financial statements and related disclosures requires us to make estimates, assumptions and judgments that affect the reported amount of assets, liabilities, revenue, costs and expenses, and related disclosures. During the nine months ended September 30, 2015, there were no material changes to our critical accounting policies. Our critical accounting policies are described under the heading Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations Critical Accounting Policies and Significant Judgments and Estimates in our Annual Report on Form 10-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, on March 20, 2015 and the notes to the financial statements appearing elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. We believe that of our critical accounting policies, the following accounting policies involve the most judgment and complexity:
| revenue recognition |
| accrued research and development expenses; |
| stock-based compensation; and |
| inventory valuation |
Accordingly, we believe the policies set forth above are critical to fully understanding and evaluating our financial condition and results of operations. If actual results or events differ materially from the estimates, judgments and assumptions used by us in applying these policies, our reported financial condition and results of operations could be materially affected.
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Results of Operations
Comparison of the Three Months Ended September 30, 2015 and 2014
The following table summarizes our results of operations for the three months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014:
Three Months Ended September 30, |
Increase (Decrease) |
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2015 | 2014 | |||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||
Revenue: |
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Product revenue |
$ | 388 | $ | 143 | $ | 245 | ||||||
Collaboration revenue |
41 | | 41 | |||||||||
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Total revenue |
429 | 143 | 286 | |||||||||
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Operating expenses: |
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Cost of product revenue |
91 | 32 | 59 | |||||||||
Research and development |
8,263 | 4,482 | 3,781 | |||||||||
Selling and marketing |
798 | 479 | 319 | |||||||||
General and administrative |
2,451 | 1,926 | 525 | |||||||||
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Total operating expenses |
11,603 | 6,919 | 4,684 | |||||||||
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Loss from operations |
(11,174 | ) | (6,776 | ) | (4,398 | ) | ||||||
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Other income (expense): |
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Interest income |
53 | 5 | 48 | |||||||||
Interest expense |
(406 | ) | (412 | ) | 6 | |||||||
Other income (expense), net |
3 | (111 | ) | 114 | ||||||||
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Total other expense, net |
(350 | ) | (518 | ) | 168 | |||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Net loss |
$ | (11,524 | ) | $ | (7,294 | ) | $ | (4,230 | ) | |||
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue
We generated $41,000 of revenue from our feasibility agreements during the three months ended September 30 2015. We generated $0.4 million of revenue during the three months ended September 30, 2015 from sales of our ReSure Sealant product compared to $0.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2014. We received FDA approval in January 2014 for ReSure Sealant.
Research and Development Expenses
Three Months Ended September 30, |
Increase (Decrease) |
|||||||||||
2015 | 2014 | |||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||
Direct research and development expenses by program: |
||||||||||||
ReSure Sealant |
$ | 100 | $ | | $ | 100 | ||||||
DEXTENZA for post-surgical ocular inflammation and pain |
415 | 775 | (360 | ) | ||||||||
DEXTENZA for allergic conjunctivitis |
2,715 | 479 | 2,236 | |||||||||
DEXTENZA for inflammatory dry eye |
128 | | 128 | |||||||||
OTX-TP for glaucoma |
645 | 670 | (25 | ) | ||||||||
Unallocated expenses: |
||||||||||||
Personnel costs (including stock-based compensation) |
2,386 | 1,523 | 863 | |||||||||
All other costs |
1,874 | 1,035 | 839 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Total research and development expenses |
$ | 8,263 | $ | 4,482 | $ | 3,781 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
23
Research and development expenses was $8.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2015, compared to $4.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2014. Research and development costs increased by $3.8 million primarily as a result of an increase of $2.0 million in costs incurred in connection with the clinical trials of our DEXTENZA product candidate for the treatment of ocular inflammation and pain following cataract surgery, our DEXTENZA product candidate for the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis, our DEXTENZA product candidate for the treatment of inflammatory dry eye disease and our OTX-TP product candidate for the treatment of glaucoma and an increase of $0.9 million in unallocated personnel costs and $0.8 million in all other costs.
For the three months ended September 30, 2015, we incurred $3.9 million in direct research and development expenses for our sustained release drug delivery product candidates for the front of the eye, including $0.4 million for our DEXTENZA product candidate for the treatment of ocular inflammation and pain following cataract surgery which was in Phase 3 clinical trials, $2.7 million for our DEXTENZA product candidate for the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis which was in a Phase 3 clinical trial, $0.1 million for our DEXTENZA product candidate for the treatment of inflammatory dry eye disease which was in an exploratory Phase 2 clinical trial and $0.6 million for our OTX-TP product candidate for the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension which is in Phase 2b clinical trials. In comparison, for the three months ended September 30, 2014, we incurred $1.9 million in direct research and development expenses for our sustained release drug delivery product candidates, including $0.8 million for our DEXTENZA product candidate in Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of ocular inflammation and pain following cataract surgery, $0.5 million for clinical trials of DEXTENZA for the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis which was in Phase 2a clinical trials and $0.7 million for our Phase 2a clinical trial of our OTX-TP product candidate for the treatment of glaucoma. Unallocated research and development expense increased $1.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2015, compared to the three months ended September 30, 2014, due to an increase in personnel costs of $0.9 million due to additional hiring primarily in our clinical, regulatory and quality department and an increase in stock-based compensation expense and an increase of $0.8 million due to higher testing and laboratory costs.
Selling and Marketing Expenses
Three Months Ended September 30, |
Increase (Decrease) |
|||||||||||
2015 | 2014 | |||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||
Personnel related (including stock-based compensation) |
$ | 359 | $ | 220 | $ | 139 | ||||||
Professional, advertising and promotion costs |
250 | 165 | 85 | |||||||||
Facility related and other |
189 | 94 | 95 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Total selling and marketing expenses |
$ | 798 | $ | 479 | $ | 319 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
Selling and marketing expenses were $0.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2015, compared to $0.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2014. The increase of $0.3 million was primarily due to an increase of $0.1 million in personnel costs relating to additional hiring and additional stock-based compensation expense, an increase of $0.1 million in professional fees including consulting, trade shows and conferences and advertising and promotion costs relating to the ReSure Sealant, and an increase of $0.1 million in facility related and other costs.
General and Administrative Expenses
Three Months Ended September 30, |
Increase (Decrease) |
|||||||||||
2015 | 2014 | |||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||
Personnel related (including stock-based compensation) |
$ | 1,387 | $ | 1,086 | $ | 301 | ||||||
Professional, insurance and consultant fees |
793 | 593 | 200 | |||||||||
Facility related and other |
271 | 247 | 24 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Total general and administrative expenses |
$ | 2,451 | $ | 1,926 | $ | 525 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
General and administrative expenses were $2.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2015, compared to $1.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2014. The increase of $0.5 million was primarily due to a $0.3 million increase in personnel related costs and an increase of $0.2 million in professional, insurance and consultant fees. Our personnel related costs
24
increased due primarily to an increase in stock-based compensation expense of $0.3 million. Professional, insurance and consultant fees increased primarily due to an increase in consulting fees of $0.2 million relating to activities to support our operating as a public company including legal services and additional insurance requirements.
Other Income (Expense), Net
Other expense, net was $0.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2015, compared to $0.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2014. In 2014, other expense included $0.1 million as a result of an adjustment for the fair value of the liability for our preferred stock warrants due to the increase in the value of the underlying preferred stock in 2014.
Comparison of the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2015 and 2014
The following table summarizes our results of operations for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014:
Nine Months Ended September 30, |
Increase (Decrease) |
|||||||||||
2015 | 2014 | |||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||
Revenue: |
||||||||||||
Product revenue |
$ | 960 | $ | 267 | $ | 693 | ||||||
Collaboration revenue |
354 | | 354 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Total revenue |
1,314 | 267 | 1,047 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Operating expenses: |
||||||||||||
Cost of product revenue |
227 | 61 | 166 | |||||||||
Research and development |
19,725 | 13,732 | 5,993 | |||||||||
Selling and marketing |
2,709 | 1,324 | 1,385 | |||||||||
General and administrative |
6,575 | 4,697 | 1,878 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Total operating expenses |
29,236 | 19,814 | 9,422 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Loss from operations |
(27,922 | ) | (19,547 | ) | (8,375 | ) | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Other income (expense): |
||||||||||||
Interest income |
121 | 7 | 114 | |||||||||
Interest expense |
(1,316 | ) | (712 | ) | (604 | ) | ||||||
Other income (expense), net |
6 | (442 | ) | 448 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Total other expense, net |
(1,189 | ) | (1,147 | ) | (42 | ) | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Net loss |
$ | (29,111 | ) | $ | (20,694 | ) | $ | (8,417 | ) | |||
|
|
|
|
|
|
Revenue
We generated $0.4 million of revenue from our collaboration agreements during the nine months ended September 30 2015. We generated $1.0 million of revenue during the nine months ended September 30, 2015 from sales of our ReSure Sealant product compared to $0.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014. We received FDA approval in January 2014 for ReSure Sealant.
25
Research and Development Expenses
Nine Months Ended September 30, |
Increase (Decrease) |
|||||||||||
2015 | 2014 | |||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||
Direct research and development expenses by program: |
||||||||||||
ReSure Sealant |
$ | 233 | $ | 25 | $ | 208 | ||||||
DEXTENZA for post-surgical ocular inflammation and pain |
1,157 | 1,548 | (391 | ) | ||||||||
DEXTENZA for allergic conjunctivitis |
4,309 | 1,605 | 2,704 | |||||||||
DEXTENZA for inflammatory dry eye |
613 | | 613 | |||||||||
OTX-TP for glaucoma |
1,693 | 1,389 | 304 | |||||||||
Unallocated expenses: |
||||||||||||
Personnel costs (including stock-based compensation) |
6,970 | 3,913 | 3,057 | |||||||||
All other costs |
4,750 | 5,252 | (502 | ) | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Total research and development expenses |
$ | 19,725 | $ | 13,732 | $ | 5,993 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
Research and development expenses were $19.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015, compared to $13.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 or an increase of $6.0 million. Research and development costs increased by $6.0 million primarily as a result of an increase of $3.2 million in costs incurred in connection with the clinical trials of our DEXTENZA product candidate for the treatment of ocular inflammation and pain following cataract surgery, our DEXTENZA product candidate for the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis, our DEXTENZA product candidate for the treatment of inflammatory dry eye and our OTX-TP product candidate for the treatment of glaucoma and an increase of $3.1 million in unallocated personnel costs offset by a decrease in $0.5 million in other unallocated costs.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2015, we incurred $7.8 million in direct research and development expenses for our sustained release drug delivery product candidates for the front of the eye, including $1.2 million for our DEXTENZA product candidate for the treatment of ocular inflammation and pain following cataract surgery which was in Phase 3 clinical trials, $4.3 million for our DEXTENZA product candidate for the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis which entered into a Phase 3 clinical trial, $0.6 million for our DEXTENZA product candidate for the treatment of inflammatory dry eye disease which was in an exploratory Phase 2 clinical trial and $1.7 million for our OTX-TP product candidate for the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension which is in Phase 2b clinical trials. In comparison, for the nine months ended September 30, 2014, we incurred $4.5 million in direct research and development expenses for our sustained release drug delivery product candidates, $1.5 million for DEXTENZA for the treatment of ocular inflammation and pain following cataract surgery which was in Phase 3 clinical trials, $1.6 million for DEXTENZA for the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis which was in a Phase 2a clinical trial and $1.4 million for OTX-TP for the treatment of glaucoma which was also in a Phase 2a clinical trial. Unallocated research and development expense increased $2.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015, compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2014, due to an increase in personnel costs increased by $3.1 million due to additional hiring primarily in our clinical, regulatory and quality department and an increase in stock-based compensation expense offset by a decrease in all other costs of $0.5 million. In the nine months ended September 30, 2014, included in unallocated all other costs was approximately $1.7 million in a one-time, non-cash expense in connection with a license fee paid in the form of stock.
Selling and Marketing Expenses
Nine Months Ended September 30, |
Increase (Decrease) |
|||||||||||
2015 | 2014 | |||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||
Personnel related (including stock-based compensation) |
$ | 1,075 | $ | 555 | $ | 520 | ||||||
Professional, advertising and promotion costs |
1,149 | 536 | 613 | |||||||||
Facility related and other |
485 | 233 | 252 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Total selling and marketing expenses |
$ | 2,709 | $ | 1,324 | $ | 1,385 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
26
Selling and marketing expenses were $2.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015, compared to $1.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014. The increase of $1.4 million was primarily due to an increase of $0.5 million in personnel costs relating to additional hiring and stock-based compensation expense, an increase of $0.6 million in professional fees including consulting, and advertising and promotion costs relating to the ReSure Sealant, and an increase of $0.3 million in facility related and other costs.
General and Administrative Expenses
Nine Months Ended September 30, |
Increase (Decrease) |
|||||||||||
2015 | 2014 | |||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||
Personnel related (including stock-based compensation) |
$ | 3,850 | $ | 2,550 | $ | 1,300 | ||||||
Professional, insurance and consultant fees |
1,947 | 1,650 | 297 | |||||||||
Facility related and other |
778 | 497 | 281 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
Total general and administrative expenses |
$ | 6,575 | $ | 4,697 | $ | 1,878 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
General and administrative expenses were $6.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015, compared to $4.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014. The increase of $1.9 million was primarily due to a $1.3 million increase in personnel related costs, an increase of $0.3 million in professional, insurance and consultant fees and an increase of $0.3 million in facility related and other costs. Our personnel related costs increased by $1.3 million due primarily to an increase of $0.7 million related to hiring in our general and administrative function to support our operating as a public company and an increase in stock-based compensation expense of $0.6 million. Professional, insurance and consultant fees increased primarily to increased activities to support our operating as a public company including legal services and additional insurance requirements. In the nine months ended September 30, 2014, consulting fees included $0.7 million recorded in the first quarter of 2014 in connection with consulting services rendered by a former member of our board of directors and current stockholder of Incept, which we paid by the issuance of 79,545 fully vested shares of our common stock for a payment having a fair value at the time of issuance of $0.7 million in addition to increased activities to support our operating as a public company including legal services and additional insurance requirements. Facility and other costs increased primarily due to general expense increases and to increased rent due to additional space under our amended lease.
Other Income (Expense), Net
Other expense, net was $1.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015, compared to $1.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014. The net increase of $0.1 million was due primarily to an increase in interest expense of $0.4 million due to increased borrowings under our new credit facility. In 2014, other expense included $0.4 million due to our adjustment for the fair value of the liability for our preferred stock warrants due to the increase in the value of the underlying preferred stock in 2014.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Since inception, we have incurred significant operating losses. We have generated limited revenue to date and are in the early phases of commercial launch of our first FDA-approved product, ReSure Sealant. We have not yet commercialized any of our sustained drug delivery products, which are in various phases of clinical and preclinical development. We do not expect to generate revenue from sales of any product other than ReSure Sealant for several years, if at all. Through September 30, 2015, we have financed our operations primarily through private placements of our preferred stock, public offerings of our common stock and borrowings under credit facilities. In July 2014, we closed our IPO, and in August 2014 the underwriters in our IPO exercised their over-allotment option in full. We received total net proceeds of approximately $66.4 million from the issuance and sale of 5,750,000 shares of common stock, including in connection with the exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option, after deducting underwriting discounts and offering costs. In June 2015, we completed a follow-on offering of our common stock at a public offering price of $22.00 per share. The offering consisted of 4,600,000 shares of common stock, of which 3,200,000 shares were issued and sold by us and 1,400,000 shares were sold by certain stockholders, including those shares sold in connection with the exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional shares. We received net proceeds from the follow-on offering of approximately $65.6 million after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions, and offering expenses.
As of September 30, 2015, we had cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities of $113.6 million. In April 2014, we borrowed $15.0 million in aggregate principal amount under a new credit facility and used $1.9 million of this amount to repay $1.7 million aggregate principal amount of indebtedness and pay $0.2 million of other amounts due in connection with our termination of a prior credit facility. The outstanding borrowings under this facility bear interest at an annual rate equal to 8.25%. See Contractual Obligations and Commitments for additional information.
27
Cash Flows
As of September 30, 2015, we had cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities of $113.6 million. Cash in excess of immediate requirements is invested in accordance with our investment policy, primarily with a view to liquidity and capital preservation.
The following table summarizes our sources and uses of cash for each of the periods presented:
Nine Months Ended September 30, |
||||||||
2015 | 2014 | |||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||
Cash used in operating activities |
$ | (25,107 | ) | $ | (14,870 | ) | ||
Cash used in investing activities |
(36,483 | ) | (819 | ) | ||||
Cash provided by financing activities |
65,395 | 79,076 | ||||||
|
|
|
|
|||||
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents |
$ | 3,805 | $ | 63,387 | ||||
|
|
|
|
Operating activities. Net cash used in operating activities was $25.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015, primarily resulting from our net loss of $29.1 million partially offset by non-cash charges of $4.1 million. Our net loss was primarily attributed to research and development activities and our general and administrative expenses, as we had minimal product revenue in the period. Our net non-cash charges during the nine months ended September 30, 2015 consisted primarily of $3.3 million of stock-based compensation expense. Net cash used by changes in our operating assets and liabilities during the nine months ended September 30, 2015 consisted primarily of an increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses of $0.2 million and an increase in prepaid expenses and other current assets of $0.3 million. The changes in prepaid expenses and other current assets, accounts payable and accrued expenses were due to increased product development activities and the timing of vendor invoicing and payments.
Net cash used in operating activities was $14.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2014, primarily resulting from our net loss of $20.7 million, partially offset by non-cash charges of $4.9 million and net cash provided by changes in our operating assets and liabilities of $0.9 million. Our net loss was primarily attributed to research and development activities and our general and administrative expenses, as we had minimal product revenue in the period. Our net non-cash charges during the nine months ended September 30, 2014 consisted primarily of $2.4 million of licensing and consultant fees paid in common stock and $1.7 million of stock-based compensation expense. Net cash provided by changes in our operating assets and liabilities during the nine months ended September 30, 2014 consisted primarily of an increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses of $1.1 million and a decrease of $0.2 million in accounts receivable, partially offset by an increase in prepaid expense and other current assets of $0.4 million and an increase in inventory of $0.1 million. The increase in prepaid expenses and other current assets, accounts payable and accrued expenses was due to increased research and development activities and the timing of vendor invoicing and payments.
Investing activities . Net cash used in investing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 totaled $36.5 million and $0.8 million, respectively. For the nine months ended September 30, 2015, net cash used is primarily due to the purchase of marketable securities of $75.0 million offset by the sale of marketable securities of $39.8 million. For the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014, the purchases of property and equipment, primarily laboratory equipment and additional investment in a manufacturing clean room were $1.3 million and $0.8 million respectively.
Financing activities . Net cash provided for financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014 was $65.4 million and $79.1 million, respectively. Net cash provided by financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 consisted primarily of proceeds of $65.6 million, net of underwriting discounts and other offering expenses, related to our follow-on offering, proceeds from the exercise of common stock options of $0.2 million; and proceeds from issuance of common stock pursuant to our employee stock purchase plan of $0.1 million partially offset by payments of $0.5 million for insurance costs financed by a third party. Net cash provided by financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 consisted primarily of proceeds of $69.5 million, net of underwriters discounts, related to our IPO, and $14.9 million from our new credit facility, under which we borrowed $15.0 million in aggregate principal amount in April 2014, partially offset by the payment of issuance costs of $3.0 million in connection with our IPO and the repayment of $2.3 million of outstanding principal and other amounts due in connection with our termination of a prior credit facility.
28
Funding Requirements
We expect our expenses to increase substantially in connection with our ongoing activities, particularly as we advance the clinical trials of our products in development and increase our sales and marketing resources focused on the launch of the ReSure Sealant, our first FDA-approved product.
Our expenses will also increase as we:
| pursue the clinical development of our most advanced sustained release drug product candidates, DEXTENZA and OTX-TP; |
| continue the research and development of our other product candidates; |
| seek to identify and develop additional product candidates; |
| seek marketing approvals for any of our product candidates that successfully complete clinical development; |
| develop and expand our sales, marketing and distribution capabilities for ReSure Sealant and any of our product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval; |
| scale up our manufacturing processes and capabilities to support sales of commercial products, our ongoing clinical trials of our product candidates and commercialization of any of our product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval, and expand our facilities to accommodate this scale up and the expected growth in personnel; |
| maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio; |
| expand our operational, financial and management systems and personnel, including personnel to support our clinical development, manufacturing and commercialization efforts and our operations as a public company; |
| increase our product liability and clinical trial insurance coverage as we expand our clinical trials and commercialization efforts; and |
| operate as a public company. |
We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities will enable us to fund our operating expenses, debt service obligations and capital expenditure requirements at least through the third quarter of 2017. We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could use our capital resources sooner than we currently expect.
Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including:
| the level of product sales from ReSure Sealant and any additional products for which we obtain marketing approval in the future; |
| the costs of manufacturing, sales, marketing, distribution and other commercialization efforts with respect to ReSure Sealant and any additional products for which we obtain marketing approval in the future; |
| the costs of expanding our facilities to accommodate our manufacturing needs and expected growth in personnel; |
| the progress, costs and outcome of the clinical trials of our sustained release drug delivery product candidates, in particular DEXTENZA and OTX-TP; |
| the costs of advancing our internal development efforts for the back of the eye program through the remaining preclinical steps and potentially into an initial clinical trial; |
| the scope, progress, costs and outcome of preclinical development and clinical trials of our other product candidates; |
| the costs, timing and outcome of regulatory review of our product candidates by the FDA, the EMA or other regulatory authorities; |
| the extent to which we choose to establish collaboration, distribution or other marketing arrangements for our products and product candidates; |
| the costs and timing of preparing, filing and prosecuting patent applications, maintaining and enforcing our intellectual property rights and defending any intellectual property-related claims; and |
| the extent to which we acquire or invest in other businesses, products and technologies. |
Until such time, if ever, as we can generate product revenues sufficient to achieve profitability, we expect to finance our cash needs through a combination of revenue from sales of ReSure Sealant, equity offerings, debt financings, government or other third-party
29
funding, collaborations, strategic alliances, licensing arrangements and marketing and distribution arrangements. We do not have any committed external source of funds. Our ability to borrow under our credit facility will be subject to our satisfaction of specified conditions. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, your ownership interest will be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect your rights as a common stockholder. Debt financing and preferred equity financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends. The covenants under our existing credit facility, the pledge of our assets as collateral and the negative pledge of intellectual property limit our ability to obtain additional debt financing. If we raise additional funds through government or other third-party funding, collaborations, strategic alliances, licensing arrangements or marketing and distribution arrangements, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams, research programs or product candidates or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. If we are unable to raise additional funds through equity or debt financings when needed, we may be required to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development or future commercialization efforts or grant rights to develop and market products or product candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves.
Since our inception in 2006, we have not recorded any U.S. federal or state income tax benefits for the net losses we have incurred in each year or our earned research and development tax credits, due to our uncertainty of realizing a benefit from those items. As of December 31, 2014, we had federal net operating loss carryforwards of $39.2 million, which begin to expire in 2026, and state net operating loss carryforwards of $36.9 million, which begin to expire in 2030. As of December 31, 2014, we also had federal research and development tax credit carryforwards of $1.8 million and state research and development tax credit carryforwards $1.2 million, which begin to expire in 2026 and 2024, respectively. We have not completed a study to assess whether an ownership change, generally defined as a greater than 50% change (by value) in the equity ownership of our corporate entity over a three-year period, has occurred or whether there have been multiple ownership changes since our inception, due to the significant costs and complexities associated with such studies. Accordingly, our ability to utilize our tax carryforwards may be limited. Additionally, U.S. tax laws limit the time during which these carryforwards may be utilized against future taxes. As a result, we may not be able to take full advantage of these carryforwards for federal and state tax purposes.
Contractual Obligations and Commitments
The following table summarizes our contractual obligations at September 30, 2015 and the effects such obligations are expected to have on our liquidity and cash flow in future periods:
Total | Less Than 1 Year |
1 to 3 Years |
3 to 5 Years |
More than 5 Years |
||||||||||||||||
(in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Operating lease commitments |
$ | 1,961 | $ | 816 | $ | 1,145 | $ | | $ | | ||||||||||
Purchase commitments |
4,803 | 4,394 | 409 | | | |||||||||||||||
Manufacturing commitments |
1,680 | 1,680 | | | | |||||||||||||||
Debt obligations |
17,184 | 7,027 | 10,157 | | | |||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||
Total |
$ | 25,628 | $ | 13,917 | $ | 11,711 | $ | | $ | | ||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
In the table above, we set forth our enforceable and legally binding obligations and future commitments at September 30, 2015, as well as obligations related to contracts that we are likely to continue, regardless of the fact that they may be cancelable at September 30, 2015. Some of the figures that we include in this table are based on managements estimates and assumptions about these obligations, including their duration, and other factors. Because these estimates and assumptions are necessarily subjective, the obligations we will actually pay in future periods may vary from those reflected in the table.
Operating lease commitments represent payments due under our leases of office, laboratory and manufacturing space in Bedford, Massachusetts and certain office equipment under operating leases that expire in June 2017 and June 2018.
Purchase commitments represent non-cancelable contractual commitments associated with certain clinical trial activities with our CROs.
Manufacturing commitments generally provide for termination on notice, and therefore are cancelable contracts but are contracts that we are likely to continue, regardless of the fact that they are cancelable.
We enter into contracts in the normal course of business to assist in the performance of our research and development activities and other services and products for operating purposes. These contracts generally provide for termination on notice, and therefore are cancelable contracts and not included in the table of contractual obligations and commitments.
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In April 2014, we entered into a credit facility with Silicon Valley Bank and MidCap Financial SBIC, LP, pursuant to which we were able to borrow an aggregate principal amount of up to $20.0 million, of which we borrowed $15.0 million. We did not borrow the remaining $5.0 million, and this amount is no longer available to us. The credit facility carries a fixed annual interest rate of 8.25% on outstanding borrowings. In addition, upon repayment of all outstanding amounts under the credit facility, we are required to make a payment in an amount equal to 3.75% of total borrowings during the term of the credit facility. In April 2014, we issued the lenders warrants to purchase 100,000 shares of our Series D-1 redeemable convertible preferred stock with an exercise price of $3.00 per share. Upon the closing of our IPO in July 2014, the preferred stock warrants became warrants to purchase an aggregate of 37,878 shares of our common stock with an exercise price of $7.92 per share. The credit facility provides for monthly, interest-only payments on outstanding borrowings until October 1, 2015. Thereafter, we are required to pay 30 consecutive, equal monthly installments of principal and interest through March 2018. There are no financial covenants associated with the credit facility. There are negative covenants restricting our activities, including limitations on dispositions, mergers or acquisitions; encumbering our intellectual property; incurring indebtedness or liens; paying dividends; making investments; and engaging in certain other business transactions. The obligations under the credit facility are subject to acceleration upon the occurrence of specified events of default, including a material adverse change in our business, operations or financial or other condition. The credit facility is secured by substantially all of our assets except for our intellectual property, which is subject to a negative pledge.
We have in-licensed a significant portion of our intellectual property from Incept, an intellectual property holding company, under an amended and restated license agreement that we entered into with Incept in January 2012. We are obligated to pay Incept a royalty equal to a low single-digit percentage of net sales made by us or our affiliates of any products covered by the licensed technology. Any sublicensee of ours also will be obligated to pay Incept a royalty equal to a low single-digit percentage of net sales made by it and will be bound by the terms of the agreement to the same extent as we are. We are obligated to reimburse Incept for our share of the reasonable fees and costs incurred by Incept in connection with the prosecution of the patent applications licensed to us under the agreement. Our share of these fees and costs is equal to the total amount of such fees and costs divided by the total number of Incepts exclusive licensees of the patent application. We have not included in the table above any payments to Incept under this license agreement as the amount, timing and likelihood of such payment are not known.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
We did not have during the periods presented, and we do not currently have, any off-balance sheet arrangements, as defined in the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, such relationships with unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, which are often referred to as structured finance or special purpose entities, established for the purpose of facilitating financing transactions that are not required to be reflected on our balance sheets.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
In August 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued Accounting Standards Update, or ASU, 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40). The new guidance addresses managements responsibility to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an entitys ability to continue as a going concern and to provide related footnote disclosures. Managements evaluation should be based on relevant conditions and events that are known and reasonably knowable at the date that the financial statements are issued. The standard will be effective for the first interim period within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is permitted. We are evaluating the effect that this guidance will have on our financial statements.
In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), or ASU 2014-09. ASU 2014-09 outlines a new, single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes most current revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance. This new revenue recognition model provides a five-step analysis in determining when and how revenue is recognized. The new model will require revenue recognition to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration a company expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of Effective Date. The amendments in ASU 2015-14 defer the effective date of ASU 2014-09 for all entities by one year. The standard will be effective for public entities for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and interim periods within those periods. Early adoption is permitted but in cannot be any earlier than 2017 for calendar year-end entities. Companies may use either a full retrospective or a modified retrospective approach to adopt ASU 2014-09. We are currently assessing the impact that adopting this new accounting guidance will have on our financial statements and footnote disclosures.
In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, InterestImputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs (ASU 2015-03). ASU 2015-03 requires debt issuance costs to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying value of the associated debt liability, consistent with the presentation of a debt discount. Prior
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to the issuance of the standard, debt issuance costs were required to be presented in the balance sheet as an asset. ASU 2015-03 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2015. We are currently assessing the impact that adopting this new accounting guidance will have on our financial statements and footnote disclosures.
Item 3. | Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk. |
We are exposed to market risk related to changes in interest rates. As of September 30, 2015, we had cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities of $113.6 million, which consisted of money market funds, United States treasury notes and government agency notes. We have policies requiring us to invest in high-quality issuers, limit our exposure to any individual issuer, and ensure adequate liquidity. Our primary exposure to market risk is interest rate sensitivity, which is affected by changes in the general level of U.S. interest rates, particularly because our investments are in short-term securities. Due to the short-term duration of our investment portfolio and the low risk profile of our investments, an immediate 100 basis point change in interest rates would not have a material effect on the fair market value of our portfolio.
Item 4. | Controls and Procedures. |
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Our management, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of September 30, 2015. The term disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, means controls and other procedures of a company that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the SECs rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by a company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the companys management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Management recognizes that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving their objectives and management necessarily applies its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. Based on the evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures as of September 30, 2015, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that, as of such date, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
No change in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) occurred during the quarter ended September 30, 2015 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Item 1. | Legal Proceedings. |
We are not currently subject to any material legal proceedings.
Item 1A. | Risk Factors. |
The following risk factors and other information included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be carefully considered. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we presently deem less significant may also impair our business operations. Please see page 1 of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for a discussion of some of the forward-looking statements that are qualified by these risk factors. If any of the following risks occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations and future growth prospects could be materially and adversely affected.
Risks Related to Our Financial Position and Need For Additional Capital
We have incurred significant losses since our inception. We expect to incur losses over the next several years and may never achieve or maintain profitability.
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Since inception, we have incurred significant operating losses. Our net losses were $13.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2013, $28.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 and $29.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2015. As of September 30, 2015, we had an accumulated deficit of $118.5 million. Through September 30, 2015, we have financed our operations primarily through private placements of our preferred stock, public offerings of our common stock and borrowings under credit facilities. In June 2015, we completed a follow-on offering of our common stock, which resulted in the sale of 4,600,000 shares consisting of 3,200,000 shares being sold by us and 1,400,000 shares being sold by certain stockholders of the Company, including those shares sold in connection with the exercise by the underwriters of their option to purchase additional shares. We received net proceeds from the follow-on offering of approximately $65.6 million after deducting underwriting discounts and offering costs. In the first quarter of 2014, we began recognizing revenue from sales of ReSure Sealant, which was approved in January 2014 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, to close clear corneal incisions following cataract surgery. We have devoted substantially all of our financial resources and efforts to research and development, including preclinical studies and clinical trials and, beginning in the first quarter of 2014, commercialization of ReSure Sealant. We expect to continue to incur significant expenses and operating losses over the next several years. Our net losses may fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter and year to year.
We anticipate that our expenses will increase substantially if and as we:
| pursue the clinical development of our most advanced sustained release drug delivery product candidates, DEXTENZA and OTX-TP; |
| continue the research and development of our other product candidates; |
| seek to identify and develop additional product candidates; |
| seek marketing approvals for any of our product candidates that successfully complete clinical development; |
| develop and expand our sales, marketing and distribution capabilities for ReSure Sealant and any of our product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval; |
| scale up our manufacturing processes and capabilities to support sales of commercial products, our ongoing clinical trials of our product candidates and commercialization of any of our product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval, and expand our facilities to accommodate this scale up and the expected growth in personnel; |
| maintain, expand and protect our intellectual property portfolio; |
| expand our operational, financial and management systems and personnel, including personnel to support our clinical development, manufacturing and commercialization efforts and our operations as a public company; |
| increase our product liability and clinical trial insurance coverage as we expand our clinical trials and commercialization efforts; and |
| operate as a public company. |
Because of the numerous risks and uncertainties associated with pharmaceutical product development, we are unable to accurately predict the timing or amount of increased expenses or when, or if, we will be able to achieve profitability. Our expenses will increase if:
| we are required by the FDA or the European Medicines Agency, or EMA, to perform trials or studies in addition to those currently expected; |
| there are any delays in receipt of regulatory clearance to begin our planned clinical programs; or |
| there are any delays in enrollment of patients in or completing our clinical trials or the development of our product candidates. |
ReSure Sealant is currently our only source of revenue from product sales. We do not expect sales of ReSure Sealant to generate revenue that is sufficient for us to achieve profitability. Instead, for us to become and remain profitable, we will need to succeed in developing and commercializing products with greater market potential. This will require us to be successful in a range of challenging activities, including:
| successfully completing clinical development of our product candidates; |
| obtaining marketing approval for these product candidates; |
| manufacturing at commercial scale, marketing, selling and distributing those products for which we obtain marketing approval; |
| achieving an adequate level of market acceptance of and obtaining and maintaining coverage and adequate reimbursement from third-party payors for our products; and |
| protecting our rights to our intellectual property portfolio. |
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We may never succeed in these activities and may never generate revenue that is sufficient or great enough to achieve profitability. Even if we do achieve profitability, we may not be able to sustain or increase profitability on a quarterly or annual basis. Our failure to become and remain profitable would depress the value of our company and could impair our ability to raise capital, expand our business, maintain our research and development efforts, diversify our product offerings or even continue our operations. A decline in the value of our company could also cause our stockholders to lose all or part of their investment.
We may need substantial additional funding. If we are unable to raise capital when needed, we could be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate our product development programs or commercialization efforts.
We expect to devote substantial financial resources to our ongoing and planned activities, particularly as we conduct late stage clinical trials for our sustained release drug delivery product candidates, in particular DEXTENZA and OTX-TP, and seek marketing approval for any such product candidate for which we obtain favorable pivotal clinical results. We also expect to devote significant financial resources to conducting research and development and potentially seeking regulatory approval for our other product candidates. In addition, we plan to devote substantial financial resources to our commercialization efforts, including product manufacturing, sales, marketing and distribution for ReSure Sealant and any of our product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval. Accordingly, we may need to obtain substantial additional funding in connection with our continuing operations. If we are unable to raise capital when needed or on attractive terms, we could be forced to delay, reduce or eliminate our research and development programs or any future commercialization efforts.
As of September 30, 2015, we had cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities of $113.6 million. We believe that our existing cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities will enable us to fund our operating expenses, debt service obligations and capital expenditure requirements at least through the third quarter of 2017. We have based this estimate on assumptions that may prove to be wrong, and we could use our capital resources sooner than we currently expect. Our future capital requirements will depend on many factors, including:
| the level of product sales from ReSure Sealant and any additional products for which we obtain marketing approval in the future; |
| the costs of manufacturing, sales, marketing, distribution and other commercialization efforts with respect to ReSure Sealant and any additional products for which we obtain marketing approval in the future; |
| the costs of expanding our facilities to accommodate our manufacturing needs and expected growth in personnel; |
| the progress, costs and outcome of the clinical trials of our sustained release drug delivery product candidates, in particular DEXTENZA and OTX-TP; |
| the costs of advancing our internal development efforts for the back of the eye program through the remaining preclinical steps and potentially into an initial clinical trial; |
| the scope, progress, costs and outcome of preclinical development and clinical trials of our other product candidates; |
| the costs, timing and outcome of regulatory review of our product candidates by the FDA, the EMA or other regulatory authorities; |
| the extent to which we choose to establish collaboration, distribution or other marketing arrangements for our products and product candidates; |
| the costs and timing of preparing, filing and prosecuting patent applications, maintaining and enforcing our intellectual property rights and defending any intellectual property-related claims; and |
| the extent to which we acquire or invest in other businesses, products and technologies. |
Conducting preclinical testing and clinical trials is a time-consuming, expensive and uncertain process that takes years to complete. We may never generate the necessary data or results required to obtain regulatory approval of products with the market potential sufficient to enable us to achieve profitability. We do not expect to generate significant revenue from sales of any product for several years, if at all. Accordingly, we may need to obtain substantial additional financing to achieve our business objectives. Adequate additional financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms, or at all. In addition, we may seek additional capital due to favorable market conditions or strategic considerations, even if we believe we have sufficient funds for our current or future operating plans.
Raising additional capital may cause dilution to our stockholders, restrict our operations or require us to relinquish rights to our technologies or product candidates.
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Until such time, if ever, as we can generate product revenues sufficient to achieve profitability, we expect to finance our cash needs through a combination of revenue from sales of ReSure Sealant, equity offerings, debt financings, collaborations, strategic alliances, licensing arrangements and marketing and distribution arrangements. We do not have any committed external source of funds. To the extent that we raise additional capital through the sale of equity or convertible debt securities, our stockholders ownership interests will be diluted, and the terms of these securities may include liquidation or other preferences that adversely affect our existing stockholders rights as holders of our common stock. Debt financing and preferred equity financing, if available, may involve agreements that include covenants limiting or restricting our ability to take specific actions, such as incurring additional debt, making capital expenditures or declaring dividends. Our pledge of our assets as collateral to secure our obligations under our credit facility may limit our ability to obtain additional debt financing.
If we raise additional funds through collaborations, strategic alliances, licensing arrangements or marketing and distribution arrangements, we may have to relinquish valuable rights to our technologies, future revenue streams, research programs or product candidates or grant licenses on terms that may not be favorable to us. If we are unable to raise additional funds through equity or debt financings when needed, we may be required to delay, limit, reduce or terminate our product development or future commercialization efforts or grant rights to develop and market products or product candidates that we would otherwise prefer to develop and market ourselves.
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Our substantial indebtedness may limit cash flow available to invest in the ongoing needs of our business.
We have a significant amount of indebtedness. In April 2014, we entered into a credit facility with Silicon Valley Bank and MidCap Financial SBIC, LP, pursuant to which we were able to borrow an aggregate principal amount of up to $20.0 million, of which we borrowed $15.0 million. We did not borrow the remaining $5.0 million, and this amount is no longer available to us. Our obligations under this agreement are secured by all of our assets other than our intellectual property. Our intellectual property rights are subject to a negative pledge arrangement under the agreement. We could in the future incur additional indebtedness beyond such amounts.
Our substantial debt combined with our other financial obligations and contractual commitments could have significant adverse consequences, including:
| requiring us to dedicate a substantial portion of cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities to the payment of interest on, and principal of, our debt, which will reduce the amounts available to fund working capital, capital expenditures, product development efforts and other general corporate purposes; |
| obligating us to negative covenants restricting our activities, including limitations on dispositions, mergers or acquisitions, encumbering our intellectual property, incurring indebtedness or liens, paying dividends, making investments and engaging in certain other business transactions; |
| limiting our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and our industry; and |
| placing us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors that have less debt or better debt servicing options. |
We intend to satisfy our current and future debt service obligations with our existing cash and cash equivalents and marketable securities, revenue from sales of ReSure Sealant and funds from external sources. However, we may not have sufficient funds or may be unable to arrange for additional financing to pay the amounts due under our existing debt. Funds from external sources may not be available on acceptable terms, if at all. In addition, a failure to comply with the conditions of our credit facility could result in an event of default under those instruments. In the event of an acceleration of amounts due under our credit facility as a result of an event of default, including upon the occurrence of an event that would reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on our business, operations, properties, assets or condition or a failure to pay any amount due, we may not have sufficient funds or may be unable to arrange for additional financing to repay our indebtedness or to make any accelerated payments, and the lenders could seek to enforce security interests in the collateral securing such indebtedness. In addition, the covenants under our existing credit facility, the pledge of our assets as collateral and the negative pledge of our intellectual property limit our ability to obtain additional debt financing.
Our limited operating history may make it difficult for our stockholders to evaluate the success of our business to date and to assess our future viability.
We are an early-stage company. Our operations to date have been limited to organizing and staffing our company, acquiring rights to intellectual property, business planning, raising capital, developing our technology, identifying potential product candidates, undertaking preclinical studies and clinical trials, manufacturing initial quantities of our products and product candidates and, beginning in the first quarter of 2014, commercializing ReSure Sealant. Consequently, any predictions about our future success or viability may not be as accurate as they could be if we had a longer operating history.
In addition, as a new business, we may encounter unforeseen expenses, difficulties, complications, delays and other known and unknown factors. We will need to transition from a company with a research and development focus to a company capable of supporting commercial activities. We may not be successful in such a transition.
We expect our financial condition and operating results to continue to fluctuate significantly from quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year due to a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control. Accordingly, our stockholders should not rely upon the results of any quarterly or annual periods as indications of future operating performance.
We have broad discretion in the use of our available cash and other sources of funding and may not use them effectively.
Our management has broad discretion in the use of our available cash and other sources of funding and could spend those resources in ways that do not improve our results of operations or enhance the value of our common stock. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could result in financial losses that could cause the price of our common stock to decline and delay the development of our product candidates. Pending their use, we may invest our available cash in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value.
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Risks Related to Product Development
We depend heavily on the success of our sustained release drug delivery product candidates, in particular DEXTENZA and OTX-TP. Clinical trials of our product candidates may not be successful. If we are unable to successfully complete clinical development of and obtain marketing approvals for our product candidates, or experience significant delays in doing so, or if after obtaining marketing approvals, we fail to commercialize these product candidates, our business will be materially harmed.
We have devoted a significant portion of our financial resources and business efforts to the development of our drug product candidates for diseases and conditions of the front of the eye. In particular, we are investing substantial resources to complete the development of DEXTENZA for post-surgical ocular inflammation and pain, allergic conjunctivitis and inflammatory dry eye disease and OTX-TP for glaucoma. We cannot accurately predict when or if any of our product candidates will prove effective or safe in humans or whether these product candidates will receive marketing approval. Our ability to generate product revenues sufficient to achieve profitability will depend heavily on our obtaining marketing approval for and commercializing one or both of DEXTENZA and OTX-TP.
The commercial success of our sustained release drug delivery product candidates will depend on many factors, including the following:
| successful completion of preclinical studies and clinical trials; |
| applying for and receiving marketing approvals from applicable regulatory authorities for our product candidates; |
| scaling up our manufacturing processes and capabilities to support additional or larger clinical trials of our product candidates and commercialization of any of our product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval; |
| developing, validating and maintaining a commercially viable manufacturing process that is compliant with current good manufacturing practices, or cGMP; |
| developing and expanding our sales, marketing and distribution capabilities for ReSure Sealant and successfully launching commercial sales of any of our product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval; |
| developing and expanding our sales, marketing and distribution capabilities and launching commercial sales of our product candidates, if and when approved, whether alone or in collaboration with others; |
| acceptance of our products, if and when approved, by patients, the medical community and third-party payors; |
| effectively competing with other therapies; |
| maintaining a continued acceptable safety profile of our products following approval; |
| obtaining and maintaining coverage and adequate reimbursement from third-party payors; |
| obtaining and maintaining patent and trade secret protection and regulatory exclusivity; and |
| protecting our rights in our intellectual property portfolio. |
If we do not achieve one or more of these factors in a timely manner or at all, we could experience significant delays or an inability to successfully commercialize our product candidates, which would materially harm our business.
If clinical trials of our sustained release drug delivery product candidates or any other product candidate that we develop fail to demonstrate safety and efficacy to the satisfaction of the FDA, the EMA or other regulatory authorities or do not otherwise produce favorable results, we may incur additional costs or experience delays in completing, or ultimately be delayed or unable to complete, the development and commercialization of such product candidate.
Before obtaining marketing approval from regulatory authorities for the sale of any product candidate, including our sustained release drug delivery product candidates, we must complete preclinical development and then conduct extensive clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of our product candidates in humans. Clinical testing is expensive, difficult to design and implement, can take many years to complete and is uncertain as to outcome. A failure of one or more clinical trials can occur at any stage of testing. The outcome of preclinical testing and early clinical trials may not be predictive of the success of later stage clinical trials, interim results of a clinical trial do not necessarily predict final results and results from one completed clinical trial may not be replicated in a subsequent clinical trial with a similar study design. Some of our completed studies, including our pilot studies for OTX-TP and our Phase 1 clinical trial of OTX-MP, were conducted with small patient populations, making it difficult to predict whether the favorable results that we observed in such studies will be repeated in larger and more advanced clinical trials. Moreover, preclinical and clinical data are often susceptible to varying interpretations and analyses, and many companies that have believed their product candidates performed satisfactorily in preclinical studies and clinical trials have nonetheless failed to obtain marketing approval of their products.
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In general, the FDA requires two adequate and well controlled clinical trials to support the effectiveness of a new drug for marketing approval. In a Phase 2 clinical trial of DEXTENZA that we completed in 2013 in which we were evaluating DEXTENZA for ocular inflammation and pain following cataract surgery, DEXTENZA did not meet the primary efficacy endpoint for inflammation with statistical significance at the pre-specified time point at day 8. However, we did achieve statistical significance for this inflammation endpoint at days 14 and 30. Accordingly, we measured the primary efficacy endpoint for inflammation in our two completed Phase 3 clinical trials of DEXTENZA at day 14. In the first of these two Phase 3 clinical trials, DEXTENZA met both primary endpoints for ocular inflammation and pain following cataract surgery with statistical significance. However, in the second Phase 3 clinical trial, DEXTENZA met only one of the two primary efficacy endpoints with statistical significance. In this second trial, DEXTENZA did not meet the primary endpoint relating to absence of inflammatory cells in the study eye at day 14.
According to the trial protocols, the two primary efficacy endpoints in our completed Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials are fixed sequence endpoints. As such, a statistical analysis of the trial results required that we first assess the primary endpoint regarding absence of inflammatory cells in the study eye. The protocol and statistical analysis plan for the trial did not contemplate assessing the primary endpoint regarding absence of pain in the study eye in the event the clinical trial of DEXTENZA did not meet the first primary endpoint with statistical significance. The FDA has informed us that the hierarchy of the two primary endpoints for inflammation and pain is applicable in connection with their review of an NDA seeking approval for DEXTENZA solely for an ocular pain indication. However, the FDA has also informed us that pain endpoints from the Phase 2 and two Phase 3 trials, with respect to which we received favorable data, would support the NDA submission. Therefore, in September 2015, we submitted an NDA for DEXTENZA solely for an ocular pain indication using the existing data from our completed Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials notwithstanding the FDAs comment regarding the applicability of the hierarchy of the two primary endpoints in our completed Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trials.
We have also initiated enrollment in a third Phase 3 clinical trial to support the potential labeling expansion of OTX-DPs indications for use to include inflammation. We have modified the design of this third Phase 3 clinical trial compared to our two completed Phase 3 clinical trials of DEXTENZA based on our learnings from these prior trials. However, these modifications may not have the intended effect or yield favorable trial results. If the results of our third Phase 3 clinical trial of DEXTENZA are favorable and subject to receiving approval for the pain indication pursuant to the initial NDA, we plan to submit an NDA supplement for DEXTENZA for the treatment of ocular inflammation following ophthalmic surgery. Although we believe our planned approach for seeking marketing approval of DEXTENZA is supported by our discussions with the FDA, we have not received further confirmation from the FDA regarding our plans. The FDA could subsequently fail to accept our NDA for filing or not grant marketing approval of DEXTENZA for the pain indication until we obtain favorable results from the third Phase 3 clinical trial on both primary efficacy endpoints, or at all.
Retrospective post-hoc analyses that we performed on the results of our two completed Phase 3 clinical trials may not be predictive of success in our third Phase 3 clinical trial. Although we believe that the collective data from these trials, including the post-hoc analyses, provide support for our decision to conduct a third Phase 3 clinical trial and provide additional information regarding our platform technology, post-hoc analyses performed after unblinding trial results can result in the introduction of bias and are given less weight by regulatory authorities than pre-specified analyses.
In our first Phase 3 clinical trial of DEXTENZA for allergic conjunctivitis, for which we recently announced topline results, DEXTENZA met one of the two primary endpoints. DEXTENZA achieved the primary endpoint for ocular itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis but not the primary endpoint for conjunctival redness, in each case measured on day 7 after insertion of the plug. The difference in the mean scores for ocular itching between the DEXTENZA group and the placebo group was greater than 0.5 units on a five point scale at all time points on day 7 post-insertion and was greater than 1.0 unit at a majority of the time points on day 7 post-insertion. The DEXTENZA group did not achieve these pre-specified endpoints on day 7 post-insertion with respect to conjunctival rednesss. Further, in our prior Phase 2 clinical trial of DEXTENZA in which we were evaluating DEXTENZA for allergic conjunctivitis, DEXTENZA met one of the two primary efficacy measures. The DEXTENZA treatment group achieved a mean difference compared to the vehicle control group of more than 0.5 units on a five point scale on day 14 for all three time points measured in a day for both ocular itching and conjunctival redness. The DEXTENZA group did not achieve a mean difference compared to the vehicle control group of 1.0 unit for the majority of the three time points measured on day 14 for either ocular itching or conjunctival redness. Even if we obtain favorable clinical trial results in our second Phase 3 clinical trial of DEXTENZA for allergic conjunctivitis, including meeting both primary efficacy measures, we may not obtain approval for DEXTENZA to treat allergic conjunctivitis or ocular itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis, or the FDA may require that we conduct a third Phase 3 clinical trial.
We designed our Phase 2 clinical trials of OTX-TP for the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension to assess clinically meaningful response to treatment, and did not power these trials to measure any efficacy endpoints with statistical significance. We reported topline efficacy results from our Phase 2b clinical trial of OTX-TP for the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension in October 2015. In this trial, on day 60, the OTX-TP group experienced a mean intraocular pressure, or IOP, lowering effect of 4.8 mmHg,
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compared with IOP lowering of 6.4 mmHg for the timolol arm. On day 90, the OTX-TP group experienced an IOP lowering effect of 5.2 mmHg, compared with an IOP lowering effect of 7.3 mmHg in the timolol arm. We plan to conduct additional non-significant risk studies on additional modified depot designs, discuss alternative Phase 3 clinical trial designs with advisors and with the FDA and formulate our plans for our Phase 3 program. We currently expect that there will be a delay of approximately six months in initiating Phase 3 trials of OTX-TP for the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension but we have additional modifications to depot designs and studies to perform that could potentially further impact the timeline. We expect that our planned Phase 3 clinical trials for OTX-TP will be the first clinical trials for OTX-TP to be powered with an appropriate number of patients to allow us to measure with statistical significance the non-inferiority of OTX-TP compared to a vehicle control intracanalicular depot plus timolol eye drops for the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension based on the primary efficacy endpoint. If we do not achieve our primary endpoint in the Phase 3 clinical trials with statistical significance, we may not obtain marketing approval for OTX-TP.
Retrospective post-hoc analyses that we performed on the results of our completed Phase 2b clinical trial may not be predictive of success in our planned Phase 3 clinical trials. Post-hoc analyses performed after unblinding trial results can result in the introduction of bias and are given less weight by regulatory authorities than pre-specified analyses.
The success of our sustained release drug delivery product candidates is dependent upon retention following insertion and during the course of intended therapy. As such, we continue to conduct non-significant risk, or NSR, studies in the United States for our sustained release intracanalicular depots in an effort to increase the rate of retention. All NSR studies that we have performed to date have involved placebo vehicle control intracanalicular depots without active drug. If we determine to make any future changes to the design or composition of our depots, such changes could affect the outcome of any subsequent clinical trials using these updated depots. For example, in our Phase 2b clinical trial of OTX-TP, we are using a different version of intracanalicular depot than either of the depots that we used in our Phase 2a clinical trial of OTX-TP. Based on the results of our completed Phase 2a clinical trial, we designed the OTX-TP depot that was used in our Phase 2b clinical trial to deliver drug over a 90 day period at the same daily rate as the two-month version of the depot used in the Phase 2a clinical trial. To achieve this, we modified the design of the OTX-TP depot to enlarge it in order to enable the depot to carry a greater amount of drug. In addition, we incorporated minor structural changes to improve retention rates. In our Phase 2b clinical trial depots were found to be retained in 91% of patients at day 60, 88% of patients at day 75 and 48% of patients at day 90, reflecting the corresponding absorption and clearance of the depots with the duration of drug release. We plan to conduct additional non-significant risk studies on additional modified depot designs as we design our Phase 3 trials for OTX-TP. If in our Phase 3 clinical trials the retention rates for our depots are inadequate to ensure that the patient is receiving appropriate therapy, we may not be able to obtain regulatory approvals or, even if approved, achieve market acceptance of our products.
The protocols for our clinical trials and other supporting information are subject to review by the FDA and regulatory authorities outside the United States. For our sustained release drug delivery product candidates, we have typically conducted our initial and earlier stage clinical trials outside the United States. We generally plan to conduct our later stage and pivotal clinical trials of our sustained release drug delivery product candidates in the United States. The FDA, however, could require us to conduct additional studies or require us to modify our planned pivotal clinical trials to receive clearance to initiate such trials in the United States or to continue such trials once initiated. For example, in connection with our initial development of ReSure Sealant, in June 2010 the FDA requested that we withdraw an application that we had submitted under Section 510(k) of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, or FDCA, for the marketing of an earlier version of ReSure Sealant as an ocular bandage because the FDA believed that the technical characteristics of the earlier version of ReSure Sealant were not substantially equivalent to a predicate device. In particular, unlike predicate devices that could be removed if there is discomfort, our product candidate adhered to the corneal surface and was not easily removable by the patient. As a result of this determination by the FDA, we needed to pursue a different regulatory approval pathway and conduct additional clinical development of our product candidate to demonstrate safety and effectiveness. After withdrawing our 510(k) application, we filed an investigational device exemption application to conduct a pivotal clinical trial to support approval of ReSure Sealant as an ocular sealant. The results of this pivotal trial ultimately supported the marketing approval of ReSure Sealant in January 2014, although not in the time frame we had initially expected. The FDA is not obligated to comment on our trial protocols within any specified time period or at all or to affirmatively clear or approve our planned pivotal clinical trials. Subject to a waiting period of 30 days, we could choose to initiate our pivotal clinical trials in the United States without waiting for any additional period for comments from the FDA.
We intend to conduct, and may in the future conduct, clinical trials for product candidates at sites outside the United States, and the FDA may not accept data from trials conducted in such locations.
We have conducted, and may in the future choose to conduct, one or more of our clinical trials outside the United States. We have typically conducted our initial and earlier stage clinical trials for our product candidates, including our sustained release drug delivery product candidates, outside the United States. We generally plan to conduct our later stage and pivotal clinical trials of our sustained release drug delivery product candidates in the United States.
Although the FDA may accept data from clinical trials conducted outside the United States, acceptance of this data is subject to conditions imposed by the FDA. For example, the clinical trial must be well designed and conducted and performed by qualified investigators in accordance with ethical principles. The trial population must also adequately represent the U.S. population, and the data must be applicable to the U.S. population and U.S. medical practice in ways that the FDA deems clinically meaningful. In
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addition, while these clinical trials are subject to the applicable local laws, FDA acceptance of the data will depend on its determination that the trials also complied with all applicable U.S. laws and regulations. If the FDA does not accept the data from any trial that we conduct outside the United States, it would likely result in the need for additional trials, which would be costly and time-consuming and would delay or permanently halt our development of the applicable product candidates.
Other risks inherent in conducting international clinical trials include:
| foreign regulatory requirements that could restrict or limit our ability to conduct our clinical trials |
| administrative burdens of conducting clinical trials under multiple sets of foreign regulations; |
| failure of enrolled patients to adhere to clinical protocols as a result of differences in healthcare services or cultural customs; |
| foreign exchange fluctuations; |
| diminished protection of intellectual property in some countries; and |
| political and economic risks relevant to foreign countries. |
If we experience any of a number of possible unforeseen events in connection with our clinical trials, potential marketing approval or commercialization of our product candidates could be delayed or prevented.
We may experience numerous unforeseen events during, or as a result of, clinical trials that could delay or prevent our ability to receive marketing approval or commercialize our sustained release drug delivery product candidates or any other product candidates that we may develop, including:
| clinical trials of our product candidates may produce negative or inconclusive results, and we may decide, or regulators may require us, to conduct additional clinical trials or abandon product development programs; |
| the number of patients required for clinical trials of our product candidates may be larger than we anticipate, enrollment in these clinical trials may be slower than we anticipate or participants may drop out of these clinical trials at a higher rate than we anticipate; |
| our third-party contractors may fail to comply with regulatory requirements or meet their obligations to us in a timely manner, or at all; |
| regulators or institutional review boards may not authorize us or our investigators to commence a clinical trial or conduct a clinical trial at a prospective trial site; |
| we may experience delays in reaching, or fail to reach, agreement on acceptable clinical trial contracts or clinical trial protocols with prospective trial sites; |
| we may decide, or regulators or institutional review boards may require us, to suspend or terminate clinical research for various reasons, including noncompliance with regulatory requirements or a finding that the participants are being exposed to unacceptable health risks; |
| the cost of clinical trials of our product candidates may be greater than we anticipate; and |
| the supply or quality of our product candidates or other materials necessary to conduct clinical trials of our product candidates may be insufficient or inadequate. |
For example, we applied for a deferral from the FDA for the requirement to conduct pediatric studies for DEXTENZA for the treatment of post-surgical ocular inflammation and pain following cataract surgery until after approval of such product in adult populations for that indication. While the FDA ultimately approved our request, if the FDA had required us to conduct pediatric studies in advance of FDA approval in adult populations, we would have experienced significant delays in our ability to obtain marketing approval for DEXTENZA for this indication. We will face a similar risk if we seek a comparable deferral for other product candidates or indications.
If we are required to conduct additional clinical trials or other testing of our product candidates beyond those that we currently contemplate, if we are unable to successfully complete clinical trials of our product candidates or other testing, if the results of these trials or tests are not favorable or are only modestly favorable or if there are safety concerns, we may:
| be delayed in obtaining or unable to obtain marketing approval for our product candidates; |
| obtain approval for indications or patient populations that are not as broad as intended or desired; |
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| obtain approval with labeling that includes significant use or distribution restrictions or safety warnings; |
| be subject to additional post-marketing testing requirements; or |
| have the product removed from the market after obtaining marketing approval. |
Our product development costs will also increase if we experience delays in testing or marketing approvals. We do not know whether any of our preclinical studies or clinical trials will begin as planned, will need to be restructured or will be completed on schedule, or at all. Significant preclinical or clinical trial delays also could shorten any periods during which we may have the exclusive right to commercialize our product candidates or allow our competitors to bring products to market before we do and impair our ability to successfully commercialize our product candidates.
If we experience delays or difficulties in the enrollment of patients in clinical trials, our receipt of necessary regulatory approvals could be delayed or prevented.
We may not be able to initiate or continue clinical trials for our sustained release drug delivery product candidates or our other product candidates that we may develop if we are unable to locate and enroll a sufficient number of eligible patients to participate in these trials as required by the FDA, the EMA or similar regulatory authorities outside the United States. Although there is a significant prevalence of disease in the areas of ophthalmology in which we are focused, we may nonetheless experience unanticipated difficulty with patient enrollment.
Patient enrollment is affected by a variety of factors, including:
| the prevalence and severity of the ophthalmic disease or condition under investigation; |
| the eligibility criteria for the study in question; |
| the perceived risks and benefits of the product candidate under study; |
| the efforts to facilitate timely enrollment in clinical trials; |
| the patient referral practices of physicians; |
| the ability to monitor patients adequately during and after treatment; |
| the proximity and availability of clinical trial sites for prospective patients; |
| the conduct of clinical trials by competitors for product candidates that treat the same indications as our product candidates; and |
| the lack of adequate compensation for prospective patients. |
Our inability to enroll a sufficient number of patients for our clinical trials would result in significant delays, could require us to abandon one or more clinical trials altogether and could delay or prevent our receipt of necessary regulatory approvals. Enrollment delays in our clinical trials may result in increased development costs for our product candidates, which would cause the value of our company to decline and limit our ability to obtain additional financing.
If serious adverse or unacceptable side effects are identified during the development of our sustained release drug delivery product candidates or any other product candidates that we may develop, we may need to abandon or limit our development of such product candidates.
If our sustained release drug delivery product candidates or any of our other product candidates are associated with serious adverse events or undesirable side effects in clinical trials or have characteristics that are unexpected, we may need to abandon their development or limit development to more narrow uses or subpopulations in which the serious adverse events, undesirable side effects or other characteristics are less prevalent, less severe or more acceptable from a risk-benefit perspective. In our recent Phase 3 clinical trials of DEXTENZA for the treatment of ocular inflammation and pain following cataract surgery, there were two serious adverse events in the OTX-DP group in each of our two trials, none of which were ocular in nature or considered by the investigator to be related to the study treatment. There was one ocular serious adverse event in the vehicle control group in the two completed Phase 3 clinical trials, which was hypopyon, or inflammatory cells in the anterior chamber. In our earlier Phase 2 clinical trial of DEXTENZA for the same indication, there were three serious adverse events, none of which was considered by the investigator to be related to the study treatment. In the DEXTENZA group of this Phase 2 clinical trial of DEXTENZA, the only adverse event that occurred more than once was reduced visual acuity, which occurred twice. In our two pilot studies of OTX-TP for the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension and our Phase 2a clinical trial of OTX-TP for the same indication, the most common adverse event was inflammatory reaction, which was noted in three patients in our pilot studies and in five patients in our Phase 2a clinical trial. No hyperemia-related adverse events were noted in any of the patients treated with OTX-TP in our Phase 2b clinical trial. Further, there
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have been no serious adverse events observed to date in the Phase 2b clinical trial. However, a complete analysis of all safety data is pending study completion. All adverse events have been transient in nature and resolved by the end of the applicable trial. However, many compounds that initially showed promise in clinical or early stage testing for treating ophthalmic disease have later been found to cause side effects that prevented further development of the compound. In addition, adverse events which had initially been considered unrelated to the study treatment may later be found to be caused by the study treatment.
We may not be successful in our efforts to develop product candidates based on our bioresorbable hydrogel technology platform other than ReSure Sealant or expand the use of our bioresorbable hydrogel technology for treating additional eye diseases and conditions.
We are currently directing all of our development efforts towards applying our proprietary bioresorbable hydrogel technology platform to product candidates that are designed to provide sustained delivery of therapeutic agents to the eye using active pharmaceutical ingredients that are currently used in FDA-approved ophthalmic drugs. We have a number of product candidates at various stages of development based on our bioresorbable hydrogel technology platform and are exploring the potential use of our platform for other front-of-the-eye diseases and conditions. We are also developing a hydrogel-based drug delivery depot designed to release therapeutic antibodies to vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF, over a sustained period following administration by an intravitreal injection for the treatment of diseases and conditions of the back of the eye, including wet age related macular degeneration, or wet AMD. Our existing product candidates and any other potential product candidates that we identify may not be suitable for continued preclinical or clinical development, including as a result of being shown to have harmful side effects or other characteristics that indicate that they are unlikely to be products that will receive marketing approval and achieve market acceptance. If we do not successfully develop and commercialize our product candidates that we develop based upon our technological approach, we will not be able to obtain substantial product revenues in future periods.
We may expend our limited resources to pursue a particular product candidate or indication and fail to capitalize on product candidates or indications that may be more profitable or for which there is a greater likelihood of success.
Because we have limited financial and managerial resources, we focus on research programs and product candidates that we identify for specific indications. As a result, we may forego or delay pursuit of opportunities with other product candidates or for other indications that later prove to have greater commercial potential. Our resource allocation decisions may cause us to fail to capitalize on viable commercial products or profitable market opportunities. Our spending on current and future research and development programs and product candidates for specific indications may not yield any commercially viable products. If we do not accurately evaluate the commercial potential or target market for a particular product candidate, we may relinquish valuable rights to that product candidate through collaboration, licensing or other royalty arrangements in cases in which it would have been more advantageous for us to retain sole development and commercialization rights to such product candidate.
Risks Related to Manufacturing
We will need to upgrade and expand our manufacturing facility and augment our manufacturing personnel and processes in order to meet our business plans. If we fail to do so, we may not have sufficient quantities of our products or product candidates to meet our commercial and clinical trial requirements.
We manufacture ReSure Sealant and our product candidates for use in clinical trials, research and development and commercial efforts at our multi-product facility located at our corporate headquarters in Bedford, Massachusetts. In order to meet our business plan, which contemplates our scaling up manufacturing processes to support ReSure Sealant sales, as well as our product candidate development programs and the potential commercialization of these product candidates, we will need to upgrade and expand our existing manufacturing facility, add manufacturing personnel and ensure that validated processes are consistently implemented in our facility. The upgrade and expansion of our facility will require additional regulatory approvals. In addition, it will be costly and time-consuming to expand our facility and recruit necessary additional personnel. If we are unable to expand our manufacturing facility in compliance with regulatory requirements or to hire additional necessary manufacturing personnel, we may encounter delays or additional costs in achieving our research, development and commercialization objectives, including in obtaining regulatory approvals of our product candidates and meeting customer demand for ReSure Sealant, which could materially damage our business and financial position.
We must comply with federal, state and foreign regulations, including quality assurance standards applicable to medical device and drug manufacturers, such as cGMP, which is enforced by the FDA through its facilities inspection program and by similar regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions where we do business. These requirements include, among other things, quality control, quality assurance and the maintenance of records and documentation. Following an inspection by the FDA in March 2015, for example, we received a Form FDA 483 containing an inspectional observation relating to inadequate procedures for documenting follow-up information pertinent to the investigation of complaints and for evaluation of complaints for adverse event reporting. We have submitted our response, which was accepted by the FDA, and have updated our procedures. The FDA or similar foreign
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regulatory authorities at any time also may implement new standards, or change their interpretation and enforcement of existing standards for manufacture, packaging or testing of our products. Any failure to comply with applicable regulations may result in fines and civil penalties, suspension of production, product seizure or recall, imposition of a consent decree, or withdrawal of product approval, and would limit the availability of ReSure Sealant and our product candidates that we manufacture. Any manufacturing defect or error discovered after products have been produced and distributed also could result in significant consequences, including costly recall procedures, re-stocking costs, damage to our reputation and potential for product liability claims.
If our sole clinical manufacturing facility is damaged or destroyed or production at this facility is otherwise interrupted, our business and prospects would be negatively affected.
If the manufacturing facility at our corporate headquarters or the equipment in it is damaged or destroyed, we may not be able to quickly or inexpensively replace our manufacturing capacity or replace it at all. In the event of a temporary or protracted loss of this facility or equipment, we might not be able to transfer manufacturing to a third party. Even if we could transfer manufacturing to a third party, the shift would likely be expensive and time-consuming, particularly since the new facility would need to comply with the necessary regulatory requirements and we would need FDA approval before selling any products manufactured at that facility. Such an event could delay our clinical trials or reduce our product sales.
Currently, we maintain insurance coverage against damage to our property and equipment in the amount of up to $4.3 million and to cover business interruption and research and development restoration expenses in the amount of up to $2.8 million. However, our insurance coverage may not reimburse us, or may not be sufficient to reimburse us, for any expenses or losses we may suffer. We may be unable to meet our requirements for ReSure Sealant or any of our product candidates if there were a catastrophic event or failure of our current manufacturing facility or processes.
We expect to continue to contract with third parties for at least some aspects of the production of our products and product candidates. This increases the risk that we will not have sufficient quantities of our products or product candidates or such quantities at an acceptable cost, which could delay, prevent or impair our development or commercialization efforts.
We currently rely on third parties for some aspects of the production of ReSure Sealant and our product candidates for commercialization and preclinical testing and clinical trials, including supply of active pharmaceutical ingredient drug substance, polyethylene glycol, or PEG, the molecule that forms the basis of our hydrogels, and other raw materials and for sterilization of the finished product. In addition, while we believe that our existing manufacturing facility, or additional facilities that we will be able to build, will be sufficient to meet our requirements for manufacturing ReSure Sealant and any of our product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval, we may in the future need to rely on third-party manufacturers for some aspects of the manufacture of our products or product candidates.
We do not have any long term supply agreements in place for the clinical or commercial supply of any drug substances or raw materials for ReSure Sealant or any of our product candidates. We purchase drug substance and raw materials, including the chemical constituents for our hydrogel, from independent suppliers on a purchase order basis. Any performance failure or refusal to supply drug substance or raw materials on the part of our existing or future suppliers could delay clinical development, marketing approval or commercialization of our products. If our current suppliers do not perform as we expect, we may be required to replace one or more of these suppliers. In particular, we depend on a sole source supplier for the supply of our PEG. This sole source supplier may be unwilling or unable to supply PEG to us reliably, continuously and at the levels we anticipate or are required by the market. Although we believe that there are a number of potential long term replacements to our suppliers, including our PEG supplier, we may incur added costs and delays in identifying and qualifying any such replacements.
Reliance on third parties for aspects of the supply of our products and product candidates entails additional risks, including:
| reliance on the third party for regulatory compliance and quality assurance; |
| the possible misappropriation of our proprietary information, including our trade secrets and know-how; |
| the possible breach of an agreement by the third party; and |
| the possible termination or nonrenewal of an agreement by the third party at a time that is costly or inconvenient for us. |
Third-party suppliers or manufacturers may not be able to comply with quality assurance standards, cGMP regulations or similar regulatory requirements outside the United States. Our failure, or the failure of our third parties, to comply with applicable regulations could result in sanctions being imposed on us, including clinical holds, fines, injunctions, civil penalties, delays, suspension or withdrawal of approvals, license revocation, seizures or recalls of product candidates or products, operating restrictions and criminal prosecutions, any of which could significantly and adversely affect supplies of our products and product candidates.
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Our potential future dependence upon others for the manufacture of our product candidates may adversely affect our future profit margins and our ability to commercialize any products that receive regulatory approval on a timely and competitive basis.
Risks Related to Commercialization
Even though ReSure Sealant has received marketing approval from the FDA and even if any of our product candidates receives marketing approval, any of these products may fail to achieve the degree of market acceptance by physicians, patients, third-party payors and others in the medical community necessary for commercial success, and the market opportunity for these products may be smaller than we estimate.
ReSure Sealant or any of our product candidates that receives marketing approval may fail to gain market acceptance by physicians, patients, third-party payors and others in the medical community. We commercially launched ReSure Sealant in the first quarter of 2014 and cannot yet accurately predict whether it will it will gain market acceptance and become commercially successful. For example, we previously commenced commercialization in Europe of an earlier version of ReSure Sealant that was approved and marketed as an ocular bandage. We recognized $0.1 million of revenue from the commercialization of this product through 2012. However, we ceased our commercialization of the product in 2012 to focus on the ongoing clinical development of ReSure Sealant pursuant to FDA requirements. If our products do not achieve an adequate level of acceptance, we may not generate significant product revenue and we may not become profitable.
The degree of market acceptance of ReSure Sealant or any product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval will depend on a number of factors, including:
| the efficacy and potential advantages compared to alternative treatments; |
| our ability to offer our products for sale at competitive prices, particularly in light of the lower cost of alternative treatments; |
| the clinical indications for which the product is approved; |
| the convenience and ease of administration compared to alternative treatments, including the intracanalicular depot retention rate for our sustained release drug delivery product candidates; |
| the willingness of the target patient population to try new therapies and of physicians to prescribe these therapies; |
| the strength of our marketing and distribution support; |
| timing of market introduction of competitive products; |
| the availability of third-party coverage and adequate reimbursement and, for ReSure Sealant, the lack of separate reimbursement when used as part of a cataract surgery procedure; |
| the prevalence and severity of any side effects; and |
| any restrictions on the use of our products together with other medications. |
For example, because we do not plan to conduct any clinical trials comparing the effectiveness of DEXTENZA directly to currently approved alternative treatments for either ocular inflammation and pain following cataract surgery or allergic conjunctivitis, it is possible that the market acceptance of DEXTENZA, if it is approved for marketing, could be less than if we had conducted such trials.
Our assessment of the potential market opportunity for ReSure Sealant and our product candidates is based on industry and market data that we obtained from industry publications and research, surveys and studies conducted by third parties. Industry publications and third-party research, surveys and studies generally indicate that their information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, although they do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information. While we believe these industry publications and third-party research, surveys and studies are reliable, we have not independently verified such data. If the actual market for ReSure Sealant or any of our product candidates is smaller than we expect, our product revenue may be limited and it may be more difficult for us to achieve or maintain profitability.
If we are unable to establish and maintain adequate sales, marketing and distribution capabilities, we may not be successful in commercializing ReSure Sealant or any product candidates if and when they are approved.
We have limited experience in the sale, marketing and distribution of drug and device products. To achieve commercial success for ReSure Sealant and any product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval, we will need to establish and maintain adequate sales, marketing and distribution capabilities, either ourselves or through collaborations or other arrangements with third
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parties. We sell ReSure Sealant through a network of independent medical device distributors across the United States. We believe that, if approved for marketing, DEXTENZA could be commercialized by the same independent network of distributors that sell ReSure Sealant. Alternatively, we may determine to build a specialty sales force to sell DEXTENZA, if approved for marketing. We expect that a direct sales force will be required to effectively market and sell OTX-TP, if approved for marketing. Because we do not plan to determine whether to seek regulatory approval for any of our product candidates outside of the United States until after we receive regulatory approval for the applicable product candidate in the United States, at this time we cannot be certain when, if ever, we will recognize revenue from commercialization of our product candidates in any international markets. If we decide to commercialize our products outside of the United States, we expect to utilize a variety of types of collaboration, distribution and other marketing arrangements with one or more third parties to commercialize any product of ours that receives marketing approval. These may include independent distributors, pharmaceutical companies or our own direct sales organization.
There are risks involved with both establishing our own sales, marketing and distribution capabilities and with entering into arrangements with third parties to perform these services. We may not be successful in entering into arrangements with third parties to sell, market and distribute our products or may be unable to do so on terms that are most beneficial to us. We likely will have little control over such third parties, and any of them may fail to devote the necessary resources and attention to market, sell and distribute our products effectively. Our product revenues and our profitability, if any, under third-party collaboration, distribution or other marketing arrangements may also be lower than if we were to sell, market and distribute a product ourselves. On the other hand, recruiting and training a sales force is expensive and time-consuming and could delay any product launch. If the commercial launch of any product candidate for which we recruit a sales force and establish marketing capabilities is delayed or does not occur for any reason, we would have prematurely or unnecessarily incurred these commercialization expenses. This may be costly, and our investment would be lost if we cannot retain or reposition our sales and marketing personnel.
Other factors that may inhibit our efforts to commercialize products on our own include:
| our inability to recruit, train and retain adequate numbers of effective sales and marketing personnel; |
| the inability of sales personnel to obtain access to physicians or persuade adequate numbers of physicians to use or prescribe our products; |
| the lack of complementary products to be offered by sales personnel, which may put us at a competitive disadvantage relative to companies with more extensive product lines; and |
| unforeseen costs and expenses associated with creating an independent sales and marketing organization. |
If we do not establish sales, marketing and distribution capabilities successfully, either on our own or in collaboration with third parties, we will not be successful in commercializing ReSure Sealant or any of our product candidates.
We face substantial competition, which may result in others discovering, developing or commercializing products before or more successfully than we do.
The development and commercialization of new drug and device products is highly competitive. We face competition with respect to our product candidates and ReSure Sealant, and will face competition with respect to any other product candidates that we may seek to develop or commercialize in the future, from major pharmaceutical companies, specialty pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies worldwide. Potential competitors also include academic institutions, government agencies and other public and private research organizations that conduct research, seek patent protection and establish collaborative arrangements for research, development, manufacturing and commercialization.
Our product candidates target markets that are already served by a variety of competing products based on a number of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Many of these existing products have achieved widespread acceptance among physicians, patients and payors for the treatment of ophthalmic diseases and conditions. In addition, many of these products are available on a generic basis, and our product candidates may not demonstrate sufficient additional clinical benefits to physicians, patients or payors to justify a higher price compared to generic products. In many cases, insurers or other third-party payors, particularly Medicare, seek to encourage the use of generic products. Given that we are developing products based on FDA-approved therapeutic agents, our product candidates, if approved, will face competition from generic and branded versions of existing drugs based on the same active pharmaceutical ingredients that are administered in a different manner, typically through eye drops.
Because the active pharmaceutical ingredients in our product candidates are available on a generic basis, or are soon to be available on a generic basis, competitors will be able to offer and sell products with the same active pharmaceutical ingredient as our products so long as these competitors do not infringe the patents that we license. For example, our licensed patents related to our sustained release drug delivery product candidates largely relate to the hydrogel composition of the intracanalicular depots and certain drug-release features of the depots. As such, if a third party were able to design around the formulation and process patents that we license and create a different formulation using a different production process not covered by our licensed patents or patent applications, we would likely be unable to prevent that third party from manufacturing and marketing its product.
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Other companies have advanced into Phase 3 clinical development biodegradable, sustained release product candidates that could compete with our sustained release drug delivery product candidates. ReSure Sealant is the first and only surgical sealant approved for ophthalmic use in the United States, but will compete with sutures as an alternative method for closing ophthalmic wounds. Multiple companies are exploring in early stage development alternative means to deliver anti-VEGF and TKI products in a sustained release fashion to the back of the eye.
Our commercial opportunity could be reduced or eliminated if our competitors develop and commercialize products that are safer, more effective, have fewer or less severe side effects, are more convenient or are less expensive than our products. Our competitors also may obtain FDA or other regulatory approval for their products more rapidly than we may obtain approval for ours, which could result in our competitors establishing a strong market position before we are able to enter the market.
Many of the companies against which we are competing or against which we may compete in the future have significantly greater financial resources and expertise in research and development, manufacturing, preclinical testing, conducting clinical trials, obtaining regulatory approvals and marketing approved products than we do. Mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries may result in even more resources being concentrated among a smaller number of our competitors. Smaller and other early stage companies may also prove to be significant competitors, particularly through collaborative arrangements with large and established companies. These third parties compete with us in recruiting and retaining qualified scientific and management personnel, establishing clinical trial sites and patient registration for clinical trials, as well as in acquiring technologies complementary to, or necessary for, our programs.
ReSure Sealant and any product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval may become subject to unfavorable pricing regulations, third-party coverage or reimbursement practices or healthcare reform initiatives, which could harm our business.
Our ability to commercialize ReSure Sealant or any product candidates that we may develop successfully will depend, in part, on the extent to which coverage and adequate reimbursement for these products and related treatments will be available from government healthcare programs, private health insurers, managed care plans and other organizations. Government authorities and third-party payors, such as private health insurers and health maintenance organizations, decide which medications they will pay for and establish reimbursement levels. A primary trend in the U.S. healthcare industry and elsewhere is cost containment. Government authorities and third-party payors have attempted to control costs by limiting coverage and the amount of reimbursement for particular medications. Increasingly, third-party payors are requiring that drug and device companies provide them with predetermined discounts from list prices and are challenging the prices charged for medical products. Coverage and reimbursement may not be available for ReSure Sealant or any other product that we commercialize and, even if they are available, the level of reimbursement may not be satisfactory.
Inadequate reimbursement may adversely affect the demand for, or the price of, ReSure Sealant or any product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval. Obtaining and maintaining adequate reimbursement for our products may be difficult. We may be required to conduct expensive pharmacoeconomic studies to justify coverage and reimbursement or the level of reimbursement relative to other therapies. If coverage and adequate reimbursement are not available or reimbursement is available only to limited levels, we may not be able to successfully commercialize ReSure Sealant or any product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval.
There may be significant delays in obtaining coverage and reimbursement for newly approved drugs and devices, and coverage may be more limited than the indications for which the drug is approved by the FDA or similar regulatory authorities outside the United States. Moreover, eligibility for coverage and reimbursement does not imply that a drug will be paid for in all cases or at a rate that covers our costs, including research, development, manufacture, sale and distribution expenses. Interim reimbursement levels for new drugs, if applicable, may also not be sufficient to cover our costs and may not be made permanent. Reimbursement rates may vary according to the use of the drug and the clinical setting in which it is used, may be based on reimbursement levels already set for lower cost drugs and may be incorporated into existing payments for other services. Net prices for drugs may be reduced by mandatory discounts or rebates required by government healthcare programs or private payors and by any future relaxation of laws that presently restrict imports of drugs from countries where they may be sold at lower prices than in the United States. Third-party payors often rely upon Medicare coverage policy and payment limitations in setting their own reimbursement policies. Our inability to promptly obtain coverage and adequate reimbursement rates from both government-funded and private payors for any FDA-approved products that we develop would compromise our ability to generate revenues and become profitable.
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The regulations that govern marketing approvals, pricing, coverage and reimbursement for new drug and device products vary widely from country to country. Current and future legislation may significantly change the approval requirements in ways that could involve additional costs and cause delays in obtaining approvals. Some countries require approval of the sale price of a drug before it can be marketed. In many countries, the pricing review period begins after marketing or product licensing approval is granted. In some foreign markets, prescription pharmaceutical pricing remains subject to continuing governmental control even after initial approval is granted. As a result, we might obtain marketing approval for a product in a particular country, but then be subject to price regulations that delay our commercial launch of the product, possibly for lengthy time periods, and negatively impact the revenues we are able to generate from the sale of the product in that country. To obtain reimbursement or pricing approval in some countries, we may be required to conduct a clinical trial that compares the cost-effectiveness of our product candidate to other available therapies. Adverse pricing limitations may hinder our ability to recoup our investment in one or more product candidates, even if our product candidates obtain marketing approval.
ReSure Sealant or any product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval in the United States or in other countries may not be considered medically reasonable and necessary for a specific indication, may not be considered cost-effective by third-party payors, coverage and an adequate level of reimbursement may not be available, and reimbursement policies of third-party payors may adversely affect our ability to sell our product candidates profitably. ReSure Sealant is not separately reimbursed when used as part of a cataract surgery procedure, which could limit the degree of market acceptance of this product by surgeons. In addition, while DEXTENZA may be considered a post-surgical product in the same fashion as eye drops, if it receives marketing approval, it may instead be categorized as an inter-operative product. If DEXTENZA is categorized as an inter-operative product, it will not be subject to separate reimbursement, which could likewise limit its market acceptance.
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Product liability lawsuits against us could cause us to incur substantial liabilities and to limit commercialization of any products that we develop.
We face an inherent risk of product liability exposure related to the use of our product candidates that we develop in human clinical trials. We face an even greater risk for any products we develop and commercially sell, including ReSure Sealant. If we cannot successfully defend ourselves against claims that our product candidates or products caused injuries, we will incur substantial liabilities. Regardless of merit or eventual outcome, liability claims may result in:
| decreased demand for any product candidates or products that we develop; |
| injury to our reputation and significant negative media attention; |
| withdrawal of clinical trial participants; |
| significant costs to defend the related litigation; |
| substantial monetary awards to trial participants or patients; |
| loss of revenue; |
| reduced time and attention of our management to pursue our business strategy; and |
| the inability to commercialize any products that we develop. |
We currently hold $5.0 million in product liability insurance coverage in the aggregate, with a per incident limit of $5.0 million, which may not be adequate to cover all liabilities that we may incur. We will need to increase our insurance coverage as we expand our clinical trials and our sales of ReSure Sealant and any other product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval. We will need to further increase our insurance coverage if we commence commercialization of any of our product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval. Insurance coverage is increasingly expensive. We may not be able to maintain insurance coverage at a reasonable cost or in an amount adequate to satisfy any liability that may arise.
Risks Related to Our Dependence on Third Parties
If we are unable to train, maintain and expand our network of independent distributors, we may not be able to successfully commercialize ReSure Sealant or any other product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval.
We commercially launched ReSure Sealant in the first quarter of 2014 and sell the product through a network of independent medical device distributors across the United States. As a result, our revenues are directly dependent upon the sales and marketing efforts of these independent distributors. As ReSure Sealant is a newly marketed product, we will continue to expend significant time and resources to train the independent distributors to be credible and persuasive in convincing physicians and hospitals to use ReSure Sealant. In addition, we also must train our independent distributors to ensure that a consistent and appropriate message about ReSure Sealant is delivered to our potential customers. We believe that, if approved for marketing, DEXTENZA could be commercialized by the same independent network of distributors that sell ReSure Sealant.
Our relationships with our distributors are non-exclusive, and our distributors will simultaneously sell products on behalf of third parties, including products that may compete directly or indirectly with our products or product candidates. If our independent distributors fail to devote sufficient time to the sale of ReSure Sealant, or if they otherwise fail to adequately promote, market and sell ReSure Sealant, our sales could decrease. We face significant challenges and risks in managing our geographically dispersed distribution network and retaining the individuals who make up that network. If a substantial number of our independent distributors, or any significant independent distributor, were to cease to do business with us within a short period of time, our sales could be adversely affected. In such a situation, we may need to seek alternative independent distributors. Because of the competition for their services, we may be unable to recruit additional qualified independent distributors to work with us. We may also not be able to enter into agreements with them on favorable or commercially reasonable terms, if at all. Failure to retain qualified independent distributors would prevent us from successfully commercializing ReSure Sealant or any other product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval and intend to distribute through qualified independent distributors.
We may enter into collaborations with third parties for the commercialization of ReSure Sealant or the development or commercialization of our product candidates. If our collaborations are not successful, we may not be able to capitalize on the market potential of these product candidates.
We expect to utilize a variety of types of collaboration, distribution and other marketing arrangements with third parties to commercialize ReSure Sealant or any of our product candidates for which we obtain marketing approval in markets outside the United States.
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We also may enter into arrangements with third parties to perform these services in the United States if we do not establish our own sales, marketing and distribution capabilities in the United States for our product candidates or if we determine that such third-party arrangements are otherwise beneficial. We also may seek third-party collaborators for development and commercialization of other product candidates. Our likely collaborators for any sales, marketing, distribution, development, licensing or broader collaboration arrangements include large and mid-size pharmaceutical companies, regional and national pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology companies. Other than the distributors we use to sell ReSure Sealant, we are not currently party to any such arrangement. Our ability to generate revenues from these arrangements will depend on our collaborators abilities and efforts to successfully perform the functions assigned to them in these arrangements.
Collaborations that we enter into may pose a number of risks, including the following:
| collaborators have significant discretion in determining the amount and timing of efforts and resources that they will apply to these collaborations; |
| collaborators may not perform their obligations as expected; |
| collaborators may not pursue development and commercialization of our product candidates that receive marketing approval or may elect not to continue or renew development or commercialization programs based on results of clinical trials or other studies, changes in the collaborators strategic focus or available funding, or external factors, such as an acquisition, that divert resources or create competing priorities; |
| collaborators may delay clinical trials, provide insufficient funding for a clinical trial program, stop a clinical trial or abandon a product candidate, repeat or conduct new clinical trials or require a new formulation of a product candidate for clinical testing; |
| collaborators could independently develop, or develop with third parties, products that compete directly or indirectly with our products or product candidates if the collaborators believe that competitive products are more likely to be successfully developed or can be commercialized under terms that are more economically attractive than ours; |
| product candidates discovered in collaboration with us may be viewed by our collaborators as competitive with their own product candidates or products, which may cause collaborators to cease to devote resources to the commercialization of our product candidates; |
| a collaborator with marketing and distribution rights to one or more of our product candidates that achieve regulatory approval may not commit sufficient resources to the marketing and distribution of such product or products; |
| disagreements with collaborators, including disagreements over proprietary rights, contract interpretation or the preferred course of development, might cause delays or termination of the research, development or commercialization of product candidates, might lead to additional responsibilities for us with respect to product candidates, or might result in litigation or arbitration, any of which would divert management attention and resources, be time-consuming and expensive; |
| collaborators may not properly maintain or defend our intellectual property rights or may use our proprietary information in such a way as to invite litigation that could jeopardize or invalidate our intellectual property or proprietary information or expose us to potential litigation; |
| collaborators may infringe the intellectual property rights of third parties, which may expose us to litigation and potential liability; and |
| collaborations may be terminated for the convenience of the collaborator and, if terminated, we could be required to raise additional capital to pursue further development or commercialization of the applicable product candidates. |
Collaboration agreements may not lead to development or commercialization of product candidates in the most efficient manner, or at all. If any collaborations that we enter into do not result in the successful development and commercialization of products or if one of our collaborators terminates its agreement with us, we may not receive any future research funding or milestone or royalty payments under the collaboration. If we do not receive the funding we expect under these agreements, our development of our product candidates could be delayed and we may need additional resources to develop our product candidates. All of the risks relating to product development, regulatory approval and commercialization described in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q also apply to the activities of our collaborators.
Additionally, subject to its contractual obligations to us, if a collaborator of ours were to be involved in a business combination, it might deemphasize or terminate the development or commercialization of any product candidate licensed to it by us. If one of our collaborators terminates its agreement with us, we may find it more difficult to attract new collaborators and our perception in the business and financial communities could be harmed.
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If we are not able to establish additional collaborations, we may have to alter our development and commercialization plans and our business could be adversely affected.
For some of our product candidates, we may decide to collaborate with pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies for the development and potential commercialization of those product candidates. We face significant competition in seeking appropriate collaborators. Whether we reach a definitive agreement for a collaboration will depend, among other things, upon our assessment of the collaborators resources and expertise, the terms and conditions of the proposed collaboration and the proposed collaborators evaluation of a number of factors. Those factors may include the design or results of clinical trials, the likelihood of approval by the FDA or similar regulatory authorities outside the United States, the potential market for the subject product candidate, the costs and complexities of manufacturing and delivering such product candidate to patients, the potential of competing products, the existence of uncertainty with respect to our ownership of technology, which can exist if there is a challenge to such ownership without regard to the merits of the challenge, and industry and market conditions generally. The collaborator may also consider alternative product candidates or technologies for similar indications that may be available to collaborate on and whether such a collaboration could be more attractive than the one with us for our product candidate. We may also be restricted under future license agreements from entering into agreements on certain terms with potential collaborators. Collaborations are complex and time-consuming to negotiate and document. In addition, there have been a significant number of recent business combinations among large pharmaceutical companies that have resulted in a reduced number of potential future collaborators.
For example, we are currently conducting preclinical testing in collaboration with several pharmaceutical companies with anti-VEGF compounds to explore the feasibility of delivering their drugs using our intravitreal hydrogel depot. If we successfully complete the preclinical feasibility programs, we plan to explore broader collaborations for the development and potential commercialization of our intravitreal hydrogel depot technology for the treatment of back-of-the-eye diseases and conditions.
If we are unable to reach agreements with suitable collaborators on a timely basis, on acceptable terms, or at all, we may have to curtail the development of a product candidate, reduce or delay its development program or one or more of our other development programs, delay its potential commercialization or reduce the scope of any sales or marketing activities, or increase our expenditures and undertake development or commercialization activities at our own expense. If we elect to fund and undertake development or commercialization activities on our own, we may need to obtain additional expertise and additional capital, which may not be available to us on acceptable terms or at all. If we fail to enter into collaborations and do not have sufficient funds or expertise to undertake the necessary development and commercialization activities, we may not be able to further develop our product candidates or bring them to market or continue to develop our product platform.
Although the majority of our clinical development is administered and managed by our own employees, we have relied, and may continue to rely, on third parties for certain aspects of our clinical development, and those third parties may not perform satisfactorily, including failing to meet deadlines for the completion of such trials.
Our employees have administered and managed most of our clinical development work, including our clinical trials for ReSure Sealant and our clinical trials for DEXTENZA for the treatment of ocular inflammation and pain following cataract surgery. However, we have relied and may continue to rely on third parties, such as contract research organizations, or CROs, to conduct future clinical trials of OTX-MP, as well as our pilot studies of OTX-TP in Singapore and South Africa for the treatment of glaucoma. If we deem necessary, we may engage third parties, such as CROs, clinical data management organizations, medical institutions and clinical investigators, to conduct or assist in our clinical trials or other clinical development work. If we are unable to enter into an agreement with a CRO or other service provider when required, our product development activities would be delayed.
Our reliance on third parties for research and development activities reduces our control over these activities but does not relieve us of our responsibilities. For example, we remain responsible for ensuring that each of our clinical trials is conducted in accordance with the general investigational plan and protocols for the trial. Moreover, the FDA requires us to comply with standards, commonly referred to as good clinical practices for conducting, recording and reporting the results of clinical trials to assure that data and reported results are credible and accurate and that the rights, integrity and confidentiality of trial participants are protected. We are also required to register ongoing clinical trials and post the results of completed clinical trials on a government-sponsored database, ClinicalTrials.gov, within specified timeframes. Failure to do so can result in fines, adverse publicity and civil and criminal sanctions. If we engage third parties and they do not successfully carry out their contractual duties, meet expected deadlines or conduct our clinical trials in accordance with regulatory requirements or our stated protocols, we will not be able to obtain, or may be delayed in obtaining, marketing approvals for our product candidates and will not be able to, or may be delayed in our efforts to, successfully commercialize our product candidates.
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Risks Related to Our Intellectual Property
We may be unable to obtain and maintain patent protection for our technology and products, or the scope of the patent protection obtained may not be sufficiently broad, such that our competitors could develop and commercialize technology and products similar or identical to ours, and our ability to successfully commercialize our technology and products may be impaired.
Our success depends in large part on our and our licensors ability to obtain and maintain patent protection in the United States and other countries with respect to our proprietary technology and products. We and our licensor have sought to protect our proprietary position by filing patent applications in the United States and abroad related to our novel technologies and product candidates. Some of our licensed patents that we believe are integral to our hydrogel technology platform have terms that extend through at least 2024. However, other broader patents within our licensed patent portfolio expire between 2017 and 2019. Given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of new product candidates, patents protecting such candidates might expire before or shortly after such candidates are commercialized. As a result, our licensed patent portfolio would be less effective in excluding others from commercializing products similar or identical to ours. The patent prosecution process is expensive and time-consuming, and we may not have filed or prosecuted and may not be able to file and prosecute all necessary or desirable patent applications at a reasonable cost or in a timely manner. It is also possible that we will fail to identify patentable aspects of our research and development output before it is too late to obtain patent protection.
In some circumstances, we do not have the right to control the preparation, filing and prosecution of patent applications, or to enforce or maintain the patents, covering technology that we license from third parties. In particular, the license agreement that we have entered into with Incept, LLC, or Incept, an intellectual property holding company, which covers all of the patent rights and a significant portion of the technology for ReSure Sealant and our product candidates, provides that, with limited exceptions, Incept has sole control and responsibility for ongoing prosecution for the patents covered by the license agreement. In addition, although we have a right under the Incept license to bring suit against third parties who infringe our licensed patents in our field, other Incept licensees may also have the right to enforce our licensed patents in their own respective fields without our oversight or control. Those other licensees may choose to enforce our licensed patents in a way that harms our interest, for example, by advocating for claim interpretations or agreeing on invalidity positions that conflict with our positions or our interest. We also have no right to control the defense of any of our licensed patents if their validity or scope is challenged before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO, European Patent Office, or other patent office or tribunal. Instead, we would essentially rely on our licensor to defend such challenges, and it may not do so in a way that would best protect our interests. Therefore, our licensed patents and applications may not be prosecuted, enforced, defended or maintained in a manner consistent with the best interests of our business. If Incept fails to prosecute, enforce or maintain such patents, or loses rights to those patents, our licensed patent portfolio may be reduced or eliminated.
The patent position of pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies generally is highly uncertain, involves complex legal and factual questions and has in recent years been the subject of much litigation. As a result, the issuance, scope, validity, enforceability and commercial value of our licensors patent rights are highly uncertain. Our licensors pending and future patent applications may not result in patents being issued which protect our technology or products or which effectively prevent others from commercializing competitive technologies and products. In addition, the laws of foreign countries may not protect our rights to the same extent as the laws of the United States. For example, unlike patent law in the United States, European patent law precludes the patentability of methods of treatment of the human body and imposes substantial restrictions on the scope of claims it will grant if broader than specifically disclosed embodiments. Moreover, we have no patent protection and likely will never obtain patent protection for ReSure Sealant outside the United States and Canada. We have only two issued patents outside of the United States for two of our three intracanalicular depot sustained release drug delivery product candidates, and these expire by 2019. We have three licensed patent families in Europe and certain other parts of the world, but these families consist only of patent applications outside of the United States and have no issued or allowed patents. Patents might not be issued and we may never obtain any patent protection or may only obtain substantially limited patent protection outside of the United States with respect to our products.
Publications of discoveries in the scientific literature often lag behind the actual discoveries, and patent applications in the United States and other jurisdictions are typically not published until 18 months after filing, or in some cases not at all. Therefore, we cannot know with certainty whether we or our licensor were the first to make the inventions claimed in our licensed patents or pending patent applications, or that we or our licensors were the first to file for patent protection of such inventions. Databases for patents and publications, and methods for searching them, are inherently limited so it is not practical to review and know the full scope of all issued and pending patent applications. As a result, the issuance, scope, validity, enforceability and commercial value of our licensed patent rights are uncertain. Our pending and future patent applications may not result in patents being issued which protect our technology or products, in whole or in part, or which effectively prevent others from commercializing competitive technologies and products. In particular, during prosecution of any patent application, the issuance of any patents based on the application may depend upon our ability to generate additional preclinical or clinical data that support the patentability of our proposed claims. We may not be able to generate sufficient additional data on a timely basis, or at all. Moreover, changes in either the patent laws or interpretation of the patent laws in the United States and other countries may diminish the value of our patents or narrow the scope of our patent protection.
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Recent patent reform legislation could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our patent applications and the enforcement or defense of our issued patents. The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, or the Leahy-Smith Act, includes a number of significant changes to United States patent law. These include provisions that affect the way patent applications are prosecuted and may also affect patent litigation. The USPTO recently developed new regulations and procedures to govern administration of the Leahy-Smith Act, and many of the substantive changes to patent law associated with the Leahy-Smith Act, and in particular, the first to file provisions, only became effective on March 16, 2013. The first to file provisions limit the rights of an inventor to patent an invention if not the first to file an application for patenting that invention, even if such invention was the first invention. Accordingly, it is not clear what, if any, impact the Leahy-Smith Act will have on the operation of our business. However, the Leahy-Smith Act and its implementation could increase the uncertainties and costs surrounding the prosecution of our patent applications and the enforcement or defense of our issued patents. For example, the Leahy-Smith Act provides a new administrative tribunal known as the Patent Trial and Appeals Board, or PTAB, that provides a venue for companies to challenge the validity of competitor patents at a cost that is much lower than district court litigation and on timelines that are much faster. Although it is not clear what, if any, long term impact the PTAB proceedings will have on the operation of our business, the initial results of patent challenge proceedings before the PTAB since its inception in 2013 have resulted in the invalidation of many U.S. patent claims. The availability of the PTAB as a lower-cost, faster and potentially more potent tribunal for challenging patents could therefore increase the likelihood that our own licensed patents will be challenged, thereby increasing the uncertainties and costs of maintaining and enforcing them. Moreover, if such challenges occur, as indicated above, we have no right to control the defense. Instead, we would essentially rely on our licensor to consider our suggestions and to defend such challenges, with the possibility that it may not do so in a way that best protects our interests.
We may be subject to a third-party preissuance submission of prior art to the USPTO, or become involved in other contested proceedings such as opposition, derivation, reexamination, inter partes review, post-grant review or interference proceedings challenging our patent rights or the patent rights of others. An adverse determination in any such submission, proceeding or litigation could reduce the scope of, or invalidate, our patent rights, allow third parties to commercialize our technology or products and compete directly with us, without payment to us, or result in our inability to manufacture or commercialize products without infringing third-party patent rights. In addition, if the breadth or strength of protection provided by our patents and patent applications is threatened, it could dissuade companies from collaborating with us to license, develop or commercialize current or future products.
In the United States, the FDA does not prohibit physicians from prescribing an approved product for uses that are not described in the products labeling. Although use of a product directed by off-label prescriptions may infringe our method-of-treatment patents, the practice is common across medical specialties, particularly in the United States, and such infringement is difficult to detect, prevent or prosecute. In addition, patents that cover methods of use for a medical device cannot be enforced against the party that uses the device, but rather only against the party that makes them. Such indirect enforcement is more difficult to achieve.
The issuance of a patent is not conclusive as to its inventorship, scope, validity or enforceability, and our licensed patents may be challenged in the courts or patent offices in the United States and abroad. Such challenges may result in loss of exclusivity or in patent claims being narrowed, invalidated or held unenforceable, in whole or in part, which could limit our ability to stop others from using or commercializing similar or identical technology and products, or limit the duration of the patent protection of our technology and products. Given the amount of time required for the development, testing and regulatory review of new product candidates, patents protecting such candidates might expire before or shortly after such candidates are commercialized. As a result, our licensed patent portfolio may not provide us with sufficient rights to exclude others from commercializing products similar or identical to ours.
Because the active pharmaceutical ingredients in our product candidates are available on a generic basis, or are soon to be available on a generic basis, competitors will be able to offer and sell products with the same active pharmaceutical ingredient as our products so long as these competitors do not infringe any patents that we license. Our licensed patents largely relate to the hydrogel composition of our intracanalicular depots and the drug-release design scheme of our depots. As such, if a third party were able to design around the formulation and process patents that we license and create a different formulation using a different production process not covered by our licensed patents or patent applications, we would likely be unable to prevent that third party from manufacturing and marketing its product.
If we are not able to obtain patent term extension in the United States under the Hatch-Waxman Act and in foreign countries under similar legislation, thereby potentially extending the term of our marketing exclusivity for our product candidates, our business may be impaired.
Depending upon the timing, duration and specifics of FDA marketing approval of our product candidates, one of the U.S. patents covering each of such product candidates or the use thereof may be eligible for up to five years of patent term restoration under the Hatch-Waxman Act. The Hatch-Waxman Act allows a maximum of one patent to be extended per FDA-approved product. Patent term extension also may be available in certain foreign countries upon regulatory approval of our product candidates. Nevertheless, we may not be granted patent term extension either in the United States or in any foreign country because of, for example, failing to apply within applicable deadlines, failing to apply prior to expiration of relevant patents or otherwise failing to satisfy applicable requirements. Moreover, the term of extension, as well as the scope of patent protection during any such extension, afforded by the governmental authority could be less than we request.
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Further, our license from Incept does not provide us with the right to control decisions by Incept or its other licensees on Orange Book listings or patent term extension decisions under the Hatch-Waxman Act. Thus, if one of our important licensed patents is eligible for a patent term extension under the Hatch-Waxman Act, and it covers a product of another Incept licensee in addition to our own product candidate, we may not be able to obtain that extension if the other licensee seeks and obtains that extension first.
If we are unable to obtain patent term extension or restoration, or the term of any such extension is less than we request, the period during which we will have the right to exclusively market our product may be shortened and our competitors may obtain approval of competing products following our patent expiration sooner, and our revenue could be reduced, possibly materially.
We may become involved in lawsuits to protect or enforce our licensed patents or other intellectual property, which could be expensive, time-consuming and unsuccessful.
Competitors may infringe our licensed patents or other intellectual property. As a result, to counter infringement or unauthorized use, we may be required to file infringement claims, which can be expensive and time-consuming. Under the terms of our license agreement with Incept, we have the right to initiate suit against third parties who we believe infringe on the patents subject to the license. Any claims we assert against perceived infringers could provoke these parties to assert counterclaims against us alleging that we infringe their patents. In addition, in a patent infringement proceeding, a court may decide that a patent of ours is invalid or unenforceable, in whole or in part, construe the patents claims narrowly or refuse to stop the other party from using the technology at issue on the grounds that our patents do not cover the technology in question. An adverse result in any litigation proceeding could put one or more of our patents at risk of being invalidated or interpreted narrowly. Furthermore, because of the substantial amount of discovery required in connection with intellectual property litigation, there is a risk that some of our confidential information could be compromised by disclosure during this type of litigation.
Third parties may initiate legal proceedings alleging that we are infringing their intellectual property rights, the outcome of which would be uncertain and could have a material adverse effect on the success of our business.
Our commercial success depends upon our ability to develop, manufacture, market and sell our ReSure Sealant and product candidates and use our proprietary technologies without infringing the proprietary rights of third parties. There is considerable intellectual property litigation in the biotechnology, medical device, and pharmaceutical industries. We may become party to, or threatened with, infringement litigation claims regarding our products and technology, including claims from competitors or from non-practicing entities that have no relevant product revenue and against whom our own patent portfolio may have no deterrent effect. Moreover, we may become party to future adversarial proceedings or litigation regarding our licensed patent portfolio or the patents of third parties. Such proceedings could also include contested post-grant proceedings such as oppositions, inter partes review, reexamination, interference or derivation proceedings before the USPTO or foreign patent offices. The legal threshold for initiating litigation or contested proceedings is low, so that even lawsuits or proceedings with a low probability of success might be initiated and require significant resources to defend. Litigation and contested proceedings can also be expensive and time-consuming, and our adversaries in these proceedings may have the ability to dedicate substantially greater resources to prosecuting these legal actions than we or our licensor can. The risks of being involved in such litigation and proceedings may increase as our product candidates near commercialization and as we gain the greater visibility associated with being a public company. Third parties may assert infringement claims against us based on existing patents or patents that may be granted in the future. We may not be aware of all such intellectual property rights potentially relating to our product candidates and their uses. Thus, we do not know with certainty that ReSure Sealant or any of our product candidates, or our commercialization thereof, does not and will not infringe or otherwise violate any third partys intellectual property.
We are aware of a family of U.S. patent applications and issued patents that will expire in approximately December 2015 and which have claims that ReSure Sealant could be considered to be infringing. We believe that the claims of this patent family are subject to a claim of invalidity. We are also aware of a U.S. patent with an expiration in 2020 with claims directed to formulations of hydrogels and which could be alleged to cover the hydrogel formulations used in our product candidates OTX-TP and OTX-MP. Based on the specifications and file history of that patent, we believe its claims should be construed with a scope that does not cover our product candidates. We also believe that such claims, if and to the extent they were asserted against our product candidates, would be subject to a claim of invalidity.
If we are found to infringe a third partys intellectual property rights, we could be required to obtain a license from such third party to continue developing and marketing our products and technology. However, we may not be able to obtain any required license on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Even if we were able to obtain a license, it could be non-exclusive, thereby giving our competitors access to the same technologies licensed to us. We could be forced, including by court order, to cease commercializing the infringing technology or product. In addition, we could be found liable for monetary damages, including treble damages and
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attorneys fees if we are found to have willfully infringed a patent and could be forced to indemnify our customers or collaborators. A finding of infringement could also result in an injunction that prevents us from commercializing our product candidates or forces us to cease some of our business operations. In addition, we may be forced to redesign our product candidates, seek new regulatory approvals and indemnify third parties pursuant to contractual agreements. Claims that we have misappropriated the confidential information or trade secrets of third parties could have a similar negative impact on our business.
If we fail to comply with our obligations in our intellectual property licenses and funding arrangements with third parties, we could lose rights that are important to our business.
Our license agreement with Incept, under which we license all of our patent rights and a significant portion of the technology for ReSure Sealant and our product candidates, imposes royalty and other financial obligations and other substantial performance obligations on us. We also may enter into additional licensing and funding arrangements with third parties that may impose diligence, development and commercialization timelines and milestone payment, royalty, insurance and other obligations on us. If we fail to comply with our obligations under current or future license and collaboration agreements, our counterparties may have the right to terminate these agreements, in which event we might not be able to develop, manufacture or market any product that is covered by these agreements or may face other penalties under the agreements. Such an occurrence could diminish the value of our product. Termination of these agreements or reduction or elimination of our rights under these agreements may result in our having to negotiate new or reinstated agreements with less favorable terms, or cause us to lose our rights under these agreements, including our rights to important intellectual property or technology.
Under the terms of our license agreement with Incept, we have agreed to assign to Incept our rights in any patent application filed at any time in any country for which one or more inventors are under an obligation of assignment to us. These assigned patent applications and any resulting patents are included within the specified patents owned or controlled by Incept to which we receive a license under the agreement. Incept has retained rights to practice the patents and technology licensed to us under the agreement for all purposes other than for researching, designing, developing, manufacturing and commercializing products that are delivered to or around the human eye for diagnostic, therapeutic or prophylactic purposes relating to ophthalmic diseases or conditions. As a result, termination of our agreement with Incept, based on our failure to comply with this or any other obligation under the agreement, would cause us to lose our rights to important intellectual property or technology upon which our business depends. Additionally, the field limit of the license and the requirement that we assign to Incept our rights in any patent application restricts our ability to expand our business outside of ophthalmology.
We may be subject to claims by third parties asserting that our employees or we have misappropriated their intellectual property, or claiming ownership of what we regard as our own intellectual property.
Many of our employees were previously employed at universities or other biotechnology, medical device or pharmaceutical companies, including our competitors or potential competitors. Although we try to ensure that our employees do not use the proprietary information or know-how of others in their work for us, we may be subject to claims that these employees or we have used or disclosed intellectual property, including trade secrets or other proprietary information, of any such employees former employer. Litigation may be necessary to defend against these claims.
In addition, while it is our policy to require our employees and contractors who may be involved in the development of intellectual property to execute agreements assigning such intellectual property to us, we may be unsuccessful in executing such an agreement with each party who in fact develops intellectual property that we regard as our own. Our and their assignment agreements may not be self-executing or may be breached, and we may be forced to bring claims against third parties, or defend claims they may bring against us, to determine the ownership of what we regard as our intellectual property.
If we fail in prosecuting or defending any such claims, in addition to paying monetary damages, we may lose valuable intellectual property rights or personnel. Even if we are successful in prosecuting or defending against such claims, litigation could result in substantial costs and be a distraction to management.
Intellectual property litigation could cause us to spend substantial resources and distract our personnel from their normal responsibilities.
Even if resolved in our favor, litigation or other legal proceedings relating to intellectual property claims may cause us to incur significant expenses, and could distract our technical and management personnel from their normal responsibilities. In addition, there could be public announcements of the results of hearings, motions or other interim proceedings or developments and if securities analysts or investors perceive these results to be negative, it could have a substantial adverse effect on the price of our common stock. Such litigation or proceedings could substantially increase our operating losses and reduce the resources available for development activities or any future sales, marketing or distribution activities. We may not have sufficient financial or other resources to conduct
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such litigation or proceedings adequately. Some of our competitors may be able to sustain the costs of such litigation or proceedings more effectively than we can because of their greater financial resources. Uncertainties resulting from the initiation and continuation of patent litigation or other proceedings could compromise our ability to compete in the marketplace.
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If we are unable to protect the confidentiality of our trade secrets, our business and competitive position would be harmed.
In addition to seeking patents for our technology, products and product candidates, we also rely on trade secrets, including unpatented know-how, technology and other proprietary information, to maintain our competitive position. We seek to protect these trade secrets, in part, by entering into non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements with parties who have access to them, such as our employees, corporate collaborators, outside scientific collaborators, contract manufacturers, consultants, advisors and other third parties. We also enter into confidentiality and invention or patent assignment agreements with our employees and consultants. Despite these efforts, any of these parties may breach the agreements and disclose our proprietary information, including our trade secrets, and we may not be able to obtain adequate remedies for such breaches. Enforcing a claim that a party illegally disclosed or misappropriated a trade secret is difficult, expensive and time-consuming, and the outcome is unpredictable. In addition, some courts inside and outside the United States are less willing or unwilling to protect trade secrets. If any of our trade secrets were to be lawfully obtained or independently developed by a competitor, we would have no right to prevent them, or those to whom they communicate it, from using that technology or information to compete with us. If any of our trade secrets were to be disclosed to or independently developed by a competitor, our competitive position would be harmed.
Risks Related to Regulatory Approval of Our Product Candidates and Other Legal Compliance Matters
If we are not able to obtain required regulatory approvals, we will not be able to commercialize our product candidates, and our ability to generate significant revenue will be materially impaired. The marketing approval process is expensive, time-consuming and uncertain. As a result, we cannot predict when or if we, or any collaborators we may have in the future, will obtain marketing approval to commercialize our product candidates.
The activities associated with the development and commercialization of our product candidates, including design, testing, manufacture, safety, efficacy, recordkeeping, labeling, storage, approval, advertising, promotion, sale and distribution, are subject to comprehensive regulation by the FDA and other regulatory agencies in the United States and by the EMA and similar regulatory authorities outside the United States. Failure to obtain marketing approval for a product candidate will prevent us from commercializing the product candidate. We have only received approval to market ReSure Sealant in the United States, and have not received approval to market any of our product candidates or to market ReSure Sealant in any jurisdiction outside the United States. We may determine to seek a CE Certificate of Conformity, which demonstrates compliance with relevant requirements and provides approval to commercialize ReSure Sealant in the European Union. If we are unable to obtain a CE Certificate of Conformity for ReSure Sealant or any of our other product candidates for which we seek European regulatory approval, we will be prohibited from commercializing such product or products in the European Union and other places which require the CE Certificate of Conformity. In such a case, the potential market to commercialize our products may be significantly smaller than we currently estimate.
The process of obtaining marketing approvals, both in the United States and abroad, is expensive and may take many years, especially if additional clinical trials are required, if approval is obtained at all. Securing marketing approval requires the submission of extensive preclinical and clinical data and supporting information to regulatory authorities for each therapeutic indication to establish the product candidates safety and purity. Securing marketing approval also requires the submission of information about the product manufacturing process to, and inspection of manufacturing facilities by, the regulatory authorities. The FDA, the EMA or other regulatory authorities may determine that our product candidates are not safe or effective, are only moderately effective or have undesirable or unintended side effects, toxicities or other characteristics that preclude our obtaining marketing approval or prevent or limit commercial use. In addition, while we have had general discussions with the FDA concerning the design of some of our clinical trials, we have not discussed with the FDA the specifics of the regulatory pathways for our product candidates. Any marketing approval we ultimately obtain may be limited or subject to restrictions or post-approval commitments that render the approved product not commercially viable.
The regulatory process can vary substantially based upon a variety of factors, including the type, complexity and novelty of the product candidates involved. If we experience delays in obtaining approval, the commercial prospects for our product candidates may be harmed and our ability to generate revenues will be materially impaired.
Failure to obtain marketing approval in international jurisdictions would prevent our product candidates from being marketed abroad.
In order to market and sell ReSure Sealant or our product candidates in the European Union and many other jurisdictions, we or our third-party collaborators must obtain separate marketing approvals and comply with numerous and varying regulatory requirements. 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 United States generally includes all of the risks associated with obtaining FDA approval. In addition, in many countries outside the United States, it
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is required that the product be approved for reimbursement before the product can be sold in that country. We or our collaborators may not obtain approvals from regulatory authorities outside the United States 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 United States does not ensure approval by regulatory authorities in other countries or jurisdictions or by the FDA. However, a failure or delay in obtaining regulatory approval in one country may have a negative effect on the regulatory process in other countries. We may not be able to file for marketing approvals and may not receive necessary approvals to commercialize our products in any market.
The terms of approvals, ongoing regulations and post-marketing restrictions for our products may limit how we manufacture and market our products, which could materially impair our ability to generate revenue.
Once marketing approval has been granted, an approved product and its manufacturer and marketer are subject to ongoing review and extensive regulation. We, and any collaborators we may have in the future, must therefore comply with requirements concerning advertising and promotion for any of our products for which we or our collaborators obtain marketing approval. Promotional communications with respect to drug products and medical devices are subject to a variety of legal and regulatory restrictions and must be consistent with the information in the products approved labeling. Thus, if any of our product candidates receives marketing approval, the accompanying label may limit the approved use of our product, which could limit sales of the product.
The FDA required two post-approval studies as a condition for approval of our premarket approval application, or PMA application, for ReSure Sealant. The first post-approval study, identified as the Clinical PAS, is to confirm that ReSure Sealant can be used safely by physicians in a standard cataract surgery practice and to confirm the incidence of the most prevalent adverse ocular events identified in our pivotal study of ReSure Sealant in eyes treated with ReSure Sealant. The FDA has approved the protocol for the Clinical PAS, and we initiated enrollment in December 2014. We anticipate completing the Clinical PAS in two to three years. The second post-approval study, identified as the Device Exposure Registry, is intended to link to the Medicare database to ascertain if patients are diagnosed or treated for endophthalmitis within 30 days following cataract surgery and application of the ReSure Sealant. Following review of the data from these studies, any concerns raised by the FDA could lead to modifications in product labeling, the approved indication for use or negative publicity impacting our commercialization efforts. In addition, in order to use the Medicare database in the Device Exposure Registry, we will need to obtain a Medicare tracking or research code for ReSure Sealant. In connection with ongoing discussions with the FDA and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, we submitted an application to CMS seeking a tracking or research code for ReSure Sealant commercial use. CMS has preliminarily indicated that it is not likely to issue such a tracking or research code. If a tracking or research code is not established for ReSure Sealant, we may not be able to complete the Device Exposure Registry. We are required to provide periodic reports to the FDA on the progress of each post-approval study until it is completed. Based on results of the post-approval studies, or if we are unable to complete the Device Exposure Registry, the FDA, among other things, could modify the product labeling with respect to ReSure Sealant to the extent the FDA has any concerns with respect to endophthalmitis that we are unable to address due to the lack of completion of the study. This would negatively affect our ability to commercialize ReSure Sealant.
In addition, manufacturers of approved products and those manufacturers facilities are required to comply with extensive FDA requirements, including ensuring that quality control and manufacturing procedures conform to cGMPs applicable to drug manufacturers or quality assurance standards applicable to medical device manufacturers, which include requirements relating to quality control and quality assurance as well as the corresponding maintenance of records and documentation and reporting requirements. We, any contract manufacturers we may engage in the future, our future collaborators and their contract manufacturers will also be subject to other regulatory requirements, including submissions of safety and other post-marketing information and reports, registration and listing requirements, requirements regarding the distribution of samples to physicians, recordkeeping, and costly post-marketing studies or clinical trials and surveillance to monitor the safety or efficacy of the product such as the requirement to implement a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy.
We may be subject to substantial penalties if we fail to comply with regulatory requirements or if we experience unanticipated problems with our products.
Violations of the FDCA relating to the promotion or manufacturing of drug products or medical devices may lead to investigations by the FDA, Department of Justice and state Attorneys General alleging violations of federal and state healthcare fraud and abuse laws, as well as state consumer protection laws. In addition, later discovery of previously unknown adverse events or other problems with our products, manufacturers or manufacturing processes, or failure to comply with regulatory requirements, may yield various results, including:
| restrictions on such products, manufacturers or manufacturing processes; |
| restrictions on the labeling or marketing of a product; |
| restrictions on product distribution or use; |
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| requirements to conduct post-marketing studies or clinical trials; |
| warning letters; |
| withdrawal of the products from the market; |
| refusal to approve pending applications or supplements to approved applications that we submit; |
| recall of products; |
| fines, restitution or disgorgement of profits or revenues; |
| suspension or withdrawal of marketing approvals; |
| refusal to permit the import or export of our products; |
| product seizure or detention; or |
| injunctions or the imposition of civil or criminal penalties. |
Non-compliance with European Union requirements regarding safety monitoring or pharmacovigilance, and with requirements related to the development of products for the pediatric population, can also result in significant financial penalties.
Our relationships with customers and third-party payors may be subject, directly or indirectly, to applicable anti-kickback, fraud and abuse, false claims, transparency, health information privacy and security, and other healthcare laws and regulations, which could expose us to criminal sanctions, civil penalties, contractual damages, reputational harm, administrative burdens and diminished profits and future earnings.
Healthcare providers, physicians and third-party payors in the United States and elsewhere will play a primary role in the recommendation and prescription and use of ReSure Sealant and any product candidates for which we obtain 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 any products for which we obtain marketing approval. In addition, we may be subject to transparency laws and patient privacy regulation by U.S. federal and state governments and by governments in foreign jurisdictions in which we conduct our business. The applicable federal, state and foreign healthcare laws and regulations that may affect our ability to operate include:
| the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, which prohibits, among other things, persons from knowingly and willfully soliciting, offering, receiving or providing remuneration, directly or indirectly, in cash or in kind, to induce or reward, or in return for, either the referral of an individual for, or the purchase, order or recommendation of, any good or service, for which payment may be made under a federal healthcare program such as Medicare and Medicaid; |
| federal civil and criminal false claims laws and civil monetary penalty laws, including the federal False Claims Act, which impose criminal and civil penalties, including civil whistleblower or qui tam actions, against individuals or entities for knowingly presenting, or causing to be presented, to the federal government, including the Medicare and Medicaid programs, claims for payment that are false or fraudulent or making a false statement to avoid, decrease or conceal an obligation to pay money to the federal government; |
| the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, which imposes criminal and civil liability for executing a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program or making false statements relating to healthcare matters; |
| HIPAA, as amended by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009, and their respective implementing regulations, which imposes obligations, including mandatory contractual terms, on covered healthcare providers, health plans and healthcare clearinghouses, as well as their business associates, with respect to safeguarding the privacy, security and transmission of individually identifiable health information; and |
| analogous state and foreign laws and regulations, such as state anti-kickback and false claims laws, which may apply to sales or marketing arrangements and claims involving healthcare items or services reimbursed by non-governmental third-party payors, including private insurers; state and foreign laws that require pharmaceutical companies to comply with the pharmaceutical industrys voluntary compliance guidelines and the relevant compliance guidance promulgated by the federal government or otherwise restrict payments that may be made to healthcare providers; state and foreign laws that require drug manufacturers to report information related to payments and other transfers of value to physicians and other healthcare providers or marketing expenditures; and state and foreign laws governing the privacy and security of health information in certain circumstances, many of which differ from each other in significant ways and often are not preempted by HIPAA, thus complicating compliance efforts. |
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Efforts to ensure that our business arrangements with third parties will comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations may involve substantial costs. It is possible that governmental authorities will conclude that our business practices may not comply with current or future statutes, regulations or case law involving applicable fraud and abuse or other healthcare laws and regulations. If our operations are found to be in violation of any of these laws or any other governmental regulations that may apply to us, we may be subject to significant civil, criminal and administrative penalties, including, without limitation, damages, fines, imprisonment, exclusion from participation in government-funded healthcare programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations. If any of the physicians or other healthcare providers or entities with whom we expect to do business is found to be not in compliance with applicable laws, it may be subject to criminal, civil or administrative sanctions, including exclusions from participation in government-funded healthcare programs.
Recently enacted and future legislation may affect our ability to commercialize and the prices we obtain for any products that are approved in the United States or foreign jurisdictions.
In the United States and some foreign jurisdictions, there have been a number of legislative and regulatory changes and proposed changes regarding the healthcare system that could affect our ability to profitably sell or commercialize ReSure Sealant or any product candidate for which we obtain marketing approval. The pharmaceutical industry and medical device industry have been a particular focus of these efforts and have been significantly affected by legislative initiatives. Current laws, as well as other healthcare reform measures that may be adopted in the future, may result in more rigorous coverage criteria and in additional downward pressure on the price that we receive for any FDA-approved product.
In the United States, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003, or the MMA, changed the way Medicare covers and pays for pharmaceutical products. Cost reduction initiatives and other provisions of this legislation could limit coverage of and reduce the price that we receive for any FDA-approved products. While the MMA applies only to product benefits for Medicare beneficiaries, private payors often follow Medicare coverage policy and payment limitations in setting their own reimbursement rates. Therefore, any reduction in reimbursement that results from the MMA or other healthcare reform measures may result in a similar reduction in payments from private payors.
In March 2010, President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act, or collectively PPACA. Among the provisions of PPACA of importance to our business, including, without limitation, our ability to commercialize and the prices we may obtain for any of our product candidates and that are approved for sale, are the following:
| an annual, nondeductible fee on any entity that manufactures or imports specified branded prescription drugs and biologic agents; |
| an increase in the statutory minimum rebates a manufacturer must pay under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program; |
| a new Medicare Part D coverage gap discount program, in which participating manufacturers must agree to offer 50% point-of-sale discounts off negotiated drug prices during the coverage gap period as a condition for the manufacturers outpatient drugs to be covered under Medicare Part D; |
| expansion of healthcare fraud and abuse laws, including the federal False Claims Act and the federal Anti-Kickback Statute, and the addition of new government investigative powers, and enhanced penalties for noncompliance; |
| extension of manufacturers Medicaid rebate liability; |
| expansion of eligibility criteria for Medicaid programs; and |
| expansion of the entities eligible for discounts under the Public Health Service pharmaceutical pricing program. |
In addition, other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted since PPACA was enacted. These changes include aggregate reductions to Medicare payments to providers of up to 2% per fiscal year, which went into effect in April 2013. In January 2013, President Obama signed into law the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, which, among other things, reduced Medicare payments to several types of providers, and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years. These new laws may result in additional reductions in Medicare and other healthcare funding.
The pricing of prescription pharmaceuticals is also subject to governmental control outside the United States. In these countries, pricing negotiations with governmental authorities can take considerable time after the receipt of marketing approval for a product. To obtain reimbursement or pricing approval in some countries, we may be required to conduct a clinical trial that compares the cost-effectiveness of our product candidates to other available therapies. If reimbursement of our products is unavailable or limited in scope or amount, or if pricing is set at unsatisfactory levels, our ability to generate revenues and become profitable could be impaired.
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Laws and regulations governing any international operations we may have in the future may preclude us from developing, manufacturing and selling certain products outside of the United States and require us to develop and implement costly compliance programs.
If we expand our operations outside of the United States, we must dedicate additional resources to comply with numerous laws and regulations in each jurisdiction in which we plan to operate. The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, prohibits any U.S. individual or business from paying, offering, authorizing payment or offering of anything of value, directly or indirectly, to any foreign official, political party or candidate for the purpose of influencing any act or decision of the foreign entity in order to assist the individual or business in obtaining or retaining business. The FCPA also obligates companies whose securities are listed in the United States to comply with certain accounting provisions requiring the company to maintain books and records that accurately and fairly reflect all transactions of the corporation, including international subsidiaries, and to devise and maintain an adequate system of internal accounting controls for international operations.
Compliance with the FCPA is expensive and difficult, particularly in countries in which corruption is a recognized problem. In addition, the FCPA presents particular challenges in the pharmaceutical industry, because, in many countries, hospitals are operated by the government, and doctors and other hospital employees are considered foreign officials. Certain payments to hospitals in connection with clinical trials and other work have been deemed to be improper payments to government officials and have led to FCPA enforcement actions.
Various laws, regulations and executive orders also restrict the use and dissemination outside of the United States, or the sharing with certain non-U.S. nationals, of information classified for national security purposes, as well as certain products and technical data relating to those products. If we expand our presence outside of the United States, it will require us to dedicate additional resources to comply with these laws, and these laws may preclude us from developing, manufacturing, or selling certain products and product candidates outside of the United States, which could limit our growth potential and increase our development costs.
The failure to comply with laws governing international business practices may result in substantial civil and criminal penalties and suspension or debarment from government contracting. The Securities and Exchange Commission also may suspend or bar issuers from trading securities on U.S. exchanges for violations of the FCPAs accounting provisions.
If we or any third-party manufacturers we engage in the future fail to comply with environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, we could become subject to fines or penalties or incur significant costs.
We and any third-party manufacturers we may engage in the future are subject to numerous environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, including those governing laboratory procedures and the handling, use, storage, treatment and disposal of hazardous materials and wastes. From time to time and in the future, our operations may involve the use of hazardous materials, including chemicals and biological materials, and produce hazardous waste products. We generally contract with third parties for the disposal of these materials and wastes. We cannot eliminate the risk of contamination or injury from these materials. In the event of contamination or injury resulting from our use of hazardous materials, we could be held liable for any resulting damages, and any liability could exceed our resources. We also could incur significant costs associated with civil or criminal fines and penalties for failure to comply with such laws and regulations.
Although we maintain general liability insurance as well as workers compensation insurance to cover us for costs and expenses we may incur due to injuries to our employees resulting from the use of hazardous materials, this insurance may not provide adequate coverage against potential liabilities. We do not maintain insurance for environmental liability or toxic tort claims that may be asserted against us in connection with our storage or disposal of biological, hazardous or radioactive materials.
In addition, we may incur substantial costs in order to comply with current or future environmental, health and safety laws and regulations. These current or future laws and regulations may impair our research, development or production efforts. Our failure to comply with these laws and regulations also may result in substantial fines, penalties or other sanctions.
Further, with respect to the operations of any future third-party contract manufacturers, it is possible that if they fail to operate in compliance with applicable environmental, health and safety laws and regulations or properly dispose of wastes associated with our products, we could be held liable for any resulting damages, suffer reputational harm or experience a disruption in the manufacture and supply of our product candidates or products.
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Risks Related to Employee Matters and Managing Growth
Our future success depends on our ability to retain key executives and to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel.
We are highly dependent on the research and development, clinical and business development expertise of Amar Sawhney, Ph.D., our President and Chief Executive Officer, as well as the other principal members of our management, scientific and clinical team. Although we have entered into employment agreements with our executive officers, each of them may terminate their employment with us at any time. We maintain key person insurance for Dr. Sawhney, but we do not have any such insurance for any of our other executives or other employees.
Recruiting and retaining qualified scientific, clinical, manufacturing and sales and marketing personnel will also be critical to our success. The loss of the services of our executive officers or other key employees could impede the achievement of our research, development and commercialization objectives and seriously harm our ability to successfully implement our business strategy. Furthermore, replacing executive officers and key employees may be difficult and may take an extended period of time because of the limited number of individuals in our industry with the breadth of skills and experience required to successfully develop, gain regulatory approval of and commercialize products. Competition to hire from this limited pool is intense, and we may be unable to hire, train, retain or motivate these key personnel on acceptable terms given the competition among numerous pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for similar personnel. We also experience competition for the hiring of scientific and clinical personnel from universities and research institutions. In addition, we rely on consultants and advisors, including scientific and clinical advisors, to assist us in formulating our research and development and commercialization strategy. Our consultants and advisors may be employed by employers other than us and may have commitments under consulting or advisory contracts with other entities that may limit their availability to us. If we are unable to continue to attract and retain high quality personnel, our ability to pursue our growth strategy will be limited.
We expect to expand our development, regulatory and manufacturing capabilities and potentially implement sales, marketing and distribution capabilities, and as a result, we may encounter difficulties in managing our growth, which could disrupt our operations.
We expect to experience significant growth in the number of our employees and the scope of our operations, particularly in the areas of drug development, clinical, regulatory affairs, manufacturing, sales, marketing and distribution. To manage our anticipated future growth, we must continue to implement and improve our managerial, operational and financial systems, expand our facilities and continue to recruit and train additional qualified personnel. Due to our limited financial resources and our limited experience in managing such anticipated growth, we may not be able to effectively manage the expansion of our operations or recruit and train additional qualified personnel. The expansion of our operations may lead to significant costs and may divert our management and business development resources. Any inability to manage growth could delay the execution of our business plans or disrupt our operations.
Risks Related to Our Common Stock
Our executive officers, directors and principal stockholders, if they choose to act together, have the ability to control all matters submitted to stockholders for approval.
Our executive officers, directors and stockholders who own more than 5% of our outstanding common stock, in the aggregate, own a large portion of our capital stock. As a result, if these stockholders were to choose to act together, they would be able to control all matters submitted to our stockholders for approval, as well as our management and affairs. For example, these persons, if they choose to act together, would control the election of directors and approval of any merger, consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets.
This concentration of voting power may:
| delay, defer or prevent a change in control; |
| entrench our management and the board of directors; or |
| delay or prevent a merger, consolidation, takeover or other business combination involving us on terms that other stockholders may desire. |
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Provisions in our corporate charter documents and under Delaware law could make an acquisition of our company, which may be beneficial to our stockholders, more difficult and may prevent attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management.
Provisions in our certificate of incorporation and our bylaws may discourage, delay or prevent a merger, acquisition or other change in control of our company that stockholders may consider favorable, including transactions in which our stockholders might otherwise receive a premium for their shares. These provisions could also limit the price that investors might be willing to pay in the future for shares of our common stock, thereby depressing the market price of our common stock. In addition, because our board of directors is responsible for appointing the members of our management team, 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 members of our board of directors. Among other things, these provisions:
| provide for a classified board of directors such that only one of three classes of directors is elected each year; |
| allow the authorized number of our directors to be changed only by resolution of our board of directors; |
| limit the manner in which stockholders can remove directors from our board of directors; |
| provide for advance notice requirements for stockholder proposals that can be acted on at stockholder meetings and nominations to our board of directors; |
| require that stockholder actions must be effected at a duly called stockholder meeting and prohibit actions by our stockholders by written consent; |
| limit who may call stockholder meetings; |
| authorize our board of directors to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval, which could be used to institute a poison pill that would work to dilute the stock ownership of a potential hostile acquirer, effectively preventing acquisitions that have not been approved by our board of directors; and |
| require the approval of the holders of at least 75% of the votes that all our stockholders would be entitled to cast to amend or repeal specified provisions of our certificate of incorporation or bylaws. |
Moreover, because we are incorporated in Delaware, we are governed by the provisions of Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which prohibits a person who owns in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock from merging or combining with us for a period of three years after the date of the transaction in which the person acquired in excess of 15% of our outstanding voting stock, unless the merger or combination is approved in a prescribed manner.
An active trading market for our common stock may not be sustained.
Our shares of common stock began trading on the NASDAQ Global Market on July 25, 2014. Given the limited trading history of our common stock, there is a risk that an active trading market for our shares will not be sustained, which could put downward pressure on the market price of our common stock and thereby affect the ability of our stockholders to sell their shares.
The price of our common stock may be volatile and fluctuate substantially, which could result in substantial losses for holders of our common stock.
Our stock price may be volatile. The stock market in general and the market for smaller biopharmaceutical companies in particular have experienced extreme volatility that has often been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. As a result of this volatility, our stockholders may not be able to sell their common stock at or above the price at which they purchased it. The market price for our common stock may be influenced by many factors, including:
| our success in commercializing ReSure Sealant; |
| the success of competitive products or technologies; |
| results of clinical trials of our product candidates; |
| results of clinical trials of product candidates of our competitors; |
| regulatory or legal developments in the United States and other countries; |
| developments or disputes concerning patent applications, issued patents or other proprietary rights; |
| the recruitment or departure of key scientific or management personnel; |
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| the level of expenses related to any of our product candidates or clinical development programs; |
| the results of our efforts to discover, develop, acquire or in-license additional products, product candidates or technologies for the treatment of ophthalmic diseases or conditions, the costs of commercializing any such products and the costs of development of any such product candidates or technologies; |
| actual or anticipated changes in estimates as to financial results, development timelines or recommendations by securities analysts; |
| variations in our financial results or those of companies that are perceived to be similar to us; |
| changes in the structure of healthcare payment systems; |
| market conditions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors; |
| general economic, industry and market conditions; and |
| the other factors described in this Risk Factors section. |
In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a companys securities, securities class-action litigation has often been instituted against that company. We also may face securities class-action litigation if we cannot obtain regulatory approvals for or if we otherwise fail to commercialize DEXTENZA, OTX-TP or our other product candidates or if our commercial launch of ReSure Sealant is unsuccessful. Such litigation, if instituted against us, could cause us to incur substantial costs to defend such claims and divert managements attention and resources.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market could cause our stock price to fall.
Persons who were our stockholders prior to our initial public offering continue to hold a substantial number of shares of our common stock. If such persons sell, or indicate an intention to sell, substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, the trading price of our common stock could decline.
In addition, shares of common stock that are either subject to outstanding options or reserved for future issuance under our stock incentive plans will become eligible for sale in the public market to the extent permitted by the provisions of various vesting schedules and Rule 144 and Rule 701 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and, in any event, we have filed a registration statement permitting shares of common stock issued on exercise of options to be freely sold in the public market. If these additional shares of common stock are sold, or if it is perceived that they will be sold, in the public market, the trading price of our common stock could decline.
Certain holders of our common stock have rights, subject to specified conditions, to require us to file registration statements covering their shares or, along with certain holders of shares of our common stock issuable upon exercise of warrants issued to lenders, to include their shares in registration statements that we may file for ourselves or other stockholders. Any sales of securities by these stockholders could have a material adverse effect on the trading price of our common stock.
We are an emerging growth company, and the reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies may make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We are an emerging growth company, as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012, or the JOBS Act, and may remain an emerging growth company until December 31, 2019, provided that, if the market value of our common stock that is held by non-affiliates exceeds $700 million as of any June 30 before that time or if we have annual gross revenues of $1 billion or more in any fiscal year, we would cease to be an emerging growth company as of December 31 of the applicable year. We also would cease to be an emerging growth company if we issue more than $1 billion of non-convertible debt over a three-year period. As an emerging growth company, we are permitted and intend to rely on exemptions from certain disclosure requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies. These exemptions include:
| not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements in the assessment of our internal control over financial reporting; |
| not being required to comply with any requirement that may be adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding mandatory audit firm rotation or a supplement to the auditors report providing additional information about the audit and the financial statements; |
| reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation; and |
| exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and shareholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. |
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We expect to continue to take advantage of some or all of the available exemptions. We cannot predict whether investors will find our common stock less attractive if we rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.
In addition, the JOBS Act also provides that an emerging growth company can take advantage of an extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards. This allows an emerging growth company to delay the adoption of certain accounting standards until those standards would otherwise apply to private companies. We have irrevocably elected not to delay such adoption of new or revised accounting standards, and, as a result, we will comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for public companies that are not emerging growth companies.
We incur increased costs as a result of operating as a public company, and our management is now required to devote substantial time to new compliance initiatives and corporate governance practices.
As a public company, and particularly after we are no longer an emerging growth company, we incur significant legal, accounting and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the listing requirements of The NASDAQ Global Market and other applicable securities rules and regulations impose various requirements on public companies, including establishment and maintenance of effective disclosure and financial controls and corporate governance practices. Our management and other personnel devote a substantial amount of time to these compliance initiatives. Moreover, these rules and regulations have increased our legal and financial compliance costs and will make some activities more time-consuming and costly.
For as long as we remain an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not emerging growth companies as described in the preceding risk factor.
Pursuant to Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or Section 404, we will be required to furnish a report by our management on our internal control over financial reporting. However, while we remain an emerging growth company, we will not be required to include an attestation report on internal control over financial reporting issued by our independent registered public accounting firm. To achieve compliance with Section 404 within the prescribed period, we will be engaged in a process to document and evaluate our internal control over financial reporting, which is both costly and challenging. In this regard, we will need to continue to dedicate internal resources, potentially engage outside consultants and adopt a detailed work plan to assess and document the adequacy of internal control over financial reporting, continue steps to improve control processes as appropriate, validate through testing that controls are functioning as documented and implement a continuous reporting and improvement process for internal control over financial reporting. Despite our efforts, there is a risk that we will not be able to conclude, within the prescribed timeframe or at all, that our internal control over financial reporting is effective as required by Section 404. If we identify one or more material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, it could result in an adverse reaction in the financial markets due to a loss of confidence in the reliability of our financial statements.
Because we do not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our capital stock in the foreseeable future, capital appreciation, if any, will be our stockholders sole source of gain.
We have never declared or paid cash dividends on our capital stock. We currently intend to retain all of our future earnings, if any, to finance the growth and development of our business. In addition, the terms of our credit facility and any future debt agreements that we may enter into, may preclude us from paying dividends without the lenders consent or at all. As a result, capital appreciation, if any, of our common stock will be our stockholders sole source of gain for the foreseeable future.
Item 2. | Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds |
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
We did not sell any shares of our common stock, shares of our preferred stock or warrants to purchase shares of our stock, or grant any stock options or restricted stock awards, during the three months ended September 30, 2015 that were not registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and that have not otherwise been described in a Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
Purchase of Equity Securities
We did not purchase any of our registered equity securities during the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
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Use of Proceeds from Registered Securities
On July 30, 2014, we closed our initial public offering of 5,000,000 shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $13.00 per share for an aggregate public offering price of $65.0 million. In August 2014, the underwriters in our initial public offering exercised their over-allotment option to purchase an additional 750,000 shares of our common stock. The over-allotment shares had an aggregate public offering price of $9.75 million. The offer and sale of all of the shares in the offering were registered under the Securities Act pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-196932), which was declared effective by the SEC on July 24, 2014.
We received aggregate net proceeds from the offering, including in connection with the exercise by the underwriters of their over-allotment option, of approximately $66.4 million, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses payable by us. As of September 30, 2015, we have used approximately $45.4 million of the net proceeds from the offering as follows: $27.5 million for research and development costs, $3.6 million for sales and marketing costs, $10.5 million for general and administrative purposes, $3.1 million for capital spending, and $1.4 million to pay interest expense. We have not used any of the net proceeds from the offering to make payments, directly or indirectly, to any director or officer of ours or any of their associates, to any person owning 10 percent or more of our common stock, or to any affiliate of ours. We have invested the remaining net proceeds from the offering in a variety of capital preservation investments, including short-term, investment grade, interest bearing instruments and money market funds backed by U.S. government securities. There has been no material change in our planned use of the net proceeds from the offering as described in our final prospectus dated as of July 24, 2014 filed with the SEC pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act.
Item 6. | Exhibits. |
The exhibits filed as part of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are set forth on the Exhibit Index, which Exhibit Index is incorporated herein by reference.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements 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.
OCULAR THERAPEUTIX, INC. | ||||||
Date: November 10, 2015 | By: | /s/ W. Bradford Smith | ||||
W. Bradford Smith | ||||||
Chief Financial Officer | ||||||
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
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EXHIBIT INDEX
Exhibit Number |
Description of Exhibit | |
31.1* | Certification of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 | |
31.2* | Certification of Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) or Rule 15d-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 | |
32.1* | Certification of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 | |
32.2* | Certification of Principal Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 | |
101.INS | XBRL Instance Document | |
101.SCH | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document | |
101.CAL | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document | |
101.LAB | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Database | |
101.PRE | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document | |
101.DEF | XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document |
* | Filed herewith. |
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Exhibit 31.1
CERTIFICATIONS
I, Amarpreet Sawhney, Ph.D., certify that:
1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Ocular Therapeutix, Inc.;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrants other certifying officer 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)) for the registrant and have:
a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
b) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrants 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
c) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrants internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrants most recent fiscal quarter (the registrants fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrants internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrants other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrants auditors and the audit committee of the registrants board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrants ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrants internal control over financial reporting.
Date: November 10, 2015 | By: | /s/ Amarpreet Sawhney, Ph.D. | ||||
Amarpreet Sawhney, Ph.D. | ||||||
President and Chief Executive Officer | ||||||
(Principal Executive Officer) |
Exhibit 31.2
CERTIFICATIONS
I, W. Bradford Smith, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Ocular Therapeutix, Inc.;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrants other certifying officer 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)) for the registrant and have:
a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
b) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrants 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
c) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrants internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrants most recent fiscal quarter (the registrants fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrants internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrants other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrants auditors and the audit committee of the registrants board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrants ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrants internal control over financial reporting.
Date: November 10, 2015 | By: | /s/ W. Bradford Smith | ||||
W. Bradford Smith | ||||||
Chief Financial Officer | ||||||
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |
Exhibit 32.1
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. (the Company) for the period ended September 30, 2015 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the Report), the undersigned, Amarpreet Sawhney, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, hereby certifies, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, that to his knowledge:
(1) the Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and
(2) the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.
Date: November 10, 2015 | By: | /s/ Amarpreet Sawhney, Ph.D. | ||||
Amarpreet Sawhney, Ph.D. | ||||||
President and Chief Executive Officer | ||||||
(Principal Executive Officer) |
Exhibit 32.2
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. (the Company) for the period ended September 30, 2015 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the Report), the undersigned, W. Bradford Smith, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, hereby certifies, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, that to his knowledge:
(1) the Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and
(2) the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.
Date: November 10, 2015 | By: | /s/ W. Bradford Smith | ||||
W. Bradford Smith | ||||||
Chief Financial Officer | ||||||
(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) |